National Emblem Row - Sculptors Insist There is No Change

The national emblem replica, which was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 11, 2022, was greeted by a collective gasp across the country because the four lions, as depicted in the replica, are nothing like the original ones which were carved on sandstone in 250 BC.

The original lions have a benign, beatific expression on their faces, as if they are amused watching the world go by. The lions in the replica, however, have a snarl on their faces, frown lines on their head, mouth opened wide baring their teeth and their eyes burn with aggression: completely uncharacteristic of the original. The lions in the replica look ready to pounce on one, unlike the original which appeared to be happy to see you.

The opposition parties, in unison, have expressed their disapproval and appealed to the prime minister to take corrective steps immediately. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh went to the extent of saying that to completely change the character and nature of the lions on Ashoka's pillars at Sarnath is nothing but a brazen insult of India's national symbol. TMC MP, Mohua Mitra, without writing anything , simply put the original and replica side by side in order to highlight the difference. Another TMC MP Jawahar Sircar, however said this was an insult to our national symbol, the majestic Ashokan Lions. " Original is on the left, graceful, regally confident. The one on the right is Modi's version. Snarling, unnecessarily aggressive and disproportionate. Shame! Change it immediately."

Telangana Rashtra Samithi leader Y Sathish Reddy also mocked the new version saying " Ashoka's lions now bare their fangs. Seems like a new addition by the Modi government. What is happening." "Muscular and aggressive" the Opposition reacted.

The government, however, has denied all allegations saying there has been no distortion in the structure and it was a perfect replica of the original. In several tweets, Union Housing and Urban Affairs minister and a former diplomat Hardeep Puri said it was a matter of perception and perspective. As beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, so is the case of calm and anger. He said the fact about proportion should be understood because the original is only 1.6 metre high while the replica is huge at 6.5 metres high.

Besides, the original is at the ground level while the replica is to be placed 33 metres above ground level. He said one needs to appreciate the impact of angle, height and scale when comparing the two structures. Puri further said that if the Sarnath emblem was to be enlarged or the new one to be reduced to that size, the two would look exactly similar.

The fact remains that the national emblem replica, which is to be mounted on top of the new parliament building, is nothing like the original ones we have been used to seeing for so many years. This is a fact admitted even by the sculptor who built the replica. Talking to this writer, Sunil Deore, who, along with Laxman Vyas, built the replica said the change in expression on the lions' face was due to wide angle pictures take from a height.

" The replica is an exact duplication of the original . We have changed nothing. The different expression on the lion's face is because the pictures taken by media persons have been taken from different angles," he said. He agreed that the pictures which have appeared do show the lions with their mouth opened wider and teeth exposed as if in an angry snarl. ' But that is only because of the viewing angle," he said.

Maybe, the viewing angle is the culprit. But imagine a humongous structure of four lions, weighing 9,500 kg in bronze, overlooking the national capital with an angry frown and bared teeth! Is that the image of the new India that we want the world to see?

The opposition parties are also peeved by the fact that the prime minister did not bother to involve the opposition parties in the entire exercise. Even while unveiling the national emblem replica. They said the national emblem atop the new parliament building is the symbol of Indian democracy but the PM made it a BJP affair only. Besides, the opposition parties have taken exception to puja being performed on the occasion.

Parties like the CPI-M, AIMIM and Congress said this was against the secular tenets of Constitution that represented all religions. Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Rajan said " the prime minister is trying to create a second republic, a Hindu rashtra. The decision to not invite the opposition to the unveiling was deliberate." AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi took exception to the fact that the national emblem replica was unveiled by the prime minister even though the speaker Om Birla was present on the occasion.

BJP's IT cell head Amit Malviya took to Twitter and said the Opposition has "lost it".

"The National Emblem atop the new parliament building of India is an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka, which is preserved in the Sarnath Museum. There is no change. The opposition is comparing 2D images in print to an imposing 3D structure. They have lost it," he tweeted.