New Delhi: Amid Vedic chants and prayers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new Parliament building Sunday. As he entered the premises the PM bowed down — sashtang dandvat pranam— before the ‘sengol’, the gold-plated silver sceptre, as he did in 2014 when he first entered the Parliament as an MP elected from Varanasi.
Construction of the new Parliament building took less than three years, while that of the previous one had taken the British six years.
From offering flowers to Vinayak Damodar Savarkar on his birth anniversary in the new Parliament building to the mural that reportedly depicts Akhand bharat — described as a “cultural concept” by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) — to the painting of Chanakya, an ancient political strategist, the day was marked with symbolism.
Modi used the occasion as an opportunity to convey a message to the nation, that the new building was a symbol of a self-reliant India — a country that has shed its colonial mindset and is now asserting itself in the world as a ‘Vishwa Guru’ under his leadership.
With the Lok Sabha elections less than a year away, Modi also linked the construction of the new Parliament building to the achievements of his government in terms of providing toilets and homes for the poor, among other facilities, in his nine-year in power.
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From Gandhi to ‘Amrit Kaal’
Modi compared Gandhi’s role in awakening India before 1947, which eventually led to Independence, to the ‘Amrit Kaal’ celebration and said the next 25 years should be spent in making the country a developed nation.
“Gandhi ji filled the country with hopes of Swaraj around 25 years before Independence. Today, we are witnessing a similar moment. Twenty-five years from now, we have to turn India into a developed nation. The target is big and tough. But every Indian has to work hard for it, and India’s success will inspire others,” the PM said.
Talking about the country’s population and diversity, Modi said if India moves ahead with hope, others draw inspiration from it. “Every success of India in coming days will inspire others in different corners of the world,” he added.
Addressing the issue of poverty, the Prime Minister said when India will work towards rapid eradication of poverty, it will set an example for the world. “We have to move ahead with the motto of nation first,” he asserted.
Development — the sole inspiration
During the inauguration, while the Prime Minister did not attack Opposition parties by name, he did mention that his government was “fortunate to have restored the pride of sengol”.
Modi said the drive to ensure the development and welfare of the poor served as his inspiration during his nine-years in power.
“Any expert who will evaluate nine years of our government will say, our inspiration has been development and garib kalyan (welfare of the poor). Today, as we are proud of the construction of the new Parliament building, it also gives me immense satisfaction when I think about the construction of homes for four crore poor people and 11 crore toilets that have come up in the country in the last nine years,” he said.
“We have made 30,000 amrit sarovar (lakes), 30,000 new panchayat buildings,” the PM noted and said that — from panchayat buildings to the new Parliament building — development of the country and its people have been the government’s sole inspiration.
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Rise of self-reliant India
Calling the inauguration of the new Parliament building a momentous occasion, Modi said it is not just an iconic structure, but a symbol of the aspirations and dreams of 140 crore Indians. “In the development of any country, such moments come that become immortal, 28 May is one such day. The country is celebrating Amrit Kaal,” said Modi.
He added that it sends out a strong message to the world about Indian determination, while terming the building constructed at a cost of Rs 971 crore “a temple of Indian democracy”.
Talking about the ‘sengol’, Modi said the new Parliament building will witness the rise of a self-reliant India and the holy ‘sengol’ installed there, will inspire the MPs.
“The sengol symbolised justice, righteousness and good governance. It will be witness to our journey towards a viksit Bharat (developed India),” he said.
From the Indus Valley civilisation to the Chola dynasty, from temple construction to its architecture, India’s water reservoirs are a reflection of India’s proud history and civilisation, but several years of foreign rule stole our pride from us, Modi said.
He added that the India of the 21st century is a new India, which has left behind its colonial mindset. “The new Parliament building is an example of the new India moving with renewed energy and spirit,” he said.
The PM also emphasised the new building was the need of the hour as there was a space constraint in the old building and more space was needed for when the number of seats in Parliament will increase as a result of the delimitation of constituencies.
“In the coming years, we will see an increase in the number of seats and MPs in Parliament. In the old building, there was a space constraint and a challenge of seating and technology. Now, every law passed in new Parliament will take India a step closer to a vision of a developed country and eliminate poverty in the next 25 years,” Modi said.
The PM lauded the construction of the new Parliament building and said the project gave employment to 60,000 workers. “It is the first time in history that a digital gallery dedicated to them was created in Parliament,” he said.
Amid thunderous applause, the PM also issued a commemorative Rs 75 coin.
In the presence of the entire Council of Ministers and several chief ministers who were in attendance, Modi said Indian democracy is an inspiration, the Constitution is its resolve and the Parliament is the best representative of this inspiration and resolve.
“India is not only a democratic country, but also the mother of democracy. When India progresses, so does the world,” Modi said.
Although he did not mention the history of obstruction in the functioning of Parliament, the Prime Minister said that he was confident that the fresh atmosphere in Parliament will generate fresh ideas.
“We must take forward the good principles of our Parliamentary system, and this is the duty of Parliamentarians. They should work on the principle of ‘nation first’ and through their resolve, they will add a new chapter in the growth of the country,” he said.
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Ahead of 2024 LS elections
In less than three months, the country will celebrate its 76th Independence Day, which will be PM Modi’s last address from the ramparts of the Red Fort before the general election next year.
While dedicating the new Parliament building to the nation, Modi used the opportunity to showcase the government’s push for “Hindu cultural renaissance” by mentioning the Kashi Vishwanath and Ujjain Mahakal corridors and the restoration of the glory of the ‘sengol’.
He also mentioned the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya, which is expected to take place early next year.
Although he did not attack the 20 Opposition parties that boycotted the inauguration Sunday, Modi did criticise the Congress government for not giving due respect to the ‘sengol’ the previous day. While addressing Saivite sect seers from Tamil Nadu at his residence, Modi had said “The sengol was kept on display as a walking stick in Anand Bhavan. Your sewak (servant) and our government have brought it out.”
On Sunday, he also talked about the deep emotional connection between Tamil Nadu and the rest of India by saying in the context of the ‘sengol’, “Today, the saga of this deep bond has come alive from the pages of history.”
(Edited by Richa Mishra)