17 bonded labourers rescued from two brick kilns in Namakkal district

COIMBATORE: A total of 17 bonded labourers, mainly children below the age of 18, were rescued from two brick kilns in Namakkal district. The rescued people, belonging to five families, had been held captive as bonded labourers at the brick kilns run by two brothers, identified as P Rajashekaran and P Karupannan, in the foothills of Kollimalai.

They were also used for farm work and cattle rearing near the brick kilns.Most of them had been forced into bonded labour for more than two years for non-payment of loans ranging between Rs 8,000 and Rs 60,000 received from the owners of the brick kilns. A couple of them were sent from a brick kiln in another district.P Jai Edilbert, programme director, SHED INDIA (an NGO), said the labourers belonged to the irula tribal community from Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai and Krishnagiri districts.

The rescued included 10 children, one newborn and seven adults.The rescue operation was led by the revenue divisional officer along with the members of SHED INDIA. A special team was formed that inspected the site based on a tip-off by a previously released survivor. Following the rescue operation on Wednesday, the labourers were taken for a health check-up. Release certificates were issued on Thursday. They were reunited with their families on Friday morning.

Edilbert said, “These labourers had been in captivity for at least two years, with some families having experienced three generations of bonded labour. One case involved an 18-year-old girl from the same family who was pregnant with her second child. The revenue divisional officer rescued her and admitted her to Namakkal Government Hospital, where she gave birth on Thursday morning.”He said, “These labourers had no identity and were monitored 24/7 through a 360-degree camera by the employer.

They were denied all basic facilities, including health care. There were no closed toilets, and all of their activities were monitored by the employers.”Though none of them revealed any physical abuse, further probe is on in this regard. According to sources, most of them have malnutrition. The rescued children will be monitored with the support of the district child welfare committee by referring them to rehabilitation.Police booked the owners of the brick kilns under sections 16, 17, and 18 of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 and Section 146 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and arrested them.