The plight of bonded labourers

Did you know that worldwide there are some 36 million people living their life as bonded labourers? What is shameful is that of this, almost 50%, around 16 million bonded labourers are in India.  If this does make one hang their heads in shame, what will?

Most of these labourers come from impoverished homes and they are lured with the prospect of a good job or marriage, only to be sold off like a commodity into domestic work, prostitution, to work in brick kilns or textile industries. Almost all of these are never paid.

What is even more painful to learn is that these rescued bonded labourers are paid an immediate patlry sum of Rs.2000 and are then promised a one-time pay of Rs,20,000 to start their life. Sadly, the process of getting this Rs.20,000 takes around 2 years and by then, the person is as such on his new road to life, with or without the money. Rs,20,000 in today’s time, that too for beginning life afresh is really a big joke.

Thankfully, the Govt seems to have taken notice and is looking at increasing this to Rs.1,00,000. This is a good amount but once again the challenge is that it should go the rescued labourer as soon as possible, not after two-three years. This is one social scheme which the Govt should lay more emphasis on. Why can’t India take the lead in being the first country to remove bonded labourers from the country? We could do that to polio, so why not this?