India's latest parliament building was done within 2 years, which is remarkable in a country where large projects are known to be marred with corruption and bureaucratic blockades, ultimately shooting the estimates. The parliament like most of the other Delhi architectures, was a reminiscence of the colonial era, which the rulers of the day found symbolic in taking over. It has to do with the fact that Indian independence was mostly seen as a peaceful transfer of power rather than a violent outing of the colonizers, as with many other Asian countries. The claim for peace in the process was somewhat lost in the massive riots that followed the partition of the erstwhile British India Colony. But the establishments of the British era were carried on, and sometimes even the legislation still needed to be changed. This, if one would agree, does manifest the Indian idolisation of the Western culture, or at least the veneration of the West among its ruling elite.
It was, therefore, imperative for the right-wing government to use a new parliament to attack the seeming submissiveness of Western influence. But the need for a bigger parliament was noticed and sometimes glaringly insulting to the country. Ever since the 2001 attacks, there have been questions on whether additional construction to the structure, which had its safety and capacity so severely compromised, is the right way to go. The Central Vista plan, which saw the makeover of the whole Raisana complex, along with the parliament house, marks the grandiose plans of the government. In fact, the ruling party under Narendra Modi achieved even international endorsement of the grand plan. At a time when a lot of countries shiver under the nightmare of economic winter, India is looked upon as the warm spot. In the dawn of such awakening, Projects like this show that India is up to something big.
The final act of the parliament showtime has to be the senegol, which was once bestowed on Nehru as a mark of transfer of power from the British. The reclaim of the staff underlines two historical changes, one that the country has chosen to heed to its heritage over the ideals of moral secularity, one that made Nehru relinquish the mace in the first place. And Modi is deemed to be the new Nehru, in a sense, the architect of modern India with a dream different from the one 75 years ago. The senegol highlights the divine coronation of the Indian Dream. But does it also mark the era of one muscular man running the country on his political muscle? That was something Nehru never had the folly of falling into; time can only tell the fate destined for Modi.