'Sengol', a historic sceptre, to be installed in new Parliament building

The announcement came on a day when around 20 Opposition parties announced its decision to boycott the May 28 event

A historic golden 'Sengol' or sceptre, received by first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru as a symbol of the transfer of power from the British, will be installed in the new Parliament building with the Narendra Modi government projecting it as something that connects Indian tradition with modernity.

Unveiling the plans to install the sceptre handed over to Nehru on the night of 14 August, 1947 near the Speaker's Chair in the new Lok Sabha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the transfer of power was “not merely a handshake or signing a document” and the Sengol represents the same feeling Nehru felt that night.

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The announcement on the ‘Sengol’ with the sacred ‘Nandi’ on top, which was made by Tamil jewellers and valued at Rs 15,000 back then, came on a day when around 20 Opposition parties announced the boycott of the inauguration of the four-storeyed building on May 28 event, citing their opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiling it instead of President Droupadi Murmu.

While Shah insisted that one should not link politics to the decision to install the gold-studded 'Sengol' and stick to its history with respect to transfer of power, a section was quick to link the decision to the ruling BJP's attempts to woo people in Tamil Nadu where it has not made much headway ahead of Lok Sabha elections.

It was also seen as an attempt to counter the Opposition boycott by projecting Nehru’s role in the episode. The BJP has been accused of belittling Nehru and his contribution by its opponents.

Addressing a press conference, Shah said the sceptre has a huge significance in Indian history as Nehru accepted the 'Sengol' from the deputy head priest of Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam, a non-brahmin monastery, in Tamil Nadu. The priest had first given the 'Sengol' to Mountbatten. He took it back and purified it with water from River Ganges before handing it over to Nehru in the presence of several senior leaders, including Rajendra Prasad who went on to become the President. "Nehru accepted this as a symbol of independence. It is a sign of a shift of power from Britishers to the people of this country," Shah said about the 'Sengol', which has been in Allahabad museum till now.

He said the Prime Minister ordered a thorough research on the historic significance of the 'Sengol' after its existence came to light following which a decision was taken to install it in the Parliament, Shah said.

Recalling the events, Shah said Mountbatten had posed a query to Nehru about the ceremony to be followed to symbolise the transfer of power and Nehru sought some time to consult others. He spoke with C Rajagopalachari, who after immense research zeroed in on the Chola model of transfer of power where symbol used was the handing over of 'Sengol'.

The word 'Sengol' is derived from the Tamil word 'Semmai', which means righteousness. It had huge significance during the Chola dynasty.