NEW DELHI // The Indian prime minister took aim at supporters of “terrorism” in his Independence Day speech on Monday, ratcheting up criticism of Pakistan while avoiding direct mention of protests in Indian-ruled Kashmir.
Narendra Modi, 65, also pitched a vision of national unity and progress in his third annual address from the ramparts of the Red Fort in Old Delhi that, at 94 minutes, was the longest delivered by the leader.
Yet it was a broadside against Pakistan, the arch rival also born out of independence from Britain and partition, that left the strongest impression in a speech that otherwise skirted foreign affairs and focused on his government’s own achievements.
“What kind of life is this, inspired by terrorism? What kind of government set-up is it that is inspired by terrorism?” asked Mr Modi, who delivered the open-air address amid heavy security in the Indian capital.
“The world will know about it and that’s sufficient for me.”
A paramilitary police commander was shot dead in fresh violence in Kashmir on Independence Day, while four suspected separatist militants were killed in gun battles.
The commander was injured in an ambush on a patrol in Srinagar and died in hospital, while two militants were killed in a shootout which followed the attack.
Two other militants were shot after crossing the de facto border with Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Kashmir has witnessed violent protests since a July 8 gunfight in which security forces killed a popular commander of the Pakistan-based militant group Hizbul Mujahideen. At least 54 people have been killed and thousands hurt in clashes with the security forces.
Mr Modi met leaders of national parties on Friday to seek ways to end the worst unrest in Kashmir since 2010.
Both India and Pakistan rule Kashmir in part but claim it in full. The nuclear-armed neighbours have fought two wars since independence 69 years ago over the Muslim-majority region where the Line of Control, or de facto border, still runs roughly where the guns fell silent in 1948.
In keeping with earlier speeches, Mr Modi delivered a report card on efforts to improve the lot of ordinary Indians, reeling off achievements in rural electrification, financial inclusion and health provision, including the building of more than 20 million toilets for the poor to end the widespread practice of outdoor defecation.
He strongly backed the fight against inflation, endorsing a 4 per cent target, within a range of 2 percentage points either way, agreed with Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan.
He barely mentioned his government’s latest – and arguably most significant – reform achievement: the passage of a key amendment that clears the way for the introduction of a Goods and Services Tax (GST) next year.
He said only that the GST would “give strength” to the economy, while thanking opposition parties that, after a drawn-out battle, had come on board to pass the amendment unanimously through both houses of parliament.
The GST would unite India’s $2 trillion economy and 1.3 billion people into a single market for the first time and, its backers say, boost economic growth and job creation that Mr Modi needs to win a second term at the 2019 general election.
The tradition of delivering the annual address from the steps of the 17th-century Red Fort from where Mughal kings ruled Delhi for two centuries dates back to Jawaharlal Nehru’s historic “tryst with destiny” speech of 1947.
Mr Modi, despite a barnstorming campaign that carried him to the biggest electoral landslide in three decades in 2014, has so far failed to touch the rhetorical heights achieved by India’s first prime minister.
But, sporting a red, pink and yellow turban, he did indulge in some trademark wordplay to say that India was moving from “swaraj”, or self rule in Hindi, to “suraj”, or good governance.
“One society, one dream, one resolution, one destiny – we proceed in this direction,” he said.
* Reuters and Agence France-Presse
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MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Everton
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester
When: Sunday, kick-off 7pm (UAE)
How to watch: Live on BeIN Sports 11HD
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Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Meydan racecard:
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Norwich City 0 Southampton 3 (Ings 49', Armstrong 54', Redmond 79')
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MATCH INFO
AC Milan v Inter, Sunday, 6pm (UAE), match live on BeIN Sports
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Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
RESULTS
Cagliari 5-2 Fiorentina
Udinese 0-0 SPAL
Sampdoria 0-0 Atalanta
Lazio 4-2 Lecce
Parma 2-0 Roma
Juventus 1-0 AC Milan
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:
1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
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March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets