urdu speech on independence day of india

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Urdu Press on Modi’s I-Day speech: Silent on job crisis, govt needs to dispel sense of fear among minorities

Bengaluru-based salar questioned modi’s move to target the opposition from the ramparts of the red fort, asking if he was the pm of the whole country or only a select few..

The 77th Independence Day celebrations and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation dominated the editorials in the Urdu Press this week. Some of the dailies pointed out that the PM was silent on the pressing issue of rising unemployment, others felt the PM’s speech was exclusive to a section of people and a few political parties (read allies). The successful I-Day celebrations in Jammu and Kashmir also found a place in some dailies.

The Siasat Daily

The Hyderabad -based daily wrote that though the PM spoke about creating more women lakhpatis, he was silent on his promise of creating two crore jobs every year. “Addressing the nation on the occasion of India’s 77th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about several issues . He talked about his vision of making India a developed country by 2047 and, at the same time, he proclaimed that he would be back at the Red Fort next year. Apart from this, the Prime Minister talked about empowering women and also said that he wants to see two crore women lakhpatis in the country.”

The daily underlined that India had developed because of its economic policies and there were millions of women lakhpatis already in the country. “Several thousands of them are millionaires as well,” the daily said. “The PM spoke about two crore women billionaires to win their hearts. The contribution of women in making India a developed country can’t be undermined, and they should also be given an equal opportunity to reap its benefits,” Siasat wrote.

The daily reminded that in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections campaign Modi had promised to provide two crore jobs every year. “Now the Prime Minister is in his 10th year of power. According to this promise, employment should have been provided to 20 crore youths in the country so far, but the situation seems to be the opposite. In his speech, the prime minister did not provide any data on how many jobs have been provided so far as per his most important promise. The speech did not mention any employment generation roadmap either,” wrote the newspaper.

The daily said the Prime Minister didn’t announce any policy to tackle rising crimes and discrimination against women. “The Modi government’s slogan is ‘ Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao ’. There was no mention of any new initiatives in achieving this goal. The PM’s speech was devoid of any policy or plan to make two crore women wealthy. Atrocities and injustices against women are on the rise in almost every state of the country. In Manipur, women were paraded naked, and other atrocities were committed against them in the state. Nothing is being done to improve the situation in the violence-hit state. Women are affected by inflation also. In this regard, the Prime Minister did not say anything in his speech. It did not clarify what the government plans were to bring relief to women while controlling inflation,” Siasat wrote.

In its editorial, the Bengaluru-based Salar wrote that Narendra Modi ’s address to the nation on India’s 77th Independence Day seemed more like the speech of the leader of a political party and not that of a prime minister. “The PM not only used the solemn occasion to highlight the achievements of his government and show the confidence of winning the next general elections, he also criticised Opposition parties from the ramparts of the Red Fort,” the daily wrote.

Number of Independence Day speeches by PMs

Its editorial noted that the Independence Day speech was the last speech of his current term. “The people of India will decide in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as to who will deliver the next Independence Day speech from the Red Fort.” But the PM, the daily noted, claimed in no uncertain terms that he would return to power for a third term. In the 90-minute speech, Modi announced several new schemes and talked about the benefits of his government’s past policies. On violence-hit Manipur, the editorial said the PM didn’t own up to his responsibility “but said these incidents can take place anywhere and the pain is felt across the country”.

The PM said for the country to progress “we have to fight corruption, dynasty and appeasement”. Here also the Opposition was his target, the editorial said. This, Salar said, begged the question of whether he is the prime minister of the whole country or only a select few and some political parties. The daily touched upon Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge ’s absence from the celebrations at Red Fort. The Opposition leader clarified that he couldn’t attend the event because of security issues.

The PM said, “I firmly believe that when the country will celebrate 100 years of freedom in 2047, the country would be a developed India.” This goal, according to the daily, can be achieved if the confidence of ordinary people is restored, the prevailing sense of fear among minorities is dispelled, the Opposition is taken along, the right policies are adopted, and reforms are carried out without any bias.

Roznama Sahara

In its editorial, Sahara highlighted the successful Independence Day celebrations. “Though the day was celebrated with great enthusiasm in all parts of the country, the focus was on the celebrations in Srinagar,” the daily wrote. According to the editorial, the excitement over I-Day in Jammu and Kashmir was palpable this time. “It did not seem that this is the same Kashmir which generally conjures up images of violence in the minds of the common people,” it said. The daily wrote that the people of the Valley had sent out a message on August 13 itself when a massive rally was successfully organised under the leadership of Lt Governor Manoj Sinha .

The editorial said the ceremony at the Bakshi Stadium, where Sinha hoisted the Tricolour, surprised everyone. “The passion and enthusiasm of Kashmiris was on full display at the event,” it read.

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Wali Ahmad is an Associate Editor (Operations) based in New Delhi.  He writes on politics and occasionally curates the weekly column The Urdu Press. Wali has extensively covered the Seemanchal region on the borders of Bihar and West Bengal. He joined The Indian Express in 2013, and has been responsible for news operations on indianexpress.com. In over 15 years of online journalism, Wali has covered all the major national and international news events, including three Lok Sabha elections. He holds a Master's degree in journalism from the Aligarah Muslim University. He has previously worked with HindustanTimes.Com, NDTV.Com, Indiatoday.in.   ... Read More

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PM’s address from the Red Fort on 75th Independence Day

My dear countrymen!

Best wishes to all of you and those who love India and democracy from all over the world on the occasion of the Amrit Mahotsav of freedom, the 75th Independence Day.

Today, on the pious festival of the Amrit Mahotsav of freedom, the country is bowing to all its freedom fighters and brave heroes who continue to sacrifice themselves day and night in the defense of the nation. The country is remembering every personality, including the revered Bapu, who made freedom a mass movement, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, who sacrificed everything for the freedom, or great revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Chandrasekhar Azad, Bismil and Ashfaqulla Khan; Rani of Jhansi Lakshmibai, Queen Chennamma of Kittur or Rani Gaidinliu or the valour of MatanginiHazra in Assam; the country’s first Prime Minister Pandit Nehru ji, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who integrated the country into a united nation, and Baba Saheb Ambedkar, who determined and paved the way for the future direction of India. The country is indebted to all these great personalities.

India is a land endowed with gems. I salute countless people from every corner of India whose names don’t even figure in history, but who have built this nation and have also taken it forward in every period.

India has fought for the motherland, culture and freedom for centuries. This country never gave up the pain of slavery and the longing for freedom for centuries. In the midst of victories and defeats, the aspiration of freedom engraved in the mind was never diminished. Today is the time to bow down to the leaders of all these struggles, the warriors of centuries of struggle and they also deserve our reverence.

Our doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, sanitation staff, scientists engaged in developing vaccines, millions of countrymen engaged with the spirit of service during this Corona global pandemic also deserve praise from all of us.

Today there are floods in some areas of the country, landslides have also occurred. Some sad news also keeps coming. The hardships of the people have increased in many areas. At such a time, both the Central and State Governments are with them in complete readiness. Today, the young athletes and our players who have brought laurels to India are also present in this event.

Some are present and sitting here. Today, I appeal to all the countrymen, those who are present here and all those who are present in this ceremony from every corner of India, that in the honour of our players, for a few moments let’s salute them with resounding clapping applause and show respect for their huge accomplishments.

Let us show our respect to the sports of India, youth of India and honour the young Indians who bring laurels to the nation. Crores of countrymen are showing respect to the youth of India, especially the athletes who brought honour to India with a thunderous applause. I can be proud that they have not only won our hearts today, but also inspired the youth of India and future generations with their huge achievements.

My dear countrymen,

While we celebrate our freedom today, we cannot forget the pain of partition that still pierces through the heart of all Indians. This has been one of the biggest tragedies of the last century. After attaining freedom, these people were forgotten too soon. Just yesterday India has taken an emotional decision in their memory. We will henceforth commemorate August 14 as “Partition Horrors Remembrance Day” in the memory of all the victims of partition. Those who were subjected to inhuman circumstances, suffered torturous treatment, they could not even receive a dignified cremation. They must all remain alive and never get erased from our memories. The decision of celebrating “Partition Horrors Remembrance Day” on the 75th Independence Day is a befitting tribute from every Indian to them.

For the country moving on the path of progress and humanity in the entire world, the Corona period came as a major challenge. Indians fought this fight with great grit and patience. We had many challenges. Countrymen performed extraordinarily in every field. It is due to the power of our entrepreneurs and scientists that the country is not dependent on anyone or any country for vaccines. Imagine for a ment, if we did not have the vaccine. How long did it take to get polio vaccine?

It was extremely difficult to get vaccines during such a major crisis, with pandemic plaguing the entire world. India might or might not have received it and even if it had received the vaccine there was no certainty of getting that in time. But today we can proudly say that the world’s largest vaccination programme is being run in our country. More than 54 crore people have received the vaccine dose. Online systems like Cowin and digital certificates are attracting the world today. The way India has kept the stoves burning in the poor households by providing free food grains to 80 crore countrymen continuously for months during the pandemic is not only astonishing to the world but also a matter of discussion. It is true that fewer people have been infected in India as compared to other countries; it is also true that in comparison to the population of other countries of the world, we managed to save more citizens in India but it is not something to be proud of! We cannot rest on these laurels. To say that there was no challenge, will become a restrictive thought in the path of our own development.

Our systems are insufficient compared to that of the rich countries of the world, we do not have what the rich countries have. Moreover, we also have a greater population compared to the other countries of the world. And our lifestyle is also different. Despite all our efforts, we could not save many people. So many children have been orphaned. This unbearable pain is going to remain forever.

There comes a time in the development journey of every country when the country redefines itself afresh and pushes forward with new resolutions. Today that time has arrived in the development journey of India. We should not limit the occasion of 75 years of Indian independence to just one ceremony. We must lay the groundwork for new resolutions and move forward with new resolutions. Starting from here, the entire journey of the next 25 years, when we celebrate the centenary of Indian independence, marks the Amrit period of creation of a new India. The fulfillment of our resolutions in this Amrit period will take us to the hundredth anniversary of Indian independence with pride.

The goal of ‘Amrit Kaal’ is to ascend to new heights of prosperity for India and the citizens of India. The goal of ‘Amrit Kaal’ is to create an India where the level of facilities is not dividing the village and the city. The goal of ‘Amrit Kaal’ is to build an India where the government does not interfere unnecessarily in the lives of citizens. The goal of ‘Amrit Kaal’ is to build an India where there is world’s every modern infrastructure.

We should not be lesser than anyone. This is the resolve of the crores of countrymen. But the resolve remains incomplete until it is not accompanied by the extreme hard work and courage. Therefore, we have to realize all our resolutions with hard work and courage, and these dreams and resolutions are also for effective contribution to a safe and prosperous world beyond our borders.

Amrit Kaal is of 25 years. But we don’t have to wait for long to achieve our goals. We have to start now. We don’t have a moment to lose. This is the right time. Our country also has to change and we as citizens have to change ourselves too. We also have to adapt ourselves to the changing era. We have started with the spirit of ‘SabkaSaath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’. Today I am requesting from the ramparts of the Red Fort that ‘SabkaSaath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’ and now ‘SabkaPrayas’ are very important for the achievement of our goals. Crores of people are getting the benefits of many schemes started in the last seven years. Every poor of the country knows the importance of Ujjwala to Ayushman Bharat. Today the speed of government schemes has increased and they are achieving the desired goals. We have progressed much faster than before. But it does not end here. We have to achieve saturation. All the villages should have roads, all the households should have bank accounts, all the beneficiaries should have Ayushman Bharat cards and all the eligible persons should get the benefit of Ujjwala Yojana and should have gas connections. We have to connect every entitled person with the government’s insurance, pension and housing schemes. We have to move ahead with a mindset of cent percent achievement. Till now, no thought was given for our street vendors, who sell their goods on tracks, footpaths and carts. All these colleagues are now being linked to the banking system through the SVANidhi scheme.

Just as we have made electricity accessible to 100% households, and have made authentic efforts to construct toilets in 100% households, similarly, we now have to move ahead with the goal of achieving saturation of schemes, and, for this, we do not have to keep a distant deadline. We have to make our resolutions come true within a few years.

Today, our country is working with speed on the Har Ghar Jal Mission. I am happy that in just two years of the Jal Jeevan Mission, more than four and a half crore families have started getting water from taps. They have started getting water from pipes. Receiving the blessings from crores of mothers and sisters, is our true capital. The biggest advantage of this 100 percent accomplishment rate is that no one remains deprived of the benefits of the government scheme. When the government operates with a target to reach the person in the last line, only then there is no discrimination and there is no scope for corruption.

Providing nutrition to every poor person of the country is also a priority of this government. Malnutrition and lack of essential nutrients in poor women and poor children poses major obstacles in their development. In view of this, it has been decided that the government will fortify the rice given to the poor under its various schemes. Will give rice fortified with nutrition to the poor. Be it the rice available at the ration shop, the rice provided to the children in the mid-day meal, or the rice available through every scheme, it shall be fortified by the year 2024.

Today, the campaign to provide better health facilities to every poor in the country is also going on at a fast pace. For this, important reforms have also been made in medical education. Equal attention has been paid to preventive healthcare. Simultaneously, there has been a substantial increase in the number of medical seats in the country. Under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, quality health services are being provided to every village in the country. Affordable medicines are being made available to the poor and middle class through Jan Aushadhi Yojana. So far, more than 75 thousand Health and Wellness centers have been set up. At the block level too, modern health infrastructure is being exclusively set up on a network of good hospitals and modern labs. Very soon thousands of hospitals in the country will also have their own oxygen plants.

To take India to new heights in the 21st century, the optimal utilisation of India’s potential is the need of the hour.

