From the ramparts of Red Fort

Over the past 20 years, addresses by prime ministers on Independence Day have focussed on development goals, Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, the importance of Jammu and Kashmir and the bane of corruption

2000 J&K unbreakable from India

Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and Jammu & Kashmir were main themes of PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s speech in which he said J&K is an “unbreakable” part of India and Islamabad would not be able to secure anything through its undeclared war”

2001 Warning to Pakistan

In the backdrop of failed Agra summit, Vajpayee delivered a stern warning to Pakistan while striking a hopeful note for India’s development. “Let no one entertain any delusion that Pakistan can succeed in wresting Jammu & Kashmir through jehad and terrorism,” he said.

2002 J&K elections in focus

Elections for Jammu & Kashmir occupied centre stage in the PM’S address with Vajpayee pledging that no one would be allowed to create any disturbances in the polls. “For us, Kashmir is not a piece of land, it is a test case for the nation’s secularism,” he said.

2003 Opening doors to neighbour

Pakistan, Kashmir and development dominated the address as Vajpayee said the government was willing to work for peace with Pakistan if it agreed to shed its anti-india outlook and support for cross-border terrorism. “Let people travel across border,” he said.

2007 Best is yet to come

India is moving in the right direction but Indians need to work harder for a decade to eradicate poverty and provide education and health care, Singh said. He did not refer to the Indo-us nuclear deal or to Pakistan. “We are a nation of young people. Once unleashed, the energy of our youth will drive India onto a new growth path,” he said.

2006 Stop terror and extremism

As he unveiled his vision for a “new India”, Singh said terrorism threatened economic prosperity, and Pakistan must know that popular support for the peace process would be undermined unless it clamped down on terror infrastructure.

2005 Focus on Aam Aadmi

Singh explained his policy initiatives for the “aam aadmi” (common man) and invoked former PM Indira Gandhi’s name. His spin to her “Garibi hatao” slogan was about employment-oriented growth: “Garibi hatao, rozgar badhao”. The PM linked economic growth with social justice to mobilise the poor and disadvantaged classes.

2004 Promises to keep

In his first I-day address, Manmohan Singh emphasised good governance and a code of conduct for political parties. Singh also identified seven priority sectors on which the government would focus. Singh said the common minimum programme would guide his government. “Today, I have no promises to make, but I have promises to keep,” he said.

2008 10% growth needed

“Let’s Make Peace” was the theme of Singh’s speech. He said “terrorists and those who support terrorism” are enemies of people and countries must collectively “defeat them”. He also mentioned the nuclear deal with the US. “Our economy must grow at at least 10% every year to get rid of poverty,” he said.

2009 Restoring growth biggest challenge

Singh focused on economic growth in the wake of global financial crisis. “It is only a result of our policies that the global crisis has affected us to a lesser extent than many other countries,” Singh said, and said restoring growth rate to 9% is the greatest challenge at hand,” he said.

2010 Discussion and dialogue for peace

Singh made a fresh appeal to young people in Kashmir, and Maoists, and said discussion and dialogue was the only way to resolve issues.

He accepted that inflation was on the rise and hurting the common people, and he cited the subsidy burden to explain why the government had to increase prices of petro products.

2014 A moratorium on communalism and casteism

In Prime Minister’s Narendra Modi’s first speech, he announced a moratorium of 10 years against communal and caste tensions. “Enough battles have been fought, enough people have died… no one benefits from this,” said the PM, calling himself pradhan sevak (prime servant)

2013 No place for narrow sectarian ideologies

Manmohan Singh’s last speech was a recap of the achievements of his government. He spoke about effort to expedite projects, remove bottlenecks of environmental clearances. He ended with an appeal towards creating a tolerant society that celebrates communal harmony.

2012 Slow economic growth a national security threat

Concerns about slowing growth and high inflation were evident in Singh’s speech in 2012. The PM made an explicit connection between slow growth and national security. Singh blamed the global economy as well as lack of political consensus.

2011 Hunger strikes won’t solve corruption

Singh’s speech reflected growing allegations of corruption against his government. Singh said a single step can’t root out corruption, hunger strikes are not a solution. “Only Parliament can decide… I believe that they (who don’t agree with this bill) should not resort to hunger strikes.”

2015 A corruption-free India

In his second speech, Modi made a strong pro-poor, pro-farmer and anti-corruption speech. On one hand, he announced Start-up India, Stand-up India to appeal to the young and as a mode of job creation; on the other hand, he rolled out a slew of social welfare schemes on pension and insurance.

2016 Thank you, Balochistan

The highlight of Modi’s 86-minute speech was his reference to Balochistan—a sensitive topic for Pakistan. “I want to specially thank some special people from Red Fort. In the last few days, people of Balochistan,gilgit and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir had conveyed good wishes and gratitude to me,” he said.

2017 Kashmir needs to be embraced

At a time when Kashmir was in turmoil, PM Modi said the Kashmir problem will be solved neither by gaali (abuses), or goli (bullets), but by embracing all Kashmiris. “I am clear in my belief on how to win the war against separatism, which is spread by a handful of people,” Modi said.

2019 Article 370 move hailed

In the first speech of his second term, PM Modi highlighted the nullification of Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution, ending the practice of instant triple talaq, strengthening of laws to fight terror, and moving towards “one nation, one Constitution” as some of the key accomplishments of the NDA government in less than 70 days of its second term. The work that was not done in the last 70 years has been accomplished within 70 days...the removal of Article 370 and Article 35A is an important step,” he said. Modi, after decades of proposal being in limbo, also announced the creation of a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) position.

2018 An Indian in space

PM Narendra Modi promised that an Indian would be in space before 2022 and reached out to key constituencies --farmers, the poor, women—and touched upon key issues (development, corruption, reforms, security) even as he targeted the Opposition by comparing the present with what it was like in 2014,when he took over. Modi’s fifth speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort lasted 82 minutes as he reached out to multiple classes and communities by projecting a “vast development canvas”.