Indian MPs demand Kohinoor's return

The Kohinoor has been part of the Crown Jewels for 150 years

By Satish Jacob in Delhi

Several Indian MPs have demanded that the Kohinoor diamond should be returned to India by Britain.

The Kohinoor is an Indian diamond weighing 106 carets, which has been part of the British Crown Jewels for almost 150 years.

The MPs claim that the Kohinoor was taken away illegally, which is why they want it back.

In a letter signed by MPs from both houses of parliament and across party lines, they argued that the Kohinoor was misappropriated by the colonial rulers during the British Raj.

It was an appropriate time to take up the matter with Britain, the MPs said, because of a move initiated by Prime Minister Tony Blair to return artefacts acquired during colonialism to their country of origin.

The MPs pointed out that the British Government was already under pressure to return the renowned Elgin Marbles to Greece.

Treasured diamond

The spectacular Kohinoor, or the Mountain of Light, was part of the booty of Sikh warrior Ranjit Singh, obtained during a campaign in Afghanistan in the 19th century.

Ranjit Singh later crowned himself as the ruler of Punjab and willed the Kohinoor to a Hindu temple in Orissa while on his deathbed.

But after his death the British administrators failed to execute his will.

The diamond was then given by Ranjit Singh's successor to Queen Victoria.

But Indian historians argue that his successor was only a minor, and could not have given the diamond away without prompting from his British advisors.

The Kohinoor is now on display at the Tower of London.