For 150 years officials were clueless about its whereabouts
The sword of Velu Thampi Dalawa, a crusader against corruption, is back in Kerala after 150 years. The most prized sword that was kept at the National Museum in New Delhi was formally handed over to the State Cultural Minister, M. A. Baby, on June 20. The personal sword of Dalawa is now kept at Napier Museum in Thiruvananathapuram.
The iconic sword is placed inside a bullet-proof enclosure. Nine security cameras are constantly keeping an eye on all the visitors who flock to this area. A control room situated inside the Museum police station is monitoring the enclosure 24 x 7. Besides, some ten cops are guarding the priceless sword.
Playback singer K.J. Yesudas placed the sword inside the museum. Film director Adoor Gopalakrishnan and other senior politicians, including former chief minister Oommen Chandy, were also present on the spot.
Also, the government has unrolled an awareness campaign to educate the people about the role of Dalawa in the fight against British imperialism and corruption. School students are allowed free entry to the museum on all Sundays. Till now the response has been overwhelming as thousands have visited the museum with one intention: To have a look at the historic sword that had struck fear into enemies' hearts.
The movement to bring the sword back to the state gained momentum in 2009. The Department of History, University of Kerala, sought help from the National Museum in New Delhi to locate Dalawa's sword.
Their initial response was negative. The officials said 'there was no such sword at the museum.' But this didn't stop the officials from taking their cases to senior officials. And their persistent efforts yielded positive results as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also intervened in this matter. It was after this that the museum admitted that the sword was in its possession and thus handed it over to the state government.
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