Return of National Treasures

India’s ‘special relations’ with Britain have been recognized and in the UK, events celebrating the Golden Jubilee of India’s independence are being planned. With the Labor Party Government, in power after 18 years, India’s Freedom-50 should have added significance as it was during the Labor rule that India got its independence from Britain. The Labor Party did preside over the liquidation of the British Empire, a welcome and necessary fact as World War II had left John Bull badly battered and bruised. Britain and its allies had won partly because of the resistance by the then Soviet Union against the mighty Germans and partly because of the American involvement, though belated, and dropping of nuclear bombs over Japan.

However, the same Labor Party with a different agenda has come back to power and it looks amazingly funny that its leaders, even before the elections, were trying to meddle in Kashmir, a legacy of the Partition of India brought about by the same Labor Party.

However, that is another issue.

Today our attention is on an exhibition of 17th century artifacts of India arranged through the Smithsonian’s Arthur Sackler Gallery in Washington DC. There are priceless paintings and manuscript Padshahnama on display. It is a part chronicle of Emperor Shah Jahan’s rule (silent on the Taj Mahal, reportedly built by Shah Jahan during his reign.)

The display is extraordinarily beautiful and the artists responsible for them have been rightly praised.

The sore point about the priceless artifacts is its ownership. The Smithsonians say they are from the private collection of the Queen of England.

Queen Elizabeth has graciously lent the paintings and the manuscript for display to commemorate India’s Freedom-50.

What magnanimity!

The Queen and the Labor Government of Britain, would have earned deep gratitude and appreciation from India if in the Jubilee year these had been returned to India. But that did not happen. And what about those votaries of Intellectual Property Rights who cry hoarse if anything remotely suggesting a copy by a developing country of some patent or copyright material? But they are stone deaf and log mute when it comes to somebody’s else’s property and rare artifacts.

The displays at the Washington museum are the undisputed property of the Indian nation shamelessly stolen, plundered and got gifted under duress during the two centuries of the British rule in India. There are precious jewels, such as Koh-e-noor diamond, historic and priceless bronzes and paintings, a vast treasure of ancient history and culture of India systematically robbed. Britain has usurped the ownership of numerous art objects; some treasure has gone to other museums and private collections.

As India got independence, the Government under Jawaharlal Nehru, did not even think of asking for the nation’s lost and robbed treasures. Nehru’s connections with England and the British Viceroy and the Vicerine were deeply emotional. In having Mountbatten as free India’s Viceroy and Governor General, he betrayed his deeper attachment elsewhere than his love for India’s cultural heritage and treasures. During the last five decades occasional, mild requests had been sent to the British Government for the return of at least the Koh-e-noor, with no effect. The enormously valuable and beautiful diamond still adorns the Queen’s crown and is part of the Crown Jewels--like many others ‘acquired’ from the wide world at a time when the Sun never set on the British Empire.

In Washington DC, a small band of protesters raised its voice against this property of the Indian nation claimed as the Queen’s personal collection and asked for its return. That was little more than a symbolic protest and more may come in future.

But that is not enough.

The whole world has to be reminded in clear terms that India was looted and its treasures were spirited away to distant lands by those who are called ‘civilized nation,’ and that they have no right to hold on to them. The circumstances under which they were acquired, gifted, bought or just whisked away have to be made public and corrective measure undertaken.

Needless to remind that the loot of Jewish gold by the Nazis and subsequent admission, though part, by the Swiss authorities, is the result of a patriot’s solitary cry about the Jews’ possession going into wrong hands and still being kept by unauthorized people and Governments. Now the world knows and the pressure is on to return that money. Let patriotic people of India and art lovers and honest individuals of the whole wide world wake up to this unlimited loot of India’s treasure now claimed to be the proud possession of a King or Queen or some famous museums or filthy rich foreigner. India’s treasure has to be returned to its rightful owner--and that treasure will certainly include Koh-e-noor and the Peacock Throne and Padshahnama and a million other art objects, some thousands of years old and essential part of the country’s rich history and heritage.

Let the Government of India under Inder Kumar Gujral shed the false ‘doctrine of good neighborly and special relations’ to rightly claim its own treasures from Britain and wherever they are now. More importantly, the people of India should start a formidable movement for the return of these national treasures. The Government of Nehru deliberately forgot that; the present Government of Gujral is busy finding ways to survive. Nothing can be expected from Laloo Prasad or Mulayam Singh or Ram Vilas Paswan. The demand will have to be raised, strengthened and put forward by the people with all their might in every international forum devoted to education, culture, history and ethics, freedom and anti-exploitation and fair practices. The country’s history and culture is still being obliterated by invaders and foreign rulers and greedy sellers and buyers. In the 50th year of India’s independence a movement to bring back National Treasure should be mounted and vigorously pursued.

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