However, Nehru observes that over time India experienced decline. Originality and freshness of thought faded, and society became rigid with caste divisions, narrow rituals, and lifeless routines. Still, India survived by absorbing new influences and never fully losing sight of her early ideals.
The arrival of Islam and later Western colonial powers deeply affected India. While colonialism exploited resources and brought suffering, it also introduced new ideas, modern science, and industrial progress. Independence finally came after long struggle, but Nehru notes that India was left with both the burdens of the past and the challenges of shaping a new future.
At this crossroads, India faced a choice: to blindly follow the West or to revive the past. Nehru highlights Mahatma Gandhi’s model as the right path — one that balanced tradition with modern change. Gandhi stood firmly on India’s cultural roots while bringing revolutionary change through truth and non-violence. This blend of continuity and change, Nehru believed, was essential for progress.
Nehru further stresses that real development requires adapting to modern times, especially the rapid advances in science and technology. He envisions a society where technology helps solve poverty and ensures that basic necessities reach every citizen, while values from the past keep society grounded and humane.
Describing modern India, Nehru admits it is a mixed picture — filled with hope and new energy but also with inertia, old customs, and social divisions. Yet he is impressed by the determination of Indians, who once resisted change but are now moving forward with vigor.
Looking to the future, Nehru dreams of a prosperous India, advancing through planned economic growth and higher living standards. He hopes for an end to conflicts of caste, religion, language, and province. His vision is of a democratic, socialist, classless, and casteless society where every person has equal opportunity to grow according to their abilities.
Nehru’s speech is thoughtful and optimistic, combining deep respect for India’s traditions with strong faith in science, technology, and the creative spirit of the Indian people. It reflects his balanced outlook as a leader who wanted India to draw strength from her past, address the problems of the present, and march with confidence into the future.
