Opposition leader in the Rajya Sabha and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge skips Red Fort function, hoists tricolour at party headquarters.
Published Aug 15, 2023 | 4:04 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 15, 2023 | 7:10 PM
PM Narendra Modi addressing the nation on the occasion of 77th Independence Day from the ramparts of Red Fort, in New Delhi. (PIB)
Deviating from addressing the people of India as “my dear fellow citizens”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his 10th consecutive Independence Day speech by addressing the nation as “my beloved 140 crore family members”, on Tuesday, 15 August.
Speaking from the Red Fort in Delhi on India’s 77th Independence Day, Modi twice touched upon the violence in Manipur.
“In the past few weeks, Manipur witnessed a wave of violence. Several people lost their lives, and our mothers and sisters were dishonoured. But, peace is slowly returning to the region. India stands with Manipur,” he said, adding that the Centre and the state governments are working together to maintain peace.
“The people of Manipur should build on the peace that has been restored over the past few days. The path for a solution will be found through peace in Manipur,” he added.
Manipur has been on the boil since 3 May, but the prime minister has seldom spoken about it despite pressure from the Opposition parties.
He referred to Manipur once again in his almost 90-minute speech, saying the pain in the state would be felt across the nation. “If there’s violence in Manipur, the pain is felt in Maharashtra as well,” he told his 140 crore parivarjan (family members).
While delivering the last Independence Day speech before the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Modi also promised to address the nation from the Red Fort next year as well.
The decisions and actions made during the Amrit Kaal — the period until 2047, the centenary of India’s Independence — would impact the millennium to come, he said.
A panoramic view of Red Fort on the occasion of 77th Independence Day from the ramparts of Red Fort. (PIB)
India was out of the “slave mentality” and marching ahead with new confidence and resolve, he added.
“We are fortunate to live in the Amrit Kaal of independence. The decisions we make in this Amrit Kaal, our actions and sacrifices, would pave the way for a glorious history spanning the next millennium,” Modi said.
The prime minister said India had “demography, democracy and diversity”.
“These three can fulfil all dreams… While other countries are growing old, India is young. We have the highest number of youths in the world,” he added.
The government would take more measures to tackle inflation to minimise the burden of price rises on people, said the prime minister.
Modi said the world was grappling with high inflation, and when India imported goods, it also imported inflation.
“The world is yet to fully recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The war has created yet another problem. The world is grappling with the problem of inflation. Inflation has gripped the global economy,” he said.
Modi added that the Central government had taken several steps to keep inflation under control, and some success had been achieved.
“But we cannot be satisfied (just) because our situation is better than the world. We have to take more steps to minimise the burden of price rise on our people. We will take the steps. My efforts will continue,” he said.
The prime minister’s assertion came a day after it was announced that retail inflation jumped to 7.44 percent in July, primarily driven by costlier tomatoes and other vegetables.
Modi touched upon the “Life Mission”, which aims to stop the mindless consumption of resources and formed important international coalitions such as the International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and International Big Cat Alliance.
“The entire world is grappling with climate change. India has shown the way to combat it,” he said.
Lauding women’s self-help groups and their contribution, Modi said the G-20 grouping had acknowledged India’s approach to women-led development.
“When you go to a village, you will find bank-wali didi, Anganwadi didi, and dawai-wali (medicine) didi. It is my dream to make 2 crore lakhpati didis in villages,” he said.
The prime minister further said the government was planning a new policy for the agri-tech sector to strengthen women’s self-help groups.
“We will train them in operating and repairing drones. Many self-help groups will be provided with drones. These agricultural drones can be utilised effectively. The initiative will begin with the flight of drones by 15,000 women’s self-help groups,” he said.
Modi also said it was now being seen that more than men, women were pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) courses.
“It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure there is no atrocity against our daughters,” he said.
Decrying corruption, nepotism, and appeasement as the three evils that have harmed the country immensely, Modi said it was a collective responsibility to promote “suchita (probity), pardarshita (transparency), and nishpakshta (objectivity)”.
“It is Modi’s life-long commitment to keep fighting corruption… My government weeded out 10 crore fake beneficiaries of welfare schemes, and seizure of ill-gotten assets rose 20 times,” he said.
He also said that the politics of appeasement had inflicted the most harm on social justice.
Modi said that democracy had been affected by the ills of nepotism and alleged that dynastic parties worked with the mantra of “party of the family, by the family, and for the family”.
He announced that the government would soon launch a scheme to provide relief in bank loans to those dreaming of their own houses in cities.
Modi exuded confidence that he would address the nation from the Red Fort next year to list out the progress on the promises he had made to the people.
“The promise for change brought me here. My performance brought me here once again. The coming five years are of unprecedented development and a golden moment to realise the dream of India as a developed nation by 2047,” the prime minister said.
“Next year, on 15 August, I will list out the progress achieved by the nation and sing paeans to your strength, your resolve, and your success with greater confidence from this same Red Fort,” he said.
Modi said he had made a promise to the nation to usher in change in 2014.
