August 15 Speech - School

Honorable Director, Respected Chief Guest, Principal, Teachers, and Dear Friends:

It gives me great honor to speak on the occasion of the 66th Independence Day Celebration of India.

As we know, our country went through various phases of foreign domination, finally falling subject to the British Crown, before we saw the Sun of Freedom rise over our nation. But we were never slaves to anyone. In our minds we were always a free spirit. Mahatma Gandhi said, "The moment the slave resolves that he will no longer be a slave, his fetters fall. Freedom and slavery are mental states."

Freedom begins within, first, then comes in action externally. The Austrian psychologist Viktor Frankl said, "Forces beyond control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation." This sense and life of freedom, subject only to the Law of God, to the Law of Justice, Equality, Liberty, and Fraternity, is the spring and fountain of Independence.

Today, we are faced with an even greater enemy that is far fiercer than all the foreign rulers of past history put together. This enemy, the monstrous beast bent on destroying us from inside, is the demon of CORRUPTION. We at School must fight it for we are the future of this nation. We are the ones who will become the officials, leaders, and politicians of the coming India. Let us resolve to keep that demon out of our cities, our villages, our families, and our lives. Let us pledge to keep our nation clean, pure, and free!

JAI HIND!