During his three-day visit to the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked President Joe Biden for returning 297 “invaluable antiquities” that were trafficked from India.
These will shortly be repatriated to India. In a symbolic handing over, a select few pieces were showcased to Prime Minister and President Biden on the sidelines of their bilateral meeting in Wilmington, Delaware.
PM Modi wrote in a post, “ Deepening cultural connections and strengthening the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural properties.”
Deepening cultural connect and strengthening the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural properties.
I am extremely grateful to President Biden and the US Government for ensuring the return of 297 invaluable antiquities to India. @POTUS @JoeBiden pic.twitter.com/0jziIYZ1GO
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 22, 2024
The antiquities date back almost 4000 years, from 2000 BCE to 1900 CE, and originated in different parts of India. Most are terracotta artefacts from Eastern India, while others are made of stone, metal, wood, and ivory and belong to different parts of the country.
Since 2016, the US Government has facilitated the return of a large number of trafficked or stolen antiquities. Ten antiquities were returned during PM’s visit to the USA in June 2016, 157 antiquities during his visit in September 2021, and 105 antiquities during his visit in June last year. The total number of cultural artefacts returned from the US to India since 2016 stands at 578. This is the maximum number of cultural artefacts returned by any country to India.
