In a joint statement, the Congress, DMK, and 17 other parties announced that they will boycott the inauguration of the newly constructed parliament building on May 28. They have stated that they were boycotting the inauguration to protest Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the new parliament instead of the country’s “first Adivasi President” Droupadi Murmu.
Amit Shah, the union’s minister of home, stated that a historical Sengol, signifying the handover of power from the British, will be prominently installed at the new Parliament Building. Home Minister Amit Shah said, “This Sengol has a huge significance. At around 10.45 PM on August 14, 1947, late Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru received this Sengol from Tamil Nadu, and in the presence of several senior leaders, he accepted this as a symbol of achieving independence. It is a sign of a shift of power from Britishers to The people of this country.”
During his announcement, Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasized the significance of Sengol in Indian culture, particularly Tamil culture. He emphasized its historical significance, which dates back to the Chola dynasty. The Minister revealed that the revered Sengol would be housed in the New Parliament Building, representing a transfer of power. Before the official inauguration of the Parliament Building, Prime Minister Narendra Modi would receive the Sengol from Tamil Nadu, which would be prominently displayed near the speaker’s seat.
The Sengol was extremely important in the king’s coronation ceremonies during the Chola period. It was a ceremonial spear or flagstaff with intricate carvings and decorative elements. The Sengol was revered as a sacred symbol of authority and justice. Its change of hands mean the transfer of power from one ruler to the next. A detailed story on how a Hindu Mutt in Tamil Nadu initiated the transfer of power from the British to India can be read here.
In this background, the DMK government draws flak for boycotting the inauguration of the new parliament building, which will house Sengol, that was handed over to India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru by Lord Mountbatten in the presence of Tamil Hindu priests.
It is worth noting that the DMK, as an organization, did not want any other identity other than EV Ramasamy Naicker to be associated with Tamil’s glory, and they have claimed in the past that every progressive step happened in Tamil Nadu after EVR. DMK’s friendly organizations such as Dravidar Kazhagam, Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam, and a few others, they have in the past peddled a lie to defame Raja Raja Chozhan, claiming that he is a slave of Brahmins, in order to denigrate Chozha and elevate EVR’s image. In one of the public meetings, Pa Ranjith claimed that Raja Raja Chozhan took Dalit lands and gave them to Brahmins.
In this context, the DMK government’s boycott of the inauguration of the new parliament building, during which Tamil pride is celebrated, has drawn criticism from the Tamil Nadu public.
புதிய பாராளுமன்ற கட்டிடத்தின் திறப்பு விழாவின் போது 1947ஆம் ஆண்டு திருவாடுதுறை ஆதீனம் வழங்கிய செங்கோல் புதுப்பிக்கப்பட்டு பிரதமர் மோடி அவர்களுக்கு வழங்கப்படவுள்ளது.
சோழர் பெருமையை பறைசாற்றும் இந்த வரலாற்று சிறப்புமிக்க நிகழ்ச்சியை திமுகவும் அவர்களது கூட்டணி கட்சிகளும்…
— Krishna Kumar Murugan (@ikkmurugan) May 24, 2023
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.