The 75th anniversary of the Quit India Movement was transformed in Parliament today into an occasion that exposed deep fractures in the polity. The two Houses could not agree on a common resolution. The separate resolutions were revealing. A key paragraph in the resolution adopted in the Rajya Sabha, where the Opposition holds the upper hand, said: "On this day, we solemnly take a pledge to uphold and safeguard the values and ideals of the freedom movement and re-dedicate ourselves to build an India that is strong, self-reliant, inclusive, secular and democratic."
The resolution in the Lok Sabha, where the BJP is the dominant force, laid emphasis on a strong, prosperous, clean and corruption-free India. It spoke of science and technology, patriotism and democratic values. One word - sadbhav (harmony) - stood in for more political words like "secular" and "inclusive".
The following are excerpts from some of the speeches that stood out.
Read it here.