When the government sneezes, the diamond workers of Surat are expected to say &ldquo;bless you&rdquo; &ndash; even if they are the ones suffocating. The recent episode over the school fee aid for gem workers&rsquo; children is a textbook case of how this administration operates: announcements in May, action in September &ndash; and that too, only after AAP MLA Gopal Italia rattled the throne.
Italia, the MLA from Visavadar, threatened a &ldquo;Rattankalakaar Adhikar Padyatra&rdquo; in Surat. Suddenly, the same government that had left files gathering dust discovered urgency overnight. Within hours, officials declared that ₹65 crore worth of pending school fee assistance would indeed be paid. The timing was no coincidence; it was a panic reflex.
This raises a simple question: why must citizens beg, march, or threaten agitation for what has already been budgeted? When a scheme is announced, its execution should be automatic. Instead, in Gujarat, one needs an Italia with a loud voice to jolt a dinosaur-like bureaucracy awake.
The diamond industry is no small backyard enterprise. It feeds the state&rsquo;s coffers, greases the ruling party&rsquo;s campaign machine, and employs lakhs of workers. Yet when the sector slumps, or when workers commit suicide under debt, the government is conveniently deaf. For corporate giants, billions are rolled out as incentives; for small units and unorganised workers, there is only indifference.
Over the last three years, the industry has been in decline. More than 60 diamond workers have taken their lives, many others are unemployed as small workshops shut down, and wage protests have already signalled unrest. But rather than proactive policy, what does the government do? It waits until protests erupt, then doles out a token relief package &ndash; and even that drags through the cobwebs of bureaucracy until someone like Italia applies pressure.
The ruling party boasts ten MLAs from Surat. Yet not one raised their voice for the diamond workers&rsquo; children. These legislators resemble sheep, meekly trailing the herd, even if the path leads straight into a ditch. They are &ldquo;people&rsquo;s representatives&rdquo; in title alone.
The Chief Minister, Bhupendra Patel, is known for his calm demeanour. But running a state is not about serenity; it requires steel. Unless he cracks the whip on his own officers, the government&rsquo;s image will continue to be tarnished. Announcements without timely implementation are worse than silence &ndash; they erode trust, insult citizens, and reveal the government as little more than a headline factory.
The message to the Chief Minister is clear: act, or be outpaced by your own inaction. Governance cannot survive on press releases; it must be measured in delivery. Otherwise, the people who made you a leader will one day decide they can unmake you too.

“Gopal Italia’s warning march forced the Gujarat govt to wake up on diamond aid”

“Headline Governance, Delivery Missing”

“Gopal Italia’s warning march forced the Gujarat govt to wake up on diamond aid”

September 27, 2025 | 16:35 IST