PM says \u2018self-reliant India is the responsibility of every citizen\u2019 75 years after end of British rule
\n New Delhi
\nThe Indian \u2018prime minister, Narendra Modi, has pledged to turn India into a developed country within the next 25 years.
\nWearing a flowing, cream-coloured turban with stripes of orange, white and green, the colours of the Indian flag, Modi addressed the country from New Delhi\u2019s 17th-century Mughal-era Red Fort to mark the 75th anniversary of India\u2019s independence from British rule.
\nModi said the world\u2019s view of India was changing and it was looking to the country to help resolve global issues.
\nFollowing a 21-gun salute, reportedly executed using howitzers made domestically for the first time under Modi\u2018s \u201cMake In India\u201d industrial strategy, the prime minister said Indians should shed \u201ccolonialism in our minds and habits\u201d.
\n\u201cHundreds of years of colonialism has restricted our sentiments, distorted our thoughts. When we see even the smallest thing related to colonialism in us or around us, we have to be rid of it,\u201d Modi said in a 90-minute speech from the ramparts of the fort in the Indian capital, which was decorated with portraits of freedom fighters and guarded by mechanical elephants.
\nModi also said India should crush the \u201ctermite\u201d of corruption and nepotism, follow an \u201cIndia First\u201d mantra and ensure that \u201cin speech and conduct, we do nothing that lowers a woman\u2019s dignity\u201d.
\n\u201cSelf-reliant India is the responsibility of every citizen, every government, every unit of society,\u201d he said.
\nPresident Joe Biden in a statement celebrating Indian Independence Day said the US and India were indispensable partners, and their partnership was grounded in a shared commitment to the rule of law and the promotion of human freedom and dignity.
\nBiden said he was confident \u201cthe two countries will continue to stand together to defend the rules-based order; foster greater peace, prosperity and security for our people; advance a free and open Indo-Pacific; and together address the challenges we face around the world\u201d.
\nModi said India would be guided by the ideals of self-reliance and the spirit of international partnership to attain excellence in science and technology, set up industries, and attain food and energy security. He said billions of dollars in investment were flowing into the country, turning it into a manufacturing hub.
\nIndia\u2019s efforts have already launched the country of 1.4 billion people into the ranks of leading countries in information technology, pharmacy, space science and civil nuclear energy.
\nModi said millions of people across the country were commemorating the 75th anniversary of independence by hoisting orange, white and green national flags at their homes and businesses for three days as part of a government campaign \u201cof awakening the spirit of patriotism in every heart\u201d.
\nModi said the journey of the past 75 years had seen ups and downs with India battling against all odds with resilience and perseverance. He asked people to remove any trace of a colonial mindset.
\nThe main opposition Congress party accused the Modi government of leaving opposition parties out of celebrations.
\n\u201cThere were special functions in parliament\u2019s historic Central Hall to mark the 25th, 50th and 60th anniversary of India\u2019s independence,\u201d said Jairam Ramesh, an India National Congress party spokesperson. \u201cSadly, nothing like that has been organised for the 75th anniversary, which has been reduced to an occasion to glorify the Sarvagyaani,\u201d using a term meaning \u201ca person who knows all\u201d in reference to Modi.
\nIn his speech, Modi made no reference to India\u2019s tense relations with its immediate neighbours Pakistan and China, nor any steps to improve relations.
\nHe called for unity among Indians but did not respond to experts and critics who say the country has been gradually departing from some democratic commitments and argue the backsliding has accelerated since Modi came to power in 2014. They accuse his populist government of using unbridled political power to undermine democratic freedoms and preoccupying itself with pursuing a Hindu nationalist agenda.
\nModi pledged to fight corruption and nepotism in the country\u2019s politics, which he said were acting as termites eating away the gains of development.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PM says \u2018self-reliant India is the responsibility of every citizen\u2019 75 years after end of British rule New Delhi The Indian \u2018prime minister, Narendra Modi, has pledged to turn India into a developed country within the next 25 years. Wearing a flowing, cream-coloured turban with stripes of orange, white and green, the colours of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":277463,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-277440","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n