A total of 244 antiques stolen from India, prior to its independence in 1947, have been brought back to the country during the past 75 years, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Jitendra Singh, said yesterday.
He said that, out of the 244 antiques, 231 were brought back in the past nine years.
“The process of bringing more of such antiquities is continuing on the fast track. Prime Minister, (Narendra) Modi, has accorded high priority to conserving our heritage and creating a new legacy,” added the minister.
According to media reports, Indian officials are coordinating with diplomats in London, to formally request relevant institutions to return these artifacts to India. The Archaeological Survey of India is said to lead the efforts to reclaim all objects “trafficked” out of India.
One of the biggest such artefacts taken away from India before its independence is the Kohinoor diamond, one of the largest cut diamonds in the world, weighing 105.6 carats.
Claimed by India, the controversial colonial-era Kohinoor diamond is to be cast as a “symbol of conquest,” as part of a new display of Britain’s Crown Jewels, at the Tower of London, set to open to the public later this month, the media reported.
Source: Nam News Network (NNN)