For many Indians, bonded labour was an age old chapter but for 12 workers who recently rescued by Uttar Pradesh Police, was a harsh reality they were living every day. Their stories of confinement, exploitation and helplessness serve as a reminder that the practice has not disappeared entirely.
A shocking news of alleged bonded labour has come out from the UP’s Muzaffarnagar disctrict where workers were allegedly lured to the work with promises of a monthly wage of Rs 12,000, food and tea thrice a day to be used later as slave labour, but then they were mistreated here. During raid , the Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday rescued 12 workers from a factory in Muzaffarnagar district.
One of those rescued said that several of them were trapped and mistreated like animals. He said they were under the impression that they would be worked on the job site with good pay and decent working conditions. They, however, were allegedly detained and their Aadhaar cards, mobile phones, etc. were snatched on their arrival at the center and they were not given any methods of communication or transportation.
The labourer said that he didn’t eat two meals a day as they should, but one. This meal apparently included rotis made out of bran and salt. He also claimed that they were beaten with belts routinely when their performance at work was not satisfactory. “He was brutally beaten, sustaining damage to one of his ears from repeated assault, during his 11-month stay there”, the labourer said.
Further claims include reports that the dogs actually had the job of ‘scaring off’ the workers and dissuading them from running away. The workers reportedly were subject to fear and intimidation, which kept them confined for months.
Eventually, the labourer, acting on his own initiative, was able to get out, when the owner left the scene for a wedding function. He jumped on it, ran off and made it known later of the alleged abuse.
Day after the police uncovered the incident, the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called it an assault on human dignity and sought justice for them and harshest possible punishment to the perpetrators. His sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandi also raised the concern about the incident and called it an assault on Indian Constitution. “Strict action must be taken in the matter, and the guilty must be given such punishment that it sets a precedent,” she said.
This incident has sparked major controversy on the issue of bonded labour and workers exploitation. The allegations are expected to be investigated and legal action taken by authorities if borne out, against the perpetrators.