Sangam works on greatness of Tamils now supported by archaeological evidence: CM

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin says the Sangam literature, which spoke about the greatness of Tamils, is now fully supported by archaeological evidence

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday said Sangam literature, which spoke about the greatness of Tamils, is now fully supported by archaeological evidence.

“When leaders of the Dravidian Movement quoted Sangam poems on public platforms to highlight the greatness of Tamils, some rejected them saying they were just literary works and not history. Now we have archaeological evidence. Former IAS officer R. Balakrishnan has done great work,” Mr. Stalin said, while releasing Mr. Balakrishnan’s book Journey of a Civilisation: Indus to Vaigai, translated into Tamil as Oru Panpattin Payanam—Sindu Muthal Vaigai Varai.

Recalling his demand that the history of the Indian sub-continent should be written from the Tamil land, Mr. Stalin said it was the objective of the Dravidian Model government, and Mr. Balakrishnan’s book had emerged as a pillar in support of the objective.

He added that the archaeological excavations in seven places and the findings had proved that the society of the Sangam period and the urban civilisation was real and not a figment of imagination.

Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu, who received the first copy of the book, said the approach of Mr. Balakrishnan was different in the sense that he had applied the literary evidence available in Sangam literature to the evidence found in the Indus Valley civilisation. “He has traced the roots of words. When there was a reference to Aruppukottai during our conversation, he said Aruppu itself is a kottai (fort).”

N. Ram, Director, The Hindu Publishing Group, said Mr. Balakrishnan had established with evidence that “Dravidian is really at the core of Indus Valley civilisation.”