best speech on india

Talk to our experts

1800-120-456-456

• Speech on India

Speech on India for Students in English

India is a country of diversified cultures and traditions. It is famous for its rich culture and heritage. One can have people of all castes and religions residing in this country with unity. On this page, we have provided a speech on India for students of all categories. We have provided a short speech and a 10 line speech for a better understanding of the students. This speech is written simply and thus will help the students to get an idea about our country, India.

Long Speech on India

A very warm welcome to all of your presents here. Today, I am here to deliver a speech on India. India, having the oldest civilization in the world, is one of the most diverse countries. It is famous for its rich culture, traditions and festivals. There are a total of  29 states in India and each state is rich in its own culture, festivals and cuisines. Therefore, the slogan ‘Unity in diversity’ sits perfectly with my country. You can find people of every caste, creed and religion here. India is the only country that has given birth to different Indian religions - Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism and Christianity. Out of which, Hinduism and Buddhism are considered the third and fourth-largest religions of the world respectively.

India has the largest Constitution in the world which strongly follows secularism and equality. It has been celebrating 73 years of independence since 15th August 1947 with Ram Nath Kovind being the current President. He is the nominal executive head of the country who is responsible for protecting and preserving the Indian Constitution. On the other hand, the Prime Minister of India is considered the head of the Government and is responsible for the distribution of work to various ministries and offices. Narendra Damodardas Modi is the present Prime Minister of India. 

A federal form of government is followed in India, i.e., two different forms of Government-run the Constitution - the Central Government and the State Government. Apart from the President and Prime Minister, each state has its own Chief Minister who is responsible for the development of the assigned states. Being a secular and democratic country, India gives equal rights to all of its citizens to cast their votes for the government. 

Also known as Bharat or Hindustan, Hindi is the national language of my country. But, apart from Hindi, each state has its native language. The national song of India is Vande Mataram and Delhi is the capital city of the country, which itself holds rich cultures and history from Ancient India. India is also famous for its various historical monuments and architecture, which makes it a major tourist destination.

Over the years, India has been growing beautifully in various fields be it in Science, Technology, Agriculture, Sports or the Economy.  As a developing country, it stands 5th in the economy and is the 7th largest country in the world. To date, India is the second-largest producer of tea in the world after China. The massive production of Tea comes from the state of Assam which approximately produces 702 million kilograms of tea per year. 

India also has the largest textile producing industries including cotton, silk, synthetic fibres, jute and wool. Uttar Pradesh is India’s only state which is famous for being the largest producer of sugar in the country.  

Being a citizen of this country, I feel immensely proud to see India grow in the field of economy and industry every year. Lastly, I would like to conclude my speech by saying that we, all the citizens of India, must come together in preserving the rich cultural heritage of our country. It is our sole responsibility to make India proud and help it grow globally. 

Short Speech

Heartiest welcome to everyone present here. I am thankful to get an opportunity to deliver a short speech on India. India being the seventh-largest country in the world is famous for its rich culture and heritage. India celebrated its 70 years of democracy on 26th January. It has the largest constitution in the world and strongly believes in its slogan ‘Unity in Diversity.

You can find people from various religions staying unitedly in this country. It takes pride in celebrating and respecting the festivals as well as the rituals of all the religions namely- Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism and Christianity. Celebrating 73 years of independence since 15th August 1947, India believes in secularism and gives equal rights to all the citizens of the country.  Ram Nath Kovind is the current President of India since 2017 and Narendra Modi is the 14th Prime Minister of India. 

India being a developing country has currently emerged in the field of economics, science, sports and technology. Apart from being the second-most populous country in the world, our country also stands 7th in industry and 5th in the economy. India has 29 states, with Delhi being the capital city of the country. Thus, we can say that India has a wide range of cuisines, festivals and diverse cultures making it a great tourist destination. 

Last but not the least, I would like to say that being a citizen of this country, I am extremely proud of my country India. Through my speech on India, I would like to convey to everyone the message - to love, respect and follow the rich cultures of your country. It is our responsibility to make our country proud. 

10 Lines Speech - My Country India Speech in English

Hello everyone, a very warm welcome to all of you. 

Today, I am here to deliver a speech on my country India. 

India is the country where I was born. 

It is the second-most populous country in the world and the seventh-largest country. 

India is famous for its rich cultural heritage and diversity. 

My country India is also known as Bharat or Hindustan and is a democratic country. 

The main slogan of India is, ‘Unity in Diversity. 

People from different religions stay in India - mainly Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians. 

I am very proud of my motherland India. 

As citizens of this country, we should respect its rich culture and try to make our nation proud.

About The Indian Flag

When our leaders unfurled the Indian Tricolour at the nation's capital, they created magnificent memories filled with colourful, radiating affection for the country.

The independence that is freedom is that of a state in which its citizens or population, or a portion of it, exercise self-government and societal sovereignty. It is the type of self-determination that concentrates on exercising authority over the population, establishing distinct territory, establishing self-ruling government, and attempting to be self-sufficient. In summary, it will be a self-sufficient state whose issues will be resolved independently and without interference.

In remembrance of the sacred Independence Day, India proclaims itself independent in all respects and is liberated from the chains of British oppression. A 200-year struggle with submission, pleading for mercy, and hope to live each day like a free bird, hope to win through all the fights, and eventually, hope to see the dawn of a rising sun in the nation – has caused India to learn how to fight back for any scenario that comes her way. If you attempt to assess India's and its women's strength, you will see that it equates to living with the discomfort of dipping a tea bag in a cup of boiling tea.

The history of India and its independence is an epic in the liberation struggle and a test of fate. Every year, at the start of a new era, India seeks to reveal itself in brilliant colours of grandeur, growth, and endurance. Dive deep into India's history to understand how our freedom warriors and sons of India fought for victory and envisioned a growing India to be an independent nation. Their selfless efforts have enabled us to live in a civilised society, where we may sleep soundly in our beds every night. It is an encouragement to all of our youngsters to have the bravery to religiously honour their birthright in this nation. The echoes of patriotic songs create the atmosphere of this day to remind India to have a distinct character.

With the raising of the tricolour, Bharat Mata is free of the clutches of the East India Company and British domination, and all that remains is our oneness - ultimate strength in diversity. Being a nation with many cultures and inspired by the legacies of great leaders such as Babu and Netaji, India appears to dominate and comprehend every circumstance in which it believes it can handle itself with proper means of being extreme or forceful. The elixir of equality and justice, which our leaders have disseminated across the country, appears to be the most significant phenomenon that India has ever faced.

As the nation's young, it is our primary obligation to sacrifice ourselves to help our mother India. On this day, we should pay genuine gratitude to mother India's millions of martyrs. The courageous souls and gallant troops, armed forces, police, and security forces who have dedicated their lives to contributing to and protecting our motherland should be compensated for their zealous service.

Securing its full independence from colonialists, this day holds immense importance in the hearts of Indian residents residing in every part of the world. As a national holiday, this day appears to have an ambience of hoisting the national flag at all institutions as well as in our homes, the exhibition of various art forms representing the tricolour, the organisation of various cultural programmes as a tribute, and the synchronisation of memories of India's partition.

On 15 August 1947, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, our former Prime Minister of India, unfurled the tri-coloured flag at the Lahori Gate at the Red Fort in New Delhi, India's capital. Not only our independence heroes but also our father of the nation, Bapu Ji, fasted in Calcutta and lived the life of a perfect saint, promoting khadi and devoting his time to prayers and rebelling against hate.

Once upon a time, India was known as Spiceland, a region known for its spices and masalas. With its enormous resources and minerals, India was once dubbed the most appealing country in the world. When the British arrived and shackled India, they began to exploit all of the resources and proceeded to gather all of these rich commodities back to their nation. They not only manipulated the regulations, but they also began to impose ownership on India and its policies. They operated according to their whims and fancies and began executing the divide and rule programme, which split India in two.

Every year, parades are held to pay honour to all freedom fighters and armed forces that guard and secure us from adversaries. As a result, on August 15th, we recall that as Indian citizens, it is our primary responsibility to maintain the qualities of a nation, to stand for a nation, to be for the nation, and to be of the nation. The youth, who are the pillars to sustain the qualities of tolerance, love, and peace, should have a common bond with the people and a strong desire to fight for our nation. Each of us should be encouraged to seek out Swadeshi attire and support the brotherhood and freedom of expression that our country has granted us. India's core rights and guiding values have always motivated us to feel proud to be Indian.

The most beloved character of this epoch is freedom. It's something we long for. On this auspicious day of independence, we all the sons of mother India strive to win since there are no losers on the battlefield. Let us commemorate the martyrs who have flown her flag aloft in saffron and bright green colours.

"If your blood doesn't rage, it's water going through your veins." "What is the flush of youth if it is not of service to the motherland?" - Chandra Shekhar Azad

Five significant characteristics that may help us comprehend modern India:

Its variety

Culture's breadth

A place for minorities

Its future is dependent on the interplay of two worlds

Poverty, spirituality, and modernization coexist in urban and rural India.

Many people in the Western world regard India as a sterile and remote (conglomeratio) of people and poverty, a mix of the exotic and sad. This misunderstanding, which has been perpetuated by years of media caricature, conceals the truth.

In truth, India is a thriving society with a growing internal dynamic and a growing impact on the globe, both directly and indirectly. Its relevance stems not only from its size some 930 million Indians account for 15% of the global population but also from the problems highlighted by India's domestic and foreign policy choices. This country has the world's biggest functioning democracy, with regular and open elections. Thus, it is the litmus test for whether democracy is a fit form of governance for huge numbers of relatively poor people in a world where democracy, as we know it, is a critically endangered political species, particularly in Third World nations.

Modern India is also a litmus test for two middle-of-the-road ideologies. As an early proponent of non-alignment in international affairs, India has strived to carve out a (middle) ground between Western and (communist) governments. Over the years, its leadership in forging a Third World stance proved that there is a feasible path for governments that do not wish to take sides in Cold War politics, a strategy that many other nations in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East have followed and aspire to maintain.

India's economic policies have also pioneered new territory. They were the first large-scale test of the contemporary mixed economy, which combines central government planning with a mix of private and public ownership of economic companies. It is possible that evaluating the outcomes is still premature. On the one hand, poverty persists and unemployment is considerable. On the other hand, Indian agriculture has outperformed both Soviet and Chinese agriculture. (India currently feeds its people and has imported very little grain in the last four years.) In addition, India is presently the world's tenth-largest industrial economy. The geopolitics of South Asia add to India's relevance today. It is an important position in an era of oil logistics since it borders the Indian Ocean, into which the Persian Gulf flows.

Almost anything may be said about India and apply to some areas of the subcontinent. India is both a place of (poor) and, in other respects, a land of abundance. It is a nation that is both powerful and weak, old and contemporary, and has climatically striking differences. The name "India" indicates a unity that exists as a speculative political shape rather than as a human and socio-cultural reality. The merging of its complicated past with present society may be distilled into five significant elements that may help us comprehend modern India.

When thinking of India, the first thing that comes to mind is its diversity. It is a country with 15 official languages, around 300 minor languages, and about 3,000 dialects. Each of the twenty-four languages has over one million speakers. The most widely spoken language is Hindi, however, only over 40% of the population speaks it as their first language. Indians usually do not understand each other and rely on English as a connection or administrative language. However, language is not the only source of variation. There are four major social groups, known as castes, and thousands of sub-categories within the castes. Despite its Hindu majority, India is home to all of the world's main religions. Ethnic disparities are also prevalent. This mosaic is culturally significant. It is a cause of contention in a country where unique loyalties have deep spiritual and physical importance.

A second distinguishing aspect is the depth of culture, which contrasts with the nation's newness in its current shape. India has seen approximately 4,000 years of intellectual and cultural growth, dating back to the early Aryan culture. Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Islamic, Sikh, and other influences have left strong impressions on culture since then. Every Indian, even the poorest illiterate, can narrate stories of myth and history, indicating an extraordinarily widespread awareness of a tremendous civilizational past. However, there was no India as we know it before the country's independence in 1947. Previously, there were several fragmented (some very huge) regions. Numerous of them were included in the British Indian Empire, which combined direct British control with oversight of many territories governed by traditional princes and local monarchs or maharajas.

India's contemporary state is just 34 years old, and its growth must be understood in the context of attempting to impose a national framework on ancient cultural traditions. The awareness of the magnificent past and the novelty of the present can occasionally result in an abrasive reaction.

The third distinguishing aspect is that India is a country of minorities. Hindus make up around 80% of the population. However, Hinduism is a mash-up of heterogeneous ideas and forms, frequently having contradictory components. An extra 12% are Muslims who are passionately committed to their faith. Hindu, Urdu, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi, and other languages have their minorities. There are almost 40 million tribal and neo-aboriginal peoples in the world. No candidate for political office may be successful unless he or she is aware of these constituencies. This, in turn, influences both internal and international policy.

A fourth aspect of contemporary India is that its future is largely dependent on the interplay of two worlds: urban India, home to 20% of the people, and rural India, home to the remaining 60% of the population. The India of contemporary industry, national politics and foreign policy, government planning, the national media, major universities, business, the armed forces, science and technology is the India of urban India. Its greatest goods are usually as good as the best in the world, and it has a cosmopolitan outlook. Rural India is the India of time-honoured traditions, where tradition is the primary force of society, where foreigners come and go, but life goes on, sometimes with little change.

When the two Indias work well together, India succeeds, as in the spread of education, the elimination of illiteracy, the lengthening of the average lifespan, the implementation of some basic health care, and the maintenance of a democratic political system. India is in problems when they do not link successfully, as it is with population control and unemployment. The relationship between the two Indias must be extended and deepened if the country is to achieve its enormous potential.

The fifth and last point to remember is that in India, poverty, spirituality, and modernity coexist without the contradictory connotations that a Western viewpoint proposes. It is the core of Indian spirituality that allows even the most impoverished people to survive poverty, and it is modernity that brings hope for betterment.

This mentality, a synthesis of many modest individual thoughts and inspirations, characterises modern India and provides the best hope for the nation and its people.

