The value of the Jain idols, according to police, may run up to several crores of rupees. As per the\u00a0Times of India<\/em>\u00a0report, the arrested were identified as \u2018Nevill Wilfy Mascarenhas, 36, from Padil, Mangaluru,\u00a0Anil Furtado, 34, resident of Talaguppa in Shivamogga district, Ashton Sequeira, 28, resident of Kulshekar, Mangaluru, John, 57 and his wife Anila, 45, resident of Church Road in Kundapur.\u2019\u00a0Ashton Sequeira is the Dakshin Kannada district secretary of NSUI. Sequira has often been featured with several high level Congress leaders in Karnataka along with the Chief Minister (CM) Siddaramaiah. With Karnataka elections round the corner, are temple thefts funding elections?<\/p>\n Anuraag Saxena, a Singapore based Indian heritage protector, who leads \u2018India Pride Project\u2019 and who has been instrumental in bringing back to India several lost and stolen artefacts, says, \u201cIt is shocking that Rahul Gandhi has still not condemned this shameful act, by one of their own.\u201d He continues, \u201cThis issue is in the narrative now because a Congress functionary is involved. Hundreds of temples are looted and vandalized every year, but no one cares.\u201d<\/p>\n In an article, Saxena wrote, \u201cUNESCO estimates that 50,000 idols and artefacts had been stolen out of India till 1989. Advocacy group Global Financial Integrity estimates that the illegal trade of arts and artefacts is worth Rs 40,000 crore a year. As an example, a single sandstone sculpture stolen from Madhya Pradesh was worth Rs 100 crore in the international market.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThese are not isolated incidents though. India has lost thousands of heritage objects to the international heritage-mafia. Idols, maps, manuscripts, paintings, murals, etc., are looted en-masse and find their way to New York, London, Zurich and other \u2018playgrounds for the rich\u2019\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIn February 2015, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) expressed its concern that the Islamic State (ISIS) \u201care generating income from engaging directly or indirectly in the looting and smuggling in cultural heritage items (\u2026) to support their recruitment efforts and strengthen their operational capability to organize and carry out terrorist attacks.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Saxena, there has been an institutionalized destruction of Indian culture since independence. 70 years of rust will take time to clean. PM Modi has allocated considerable funds for heritage conservation, especially antique religious idols. Under this project, hundreds of idols that have been stolen from temples have been restored. Anuraag Saxena, through his India Pride Project has been equally involved in bringing back India\u2019s stolen heritage. Saxena says, \u201cOn one hand, PM Modi is bringing back stolen heritage. On the other hand, some Congress leaders are stealing temples.\u201d<\/p>\n Anuraag Saxena<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cHundreds of Jain temples have been looted, with marble Tirthankaras and Jinas commanding a premium in the illicit markets\u00a0Jains are a peaceful, orthodox people. Unfortunately, heritage-criminals look at this as a weakness,\u201d winds up Saxena.<\/p>\n Can we Indians, sit by and let our heritage keep getting destroyed? No! It is time we wake up from our slumber!<\/p>\n Featured image courtesy: tweet by Anuraag Saxena.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ref:<\/p>\n 1.\u00a0Five, including NSUI leader, arrested for possessing antique Jain idols<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Jain](\"https:\/\/www.myindiamyglory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Jain-idol-theft-by-Youth-Cong-leader-323x315.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Jain](\"https:\/\/www.myindiamyglory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Jain-idol-theft-by-Youth-Cong-leader-1-355x315.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Anuraag](\"https:\/\/www.myindiamyglory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Anuraag-Saxena-2-543x315.jpg\")
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