[CPProt.net] India: Year after theft, replicas welcome

[Museum Security Network / Cultural Property Protection Net (Ton Cremers)]

Year after theft, replicas welcome 
  
BIDYUT ROY 
  
SANTINIKETAN, MAY 7 A little over a year from the Nobel heist, Vishwa
Bharati University received the two replicas of Rabindranath Tagore's 1913
Nobel medallion today. At a function attended by Defence Minister Pranab
Mukherjee and several VIPs, External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh handed
the gold and bronze replicas to Vishwa Bharati vice-chancellor Sujit Kumar
Basu. 
Inga Eriksson Fogh, the Swedish ambassador to India, was also present on the
occasion. 

Recalling his visit to Santiniketan 50 years ago, Natwar Singh said: ''This
is a place of humane values. It is also a seat of modern education, which
has been consistently doing well.'' 

Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee described the occasion as painful and
joyous. While he regretted that ''we failed to protect'' the national
property, he said the issuing of replicas to the museum was a happy
occasion. Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said the theft was a national
shame. 

Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen, who was present on the occasion,
expressed happiness. He, however, revived a debate. ''Gandhiji was one of
the most eligible candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize. But, the Swedish
Academy did not take note of him,'' he said. 

Fogh praised Tagore's role in inspiring the Indian freedom movement. ''The
1913 Nobel prize was a big recognition for India. And Tagore was
instrumental in inspiring a whole generation of freedom fighters. The value
system that he had fostered, still continues to cast its impact on the
people,'' he said.
 
  
  
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=69980