States 'camouflaging' bonded labour: Justice A.S. Anand
Dr. Justice A.S. Anand, Chairperson of the Commission has said that despite a law abolishing bonded labour being in existence for 28 years, 194 districts in 17 States across the country have been identified as carrying on the banned practice.
Inaugurating the sensitization workshop on Bonded Labour for Deputy Commissioners in Delhi on 28 October 2004, he said that the tendency of the authorities is to 'camouflage' the problem attributing it to one of low wages and not of bondage. Unless one accepts that there is a problem, he questioned as to how it can be solved. Besides this, lack of sensitivity on the part of officers and lack of political will are other hurdles in the way of eliminating bonded labour, he said.
Justice Anand stressed on identification, rescue, rehabilitation and prosecution being the core and composite factors in the task of elimination of bonded labour because pursuing one of them without the other in his opinion would be a futile exercise.
The Commission has been organizing such sensitization workshops for the District Magistrates, Deputy Commissioners, Deputy Development Commissioners and other senior officers, in association with the State Governments, in order to clarify certain definitional aspects of the Bonded Labour Act and to educate and sensitize them on this issue.
Bonded labourer rehabilitated
On the intervention of the Commission, Smt. Thenmozhi, a bonded labourer has been rehabilitated. She received Rs. I.00 lakh as compensation handed over to her on 29 July 2004 by the Commission's Special Rapporteur Shri Venugopal on behalf of the Tamil Nadu Government and in the presence of the Collector and District Magistrate, Salem.
Smt. Thenmozhi, a resident of Periyar in Tamil Nadu, had filed a complaint with the Commission on 19 April 1996 alleging forced bonded labour by the power loom factory owners, K. Nallusamy and K. Duraisamy in Periyar District, Tamil Nadu. The Commission got the matter investigated by its Special Rapporteur, Shri K.R. Venugopal who concluded that this was a case of bonded labour and recommended that Smt. Thenmozhi be paid a compensation by the Government of Tamil Nadu, and the owners be prosecuted under the relevant laws including the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976.
In response to the Special Rapporteur's recommendation, a report was received from the State Government of Tamil Nadu indicating that an amount of Rs.25,000/- had already been paid to Smt. Thenmozhi. It stated that both the power loom owners have obtained a stay order from the High Court in this case. Not satisfied with the reply, the Commission then directed its Special Rapporteur, Shri K.R. Venugopal to take up the matter with the State Government for appropriate action.
Subsequently, the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department, Government of Tamil Nadu through its letter dated 12 February 2004 informed the Commission about the decision of the State Government to pay a total of Rs. 1.00 lakh (including Rs. 25,000/- already paid) to Smt. Thenmozhi.
The Commission accepted the proposal of the State Government.
Inaugurating the sensitization workshop on Bonded Labour for Deputy Commissioners in Delhi on 28 October 2004, he said that the tendency of the authorities is to 'camouflage' the problem attributing it to one of low wages and not of bondage. Unless one accepts that there is a problem, he questioned as to how it can be solved. Besides this, lack of sensitivity on the part of officers and lack of political will are other hurdles in the way of eliminating bonded labour, he said.
Justice Anand stressed on identification, rescue, rehabilitation and prosecution being the core and composite factors in the task of elimination of bonded labour because pursuing one of them without the other in his opinion would be a futile exercise.
The Commission has been organizing such sensitization workshops for the District Magistrates, Deputy Commissioners, Deputy Development Commissioners and other senior officers, in association with the State Governments, in order to clarify certain definitional aspects of the Bonded Labour Act and to educate and sensitize them on this issue.
Bonded labourer rehabilitated
On the intervention of the Commission, Smt. Thenmozhi, a bonded labourer has been rehabilitated. She received Rs. I.00 lakh as compensation handed over to her on 29 July 2004 by the Commission's Special Rapporteur Shri Venugopal on behalf of the Tamil Nadu Government and in the presence of the Collector and District Magistrate, Salem.
Smt. Thenmozhi, a resident of Periyar in Tamil Nadu, had filed a complaint with the Commission on 19 April 1996 alleging forced bonded labour by the power loom factory owners, K. Nallusamy and K. Duraisamy in Periyar District, Tamil Nadu. The Commission got the matter investigated by its Special Rapporteur, Shri K.R. Venugopal who concluded that this was a case of bonded labour and recommended that Smt. Thenmozhi be paid a compensation by the Government of Tamil Nadu, and the owners be prosecuted under the relevant laws including the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976.
In response to the Special Rapporteur's recommendation, a report was received from the State Government of Tamil Nadu indicating that an amount of Rs.25,000/- had already been paid to Smt. Thenmozhi. It stated that both the power loom owners have obtained a stay order from the High Court in this case. Not satisfied with the reply, the Commission then directed its Special Rapporteur, Shri K.R. Venugopal to take up the matter with the State Government for appropriate action.
Subsequently, the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department, Government of Tamil Nadu through its letter dated 12 February 2004 informed the Commission about the decision of the State Government to pay a total of Rs. 1.00 lakh (including Rs. 25,000/- already paid) to Smt. Thenmozhi.
The Commission accepted the proposal of the State Government.