Coming as a major cultural and diplomatic triumph for the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India, the Australian government has decided to return three culturally significant artefacts to India. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said that it is ‘the right thing to do’. He also said, “Like India, we understand the value of our ancient cultures and artefacts.”
The artefacts would be returned during Australia’s Prime Minister’s visit to New Delhi in January 2020. The artefacts include a pair of door guardians (dvarapala) of Tamil Nadu from the 15th Century, and the 6th to 8th century’s serpent king (Nagaraja) of Rajasthan or Madhya Pradesh. These are currently held by the National Gallery of Australia (NGA).
It must be noted that a high number of returned artefacts indicate towards the efforts of the Modi government, which when combined with groups like India Pride Project, have accelerated the process of return of stolen artefacts to their original home. In 2016, PM Modi had attended an event for the return of idols in the US. The event marked the beginning of the process of returning more than 200 stolen cultural objects back to India, where PM Modi mentioned that “return of heritage can prove to be a binding force in bilateral ties.”
From its inception, the BJP has been very sensitive towards the renaissance of the Indian culture and has energetically pursing the reclamation of the past glory of Bharat. Efforts of former EAM Sushma Swaraj among others are exceptionally commendable. PM Modi himself seems to be in motion towards pursuing the larger goals of the Hindu community or the Indian community. From wooing the NRIs to offering prayers in Hindu temples abroad, PM Modi has been making it clearer.
Notably, thousands of precious artefacts and antiquities have been looted by the British colonial rulers from India. The antiquities still remain present in various museums across UK. Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the state body in charge of India’s heritage assets has often stated that the list of country’s treasures held abroad was “too long to handle” and there was a need for a “diplomatic and legal campaign” for their restitution from institutions including the British Museum, the Royal Collection and the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
Britain must immediately return all the antiquities, artefacts, sculptures and other precious things which belong to India. Among the items on the list are the Amravati railings, a series of limestone carvings dating from around AD100, acquired from a Buddhist temple in Andhra Pradesh by Victorian explorers; the Koh-i-Noor diamond, which sits in the heart of a crown made for the Queen Mother as the last empress of India; and the Saraswati idol, a sculpture of the Hindu deity from the Bhoj temple. Among hundreds of other delicate pieces, the Jagdamba – Shivaji Maharaj’s sword, Tipu’s Tiger, Ring of Tipu Sultan, the Ambika statue, Royal Jade Wine Cup of Shah Jahan, Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Throne, The Sultanganj Buddha and the Amaravati Marbles must be repatriated to India.
Strikingly, the British Museum, which claims its status as a global repository for art justifies its possession of items such as the Rosetta Stone and the Parthenon Marbles, it justified that it was satisfied that the objects highlighted by the Indian authorities had been acquired legitimately.
Three culturally significant artefacts — a pair of ‘Dwarapala’ (door guardians) from Tamil Nadu and one ‘Nagaraja (serpent king)’ from either Rajasthan or Madhya Pradesh, purchased from idol smuggler Subhash Kapoor — will be returned to India by the Australian government during Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s visit to India in January 2020.
Australian PM Scott Morrison, Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Minister of Arts Paul Fletcher issued a joint statement Wednesday, announcing the return of these culturally relevant artefacts to India. “Like India, we understand the value of our ancient cultures and artefacts. The return of these artefacts is the right thing to do. This is another demonstration of the deep relationship between Australia and India,” the press release quoted Morrison as saying.
Both India and Australia are party to the UNESCO 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transport of Ownership of Cultural Property. Ms. Payne said, “The strong ties Australian and Indian institutions have made in recent years have helped develop important professional relationships and share culture. The return of these artefacts also underscores the world’s debt to India’s magnificent culture, history and legacy.”
America too has repatriated the two antique statues worth hundreds of thousands of dollars stolen from India and displayed at two American museums. The first statue, ‘Lingodhbhavamurti’, a granite sculpture depicting an iconic representation of Lord Shiva, dates back to the Chola dynasty and 12th century.
S Vijay Kumar, art enthusiast and co-founder of India Pride that tracks Indian antiques, said that the return of the two Dwarapalas stolen from Tamil Nadu and bought by the National Gallery of Australia for $495,000 in August 2005, and the Nagaraja for $337,500 in April 2006 from Madhya Pradesh, will bring closure to an eight-year struggle with the Gallery.
Mr. Fletcher said that the historic artefacts play a significant role in modern society by allowing communities to acknowledge and celebrate their shared history and culture. “The National Gallery of Australia recognises this, and is strongly committed to the ethical collecting of cultural material and best-practice collection management. I commend the Gallery for resolving these legacy issues.
The release further added that criminal law proceedings are currently underway in India and the United States against former New York art dealer Subhash Kapoor, from whom these artefacts were purchased. The Australian Government does not have any role in these proceedings
We must remember that some of the most precious and unique artefacts and antiquities held in several museums of the world are Indian. Every country must return all the artefacts rightfully belonging to India especially Britain as it has stolen a lot of valued and exceptional pieces of art and history. As a nation, we have to strive towards reclaiming our stolen heritage and returning our pride. Involvement of experts, efforts to diminish demands, and generating enthusiasm towards returning of stolen heritage is the way ahead. Initiatives by the Modi government are great steps ahead towards reclaiming the lost Indian heritage as art is the soul of the society and nation.