Q: When you do get back to the Indus script, what are you hoping to do?

A: I have some unpublished, rather unfinished papers. One of the things I want to get back to is whether I can fix the phonetic values of some signs. I have some leads, particularly concerning the phonetic values of the terminal signs, which are very important. If at least a few phonetic values could be established, they will have a cascading effect. Many of the symbols could yield their results. But this is still a dream.

The other area is I still want to work on the filter theory, whether by combining Dravidian traditions, Indo-Aryan traditions and looking around the archaeological finds in the Indus valley itself like what Kenoyer recently found on the ivory piece whether that theory could be firmed up and where that would lead us.

But let me complete [this interview] by saying that I have no illusions that I would decipher the Indus script nor do I have any regret. I think the ultimate decipherment of any language is built on the labors of so many unsuccessful attempts by earlier scholars. So, I’m content to remain one of them and I’m hopeful that further discoveries of teams like Kenoyer and others in Harappa and the active work by Parpola and his team would all bear fruit, hopefully within my lifetime. Thank you.

Q: Thank you very much.