Dark clouds fail to deter the spirits of people at Red Fort on the 79th Independence Day

The 79th Independence Day programme, themed around ‘Naya Bharat’ and Operation Sindoor, took place on Friday (August 15, 2025) morning under overcast skies. The grey skies and intermittent rainfall, however, did not dampen the spirits of those in the audience as they cheered during the 103-minute speech by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Red Fort.

The guests ranged from the Indian contingent of Special Olympics 2025 and village sarpanches to beneficiaries of the Lakhpati Didi scheme and best-performing interns under the PM internship scheme. Before the PM unfurled the national flag at 7.30 a.m., it began raining, leading many to cover up with raincoats provided at the venue.

A pop of colour appeared in the grey skies when Indian Air Force helicopters showered flower petals on the audience, and when Tiranga balloons were released in the air. The children in the audience ran around the venue to collect the petals that were being showered and cheered as the balloons were seen floating in the sky.

Rohit Singh, 38, a private sector employee who keeps traveling between Lucknow and Delhi, said the rain did not matter, as it was his first time attending the Independence Day function. “The entire programme was systematic and it instilled a patriotic feeling. It is special because my five-year-old daughter was excited and enjoyed the programme.” For his daughter, Samriddhi Singh, 5, who collected flower petals from the floor and kept it in her pocket, the most memorable part of the programme was the “shower of flower petals”.

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Sitting in the visitor’s section, Neha Yadav (24) from Faridabad, exclaimed how attending the larger than live event has always been a far fetched dream. “None of us ever thought we could hear the Prime Minister’s address from the Red Fort, but when my nephew, a student at Delhi University arranged passes for us, I was ecstatic,” she said.

While visitors shared their joy of being able to be part of the event, those like the sportspersons and Lakhpati didis who received invites as the special guests for the celebration expressed sheer joy and sentimentality. Speaking to The Hindu, Bhawna Yadav (36), a beneficiary of the Lakhpati didi scheme and drone, exclaimed how receiving a special invitation made her labour feel recognised. “I have been working as a Banking correspondent for 4 years and operating a drone for a year to spray crops, but being selected as a special guest from my state has made me feel that my labour is recognised,” she said.

For Heena Rajgur, a sportsperson from Gujarat who practices Yogasana, the journey from seeing the event on television to being a special guest for the event has been joyous and special. “My family would always huddle near our television to watch the Prime Minister deliver the Independence Day speech, and now to be invited for the event has been an emotional journey,” said Ms. Rajgur.

As the Prime Minister’s speech ended, he made his way from the podium to the enclosure where several NCC cadet members were seated. Walking in a saffron turban, Mr. Modi crossed the sea of white and try-colour uniform wearing cadets and interacted with them. A group of three NCC cadets, Rosa, Himanshi and Swati, from Zakir Hussain Delhi College said that PM addressing Operation Sindoor made them feel “patriotic”. One of them, Himanshi Bisht, 19, said, “Our favourite part of the programme was when the PM mentioned GST reforms.”

Another student, Prachi Nanda Thakur, 20, said, “The PM stopped by and told us ‘How could I leave without meeting you all?’ It was a good feeling.”

Meanwhile, Harshita Dargan, 18, a B Tech student, said, “We were glad to hear the PM speak about technology and the future of India.”

Band performances were conducted by the bands of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Indian Coast Guard, NCC, CRPF, ITBP, CISF, SSB, BSF, IDS, RPF and Assam Rifles at over 140 prominent locations throughout the country.

Meanwhile, to commemorate the Independence Day celebration, the Capital had been fortified with the deployment of over 11,000 security forces and 3,000 traffic police to ensure the safety of the attendees of the high-profile event. Commercial vehicles were prohibited from entering the city for a day in advance several special teams were deployed for round-the-clock monitoring. Surveillance was also done through CCTV cameras, drone detection systems and facial recognition systems.