Seven impoverished laborers in Panna, a diamond mining area of Madhya Pradesh, central India, accidentally discovered a 17.96-carat natural diamond on land they had rented for mining. The diamond is estimated to be worth up to 5 million rupees (about 210,000 ringgit), giving them hope for a life-changing turnaround.
According to a BBC report, Panna is rich in diamond reserves, but local economic development lags behind, and residents generally live in poverty. Many people pin their hopes on finding a precious diamond to become rich overnight. However, finding a diamond doesn’t necessarily mean being able to keep it—most miners are just day-wage laborers working for landowners and cannot profit themselves. But these seven workers rented a mine plot at a low price in the village of Sarokha two years ago and found the diamond, becoming one of the few local diggers who can truly benefit from their find.
Laborer Pal recalled that since the mine had yielded no returns, it had been closed for a year. After recent heavy rains, they went to check a newly opened neighboring mine and “just checked the old mine as well, and that’s where we found the diamond—right on the top layer.”
● 12% government royalty deduction required
After the auction, 12% of the proceeds will be deducted as a government royalty, and the remaining amount will be evenly divided among the seven workers. According to reports, three of them have been unable to marry due to poverty, but now with this windfall, they hope to finally settle down.
Other members hope to build new houses, replacing their existing simple homes with brick ones, while some plan to use the money for their children's education so that the next generation won't have to rely on daily wage labor for a living.
Panna holds most of the country's diamond resources. The local government leases small, shallow mine plots to residents for mining at low rates.