Dravidian Culture Federation demands dissolving of panel formed to study Indian culture

COIMBATORE: 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 floated the ‘Dravidian Culture Federation’ for this cause.
The federation would besiege a BSNL office near the Coimbatore district collectorate on Wednesday demanding dissolving of the committee.
Addressing reporters on Tuesday, C Venmani, coordinator of the federation, said the Centre'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 of states’. There are multiple cultures and languages. But the committee formed to study Indian culture doesn’t reflect this diversity,” he said.
Representatives said the committee had no representation from dalits, tribes and women. “We get the impression that the committee seeks to construct a history based on a religious identity."
One of the members of the committee, B R Mani, a former official of the Archaeological Survey of India, was involved in excavations at Ayodhya in 2003, when the 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 said in a statement.
The federation said archaeological researches at Keeladi and Adichanallur have shown that Tamil culture, which goes back to 600BC, was secular. “Now the BJP is trying to paint it over with a Vedic and Sanskrit narrative,” the federation said.