Five Decades On, Bonded Labour Still Exists: Judge Urges Coordinated Action

Nearly five decades after the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 was enacted, bonded labour remains a persistent social evil, said senior civil judge Srinivas Navale, who is also member-secretary of the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA). He was speaking on Thursday in Kalaburagi after inaugurating a one-day workshop on prevention of human trafficking and eradication of bonded labour.

The event also saw the unveiling of the flag of the Kalyana Karnataka Bonded Labour Liberation Federation and posters on child marriage prevention. Mr. Navale stressed that the government must prioritise ensuring every person's constitutional right to live with dignity. He called for the identification, liberation and rehabilitation of bonded labourers so they could lead dignified lives.

Citing the recent rescue of two persons from bonded labour in Sale Beeranahalli village in Chincholi taluk and instances of worker exploitation in Chamarajanagar, Mr. Navale noted that the Supreme Court has held that payment of wages below the minimum prescribed level can amount to bonded labour. He cautioned that the responsibility of preventing bonded labour and human trafficking does not rest solely with the Labour Department or the Women and Child Development Department. All government departments and non-governmental organisations must work together to identify and protect victims, he said.

Mr. Navale appealed to Panchayat Development Officers to create awareness at the grassroots level. He emphasised that officials should respond immediately to information from informants and voluntary organisations and ensure the rehabilitation of victims. He said administrative will and coordinated efforts are necessary to protect poor migrant workers from other States and to make Kalaburagi exploitation-free.

William Christopher, a member of the State-level high-powered committee and the Bonded Labour Rehabilitation Scheme, said Article 21 of the Constitution guarantees every citizen the fundamental right to live freely and with dignity. He argued that eradicating social evils such as bonded labour, child marriage, child labour and human trafficking is essential to ensure this right reaches the last person in society.

Drawing a parallel with the Jal Jeevan Mission, which aims to provide drinking water to households, Mr. Christopher said social security and livelihood support should reach exploited and vulnerable people. He urged that children who have dropped out of school should be brought back into education and provided with skill development and livelihood opportunities. Every exploited person should be rescued, rehabilitated and brought back into the mainstream, he added.

Mr. Christopher noted that the State government issued a notification in July 2024 to appoint officials tasked with regulating and eradicating bonded labour and creating awareness in the Kalyana Karnataka region. He called for collective efforts to build a model Karnataka free from child marriage, bonded labour and sexual exploitation.

The workshop was attended by Additional Superintendent of Police Mahesh Megannavar, Assistant Commissioner of Police Praveen Naik, District Child Welfare Committee chairman Vishwaradhya K. Itagi, Women and Child Development Department officer Shivasharanappa, District Labour Officer Halimani, and representatives of the District Child Protection Unit, Child Helpline and Margadarshi organisation, along with other NGOs.