BHUBANESWAR: The Jana Jagarana Dadan
Sangha (JJDS), an organisation fighting for the rights of bonded and migrant
labourers, on Monday here demanded the State Government to immediately
compensate and rehabilitate 239 bonded labourers of Balangir district according
to the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976.
The JJDS and its solidarity group
alleged that the State has violated the Act by not compensating and
rehabilitating the bonded labourers who had been rescued two years ago. “We
have rescued 239 bonded labourers including 120 women within three years from
Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, but the State Government didn’t pay
heed to their demands despite repeated request,” lamented JJDS president Bhakta
Bagh.
Bagh, who is also a bonded labourer,
said they have received release certificates from the district administrations of
the States where they had been working in the brick kilns. “They have completed
all the formalities to get the compensation, but the State is silent,” he
added.
JJDS and Solidarity Group member
Murali Das said the State is indirectly inspiring the poor people to become
bonded labourers by closing eyes on their demands to compensate and
rehabilitate the labourers according to the law. “If the State provides Rs
20,000 per a bonded labourer, land rights and employment security under the
MGNREGA, why they will go to brick kilns to get torture from the kiln owners,”
said Das.
When the State didn’t address their
issues, Das said, they approached the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)
finally which recently issued a notice to the Odisha Government and to the
Collectors of other three States to submit report within four weeks in this
regard.
The NHRC Camp Court would be held at
Bhubaneswar on October 15 and would continue for three days to hear the case.
A documentary film produced by the
Actionaid on a bonded labourer’s story was released here. The film showcased
the plight of a bonded labourer Hemsagar Tandi in brick kilns of other States.
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