SURAT, January 2: The spectre of riots returned to haunt Surat yesterday as hundreds of diamond workers went on the rampage in Varachha and neighbouring areas, setting fire to workshops and resorting to large-scale violence. The workers are believed to be protesting against the retrenchment of around 700 employees of a leading diamond unit.A number of workers and police officials, including additional commissioner of police S Chitturi, sustained injuries. An indefinite curfew was imposed in the afternoon.
City police force backed by riot control vehicles, armed patrol jeeps, and two battalions of the State Reserve Police were deployed in the Varachha Road area. Police commissioner G C Raiger, who was supervising operations, said the police would not hesitate to open fire to restore order in the city.
Kesri Exports, a diamond unit, had recently announced that it was effecting a 35 per cent wage cut due to recession. When workers objected, they were told to accept it or leave, and the unit was closed for
three days.
What actually triggered yesterday's violence was the marching orders given last night to workers, most of whom are migrants staying in the factory premises.
The diamond units in some of the areas suffered enormous damage. A car was torched opposite the Katargam Bungalow at Hirabaug. The Sawani Estate diamond factory at Vrindavannagar and. G K Chambers, housing a huge two-storeyed diamond factory were heavily damaged in fire.
Freelance photographer Dharmesh Joshi, on assignment for The Indian Express, was assaulted by the workers and pelted with stones while shooting pictures of the violence. Incidentally, not a single political leader visited the scene till late in the evening, when former Surat (North) MLAs Dhiru Gajera and Kanu Mawani arrived.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
