Latest news with #AmarnathRamakrishna
News18
2 days ago
- Politics
- News18
MK Stalin-Led Tamil Nadu Government Urges Centre To Release Keeladi Excavation Report
Last Updated: The row erupted after the central government allegedly didn't recognise the excavation report, submitted to the ASI by archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishna. Chief Minister MK Stalin-led Tamil Nadu government has urged the Union government to release the report of the archaeological excavations conducted in Keeladi citing the fresh research findings by a university in England on the archaeological site. DMK Criticises Centre State's finance minister Thangam Thennarasu who also holds the archaeology portfolio, said that the UK-based university has reconstructed facial features of ancient people who lived around 2,500 years ago highlighting the antiquity of Tamil culture and civilization to the world. UK-based Liverpool John Moores University studied the skulls excavated from Keeladi and reconstructed the facial features of ancient people who lived around 2,500 years ago. The images were generated last year after the Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) sent them digital files related to skull samples from Kondagai He further accused the BJP-led government of 'suppressing Tamil heritage" and said that the findings have defeated the Union government's unjust and denials. 'Though the Union BJP government has deceitfully tried to suppress the history and heritage of Tamils, constructive scientific findings and the historical evidence emerging from the Keeladi excavations continue to defeat the Union government's unjust and denials. I urge the Union government to at least now release the Keezhadi research report," Thennarasu said. Further, CM Stalin also took to social media and said, 'The way of life detailed in Sangam literature now stands scientifically validated through the findings at Keeladi." The facial reconstruction images using DNA analysis showed proximity of the humans in the region to South Asian origin. DMK Politicising Issue, Says BJP Meanwhile, Shekhawat alleged that DMK is politicising the Keeladi excavation issue and is not cooperating with Centre. Accusing the DMK of mixing archaeology with linguistic politics, the BJP said, 'ASI hasn't rejected any report but has just asked for clarifications." What's The Row? The row erupted after the central government allegedly didn't recognise the excavation report, submitted to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) by archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishna, who headed two phases of excavations and unearthed an ancient civilisation in Keeladi in the Sivaganga district. The controversy intensified after Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on June 10 said the reports submitted to the ASI not technically well supported. Further scientific studies are required to validate the findings, he said. Later, the ASI asked the archaeological officer to revise original Keeladi report to which officer refused, citing accurate dating of artefacts from 8th century BCE to 3rd century CE. CM Stalin also slammed the Centre for not validating the archaeological report. Later Ramakrishna was transferred. DMK MP P Wilson condemned the transfer of the archaeologist from his present position. Taking to X, he wrote that no one can suppress the truth. 'You cannot bury history with propaganda. You cannot purchase scientific truths with money or power." After the first two excavations, Tamil Nadu state department of Archaeology took over from ASI at Keeladi in 2017 and digging entered its 11th phase this year. First Published:
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Keeladi: excavating the past
A newly laid road runs through Keeladi, a village in Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu, that has now earned a significant place on India's political and cultural map. A steady stream of visitors, particularly students, flock to the state-of-the-art museum established by the Tamil Nadu government which showcases the findings from the Keeladi excavation site. On the other side of the village, nestled among coconut groves, workers under the supervision of archaeologists continue to excavate land once believed to have been a thriving industrial hub. Square-shaped trenches reveal remnants of furnaces containing soot and ash, confirming that Keeladi was a centre for manufacturing beads made from quartz, carnelian, glass, agate, and other materials. Carbon dating of charcoal discovered at the site in February 2017 established that the settlement dates back to 6th century BCE. These excavations offer compelling evidence that urban civilisation existed in Tamil Nadu during the Sangam age. The findings also indicate trade and cultural exchange with the Indus Valley Civilisation. For Tamil Nadu politicians, particularly the leaders of the ruling DMK, the findings provided the much-needed grist for their political narrative. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in January this year announced a $1 million prize for experts or organisations that succeed in deciphering the script of the Indus Valley Civilisation, pointing out that 60% of the graffiti marks found in Tamil Nadu had parallels to the symbols found on Indus seals. Long-standing divide The findings also fuelled the long-standing Aryan-Dravidian divide, and some expressed reservations about accepting the findings from Keeladi. This was followed by the transfer of archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishna of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), who led the first two phases of the excavation, to Assam in 2017. The third phase was overseen by another archaeologist, P.S. Sriraman, who reported that there was no continuity in the brick structures. Excavations resumed only after the intervention of the Madras High Court. The Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology also took up the project and, in its report, asserted that Keeladi was once a site