Idols and thieves

There have been news reports about stolen idols being recovered from smugglers or art galleries, within India.

- BIBEK DEBROY

In the last few years, there have been highly visible returns of idols and antiquities from abroad, too. Loot of cultural heritage is not new. Colonial history is replete with such instances and the British Museum has been described as the world’s largest receiver of stolen goods.

There is a stock of colonial loot, whether it is the Kohinoor diamond or Tipu Sultan’s wooden tiger, scattered across museums. And there is a flow of loot of cultural heritage that goes on, flagged by UNESCO and Interpol alike. Negotiating the return of colonial loot is tough, though some European countries (France, and the Netherlands) have done it. But stemming current loot should be easier.