A federation of Dravidian forums on Tuesday condemned setting up of a 16-member committee by the Centre to study the ancient Indian culture. It demanded that the Centre dissolve the committee as it did not reflect the diversity of the country.

A total of 18 forums, including the Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam, Dravidar Kazhagam, Social Democratic Party of India and CPI (ML) have encouraged the Dravidian Cultural Federation for this cause.

The federation will beleaguer a BSNL office near the Coimbatore district on Wednesday demanding dissolving of the committee.

C Venmani, coordinator of the federation stated that the Center’s committee had no representation from Tamil Nadu. ‘’This at a time when there are new discoveries every day in the Keeladi excavations. The constitution says India is a union state. There are multiple cultures and languages. But the committee formed to study Indian Culture doesn’t reflect this diversity’’ he stated.

Representatives also stated that the committee had no representation from the dalits, tribes and women. They further added that ‘’we get the impression that the committee seeks to conduct a history based on religious identity’’.

One of the members of the committee BR Mani, former official of the Archaeological Survey of India was involved in excavations at Ayodhya in 2003 after when Allahabad high court ordered him to be replaced.  ‘’He is now included in this committee. This gives away the BJP government’s motive clearly’’ the federation stated.

The federation also stated the archaeological researchers at Keeladi and Adichanallur have shown that Tamil culture dates back to 600BC, was secular. ‘’Now the BJP is trying to paint it over with Vedic and Sanskrit narrative’’, the federation stated.      

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