'Mere pyare deshwasiyon' dominates PM Modi's I-Day speech
What's the story
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the Red Fort on Saturday, marking India's 80th Independence Day. The highlight of his 75-minute speech was the phrase "Mere pyare deshwasiyon" (my beloved fellow citizens), which he used nearly 40 times. The second most-used phrase was "Saathiyon" (friends), which appeared 10 times in his address. He also invoked "mere pyare yuva" (my beloved youth) once while urging young people to join the fight against drugs and other addictions.
Recurring phrase
'Deshwashiyon' a constant in Modi's speeches
Over the years, "deshwashiyon" has been PM Modi's go-to term for addressing the nation during his Independence Day speeches.
He used it 50 times last year, around 30 times in 2024, nearly 15 times in 2023, and over 40 times in 2022.
However, in 2023, he preferred "parivaarjan" (family member), which he used around 50 times.
The term "saathiyon" has also been a regular feature of his Independence Day addresses.
Speech duration
Fourth-shortest speech since 2014
PM Modi's 2026 Independence Day speech was the fourth-shortest among his 13 consecutive addresses since 2014. It was also his shortest in four years.
His longest speech was in 2025, lasting 103 minutes, while the shortest was in 2017 at 56 minutes.
His first address in 2014 lasted for 65 minutes, and since then, his speeches have varied from under an hour to over a hundred minutes.