As Indians became the largest group of property owners in London, netizens reacted with a “karma” jibe toward Britain. Drawing a parallel with its colonial history, social media users said at least Indians did it “legally”.
A recent report by a leading London property developer, Barratt London, revealed that Indians have become London's largest property owners, surpassing native British residents.
The report divided the Indian property buyers in London into different categories: residents of Indian origin who have lived in the UK for generations, non-residents (NRIs), foreign investors, and those relocating for educational purposes.
The news post, shared by BRICS' official X handle, received a whopping 15 million views in two days and went viral as netizens flooded the comment section.
Noting Britain's colonisation history, several social media users said more than 90 percent of the artifacts in the British Museum belong to India; “they were stolen by Britishers.”
“The English should return the 45 trillion (British pounds) worth of wealth they stole from India. The Kohinoor diamond in their king's crown belongs to India,” a user said.
In an interesting observation, a user said the British looted so much from India between 1765 and1938 that “the word loot entered the English language from the Hindustani word meaning to rob”.
“At least Indians did it legally unlike the Englishmen who were a mafia of thugs that occupied subcontinent India,” a user said.
“It's just karma,” another user said, adding that the Brits (short for Britishers) illegally owned India for 200 years. “Now Indians are owning Britain legally, and that too in a completely competitive environment.”
“They once owned half the world and now they own less than half of London,” a user quipped.
However, an English user pointed out that Indians may have the highest number of properties, “Do they hold the highest total value (£) and footprint (sqm)?”
“Anyone know the stats on this? Perhaps the English or Russians still hold the No. 1 spot?” he added.
London’s real estate market has long been a preferred choice for Indian investors due to its perceived stability and potential for long-term returns. Prominent Indian celebrities like Shahrukh Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Shilpa Shetty, and cricket icon Sourav Ganguly also own homes in the city, showcasing its appeal among India's elite.
(By arrangement with livemint.com)