Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has taking strong exception to the Union Ministry of Culture’s move to keep scholars from the State away from the expert committee constituted for ‘conducting a holistic study of the origin and evolution of Indian culture during the past 12 millennia and its interface with other cultures of the world’.
In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, excerpts of which were released to the media, Palaniswami expressed his shock and surprise over the non-inclusion of any scholars from Tamil Nadu in the committee. “Tamil Nadu 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,” said the Chief Minister in the letter.
He also drew the attention of the Prime Minister about the latter’s visit to Mahabalipuram , the sea shore heritage site of Mahabalipuram for the India-China summit in October 2019. “You visited Mahabalipuram where you had observed the awe-inspiring timeless monuments and glorious legacy of Tamil heritage in full splendour. 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,” wrote the Chief Minister.
Palaniswami concluded the letter by requesting the Prime Minister to intervene in the matter and direct the ministry to reconstitute the expert committee by ‘inducting eminent scholars from Tamil Nadu’.