Return Kohinoor: NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani calls for return of diamond to India ahead of meeting with King Charles
India has long argued that the gem was taken under coercion and sees it as a symbol of colonial exploitation, repeatedly calling for its return as an important part of its heritage.
PTC News Desk: Zohran Mamdani said on Wednesday that he would urge King Charles III to return the historic Kohinoor Diamond to India during the monarch’s visit to the United States.
Speaking at a press conference before a ceremony marking the victims of the September 11 attacks, Mamdani said the issue was not on the official agenda but he would bring it up if he got a private meeting. Later, the two briefly interacted at the memorial event, though it is unclear whether the diamond was discussed. Buckingham Palace declined to comment, and the mayor’s office did not share details of their conversation.
“If I were to speak to the king separately from that, I would probably encourage him to return the Kohinoor Diamond,” Mamdani, who is of Indian origin, said hours ahead of his meeting with the British monarch in New York.
The Kohinoor is a 105.6-carat diamond that originated in India and changed hands across several dynasties before being taken by the British East India Company in 1849 under the Treaty of Lahore, which forced the young ruler Maharaja Duleep Singh to surrender it. Today, the diamond is part of the British Crown Jewels and is displayed at the Tower of London.
India has long argued that the gem was taken under coercion and sees it as a symbol of colonial exploitation, repeatedly calling for its return as an important part of its heritage. However, the United Kingdom maintains that it legally owns the diamond based on the 19th-century treaty.
Before coming into British possession, the diamond had passed through several rulers, including Mughal emperors, Persian shahs, and Afghan emirs.