TVK slams Centre for ‘suppressing’ Keezhadi findings

CHENNAI: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) general secretary (propaganda and policy) KG Arunraj, on Wednesday, strongly criticised the BJP-led Union government, alleging deliberate attempts to suppress the findings of the Keezhadi excavations.

“The Tamil civilisation is like a volcano — don't dare touch it in vain,” Arunraj said, urging people to condemn what he described as systematic efforts to obscure Tamil history.

Tracing the timeline of the excavations, Arunraj recalled that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) began its work at Keezhadi in 2014 under the leadership of K Amarnath Ramakrishna.

“He identified evidence of an ancient urban civilisation. But he was abruptly transferred — first to Assam, then to Goa, and later to Chennai. His report on the first two excavation phases – a 982-page document containing details of 5,765 artefacts – was submitted to the ASI in January 2023,” he noted.

Arunraj said the report, which dated the Keezhadi civilisation to over 2,600 years ago, highlighted its advanced culture, agriculture, and animal domestication practices. However, citing expert review, the ASI delayed its release and now transferred Amarnath to Noida, he said.

The former IRS officer accused the BJP of fearing the report's implications. “Keezhadi is not mythology — it's science-backed truth. If made public, it will challenge long-held narratives and prove that the Vaigai civilisation predates the Indus Valley,” he said.

Taking a dig at the ruling DMK as well, Arunraj claimed both Dravidian and national parties were complicit in veiling Tamil heritage for political convenience.