Colombo (News 1st) – India celebrated it’s 72nd Independence Day on Wednesday (Aug 15th). India gained independent from British colonial rule on the 15th of  August 1947.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech spoke about India’s next general election and their plans of conducting a manned space mission by 2022. This will make India the fourth nation to do so after the United States, Russia and China.

Modi, a powerful speaker who will seek re-election in the world’s biggest democracy early next year, used the speech to broadcast his government’s achievements, amid concerns about lack of jobs and rising violence against the Muslim minority.

In his 80-minute speech, Modi said the pace of building highways, electrifying villages and building toilets has increased since his landslide 2014 election win that devastated the main opposition Congress party. Congress, which had ruled India for decades, is now trying to unify the opposition to challenge Modi, whose personal ratings remain high despite recent election setbacks.

The 72nd Indian Independence Day was also celebrated in Colombo, Kandy and at the official residence of the Indian Consul General in Jaffna.

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