FAQs on Speech on India

1. Where can I get excellent study materials?

Everything you need may be found on the Vedantu app or website . These materials are prepared by experts in the subject, and the information is accurate and dependable. Students will be able to obtain revision notes, important questions, question papers, and much more! There are no fees or costs associated with these study resources. All students need to do is sign in, and then they can download everything they want in pdf format. You may benefit from these free tools, which will undoubtedly help you ace your tests.

2. Why is it necessary to learn from the NCERT book?

NCERT texts are recommended by the CBSE board. These books adhere to the most recent CBSE syllabus. As a result, these books are sufficient for test preparation. It straightforwardly discusses things. When it comes to improving your basics, these texts are the finest. It has a plethora of solved examples and activities that aid in a student's learning. The exam paper will be nearly entirely based on the NCERT textbook. As a result, pupils are recommended to extensively study the NCERT text.

3. What are the 5 important things about India?

In truth, India is a thriving society with a growing internal dynamic and a growing impact on the globe, both directly and indirectly. Its relevance stems not only from its size—some 930 million Indians account for 15% of the global population—but also from the problems highlighted by India's domestic and foreign policy choices. This country has the world's biggest functioning democracy, with regular and open elections. Thus, it is the litmus test for whether democracy is a fit form of governance for huge numbers of relatively poor people in a world where democracy, as we know it, is a critically endangered political species, particularly in Third World nations.

4. What is the depth of culture in India?

5. India is a country of minorities. Explain.

• AAP's Complaint In Supreme Court As Probe Agency Opposes Arvind Kejriwal's Bail
• Nikki Haley's "Zombie Campaign" Threatens Trump's White House Bid
• Supreme Court's Verdict On Arvind Kejriwal's Bail Likely Today
• Twist In Karnataka Sex Scandal, Woman Claims Was Forced To File False Case
• Stormy Daniels Denies She Threatened Trump For Hush Money Payment
• Change Font Size A A
• Change Language हिंदी | Hindi বাঙালি | Bengali தமிழ் | Tamil
• Focus on Story
• Dark Theme Light Theme

Republic Day 2021: Famous Speeches By Indian Freedom Fighters

A day before india’s 72nd republic day, we look back at three iconic speeches – ‘tryst with destiny’ by jawaharlal nehru, ‘give me blood and i will give you freedom’ by netaji subhas chandra bose and ‘swaraj is my birthright’ by bal gangadhar tilak..

India will celebrate its 72nd Republic Day on January 26, 2021– a date on which the Constitution of India came into effect as the governing document of the country, replacing the Government of India Act, 1935.

India's road to becoming an independent nation saw leadership and sacrifice of great personalities who first helped in the fight against British rule and later, establishing it as a “Sovereign, Socialist, Democratic, Republic” as declared by the Constitution.

On this republic day, let us look back at some of those personalities – who led India's freedom struggle from the front – and their famous speeches.

1. Tryst with Destiny by Jawaharlal Nehru

At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom: Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru

One of the most iconic speeches by Pandit Nehru is ‘Tryst with Destiny' that he delivered to the Indian Constituent Assembly on the eve of India's independence, towards midnight on August 14, 1947. Since then, the speech has been referenced in many films, and books; including Salman Rushdie's book Midnight's Children and the 1998 Hindi film Earth directed by Deepa Mehta.

2. Give me blood and I will give you freedom: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose

Give me blood and I will give you freedom!: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose

This is perhaps the most famous speech by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Spoken as a part of a motivational speech for the Indian National Army in Burma in 1944, Bose's most famous quote was: It is blood alone that can pay the price of freedom. Give me blood and I will give you freedom! In this, Netaji urged the people of India to join him in his fight against the British Raj.

3. Swaraj is my Birthright: Bal Gangadhar Tilak

One of the firebrand freedom fighters, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, was the strongest proponent of 'purna swaraj' or 'total self-rule'. Bal Gangadhar Tilak delivered this speech in Nashik in 1917 when he came out of prison after six years. “ Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it,” he famously said.

• Notifications
• Web Stories
• TV Schedule
• Big Bonus REGISTER NOW
• मध्य प्रदेश

The Speech That Brought India to the Brink of Independence

Although the 1942 ‘Quit India’ movement was hardly peaceful, Gandhi’s ‘Do or Die’ address inspired a nation to unify against its British colonizers

Lorraine Boissoneault

For more than 200 years, Britain had asserted its iron will over India. From the East India Company levying taxes starting in the 18th century to Britain instituting direct rule over two-thirds of the country in the mid-19th century, India had been extorted for centuries—and with the start of World War II, India was declared to be at war with Germany without any Indian political leaders actually being consulted. The nation would go on to provide 2.3 million soldiers for an army as well as food and other goods to help the Allies defeat the Axis Powers. Much as the Indian National Congress (the largely Hindu public assembly that had some governmental functions) sympathized with defeating fascism, they balked at seeing their country further pillaged for resources.

So in 1939, members of the Congress informed Viceroy Lord Linlithgow—the highest-ranking British official in India—they would only support the war effort if Indian independence lay at the end of it. To which Linlithgow issued his own threat: if the Congress didn’t support Britain, Britain would simply turn to, and empower, the Muslim League (a political group that fought to protect the rights of Muslim Indians and later called for a separate nation for Muslims). As Winston Churchill later confessed , “the Hindu-Moslem feud [was] a bulwark of British rule in India.” The Congress could do nothing but acquiesce.

But they hadn’t abandoned the fight, especially one of their most notable members: Mohandas “Mahatma” Karamchand Gandhi. The spiritual and political leader first experienced racism decades earlier, as a London-educated lawyer working in colonial South Africa. There, he was thrown off a train for trying to sit in the first class car; the 1893 incident led him to his civil rights work, for which he was repeatedly imprisoned. “I discovered that as a man and as an Indian I had no rights,” Gandhi later said of that period in South Africa. “More correctly, I discovered that I had no rights as a man because I was an Indian.”

Agitating for change through nonviolence would become Gandhi’s lifelong pursuit. On the eve of World War II, he wrote Hitler twice in hopes of persuading the dictator to avoid total war (it’s impossible to know if Hitler read the letters, as no response was ever sent). And when India was forced to assist the United Kingdom in the fight, Gandhi began a small individual civil disobedience campaign, recruiting political and community leaders for the cause. Although his 1940 effort was disrupted by arrests of the participants, popular opinion in England was largely on Gandhi’s side—U.K. citizens favored Indian independence .

By 1942, Prime Minister Churchill felt enough pressure to send Sir Stafford Cripps, a member of the War Cabinet, to discuss a change to India’s political status. But upon learning that Cripps wasn’t actually offering full independence and that current Indian politicians would still have no say in military strategy , the Congress and the Muslim League rejected his proposal—leaving Gandhi open to harness the wave of anti-British sentiment for a new round of protests.

The movement, Gandhi decided, would be called “Quit India” to reflect his main demand: that the United Kingdom leave India voluntarily. In a speech at a meeting of the Congress in Bombay at the beginning of August 1942, Gandhi instructed his fellow leaders that this was the moment to seize power:

“Here is a mantra, a short one, that I give to you. You may imprint it on your hearts and let every breath of yours give expression to it. The mantra is ‘Do or Die.’ We shall either free India or die in the attempt; we shall not live to see the perpetuation of our slavery. Every true Congressman or woman will join the struggle with inflexible determination not to remain alive to see the country in bondage and slavery.”

The Congress agreed that Gandhi should lead a nonviolent mass movement and passed their decision as the “Quit India Resolution” on August 8. Gandhi was prepared to give a public address on the subject the very next day, when word came that British authorities were planning on arresting him and other members of the Congress.

“They dare not arrest me. I cannot think they will be so foolish. But if they do, it will mean that their days are numbered,” Gandhi said.

But late that night, Gandhi and many other members of the Congress were indeed arrested and imprisoned under the Defense of India Rules . The press was forbidden from publishing any part of Gandhi’s speech, supporting the Congress’s call to action, or reporting on measures the British government enacted to suppress the nascent movement.  

“The resolution said, ‘On the declaration of India’s independence a provisional government will be formed and free India will become an ally of the United Nations.’ This meant unilaterally declaring India’s independence,” writes Pramod Kapoor, author of the forthcoming book Gandhi: An Illustrated Biography , by email. The thought of an unauthorized shift to independence is what so terrified the British. “The intelligence reports the government was getting were equally alarming. The British had at one point even mulled over the possibility of deporting Gandhi to Aden.”

On August 10, India’s Secretary of State Leo Amery, working with the War Cabinet and other British leaders, announced the reason for the arrests of Gandhi and the Congress to the press. Amery said the Indian leaders planned to incite “strikes, not only in industry and commerce, but in the administration and law courts, schools and colleges, the interruption of traffic and public utility services, the cutting of telegraph and telephone wires, the picketing of troops and recruiting stations… The success of the proposed campaign would paralyze not only the ordinary civil administration of India, but her whole war effort.” In short, the movement would have led to dire calamity if the British government had not detained its leaders.

But Amery’s speech, meant to paint the British government in a positive light and vilify the Congress, completely backfired. As historian Paul Greenough writes , “The chief irony of 1942 in India was that the awesome power of the press to inspire united action was unleashed by the British government; the radicalizing text was the composition of Leopold Amery, not Mahatma Gandhi… [the] self-consciously rebellious underground press was never able to duplicate the impact or achieve the degree of mass coordination which Amery’s speech had provoked.” In essence, Amery had provided the blueprints for how to rebel. Civilians attacked railway stations and post offices, fought against police officers and held riots. The police and the British Army in India led a violent crackdown on the rioters, arresting over 100,000 people. Viceroy Lord Linlithgow compared the uprising to the failed Sepoy Rebellion of 1857 , when nearly one million Indians and thousands of Europeans were killed. The total civilian deaths after the Quit India protests, however, were closer to 1,000.

Still, the underground press did have success in one thing: getting Gandhi’s mantra out to the masses . “Do or die” became the unifying rallying cry for a civil disobedience campaign that spread across the subcontinent and lasted from August 1942 to September 1944. Protests erupted from Bombay to Delhi to Bengal; a steel plant closed for 13 days ; a strike at a textile factory lasted 3.5 months. Even though Muslim participation in “Quit India” wasn’t as high as other groups, supporters of the Muslim League still offered shelter to activists. And, crucially, Indians employed by the British government as police officers and administrative officials turned on their employer.

“They gave shelter, provided information and helped monetarily. In fact, the erosion of loyalty to the British Government of its own officers was one of the most striking aspects of the Quit India struggle,” writes Bipan Chandra in India’s Struggle for Independence .

Although Gandhi deeply regretted that the movement had turned so violent after his arrest, he and his wife, Kasturba, were both incarcerated in Agha Khan Palace and could do nothing but struggle to survive, writes Kapoor. In February 1943, Gandhi staged a 21-day hunger strike that nearly killed him, but remained imprisoned. His wife developed bronchitis and suffered several heart attacks behind bars; she would ultimately die there just a month before Gandhi was released in May 1944. The day of Gandhi’s release marked his last ever in an Indian prison, where had spent a combined total of 2,089 days over the course of his life—nearly six years (and not factoring in the 249 days he was in South African prisons).

While the “Quit India” movement ended in late 1944, the momentum it provided in securing the country’s independence proved unstoppable. Three years later, India was independent. And through a successful lobbying effort by the Muslim League, the independent Islamic state of Pakistan was also established along the new sovereign nation’s northwestern border. Although some scholars have argued the rebellion was only a small part of Britain’s decision to relinquish the “Crown Jewel” of the colonies—citing the need to rebuild after World War II as a more pressing concern—others, including Kapoor, see the movement as a major turning point.

“It was an opportune time in the life of a long freedom struggle,” Kapoor says. “With or without the war, the time was ripe for some sort of intensive movement.” And that movement happened to be “Quit India.”

Get the latest History stories in your inbox?

Click to visit our Privacy Statement .

Lorraine Boissoneault | | READ MORE

Lorraine Boissoneault is a contributing writer to SmithsonianMag.com covering history and archaeology. She has previously written for The Atlantic, Salon, Nautilus and others. She is also the author of The Last Voyageurs: Retracing La Salle's Journey Across America. Website: http://www.lboissoneault.com/

• Middle East
• Global development

Great speeches: Jawaharlal Nehru

Great speeches of the 20th century A Tryst with Destiny

Noble words, great speeches of the 20th century delhi rejoices and mr gandhi fasts, great speeches of the 20th century calcutta's wildly happy scenes.

• Tata Steel share price
• 162.00 -2.44%
• Tata Motors share price
• 1,030.15 1.77%
• State Bank Of India share price
• 819.65 1.14%
• ITC share price
• 425.20 -3.56%
• NTPC share price
• 346.00 -2.71%

Seven iconic speeches in Parliament since Independence

From jawaharlal nehru's 'tryst with destiny' to omar abdullah's 'i am a muslim', here are some of the iconic speeches delivered in parliament.

New Delhi : On Wednesday, Union minister of external affairs Sushma Swaraj defended herself and lashed out at the Congress party over allegations that she helped former Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi secure UK travel papers. She also accused the Congress party and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi of aiding then Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson’s escape from India after the Bhopal gas tragedy.

While her critics may not quite buy her defence, Swaraj’s speech, by virtue of its sheer delivery and pointed attack on an opposition keen on her resignation, will go down among the most powerful ones in Parliament.

Here are some of the iconic speeches delivered in Indian Parliament since Independence.

Jawaharlal Nehru

India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru delivered a historic speech on the eve of the country’s independence. Nehru’s address is considered among the best speeches of the 20th century. On 14 August 1947, Nehru, in an address to the Constituent Assembly, said, “Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.

It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity with some pride.

