CURRENT
NEWS - July 10, 2008
15
Bonded Laborers liberated from a stone quarry
Sl.No. |
Name |
Age |
Gender |
1 |
Mr.Kanniappan |
45 |
Male |
2 |
Mrs.Dhanapakkiam |
35 |
Female |
3 |
Mr.Sekar
|
15 |
Male |
4 |
Mr.Sankar |
25 |
Male |
5 |
Mrs.Jothi
|
20 |
Female |
6 |
Mr.Moorthy
|
24 |
Male |
7 |
Mrs.Usha |
22 |
Female |
8 |
Mr.Palayam |
45 |
Male |
9 |
Mrs.Rani |
42 |
Female |
10 |
Mr.Pandian |
18 |
Male |
11 |
Mr.Karthick |
17 |
Male |
12 |
Mr.Mani |
46 |
Male |
13 |
Mr.Kasthuri |
43 |
Female |
14 |
Mr.Murugesan |
15 |
Male |
15 |
Mrs.Mariammal |
12 |
Female |
The
above are all Irula tribal bonded slave workers at a stone quarry in
a village called Kunnavakkam in Kanchipuram district, Tamil Nadu State,
South India. These were slave bonded workers for over 30 years in the
same place, under the same master, along with many more slave workers
like them. SAM identified the above workers and forced the District
Administration to act and set them free on the 7th July, 2008.
Globalization
Thanks
to Globalization, there is a flurry of building activity, of roads,
bridges and sky scraper buildings all over Chennai city and suburbs.
And this construction work needs broken granite pieces called blue metal,
in large quantities. Kanchipuram district, being closest to the Chennai
city, has hundreds of stone quarries, all employing illiterate tribals
and migrants from other districts at most unjust and exploitative wages
and work conditions.
Kunnavakkam
Kunnavakkam,
30 kms from Kanchipuram town, is one of the villages with many stone
quarries and bonded labourers. In a large quarry owned by one Mr Krishnamurthy
here, we discovered in June 2008, 16 families of Irula tribals working
in complete bonded conditions, that is,
• they had been trapped with an advance loan payment of 15,000
rupees per family, a couple of years ago. This is a trap because the
workers were preempted by this loan to demand more wages. Wages were
so low (Rupees 200 per week per family of 4-5 persons) that they can
never repay the advance loan, and so will be forced to work in the same
conditions, almost forever;
• they were given small thatched huts within the quarry so that
they are available all 24 hours and all days of the week;
• they were not permitted to go out of the quarry, even for some
important family functions or festivals;
• their children were not allowed to go to schools.
SAM
and NAAM
We
at SAM joined hands with another NGO called NAAM and together formed
a team and met the District Collector and then the RDO on the 1st and
2nd of July 2008 and gave all the information which we had gathered
about the bonded labour at Kunnavakkam village. The RDO (Revenue Divisional
Officer) responsible for setting free the bonded workers, was not prepared
to believe what we said, but wanted to go to Kunnavakkam village and
verify personally.
When
he went the next day, there were no bonded workers. All of them had
been removed by Krishnamurthy, the quarry owner, as he had received
prior information about the inspection by govt. officials.
But
somehow, we found the whereabouts of the bonded workers and discreetly
took them to the District Collector. The workers narrated to him all
their sad conditions in the full glare of the media. Now, the Collector
had no escape but to order the RDO to arrange the release of the bonded
workers and provide them alternative work and residential plots.
Certificates
issued
All
the liberated people were given certificates according to the Bonded
Laborers Act 1976, on 7th July 2008. SAM provided them all the essential
needs till then. They were given 1000 rupees each immediately to buy
provisions by the RDO. They were promised that the Government would
give the balance due of 19000 rupees later.
Seminar
for the Tribals
On
17th July 2008, the freed workers were given a chance to meet other
groups of tribals and interact with them. Sivaperuman, our lawyer spoke
to them on the Bonded Labor Act. All these created much confidence in
the people.
Now,
all the 16 families of bonded workers have also been freed. It is left
to us now to fight with the govt. and get the Rs 20,000, the rehabilitation
amount. It is an uphill task.
Follow
up Action
