By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi dedicated the new Parliament House to the nation on Sunday . Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister installed the Sengol with Nandi at the top facing East-West direction in the new Parliament House. He also lit up the Diya and offered flowers to the Sengol. Speaker of Lok Sabha, Shri Om Birla, and Deputy Speaker of Rajya Sabha, Shri Harivansh Narayan Singh were present on the occasion among others.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister remarked that there are few moments in every nation’s history that are immortalized. Some dates become the immortal signature on the face of time, the Prime Minister said The 28th of May, 2023 is one such day. “People of India have given themselves a gift for the Amrit Mahotsav”, he said. The Prime Minister congratulated everyone on this glorious occasion.
The Prime Minister said that this is not merely a building but is 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 resolution to the world”, he said. He continued, “This new Parliament building connects planning to reality, policy to realization, willpower to execution, and sankalp to siddhi”. This will be a medium for realizing the dreams of the freedom fighters. It will witness the sunrise of Aatmnirbhar Bharat and will see the realization of a Viksit Bharat. The Prime Minister said that this new building is an example of the coexistence of ancient and modern.
“New models can be established only by treading new paths”, the Prime Minister remarked as he highlighted that the new India is realizing new goals and paving new ways. “There is a new energy, new zeal, new enthusiasm, new thinking and a new journey. There are new visions, new directions, new resolutions and a new trust”, Shri Modi exclaimed. The Prime Minister said that the world is looking towards India’s determination, its citizens’ vigour and the life of human power in India with respect and hope. “When India moves forward, the world moves forward”, he remarked. The Prime Minister underlined that the new Parliament House will invoke the development of the world from the development of India.
Referring to the establishment of sacred Sengol, the Prime Minister said that in the great Chola empire, Sengol was seen as a symbol of the path of service duty and nation. He said under the guidance of Rajaji and 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 said.
“India is not only a democratic nation but also the mother of democracy”, the Prime Minister said as he noted that the nation is the principal foundation for global democracy. He underlined that democracy is not just a system that is practiced in India but it is a culture, thought and tradition. Referring to the Vedas, the Prime Minister highlighted that it teaches us the principles of democratic assemblies and committees. He also mentioned the Mahabharata where one can find the description of a Republic and said that India has lived and breathed democracy in Vaishali. “The Anubhav Mantappa of Lord Basweswara is a thing of pride for all of us”, Shri Modi added. Highlighting the inscriptions found in Tamil Nadu belonging to 900 AD, the Prime Minister said that it surprises everyone even in today’s day and age. “Our democracy is our inspiration and our Constitution is our resolution”, Shri Modi said as he noted that the biggest representative of this resolution is the Parliament of India. Reciting a shloka, the Prime Minister 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 Amrit Kaal of giving a new direction to the nation. This is Amrit Kaal of fulfilling innumerable aspirations”, he said. Underscoring the need for new lifeblood for democracy through a verse, the Prime Minister emphasized that the workplace of the democracy, i.e. Parliament should also be new and modern.
The Prime Minister recalled the golden period of India’s prosperity and architecture. He said that centuries of slavery robbed us of this glory. The Prime Minister said that India of the 21st century is filled with confidence. “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”, the Prime Minister said. “This building has Virasat (heritage) as well as Vastu (Architecture), Kala (art) as well as kaushal (skill), sanskriti (culture) as well as notes of Samvidhan (Constitution). He pointed out that 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 said.
The Prime Minister 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, the Prime Minister said, was being discussed for decades and it was the need of the hour that a new Parliament should be developed. He expressed delight that the new Parliament House is equipped with the latest technology and the halls are also sunlit.
Recalling his interactions with the ‘Shramiks’ who contributed to the construction of the new Parliament, the Prime Minister informed that 60,000 shramiks were given employment during the construction of the Parliament and a new gallery has been put up in the house highlighting their contributions. “It is the first time that the contributions of Shramiks have been immortalized in the new Parliament”, the Prime Minister remarked.
Talking about the last 9 years, the Prime Minister said any expert will treat these 9 years as years of reconstruction and Gareeb Kalyan. He said that in this hour of pride for the new building, he also felt satisfaction for the 4 crore houses for the poor. Similarly, the Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with measures like 11 crore toilets, more than 4 lakh km of roads to connect villages, more than 50 thousand Amrit Sarovars, and more than 30 thousand 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.
Recalling his address to the nation from the Red Fort on the occasion of Independence Day, the Prime Minister said there comes a time in the history of every country when the consciousness of that country is awakened. He underlined that such a time had come in India 25 years before independence during Gandhi Ji’s non-cooperation movement which filled the entire country with a belief. “Gandhi ji had connected every Indian with the resolution of Swaraj. This was the time when every Indian was fighting for freedom”, the Prime Minister remarked as he highlighted that its result was India’s independence in 1947. Shri Modi said that the Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal is a stage in independent India which can be compared to the historic period. He noted that India will complete 100 years of its independence in the next 25 years which is the ‘Amrit Kaal’. The Prime Minister emphasized the need to make India a developed nation in these 25 years with the contributions of every citizen. “History is witness that the faith of Indians is not limited to the nation itself”, the Prime Minister noted as he highlighted 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 said. The Prime Minister underlined India’s responsibility becomes bigger as its determination to develop will become the strength of many other countries.
The Prime Minister said that the new Parliament Building will strengthen the nation’s belief in its success and will 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 Prime Minister said that the new Parliament will give new energy and strength to the largest democracy of the world. He said while our Shramjivis have made the Parliament so grand, it is the responsibility of the Parliamentarians to make it divine with their dedication. Stressing the importance of the Parliament, the Prime Minister said that it is the resolution of 140 crore Indians that consecrates the Parliament. He expressed the hope that every decision taken here will adorn the coming centuries and strengthen the coming generations. The Prime Minister underlined that the path of empowerment of the poor, dalit, backward, tribal, disabled, and every deprived family of the society, along with prioritizing 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”, Shri Modi said. In the next 25 years, the Prime Minister emphasized that the 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.
Concluding the address, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that the new building of the Parliament will become the basis for the creation of a new, prosperous, strong and developed India. “This is an India that walks the path of policy, justice, truth, dignity and duty and becomes stronger”, the Prime Minister concluded.
