CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin’s announcement of $1 million reward for deciphering the Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC) script has injected a fresh spark into the discussions of scholars at the conference underway to commemorate IVC discovery centenary, in Chennai.
On Tuesday, the scholars put forth diverse possibilities for interpreting the civilisation’s writing system from linking it to Dravidian languages to viewing some parts of it as astrological symbols.
The scholars said young researchers armed with interdisciplinary approaches and advanced technology may be key to deciphering the script. They said this conference aimed to enhance research in the field by improving access to related materials.
Retired IAS officer and member of the Indus Research Centre at the Roja Muthiah Research Library, R Balakrishnan, said advancements like optical character recognition (OCR) and AI could pave the way for breakthroughs. “The highlight of the event was the participation of hundreds of students from diverse disciplines,” he said.
He wondered whether a bilingual script that could decipher the IVC script, even if found, would be made public, as even the reports of Adhichanallur and Keezhadi are yet to be published. “If the script is eventually cracked, I believe it will be by a tech-savvy youngster. Until then, interpretations must rely on body language, which suggests a Dravidian link to the IVC,” he added.
Archaeologist K Amarnath Ramakrishna suggested that people might have migrated from IVC towards the south and east. “The state has consolidated IVC symbols and graffiti found in TN, which will be valuable resources for future researchers,” he said.
The conference included representation from the Goan tribal community, claiming ties to the Indus script. “We wanted to hear all the voices. Several scholars highlighted it is not possible to approach the Indus symbols without Dravidian languages,” said Sundar Ganesan, director of Roja Muthiah Research Library.