19 Diamond Workers Detained as Police Halt Rally
October 04, 22
(IDEX Online) - Nineteen diamond workers were detained by police in Surat, India, as they prepared to hold a rally to demand better working conditions and more government support for the industry.
Police said they had been denied permission to hold the event on Gandhi Jayanti, the public holiday on 2 October marking the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, but were about to go ahead regardless.
The Surat Diamond Workers' Union is calling for diamond workers to benefit from existing labor laws and for measures to protect the sector from foreign competition.
Surat Diamond Workers Union president Bhavesh Tank told The Indian Express they'd planned the rally "to prevent the shift of manpower from the sector to foreign countries. Also, diamond workers should get all the benefits of labor laws, including Diwali bonus, and hike in salary".
Police said they detained 19 people, including organizers of the rally, amid law and order concerns. They were released later the same day.
Generic picture of diamond polishing in Surat.