Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday delivered his 11th consecutive speech on Independence Day from the ramparts of Red Fort, a tradition started by India's first PM Jawaharlal Nehru and assiduously upheld by his successors.
This was Modi's first speech after becoming the Prime Minister for a third term in July. Before Modi, Nehru was the only PM who stayed in office consecutively for over 11 years.
In 1962, Nehru led the Congress to a landslide victory for a third time. It was his final electoral triumph since he passed away in office in 1964 before the 1967 Lok Sabha polls.
Nehru's first speech of his third term—11th overall—signalled continuity and reaffirmed the government's commitment to nation-building and unity.
He also reminded India, which was then a fragile and young nation, of the struggles of the freedom movement that were still fresh in the minds of the citizens.
He particularly appealed to the children who were born in Independent India and the youth who were growing up along with the nation.
In his speech, Nehru spoke about the need to "raise the standard of living" of India’s millions and "bringing about equality and equal opportunities" for everyone.
Over six decades later, PM Modi too spoke about improving the "ease of living" of Indians and providing the same opportunities and resources to them to bridge the caste, religion, and socio-economic faultlines.
Interestingly, while Nehru's use of the words "raising the standards" emphasised the need to enhance basic necessities for all Indians, PM Modi's reference to "ease of living" carried a more aspirational tone.
"Our goal is to reduce the disparity between the haves and the have-nots and establish a socialist pattern of society. We want to get rid of the caste system. We have had to face tremendous difficulties in our efforts to bring this about. Do you remember the terrible events which shook the nation in the aftermath of Partition? Anyhow, we faced them and brought the situation under control," Nehru said, in his 1962 speech.
Like Nehru, PM Modi also touched upon the subject of ending discrimination based on caste. At the beginning of his speech, PM Modi recalled the struggles of "Azaadi ke deewane" and paid an emotional tribute to our freedom fighters.
Back in 1962, the first Prime Minister spoke about the need to have a strong army in order to become a strong nation. He also spoke about "forces with evil intention" operating at India's borders. The reference was of course to both China and Pakistan. Notably, the speech had taken place just weeks before India's war with China.
"How can we become strong as a nation? It is necessary to have strong army. But ultimately it is on the people that the defence of a nation depends, on their hard work, unity and determination. Everyone in the country must do his duty honestly, work hard in his own chosen profession, and foster unity. Then no power in the world can conquer them. India’s story has always been one of disunity and internecine feuds. We tend to argue about petty things. Not that there is any harm in debates or arguments. But we must always bear in mind that disunity is traitorous to the country. It weakens the nation and endangers our hard-won freedom," Nehru said.
Nehru emphasised that despite small hardships, the citizens must unite and focus on building a strong, cohesive India, transcending religious and caste divisions.
He also highlighted the breakthroughs in the space sector, which were directly influenced by the intense space competition of the Cold War era, particularly when the Soviet Union launched the first humans into space.
"Some of you might have observed two new stars in the firmament at night. I am using the words stars, but actually they are two men from the Soviet Union who are orbiting our planet, hundreds of miles away from earth. Earlier the Americans did such a thing. We are living in a revolutionary world where everything is changing rapidly," Nehru said.
It was not for another 7 years till the first human (America's Neil Armstrong) would land on the Moon, putting an end to the space war.
Nehru then said that India should advance in the field of science, work hard and adopt new techniques of production. And in 2024, PM Modi looked back with pride at the multiple achievements of India's vibrant space sector and said that hundreds of startups are now coming up to take the momentum forward.
"Earlier our space sector was in shackles, but we have freed it. It is an opportunity for our young startups. Today we are seeing private satellites being launched. When intentions are right, we get the desired results," PM Modi said.
Later in his speech, Nehru pointed out that despite India's growing population, improvements in health, nutrition, and living standards have increased the country's average life expectancy, reflecting progress in national well-being.
He reiterated the need to lift the downtrodden sections of the society and reminded the people to serve others regardless of their religion and castes. "All Indians are our brothers no matter which religion they follow," he emphasised.
62 years later, in a different context, PM Modi spoke about the need to uphold the secular fabric of the society as he batted for a "secular civil code".
"The Civil Code that we are living with is actually a Communal Civil Code in a way. It is the need of the hour to bring a Secular Civil Code in the country. Only then would we be free of the discrimination on the basis of religion," he said. The implementation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) was one of the BJP's top promises in its manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
While concluding his speech, Nehru urged the people not to get involved in "petty problems and arguments" and reminded them that they are part of one large family.
"Everyone is entitled to different opinions and there must be no restriction on free thinking. But there is no room for differences of opinion when it comes to serving the country or protecting and defending her freedom," he said.
PM Modi's speech also reflected this message of unity.
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