70 years of Independence: Jawaharlal Nehru’s ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech | Top 10 quotes

On the eve of August 15, 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru delivered his ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech to the Indian Constituent Assembly. The speech focused on the aspects of India’s freedom struggle from the British rule. It is considered to be one of the greatest speeches of the 20^th century. Nehru started his speech saying “Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially.”

Here are the top 10 quotes of Jawaharlal Nehru’s ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech:

1. The appointed day has come - the day appointed by destiny - and India stands forth again, after long slumber and struggle, awake, vital, free and independent.

2.History begins anew for us, the history which we shall live and act and others will write about.

3. It is a fateful moment for us in India, for all Asia and for the world. A new star rises, the star of freedom in the east, a new hope comes into being, a vision long cherished materialises.

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4. We rejoice in that freedom, even though clouds surround us, and many of our people are sorrow-stricken and difficult problems encompass us. But freedom brings responsibilities and burdens and we have to face them in the spirit of a free and disciplined people.

5. On this day our first thoughts go to the architect of this freedom, the Father of our Nation, who, embodying the old spirit of India, held aloft the torch of freedom and lighted up the darkness that surrounded us.

6. Our next thoughts must be of the unknown volunteers and soldiers of freedom who, without praise or reward, have served India even unto death.

7. We think also of our brothers and sisters who have been cut off from us by political boundaries and who unhappily cannot share at present in the freedom that has come.

8. We are citizens of a great country, on the verge of bold advance, and we have to live up to that high standard. All of us, to whatever religion we may belong, are equally the children of India with equal rights, privileges and obligations.

9. To the nations and peoples of the world we send greetings and pledge ourselves to cooperate with them in furthering peace, freedom and democracy.

10. And to India, our much-loved motherland, the ancient, the eternal and the ever-new, we pay our reverent homage and we bind ourselves afresh to her service.

Nehru ended his speech with ‘Jai Hind’. 

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