'Vande Mataram' echoes from Red Fort for first time as PM Modi leads historic Independence Day event

Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked India's 80th Independence Day with a historic address from the Red Fort, emphasizing the significance of the patriotic song 'Vande Mataram' echoing from the monument for the first time since the nation's independence.

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The country today remembers with reverence those great sons and daughters who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom of the nation. With freedom as the sole objective, they devoted their entire lives to sacrifice and struggle.

Modi, unfurling the Tricolour and paying tribute to freedom fighters, described the occasion as a "historic moment." He highlighted that the song, which marks 150 years since its creation, resonated from the Red Fort on August 15 for the first time, symbolizing a connection to the nation's struggle for freedom.

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I respectfully salute revered Bapu and all the freedom fighters, as well as the great revolutionaries who inspired this glorious tradition of sacrifice.

The celebrations this year focused on "Yuva Shakti" (youth power) and India's ambition to achieve the status of a "Viksit Bharat" (developed nation) by 2047. Modi's speech was his 13th consecutive Independence Day address from the historic fort. The ceremony included a 21-gun salute and performances, with participation from around 2,500 cadets and My Bharat volunteers, alongside thousands of special guests.

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For everyone present at this ceremony today, this is also a historic moment. For the first time since Independence, Vande Mataram is echoing from the Red Fort on August 15.