This is extremely important. For this, we need to provide hand holding to the backward categories and sectors. Alongwith the concern of fulfilling the basic needs, reservation is being ensured for the Dalits, Backward classes, Adivasis and the poor people from general category. More recently, in the field of medical education, reservation has also been ensured for the OBC category in the All India quota. By formulating a law in Parliament, the right to make their own list of OBC has been given to the states.

Just as we are making sure that no person or no class should be left behind in the development journey of society, similarly no part of the country, no corner of the country should be left behind. Development should be all-round, development should be all-pervasive, development should be all-inclusive. We are now accelerating the efforts that have been made in the last seven years to bring forward such backward areas of the country. Be it the eastern India, the North-east, Jammu-Kashmir, Ladakh including the entire Himalayan region, be it our coastal belt or the tribal region, these regions are going to turn into a major foundation for India’s development in future, India’s development journey.

Today a new history of connectivity is being written in the North-East. This is a connectivity of both the hearts and the infrastructure. Very soon the work of connecting all the state capitals of the North-East with rail service is going to be completed. Under the Act-East Policy, today North-East, Bangladesh, Myanmar and South-East Asia are also being connected. Due to the efforts made in the past years, now the enthusiasm for the creation of Shreshtha Bharat and long lasting peace in the North-East has increased manifold.

There is a huge potential in the fields of tourism, adventure sports, organic farming, herbal medicine, and oil palm in the North East. We have to fully harness this potential and make it a part of the development journey of the country. And we have to complete this work within a few decades of the ‘Amrit kaal’. Giving a fair opportunity to the capabilities of all is the true spirit of democracy. Be it Jammu or Kashmir, the balance of development is now visible on the ground.

The Delimitation Commission has been constituted in Jammu and Kashmir and preparations are also going on for the assembly elections. Ladakh has also progressed towards its limitless possibilities of development. On one hand Ladakh is witnessing the creation of modern infrastructure, while on the other hand Sindhu Central University is also making Ladakh a center of higher education.

In this decade of the 21st century, India will further accelerate its efforts towards the Blue Economy. Along with aquaculture, we have to take full advantage of the new possibilities that are emerging in the cultivation of seaweed. The Deep Ocean Mission is the result of our ambition to explore the unlimited possibilities of the ocean. The mineral wealth which is hidden in the sea, the thermal energy which is in the sea water, can give new heights to the development of the country.

We have also awakened the aspirations of the districts of the country believed to have been left behind. Priority is being given to schemes related to education, health, nutrition, roads and employment in more than 110 aspirational districts in the country. Many of these districts are in our tribal areas. We have created a spirit of healthy competition for development among these districts. There is a strong competition going on in that direction so that these aspirational districts are at par with other districts of India.

Capitalism and socialism are discussed a lot in the world of economics, but India also emphasizes cooperativism. Cooperativism is also compatible with our traditions and values. Cooperativism, in which the collective power of the masses becomes the driving force of the economy, is important for the country’s grassroots level economy. Co-operatives are not just a system with a network of laws and rules, but co-operative is a spirit, culture, and a mindset of collective growth. We have taken steps to empower them by forming a separate ministry. We have taken this step to empower the cooperative sector in the states.

We will have to put all our efforts to build a new economy in the villages in this decade. Today we can see our villages changing rapidly. In the last few years, our government has provided roads and electricity to the villages. Now these villages have been strengthened with optical fiber network data and the Internet. Digital entrepreneurs are emerging in the villages also. The more than eight crore sisters in the villages, who are associated with Self-Help Groups, design top-end products. Now the government will also prepare an e-commerce platform for their products so that get a big market in our country and abroad. Today, when the country is moving forward with the mantra of Vocal for Local, this digital platform will connect the products of women self-help groups with people across the length and breadth of the country as well as internationally. Their horizon shall thus get enhanced.

During Corona, the country has witnessed the power of technology, as well as the commitment and capabilities of our scientists. The scientists of our country are working very diligently and strategically across the expanse of ​​the country. Now the time has come for us to integrate the capabilities of scientists and their suggestions in our agriculture sector as well. Now we cannot wait any longer. We have to leverage this strength. This will go a long way in increasing the production of fruits, vegetables and grains along with giving food security to the country. Thus we shall catapult ourselves strongly into the world orbit.

Amongst these concerted efforts, we need to take cognizance of a major challenge posed in our agriculture sector. Challenge of shrinking of land of villagers which is due to immense rise in population, and smaller land holdings due to the divisions happening in the family. Farming land has shrunk alarmingly. More than 80 percent of the farmers of the country are those who have less than two hectares of land. If we see, 80 out of 100 farmers have less than two hectares of land i.e. the farmers of our country are practically in the small farmer category. Unfortunately, this segment remained eliminated from the benefits in our yesteryear’s policies. They did not get their due importance. Now, keeping in mind these small farmers in the country, agricultural reforms are being undertaken, and critical decisions are being taken to benefit them.

Whether the improvement in the crop insurance scheme or important decision of increasing the MSP by one and a half times; a system to provide loans from banks at cheaper rates through Kisan Credit Card; taking the schemes related to solar power to the farm, formulate a Farmer Producer Organization. All these efforts will increase the power of the small farmer. In the coming times, a campaign will also be launched to create a warehouse facility up to the block level.

Keeping in mind the small expenses of every small farmer, PM KisanSamman Nidhi Yojana is being run. So far, more than 1.5 lakh crores have been deposited directly into the bank accounts of more than ten crore farmer families. The small farmer is now our resolve and mantra for us. The small farmer becomes the country’s pride…. the small farmer becomes the nation’s pride. This is our dream. In the coming years, we will have to increase the collective power of the small farmers of the country. New facilities have to be provided.

Today, Kisan Rail is plying on more than 70 rail routes of the country. Kisan Rail can help small farmers with this modern facility to reach far flung areas on a low cost of produce and transportation. Several products like Kamalam, Shahi litchi, BhutJolokiachillis, black rice or turmeric are being exported to different countries of the world. Today, the country feels delighted when the aroma of these products produced in the soil of India reaches different countries of the world. Today the world is developing a taste for the vegetables and food grains grown in the fields of India.

Swamitva Yojana is an example of one of the initiatives taken to boost the capabilities of the villages today. We all know what happens to the price of land in villages. They do not get any loan from the banks on the basis of land, despite being the owners of the land because no work had been done in terms of documents of rural land for several years. People do not have this system. The Swamitva scheme attempted to change this situation. Today every village, every house, every land is being mapped through drones. The data and property papers of village lands are being uploaded online. With this, not only the disputes related to land in the villages are being ended, but a system has also been created for the people of the village to get loans easily from the banks. The lands of village poor should be the foundation for development rather than disputes. And the country is moving in the same direction today.

When Swami Vivekananda used to talk about the future of India, when he used to see the magnificence of Mother Bharati in front of his eyes, he used to say – Try to look into the past as far as possible. Drink the water of the ever new spring flowing back there, and after that, look ahead. Go ahead and make India brighter, greater & better than ever. In this 75th year of independence, it is our duty to move forward believing in the immense potential of the country. We have to work together for new generation infrastructure; we have to work together for world class manufacturing; we have to work together for cutting edge innovations; we have to work together for new age technology.

The foundation of progress in the modern world lies on modern infrastructure. It also fulfills the needs and aspirations of the middle class. Weak infrastructure derails the pace of development and the urban middle class also suffers.

We have to work together for next generation infrastructure, for world class manufacturing, for cutting edge innovation and for New Age technology.

Realizing this need, the country has demonstrated extraordinary speed and scale in every field from the seas, land to the skies. Rapid progress is underway whether it is development of new waterways or connecting new places with seaplanes. Indian Railways is also rapidly adapting to its modern avatar. The country has resolved to celebrate the Amrit Mahotsav of independence. You would know that we have decided to celebrate this Amrit Mahotsav of independence for 75 weeks. It started from 12th March and will continue till 15th August, 2023. We have to move forward with new enthusiasm and, therefore, the country has made a very important decision.

During these 75 weeks of the Amrit Mahotsav of Independence, 75 Vande Bharat trains will connect every corner of the country. The pace at which new airports are being built in the country and the UDAN scheme connecting remote areas is unprecedented. We can see how better air connectivity gives new flights to people’s dreams.

Along with modern infrastructure, there is a great need for adopting a holistic and integrated approach in infrastructure construction. In the near future, we are going to launch the National Master Plan of Prime Minister ‘Gati Shakti’ which will be a huge scheme and fulfill the dreams of crores of countrymen. This scheme of more than 100 lakh crores rupees will result in new employment opportunities for lakhs of youth.

Gati Shakti will be a National Infrastructure Master Plan for our country which will lay the foundation of holistic Infrastructure and will lead to an integrated and holistic pathway to our economy. Right now, there is no coordination between our means of transport. Gati Shakti will break the silos, and will remove all these obstacles. This will reduce the travel time for the common man and the productivity of our industry will also increase. Gati Shakti will also go a long way in making our local manufacturers globally competitive and this will also develop new possibilities for the creation of future economic zones. In this decade, the power of speed will form the basis of India’s transformation.

India will have to increase both its manufacturing and exports while moving ahead on the path of development.

Treading ahead on the path of development, India will have to augment both its manufacturing and exports. You have witnessed, just a few days ago, India launched its first indigenous Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant for trial in the sea. Today India is making its own indigenous fighter aircraft, its own submarine. Gaganyaan is also slated to hoist India’s flag in space. This itself is evidential of our immense capabilities in indigenous manufacturing.

The country has also announced Production Linked Incentive to consolidate our Make in India campaign in the wake of the new economic conditions that have emerged due to Corona. The electronic manufacturing sector stands as an example of the change that is enforced through this scheme. Seven years ago we used to import mobile phones worth about eight billion dollars. However, now the import has reduced considerably, and today we are also exporting mobile phones worth three billion dollars.

Today, when our manufacturing sector is gaining momentum, our focus should be that whatever we make in India should be of highest quality standards so that we sustain in the global competition. Rather, if possible we should aim at going a step ahead and take proactive steps to prepare ourselves for the global market. We have to target that. I want to say emphatically to all the manufacturers of the country, that you should never forget that the product you sell overseas is not just a product made by your company, it is the identity of our nation, India’s prestige and the faith of all the citizens of our country.

My dear countrymen

That is why I tell all our manufacturers that each of your products is a brand ambassador of India. When someone will buy and use your product, the customer should say with pride- now “This is Made in India”. That’s the mindset we need. You all should now aspire to win over the global market. The government is fully with you in realising this dream.

Today, several new start-ups are being formed in different sectors of the country and even in smaller tier 2, tier 3 cities of the country. They also have a big role to play in getting entry of their Indian products into the inter-state market.The government stands with all its might, with these start-ups. Whether it is giving them financial help, cash discounts, rules simplification for them, the government is fully with them. We have seen that thousands of new start-ups have emerged in this difficult period of Corona. They are moving forward with great success. Yesteryear’s start-ups are becoming today’s unicorns. Their market value is reaching thousands of crores of rupees.

These are new types of wealth creators in our country today. They are standing on their feet with the power of their unique ideas, moving ahead and walking with the dream of conquering the world. They are new kinds of wealth creators. They are moving by the force of their unique ideas and a dream to win over the world. In this decade, we need to relentlessly work towards making India’s Startups and the Startup Ecosystem the best in the whole world.

My countrymen,

Political will is needed to bring about major changes and reforms. Today the world is witnessing that there is no dearth of political will in India. Good and smart governance is required to implement the reforms. Today the world is also a witness to how India is writing a new chapter of governance here. In this decade of ‘Amrit Kaal’, we will give priority to Next Generation reforms… We will ensure that all the facilities like service delivery should reach citizens up to the last mile; it should reach the last person seamlessly, without hesitation or any kind of difficulty. For the overall development of the country, unnecessary interference by the government and the government processes in the lives of the people has to be ended.

Earlier, the government itself was on the driving seat. This might have been the demand of that time. But now the time has changed. In the last seven years, efforts have also intensified in the country to liberate the people of the country from the web of unnecessary laws and procedures. Till now hundreds of old laws of the country have been abolished. Even during this period of Corona pandemic, the government has abolished more than 15,000 compliances. Now you see, you might have experienced a lot of hassles and paperwork for a small government work. That has been the situation so far. We have ended 15,000 compliances.

Just imagine…..I want to give you an example. A law has been in place in India for over 200 years, 200 years i.e. even before 1857. As per this law, the citizens of the country did not have the right to create maps. Now imagine, it was in place since 1857. If you want to create a map, then seek permission from the government, if you want to print the map in a book, then seek permission from the government; there is a provision for arrest if the map is lost. Nowadays every phone has a Map app. Satellites have so much power! Then how will we take the country forward with a burden of such laws? It is very important to get rid of this burden of compliances. We have abolished several regulations in various sectors like mapping, space, information technology and BPO.

Freedom from the clutches of unnecessary laws is very important for both Ease of Living as well as Ease of Doing Business. Our country’s industries and businesses are experiencing this change today.

Today dozens of labor laws have been subsumed into just 4 codes. Tax related arrangements have also been made easy and become faceless now. We will have to work together so that such reforms are not limited to the government only, but percolate down to gram panchayats, municipal corporations and municipalities. I am calling upon, making an earnest appeal to all the central and state departments to launch a campaign to review the existing rules and procedures. We have to get rid of every rule, every process which has become a hindrance and a burden for the people of the country. I know what has accumulated in 70-75 years will not go away in a day or in a year. But if we start working with a purpose, we will definitely be able to do this.

Keeping this in mind, the government has also started Mission Karmayogi and Capacity Building Commission to increase people-centric approach in bureaucracy and improve their efficiency.

Our education, education system, education tradition has a great role in preparing the youth, who are possessed with skill and ability, and who have the spirit to do something for the country. Today the country also has a new National Education Policy to meet the needs of the 21st century. Now our children will neither stop due to lack of skills nor will they be bound by language barriers. Unfortunately, there is a massive divide in our country regarding language. We have tied a huge talent of the country to the cage of language. One can find promising people in their mother tongue. If people from the vernacular medium come forward, their self-confidence will grow. Justice will be done to the potential of the poor children when they will become professionals by studying in their mother tongue.

