Historical buildings of Delhi and Sikh society

On May 28, India, the world’s largest democratic country, got its new parliament building. Spread over 47,500 square meters, the new Parliament House is equipped with modern facilities and technology, while a glimpse of Indian culture has also been seen in it. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made a successful undertaking of integration of modernity and ancient symbols by installing the Sengol scepter symbolizing the transfer of power in the Parliament. Praising the new building of the Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that it will be able to incorporate the widest public representation of the country full of diversities with a population of more than 1.40 billion.

The old and new buildings of Parliament are our heritage. Delhi’s North Block, South Block and Connaught Place, including many such buildings, are connected to our heritage. Sikh society has played an important role in the construction of all these buildings. The Sikhs fought with the Mughals and the British for their existence and for the independence of the country, and for this reason the Sikh society is today recognized as the sword arm of the country. If you turn the pages of the history of black water, you will find that the name of Punjabis, especially Sikhs, is at the top. The Sikh community, which fought for the country’s independence, has also played an important role in the construction of historical buildings in Delhi.

Most of the historical buildings including North Block and South Block were constructed under the able guidance of Sikh contractors like Sobha Singh, Baskha Singh, Ranjit Singh, Mohan Singh and Dharam Singh Sethi. Call it a coincidence that the construction of the new Parliament House has also been done under the leadership of a Sikh leader. Believing Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Prime Minister Modi gave him the responsibility of building the new Parliament House, which he fulfilled with full responsibility and got it constructed before the given time.

Born and educated in Delhi, Hardeep Puri was associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad since his student days and was also the president of a college in Delhi. After being appointed to the Indian Foreign Service, he continued to serve the country on various important posts in the Foreign Department. He also served as the chairman of the United Nations Security Council Anti-Terrorism Committee and the President of the United Nations Security Council. After retirement, he became active in politics and is currently serving as an influential Sikh leader in the central government. Hardeep Puri also played an important role in getting the Kartarpur Corridor built and opened and in bringing the victimized Sikhs and Guru Granth Sahib from Afghanistan. In the recent Jalandhar Lok Sabha by-election, he played an important role in the BJP’s election campaign and as a result, the BJP’s rural base increased, especially in the Sikh community. It is a matter of pride for Punjab and Punjabis that the country has got a new temple of democracy in the form of a new parliament and a Punjabi leader in the form of Hardeep Singh Puri has played an important role in completing that project.

Irwin