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News18
2 days ago
- Politics
- News18
What's Been Knocked About By Shadow-Boxing Over Keeladi?
That was bound to fuel charges of manipulation, and lead to allegations of suppressing the 'truth". It would also make any professional—as superintending archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishnan definitely is—double down on his work. After all, another Archaeological Survey of India stalwart KK Muhammed also refused to budge from his report on the Hindu pillars and terracotta figures found beneath the Babri Masjid though he was under intense pressure. Even in Tamil Nadu, the case of Keeladi is not unique; T Satyamurthy, who led excavations at Adichanallur, also went through travails related to the submission of his findings. Not only did a century go by between the first dig and the next—1904 and 2003-4—over 15 years elapsed before the ASI came out with a report about what was found. And Tamil parties cited its findings as proof of a separate civilisation separate and superior to the Sindhu-Sarasvati one. As the Adichanallur saga continued, ASI asked Ramakrishna for clarifications on what depth (and therefore what date) some artefacts were excavated in Keeladi too, particularly those attributed to the oldest period, saying they needed more analysis. Like Satyamurthy, Ramakrishna did not budge, asserting his findings were sound and based on established archaeological procedures—stratigraphic sequences, material culture and Accelerator Mass Spectrometry. 'Science" has long been used as a weapon to prop up hypotheses on antiquity and tear them apart. So it is not surprising that in Keeladi too, science is being posited as the neutral adjudicator in a bruising battle of competing political ideologies as state elections in Tamil Nadu loom menacingly. Setting up a museum in Keeladi even as excavations and discoveries are still happening point to the drumming up of popular support for discoveries yet to be peer-reviewed. The southern extremity of Indian is the location of many ancient burial sites—in cists, cairns and urns—but no settlements had been found until the dig at Keeladi. Indeed, even the 178 urns unearthed at Adichanallur had human remains with a diverse racial range: 35% Caucasoid, 30% Mongoloid, 16% Negroid, 6% Australoid, 8% ethnic Dravidian, and 5% mixed trait. Thus, Adichanallur was not a strong candidate to assert a superior 'Dravidian' civilisation. So Keeladi, 12 km southeast of Madurai—one of many ancient sites identified along the Vaigai river, is now the poster-place for Tamil pride. Thousands of artefacts were unearthed there by ASI's Ramakrishna, indicating a 2,100-year-old thriving urban centre of the Sangam era, the first discovery of this kind. Many theories have been expounded since then about Keeladi, including postulations that it was sophisticated and 'highly literate' and even 'secular'. Assertions of 'secularism' in that pre-modern society even though the presence of ritual burials prove that the people of that time had certain beliefs indicates a distinct political agenda given the trajectory of current Dravidian politics; the politicisation of Keeladi is clear. That is why the Centre and ASI have to tread carefully, even when citing science as the reason for their scepticism about Keeladi's antiquity, or any other aspect of the findings there. When Ramakrishna refused the Centre's order to revise his 982-page report on the two phases of excavations he carried out at Keeladi in 2014-2016, he gained huge support from segments in the state who claimed 'northern' bias. Transferring Ramakrishna to Assam—a very bureaucratic move—and delays in central funds for more excavations at Keeladi only exacerbated Tamil anger. Eventually excavations there by ASI restarted, but under PS Sriraman. However, Sriraman concluded there was no continuity in the brick structures discovered earlier, so all the accusations of suppression of Tamil heritage surfaced again. The Madras High Court intervened, visited Keeladi and ordered ASI to continue digging and allow Tamil Nadu's department of archaeology to join in. The latter promptly published a report in 2019 saying Keeladi was an urban settlement dating from 6th century BCE to 1st century CE. In January 2023 Ramakrishna, by then back in Tamil Nadu, submitted his report on the first two phases. But he was again transferred thrice more in quick succession. Meanwhile the third phase of excavation by the state's archaeology department has been accompanied by strong 'Tamil pride' narratives by a wide range of mostly non-experts in archaeology. The ASI, and by extension the Centre, maintain that scientific lacunae remain about Keeladi. advetisement The discovery of hundreds of ancient megalithic burials points to the probability of nearly as many as-yet unexcavated human settlements too, as hunter-gatherers gradually became agro-pastoralists. But centuries of disconnect with our ancient roots, then colonial exploitation followed by post-1947 decades of focus on increasing agricultural production and economic infrastructure has led to the destruction of evidence that could have given a clearer picture. But instead of shadow-boxing, the Centre (and the ASI) must join hands with Tamil Nadu, and indeed all states, to formulate a policy on accessing excavation sites that are so crucial to our understanding of India's ancient heritage. Extensive digs in the north have led to the realisation that the Indus was not the fountainhead of subcontinental civilisation and that many more contemporary settlements flourished further east along a paleo-channel of the Sarasvati.
