The Prime Minister's traditional address to the nation from the Red Fort on Tuesday seemed more of a stage for a political war ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched, what was perhaps, the biggest attack on the Congress, the Grand Old Party was conspicuous by the absence of its president. The war of words that started at the Red Fort gained momentum at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi.
In his last speech as the Prime Minister of India during his second term, Narendra Modi exuded confidence that he would return to the ramparts of the Red Fort next year. The noticeable aspect of PM Modi's Independence Day speech was the repeated use of the phrase "mere pyaare parivaarjano" or "beloved members of my family".
PM Modi, known for his oratory skills and the perceived ability to connect at the ground level through his speeches, sought to connect with the masses by calling all Indians his "family". This was quite clear by the use of the word "parivaarjano" 48 times in his 90-minute speech. This was his second-longest speech after the one in 2019 when he spoke for 92 minutes.
The Prime Minister's address from the ramparts of the Red Fort has traditionally been an opportunity for the nation to hear from the operational head of the country about its achievements and a reminder of the long way that we have come as a people since freedom from colonial rule. However, it seems, the speeches are now turning more into election pitches with each passing year.
Prime Minister Modi's sharp attack on the Opposition comes at a time when the BJP and the latter are engaged in a battle over the name of the nation itself. After the united Opposition (for the Lok Sabha election next year) named itself Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, or I.N.D.I.A., last month, the BJP sought to highlight that the nation's name 'India' was only a colonial legacy. A BJP MP even proposed in Parliament to change the name to Bharat.
Manmohan Singh's 2004 I-Day Speech
Interestingly, in his first Independence Day speech, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh mentioned the word Bharat nine times. Back then, perhaps, no one thought that the very name of the nation would become a topic of debate. PM Singh started his speech with the words of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru: "All of us talk of India and all of us demand many things from India. What do we give her in return?"
Singh had taken over the reins at a time when India was still reviving with one of the worst droughts the nation had seen. He spoke about the government's efforts to minimise the impact of the drought. He also spoke about women's empowerment, the economy, children's health, education, public healthcare, and sanitation. He also spoke about the huge role Information Technology had played in the country's progress. Back then, PM Singh acknowledged the lack of growth in backward regions and pledged to work towards their development. He also spoke about the development of the Northeast and Jammu & Kashmir.
PM Manmohan Singh's First Red Fort Speech Before General Elections
PM Singh's August 15 address to the nation in 2008, the one before the 2009 election, was focused on farmers and agriculture. PM Singh spoke about the seven sutras, or priorities, of the Congress government — agriculture, water, education, health care, employment, urban renewal, and infrastructure.
This is a similarity with the PM Modi-led government that too is highlighting seven different sutras of his party — seva bhav (service), santulan (balance), sainyam (patience), samanvay (coordination), sakaaratmakta (positivity), saddbhawna (goodwill), and samvad (dialogue). In May, BJP president JP Nadda reminded BJP workers of the same at a meeting. PM Singh had announced his seven sutras after assuming power, while PM Modi announced his seven sutras after assuming power for the second time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBY48cOyqBI
PM Singh in his 2008 speech on Independence Day highlighted the government's efforts to open new educational institutions, including IITs and IIMs. He also spoke about the Sarva Siksha Abhiyaan and highlighted the UPA government's push to uplift the backward classes. Another highlight of his speech was India's push for clean energy and nuclear research.
The major point he made in his speech was about India's economy. "For the first time in history, we have had four years of nearly 9% economic growth. India is among the world's fastest-growing economies," he said. Acknowledging the inflation in India, PM Singh said: "We have the challenge of inflation. I know how much each one of you is concerned about the recent rise in prices. The inflation we have seen this year is basically due to external factors. All over the world and in global markets the price of food, fuel and other commodities has been rising. In many developing countries the rate of inflation is double that in India. Our Government has worked hard to ensure that in India the rate of inflation is not as high as in many other countries." He was talking about the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-08 triggered by skewed lending policies in the US.
