Independence Day 2021: A Look Back At 5 Most Talked-About I-Day Speeches By Prime Ministers Of India

Independence Day 2021: Every year on Independence Day, the Prime Minister of India addresses the nation — talking about India's journey of Independence and sharing his vision for the country. 

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Independence Day 2021: India is all set to celebrate its 75th year of independence on August 15 (Sunday). On this day, the country commemorates its long-due freedom from the British Empire that ruled India for over two centuries. 

On Independence Day, the Red Fort in the national capital is all decked up and the Prime Minister of the country hoists the tricolour from the ramparts of the historic monument. 

Every year on Independence Day, the Prime Minister of India addresses the nation — talking about India's journey of Independence and sharing his vision for the country. 

Here are some of the most noteworthy speeches given by our Prime Ministers on Independence Day:

Jawaharlal Nehru (1947)

"Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny… At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom."

This is what India's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru said on the midnight of August 14, 1947 — announcing India’s Independence.

"A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history when we step out from the old to the new when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance. It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity," he further said in his speech. 

Indira Gandhi (1984)

Indira Gandhi, daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, became India's first woman Prime Minister in 1966. While Indira Gandhi spoke from the ramparts of Red Fort on Independence Day in the same year, her speech in 1984 is most remembered. 

Ironically, Indira Gandhi was assassinated just two months after her 1984 Independence Day speech. 

"If we have achieved independence, we should not rest peacefully that we have now achieved independence. We have to struggle always to maintain it. We have to protect this flame of independence from every storm, from every gust of wind, we have to save it with our hard work," she said in her last speech from the Red Fort.

Rajiv Gandhi (1985)

Rajiv Gandhi became the Prime Minister of India following the death of his mother and former PM Indira Gandhi. He was India's youngest Prime Minister and the third from the family to take up the top position. 

Rajiv Gandhi gave his first Independence Day speech in 1985 at Red Fort, which became quite iconic. From the ramparts, he not just addressed India, but also spoke about the diversity that makes up India. 

"Being an Indian does not mean we are mere inhabitants of country… We have a diversity of cultures. We belong to different religions- Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Parsis and Buddhists… We accord equal respect to all faiths and religions. Our strength and unity flow from this fact. This is the only path we must follow, for our strength lies in our diversity," Rajiv Gandhi said. 

Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1999)

Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Bharatiya Janata Party's patriarch, was known for his long speeches with a mix of poetry. Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the Prime Minister of India in 1996, but his government collapsed in mere 13 days. He again became the PM for a period of 13 months from 1998 to 1999, which was finally followed by a full term from 1999 to 2004.

Out of his many Independence Day speeches, the one in 1999 is said to be the most remembered one. That year, India had just won a war against Pakistan at Kargil and Vajpayee’s speech focussed on economic growth.

"Come, let us make India a nation of high achievers - in every sphere. In business and economy, in education, in science and technology, in arts and culture, and also in sports. Let us make India synonymous with achievement, the achievement of the kind that can be benchmarked globally," Vajpayee said. 

Manmohan Singh (2011)

Manmohan Singh became India's 13th Prime Minister and served on the post from 2004 to 2014. One of his most remembered Independence Day speeches is the one he gave in 2011. This was the year when his government faced some serious corruption allegations. 

During his Independence Day speech, Singh spent almost one-fourth of the time speaking about the challenges and need for a strong Lokpal to curb corruption. 

"I am aware of the differences of opinion on some aspects of the bill. Those who don't agree with this bill can put forward their views to Parliament, political parties and even the press. However, I also believe they should not resort to hunger strikes and fasts-unto-death," Manmohan Singh said in 2011.

Narendra Modi (2014)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing the nation for the eighth time from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Sunday. Before this, PM Modi has announced several welfare schemes for the people including Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana and Swach Bharat Abhiyaan and others during his Independence Day speeches.

In his first speech from the ramparts of Red Fort, PM Modi talked about nation-building. 

"My dear countrymen, this nation has neither been built by political leaders nor by rulers nor by governments. This nation has been built by our farmers, our workers, our mothers and sisters, our youth. The country has reached here today because of generation-to-generation rigours undertaken by our sages, our saints, our maestros, our teachers, our scientists and social workers," he said.