Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new Parliament House Sunday was perfect for a style he has mastered: using every opportunity to push a form of politics that many of his critics find problematic. Mr. Modi introduced Aesthetics of the new building as a representation of India’s myriad diversity, its rich cultural heritage and its rising aspirations. A was a part of multi-religious prayer ceremonyBut there was no doubt that Hindu ritual overpowered everything else. The current dispensation has sought to re-imagine the founding principles of India’s republican sovereignty, by weaving an artistic narrative around a sengol gifted to India’s first prime minister by a Shaiva sect of Tamil Nadu. A Sengol is a symbol of divine authority and is now enshrined in the House of People’s Representatives. The symbolism reinforces Tamil Nadu’s connection to the political center of India, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to draw political mileage from it. It is also noteworthy that the day of inauguration was also the birth anniversary of VD Savarkar, the founding father of Hindutva. The quest to transform Indian republicanism into a new iteration was evident in the style and substance of the ceremony.
The new building also turns the spotlight, tangentially, on the representational challenge facing India within the next decade. A nationwide delimitation would reallocate representation according to current population, significantly reducing the voice of southern states’ linguistic minorities in parliament. The size of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha is likely to expand so as to avoid a complete reduction in representation of states that have stabilized their population. But this may not be enough to quell the sense of disenfranchisement already being felt in many regions due to the geographical fragmentation of Indian politics. The BJP wins its parliamentary majority from its strongholds while many states remain outside its sphere of influence. At 38% of the popular vote, the BJP currently holds 55% of the Lok Sabha seats. After delimitation, this imbalance will increase further. The BJP’s outreach to areas and communities outside its current catchment areas should be welcomed. But the Center and the BJP need to show more seriousness, sensitivity and maturity in dealing with India’s regional imbalances. For this they have to resort to more than mere symbolism.