Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister, MK Stalin, has offered a $1 million prize for deciphering the Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC) script. Despite 100 years of effort, the ancient script remains a mystery. “We still can’t fully understand the writing of this once-flourishing civilisation,” Stalin said at a conference in Chennai marking the IVC’s centenary.
Sir John Marshall, an English archaeologist, announced the IVC’s discovery on September 20, 1924. Stalin acknowledged the ongoing challenge. “For a century, experts have tried to solve this riddle. I’m offering $1 million to anyone who can successfully decode the script to the satisfaction of archaeological experts,” he said.
Stalin emphasized Tamil Nadu’s significance in Indian history. “The history of the subcontinent can’t be written without Tamil Nadu or the Tamil language,” he reiterated, echoing statements made when the DMK took office in 2021. The state’s archaeological efforts aim to secure Tamil Nadu’s rightful place in history.
He also linked the IVC to Tamil culture. “Bulls, a Dravidian symbol, appear in the Indus Valley and Tamil literature. One IVC seal even shows a man taming a bull, reflecting our ancient bull-taming traditions,” Stalin noted.