of urban civilisation, a claim that remains a point of contention among archaeologists. Those who dispute the claim of an urban settlement point to sites such as Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, and others in Gujarat, which, they argue, 'bear testimony to the existence of an urban civilisation,' whereas Keeladi, they contend, is just another excavation site without sufficient evidence to qualify as an urban centre. The return of the 982-page report by Amarnath Ramakrishna of the ASI, with instructions to provide further evidence and rewrite it, stirred yet another controversy. In Tamil Nadu, this move is perceived as indicative of the BJP-led NDA government's bias against discoveries emerging from the South. The current dispensation at the Centre is seen as reluctant to accept anything projected as superior to the Indo-Aryan heritage. Given the Centre's stance on Indian culture, language, and religion, the ASI's directive to Mr. Ramakrishna and his subsequent transfer is viewed with suspicion — even if there is a genuine academic basis for it. Mr. Ramakrishna, rather than pursuing the matter through academic channels, has joined the chorus of Tamil Nadu politicians, though many believe the Centre's motives are clear for all to see. Mr. Ramakrishna, from the beginning, has been maintaining that there has been no evidence for religious worship. What remains undisputed is the need for extensive excavation in Keeladi and surrounding areas. Madurai and its neighbouring regions along the banks of the Vaigai are undeniably ancient settlements. It is crucial to have excavations on the scale of those at Harappa and Mohenjo-daro to substantiate the claim of a flourishing urban civilisation in Tamil Nadu. The ASI has the responsibility of undertaking this effort with the support of the Tamil Nadu government.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Excavating the past
A newly laid road runs through Keeladi, a village in Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu, that has now earned a significant place on India's political and cultural map. A steady stream of visitors, particularly students, flock to the state-of-the-art museum established by the Tamil Nadu government which showcases the findings from the Keeladi excavation site. On the other side of the village, nestled among coconut groves, workers under the supervision of archaeologists continue to excavate land once believed to have been a thriving industrial hub. Square-shaped trenches reveal remnants of furnaces containing soot and ash, confirming that Keeladi was a centre for manufacturing beads made from quartz, carnelian, glass, agate, and other materials. Carbon dating of charcoal discovered at the site in February 2017 established that the settlement dates back to 6th century BCE. These excavations offer compelling evidence that urban civilisation existed in Tamil Nadu during the Sangam age. The findings also indicate trade and cultural exchange with the Indus Valley Civilisation. For Tamil Nadu politicians, particularly the leaders of the ruling DMK, the findings provided the much-needed grist for their political narrative. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in January this year announced a $1 million prize for experts or organisations that succeed in deciphering the script of the Indus Valley Civilisation, pointing out that 60% of the graffiti marks found in Tamil Nadu had parallels to the symbols found on Indus seals. Long-standing divide The findings also fuelled the long-standing Aryan-Dravidian divide, and some expressed reservations about accepting the findings from Keeladi. This was followed by the transfer of archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishna of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), who led the first two phases of the excavation, to Assam in 2017. The third phase was overseen by another archaeologist, P.S. Sriraman, who reported that there was no continuity in the brick structures. Excavations resumed only after the intervention of the Madras High Court. The Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology also took up the project and, in its report, asserted that Keeladi was once a site of urban civilisation, a claim that remains a point of contention among archaeologists. Those who dispute the claim of an urban settlement point to sites such as Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, and others in Gujarat, which, they argue, 'bear testimony to the existence of an urban civilisation,' whereas Keeladi, they contend, is just another excavation site without sufficient evidence to qualify as an urban centre. The return of the 982-page report by Amarnath Ramakrishna of the ASI, with instructions to provide further evidence and rewrite it, stirred yet another controversy. In Tamil Nadu, this move is perceived as indicative of the BJP-led NDA government's bias against discoveries emerging from the South. The current dispensation at the Centre is seen as reluctant to accept anything projected as superior to the Indo-Aryan heritage. Given the Centre's stance on Indian culture, language, and religion, the ASI's directive to Mr. Ramakrishna and his subsequent transfer is viewed with suspicion — even if there is a genuine academic basis for it. Mr. Ramakrishna, rather than pursuing the matter through academic channels, has joined the chorus of Tamil Nadu politicians, though many believe the Centre's motives are clear for all to see. Mr. Ramakrishna, from the beginning, has been maintaining that there has been no evidence for religious worship. What remains undisputed is the need for extensive excavation in Keeladi and surrounding areas. Madurai and its neighbouring regions along the banks of the Vaigai are undeniably ancient settlements. It is crucial to have excavations on the scale of those at Harappa and Mohenjo-daro to substantiate the claim of a flourishing urban civilisation in Tamil Nadu. The ASI has the responsibility of undertaking this effort with the support of the Tamil Nadu government.
