 "Centre renames Nehru Museum: What are the features and debate around it?")
The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) Society at Delhi has been renamed as Prime Ministers' Museum and Library Society in an effort to honour all the leaders who have held the position of Prime Minister in India.
This was decided by an executive council chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who also serves as the vice-president of the society. The society has Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its chairman, and Union Ministers Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, Dharmendra Pradhan, G Kishan Reddy, and Anurag Thakur, among its 29 members.
The defence minister said that the institution now displays the contributions of all prime ministers, from Jawaharlal Nehru to Narendra Modi.
The idea for a museum dedicated to all Prime Ministers had been mooted by Modi in 2016.
The Executive Council of the NMML, in its 162nd meeting, approved the construction of the museum of all the prime ministers in the Teen Murti estate on November 25, 2016. The project was subsequently completed and the museum was inaugurated on April 21, 2022.
Nripendra Misra, the chairman of the executive council, said that the new name reflects the nation's "deep commitment to democracy" and represents the institution's evolved form.
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The Teen Murti House was built in 1929-30 as part of Edwin Lutyens’ imperial capital. Initially known as Flagstaff House, it was used by British forces as the residence of the Commander-in-Chief. After independence, the place was taken over by Nehru.
It was the official residence of the Commander-in-Chief in India. It was in August 1948, that it became the official residence of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Following his death in 1964, it was decided that Teen Murti Bhawan should be converted into a museum and a library that would promote research in modern Indian history with reference to the Nehruvian era. Two years later, the NMML Society was set up to manage the institution and has remained so since then.
Since April 2022, the Teen Murti campus has been the home to the Pradhanmantri Sanghralaya or the Museum of all Prime Ministers.
Key features
Housed in a new building, the museum showcases how prime ministers of India navigated the nation through various challenges and ensured the all-round progress of the country.
The museum now includes a number of features such as a small museum where a person can take a selfie with any prime minister using augmented reality (AR); a robot to create memorabilia with the signature of any prime minister of our choice; a wall to write a message on India of your dreams in 2047; an opportunity to take a walk alongside any prime minister in AR; take a seat in the helicopter pod and view a 360-degree virtual reality projection of the nation’s futuristic developments; witness memorable speeches given by the prime ministers at the Red Fort; and watch the story of India’s space programme and other important achievements of the last 75 years with the help of laser lights, sound and visuals.
Congress slams BJP
Taking to Twitter, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Pettiness & Vengeance, thy name is Modi. For over 59 years, Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML) has been a global intellectual landmark and treasure house of books & archives. It will henceforth be called Prime Ministers Museum & Society. What won't Mr. Modi do to distort, disparage and destroy the name & legacy of the architect of the Indian nation-state. A small, small man overburdened by his insecurities is the self-styled Vishwaguru."
Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said that the Teen Murti Bhavan is a historic monument where destiny of India was crafted.
He tweeted: "The Teen Murti Bhavan is a historic monument where India's destiny was crafted. India's every success is achieved on the foundation of Nehru ji's vision. India knows that, and removing his name from a museum will not change the revered stature that Nehru ji enjoys in every Indian's heart."
Congress MP Manish Tewari also hit out at the government, saying legacies don't get erased by renaming buildings in the country.
"I wish those who want to erase Jawahar Lal Nehru’s contribution to freedom struggle & building of Modern India would once read Discovery of India & Glimpses of World History to fathom the depth of Nehru," he tweeted.