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Saturday, November 8, 2025
TopicGreat Speeches

Topic: Great Speeches

When Indian economy was liberalised—Manmohan Singh’s 1991 Budget speech

On 24 July 1991, finance minister Manmohan Singh presented the Union Budget for 1991-92 that changed the course of Indian economy. In his Lok Sabha speech, he quoted Victor Hugo to say, 'no power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come.'

Keep doing Hindu-Muslim if you want to come down to 6 seats from 182—Ram Vilas Paswan

On 10 December 1998, then-Hajipur MP spoke in the Lok Sabha on a discussion on atrocities committed on minorities in various parts of the country. 'If we learn to interpret the word 'minorities' correctly, I believe we will develop a feeling that those we are fighting against are the same blood as us.'

‘I am Pramod Mahajan. I belong to the single largest party and I am in the Opposition’

‘Gradually, opportunities to become Prime Minister in this Lok Sabha will increase for those who don't have any party’ said BJP’s Pramod Mahajan in Lok Sabha on 11 April 1997.

When Vajpayee spoke to CII to allay fears—Let not Gujarat violence cloud the good in economy

On 27 April 2002, then-PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee delivered a speech at the annual session of the Confederation of Indian Industry, assuring the completion of Golden Quadrilateral and telling businessmen how deep and strong the roots of Indian secularism are.

Muslims don’t want reservation. We want to merge in the nation–Tajamul Hussain

On 26 May 1949, Constituent Assembly member Tajamul Hussain argued against the idea of reservation for Muslims, adding that such measures would do ‘more harm than good’.

‘Trade, not aid’—Narasimha Rao’s 1991 reforms speech that changed India’s economic landscape

On 9 July 1991, then-PM PV Narasimha Rao addressed the nation days before the Budget presentation, admitting that the job of repairing India's sick economy won't be easy, quick, or smooth.

‘Until Scheduled Castes get pen and stick in their hands, they will continue to be killed’

On 4 April 1968, Bansgaon MP Molhu Prasad delivered a speech in the Lok Sabha on the atrocities against the Scheduled Castes and their negligible representation despite reservation.

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.

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.

On Camera

Trump’s unpredictability is not the absence of strategy—it works on everyone but China

The Italian term sprezzatura—a studied nonchalance that conceals intention—best captures the spirit of Trump’s foreign policy so far. The pattern is unpredictability, transactionalism, and disruption as diplomacy.

Asia’s ‘weakest’ link: Yunus on a tightrope as Bangladesh tries to fix banks without breaking economy

With 20.2 percent of its total loans in default by the end of last year, Bangladesh had the weakest banking system in Asia. Despite reforms, it will take time to recover.

‘Let them see’: Putin says new nuclear-powered missiles in the making, in message to Washington

At a ceremony felicitating Russian military engineers, Putin highlights Moscow’s 'parity' in defence technologies for the next century.

Trump’s trade wars have rewritten powerplay, but India didn’t get the memo

This world is being restructured and redrawn by one man, and what’s his power? It’s not his formidable military. It’s trade. With China, it turned on him.