India’s 70th Independence Day was celebrated with great passion all over the country but as always the highlight was the Red Fort in our nation’s capital. Where many people had gathered to listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was rocking the desi look with his saffron and pink turban and a white pyjama and kurta.
This is the third time that PM Modi has addressed to nation on Independence Day, him being a great orator prompted many people to anticipate his speech, he did not disappoint.
He condemned the caste based attacks on Dalits and other minority communities as way to contribute to the save cow campaign.
“Don’t disrespect anybody for reason of his caste,” Modi said.
He then went on to add that it happens and its okay attitude will not help us to deal and solve our problems.
“These evils are centuries-old and will have to be tackled more sternly and sensitively,” he said.
“Only economic freedom is no guarantee to a strong society. Social justice is our collective responsibility,” he said, adding that dalits, tribals and the disadvantaged will have to be taken together for the country’s progress.
PM Modi then went on to say that our country is on the doorstep of Surajya with its 125 crore Indians and to achieve it we should work in unity and be ready to do sacrifice, hard work, discipline, dedication and courage. He then made a jab at congress by saying that “There was a time when past governments used to be surrounded by doubts, not so anymore. The governments are now surrounded by aspirations,”.
“Suraaj means the progress of the common man, a govt that is sensitive to the requirements and aspirations of the common man. Responsibility and accountability are to be the roots of such a Suraaj,” he said.
Modi made another jab, this time direct, at the congress government by critiquing their lack of fulfilling their promises. “To empty government coffers has been a tradition of past governments, I have tried to keep away from such a temptation. For me more than what the world thinks of the government, what the image of the country is, is important. Substance over symbolism. Empowerment over entitlement. The nation is more important than the party,” he said.
PM then went on to thank all the political parties for their support in the dealings over the GST.
“Violence has no place in our country. This country will not tolerate terrorism and Maoism,” he said.
Modi then went on to criticize and condemn the massacre that happened in a Peshawar school and said that every Indian mourned for the life lost in that attack but the other side just glorified terrorists.
“I say to our neighbours, Let’s fight poverty, by fighting our own people we will destroy ourselves, only by fighting poverty together will we prosper,” the prime minister said.
Previously Prime Minister Modi was disapproved by Pakistan for his saying that Pakistan occupied India was a part of India, so he took this opportunity to repeat it.
“In the last few days the way the people of Balochistan, Gilgit, from Pak occupied Kashmir have thanked me, it is the honour of 1.25 billion people of India. I thank those people from Balochistan, Gilgit and Pak occupied Kashmir,” he said
The crowd hung on his every world and after each line of his 90 minute speech a loud cheer from the crowd encouraged him. This Independence Day was about our countries struggle for freedom, its soldiers at the border and all its citizens but Modi’s speech played a starring role in the celebration.
Hope his aspirations for our nation comes true in no time and our country proceeds to become a politically and economically developed nation with all its citizens regardless of sex, caste, religion and creed playing an integral part in it.
