On 15 August 2017 Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, addressed the country from the Red Fort, a historic structure which normally serves as the site of such addresses. This was Modi’s fourth such address and it lasted an hour. During his speech Modi spoke about a number of issues ranging from terrorism to GST (goods and services tax) and terrorism. He started his speech by saying that the country was celebrating Janmashtami and Independence Day simultaneously. He also offered his respect to people who had laid down their lives so that the country could one day be independent. He also said how people across the country were united with those affected due to the latest spate of child deaths at Gorakhpur as well as victims of natural disasters across the country.
Dwelling on different issues
Modi said how climate changes were creating problems for the people while leading to natural disasters. At the same time he mentioned how good rains made the country a prosperous one. He also exhorted people to come together in order to bring about a positive change across the country saying that everyone was important – there was no one more or less important in the scheme of things as far as the country was concerned.
Notes on presidential address
This was also the first time that Ramnath Kovind addressed the country in his role as the President of India. In his address Kovind called for a new India to be created by 2022 asking for the country to create an egalitarian and compassionate society that does not discriminate between people on account of factors such as caste, gender, and religion. He also praised the different decisions of the present central government such as demonetization and GST. The newly elected president was also singing paeans in praise of the way people absolutely supported the present government’s war on black money and corruption as well as giving up LPG (liquefied petroleum and gas) subsidy on their own.
What did he say on various issues?
One of the various issues that Kovind dealt with was increasing the standard of education across the country. He also called on the people to come together and help each other so that all the sections of the society could get the benefits of different government policies. He also emphatically stated that in New India there would be no place for poverty. The new president also revealed that the government wishes to achieve certain milestones by 2022, which is when India will complete 75 years as an independent country.
Celebrations around the country
Apart from Modi’s national address followed by the march of the Indian armed forces and paramilitary forces at Delhi different parts of the country celebrated this memorable day in India’s history in their own inimitable ways. For example, at the flood affected Bagha in West Champaran, a district in Bihar, security forces took part in celebrations braving the conditions over there. The tricolour flag of India flew high all across the country including Drass War Memorial in Kargil, Kashmir.
