Mera Saansad
Search Search
Assamese language

Real salute to our Independence - Turning Swarajya to Surajya

Published By : Admin | August 14, 2012 | 15:55 IST

My Brothers and Sisters,

Vande Mataram!

15th August is a day that remains forever etched in the memory of our glorious nation, as the day when India forever bid farewell to almost 200 years of colonial subjugation and injustice. I extend my salutations to the people of India as well as the large community of overseas Indians on Independence Day.

On Independence Day, it is imperative that we pay our rich tributes to all those men and women who toiled for years and devoted their entire lives to the cause of making our Motherland free from the yoke of imperialism. Can you imagine the love they had for India that inspired these brave individuals to spend the prime of their youth in prisons, to face the gallows so that generations of future Indians could live a life of freedom, liberty and dignity?

Gujarat shares an unbreakable bond with the freedom struggle. What can be a matter of greater pride for us that we inhabit the same land and speak the same language as that of two strong pillars of the Independence movement- Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel! Shyamji Krishna Varma, who deeply inspired the revolutionary nationalists, is a proud son of Gujarat. When such distinguished individuals associated with the Independence movement have consecrated our land, our responsibility is even greater to live up to their ideals and realize their dreams!

And Gujarat has indeed risen to the occasion with determined efforts that will do our Tricolour extremely proud. The Indian flag has three colours. The first colour is Saffron, which signifies energy! By ushering in a revolution in energy sector, Gujarat has complemented the very feel of the colour Saffron. When 60 crore people and 19 states were in darkness, Gujarat was lit, sparklingly with brightness.

The second colour is White and Gujarat has realized the meaning of this colour in true sense by taking a lead in the White Revolution! Be it milk production, salt production or cotton production, Gujarat has indeed made the colour White brighter with development!

The third in the Tricolour is Green. Despite being a state struck by the issues of water shortage, Gujarat with Green Revolution has shown to the World what agriculture growth is! At a time when the nation’s agriculture is growing at 3%, Gujarat’s agriculture is growing more than 10%!

In this way, Gujarat salutes the Tricoloured Indian flag, the symbol of India’s dignity & pride by making it brighter with the colours of development!

On 15th August 1947 India was blessed with Swarajya but was not an end in itself. For our distinguished founding fathers, freedom did not mean stopping at Swarajya but to attain Surajya! 15th August cannot merely be commemorated as a day when our Flag changed or when our colonial rulers paved way for Indian administrators. It should be a call to make determined efforts towards the attainment of Surajya.

A question that comes to the mind is- are we moving towards Surajya today?  The colossal failures of the Congress-led UPA Government make me think otherwise. How can we say we are moving towards Surajya when the common man of India is more burdened than ever before, reeling under severe inflation? Is a policy paralysis of the severest form a movement towards Surajya? Apart from routinely making statements, has the Prime Minister taken any concrete step to tackle the challenge of malnutrition? The nation’s internal security is facing newer and tougher challenges by the day but we have yet to see any concrete effort on the part of the Centre to tackle them. Even the darkness that the people of India have been living in under the UPA transcended from the metaphorical to the literal when half of India was plunged into darkness for 2 days!

It is for the first time in the history of Independent India that we have a Government that is without a definitive Neta (leader), Niti (policy) or Niyat (Intention)! The ambitious promises the Congress promised during the 2004 and 2009 Elections now seems like a cruel joke played on the people of India.

Going a step ahead, the Congress is adding salt to the wounds by repeatedly insulting the people of India by appropriating accolades that have been achieved by tireless dedication and hard work of the people themselves! Take a look at the Congress Manifestos of 2004 and 2009 you would know how the Congress has bypassed all instances of people’s participation for petty self-gains. For instance, the manifestos state that it was the Congress that won the nation freedom, nurtured parliamentary democracy and made our Constitution possible! What can be a greater insult that the hard work of the entire nation is being snatched merely to glorify the Congress. How can the Congress in its manifestos claim that it was they who ushered in the IT Revolution and it was due to them that India went nuclear? The Congress proudly claims that the middle class is a ‘proud creation of the Congress’- if so why is it leaving no stone unturned in giving them enormous economic difficulties today?

