The Unfinished Convention Centre Dedicated to JP Narayan That Became a Political Battleground

New Delhi: When Akhilesh Yadav as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh had sanctioned the construction of a museum-cum-multi-purpose convention centre dedicated to socialist ideologue Jayaprakash Narayan, he had envisaged it to come up along the lines of the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi. Once operative, the 18-acre-project, which includes a ‘Museum of Socialism’, would not only serve as a rich, interactive guide through the nascent years of Indian democracy, but would also provide citizens enough spaces for recreation, business and leisure activities. The rust-coloured corten steel exterior of the museum rises above a splash of greenery as we cross the river Gomti in Lucknow. Across the road from it, another illustrious political monument gives it company – the sprawling Ambedkar Park built by Mayawati.

The architecturally intriguing convention centre was meant to be a statement by Yadav, then struggling to wriggle out of the shadow of his father and uncle, to project himself as a man of development, out to carve out his own modern legacy. A portion of the unfinished multi-crore, multi-dimensional project was opened to the public in 2016 by Yadav’s government. But once the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stormed to power in March 2017 and picked Yogi Adityanath to helm affairs, the project was left in a limbo.

Questions were raised on its feasibility and the structure remains unfinished and unutilised today. Far from being a centre for cultural activities, the forsaken compounds of the Jayaprakash Narayan Interpretation Centre or JPNIC, have today turned into an area of political slugfest between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the ruling BJP.

This source of friction was on display on October 11, the birth anniversary of JP, who is regarded by the SP among its tallest socialist icons. Yadav announced that he would visit the JPNIC and garland the statue of JP erected on its compound as a tribute to the leader on the special occasion. However, on the eve of October 10, officials sealed off the JPNIC and placed tall tin shades over the main entrance. Police were also deployed at the site to ensure compliance.

Showcasing a combative side to himself, Yadav made a surprise visit to JPNIC at the night of October 10 to draw attention to the government’s efforts to prevent him from paying tribute to JP. The administration, perhaps, had in mind last year’s imagery when Yadav dramatically scaled the wall of the JPNIC after he was denied permission to offer floral tributes to the anti-emergency campaigner. Yadav, unfettered by the tin shades, vowed to march to JPNIC the next morning.

However, on October 11, the police sealed all exits from his residence and blocked the road to prevent him from leaving. After a while, angry SP leaders and workers gathered outside Yadav’s residence in protest and shouted anti-government slogans while a large posse of police personnel kept watch.

Eventually, a golden-coloured bust of JP was arranged and Yadav garlanded it amidst a sea of supporters. Had the Adityanath administration allowed Yadav to visit JPNIC and pay a tribute to JP, the occasion would have passed quietly, relegated to the list of uneventful formalities politicians are expected to display. However, by throttling Yadav’s efforts, the government merely fuelled questions about the saffron party’s tainted record regarding the freedom struggle.

“BJP did not play any role in the Independence movement. That’s why they don’t want to honour those due to whom this country gained independence. How many of the BJP icons were part of the Independence movement and what kind of role they played, that history is not hidden from anyone,” said Yadav in a sharp retort.

The former UP chief minister also alleged that the BJP government was closing entry to the JPNIC as part of a “conspiracy” to sell off the centre to a private entity. The government had faced similar allegations in September 2020, after a report stated that it was planning to sell off the JPNIC to private firms for a slated price of over Rs. 1,642 crore. The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA), which maintains it, denied the claim and clarified that there were no such plans to sell it. The LDA, in fact, had even stressed that it sought additional funds of Rs 110-115 crore for completing the unfinished projects in the JPNIC. More than Rs 860 crore had been originally sanctioned for the project but according to recent reports, the cost may have gone up.

While this time there has not been a concrete response from the government on Yadav’s allegations, in October 2023, the Times of India reported that the government’s expenditure finance committee (EFC) had given its nod to a budget of Rs 83 crore to finish the project. The remaining work would proceed once the EFC’s decision was approved by the cabinet committee, the report said. However, there has been no update on that front.

While denying Yadav permission to visit the JPNIC on JP’s birth anniversary, the LDA cited security reasons. In a reply to Yadav’s personal secretary on October 10, the LDA said that its engineering department had provided a status report on the work site. The JPNIC is still under construction, said the LDA, adding that construction material was kept in a scattered manner and that there was a possibility of encountering “undesirable creatures” at the site due to the rainy season. Due to these factors, the site was not suitable for Yadav’s visit or garlanding event from a security point of view, said the LDA.

Yadav found the reason amusing and wondered why the government was so worried about his health.“They have provided this excuse that there will be scorpions there. If they cared so much about scorpions, then why didn’t they clean up the area? Why did they not maintain the museum,” Yadav asked, while addressing supporters outside his residence.

In a tweet flagging the barricading of his residence, Yadav took a dig at the BJP and said,“BJP people have always been opposed to freedom fighters and freedom movement. They have learnt how to block roads by living with the colonial powers and supporting them secretly.”

Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, BJP’s UP president, however, shot back at Yadav over the incident, saying that “anarchy and hooliganism have become the identity of SP.” He accused the SP of being bent on “creating an atmosphere of anarchy” by becoming “ostentatious supporters” of JP, the founder of the Sampoorna Kranti revolution who strongly opposed the Emergency. “The leaders of Samajwadi Party, who are generous towards Congress, are today paying false tribute to the Lok Nayak (JP),” said Chaudhary.

Museum of Socialism

Yadav, as chief minister, had inaugurated the Museum of Socialism within the JPNIC on the 114th birth anniversary of JP in 2016.

The museum is spread over an area of 3,269 square metres. Before the premises were shut down for visitors, this reporter had the opportunity to visit the JPNIC site and the museum, which uses four broad themes – reflection, congregation, absorption and internalisation – to trace the personal, political and ideological journey of JP.

It lays a special focus on the independence movement, the events leading up to the Emergency and JP’s role in shaping India and the socialist movement. “Aaj bhi keval JP hi desh ko hila sakte hai (Even today, only JP can shake the nation),” reads one of the wall inscriptions on the outer section of the museum.

The ground floor of the museum consists of four octagons that provide a chronological walk through the key phases of JP’s life, starting from his revolutionary days, exposure to Marxist thought, escape from jail and the independence movement. The “drawers of time” section provides capsules, documents and quotes from key moments in his political life. Photos, videos, interviews of prominent personalities and friends of JP, symbols, audio clips, 3-D holographic screens, kinetic ball techniques and newspaper clippings corroborate the events of that era as well as the transformations in his life.

The complex also has a gallery, open-air theatre, an amphitheater for showing documentaries, a library, a children’s section, a gift shop and a reading room. A part of the museum also showcases JP’s personal belongings, recreating the appearance and spirit of his residence in Bihar, where he was born. One can view his clothes, cot, trunk, pen, letters, stool, sandals and the religious books he read. The steps of the open-air amphitheatre, which is visible from the road, guides you through JP’s life.