All the 21 live bombs defused in Surat on Tuesday and Wednesday were planted in areas that form its diamond industry hub. Given the location, it has become evident that the $12-billion industry, which accounts for 97 per cent of diamond polishing and trade in the world, was the target of the terrorists.Till Wednesday evening, a total of 13 bombs were recovered from different spots in Varachha, including Labheshwar Chokdi, Santoshinagar, Mataawadi, Mini Hira Bazaar, Varachha flyover, Baroda Prestige and Ashwani Kumar road. Three bombs were found from Gajera circle in Katargam, two from Hira Baug circle in Kapodara and one from Mahidharpura Hira Bazaar.In case the bombs had exploded, it would have not only ripped off the fastest growing city of India (Surat’s GDP growth due to diamond and textile industry is nearly 12 per cent), but would have also broken the back of Saurashtra, Ahmedabad and affected the diamond industry the world over.Blasts or no blasts, the planted explosives hit Surat’s diamond industry hard, which was already struggling with recession and subsequent workers’ strike. What the industry here is fearing the most is the repercussions of the bomb recoveries. Consider these: mass exodus by diamond workers hailing from Saursahtra-Bhavnagar and Amreli districts, foreign buyers cancelling their trips scheduled in near future and investment plans for upcoming Special Economic Zone, with a gem and jewellery park, if put on hold would bring the diamond industry to a standstill for at least a month, leading to losses to the tune of several crores. The construction work at the Rs 4,000-crore SEZ has just begun. The site is located only 12 km from where the bombs were recovered. Experts believe the terror tale might force investors to rethink their plans about Surat. “There are more than 10 lakh diamond workers employed at nearly 10,000 polishing units here. Most of them hail from Saurashtra. The places from where the bombs were recovered are working as well as residential areas for these workers. The workers are panic-stricken and are evacuating these areas now,” said K K Sharma, director Indian Diamond Institute, a central government research organisation in Surat.“I do not plan to come back before a week. Only if I survive I can support my family,” said 22-year-old Divyesh Koli, who had his bags packed to go back to his family in Kamrej village in Bhavnagar. If locals are feeling threatened, foreign buyers have already started cancelling their trips to the city. “Out foreign buyers are calling off their visits. I do not see any meeting happening with any foreign trader for at least a month,” said Agam Sanghvi, director, Sanghvi Exporters, one of the biggest diamond-exporting house in Surat. The Sanghvi exporters receive at least three to four foreign traders per month. There are 20 big exporting houses in Surat. All of them are facing similar problems.The bomb recovery timing could not have been worse for the diamond industry which is already facing recession for two years now, causing shutdown of nearly 25 per cent of its units. For over a month, the polishing units here have been negotiating with workers who are on strike, demanding a 20 per cent wage hike. “Recession, workers’ strike and now terrorist target. The industry would take a long time to get back on track. The loss due to this cannot be calculated at this moment,” said Sharma.
