In Surat, the second largest city of Gujarat and one of its main industrial centres, approx imately 150,000 workers are earning a living in the diamond industry. Especially in the 1960s and 1970s, when the industry grew tremendously, the working and living conditions of diamond cutters were bad. Workshop owners used extreme violence, torture and even murder to discipline workers. After the mid-1980s the situation improved, but even today for many diamond cutters life in Surat's diamond workshops is hard. Despite these condi tions there have never been any strikes or organised forms of mass protest in the history of the diamond industry of Surat. In this article a number of possible reasons for this absence are discussed. One of these is recent developments within the caste to which both diamond cutters and workshop owners belong.