New York/New Delhi: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has rekindled the age-old dispute between the British monarchy and India by making a big and bold statement. During a press conference on Wednesday, Mamdani made it clear that if he met King Charles III, he would directly demand the return of the ‘Kohinoor’ diamond instead of formal talks.
Mayor Mamdani said bluntly, “If I talk to the king… I will encourage him to return the Kohinoor diamond.”
Demand for historical justice King Charles III and Queen Camilla are visiting New York’s ‘One World Trade Center’ to mark the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Mayor Mamdani will also participate in this program. While usually meetings between the mayor and the British monarchy are limited to protocol and diplomacy, Mamdani’s statement has turned it into a platform for ‘historical justice’.
Kohinoor: loot or gift?
This 105.6 carat diamond, extracted from the Golconda mines of India, is not just a stone, but a symbol of Indian cultural pride. History witnesses that after the Anglo-Sikh War in 1849, the East India Company forced 10-year-old Maharaja Duleep Singh to sign the Treaty of Lahore, under which the diamond was handed over to Queen Victoria.
India has long considered it “looted treasure”, while the British government says it is part of a legal treaty. Echoing Mamdani, millions of Indians still consider it a memory of colonial exploitation that should come back home (India).
