How bonded labour and the system of entrapment continues to grow in India

Bonded labour, or debt bondage, is a form of forced labour where a socio-economically weaker individual finds himself or herself in servitude to another individual to repay a debt. Today, this archaic tradition has emerged into a modern-day system of slavery where generations of families are subjected to live and work in inhuman conditions with no visible end to their servitude.  The system is so entrenched across the country that it is known by a variety of names – Adiyamar, Baramasia, Basahya, Bethu, Bhagela, Cherumar, Garru-Galu, Hali, Hari, Harwai, Holya, Jana, Jeetha, Kamiya, Khundit-Mundit, Kuthia, Lakhari, Munjhi, Mat, Munish system, Nit-Majoor, Paleru, Padiyal, Pannayilal, Sagri, Sanji, Sanjawat, Sewak, Sewakia, Seri, Vetti, etc.

In 1976, the Indian Parliament passed the Bonded Labor System Act to abolish the system completely and in all its forms. In 1978, the Indian government instituted a national plan to disperse over Rs 20,000 to each freed debt laborer. That amount is still distributed today to freed labourers. The government also passed the Child Labor Act and National Policy on Child Labor in 1986 and 1987, respectively.

Under the Centrally Sponsored Plan Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labourers instituted in 1978, adult male rescuees are entitled to financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh. Women and children are entitled to Rs 2 lakh. Those rescued from sexual exploitation, brothels, or trafficking, are eligible for financial assistance of Rs 3 lakh. The catch is that the assistance is disbursed only after the debtor is convicted, and this continues to be very rare.  The worst offenders are the agricultural, silk, carpet, mining, match production, brick kiln and glass/bangle industries. 

As of March 31, 2019, according to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, 3,13,687 labourers were identified and released. The numbers show that 19,962 bonded labourers were not available for rehabilitation because they had died or allegedly left without leaving an address.

Spotlight on slavery

A new documentary made by the Karnataka Rural Development Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Department and International Justice Mission (IJM), a non-profit that works to free bonded labour while campaigning to end the practice, shows the ordeal of people who were once trapped in bondage. The video was released on February 9, 2021.

The 10-minute film documents the experience of bonded labourers, who have now been freed, talking about their harrowing experience of working long hours with no pay, having to endure extreme physical and mental abuse, total restriction on movement, and minimal access to basic necessities including food, water and medicine. 

Chandramma, who was rescued from a sericulture unit talks about being confined in a room with her son and given only a single dirty bottle of water for their hygiene and drinking needs. “We had sores all over our body. One time, I tried to hang myself with my son in the room crying next to me. It was only when the owner of the unit banged on the door that I stopped myself.”

Annapoorna, formerly a bitti chakra (free work) labourer says, “We did whatever they asked us to. We cleaned floors, washed clothes, and cleaned the pots. Nobody would do this dirty work except people belonging to the Scheduled Caste.” The bitti chakri system is still passed through generations, based on outdated notions of caste hierarchy.

The documentary sheds light on a very crucial aspect that many in India think is long gone. It highlights how caste plays a crucial part in bonded labour, as many of those rescued by IJM are from Scheduled Caste communities. 

M Prathima, the head of Strategic Management at IJM, says, “We may be inadvertently supporting products made by bonded labourers. For example, it may be the bricks used in our buildings, products we use in our everyday lives such as silk sarees, garments, or our shoes, bags, and even the incense sticks we offer to god, or maybe even our favourite snack, panipuri. Bonded labour is all around us and yet hidden in plain sight.” 

A global crisis

The link between bonded labour and organised crime is well known. Globally, it is believed that it is often linked to human trafficking, unsafe migration and criminal networks. According to the International Labour Organization, 24.9 million people around the world are still victims of bonded labour. Of the total number, 20.8 million (83 percent) are exploited in the private economy, by individuals or enterprises, and the remaining 4.1 million (17 per cent) are in state-imposed forms of forced labour. Among those exploited by private individuals or enterprises, 8 million (29 percent) are victims of forced sexual exploitation and 12 million (64 percent) of forced labour exploitation.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 8.7 state that member states take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025, end child labour in all its forms.

Goal 5.2 states that countries will eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation. 

However, change must begin at the grassroots – first with an acknowledgement that the system still exists and preys upon the most vulnerable amongst us. Then followed up by breaking the nexus that exists between those who trap others in debt and those who turn a blind eye. Finally, sensitisation initiatives for officials is a must to take speedy and strict action against offenders.