Preparations for the Independence Day celebrations are in full swing. This year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation from the Red Fort in Delhi for the 11th consecutive time. Here’s why this year’s event is special.
PM Modi’s Historic Address
This will be the 11th time that PM Modi will address the nation from the Red Fort. After Jawaharlal Nehru, Modi will become the second Prime Minister to deliver the Independence Day speech 11 times in a row. As he begins his third term, PM Modi is expected to outline the government’s priorities and share a roadmap for making India a developed nation.
Special Guests at Red Fort
This year, special guests will be present at the Red Fort during the celebrations. Representatives of four groups that PM Modi often talks about—poor people, youth, farmers, and women—will be invited. Around 4,000 guests from these groups have been sent invitations.
Guests Divided into 11 Categories
The responsibility of inviting guests has been given to various ministries, including Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Youth Affairs, and Women and Child Development. Additionally, the Panchayati Raj, Rural Development, Tribal Affairs, Education, and Defense Ministries, along with NITI Aayog, are also involved in creating the guest list. All Indian athletes who participated in the Olympics may also be invited. In total, over 18,000 people are expected to attend the Independence Day program.
‘Tiranga’ Rally in Kashmir
Ahead of Independence Day, a large ‘Tiranga’ rally was organized in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, on Monday. Thousands of people participated in the rally, which was led by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. The rally started at the Botanical Garden on the banks of Dal Lake and participants marched to the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) before returning to the garden.
The ‘Tiranga’ rally is part of the government’s ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign, which encourages people to display the national flag at their homes to mark India’s independence. Similar rallies were held in several districts of the Union Territory on Saturday. After the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, Jammu & Kashmir was fully integrated with the rest of India. Since then, it has become mandatory to hoist the national flag on August 15 in all government buildings, schools, colleges, and universities from Kashmir to Kanyakumari to send a powerful message of India’s unity and integrity.