Burdened by debt, bonded to life of toil

The dawn broke not on a hopeful note, but for over a year, burdened with harsh and long working conditions accompanied by minimal security measures, for four men trapped with a debt of Rs 1 lakh in an illegal stone-cutting quarry located in the rugged, rugged terrain of Anantapur district. Throughout the day, braving extreme weather conditions, Santhala Anji, his 18-year-old son and two others were forced to cut 100 stones with only an iron hammer and chisel.

This was the plight of bonded laborers who were rescued from an illegal stone-cutting unit near Chennampalle village last month.

The community is busy cutting stones

He comes from the Vadde community, a BC community primarily engaged in stone cutting. Five years ago, Anji took a loan of ₹1 lakh from his employer Vadde Narayana Swamy to get treatment for a lung infection. This is where Anji’s life changes. Not only Anji but other members of the small settlement outside Chennampalle village also had different reasons for taking loans from Narayana but all of them turned out to have similar fate. “Them [the henchmen of the debtor] We arrived at the village at 6 o’clock on Monday morning. We had to go with them even if we weren’t feeling well or had another emergency in the family. If we expressed that we could not act together with them on any day, they did not hesitate to attack us or humiliate us with the best abuse,” says Anji, describing her ordeal.

The business, an illegal stone cutting site near the Sunakalamma temple in Chennampalle village, consists of a large and hilly terrain. “We had to cut the stones into various sizes and we were each given a target of cutting at least 100 stones. The job was challenging because we used traditional methods.sutti (iron hammer)’ and a ‘uli (a small chisel)’. We were not given any machinery or safety equipment. “We didn’t even wear masks even though our work required exposure to dust pollution,” he says. Hindu.

Anji and the other three were not allowed to return home after their work. “They built a small, makeshift thatched hut on one of the highest points in the land. Whether it was raining or a hot summer, we had no option but to stay in the hut at night,” says Vadde Kumaru, 40, another victim.

Five years ago, Kumaru took a loan of ₹50,000 from his employer. He adds that their employers provide them with ‘ration biyyam‘ (PDS rice) and vegetables, enough for a week. At night they were given a quarter bottle of liquor.

“We woke up early in the morning and cooked our own food. We had to start cutting stones at 6am and this continued until we had completed the task of cutting 100 stones,” he says. They were allowed a lunch break, but had to walk two kilometers to reach the engine to get a glass of water. “In the harsh summer months, the engine [bore] “We had to rely on small holes and pockets in the mounds to store water when it dried out,” he says.

They had holidays on Sundays. “They dropped us near the stream in Agraharam, five kilometers from our village, and we walked from there to reach our homes,” says V. Shiva Kumar, Anji’s 18-year-old son. He had to work to pay off the loan of Rs 1 lakh taken by his father. He is the eldest of five siblings and, like many other children in the village, uneducated.

rescue operations

The issue came to light after Anantapur-based NGO Rural and Environmental Development Society (REDS) submitted a representation to the district administration. Divisional Revenue Officer (RDO), Anantapur, M. Ram Mohan called a meeting of all stakeholder departments the next day. The Ministry of Labor, led by Deputy Labor Commissioner Anantapur G. Lakshmi Narasaiah, has deputed a team of officials to monitor and supervise rescue operations under the provisions of the Bonded Labor System (Abolition) Act, 1976. On 4 June, officials of various government departments, including Labour, Factories, Revenue, Social Welfare and Police, together with representatives of REDS and the International Justice Mission (IJM), carried out a rescue operation. He rescued the workers from captivity with the operation.

District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) secretary N. Rajasekhar personally joined the operation, walking nearly two kilometers to reach the place where the workers were working and where they were rescued.

This was followed by a cumbersome official process to “officially release” them from captivity and provide them with rehabilitation.

“This case had all the aspects of bonded labour. Although they were not chained, their movements were restricted. They are in debt bondage. They were made to work under harsh working conditions without basic safety equipment and proper nutrition,” says Narasaiah.

