A delegation from Madurai, the Makkal Samugha Nidhi Pervai also known as the People’s Social Justice Council, on Saturday met Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru.
The delegation wanted to present Siddaramaiah with a 10-kg gold-plated ‘sengol’ as a symbol of “caretaker of social justice”. However, Siddaramaiah respectfully refused to take the ‘sengol’ but agreed to accept a photo of Periyar.
CMO sources confirmed to News18 that the decision was taken by the Congress party not to accept ‘sengol’.
A sengol represents authority and power, while its presentation signifies the transfer of power and embodiment of justice for the people. In May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also installed a sengol in the new Parliament building that holds historical importance as it was used to officially enact the transfer of power from the British to India on August 14, 1947.
In Tamil culture, it symbolises righteousness; the delegation from Tamil Nadu believes that Siddaramaiah is a deserving recipient of the sengol. Manoharan from the Makkal Samugha Nidhi Pervai (MSNP) spoke to News18 about its significance and explained why they want to give Siddaramaiah this “social justice sengol”.
This sengol was different from the one installed in the new Parliament. While that one includes idols of Nandi and Lakshmi, this one features Periyar’s engraved idol. EV Ramasamy, popularly known as Periyar, staunchly stood against the prevailing Brahminical hegemony and social disparities in Tamil Nadu and is celebrated as the ‘Father of the Dravidian Movement’.
“The sengol installed by the prime minister has an image of Nandi, representing a specific class of people. It was turned into a Hindutva symbol. That sengol includes idols of Nandi and Lakshmi, symbols of Hinduism. In our sengol, we have chosen Periyar as a symbol of social justice. Therefore, it is appropriate to present this social justice sengol to Siddaramaiah. The sengol does not represent any specific caste or religion but signifies justice and power,” Manoharan said.
The MSNP highlighted Siddaramaiah’s promise to establish 75 per cent reservation for social justice and his decision to remove references to communal figures like RSS ideologue VD Savarkar from textbooks, which they consider a positive step.
“We are giving him this social justice sengol because he is the chief minister who promptly removed Savarkar chapters from textbooks upon assuming office. He also repealed the cow slaughter act and has expressed his intention to implement 75% reservation for the backward classes. We support and want these initiatives. We appreciate his willingness to address these issues,” Manoharan told News18 during an exclusive conversation.
Asked why Siddaramaiah was chosen, they said the group believed that he stood in support of the backward and oppressed classes. “Today, he is the greatest hope against Sanatan Dharma. We believe that his advocacy for social justice has contributed to his electoral success. As he is a guardian of social justice, and we want the entire nation to know about him, we are presenting this on behalf of the Social Justice Sangam,” the leader said.
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