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ASI Relocates Keezhadi Archaeologist to Inactive Noida Office in Centre-State Dispute

The reassignment follows his refusal to revise a 982-page report dating the urban Tamil site to the 5th century BCE, reflecting deep tensions over regional heritage.

X/Su Venkatesan MP
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Overview

  • On June 17 the ASI reassigned K. Amarnath Ramakrishna from his role as Director (Antiquity) in New Delhi to lead the NMMA office in Greater Noida, a post cited as largely inactive since 2007.
  • The transfer followed his refusal to revise a 982-page report submitted in January 2023 that used stratigraphy and AMS dating to place Keezhadi’s urban settlement between the 8th and 5th century BCE.
  • Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin branded the move as evidence of anti-Tamil bias and rallied DMK supporters, whose student wing staged protests in Chennai and Madurai.
  • Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat defended the call for further studies, arguing that the findings require additional data and validation before official recognition.
  • The Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology is set to launch the 11th phase of excavations at Keezhadi later this month, underscoring the state’s bid to oversee future research.