Highlighting the problem of suicides among diamond workers in Surat over the past 18 months, the Congress stated on Tuesday that these incidents should be officially recorded and financial support should be offered to protect them from market fluctuations.
In a post on X (formally Twitter), Congress General Secretary in charge of communications and MP Jairam Ramesh referred to a media report indicating that job losses and factory closures were driving Surat’s diamond workers to despair and that resulted in 71 suicides within 18 months.
“In the last 18 months, at least 71 diamond workers have taken their lives in Surat. Surat has a long and storied history as one of the world’s greatest centres for the diamond trade,” he said.
The diamond sector in Gujarat supports around 25 lakh workers, of whom 8–10 lakh work in Surat alone. “The advent of lab-grown diamonds has wreaked havoc on diamond industries across the world. Surat has been hard hit, with large-scale layoffs (up to 15,000 workers between February and June 2024 alone) and pay cuts,” he claimed.
The Congress leader claimed that it has caused severe financial and psychological suffering for the workers in this sector.
The government does not have any information about these diamond workers or any particular initiatives for their welfare because they are not permanent and registered employees.
“We must do better, we must recognise and register these workers, afford them financial assistance, and protect this industry and its workers from the vagaries of the market,” he remarked.
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