Bastion of freedom

Every year on August 15, the prime minister delivers his address to the nation from the ramparts of the historic Red Fort. Why?

Today, the Red Fort stands as a symbol of freedom. It has stood mute witness to the many invasions and sieges and had long been held as the seat of power until finally, it rested with the British. In 1857, during the first war of independence, the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah II, was captured, and tried here by the British.

After World War II, the Red Fort once again came into the spotlight. In 1945, officers of the Indian Army were tried at the Fort and detained in rooms that had been converted into a prison.

Close to midnight on August 14, 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru made his now famous ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech at the most momentous session of the Constituent Assembly. The national flag was presented, Vande Mataram sung and the members of the Assembly took the pledge at the stroke of midnight. Chaudhary Khaliquzaman, a leader of the All India Muslim League and Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan also made speeches.

On the morning of August 15, 1947, the Constituent Assembly gathered on the ramparts of the Red Fort and the Tricolour was unfurled. The Governor General, Louis Mountbatten and Rajendra Prasad, as President of the Constituent Assembly, delivered their speeches.

Rajendra Prasad’s speech is as memorable as Jawaharlal Nehru’s. He said, “Let us resolve to create conditions in this country when every individual will be free and provided with the wherewithal to develop and rise to fullest stature…”

Red, the colour of life and courage

The Red Fort, also known as Lal Qal‘ah (Lal Kila) is a Mughal fort in Old Delhi. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.

The Red Fort Complex was built as the palace fort of Shahjahanabad, the capital of the fifth Mughal Emperor of India, Shah Jahan in the mid-17th century. The massive walls of the fort were built with red sandstone and hence its name.

Adjacent to this fort is an older fort, the Salimgarh, built by Islam Shah Suri in 1546. Together, these form the Red Fort Complex.

The Red Fort is considered to be one of the finest examples of Mughal architecture, a fusion of Persian, Timurid and Hindu traditions.