A digital gallery may soon showcase lives of national icons at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Museum.
India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, may soon have to share space with other national leaders at the campus of Delhi's Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. A plan to expand and digitize the memorial -- which is at the drawing board stage -- is there that involves showcasing the lives and works of various national icons, including BJP ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay.
The final call on how the idea will be implemented, though, is yet to be taken. The matter was discussed today at a meeting chaired by Union Minister Rajnath Singh at the North Block. It was also attended by the senior leaders of the Congress, including Malikarjun Kharge, Jairam Ramesh and Dr Karan Singh.
"There are plans for a gallery of former Prime Ministers," nominated lawmaker Swapan Das Gupta told the reporters after attending the meeting. "It is still at the drawing board stage. Subsequently, it would be done, but only after professionals give their opinion".
The museum authorities have already invited global tenders for designs to showcase the Prime Ministers of India, which, they say, would generate more interest in the museum.
A senior ministry official present at the meeting told NDTV that the members were informed about what the government has decided "in principle". "Now a concept paper would be made on the points and it would be taken forward," he added.
According to him, the government does not plan to tinker with the core structure of the building. The expansion plans will involve installation of new technology like audio-video slides, touch-screen panels, and three or four dimension display techniques. "Through digitisation and use of technology, other former Prime Ministers, their achievements, will be showcased," the officer said.
The Congress registered its protest with the government, saying they cannot interfere with the legacy of Nehru. After the meeting, Dr Karan Singh said, "No one would tinker with the existing building, a heritage structure... We have been assured if that".
According to home ministry officials, the new design for the museum has been suggested by MJ Akbar, the vice-chairperson of the executive council of the NMML and the Minister of State for External Affairs. The organisation secretary Shakti Sinha said that the concept paper is being finalised.