Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to deliver his 11th consecutive Independence Day address on Thursday, marking his first speech since securing a record-equalling third consecutive term in office. When PM Modi took the oath on June 9, he matched the record of India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, for three terms. He now joins Nehru and Indira Gandhi as the only prime ministers to address the nation from the Red Fort on eleven consecutive August 15 events.
Nehru, a prominent Congress leader, delivered 17 consecutive Independence Day speeches, while Indira Gandhi, who served as prime minister from January 1966 to March 1977 and again from January 1980 to October 1984, addressed the nation 16 times, including 11 consecutive speeches.
With this year’s address, PM Modi will surpass former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s record of ten Independence Day speeches. Modi’s first Independence Day speech in 2014 introduced significant initiatives such as the Swachh Bharat Mission and Jan Dhan accounts. Since then, he has used the occasion to announce various key programmes.
Prime Minister Modi’s Independence Day speeches average 82 minutes, making them the longest of any Indian prime minister. Former PM I.K. Gujral’s single speech in 1997 comes close, lasting 71 minutes. Modi’s speeches have ranged from 55 minutes in 2017 to a record 94 minutes in 2016.
Government archives indicate that the average duration of Independence Day speeches has increased over time. Nehru’s first speech in 1947 lasted just 24 minutes, while Indira Gandhi’s longest speech in 1972 was 54 minutes long.
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