PM Modi’s Independence Day Speech – Several Breaks from the Tradition

TIR, 15 August 2014: It appears to be an emerging and visible trend that Prime Minister Narendra Modi tends to break the set traditions and move out of the mundane in his own little ways. PM Modi’s Independence Day Speech was one such example.

The media was abuzz with the news that PM Modi’s speech is going to be an extempore delivery and with this, Narendra Modi actually became the first Prime Minister, to break the mundane traditions of Prime Minister reading out the speech on Independence Day.

This Independence Day, Friday 15th August 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office has specifically insisted that his first Independence Day speech would be delivered without a bullet-proof shield at his podium at Delhi’s historic Red Fort.

There was another break from tradition – more than 10,000 members of the general public had remained present at the occasion that is usually reserved for VIPs.

PM Modi, wearing a saffron turban, opened his speech by declaring “I am here as your Pradhan Sevak (main server) not  as the Pradhan Mantri (Prime  Minister).”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 63, accused recently by the opposition of trying to stifle its voice in the just-concluded Parliament session, said, “We want to rule not by the strength of our majority, but with the power of consensus.”

PM Modi led the BJP to the biggest mandate in 30 years at the national elections. He paid tribute to previous governments and prime ministers for helping shape India.

Drones and hundreds of security cameras were used along the route the PM took to Red Fort. PM Modi stopped en route to pay homage at Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial and then inspected the Guard of Honour at the Red Fort before beginning his extempore speech.  He used neither a teleprompter nor notes.

Plush strings of white flowers fluttered prettily in the breeze on the stage from where he made his speech.