317 bonded labourers, rescued from a brick kiln in Tiruvallur district, are returning to their home in Odisha
Highlights
- 317 bonded labourers from Odisha rescued from a brick kiln in Tamil Nadu
- Workers worried about returning home due to debt, unemployment in state
- State to give them Rs 20,000 for rehabilitation
Borita was seven months pregnant but was forced to work up to 20 hours a day at the brick kiln in Tamil Nadu's Tiruvallur district to repay her debt of Rs 40,000.
"I used to have severe pain in my stomach and my foot often got swollen but the owner said I'm trying to avoid work," Borita said. She and her husband Kumar have four children to look after.
317 bonded labourers, rescued from a brick kiln in Tiruvallur district, are returning to their home in Odisha. But they are leaving behind stories of trauma, exploitation and even denial of child rights.
The rescued families are on their way home to Odisha where the state government would give Rs. 20,000 to each family for rehabilitation.
But many workers are in debt due to drought and unemployment in the state, and fear that returning home could be worse for their families.
The young Chindamani sisters dropped out of school to help parents repay their Rs 60,000 loan but the employer lured them with an advance of Rs 15,000. Now, he pays them paltry wages.
"They promised Rs 400 for every thousand bricks. I made two thousand bricks every day and should get Rs 800 daily. But the owner paid just Rs 600 to the entire family," said father of the girls, Chindamani Bak.
15-year-old Reema wants to return to school. "I want to study but I had to quit (school) because of my family's condition," she said.
Though several hundred bonded labourers have been rescued from brick kilns across Tamil Nadu over the last few years, but no tough action has been taken against these kiln owners.
Last year, the same owner was booked after 300 bonded labourers were rescued from his brick kiln, but a year later he's back to the business of exploiting desperate workers.
Hepsibah Sunder, Spokesperson of International Justice Mission that informed authorities about the exploitation at the kiln unit, said: "If the law is well implemented even if migrant workers come for alternative employment the system will ensure they are paid fairly and are treated with dignity".
Officials, however, say they act whenever they receive complaints or a tip off.