A look back at PM Modi’s Independence Day speeches

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing the nation for the seventh time from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day on Saturday and it will be his second speech of the second term in office.

PM Modi has announced some major initiatives in his Independence Day addresses including Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Swachh India, Pradhanmantri Jan Arogya Abhiyan, the abolishment of Planning Commission and the announcement of the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff.

He also has been giving an account of his government’s performance.

Independence Day this year will be different due to conditions created by COVID-19 and people will mostly watch the address on their television sets or through other means.

Here are some highlights from his previous speeches.

PM Modi’s 2014 Independence Day speech highlights:

1. Announcement of Pradhanmantri Jan-Dhan Yojana to connect the poorest citizens with the facility of bank accounts.

2. He gave call “Come, Make in India,” noting that India has skills, talent and discipline and will to perform.

3. Announced launch of `Clean India` campaign from October 2, 2014.

4. He noted that Digital India is a dream for the nation and is meant for the poor. “If we move with the dream of electronic digital India and manufacturing of electronic goods and become self-reliant, it will be a major gain for the country,” he said.

5. Announced `Sansad Aadarsh Gram Yojana under which MPs were required to adopt and make a village in their constituencies a model village by 2016.

6. He announced that all schools in the country should have toilets with separate toilets for girls in a year.

7. Announcement that there will be a new institution to replace Planning Commission.

PM Modi’s 2015 Independence Day speech highlights:

1. Announcement of the Start-Up India initiative to encourage entrepreneurship.

2. He said the government’s target was to provide electricity to all 18,500 non-electrified villages within the next 1,000 days.

3. Announcement about doing away with interviews in recruitment for ‘C’ and ‘D’ category government jobs.

4. He said financial inclusion had received a big boost with the opening of 17 crore bank accounts through the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana.

5. Gave details of steps to curb black money and action against corrupt government officials

6. Ministry of Agriculture to be renamed as Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.

7. Announced in-principle acceptance of the demand for OROP

PM Modi’s 2016 Independence Day speech highlights:

1. He said more than 2 crore toilets have been built.

2. 21 crore people have been linked under Prime Minister’s Jan Dhan Yojana.

3. PM said that the government has identified about 1700 obsolete laws and Parliament has abolished nearly 1,175 of them.

4. He said that in the last few days the way the people of Balochistan, Gilgit, from Pak occupied Kashmir have thanked him, it is the honour of 1.25 billion people of India. “I thank those people from Balochistan, Gilgit and Pak occupied Kashmir”.

5. He urged neighbours to fight poverty. “I say to our neighbours, let’s fight poverty, by fighting our own people we will destroy ourselves, only by fighting poverty together will we prosper.”

6. Announcement to increase the pension of family members of freedom fighters by 20 per cent.

7. PM Modi said that 10,000 villages out of 18,000 non-electrified villages have been provided electricity.

PM Modi’s 2017 Independence Day speech highlights:

1. PM Modi said we have to leave this ‘chalta hai’ (casual) attitude and think of ‘badal sakta hai’ (it can change). “This attitude will help us as a nation,” he said.

2. Announced that more than 14,000 villages, which were without electricity since Independence, have electric power now.

3. He said that more than two crores poor mothers and sisters are no longer using the fuelwood and using LPG gas stove now.

4. Announcement for launch of a website which will give an account of the valour of the Gallantry Award winners.

5. He said the nation’s call was ‘Bharat Chhoro’ (Quit India) in 1942 and today’s slogan is ‘Bharat Jodo’ (Unite India).

6. Appealed to countrymen to make digital transactions and move towards a cashless economy.

7. PM said that the government has confiscated black money worth Rs. 1.25 lakh crores.

8. He said that Kashmir issue will be solved neither by abuse or bullets – it will be solved by embracing all Kashmiris.

9. He said that registration of 1.75 lakh companies out of 3 lakh shell companies dealing in hawala transactions has been cancelled.

PM Modi’s 2018 Independence Day speech highlights:

1. An Indian to be sent into space by 2022 as a part of manned space mission.

2. Thirteen crore mudra loans have been provided, including to four crore youth who have taken loan for the first time with the aspiration to become self-reliant.

3. Announcement to launch Pradhanmantri Jan Arogya Abhiyan to free treatment for serious diseases to poor people.

4. Declaration of the grant of Permanent Commission for the appointment of women officers in the Short Service Commission of Indian armed forces.

5. He said minimum support price for many crops has been increased to more than 1.5 times the input costs.

6. He said the country is producing record foodgrains and manufacturing record number of mobile phones. The sale of tractors has reached a new high. The country is buying the largest number of aeroplanes after Independence.

7. He said the country is confident of launching NavIC, the first indigenous Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) which will guide fishermen and other citizens through Satellite signals.

PM Modi’s 2019 Independence Day speech highlights:

1. He said that abrogation of Article 370 and 35A is a significant step towards fulfilling the dream of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel and added that the spirit of “One Nation, One Constitution” has become a reality.

2. Declaration to take forward the ‘Jal-Jeevan’ Mission. He promised to spend more than Rs 3.5 lakh crores on this mission to give access to piped potable water to every rural household by 2024.

3. Highlighted that almost 1,450 obsolete laws have been done away with to reduce the burden from the common man’s life.

4. Announcement about plans to invest Rs 100 lakh crore to boost infrastructure in the country.

5. He said it must be a dream of every Indian that the country becomes a USD 5 trillion dollar economy in the next five years.

6. Announcement of creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as a major reform in higher defence management.

7. India to declare itself Open Defecation Free in the next few weeks.

8. In accordance with Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of self-reliant India, PM Modi appealed to citizens to buy local products.

9. Call to make India free from single-use plastic. (ANI)