The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC organized a day long Workshop on 'Elimination of Bonded Labour' in collaboration with the Government of Karnataka in Bengaluru, Karnataka on the 13th May, 2016. NHRC Member, Justice Shri D. Murugesan chaired the Workshop. Inaugurating it, he cited some discrepancies in the reports submitted by the State Authorities on Bonded Labour and said that many officers may not be aware of the legal provisions and the concerns of the Commission in this regard.
Justice Murugesan said that the delay in taking timely action in rescue, release and rehabilitation of bonded labourers would amount to violation of their human rights as the issue involved their right to life with dignity. He said that bonded labour system cannot be abolished without prosecuting the guilty of promoting this menace. He asked the police to maintain a strict vigil at railway stations and bus stops and keep an eye on every bulk booking of tickets from a rural place to stop migration of bonded labourers.
The objective of the Workshop was to familiarize and sensitize the District Magistrates, Sub Divisional Magistrates, State Labour Officers and Members of Vigilance Committees, brick kilns, stone crushing and other related industries etc. with the process of identification, release and rehabilitation of bonded labourers and the provisions of Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 and other related legislations.
Shri H.K. Patil, Minister, Department of Rural Development and Panchyati Raj, Shri P.T. Parameshwara Naik, Minister, Department of Labour, Government of Karnataka, Smt. Meera C. Saksena, Acting Chairperson, Karnataka State Human Rights Commission, Shri Arvind Jadhav, Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka, Shri Om Prakash, Director General of Police, Karnataka, Additional Chief Secretaries of various departments, Principal Secretaries of the State Government, besides others, were present. NHRC's officers present on the occasion included, Dr. Sanjay Dubey, Director, Shri O.P. Vyas, Assistant Registrar(Law) and Shri S. K. Gauba, Section Officer (Bonded Labour Cell).
The National Human Rights Commission was asked by the Supreme Court of India in 1997 to get involved in the monitoring of the implementation of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976. Therefore, the Commission, in its endeavour to raise concerns on the continuance of bonded labour has been organising workshops to sensitize official machinery to work for its abolition in different parts of the country. It has organised 35 workshops on elimination of bonded labour so far.