Historic milestone
Inauguration of the new Parliament building, despite boycott by several parties, stands out as a landmark moment, for it represents people’s dreams, aspirations and consciousness
“Great buildings that move the spirits have always been rare. In every case, they are unique, poetic, products of the heart”.
This is how famous Canadian architect Arthur Erickson described the grandeur of great buildings. As India is witnessing its first indigenous, modern Parliament building, the nation is ecstatic and amazed. The new building is looking unique and turning out to be a product of poetic semblance, where tradition and roots meet modernism and opulence. When Prime Minister Modi placed the iconic ‘Sengol’ close to the Lok Sabha Speaker’s desk in the new Parliament building and bowed down to Sengol, it seemed that Dharmdand took poetic revenge from Nehru, who reduced it to a walking stick after looking flabbergasted yet compliant. Fresh desires lead to new paths; this has been clearly illustrated in the form of the new Parliament building. This structure will shape the nation’s collective consciousness as it stands in for all of the people of India’s dreams, aspirations, and democratic consciousness. It emerges from the cliff at which India’s vanquished, violated civilisation currently stands, and will reclaim and recover what it has lost over the previous several hundred years.
‘Sengol’, being given primary importance as a representation of authority and power, is a sure sign of abdication of mental servitude. With Sanatan culture reduced to a small pool, something had to be given or a savior had to arrive to save it. There are reasons to shun the yolks of slavery and establish the icons of the soil of the nation. Every nation, and by extension every person living inside it whose voice and feelings contribute to the formation of that nation and whose voice and feelings constitute a component of what is referred to as public opinion, has a duty to be aware of the accepted norms of international morality. No one should try to appease their conscience by believing that they won’t hurt anyone if they stay out of it and don’t have an opinion. The only thing that evil men need in order to achieve their goals is for decent ones to stand by and do nothing. He is not a good man if he enables evil to be done in his name without objecting. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the current populace to maintain awareness of its morals and sense of national identity.
The new Parliament building is in the shape of a triangular Sri Yantra.
A shining illustration of the might of the Indian democratic system is our Parliament, which saw many historical events and withstood the Indian liberation movement against colonial rule.
The building is designed to extend in the future to accommodate a larger Parliament, which will allow for more participation of public representatives, as population is increasing. In the old building, both houses are overcrowded, leaving no room for development, while ministerial offices are understaffed and lack basic services due to bad design. Even the Sansad TV that is supposed to broadcast the entire proceedings of the Parliament to the nation, had technological difficulties. The acoustics in every hall needed to be significantly improved, and the building’s audio-visual system has been outdated. When the PM decided in 2020 to start the project of this new building, the result was not upbeat. The mind remains constantly wary of the unfamiliar because it fears change. One remains uncertain about the outcome in their mind. Destruction leads to creation. You cannot bring forth the new unless you destroy the old.
After the collapse of government buildings next to the parliament house, people were not happy. However, constructing a new building in less than three years is only unthinkable. Despite the boycott of some parties, the inaugural ceremony has been transformed into one of the biggest spectacles by PM Modi. The key differentiator for Modi has been his grasp of politics. He has outsmarted his competitors by directing the political narrative and using his broad appeal. Additionally, Modi is the first prime minister to involve the sizable Indian diaspora in the development of his nation. Modi is the only person of Indian descent to have developed a very positive reputation among those of Indian descent and is frequently referred to as a rockstar by many of them, following Israel’s successful use of its diaspora. Currently, Modi is the centre of all political activity, and he has the political standing to establish his own symbols in Lutyens Delhi and everywhere. Even if they are right, as many may claim that it amounted to changing the course of history, they are unable to stop it. Modi’s resolve to develop his own symbols to highlight the socio-political transformation is also symbolised by the reorganisation of the Central Vista in the Lutyens’ zone, and for good reason.
The Parliament is the most effective structure for expressing the will of the people. A Prime Minister chosen by the people is chosen by the MPs elected to the Lok Sabha. The Prime Minister of India is not chosen by the President of India — even if the head of state administers the oath of office to that person — but rather by the members of the Lok Sabha. India operates under a Parliamentary system rather than a Presidential one, and as a result, Parliament is the main source of authority in the nation.
The new complex will serve the country for centuries, and children and grandchildren can tour the Parliament House and say that their parents or grandparents were there for the inauguration. New India seems all set to move with new building.
The building is designed to extend in the future to accommodate a larger Parliament, which will allow for more participation of public representatives, as population is increasing