‘Sengol Stands for Justice, Will Inspire MPs’: Meet the Woman Who Told PM Modi About Historic Sceptre

Eminent Indian dancer Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam’s letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2021, citing an article in a Tamil magazine about how Sengol was handed over to Jawaharlal Nehru at the Independence Day celebrations in 1947, now a historic gold medal Will lead to the installation of the scepter in the new Parliament House.

Subrahmanyam recalled that he had requested the government to make public the details of the 1947 celebrations on the occasion of India’s 75th Independence Day.

“Recently, exactly on May 5, 2021, an article was written on Sengol story in Thuglak Tamil magazine. I was very impressed by it and thought it should be publicized in a proper way. It was very important, in my mind, that it had something to do with the history of our independence. So, I wrote a translation of the entire article along with a covering letter, requesting our Honorable Prime Minister to see if this could be a part of the 75th year of Independence celebrations. That’s what I wrote but didn’t get an immediate reply.

He said, ‘It has been almost one and a half years but now I am happy that it is more than just a festival. It has come to the point where it will be permanently enshrined in the temple of our democracy. It will stand there as a symbol of liberty, a symbol of justice and a symbol of moral values ​​for those who rule. So, I am happy that something from Tamil Nadu has gone there and it is now a matter of pride for every Indian and every Tamil.”

Subrahmanyam had no hope that the Prime Minister himself would accept his letter. “I didn’t think I’d get an answer right away and neither did I. I thought it must have gone into one of those unseen files. But since it has reached a pinnacle, it’s more than a dream come true.” is,” she said.

However, there has been criticism around the golden scepter, with the DMK calling it a symbol of “monarchy”. According to the famous dancer, the meaning of sengol is justice and an instrument to bring freedom and good governance.

Responding to the criticism, Subrahmanyam recounts an anecdote: “In the Tamil epic Silappadigaram, the Chera dynasty king mistakenly orders the hero to be beheaded. Kannagi, the heroine, proves him wrong and then the king feels so guilty that he immediately takes his own life. As he falls, he says that his sengol is bent, implying that the sengol made a mistake. This is not religion or monarchy but all the people associated with governance should understand. Seeing Sengol there with an understanding of its importance will be an inspiration for every MP.

Subrahmanyam also praised PM Modi for taking care of the people of the country. “I wrote to the Prime Minister’s Office. I was not sure whether he would see it or not but knowing Modi ji, he cares for everyone and cares for every letter that is sent to him. Although I did not get any reply at that time, but I felt that whatever was said in the article should be cross-checked with proper research and the Ministry of Culture constituted groups for research and to ensure that all Some are authentic. The authenticity was perfected and good enough that it took him more than a year. Now this scepter is being kept in the temple of democracy instead of being forgotten after performing only a small ceremony. It gives me great satisfaction,” she said