Over the years, there have been numerous stories pertaining to disputes within the diamond industry. Sometimes the issues have to do with mining, sometimes about pricing and turf wars, and sometimes as in this case, about wages. Sadly, a diamond worker lost his life recently because of pay.
In this riot, not only was the worker killed, but an additional 45 people were injured, some seriously, includign law enforcement officials. The riot in Bhavnagar occurred while a strike across the entire state was in progress. What made the shooting so sad was that the man lost his life by a security guard who was trying to break up the crowds by firing his gun.
During this time, there were a number of diamond units throughout the city being ransacked and stolen from. The crowd became so angry seven different vehicles were set on fire. Before the shooting, reports were that more than thousands of diamond workers came together, which is what led to the initial problems. Things got so out of control that law enforcement used a Lathi charge since the crowds were throwing stones. At that time, people were hurt.
All of the diamond workers were asking for a .20 raise in all states with the exception of Surat since a raise had already been approved. The strike for a wage increase had been going on for more than three days at a number of locations when the incident at Bhavnagar happened.
The afternoon of July 6 was to include a specially formulated meeting so discussions could occur. Somehow, a leaflet made its way through the crowds that stated exploitation of workers by unit owners was out of hand. Many law enforcement agencies now believe this was the cause of the riot.
Then on the following Sunday, workers began organizing protest rallies at various diamond centers. The guard that did the killing of the diamond worker is said to have been in the service but when he was charged with murder under certain laws, he was released. Although the riot was disastrous for everyone, it had a direct impact on Gujarat’s 12 billion dollar diamond industry, which mines almost 95% of India’s trade.
Since 2006, the diamond industry had been in recession. As a result, some 10,000 units had been closed in Gujarat, followed by 500 in Bhavnagar and 2,000 in Surat, meaning 50,000 diamond workers were without work or decent pay. Obviously, the tension caused by this 25% decline in the diamond industry causes serious problems for the workers directly affected.
Not only were miners heavily impacted, but also workers involved with polishing, cleaning, and cutting. Not being paid enough to live, the diamond workers started rallying, hoping their ply would be heard and changes made. In fact, executives from the Indian Diamond Institute agree that the requests being made by the diamond workers is complete justifiable.
Unfortunately, those workers that had already lost jobs needed to care for their families were further impacted by the low rates being paid for those who still had obs. Part of the problem in not getting decent raises has to do with a growing price in raw materials that are currently being imported from countries such as Canada, Africa, and Russia.
Obviously, things at Bhavnagar spiraled out of control as frustrations and tensions built. Although more lives could have been lost, just one has made international news, showing the seriousness of the problem. Diamond workers put in long, hard hours and should be paid for the work they do. Unfortunately, for attention to reach the levels it has one man lost his life and 45 others were injured.
The hopes of all involved with the diamond industry in India and in other countries is that appropriate changes can be made so workers get a fair wage without the need for bloodshed. After all, while there are some areas in which the demand for diamonds and diamond jewelry has quieted, the demand is still strong in others.
If the diamond industry continues to grow, there should be enough to go around for everyone, especially the diamond workers. This way, peace will be maintained and workers can get the pay they deserve.
The diamond industry is a highly competitive market, each segment of the world trying to keep up with demand. While conflict will likely be a part of the future, people anticipate this latest upheaval will have opened the eyes of many. No one likes to hear about death or even injury being the reason a good cause gets attention but in the area of diamond workers, something good could come out of this latest riot.
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