Independence Day Speeches Over the Years

India, that is Bharat, is unique in more ways than anyone can ever comprehend. Everything here is full to the brim. You need a lot of courage, patience, and passion to survive in a country that overwhelms you every second and where no two life experiences are the same. After years of struggle and countless lives lost, India became independent in 1947, though it took us much longer to become self-dependent in things as basic as food production.

India is not for the fainthearted, nor is it for the naysayers. Quitting here is the easiest option, and you are at various crossroads throughout the day. The future belongs to the unifiers, people who will find solutions to real-world problems and people who can rise above religion, caste and regionalism.

The future of any country or region is fragile - it is vulnerable to natural disasters, ideological domination evoking internal strife, ulterior motives and external conspiracies. A vast majority of people living in India are harmless and straightforward. This silent group lives industriously and does not intend to harm or disrespect others. We have come this far only because of meritocracy, and if we wish to become a developed nation, we have to rise above everyday chatter and abstain from people who flatter.

We should have a road map to take us to the next level. Instead of looking at development from a macro perspective, we need to work on the individual level and build from the ground up. Independence Day is a time to reflect on achievements and resurrect priorities that may have been skipped due to a lack of resources or intent. Any idea or political movement we see today is not built overnight. People get behind a thought because it addresses their everyday concerns, and to put it simply, it gives them a voice.

Now, when your concern may hinder your thought and economic mobility, you cannot just wish away all the system's ills at one go. Change in a democracy demands devotion and persistence. It takes generations to see ideas in motion. And, if all this seems too tiring or boring, then, as I had said in the above paragraph, quitting is the easiest option in India.

The idea to write this blog post came from the speech India’s Prime Minister (PM) delivers every year since 1947 on 15th August. To date, 13 individuals have been privileged to provide a message on Independence Day to all fellow citizens. Though there have been 15 PMs so far, Shri Gulzarilal Nanda and Shri Chandra Shekhar are two former PMs who never got to deliver a speech on Independence Day from the Red Fort.

Independence Day speeches ought to be a set of words sewn with hope, pride, pragmatism and above all patriotism. We can all do the country a favour by modulating our forward-looking thoughts and shortening conversations that dwell on missed opportunities.

The real awakening as a nation has no room for embarrassing others by reminding them of their mistakes. It is essential to learn from past mistakes or shortcomings in the system, abuse of power, etc. If we know the weaknesses and how to mend the situation, let us be vigilant so that no mistake of the past finds room for our beloved country's future.

Let us look at how our PMs have addressed the nation on Independence Day. This blog post covers the highlights of all the speeches from 1947 to 2024.

Shri Jawaharlal Nehru (1947 - 1963)

Shri Jawaharlal Nehru was chosen as the first Prime Minister of independent India. Nehru’s speeches were identical and lacked any definite call to action. He started most speeches by stating the obvious facts on poverty and inflation and glorifying Shri M.K. Gandhi for the successful freedom struggle. Nehru never acknowledged a galaxy of freedom fighters and their immeasurable sacrifices. This was not by oversight but by design.

The expressions such as food scarcity, inflation, and how freedom was achieved through peaceful, non-violent ways were copied and pasted year after year. Nehru’s repeated appeal for internal peace shows how we kept fighting among ourselves even after a long struggle for independence. Every year, his remarks started in a pessimistic tone. Nehru made a mockery of the freedom fighters’ sacrifice when in 1956 he said India gained independence because of friendship and cooperation with a mighty and proud empire.

Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri (1964 and 1965)

Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri had a short stint as PM. His two speeches were identical and had several paraphrased sentences from Nehru’s speeches. Shastri also spoke about food scarcity and rising prices. He announced that essential commodities will be available from fair price shops. Chinese aggression and good relations with all the neighbours were found to be prominent in Shastri’s Independence Day speeches. Shastri appealed to cut down on hoarding and even asked ordinary people to observe austerity. There was no point in denying that India faced an acute food shortage for several years after independence.

