--- description: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked 70 years of independence from British colonial rule with a speech. Read the full transcript here title: Read Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day Speech image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd0c51671ee6d7a8a/6988d9cd656a3ff7babd1489/narendra-modi-indpendence-day-speech.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [India](/tag/india/) ## India Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Read the Full Transcript of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day Speech by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Aug 15, 2017 5:04 PM CUT  Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses on the occasion of 71st Independence Day Celebrations at Red Fort, on August 15, 2017 in New Delhi, India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses on the occasion of 71st Independence Day Celebrations at Red Fort, on August 15, 2017 in New Delhi, India.Raj K Raj—Hindustan Times/Getty Images by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Aug 15, 2017 5:04 PM CUT India’s Prime Minister [Narendra Modi](http://time.com/4634256/narendra-modi-gandhi-iconic-calendar-india-kvic/ "undefined") marked the 70th anniversary of the country’s independence from [British colonial rule](http://time.com/4891743/india-independence-1947/ "undefined") with a speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi. He reiterated calls to end [mob violence](http://time.com/4838566/india-beef-lynching-attacks-muslims/ "undefined") in the country, which has been directed against India’s lower castes and religious minorities. “Sometimes in the name of faith, some people due to lack of patience end up destroying the social fabric” he said on Tuesday. “The country is governed by peace, harmony and unity. The poison of casteism and communalism can never benefit the country.” Modi used the annual speech to ask Indians to work together and build a “New India.” “If each one of us, irrespective of where he belongs to, strives with a new resolve, a new energy, a new strength, we can change the face of the country with our combined strength in the 75th year of our independence in 2022.” He said. “It will be the New India – a secure, prosperous and strong nation.” Read the full transcript of Modi’s words below: --- > “” --- ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4901564/narendra-modi-india-70-independence-day-speech/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4901564/narendra-modi-india-70-independence-day-speech/"},"headline":"Read the Full Transcript of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day Speech","datePublished":"2017-08-15T17:04:32.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T16:59:45.781Z","description":"He reiterated calls to end mob violence","url":"https://time.com/4901564/narendra-modi-india-70-independence-day-speech/","keywords":["India"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd0c51671ee6d7a8a/6988d9cd656a3ff7babd1489/narendra-modi-indpendence-day-speech.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd0c51671ee6d7a8a/6988d9cd656a3ff7babd1489/narendra-modi-indpendence-day-speech.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses on the occasion of 71st Independence Day Celebrations at Red Fort, on August 15, 2017 in New Delhi, India.","caption":"Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses on the occasion of 71st Independence Day Celebrations at Red Fort, on August 15, 2017 in New Delhi, India.","creditText":"Raj K Raj—Hindustan Times/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/india/","name":"India"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4901564/narendra-modi-india-70-independence-day-speech/","name":"Read the Full Transcript of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day Speech"}}]}] ```