NHRC sends notice to Bihar Chief Secretary
New Delhi, April 4, 2007
The National Human Rights Commission has sent notice to the Chief Secretary, Bihar on a report which said that one farm worker had been repaying 40 kgs of rice with 27 years of bonded labour in a village about 60 km from Patna.
The report which appeared in the "Times of India" on March 27, 2007, said atleast couple of farm workers at Paipura Barki village, have not been able to throw off bondage even though they have worked for nearly three decades for their "masters". The report said that one Jawahar Manjhi now 45 year old had taken rice as loan from the local moneylender for a wedding 27 years back, when he was a teenager. At that time, it was decided that Manjhi would work in the lender's field and repay with his labour. He would be given one kg of rice, which is one-third of the normal payment of three kgs for a day's work. Since then, he has been working six days a week, eight hours a day but the loan remains to be repaid. However, he does not know how much he has repaid and how much he owes to the lender.
The report, further, said that Manjhi cannot get away and his wife fears that her sons would also become bonded labourers as there is no money in the house.
After going through the distressing news, the Commission said if true, it raises serious issue of violation of human rights of the bonded labourers. The Commission has given two weeks time for comments from the State Chief Secretary.
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The National Human Rights Commission has sent notice to the Chief Secretary, Bihar on a report which said that one farm worker had been repaying 40 kgs of rice with 27 years of bonded labour in a village about 60 km from Patna.
The report which appeared in the "Times of India" on March 27, 2007, said atleast couple of farm workers at Paipura Barki village, have not been able to throw off bondage even though they have worked for nearly three decades for their "masters". The report said that one Jawahar Manjhi now 45 year old had taken rice as loan from the local moneylender for a wedding 27 years back, when he was a teenager. At that time, it was decided that Manjhi would work in the lender's field and repay with his labour. He would be given one kg of rice, which is one-third of the normal payment of three kgs for a day's work. Since then, he has been working six days a week, eight hours a day but the loan remains to be repaid. However, he does not know how much he has repaid and how much he owes to the lender.
The report, further, said that Manjhi cannot get away and his wife fears that her sons would also become bonded labourers as there is no money in the house.
After going through the distressing news, the Commission said if true, it raises serious issue of violation of human rights of the bonded labourers. The Commission has given two weeks time for comments from the State Chief Secretary.
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