After the security lapse on 13 December 2023, which marked the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, the opposition parties have once again started raising questions on the new Parliament building.
A few months ago, when the new Parliament House was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the opposition called the entire Central Vista reconstruction project needless and a waste of money. They argued that the nation cannot afford an expenditure between Rs 13,450 crore and Rs 20,000 crore, and that this money could have been spent on health and education. Critics have also been saying that to complete this project, many buildings will have to be demolished and trees will be sacrificed, which may cause huge damage to the environment. Apart from this, the government has been accused of implementing this project in a haste and without properly assessing its effects on the environment.
Due to the 13 December incident—when mischievous elements jumped from the visitors’ gallery into the Lok Sabha chamber–a new argument has emerged. That the new building is not good even from the security point of view.
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Symbol of colonial rule
How fair is the criticism of the new Parliament building or the Central Vista redevelopment project?
New Delhi’s administrative buildings, also known as Central Vista, were originally built in the 20th century, based on the designs of British architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker. Many important structures, including Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House, North and South Blocks, are part of this Central Vista.
Through these buildings, the British colonial government aimed to build a new capital, a symbol of imperial power. The Central Vista was built in a grand neoclassical style, with large lawns, fountains, and multiple sculptures installed at different places. A prominent feature of the 3.5 kilometre stretch has been the Rajpath, a passageway that leads from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to the India Gate. It has been renamed as ‘Kartavya Path’ by the current government. This road is used for many important programmes of national importance, including the Republic Day Parade. Central Vista has also long been a popular tourist destination.
The Central Vista is one of the symbols of British rule in India; in other words–of imperialism. But perhaps, in view of its magnificence and architecture, no government in independent India thought of making any alterations to the area. After Modi became the prime minister, the central government thought of renovating and rebuilding the Central Vista. The need for major expansion was recognised, which can now be seen in parliamentary activities, and in requirements of various ministries and government departments in the capital city.
In such a situation, new Parliament House, Common Central Secretariat, construction of Vice President’s House, renovation of National Museum and Vigyan Bhawan among other locations have been done under the Central Vista redevelopment project. The Central government has also decided that the offices of all the departments and ministries in rented buildings will be shifted to the new location. Interestingly, many such offices are currently functioning in more than 100 rented buildings in different parts of New Delhi. They currently pay an annual rent of around Rs 1,000 crore. Not only is valuable revenue being spent, but government employees also have to face a lot of difficulty travelling from one office to another.
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Delimitation, renovation, expansion
In the last 75 years since Independence, the population of India has increased significantly, but the number of MPs in Lok Sabha (543) and Rajya Sabha (245) has remained the same. In 2026, the constituencies of the Lok Sabha are to be delimited. In such a situation, due to expected increase in the number of Members of Parliament, more space will be required. A provision has been made for 888 seats in the Lok Sabha chamber and 384 seats in the Rajya Sabha chamber. A symbol of Indian democracy, the new Parliament House is an important structure in view of India’s growing stature in the world, and has been built keeping in mind the parliamentary needs for the next two centuries.
All these points have been ignored by the opposition parties. The BJP government has given concrete arguments in response to the criticism of the Central Vista project. With the completion of this project, revenue spent on renting buildings will be saved, which can be used for the development works of the country. At the same time, MPs and other parliamentary staff will be spared the inconvenience of commuting long distances. Many departments of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry were spread out in different locations and now all of them have been shifted to ‘Vanijya Bhawan’.
The new Parliament House is equipped with many modern facilities, which were not there in the old one. Due to the redevelopment Project, not only will new facilities be created in offices and parliamentary functions, but there will also be efficiency in the government’s functioning.
The interesting thing is that the need for the new Parliament House was first realised during the UPA regime, but it could not see the light of the day. In 2012, former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar had written to the Union Ministry of Urban Development requesting that a new building be constructed to accommodate the growing number of MPs. However, the UPA government did not take any concrete steps to implement this proposal.
Most of the buildings of the old Central Vista are also being maintained or renovated. During the ‘Amrit Kaal’ of independence, significant transformations have taken place: Kartavya Path in place of Rajpath, the new Parliament House in place of the old Parliament House, installation of the statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in the empty umbrella located at India Gate, where once the statue of George V stood. Amar Jawan Jyoti, previously engraved with the soldiers who fought for the British, has been replaced by the National War Museum to honour the soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces. Demolition of the symbols of slavery and imperialism is intended to instil a new confidence among the people of the country.
Ashwani Mahajan is a professor at PGDAV College, University of Delhi. Views are personal.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)