Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan on Monday backed criticism by Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) MP Su. Venkatesan that the committee formed by the Centre to study India’s cultural history lacked diversity in terms of caste, class and other religious minorities.
In a tweet, Mr. Haasan said that plurality and antiquity were fundamental to India’s culture. “The committee that has been formed to study 12,000-year-old history has no diversity and it is an attempt to rewrite history,” he said.
“There is no history without South Indians, Indians from northeastern States, minorities, members of the Scheduled Castes and women,” he said.
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He reiterated that influence of “older” Tamil culture should not be manipulated or distorted.
“Thamizh culture is a great example of unity in diversity. The south of India has been a cultural laboratory for 12,000 years. There is no true history of this land without us,” he said.