The list of canards does not stop there! The Congress manifestos say it was they who brought in the Green and White Revolutions in India, giving prosperity to our farmers. Why is every instance of Jan Shakti being repackaged as the “creation” of the Congress?

Over and above this, the biggest casualty of the Congress misgovernance is the blatant attack on the federal structure of India. On many occasions, I have written to the Prime Minister on this extremely serious issue. This mistrust between the Centre and the States will be extremely detrimental to the progress of India.

Friends, our great forefathers gave up their lives for the cause of Swarajya. Our forefathers were blessed to have got an opportunity to die for the nation and today, the time has come when we require individuals who will live for the nation and realize the grand vision our founding fathers has for India.

One of the biggest strengths of our nation is our vibrant youth population. More than 65% of our population is under the age of 35 years. With such strengths, the sky is the limit! Stalwarts Shri Aurobindo, Swami Vivekananda and Swami Dayananda Saraswati dreamt of a ‘Jagad Guru Bharat’, an India that is at the pedestal of the world leadership. Our youth can be the drivers of this change and turn the vision of these great men into reality. But, we need to strengthen them with the relevant skills.

On this day let us resolve to work towards realizing the dreams of Surajya that our forefathers envisioned for India! Let us affirm to be partners in the development of India. Our Mantra is- Gujarat’s development for the development of India. As proud sons of Bharat Mata, we remained determined to work towards an India that is not only a land of Swarajya but also the torchbearer of Surajya.

Once again, my salutations to my entire fellow Indians on Independence Day!

 

Bharat Mata Ki Jai!  Jai Hind!

 

Yours,

Narendra Modi

 

 

 

Shri Narendra Modi hoists Tricolour, gives inspiring speech at state level Independence Day celebrations at Junagadh

Login or Register to add your comment
Explore More
শ্ৰী ৰাম জনমভূমি মন্দিৰৰ ধ্বজাৰোহণ উৎসৱত প্ৰধানমন্ত্ৰীৰ সম্বোধনৰ অসমীয়া অনুবাদ

Popular Speeches

শ্ৰী ৰাম জনমভূমি মন্দিৰৰ ধ্বজাৰোহণ উৎসৱত প্ৰধানমন্ত্ৰীৰ সম্বোধনৰ অসমীয়া অনুবাদ
View All
India's strong growth outlook intact despite global volatility: Govt

Media Coverage

India's strong growth outlook intact despite global volatility: Govt
View All
NM on the go

Nm on the go

Always be the first to hear from the PM. Get the App Now!
Download App
...
মহাত্মা জ্যোতিৰাও ফুলে: এক জ্যোতি যিয়ে এতিয়াও ভাৰতক পথ প্ৰদৰ্শন কৰে
April 11, 2026

Today, 11th April, is a deeply special day for all of us. It is the birth anniversary of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, one of India’s greatest social reformers and a guiding light for generations. This year, the occasion carries even greater significance, as it marks the beginning of his 200th birth anniversary celebrations.

Mahatma Phule was a great reformer. In addition to that, his was a life of moral courage, restless enquiry and unshakable commitment to social good. Mahatma Phule is remembered for the institutions he built and the movements he led. At the same time, his contribution to our civilisational journey lies in the hope he aroused, the confidence he instilled and the strength his thoughts continue to give to millions of people across the nation.

Born in the great state of Maharashtra in 1827, Mahatma Phule emerged from modest beginnings. But his initial hardships never stood in the way of his learning, his courage or his commitment to society. This is a trait that remained with him forever: whatever the challenges may be, one must work hard, acquire knowledge and mitigate those challenges instead of doing nothing about it. From his school days, young Jyotirao was deeply curious and became a voracious reader, often reading books far beyond what children his age were expected to engage with. Years later, he said, “The more questions we generate, the more knowledge emerges from them.” Clearly, the spirit of enquiry he was blessed with since his childhood remained constant in his journey.