India Today
19-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Tamil civilisation like volcano, dangerous to provoke it: Vijay on Keeladi row
Actor-politician Vijay, in a scathing statement, attacked BJP-led Union government over the Centre-state dispute over Keeladi findings, saying: 'Tamil civilisation is like a volcano, it's dangerous to provoke it.'Vijay accused the BJP government of attempting to suppress findings from the Keeladi (also known as Keezhadi) excavation and using Hindi and Sanskrit to 'cover up' Tamil the statement released on his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's X handle, Vijay condemned the BJP for not releasing the original Keeladi excavation report and removing the lead archaeologist of the project from his Archaeological Survey of India's director of antiquity He alleged that the Centre asked archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishnan to make changes to the report, but when the latter refused, Amarnath was transferred to Noida.'Keeladi is not some mythical story used to fool people but a report based on scientific evidence which, once out, can destroy the stories made by BJP,' he said, suggesting that the excavation's findings challenge dominant historical narratives supported by the ruling in his Keeladi excavation report stated that the findings were based on 'extensive research'.According to Vijay, the Keeladi site could potentially prove that the Tamil civilisation is older than the Indus Valley civilisation. He said the Centre's reluctance to publish the report was part of a broader attempt to 'cover up our proud Tamil land, civilisation and culture using Hindi and Sanskrit.'advertisementHe also accused the BJP of 'playing with the emotions' of Tamil people, adding, 'Tamil land is like a volcano. Even a child would know what would happen if you try to touch it.'Turning his criticism towards the DMK as well, Vijay said the ruling party speaks about Tamil identity only when it suits them. 'DMK's drama is much worse as they use Tamil and Thamizhar (Tamil people) when something goes against the government or the rulers,' he remarks come amid renewed attention on the Keeladi archaeological site in Tamil Nadu, which has been at the centre of debates over Tamil history, which pushes back Sangam age to be even before the Harrapan age, and the supposed political control of historical narratives.
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
BJP, RSS trying to erase rich history of Tamil Nadu: Stalin on Keeladi
M K Stalin CHENNAI: Chief minister M K Stalin said BJP and RSS were trying to erase the rich history of Tamil Nadu everyday despite abundant scientific evidence to back its glorious past. 'When it comes to Keeladi and the enduring truth of Tamil heritage, the BJP-RSS ecosystem recoils — not because evidence is lacking, but because the truth does not serve their script,' he said sharing on social media a story about Keeladi published by TOI on Friday. TOI reported that radiocarbon dating by US based Beta Analytics laboratory has confirmed that the articles recovered from the Keeladi site date to 6th century BCE. 'Of the 29 radiocarbon samples dated by TN state archaeology dept since 2017-18, the earliest was from 580BCE and the most recent from 200BCE,' the report said. 'Even when confronted with carbon-dated artefacts and accelerator mass spectrometry reports from international laboratories on the Keeladi excavations, they continue to demand more proof. And here is the 'proof,' he said. The Union govt has put on hold publication of the report submitted to Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) by archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishnan who headed two phases of Keeladi excavations, citing the need for more scientific validation of the antiquity of Keeladi. Stalin said, on the contrary, despite strong opposition from reputed historians and archaeologists, BJP continues to promote the mythical Sarasvati civilisation. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo 'They do so without credible evidence, while dismissing the rigorously proven antiquity of Tamil culture,' the chief minister said. 'We fought for centuries to unearth our history. They fight everyday to erase it. The world is watching. So is time,' he said. State minister for finance Thangam Thennarasu too shared the TOI story on X and said Tamil history has given a scientifically backed response to those who sought more evidence. 'The Dravidian model government, which has been showcasing the antiquity and rich history of the Tamil land through archaeological studies, has increased this year's allocation for excavation work from Rs5 crore to Rs7 crore, in yet another example of the CM's commitment,' Thennarasu said. Meanwhile, DMK's student wing announced a protest in Madurai on June 18 demanding that the Union govt make public the Keeladi report. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Writers demand CM's direct intervention in Keeladi row
Madurai: The Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers Association, along with the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Students' Federation of India (SFI), held a demonstration in Madurai on Wednesday evening demanding chief minister M K Stalin's direct intervention against the central govt's move to review the Keeladi excavation findings. The protest was held in response to the Union govt's recent remarks questioning the credibility of the original excavation report submitted by archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishnan. Addressing the gathering, Madukkur Ramalingam, president of the association, said, "Although minister Thangam Thennarasu has responded to Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, we urge the chief minister himself to step in, lead a state-wide movement, and demand recognition for the report submitted by Amarnath Ramakrishnan." Udaya Shankar, a recipient of the 2023 Bal Sahitya Puraskar, said, "As members of the Tamil literary community, we have a responsibility to stand by archaeological findings that support the antiquity of Sangam literature. The Keeladi excavations have scientifically validated our cultural past." Echoing similar sentiments, K Arunan, chief of the Tamilaga Makkal Ottrumai Medai, criticised the Union govt for allegedly sidelining Tamil heritage. "The BJP govt is spending crores to trace the mythical Saraswati river but refuses to even acknowledge Keeladi's findings, which are backed by strong scientific evidence," he said. The demonstrators called for widespread support to safeguard Tamil heritage and resist what they termed as politically motivated attempts to rewrite history.
