A screengrab from a video tweeted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi shows a view from inside the newly constructed Rajya Sabha in the new Parliament building. Photo: Twitter/@narendramodi Via ANI
IIndia is going to witness a historic moment in the 75th year of its independence Inauguration of the new Parliament House On 28 May. After using the Parliament House, which is almost a century old and a colonial era symbol, we finally have a new structure in independent India. It reflects the vision and aspirations of a country that has evolved significantly since 1947. Some may be confused by the idea that this is the establishment of a new parliament. But the new building will be a further extension of the existing Parliament complex to reflect a sense of change and continuity; The journey of our Parliament from what it was yesterday to what it will be in the future. The old building gave direction to independent India, while the new building will witness the making of India as ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.
Challenges of Parliament House
The main Parliament House, which was inaugurated in 1927, has a circular shaped structure that is visible from outside. Two more floors were added to the building in 1956 to accommodate more employees and other offices. The need for yet more office space led to the construction of the Parliament Annexe in 1975. In 2002, the Parliament Library was added to the complex. For similar reasons, an extension to the Parliament Annexe was constructed in 2016. Despite these new constructions in the Parliament Complex to suit administrative needs, the need for modern facilities in the main Parliament House remained unfulfilled.
Apart from the paucity of space inside the Parliament House, there were many other challenges. The current Parliament House is a majestic structure with a unique architectural style, but it presents a different view from inside. It had to be retrofitted several times, leaving little room for further improvements. A bunch of wires are squeezed under the cover. Safety netting was installed in the inner ceiling of both the chambers and the central hall to prevent any tile and plaster from falling down. The many wires for computers, air conditioners and security equipment gave the complex an extremely dilapidated appearance. In 2012, Rajya Sabha proceedings had to be adjourned due to a peculiar smell emanating from the AC ducts.
Past Presiding Officers have also stressed the need to find better solutions. In 2012, Speaker Meira Kumar said that the Parliament House was “crying” and approved a high-powered committee to look for an alternative complex. In 2015, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan wrote to the Minister of Urban Affairs to build a new Parliament House with modern facilities. All this points to the fact that the new Parliament House should have been built at least a decade ago, if not earlier. The issue was taken up on priority under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A detailed plan to build a state-of-the-art Parliament was drawn up and its foundation stone was laid in December 2020. In just two and a half years, this building has been made ready for use. After the work started, India went through three waves of COVID-19. However, the safety of the workers took priority so that construction could continue.
equipped for today’s needs
The new building is more spacious, energy efficient and accessible. It houses the most updated technology, making it well equipped for future needs as well. Laying the foundation stone of the new Parliament House, the Prime Minister stressed on increasing the efficiency of parliamentarians and modernizing our work culture. In the new building we will be able to accommodate different languages with state-of-the-art facilities for simultaneous interpretation as well as better facilities for audio-visual communication as compared to the existing Parliament. Better gadgets, access to the e-library and important reports will be readily available to members from their seats. This will increase the capacity of legislators and improve the efficiency of the secretariats of Parliament.
The building houses publicly accessible museum-grade galleries and a Constitution Hall that showcases the age-old history of India’s democracy. India is not the first country to build a new parliament building to meet space constraints and changing needs. In Australia, a new Parliament House was constructed in 1988 in front of the old Parliament House. The iconic United States Capitol, which was constructed in 1793, has seen several upgrades. Israel’s parliament building, built in 1966, was upgraded with new wings in 1981 and again in 1999. The Canadian Senate building was recently closed for major renovations and meetings were held in temporary arrangements.
The inauguration of a new Parliament House presents an opportunity for serious introspection on our parliamentary conduct to make Parliament more efficient and productive. The trend of increasing disruption and prolonged stalemate runs contrary to what politics demands to respond to the complex governance challenges of our times. One hopes that adequate functional space and modern facilities for members will contribute to reducing friction and enable serious discussions. In the years to come, as the complex expands, each member will have their own dedicated space to interact with the people of their constituencies.
A modern legislature is required to rise to the challenges of the times. The country has already paid a heavy price socially and economically due to the absence of laws when it is most needed. The world is changing rapidly and is on the verge of a tectonic shift due to the emergence of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. The new Parliament House reminds us to prepare and equip ourselves to face new challenges. As a source of hopes and aspirations of the people, especially of the younger generation, it will serve as a beacon to guide us in our ambitious journey of making ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’.
Harivansh is the Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha