Thousands of people walked to the Red Fort early on Saturday morning to celebrate India’s 80th Independence Day, featuring a “Vande Mataram” theme and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address. For many, including families travelling long distances for their first time, the morning was less about the speeches and more about witnessing the historic ceremony in person.

Karuna and Sandeep, in their 30s, travelled from Karnataka with their children, Sayesh (7) and Avesh (5), to attend the celebrations. For Karuna, watching from the Red Fort was unforgettable. “This is my first time attending the Independence Day celebrations. I already have goosebumps,” she said as the Prime Minister began his address.

For Lalita Pal, who hoped to see Mr. Modi in person after her husband’s recent transfer to Delhi, the attraction was more personal. “We have travelled a long way, and what he spoke about children and their future was encouraging. Seeing the Tricolour flying made the whole place feel very patriotic,” she said, noting that despite the humid morning proving difficult for her young son, the family considered it worthwhile.

The celebrations also drew people unaware that entry required passes from the Ministry of Defence’s Aamantran portal, leaving queues stretching into the morning heat outside the Red Fort Metro station. As seats in the allotted areas filled and entry gates closed, some visitors were left waiting outside for more than two hours. Among them was Anita Devi, in her early 30s, who travelled from northwest Delhi’s Bawana by an early morning bus with her husband and son. Dressed in a green saree, she had not known a pass was required but decided to view the decorated fort from outside. “Even if I am standing outside, hearing the national anthem makes me feel proud,” she said.

For the first time, an Army band formally rendered Vande Mataram, with attendees joining in before the national anthem. The song was woven into the visuals; children in white and saffron formed “Vande Mataram” in their seats, while flower petals spelt it on the dais. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi unfurled the Tricolour, Mi-17 helicopters flew over, releasing flower petals to cheering crowds while carrying flags with national colours and Vande Mataram. Tricolour balloons were released post-speech. Mr. Modi later met schoolchildren, NCC cadets, and My Bharat programme volunteers, underscoring the government’s focus on “Yuva Shakti” and a developed India by 2047.

(With inputs from Shrimansi Kaushik)

The Red Fort and its surrounding areas were placed under an extensive multi-layered security cover on Saturday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on the occasion of the 80th Independence Day. With thousands of police and paramilitary personnel deployed, more than 1,000 AI-enabled CCTV cameras monitoring the area, and specialised rapid response teams on standby, the Red Fort became a fortress until 10 a.m. on Saturday.

The security checks were put in place considering the bomb blast near the Red Fort in November 2025 as well as repeated hoax bomb threats ahead of Independence Day. Over 25,000 security personnel, including the NSG, were deployed across Delhi and around the Red Fort.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Raja Banthia said the security plan involved multiple layers of screening, besides a dedicated anti-terror response mechanism. “Advance liaison, mock drills, and advance intimation have been carried out to ensure coordination among agencies,” he told media persons on Saturday.

Visitors were not allowed to carry anything except their phones and passes. At Lal Quila metro station, security personnel scanned belongings and strictly removed eatables, coins, remote-controlled car keys, umbrellas, power banks, and handbags, forcing many visitors to leave their belongings behind.

Control room personnel monitored live footage from the CCTV cameras, which used AI to flag suspicious activity, alongside a Facial Recognition System. Anti-drone systems were also deployed to detect unauthorised flying objects. “There was no threat reported during the event, and no aerial or drone-related disruptions either,” said Niharika Bhatt, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (North).

Traffic restrictions

Several roads around the Red Fort remained closed to general traffic from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. on August 15. Delhi Metro services began at 4 a.m., operating at 30-minute intervals initially. “Nothing adverse was reported. The parking arrangements were made quite efficiently, and the dispersal of the crowd was very smooth,” said Nishant Gupta, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Traffic (Central).

The Tricolour had gone up over the Red Fort and the crowds had begun to thin. For Delhi’s citizens gathered to mark 80 years of Independence, what freedom meant today had answers far removed from history books.

For some, progress was visible in better infrastructure and technology. For others, it was more intimate: the freedom to walk home without fear, speak openly, or live without discrimination. And for some, eight decades after the British left, the question was whether the country had travelled far enough for everyone to feel free.

For Tanya Bahadur and Shikha Kumari, both 19 and Delhi University students, freedom was further shaped by student protests, online trolling, and the unease of speaking out.

“I have only read about people fighting the British. I have never seen that kind of struggle. But we have seen students protesting and girls being trolled even on the Internet. So I think there are still things we have to fight for before we can say that we are completely free,” Ms. Bahadur said.

Her friend, Ms. Kumari, hoped the Prime Minister would address recent protests. “He did not mention them, and I was hoping he would,” she said. “The things we need to fight now are inside the country in the face of corruption, inequality and whether everyone gets a fair chance. That is the freedom we still have to work towards.”

A few metres away, Mr. Venkatesh Sinha, in his 90s, watched the celebrations from a wheelchair beside his daughter, having witnessed much of independent India’s political history. “Economically, we are better off than before… But when I look at the poor, I wonder how much they have really moved up,” he said. He hoped the next generation could preserve freedom, adding, “I hope there are no more riots.”

Mr. Sinha attended the event in memory of his late wife. After her death a decade ago, he stopped coming. “She used to come every year. She was very patriotic…”

“I came today because I don’t know if I will be able to come again,” he said.

For a young Muslim couple, freedom meant living without constantly thinking about identity. “We all know how things have changed… there is more hatred in society. But we chose to come here today because it is our country that my grandfather sacrificed his life for. It is equally ours,” Aliza Khan, 26, said. Her husband said, “Freedom for me will be living peacefully with my family outside ghettos where civic amenities are not poor.”

For Bablu, a waste-picker, freedom required economic security. “The country has progressed, but our lives are still difficult… For us, freedom would mean not having to worry every day about whether there will be work or enough money at home,” he said.

Sharing a similar sentiment, fruit seller Md. Amzad, 37, said, “I want my children to study and get opportunities that I did not get. If they can earn well and live with dignity, I will feel that the country has truly progressed.”