Shrimati Indira Gandhi (1966 - 1976 and 1980 - 1984)

Shrimati Indira Gandhi, too, began all her Independence Day speeches on the defensive, and her choice of words exhibited a victim mentality. Beginning the speeches by stating how we as a nation were struggling lowered the bar of expectations. It punctured the confidence and held people back from doing something big. In 1968, Smt. Gandhi expressed how this land of Buddha, Akbar and M.K. Gandhi should have no place for violence. Taking the names of Akbar and M.K. Gandhi alongside Buddha could have been avoided, but nevertheless, it kept happening unabetted.

Smt. Gandhi appealed to educated people not to hanker after government jobs. She was straightforward in pointing out the inefficiencies in public sector undertakings (PSUs). In one of her speeches, Smt. Gandhi spoke about the steep increase in population since 1947. Even after being the nation's leader and having all the power at her disposal, she could not do much about hoarding and black marketing. In one of the speeches, Smt. Gandhi mentioned that democracy was in danger.

When India faced an acute electricity shortage, Smt. Gandhi asked people to adopt solar and wind energy. While she defended the imposition of the emergency, there were some forward-looking statements in her speeches. Towards the end of her second stint, Shri Subhas Chandra Bose was appreciated as one of the key contributors to the freedom struggle.

Shri Morarji Desai (1977 and 1978)

Shri Morarji Desai became PM by merging five political parties. His speeches on both occasions did not have any fresh message. Desai did not mince words when he chose to speak about the ills of untouchability and how it was holding the country back. In one instance, he remarked that the fruits of development are not reaching 60 - 70 per cent of the population. Restoration of press and judicial freedom found prominence in Desai’s first Independence Day speech.

Shri Charan Singh (1979)

Shri Charan Singh chose the first quarter of his speech to justify the breakdown of the earlier alliance and how all the background work was done, keeping democratic values intact. He spoke on inflation, poverty and how constant strikes halted production and exports. Calling for an end to industrial strikes, Charan Singh gave examples of economic development in Japan and Israel.

Shri Rajiv Gandhi (1985 - 1989)

Shri Rajiv Gandhi glorified M.K. Gandhi further by equating him with Buddha, Kabir, and Guru Nanak. He also spoke on poverty and how the Congress party won freedom. Rajiv Gandhi wanted to cleanse the river Ganga and the political system by introducing an anti-defection bill and allowing political parties to accept donations through official channels. 

During his 1988 speech, Rajiv Gandhi stated that India favoured a Palestinian state and the two-state solution was in greater global interest. In the same year, he coined the idea of the rural employment scheme and how development programmes were not reaching the grassroots. After being in power for a considerable amount of time, the helplessness and frustration he expressed over power brokers, hoarders and internal violence presented a sorry state of affairs. 

While the nation was advancing the missile programme, Rajiv Gandhi cautioned the fellow citizens about the unholy nexus of capitalists, conservatives, and feudal forces.

Shri Vishwanath Pratap Singh (1990)

Shri Vishwanath Pratap Singh acknowledged a long list of freedom fighters and mentioned Shri Jayaprakash Narayan Srivastava (JP). He remarked that if one were to scratch the stones of the Red Fort, one could find the old grandeur of the Mahabharat times. VP Singh spoke about how the drought in Saurashtra had affected groundnut production and its impact on cooking oil prices. Fuel prices in the country increased due to the Middle East crisis, resulting in higher foreign exchange outgo. VP Singh asked fellow citizens not to seek or promote populist measures because giving away stuff or borrowing from other nations could hamper future generations. The mention of reservation in government jobs and the panchayat raj system started to get mentioned during VP Singh’s tenure.

Shri P. V. Narasimha Rao (1991 - 1995)

Shri P. V. Narasimha Rao delivered his first Independence Day speech after 55 days in office. He spoke about how his government had inherited a situation which was vitiated by fundamentalism, hatred among castes and social unrest. The country's financial credibility would have touched a nadir had Rao’s government not opened up the economy for foreign investment and removed the license and permits regime in industries.