At the dawn of history India started on her unending quest, and trackless centuries which are filled with her striving and the grandeur of her success and her failures. Through good and ill fortunes alike she has never lost sight of that quest or forgotten the ideals which gave her strength. We end today a period of ill fortunes and India discovers herself again." (Read full text here )

Babasaheb Ambedkar

Dr. Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, was a gifted orator. On 25 November 1949, Ambedkar gave a historic speech to the then constituent assembly, which, over the years, has become a reference point of sorts. In his speech, popularly known as “Grammar of Anarchy", Ambedkar said, “If we wish to maintain democracy not merely in form, but also in fact, what must we do? The first thing in my judgement we must do is to hold fast to constitutional methods of achieving our social and economic objectives. It means we must abandon the bloody methods of revolution. It means that we must abandon the method of civil disobedience, non-cooperation and satyagraha. When there was no way left for constitutional methods for achieving economic and social objectives, there was a great deal of justification for unconstitutional methods. But where constitutional methods are open, there can be no justification for these unconstitutional methods. These methods are nothing but the Grammar of Anarchy and the sooner they are abandoned, the better for us." (Read full text here )

Known for his constant use of wit and humour in his parliamentary speeches, Mody, a founder member of the Swatantra Party, was a former Lok Sabha member from Godhra in Gujarat. A staunch liberal, Mody was known for his free market views.

Noted author Kushwant Singh in his 2002 autobiography, Truth, Love and a Little Malice, recounts an exchange in the Lok Sabha where Mody brought his wit to the fore. “He held pronounced conservative and pro-American views and was often accused by members of the ruling Congress party as being a ‘Washington parrot’. Once, he came to the House wearing a placard reading ‘I am a CIA agent’. The chairman ordered him to remove it. He did so, remarking, ‘I am no longer a CIA agent.’ The one member who took it upon himself to heckle Piloo Mody was J.C. Jain, a very loud-mouthed member of the Congress. Once, when he kept needling him, Piloo lost his temper and shouted, ‘Stop Barking!’ Jain was up on his feet yelling, ‘Sir, he’s calling me a dog. This is unparliamentary language.’ Chairman Hidayatullah agreed, and ordered, ‘This will not go on record.’ Not to be outdone, Piloo Mody retorted, ‘All right then, stop braying.’ Jain did not know what the word implied. It stayed on record."

Similarly, Singh writes, “When India put its first satellite in orbit, there were rounds of speeches to congratulate Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the Indian scientists. He then turned to Mrs. Gandhi and said, ‘Madam Prime Minister, we know our scientists have taken great strides in technology, I would be obliged if you could enlighten us as to why our telephones don’t work."

Atal Behari Vajpayee

As an orator, former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee stands among the country’s best since Independence. His speeches in Parliament (both as prime minister and a member) and outside were replete with sarcasm, wit, humour and poetry. Among his more notable speeches is the one he delivered on 1 June 1996 in the Lok Sabha, 13 days after he was elected prime minister. That speech, titled “Here comes my resignation, Mr. Speaker", was made after the fall of his government that year. He said, “You want to run the country. It’s a very good thing. Our congratulations are with you. We will be completely involved in the service of our country. We bow down to the strength of majority. We assure you that till the time the work that we started with our bare hands in national interest is not completed, we shall not rest. Respected speaker, I am going to the President to tender my resignation." (Watch video here )

Indira Gandhi

The former prime minister was certainly not known to be a “natural orator", but her speeches, most notably the one in 1971 after India’s decisive victory in the Bangladesh Liberation War, was among her finest in Lok Sabha. Addressing Parliament, she said, “This House and the entire nation rejoice in this historic event. We hail the people of Bangladesh in their hour of triumph. We hail the brave young men and boys of the Mukti Bahini for their valour and dedication. We are proud of our own Army, Navy, Air Force and the Border Security Force, who have so magnificently demonstrated their quality and capacity. Their discipline and devotion to duty are well known. India will remember with gratitude the sacrifices of those who have laid down their lives, and our thoughts are with their families... Our objectives were limited—to assist the gallant people of Bangladesh and their Mukti Bahini to liberate their country from a reign of terror and to resist aggression on our own land. Indian armed forces will not remain in Bangladesh any longer than is necessary...

The triumph is not theirs alone. All nations who value the human spirit will recognize it as a significant milestone in man’s quest for liberty." (Read full text here )

Ram Manohar Lohia

Lohia, the great socialist leader, contested the 1962 elections from Phulpur against then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. He lost the elections that year, but entered the Lok Sabha the following year, after winning the by-elections from Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh. His very first speech in the Lok Sabha is considered a historic one, a speech that challenged Nehru, while bringing forward the ground realities that prevailed in India back then. As part of the first of many iconic Nehru-Lohia debates, popularly known as the “teen anna pandrah anna", Lohia wrote a pamphlet, “25000 rupees a day" (the daily amount spent on Nehru’s security), which was in stark contrast to the economic situation of the 27 crore Indians, who lived on 3 annas a day. Nehru retorted to Lohia’s charge, quoting from India’s official Planning Commission statistics, which stated that “the daily average income was more like 15 annas a day". The debate itself was historic because, “member after member gave up his time as he built his case, demolishing the Planning Commission statistics as fanciful". He virtually challenged Nehru to prove his claims untrue and even dared to resign as Lok Sabha MP.

Omar Abdullah

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Omar Abdullah, delivered a stirring speech in the Lok Sabha in 2008, while speaking in support of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for a confidence vote after the Left parties withdrew support over the Indo-US nuclear deal. He said, “I am a Muslim, and I am an Indian. I see no distinction between the two. I see no reason why I, as a Muslim, have to fear a deal between India and the United States of America (USA). This is a deal between two countries. It is a deal between, we hope, two countries that in the future will be two equals... Sir, the enemies of Indian Muslims are not the Americans, and the enemies of the Indian Muslims are not ‘deals’ like this. The enemies of Indian Muslims are the same enemies that all the poor people of India face—poverty and hunger, unemployment, lack of development and the absence of a voice. It is that we are against: the effort being made to crush our voice." (Read full text here )

Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world 🌏 Click here to know more.

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed - it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

Wait for it…

Log in to our website to save your bookmarks. It'll just take a moment.

You are just one step away from creating your watchlist!

Oops! Looks like you have exceeded the limit to bookmark the image. Remove some to bookmark this image.

Your session has expired, please login again.

Congratulations!

You are now subscribed to our newsletters. In case you can’t find any email from our side, please check the spam folder.

Subscribe to continue

This is a subscriber only feature Subscribe Now to get daily updates on WhatsApp

Open Demat Account and Get Best Offers

Start Investing in Stocks, Mutual Funds, IPOs, and more

• Please enter valid name
• Please enter valid mobile number
• Please enter valid email
• Select Location

I'm interested in opening a Trading and Demat Account and am comfortable with the online account opening process. I'm open to receiving promotional messages through various channels, including calls, emails & SMS.

The team will get in touch with you shortly

• Daily Newsletter

FF Life: 5 Great Indian Speeches

On leadership, defence, science, healthcare, sports and philosophy

• Jan 08, 2022 5:01p.m.

[Images from YouTube; Babasaheb Ambedkar by Sandesh Hiwale , CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons]

Good morning,

For the first edition of FF Life this year, we share five speeches delivered by Indians that explore some of the most important questions of our times. They were carefully chosen to represent a range of themes—leadership, defence, science, healthcare, sports and philosophy. The earliest speech in this list—one by Dr BR Ambedkar—was delivered in 1949; and the latest by Dr Soumya Swaminathan was delivered in August 2019 (where she in fact warns about how unprepared we are to face a flu pandemic). But we didn’t pick that because it predicted an important event, but because it touches upon something deeper. In fact, if there is a common thread that binds them all, they highlight the values we need the most today: Courage, thoughtfulness and kindness. 

Soumya Swaminathan on Universal Health Care

In August 2019, Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist of World Health Organization, delivered The 13th New India Foundation Annual Girish Karnad Memorial Lecture. Her focus was on universal healthcare. It is worth listening to not because she warned about the pandemic five months ahead of the disruption, but because she took a systems view of healthcare in India. And her observation that India was ill prepared for a pandemic was a part of it.  

She said, “the reality is that in the future, we are going to have more of these unknown unexpected events and diseases. We don't know when the next big pandemic will happen. As you all know, in 1918, we had the last big flu pandemic. It's 100 years now. We lost 50 million people in 1918, which at that time was a huge proportion of the world's population. So the question is, when that will happen, not if, because influenza virus is known to mutate. And so at one day or the other, there will be an influenza strain that's made from strains from chicken, wild birds, from swine, and so on, that is able to not only infect humans, but spread from human to human. And that would be basically the beginning of the next pandemic. 

“So the question of preparing for these kinds of emerging infections, most of them are going to be zoonotic viruses. We know only one or 2% of the viruses that are present in the world. There has been really no global map of viruses. So it could spring up anywhere, anytime. They mutate very rapidly. So the point I am trying to make is that without primary health care services, which include things like disease surveillance, registries, data, monitoring, constant data analysis and monitoring, and having a cadre of trained public health people in every state, in every district, at the sub district level, it would be hard to control. One really dreads to think if something like that gets into overpopulated cities like in India, then it would be very, very hard to contain. So, we have to prepare, because once the event happens, it would probably be too late.” 

The speech is also a reminder why no one should be left behind when it comes to health.

Sam Manekshaw on leadership

There are stories and stories about Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw. One of the more famous ones as recounted by him includes the time when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was under enormous pressure from all quarters and insisted the Indian Army march into East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Then a General, Manekshaw declined. The conditions were unfavourable and he hissed back at the Prime Minister that if he led the troops into war, a defeat was guaranteed. Others may have given in and carried out orders. Not Sam Manekshaw. Just how did he stand his ground? He had figured that to be a leader, you equip yourself to be a leader. 

That was the theme of a talk he had given a few years ago at St Xavier’s College in Mumbai. We loved listening to every minute of him speaking. It was a masterclass on the theme.    

“Now, you will agree with me that you cannot be born with professional knowledge even if you are a child of a minister, the son of a member of parliament, or the progeny of a field marshal.

“Professional knowledge has to be acquired the hard way. It is a constant study. Professors, engineers, architects, lawyers, solicitors, doctors; they all study their professions, continuously, they all contribute to magazines, to newsprints, to all sorts of things. But we in India, as soon as we reach positions of power, whether it’s ministerial, secretarial, armed forces, or anywhere else, we think, we are the repository of all knowledge.

“Professional knowledge has to be acquired the hard way, and without professional knowledge, you cannot have professional competence, and if you haven’t got professional competence, you cannot be a leader. 

“I wonder those civilian gentlemen who’ve been charged with the security of this country, whether they have ever read a book on the military profession. I wonder if they know the difference between a gun or a Howitzer. I remember a minister one day coming to me. I’d left being the army chief then and said, and I will talk to you in his own language.”

“Zara batao yeh Hawitzer kya hai ?

“Then I say, what are you talking about, ‘HOWVITZER’, then I discovered what he meant, he meant, a ‘HOWITZER’, and I said, “why are you asking me? Why don’t you ask the army chief and others?

“He said, ‘ Kaise poochen unse, mein minister hoon. Tere se toh pooch leta hoon, tu janta hai ki mein bewakoof hoon .’ (How should I ask them? I am a minister. Though, I can ask you. You already know I am stupid with respect to knowledge regarding the military.)

“I wonder if they can distinguish a ‘mortar’ from a ‘motor’, or a ‘guerrilla’ from a ‘gorilla’, although a great many resemble the latter. Ladies and gentlemen, professional knowledge is a sine qua non [or condicio sine qua non , an indispensable and essential action, condition, or ingredient – Wikipedia] of ‘leadership’, you have to have professional competence, if you are expected to lead anything, it doesn’t matter if you are in the army, whether you are in a teaching profession, whether you are in the industry—unless you have professional competence and professional knowledge, you cannot be a leader, and it has to be acquired the hard way, you’ve got to study all your life.”

Why Babasaheb Ambedkar continues to matter

If there is one book on our wish list that isn’t written yet, it is an exhaustive biography of Dr BR Ambedkar, architect of the Indian Constitution and first Minister of Law and Justice in the cabinet that was sworn in after India gained independence. It is a tribute to the man’s genius and the foresight of the people who fought for India then that they placed their faith in Dr Ambedkar. 

We say this because Babasaheb, as he was fondly called, was born into an India where the caste system was all pervasive and he was born an “untouchable”. That meant, he started life as a schoolboy who carried a gunny sack so he could sit away from other students and carry it back with him. Not much is known of what happened to those who studied with him. But he went on to earn doctorates in economics from Columbia University and LSE. After he returned, he plunged into active politics and went on to make history.

On presenting the Constitution to the Assembly, we believe he made one of the most important speeches in contemporary India. 

[By  Sandesh Hiwale ,  CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons]

“… my mind is so full of the future of our country that I feel I ought to take this occasion to give expression to some of my reflections thereon. On 26th January 1950, India will be an independent country (Cheers). What would happen to her independence? Will she maintain her independence or will she lose it again? This is the first thought that comes to my mind. It is not that India was never an independent country. The point is that she once lost the independence she had. Will she lose it a second time? It is this thought which makes me most anxious for the future. What perturbs me greatly is the fact that not only India has once before lost her independence, but she lost it by the infidelity and treachery of some of her own people. 

“Will history repeat itself? It is this thought which fills me with anxiety. This anxiety is deepened by the realization of the fact that in addition to our old enemies in the form of castes and creeds we are going to have many political parties with diverse and opposing political creeds. Will Indians place the country above their creed or will they place creed above country? I do not know. But this much is certain that if the parties place creed above country, our independence will be put in jeopardy a second time and probably be lost for ever. This eventuality we must all resolutely guard against. We must be determined to defend our independence with the last drop of our blood.

“On the 26th of January 1950, India would be a democratic country in the sense that India from that day would have a government of the people, by the people and for the people. The same thought comes to my mind. What would happen to her democratic Constitution? Will she be able to maintain it or will she lose it again? This is the second thought that comes to my mind and makes me as anxious as the first.”

He goes on to describe how Buddhism that traces its lineage to India has a democratic culture. Having done that, he points out, “This democratic system India lost. Will she lose it a second time? I do not know. But it is quite possible in a country like India—where democracy from its long disuse must be regarded as something quite new—there is danger of democracy giving place to dictatorship. It is quite possible for this new-born democracy to retain its form but give place to dictatorship in fact. If there is a landslide, the danger of the second possibility becoming actuality is much greater.” 

