India to recoup 157 artifacts stolen during British era

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / Nov 4, 2021

Union minister for tourism and culture G Kishan Reddy on Wednesday said the Centre was negotiating with foreign countries for the return of 157 statues and artifacts stolen from India and shipped abroad during the British period.

“The culture department missions in our respective embassies abroad have identified these artifacts, including paintings. The process of securing our stolen heritage and bringing them back is underway,” Reddy told the media here.

These heritage items are currently in different countries, including USA, Singapore, Belgium, the UK, Switzerland etc, he informed.

Since Independence, he said, a total of 55 artifacts, including stolen figurines have been brought back to India. “Of these, 42 heritage pieces have come back since 2014 during the current Narendra Modi regime, which is 75 percent of the total recouped items.”

Reddy said of the 157 artifacts, for which the process of bringing them back to India was underway, about 100 are in the US alone.

“It is due to the unstinted efforts mounted by the Modi government that a large number of our stolen heritage is being identified and brought back,” he noted.

Recently, a Mata Annapurna Devi statue has been brought back to India from Canada. It is believed to have been smuggled away from the reverred Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi nearly 100 years back.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh chief minister said the state government will take out a grand four-day ‘Yatra’ during 12-15 November from Kasganj to Varanasi districts for the ritualistic reinstallation of the statue in the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

“Under the inspiring leadership of PM Modi and his diplomatic outreach, the stature of India has scaled new heights,” Adityanath said while referring to the global popularity of Yoga and Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.

“Due to the prime minister, our ancient medicine system of Ayurveda received international recognition during the millennia’s biggest pandemic (Covid-19),” the CM underlined.