Chennai: Days after archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishna refused to revise his findings from the Keeladi excavation in Tamil Nadu, he has been transferred by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), reigniting the political controversy over the Union Government’s handling of research into ancient Tamil civilisation.
Ramakrishna, whose groundbreaking excavation at Keeladi brought global attention to the antiquity of Tamil culture, has now been posted as Director of the National Mission on Monument and Antiquity (NMMA) in Greater Noida. The mission, established in 2007 by the UPA government, is widely regarded by experts as largely inactive in recent years.
Until the transfer, Ramakrishna was serving as Director (Antiquity) and National Mission on Monument and Antiquity, —a post he had held for just six months. This is the second reshuffle for the archaeologist within nine months, after a brief three-month tenure as Director of Excavation and Exploration.
The political implications of the move have not gone unnoticed.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin issued a strong statement on Tuesday, saying, “The Tamils race faces one stumbling block after another. We confront these challenges and prove the civilisation's ancientness through scientific evidence. Yet, there are those who stubbornly refuse to accept it. There is no need to revise the report. It is some people’s mindset that needs to change.”
Stalin’s comments are seen as a veiled criticism of the Union Government’s reluctance to endorse the findings from Keeladi, which challenge dominant historical narratives centered around northern Indian civilisations.
In a further show of dissent, the DMK’s student wing has announced a protest demonstration in Viraganur, Madurai — not far from the Keeladi site — to express solidarity with Ramakrishna and to condemn what they describe as the Centre’s “attempts to suppress Tamil history.”
“Let us gather in large number and express our solidarity,” a statement said.
