Modi dedicates the new Parliament House to the Nation

New Delhi, May 28, 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the new Parliament House to the nation today saying that it was a reflection of the aspirations and dreams of 140 crore Indians.

Earlier in the day, Modi installed the ‘Sengol’ (sceptre) facing east-west direction in the new Parliament House. He also lit the lamp and offered flowers to the Sengol.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said there were few moments in every nation’s history that are immortalised. Some dates become an immortal signature on the face of time and The 28th of May, 2023 is one such day. “People of India have given themselves a gift for the Amrit Mahotsav,” he added.

“This is not merely a building but a reflection of the aspirations and dreams of 140 crore Indians. This is a temple of our democracy that gives a message of India’s resolve to the world,” he said.

“This new Parliament building connects planning to reality, policy to realisation, willpower to execution, and Sankalp to Siddhi. This will be a medium for realising the dreams of the freedom fighters. It will witness the sunrise of Aatmnirbhar Bharat and will see the realisation of a Viksit Bharat,” he added.

Noting that the new building is an example of the coexistence of the ancient and modern, he said, “New models can be established only by treading new paths.

“There is a new energy, new zeal, new enthusiasm, new thinking and a new journey. There are new visions, new directions, new resolutions and new trust,” he said.

The world is looking towards India’s determination and its citizens’ vigour with respect and hope. “When India moves forward, the world moves forward,” he remarked.

Referring to the placing of the Sengol in the Lok Sabha, he said in the great Chola empire, Sengol was seen as a symbol of the path of service, duty and nationhood. Under the guidance of Rajaji and the Adheenam, this Sengol became the sacred symbol of the transfer of power.

The Prime Minister once again bowed to the Adheenam saints who came to bless the occasion this morning. “It is our good fortune that we could restore the dignity of this sacred Sengol. This Sengol will keep on inspiring us during the proceedings of the House,” he added.

“India is not only a democratic nation but also the mother of democracy,” he said and noted that the Nation was the principal foundation for global democracy. Democracy is not just a system that is practised in India but also a culture, thought and tradition. Referring to the Vedas, he said it teaches the principles of democratic assemblies and committees.

He also mentioned the Mahabharata where one can find the description of a Republic. India has lived and breathed democracy in Vaishali.

Referring to the inscriptions found in Tamil Nadu belonging to 900 AD, he said it continues to surprise everyone even in today’s day and age. “Our democracy is our inspiration and our Constitution is our resolution,” he added.

The biggest representative of this resolution is the Parliament of India. Reciting a Shloka, he explained that luck runs out for those who stop moving forward, but the fate of those who keep moving forward continues to soar.

The Prime Minister said that after years of slavery, after losing so much, India resumed its journey and reached the Amrit Kaal. “Amrit Kaal is a period of forging new dimensions of development while preserving our heritage. This is the Amrit Kaal of giving a new direction to the nation. This is the Amrit Kaal of fulfilling innumerable aspirations,” he added. Underscoring the need for a new lifeblood for democracy through a verse, the Prime Minister emphasised that the workplace of democracy, Parliament, should also be new and modern.

Referring to the golden period of India’s prosperity and architecture, he said centuries of slavery robbed us of this glory. “Today’s India is leaving behind the mentality of slavery and embracing that ancient glory of art. This new Parliament building is a living example of this endeavour. This building has Virasat (heritage) as well as Vastu (Architecture), Kala (art) Kaushal (skill) and Sanskriti (culture) as well as notes of Samvidhan (Constitution).

“The interiors of Lok Sabha are themed on the National bird peacock and Rajya Sabha on the National flower lotus. The Parliament premises have the national tree Banyan. The new building incorporates the specialities of different parts of the country. He mentioned granite from Rajasthan, timber from Maharashtra and carpet by Bhadhoi artisans.

“We witness the spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat in every particle of this building,” he added.

Modi pointed out the difficulties faced by the Parliamentarians in getting work done in the old Parliament building and gave examples of challenges due to the lack of technical facilities and paucity of seats in the House.

“The need for a new Parliament was being discussed for decades and it was the need of the hour that a new Parliament should be developed,” he added.

He expressed delight that the new Parliament House is equipped with the latest technology and the halls are also sunlit.

Referring to his interactions with the ‘Shramiks’ (workers) who contributed to the construction of the new Parliament, he said 60,000 people were given employment during the construction and a new gallery has been set up in the house highlighting their contributions. “It is the first time that the contributions of Shramiks have been immortalised in the new Parliament,” he added.

Talking about the past nine years, he said any expert will treat this period as years of reconstruction and ‘Gareeb Kalyan’ (welfare of the poor). In this hour of pride for the new building, he also felt satisfaction for the construction of four crore houses for the poor.

He also expressed satisfaction with the construction of 11 crore toilets, more than four lakh km of roads to connect villages, more than 50,000 Amrit Sarovars and more than 30,000 new Panchayat Bhawans. “From Panchayat Bhawans to Parliament only one inspiration guided us, that is, the development of the nation and its people,” he added.

Referring to his Address to the Nation from the Red Fort on the occasion of Independence Day, Modi said, “There comes a time in the history of every nation when its consciousness is awakened. Such a time had come in India 25 years before independence during Gandhiji's non-cooperation movement which filled the entire country with a belief.

“Gandhiji had connected every Indian with the resolution of Swaraj. This was the time when every Indian was fighting for freedom,” he said, adding that its result was India's independence in 1947.

“Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal is a stage in independent India which can be compared to that historic period. India will complete 100 years of its independence in the next 25 years which is the ‘Amrit Kaal’.

He stressed the need to make India a developed nation in these 25 years with the contribution of every citizen. “History is witness that the faith of Indians is not limited to the nation itself,” he said. The Prime Minister noted that India’s freedom struggle had awakened a new consciousness in many countries of the world at that time. “When a country like India, full of diversity, with a huge population that tackles various challenges, moves forward with a belief, it inspires many countries of the world. Every achievement of India is going to become an achievement for different countries in different parts of the world in the coming days,” he added.

He underlined that India's responsibility was bigger as its determination to develop will become the strength of many other countries.

The new Parliament building will strengthen the nation's belief in its success and inspire everyone towards a Viksit Bharat. “We will have to move with a spirit of ‘Nation First’. We will have to keep the path of duty above all. We will have to be an example with our conduct while constantly improving ourselves. We will have to tread our own path,” he said.

The new Parliament will give new energy and strength to the largest democracy in the world. “While our Shramjivis have made the Parliament so grand, it is the responsibility of the Parliamentarians to make it divine with their dedication,” he said. Stressing the importance of Parliament, the Prime Minister said that it is the resolution of 140 crore Indians that consecrates it. He expressed the hope that every decision taken here will adorn the coming centuries and strengthen the coming generations. The path of empowerment of the poor, Dalit, backwards, tribal, disabled, and every deprived family of the society, along with prioritising the development of the deprived will pass through this Parliament. “Every brick, every wall, every particle of this new Parliament House will be dedicated to the welfare of the poor,” he said.

In the next 25 years, new laws to be made in this new Parliament House will make India a developed nation, help in pushing poverty out of India and create new opportunities for the youth and women of the country, he added.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Deputy Speaker of Rajya Sabha Harivansh Narayan Singh were present on the occasion among others.

NNN