But what kind of a democracy was he talking about in a young nation struggling to find a toehold? That concerned him as well. “The third thing we must do is not to be content with mere political democracy. We must make our political democracy a social democracy as well. Political democracy cannot last unless there lies at the base of it social democracy. What does social democracy mean? It means a way of life which recognizes liberty, equality and fraternity as the principles of life. These principles of liberty, equality and fraternity as the principles of life. These principles of liberty, equality and fraternity are not to be treated as separate items in a trinity. They form a union of trinity in the sense that to divorce one from the other is to defeat the very purpose of democracy.”

How may he have sounded while delivering this? We couldn’t find an audio recording of this powerful speech, the import of which continues to resonate today.

• Text of Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s speech in the Constituent Assembly on November 25, 1949

Rahul Dravid on Cricket and Life

In December 2011, Rahul Dravid delivered the Sir Donald Bradman Oration at The War Memorial in Canberra, Australia. He was as meticulous on stage as he was on the ground, and every point he made during the speech was widely discussed and debated by the lovers of the game. Towards the end, he spent a few minutes reflecting on what cricket meant to him. It was so authentic and profound, it can give goosebumps even today, a full ten years after he gave the speech.   

“I also want to talk briefly about an experience I have often had over the course of my career. It is not to do with individuals or incidents, but one I believe is important to share. I have sometimes found myself in the middle of a big game, standing at slip or even at the non-strikers end and suddenly realised that everything else has vanished. At that moment, all that exists is the contest and the very real sense of the joy that comes from playing the game.

“It is an almost meditative experience, where you reconnect with the game just like you did years ago, when you first began, when you hit your first boundary, took the first catch, scored your first century, or were involved in a big victory. It lasts for a very fleeting passage of time, but it is a very precious instant and every cricketer should hang on to it.

“I know it is utterly fanciful to expect professional cricketers to play the game like amateurs; but the trick, I believe, is taking the spirit of the amateur—of discovery, of learning, of pure joy, of playing by the rules—into our profession. Taking it to practice or play, even when there’s an epidemic of white-line fever breaking out all over the field.

“In every cricketer there lies a competitor who hates losing, and yes, winning matters. But it is not the only thing that matters when you play cricket. How it is played is as important for every member of every team because every game we play leaves a footprint in cricket’s history. We must never forget that.”

J Krishnamurti on learning about oneself

One of the foremost philosophers of our times, J Krishnamurti’s speeches are not speeches, but conversations, even when he was the only one speaking. The man who famously said “truth is a pathless land, and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect”, makes it a point to remind his fellow conversationalists that they are seeking an answer together. 

As he said in his San Diego public talk in April 1970, “we will go together into this question, bearing in mind that the speaker has no authority whatsoever, because both of us are going to examine, observe, this phenomenon called life, living, and find out the truth of the matter.” 

For Krishnamurti, finding the truth of the matter is about observing… with no judgement whatsoever. And that’s harder than it sounds. Marshall B. Rosenberg once pointed to Krishnamurti’s statement that the highest form of human intelligence is observing without evaluating. “When I first read this statement, the thought, ‘What nonsense!’ shot through my mind before I realized that I had just made an evaluation.” 

In his San Diego speech Krishnamurti says: 

“So, how are you to look at yourself—please do listen to this, it is quite absorbing. It demands a great deal of intelligence, it is great fun, much more fun than any book, than any religious entertainment, than any philosophy. As we are broken up human beings in ourselves, contradictory desires, feeling inferior or superior, being afraid, having no love, feeling lonely, fragmented, not only superficially but deeply—how are you to observe? One fragment observes the rest of the fragments? One becoming the censor, the examiner, the observer, watching over the rest of the fragments? And what gives him the authority over the other fragments? I hope the speaker is making himself clear; unless you understand this really, what we are going to discuss during the rest of the talks you won't be able to follow at all.

“So the question is, who is the observer and who is the censor that says, 'This I will do, this I won't do, this is right and this is wrong, this path I will take and I won't tread that path, I'll be a pacifist with regard to this war but I've other favourite wars, I will follow this leader and not that leader, I believe in this and not in that, I will hold this prejudice and reject that', knowing, if you have observed yourself, that you are a fragmented human being? And therefore, being fragmented, contradictory, living in constant conflict, and knowing this conflict, one fragment of this many, many fragments, takes charge, becomes the authority, the censor, and his observation must inevitably be contradictory. I hope you're following all this. If one fragment, one part of you assumes the authority of the analyser over the other fragments, why has he assumed that authority, and can he, one fragment, analyse the rest of the other fragments? You are following all this?

“See how dreadfully complex it has all become. Whether you are analysed by a professional or you analyse yourself, it is still the same pattern. So it is very important to find out how to observe, how to observe all these many contradictions which make up our life, how to observe the whole of those fragments without another fragment taking place.”

Was this article useful? Sign up for our daily newsletter below

• Soumya Swaminathan
• Rahul Dravid
• FF Recommends
• Babasaheb Ambedkar
• J Krishnamurti
• Sam Manekshaw

Login to comment

About the author

Founding Fuel aims to create the new playbook of entrepreneurship. Think of us as a hub for entrepreneurs- the go-to place for ideas, insights, practices and wisdom essential to build the enterprise of tomorrow. It is co-founded by veteran journalists Indrajit Gupta and Charles Assisi, along with CS Swaminathan, the former president of Pearson's online learning venture.

NPAs: A problem that refuses to go away

Masterclass: The World in 2024

The best stories of 2023

FF Life: Movies to binge-watch

Behind Crotonville’s demise

The Indian economy is in danger of suffering a heatstroke

FF Life: A beginner's guide to graphic novels

Paytm: Emperor’s new clothes

The Rahul Yadav Story You’ve Never Heard Before

Saving Private Flipkart

The fault in our startups

Flippin’ over backwards

The Contrarian

• Republic Day of India Best Speech & Essay Ideas: Republic Day Speech in English, Long and Short Speeches for Students

Republic Day of India Best Speech & Essay Ideas: Republic Day Speech in English, Long and Short Speeches for Students

Speech ideas: Republic Day speech in English, long and short speeches for students

1. the significance of republic day, 2. contributions of freedom fighters and leaders, 3. challenges and opportunities facing india, 4. role of youth in nation-building.

Essay ideas: Republic Day essay ideas for students

1. republic day celebration in india, 2. the constitution of india: the soul of the nation, 3. unsung heroes of freedom, 4. unity in diversity: the essence of india.

Embarking on a transformative journey through six chapters, we traverse India's landscape, exploring pioneering startups and their revolutionary...

• Sustainability
• Agriculture
• Brand Campaigns
• Watch inspiring videos
• Advertise With Us
• Press Coverage

Follow Us On

Download App

10 Incredible TED Talks by Indians You Should Not Miss

From Shah Rukh Khan’s witty and charming talk to Dolly Singh’s insightful session recounting her life’s experiences, these TED and TEDx talks by Indians are a must-watch.

1. The Life-Saving Tech Helping Mothers Make Healthy Decisions by Aparna Hegde

2. The ‘Greenhouse-in-a-Box’ Empowering Farmers in India by Sathya Raghu Mokkapati

3. Thoughts On Humanity, Fame and Love by Shah Rukh Khan

4. My Long Walk Across India for Women’s Freedom by Srishti Bakshi

5. Daydreaming Your Way to Success by Dolly Singh

6. Why You Should Speak To Strangers by Praveen Wadalkar

7. Making India the Silicon Valley for Village Entrepreneurs by Manav Subodh

8. Being LGBTQIA in India and Importance of Allies by Vishal Pinjani

9. He Threw Acid On My Face, Not On My Dreams by Laxmi Agarwal

10. How Blockchain Can Transform India by Jaspreet Bindra

Similar Story

3 Nature-Based Solutions That Are Making Low-Income Communities Resilient to Climate Change

Low-income groups are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. World Resources Institute (WRI) India shows us three examples of how keeping these communities at the heart of nature-based solutions has helped them build more resilience to the changing environment.

If you found our stories insightful, informative, or even just enjoyable, we invite you to consider making a voluntary payment to support the work we do at The Better India. Your contribution helps us continue producing quality content that educates, inspires, and drives positive change.

Choose one of the payment options below for your contribution-

By paying for the stories you value, you directly contribute to sustaining our efforts focused on making a difference in the world. Together, let’s ensure that impactful stories continue to be told and shared, enriching lives and communities alike.

Thank you for your support. Here are some frequently asked questions you might find helpful to know why you are contributing?

Sounds Interesting? Share it now!

This story made me

Tell Us More

• Speech Topics For Kids

Speech on Indian Culture

Indian culture is rich and diverse. To Mahatma Gandhi, “A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.” The culture of a nation highly influences the life of individuals. It helps to bring more clarity to people’s perceptions about life and the world around them. Go through the article and prepare a speech on Indian culture.

Table of Contents

Top quotes to use in a speech on indian culture, speech on indian culture and tradition, speech on indian culture and heritage, five-minute speech on indian culture, frequently asked questions on indian culture.

• “Strength lies in differences, not in similarities” – Stephen R. Covey
• “India is a country in which every great religion finds a home.”- Annie Besant
• “India is a place where colour is doubly bright. Pinks that scald your eyes, blues you could drown in.” – Kiran Millwood Hargrave
• “India will teach us the tolerance and gentleness of mature mind, understanding spirit and a unifying, pacifying love for all human beings.” – Will Durant
• “In India, it is believed that all creatures have a purpose.”- Mel Gibson
• “To other countries, I may go as a tourist, but to India, I come as a pilgrim.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
• “Culture is the name for what people are interested in, their thoughts, their models, the books they read, and the speeches they hear” – Walter Lippmann
• “Waking up in India is like waking up to life itself.” – Reymond Page
• “India is not a country, but a home.” – Khalid Masood

Sample Speeches on Indian Culture

A couple of sample speeches on Indian culture are given below. Go through them and utilise the resource to better understand the topic.

India is a nation that is rich in culture and legacy. In India, we have vibrant and distinctive traditional practices. India has always been popular for the customs of hospitality. According to Indian culture, we follow the concept of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ and treat every guest as equivalent to God. Ever since the time of Mauryas, we have been following this concept, and as a result of multiple dynasties, we are abundant in cultural diversities.

Culture and traditions are two important features that distinguish a nation. The culture of a nation is never a separate entity. Each and every citizen residing in the nation will have traces of it in them. Conserving a nation’s culture means conserving the nation itself. Every citizen has to preserve it for future generations.

Culture reflects a nation. It develops a sense of belonging in the minds of every individual living within it. Culture helps people to share a commonality, and it connects people by spreading a feeling of security and safety. Do you know what Mark Twain said about Indian culture? “India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great-grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.”

India, its tradition, and cultural heritage are always a wonder to the whole world. Our nation’s culture has always been an inspiration for many novels, short stories, poems, films, music, paintings, and other artistic productions. In one way or another, culture enriches the soul of every nation. Cultural heritage is also the backbone of every nation. It is inherited to us from our ancestors, and it is our duty to preserve it for our future generations.

Adoring one’s culture doesn’t mean hating one another. We have to accept the fact, “The beauty of the world lies in the diversity of its people.” Start respecting one another, and let’s experience the power of indivisibility.

In India, we are enriched with different varieties of religions, languages, festivals, cultures, traditional beliefs, heritage, etc. We have people believing in Hinduism, Islamism, Christianity, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism (Parsees). Each of these religions has got its festive religious celebrations like Ramadan, Holi, Christmas, Diwali, Good Friday, Eid al-Fitr, Ganesh Chaturthi, etc. The presence of numerous religious beliefs has helped India in many ways; it turned India into a secular nation.

In the case of language also, there exists diversity. The people of India speak numerous languages like English, Sanskrit, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Gujarati, Malayalam, Tamil, and so on. Just like religions, languages and festivals, the cultural diversity of India is visible even in food, art, craft, music, dance, and so many other subtle things.

Despite all these distinctiveness, there exists an invisible bond that unites every Indian, and because of that unity, India is proudly presented before the world as a nation that exhibits the dream concept of ‘unity in diversity.’ For progressive growth and betterment, people always have to maintain solidarity. Kofi Annan said, “We may have different religions, different languages, different coloured skin, but we all belong to one human race.” True to this saying, we have to prioritise humanity over anything. So let’s join our hands and practise ‘Unity in Diversity’ for peace and harmony.

What is unique about Indian Culture?

India is a nation that is rich in culture and legacy. In India, we have vibrant and distinctive traditional practices. India has always been popular for the customs of hospitality. According to Indian culture, we follow the concept of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ and treat every guest as equivalent to God. Ever since the time of Mauryas, we have been following this concept, and as a result of multiple invasions, we are abundant in cultural diversities.

Why is India stated as a ‘nation rich in culture’?

In India, we are enriched with different varieties of religions, languages, festivals, cultures, traditional beliefs, heritage etc. There are people believing in Hinduism, Islamism, Christianity, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism (Parsees). And each of these religions has got its festive religious celebrations likeRamadan, Holi, Christmas, Diwali, Good Friday, Eid al-Fitr, Ganesh Chaturthi, etc. Just like religion and festivals, the cultural diversity of India is visible even in language, food, art, craft, music, dance, and so many other subtle things. Despite all these distinctiveness, there exists an invisible bond that unites every Indian.

List some quotes to use in a speech on Indian culture.

• “India will teach us the tolerance and gentleness of mature mind, understanding spirit and a unifying, pacifying love for all human beings.” – Will Durant.
• “India is a country in which every great religion finds a home.”- Annie Besant.
• “India is a place where colour is doubly bright. Pinks that scald your eyes, blues you could drown in.” – Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your Mobile number and Email id will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Request OTP on Voice Call

Post My Comment

• Share Share

Register with BYJU'S & Download Free PDFs

Register with byju's & watch live videos.

Unlock your Potential with Sounderic

Online Speech & Occupational Therapy for Children & Adults

Bachelor's & Masters in Speech Language Pathology, RCI Certified

FEATURED IN

How It Works?

