The Keezhadi row and the Tamil identity
MK Stalin swallowed some Tamil pride to attend a meeting of the NITI Aayog’s governing council, only his second since the DMK took office in 2021.
Updated At : 06:59 AM May 28, 2025 IST
Ownership: Unlike earlier archaeological sites, Keezhadi has seen a massive buy-in by Tamils. istock
IN the fraught 21st-century relations between Tamil Nadu and the Centre, a Sangam-era question looms large. How old is Keezhadi/Keeladi, an ancient site where archaeological excavations since the last decade have given wings to theories of a link between the Dravidians and the Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC)? That question received a new lease of life a few days ago when the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) finally broke its long silence on the excavation report to question its authenticity, casting doubts on the work of its own official.
