Today I saw this new movie- Blood Diamond. It is no doubt a good adventure movie with good direction and star cast. But the effect it left is deep and moving. We love to buy gold and diamonds for that 'feel good factor', or to glitter and show-off, or what ever the reason be. But this desire (or call it greed) percolates so much down to rotten violence, murder, cheating, human sacrifice and even to the extent of whole country gone to dogs, especially in Africa where the diamons are sourced. The movie shows how our desire to own diamond has let the businessmen hoard it in their basement vaults just to keep the demand / supply ratio tilt more towards demand and make their kill in exorbitant pricing. It shows how the middle men who sell it to the major diamond factories procure it from people who have smuggled it from deep interior parts of Africa, in exchage for supply of ARMS and ammunitions. How this trend feeds the armed struggle in those terror ridden countries. The sourcing of diamonds are done at gun point by labourers / slaves who are the natives who should be enjoying it. It shows how violence and terror and human sacrifice goes unabated to procure these stones. A touching real story !! A must see .
Dear Meena Saw the movie too. Yes, the fact on which it is based is very disturbing. (Also disturbing to me was the violence shown.) Makes you want to dump all your jewelry isnt it ? VS