MADURAI/CHENNAI: Madurai MP Su Venkatesan urged the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to jointly carry out further excavations with the Tamil Nadu Archeological Department (TNAD) at Keezhadi.
Addressing media persons here on Friday, Venkatesan said that the State’s report on the fourth phase of excavation released on Thursday had scientifically disproved ASI’s earlier decision to quit the excavation.
“The findings have again proved that Tamil is the oldest language and the similarities in the markings discovered in Keezhadi and Indus Valley are new keys to rewrite Tamil history,” he said adding that the findings are a milestone in Tamil Nadu history.
Pointing out the Centre’s declaration of Vadnagar (Gujarat) and Sanauli (Uttar Pradesh) as ‘protected sites’, Venkatesan said that Keezhadi has not been declared as a protected site and demanded the Centre to do so. Further, he said, “The State’s recent findings have brought to light the lies and political motives of ASI.” He also demanded the construction of a museum of international standards at Keezhadi.
Archaeology office sought
The DMK has urged the Centre to establish an archaeology office in Madurai to take forward the excavation at Keezhadi.In a statement, party president MK Stalin said that the fourth excavation at Keezhadi has revealed that Tamil civilisation is more than 2,600 years old. “Tamils were literate in the 6th century BCE,” Stalin stated.
The existing Chennai Circle office of the archaeological department should be split and an office should be established in Madurai for South Tamil Nadu as rare evidences to prove ancient civilisation of Tamils had been discovered. “This will help maintain various archaeological sites in the southern districts,” he added.
‘Expand excavation’
CPM has urged the State and Centre to take steps to expand the excavation at Keezhadi to bring to fore the site’s archaeological richness. CPM State Secretary K Balakrishnan said in Chennai that it was necessary to continue and expand the excavation at the site. Both DMK and CPM demanded the Centre to protect the site and establish a museum of international standards at Keezhadi.