[MSN] {Spam?}LONDON: SGPC on Monday claimed victory after Sotheby's withdrew from auction a set of 18th century Sikh body armour.

[MSN]

Help locate lost relics: SGPC to UK
8 Apr 2008, 0422 hrs IST,Rashmee Roshan Lall,TNN

SMS NEWS to 58888 for latest updates

LONDON: SGPC on Monday claimed victory after Sotheby's withdrew from auction
a set of 18th century Sikh body armour. 

"We are again requesting the (British) queen, who is the head of the church,
to help Sikhs locate their lost relics and bring them back to India. SGPC
would take care of all such revered items of the Sikh religion. The Central
Sikh museum is the right place for such treasures," SGPC president Avtar
Singh Makkar told TOI. 

Harking back to the 1984 Golden Temple complex siege, the pro-Khalistan Sikh
Federation said it had "been liaising with Sikhs that represent over 500
gurdwaras and Sikh organizations in the Sikh diaspora in UK, Canada, USA,
Australia and mainland Europe. Sikhs across the globe are asking why the
furore over sale of armour in the UK with no proven link to Guru Gobind
Singhji and total silence on Indian responsibility for thousands of items of
priceless Sikh heritage stolen and destroyed in June 1984". 

On Monday, Sotheby's announced withdrawal of the armour plate and blandly
said in a short press release that it had "been asked by the consignor to
arrange the acquisition of the lot by a suitable member of the Sikh
community". 

Asked if the 264-year-old auction house had egg on its face because it had
withdrawn an item for reasons it does not agree with, Sotheby's staff
refused to comment or reveal the identity of the buyer or the purchase
price. 

But it was apparent that the decision was a direct result of snowballing
protests and mounting pressure from Sikhs in India, who insist the armour's
rightful home is a museum in the Golden Temple complex and not as a piece of
expensive, if commercially available, art. 

Mystifyingly, till last week, Sotheby's had continued to insist it had
"researched the provenance of this piece... In the course of this research,
Sotheby's has not found or been given any evidence to indicate ownership of
this piece by Guru Gobind Singh". 

Its spokesman was quoted to say "we believe that complaints about the
proposed offering are based on a misreading of Sotheby's cataloguing, which
points to a stylistic similarity to a full set of armour in the possession
of the Patiala royal family which the family attributes to Guru Gobind
Singh". 

(With inputs from Ramaninder K Bhatia in Chandigarh)

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

______________________________________
http://www.museum-security.org
http://www.museumbeveiliging.com
http://www.handboekveiligheidszorgmusea.nl
______________________________________