India's stolen heritage: Authorities push for restitution of religious artefacts

Is the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York displaying stolen objects from India? According to an Indian Express investigation published this Tuesday, March 14, some 77 antiquities listed in the MET's catalogue were donated to the museum by an Indian art dealer who has since been sentenced to 10 years in prison for art trafficking.

Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it his mission to bring back home works of art that were stolen during and after British colonialism. Often, these include statues and paintings of Hindu and Buddhist deities. These idols find their way to art galleries and are auctioned off for several million euros.

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