Modi’s I-Day mantra — Self-reliance, security, youth power

Modi’s praise for the RSS did not come as a surprise, nor did his reminder that the nation must not forget the 1975 Emergency and those behind it.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered the 79th Independence Day speech — his 12th speech in a row — from the ramparts of the Red Fort with the flair now associated with his oratory.

His speech, which was a little over 100 mins, focused on three pivotal points: self-reliance, national security, and youth and farmers.

Safety and security

Hardly 10 minutes into the speech, Modi spoke about Operation Sindoor. He stressed how the world was shocked by the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, and said that Pakistan was given a befitting reply, with new details about the losses it sustained coming to light. He stressed that the forces were given a free hand in Operation Sindoor, which was a probable rebuttal to the Opposition’s allegations that the troops were restricted.

In a direct reference to Pakistan, the prime minister said that India will no longer tolerate nuclear blackmail. He reiterated India’s continued stance that the Indus Water Treaty was loaded against India’s interests, especially India’s farmers. These points, when read in the background of Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir’s recent nuclear threat while in the United States, along with Modi’s reiteration that terrorists and those who support terrorism will not be differentiated, show India’s renewed conviction in its national security doctrine.

He stressed the need to decisively address the growing threat of illegal immigration and announced the formation of a high-powered demography mission to address this problem and safeguard the livelihood of Indian citizens. In the days ahead, this is likely to find political traction given the focus on SIR of voter rolls.

On internal security, he apprised of the success achieved in containing Naxalism across India, from 125 districts to 20 districts. The plan, over the next decade, to protect all vital centres, military and civilian, reflects the government’s focus on defence. The Sudarshan Chakra Mission, will also encompass the latest indigenous technology to neutralise and retaliate against enemy attacks.

Self-reliance

The bedrock of Modi’s Independence Day speech was the call to become self-reliant. While stressing that a Viksit Bharat is achievable only if India is self-reliant, he also alluded to the dangers of being dependent on other countries. Using Operation Sindoor as the example, he reminded the nation that it was a ‘Made in India’ operation and would not have been the success had India depended on other nations.

In its quest to become ‘aatmanirbhar’, Modi said that India will be investing in developing indigenous technology, will focus on a deepwater exploration mission for energy independence, and will boost its mission for exploring critical minerals.

Modi’s call for a self-reliant India — where swadeshi goods are bought not out of necessity or compulsion but because of the pride in its superior quality, and his reaching out to influencers and politicians to amplify the ‘vocal for local’ cause — must be seen in the backdrop of the current international redrawing of economic ties, primarily done by a Donald Trump-led United States.

The ‘Modi wall’

The stress on Viksit Bharat was used multiple times as a segue to reach out to the youth, women, and farmers.

Praising India’s demographic dividend, he drew attention to India’s 300+ defence startups. He called the youth to turn to R&D so that India could file more patents and further strengthen its pharmaceutical sector. Reassuring farmers, cattle rearers, and fisherfolk, Modi said he would ‘stand like a wall’ protecting their interests. This is important because New Delhi’s refusal to open the agricultural and dairy sectors to US imports is believed to be a reason for the India-US trade deal falling through. On ‘nari shakti’, he said that empowering women was important for India’s progress, and his government’s Lakhpati Didi scheme had benefitted 2 crore women across the country.

Conclusion

As has been done in the past, Modi used his speech to highlight other achievements of his government, and also reassured the nation about the robustness of the economy. As a part of the next generation reforms, he announced a GST revision before Diwali. His praise for the RSS, which is celebrating 100 years since its formation, did not come as a surprise, nor did his reminder that the nation must not forget the 1975 Emergency and those behind it. His caution against rising obesity cases is a much-needed reminder, and is in continuation of Modi’s use of the platform to highlight social and health causes such as menstrual health, toilets, etc.

Overall, Modi's Independence Day Speech was a forward-looking one, which for the most part addressed the youth. Though he meandered with references to the past and sneaked in a political jibe or two, the speech spelt out the focus of the government — self-reliance for a developed India.