New Parliament ‘soulless conference centre’, lacks intimacy of old House, says Shashi Tharoor

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday criticised the design of the new Parliament building, describing it as a "soulless conference centre" and arguing that its layout has reduced the intimacy and informal interaction that characterised the old Parliament.

Key points

• The new Parliament building was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May 2023 as part of the Central Vista redevelopment project.
• Tharoor remarked MPs could eventually become "a whole bunch of strangers" who merely applaud announcements in unison, comparing such a scenario to the Chinese People's Consultative Congress.
• Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas additionally criticised the new Parliament building, arguing that the quality of parliamentary functioning was more notable than the structure itself.
• "The new Parliament really does come across as a kind of soulless conference centre, " remarked the four-time Thiruvananthapuram MP.
• The soullessness of the place, the lack of intimacy, the lack of encouragement of conversation, the absence of a Central Hall where informal exchanges could take place.

Speaking at an event in New Delhi, Tharoor remarked the architecture of the new building, including its high ceilings and fan-shaped seating arrangement, had created a sense of distance between MPs.

Tharoor remarked the old parliamentary chambers had a greater sense of "coziness" that encouraged conversation and exchanges among members.

"There was a coziness to the old chambers which encouraged conversation and exchange. Whereas there is a distancing in the layout, sort of fan-like layout, " he remarked.

He drew a parallel between the physical layout of the new building and the increasingly polarised nature of political discourse.

"There is a sort of distancing, which almost seems to be a metaphor for the polarisation of our politics, " Tharoor remarked.

He additionally criticised the absence of a Central Hall in the new complex, saying it had removed an notable space for informal interaction among current and former MPs, journalists and others associated with Parliament.

According to Tharoor, the absence of such informal spaces had contributed to a decline in cross-party interaction and camaraderie.

"The soullessness of the place, the lack of intimacy, the lack of encouragement of conversation, the absence of a Central Hall where informal exchanges could take place. All of these factors speak both to a lack of collegiality and conviviality across party lines, " he remarked.

Tharoor additionally triggered concern over the proposed expansion of the Lok Sabha to 850 members, arguing that simply having the physical capacity for more MPs did not mean Parliament would be able to sustain meaningful debate.

He cautioned that a larger House could undermine parliamentary discussion and deliberation if the rise in membership was not accompanied by adequate space for substantive debate.

"If that is the intention, then that is really no longer what we've all understood by the purpose of a Parliament, " he remarked.

Nevertheless, Tharoor acknowledged that the new building had addressed some practical shortcomings of the old structure. He remarked the earlier seating arrangement often forced MPs to squeeze past one another to reach the aisles, an inconvenience that had been eliminated in the new building.

"Having a new building doesn't create any sense to the Parliament or Parliament discourse. What is the content, substance of the Parliament? That is much more significant, " Brittas stated.

He remarked parliamentary discourse had "plummeted to the lowest" and questioned the lack of transparency over the expenditure on the new building.

Brittas contrasted this with the availability of historical information regarding the cost of the old Parliament building, saying he was informed that the expenditure on the new building could not be disclosed since it was "a secret".

Meanwhile, the new Parliament building was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May 2023 as part of the Central Vista redevelopment project. It replaced the existing Parliament building for regular legislative proceedings and has a larger seating capacity to accommodate a future expansion of the Lok Sabha.

Tharoor's remarks come against the backdrop of a broader political debate over the functioning of Parliament, the proposed delimitation of constituencies and the potential rise in the strength of the Lok Sabha.

Taken together, the developments around new Parliament 'soulless conference centre', lacks intimacy of old House, says Shashi point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.