A roadside encounter in Kerala has gone viral after a local woman gave two visiting British tourists a blunt history lesson on colonial loot - leaving them both amused and awkward in equal measure.
The video, posted on Instagram by British travellers Emma and Alex Wanders, captures the woman’s fiery remarks that have now sparked a wider online debate about Britain’s colonial past and India’s enduring memories of it.
‘English people have looted us’
The clip begins innocently enough with the couple greeting a woman during their trip through Kerala. But the conversation quickly takes a sharp turn when the woman asks where they’re from. On hearing “England,” she smiles and replies, “English people have looted us - treasure, black pepper, everything.”
She doesn’t stop there. With a pointed tone, she adds, “Kohinoor is a precious and rare diamond you have looted from here. Give it back to India.”
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Momentarily stunned, the tourists attempt to defuse the tension. Alex jokes, “But they did build a good railway system,” while Emma laughs nervously. Trying to keep the humour alive, one of them quips, “We’ll speak to King Charles and let you know,” before another adds, “You’ll have to speak to my ancestors.”
‘An awkward but eye-opening moment’
Emma later uploaded the video on Instagram, calling it “one of the most awkward moments” of their India trip. In her caption, she wrote, “We were just standing there in Kerala when this lady asked where we were from. The moment we said England, she started telling us how the British looted India - the jewels, the spices, everything.”
She admitted that though the moment caught them off guard, it made them reflect deeply. “We know where that anger comes from. What happened during colonial times was awful. The more we travel, the more we realise how long the shadows of colonialism still are,” Emma said.
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Internet reacts: ‘She’s absolutely right’
The exchange struck a chord online, with viewers from India and abroad joining the conversation. One user commented, “She’s absolutely right. The British Museum is a trophy cabinet for stolen colonial treasures.” Another wrote, “We’ve built our country despite it- that’s the real victory.”
Others praised the woman’s honesty, calling her “a voice of truth wrapped in humour.”
The viral clip, equal parts awkward and thought-provoking, has once again brought the Kohinoor debate and the question of colonial reparations back into public conversation, proving that history, even centuries later, still finds a way to speak.
