NHRC Regional workshop at Chandigarh on Elimination of Bonded Labour concludes urging proactive action by all the stakeholders to end this menace (05.07.2019)



The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India today held a day long Regional Workshop on Elimination of Bonded Labour System. It also covered the issues of Child Labour, Inter-State Migrant Workers and human trafficking at Chandigarh Judicial Academy Chandigarh. It was organized in collaboration with the Chandigarh Administration. The participants felt that proactive action was need from all the stakeholders to end this menace.

The workshop was presided over by the NHRC Member, Mr. Justice P.C Pant. In his inaugural address, he urged upon the need for the effective implementation of various Acts formulated for elimination of bonded labour and prosecution of the offenders. He said that attention needs to be paid to the rehabilitation of rescued bonded labourers.

The participants were of the view that bonded labour exists pre-dominantly in the unorganized sector, which employs maximum labour force in the country. It is also common in the agricultural, mining, silk production, carpet manufacturing, beedi factories, brick-kilns etc. It was observed that modern forms of bonded labour like employment in mines, road constructions, constructions of malls/multi story buildings may increase in the times to come ahead. There are many reasons for bonded labour including inequality, gender and caste discrimination and inadequate education. The problem of bonded labour also gives rise to others problems such as ill health, sexual assault, abductions, human trafficking and other crimes, especially against women and children. The workshop also brought forward the practical difficulties being faced by many of the Government agencies towards elimination of bonded labour.

The objective of the workshop was to raise awareness among the various stakeholders to eliminate the persisting menace of Bonded Labour, Child Labour and Human Trafficking along with addressing the issues of Inter-State Migrant Workers. The concern was to sensitize DMs/SDMs to minimize this menace from our society.

The workshop was attended by Mr. Justice Iqbal Ahmad Ansari, Chairperson, Punjab State Human Rights Commission, Mr. Justice. S. K. Mittal, Chairperson, Haryana State Human Rights Commission, Mr. Jaideep Govind, Secretary General, National Human Rights Commission Mr. Manoj Parida, Adviser to the Administrator, UT, Chandigarh and senior officers from the States of Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir & Union Territory of Chandigarh along with other representatives of workers unions, NGO’s and other stakeholders.

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