Narendra Modi’s Epic Speech on August 15, 2014

It’s been three months since the nation voted Narendra Modias Prime Minister in a humungous display of faith and trust in a single man.India believed that for the first time after Jawaharlal Nehru they had a “leader”in the true sense of the word. But ever since his victory speech in Vadodaraafter his record-breaking and record-making victory, the verbose Narendra Modifell silent. This was quite unnerving for all those who had become used tohearing him almost 24/7 across all TV channels for close to six months (giveor take a few months to this number). It was Modi’s vision that India believedin. It was Modi’s mission that the country had voted for. It was Modi’s clarityand direction of development that the nation overwhelmingly supported. It is the norm that the Prime Minister addresses the nationon the Independence Day, August 15. People were waiting eagerly to hear himagain. What was expected was a litany of projects undertaken or executed in thepast three months.

On August 15, Narendra Modi gave an epic speech on from theRed Fort to the country. His speech of impressive, invigorating and inspiring.All those who were getting disappointed after three months of the electionresults were filled with hope and belief once again. Modi belied expectations.In an eighty-four minute speech (the second longest address by a Prime Ministeron Independence Day – the longest was Nehru’s speech), Modi spoke about safety,women, gender ratios, e-governance and many other issues, including, and veryimportantly, cleanliness. He appealed for a change in mindset from parentstowards the girl child and also enlisted parents in creating a saferenvironment for women by keeping a check on the boys. He sent out an entreatyfor the end of violence. He officially announced the end of the dinosaur, ThePlanning Commission.

It is not possible to capture everything he spoke about butit is possible to capture the mood it gave going by all the posts on Facebook andin other social media – people felt rejuvenated with hope – once again. Theeffect has been electric. This brings me to a moot point: Modi really needs to engagewith the country more often. To sustain the belief that has been reposed inhim, Narendra Modi should address the Nation at least once a month. In absence ofcommunication from him the mood dissipates rather quickly.