‘If Indus Valley’s material culture is hardware, Sangam text is the software to decode puzzle’

R Balakrishnan wears many hats. Yet, says the Indus researcher, writer, and specialist in Odisha-related studies, the identity he holds closest is that of a lifelong student of Tamil. In 1984, Balakrishnan became the first IAS officer to clear the UPSC exam in Tamil, and that too in his first attempt. Though his career took him away from Tamil Nadu to Odisha and Delhi, his connection with Tamil never wavered. His contributions to Tamil studies earned him recognition among scholars who believe his recent appointment as President of the International Institute of Tamil Studies (IITS) is a smart move by the state govt, especially at a time when language-related discussions are taking centre stage. "I'm aware of the weight it carries," he says. "The goal is to take Tamil studies to the next level, to make it future-ready."

In an interview with Vinothkumar N, Balakrishnan talks about archaeology, Sangam literature, the likely impact of technology on languages, and why he believes "India is not a melting pot, but a rainforest." Excerpts:

How do you see Sangam literature and Indus Valley research as being connected?

Tamil studies, especially classical Tamil, must be viewed through a sub-continental lens, not as a mere subtext of Indian history. Studies show ancient Tamil texts are verifiable legacy markers of the Indus civilisation. No other classical tradition shows such an understanding of landscapes, flora, fauna, and lifestyles. Antiquity is important, but Tamil literature's real strength lies in its continuity, its ability to adapt to changing political, cultural, economic, and social contexts. This is what makes it both ancient and alive.

You believe the ending of Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC) is the beginning of Sangam literature. What do you mean by that?

If the material culture revealed by Indus Valley excavations can be seen as the "hardware" of the civilisation, Sangam literature can be considered its "software," a key that helps unlock the Indus riddle. Without it, there remains a huge literary void in explaining the Indus past. We are often conditioned by existing notions and tend to be intimidated by the geographical distance between the Indus region and southern India. But "distance" and "gap" are not the same. We need to dig deeper to connect the dots.

The hallmarks of IVC, its planned urban layouts, maritime prowess, worship of the mother goddess, advanced brickmaking, metallurgy, jewellery-making, games, toys, ornaments, and animal sports are celebrated in Sangam texts. Recent archaeological excavations endorse the relevance of the texts. Through initiatives such as commemorating the centenary of the Indus discovery, installing a statue for John Marshall, setting up museums at excavation sites, celebrating 25 years of the Thiruvalluvar statue at Kanyakumari, and establishing the early use of iron in the region, TN made a strong civilisational claim for the Indian subcontinent.

What do you consider to be some of the unique ideologies of ancient Tamil texts relevant to contemporary India?

Education and literacy emphasised in ancient Tamil texts are also archaeologically endorsed. TN yielded the highest number of ancient pottery shards with Indus-like graffiti marks. Readable Tamili (also known as Tamil-Brahmi) inscriptions found on pottery and rock surfaces show there was literacy at the grassroots level. A poem by Tamil King Arya Padai Kadantha Nedunchezhiyan (‘one who crossed the Aryan army') from 270 BCE speaks of knowledge transcending divisions of birth. This view was later echoed by poets Thiruvalluvar and Avvaiyar. This continuity makes Tamil stand out. Here, education has always been seen as a right more than a privilege. Another legacy marker is Tamil literature's celebration of urbanism, a sort of ancient cosmopolitanism. Tamil texts celebrate urban life, describing towns where people spoke multiple languages and immigrants lived in harmony. The first Tamil epic even invokes a port town with the moon, sun, and rain.

It seems the concept of inclusivity is as old as Tamil ideology.

Undoubtedly. I haven't come across anything that matches the lines of Kaniyan Poonkunranar (Purananuru: 192): "Every town is our hometown, every man a kinsman." If you scratch the surface of anyone in India today, you might just find a Harappan beneath. The Indus civilisation by its nature, scale, and spread was plural. So was ancient India. Having travelled to almost every corner of the country and interacted with many tribal communities, I can say India is plural at its foundation. That's why I say India is neither a melting pot nor a salad bowl. It is a rainforest.

A melting pot suggests an alloy, where individual metals lose their identity to a dominant one. A salad bowl implies post-harvest selection, not every vegetable makes it in. But a rainforest is multilayered and interdependent. It gives space to microorganisms and mammoths. It is a place of coexistence. And that is the Tamil way of life.

How have you planned to make Tamil ‘future-ready'?

With the huge internet presence, we should not stop ourselves by talking of the glory of Tamil texts alone. We need to think of how the wisdom of the texts can be converted for the future. We need to work with scholars, linguists, and technocrats.

Global accents

The International Institute of Tamil Studies was established on October 21, 1970. The idea was proposed in 1968 during the Second World Tamil Conference, when chief minister C N Annadurai expressed his dream of creating a world-class institute for Tamil teaching and research inspired by the Institut de France in Paris. Today, the institute publishes ‘Tamilial', a peer-reviewed quarterly journal of Tamil studies, and offers academic courses in Tamil, epigraphy, and manuscriptology.