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dated August 17, 1957: Nehru’s appeal to people

An appeal to the people to prepare themselves with firm determination and stout hearts to embark on the journey of wiping out poverty from the country “in the same united way in which we wiped out slavery” was made by Prime Minister Nehru on August 15 on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Independence. Addressing a mammoth gathering from the ramparts of the Red Fort, after unfurling the National Flag, the Prime Minister recalled the 1857 freedom struggle, the centenary of which is being now celebrated, and the achievement of freedom 10 years ago and said: “We have completed the journey of consolidating our freedom, the foundations of which were laid a hundred years ago by our people with their blood, sweat and tears. We have before us now another journey of emancipating our people economically.” Cautioning the people that any nation which undertook the mighty task of wiping out unemployment and poverty was bound to meet with reverses, Mr. Nehru said, “We often stumbled and fell in our struggle for freedom. We faced heartbreaking reverses, but we did not give up. We again rose and marched on. In the same way to-day we have to face the challenge of these economic and other difficulties in a united and firm manner and rebuild a new India. The country is celebrating to-day the 10th anniversary of Independence and the first centenary of the 1857 struggle. Some historians have tried to belittle the importance of the War of Independence of a hundred years ago. But the basic fact is that the India of those times did rise gloriously against the foreign yoke and a large majority of common people joined the struggle.” In a brief reference to Pakistan, Mr. Nehru declared that India desired to remain in peace and friendship with that country, so that “our relations may grow from day to day.” He said India and Pakistan had a strange relationship. “It is strange because even if there is bitterness against each other, even if there is some anger, it is a very near relationship of thousands of years which mere laws cannot obliterate. If some harm comes to India, it is bound to harm Pakistan also. If Pakistan is harmed, it will affect India also.”

(there being no issue of the paper dated August 16) this day that age

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