Throughout his life, learning and education became central to Mahatma Phule’s mission. He recognised with rare clarity that knowledge is not a privilege to be guarded, but a force to be shared. At a time when the joys of learning were denied to many, he opened pioneering schools for girls and for those kept out of formal education. He used to say, “Any improvement that comes in children through mothers is deeply valuable. Therefore, if schools are to be opened, they should first be opened for girls.” He worked to create a new social imagination in which the classroom became an instrument of justice and equality..

His vision for education inspires us greatly. Over the last decade, we have worked to make research and innovation a cornerstone for the youth of India. Efforts are being made to create an ecosystem where young minds are encouraged to question, explore and innovate. By investing in knowledge, skills and opportunity, India is empowering its youth to become problem-solvers and drivers of national progress.

Due to his knowledge and wisdom, Mahatma Phule developed a strong understanding of areas such as agriculture, healthcare and rural development. He often said that injustice towards our farmers and workers weakens our society. He saw how social inequalities manifested themselves in daily life, be it in the farms or in villages. Hence, he immersed himself in ensuring dignity for the poor, the downtrodden and the marginalised. At the same time, he made every possible effort to ensure social harmony was maintained.

Mahatma Phule opined, “जोपर्यंत समाजातील सर्वांना समान अधिकार मिळत नाहीत, तोपर्यंत खरे स्वातंत्र्य मिळत नाही” (True freedom cannot be achieved until everyone in society is granted equal rights). And for that, he built institutions that translated this vision into action, contributing to a just society. The Satyashodhak Samaj, founded by him, was one of the most important social reform movements in modern India. It was at the forefront of social reform, community service and furthering human dignity. It became an effective voice for women, youngsters and those living in villages. This movement reflected Mahatma Phule’s intrinsic belief that society could be strengthened by placing at its core justice, respect for every person and a spirit of collective progress.

His personal life, too, carried lessons in courage. Always working and being among the people took a toll on his health. But even the most serious health challenges did not dim his resolve. After suffering a debilitating stroke, he continued to work and fulfil his vision. Yes, his body had been tested, but his commitment to society had not yielded. For millions today, especially those who draw courage from struggle, this remains one of the most powerful dimensions of his life.

No remembrance of Mahatma Phule can be complete without a respectful mention of Savitribai Phule, who was herself one of the tallest reformers of our nation. As one of India’s pioneering women teachers, she played a defining role in advancing education for girls, thus giving them the opportunity to pursue their dreams. After Mahatma Phule’s passing, Savitribai carried forward that torch and, in 1897, during a plague outbreak, she served victims with such devotion that she herself contracted the disease and lost her own life.

Our land has been blessed, time and again, by great men and women who have strengthened society through thought, sacrifice and action. They did not wait for change to arrive from somewhere else. They became its source. For hundreds of years in our land, the clarion call for social betterment has often risen from within society itself, from those who could see suffering clearly and refused to accept it as fate. Mahatma Jyotirao Phule was one such voice.

I fondly recall my visit to Pune in 2022, when I had offered tributes to Mahatma Phule at his grand statue in the city. As we mark the beginning of his bicentenary year, the most fitting tribute to Mahatma Jyotirao Phule is about renewal. Renewal of our commitment to subjects close to his heart, such as education. Renewal of our sensitivity to injustice. Renewal of our faith that society can improve itself from within. His life tells us that the power of community can achieve miracles in India when joined with moral clarity and public purpose. That is why he still gives strength to millions. That is why his words and work still carry hope. And that is why, nearly two hundred years after his birth, Mahatma Jyotirao Phule remains not a figure of the past, but a guide for India’s future.