In a surprising turn of events, senior Congress leader and convenor of the UDF, M M Hassan, expressed his astonishment at a recent tweet by Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor regarding the ongoing ‘Sengol’ controversy. Tharoor’s tweet called on the opposition to embrace the symbol from the past and reconcile their differences with the union government, stating that the positions taken by both sides are reconcilable.
The ‘Sengol’ controversy revolves around the historicity of the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, being presented with a sengol (sceptre) to mark the transfer of power from the British. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently stated that the sengol symbolized the transfer of power and deserved respect, but was kept on display as a mere “walking stick” at Anand Bhawan in Prayagraj.
M M Hassan, visibly surprised by Tharoor’s tweet, voiced his disagreement and called for an explanation from the Thiruvananthapuram MP. Hassan rejected the claim that the sengol represented the transfer of power from the British, stating that Nehru would not have accepted it or any other object like the golden sphere if presented by the British.
The Congress party has argued that there is no documentary evidence to support the claims made by Lord Mountbatten, C Rajagopalachari, and Jawaharlal Nehru regarding the sengol’s symbolic meaning as a transfer of power from the British to India.
In his tweet, Tharoor attempted to bridge the gap between the government and the opposition, suggesting that both sides had valid arguments. He contended that the sceptre embodied sanctified sovereignty and the rule of dharma, reflecting a continuity of tradition, which the government rightly argues. On the other hand, the opposition rightly asserts that the Constitution was adopted in the name of the people and that sovereignty resides with the people of India as represented in their Parliament, rather than being a privilege bestowed by divine right.
Tharoor further advocated for dropping the unverifiable story of Nehru receiving the sengol from Mountbatten as a symbol of the transfer of power, emphasizing the need to focus on reconciling the positions taken by the government and the opposition.
As the ‘Sengol’ controversy continues to spark debates between the Congress and the BJP, Tharoor’s tweet has added a new dimension to the ongoing discourse. It remains to be seen how the Congress party and other stakeholders respond to Tharoor’s perspective and whether it leads to any further discussions or clarifications on this contentious issue.