New Indian Express
20-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Parse Keezhadi findings without political pulls
The Keezhadi debate has returned to dominate political discourse in Tamil Nadu. The village in Tamil Nadu's Sivaganga district, located about 12 km from Madurai, is an archaeological treasure trove. Findings from the site have suggested that an urban civilisation and language was thriving near Vaigai river as early as 580 BCE, upending previously accepted theories regarding the emergence of civilisation in the subcontinent. However, as the latest eruption of controversy suggests, the journey forward from these discoveries has been far from straightforward. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) recently asked the archaeologist who led the first two seasons of excavation at the site to answer some fresh questions and revise the report he had submitted in 2023. Amarnath Ramakrishna, the archaeologist who was transferred out before the third season in 2017, refused to revise his report. As political parties in TN took up the cudgels to defend his report, the Union minister of culture called for more scientific proof to validate the findings. The DMK accused the BJP of attempting to suppress Tamil identity, history and culture, and had its students' wing mount protests demanding the report's release. The contentions hark back to 2017, when Ramakrishna was transferred to Guwahati and the ASI conducted one more season of excavation before stopping work at the site. The next seven seasons of digging were conducted by the state archaeological department.
India Gazette
18-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Chennai: DMK's youth wing protests against Union govt for not recognising Keeladi excavations report
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 18 (ANI): DMK's youth wing, Dravidar Kazhagam, on Wednesday held a protest against the Union government for not recognising the Keeladi excavations report. This came after the Union Minister for Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, on June 10 said the reports submitted to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) by archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishna, who headed two phases of excavations and unearthed an ancient civilisation in Keeladi in the Sivaganga district, are not technically well supported. Further scientific studies are required to validate the findings, he said. Recently, the ASI had asked Ramakrishna to resubmit his report on the excavation after making necessary corrections to make it 'more authentic' and to take further action. He had submitted the reports to the Director General of ASI on January 30, 2023. In response, Ramakrishna refused to revise the report. He wrote to the ASI defending his findings and said further examination of the sequence contradicts the well-reasoned, conclusive findings of the Keeladi site. DMK MP P Wilson also condemned the transfer of archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishna, who led the 'Keezhadi excavation', from his present position. In a post on X, he said that no one can suppress the truth. 'You cannot bury history with propaganda. You cannot purchase scientific truths with money or power.' 'I strongly condemn the outrageous and authoritarian transfer of archaeologist Thiru Amarnath Ramakrishna, who led the #Keezhadi excavation, from his present position. 'It is well known how the BJP Government exerted pressure on all fronts on him to change his findings, and he refused to budge,' the Rajya Sabha MP said. He further alleged that as the pressure to officially release the report was building, the BJP were attempting to bring in a 'yes-man' in his place who would withdraw the report and dilute the findings to suit their xenophobic narrative. 'Thiru HA Naik, the officer who had originally directed Thiru Amarnath Ramakrishna to revise his report, has been given additional charge as Director of Antiquity, the post that Thiru Amarnath was holding,' he added on X. On Tuesday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin slammed the Centre for not validating an archaeological report that unearthed an ancient civilisation in Keeladi in the Sivaganga district. He urged the people to participate in large numbers at the protest organised by the DMK student wing in Madurai tomorrow over the Centre's stance on the report. 'How many obstacles are there for our Tamil race? For thousands of years, we have resisted all of them, establishing the greatness of our heritage with the support of science!' Stalin said in a post on X. 'Yet, some minds still refuse to accept it. It is not the reports that need correction; it is some hearts! Tomorrow, in Veeranoor, Madurai, let us gather in large numbers at the protest organised by DMK Student Wing to express the sentiments of Tamil Nadu to the Union Government! 'Let us make them correct their ways,' he added.
