Who holds the record for most August 15 addresses? Firstpost

On 15 August 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru delivered his famous speech “Rendezvous with Destiny” on the occasion of India's first Independence Day. In 2024, Narendra Modi delivered a speech on the theme of Viksit Bharat 2047 to commemorate 77 years of Independence.

With today's speech, Modi equalled a new record with Nehru. He is the third prime minister, after Nehru and Indira Gandhi, to address the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on 11 consecutive occasions on August 15.

Let's take a closer look.

Modi records 11 speeches

True to his turban tradition, he wore a multi-coloured leheriya print turban from Rajasthan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort for the 11th time this year, marking the 78th Independence Day.

In his speech, he paid tribute to those who are taking the nation forward, saying: “Today, those who are brave, courageous and hardworking are striving to take the nation forward, be it our soldiers, our farmers, our youth. I salute them all.”

He also consoled the families who lost their loved ones in the recent natural disasters. In recent times, due to some disasters, many people have lost their lives. I want to assure their families that in this hour of grief and difficulty, the nation stands with them at every step, he said.

In his speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Modi also asserted that India's 140 million people can achieve the goal of a prosperous and developed country if they walk side by side with united determination. He said his government has strived to break the mindset of living with the status quo by rolling out major reforms aimed at changing the lives of the middle class and the poor.

Although this is Modi's 11th Independence Day speech, his first was in 2014, during which he announced a slew of new schemes like Swachch Bharat Accounts and Jan Dhan and since then he has made various key announcements on the day.

According to a Money Control According to a report, Modi delivered around 83,000 words from the ramparts of the Red Fort, in which farmers and poverty were a recurring theme. An analysis shows that Modi’s speeches have retained the emphasis on nationalism and focused on rural issues and have focused less on themes related to religion and caste. Notably, since 2022, Viksit Bharat has been added to his speeches, with the first reference being made in his I-Day speech of 2022.

Modi's Independence Day speeches are also known for their length. His first speech in 2014 lasted 65 minutes and the length of his speeches has only increased since then. In 2016, Modi spoke for a record 94 minutes, making it the longest Independence Day speech.

On average, Prime Minister Modi's Independence Day speech lasted 83 minutes longer than any other Indian prime minister.

Nehru I's Day Record

With today's speech, Modi surpassed his predecessor Manmohan Singh, who delivered 10 Independence Day speeches during his tenure.

He has not yet matched Nehru's record, however, as the first Prime Minister delivered 17 consecutive Independence Day speeches. He began on August 15, 1947, with an unforgettable speech on the rendezvous with destiny. Nehru's speech began: “Many years ago we made a rendezvous with destiny, and now the time has come when we shall fulfil our promise, not wholly or to the fullest extent, but very substantially. At midnight, when the world sleeps, India will awaken to life and freedom.”

Interestingly, a draft of this speech, later released by Congress, shows that he had written about the country's rendezvous with destiny, but then delivered it under the title “Rendezvous with Destiny.”

Seventy-five years ago, shortly after midnight, Nehru delivered his immortal speech, “Rendezvous with Destiny.” Here is his handwritten draft dated August 14, 1947. He had written it as “Rendezvous with Destiny,” but in a moment of true genius, he delivered it as “Rendezvous with Destiny.”
The video: https://t.co/Ba0QESuZ8L pic.twitter.com/N5M5KgP7MZ

-Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) August 14, 2022

In his draft note, Nehru wrote: “Long ago we made a rendezvous with destiny, and now the time has come when we shall fulfil our promise, not wholly or in its entirety, but in a very substantial way. At the stroke of midnight, when the world sleeps, India will awaken to life and freedom.”

While Modi's speeches on his first day in office are long, Nehru, in comparison, was succinct in his remarks. Nehru's first speech, in 1947, lasted only 24 minutes.

Apart from Nehru, Indira Gandhi is another Prime Minister who has delivered several Independence Day speeches. Indira Gandhi, who served as Prime Minister from January 1966 to March 1977 and again from January 1980 to October 1984, addressed the nation on 16 occasions, 11 of which were consecutive.

Indira Gandhi delivered the longest Independence Day speech before Modi. In 1972, she spoke for 54 minutes, a record that only Modi broke when he came to power in 2014. Government records show that the average length of Independence Day speeches has increased over time.

Historical records show that Chaudhary Charan Singh, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, HD Deve Gowda and IK Gujral are the prime ministers who delivered a speech on the occasion of Independence Day only once.

With contributions from agencies