Diamonds Are Forever: Why Cameron Won’t Give It Back
By Sandip Roy
Diamonds are forever, and they are for your EYES only.
So India, you can look but don’t even dream about getting the Koh-i-noor back.
Instead David Cameron has given India a parting gift — a post-colonial word — returnism.
“I certainly don’t believe in returnism, as it were,” he said. “I don’t think that’s sensible.”
The ever-helpful Cameron had a suggestion for what might be sensible.
“The right answer is for the British museum and other cultural institutions to do exactly what they do, which is to link up with other institutions around the world to make sure that the things which we have and look after so well are properly shared with people around the world.”
One is not quite sure how they intend to “properly share” the Koh-i-noor with Indians. Could the Indian president wear it when he opens the next session of Parliament?
Anyway I don’t think anyone is planning to ever loan the crown jewels to the erstwhile Jewel in the Crown.
But this “returnism,” the misbegotten lovechild of colonialism, is interesting.
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