Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu on Tuesday wondered why the Union government had reservations in accepting the ancient civilisation of the Tamils, even though scientific tests had proved that it was 5,350 years old and that they possessed technical skills.
“Though we are in the same country, why does the government have reservations? Is it because of its unquenchable desire to treat Tamils as second-class citizens?” he asked on his social media page.
Reacting to Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat’s claim that the findings at Keeladi were not adequately supported by scientific evidence, Mr. Thennarasu, who also holds the Archaeology portfolio, said the Centre first dismissed the discovery as insignificant before transferring the officer in charge of the Keeladi excavations.
“They (the Centre) also refused to allocate funds for the excavations and allowed the report to gather dust for two years. Now they say there is no adequate evidence. Every time they reject Tamil history, only the method of rejection changes,” he said.
Mr. Thennarasu said that history and the truth it reveals would not wait for the Centre’s cheap politics. “They belong to the people and will eventually reach them. The world cannot remain dark just because a cat has closed its eyes,” he remarked.
Published – June 10, 2025 10:32 pm IST
