Diamonds are said to be a woman's best friend. They are like immortal, we have heard stories of famous diamonds across the world. Kings and Queens used to adore them. Many empires used to fight for certain diamonds.There are more such stories on diamonds.
Now diamonds which was a dream of many have become a household jewelery for many now. Even the middle classes are running for diamonds now. For a few thousand rupees one can get a good diamond earrings or rings or empty your pocket a bit more and you get necklaces and what not. Diamonds are not that dream for the middle class and a sign of prosperity for a few.
But how many of us know what goes on in a diamond mine, what goes on to those miners. How many of us know that this diamond mining industry involves child labor too. Not only child labor there are so many miners who suffer from malnourishment, poor wages, severe health issues, and moreover they are made to stay in places near the mines which is next to hell. Many types of diseases are rampant in these areas too.
All these at the cost of a overpriced diamond which we die for. The people who are actually getting the diamonds for us are paid a measly wage and sold off in the market at a higher price. There are places in the world like in certain regions of South Africa diamonds are mined by terrorists outfits and sold in lieu of guns and bullets. Children as young as 9-10 are made to work in these places as they comes in cheap. There are children in such places who are bonded for life as their parents might have taken a loan from these people and since the rate of interest is high the paybacks which they do goes off for the interest only and the main amount is not paid. Moreover illiteracy is also another factor which eats in the roots , its like those feudal lords in ancient India.
The movie BLOOD DIAMOND shows the pathetic conditions of such laborers. The recent news about the conditions of the laborers in the platinum mines in South Africa adds one more example to this. The fault of these people was they protested against the low wages for which they got paid with bullets. Platinum is another such costly metal after which we are running nowadays. I remember years back when Ben Johnson or Sachin Tendulkar had a platinum on them we used to say that it suits them. Now you can get platinum also for a few thousand bucks. The reason: savvy marketing of platinum have also increased like we see for diamonds: DIAMONDS ARE FOR EVER. So now would it be the time for BLOOD PLATINUM like BLOOD DIAMOND.
Now diamonds which was a dream of many have become a household jewelery for many now. Even the middle classes are running for diamonds now. For a few thousand rupees one can get a good diamond earrings or rings or empty your pocket a bit more and you get necklaces and what not. Diamonds are not that dream for the middle class and a sign of prosperity for a few.
But how many of us know what goes on in a diamond mine, what goes on to those miners. How many of us know that this diamond mining industry involves child labor too. Not only child labor there are so many miners who suffer from malnourishment, poor wages, severe health issues, and moreover they are made to stay in places near the mines which is next to hell. Many types of diseases are rampant in these areas too.
All these at the cost of a overpriced diamond which we die for. The people who are actually getting the diamonds for us are paid a measly wage and sold off in the market at a higher price. There are places in the world like in certain regions of South Africa diamonds are mined by terrorists outfits and sold in lieu of guns and bullets. Children as young as 9-10 are made to work in these places as they comes in cheap. There are children in such places who are bonded for life as their parents might have taken a loan from these people and since the rate of interest is high the paybacks which they do goes off for the interest only and the main amount is not paid. Moreover illiteracy is also another factor which eats in the roots , its like those feudal lords in ancient India.
The movie BLOOD DIAMOND shows the pathetic conditions of such laborers. The recent news about the conditions of the laborers in the platinum mines in South Africa adds one more example to this. The fault of these people was they protested against the low wages for which they got paid with bullets. Platinum is another such costly metal after which we are running nowadays. I remember years back when Ben Johnson or Sachin Tendulkar had a platinum on them we used to say that it suits them. Now you can get platinum also for a few thousand bucks. The reason: savvy marketing of platinum have also increased like we see for diamonds: DIAMONDS ARE FOR EVER. So now would it be the time for BLOOD PLATINUM like BLOOD DIAMOND.