I believe that language is the instrument of the fight against poverty in the new National Education Policy. This new National Education Policy is also going to be a great tool to fight against poverty in a way. The basis of winning the war against poverty is also the education, prestige and importance of the vernacular language. The country has seen this in the playground… and we are experiencing that language has not become a barrier and as a result we have seen that the youth are playing and blossoming. Now the same thing will happen in other fields of life as well.

Another special feature of the new National Education Policy is that sports has been made a part of mainstream education instead of extra-curricular. Sports is also one of the most effective means of pursuing life. It is very important to have sports in life for perfection in life. There was a time when sports was not considered mainstream. Parents also considered indulging in sports as wastage of life. Now, there is a new awareness about fitness and sports. We have seen and felt this in the olympics. This change is a big turning point for us. That is why, we need to speed up and expand the campaign that is going on in the country for infusing talent, technology and professionalism in sports.

It is a matter of pride for the country that our daughters are performing in an unprecedented manner in the fields of education, sports, Boards results or olympics. Today daughters are raring to occupy their place. We have to ensure that women have equal partnership in every career and workspace. We have to ensure that they feel safe from roads to the workplace and everywhere. There should be a feeling of respect for them and in this, the government, administration, police and justice system will have to perform their duty cent percent. We have to make this resolution , the resolution of the 75 years of Independence.

Today I am sharing good news with the countrymen. I used to get lakhs of messages from our daughters that they want to study in the Sainik Schools. The Doors of the schools should be opened for them. We dis aq pilot project in the Sainik School of Mizoram two-two and half years ago by giving admission to our daughters. Now the Government has decided that all the Sainik Schools will be open for the girls. Daughter too will study in all the Sainik Schools of the Country.

Environmental security is getting the same importance in the world as national security.Today India is a vibrant voice of environmental security, whether it is biodiversity or land neutrality, climate change or waste recycling, organic farming or biogas, energy conservation or clean energy transition. India’s efforts in environment are giving results today. Increase in forest cover, number of national parks, increase in number of tigers and Asiatic lions are a matter of happiness for the countrymen.

Among all these successes one truth needs to be understood. India is not yet energy independent. India today spends more than 12 lakh crore rupees annually for importing energy. For India’s progress and to build a self-reliant India, India’s energy independence is the need of the hour! Therefore today, India has to make a resolution to make India energy independent before the completion of 100 years of independence and our roadmap is very clear for the same. It should be a gas based economy. There should be a network of CNG & PNG across the country. There should be a target of 20 percent ethanol blending. India is moving ahead with a set goal. India has also made a move towards Electric Mobility and the work on 100% electrification of Railways is also progressing at a fast pace. Indian Railways has set a target of becoming Net Zero Carbon Emitter by 2030. Besides these efforts, the country is also emphasizing on Mission Circular Economy. Our Vehicle Scrap Policy is a great example of the same. Today, India is the only country in the group of G-20 countries, which is moving fast towards achieving its climate goals.

India has set a target of 450 GW of renewable energy by the end of this decade – 450 GW by 2030. Of this, the target of 100 GW has been achieved by India ahead of schedule. These efforts are also instilling confidence in the world. The formation of the International Solar Alliance on the Global State is a great example of the same.

Of every effort being made by India today, the thing that is going to help India with a quantum leap in terms of climate is the field of ​​Green Hydrogen. To achieve the goal of Green Hydrogen, I am announcing the National Hydrogen Mission today with this tricolour as a witness. We have to make India a Global Hub for Green Hydrogen Production and Export in the ‘Amrit Kaal’. This will not only help India to make a new progress in the field of energy self-reliance but will also become a new inspiration for Clean Energy Transition all over the world. New opportunities from Green Growth to Green Job are opening up today for our start-ups & youth.

Today, the 21st century India has the ability to create and achieve big goals as well. Today India is also solving those subject areas, which were hanging fires for decades and centuries. Be it a historic decision to abrogate Article 370, introduction of GST, a system that frees the country from the web of taxes, a decision regarding ‘One Rank-One Pension’ for our military friends, a peaceful solution to the Ram Janmabhoomi issue, we have seen it come true in a few years

India’s willpower is realizing all the resolutions whether it is the Bru-Reang agreement in Tripura after decades, constitutional status to the OBC commission or the BDC and DDC elections in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time since independence.

Even in this period of Corona, record foreign investment is coming to India. India’s foreign exchange reserves are also at an all-time high. India has also given the message of the might of New India to the enemies of the country by carrying out surgical and air strikes. It shows that India is changing. India can change. India can take the toughest decisions and it does not hesitate and stop in taking even the toughest decisions.

The nature of global relations has changed after the Second World War. There is a possibility of a new world order post Corona. The world has seen and appreciated India’s efforts during Corona. Today the world is looking at India from a new perspective. There are two important aspects of this perception — one is terrorism and the other is expansionism. India is fighting both these challenges and is also responding strongly in a restrained manner. Our defense preparedness has to be equally strong if India has to fulfil its obligations properly.

We are making constant efforts to provide new opportunities to our hardworking entrepreneurs and to encourage Indian companies to make the country self-reliant in the field of defence. I assure the country that we will leave no stone unturned to strengthen the hands of our forces engaged in the defense of the country.

Today is also the birth anniversary of the great thinker of the country, Sri Aurobindo. His 150th birth anniversary will be celebrated in 2022. Sri Aurobindo was a visionary of India’s bright future. He used to say that we have to be as powerful as we were never before. We have to change our habits. We have to re-awaken ourselves. These words of Sri Aurobindo remind us of our duties. We also have to think about what we are giving to the country as a citizen and as a society. We have always given importance to rights. They were needed during that period, but now we have to make duties paramount. Everybody will have to contribute in fulfilling the resolutions of the country. Every citizen will have to own this up.

Our country has initiated a campaign of water conservation, so it is our duty to include saving water in our habits. If the country is emphasizing on digital transactions, then it is also our duty to do minimum cash transactions. The country has started the campaign of Local for Vocal, so it is our duty to buy as many local products as possible. To strengthen our vision of a plastic-free India of the country, it is our duty to completely stop the use of single use plastic. It is our duty not to throw dirt in our rivers, keep our sea shores clean. We also have to take the Swachh Bharat Mission to another new level.

Today, when the country is celebrating the Amrit Mahotsav on the occasion of 75 years of independence, it is the duty of all of us to join this event, participate in it enthusiastically, and keep kindling our resolutions again and again. Keeping freedom struggle in mind, whatever little you do… whatever… will be pure like a drop of nectar, and this Amrit Kumbh made by the pure efforts of many Indians will inspire the entire nation for years to come.

I am not a fortune teller, I believe in action. I have faith in the youth of my country, I trust the sisters of the country, the daughters of the country, the farmers of the country, and the professionals of the country. This ‘CAN DO’ generation can achieve every goal imaginable.

I believe that in 2047, on the occasion of celebrating 100 years of independence… whoever will be the Prime Minister… whoever will be the Prime Minister after 25 years from today, when he will be unfurling the flag… I say this with confidence today that he or she shall be chronicling those accomplishments in his speech about which the country has taken a vow today… This is my firm belief of victory.

Today whatever I am speaking of in the form of a resolution, whoever hoists the flag after 25 years, shall be speaking of the same in the form of accomplishments. The country would be singing its glory in the form of these accomplishments. Youth of the country of today, shall also see at that time how the country has achieved this glory.

In the 21st century, no obstacle can stop us from fulfilling the dreams and aspirations of India. Our strength is our vitality, our strength is our solidarity, our vitality is the spirit of nation first – always first. This is the time for shared dreams, this is the time for shared resolve, this is the time for shared efforts… and this is the time to move towards victory.

And so I say once again-

This is the time,

This is the time.. the right time!

India’s precious time!

This is the time, the right time! India’s precious time!

The power of countless arms,

There is patriotism everywhere!

There is the power of innumerable arms, there is patriotism everywhere…

Come, rise and unfurl the Tricolour!

Turn the fate of India,

There is nothing..

There is nothing you cannot do,

There is nothing you cannot achieve,

You Rise…

You Rise and Begin,

Recognize your abilities,

Understand all your duties,

Understand all your duties!

When the country completes 100 years of independence, the goals of the countrymen must be turned into reality; that is my desire. With my best wishes, I once again congratulate all the countrymen on the 75th Independence Day! Say aloud with your fists up –

VandeMatram,

VandeMatram!

Long live Mother India,

Long live Mother India!

Thanks a lot!

Addressing the nation from the Red Fort. Watch. https://t.co/wEX5viCIVs — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 15, 2021

I would like to begin by conveying greetings on this special occasion of Independence Day. This is a day to remember our great freedom fighters: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

आजादी का अमृत महोत्सव, 75वें स्वतंत्रता दिवस पर आप सभी को और विश्वभर में भारत को प्रेम करने वाले, लोकतंत्र को प्रेम करने वाले सभी को बहुत-बहुत शुभकामनाएं: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

कोरोना वैश्विक महामारी में हमारे डॉक्टर, हमारे नर्सेस, हमारे पैरामेडिकल स्टाफ, सफाईकर्मी, वैक्सीन बनाने मे जुटे वैज्ञानिक हों, सेवा में जुटे नागरिक हों, वे सब भी वंदन के अधिकारी हैं: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

भारत के पहले प्रधानमंत्री नेहरू जी हों, देश को एकजुट राष्ट्र में बदलने वाले सरदार पटेल हों या भारत को भविष्य का रास्ता दिखाने वाले बाबासाहेब अम्बेडकर, देश ऐसे हर व्यक्तित्व को याद कर रहा है, देश इन सबका ऋणी है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

हम आजादी का जश्न मनाते हैं, लेकिन बंटवारे का दर्द आज भी हिंदुस्तान के सीने को छलनी करता है। यह पिछली शताब्दी की सबसे बड़ी त्रासदी में से एक है। कल ही देश ने भावुक निर्णय लिया है। अब से 14 अगस्त को विभाजन विभीषिका स्मृति दिवस के रूप में याद किया जाएगा: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

प्रगति पथ पर बढ़ रहे हमारे देश के सामने, पूरी मानवजाति के सामने कोरोना का यह कालखंड बड़ी चुनौती के रूप में आया है। भारतवासियों ने संयम और धैर्य के साथ इस लड़ाई को लड़ा है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

हर देश की विकासयात्रा में एक समय ऐसा आता है, जब वो देश खुद को नए सिरे से परिभाषित करता है, खुद को नए संकल्पों के साथ आगे बढ़ाता है। भारत की विकास यात्रा में भी आज वो समय आ गया है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

यहां से शुरू होकर अगले 25 वर्ष की यात्रा नए भारत के सृजन का अमृतकाल है। इस अमृतकाल में हमारे संकल्पों की सिद्धि, हमें आजादी के 100 वर्ष तक ले जाएगी: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

संकल्प तब तक अधूरा होता है, जब तक संकल्प के साथ परिश्रम और पराक्रम की पराकाष्ठा न हो। इसलिए हमें हमारे सभी संकल्पों को परिश्रम और पराक्रम की पराकाष्ठा करके सिद्ध करके ही रहना है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

सबका साथ-सबका विकास-सबका विश्वास, इसी श्रद्धा के साथ हम सब जुटे हुए हैं। आज लाल किले से मैं आह्वान कर रहा हूं- सबका साथ-सबका विकास-सबका विश्वास और सबका प्रयास हमारे हर लक्ष्यों की प्राप्ति के लिए बहुत महत्वपूर्ण है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

अब हमें सैचुरेशन की तरफ जाना है। शत प्रतिशत गांवों में सड़कें हों, शत प्रतिशत परिवारों के पास बैंक अकाउंट हो, शत प्रतिशत लाभार्थियों के पास आयुष्मान भारत का कार्ड हो, शत-प्रतिशत पात्र व्यक्तियों के पास उज्ज्वला योजना का गैस कनेक्शन हो: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

सरकार अपनी अलग-अलग योजनाओं के तहत जो चावल गरीबों को देती है, उसे फोर्टिफाई करेगी, गरीबों को पोषणयुक्त चावल देगी। राशन की दुकान पर मिलने वाला चावल हो, मिड डे मील में मिलने वाला चावल हो, वर्ष 2024 तक हर योजना के माध्यम से मिलने वाला चावल फोर्टिफाई कर दिया जाएगा: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

21वीं सदी में भारत को नई ऊंचाई पर पहुंचाने के लिए भारत के सामर्थ्य का सही इस्तेमाल, पूरा इस्तेमाल जरूरी है। इसके लिए जो वर्ग पीछे है, जो क्षेत्र पीछे है, हमें उनकी हैंड-होल्डिंग करनी ही होगी: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

हमारा पूर्वी भारत, नॉर्थ ईस्ट, जम्मू-कश्मीर, लद्दाख सहित पूरा हिमालय का क्षेत्र हो, हमारी कोस्टल बेल्ट या फिर आदिवासी अंचल हो, ये भविष्य में भारत के विकास का बड़ा आधार बनेंगे: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

आज नॉर्थ ईस्ट में कनेक्टिविटी का नया इतिहास लिखा जा रहा है। ये कनेक्टिविटी दिलों की भी है और इंफ्रास्ट्रक्चर की भी है। बहुत जल्द नॉर्थ ईस्ट के सभी राज्यों की राजधानियों को रेलसेवा से जोड़ने का काम पूरा होने वाला है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

सभी के सामर्थ्य को उचित अवसर देना, यही लोकतंत्र की असली भावना है। जम्मू हो या कश्मीर, विकास का संतुलन अब ज़मीन पर दिख रहा है। जम्मू कश्मीर में डी-लिमिटेशन कमीशन का गठन हो चुका है और भविष्य में विधानसभा चुनावों के लिए भी तैयारी चल रही है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

