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Sunday, October 12, 2025
HomeOpinionGreat Speeches

Great Speeches

Bahujans can create a casteless society only by becoming the rulers of India—Kanshi Ram

On 10 October 1998, Kanshiram addressed the First World Dalit Convention in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he spoke about the impossibility of caste annihilation. 'Caste is the creation of some people. And it is created with a purpose. That purpose still remains.'

See Ghazni, Ghori as plunderers, Razia, Sher Shah as ancestors—Lohia to Hindus, Muslims

On 3 October 1963, Ram Manohar Lohia spoke about the need for Hindus and Muslims unifying their perspective of the last 800 years of India's history.

Don’t punish people for untouchability. Use state propaganda instead — Dakshayani Velayudhan

On 29 November 1948, when the Constituent Assembly discussed untouchability, Dakshayani Velayudhan argued that the best way to address it was through sustained state propaganda.

Control religious teaching in schools. We can’t breed fanaticism–Purnima Banerji

On 30 August 1947, Constituent Assembly member Purnima Banerji moved to add a new paragraph in Clause 16 to promote comparative religious education in schools. But the move failed.

Feroze Gandhi speech that exposed LIC scam—it forced Nehru to order inquiry, FM to resign

On 16 December 1957, Lok Sabha MP Feroze Gandhi spoke how the Life Insurance Corporation invested nearly Rs 1.25 crore to help Calcutta-based stock speculator Haridas Mundhra who was in financial difficulties.

Indian citizenship ought not to be made so very easy and cheap–PS Deshmukh

In his speech in the Constituent Assembly on 11 August 1949, Panjabrao Shamrao Deshmukh expressed his displeasure at the ‘most ill-fated article in the whole Constitution’.

Whatever some people say, I am convinced Partition has been good for India—Sardar Patel

On 12 February 1949, Vallabhbhai Patel gave a speech at Chennai's Island Grounds where he spoke about the importance of unity and how the government had been dealing with the RSS movement.

When Ram Manohar Lohia blasted ‘pseudo-intellectuals’ for 175-page Five-Year Plan document

On 9 December 1963, Ram Manohar Lohia spoke in the Lok Sabha about the Rs 10,000 crore outlay that involved wasteful expenditure borne out of a desire to imitate the European way of life.

Doesn’t matter what war, we won’t take part in it unless we’ve to defend ourselves: Nehru

On 22 April 1955, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru spoke at the closed session of the Asian-African Conference in Bandung, Indonesia, where he said there was no no point in blaming the Soviet Union or America and Asian countries must be on the side of peace, not war. ‘If there is aggression anywhere in the world, it is bound to result in world war.’

Any decisions about India’s destiny will be incomplete without our consent: Maulana Azad

On 23 October 1947, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad spoke from the Jama Masjid decrying Partition as a fundamental mistake. His advice to Indian Muslims: 'Do not seek certificates from the new echelons of power, or lead a life of sycophancy. If you do not wish to flee, nobody can make you flee.'

On Camera

Zubeen Garg saga is resembling Sushant Singh Rajput. Did we not learn our lesson?

Oceans sit between the Assamese singer and the Bollywood actor. But what their deaths reveal is a study in human behaviour as performed in the public sphere.

Niti Aayog recommends fully decriminalising 12 offences under new I-T Act to ‘foster more trust’

Recommendations appear in Niti Aayog’s Tax Policy Working Paper Series–II. It says there is a need to shift away from fear-based enforcement to trust-based governance.

India, UK sign £350 mn deal for Martlet. What are these Lightweight Multirole Missiles

In service with the British military since 2019, it is also known as the Martlet missile. Ukrainians have also deployed these missiles against Russian troops.

CJI, IPS, IAS & Homebound: A wake-up call 75 years in the making

Education, reservations, govt jobs are meant to bring equality and dignity. That we are a long way from that is evident in the shoe thrown at the CJI and the suicide of Haryana IPS officer. The film Homebound has a lesson too.