Fantastic Five : Top Speeches

Words are wonderful creatures. They move people, they create history and they break the boundaries of space and time. In this edition of fantastic five I’m going to list out my top five speeches of all time. So here goes:

1. "A Tryst with Destiny..." - Nehru

Probably the greatest speech of Nehru's life. A very apt speech on the eve of the birth of a nation. Post-colonialism started with this speech, so did Indian democracy. A speech that gave voice to the extraordinary civilizational ethos of this country. The speech was a testament to Nehru's exemplary hold on the English language and his feel of the country's nerves. There were some poetic touches too - 'tryst with destiny'and 'the midnight hour' bringing out the poet in him. The first sentence is the best one:

"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. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance".

It sounded as if Nehru had waited all his life to utter these words. No wonder they inspire millions of Indians even today.

2. "...of the people, by the people, for the people..." - Abraham Lincoln
Another great world leader, another great speech. This speech by Lincoln impresses me with its simplicity and the way in which it defined democracy. In an age when feudalism was rampant and democracies far and few between, this was indeed a path breaking speech. It gave words to a then vague concept called democracy and advocated it to all the countries of the world. A time when America was ravaged by civil war and the republic faced disintegration this speech united all Americans and heralded the birth of a super-power.


3. "Friends, Romans , Countrymen..." - William Shakespeare/Mark Anthony

A masterpiece by the master himself - William Shakespeare. Based as it was on a historical event, I’m not very sure if Mark Anthony himself said anything to the effect which Shakespeare packed in this speech. However this speech attributed to Mark Anthony is one of the best pieces of political rhetoric ever. It starts off with one of the most famous of Shakespearean words - "Friends, Romans, Countrymen..." which instantly gets your attention and it continues with a wonderful flow of words, so typical of Shakespeare.


4. "...the light has gone out of our lives..." - Nehru

Nehru is back in the list again. This time with one of the most heartfelt eulogies ever. It was evident that Gandhi and Nehru had a father-son relationship as far as politics was concerned, and this great speech highlighted the pain he felt on his loss. He gave words to the grief of millions of Indians who had lost their Mahatma and at the same time consoled them. It also holds a mirror to Nehru's unique ability in finding the right words for the right occasion. A truly remarkable speech.

5. "I have a dream..." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Even after Lincoln's emancipation declaration a 100 years earlier, the discrimination of the black people in what was a predominantly white country continued. It needed another 100 years and a great leader and his assassination to put an end to it for good. This great speech delivered by King coincidentally on the steps of the Lincoln memorial was a turning point in the civil rights movement in America. The speech makes repeated references to the word 'dream' which is a quintessential American word (heard of the 'American dream' before). In doing so King touched the hearts of millions of Americans and laid the path for the eventual emancipation of the black people in America. No wonder it was voted the best American speech of the 20th century!!!