CYIL vol. 15 (2024)

PUNSARA AMARASINGHE CYIL 15 ȍ2024Ȏ governments opt for a mutually agreed bilateral settlement. In particular, Tara Devi’s return to Sri Lanka has indispensable value to Sri Lanka’s cultural consciousness, which inevitably makes a strong case for the government in Colombo to accelerate its pressure upon the British government by emulating the practice of the Greek government over the marble of Parthenon. Besides the public outcry and the pleas filled with jingoistic claims, the idea of restitution has grown into a serious matter in the international affairs as cultural ministers gathered in New Delhi in 2023 pledged their unprecedented support on the return and restitution of cultural property, building on a broad historical perspective that renews the relationship between the countries. Returning Tara Devi to the people who venerate her can address past injustices, as her iconic purity is of great significance to Sri Lanka and its people, transcending mere material depiction in a statue.

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