This was the Prime Minister’s last Independence Day speech before the Lok Sabha elections of 2024. But he made it clear, both by his body language and the nuances in his address, that the way he saw it, this was not his last speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort. He spoke not just of the past nine years, but also the next five years, bringing in both delivery and promise in his marathon address. The PM’s speech lasted for about 90 minutes. (As a side note, the first Independence Day speech given by Prime Minister Nehru lasted 24 minutes).
Given the Opposition’s focus on Manipur, the PM did make a mention of the strife-torn state, stating that both the state and the Centre are focusing on a solution through peace. He then went on to talk about his plans for the women of India, how he wants to make two crore lakhpati didis at the rural level. An anecdote followed where the Prime Minister recalled during one of his foreign visits, he was asked if girls take part in science and engineering. To which he pointed out that there were more girls than boys in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths (STEM) than boys. This nugget was of course to offset the Opposition’s criticism that this government has not been good for the girl child, from the Manipur rapes to the sexual harassment allegations by the Indian wrestling team.
Other achievements were extolled. From deep sea missions, to the semiconductor industry to Vande Bharat trains, to 200 crore vaccinations and moving from 5G to 6G. These have been applauded globally as well, making India a sought-after destination for manufacturers. The Modi government has a slogan to capture the moment: Atmanirbhar.
While the PM listed out most of his achievements, he left out his most notable one—and that is the death of the Opposition. Despite the high-profile branding of I.N.D.I.A and the getting together of Opposition stalwarts on one platform, the PM and his team are still winning the war. Yes, there are a few dents here and there, but none have managed to halt the PM’s momentum. The No-Confidence Motion in Parliament managed to highlight the government’s apathy towards Manipur, but what now? Is the Manipur chapter closed, now that the Parliament session has been adjourned or will the Opposition keep up the heat?
On the anvil are three state elections in the North (Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh) along with one in the South (Telangana). The Congress is expected to win at least two of these, if not three in the North, while it should emerge as the principal Opposition party in Telangana.
Yet when we speak to any analyst, the general feedback is that while the Opposition may score at the state level, the PM still has the edge at the national level. The Opposition’s best bet then is to ensure that the PM does not return with a full mandate even if the BJP manages to remain the single largest party. Being accountable to allies will halt the Modi momentum, and as far as the Opposition is concerned, it’s a start.
