This Quote Means: When Jawaharlal Nehru said in 1947, ‘We made a tryst with destiny…’

Today, we take a closer look at Nehru’s words, which marked the beginning of India’s journey as an independent nation. Additionally, the UPSC, in its various examinations, focuses on the Independence movement and its aftermath, i.e. the socio-cultural, economic and political development of India in the latter part of the 20th century. In the CSE-Mains examinations, the History, Essay, and Optionals (History, and Political Science and International Relations) papers have contained questions pertaining to the topic several times over the years.

What Nehru’s ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech meant to convey

Nehru’s ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech was delivered to the Indian Constituent Assembly in Parliament, just before midnight on August 15, 1947, right as India became free, and is considered one of the greatest speeches of the 20th century.

Nehru began: “Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom…”

The phrase “Tryst with destiny” would later become synonymous with the speech itself. In ordinary language, the word ‘tryst’ usually refers to an intimate encounter or relationship; however, here, Nehru is juxtaposing the word with the larger reality of Indians finding themselves free from centuries of foreign rule.

The text of the Tryst with Destiny speech in the handwriting of Shri Nehru is displayed at Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya. The original document is preserved in NMML Archives. The handwritten text has ‘date’ in place of ‘tryst’. Pandit Nehru made it ‘tryst’ only in the final text. pic.twitter.com/NWYW4TfrcO

— Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya (@PMSangrahalaya) February 23, 2023

To put it simply, even as the country became independent from the British regime, it also meant the freedom of each individual, thus making it a larger social process in which every Indian was involved. India’s destiny meant the destiny of its people, not just of the government that had changed.

He then said, “A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance…” At first glance itself, it is clear that Nehru’s words are indicative of a once-in-a-lifetime event (“which comes but rarely in history”), and that the speech is aware of the weight and urgency that this carries.

The quote is reflective of the hopes and dreams of a new nation, represented by freedom fighters who had sacrificed nearly everything to secure independence (“when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance”), and by youth that was eager to take steps forward into the future (“when we step out from the old to new, when an age ends”).

Today, when the country is at a stage where it can reap the productivity advantages of having a mostly young population (what is known as ‘demographic dividend’), this becomes even more significant. Now more than ever, India’s youth has the potential to propel the country forward and help it reach higher stages of socio-economic development.

“The future beckons to us. Whither do we go and what shall be our endeavour? To bring freedom and opportunity to the common man, to the peasants and workers of India; to fight and end poverty and ignorance and disease; to build up a prosperous, democratic and progressive nation, and to create social, economic and political institutions which will ensure justice and fullness of life to every man and woman,” Nehru said, adding that this would require hard work ahead.

To ensure this, both Central and state governments would need to work in tandem to ensure the welfare of its most vulnerable, to provide leadership opportunities to youth from every section of society, and to harness the strength of its young citizens.

As he outlined these goals, he also warned against challenges. “All of us, to whatever religion we may belong, are equally the children of India with equal rights, privileges and obligations. We cannot encourage communalism or narrow-mindedness, for no nation can be great whose people are narrow in thought or in action,” he said.

Nehru also said, referring to MK Gandhi, “…The ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. That may be beyond us, but so long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over. And so we have to labour and to work, and work hard, to give reality to our dreams. Those dreams are for India, but they are also for the world.”

At the same time, Nehru also located India’s struggles and ambitions within the larger process of decolonisation that was happening around the world, particularly in Africa and Asia.

By saying “Those dreams are for India, but they are also for the world”, Nehru situated the country within the larger global order that was shifting from widespread colonisation to self-rule by countries like Egypt, Indonesia, etc. He said, “It is a fateful moment for us in India, for all Asia and for the world. A new star rises, the star of freedom in the East, a new hope comes into being, a vision long cherished materializes. May the star never set and that hope never be betrayed!”

This would also later be reflected in Nehru’s championing of the Non-Aligned Movement, which was a forum of countries not aligned with either of the 20th-century blocs (one headed by the US and one by the erstwhile Soviet Union). India was a founding member of the forum, along with the erstwhile nation of Yugoslavia, Indonesia, Egypt, and Ghana.

Also Read

Even if the accused is not present, trial can still proceed: What the pro...

302 is not murder, 420 is not cheating: How IPC Section numbers will chan...

Hawaii wildfires leave at least 93 people dead: What is happening?

The truth behind the JWST photo of a question mark in space

The larger effect of his words was to make it clear that even as the new country was full of idealism and dreams of a better future, there also was a resolve to work hard to make those dreams a reality.