India Celebrates 69 Years Of Independence With Grand Fervour

NEW DELHI, INDIA - AUGUST 15: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives to deliver his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort on August 15, 2015 in New Delhi, India. In his address to the nation from the Red Fort, PM Modi spoke about the progress of various social security schemes launched by his government. He said efforts to bring back black money stashed abroad are on, while stressing that there's no place for casteism or communalism in India. Modi repeatedly referred to the central role of the country's one billion-plus population - which he dubbed "Team India" - in his government's development plans, saying the people alone will take India to new heights. Modi, who spoke without the protection of a bulletproof shield, said his government had accepted the demand for OROP in principle but did not commit himself to a timeframe for rolling out the scheme. Modi warned that corruption was eating away at India "like a termite" as he used an Independence Day speech to pledge his commitment to eradicating graft and poverty. (Photo by Raj K Raj/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)