Book a free consultation

Patients can book a consultation with us. A speech therapist will conduct a 15 min consultation on Zoom to know more about the case and give the necessary details.

Match with a therapist

Based on the concern of the patient, a specialized speech therapist in India will be assigned to the c ase. We also provide online speech therapy for schools.

Get started

After confirming the days and time of the session, a plan will be sent to the patient, and then speech therapy sessions will begin.

Empowering voices, enriching lives

Therapy sessions conducted

Countries served, client satisfaction, years experienced & certified therapists, individuals assisted, our services.

Speech Therapy Consultation

Occupational Therapy Consultation

Behaviour Therapy Consultation

Certified. Responsive. Compassionate. Online Speech Therapy In India.

Why Choose Sounderic?

Learning Made Easy For You!

We'll support you at every turn on your path to better communication.

Personalised online sessions

Guided by a therapist selected specifically for your unique needs through this journey.

Continuous support via text

We are always there to clarify your doubts and help navigate new skills in your journey.

Home training between sessions

Activities & videos for home training for consistent practice and faster results.

Hear What Others Are Sharing About Their Experience With Us

What Research Says About Online Therapy

Journal of autism & developmental disorders,  “there were no significant differences between the two therapy delivery groups -suggesting that the effectiveness of the parent-mediated intervention was good whether delivered in person or via online video conferencing .”, the open journal of occupational therapy (2023), “ parent-mediated ot services have the potential to significantly enhance parents' learning, empower them to implement ot strategies in their home & community settings, increase child participation in daily activities,  improve communication & engagement between parents & their children.”, indian journal of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery (2021), “telerehabalitation is a reliable method to deliver speech and language services at community level and on long term basis as is proven by the high satisfaction scores among the clients as well as service providers.”, american journal of speech language pathology (2022), “ clients successfully reached their therapeutic objectives without the necessity of visiting the clinic in person .additionally, the use of telepractice led to the unexpected benefit of asynchronous practice opportunities.”, explore online speech therapy with sounderic.

AAC Devices for Autism

• Sep 21, 2023

Why is my 15-month-old toddler not talking but babbling? [Ans. from an SLP]

• Sep 15, 2023

Why is my 14-month-old not talking but babbling? (Answer from an SLP)

Find The Right Therapist

We understand asking for help and finding a good speech therapist can be difficult. However, it is very important. 

Sounderic will help you get connected with the best speech therapists in India and help you communicate better.

If you’re looking for online speech therapy for Adults, Children, School or Corporates we have a solution for you. 

#atsoundericwecare

We are India's leading speech therapy organization.

Certified and experienced  speech-language, occupational and behaviour therapists.

RCI Registered  speech therapists.

Evidence-based speech therapy practices.

We work M onday to Sunday from 7am - 10pm IST , helping you book/ reschedule or cancel appointments & tackle any queries.

Be A Part Of The Sounderic Family Online

Stay updated, be the first to know about our latest therapy programs, tips & tricks., learn together, access valuable resources and learning tools that can help you & loved ones., get support, join our facebook group of 19,000+ parents & families on similar paths., join the convo, participate in discussions that foster understanding and advocacy..

• What does an online occupational therapy session look like? An online occupational therapy (OT) session is designed to be similar to an in-person session, with the primary difference being that it takes place through an online platform. Firstly, the therapist and client discuss and review the goals set in previous sessions. Activities may be selected to address specific areas such as motor skills, sensory processing, cognitive abilities, or activities of daily living. The therapist may use a combination of verbal instructions, visual demonstrations, and digital resources to guide the client through the activities. The therapist provides real-time feedback and guidance to ensure that the client is performing activities correctly and safely. The therapist may recommend specific exercises or activities to be continued at home between sessions. This helps reinforce the progress made during therapy. The session includes time for discussion and addressing any questions or concerns the client may have. The session concludes with a summary of what was covered and a discussion of any homework or follow-up activities.
• How can I do occupational therapy at home? Engaging in occupational therapy at home can be beneficial for individuals seeking to improve specific skills, address challenges, or maintain progress made during professional therapy sessions. However, it's crucial to note that any home-based occupational therapy should be done under the guidance and approval of a licensed occupational therapist. Set clear goals. Consult with an OT for guidance. Establish a structured daily routine. Include fine and gross motor activities. Incorporate sensory activities if needed. Practice activities of daily living. Use adaptive tools as recommended. Include cognitive exercises and memory games. Incorporate strengthening and balance exercises. Work on visual-motor integration and coordination. Enhance communication and social skills. Keep a journal to track progress.
• What are the benefits of online occupational therapy? Online occupational therapy offers several benefits, making it a valuable option for many individuals. Cost-Effective: Online therapy eliminates traveling costs. Parental Involvement: In pediatric occupational therapy, online sessions provide an opportunity for increased parental involvement. Parents participate more actively in their child's therapy, and therapists can guide them on how to implement strategies and activities within the home environment. Specialized Services: Online occupational therapy connects clients with specialized therapists who may not be geographically close. Continuity of Care: Online OT facilitates continuity of care, especially in situations where a client may need to relocate or travel. Privacy: Online therapy sessions can offer a sense of privacy, as clients can participate from the privacy of their own homes. Comfortable Environment: Clients can receive therapy in a familiar and comfortable environment.
• Can occupational therapy be done virtually? Yes, occupational therapy can be done virtually, and this approach is often referred to as teletherapy or online occupational therapy. Virtual occupational therapy sessions can address a wide range of needs, including physical rehabilitation, mental health, sensory processing, cognitive skills, and activities of daily living. Virtual OT sessions provide therapists with the opportunity to assess and provide recommendations for adapting the client's home environment to better support their needs. In pediatric occupational therapy, parents can play an active role during virtual sessions. Therapists can guide parents on how to implement strategies and activities at home.
• Does occupational therapy really work? Yes, online occupational therapy works well and gives great results in children and adults. It is convenient and you get to receive therapy from the comfort of your home. You get access to the therapist from any part of the world. It is flexible based on your schedule and it is effective for various disorders and conditions including developmental delays, sensory processing issues, and mental health conditions. Therapists incorporate interactive activities, games and exercises to make the sessions engaging and effective. Online sessions can involve parents more directly. Read here about "Does my child need occupational therapy?"
• What happens on my first consultation? In the consultation, the speech therapist is able to understand your concerns and do a brief assessment. We give you all the details about the therapy sessions at Sounderic and recommend the required no. of sessions with us.
• What happens after my consultation is over? What should I do next? After you have finished the consultation with us, you can get back to us on WhatsApp at +919644466635 or email us at [email protected] with the days and timeslots preferred by you for the therapy sessions. Alternatively, our team will also get in touch with you to schedule the sessions with you.
• How does the online booking process work? Booking an online consultation is very simple. Pick whether you need speech/occupational/behaviour therapy consultation & click "Book a Session". You will land on the booking calendar. Here you get to select your preferred date & time for your online consultation. Further if you already have a therapist in mind, you can also pick a therapist you prefer. Click on "Next". Then all you have to do is fill up the form with your details, review the time/date you selected and click on "Book Now". You will get an email immediately (as shown below) - with the joining link, joining password and your session time & date details. Voila, and you're done. Make sure you join on time and let your therapy journey begin.
• I want to be seen by a particular therapist, can I pick my therapist? Yes, you can pick a therapist of your preference. Once you click "book a session", it will take you to a booking calendar where you can pick the preferred date, time as well as therapist for your online consultation.
• Do you provide speech therapy for children and adults? Yes, we provide online speech therapy for children and online speech therapy for adults & seniors with various communication disorders. You can read more about it here.
• Are all children and adults good candidates for online therapy? Speech therapists use their clinical judgment to consider who can be a good candidate for online speech therapy. Clients using online speech therapy must have the ability to look at the computer screen and understand what they are viewing all through the session. If a child or adult is found to not be a good candidate for online speech therapy then parents and caregivers can be trained by the speech therapist to practice strategies and do activities at home. Parent involvement in online speech therapy is not only appreciated but is crucial!
• What is Speech Therapy? Speech therapy diagnoses and treats speech and language disorders in infants, toddlers, school-going children, teens, adults, and seniors. It is performed by a speech-language pathologist (SLPs), who is often referred to as a speech therapist. Speech and language therapy helps the disabled or impaired individual, by providing maximum communicative potential, compensatory methods, rehabilitation, and mainstreaming. Early diagnosis, treatment, and intervention of the speech, language or communication problem will reduce the problem's intensity and severity, enhancing the effectiveness of speech-language therapy.
• How can I do speech therapy online? You can book a 15 min free consultation with us on the website with our speech-language pathologists. After you confirm the days and timing of sessions, your online speech therapy will begin.
• Does Speech Therapy work? Yes, speech therapy is very effective to treat communication disorders. It is the only treatment that works. No medications can be used to treat speech and language disorders. Speech therapy requires time, patience and effort from not only the client but also the family members. Another crucial factor is the frequency of the therapy sessions and the adequate follow-up at home. Early intervention gives a better outcome. So start therapy as soon as possible. The​​ success of speech therapy depends on : ​ Early diagnosis & intervention Type and severity of the speech disorder Frequency and duration of therapy Underlying medical condition/disorder Treatment and medication of the underlying medical condition Activities need to be practiced at home. Parents/Caregivers need to replicate the plan explained by the therapist at home.​
• Why should I prefer online speech therapy sessions? Online speech therapy is a successful model because sessions can be tailor-made based on the individual's needs and with necessary support from a parent/caregiver. It does work because it's practical and highly engaging! There are tons of materials, games, and resources available. ​ Online speech therapy is exceptionally kid-friendly. Today’s children tend to have a lot of access to technology and are comfortable with computers and fun game-based activities, and videos. This therapy model is particularly motivating for them despite the physical distance between the children and the speech therapist. Plus, increased engagement means that the children will make quicker progress and successfully reach their goals. Our adult patients have also become comfortable with using technology for speech therapy and are often assisted by a caregiver. Overall, online speech therapy has been able to give us the desired results.
• How are online speech therapy sessions conducted? Online speech therapy sessions are quite similar to traditional in-person sessions. These live sessions can be used for assessment and intervention for a variety of speech and language disorders, parent training, and social goals. We conduct the sessions on Zoom/Google Meet.

Get in touch with us on mobile!

Send us a Hi on WhatsApp and we will connect you with a speech therapist.

Send us a message and we’ll get back to you shortly.

Thanks for submitting!

Speech on Development Of India

India’s journey towards growth is an intriguing tale. It’s a story of overcoming challenges and embracing opportunities. You’ll see a nation’s transformation, from agriculture-based to a modern, technology-driven economy.

India’s development is not just about economics. It’s also about social progress, education, and healthcare. This is a story of a country striving to provide a better life for its people.

1-minute Speech on Development Of India

Ladies and Gentlemen,

India, our great nation, is like a big tree. It has strong roots in its rich history and culture. But a tree doesn’t just stay in one place, does it? It grows. It reaches up to the sky. That is what we call development.

Let’s talk about education first. Education is like water and sunlight for our tree. It helps us grow stronger and taller. In India, we are making education better. More children are going to school. More people are learning new things. This is a big step towards our growth.

Now, let’s think about health. Health is like the leaves of our tree. If the leaves are green and fresh, the tree is healthy. We have made great progress in health too. We have more hospitals and doctors. We are fighting diseases and keeping our people healthy. This is another sign of our growth.

Next, we look at technology. Technology is like the fruits of our tree. It makes life better and easier. In India, we are using more and more technology. We have mobile phones, computers, and the internet. We are even reaching for the stars with our space missions. This shows our progress.

Lastly, let’s not forget about the economy. The economy is like the soil. It feeds the tree. In India, we have a growing economy. We are making more things, selling more things, and earning more money. This is proof of our development.

So, my dear friends, India is growing. It’s like a tree reaching for the sky. We have challenges, but we also have hope. We have dreams, and we have the will to make them come true. Thank you.

Also check:

• Essay on Development Of India

2-minute Speech on Development Of India

Let’s talk about the growth story of India. It’s a story filled with dreams, hard work, and success. It’s a story that is still being written, with every Indian playing a part.

India is a country with a rich history. We have made great strides in many areas. Look at our agriculture. Once, we couldn’t grow enough food to feed our people. Today, we are the largest producer of milk, the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables, and a leading producer of grains. We have done this through hard work, better farming methods, and using technology.

Our industries have also grown. We are a world leader in information technology. We have made a name in pharmaceuticals, textiles, steel, and many other sectors. We have done this through innovation, training our people, and making the best use of our resources.

Education is another area where we have made progress. More kids are going to school than ever before. We have world-class universities and research institutions. We are training our young people to be the leaders of tomorrow.

India has also made strides in health care. We have managed to control deadly diseases like smallpox and polio. Our doctors and nurses are admired around the world. We are working hard to make sure every Indian has access to quality health care.

In terms of infrastructure, we have built roads, bridges, airports, and ports. We have brought electricity to remote villages. We have launched satellites into space. We are building a modern, connected India.

But the story of India’s development is not just about numbers and achievements. It’s about people. It’s about the farmer working hard in the fields. It’s about the student studying late into the night. It’s about the doctor saving lives, the engineer building bridges, the scientist exploring the stars.

And yet, we still have a long way to go. Many of our people still live in poverty. Many don’t have access to clean water, good health care, or quality education. We need to work harder to make sure every Indian has the opportunity to succeed.

But I believe in India. I believe in the spirit of our people. I believe in our ability to overcome challenges. I believe in our dreams. And I believe that together, we can write the next chapter of the Indian story.

So let’s dream big. Let’s work hard. Let’s make India a place where everyone can live with dignity, where everyone has the chance to succeed, where everyone can dream and make their dreams come true. Because that is the true measure of development. That is the true spirit of India.

• Speech on Determination
• Speech on Destruction Of Nature
• Speech on Depression Awareness

We also have speeches on more interesting topics that you may want to explore.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

25,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

Meet top uk universities from the comfort of your home, here’s your new year gift, one app for all your, study abroad needs, start your journey, track your progress, grow with the community and so much more.

