Figure of speech: on the Prime Minister’s Independence Day address

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 12th consecutive Independence Day address from the Red Fort was notable not only for highlighting national security and self-reliance but also for laying stress on a communally coloured demographic threat to the country. While showering praise on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Mr. Modi repeated its refrain by saying that the seeds of a new crisis were being sown. The launch of a High-Powered Demography Mission, to address what he described as “a deliberate conspiracy” to alter the demography of the country, is little more than a thinly disguised effort to polarise the country on religious lines by pointing to the different rates of growth in population among different communities and to the “infiltration” of undocumented migrants from the neighbouring countries. However, the speech also dwelt on substantive issues with a considerable focus on self-reliance in all fields including the economy, defence and technology, and youth empowerment. Mr. Modi also presented an account of the developments in India’s national security and developmental landscape in the last year, and previewed what to anticipate ahead.

Mr. Modi lauded the armed forces for Operation Sindoor, which, he said, showcased the effectiveness of India’s defence capabilities and indigenous weaponry. He also used the occasion to warn India’s adversaries, particularly Pakistan, underscoring the policy of zero tolerance toward terrorism and cross-border attacks. Recent successes in the combat against the Maoist insurgency also found a mention. As in a plan announced by Mr. Modi, Mission Sudarshan Chakra, a fully indigenous defence system, will be developed and deployed by 2035. The details were scarce, but he described it as “a powerful weapon system” which “will not only neutralise the enemy’s attack but will also hit back at the enemy many times more”. Speaking amid rapid changes in global power equations, Mr. Modi’s Independence Day message was also aimed at the United States, which has announced tariffs as high as 50% on many Indian products. While promising to focus on revving up the domestic economy, Mr. Modi showed an awareness of the challenges that the Indian economy is facing. The next generation GST reforms would be rolled out by Deepavali 2025, which would reduce the tax burden on core goods and services and boost business. On the one hand, Mr. Modi is trying to cultivate his ideological ecosystem while on the other, he is trying to tackle the material challenges facing the nation. The success of one, however, can only come at the cost of the other.