PM Museum Puts I.K. Gujral’s Legacy Back at the Heart of India’s Political Memory

Once known as the Nehru Memorial Museum & Library, the iconic Teen Murti complex has undergone more than a cosmetic change — it has shed an old identity and acquired a new mandate. Recast as the Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library, the address remains the same, but the spirit of the place has been fundamentally reimagined.

What was earlier a memorial dedicated solely to India’s first Prime Minister is now a composite archive of leadership, spanning all 15 Prime Ministers — from Jawaharlal Nehru to Narendra Modi. Their distinct journeys, political struggles and defining contributions have been curated through books, digital collections, exhibitions and immersive installations. In many ways, Teen Murti now mirrors the democratic idea of equal remembrance — a space where each Prime Minister receives his due. Some might even call it a reflection of a “Ram Rajya” of institutional memory.

This shift in ethos made possible a moment that would once have seemed unlikely: the celebration of former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral’s birth anniversary at the same venue. The author of the famed “Gujral Doctrine” being honoured in this historic precinct marks not just an event but a change in the larger national narrative.

For historians, researchers, political scientists, writers and students, the museum’s expanded identity offers a singular advantage — a consolidated repository where the arc of India’s political leadership unfolds under one roof. Fragmented memories are being knitted into a more coherent national tapestry, enriching the understanding of India’s evolving political legacy.

The commemorative event featured activities ranging from painting and quizzes to creative card displays, curated by Disha Arya and Nikita Ambawat, drawing participation across age groups. Visitors shared anecdotes and lesser-known facets of Gujral’s quiet but firm diplomatic worldview.

Here, Nehru’s imprint endures — but alongside Lal Bahadur Shastri’s humility, Narasimha Rao’s economic stewardship, Morarji Desai’s dogged conviction, Chandra Shekhar’s grit, and the contrasting strengths of Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi. The museum now captures the full spectrum of India’s prime ministerial legacy, without hierarchy or exclusion.

A space that was once exclusive has turned inclusive — finally embracing the entire democratic history it stands to represent.

Special Report by Harendra Pratap