“None of the evidence presented states that the scepter was first symbolically given to Mountbatten and withdrawn before being presented to Nehru, symbolizing the transfer” photo: sengol1947 from ignca.in videograb
A day later Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed a press conference in Delhi and explained its importance scepter (hangover) to be installed in the new Parliament HouseUnion Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while addressing reporters in Chennai on May 25 explained how it a matter of pride for tamil nadu,
He reiterated that it was a ritual of handing over the scepter made by Thiruvaduthurai Adhanam in Tamil Nadu to Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India on the eve of independence, which was actually sacred and symbolic of the “transfer of power” from the British. India.
FAQ section in the website (www.sengol1947ignca.in) initiated by the central government states that the handing over of this scepter was “a defining occasion that marked the de facto transfer of power from British to Indian hands … The ‘order’ to rule India was thus received, suitably blessed”.
The government claims that Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India, asked Nehru if there was a process to show the transfer of power. Nehru in turn consulted C. Rajagopalachari, the last Governor-General of India, who in turn designed the Thiruvaduthurai Aadheenam scepter, which is seen as a sacred symbol of strength and just rule. The government said that those presenting the scepter were sent to Delhi in a special aircraft.
There is ample evidence that a delegation sent by Sri La Sri Ambalavan Pandarasandhi Swamigal, the head of the Adhinam, presented the scepter to Nehru, which was accompanied by the recitation of hymns. Thevaram, However, there is little evidence on the government’s claim that this presentation of the scepter was perceived by the leaders and the then government as a symbolic transfer of power.
When asked about the documentary evidence, Ms Sitharaman said there was “as much documentary evidence as needed” and they were included in the docket given to reporters at the end of the press conference.
However, perusal of these documents did not corroborate the government’s claims. Documentary evidence included a list of references to books, articles and reports in the media. It also included social media and blog posts from individuals.
Indian newspapers reports including Hindu, had briefly recorded the presentation of the scepter. No one said that it was a symbol of transfer of power or taken on the advice of Rajaji. Importantly, a picture taken in Hindu Shown to the delegation at the Central Railway Station, Chennai on 11 August 1947, before leaving for Delhi. This indicates that the delegation had traveled by train and not by any special aircraft.
Other evidence referenced includes an article in Time magazine On August 25, 1947. Speaking on the events that took place on August 14, 1947, it says, “Two emissaries of Shri Ambalavan Desigar came from Tanjore in South India [the head of Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam], head of an ascetic order of Hindu ascetics. Mr. Ambalavan thought that Nehru, as the first Indian head of a truly Indian government, should, like ancient Hindu kings, receive symbols of power and authority from Hindu saints”. While this speaks to the idea of the chief pontiff’s scepter as a symbol of power, it does not speak to Nehru’s view of replacing a similar idea or its presentation as a symbol of power transference.
Book freedom at midnightThose cited as evidence also say something similar. “Just as the Hindu sages once presented the symbol of their power to the kings of ancient India, so the sanyasis came to York Road to present the symbol of their ancient authority. [Nehru]… For a man who never stopped uttering the terror inspired by the word ‘religion’, his rites were a tiresome expression of all that he had said in his country.
Other evidence cited includes excerpts from Ambedkar Reflections on Linguistic StatesPerry Anderson’s book Indian ideologyand Yasmin Khan Great Partition: The Making of India and PakistanAll of which were critical of certain religious rituals in which Nehru participated, but none regarding the use of the scepter as a symbol of the transfer of power.
Importantly, none of the evidence presented said The scepter was first given symbolically to Mountbatten And the transfer symbol was withdrawn before it was presented to Nehru. The exception is the article that appeared in Tughlaq Magazine, in 2021 its editor S. Written by Gurumurthy. Everything Sarkar said in the article is recorded as a version shared by Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati, the 68th head of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Pitam, from his memory to a disciple in 1978.
The most ironic evidence presented in the docket was a blog post titled “WhatsApp History” written by noted Tamil writer Jayamohan. In this post, Jayamohan actually mocked this version of events as it was based on social media forwards. Noting that the scepter was likely among the many gifts sent from across the country during independence, however, he said it was a matter of pride for Tamils that even the scepter from the Saivite monastery reached Nehru.
The document also referred to the annual policy note prepared by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department in Tamil Nadu for 2021-2022, which states that the scepter “reflects the transfer of power”. When contacted on May 25, department officials could not clarify on the source of this statement. This reference has been removed from the Department’s policy notes in 2022-23 and 2023-24.