Nehru's forgotten, poetic Hindustani prelude to 'Tryst with Destiny'

In a nostalgic post on X on Wednesday, 15 October, Congress Rajya Sabha MP and general-secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh has shed light an overlooked moment from the midnight of India’s Independence when the country's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru delivered the historic 'Tryst With Destiny' speech.

Ramesh revealed that Nehru, before delivering his English-language address, first spoke in Hindustani for nearly six minutes — a passage 'lyrical and deeply moving' that has since faded into obscurity despite being recorded in the Constituent Assembly debates.

Ramesh wrote, “After Dr. Rajendra Prasad had spoken, Nehru started his speech actually in Hindustani and spoke for about six minutes. It is only after this that the approximately eight-minute Tryst with Destiny followed and became history.” 

Calling it "one of the greatest Hindustani speeches of the 20th century", he noted that both the text and an audio recording survive, though they remain little known to the public.

In that rare Hindustani prelude, Nehru’s voice trembled with both exhaustion and exaltation as he addressed the Constituent Assembly: "Kitne baras hue, humne qismat se ek baazi lagaayi thi, ek iqraar kiya tha, pratigya ki thi... ab waqt aaya ki hum usko poora karen. Bilkul poori to shayad ab bhi na hon lekin phir bhi ek badi manzil poori hui, hum wahan pahunche".

[Long years ago, we made a tryst with destiny and now the time comes when we shall redeem that pledge. Not wholly or in full measure but very substantially]

Re-reading the Constituent Assembly debates after quite some time has revealed a virtually unknown fact.

The Constituent Assembly met at 11 PM on Aug 14, 1947. It has been immortalised by Nehru's iconic Tryst with Destiny speech delivered a few minutes before midnight. It is… pic.twitter.com/07vJEQQOzP

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 15, 2025

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“Aaj hum apni lambi neend se jaag uthe hain. Humne apna pran nibhaya hai, aur ab nayi zindagi ke safar par nikal pade hain,” he added. [Today we have awoken from our long slumber. We have kept our pledge, and now we set forth on a new journey of life]

It was a moment steeped in emotion — an invocation of unity, sacrifice, and the dawn of freedom — rendered in the tongue that resonated with millions.

Ramesh highlighted that the English version that followed may have been immortalised but this earlier Hindustani speech that acted as a prelude to the English speech carried the heartbeat of that historic night.

Ramesh’s revelation not only restores context to a forgotten fragment of India’s freedom story but revives the essence of Nehru’s belief in linguistic harmony. As he posted, “The Hindustani words flowed like poetry, capturing the soul of freedom — gentle, profound, and deeply Indian.”

For historians and citizens alike, this rediscovery of Nehru’s first words of freedom offers a chance to hear India awaken — not in the polished cadence of English, but in the living rhythm of its own voice.

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