On May 28, 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally inaugurated the new Parliament building and positioned the revered Sengol in the Lok Sabha’s chamber close to the Speaker’s seat.
The Sengol, a representation of the transfer of power, was handed over to Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, just before the country gained its independence. Until recently, this significant Sengol was kept as Nehru’s “golden walking stick” in Anand Bhavan, the family’s home museum in Prayagraj.
The Sengol is currently the subject of heated discussion. If Congress has been disparaging it and contesting its importance, the DMK has insulted it by referring to it as a symbol of monarchy. But this is not the first time the DMK has disparaged this renowned Sengol, according to a report in The Commune Mag.
Days after India gained its independence, C.N. Annadurai, the party’s founder, published an article dismissing the Sengol and the Hindu mutt that donated it to Nehru. At that time, he was a member of the fervently anti-Hindu and anti-India group Dravidar Kazhagam (DK).
In his article “Sengol, Oru Vendukol” (Sceptre, A Request), which appeared in his journal “Dravida Nadu” on August 24, 1947, Annadurai made disgraceful comments about the Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam, casting doubt on the motivations behind the chief of the Mutt in giving the Sengol to Nehru on the occasion of India’s independence.
“It is unexpected and unnecessary. It is not only unnecessary. If you think about the deep meaning behind it, it will be crystal clear that it is dangerous,” he had written. He questioned if the Sengol was given to Nehru as a gift, donation, portion, or licence fee. Annadurai questioned the motives of the Hindu Mutt, saying, “We do not know what Pandithar (Nehru) thought about the Sengol or what letter the Adheenakarthar (Adheenam’s head) might have sent along with the Sengol.”
Using the analogy of the legend of Manickavasagar, a Lord Shiva devotee who turned foxes into horses, Annadurai joked that the Sengol that had been turned into gold by the power of holy ash was not just any ordinary piece of iron.
Nehru was also counselled by Annadurai, who said that he must be fully aware of the fact that rulers, who were fattened by the labour of the people under them and had decorated forts, used religion as a tool to strengthen their control.
He urged Nehru to abandon such practices to pave the way for the “flourishing of democracy”. He also indicated that the heads of the Mutts feared Nehru’s potential implementation of these principles and so presented a golden sceptre, thereby derogating the Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam.
He said that the Mutt’s head was stealing other people’s labour and thought it was improper to call it a Sengol. Annadurai further said that the head of the Mutt wanted to win Nehru’s favour and used the gift to seem close to the new administration and keep control of the people.
He said that the working class was left toiling in the Mutt’s lush paddy fields, which could produce harvests more valuable than the rare stones, and that the money represented only a small portion of the wealth held by a saint who had abandoned worldly matters.
The founder of the DMK put out the notion of taking control of the mutt, arguing that if the government were to seize its money and use it to raise people’s standards of living, the Sengol would stop serving as a purely ornamental item and instead enhance people’s lives.
On May 26th, 2023, Murasoli reprinted this Annadurai article. Chairman of The Hindu publishing group N. Ram had also shared the Murasoli article calling it a “contemporaneous satire”.
On the eve of the opening of the new Parliament building, The Hindu paraphrased and reposted the story in English. Jairam Ramesh and Lakshmi Ramachandran, among other Congress officials, shared this version of the article.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi installed ‘Sengol’ in the Lok Sabha chamber at the New Parliament Building amidst Vedic chants by the high priests of various adheenams (maths). Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla accompanied PM Modi during the installation. The installation of Sengol took place before performing Puja. After installing the Sengol, he sought blessings from the high priests. Sengol has been installed in a special enclosure on the right side of the Speaker’s chair.