Prime Minister Narendra Modi has thanked United States President Joe Biden for returning 297 “invaluable antiquities” that were trafficked from India. In a post on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), Modi said this strengthens 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,” Modi wrote.
In a statement on September 21, the Ministry of External Affairs said that the artifacts were returned “in keeping with close bilateral ties and to foster greater cultural understanding”.
To this end, it added that “the US State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) under Ministry of Culture, Government of India had signed a Cultural Property Agreement in July 2024 to fulfill the commitments made by Biden and Modi to enhance cooperation to protect cultural heritage”.
The pieces will be “shortly be repatriated to India”, the statement said, adding that in a symbolic hand over, a select few pieces were showcased to Modi and Biden on the sidelines of their bilateral meeting in Wilmington, Delaware.
The antiquities being returned belong to a time period spanning almost 4000 years, from 2000 BCE – 1900 CE and have origins in different parts of India, the statement added.
“Majority of the antiquities are terracotta artefacts from Eastern India, while others are made in stone, metal, wood and ivory and belong to different parts of the country,” it said.
Notably, since 2016, the US government has facilitated the return of “a large number of trafficked or stolen antiquities”, the MEA statement added. “The total number of cultural artefacts returned from US to India since 2016 stands at 578. This is the maximum number of cultural artefacts returned by any country to India,” it said.
