Now Reading: HT revisits Rao’s 1995 terror warning, Manmohan’s 2013 sub message
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HT revisits Rao’s 1995 terror warning, Manmohan’s 2013 sub message
As India prepares for Independence Day, Hindustan Times is revisiting iconic speeches from the Red Fort. In its ninth episode, the outlet highlights PM P. V. Narasimha Rao's 1995 address, in which…
The Story in Brief
As India prepares for Independence Day, Hindustan Times is revisiting iconic speeches from the Red Fort. In its ninth episode, the outlet highlights PM P. V. Narasimha Rao's 1995 address, in which he warned that Pakistan was 'exporting terror' and said Jammu and Kashmir is 'not an issue' but a part of India. Rao's speech also focused on the benefits of economic reforms reaching ordinary citizens.
In a separate episode on PM Manmohan Singh's 2013 speech, Hindustan Times notes he began by expressing solidarity with Uttarakhand flood victims and announced the navy's first nuclear submarine. Singh paid tribute to rescue workers who died in the disaster. Both addresses, delivered years apart, reflect the changing priorities of India's leadership on security and development.
The Indian Opinion
These old speeches are often cherry-picked for partisan point-scoring. Rao's warning on Pakistan is hailed by one side as prophetic, while the other side recalls Manmohan Singh's nuclear milestone as proof of UPA's defence credentials. Both are oversimplifications. Rao spoke during a period of active cross-border militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, while Singh's announcement came years after the nuclear submarine project began. The real test is not who said what when, but whether today's India is safer and more self-reliant than it was. That question remains open.
Sources (2): hindustantimes.com, hindustantimes.com (2)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
