Indonesia Pushes for the Repatriation of the Pucangan Inscription from India, Efforts to Restore Historical Identity and Cultural Heritage

BRASIL – Indonesia's Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, made an official request to repatriate the Pucangan Inscription from India during a bilateral meeting with India's Minister of Culture, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, on the sidelines of the G20 Culture Ministers Meeting in Brazil, Friday, November 8, 2024. This initiative demonstrates Indonesia's determination to reclaim valuable cultural artifacts that are significant to the nation's identity and history.

The Pucangan Inscription, also known as the ‘Airlangga Stone’ and ‘Calcutta Stone,’ is a precious relic from the 11th century commissioned by King Airlangga, one of the greatest rulers in Javanese history. This inscription contains important records of historical events during Airlangga's reign, including the political and religious systems of Java at that time. In the early 19th century, this inscription was discovered by Stamford Raffles, the Lieutenant Governor of the British in Java, who then sent it to Lord Minto, the British Governor-General in India. Today, this artifact is housed in the Indian Museum, Kolkata.

Important Step in National Historical Recovery

Fadli Zon stated that the return of the Pucangan Inscription would be a significant step in restoring a part of our history and cultural identity.

“In addition to enhancing historical insight, this repatriation is expected to strengthen cultural friendship between Indonesia and India,” said Fadli.

He proposed that the official handover of the inscription be conducted alongside President Prabowo Subianto's state visit to India in early 2025, coinciding with the 76th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and India.

Fadli also emphasized that this effort aligns with the Kashi Culture Pathway, a principle adopted at the G20 Culture Ministers Meeting 2023 in India. This principle encourages the return of cultural artifacts to their countries of origin as part of global heritage preservation. Indonesia hopes that India will support this repatriation as a form of cooperation in preserving global history and culture.

Collaboration to Recover Cultural Artifacts Spread Across the World

Beyond the repatriation of the Pucangan Inscription, Fadli also proposed cooperation between Indonesia and India in recovering cultural artifacts still located in other countries, especially in Europe. Many important artifacts from India and Indonesia are stored in countries such as England and the Netherlands.

“We need to unite in calling on those countries to return the cultural heritage that belongs to us. This is a step towards restoring historical justice,” asserted Fadli.

In addition to repatriation, the meeting also served as a momentum for Indonesia and India to strengthen broader cultural cooperation. Both countries agreed to explore collaboration in various fields, ranging from the development of the cultural industry, Hindu-Buddhist heritage restoration programs, to knowledge exchange and cultural consortiums. This cooperation is expected to benefit not only both countries but also the preservation of world culture.

Indonesia's initiative to propose the repatriation of the Pucangan Inscription represents a commitment to advocate for the return of historical artifacts, which is also hoped to pave the way for broader recovery and preservation of cultural heritage at the global level.[*]