Click to play videoNew Delhi: It's the maestro's own stroke, done in watercolour, coloured ink and pasted across 12 canvasses that for the first time will go under the hammer on June 15 in London. Ironically, this priceless treasure from Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, a modern master of Indian painting, will be auctioned just as the country celebrates Tagore's 150th birth anniversary.
No wonder an anxious West Bengal chief minister has petitioned the Prime Minister to save the national heritage. In his letter he has said: "The news has deeply disturbed us. The collections of Gurudev's paintings are priceless treasures of Indian culture and the government should take steps to bring these paintings back. I shall be grateful if you issue appropriate direction."
Niloy Ghosh, Special Secretary in Department of Information and Cultural Affairs of West Bengal said: "There are instances in the past where the government of India also intervened regarding some portrait of Gandhi."
But that may not happen this time, unless the Indian government participates in the auction to bid for the paintings. Gurudev's paintings are only 71 years old while the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act of 1972 holds for heritage 100 years old.
Experts believe it's time that the Indian government took some hard decisions. "It's really disheartening to know this. But there is still time and the government must bring in an ordinance in the Antiquities and Art Treasure Act to take custody of the Tagore paintings," said S K Misra.
This is not the first time that priceless Indian heritage is being auctioned in foreign countries. For a government faced with emotional demands to bring these paintings back home, it will have to take some stern decisions, failing which such incidents will go on happening.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)
More on IBNLive Right Now
MOST SHARED
PHOTOGALLERY
