The ascendency of India as an economic world power

India may not have diamond mines but India has now a very flourishing diamond industry. In fact, Indian city of Surat is perhaps the leading city in the world when it comes to diamond polishing trade. Now, blood diamonds from Africa are brought here and then polished and then exported to the international market. Thus, some Indian traders are helping to remove the stain of blood from the blood diamonds.

NZ Herald reported:

The stones brought in through the shallow waters of Gujarat's ungovernable west coast make a laughing stock of attempts to stem the global flow of blood diamonds. In 2000, the UN responded to outrage over the trade with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme requiring all exporters to register diamonds with their respective governments before any can be certified and shipped.

Since then, largely through clever marketing by the industry, the issue has fallen off the political agenda. But concerns have been revived following the release of the film Blood Diamond, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a diamond smuggler in 1990s Sierra Leone.

The World Diamond Council, representing De Beers among others, hired Sitrick and Co, a leading Hollywood image consultant. So far, the move seems to have worked - Christmas sales of diamonds reached record levels.

I know that money is sweeter than honey and that is why many Indian traders are turning a blind eye to the blood diamonds. However, it can have a bad impact in the diamond trade of India in the long run. Indian government should become strict about this matter and try to curb it.