PM Manmohan Singh's Last I-Day Speech
PM Manmohan Singh's last Independence Day address from the Ramparts of Red Fort was on August 15, 2013. This speech started with condolences to the victims of the 2013 Uttarakhand floods that claimed over 6,000 lives. He also paid tribute to the 18 soldiers who passed away in the INS Sindhurakshak tragedy a day ago. In his speech, he admitted that "worrisome communal incidents" had occurred a year ago and that his government had failed to address the Naxal attacks, especially in Chhattisgarh, and the terrorist attacks along the Pakistan border. He sought to assure the nation that all "possible steps to prevent such incidents in the future" were being taken.
PM Modi's First Red Fort Speech
Cut to 2014, when PM Modi addressed the nation for the first time from Red Fort. While his 65-minute speech focused on vikas, or 'development', he did not let go of the opportunity to take a dig at the previous UPA government. He targeted the Congress-led government over several issues alleging “slow development”, “corruption and vested interests of parties”, and “apathy towards army”.
He also spoke of the 100% electrification of the Northeast and spoke in detail about how his government was focused on the region's development, “unlike the previous governments”. He spoke of India's youth power and immense potential in scientific research. PM Modi highlighted the benefits of various government schemes, including Pradhanmantri Jan Arogya Abhiyan and Ayushman Bharat Yojana.
PM Modi's I-Day Speech Before 2019 Polls
In his 2018 Red Fort speech, the last one before the 2019 elections, he highlighted that India had progressed by leaps and bound in the manufacturing sector and production of mobile phones had broken all previous record. He also informed the nation that food production was at an all-time high while the highway construction pace had doubled since his BJP-led NDA government came to power in 2014.
However, this time, too, he did not spare Congress, saying that the previous government would have taken decades to build toilets for the poor and over 100 years to provide LPG cylinders to the poor. He further hit out at the Congress, claiming that the UPA government would have left generations without optical fibre connectivity at the pace at which it was conducting work. Similar to PM Singh's speech in his fourth year in office, PM Modi's fourth Independence Day speech also featured the efforts of his government in building IITs and IIMs.
PM Modi's 2023 I-Day Speech Ahead Of Lok Sabha Polls
His 2023 Independence speech, however, featured the strongest attack against the Opposition. While the speech was laced with attacks on the Opposition, he also addressed the Manipur issue and said that peace is returning to the state. He said the BJP-led governments at the Centre and the state are working out solutions to various pressing issues.
He sought to impress upon the nation the importance of the time India is passing through. He said India is at the transition juncture between 1000 years of slavery and the grandeur that is to come 1000 years hence. He highlighted the success of the Digital India programme and the government's efforts during Covid.
PM Modi's poll pitch this year was clear as he highlighted his government's efforts for developing the nation, he attacked the previous governments for inculcating social evils into the societal structure of the country. Modi said he will return to power next year. He also said that corruption, familialism, and appeasement had robbed the nation of its rights and he will end these evils. He said that the nation is the priority of his government. Taking another dig at the previous governments, he said those were years marked by instability and his government had provided stability to the nation.
As PM Modi declared war on the Opposition, Congress president Kharge countered him, saying: "Some people are creating a perception that development has happened in India only in the last few years." PM Modi's speech also invited the ire of Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh who said: "PM Modi’s failures in the last 9 years can be categorised under durniti (bad policies), anyay (injustice) and badniyat (ill intention). Rhetoric and bluster can no longer cover up this truth which is now evident to the entire country. Our statement on his Independence Day speech."
The Aam Aadmi Party, too, joined in the rhetoric. In his Independence Day speech, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said that if 200 units of electricity for 140 crore people are to be waived, only Rs 1.5 lakh crore will be required. "But we read in newspapers that the banks have waived loans worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore of four billionaires," he said. "Today, Rs 12 lakh crore of a few industrialists were forgiven. The country has to decide whether the government should run only for a few capitalists or for 140 crore people," he added.
The ongoing tussle between the NDA and I.N.D.I.A. is clear and PM Modi's Red Fort speech has perhaps sounded the bugle for the Lok Sabha polls in 2024. The rhetoric of the Prime Minister's Independence Day address to the nation appears to have changed over the last 20 years and reduced to election speeches.
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