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Two British travellers may have come to Kerala for the scenery, but they ended up getting a spontaneous reminder about history from a woman who didn’t hold back when the word “England” came up. It began as a casual chat, but soon took an “awkward” turn when the woman started talking about Britain’s colonial past. She told the travellers how English rulers had once looted India, taking away its treasures, spices and even the famous Kohinoor diamond. ‘Give Kohinoor Back To India’ Emma and Alex Wanders, the British tourists, were exploring Kerala when a woman sitting by the roadside asked where they were from. The second they said “England,” she smiled and shot back, “English people have looted us in India… treasure, black pepper, everything.” Before they could react, she added, “Kohinoor is a precious and rare diamond you have looted from here. Give it back to India.” Alex then said, “But they did build a good railway system.” The tourists, caught off guard, laughed nervously. One of them joked, “We’ll speak to King Charles and let you know,” while the other said, “You’ll have to speak to my ancestors.” ‘We Completely Get It’ Emma later shared the video on Instagram, calling it “one of the most awkward moments” of their trip. In her caption, she explained, “We were just standing there in Kerala when this lady asked where we were from… & the second we said England, she started telling us how the British looted India—the jewels, the spices, everything.” She went on to write, “It was honestly one of the most awkward moments we’ve ever had while travelling. We’ve never had an interaction like this anywhere in India before, and we just didn’t know what to say. We know where that anger comes from, though, and we completely get it. What happened during colonial times was awful, and the more we travel, the more we realise how long the shadows of colonialism still are.” Emma mentioned that they tried to laugh it off, but “deep down, it did make us think.” Watch The Video Here View this post on Instagram A post shared by Emma ✈️? UGC | BANGKOK ?? | Backpacking South East Asia✨ (@discoverwithemma_) Kohinoor Debate Reignites Once the clip began circulating, users from both India and the UK jumped in to share what they thought about the exchange. One user commented, “She’s 100 per cent right. The British Museum is a trophy cabinet for stolen colonial trophies.” Another said, “What happened to the famous British humour? She was just having fun. You don’t need to get so worked up about it.” “You are meant to feel uncomfortable with your country’s history,” said someone else. A British commenter weighed in, “You know very well they were teasing you and being sassy, but you reframe it for clickbait. I’m British and embarrassed at your attitude, not theirs.” A person pointed out, “British tourists can’t even have a conversation about colonialism without taking offence.” “This by no means could be considered rude, but actually I appreciate that some Indians have the spine to ask a question at least,” an individual wrote. “Thanks for acknowledging this. It bugs me the most when I go to any British museum in London and pay 100 pounds to see stolen goods! Why not return those? That would be a good first step,” read another comment. The Diamond That Won’t Leave The Spotlight In May, Britain’s Secretary of State for Culture, Lisa Nandy, mentioned that talks are ongoing between India and the UK regarding historical artefacts, including the Kohinoor. Believed to have been mined from the Kollur mine in present-day Andhra Pradesh in the 13th century, the diamond travelled across empires such as the Mughals, the Persians, the Afghans and finally to the Sikh Empire under Maharaja Ranjit Singh. After the British annexed Punjab, Governor-General Lord Dalhousie forced Ranjit Singh’s son, Maharaja Duleep Singh, to “gift” the diamond to Queen Victoria. It later became part of the British Crown Jewels, where it remains.
