--------

Chennai: Amarnath K Ramakrishna, the archaeologist who led the first Keeladi excavations during 2014-16, has again refused to revise his report as demanded by Archaeological Survey of India, saying he was “duty-bound to furnish a true and correct report without any external influences”.

Ramakrishna, who is now director of the National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities (NMMA), wrote his latest rebuttal on May 11, a month and a half after ASI directed him to incorporate changes made by its internal committee in his Keeladi report.

In the letter, accessed by TOI, Ramakrishna said he had submitted his report true to his conscience and to the best of his knowledge. “Hence, it is incorrect to allege that I have defied any lawful directions issued by the competent authority,” he said.

“The internal committee ought to have handed over the copy of my original Keeladi excavation report submitted in Jan 2023 with its critical evaluation remarks endorsed on it,” said Ramakrishna.

The committee has not given any plausible reasons and valid justification while requesting him to “improve” his report, Ramakrishna said. Instead, a 114-page report titled ‘Critical evaluation and recommendation’ was sent to him. He termed the report “a product of AI-assisted technology”. Ramakrishna said he had performed his duties with the highest degree of professionalism, as expected and followed in ASI, and with utmost dedication to the best of his abilities as director of excavation of Keeladi.

“All through my excavation as well as while writing my report I have followed the principle of merits. I have derived my conclusion fairly and impartially on the basis of material culture and archaeological evidence discovered from excavated site,” said Ramakrishna. “My conclusions in the report are also based purely on merit alone. The report has been prepared with utmost honesty and integrity,” he said.

There was no need to reconsider his earlier report, Ramakrishna wrote to ASI, adding, “I have not refused to adhere to any instruction given to me in accordance with the established administrative norms and service rules.”

While the previous DMK govt backed Ramakrishna’s Keeladi findings and openly sparred with ASI over the delay in releasing the report, sources said there have so far been no signals from chief minister C Joseph Vijay’s govt as to whether and how it would react to the latest standoff.

Ramakrishna had dated an early urban Tamil civilization (800-500 BCE) at Keeladi, near present-day Madurai.