Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15 August 2025 invoked the legacies of India's foremost freedom fighters and nation-builders — from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru to Babasaheb Ambedkar, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and Bhagat Singh — urging every citizen to draw strength from their ideals in pursuit of a Viksit Bharat (Developed India). Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort during the 80th Independence Day celebrations, Modi framed the country's developmental journey as a collective moral obligation rooted in the sacrifices of those who shaped the republic.

The Panch Pran Reminder

Modi revisited his earlier call for the 'Panch Pran' — or Five Pledges — first articulated from the same Red Fort battlements, describing them as a source of national self-confidence and forward momentum. 'These Five Pledges have given the nation immense support to move forward with self-pride and with the strength to overcome and achieve our goals. We must continuously erase the mindset of servitude at every moment,' he said.

The Panch Pran framework, introduced in his 2022 Independence Day address, centres on a developed India, erasing the colonial mindset, pride in heritage, unity, and fulfilling civic duties — a rubric Modi has returned to repeatedly as a unifying national theme.

The Roll Call of Icons

In a notably inclusive invocation, the Prime Minister named a wide spectrum of historical figures cutting across ideological lines: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Babasaheb Ambedkar, Pandit Nehru, Sardar Patel, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru, Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Bhagwan Birsa Munda, and Jyotiba Phule. 'Let us move forward with inspiration from all of them. Come, let us repeat this resolve — national interest above self, duty as our identity,' Modi said.

Notably, the list bridges figures from the Congress tradition, the socialist left, the Hindu nationalist lineage, the Dalit emancipation movement, and the Adivasi resistance — a rhetorical breadth that signals an attempt to construct an all-encompassing national narrative ahead of a period of intense political competition.

The Viksit Bharat Vision

Modi called on citizens to collectively transform aspirations into achievements, stressing that India possesses the time, opportunity, and determination required. 'Time is ours, opportunity is ours, resolve is ours — come, let's turn dreams into resolve, forge a resolve of capability, and keep transforming into that capability,' he declared.

He closed with a Hindi couplet that encapsulated the call to collective action: 'Har kadam ko vikas ka kadam banaye, kadam se kadam milaye, man se man milaye, lakshya se jude rahe. Ek deep se jale deep hazaaro, aao milke Viksit Bharat banaye' — rendered in English as: 'Let every step be a step towards progress; let us march in unison, unite our hearts, and remain steadfast in our goal. From one lamp, let thousands be lit — come, let us join hands to build a Viksit Bharat.'

Context and Significance

This comes amid sustained government messaging around the 2047 centenary of Independence as a target year for India to achieve developed-nation status. The 80th Independence Day marks a symbolic midpoint in that countdown, lending the address particular weight as a reaffirmation of long-term national intent. Modi's decision to name Nehru — whose legacy has often been contested in ruling-party discourse — alongside figures more traditionally associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worldview drew immediate attention from political observers.