Reconstitute panel on Indian culture to include members from Tamil Nadu: CM Palaniswami to PM Modi

Taking objection to non-representation from South India, especially Tamil Nadu, in a committee constituted to study the origin and evolution of Indian Culture, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reconstitute the panel to include scholars from the Southern state.

In a letter to Modi, Palaniswami said any chronicle of Indian history and culture would be grossly incomplete without giving its “rightful place to Tamil culture and language” and referred to the Prime Minister’s visit to Mamallapuram in 2019 where he hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for an informal summit.

The Chief Minister’s letter comes a week after DMK MP Kanimozhi questioned why none from any minority community has been appointed to the committee that will study the Indian culture. DMK chief M K Stalin, Tamil Nadu CPI-M secretary K Balakrishnan and Madurai MP and writer Su. Venkatesan have also drawn Modi’s attention to the fact that there was no representation from the state which has a rich cultural heritage.

The 16- member committee constituted by the Union Culture Ministry has come under criticism from various quarters with people pointing out that majority of the members belong to upper castes and those from North East, minority, Dalit, and other communities have been left out.

“While it is a welcome move to deepen our understanding of our country’s rich and varied cultural roots, the composition of the committee in itself is a matter of deep concern. The said committee has no representative from any of the Southern States, especially from Tamil Nadu, which has a glorious past and is home to one of the oldest civilizations, viz. Dravidian civilization - a living and thriving culture in the South of India,” Palaniswami said in the letter.

He referred to the recent archaeological excavations in Keezhadi and other parts of Tamil Nadu that revealed that the world-reputed Sangam era can now be dated back to as early as 6th century BCE. Palaniswami also referred to Modi’s speech in Mamallapuram about the awe-inspiring timeless monuments and glorious legacy of Tamil heritage.

“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. Given this background, it is surprising that the Ministry of Culture has chosen to ignore experts from Tamil Nadu while setting up the said committee,” the Chief Minister said.

He also asked the Prime Minister to personally intervene and direct the Ministry of Culture to reconstitute the expert committee by inducting eminent scholars from Tamil Nadu.