It took almost 75 years for the country to get a Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya in 2022, dedicated to the memory of all the prime ministers of India. Before this, the country had no place to archive the contributions made by the former PMs.

The decision to set up this Sangrahalaya at Teen Murti premises, which has the Nehru Memorial, was met with criticism, particularly by those who had reserved it exclusively to the memory of the first prime minister of India. An all PMs’ Sangrahalaya was seen as an attempt to undermine Nehru’s contribution. This became clear when a former PM wrote to Narendra Modi not to change the “nature and character” of the Teen Murti setup and urged him to leave the memorial of the first PM “undisturbed”. Apart from Congress leaders, some others with entrenched interest in the existing setup had expressed similar apprehensions.

The contents of the new Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya are a befitting reply to all such apprehensions. While the old building has been modernised and kept intact for the Nehru Section, other PMs have been accommodated in the new building constructed next to the old one. After the Sangrahalaya was opened for the public on April 21, 2022, the apprehensions also ended. Not even the family members of the ex-PMs expressed any complaints of bias or wilful neglect. The charge of “diluting Nehru’s legacy” falls flat when one visits the Nehru Section. It has been made more impressive compared to the poorly maintained old Nehru Museum. Several photos, papers and memorabilia of Nehru which were left out earlier, are now displayed.

Unknown facets of previous PMs have been represented in the museum. It will inspire and re-energise our youth with new ideas to serve the nation. For example, Lal Bahadur Shastri, at his marriage, had accepted just a Charkha as a gift from his in-laws, which is displayed at the museum. Similarly, his post-office passbook reflecting his small savings and simplicity is also there. Morarji Desai had served as Deputy Collector in Gujarat which he quit and joined Mahatma Gandhi in the freedom struggle. Charan Singh was a staunch supporter of the abolition of the Zamindari system and wrote a book on this which is displayed at the Museum. Similarly, many young people don’t know that Chandrasekhar had undertaken a ‘Bharat Yatra’ from Kanyakumari to Delhi covering 4,260 km.

The Sangrahalaya mirrors the changes India has undergone. It brings out ancient India’s democratic past. India is not only the largest democracy but the mother of democracy as well. We have been taught that Indian democracy has been borrowed from western models. The existence of democratic and deliberative institutions in India following modern parliamentary procedures today had remained a little-known fact.

This museum has the potential to be a centre to facilitate academic research on India’s modern political history. It has records on our leaders’ lives and works. It provides an interactive experience to visitors and youth through state-of-the-art audio-visual technology.

Confucius had said “Study the past, it would define the future”. Thomas Jefferson, the founding father of the US, prescribed history for all who would take part in the government because it would enable them to prepare for things yet to come.To attain the larger objective behind this project, the first thing that was done was to re-constitute the existing Nehru Memorial Society to make it broad based with members from civil society, academics, intellectuals, journalists of repute and members from academic bodies such as the UGC, ICCR, ICHR, etc.

The PM himself was made the president of the NMML Society. A new set of transparent administrative procedure was laid down.

While interacting with the executive council of the NMML Society, Narendra Modi laid down three principles behind setting up of the Sangrahalaya. The first was to focus on highlighting the policies initiated by all the PMs. The second was that while setting up the Museum, the existing paucity of ideas, should be overcome.

The third is to ensure an objective assessment of events during each PM’s tenure. This has been an unbiased vision of the PM, a rare example of true statesmanship.

The Sangrahalaya presents a seamless blend of the old and new; integrating the old Teen Murti House with the new building which is spread across 15,600 sq meters. It has 43 galleries, including those having displays on our freedom struggle and the framing of the Constitution. While the design of the building incorporates energy conservation practices, the logo of Sangrahalaya represents the hands of the people of India holding the ‘Dharam Chakra’. The entrance has a 3D printed levitating national emblem rotating in the air.

The Light and Sound show with the voice of Amitabh Bachchan has become an added attraction. In the new Sangrahalaya, India has been able to build a landmark institution which would serve as a lighthouse to the people of India. It is a platform to celebrate Indian parliamentary democracy without erasing or downplaying any event or personality.

Some countries have taken up initiatives to record their political histories. In the United States, the libraries and even the US Congress maintains an Oral History programme. The US has a Presidential Library and Museums that provide access to historical material for research on their past Presidents. Israel too has museums commemorating the life of some of their PMs. The Australian Prime Ministers Centre was the first stage of the Museum of Australian Democracy.