Independence Day: PM Narendra Modi today addressed the nation from the Red Fort in Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech today highlighted the importance of maintaining ties with nations whose values are similar to India's democracy. He said neighbours are not only those with whom India shares its boundaries.
"Today, neighbours are not only those with whom we share our geographical boundaries but also those with whom our emotions and values meet," PM Modi said in his second Independence Day speech after winning a second term.
He appreciated nations in the west for working in coordination in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, and thanked countries in the east for playing a key role in economic growth and bringing peace.
India shares borders with China, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Other neighbours are Sri Lanka and Maldives.
Pakistan backs terrorists who operate in Jammu and Kashmir, and India just had a violent face-off with China in eastern Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control or LAC.
In the one-hour 26-minute speech, PM Modi focused on the themes of "Aatma Nirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India)", "Vocal for local" and "Make in India to Make for World". He also paid tribute to those on the frontlines of the fight against the coronavirus and declared that India had a roadmap ready for the production and distribution of three COVID-19 vaccines that are at various stages of testing.