Washington: The United States of America on Monday has decided to return more than 200 stolen cultural objects back to India, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s fourth leg visit to US in five nation tour. This is the Prime Minister’s fourth visit to United States in the last two years.
During her address at ceremony of Repatriation of Cultural Property, Attorney General of the United States, Loretta E. Lynch said, “Today we begin the process of returning more than 200 stolen cultural objects back to India”. Repatriation is returning of art or cultural heritage to country of its origin or former owners.
Restoring India's cultural heritage: PM @narendramodi attends ceremony for return of idols with US Attorney General pic.twitter.com/G9QjQ5hv9r
— Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) June 6, 2016
Thanking for the special gesture of Attorney General, the Prime Minister said, “We are very grateful for Government of US and the President for returning a part of our culture. This heritage inspires us for the future”.
He added, “Usually it’s the present that brings nations together, but sometimes it’s the heritage that brings two nations closer. Over the past two years, various countries have endeavoured to return India's stolen cultural heritage”.
Repatriation is returning of art or cultural heritage to country of its origin or former owners #ModiInUS (pic: MEA) pic.twitter.com/ZHwtKSbt9P
— ANI (@ANI_news) June 6, 2016
Modi said, when we look at these artefacts, we realise how much our ancestors had mastered the science and arts. In India we have archaeological digs, we find such artefacts. He added, governments and laws have become more alert about trafficking of cultural artefacts and are working to prevent it.
While citing an example he said, “Medical science's history isn’t old, as I remember seeing a slide of 700 year old stone engraved showing a woman with embryo in womb which means 700 years back surgery was done, much earlier than what our medical history goes back to”.
From a bronze Ganesh to a Jain figure of Bahubali, here are pics of some of the returned cultural artifacts pic.twitter.com/k1BmSytUY4
— Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) June 6, 2016
Modi paid a tribute to the US space scientists who lost their lives during their research in space at the Space Shuttle Columbia Memorial and also laid a wreath at tomb of US soldiers who were martyred during American conflicts, at Arlington Cemetery (Washington D.C).
During his visit to Space Shuttle Columbia Memorial, Modi met Sunita Williams and family of Kalpana Chawla and invited them to visit India, to which Sunita Williams expressed it as honour to have been invited.
