by LAUREN CODLING
BRITAIN should acknowledge its colonial past and begin the process of giving back “illegal” Indian heritage artefacts from its museums and galleries, campaigners have said.
The call comes as a Buddhist statue stolen from the subcontinent was handed back to India last Wednesday (15), after it was discovered that a London dealer had put it up for sale.
Anuraag Saxena is co-founder of the India Pride Project (IPP). The volunteer-driven organisation aims to track down India’s stolen heritage and return the items to the country.
According to Saxena, the return of the Buddha statue is the first time a stolen item has been offered back to India by the UK. He confirmed other conversations regarding stolen artefacts are taking place, although he could not disclose any details.
However, the Singapore-based campaigner revealed a specific investigation was related to the “colonial era of forced acquisition”.
“A lot of that is being pushed into question today,” he told Eastern Eye last week. “At some level, it is sad the UK has not been forthcoming in discussing either reparations or restitutions.”
Of Indian-origin himself, Saxena believes the UK should own up to its “wrongs” during the period of the British empire. Other countries such as Germany have acknowledged their “evil” pasts, he explained, so Britain should follow suit.
“I think the moment now is for people of the UK to say, we are not proud of our colonial past,” he said. “Our ancestors messed up, but we would like to be the generation that sets it right.”
In recent years, Germany, Canada and Australia have given stolen artworks back to India.
In 2014, then-Australian prime minister Tony Abbott returned a Dancing Shiva bronze statue to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi after it emerged that it had been stolen from a temple in Tamil Nadu state in south India.
Former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper handed a 900-year-old sandstone
sculpture back to India in 2015.
In addition, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) in New York announced earlier this month it would be returning two donated ancient statues after research unveiled its Indian providence.
IPP believes up to 70,000 historical items have been stolen. The group estimates only 10,000 of these will be returned.
The widespread problem is partly due to India’s “attractive” heritage, Saxena claimed. He explained the older a civilisation, the more appealing its historical items become.
“There is also something to be said about law enforcement which has historically not been as bothered about this issue as much,” he added.
Galleries and museums have become more aware of the issue, the activist said, including a growing influence from intellectuals and influencers.
For instance, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn claimed in June he would send back any stolen heritage if he became prime minster.
Hollywood star George Clooney has also been vocal about Britain returning items to their native countries, referring to the largely-disputed Elgin Marbles from Greece.
“There is a definite awareness among thought leaders and citizens who say that history belongs to its people,” Saxena remarked.
However, he added the biggest gap is a lack of due diligence from museums and galleries when it comes to buying or accepting illicit heritage items.
“Historically, museums have not been successful in separating illicit from legit heritage,” Saxena said. “The museum community has to agree on protocols they will follow, especially around checking when they buy heritage.”
An IPP ambition going forward is to ensure anonymity is taken away from museums. At the moment, if an illegal artefact is found in a museum, the donor can remain anonymous.
“That has to go as it does not stand the test of morality,” Saxena said. “It might stand the test of legality, but not morality.”
Looking to the future, he hopes the issue of stolen heritage continues to be seen as a priority. He believes it is a “moral obligation” for countries such as the UK to give items back.
“It is literally as bad as money laundering,” he said. “You wouldn’t let somebody bring $5 million into Heathrow, so why would you let them transfer a $5m statue or painting? You can’t be proud of what your grandfather stole from mine.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the department of culture told Eastern Eye: “Decisions relating to the care and location of collections legally obtained by museums are a matter for trustees, free from political interference.”
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