Keezhadi Controversy Intensifies: Stalin Slams Centre for 'Suppressing Tamil Heritage'

Stalin said the BJP-RSS “ecosystem recoils” when it comes to the Keezhadi and the “enduring truth of Tamil heritage

The political and academic storm over the Keezhadi excavations continues to escalate, with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin accusing the BJP-led Union government of attempting to suppress scientifically established truths about Tamil civilisation. His remarks come amid ongoing tensions regarding the antiquity of the Keezhadi site and the Centre’s apparent reluctance to accept its historical significance.

Stalin Defends Keezhadi's Scientific Legacy

Speaking at a press conference, Stalin stated, “Even when confronted with carbon-dated artefacts and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) reports from international laboratories, they [the Centre] continue to demand more proof. The BJP-RSS ecosystem recoils not because evidence is lacking, but because the truth doesn’t serve their script.”

He further compared this to the Centre’s push to legitimise the mythical Saraswati civilisation — which many archaeologists have questioned — despite the absence of rigorous scientific evidence. “We fought for centuries to unearth our history. They fight every day to erase it,” Stalin said, adding that “the world is watching.”

Centre Responds With Skepticism

In response, Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat reaffirmed the Centre’s stance. He claimed that the Keezhadi findings lacked adequate technical and scientific support. “Let the research be completed on all parameters,” he said. “Only one finding cannot seize the discourse. People are using this to increase regional sentiments, which is not fair.”

When asked about the BJP’s position on Tamil antiquity, Shekhawat pointed out that Prime Minister Modi had publicly acknowledged Tamil as one of the world’s oldest languages. However, he maintained that the ASI would wait for more comprehensive data before taking an official position.

State Ministers Push Back

Tamil Nadu’s Finance and Archaeology Minister Thangam Thennarasu blasted what he called the Centre’s “inconsistent approach.” He listed a timeline of resistance — from the ASI’s initial denial of significant findings, to the abrupt transfer of lead archaeologist K. Amarnath Ramakrishna in 2017, and the two-year delay in processing the final report. “Now they claim the evidence is insufficient. This shows their unwillingness to accept Tamil civilisation’s depth,” Thennarasu said.

The Excavation That Unearthed Tamil Pride

Keezhadi, located near Sivaganga, first drew national attention in 2014 when excavations began under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Findings suggested an urban settlement with advanced infrastructure, including brick structures, industrial furnaces, drainage systems, and marked pottery — strongly indicating a literate and urbanised civilisation dating back to between the 8th and 3rd centuries BCE.

Despite the extensive AMS dating and stratigraphic analysis, the ASI’s Excavation Division returned Ramakrishna’s 982-page report in May 2025, urging revisions to the proposed timeline and requesting the earliest layer be moved to “pre-300 BCE.”

Ramakrishna refused to alter his scientific conclusions, defending the integrity of his findings in a formal reply.

Political Fallout and Protest Plans

The issue has now taken on a distinctly political tone. The DMK’s students’ wing, led by R Rajiv Gandhi, has announced a protest in Madurai on June 18, targeting what they call the “anti-Tamil BJP regime.” The group condemned the Centre for refusing to validate Keezhadi’s importance despite international scientific validation.

As Tamil pride and historical identity take centre stage, Keezhadi has emerged not just as an archaeological dig site — but as a battleground between cultural validation and political control.