Putting a full stop to the ‘Dravidian propaganda‘ the Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on 21 July 2025 has highlighted several omissions in the Keeladi excavation report, submitted by lead archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishna. The minister clarified that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had not requested any revised report from the Tamil Nadu state archaeology department.
Responding in the Lok Sabha to questions raised by DMK MPs Thamizhachi Thangapandian and Dayanidhi Maran, Shekhawat addressed concerns about the central government’s position on the findings from Keeladi. Thangapandian had asked whether the Centre had officially reviewed the report submitted in June.
According to Shekhawat, experts had identified several deficiencies in the report. These include the need to reclassify the cultural periods mentioned, redraw the village map, and revise technical details such as content, maps, drawings, contour lines, stratigraphy, and graffiti illustrations.
He reiterated ASI’s commitment to following proper scientific methods and legal procedures to ensure that the findings from Keeladi are documented accurately. “Expert opinions will be incorporated to produce an authentic and scientifically verified report,” Shekhawat stated.
Lead archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishna declined to comment. However, his team said he had provided comprehensive documentation in both digital and physical formats and had addressed specific queries from the department on 23 May.
Shekhawat noted that experts believed the periodization proposed in the original report was flawed. They objected to the timeframe of 8th century BCE to 5th century BCE assigned to the earliest cultural layer, arguing that the dating was not substantiated. Experts suggested revising the chronology using more precise dating techniques like accelerator mass spectrometry. They also indicated that the sampling depths might not be adequate and stressed the need for marking excavation layers for consistent comparative analysis.
The minister confirmed that both the excavation conducted under the ASI and the submitted report are currently under review. He emphasized that no report has been formally rejected, and the archaeologist has been informed of the expert feedback, which is still being assessed.
Addressing the frequent transfers of Amarnath Ramakrishna who was moved three times in nine months Shekhawat said that such transfers are routine administrative decisions and not necessarily linked to excavation continuity.
In response to Dayanidhi Maran’s separate query, Shekhawat clarified that since 2018, the Tamil Nadu state archaeology department has independently overseen the Keeladi excavations, with no financial or operational support from the ASI, and reiterated that no revised report has been requested from them.
(With inputs from Times Of India)
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