'Foreign infiltrators, arms smuggling…': on 1996 Independence Day, PM Deve Gowda's Northeast alert

As India prepares to celebrate Independence Day, Hindustan Times revisits Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda's Independence Day address from the Red Fort.

As India prepares to celebrate Independence Day, Hindustan Times continues its special series revisiting some of the most iconic Independence Day speeches delivered by the country's Prime Ministers. In the tenth episode, we revisit Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda's Independence Day address from the Red Fort in 1996.

'Foreign infiltrators…': on 1996 I-Day, PM Deve Gowda's Northeast alert

The defining theme of Gowda's speech was democracy, social justice, economic development and national unity. Speaking as the son of a farmer, Gowda highlighted how India's Constitution and democratic system had enabled an ordinary citizen to rise to the position of Prime Minister.