Verification Code

An OTP has been sent to your registered mobile no. Please verify

Thanks for your comment !

Our team will review it before it's shown to our readers.

• Speech Writing /

Speech on Justice in India: Short and Long Speech in English

• Updated on  
• May 6, 2024

In India, any person who believes that his or her fundamental or constitutional rights have been violated can reach out to the Supreme Court, even through a postcard. On this page, we will discuss some samples of how to write a speech on justice in India. Justice means making a fair and impartial decision. Now this is what the Oxford Dictionary defines because the real meaning of justice is far different. The Indian Constitution has separated the judiciary from the legislature and the executive, and it functions as an independent body. 

Table of Contents

• 1 10 Facts About the Judicial System in India
• 2 2-Minute Speech on Justice in India
• 3 Popular Verdicts of the Supreme Court of India

Did you know that Justice Fathima Beevi became the first female judge of the Supreme Court of India in 1989?

10 Facts About the Judicial System in India

India has an integrated judicial system, where the Supreme Court of India is the apex court. Below the Supreme Court, there are 25 high courts, 688 district courts, and several subordinate courts. Articles 124-147 of the Constitution of India discuss the functioning and rules of the Supreme Court. 

• The President of India appoints the Chief Justice of India, the Chief Justice of High Courts, and other judges of the Supreme Court.
• The first Chief Justice of India was Sir Harilal Jekisundas Kania.
• The Calcutta High Court was the first high court in India, established in 1865.
• The District Courts hear pleas in civil and criminal cases.
• The Supreme Court of India has the power to shift any case to itself.
• The Supreme Court and the High Courts can issue writs for the enforcement of fundamental rights.
• The Supreme Court and the High Courts are known for judicial activism, where the honorable judges can use their judgement if the law fails to establish a balance.
• Individuals and groups can file a PIL or public interest litigation, with the Supreme Court and High Courts, but a PIL must be in public interest only, and not personal.
• The Indian Penal Code (IPC) was replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in December 2023.
• Under Article 129 of the Indian Constitution, the Supreme Court has the power to punish any person for contempt of court.

Quick Read: Women Empowerment Speech

2-Minute Speech on Justice in India

‘Good morning everyone. Today, I stand before you to present my speech on justice in India. India’s justice system or judicial system, is one of the strongest in the world. If a bench of the Supreme Court has made a decision, then only the President of India can challenge it.’

‘Justice is our constitutional right. We all have the right to know what is right and what is wrong. In a country of 1.4 billion people, justice is often delayed, especially at the lower levels. The Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, at the 75th anniversary of the Supreme Court of India, highlighted the major reasons responsible for justice delays in India. These were:

• Adjournment culture;
• Lengthy arguments delay judgements
• Long court vacations, and 
• Creation of space for first-generation lawyers and those from marginalized segments of society.

‘India is a big country, and yes, there are laws that promise justice for everyone. India’s national motto is ‘Satyameva Jayate’ , meaning ‘ Truth Alone Triumphs’. Article 14 of the Indian Constitution is about the ‘Rule of law’ and ‘Equality before the law’ , which means everyone in the court of law is equal.’

Article 50 of the Indian Constitution separates the Judiciary from the Legislature and the Executive. This independence and integrity allow for the smooth functioning of the judiciary in India. The apex court has made several landmark decisions, such as the Keshavananda Bharati vs the State of Kerala Case in 1973, the Shah Banu Begum Case of 1985, the National Legal Services Authority Case of 2014, and many others. 

India’s judiciary is powerful. It can hear both civil and criminal cases, can convict a person on grounds of contempt of court, can challenge laws established by the government, has the power of judicial review, is a court of record, can declare any law invalid, and can interpret the constitution. 

‘However, justice is often delayed in India, and therefore, we need a robust system of justice, where justice is not delayed for years or decades and is served on time.

Thank you.!

Quick Read: Speech on Corruption

Popular Verdicts of the Supreme Court of India

When it comes to delivering justice, the Supreme Court always ensures complete impartiality and timely judgement. Here are some of the popular verdicts and decisions of justice by the Supreme Court of India.

Ans: ‘Good morning everyone. Today, I stand before you to present my speech on justice in India. India’s justice system or judicial system, is one of the strongest in the world. If a bench of the Supreme Court has made a decision, then only the President of India can challenge it.’ ‘Justice is our constitutional right. We all have the right to know what is right and what is wrong. In a country of 1.4 billion people, justice is often delayed, especially at the lower levels.

Ans: There are four reasons why justice is delayed in India: Adjournment culture; lengthy arguments delaying judgments; long court vacations; and the creation of space for first-generation lawyers and those from marginalised segments of society.

Ans: The Indian Constitution mandates the state to secure social justice for all its citizens. Article 14 states that there shall be a rule of law and equality before the law for everyone in the country.

Popular Speech Topics

For more information on such interesting speech topics for your school, visit our speech writing page and follow Leverage Edu.

Shiva Tyagi

With an experience of over a year, I've developed a passion for writing blogs on wide range of topics. I am mostly inspired from topics related to social and environmental fields, where you come up with a positive outcome.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Contact no. *

Connect With Us

25,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today.

Resend OTP in

Need help with?

Study abroad.

UK, Canada, US & More

IELTS, GRE, GMAT & More

Scholarship, Loans & Forex

Country Preference

New Zealand

Which English test are you planning to take?

Which academic test are you planning to take.

Not Sure yet

When are you planning to take the exam?

Already booked my exam slot

Within 2 Months

Want to learn about the test

Which Degree do you wish to pursue?

When do you want to start studying abroad.

January 2024

September 2024

What is your budget to study abroad?

How would you describe this article ?

Please rate this article

We would like to hear more.

Have something on your mind?

Make your study abroad dream a reality in January 2022 with

India's Biggest Virtual University Fair

Essex Direct Admission Day

Why attend .

Don't Miss Out

• Share full article

For more audio journalism and storytelling, download New York Times Audio , a new iOS app available for news subscribers.

• May 9, 2024   •   34:42 One Strongman, One Billion Voters, and the Future of India
• May 8, 2024   •   28:28 A Plan to Remake the Middle East
• May 7, 2024   •   27:43 How Changing Ocean Temperatures Could Upend Life on Earth
• May 6, 2024   •   29:23 R.F.K. Jr.’s Battle to Get on the Ballot
• May 3, 2024   •   25:33 The Protesters and the President
• May 2, 2024   •   29:13 Biden Loosens Up on Weed
• May 1, 2024   •   35:16 The New Abortion Fight Before the Supreme Court
• April 30, 2024   •   27:40 The Secret Push That Could Ban TikTok
• April 29, 2024   •   47:53 Trump 2.0: What a Second Trump Presidency Would Bring
• April 26, 2024   •   21:50 Harvey Weinstein Conviction Thrown Out
• April 25, 2024   •   40:33 The Crackdown on Student Protesters
• April 24, 2024   •   32:18 Is $60 Billion Enough to Save Ukraine?

One Strongman, One Billion Voters, and the Future of India

Narendra modi has proved one of india’s most consequential leaders. but he has drawn criticism for anti-democratic practices and charges of religious persecution..

Hosted by Sabrina Tavernise

Featuring Mujib Mashal

Produced by Asthaa Chaturvedi ,  Eric Krupke ,  Will Reid ,  Shannon M. Lin and Summer Thomad

Edited by Brendan Klinkenberg and Michael Benoist

Original music by Rowan Niemisto ,  Marion Lozano and Dan Powell

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube

India is in the midst of a national election and its prime minister, Narendra Modi, is running to extend his 10 years in power.

Mr. Modi has become one of the most consequential leaders in India’s history, while also drawing criticism for anti-democratic practices and charges of religious persecution.

Mujib Mashal, the South Asia bureau chief for The New York Times, discusses what we might see from Mr. Modi in a third term.

On today’s episode

Mujib Mashal , the South Asia bureau chief for The New York Times.

Background reading

Narendra Modi’s power keeps growing, and India looks sure to give him more .

The brazenness of Mr. Modi’s vilification of India’s Muslims has made it clear that he sees few checks on his power, at home or abroad.

Mr. Modi has softened his image at home with an old-fashioned radio show , which feeds a vast social media apparatus.

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Mujib Mashal is the South Asia bureau chief for The Times, helping to lead coverage of India and the diverse region around it, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan. More about Mujib Mashal

Advertisement

• Speech on Indian Culture for Students and Children

Speech on Indian culture

Good morning to all teachers and students present here. I am here to deliver a speech on Indian culture. India’s rich vibrant culture is our identity as a nation. Be it religion, art, traditions, humanistic discipline or intellectual achievements- they need to make us an upscale, colorful, and diverse nation. This has withstood the tests of time. India was home for invasions, be it Greeks, Arabs, Mughals all of them have only added to its already rich culture.

                                                                                                                                            Source: en.wikipedia.org

Today, India stands as a well-liked multicultural society because it has absorbed the better of every culture and moved on. People here follow different religions, customs, and traditions. People though turning modem today, hold on to the moral values, celebrate festivals consistent with customs and wear traditional clothes. We still learn lessons from the good Indian epics- Ramayana and Mahabharata. People still assemble in temples, gurudwaras, mosques, and churches.

Elements of Indian Culture

Religion is a major component of Indian culture. Firstly, Indian origin religions are Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. The core values of these religions are karma and dharma. Furthermore, many foreign religions are also present in India.

These foreign religions include Abrahamic religions. The Abrahamic religions in India are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Consequently, the presence of numerous diverse religions has given rise to tolerance and secularism in Indian culture.

Get the Huge list of 100+ Speech Topics here

Indian Festivals

India celebrates numerous festivals throughout the year. These festivals are diverse due to different religious and cultural amalgamation in Indian society. Indians extremely value their festivals and celebrate them with joy and harmony.

Indian Marriages

Marriage is certainly a festive occasion in Indian culture. Arrange marriage is a traditional norm in the country. Most of Indian weddings are planned by the parents. In traditional Indian weddings, dowry is given to the bridegroom from brides parents. Though nowadays many people have abandoned the dowry system. Indian weddings are certainly big fat with beautiful decorations, music, dance, traditional attires, and mouth-watering food.

Family System

Indians value the importance of family. In India joint family system is still flourishing. All the family members live together under one roof. The family contains the parents, children, children’s spouses, and offspring.

Architecture

India is well known for its architectural masterpieces in the world. The foreign influences can be evident in Indian art and architecture due to various historical movements. From north to south, east to west, its culture is extremely much alive. We must not just believe what we see in urban malls.

The art and architecture of the cave temples (Ajanta & Ellora), the carved Gopurams, the Gumbads, the intricate work of art created as a symbol of eternal love (the Taj Mahal), the Jharokas of the palaces, the forts, and their splendors still attract us and foreigners.

Indian culture is always a source of inspiration for several writers. India is certainly a symbol of unity in the world. Indian culture is certainly very complex. In addition to this, the conception of Indian identity poses certain difficulties but despite this, a typical Indian culture does exist. Above all, these forces are a strong Constitution, universal adult franchise, secular policy, flexible federal structure, etc.

Indian culture is characterized by a strict social hierarchy. Probably, many Indians believe that gods and spirits have a task in determining their life. Earlier traditional Hindus were divided into four varnas. Now, this difference is declining.

Indian culture is certainly very diverse. Also, Indian children learn and assimilate within the differences. In recent decades, massive changes have taken place in Indian culture. Above all, these changes are female empowerment, Westernization, a decline of superstition, higher literacy, improved education, etc.

To sum it up, the culture of India is one of the oldest cultures within the World. Above all, many Indians till stick with the normal, Indian, culture in spite of rapid globalization. So, my friends, Indians have demonstrated strong unity regardless of the range among them. Unity in Diversity is the mantra of Indian culture.

Read Essays for Students and Children here !

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

Speech for Students

• Speech on India for Students and Children
• Speech on Mother for Students and Children
• Speech on Air Pollution for Students and Children
• Speech about Life for Students and Children
• Speech on Disaster Management for Students and Children
• Speech on Internet for Students and Children
• Speech on Generation Gap for Students and Children
• Speech on Sports for Students and Children
• Speech on Water for Students and Children

16 responses to “Speech on Water for Students and Children”

this was very helpful it saved my life i got this at the correct time very nice and helpful

This Helped Me With My Speech!!!

I can give it 100 stars for the speech it is amazing i love it.

Its amazing!!

Great !!!! It is an advanced definition and detail about Pollution. The word limit is also sufficient. It helped me a lot.

This is very good

Very helpful in my speech

Oh my god, this saved my life. You can just copy and paste it and change a few words. I would give this 4 out of 5 stars, because I had to research a few words. But my teacher didn’t know about this website, so amazing.

Tomorrow is my exam . This is Very helpfull

It’s really very helpful

yah it’s is very cool and helpful for me… a lot of 👍👍👍

Very much helpful and its well crafted and expressed. Thumb’s up!!!

wow so amazing it helped me that one of environment infact i was given a certificate

check it out travel and tourism voucher

thank you very much

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

Speech on Poverty in India for 1, 2 & 5 Minutes

By Vijay Gupta

Updated on: January 23, 2023

In this article, I’m going to write a speech on poverty in India. That’s means if you’re looking for a speech on poverty in India, you have come to the right place.

So, without any further delay, let’s start writing the speech for 1, 2 & 5 minutes. Read all the speeches and choose the one that suits you the most.

Read also, speech on knowledge is power .

Table of Contents

Speech on Poverty in India for 1, 2 & 5 Minutes –

1. speech on poverty in india for 1 minute –.

Hello everyone, my name is Suryanshi Awasthi and I study in class 8th. Today I’m going to give a speech on poverty in India. If there is any mistake, please give me pardon.

India is one of the developing countries. Its economy is growing day by day, but poverty is not decreasing.

The poverty percentage in India has always been there. Statistics are published on it every year and each time the percentage either increases or decreases, but doesn’t completely end. It’s a huge challenge for us and it cannot easily be eradicated.

There are still many places in India where poverty is widespread and people are struggling with it. They are not getting proper food and clothes. They don’t even have homes to live in and are spending their lives on the sidewalk.

