Blood gems

The plight of our jewellery workers remains, by and large, an untold story

The Hollywood film, Blood Diamond, currently running in Indian theatres, talks of 8220;conflict diamonds8221;. In India, we remain ignorant about the toll on human life that gem manufacture is taking. Yet, that too is a story. Take our agate workers. In 2006, at least 12 workers in Cambay died of silicosis, a deadly occupational disease of this industry that can be prevented but not cured. Cambay, or Khambhat, is probably the world8217;s oldest centre for bead craft 8212; now categorised as semi-precious jewellery and promoted by the Indian Gems 038; Jewellery Export Promotion Council. Jaipur is another major centre.

Once creating gems was an art. But electricity changed the pace of work, with the stone being ground with wheels driven by electricity at a speed of 2000-3000 rpm. This generates a large amount of fine dust, which when inhaled reaches the alveoli of the lungs. The dust contains more than 90 per cent of free silica which, when it settles in the lungs, causes silicosis. Hundreds in this industry have died of it.

It is only now that some people know the difference between TB and silicosis. TB is curable while silicosis is not. It takes five to 10 years for people to get silicosis. While people are eligible for compensation if they contract silicosis under the Workman Compensation Act, very few cases of claims are filed because of various factors, including the fear of unemployment.

The problem of silicosis was first cited in a study taken up by Industrial Toxicology Research Centre, Lucknow, around 1980. It led the Lok Adhikar Sangh to file a public interest petition in the Gujarat High Court. The high court set up an inquiry commission. A survey was conducted and an exhaust system installed to measure the dust levels before and after the installation of the system. The commission submitted its report to the court. The petition is still pending for the final hearing and order. Apart from being a human problem, it is an environmental one too because the industrial area is not separate from the community. The dust flies over the settlement. Consequently, it is not just the worker who is exposed to deadly silica dust but everybody, including children.

Since most workers are paid advances by their employers, they dare not speak out. No government has ever given any attention to this long pending problem. Now a few victims have come together to form a victims8217; association which has demanded fair treatment from the industry and is urging the trade promotion council not to promote the export of 8216;blood-stained8217; gems. It is also demanding compensation and rehabilitation measures for those affected.

The writer is affiliated to Peoples8217; Training 038; Research Centre, Baroda