Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that ancient cultures like India have been struggling with the collective challenges of smuggling and appropriation of artefacts, and such crimes can be put to an end only with concerted efforts.
He noted that with India’s increasing prestige in the world, various countries have started returning the country’s artefacts. He cited examples of the repatriation of the idol of Nataraja dating back to the Chola period and the idol of Annapurna stolen from Varanasi.
Inaugurating the International Museum Expo in the national capital, Mr. Modi said that the smuggling of cultural artefacts from India has reduced considerably since 2014 and urged art connoisseurs from around the world, especially those associated with museums, to increase cooperation in this matter.
“There should not be any such artwork in any museum of any country, which has reached there in an unethical way. We should make this a moral commitment for all the museums,” he said.
Mr. Modi’s comments come amid significant efforts being made by the government to bring back Indian artefacts from museums across the world.
India has also highlighted the issue in various fora, including at the G-20 working group meetings on culture. It held a special exhibition on 23 repatriated items at the Khajuraho working group meeting.
The Prime Minister also mentioned that a lot of heritage had been lost during India’s period of slavery when ancient manuscripts and libraries were burnt to the ground.
This was not just a loss to India but the entire world, he said, lamenting the lack of efforts after Independence towards reviving and preserving this long-lost heritage.
Mr. Modi said that the country was now making efforts towards creating new cultural infrastructure through which once could learn about the history of India’s fight for independence as well as its 1000-year-old heritage.
“Our heritage becomes the harbinger of world unity,” he said, giving the example of the relics of Lord Buddha protected over generations and drawing Buddhists from all over the world.
The inauguration of the International Museum Expo coincided with the 47th International Museum Day which has a theme of ‘Museums, Sustainability and Well-Being’ this year.
Around 1,200 museums are participating in various segments in the expo, with its mascot a modern version of the famous dancing girl made of wood in the Channapatna craft style.
The Prime Minister also unveiled a pocket map of the ‘Kartavya Path’ that carries information on various State Houses and historic cultural institutions located in the vicinity of the India Gate complex and a virtual walkthrough of the upcoming national museum at North Block and South Block.
