THE ORIGINAL BROADCAST: LINK
“The greatest prayer that we can offer is to take a pledge to dedicate ourselves to the truth, and to the cause for which this great countryman of ours lived and for which he has died. That is the best prayer that we can offer him and his memory. That is the best prayer we can offer to India and ourselves.”
Great speeches have shaped history.
Not only have they defined the individuals delivering it but also the society
and community to whom it is has been addressed. All major incidents and affairs
throughout history have been well archived and documented in the many speeches
given by prominent leaders. These speeches very vividly and distinctively define
the views, the opinions and the standpoints of both the majority and the
minority simultaneously. They have not only captured the celebrations but also the
catastrophes.
The above lines are an
extract from “The light has gone out”, a speech delivered by Jawaharlal Nehru.
Nehru’s address was a
broadcast over all India radio on January 30, 1948 informing all the citizens
and the nation as a whole of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination.
Lord Mountbatten asked Jawaharlal
Nehru, to address the nation as the people were now looking upon him to lead. This
speech delivered by Nehru was extempore and spontaneous, and is referred to as
one of Nehru’s finest for his choice of language, imagery, right diction and
emotion. In his speech he compares Gandhi
to the eternal beacon of guiding light, and speaks of him as a constructive
fighter. He warns the nation of “The poison
of communalism” and calls upon all to stand in unity and maintain peace to honour
the memory of the Mahatma.
This speech is also noted as an example of
great oration, for its grace and poise and the tone of calmness in which it has
been delivered. This speech is counted as one of the greatest speeches is history;
it lifted the masses, comforted them and inspired them in bitter times.
The nation was plunged in sorrow
and despair and Nehru, stood up for them and spoke to the nation and for the nation.
This speech lifted the hearts in dark times, gave hope in despair, redefined
the characters of men, made peace and honoured the dead.
