"Save the Constitution, Remove Sengol" "Remove Sengol

Sengol is a word from the Tamil language. It represents an ancient tradition in Tamil Nadu. According to this tradition, the Mahayajnak or royal priest of the state presents the royal sceptre, i.e., Sengol, to the king. In Tamil Nadu, this royal priest comes from the Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam Math. This priest offers the Sengol to the king, who, upon accepting it, takes on the responsibility of upholding justice, ensuring public safety, and working for the welfare of the people.

On May 28, 2023, the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, installed the Sengol in the Parliament. Perhaps Shri Narendra Modi considers himself not just the elected Prime Minister of the people, but the king of India. That may be why he installed the Sengol in the Parliament.

Our Parliament is a sacred temple of democracy, not the royal palace of a monarchy. It is here that the elected representatives of the people (Members of Parliament) sit and, on the basis of majority, make laws and direct the government to function accordingly. The Sengol may have once symbolized justice during the era of kings and monarchs, when the people of this country were subjugated and enslaved. But today, India is a democratic nation.

In this democracy, our Constitution is the highest guiding and governing text. Therefore, instead of installing a symbol of monarchy like the Sengol in Parliament, a grand copy of the Constitution should be placed there. Installing Sengol in Parliament is an affront to our democracy.

Let us reflect on launching a decisive struggle to protect the Constitution of India, our democracy, and the reservations provided to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes. With this goal, a P.D.A. Seminar on the legality of the Sengol is being organized at Constitution Club, New Delhi, on May 28, 2025, at 12 PM.