So, I’m requesting all of you to do your best efforts to reduce poverty in India so that we can have a better future in the coming times.

Read also, how to give a speech on importance of yoga ?

2. Speech on Poverty in India for 2 Minutes –

First of all, my greetings to all of you. My name is Prabhash Mishra and today I’m going to give a speech on poverty in India. Please forgive me if I make any kind of mistake.

Poverty has become one of the most serious problems in India. Many efforts have been made to end it but still, everything seems to be the same.

Actually, poverty is such a condition that no one likes and no one wants to feel it. It has many faces. A person cannot progress in any field due to poverty. It not only makes a person socially weak but also lowers his standard of living. It’s such an invisible problem that it leads to a lack of independence, mental and physical strength in a person.

If you go to the big cities of India, you will get to see the extent of poverty.

It’s such a problem in India that children are begging to eat food and doing such things which they shouldn’t do. Due to poverty, some intelligent children are working instead of studying, as a result of which the country is declining in many fields.

In the real sense, it’s stopping the country from becoming a developed nation. The rich started looking at the poor with low eyesight.

Poverty in India has affected people in such a way that they have become mentally ill.

In conclusion, I would only say that it will not only ruin the happy life of the person but also create terrible problems. So, we all have to think about it so that we can reduce it. If we try a little bit, definitely we will see its effects after some years.

Therefore, we have to do something for all those people who are facing poverty so that they can develop themselves like others by changing their ways of earning.

Know also, how to give a speech on women’s empowerment ?

3. Speech on Poverty in India for 5 Minutes –

Good morning to all, my name is Nirmal Srivastava and I study in class 12th. Today, I’ve got a chance to give a speech on poverty in India, so if I forget something, please forgive me.

Poverty means falling from normal conditions. It’s a condition in which a person becomes very poor. Whenever poverty comes, there is a shortage of all the essential commodities.

That means when a person starts lacking food and clothes, poverty starts.

Poverty is becoming a difficult problem in India. Although many efforts are being made to reduce it, but it’s not ending.

Due to poverty, some people have been deprived of education, nutrition, and even essential things for a living. It has become such a problem that it has compelled people to do anything. There are many such places in India where poverty is at its peak, which seems that it’s never going to end in India.

This dreadful form of poverty has created a huge gap between the rich and the poor in society, which has also increased social anxiety.

Poverty in India is not only in rural areas but also seen in urban areas.

The main reason for poverty in urban areas is the increasing population. People are fleeing from villages to cities. Due to the lack of proper sources of income, they are facing difficulties to live, which has resulted in increasing poverty in the streets and congested areas of the cities.

The poverty scene in India is such that you will see people sleeping on the pavements of the streets due to the lack of proper accommodation to live in.

There is only one way to reduce poverty in India and that is people have to try to reduce it at their level. Foundations doing services will have to come forward. They have to identify such people who are below the poverty line or on the border and raise funds for them.

If needed, they should provide them food at both times, small houses to live in, and proper education in the initial phase so that they can make their life better like others.

At last, I end my words here and suggest you always help the poor.

Final words –

Ultimately, I hope that the article must have proved to be very helpful for you. Here, I have written some speeches on poverty in India.

You can pick up any of these speeches according to your suitability. If you really liked this article, please share it with those who need it.

Vijay Gupta

Hello everyone, My name is Vijay Gupta and I belong to a very small town that is situated in district Hardoi, which is in Uttar Pradesh. 1. Education – I’ve completed my primary education from a private school that is situated in my hometown and upper primary, matric and higher secondary education have been completed from a government college. Well, I was an average student till class 5th, but I accelerated my preference towards studies from class six. Consequently, I passed out many classes with good positions. Even I passed out 12th with good marks ( 405/500 ) and topped my college. Due to getting good marks, I got a cheque of 500 rupees and was rewarded by the Principal of my college. After completing my 12th, I prepared twice for IIT ( Indian Institute of Technology ) from Aakash institute, but unfortunately, I failed to get selected into the best IIT colleges. But during the preparation, I was being graduated from CSJMU Kanpur. I completed my graduation in 2016 and now I’m pursuing an educational degree ( B.Ed. ). 2. Profession – Although I love teaching, but I also do blogging. Both are my favorite jobs.

Related Post

Latest post.

bsf ro rm syllabus Pdf 2024

Easy Access to SRKR Syllabus PDF

labour inspector syllabus pdf download

Punjabi University Syllabus Pdf

ctet syllabus 2023-24 pdf download

ssc gd syllabus 2023-2024 in hindi pdf download

Nursery Class Syllabus PDF Download 

ktu syllabus Pdf 2023-2024

Subscribe Now! Get features like

• Latest News
• Entertainment
• Real Estate
• PBKS vs RCB Live Score
• CGBSE Result 2024 live
• Kerala Result live
• Lok Sabha Election 2024
• Election Schedule 2024
• PBKS vs RCB Live
• IPL 2024 Schedule
• IPL Points Table
• IPL Purple Cap
• IPL Orange Cap
• The Interview
• Web Stories
• Virat Kohli
• Mumbai News
• Bengaluru News
• Daily Digest

Fact Check: PM Modi's claim on Rahul Gandhi's 'silence' on Adani-Ambani debunked

Prime minister narendra modi claimed at a rally in telangana that rahul gandhi had stopped talking about gautam adani and mukesh ambani. here's what we found..

At a recent rally in Karimnagar in Telangana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has "stopped" talking about Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani.

“Friends, you must have seen that for the last five years, the prince of Congress (Rahul Gandhi) used to start chanting as soon as he woke up in the morning. Ever since his Rafale case got grounded, he has started a new chant. For the last five years, he used to chant the names of five industrialists. Then, he slowly started talking about Ambani-Adani. But, since the elections have been declared, he has stopped criticising Ambani and Adani. Today I want to ask the people of Telangana whether this prince can declare how much wealth he has collected from Ambani-Adani for this election? How many sacks of black money have you taken? Has a van full of notes reached for Congress? What's the deal, that you stopped criticizing Adani-Ambani overnight? There is definitely something fishy here.”

Is this true? : Team WebQoof went through Rahul Gandhi's speeches from 20 April to the present and found multiple mentions of Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani, hence, the Prime Minister's claim is false.

How did we find out? : We went on Congress's and Rahul Gandhi's YouTube page and started locating speeches from 19 April to the present.

19 April was the first phase of polling for the Lok Sabha elections.

Following are instances in the given timeline where we found Rahul Gandhi talking about the two industrialists:

Instance 1 : On 20 April, Rahul Gandhi addressed a public meeting in Bhagalpur in Bihar. At 5:47 minutes of the speech, Gandhi mentioned 'Ambani-Adani.' He spoke about how the two industrialists have enormous wealth, whereas the poor, farmers and labourers do not have a sizeable income. He attributed the Ambani-Adani's wealth to PM Modi.

Instance 2 : On the same date, Rahul Gandhi also addressed a meeting in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh. At 1:23 minutes into the speech, Rahul Gandhi mentions how Gautam Adani's group has control over airports, ports, mines, electricity, defence industry of the country.

Instance 3 : On 24 April, addressing a rally in Solapur, Maharashtra, Gandhi spoke against the two industrialists in his speech. At 6:36 minutes , he talks about how Gautam Adani and the poor people of the country pay the same amount of the Goods and Service Tax (GST), which was introduced by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Instance 4 : On 26 April, Rahul Gandhi addressed a public meeting in Bijapur, Karnataka. At 12:47 minutes , Rahul Gandhi said that Prime Minister Modi has helped the rich get richer by handing over all the contracts of arenas like airports, ports, solar power to the "people like Adani."

Instance 5 : On 28 April, Rahul Gandhi presented a speech in Kendrapara, Odisha where he also spoke about Adani. At 10:45 minutes , he mentions how Adani was given control and money of the people of Odisha. This was done by PM Modi and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, he said.

Instance 6 : On the same date, Gandhi spoke to the public in Daman and Diu. He mentioned the industrialist in his speech even there. At 14:32 minutes , he mentions that the government only wants to help a handful of rich people of the country. He said, “They want Adani's name to be put up in the beautiful beaches and locations of Daman and Diu.”

Instance 7 : On 29 April, Rahul Gandhi addressed a gathering in Patan, Gujarat. At 9:18 minutes , he mentions that people like Adani and Ambani own as much wealth as the 70 crore Indians.

Instance 8 : On the same date, Gandhi also addressed a rally at Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh. Around 18:25 minutes , he said the BJP's ideology is only to help a handful of people. He went on to say that their ideology is to give people like Ambani-Adani the wealth, land and forests of this country.

Instance 9 : On 30 April, Gandhi spoke at a rally in Bhind, Madhya Pradesh (MP). Around 24:48 minutes of the speech, he mentioned how only two to three "arabpatis" have access to all the arenas in the country. Gandhi said that Adani owns railways, solar power, roads and electricity. He added that the farm laws were enacted for people like Ambani-Adani.

Instance 10 : On 2 May, Rahul Gandhi spoke to the people in Shivamogga, Karnataka. Around 36:44 minutes of his speech, Gandhi said the government took the people's money and filled the pockets of few people like Ambani and Adani.

Instance 11 : The Congress leader addressed a public meeting in Pune, Maharashtra on 3 May. Around 11:03 minutes, he mentioned the the media in the country is controlled by Gautam Adani hence, it does not show issues such as farmers suicides, inflation and plight of agriculture in the country. Around 12:39 minutes , Gandhi said that the media is not of the people, it is Adani's and hence, they do whatever the industrialists say.

Instance 12: On 5 May, Rahul Gandhi addressed a crowd at Gadwal in Telangana. Around 31:33 minutes , Gandhi mentioned that in the last ten years of BJP's governance, whatever PM Modi has done is for the "arabpatis" of the country. Mentioning Adani, he said that it is for people like him that PM Modi has let go of their loans and given them control over the airports and industries of the country. He drew a comparison and mentioned that the BJP government does not let go of the loans of farmers and labourers.

Instance 13 : Addressing a rally in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh on 6 May, Rahul Gandhi did mention Adani and Ambani in his speech. Around 15:13 minutes , he said that if the Constitution was abolished then all the rights the people will disappear and destroyed. He said, "Your land, your water, your forests, reservation, public sector, everything will disappear and India will be ruled by 22-25 people." He mentioned people like Adani have eyes are on your land, forest and water and want them to be handed over to them.

Instance 14: On 7 May, Rahul Gandhi spoke at two rallies in Chaibasa and Gumla in Jharkhand.

At 25:50 minutes of his speech at Chaibasa, Rahul said, "The Constitution gives you reservation, jobs, education to your children and treatment to your children. If this disappears, then, the tribals will be left with nowhere." He mentioned that Dalits and backward classes will have no place, everything will go into the hands of a few billionaires such as Adani, who had his eyes on the people's forests, land and water.

In the speech delivered in Gumla, around 24:14 minutes , Rahul Gandhi said, “BJP says you are a forest dweller and then they give the entire forest to Adani.”

Congress's response to PM Modi's claim: Hours after PM Modi's statement, Rahul Gandhi posted a video on his social media platforms asking the Prime Minister how he knew about black money being transported in vans and whether he had any personal experience with it. He also told the PM that he should send the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to look into the matter.

On their YouTube page, Congress also posted a timeline video of Gandhi's speeches from May where he had mentioned Adani and Ambani, as well.

Conclusion: PM Modi's claim that Rahul Gandhi had stopped mentioning Ambani-Adani's name in his speeches is false.

Disclaimer: This story was originally published by The Quint , and republished by HT Digital as part of the Shakti Collective.

• Rahul Gandhi

IPL 2024 Coverage

Join Hindustan Times

Create free account and unlock exciting features like.

• Terms of use
• Privacy policy
• Weather Today
• HT Newsletters
• Subscription
• Print Ad Rates
• Code of Ethics

• IPL Live Score
• T20 World Cup Schedule
• IPL 2024 Auctions
• T20 World Cup 2024
• Cricket Teams
• Cricket Players
• ICC Rankings
• Cricket Schedule
• T20 World Cup Points Table
• Other Cities
• Income Tax Calculator
• Budget 2024
• Petrol Prices
• Diesel Prices
• Silver Rate
• Relationships
• Art and Culture
• Taylor Swift: A Primer
• Telugu Cinema
• Tamil Cinema
• Board Exams
• Exam Results
• Competitive Exams
• BBA Colleges
• Engineering Colleges
• Medical Colleges
• BCA Colleges
• Medical Exams
• Engineering Exams
• Horoscope 2024
• Festive Calendar 2024
• Compatibility Calculator
• The Economist Articles
• Lok Sabha States
• Lok Sabha Parties
• Lok Sabha Candidates
• Explainer Video
• On The Record
• Vikram Chandra Daily Wrap
• EPL 2023-24
• ISL 2023-24
• Asian Games 2023
• Public Health
• Economic Policy
• International Affairs
• Climate Change
• Gender Equality
• future tech
• Daily Sudoku
• Daily Crossword
• Daily Word Jumble
• HT Friday Finance
• Explore Hindustan Times
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Subscription - Terms of Use

Should India take from the rich, give the poor? A new election flashpoint

As India enters the second half of its giant election, wealth distribution has emerged as a central campaign faultline — and a battering ram for PM Modi to target the opposition.

New Delhi, India — As the world’s largest — and one of its most unequal — democracies votes in a mammoth national election, a new debate has gripped the campaigns of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress party.

At the heart of this latest political slugfest is the idea of a potential redistribution of wealth. But while the Congress party has alluded to the need for some resources to be reallocated to traditional marginalised economic and caste-based communities, Modi and the BJP have accused the opposition of plotting to hand over wealth from Hindu households to Muslims.

Keep reading

‘my vote snatched’: how to win india’s election without a single vote, photos: lone indian voter casts ballot in special forest booth, modi votes in home state as mammoth india election hits half-way mark, ‘serious job’: how a collective in election-bound india fights hate speech.

So what’s the controversy about and what do economists say about the proposals for a relook at India’s wealth distribution?