लद्दाख भी विकास की अपनी असीम संभावनाओं की तरफ आगे बढ़ चला है। एक तरफ लद्दाख, आधुनिक इंफ्रास्ट्रक्चर का निर्माण होते देख रहा है तो वहीं दूसरी तरफ ‘सिंधु सेंट्रल यूनिवर्सिटी’ लद्दाख को उच्च शिक्षा का केंद्र भी बनाने जा रही है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

देश के जिन ज़िलों के लिए ये माना गया था कि ये पीछे रह गए, हमने उनकी आकांक्षाओं को भी जगाया है। देश मे 110 से अधिक आकांक्षी ज़िलों में शिक्षा, स्वास्थ्य, पोषण, सड़क, रोज़गार, से जुड़ी योजनाओं को प्राथमिकता दी जा रही है। इनमें से अनेक जिले आदिवासी अंचल में हैं: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

आज हम अपने गांवों को तेजी से परिवर्तित होते देख रहे हैं। बीते कुछ वर्ष, गांवों तक सड़क और बिजली जैसी सुविधाओं को पहुंचाने रहे हैं। अब गांवों को ऑप्टिकल फाइबर नेटवर्क, डेटा की ताकत पहुंच रही है, इंटरनेट पहुंच रहा है। गांव में भी डिजिटल Entrepreneur तैयार हो रहे हैं: PM — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

गांव में जो हमारी सेल्फ हेल्प ग्रुप से जुड़ी 8 करोड़ से अधिक बहनें हैं, वो एक से बढ़कर एक प्रॉडक्ट्स बनाती हैं। इनके प्रॉडक्ट्स को देश में और विदेश में बड़ा बाजार मिले, इसके लिए अब सरकार ई-कॉमर्स प्लेटफॉर्म तैयार करेगी: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

छोटा किसान बने देश की शान, ये हमारा सपना है। आने वाले वर्षों में हमें देश के छोटे किसानों की सामूहिक शक्ति को और बढ़ाना होगा। उन्हें नई सुविधाएं देनी होंगी: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

देश के 80 प्रतिशत से ज्यादा किसान ऐसे हैं, जिनके पास 2 हेक्टेयर से भी कम जमीन है। पहले जो देश में नीतियां बनीं, उनमें इन छोटे किसानों पर जितना ध्यान केंद्रित करना था, वो रह गया। अब इन्हीं छोटे किसानों को ध्यान में रखते हुए निर्णय लिए जा रहे हैं: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

हमें मिलकर काम करना होगा, Next Generation Infrastructure के लिए। हमें मिलकर काम करना होगा, World Class Manufacturing के लिए। हमें मिलकर काम करना होगा Cutting Edge Innovation के लिए। हमें मिलकर काम करना होगा New Age Technology के लिए: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

देश ने संकल्प लिया है कि आजादी के अमृत महोत्सव के 75 सप्ताह में 75 वंदेभारत ट्रेनें देश के हर कोने को आपस में जोड़ रही होंगी। आज जिस गति से देश में नए Airports का निर्माण हो रहा है, उड़ान योजना दूर-दराज के इलाकों को जोड़ रही है, वो भी अभूतपूर्व है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

भारत को आधुनिक इंफ्रास्ट्रक्चर के साथ ही इंफ्रास्ट्रक्चर निर्माण में होलिस्टिक अप्रोच अपनाने की भी जरूरत है। भारत आने वाले कुछ ही समय में प्रधानमंत्री गतिशक्ति- नेशनल मास्टर प्लान को लॉन्च करने जा रहा है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

विकास के पथ पर आगे बढ़ते हुए भारत को अपनी मैन्यूफैक्चरिंग और एक्सपोर्ट, दोनों को बढ़ाना होगा। आपने देखा है, अभी कुछ दिन पहले ही भारत ने अपने पहले स्वदेशी एयरक्राफ्ट कैरियर INS विक्रांत को समुद्र में ट्रायल के लिए उतारा है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

भारत आज अपना लड़ाकू विमान बना रहा है, सबमरीन बना रहा है, गगनयान भी बना रहा है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

देश के सभी मैन्यूफैक्चर्स को भी ये समझना होगा- आप जो Product बाहर भेजते हैं वो आपकी कंपनी में बनाया हुआ सिर्फ एक Product नहीं होता। उसके साथ भारत की पहचान जुड़ी होती है, प्रतिष्ठा जुड़ी होती है, भारत के कोटि-कोटि लोगों का विश्वास जुड़ा होता है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

मैं इसलिए मनुफक्चरर्स को कहता हूँ - आपका हर एक प्रॉडक्ट भारत का ब्रैंड एंबेसेडर है। जब तक वो प्रॉडक्ट इस्तेमाल में लाया जाता रहेगा, उसे खरीदने वाला कहेगा - हां ये मेड इन इंडिया है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

हमने देखा है, कोरोना काल में ही हजारों नए स्टार्ट-अप्स बने हैं, सफलता से काम कर रहे हैं। कल के स्टार्ट-अप्स, आज के Unicorn बन रहे हैं। इनकी मार्केट वैल्यू हजारों करोड़ रुपए तक पहुंच रही है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

Reforms को लागू करने के लिए Good औऱ Smart Governance चाहिए। आज दुनिया इस बात की भी साक्षी है कि कैसे भारत अपने यहां गवर्नेंस का नया अध्याय लिख रहा है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

मैं आज आह्वान कर रहा हूं, केंद्र हो या राज्य सभी के विभागों से, सभी सरकारी कार्यालयों से। अपने यहां नियमों-प्रक्रियाओं की समीक्षा का अभियान चलाइए। हर वो नियम, हर वो प्रक्रिया जो देश के लोगों के सामने बाधा बनकर, बोझ बनकर, खड़ी हुई है, उसे हमें दूर करना ही होगा: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

आज देश के पास 21वीं सदी की जरूरतों को पूरा करने वाली नई ‘राष्ट्रीय शिक्षा नीति’ भी है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

जब गरीब के बेटी, गरीब का बेटा मातृभाषा में पढ़कर प्रोफेशनल्स बनेंगे तो उनके सामर्थ्य के साथ न्याय होगा। नई राष्ट्रीय शिक्षा नीति को गरीबी के खिलाफ लड़ाई का मैं साधन मानता हूं: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

नई राष्ट्रीय शिक्षा नीति की एक और विशेष बात है। इसमें स्पोर्ट्स को Extracurricular की जगह मेनस्ट्रीम पढ़ाई का हिस्सा बनाया गया है। जीवन को आगे बढ़ाने में जो भी प्रभावी माध्यम हैं, उनमें एक स्पोर्ट्स भी है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

ये देश के लिए गौरव की बात है कि शिक्षा हो या खेल, बोर्ड्स के नतीजे हों या ओलपिंक का मेडल, हमारी बेटियां आज अभूतपूर्व प्रदर्शन कर रही हैं। आज भारत की बेटियां अपना स्पेस लेने के लिए आतुर हैं: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

आज मैं एक खुशी देशवासियों से साझा कर रहा हूँ। मुझे लाखों बेटियों के संदेश मिलते थे कि वो भी सैनिक स्कूल में पढ़ना चाहती हैं, उनके लिए भी सैनिक स्कूलों के दरवाजे खोले जाएं: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

दो-ढाई साल पहले मिजोरम के सैनिक स्कूल में पहली बार बेटियों को प्रवेश देने का प्रयोग किया गया था। अब सरकार ने तय किया है कि देश के सभी सैनिक स्कूलों को देश की बेटियों के लिए भी खोल दिया जाएगा: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

भारत की प्रगति के लिए, आत्मनिर्भर भारत बनाने के लिए भारत का Energy Independent होना अनिवार्य है। इसलिए आज भारत को ये संकल्प लेना होगा कि हम आजादी के 100 साल होने से पहले भारत को Energy Independent बनाएंगे: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

भारत आज जो भी कार्य कर रहा है, उसमें सबसे बड़ा लक्ष्य है, जो भारत को क्वांटम जंप देने वाला है- वो है ग्रीन हाइड्रोजन का क्षेत्र। मैं आज तिरंगे की साक्षी में National Hydrogen Mission की घोषणा कर रहा हूं: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

21वीं सदी का आज का भारत, बड़े लक्ष्य गढ़ने और उन्हें प्राप्त करने का सामर्थ्य रखता है। आज भारत उन विषयों को भी हल कर रहा है, जिनके सुलझने का दशकों से, सदियों से इंतजार था: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

Article 370 को बदलने का ऐतिहासिक फैसला हो, देश को टैक्स के जाल से मुक्ति दिलाने वाली व्यवस्था- GST हो, हमारे फौजी साथियों के लिए वन रैंक वन पेंशन हो, या फिर रामजन्मभूमि केस का शांतिपूर्ण समाधान, ये सब हमने बीते कुछ वर्षों में सच होते देखा है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

त्रिपुरा में दशकों बाद ब्रू रियांग समझौता होना हो, ओबीसी कमीशन को संवैधानिक दर्जा देना हो, या फिर जम्मू-कश्मीर में आजादी के बाद पहली बार हुए BDC और DDC चुनाव, भारत अपनी संकल्पशक्ति लगातार सिद्ध कर रहा है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

आज दुनिया, भारत को एक नई दृष्टि से देख रही है और इस दृष्टि के दो महत्वपूर्ण पहलू हैं। एक आतंकवाद और दूसरा विस्तारवाद। भारत इन दोनों ही चुनौतियों से लड़ रहा है और सधे हुए तरीके से बड़े हिम्मत के साथ जवाब भी दे रहा है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

आज देश के महान विचारक श्री ऑरबिंदो की जन्मजयंती भी है। साल 2022 में उनकी 150वां जन्मजयंती है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

वो कहते थे कि- हमें उतना सामर्थ्यवान बनना होगा, जितना हम पहले कभी नहीं थे। हमें अपनी आदतें बदली होंगी, एक नए हृदय के साथ अपने को फिर से जागृत करना होगा: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

जिन संकल्पों का बीड़ा आज देश ने उठाया है, उन्हें पूरा करने के लिए देश के हर जन को उनसे जुड़ना होगा, हर देशवासी को इसे Own करना होगा। देश ने जल संरक्षण का अभियान शुरू किया है, तो हमारा कर्तव्य है पानी बचाने को अपनी आदत से जोड़ना: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

मैं भविष्य़दृष्टा नहीं हूं, मैं कर्म के फल पर विश्वास रखता हूं। मेरा विश्वास देश के युवाओं पर है। मेरा विश्वास देश की बहनों-बेटियों, देश के किसानों, देश के प्रोफेशनल्स पर है। ये Can Do Generation है, ये हर लक्ष्य हासिल कर सकती है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

21वीं सदी में भारत के सपनों और आकांक्षाओं को पूरा करने से कोई भी बाधा रोक नहीं सकती। हमारी ताकत हमारी जीवटता है, हमारी ताकत हमारी एकजुटता है। हमारी प्राणशक्ति, राष्ट्र प्रथम, सदैव प्रथम की भावना है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

यही समय है, सही समय है, भारत का अनमोल समय है। असंख्य भुजाओं की शक्ति है, हर तरफ़ देश की भक्ति है, तुम उठो तिरंगा लहरा दो, भारत के भाग्य को फहरा दो: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

यही समय है, सही समय है, भारत का अनमोल समय है। कुछ ऐसा नहीं जो कर ना सको, कुछ ऐसा नहीं जो पा ना सको, तुम उठ जाओ, तुम जुट जाओ, सामर्थ्य को अपने पहचानो, कर्तव्य को अपने सब जानो, भारत का ये अनमोल समय है, यही समय है, सही समय है: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 15, 2021

India marks Amrit Mahotsav with a sense of gratitude to those who toiled for freedom and with a commitment to build a strong and prosperous India. Here are glimpses from the Red Fort today. #IndiaIndependenceDay pic.twitter.com/y0i0FVKKFx — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 15, 2021

I bow to the great Sri Aurobindo Ji on his Jayanti. His intellectual clarity, noble tenets and emphasis on India's regeneration give us great strength. He made pioneering contributions to India's freedom movement. pic.twitter.com/Q6UkV4swkd — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 15, 2021

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‘Atmosphere of trust has been restored’ — Urdu press hails Independence Day celebrations in Kashmir

New Delhi: Urdu newspapers this week focused on India’s Independence Day celebrations, with one of the editorials praising the celebrations in Kashmir in particular, saying that “the change in Kashmir and Kashmiris has come after years of hard work and efforts”.   

In its editorial on 16 August — a day after India celebrated its 77th Independence Day — Roznama Rashtriya Sahara said the celebrations in Kashmir signified that an atmosphere of trust has been restored between the administration and the public.

“In order to sustain this change in Kashmir and Kashmiris, there’s a need to take more steps and empathise with common Kashmiris to ensure their development and to solve their problems,” the editorial said.

Other topics that Urdu newspapers covered extensively were Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar’s “secret” meeting with his nephew and rebel leader Ajit, activities in the Monsoon Session of Parliament before it was adjourned sine die last week, and political parties’s preparation for the upcoming assembly elections in five states this year.

Here’s a roundup of all the news that made front-page headlines and editorials in Urdu newspapers this week.

Also Read: Smear campaign against Muslims instead of bringing perpetrators to book — Urdu press on Nuh violence

Independence Day

All three Urdu newspapers — Sahara , Inquilab , and Siasat — prominently covered Independence Day celebrations, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort being a focal point.

The newspapers also covered Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s criticism of the Modi government. In his speech after hoisting the Indian Tricolour at the Congress headquarters, Kharge claimed the government was “threatening democracy, the Constitution and traditions” and that the voice of the Opposition “was being suppressed”.

In an editorial on 16 August, Siasat said that while the prime minister had resolved to make two crore women in the country “lakhpatis”, he hadn’t said how he plans to stop the “atrocities and injustice against women and girls” in the country.

