2023 Year Ender: India’s Democracy Marks Historic Chapter with Inauguration of New Parliament Building

In a year of significant highs and lows for India, the nation celebrated the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, marking its conquest of the moon. However, the cricket World Cup victory eluded the country. The most notable event of the year was the inauguration of the new Parliament Building on May 28, heralding a new era for Indian democracy.

The old Parliament House, a colonial-era structure designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker, served as the home for the Imperial Legislative Council. The pressing need for a new building was driven by concerns over narrow seating, distressed infrastructure, obsolete communication structures, safety issues, and inadequate workspace. The new building, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, boasts expanded seating capacities in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Halls, allowing for more inclusive joint sessions.

The transition from the old to the new Parliament building began on September 19 with a walkathon led by Prime Minister Modi. In his inaugural speech, he highlighted the building’s connection to India’s rich history, emphasizing the symbolic significance of the sacred Sengol, first received by Pandit Nehru, the country’s first Prime Minister.

The move, however, drew criticism from the opposition, with Congress leader Jairam Ramesh dubbing it ‘Modi Multiplex.’ Ramesh expressed concerns about the impact of the new architecture on parliamentary discussions, calling it a potential threat to democracy.

Prime Minister Modi proposed naming the old building ‘Samvidhan Sadan,’ emphasizing its historical role in the framing of the Constitution by the Constituent Assembly.

Amidst these developments, the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, also known as the Women’s Reservation Bill, became the first legislation to be tabled and passed in both houses of the new Parliament. The bill aims to provide reservations for women in legislative assemblies.

On December 18, the Rajya Sabha unanimously passed two bills related to Jammu and Kashmir, focusing on amendments to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, and reserving 33 percent of seats in the Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry Assemblies for women.

However, the new Parliament faced a security breach during the Winter Session on December 13. Two youths breached security, entering the Lok Sabha chamber during Zero Hour, setting off smoke cans, and raising slogans. This incident led to the suspension of 146 MPs for disrupting proceedings.

Despite the security breach, the Winter Session set a record with the passage of three key bills, replacing colonial-era criminal laws—the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita Bill, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita Bill, and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, piloting the bills, emphasized that they mark the “beginning of a new era” focused on delivering justice rather than punishment.

The suspension of 146 MPs highlighted the tensions surrounding these bills, with disruptions caused by demands for a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the security breach. The incident underscores the challenges and debates shaping India’s parliamentary landscape as it navigates through historic legislative changes and security concerns in the new Parliament building.