Plea to publish report on the findings in first two phases of Keeladi archaeological excavations

Madurai Bench of Madras High Court orders notice to Centre on petition seeking publication of Keeladi excavation report.

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday ordered notice to the Centre on a public interest litigation petition seeking a direction to Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to publish the report submitted to it by Superintending Archaeologist K. Amarnath Ramakrishna on the first two phases of Keeladi archaeological excavations in Sivaganga district.

A Division Bench of Justices D. Krishnakumar and R. Vijayakumar ordered notice to the Centre on the petition filed by P. Prabhakar Pandian of Madurai. Mr. Ramakrishna led the first two phases of the Keeladi excavations carried out by the ASI between 2014 and 2016. He submitted his 982-page report on the findings to the then ASI Director General in 2023.

The petitioner said that about 5,800 artefacts were unearthed in Keeladi during the Phase I and Phase II of the archaeological excavations. Eventually, Mr. Ramakrishna was transferred and ASI stated that there were no significant findings in the Phase III of the excavations. The Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology has carried out the excavations from the fourth phase and so far nine phases have been completed.

He said that the findings in Keeladi had further pushed the Sangam Age to 800 BCE. Several significant findings have been made at Keeladi.

People, political leaders, historians, academicians, researchers, archaeological and Tamil enthusiasts are demanding the reason for the delay in publication of the 982-page report, the petitioner said and sought a direction to the ASI to publish the report in the public domain. The court ordered notice and adjourned the hearing in the case by four weeks.