Kerala Woman Teases British Tourists Over Looted Treasures: "Kohinoor, Black Pepper, Everything"

A video of a woman in Kerala playfully but assertively confronting two British tourists over "colonial loot," has gone viral, with many internet users agreeing with her sentiments.The interaction, which the British tourists described as "one of the most awkward moments" of their trip, was captured on video and shared on Instagram by one of the travelers, Emma.

In the clip, the local woman, upon learning the tourists were from England, light-heartedly but directly stated, "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."

The tourists can be seen laughing awkwardly, and one jokingly responded, "We'll speak to King Charles and let you know," while another mentioned, "You'll have to speak to my ancestors". The exchange ended with laughter, indicating the remarks were made in a partly jesting manner, but the underlying message was clear.

The tourists themselves acknowledged the depth of feeling behind the woman's words, stating in their caption, "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…We tried to laugh it off and said we'd call King Charles and let her know…But deep down, it did make us think."

Watch the video here:

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A post shared by Emma ✈️🌏 UGC | BANGKOK 🇹🇭 | Backpacking South East Asia✨ (@discoverwithemma_)

Internet Reaction

The video sparked a significant debate online, with the majority of internet users supporting the woman's stance. Many users praised her for articulating a widely held feeling in India regarding the colonial past.

One user wrote, ''She's 100% right. The British museum is a trophy cabinet for stolen colonial trophies."

Another user commented, "What happened to the famous British humour, she was just having fun. You don't need to get so worked up about it haha."

A third said, "She wasn't angry, she was being cheeky. It's a testament to the impact of colonialism that for you as British people THIS is the “most awkward travel moment” you've ever had as you frolic throughout countries that have been irreparably harmed by British colonialism."

"You should be thoughtful she wasn't rude ! She just asked a valid question … God forbid if it was an English at giving end," a fourth user added.