India, it said, is growing to be a major economy. And yet, women in the country are concerned about “protecting their izzat” (honor), while those who “play with them” — a reference to sexual harassment of women — roam freely, Siasat added.

Monsoon session

The goings-on in Parliament took up significant space, with newspapers giving special coverage to the central government tabling three important bills — the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and the Indian Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023 — on the last day of the session.

The bills, which seek to replace the Indian Penal Code, 1973, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, were sent to a Standing Committee for scrutiny.

In an editorial on 13 August, Sahara said that much like the previous sessions, this Monsoon Session too saw the government’s agenda dominate the discourse, while the Opposition remained unsuccessful in pushing their own cause. The editorial said that each has accused the other of wasting precious parliamentary hours but no one wants to talk about what the public has and has not gained from the session.

In its editorial the same day, Inquilab wrote about the extreme polarisation of India’s politics. In the past, there existed a degree of harmony between the ruling and opposition parties that transcended their political differences, the editorial said. This was a sign of understanding and tolerance, it said, rueing that this sense of harmony no longer exists.

BJP, Congress & MP elections

News of internal squabbles of political parties and alliances dominated the front pages of of all three Urdu newspapers and editorials, with the newspapers focusing both on the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition grouping, INDIA.

In an editorial on 14 August, Inquilab wondered if there was something more to last week’s meeting between NCP chief Sharad Pawar and his nephew and Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

The meeting — which came nearly two months after Ajit Pawar led a group of NCP MLAs in a rebellion against his uncle to join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra — has sparked off speculations of the senior Pawar being offered a Union cabinet post in the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

An editorial in Sahara on 14 August wondered what the meetings were about. “Everyone’s wondering why, if the two leaders are so close, was there a revolt in the party at all? Why did the two break away to join two separate alliances? And more importantly, why are the meetings being held,” the editorial asked. 

The Sharad Pawar-led NCP is a part of the INDIA bloc.

Political parties gearing up for the upcoming assembly elections in states like Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh were also discussed in editorials.

On 15 August, Siasat ’s editorial said that the Congress was making alleged corruption in the incumbent BJP government its main political issue in Madhya Pradesh, as it did in Karnataka.

The Congress has been accusing Madhya Pradesh’s BJP government of claiming that contractors pay 50 percent commission to get money released for projects. This strategy mirrors the “40 percent commission” allegations that the Karnataka unit of the party had leveled against the former BJP government in the state.

In its editorial, Siasat said that Madhya Pradesh Congress is planning to corner the state’s BJP government under Chief Minister Shivraj Singh  Chouhan. The strategy had initially put the state government on the back foot but it is now threatening to file a defamation case, the editorial said.

(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)

Also Read: Urdu press hails Congress win in Karnataka, but warns ‘any complacence may undo gains’

English rendering of the text of PM’s address from the Red Fort on 75th Independence Day

My dear countrymen!

Best wishes to all of you and those who love India and democracy from all over the world on the occasion of the Amrit Mahotsav of freedom, the 75th Independence Day.

Today, on the pious festival of the Amrit Mahotsav of freedom, the country is bowing to all its freedom fighters and brave heroes who continue to sacrifice themselves day and night in the defense of the nation. The country is remembering every personality, including the revered Bapu, who made freedom a mass movement, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, who sacrificed everything for the freedom, or great revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Chandrasekhar Azad, Bismil and Ashfaqulla Khan; Rani of Jhansi Lakshmibai, Queen Chennamma of Kittur or Rani Gaidinliu or the valour of MatanginiHazra in Assam; the country's first Prime Minister Pandit Nehru ji, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who integrated the country into a united nation, and Baba Saheb Ambedkar, who determined and paved the way for the future direction of India. The country is indebted to all these great personalities.

India is a land endowed with gems. I salute countless people from every corner of India whose names don’t even figure in history, but who have built this nation and have also taken it forward in every period.

India has fought for the motherland, culture and freedom for centuries. This country never gave up the pain of slavery and the longing for freedom for centuries. In the midst of victories and defeats, the aspiration of freedom engraved in the mind was never diminished. Today is the time to bow down to the leaders of all these struggles, the warriors of centuries of struggle and they also deserve our reverence.

Our doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, sanitation staff, scientists engaged in developing vaccines, millions of countrymen engaged with the spirit of service during this Corona global pandemic also deserve praise from all of us.

Today there are floods in some areas of the country, landslides have also occurred. Some sad news also keeps coming. The hardships of the people have increased in many areas. At such a time, both the Central and State Governments are with them in complete readiness. Today, the young athletes and our players who have brought laurels to India are also present in this event.

Some are present and sitting here. Today, I appeal to all the countrymen, those who are present here and all those who are present in this ceremony from every corner of India, that in the honour of our players, for a few moments let's salute them with resounding clapping  applause and show respect for their huge accomplishments.

Let us show our respect to the sports of India, youth of India and honour the young Indians who bring laurels to the nation. Crores of countrymen are showing respect to the youth of India, especially the athletes who brought honour to India with a thunderous applause. I can be proud that they have not only won our hearts today, but also inspired the youth of India and future generations with their huge achievements.

My dear countrymen,

While we celebrate our freedom today, we cannot forget the pain of partition that still pierces through the heart of all Indians. This has been one of the biggest tragedies of the last century. After attaining freedom, these people were forgotten  too soon. Just yesterday India has taken an emotional decision in their memory. We will henceforth commemorate August 14 as “Partition Horrors Remembrance Day” in the memory of all the victims of partition. Those who were subjected to inhuman circumstances, suffered torturous treatment, they could not even receive a dignified cremation. They must all remain alive and never get erased from our memories. The decision of celebrating “Partition Horrors Remembrance Day” on the 75th Independence Day is a befitting tribute from every Indian to them.

For the country moving on the path of progress and humanity in the entire world, the Corona period came as a major challenge. Indians fought this fight with great grit and patience. We had many challenges. Countrymen performed extraordinarily in every field. It is due to the power of our entrepreneurs and scientists that the country is not dependent on anyone or any country for vaccines. Imagine for a ment, if we did not have the vaccine. How long did it take to get polio vaccine?

It was extremely difficult to get vaccines during such a major crisis, with pandemic plaguing the entire world. India might or might not have received it and even if it had received the vaccine there was no certainty of getting that in time. But today we can proudly say that the world's largest vaccination programme is being run in our country. More than 54 crore people have received the vaccine dose. Online systems like Cowin and digital certificates are attracting the world today. The way India has kept the stoves burning in the poor households by providing free food grains to 80 crore countrymen continuously for months during the pandemic is not only astonishing to the world but also a matter of discussion. It is true that fewer people have been infected in India as compared to other countries; it is also true that in comparison to the population of other countries of the world, we managed to save more citizens in India but it is not something to be proud of!  We cannot rest on these laurels. To say that there was no challenge, will become a restrictive thought in the path of our own development.

Our systems are insufficient compared to that of the rich countries of the world, we do not have what the rich countries have. Moreover, we also have a greater population compared to the other countries of the world. And our lifestyle is also different. Despite all our efforts, we could not  save many people. So many children have been orphaned. This unbearable pain is going to remain forever.

There comes a time in the development journey of every country when the country redefines itself afresh and pushes forward with new resolutions. Today that time has arrived in the development journey of India. We should not limit the occasion of 75 years of Indian independence to just one ceremony. We must lay the groundwork for new resolutions and move forward with new resolutions. Starting from here, the entire journey of the next 25 years, when we celebrate the centenary of Indian independence, marks the Amrit period of creation of a new India. The fulfillment of our resolutions in this Amrit period will take us to the hundredth anniversary of Indian independence with  pride.

The goal of 'Amrit Kaal'  is to ascend to new heights of prosperity for India and the citizens of India. The goal of 'Amrit Kaal' is to create an India where the level of facilities is not dividing the village and the city. The goal of 'Amrit Kaal' is to build an India where the government does not interfere unnecessarily in the lives of citizens. The goal of 'Amrit Kaal' is to build an India where there is world’s every modern infrastructure.

We should not be lesser than anyone. This is the resolve of the crores of countrymen. But the resolve remains incomplete until it is not accompanied by the extreme hard work and courage. Therefore, we have to realize all our resolutions with hard work and courage, and these dreams and resolutions are also for effective contribution to a safe and prosperous world beyond our borders.

Amrit Kaal is of  25 years. But we don't have to wait for long to achieve our goals. We have to start now. We don't have a moment to lose. This is the right time. Our country also has to change and we as citizens have to change ourselves too. We also have to adapt ourselves to the changing era. We have started with the spirit of ‘SabkaSaath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’. Today I am requesting from the ramparts of the Red Fort that ‘SabkaSaath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’ and now ‘SabkaPrayas’  are very important for the achievement of our goals. Crores of people are getting the benefits of many schemes started in the last seven years. Every poor of the country knows the importance of Ujjwala to Ayushman Bharat. Today the speed of government schemes has increased and they are achieving the desired goals. We have progressed much faster than before. But it does not end here. We have to achieve saturation. All the villages should have roads, all the households should have bank accounts, all the beneficiaries should have Ayushman Bharat cards and all the eligible persons should get the benefit of Ujjwala Yojana and should have gas connections. We have to connect every entitled person with the government’s insurance, pension and housing schemes. We have to move ahead with a mindset of cent percent achievement. Till now, no thought was given for our street vendors, who sell their goods on tracks, footpaths and carts. All these colleagues are now being linked to the banking system through the SVANidhi scheme.

Just as we have made electricity accessible to 100% households, and have made authentic efforts to construct toilets in 100% households, similarly, we now have to move ahead with the goal of achieving saturation of schemes, and, for this, we do not have to keep a distant deadline. We have to make our resolutions come true within a few years.

Today, our country is working with speed on the Har Ghar Jal Mission. I am happy that in just two years of the Jal Jeevan Mission, more than four and a half crore families have started getting water from taps. They have started getting water from pipes. Receiving the blessings from crores of mothers and sisters, is our true capital. The biggest advantage of this 100 percent accomplishment rate is that no one remains deprived of the benefits of the government scheme. When the government operates with a target to reach the person in the last line, only then there is no discrimination and there is no scope for corruption.

Providing nutrition to every poor person of the country is also a priority of this government. Malnutrition and lack of essential nutrients in poor women and poor children poses major obstacles in their development. In view of this, it has been decided that the government will fortify the rice given to the poor under its various schemes. Will give rice fortified  with nutrition to the poor. Be it the rice available at the ration shop, the rice provided to the children in the mid-day meal, or the rice available through every scheme, it shall be fortified by the year 2024.

Today, the campaign to provide better health facilities to every poor in the country is also going on at a fast pace. For this, important reforms have also been made in medical education. Equal attention has been paid to preventive healthcare. Simultaneously , there has been a substantial increase in the number of medical seats in the country. Under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, quality health services are being provided to every village in the country. Affordable medicines are being made available to the poor and middle class through Jan Aushadhi Yojana. So far, more than 75 thousand Health and Wellness centers have been set up. At the block level too, modern health infrastructure is being exclusively set up on a network of good hospitals and modern labs. Very soon thousands of hospitals in the country will also have their own oxygen plants.

To take India to new heights in the 21st century, the optimal utilisation of India's potential is the need of the hour.

This is extremely important. For this, we need to provide hand holding to the backward categories and sectors. Alongwith the concern of fulfilling the basic needs, reservation is being ensured for the Dalits, Backward classes, Adivasis and the poor people from general category. More recently, in the field of medical education, reservation has also been ensured for the OBC category in the All India quota. By formulating a law in Parliament, the right to make their own list of OBC has been given to the states.

Just as we are making sure that no person or no class should be left behind in the development journey of society, similarly no part of the country, no corner of the country should be left behind. Development should be all-round, development should be all-pervasive, development should be all-inclusive. We are now accelerating the efforts that have been made in the last seven years to bring forward such backward areas of the country. Be it the eastern India, the North-east, Jammu-Kashmir, Ladakh including the entire Himalayan region, be it our coastal belt or the tribal region, these regions are going to turn into a major foundation for India's development in future, India's development journey.

Today a new history of connectivity is being written in the North-East. This is a connectivity of both the hearts and the infrastructure. Very soon the work of connecting all the state capitals of the North-East with rail service is going to be completed. Under the Act-East Policy, today North-East, Bangladesh, Myanmar and South-East Asia are also being connected. Due to the efforts made in the past years, now the enthusiasm for the creation of Shreshtha Bharat and long lasting peace in the North-East has increased manifold.

There is a huge potential in the fields of tourism, adventure sports, organic farming, herbal medicine, and oil palm in the North East. We have to fully harness this potential and make it a part of the development journey of the country. And we have to complete this work within a few decades of the 'Amrit kaal'. Giving a fair opportunity to the capabilities of all is the true spirit of democracy. Be it Jammu or Kashmir, the balance of development is now visible on the ground.

The Delimitation Commission has been constituted in Jammu and Kashmir and preparations are also going on for the assembly elections. Ladakh has also progressed towards its limitless possibilities of development. On one hand Ladakh is witnessing the creation of modern infrastructure, while on the other hand Sindhu Central University is also making Ladakh a center of higher education.

In this decade of the 21st century, India will further accelerate its efforts towards the Blue Economy. Along with aquaculture, we have to take full advantage of the new possibilities that are emerging in the cultivation of seaweed. The Deep Ocean Mission is the result of our ambition to explore the unlimited possibilities of the ocean. The mineral wealth which is hidden in the sea, the thermal energy which is in the sea water, can give new heights to the development of the country.

We have also awakened the aspirations of the districts of the country believed to have been left behind. Priority is being given to schemes related to education, health, nutrition, roads and employment in more than 110 aspirational districts in the country. Many of these districts are in our tribal areas. We have created a spirit of healthy competition for development among these districts. There is a strong competition going on in that direction so that these aspirational districts are at par with other districts of India.

