Of Human Bondage

                               Of Human Bondage
By Leslie Ann Tripathy (2011) a project for Asian College of Journalism, Chennai

Chennai – There is nothing like the Story of human misery, said Oscar Wilde, the Irish writer.
The sight of Thenmochi smiling gleefully after moments of freedom, sends chills down the spine. She was released from Villapurams rock quarry, where she toiled seven days, for 14 hours, and was paid Rs.5 per day to sustain her family. Her ear to ear smile, brings forth an air of relief. Thenmochi, proudly shows her ‘Release certificate’ and two ‘five hundred Indian currency bills’(Rs.1,000), which is the initial rehabilitation money, entitled by the Government, as part of the first instalment of the rehabilitation money permitted to every released labourer, according to the Bonded Labour Act. Later each released labourer receives an additional Rs.19,000, which helps them build a new life in freedom, by buying goats or building shops.

Thenmochi, the 33 year old, former bonded labourer, was rejoiceful when she was finally free. She repeatedly pinched herself to be sure she was no more a bonded labourer working at the rock quarry. She has been very grateful to the rescue operation of International N.G.O Indian Justice Mission (IJM)s. (It is not only Thenmochis life, but ) IJM, is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation, sexual slavery and other forms of violent oppressions. It has been actively rescuing and restoring freedom to many exploited lot from the clutches of bonded labour (also known as debted-labour) and Illegal Detention, Police Brutality, Illegal Property Seizure, Human Trafficking in India and other countries across the world. IJM, has been working in the Southern states of India namely; Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators and to promote functioning public justice systems. In collaboration with the government, IJM has rescued and rehabilitated more than 3,000 victims to date in South India.

A week-long exhibition titled "Bonded Labour: Slaves Without Chains", has been jointly organized by IJM and Alliance Francaise in Nungabakkam. The multimedia exhibition brings forth the stories of struggle, freedom, despair of the bonded labourers and their friends and families through the videos and photographs taken over the years. The exhibition was organised on December, 2nd, 2010 marking, United Nations (U.Ns) International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, which is annually observed to encourage people to consolidate efforts in the abolition of slavery of all forms in modern society.
The sole motto of the exhibition is to increase awareness among people on Bonded Labour as a prevailing sad issue on the whole as well as to make sure people stand united and raise voices to abolish this heinous crime,” said Saju Mathew, National Director of IJM.

Bonded labour has been defined as when a person provides labour of service to another for remuneration which is less than the minimum wage, the labour or service provided by him clearly falls within the scope and ambit of the words forced labour under Article 23 (of the Constitution of India). Bonded labour is the least known form of slavery today, though it is the most widely used method of enslaving people.  It has been continuing for a long time involving certain economically, exploited helpless and weaker sections of society. It dates back to the times when India had unequal social structure characterized by feudal and semi feudal conditions. Bonded labourers constitute mostly the weakest section of rural poor.

IJM, along with the Government officials provides training to the released labourers, to get a sense of life after freedom. “We also do have medical screening to keep a tab on the health conditions of the released labourers who had a very traumatised experience. Most of them are from rice mills, quarries and brick kilns. There are also victims rescued from human trafficking. IJM makes sure the released labourers dont have bouts of low self esteem, which happens in most of the cases. We see to it that they get access to ration cards, employment opportunities so that they are never forced to borrow money from the culprits who trick the poor into bonded labour, says Liani, Media Specialist for IJM.
The Government enforced The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976.
(The object of the act is to provide for the abolition of the bonded labour system with a view to prevent the economic and physical exploitation of the weaker sections of the people and for the matters connected therewith and incidental thereto.)
Despite the implementation of the act, there are 4 crore bonded labourers enslaved in India. It is startling that 87% of those trapped in bondage are from SC/ST community.
Jaymala, a 15 year old, was rescued from Palassa, where she had been sexually enslaved by a zamindar, when Jaymalas parents could not pay the due advance of Rs. 400. She was rescued by the joint effort of few N.G.Os with the support of IJM.
Freedom is an individuals birthright, yet it is heartening to hear the excruciating details from Jeybal, a 60 year old rice mill worker, in Kancheepuram, whose right to freedom was denied by his owner who tortured him by piercing into Jeybals knees a sewing needle 19 cm long and 1.5 cm in diameter, supplemented by derogatory caste insults and punches. Jeybal toiled seven days a week, thirteen hours a day for two years, to pay an advance of Rs.200. When Jeybal was in desperate need for money to run his household expenses, the rice mill owner convinced Jeybal to accept the advance. Jeybal accepted the money from his rice mill owner. And to pay off the advance, he and his wife worked hard everyday and they were paid Rs.6 per day.
Bonded Labour is an injustice, we can overcome. For that we want people to join us in our efforts to bring an end to bonded labour in India. The exhibition shall get over on December,10th,2010, which is International Human Rights Day, concluded Liani.