modi-sets-record-with-longest-i-day-speech-by-an-indian-pm

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made history on Thursday by delivering the longest-ever Independence Day speech by an Indian Prime Minister, lasting 98 minutes as he addressed the nation from the iconic Red Fort.

 

This year's address marked a significant moment, not only for its duration but also for the content and context surrounding India's 78th Independence Day celebrations.

 

Modi's speeches have consistently outpaced those of his predecessors, averaging around 82 minutes over the years, making him the PM with the longest I-Day addresses in Indian history.

 

Prior to this year's marathon speech, his longest address was 96 minutes, delivered in 2016. Conversely, his shortest speech occurred in 2017, clocking in at approximately 56 minutes.

 

This year, Modi's address also positioned him as the Prime Minister to hoist the tricolour on Independence Day and deliver a speech for the third longest duration in history.

 

His inaugural speech in 2014 lasted for 65 minutes, and in 2015, he expanded it to 88 minutes. In 2018, Modi spoke for 83 minutes, while in 2019, he delivered his second-longest speech at nearly 92 minutes.

 

The following years saw speeches of 90 minutes in 2020, 88 minutes in 2021, and approximately 74 minutes in 2022. Last year, his address again reached 90 minutes.

 

The historical context of Modi's speech highlights the stark contrast with those of earlier Prime Ministers. Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first PM, delivered the longest speech in 1947, lasting 72 minutes, while IK Gujral followed with a 71-minute address in 1997.

 

Interestingly, both Nehru and Indira Gandhi hold the record for the shortest speeches on record, delivering addresses lasting just 14 minutes in 1954 and 1966, respectively.

 

Former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee also contributed to the trend of shorter speeches, with Singh’s addresses in 2012 and 2013 lasting only 32 and 35 minutes, while Vajpayee's speeches in 2002 and 2003 were even shorter, lasting 25 and 30 minutes, respectively.