Capitalism and socialism are discussed a lot in the world of economics, but India also emphasizes cooperativism. Cooperativism is also compatible with our traditions and values. Cooperativism, in which the collective power of the masses becomes the driving force of the economy, is important for the country's grassroots level economy. Co-operatives are not just a system with a network of laws and rules, but co-operative is a spirit, culture, and a mindset of collective growth. We have taken steps to empower them by forming a separate ministry. We have taken this step to empower the cooperative sector in the states.

We will have to put all our efforts to build a new economy in the villages in this decade. Today we can see our villages changing rapidly. In the last few years, our government has provided roads and electricity to the villages. Now these villages have been strengthened with optical fibernetwork data and the Internet. Digital entrepreneurs are emerging in the villages also. The more than eight crore sisters in the villages, who are associated with Self-Help Groups, design top-end products. Now the government will also prepare an e-commerce platform for their products so that get a big market in our country and abroad. Today, when the country is moving forward with the mantra of Vocal for Local, this digital platform will connect the products of women self-help groups with people across the length and breadth of the country as well as internationally. Their horizon shall thus get enhanced.

During Corona, the country has witnessed the power of technology, as well as the commitment and capabilities of our scientists. The scientists of our country are working very diligently and strategically across the expanse of ​​the country. Now the time has come for us to integrate the capabilities of scientists and their suggestions in our agriculture sector as well. Now we cannot wait any longer. We have to leverage this strength. This will go a long way in increasing the production of fruits, vegetables and grains along with giving food security to the country. Thus we shall catapult ourselves strongly into the world orbit.

Amongst these concerted efforts, we need to take cognizance of a major challenge posed in our agriculture sector. Challenge of shrinking of land of villagers which is due to immense rise in population, and smaller land holdings due to the divisions happening in the family.  Farming land has shrunk alarmingly. More than 80 percent of the farmers of the country are those who have less than two hectares of land. If we see, 80 out of 100 farmers have less than two hectares of land i.e. the farmers of our country are practically in the small farmer category. Unfortunately, this segment remained eliminated from the benefits in our yesteryear’s policies. They did not get their due importance.  Now, keeping in mind these small farmers in the country, agricultural reforms are being undertaken, and critical decisions are being taken to benefit them.

Whether the improvement in the crop insurance scheme or important decision of increasing the MSP by one and a half times; a system to provide loans from banks at cheaper rates through Kisan Credit Card; taking the schemes related to solar power to the farm, formulate a Farmer Producer Organization. All these efforts will increase the power of the small farmer. In the coming times, a campaign will also be launched to create a warehouse facility up to the block level.

Keeping in mind the small expenses of every small farmer, PM KisanSamman Nidhi Yojana is being run. So far, more than 1.5 lakh crores have been deposited directly into the bank accounts of more than ten crore farmer families. The small farmer is now our resolve and mantra for us. The small farmer becomes the country's pride.... the small farmer becomes the nation's pride. This is our dream. In the coming years, we will have to increase the collective power of the small farmers of the country. New facilities have to be provided.

Today, Kisan Rail is plying on more than 70 rail routes of the country. Kisan Rail can help small farmers with this modern facility to reach far flung areas on a low cost of produce and transportation. Several products like Kamalam, Shahi litchi, BhutJolokiachillis, black rice or turmeric are being exported to different countries of the world. Today, the country feels delighted when the aroma of these products produced in the soil of India reaches different countries of the world. Today the world is developing a taste for the vegetables and food grains grown in the fields of India.

Swamitva Yojana is an example of one of the initiatives taken to boost the capabilities of the villages today. We all know what happens to the price of land in villages. They do not get any loan from the banks on the basis of land, despite being the owners of the land because no work had been done in terms of documents of rural land for several years. People do not have this system. The Swamitva scheme attempted to change this situation. Today every village, every house, every land is being mapped through drones. The data and property papers of village lands are being uploaded online. With this, not only the disputes related to land in the villages are being ended, but a system has also been created for the people of the village to get loans easily from the banks. The lands of village poor should be the foundation for development rather than disputes. And the country is moving in the same direction today.

When Swami Vivekananda used to talk about the future of India, when he used to see the magnificence of Mother Bharati in front of his eyes, he used to say – Try to look into the past as far as possible. Drink the water of the ever new spring flowing back there, and after that, look ahead. Go ahead and make India brighter, greater & better than ever. In this 75th year of independence, it is our duty to move forward believing in the immense potential of the country. We have to work together for new generation infrastructure; we have to work together for world class manufacturing; we have to work together for cutting edge innovations; we have to work together for new age technology.

The foundation of progress in the modern world lies on modern infrastructure. It also fulfills the needs and aspirations of the middle class. Weak infrastructure derails the pace of development and the urban middle class also suffers.

We have to work together for next generation infrastructure, for world class manufacturing, for cutting edge innovation and for New Age technology.

Realizing this need, the country has demonstrated extraordinary speed and scale in every field from the seas, land to the skies. Rapid progress is underway whether it is development of new waterways or connecting new places with seaplanes. Indian Railways is also rapidly adapting to its modern avatar. The country has resolved to celebrate the Amrit Mahotsav of independence. You would know that we have decided to celebrate this Amrit Mahotsav of independence for 75 weeks. It started from 12th March and will continue till 15th August, 2023. We have to move forward with new enthusiasm and, therefore, the country has made a very important decision.

During these 75 weeks of the Amrit Mahotsav of Independence, 75 Vande Bharat trains will connect every corner of the country. The pace at which new airports are being built in the country and the UDAN scheme connecting remote areas is unprecedented. We can see how better air connectivity gives new flights to people's dreams.

Along with modern infrastructure, there is a great need for adopting a holistic and integrated approach in infrastructure construction. In the near future, we are going to launch the National Master Plan of Prime Minister ‘Gati Shakti’ which will be a huge scheme and fulfill the dreams of crores of countrymen. This scheme of more than 100 lakh crores rupees will result in new employment opportunities for lakhs of youth.

Gati Shakti will be a National Infrastructure Master Plan for our country which will lay the foundation of holistic Infrastructure and will lead to an integrated and holistic pathway to our economy. Right now, there is no coordination between our means of transport. Gati Shakti will break the silos, and will remove all these obstacles. This will reduce the travel time for the common man and the productivity of our industry will also increase. Gati Shakti will also go a long way in making our local manufacturers globally competitive and this will also develop new possibilities for the creation of future economic zones. In this decade, the power of speed will form the basis of India's transformation.

India will have to increase both its manufacturing and exports while moving ahead on the path of development.

Treading ahead on the path of development, India will have to augment both its manufacturing and exports. You have witnessed, just a few days ago, India launched its first indigenous Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant for trial in the sea. Today India is making its own indigenous fighter aircraft, its own submarine. Gaganyaan is also slated to hoist India's flag in space. This itself is evidential of our immense capabilities in indigenous manufacturing.

The country has also announced Production Linked Incentive to consolidate our Make in India campaign in the wake of the new economic conditions that have emerged due to Corona. The electronic manufacturing sector stands as an example of the change that is enforced through this scheme. Seven years ago we used to import mobile phones worth about eight billion dollars. However, now the import has reduced considerably, and today we are also exporting mobile phones worth three billion dollars.

Today, when our manufacturing sector is gaining momentum, our focus should be that whatever we make in India should be of highest quality standards so that we sustain in the global competition. Rather, if possible we should aim at going a step ahead and take proactive steps to prepare ourselves for the global market. We have to target that. I want to say emphatically to all the manufacturers of the country, that you should never forget that the product you sell overseas is not just a product made by your company, it is the identity of our nation, India's prestige and the faith of all the citizens of our country.

My dear countrymen

That is why I tell all our manufacturers that each of your products is a brand ambassador of India. When someone will buy and use your product, the customer should say with pride- now “This is Made in India”. That's the mindset we need. You all should now aspire to win over the global market. The government is fully with you in realising this dream.

Today, several new start-ups are being formed in different sectors of the country and even in smaller tier 2, tier 3 cities of the country. They also have a big role to play in getting entry of their Indian products into the inter-state market.The government stands with all its might, with these start-ups. Whether it is giving them financial help, cash discounts, rules simplification for them, the government is fully with them. We have seen that thousands of new start-ups have emerged in this difficult period of Corona. They are moving forward with great success. Yesteryear’s start-ups are becoming today's unicorns. Their market value is reaching thousands of crores of rupees.

These are new types of wealth creators in our country today. They are standing on their feet with the power of their unique ideas, moving ahead and walking with the dream of conquering the world. They are new kinds of wealth creators. They are moving by the force of their unique ideas and a dream to win over the world.  In this decade, we need to relentlessly work towards making India's Startups and the Startup Ecosystem the best in the whole world.

My countrymen,

Political will is needed  to bring  about major changes and reforms. Today the world is witnessing that there is no dearth of political will in India. Good and smart governance is required to implement the reforms. Today the world is also a witness to how India is writing a new chapter of governance here. In this decade of 'Amrit Kaal', we will give priority to Next Generation reforms... We will ensure that all the facilities like service delivery should reach citizens up to the last mile; it should reach the last person seamlessly, without hesitation or any kind of difficulty. For the overall development of the country, unnecessary interference by the government and the government processes in the lives of the people has to be ended.

Earlier, the government itself was on the driving seat. This might have been the demand of that time. But now the time has changed. In the last seven years, efforts have also intensified in the country to liberate the people of the country from the web of unnecessary laws and  procedures. Till now hundreds of old laws of the country have been abolished. Even during this period of Corona pandemic, the government has abolished more than 15,000 compliances. Now you see, you might have experienced a lot of hassles and paperwork for a small government work. That has been the situation so far. We have ended 15,000 compliances.

Just imagine.....I want to give you an example. A law has been in place in India for over 200 years, 200 years i.e. even before 1857. As per this law, the citizens of the country did not have the right to create maps. Now imagine, it was in place since 1857. If you want to create a map, then seek permission from the government, if you want to print the map in a book, then  seek permission from the government; there is a provision for arrest if the map is lost. Nowadays every phone has a Map app. Satellites have so much power! Then how will we take the country forward with a burden of such laws? It is very important to get rid of this burden of compliances. We have abolished several regulations in various sectors like mapping, space, information technology and BPO.

Freedom from the clutches of unnecessary laws is very important for both Ease of Living as well as Ease of Doing Business. Our country's industries and businesses are experiencing this change today.

Today dozens of labor laws have been subsumed into just 4 codes. Tax related arrangements have also been made easy and become faceless now. We will have to work together so that such reforms are not limited to the government only, but percolate down to gram panchayats, municipal corporations and municipalities. I am calling upon,  making an earnest appeal to all the central and state departments to launch a campaign to review the existing rules and procedures. We have to get rid of every rule, every process which has become a hindrance and a burden for the people of the country. I know what has accumulated in 70-75 years will not go away in a day or in a year. But if we start working with a purpose, we will definitely be able to do this.

Keeping this in mind, the government has also started Mission Karmayogi and Capacity Building Commission to increase people-centric approach in bureaucracy and improve their efficiency.

Our education, education system, education tradition  has a great role in preparing the youth, who are possessed with skill and ability, and who have the spirit to do something for the country.  Today the country also has a new National Education Policy to meet the needs of the 21st century. Now our children will neither stop due to lack of skills nor will they be bound by language barriers. Unfortunately, there is a massive divide in our country regarding language. We have tied a huge talent of the country to the cage of language.  One can find promising people in their mother tongue. If people from the vernacular medium come forward, their self-confidence will grow. Justice will be done to the potential of the poor children when they will become professionals by studying in their mother tongue.

I believe that language is the instrument of the fight against poverty in the new National Education Policy.  This new National Education Policy is also going to be a great tool to fight against poverty in a way. The basis of winning the war against poverty is also the education, prestige and importance of the vernacular language.  The country has seen this in the playground... and we are experiencing that language has not become a barrier and as a result we have seen that the youth are playing and blossoming. Now the same thing will happen in other fields of life as well.

Another special feature of the new National Education Policy is that sports has been made a part of mainstream education instead of extra-curricular. Sports is also one of the most effective means of pursuing life. It is very important to have sports in life for perfection in life. There was a time when sports was not considered mainstream. Parents also considered indulging in sports as wastage of life. Now, there is a new awareness about fitness and sports. We have seen and felt this in the olympics. This change is a big turning point for us. That is why, we need to speed up and expand the campaign that is going on in the country for infusing talent, technology and professionalism in sports.

It is a matter of pride for the country that our daughters are performing in an unprecedented manner in the fields of education, sports, Boards results or olympics. Today daughters are raring to occupy their place. We have to  ensure that women have equal partnership in every career and workspace. We have to ensure that they feel safe from roads to the workplace and everywhere. There should be a feeling of respect for them and in  this, the government, administration, police and justice system will have to perform their duty cent percent. We have to make this resolution , the resolution of the 75 years of Independence.

Today I am sharing good news with the countrymen. I used to get lakhs of messages from our daughters that they want to study in the Sainik Schools. The Doors of the schools should be opened for them. We did a pilot project in the Sainik School of Mizoram two-two and half years ago by giving admission to our daughters. Now the Government has decided that all the Sainik Schools will be open for the girls. Daughter too will study in all the Sainik Schools of the Country.

Environmental security is getting the same importance in the world as national security.Today India is a vibrant voice of environmental security, whether it is  biodiversity or land neutrality, climate change or waste recycling, organic farming or  biogas, energy conservation or  clean energy transition. India’s efforts in environment are giving results today. Increase in forest cover, number of national parks, increase in number of tigers and Asiatic lions are a matter of happiness for the countrymen.

Among all these successes one truth needs to be understood. India is not yet energy independent. India today spends more than 12 lakh crore rupees annually for importing energy. For India's progress and to build a self-reliant India, India's energy independence is the need of the hour! Therefore today, India has to make a resolution to make India energy independent before the completion of 100 years of independence and our roadmap is very clear for the same. It should be a gas based economy.  There should be a network of CNG & PNG across the country. There should be a target of 20 percent ethanol blending. India is moving ahead with a set goal. India has also made a move towards Electric Mobility and the work on 100% electrification of Railways is also progressing at a fast pace. Indian Railways has set a target of becoming Net Zero Carbon Emitter by 2030. Besides these efforts, the country is also emphasizing on Mission Circular Economy. Our Vehicle Scrap Policy is a great example of the same. Today, India is the only country in the group of G-20 countries, which is moving fast towards achieving its climate goals.

 India has set a target of 450 GW of renewable energy by the end of this decade - 450 GW by 2030. Of this, the target of 100 GW has been achieved by India ahead of schedule. These efforts are also instilling confidence in the world.  The formation of the International Solar Alliance on the Global State is a great example of the same.

Of every effort being made by India today, the thing that is going to help India with a quantum leap in terms of climate is the field of ​​Green Hydrogen. To achieve the goal of Green Hydrogen, I am announcing the National Hydrogen Mission today with this tricolour as a witness. We have to make India a Global Hub for Green Hydrogen Production and Export in the 'Amrit Kaal'. This will not only  help India to make a new progress in the field of energy self-reliance but will also become a new inspiration for Clean Energy Transition all over the world. New opportunities from Green Growth to Green Job are opening up today for our start-ups & youth.

Today, the 21st century India has the ability to create and achieve big goals as well. Today India is also solving those subject areas, which were hanging fires for decades and centuries. Be it a historic decision to abrogate Article 370, introduction of GST, a system that frees the country from the web of taxes, a decision regarding 'One Rank-One Pension' for our military friends, a peaceful solution to the Ram Janmabhoomi issue, we have seen it come true in a few years

India’s willpower is realizing all the resolutions whether it is the Bru-Reang agreement in Tripura after decades, constitutional status to the OBC commission or the BDC and DDC elections in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time since independence.

Even in this period of Corona, record foreign investment is coming to India. India's foreign exchange reserves are also at an all-time high. India has also given the message of the might of New India to the enemies of the country by carrying out surgical and air strikes. It shows that India is changing. India can change. India can take the toughest decisions and it does not hesitate and stop in taking even the toughest decisions.

The nature of global relations has changed after the Second World War. There is a possibility of a new world order post Corona. The world has seen and appreciated India's efforts during Corona. Today the world is looking at India from a new perspective. There are two important aspects of this perception -- one is terrorism and the other is expansionism. India is fighting both these challenges and is also responding strongly in a restrained manner. Our defense preparedness has to be equally strong if India has to fulfil its obligations properly.

We are making constant efforts to provide new opportunities to our hardworking entrepreneurs and to encourage Indian companies to make the country self-reliant in the field of defence. I assure the country that we will leave no stone unturned to strengthen the hands of our forces engaged in the defense of the country.

Today is also the birth anniversary of the great thinker of the country, Sri Aurobindo. His 150th birth anniversary will be celebrated in 2022. Sri Aurobindo was a visionary of India's bright future. He used to say that we have to be as powerful as we were never before. We have to change our habits. We have to re-awaken ourselves. These words of Sri Aurobindo remind us of our duties. We also have to think about what we are giving to the country as a citizen and as a society. We have always given importance to rights. They were needed during that period, but now we have to make duties paramount. Everybody will have to contribute in fulfilling the resolutions of the country. Every citizen will have to own this up.

Our country has initiated a campaign of water conservation, so it is our duty to include saving water in our habits. If the country is emphasizing on digital transactions, then it is also our duty to do minimum cash transactions. The country has started the campaign of Local for Vocal, so it is our duty to buy as many local products as possible. To strengthen our vision of a plastic-free India of the country, it is our duty to completely stop the use of single use plastic. It is our duty not to throw dirt in our rivers, keep our sea shores clean. We also have to take the Swachh Bharat Mission to another new level.

Today, when the country is celebrating the Amrit Mahotsav on the occasion of 75 years of independence, it is the duty of all of us to join this event, participate in it enthusiastically, and keep kindling our resolutions again and again. Keeping freedom struggle in mind, whatever little you do… whatever… will be pure like a drop of nectar, and this Amrit Kumbh made by the pure efforts of many Indians will inspire the entire nation for years to come. 

I am not a fortune teller, I believe in action. I have faith in the youth of my country, I trust the sisters of the country, the daughters of the country, the farmers of the country, and the professionals of the country. This ‘CAN DO’ generation can achieve every goal imaginable.

I believe that in 2047, on the occasion of celebrating 100 years of independence… whoever will be the Prime Minister… whoever will be the Prime Minister after 25 years from today, when he will be unfurling the flag… I say this with confidence today that he or she shall be chronicling those accomplishments in his speech about which the country has taken a vow today... This is my firm belief of victory.

Today whatever I am speaking of in the form of a resolution, whoever hoists the flag after 25 years, shall be speaking of the same in the form of accomplishments. The country would be singing its glory in the form of these accomplishments. Youth of the country of today, shall also see at that time how the country has achieved this glory.

In the 21st century, no obstacle can stop us from fulfilling the dreams and aspirations of India. Our strength is our vitality, our strength is our solidarity, our vitality is the spirit of nation first - always first. This is the time for shared dreams, this is the time for shared resolve, this is the time for shared efforts... and this is the time to move towards victory.

And so I say once again-

This is the time,

This is the time.. the right time!

India's precious time!

This is the time, the right time! India's precious time!

The power of countless arms,

There is patriotism everywhere!

There is the power of innumerable arms, there is patriotism everywhere…

Come, rise and unfurl the Tricolour!

Turn the fate of India,

There is nothing..

There is nothing you cannot do,

There is nothing you cannot achieve,

You Rise...

You Rise and Begin,

Recognize your abilities,

Understand all your duties,

Understand all your duties!

When the country completes 100 years of independence, the goals of the countrymen must be turned into reality; that is my desire. With my best wishes, I once again congratulate all the countrymen on the 75th Independence Day! Say aloud with your fists up -

VandeMatram,

VandeMatram!

Long live Mother India,

Long live Mother India!

Thanks a lot!

VG/DS/AK/VJ/AJ

Analysis: Modi Is Rewriting India’s National Narrative

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Modi Is Rewriting India’s National Narrative

The prime minister’s annual independence day speech reflected how far political discourse has fallen in new delhi..

• Sumit Ganguly

India celebrated the 75th anniversary of its independence this week. Unlike prior revolutions, India’s split from the British Empire came about through a political movement committed to nonviolence. The Indian National Congress, led by Mahatma Gandhi, organized peaceful demonstrations on an unprecedented scale, and the mighty British Empire ultimately capitulated, encouraging anticolonial movements around the world. Within a generation, countries in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean also achieved independence, ending a long and grotesque epoch of European imperialism.

India has long commemorated this watershed moment on Aug. 15, headlined by the prime minister’s speech on the ramparts of the Red Fort in New Delhi. Leaders traditionally set aside partisan rivalries in these speeches, choosing to focus on apolitical themes: the importance of Gandhi and the nonviolence movement, the resilience of India’s democracy, and the importance of tolerance and inclusion. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has mostly stuck to this formula, but this year’s speech signaled how Modi is trying to redefine what it means to be an Indian.

In his speech , Modi ticked the boxes by mentioning Gandhi and his commitment to inclusion, but he also departed from convention in important ways. First, he celebrated more than a dozen freedom fighters who had adopted a violent approach to independence. These freedom fighters operated independently of Gandhi and the Indian National Congress, undermining Gandhi and nonviolence within India’s independence movement. By highlighting them in the speech, Modi subtly pushed back against the conventional narrative and Gandhi’s central role in it.

Second, although Modi touched on inclusion when it comes to geography and gender, he avoided mentioning secularism or religious tolerance. Instead, he sought to define Indians as Hindus: “This is our legacy. How can we not be proud of this heritage? We are those people who see Shiva [a main Hindu deity] in every living being,” he said. “We are people who see the divine in the plants. We are the people who consider the rivers as mother. We are those people who see Shankar [another form of Shiva] in every stone.” For India, a country with 280 million non-Hindu citizens that has struggled with religious tensions since its founding, Modi’s religious interjections clearly signal a break from the past.

Finally, Modi used the occasion to launch familiar jabs against the opposition Indian National Congress party while overlooking critical challenges facing the Indian state—including religious intolerance. He concluded his speech by slamming people who defend corruption and by condemning nepotism. But this was coded language that may sound like a threat to some Indian citizens: Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have weaponized charges of corruption and nepotism to go after political opponents and dissidents. Just days after Modi’s speech, his government conducted an anticorruption raid against Manish Sisodia, one of the main leaders of the opposition Aam Aadmi Party.

Modi’s Independence Day speech is emblematic of a larger change taking place under his rule, which has faced criticism for democratic backsliding—moving away from the very constitution that came shortly after its independence. The prime minister and the BJP are working to unshackle India from its liberal and secular moorings, advancing a new national identity that champions Hindu supremacy. This enterprise is in fact antithetical to the very foundations of Hinduism, which is an inherently pluralistic faith.

Modi’s BJP government is also undercutting India’s institutions in unprecedented ways. It has made a mockery of India’s rich tradition of civil liberties by charging activists and dissidents with crimes under colonial-era laws. One egregious example is the case of left-wing activists detained under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for alleged links to Maoist groups and allegedly fomenting riots. One of the accused, lifelong Jesuit activist Rev. Stan Swamy , died in custody last year. Furthermore, Modi and the BJP have co-opted much of the media and important private sector actors. Journalists have faced intimidation and harassment ; prominent nongovernmental organizations have been cut off from foreign funding while others can receive overseas money only into accounts with a government-owned bank.

Unfortunately, the most important lessons from the independence movement seem to be lost on India’s contemporary leaders, as shown by their approach to religious pluralism and democratic institutions. Although India’s leading revolutionaries were committed to nonviolence, tensions between Hindus and Muslims marred the independence movement. These tensions pulled the British Raj apart, and two new countries emerged in its place: India and Pakistan. This week also marks the anniversary of the Partition of India, which triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters as Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs were forced to flee in different directions across the new border. A few months later, India and Pakistan went to war over the status of Jammu and Kashmir—a disagreement that still plagues the subcontinent.

In the face of these tensions, India and Pakistan’s leaders charted opposing courses. India’s leaders advanced a progressive and modern vision for their new country, eschewing a national Hindu religion in favor of a secular identity. They worked hard to minimize religious tensions by speaking against communal strife and promoting religious protections. When Gandhi was assassinated in 1948—for supposedly being a supplicant to the Muslim community—his political heirs continued to push for a liberal vision of India. Working with the opposition, they produced a constitution that enshrined a liberal and secular democracy that remains in force today.

On the other hand, Pakistan struggled. The country’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, led the Muslim League that split from the Indian National Congress. But he was rarely clear in his vision for Pakistan: There is some evidence that he wanted a secular state , but he also called for an Islamic republic. When Jinnah died in 1948, he left behind a political mess. Liaquat Ali Khan, Pakistan’s first prime minister, rejected amendments offered by the opposition in his own founding document, which became a precursor to the country’s 1956 constitution that gave Islam its pride of place in the project of Pakistan. By turning to communalism, Pakistan has suffered as political actors stir religious tensions to benefit their own ends. Without credible institutions or norms that allow political differences to be resolved, the country has not been able to maintain political order.

Modi’s speech reflects how he and the BJP appear to embrace some of these traits. By lionizing fringe actors from the independence movement—including those who exacerbated religious tensions—they are rewriting history to suit their own political agenda. They have undermined civil liberties and shown basic disregard for political opposition. Taking a page from Jinnah’s book, Modi has ensured that any substantive decision must come through him. Such a system may work in the short term, but what happens when Modi is no longer prime minister?

The contrast with then-Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s epic “A Tryst With Destiny” speech , delivered on Aug. 14, 1947, couldn’t be starker. Nehru said he sought to “bring freedom and opportunity to the common man, to the peasants and workers of India; to fight poverty and ignorance and disease; to build up a prosperous, democratic, and progressive nation.” Most poignantly, he highlighted that India’s religious pluralism was integral to the newly founded country: “All of us, to whatever religion we may belong, are equally the children of India, with equal rights, privileges, and obligations.”

India’s Independence Day has traditionally provided an opportunity to reflect on the horrors of colonialism and the dangers of religious discord while also celebrating the vibrance of the country’s democracy. Modi’s speech this week reflects the departure that India’s contemporary leaders have made from these foundational values.

Dinsha Mistree is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution and Stanford Law School. He also teaches in the international policy program at Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.

Sumit Ganguly is a columnist at  Foreign Policy and visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He is a distinguished professor of political science and the Rabindranath Tagore chair in Indian cultures and civilizations at Indiana University Bloomington.

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Untold stories of Pakistan's Independence

By The Citizens Archive of Pakistan

The Citizens Archive of Pakistan

The Partition of India was the division of British India in 1947 into two independent dominions, India and Pakistan. These are the citizens' untold stories of Pakistan's Independence; the joys and price of freedom.

Admiral Rafiuddin Qadri (b. Rajkot, British India - 1934). In 2010, Admiral Qadri shared his memories about the 1947 partition of South Asia with the Citizens Archive of Pakistan’s Oral History Project. He vividly recalled Quaid-e-Azam’s powerful 1946 address at Ahmedabad University and the profound impact it left upon the audience of unruly boys, including him.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah , (born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 1876 – 11 September 1948) was a lawyer, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah was trained as a barrister at Lincoln's Inn in London. He served as the leader of the All India Muslim League from 1913 until Pakistan's independence on 14 August 1947, and then as Pakistan's first Governor-General until his death. He is revered in Pakistan as Quaid-i-Azam (Great Leader) and Baba-i-Qaum (Father of the Nation).

While talking to the Citizens Archive of Pakistan’s Oral History Project team in 2008, Zohra Fazal (b. Bombay, British India – 1925) spoke about the atmosphere at the time of independence and the impact it had on communal relations.

