From the ramparts: Key Aug 15 takeaways
PREMIER ADDRESS Every year on Independence Day, the Prime Minister addresses the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort. The speech is one of the most significant moments in the life of the republic as it reveals the priorities, passions, concerns and challenges of those who govern. HT looks back at the speeches made by PMS this millennium. Here is a snapshot:
After the fall of the 13-month-old Vajpayee government in April 1999, the Bjp-led NDA returned to power in the Lok Sabha elections held in SeptemberOctober 1999. In the first Independence Day speech of his new term, Vajpayee warned Pakistan for its “undeclared war” and asserted that Kashmir will remain an “unbreakable part” of India. He warned that attempts to spread communal discord would not be tolerated. This was also the year when Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh were carved out of UP, Bihar and MP respectively. In a message to Pakistan, Singh said ‘cross-border terrorism’ was hampering peace. He said India had to fight poverty, inequity and unemployment. He urged parties to shun ‘divisiveness.’ While arguing that the global economic crisis had affected India to a lesser extent than other countries, the PM maintained that restoring the country’s growth rate to 9% was India’s greatest challenge. Singh made an explicit connection between slow growth and national security. He also spoke about the need to create more jobs in the country and laid down the idea of a National Skill Development Authority.