Chennai:
India’s 76th Independence Day was celebrated across the country today by hoisting the national flag.
Prime Minister Modi hoisted the flag at the Red Fort in Delhi. Similarly, the Chief Ministers of the respective states hoisted the national flag at the state capitals.
Chief Minister M. K. Stalin hoisted the national flag and addressed the Chennai Fort Kothalam in Tamil Nadu. Details of his speech are as follows:-
We are now celebrating the 75th anniversary of India’s independence from the British colonial rule.
This is the liberation achieved by the selfless sacrifice of innumerable martyrs!
Our history has seen so many martyrs-fighters!
Ours is the history of overcoming all the fires with non-violence!
That’s why we raise our chests and proudly say ‘Indians’ on the world stage!
This pride is based on the ‘Father of the Nation’ Annal Gandhi who showed us the moral path of ‘non-violence’!
That is why Father Periyar, who fought first for national liberation – and then for social liberation – when Mahatma Gandhi was gunned down by fanatics, said that this country should be named ‘Gandhi Desam’.
Today on Independence Day, when we hoist our national flag, I consider all this history.
Likewise, I also remember at this time the Muthamizhira artist who got the right to hoist the national flag for all the state Chief Ministers in the Union of India.
First salute to the flying tricolor!
It was Pandit Nehru who proposed this flag, which flies in front of us today, in July 1947 in the Constituent Assembly in an emotional speech. That is how this tricolor flag became the national flag.
Similarly, it was Hansa Mehta who presented the first flag on behalf of all the women of India to Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the Chairman of the Constituent Assembly in the Parliament, on that historic midnight of India’s independence! The first flag of independent India was presented by a woman.
We worship the country by worshiping such a tricolor flag. We worship the people of the country. We worship the values of integrity that save the country and its people.
My warmest greetings to all who are marching before the Tricolor – in ranks.
I salute all the heroes who have breathed the air of freedom for 75 years. I bow down to the direction where such martyrs live and their families live.
I wish not only the people of Tamil Nadu but also all the people of India on their Independence Day.
I would like to make another happy announcement on this auspicious occasion.
Along with the Union Government employees, I am pleased to announce that in spite of severe financial burden, Government servants and pensioners and family pensioners will be given an increase in the dearness allowance from 31 per cent to 34 per cent with effect from 1-7-2022.
Through this, 16 lakh people will benefit. 1,947 crores and 60 lakhs additional cost to the government per year.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government has not been lax in praising the martyrs of India.
Thus spoke the Prime Minister M.K.Stalin.