Sustaining the ‘idea of India’
AS the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building concluded, I said to myself: ‘Well now that’s done: and I’m glad it’s over’, quoting iconic poet TS Eliot in my state of bewilderment and cautious happiness.
An apolitical military veteran for whom the ‘idea of India’ hugely matters, I’d reasoned that this momentous occasion — an irreversible and much-needed break with our colonial legacy — demanded the attendance of all MPs, who are the voices of our 1.4 billion citizens. Political differences should have been set aside for that short period to facilitate the transition from a macabre yesterday to a hopeful tomorrow.
India has paid for its new symbol of democracy through blood, sweat and hope, not through an IMF loan. This was, however, a Pied Piper’s chimera, I realised, as TV images showed the new Parliament complex whose purification and inauguration rituals were performed with ancient Vedic chants accompanied by Nadaswaram tunes and sprinkling of Ganga water. The cameras focused on the Prime Minister prostrating before the assembled high priests before receiving the gold-silver-and-jewel-encrusted Sengol — an ancient symbol of power and authority — topped by a golden orb with a hand-carved Nandi bull representing justice and righteousness. The spectacle was unfolding, sadly, amid inadequate representation of India’s people.
The humongous Parliament complex is our Parliament. It is a Grade-1 heritage structure designed by architect Bimal Patel and constructed by Tata Projects. The new building is expected to last around 150 years. Thus, our great-great-great grandchildren will be around in 2173 when Parliament 2.0 may make way for Parliament 3.0.
We continue to be proud Indians — 75 years ‘new’ as per a superficial count, but 5,000 years ‘old’ in documented history. The blip of irrationality is over and we need to focus once again on being a sensitive, perceptive, caring nation that has always learnt from its mistakes and become stronger — one reason why it is one of two ancient cultures along with China that has survived, outliving the Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Persian and pan-European cultures, including the British Empire on which the sun set many years ago.
Think about it and you would realise that it doesn’t matter if the Sengol was erroneously labelled as a walking stick, not as a braided ‘rod of righteous governance’ validating succession. What should matter is seeing the Sengol as a symbol of a resurgent India proud of its ancient roots, a nation using powerful symbols which reinforce the ‘idea of India’ just as the Ashoka Chakra did by replacing the imperial crown. Let the new Parliament complex, thus, be a symbol of a vibrant India of our dreams.
