While reading a bit on India today, I eventually was taken over to the East India Company and their exploits. So I researched on the Treasures of India that were eventually taken away by them during their time here. A normal person would just remember The Kohinoor.
But there are many and even I admit I didn't know half of them.
The Pearl Canopy of Baroda.
Shah Jahan's jade wine cup.
Amravati railings.
Enamelled gold parrot.
'Tipu's tiger'.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh's throne.
These I got from a Times of India article. Leave alone the value of the treasure but these are part of our history and as any other Indian I would like to get them back from the people who plundered them. I remember a Chinese movie based on Wong Fei Hung where the Chinese fight the British for recovering the articles. I don't know if we fought for the same but better late than never.
But what about the treasures that we have?
I recently had a conversation with a Friend who had visited the Taj Mahal which is one of the wonders of the world. He was very furious at the administration for not cleaning up the canals adjoining it. No I don't say blame the administration but also the people who littered in the canal. Similarly the forts and monuments are all littered with plastics, wrappers, bottles and cans of beer. Now I too have done my bit of travelling in India and also heard a lot from people, Indians to be exact who have traveled. Been a lot to some of the forts
or Monuments.
And frankly they make me think otherwise.
Some places have been turned into Love nests. If we cant take care of things we have then why bring the things that have been taken from us and destroy them too. At least the people who have plundered are taking good care of the treasures they stole from us. I remember the Aamir Khan advertisement where the administration tried to put some sense into us. But I guess that's forgotten long back. I not sure if the advertisement is even aired nowadays. Its already intolerable when you litter the streets everywhere but at least spare some thing from our history. Or else what would we have to show our children. And everybody has a history on which he/she builds a future. Then wont it apply to India as well?
Think simply. Do you litter in your home? Isn't your country your home too? I guess we will keep my original question on hold for a while till we stop littering and start cleaning.
