MADRAS — Living in India, I grew up with diamonds. The most precious of stones are still an integral part of the Indian lifestyle. They are used every day, including for ceremonial purposes.
If women regularly wear diamond eartops and nose studs, men wear diamond rings. More elaborate jewelry is a ritualistic part of festivals, marriages, engagements and so on.
But I never knew that diamonds that looked so pure could be so smeared with blood till I saw the gripping film "Blood Diamond" in 2006. Directed by Edward Zwick and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Connelly, it showed how diamonds have led to the killing and maiming of innocent people in Africa for decades. The movie made a strong impact because it packaged an ugly truth in a wonderful narrative, scripted and performed extremely well.