Thread by @poetryinstone

The knowledge of a dark subject like the illicit Antiquities trade is not something you can comprehend by listening to an expert talk n take notes. Such shallow work gets exposed sooner in other domains but since this is rarely studied one some upstarts get away ..for a while

it took me the better part of two decades as an "activist" to even gain the basic understanding of our knowledge systems. Upteen site visits , countless hours scouring heritage sites not even on the map trying to commit to memory material, style, region, dynasties

Countless followup hours studying up published material and then revisiting the trip via photos and field notes. And then going back and questioning some due to outdated reasoning and more importantly fighting against the system which doesn't allow outsiders views ..

Even basic access to content was hard and had the good fortune of several friends and we'll wishers who helped .. a permission here, an old book there, a scanned research paper .. and then getting to publish an article was the next obstacle

All the while you need to carry your real friends with you while learning to separate the chaff .. those who stay with you for the long haul and those who jump onboard to steal credit .. like the say in Tamil ... The thread also gains the flavor of the flower in the garland

When you have invested the time and effort n when the cause is good, you tend to attract good people. I am fortunate to have some great minds who I can count on .. who have stayed with me , sharing the pains of the journey, pangs of hunger on parched April site visits ..

After you have done all this. When the world is beginning to take your work seriously, u prove that what you say is based on facts,written over a hundred articles against the collecting lobby cabal, when you have exposed criminals n brought them to book .. only then

Does the validation come and in my case was a commissioned work of non fiction by a publishing house. Authoring a non fiction is different from fantasy n fiction n in this case the expose resulted in a 900 crore seizure, 37 arrests incl corrupt law enforcement n is still on going

And then you don't rest on it but work the system, data mine the archives , use the wisdom gleaned to solve even closed cases going back to 1960s .. it's been a fantastic journey n take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped us do this.

Cultural property theft is not something you can undo at the flip of a switch. Nor do we need to color it a particular shade for personal development. It's easy to raise the public sentiments n don a savior cloak but such makeovers are temporary.

Gods choose the time and vehicle they want to come back. If you are chosen then you need to ensure that your claims r backed by research, supporting by proper legal basis n you need to ensure what you utter even for a ' talk' , ' conference' or article are backed by facts

The growth of SM helps a lot of self purported champions of our culture but then all it takes is a faulty reference, an incorrect temple name, a mis identification n your credibility is lost. It's the reason why we always take the advise of experts in domains wr we might not be 1

Be vary of the real opponent their strengths but don't be frightened by the deep pockets of the lobby. you are in the right side of the fight and your cause is also right.. the universe conspires to get you results. Will you be content with you receive is an another !!