Sunday Long Reads: New Indian Parliament to be inaugurated today

Coffee & Politics in Parliament’s Central Hall

Central Hall was a place for MPs from opposing sides to interact informally and with bonhomie and in the process many compromises over legislation, tweaking policies and switching sides were reached over dosas and coffee.

I never got an opportunity to bid farewell to the old Parliament’s central hall, once the country’s most exclusive club and hub for select senior parliamentary correspondents, when the House was in session. Central Hall (CH) provided an opportunity to rub shoulders with Members of Parliament (MPs), past and present, ministers and opposition leaders. The powerful in the land were easily accessible here and journalists did not have to go through the rigmarole of fixing formal interviews, maneuvering through layers of secretaries for an appointment.

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The latest address for the House

The new Lok Sabha has the central colour theme of the national bird, the peacock. (Source: HCP Design, Planning and Management)

Today, May 28, the people of India awake to a new Parliament building, which is their temple of democracy, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the presence of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

India’s new Parliament building replaces the old British colonial Council House, which was designed by Herbert Baker. It reflected the structure of British rule with its Chamber of Princes, Council of State and a Legislative Assembly, portraying a fictitious narrative in which India’s democratic system is illustrated simply as an adaptation of erstwhile imperial rulers, sending the wrong message that India is a mere extension of Western ideation, invented and nurtured from English cultural mores and traditions. One of the themes of the new Parliament Building is India’s ancient democratic roots in its village panchayats and councils.

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Voices from the House — MPs recall memories at Parliament

Members of Parliament cutting across parties and states share with The Indian Express their thoughts and memories as the nation transitions to a new Parliament building

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20 things you must know about India’s new Parliament

Here’s a lowdown on India’s new Parliament building

From increased seating capacity to peacock-themed interiors, the design brings together the ancient and the modern. Here’s a look at India’s new Parliament building

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