India is finally becoming successful in its struggle to recover looted heritage pieces. Washington promises to return 297 pilfered antiquities during PM Narendra Modi’s US visit.
This way, New Delhi has bagged the recovery of 578 artefacts for itself-the most significant number from any country. But how is this burdening task undertaken?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was flying India’s flag high with his three-day visit to the United States.
Among the biggest highlights of the prime minister’s first day in the United States was the announcement that a whopping 297 antiquities stolen from India over the years would return.
According to an official statement from PMO, “During the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United States, the US side assisted in the repatriation of 297 antiquities that had been stolen or trafficked from India.”.
On X, the PM posted, “Deepening cultural connect and strengthening the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural properties.
I am incredibly grateful to President Biden and the US Government for ensuring the return of 297 invaluable antiquities to India.
Before discussing the long, cumbersome process of tracking and recovering stolen artifacts, let’s examine the antiquities Washington returned to New Delhi during PM Modi’s three-day US visit.
The antiquities span nearly 4,000 years, ranging from 2000 BCE to 1900 CE, and hail from various regions in India.
Most are terracotta artifacts from eastern India, while others are made of stone, metal, wood, and ivory and originate in other parts of the country.
