Minutes of the Seventh meeting of the Jawaharlal Nehru Portrait Parliamentary Committee.

Summary

These two pages record the seventh meeting of the Jawaharlal Nehru Portrait Parliamentary Committee, held in the Speaker’s Chamber on 18 November 1965. The minutes list the committee members, invited officials, secretariat, and Ministry of Works and Housing representatives. The Minister explains that the Government has asked the committee to identify suitable sites in Delhi for statues of national leaders, with no expenditure to be incurred by the Government for installation.

The discussion focuses on the limited space available in the Parliament House Estate and on proposals for statues of Lala Lajpat Rai and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. Members agree that the committee should not proceed hastily and suggest preparing a broader list of national leaders, including major parliamentarians and figures associated with Parliament. Names mentioned include Motilal Nehru, Chandra Gupta Maurya, Vithal Bhai Patel, Bhola Bhai Desai, S. Satyamurthi, and Dr. Ambedkar. The committee requests plans showing possible locations for statues, busts, and decorative statues, and adjourns at 16.15 hours.

Key points

• The committee met on 18 November 1965 in the Speaker’s Chamber.
• The Government had constituted the committee to arrange the installation of statues in Delhi.
• Two proposed sites in the Parliament House Estate were earmarked for Lala Lajpat Rai and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
• The Speaker reported that the Parliament House Estate contained 15 possible locations: four for life-size statues, three for decorative statues, and six for busts, alongside existing statues.
• Members argued that the selection of leaders required careful consideration because India had a long history and many national figures.
• The committee favoured preparing a list that gave priority to great parliamentarians and people closely associated with Parliament.
• The committee adjourned after requesting plans for suitable statue and bust locations.