Kohinoor is important, but not this important
Now that the Union Government has clarified its stand on the Kohinoor diamond, the controversy over the prized jewel must come to a close. As has been made clear in an official statement, the Solicitor General of India, in response to a public interest litigation that is yet to be admitted, only stated the facts of the case before the Supreme Court on Monday but did not convey the views of the Government on the issue, unlike what was widely misreported. The Government's views will be officially submitted to the apex court six weeks later. Hence, the question of the incumbent regime having stated that it will either give up or continue to pursue India's claim to the Kohinoor does not arise — though in the aftermath of the controversy, the Government did reiterate that it will work to bring back the Kohinoor in an amicable manner. Still, some critics of the Government, desperate to find any stick with which to beat it, are reluctant to accept that the controversy was needless. Hence, they are now accusing the Government of a flip-flop: Of first stating that India does not have a rightful claim to the diamond and then going back to assert that the Government will seek to get it. To understand the mischief in this argument, one only needs to parse through the Solicitor General's statements before the court. The law officer offered an oral history of the diamond, noting that the Kohinoor was voluntarily given to the British by the last king of the Sikh Empire. Notwithstanding its cynical interpretation to suggest that the Government is giving up India's claim to the diamond, this statement is factually correct. After the British subjugated Punjab in the two Anglo-Sikh wars, the Kohinoor was personally surrendered to the Queen of England by Maharaja Duleep Singh in 1851. This was in accordance with the lahore peace treaty, signed in 1849. Hence, the diamond was neither stolen nor forcibly taken. Now, one may debate if the lahore treaty was ‘fair' or if Maharaja Duleep Singh, not even 11 years old at the time, was in a position to sign away the precious jewel. But such ‘whataboutery' doesn’t change the facts of history.
Now, the present controversy has little to do with historical accuracy and everything to do with petty politicking. The BJP-led NDA regime has gained the reputation of a ‘nationalist' force, and even though the Opposition has sought to use this against the ruling coalition, particularly Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the effect has been to the contrary the public has wholeheartedly endorsed the Government's efforts to project a more confident, self-assured image of the nation. Hence, the Opposition has now changed track. It is seeking to chip away at this ‘nationalist' image, and the Kohinoor controversy is just one example of that strategy. The BJP too has responded smartly by detailing how Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had gone on record to say that India had no ground to claim the Kohinoor. This not only puts the Congress-led Opposition in an awkward position but also makes the Modi Government, with its stated commitment to bringing back the diamond, look good in comparison. In the long run, all this is just posturing and the public sees through it all. Meanwhile, it would be nice to see those losing sleep over the issue, address basic concerns of the people.