From galleries telling the stories of the lives, achievements and challenges faced by Prime Ministers to virtual walks or selfies with a PM, the new Museum on Prime Ministers that will open to the public on April 21 would give visitors a glimpse into the world of Prime Ministers.
The museum will become the source of inspiration for the youth who will be able to witness the hardships each PM faced and how they overcame them to lay the foundations of a new India, the PM said. He added that the museum will reflect the shared heritage of each government.
The project to build the new museum faced stiff opposition when the government announced its plan in 2018. The Congress alleged that the new museum was an attempt to dilute the legacy of India’s first PM Jawaharlal Nehru, a charge rejected by the Centre.
The Teen Murti Bhawan, the site of the new museum, was the official residence of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister. The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) was set up in his memory on its premises as an autonomous institution under the Union Culture Ministry.
A political controversy erupted after the Centre announced its plan to set up a museum for former Prime Ministers at the complex. At the 43rd annual general meeting of NMML in 2018, the NMML Society considered a proposal for the PMs museum on the campus. The proposal was cleared by the then Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
The Congress leaders opposed the government’s decision and called it an attempt to dilute the legacy of Jawaharlal Nehru. The Centre, however, maintained that the move was not to undermine the legacy of the first PM.
Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh even wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he urged him to leave the Teen Murti complex “undisturbed”.
Raising concerns over the government’s decision to change the “nature and character” of the Nehru memorial, the former PM and senior Congress leader said, “I recall that during the six-year tenure of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji as prime minister, there was absolutely no attempt to change the nature and character of the NMML and the Teen Murti complex in any way. But sadly that it seems to be part of the agenda of Government of India now,” Mr Singh noted.
He added, “Let us respect this sentiment and keep Teen Murti as a memorial to our first prime minister Pandit Nehru. This way we will be respecting both history and heritage.”
“Jawaharlal Nehru belongs not just to the Congress but to the entire nation. It is in this spirit that I have written to you,” Mr Singh wrote in the letter.
Opinion
As Mr Singh said that Mr Nehru belonged to the nation. Logically, his house would also be of the nation. His even was officially government property. Then, why did he and his colleagues need to protest?
Even if they considered the house sacred, why can’t they peacefully let government build a museum that honours all former and present Prime Ministers? What’s the problem? He was the first Prime Minister of India. But, we can’t just sit chant ” Jai Nehru”.
We have to move ahead for a nation in which all the people live like these great wanted. Why do you want to create trouble in all government policies? Yes, you are the opposition but, morally you should be responsible.