The Government of India could not have delayed economic reforms further, as procrastination would have been suicidal. Rao spoke on strengthening the public distribution system and improving land records. In his second speech in 1992, Rao asked fellow citizens to put a moratorium on agitations that raised contentious issues. Throughout his tenure, Rao consistently shed light on the gradual recovery in foreign exchange reserves. To check leakages in the welfare and employment programmes, Rao announced that a part of the wages would be given as food grains. He coined the concept of reservation for the economically weaker sections.

In the 1993 Independence Day speech, Rao announced a scheme for women’s financial inclusion and independence. Changes to the Waqf Act had become essential, and Rao did not hesitate to share this message from the ramparts of the Red Fort. A scheme for 90 - 100 days of employment during the lean agricultural season was also in the works.

As the nation marched slowly, a programme for eliminating child labour in hazardous industries was announced in 1994. To address the unemployment problem, Rao announced a scheme for giving INR 1,00,000 as self-employment loans. In 1995, Rao expressed displeasure over neighbouring countries’ terror export modules and later went to international fora to gain sympathy.

The Independence Day speech by Rao in 1995 had a fascinating remark on our constitution’s directive principles of state policy. Article 44 of the Constitution of India states, “The State shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India.” Rao opined that religion and politics have their places. Further, he commented contentiously: "We only want to have a right. It does not mean we will have a uniform civil code…. it does not mean we do not respect the constitution.” Rao was pacifying the fears of a section of citizens when he said that it is “not very easy to have one personal law.” Rao’s last Independence Day speech as the Prime Minister also mentioned schemes like the introduction and expansion of mid-day meal schemes.

Shri H. D. Deve Gowda (1996)

Shri H. D. Deve Gowda paid tribute to the constitution and democratic values that enabled him to become the PM. He talked about a common minimum programme (CMP) that was the guiding principle for his government. Deve Gowda spoke about corruption in high places but did not discuss the ‘how to get rid of it’ part.

Shri Inder Kumar Gujral (1997)

Shri Inder Kumar Gujral had the privilege of speaking on the 50th anniversary of our Independence Day. He announced that the pensions of freedom fighters would be doubled. Gujral clarified that India will not succumb to any pressure to sign a non-proliferation treaty. The symbolism of Shri K.R. Narayanan being the first Dalit President of India was also mentioned in Gujral’s speech. He announced that potable water will be a priority of the 5-year plans.

Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1998 - 2003)

Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee added ‘Jai Vigyan’ (Hail science) to Lal Bahadur Shastri’s ‘Jai Jawan’ (Hail youth/ armed forces) and ‘Jai Kisan’ (Hail farmer). Vajpayee was gracious in saying that the nuclear tests conducted under his watch were set in motion by Indira Gandhi. The lowering conduct of members of Parliament bothered Vajpayee. Initiatives like satellite-based distance education were announced in 1999. 

In 2000 and 2001, Vajpayee emphasised rural development. Roads and employment in the rural areas got the much-needed thrust in his speeches. All the existing rural employment schemes were merged into ‘Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana’. Vajpayee set up a special cell in his office to monitor development projects in the north-eastern region.

Affordable housing got a push after 2001, but even greater emphasis was placed on national highway (NH) projects, telecom expansion, and a fast-track court to reduce the pendency of cases. As years passed, the government started to think bigger and work on multi-modal transport and logistics hubs. In 2002, Vajpayee tasked the Ministry of Home Affairs to work on a multi-purpose machine-readable identity card which could be used for e-governance initiatives. A few years later, Aadhaar cards became ubiquitous.

In his last Independence Day speech in 2003, Vajpayee mentioned how we were building 11 kilometres, 4-lane highway per day and that the Chandrayaan mission would become a reality by 2008.

