Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that his government has prioritised the preservation of the country’s heritage and lamented that not enough efforts were made in this direction post-independence. Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the International Museum Expo 2023 at Pragati Maidan here, he also flagged the issue of “smuggling and appropriation” of ancient Indian artefacts while asserting that amid India’s growing prestige in the world, various countries have now started returning heritage artefacts belonging to India.
Modi cited examples of the statue of Maa Annapurna that was stolen from Varanasi and has come back to the country; the statue of Mahishasurmardini from Gujarat; the idols of Nataraja built during the Chola Empire; and the sword decorated with the name of Guru Hargobind Singh Ji.
During the event, Modi also unveiled the mascot of the International Museum Expo, a graphic novel titled “A Day at the Museum” produced with Amar Chitra Katha, a directory of Indian museums, a pocket map of Kartavya Path, and a pack of cards themed on various museums in India.
In his address, Modi expressed confidence that this Expo will be a “turning point” in the museum culture of India. He said a lot of the heritage of the land was lost during the period of slavery, which lasted for hundreds of years, when ancient manuscripts and libraries were burned to the ground, adding this was not just a loss to India but the heritage of the entire world and a loss to humanity.
He lamented the lack of efforts after Independence towards reviving and preserving the long-lost heritage and said a lack of awareness among citizens compounded it. Modi recalled the call of ‘Panch Pran,” or the five resolutions made by him, as the country ushered into the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal’, one of which is ‘taking pride in our heritage’, and underlined that a new cultural infrastructure of the country is being developed.
