[CPProt.net] COUNTER VIEW: Get back more Indian artefacts

[MSN CPPnet]

COUNTER VIEW: Get back more Indian artefacts
RONOJOY SEN

[ FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2005 12:16:05 PM ]
 

Vijay Mallya's acquisition of several items belonging to Tipu Sultan,
including his sword and cannons, is a belated attempt to bring back to India
some of the treasures plundered by foreign invaders. Tipu's possessions are,
however, only a fraction of treasures looted by India's colonial rulers,
especially the British. 

Though many would like to interpret British rule as a civilising mission,
its early years were marked by indiscriminate plunder. Edmund Burke famously
described the East India Company officials as birds of prey. Quite often,
these looted treasures were divested of their origins and became identified
with the person who had the gumption to cart it away to England. The Elgin
marbles are an example of how a set of 2,500-year-old Greek sculptures bears
the name of Lord Elgin, the man who removed it from the Parthenon. 

It would be absurd to demand that artefacts, which have been taken out over
centuries, be returned to India. Not only is the ownership of these
treasures disputed - as with the Kohinoor - many of them were probably
preserved for posterity by colonial administrators and collectors. 

But wherever possible, every effort should be made to bring back Indian
antiquities where they belong. This could be done through diplomatic
pressure or with private collectors pitching in. Mallya's efforts to set up
a museum near Mysore showcasing Tipu's belongings must be lauded. Tipu's
treasures are best viewed in a museum located in his former kingdom than
somewhere in England. 

There are, of course, those who argue that India does not have the right
kind of museums or expertise to look after these precious items. But that is
precisely what needs to be changed by upgrading existing museums and setting
up new ones. And those who quibble about inadequate security must be
reminded that priceless paintings are regularly stolen from European
museums.  

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/