US to return 297 smuggled antiquities to India during PM Modi's 3-day visit
The officials reported that since 2014, India has recovered 640 ancient items from foreign land.
The US government has decided to hand over 297 smuggled antiquities back to India, an official statement on Sunday said. The announcement came during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 3-day visit to the USA. Officials highlighted how the illicit trafficking of properties with cultural relevance affected many countries including India.
The official statement from the Prime Minister’s office read, “On the occasion of the visit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to the United States, the US side facilitated the return of 297 antiquities that had been stolen or trafficked from India.”
PM Modi expressed his gratitude to the US president and shared the news through an X post, “Deepening cultural connect and strengthening the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural properties. I am extremely grateful to President Biden and the US Government for ensuring the return of 297 invaluable antiquities to India,” the Indian PM wrote.
The BJP leader posted some photographs with US President Joe Biden, appreciating him for the good gesture. He further attached some pictures of the antiquities along with his post, emphasising that the artefacts are not just a part of India’s cultural history but also represent the core of its civilisation and consciousness.
The officials reported that since 2014, India has recovered 640 ancient items from foreign land, while the recovery from the US alone marks 578 artefacts. Other than the US, the UK and Australia have returned 16 and 40 antiquities, respectively, they added.
Some prominent returned ancient figures include
- ‘Apsara’ in sandstone from central India, belonging to the 10-11th century CE.
- Jain Tirthankar in bronze belonging to the 15-16th century CE.
- Terracotta vase from eastern India belonging to 3-4th century CE.
- Stone sculpture from South India belonging to 1st century BCE-1st century CE.
- Lord Ganesh in bronze from south India, belonging to 17-18th century CE.
- Standing Lord Buddha in sandstone from north India from 15-16th century CE
- Lord Vishnu in bronze from Eastern India, belonging to the 17th and 18th centuries CE.
PM Modi’s diplomatic moves to strengthen IR
PM Modi’s visits to the USA have always been rewarding for the country, as they have resulted in the return of the antiquities multiple times. Earlier during his 2021 US tour, 157 antiquities were handed over by the US government. Similarly, after his 2023 visit, 105 antiquities returned to India.
The Indian PM is usually accused of travelling to too many countries, but his foreign tours have always been associated with strengthening international relations. His diplomatic addresses in foreign countries have garnered him worldwide recognition. While the opposition leaders are busy ranting against India and degrading the country’s cultural relevance on foreign soil, our PM is managing the situation quite well.
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