Pakistan emerged in 1947 from a British India, which was partitioned into two Dominions, India and Pakistan. On 14 August 1947 , Pakistan achieved independence one day prior to Indian independence. India was partitioned, and an East and West Pakistan were created from Muslim majority areas. The basis of Pakistan was found in the ‘two nation theory’, where it was suggested that the Muslims and Hindus in undivided India made up two ‘nations’ and hence, required separate homelands.

Amin Naz (b. Kashmir, British India -1935) migrated to Pakistan soon after the Partition. He reminisced in his 2010 interview about his moving experience of setting foot on Pakistani soil for the first time.

One of the greatest migrations in human history began in August 1947 when millions of Muslims made their way to East and West Pakistan, and millions of Hindus and Sikhs headed in the opposite direction. Nearly seven million refugees are estimated to have arrived in Pakistan in the years following the Partition. Many hundreds of thousands never made it at all; at the most-conservative estimate, 200,000 individuals lost their lives in the massacres accompanying migration.

Agha Salman Baqir is a renowned Urdu writer, poet and critic from Pakistan. Mr. Baqir shared his father Agha Mohammad Baqir’s role in the historic announcement made by All-India Radio, Lahore, at midnight on the 14 of August 1947, declaring the “Dawn of Independence.”

The Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation was originally known as the Pakistan Broadcasting Service at the time of its inception on 14 August 1947. It had the honour of publicly announcing Pakistan's independence from Britain on 13 August 1947 at 11:59 pm. Mustafa Ali Hamdani made the announcement from Lahore in Urdu and English, while Abdullah Jan Maghmoom made the announcement from Peshawar in Pashto. At independence in 1947, Pakistan possessed three radio stations at Lahore (1937), Dhaka (established in 1939), and Peshawar (1936). A major program of expansion saw new stations opened at Karachi and Rawalpindi in 1948, and a new broadcasting house at Karachi in 1950. This was followed by new stations at Hyderabad (1951), Quetta (1956), a second station at Rawalpindi (1960) and a Receiving Centre at Peshawar (1960). In 1970, training facilities were opened in Islamabad and a station opened at Multan.

Born in 1928, New Delhi, Saeeda Siddiqui migrated to Pakistan via train amidst the chaos and fear of the bloodiest mass exodus in modern human history. She evocatively described the insatiable hunger she felt and the experience of eating her first meal after days of perilous travel without food.

During the late 1920s and early 1930s, there was a large black coloured airship hangar at the site of Karachi Airport, constructed for the British HMA R101, at the time, the largest aircraft ever built. Only three hangars were ever built in the world to dock and hangar Britain's fleet of passenger airships. However, the R101 never arrived in Karachi (then part of the British Raj) as it crashed and exploded just 8 hours into its maiden flight over Beauvais France, killing all but 6 of its 54 passengers and crew. This hangar was so huge that aircraft often used it as a visual marker while attempting VFR landings at Karachi. Over the years, the hangar became known as the landmark of Karachi, until it was demolished by order of then-President Ayub Khan in the 1960s.

Dr. Attiya Inayatullah (b. Sialkot, British India – 1939) migrated to Pakistan from Delhi in 1947. She was happy to share her memories of the warm welcome that awaited her and other migrants arriving in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, in 1947.

Rail transport in Pakistan began in 1855 during the British Raj, when several railway companies began to lay track and started to operate in present-day Pakistan. The system was originally a patchwork of local rail lines operated by small private companies, including the Scinde, Punjab and Delhi Railways and the Indus Steam Flotilla. In 1870, the four companies were amalgamated as the Scinde, Punjab & Delhi Railway. Several other rail lines were built shortly thereafter, including the Sind–Sagar and Trans–Baluchistan Railways and the Sind–Pishin, Indus Valley, Punjab Northern and Kandahar State Railways. These six companies and the Scinde, Punjab & Delhi Railway merged to form the North Western State Railway in 1880. In 1947, following Pakistan's independence, the North Western Railway became Pakistan Western Railway and the rail system was reorganized.

Amanullah Khan is a former lawyer and Judge born in 1935 in Kota, Rajasthan. In an interview in 2015, Mr. Khan described of the long and arduous journey from Karachi to Hyderabad following his 1948 arrival in Pakistan at the port of Karachi.

The Port of Karachi is one of South Asia's largest and busiest deep-water seaports, handling about 60% of Pakistan’s cargo (25 million tons per annum) located in Karachi, Pakistan. It is located between the Karachi towns of Kiamari and Saddar, close to the main business district and several industrial areas. The geographic position of the port places it in close proximity to major shipping routes such as the Strait of Hormuz. The administration of the port is carried out by the Karachi Port Trust, which was established in the nineteenth century. The modern port started its operations in 1854 during the British Raj, when a mole was constructed to connect the city to the harbor. At the time of independence in 1947, the Port capacity was about 1.5 million tons of dry cargo and 1.0 million tons of products per annum.

Initial Design, Concept and Layout: Aaliyah Tayyebi Primary Data Collection: CAP Oral History Project Team Secondary Research: Aaliyah Tayyebi Nimra Tariq Zain Shaikhzadeh Rumman Islam Javeria Hashmi Meher Mehtab Sultan Ali Photo Editing and Title Artwork: Anum Zahid Abeer Kaisri Sound Engineering: Zain Shaikhzadeh Video Production and Editing: Ailya Ejaz Farwah Rizvi General Editing, Technical Support and Final Design: Aaliyah Tayyebi The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to cultural and historic preservation, operating in Karachi and Lahore. We seek to educate the community, foster an awareness of our nation’s history and instil pride in Pakistani citizens about their heritage. Copyright © 2018 by Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP). All rights reserved. No part of this Exhibit may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including copying, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP). All the images shown here were donated to CAP by F.E.Chaudhry, Misbah Alam, Mohammad Latif and Zohra Fazal. All music used in the audio bytes is royalty free, under Creative Commons licensing, available at: www.bensound.com , www.incompetech.com , and www.purple-planet.com .

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75th Independence Day: English Speech and essay Ideas, Famous quotes from our leaders

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Lorraine Boissoneault

For more than 200 years, Britain had asserted its iron will over India. From the East India Company levying taxes starting in the 18th century to Britain instituting direct rule over two-thirds of the country in the mid-19th century, India had been extorted for centuries—and with the start of World War II, India was declared to be at war with Germany without any Indian political leaders actually being consulted. The nation would go on to provide 2.3 million soldiers for an army as well as food and other goods to help the Allies defeat the Axis Powers. Much as the Indian National Congress (the largely Hindu public assembly that had some governmental functions) sympathized with defeating fascism, they balked at seeing their country further pillaged for resources.

So in 1939, members of the Congress informed Viceroy Lord Linlithgow—the highest-ranking British official in India—they would only support the war effort if Indian independence lay at the end of it. To which Linlithgow issued his own threat: if the Congress didn’t support Britain, Britain would simply turn to, and empower, the Muslim League (a political group that fought to protect the rights of Muslim Indians and later called for a separate nation for Muslims). As Winston Churchill later confessed , “the Hindu-Moslem feud [was] a bulwark of British rule in India.” The Congress could do nothing but acquiesce.

But they hadn’t abandoned the fight, especially one of their most notable members: Mohandas “Mahatma” Karamchand Gandhi. The spiritual and political leader first experienced racism decades earlier, as a London-educated lawyer working in colonial South Africa. There, he was thrown off a train for trying to sit in the first class car; the 1893 incident led him to his civil rights work, for which he was repeatedly imprisoned. “I discovered that as a man and as an Indian I had no rights,” Gandhi later said of that period in South Africa. “More correctly, I discovered that I had no rights as a man because I was an Indian.”

Agitating for change through nonviolence would become Gandhi’s lifelong pursuit. On the eve of World War II, he wrote Hitler twice in hopes of persuading the dictator to avoid total war (it’s impossible to know if Hitler read the letters, as no response was ever sent). And when India was forced to assist the United Kingdom in the fight, Gandhi began a small individual civil disobedience campaign, recruiting political and community leaders for the cause. Although his 1940 effort was disrupted by arrests of the participants, popular opinion in England was largely on Gandhi’s side—U.K. citizens favored Indian independence .

By 1942, Prime Minister Churchill felt enough pressure to send Sir Stafford Cripps, a member of the War Cabinet, to discuss a change to India’s political status. But upon learning that Cripps wasn’t actually offering full independence and that current Indian politicians would still have no say in military strategy , the Congress and the Muslim League rejected his proposal—leaving Gandhi open to harness the wave of anti-British sentiment for a new round of protests.

The movement, Gandhi decided, would be called “Quit India” to reflect his main demand: that the United Kingdom leave India voluntarily. In a speech at a meeting of the Congress in Bombay at the beginning of August 1942, Gandhi instructed his fellow leaders that this was the moment to seize power:

“Here is a mantra, a short one, that I give to you. You may imprint it on your hearts and let every breath of yours give expression to it. The mantra is ‘Do or Die.’ We shall either free India or die in the attempt; we shall not live to see the perpetuation of our slavery. Every true Congressman or woman will join the struggle with inflexible determination not to remain alive to see the country in bondage and slavery.”

The Congress agreed that Gandhi should lead a nonviolent mass movement and passed their decision as the “Quit India Resolution” on August 8. Gandhi was prepared to give a public address on the subject the very next day, when word came that British authorities were planning on arresting him and other members of the Congress.

“They dare not arrest me. I cannot think they will be so foolish. But if they do, it will mean that their days are numbered,” Gandhi said.

But late that night, Gandhi and many other members of the Congress were indeed arrested and imprisoned under the Defense of India Rules . The press was forbidden from publishing any part of Gandhi’s speech, supporting the Congress’s call to action, or reporting on measures the British government enacted to suppress the nascent movement.  

“The resolution said, ‘On the declaration of India’s independence a provisional government will be formed and free India will become an ally of the United Nations.’ This meant unilaterally declaring India’s independence,” writes Pramod Kapoor, author of the forthcoming book Gandhi: An Illustrated Biography , by email. The thought of an unauthorized shift to independence is what so terrified the British. “The intelligence reports the government was getting were equally alarming. The British had at one point even mulled over the possibility of deporting Gandhi to Aden.”

On August 10, India’s Secretary of State Leo Amery, working with the War Cabinet and other British leaders, announced the reason for the arrests of Gandhi and the Congress to the press. Amery said the Indian leaders planned to incite “strikes, not only in industry and commerce, but in the administration and law courts, schools and colleges, the interruption of traffic and public utility services, the cutting of telegraph and telephone wires, the picketing of troops and recruiting stations… The success of the proposed campaign would paralyze not only the ordinary civil administration of India, but her whole war effort.” In short, the movement would have led to dire calamity if the British government had not detained its leaders.

But Amery’s speech, meant to paint the British government in a positive light and vilify the Congress, completely backfired. As historian Paul Greenough writes , “The chief irony of 1942 in India was that the awesome power of the press to inspire united action was unleashed by the British government; the radicalizing text was the composition of Leopold Amery, not Mahatma Gandhi… [the] self-consciously rebellious underground press was never able to duplicate the impact or achieve the degree of mass coordination which Amery’s speech had provoked.” In essence, Amery had provided the blueprints for how to rebel. Civilians attacked railway stations and post offices, fought against police officers and held riots. The police and the British Army in India led a violent crackdown on the rioters, arresting over 100,000 people. Viceroy Lord Linlithgow compared the uprising to the failed Sepoy Rebellion of 1857 , when nearly one million Indians and thousands of Europeans were killed. The total civilian deaths after the Quit India protests, however, were closer to 1,000.

Still, the underground press did have success in one thing: getting Gandhi’s mantra out to the masses . “Do or die” became the unifying rallying cry for a civil disobedience campaign that spread across the subcontinent and lasted from August 1942 to September 1944. Protests erupted from Bombay to Delhi to Bengal; a steel plant closed for 13 days ; a strike at a textile factory lasted 3.5 months. Even though Muslim participation in “Quit India” wasn’t as high as other groups, supporters of the Muslim League still offered shelter to activists. And, crucially, Indians employed by the British government as police officers and administrative officials turned on their employer.

“They gave shelter, provided information and helped monetarily. In fact, the erosion of loyalty to the British Government of its own officers was one of the most striking aspects of the Quit India struggle,” writes Bipan Chandra in India’s Struggle for Independence .

Although Gandhi deeply regretted that the movement had turned so violent after his arrest, he and his wife, Kasturba, were both incarcerated in Agha Khan Palace and could do nothing but struggle to survive, writes Kapoor. In February 1943, Gandhi staged a 21-day hunger strike that nearly killed him, but remained imprisoned. His wife developed bronchitis and suffered several heart attacks behind bars; she would ultimately die there just a month before Gandhi was released in May 1944. The day of Gandhi’s release marked his last ever in an Indian prison, where had spent a combined total of 2,089 days over the course of his life—nearly six years (and not factoring in the 249 days he was in South African prisons).

While the “Quit India” movement ended in late 1944, the momentum it provided in securing the country’s independence proved unstoppable. Three years later, India was independent. And through a successful lobbying effort by the Muslim League, the independent Islamic state of Pakistan was also established along the new sovereign nation’s northwestern border. Although some scholars have argued the rebellion was only a small part of Britain’s decision to relinquish the “Crown Jewel” of the colonies—citing the need to rebuild after World War II as a more pressing concern—others, including Kapoor, see the movement as a major turning point.

“It was an opportune time in the life of a long freedom struggle,” Kapoor says. “With or without the war, the time was ripe for some sort of intensive movement.” And that movement happened to be “Quit India.”

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Lorraine Boissoneault | | READ MORE

Lorraine Boissoneault is a contributing writer to SmithsonianMag.com covering history and archaeology. She has previously written for The Atlantic, Salon, Nautilus and others. She is also the author of The Last Voyageurs: Retracing La Salle's Journey Across America. Website: http://www.lboissoneault.com/

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