Witness to many a glorious moment
By Ravi Bali

SHIMLA has plenty of vintage buildings constructed during the British regime and one of the last ones to come up during the days of the Raj was the historic Council Chamber, currently called Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha.

The Council Chamber building, constructed in 1925, was inaugurated by Lord Reading, the Viceroy, on August 21, 1925. This historic building was then built at a cost of Rs 8.5 lakh. About this most lavishly constructed building of the era, Chronicle had reported: "Before the Government decided to build the Chamber, Sir Claud Hill, then public works member took special pains to ascertain the views of the legislators. As to how the building should be, Sir Claud Hill had appointed a Committee of 15 legislators from all parts of the country who discussed the question minutely."

The making and construction of the Council Chamber is itself an interesting story. The construction of the Chamber was started in 1920 on a ridge with tall lush green deodars in the north and the present railway station of Shimla in the south. This is exactly the spot where Major Kennedy, the political agent who is considered the discoverer and the founder of Shimla, built the first house. When this building was inaugurated by Lord Reading on August 21, 1925, people of erstwhile British regime swore that it was one of the grandest function ever witnessed in Shimla. People also felt that the inauguration of the building was also historic in many ways. When Lord Reading arrived in a victoria (baagi drawn by six horses). the best of British Regimental bands specially invited for the occasion played engaging tunes. The sound of the music could be heard beyond Tara Devi and Shogi areas.

The historical chair, currently in the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha and meant for the Speaker, is a priceless object. It has been witness to some of the glorious moments of erstwhile British and post-British period.

During the Raj days, the Speaker of the Assembly was known as President and the Chair for the President is said to have been gifted by the then Government of Burma to the Central Legislative Assembly. The chair is made of elegant Burma teak. The chair is still used in the Assembly by the Speaker of the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha. It’s a royal throne made of hard wood. The wood is artistically curved on the top. The crown that topped the canopy was replaced by Ashok Chakra after Independence.

The chamber witnessed some of the most glorious and finest historical moments. The Chamber has in successive years housed the Central Legislative Assembly, the Punjab Assembly, and the Himachal Pradesh Assembly. It also housed the offices of Himachal Pradesh Administration.

The renowned building has seen the grandeur of the Viceroys and since then many historical events were discussed on its premises. The Chamber has been a witness to the grace and glory of legends like Vithalbhai Patel. He was one of the best orators the world has ever seen and heard. It has also heard the thunder of the famous and the dynamic Satyamurthi and Bhulabhai Desai and witnessed the debating talent of Motilal Nehru and the legendary "think tank"—Mohammad Ali Jinah.

In this conference, the participants were Speakers and Deputy Speakers of state Assemblies and Chairman’s and Deputy Chairman’s of state Legislative Councils. The participants of the above conference were so delighted to see this nostalgic vintage Council Chamber that they were literally touching everything to feel its heritage and history.

According to Ajai Bhandari, Secretary, HP Vidhan Sabha, the maintenance cost of this historical building demands more funds. Hence, the Vidhan Sabha Secretariat had made a special request through a memorandum submitted to the state government. A.M. Khusro, Chairman of the 11th Finance Commission, along with other commission members were in Shimla a few months back to grant Rs 23 lakh for the preservation of this building. Ajai Bhandari further adds, "The Council chamber is a huge vintage building that needs to be preserved because every thing in it, including the historical chair, carries with it stories of heritage and history of legislature. It’s simply marvellous. But the most alarming aspect is that seepage of ground water is going up to the walls which is posing danger to the building. The roof, as well as the ceiling of the building, also need special repairs and treatment to retain its original grandeur".