The Consulate General of India in New York on Monday informed that the United States will return 105 trafficked antiquities back to their home country India and a repatriation ceremony for the same was held today. The step comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the US. Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador of India to the United States, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, thanked the US side, in particular Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his Anti-Trafficking Unit and the Homeland Security Investigation team for their cooperation and support in this intiative.
Sandhu emphasised that “for the people of India, these were not just pieces of art but part of their living heritage and culture,” a release stated.
105 Indian antiquities to return home!
Delighted to attend a ceremony in #NewYork this morning, marking the restitution of 🇮🇳 artifacts following PM @narendramodi’s State Visit.
Appreciate the cooperation extended by 🇺🇸 in protection & exchange of cultural property@PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/MKd1FPRI3L
— Taranjit Singh Sandhu (@SandhuTaranjitS) July 17, 2023
“The antiquities will soon be transported to India. The repatriation ceremony was attended by senior officials from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the Homeland Security Investigation team,” it added.
The 105 antiquities represent a wide geographical spread in terms of their origin in India. These include 47 artifacts from Eastern India, 27 from Southern India, 22 from Central India, six from Northern India, and three from Western India.
“Spanning a period from 2nd-3rdcentury CE to 18th-19th century CE, the artifacts are made of terracotta, stone, metal, and wood. Around 50 artifacts relate to religious subjects [Hinduism, Jainism and Islam] and the rest are of cultural significance,” the release read.
During PM Modi’s State Visit, India and the US agreed to work on a Cultural Property Agreement that would help prevent the illegal trafficking of cultural artifacts. Such an understanding will add further value to the dynamic bilateral collaboration between Homeland Security and law enforcement agencies of the two countries, as per the official statement.
The Government of India has been making efforts to bring back stolen Indian antiquities, the symbols of rich Indian heritage and culture, from abroad.
In the recent past, there has been close cooperation on the restitution of antiquities between India and the US.
During PM Modi’s 2016 visit to the US, 16 antiques were handed over by the US side. Similarly, in 2021, the United States handed over 157 artifacts to India following the Prime Minister’s visit to the US in September 2021, the statement mentioned.
With these 105 antiquities, the US side has handed over a total of 278 cultural artifacts to India since 2016, it added.
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