The United States Government is actively working to set the stage for the repatriation of trafficked artworks that belong in India, Eric Garcetti, the US Ambassador to India, said on Monday.The Ambassador was speaking at the repatriation ceremony organised by the Indian Consulate in New York on Monday, where 105 trafficked artworks were returned to Indian custody. The event was attended by Taranjit Singh Sandhu, the Indian Ambassador to the US.Garcetti said that the US government will look to pave the way for further repatriations as a sign of the strong friendship between India and the US.#WATCH | US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti, says Weve been working as an embassy in the US govt on returning the art that needs to be in India. This has often come from India sometimes its been stolen and illegally sold. Whether its the District Attorneys office here or… pic.twitter.com/FQVROKCTt6— ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2023“We have been working as an embassy in the US government on returning the art that needs to be in India. This has often come from India sometimes its been stolen and illegally sold. Whether its the District Attorneys office here or the Metropolitan Museum has sometimes identified that art and been a wonderful actor, to say, This doesnt smell right, this needs to go back to India,” Ambassador Garcetti told ANI.“Whether its the cultural agreement that PM [Narendra] Modi and President [Joe] Biden announced during the state visit. Were going to finish negotiating that in the coming months so that it doesnt just depend on the goodwill of one year, but its going to be a permanent part of our new friendship and relationship,” he added.More Indian artwork up for repatriation soon: US AmbassadorAmbassador Garcetti commented that the government is looking to return more artworks identified as trafficked, and are looking to introduce more Indian artworks to the world through American exhibitions.“We have a wonderful Buddha in Arizona, waiting to be repatriated, hopefully later this year. We have significant Hindu art from early temples in the Vedic period, not just in these institutions but in other ones. We want to have a permanent roadmap where this cultural agreement will be the first of its kind ever, so that the US and India together, when they identify this, can make sure that the right ones are repatriated and vice versa. More Indian arts can be shared with institutions in the right way here. It is not just returning, but is also that India is spread to the world through exhibitions like this,” he said.The repatriation ceremony in New York was for the return of 105 artworks, whose origins span a period from the 2nd-3rd Century CE to 18th-19th Century CE.
