Jobless diamond worker in fray

Amidst the dust and din of Lok Sabha poll campaigns here,Suresh Chagan Chotalia,an unemployed diamond polisher,furiously pedals his old bicycle,collecting a rupee each from every home in the hamlets where diamond polishers reside.

Chotalia,38,who has worked in several diamond factories,is contesting the polls from Surat,and claims to have the support of the Rashtriya Krantikari Samajwadi Party. He had migrated to Surat about 18 years ago from his village in Junagadh district,and had settled down in the Katargam area. When recession brought down the diamond industry a few months ago,Chotalia was among the thousands who lost jobs.

Chotalia says he decided that someone needed to stand up for the cause of lakhs of diamond workers suddenly left on a limb,with no livelihood.

Both the Central and state governments have failed to declare even a relief package for the industry that is gasping to survive,its workers. I want to fight for the rights of the diamond polishers, he said.