Dr. Manmohan Singh (2004 - 2013)

Dr. Manmohan Singh was probably the first PM to acknowledge extreme weather events and their impact on our lives. Under his watch, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) came into existence. Manmohan Singh asked the fellow citizens in 2006 whether we are entirely using our potential. In his 2008 Independence Day address, Manmohan Singh talked about farm loan waivers. He also informed the nation that 14 crore (140 million) children were getting mid-day meals in schools. The nuclear deal with the United States was essential in Manmohan Singh’s first 5-year tenure as PM. The agreement authorises India to access nuclear technology and fuel for its civilian atomic energy initiatives while adhering to international non-proliferation norms.

In his first Independence Day speech after re-election in 2009, Manmohan Singh paid homage to all former PMs from his party except P. V. Narasimha Rao. The work on dedicated freight corridors (DFC) and Aadhaar cards got a push in 2009.

In 2010, Manmohan Singh spoke about the lack of cleanliness in India and how we were trailing in hygiene rankings globally. In 2011, Manmohan Singh expressed pain that money for development schemes reaches the pockets of government employees. In his last speech as PM in 2013, Manmohan did what he should have done much earlier - he acknowledged P. V. Narasimha Rao for his leadership in rolling out reforms in 1991.

Shri Narendra Modi (2014 - Present)

In his first Independence Day speech as PM, Narendra Modi showed appreciation for all former PMs and underlined the efforts of all State governments. Modi said that, being an outsider in Delhi, he saw many mini-governments within the government. After a spate of crimes against women, Modi urged parents to keep their sons in check by keeping a tab on their activities, who they were friends with and where they were going. This was an important message coming from the PM of the nation.

Narendra Modi urged the citizens to observe a 10-year moratorium on agitations and disagreements over caste, religion and regions. Topics like the Jan Dhan account, skill development, and digital India were brought forth by Modi in 2014.

In his 2015 Independence Day speech, Modi used the term ‘Team India’ for everything we can do as citizens of India. This was an honest attempt to integrate the nation, with more diversity than anywhere else. Financial inclusion and incubation of start-ups got their due prominence. Direct benefit transfers saved the beneficiaries from harassment and reduced leakages for the exchequer. 

In a marked change from the earlier PMs, Modi, during his 2016 address from the Red Fort, said that India gained independence from both the non-violent and armed resistance measures. Modi emphasised how some laggard public sector undertakings reported operational profit for the first time in many years. He was forthright in discussing ending tax terrorism and implementing the one rank one pay policy in the armed forces.

The highlights from 2017-2019 were the success of the goods and services tax (GST), ease of doing business measures and abrogation of Article 370. In 2020, Modi spoke about the value addition in manufacturing and the importance of infrastructure development. Essential workers got special praise in the 2021 Independence Day speech, while the 2022 address saw a galaxy of freedom fighters getting their due. The emphasis on self-reliance was the highlight of the Independence Day speech 2023. The need to inculcate and appreciate innovation was another important message from Modi.

Prime Minister Modi’s 2024 Independence Day speech celebrated India’s freedom fighters and honoured the contributions of the nation’s farmers, youth, women, and marginalised communities. He outlined an ambitious vision for India to become a developed nation by 2047, emphasising the government’s resolve to break the “status quo” mindset through significant reforms favouring the middle class and poor.

Prime Minister Modi's 2025 Independence Day speech is expected to focus on the vision of a "New India," emphasising national security and economic self-reliance. He will likely commend the armed forces for a successful "Operation Sindoor" while highlighting progress in indigenous defence production as a key part of the government's economic roadmap. The speech is also expected to outline future goals for social welfare and citizen empowerment to achieve the long-term vision of a developed nation.

Independence Day Speeches and Actions

A few years ago, I read that our words and actions must sync to attain a peaceful mind. Political leaders speak to influence citizens and hope that perception translates into votes. The thirst for power is addictive and transforms a person from the inside out. Whatever our PMs chose to speak in their Independence Day speeches has eventually become a part of our history. Let us hope we get a fresh narrative and celebrate freedom in its most authentic sense. All we want is to be free in both letter and spirit.

Cover image courtesy: Freepik.