Ot - The Kohinoor Diamond

[Romanis]

Now while I'm a royalist, I strongly disagree that the Kohinoor diamond should continue to be part of the Crown Jewels.
It should be returned forthwith to India.

With an apology

[MadAmster]

Along with all the other stuff we have that should be in India, Pakistan, Egypt and god knows where else.

[Andy_Faber]

Now while I'm a royalist, I strongly disagree that the Kohinoor diamond should continue to be part of the Crown Jewels.
It should be returned forthwith to India.

With an apology

who are you going to give it back to? Daft idea, it's claimed by about seven countries and many many factions, who's going to arbitrate on that?

[Romanis]

It belongs to India

[Romanis]

Along with all the other stuff we have that should be in India, Pakistan, Egypt and god knows where else.

I agree. Unless legally purchased with a Bill of sale

[roger_ramjet]

Dont be bloody ridiculous. It was paid as part of war reparations under the Treaty of Lahore. Next you will be wanting us to give back the money that Germany paid in war reparations re the first world war. Oh yes and we should apologise for slavery...

[Romanis]

So the Brits go to India and treat them as slaves, they rebel and you force them to sign a treaty and seize their goods for waging war against your oppression.

Fine treaty

[MadAmster]

That was the way it was back then. I mean, they should be grateful we invaded their country and tried to turn it into GB with curry............ shouldn't they?

[roger_ramjet]

ROM: dont forget that we tried to give them christianity and in so doing, give them christmas carols. Surely Romany you must think thats a fair deal.

MA: we may have tried to convert them to GB with curry in the 1700-1800s, but the 1900 and 2000s belong to them as they have converted us into GB with curry!!

[Andy_Faber]

So the Brits go to India and treat them as slaves, they rebel and you force them to sign a treaty and seize their goods for waging war against your oppression.

Fine treaty

There'll never be agreement on the ethical side of things Romanis, but there are practical reasons for not 'handing back' the treasure trove we have, even as an act of largesse:

There's no clear evidence of who some antiquities belong to - Koh I Noor is a good example, and sorry to pull you up on your comment #4, it DOESN'T belong to India, they have confirmed as such

Repatriating antiquities in many cases would be virtual guarantee of them being lost, stolen, badly maintained or hidden away in a vault. The Elgin Marbles are a great example, Greece has a reasonable case for their return, but have you seen the ****-up the Greeks make of some of the antiquities they already have? Egypt the same I'm afraid, there are probably others