US To Return Over 100 Antiquities That Were Stolen From India

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s maiden US state visit, he addressed the Indian diaspora at the Ronald Reagan Center and expressed his happiness over the American government’s decision to return more than 100 stolen antiquities back to India.

PM Modi highlighted that these antiquities of Indian origin had reached international markets through various trafficking networks, but America’s decision to return them showcased the emotional bond between the two nations.

Under PM Modi’s leadership, the Government of India has been actively working to bring back antiquities and artifacts that were stolen and smuggled abroad, aiming to rejuvenate India’s cultural and spiritual heritage.

Over the centuries, numerous priceless artifacts with deep cultural and religious significance had been illicitly taken out of India. The Indian government has adopted a proactive approach to reclaiming these items of historical and cultural importance.

PM Modi has raised the issue of repatriation of Indian artifacts during his foreign visits and discussions with global leaders and multilateral institutions. As a result, a total of 251 antiquities have been brought back to India, with 238 of them returned since 2014.

In 2022, the US authorities returned 307 antiquities that were stolen by multiple trafficking networks to India, with an estimated value of nearly 4 million USD.

The majority of these antiquities were seized from disgraced art dealer Subhash Kapoor, who played a significant role in trafficking items from countries such as Afghanistan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, among others.

A repatriation ceremony was held at the Indian Consulate in New York, attended by India’s Consul General Randhir Jaiswal and US Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) Acting Deputy Special Agent-in-Charge Tom Lau.

Notable among the returned pieces was the Arch Parikara, a marble artifact valued at approximately USD 85,000.

This artifact had been smuggled out of India in 2002 and was eventually laundered to the Nathan Rubin – Ida Ladd Family Foundation before being donated to the Yale University Art Gallery.

The repatriation efforts have been significant, with the Office returning 682 antiquities valued at over USD 84 million to 13 countries in 2022 alone.

Since its establishment, the Antiquities Trafficking Unit has facilitated the return of nearly 2,200 antiquities, valued at over USD 160 million, to 22 countries.

Also Read:- PM Modi Leaves For Egypt, To Visit 1000 Year Old Mosque

List of Antiquities US Returned To India

Here are the number of antiquities that were stolen from India and smuggled to other countries via different trafficking networks. But the US authorities have decided to return them to India, after PM Modi’s US visit.