India’s disgrace – the trap of bonded labour

• Mukesh Adivasi and K. Thenmozhi, two bonded labourers, are among the millions of Indians trapped in bonded labour.

• Adivasi was trafficked to Karnataka in 2023, where he endured brutal violence and a grueling journey.

• K. Thenmozhi’s family was forced into servitude in a brick kiln in Bengaluru, where they endured brutality and forced labor.

• The harrowing experiences of these workers highlight the brutality of exploitation and the need for systemic reforms.

• Bonded labour emerges from a web of interconnected factors, including immediate triggers like medical emergencies, religious ceremonies, dowries, food shortages, or sudden job loss.

• The government’s plan to release and rehabilitate 1.84 crore bonded labourers across India was announced in 2016, but only 12,760 have been rescued and rehabilitated, leaving approximately 1.71 crore still trapped.

• The International Labour Organisation’s India Employment Report 2024 states that low-quality jobs in the informal sector and informal employment are the dominant forms of work in India.

• Unorganised workers, predominantly migrants in India’s informal sector, lack unionisation, depriving them of collective bargaining power.

• The Labour Codes of 2019-20 have undermined Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s legacy, eroding workers’ rights and prioritising profit over people.

• Indian industries thrive on the exploitation of forced labour, a blatant betrayal of India’s workers.