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Express news service
CHENNAI: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami complained on Wednesday about the absence of experts from southern states, including Tamil Nadu, within the expert committee formed by the central government to study the origin and evolution of Indian culture over the last 12 millennia and its interface with other cultures of the world.
Expressing his surprise at how the Union Culture Ministry chose to ignore Tamil Nadu when setting up the said committee, the Chief Minister, in his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said: “On behalf of the people of the state, I ask you to intervene personally and order the Ministry of Culture to reconstitute the committee of experts by inducting eminent academics from Tamil Nadu. Can I ask for a quick response? “
Stating that while this was a welcome initiative to deepen our understanding of our country’s rich and diverse cultural roots, Palaniswami said the composition of the committee itself was a matter of deep concern. The committee has no representative from any of the southern states, especially Tamil Nadu, which has a glorious past and is home to one of the oldest civilizations – the Dravidian civilization – a vibrant and flourishing culture of southern India .
Palaniswami pointed out that recent archaeological excavations in Keezhadi and other parts of Tamil Nadu have revealed that the world famous Sangam era can now be dated to the 6th century BCE. “This makes the Tamil culture and language one of the oldest surviving legacies in the world,” he added.
He recalled the Prime Minister’s visit to Mahabalipuram last year, where he observed the awe-inspiring timeless monuments and the glorious legacy of Tamil heritage in all their glory. “You will therefore agree with me that any chronicle of Indian history and culture would be grossly incomplete without giving its rightful place to Tamil culture and language,” he added.
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