The Indian government was yesterday accused of reversing its stance on the Koh-i-Noor diamond, after vowing to reclaim the priceless gem just days after the solicitor general said it was gifted to Britain.
The 108-carat Koh-i-Noor gem, which came into British hands during the colonial era, is the subject of a historic ownership dispute and has been claimed by at least four nations, including India, but Indian Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar surprised many on Monday when he said the stone was not stolen and instead 19th-century Sikh king Ranjit Singh had given it to the British.
It is now set in the crown that was worn by Queen Elizabeth’s mother until her death in 2002 and is on public display at the Tower of London.
Photo: AFP
The government said Kumar had merely been explaining the history of the diamond to the Supreme Court as well as previous administrations’ views on the gem being a gift.
In a statement released late on Tuesday, the government said it would “make all possible efforts to bring back” the diamond “in an amicable manner.”
“The government of India remains hopeful for an amicable outcome whereby India gets back a valued piece of art with strong roots in our nation’s history,” it said.
Kumar had been responding in court to a petition from a non-governmental organization seeking the diamond’s return. The opposition Congress Party, which also supports the gem’s return, accused the government of a flip-flop after Kumar’s comments sparked anger from various political groups.
A leader of the Hindu nationalist RSS, the ideological fountainhead of Modi’s ruling party, this week declared the diamond “India’s property.”
The stone was presented to Queen Victoria in 1850 after the Anglo-Sikh wars in which Britain gained control of the Sikh empire of the Punjab, which is now split between Pakistan and India.
Singh in turn had taken it from an Afghan king who had sought sanctuary in India. The diamond had been an heirloom of the Afghan monarchy and before then was in Persian royal hands, but its true origin remains a mystery.
Its name translates as “Mountain of Light” and it is traditionally worn by a queen — it is said to bring bad luck to any man who wears it.
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