“You reposed your trust in me. I tried to do justice to that. The promises I made earned me confidence over the past five years. I had promised you to change through reform, performance, and transformation. I have worked hard for the nation and I have worked with pride,” the prime minister said.
The prime minister lauded the Supreme Court for its move to translate operative parts of its judgements in regional languages, with Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud acknowledging the praise.
Addressing the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort on Independence Day, the prime minister said, “We have emphasised teaching in the mother tongue.”
He observed that the Supreme Court has decided to translate the operative part of the judgement into the language spoken by the litigant.
“I thank the Supreme Court. It has said that now the operative part of the judgment will be translated in the language the litigant speaks,” Modi said.
CJI Chandrachud, who was amongst the audience, responded with a namaste gesture.
The prime minister also lauded Anganwadi, ASHA and health workers’ roles in combating Covid-19.
Three-time Grammy award winner Ricky Kej also came in for praise for his rendition of the country’s national anthem recorded with the largest orchestra ever.
A few days ago, I conducted a 100-piece British orchestra, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to perform India’s National Anthem at the legendary Abbey Road Studios, London. This is the largest orchestra ever to record India's National Anthem and it is spectacular! The "Jaya He" at… pic.twitter.com/sqJGW8mTDu
— Ricky Kej (@rickykej) August 14, 2023
Modi announced that the government would launch the Vishwakarma Yojana on 17 September with an allocation of ₹13,000-15,000 crore for those with traditional skills.
He added that the government was working on increasing the number of Jan Aushadhi Kendras from 10,000 to 25,000. The kendras have been set up to make generic medicines affordable to all.
AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge skipped the Independence Day function at the Red Fort. A chair reserved for Kharge, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, remained vacant during the function. The Congress president said he had a problem in his eyes.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was among several dignitaries, diplomats, and ministers present at the event at the Mughal-era fort.
Kharge, however, unfurled the national flag at his residence and later at the Congress headquarters, where the Independence Day function was also attended by Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders.
Asked about his absence from the function at the Red Fort, Kharge said that he could not have reached the Congress office in time from the Red Fort. “I did not go there due to paucity of time,” he said at the Congress headquarters.
“When Lok Sabha opposition leader suspended… When MPs are suspended for an indefinite period… When opposition leaders’ speeches are expunged if we mention Adani… When mikes are switched off… what else we can do? We celebrate Independence Day with people,” he said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Kharge pledged to uphold democracy and the Constitution which he said, were in danger.
आज स्वतंत्रता दिवस के अवसर पर कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष श्री @kharge ने AICC मुख्यालय में तिरंगा फहराया। pic.twitter.com/C5ANK4VqeR
— Congress (@INCIndia) August 15, 2023
On Independence Day, he saluted the sacrifices of innumerable Indians who gave up their lives during the freedom struggle and said they not only made a contribution to the national movement but also laid a strong foundation for India.
He also lauded the contribution of former prime ministers, including Atal Bihari Vajpayee who, he said, always worked for the country and took many steps for progress and development.
“It pains me to say that today, democracy, Constitution, and autonomous institutions — all three are in great danger,” he lamented.
Noting that democracy and the Constitution are the souls of the country, he said on the occasion of this Independence Day, “We take a pledge that we will uphold the freedom of democracy and Constitution for the unity and integrity of the country, for love and brotherhood, for harmony and fraternity”.
“With this determination, once again I extend my warmest wishes to all of you on Independence Day. Bharat Judega, INDIA Jeetega,” he said, referring to the tagline of the opposition alliance.
Taking a dig at the prime minister, he said, “First, they talked about acche din, then, they talked about ‘New India’, and now they talk about Amrit Kaal. Isn’t this a name change to hide his failures?”
Referring to Manipur, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, where there have been incidents of violence in the recent past, he said be it any corner of the country, “wherever there is injustice, the Congress will ensure justice”.
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi said Bharat Mata was the voice of every single Indian, no matter how weak or strong.
In his message on Independence Day, he talked about his 145-day Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanniyakumari to Kashmir and shared his experience on how the people during his journey touched him all along.
“The object of my love had suddenly revealed herself. My beloved Bharat Mata was not a land. It wasn’t a set of ideas. It wasn’t a particular culture, history or religion. Neither was it the caste that people had been assigned.
“India was the voice of every single Indian, no matter how weak or strong. India was the happiness, the fear and the pain hidden deep inside all the voices,” he said.
“To hear India, my own voice — my desires — my ambitions had to fall silent. India would speak to one of her own, but only if one was humble and completely silent,” Gandhi said.
Sharing his experience all along the yatra, he said, “How simple it had turned out to be. I had been looking in the river for that which could only be found in the sea.”
He quoted Persian poet Rumi to say, “If words come from the heart they will enter the heart”.
भारत माता हर एक भारतीय की आवाज़ है!
सभी देशवासियों को स्वतंत्रता दिवस की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं। 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/Db5NkDwLyd
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 14, 2023
(With PTI inputs)
