Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK on Wednesday asserted that it will not allow the Parliament to function if the union government did not release the Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) report on findings of excavations at Keeladi near here in Sivaganga district.
Addressing a DMK youth wing demonstration here to condemn the BJP-led Centre for not unveiling the Keeladi report, party leader Tiruchi Siva said the Keeladi excavations yielded extensive evidence of an ancient urban civilisation of the Tamil people. “Why is the centre declining to accept that report? It is because it is a cultural war on us; it is an ideological war on us,†he alleged.
The BJP regime, which is unable to take on the DMK, the Dravidian movement in Tamil Nadu is involved in a “cultural invasion,†Siva, a Rajya Sabha MP, alleged.
Recalling the anti-Hindi agitation and its success, he urged the students to take forward the agitation by pursuing other protest forms like “gate meetings†on the premises of colleges.
Further, Siva, without naming the ASI official K Amarnath Ramakrishna, said “an official was transferred,†and the Centre “wreaks vengeance†on him. Ramakrishna had helmed the ASI’s excavations at Keeladi. With this, the BJP regime may consider the matter closed, but the Parliament is set to meet soon and “we are there to face the union government.†The monsoon session of Parliament is expected to commence next month and go on till August.
The DMK leader said: “This time, in the Parliament session, all the issues may be taken up subsequently, Keeladi will be the first matter that we will take up. If you do not announce Keeladi, we will not allow the Parliament to function. If you do not accept the Keeladi report, (ASI report on excavations/findings) we will make this government grind to a halt.†While the MPs will take up the issue in Parliament, the party workers, the student wing functionaries should reach out to the people over this issue and “victory is ours.â€
Reportedly, the ASI has asked Ramakrishna to redo his report on Keeladi and submit a report afresh and he has declined to comply asserting that his report submitted two years ago was scientific; conforming to archaeological standards. Slogans raised in the DMK protest include, “Keeladi Tamizhar Thai Madiâ€
(Keeladi is Tamil people’s mother’s lap) “Meetpom, Meetpom, Tamizhar Thonmam Meetpom†(Let us retrieve the ancientness of the Tamil people) “Kappom, Kappom Tamizhar Adayalam Kappom,†(Let us protect the identity of Tamils). The protesters raised slogans urging the Centre to “immediately recognise†ASI official Amarnath Ramakrishna’s report on Keeladi.
In Chennai, addressing a Dravidar Kazhagam agitation on the same issue, VCK top leader Thol Thirumavalavan said the ancientness of the Tamil people has been revealed in the Keeladi report and the well accepted “research methodology†of AMS carbon dating proved the antiquity.
