New Delhi, Aug 14 (UNI) India's continuing battle against poverty, on the one hand, and terrorism and insurgency, on the other, will be the twin themes of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's address to the nation from the ramparts of the historic Red Fort on Independence Day tomorrow.
The day will mark the beginning of the 60th year of independence for India and Dr Singh, more than aware of the significance of the occasion, has been working on his speech for nearly a month now, official sources told UNI.
"He has already gone through some 12 drafts of the address in the midst of a very busy schedule," they said.
Apart from the war against poverty and terrorism, the Prime Minister will also focus on another topic close to his heart---the efforts being made by the government to provide the youth of the country the opportunities they need to realise their full potential in a rapidly globalising world.
This assumes importance in view of the fact that India has emerged as one of the world's youngest countries today in demographic terms, with the average age of its population around 25 years.
The sources said Dr Singh would also use the opportunity to take stock of what the country has achieved since the first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, made his famous "Tryst with Destiny" speech in August, 1947 and outline his own vision of India's future.
"The Independence Day speech is traditionally the Prime Minister's own vision of the country's future, rather than a mere statement of government policy," the sources explained.
In Dr Singh's case, the vision will be of a confident nation wedded to the values of democracy, pluralism and social justice.
"Overall, it will be a statement of confidence. That India has achieved a lot over the past six decades through a vibrant democracy but there are major challenges such as poverty and terrorism to be tackled," the sources said.
The address, which will be Dr Singh's third from the Red Fort, will be made against a grim scenario in many parts of India.
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The day will mark the beginning of the 60th year of independence for India and Dr Singh, more than aware of the significance of the occasion, has been working on his speech for nearly a month now, official sources told UNI.
"He has already gone through some 12 drafts of the address in the midst of a very busy schedule," they said.
Apart from the war against poverty and terrorism, the Prime Minister will also focus on another topic close to his heart---the efforts being made by the government to provide the youth of the country the opportunities they need to realise their full potential in a rapidly globalising world.
This assumes importance in view of the fact that India has emerged as one of the world's youngest countries today in demographic terms, with the average age of its population around 25 years.
The sources said Dr Singh would also use the opportunity to take stock of what the country has achieved since the first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, made his famous "Tryst with Destiny" speech in August, 1947 and outline his own vision of India's future.
"The Independence Day speech is traditionally the Prime Minister's own vision of the country's future, rather than a mere statement of government policy," the sources explained.
In Dr Singh's case, the vision will be of a confident nation wedded to the values of democracy, pluralism and social justice.
"Overall, it will be a statement of confidence. That India has achieved a lot over the past six decades through a vibrant democracy but there are major challenges such as poverty and terrorism to be tackled," the sources said.
The address, which will be Dr Singh's third from the Red Fort, will be made against a grim scenario in many parts of India.
More UNI SA RP DS1423
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