This will be Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s eleventh consecutive Independence Day address
New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver his eleventh consecutive Independence Day address on Thursday, his first since returning to power for the record-equaling third consecutive term.
When PM Modi took oath on June 9, he equaled first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s record of three terms. He is now set to become the third prime minister after Mr Nehru, and his daughter Indira Gandhi, to address the nation from the ramparts of the Red Ford on eleven consecutive August 15 events.
While Mr Nehru, a Congress stalwart, had given 17 straight speeches, Indira Gandhi, the prime minister from January 1966 to March 1977, and then from January 1980 to October 1984, addressed the nation 16 times. She had also made 11 consecutive speeches.
Prime Minister Modi will also surpass former PM Manmohan Singh’s tally of ten I-Day speeches.
He made his first Independence Day speech in 2014 when he announced a host of new programmes such as Swachh Bharat and Jan Dhan accounts.
Addressing fellow Indians from Red Fort pic.twitter.com/Vb9FFlWcM7
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 15, 2014
Since then, he has made various key announcements on the day.
PM Modi’s Independence Day Speeches Average Longer Than Any Other PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speeches average 82 minutes, longer than any other PM in India’s history.
Former PM IK Gujral comes close with 71 minutes, courtesy of his lone speech delivered in 1997.
PM Modi’s speeches have varied in length, from the shortest of 55 minutes in 2017 to the longest of 94 minutes in 2016.
Glimpses from a memorable Independence Day programme at the Red Fort. #IndiaAt75pic.twitter.com/VGjeZWuhoe
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 15, 2022
According to government archives, the average duration of Independence Day speeches has increased over time.
The first speech, given by Mr Nehru in 1947, lasted for only 24 minutes.
The longest speech before PM Modi took office was given by Indira Gandhi in 1972, which lasted for 54 minutes.