Zohran Mamdani says he'd urge King Charles to return Kohinoor diamond to India

Washington: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is once again in the headlines for his statements. This time, he has made a statement regarding Britain's King Charles III, regarding the Kohinoor diamond. On Wednesday, Mamdani urged Charles to return the historic Kohinoor Diamond to India.

What did New York City Mayor say?

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that he would appeal to King Charles to return Kohinoor diamond to India. Mamdani's statement comes at a time when King Charles is on a visit to the United States. 

While speaking at a press conference ahead of a ceremony commemorating victims of the September 11 attacks, Zohran Mamdani said that if he were to speak to King Charles, it wouldn't be merely formal.

He said that while the issue was not part of the official agenda, he would raise it if given a private audience.

Ahead of Zohran Mamdani's meeting with the British monarch in New York, he said that, "If I were to speak to the king separately from that, I would probably encourage him to return the Kohinoor Diamond."

What about the Kohinoor?

The Kohinoor is not just a diamond, but a symbol of both cultural pride and colonial pain. It was mined from the Kollur mine in Andhra Pradesh. It weighed approximately 186 carats (before cutting) and was owned by several Indian dynasties, including the Mughals and Sikhs. However, the British seized it after the Second Anglo-Sikh War in 1849. The diamond was taken to Britain after Maharaja Duleep Singh, then only 10 years old, signed an agreement. 

Today, the 105.6-carat diamond is kept in the Tower of London and is part of the British Crown. India has long demanded its return, considering it a "stolen treasure."

For India, the Kohinoor is considered "the greatest unreturned treasure." Mamdani's statement echoes the sentiment of a large section of India's population, who consider it a stolen treasure rather than a legitimate gift.

For many Indians, the diamond's presence in London remains a reminder of the "wealth exploitation" of the colonial era. The British government has consistently maintained that the diamond was obtained through a legal treaty, while Indian historians argue that a contract forced upon a child has no moral or legal validity.