9 children among 20 Adivasi migrants brought as bonded labour to Karnataka: Report

NEW DELHI: Nine children were among 20 migrants from Adivasi communities who were brought to Belagavi district in Karnataka as bonded labourers, a fact-finding report by four members of different civil liberty associations found.

According to the report, 20 labourers belonging to Adivasi communities of Madhya Pradesh were brought to Karnataka by independent contractors to work in the sugarcane fields of Belagavi.

The contractors gave the labourers an advance of Rs 20,000 per person, which they had to repay, and promised them higher wages and a return to their homes within three months.

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The labourers were paid only Rs 25 to Rs 30 daily by the farmers whose land they worked on and they did not receive any money from the contractors.

Moreover, after working for two-and-a-half months without pay, they enquired with their contractor about their wages, but were informed that they were under the debt of Rs 2 lakh and that they could leave only after clearing this debt, the report said.

“The workers stated that prior to being brought to Belagavi, the labourers were not informed of the rate of wages to be paid to them, details of repayment or information of interest accruing to the advance given to them,” the report said.

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According to the report, the labourers, including the nine children, were forced to work for 15 hours a day and made to live in tarpaulin shacks near the field.

The report also alleged that the district authorities who inspected the site reported that there was no child labour “on the grounds that the labourers were not physically restrained”.

“The Tehsildar of each taluk undertook spot enquiries with members of the labour and police departments and panchayat officials and gave reports that there was no bonded labour or child labour, on the grounds that the labourers were not physically restrained. On the basis of this, the Deputy Commissioner has issued a letter to the team stating that there was no forced labour or child labour,” the report said.

The fact-finding report was prepared by four members belonging to the People’s Union for Civil Liberties - Karnataka, All India Lawyers’ Association for Justice, and All India Students’ Association.