Kerala woman playfully confronts British tourists over 'colonial loot', internet says 'She's 100% right'
A video shows a woman in Kerala light-heartedly confronting two British tourists over colonial loot.
A video from Kerala showing an Indian woman light-heartedly confronting two British tourists over the British colonial loot, including the Kohinoor, has gone viral on social media, sparking a discussion online. The video was shared by Instagram travel creator @discoverwithemma_.
In the clip, the influencers from England are seen walking through a street in Kerala when a local woman asks them where they are from. The moment they reply “England,” she says, “English people have looted us in India… treasure, black pepper, everything. Kohinoor is a precious and rare diamond you have looted from here. Give it back to India.”
One of the tourists then humorously responds, “You’ll have to speak to my ancestors,” while the other adds, “We’ll speak to King Charles and let you know.” The tension quickly eases as the woman and others around her begin laughing, indicating that the remarks were partly in jest.
In their caption, the British travellers described the exchange as “one of the most awkward moments” of their trip to India.
“We were just standing there in Kerala when this lady asked where we were from…& the second we said England, she started telling us how the British looted India - the jewels, the spices, everything…It was honestly one of the most awkward moments we’ve ever had while travelling,” the influencer wrote.
“We’ve never had an interaction like this anywhere in India before and we just didn’t know what to say. We know where that anger comes from though, and we completely get it. What happened during colonial times was awful and the more we travel, the more we realise how long the shadows of colonialism still are,” she added.
Emma went on to say that although they tried to laugh off the remarks by joking about calling King Charles, the interaction made them reflect on history more deeply.
Video sparks discussion
Since being shared, the video has sparked a discussion online, with many saying that the woman voiced what millions feel about the colonial past.
“She’s 100% right. The British museum is a trophy cabinet for stolen colonial trophies,” one user wrote.
“As an indian she said everything was so true give it back to india please,” commented another.
“Super. From running for selfies to asking for what’s ours. That’s the India, I’ve always wanted to see - assertive, dominant and unrelenting. You have my respect ladies,” remarked a third user.
