Old Sceptre Gets New Meaning As BJP Chases Tamil Hearts
NDTV
The Sengol, a historic symbol of authority is expected to be placed near the Lok Sabha Speaker's chair in the new Parliament building.
On Sunday, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the new parliament building in Delhi and receives the historic Sengol (sceptre) that was received in 1947 by India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to represent the transfer of power from the British, it will signify a special outreach to the people of Tamil Nadu.
Prime Minister Modi will receive the Sengol from 24 adheenam (mutt) heads of Tamil Nadu, in a significant political message to southern India, especially Tamil Nadu. The Sengol, a historic symbol of authority is expected to be placed near the Lok Sabha Speaker's chair in the new Parliament building.
This is not the first time the BJP is reaching out to adheenams that are Shaivite sects traditionally dedicated to Tamil forms of worship and have Tamil rituals and Tamil hymns. The Tamil Nadu BJP in the last two years has supported the demands of adheenams in Madurai and Dharmapuram that have accused the DMK government of interference or blocking their traditional practices. While the BJP-led central government has organised events like the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam to establish the cultural, historical and civilisational linkages between North and South India, the Sangh Parivar's larger goal has been to stress on the cultural oneness of the nation centred around Tamil saints and spiritualism. For the BJP electorally too, reaching out to southern states is important to boost its prospects in the 2024 national elections.
The Prime Minister has often invoked Tamil in his speeches. Wearing a Veshti, he has spoken about his admiration for the Tamil classic Thirukkural, cited Tamil poet Subramania Bharati's dream of a "united and strong Bharatam" as one of his biggest inspirations, and even made a three-thousand-year old Tamil quote a pivotal part of his address at the 74th session of the UN general assembly.
