Not very long ago, before Surat emerged as the diamond capital of India and the industry opted for the high tech, Thrissur was an important cutting-and-polishing centre. It employed thousands of workers in villages like Kaiparambu, Choondal, Kandanassery, Tholoor, Elavalli, Avanoor and Adat. But the sparkle has gone out of Thrissur’s diamond industry — from a workforce of 25,000 in nearly 300 companies, it has shrunk to just 900 workers in 42 units.
Technology, trade-union politics and a lack of government support knocked Thrissur’s diamond industry off the perch. An 85-day-long agitation by the trade unions in 1994-95 against the government move to impose some labour laws in the sector had triggered the downfall. Many units shut down or relocated to other states.
“In Gujarat, the entire city of Surat is dedicated to the diamond industry,” says PP Achuthan, president of the All-Kerala Diamond Artisans Association. “We fell far behind Gujarat after it adopted the latest technology for cutting and polishing,” he adds.
Jewellers in other states have cut down business with the units in Thrissur. According to owners of units still operating in the area, they only get small stones for cutting and polishing. Procured mainly from Mumbai, these diamonds are difficult to shape using machines. But it’s near-impossible to survive on this reduced scale of business.
Photos: KK Mustafah