Narsaiah explains: “According to the law, secured debt means an advance obtained or deemed to be obtained by a laborer engaged in bonded labour. The law further states that Debt Labor System means a system of forced or partially coerced labor in which a debtor (the person receiving the money) enters into or is deemed to have accepted or agreed with the creditor.”

illegal unit

“During our investigation, we found that the stone cutting unit did not have any permit, lease or licence,” says Narasaiah. After the victims’ statements were recorded and the legal process was followed, the four were issued “Release Certificates” from captivity, freeing them from debt bondage and also making them eligible for immediate financial assistance of ₹30,000 each.

“Once the Certificate of Release is issued to the victim, he is no longer liable under the Act to repay the surety debt,” it says, making the workers exempt from making any repayment to the employer (Swamy in this case).

The Deputy Labor Commissioner also adds that the released workers will be compensated under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. An application was also made under the Act for wage difference and the amount was calculated as ₹ 5,43,216 collectively for four workers.

“Since the order was issued by a quasi-judicial body, he has the right to make payment or can only challenge it in the Supreme Court. Failure to comply will trigger the Revenue Recovery Act, under which the employer’s assets can be auctioned to pay the victims,” ​​he says.

The Department of Labor also found the need to expand various social assistance and other programs for victims. However, one of them, 45-year-old Manjula Muneppa, did not have an Aadhaar card. “We have started the process of getting an Aadhaar card for Muneppa,” says Narasaiah.

Meanwhile, Collector O. Anand has asked the BC and Social Welfare departments to examine the eligibility of the four workers for BC welfare schemes and extend the same on a priority basis. The Central Sector Program for the Rehabilitation of Bonded Labor mandates the integration of all social assistance programs available to society for the long-term rehabilitation of released bonded laborers.

On June 4, authorities rushed to rescue them bonded laborers working at the illegal stone cutting unit in Chennampalle. | Photo Credit: Special editing

Business cards for victims

Similarly, the DWMA Project Director was asked to issue job cards to facilitate victims in finding employment under VB-G RAM G. The Medical and Health Department has also been asked to organize a health camp for workers to assess their health condition. While three workers who were released and had Aadhaar cards were given job cards, the other victim is yet to receive a card. A health camp was organized for workers in the village recently.

Narasaiah says: “While focusing on the economic and social rehabilitation of freed labourers, we focus on providing immediate and sustainable livelihood support, supporting the household income of freed families, preventing recurrence of debts and economic distress, eliminating the possibility of families falling back into bondage or debt trap, and ensuring financial stability through secure wage employment, as well as facilitating their social and economic rehabilitation with dignity.”

When asked why the government machinery failed to detect such cases and NGOs came to the aid of the victims, a government official said inspections had been eliminated in certain categories of industries due to ease of compliance with labor norms in addition to staff shortage.

“In the unorganized sector, as is the case now, victims do not come forward openly even though there are village secretariats. NGOs have a deeper connect with rural people and interact with them regularly,” says the official.

C. Bhanuja, founder of REDS, stated that bonded labor continues to be prevalent in the region and especially in the erstwhile Anantapur district. “Stakeholders involved in the implementation of the law should be informed about the existing legal provisions for the elimination of the Bonded Labor System,” he says, adding that many people do not come forward to file complaints or seek compensation from the government for fear of repercussions from their employers. A representative of another organization working on the issue with the government said on condition of anonymity that creating vigilant monitoring committees would help solve the problem. “The committee, chaired by the relevant district collector, will meet every three months and conduct inspections,” he says.

412 paid workers were released in 3 years

According to official figures, 412 people were released from forced labor in the last three years. Of these, only four received the initial financial assistance of ₹30,000. Authorities are trying to obtain Aadhaar cards and bank accounts with the victims so that the amount can be deposited.

Meanwhile, even as the district administration is making efforts to provide rehabilitation, the AP Labor Welfare Board has released ₹ 10 lakh to each of the 26 districts for a corpus fund under the Central Sector Scheme for Rehabilitation of Indebted Workers, 2021. Through this fund, released bonded workers will be given financial assistance of ₹30,000 each.