India intends to conduct a diplomatic campaign for the return of thousands of jewelry from the UK, including one of the largest and most famous diamonds – Kohinoor, which is in the crown of Queen Elizabeth II, writes The Telegraph, citing sources.
According to the interlocutors of the publication, the Indian government considers the potential return of the diamond “deeply symbolic.”
The government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the republic intend to return the valuables taken out of the country. One of the newspaper’s sources called these plans “a reckoning with the past”, referring to the colonial period. The interlocutors of the publication assessed the loss of these artifacts by India as “theft under colonial coercion.” as Indian officials noted, “It’s hard to showcase a national heritage if it no longer belongs to the people.”
The Embassy of India in London this year will begin contacting institutions that store jewelry of Indian origin. The process “comes from the top” of the Indian government and has become one of the priorities of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the newspaper writes.
The Telegraph notes that this could put British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a difficult diplomatic position. Legislative changes or a royal decision are needed to return the valuables, Modi also previously called Sunak a “living bridge” between the two peoples, referring to the Punjabi origin and the Hindu religion of the head of the British government.
Source: Rosbalt
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
