The Adheenams (priests) from Tamil Nadu met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence and handed him over the sacred sceptre 'Sengol' on Saturday on the eve of the inauguration of new parliament building. The 'Sengol' will be placed in a glass cage near the Speaker's seat in the new parliament.
Addressing the Adheenams, Modi highlighted the role of Tamil Nadu in the freedom struggle and said the state has been a bastion of Indian nationalism. Tamil people always had a spirit of service and welfare of Maa Bharathi, but their contribution was not given due recognition in the years after Independence, he said.
The prime ministet pointed out that at the time of Independence, question regarding the symbol of transfer of power arose and there were different traditions in this regard. “At that time, under the guidance of Adheenam and Raja ji (Rajagopalachari) we found a blessed path from our sacred ancient Tamil Culture - the path of transfer of power through the medium of Sengol,” he said.
Modi said the 'Sengol' reminded the person with it that he has the responsibility of the welfare of the country and he will never waiver from the path of duty. “At that time in 1947 Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam created a special Sengol. Today, pictures from that era are reminding us about the deep emotional bond between Tamil culture and India's destiny as a modern democracy. Today this saga of this deep bond has come alive from the pages of history,” he said.
The prime minister underlined that it was the 'Sengol' which conjoined free India to the era of the nation that existed before slavery, and it signified the transfer of power in 1947 when the country became independent. Another significance of the 'Sengol' is that it connected the glorious years and the traditions of India’s past with the future of independent India.
In a veiled attack on the previous Congress governments, Modi noted that the sacred sceptre had not got the respect it deserved and it was kept on display in Anand Bhawan in Prayagraj as a walking stick. “The Sengol is getting its deserved place in the temple of democracy,” he claimed.
The prime minister underscored the role of the great tradition like Adheenam in keeping the Tamil culture vibrant even after hundreds of years of slavery. He also credited exploited and deprived masses who nurtured it. “All your institutions have a very glorious history in terms of contribution to the nation. Now is the time to take this tradition forward and be inspired to work for generations to come,” Modi said.
He further underlined the goals for the next 25 years and said the aim is to build a strong, self-reliant, inclusive and developed India by the time we reach 100 years of independence.
