UK Auction House Pulls 'Naga Human Skull' from Sale Following Outcry in India

NEW DELHI: A UK-based auction house has withdrawn its 'Naga Human Skull' on offer in the online auction scheduled for Wednesday after wide protests by Indians demanding its return, PTI reported.

Scores of Indian politicians, activists, and scholars have vented their ire calling for the 200-year-old skull along with at least 25 other human remains listed for the auction be returned to India from Britain, erstwhile colonial ruler.

The skulls and other artifacts from parts of the globe were offered by the Swan auction house in Tetsworth, Oxfordshire, as part of its 'Curious Collector Sale,' which also contained antiquarian books, manuscripts, and paintings.

The skulls have been withdrawn from the auction late Tuesday as controversy over the same arose, but the Chief Minister of Nagaland has still demanded their return.

It is said that animal horns adorn the Naga skull, and collectors interested in anthropology and tribal cultures are uniquely fascinated by it. The reserve for this lot was £2,100 (approximately ₹23 lakh). This lot was likely to fetch up to £4,000 (around ₹43 lakh). The auctioneers are yet to give an immediate response.

The "19th Century Horned Naga Human Skull" from the Naga Tribe, under Lot No. 64, had already caused an outcry in Nagaland. Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has been leading the outcry and sought External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's intervention to halt the sale.

Rio stated, "Everyone has been very frank in condemning the intention of auctioning off Naga human remains by people in the UK. It is a very emotional and sacred issue for our people. Our tradition is to give respect and honor to the remains of the departed."

He requested the minister to collaborate with the Indian High Commission in London to intervene and deter the auction, according to the concerns raised by the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR).

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