What is the controversy about?

In April, Rahul Gandhi, a scion of the Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty, said if voted to office, his Congress party would conduct a caste census along with an economic and institutional survey to determine who owns what and earns how much. Following this, a portion of the 16 trillion rupees ($192bn) of benefits given to 22 big businessmen by the Modi government would be transferred to 90 percent of the country’s people, as a starting point for delivering social justice, he said.

Gandhi described the caste census as an “X-ray” into Indian society. “This is not a political issue for me, this is my life mission,” Gandhi said. “You can write down; no force can stop the caste census.’’

The Congress party manifesto doesn’t talk directly about redistribution of wealth.  It says, “We will address the growing inequality of wealth and income through suitable changes in policies.’’  On the caste-based census, it says, “Congress will conduct a nation-wide Socio-Economic and Caste Census to enumerate the castes and sub-castes and their socio-economic conditions. Based on the data, we will strengthen the agenda for affirmative action.”

Yet, responding to Gandhi’s speech, Modi has been repeating in election rallies that the Congress party has hatched a “deep conspiracy’’ to snatch the wealth of people and gold of Hindu women to distribute it among Muslims, whom he described as “infiltrators” and “those who have more children”.

The opposition has accused Modi of resorting to “lies” and “hate speech” to distract people from high unemployment and rising prices, and has complained to the election commission.

Whose wealth and how much?

India is the fastest-growing major economy in the world, but also suffers from deepening inequality. Numerous studies have shown that the benefits of India’s brisk growth have been unevenly distributed.

A new study by researchers at the World Inequality Lab shows that income and wealth inequality in India today is, in many ways, worse than it was even under British colonial rule. India’s richest 1 percent control 22.6 percent of national income and more than 40 percent of the country’s wealth. Meanwhile, the bottom 50 percent control less than 10 percent of national wealth.

Inequality was worsened over the past decade of Modi’s rule. India has 271 dollar billionaires, third behind only China and the US — and world’s highest number of poor at 228.9 million, according to Oxfam India .

The Congress party has accused the Modi government of ‘crony capitalism’ and favouring certain businesses in government contracts. The government has denied the accusations saying it has not favoured companies and has instead invested in welfare programmes to improve the lives of the poor.

Experts say India’s inequality is the result of the prevailing economic and political system. Even as both governments of the BJP and the Congress have launched reforms and pushed for economic growth over the past three decades, they have failed to generate enough employment, check inflation, and move the workforce from low-income farming to well-paying non-farm jobs, resulting in high inequality of wealth and income.

Will wealth redistribution help?

There is no one view among economists. Those against the idea say redistribution will be counterproductive by taking capital from wealth generators thereby handicapping and disincentivising them to contribute to the economy.

But others argue that redistribution is required not only in wealth but also in opportunities like education, healthcare, access to financial resources, water and energy, which will boost poor people’s capacity to generate income and reduce inequality in the long run.

Redistribution of income and wealth is a very good idea in contemporary India, said Deepankar Basu, economics professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

“The high and rising level of economic inequality suggests that the economic system does not work equally for all. The wealth and income being generated by the system is predominantly being cornered by the rich,” said Basu. “Not only does this have economic implications, but it also distorts the democratic process — extreme wealth inequality allows the super-wealthy to disproportionately influence the political process through various channels like campaign contributions and donations to political parties. This erodes the democratic system of governance.’’

Devashish Mitra, professor of economics, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, New York, agreed that some wealth distribution “might not be a bad idea”.

“But it is a politically contentious issue, and there might be political problems in enacting any kind of means to redistribute wealth,’’ Mitra acknowledged.

One solution, Mitra said, might be to combine wealth redistribution with “some reduction in income taxes”. That would partially compensate for the wealth redistribution. “Then, we will have a combination of wealth taxes and income taxes that could lead to both greater equity and greater efficiency than in the current situation,’’ he said.

What’s the politics around it?

The Congress is arguing that data from a caste-based census will help with the implementation of welfare and social security schemes. The party has promised to raise a Supreme Court-mandated cap on reservations in higher education and government jobs for underprivileged groups called Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

If successful, this political pitch could in theory help the Congress break the BJP’s growing stranglehold over the Hindu vote across castes and sub-communities. Modi, in turn, has responded by alleging that the Congress wants to give Muslims benefits that are meant to be allocated on caste — not religious — lines. He has cited a 2006 speech by then Congress Prime Minister Manmohan Singh where he said disadvantaged communities and religious minorities, including Muslims, should have the first claim on national resources.

The Congress has insisted that it has no wealth redistribution plan, and that Singh’s 2006 comments had been misinterpreted.

What about inheritance tax?

In an April 24 television interview, Sam Pitroda, an adviser to the Nehru-Gandhi family and head of the overseas wing of the Congress party, added another twist to the debate by arguing that India should debate whether an inheritance tax might help reduce wealth inequality.

Modi has responded by accusing the Congress of plotting a wealth and inheritance tax that would snatch away people’s wealth accumulated through hard work. The Congress, he said, aims to loot people “zindagi ke saath bhi aur zindagi ke baad bhi” (in life, and after death), echoing the popular tagline of the state-owned Life Insurance Corporation.

अब कांग्रेस का कहना है कि वो Inheritance Tax लगाएगी, माता-पिता से मिलने वाली विरासत पर भी टैक्स लगाएगी। आप जो अपनी मेहनत से संपत्ति जुटाते हैं, वो आपके बच्चों को नहीं मिलेगी। कांग्रेस का पंजा वो भी आपसे लूट लेगा। कांग्रेस का मंत्र है- कांग्रेस की लूट… जिंदगी के साथ भी,… pic.twitter.com/1EMrEYMUeQ — BJP (@BJP4India) April 24, 2024

The Congress party distanced itself from Pitroda comments by saying his view does not reflect the position of the party. Jairam Ramesh, a spokesman of the Congress party, referred to past comments by BJP ministers in favour of an inheritance tax. Modi has clarified that the BJP has no intention to bring such a tax.

What is an inheritance tax?

An inheritance tax, also known as estate tax or death duty in some countries, is a levy imposed on the total value of money and property of a deceased person before it is passed on to their heirs. Generally, this tax is determined by assessing the value of the assets remaining after certain exemptions or deductions. Essentially, the government collects a share of the wealth transferred from the deceased to their beneficiaries.

Globally, inheritance taxes are widespread in nations including the UK, Japan, France, and Finland. The United States does not impose an inheritance tax at the federal level, though it has an estate tax. However, six states independently retain inheritance tax regimes.

There is no estate duty or inheritance tax payable in India. Estate duty on property that is passed on to the legal heirs on the death of a person was removed in 1985 by the then Congress government of Rajiv Gandhi — Rahul’s father — citing the need to simplify the tax system and promote investment and saving. However, other taxes such as capital gains tax, wealth tax, and gift tax are applied to inheritances depending on the circumstances.

Before the removal, estate duty was payable on a slab basis ranging approximately from 7.5 percent to 40 percent of the principal value of the estate. This estate tax was introduced in 1953 in a bid to reduce economic inequality.

In recent years, worldwide, there has been a trend towards scrapping estate or inheritance tax. Five European countries have abolished their estate or inheritance taxes since 2000. On the other hand, US President Joe Biden has been supporting higher taxes on inherited wealth.

Is an inheritance tax a good idea?

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said inheritance tax could nullify India’s decade of progress. Raghuram Rajan, former governor of the Reserve Bank of India has said that while inclusive growth will aid in the expansion of the economy, taxing the rich more is not the way to do that.

Other economists back an inheritance tax. “An inheritance tax will make the whole economic system fairer by redistributing some of the accumulated wealth away from the children of wealthy people,’’ said Basu. “These tax revenues can then be used to finance public education, provide public healthcare and affordable housing, and support mitigation efforts related to the negative effects of climate change, which disproportionately impacts the poor.’’

Syracuse University’s Mitra said that while an inheritance tax might make some economic sense, he sees “enormous scope for corruption, stemming from the subjectivity in the valuation of inheritances and the unlimited scope in misreporting the actual value of inheritances”.

What is the way forward?

Progressive taxation and greater social spending could be other solutions to boost economic equality . A greater emphasis on wealth taxes such as capital income taxation, net wealth taxation, and transfer taxation would generate tax revenue that could allow greater investment in health, education and infrastructure.

“There are many policies that can be adopted to address rising economic inequality in India,’’ said Basu. “These include increasing the tax rate for the top 1 percent of income earners, increasing the corporate tax rate on relatively large firms, improving educational opportunities and making them accessible for the poor.’’

Take the Quiz: Find the Best State for You »

What's the best state for you ».

India Votes in Third Phase of National Elections as Modi Escalates His Rhetoric Against Muslims

Millions of Indians across 93 constituencies are voting as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has mounted an increasingly shrill election campaign, ramping up polarizing rhetoric against Muslims

Ajit Solanki

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, shows the indelible ink mark on his index finger after casting his vote during the third phase of general elections, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

NEW DELHI (AP) — Millions of Indian voters across 93 constituencies were casting ballots on Tuesday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi mounted an increasingly shrill election campaign, ramping up polarizing rhetoric in incendiary speeches that have targeted the Muslim minority.

In recent campaign rallies, Modi has called Muslims “infiltrators” and said they “have too many children,” referring to a Hindu nationalist trope that Muslims produce more children with the aim of outnumbering Hindus in India. He has also accused the rival Indian National Congress party of scheming to “loot” wealth from the country’s Hindus and redistribute it among Muslims, who comprise 14% of India’s more than 1.4 billion people.

Tuesday’s polling in the third round of multi-phase national elections has crucial seats up for grabs in states including Karnataka, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Most polls predict a win for Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party, which is up against a broad opposition alliance led by the Congress and powerful regional parties . The staggered election will run until June 1 and votes will be counted on June 4.

Modi, who voted in western Ahmedabad city on Tuesday, had kicked off his campaign with a focus on economic progress, promising he would make India a developed nation by 2047. But in recent weeks, he and the ruling BJP have doubled down heavily on their Hindu nationalism platform , with Modi employing some of his most divisive rhetoric in his decade in power.

Analysts say the change in tone comes as the BJP aims to clinch a supermajority or two-thirds of the 543 seats up for grabs in India’s lower Parliament by consolidating votes among the majority Hindu population, who make up 80%. They say Modi’s party is also ratcheting up polarizing speeches to distract voters from larger issues, like unemployment and economic distress, that the opposition has focused on.

While India’s economy is among the world’s fastest growing, many people face growing economic stress. The opposition alliance hopes to tap into this discontent, seeking to galvanize voters on issues like high unemployment , inflation, corruption and low agricultural prices, which have driven two years of farmers’ protests .

“The mask has dropped, and I think it is political compulsions that have made them do this,” said Ali Khan Mahmudabad, a political science professor at New Delhi’s Ashoka University.

Changes in the BJP’s campaign may also be a sign of anxiety around low voter turnout it had not anticipated, Mahmudabad said. Voter turnout in the first two phases have been slightly lower than the same rounds in the last election in 2019, according to official data.

“In recent elections, the BJP’s wins have been associated with getting the voters out (to vote),” Mahmudabad said. “There may be some fatigue, anti-incumbency or even disenchantment,” which has led the BJP to escalate their rhetoric.

Modi, in numerous speeches in recent weeks, has said women's wealth could be at risk if Congress comes to power, claiming the party would snatch away their “mangalsutra” — a sacred gold chain that indicates a Hindu woman's marital status — and give it to its voters, a veiled reference to Muslims. The opposition won’t stop there, he has repeatedly claimed, saying the party was conspiring to take away “your property” and “distribute it among selected people.”

Others in Modi's party have echoed his remarks. A recent video posted by the BJP on Instagram was more direct. The animated campaign video, which has since been taken down from the social media platform, said if the Congress party comes to power, it will take money and wealth from non-Muslims and redistribute it to Muslims.

The Congress party and other political opponents have characterized Modi’s remarks as “hate speech” that could fan religious tensions. They have also filed complaints with India’s election commission, which is overseeing the polls, for breaching rules that ban candidates from appealing to “caste or communal feelings” to secure votes.

The commission can issue warnings and suspend candidates for a period of time over violations of the code of conduct, but it has issued no warnings to Modi so far.

Modi's critics say India’s tradition of diversity and secularism has come under attack since the prime minister and his party rose to power a decade ago. While there have long been tensions between India’s majority Hindu community and Muslims, rights groups say that attacks against minorities have become more brazen under Modi.

The party denies the accusation and says its policies benefit all Indians.

Mahmudabad, the political scientist, said Modi’s party had counted on getting votes from the fervor over a Hindu temple that was built atop a razed mosque that Modi opened in January. Many saw the glitzy spectacle as the unofficial start of his election campaign.

“Instead, people are talking about inflation, unemployment and economic distress,” Mahmudabad said. “And so in order to galvanize and consolidate their vote, the BJP has raised the specter of Muslims.”

Copyright 2024 The  Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Photos You Should See - May 2024

Join the Conversation

Tags: Associated Press , politics , elections , Islam , religion , world news

America 2024

Health News Bulletin

Stay informed on the latest news on health and COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report.

Sign in to manage your newsletters »

Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy .

You May Also Like

The 10 worst presidents.

U.S. News Staff Feb. 23, 2024

Cartoons on President Donald Trump

Feb. 1, 2017, at 1:24 p.m.

Photos: Obama Behind the Scenes

April 8, 2022

Photos: Who Supports Joe Biden?

March 11, 2020

Stormy Daniels' Testimony Gets Heated

Laura Mannweiler and Lauren Camera May 9, 2024

How Rare Are Brain Worms Like RFK Jr.’s?

Laura Mannweiler May 8, 2024

QUOTES: Israel's Rafah Attack

Cecelia Smith-Schoenwalder May 8, 2024

K-12 Officials Hit Back at Congress

Aneeta Mathur-Ashton May 8, 2024

The Trump Trials, Explained

Lauren Camera and Kaia Hubbard May 8, 2024

QUOTES: Stormy Daniels’ Testimony

Cecelia Smith-Schoenwalder May 7, 2024