According to Labour Welfare Minister CV Ganesan, 34,335 inspections have been carried out in the past few years. These led to the rescue and rehabilitation of 60 child labourers, 283 adults, and 120 bonded labourers.
Published Aug 21, 2025 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 21, 2025 | 9:00 AM
Rescued bonded labours.
Synopsis: Tamil Nadu has reinforced its fight against bonded labour, where hapless men, women and children are forced to toil in brick kilns, farmlands, and other sectors. Activists, however, feel it should be seen not just as a social issue, but as a human rights violation as well.
Murugan doesn’t remember the date — or the year — on which he lost his freedom in Independent India.
“It could be two — or maybe three — Deepavalis ago,” the 21-year-old man tried to recall, reminding one of Meursault, the protagonist in Albert Camus’ The Stranger. Yet Murugan, or the deprived like him, are no strangers to modern-day India.
Their invisible presence — or the result of their toil — is in most Indian homes, sweetening the chai or coffee as one may prefer. They work in sugarcane fields, devoid of any humane working conditions, and even the freedom to quit.
In March a year ago, a joint investigation by The New York Times and The Fuller Project exposed the underbelly of the sugarcane industry in Maharashtra. It revealed tales of bonded labour, child labour, and even child marriage being employed to sweeten dishes in Indian homes and the country’s food industry.
The evil is not confined to Maharashtra. It transcends that state’s borders and is present across the nation in various manifestations. Murugan of Tamil Nadu is one example.
According to the Global Slavery Index’s 2023 report, India had 11 million people living in modern slavery in 2021.
“We were brought to Madurai from Vandavasi in the Tiruvannamalai district after taking an advance of ₹30,000,” Murugan continued. “I don’t even remember the exact date or year on which we were brought here,” he said as his wife, Valarmathi, nodded in agreement.
Murugan and Valarmathi look old, though they are 21 and 20, respectively. A few years of hard labour in a sugarcane farm have sapped the youth out of them.
The couple recalled their days at the farm. The work started at 6:00 am, and they cut sugarcane until 7:00 pm every day. They were forced to make 200 bundles of 20 canes each a day. A shortage invited harsh verbal abuse.
Valarmathi said she was forced to work even after realising she was pregnant. Despite her condition, she was denied rest and medical care. The expectant mother toiled for 13 hours a day under the harsh sun.
After three years of struggle, on 29 January this year, district officials led by former Madurai Collector MS Sangeetha rescued the couple and 10 others from the farm.
Seven months later, in early August, Murugan and Valarmathi welcomed a baby girl into their life, a child born into freedom.
Of late, Tamil Nadu has made great strides in rescuing bonded labourers.
According to Labour Welfare Minister CV Ganesan, 34,335 inspections have been carried out in the past few years. These led to the rescue and rehabilitation of 60 child labourers, 283 adults, and 120 bonded labourers.
Information about bonded labourers reaches the government through multiple channels — district-level branches, NGOs, and most importantly, through District Vigilance Committees, which conduct regular inspections.
Once identified, rescued bonded labourers are placed in government shelters. A First Information Report (FIR) is filed against the perpetrators, and initial rehabilitation measures begin. Each rescued labourer is provided an immediate relief of ₹30,000 deposited directly into their bank account.
After conviction of the offenders, additional compensation is disbursed: ₹1 lakh for an adult male, ₹2 lakh for a woman, and ₹3 lakh for a child.
Further, in cases of trial still carrying on, if the District Administration has found prima facie proof of bondage, the proposal for cash assistance shall not be withheld for want of conviction. Any such immediate financial assistance will later be adjusted against the total rehabilitation package.
In addition to monetary relief, the government also provides skill-development training, medical assistance, housing facilities, and educational aid for rescued bonded labourers.
“We strictly enforce the Bonded Labour Abolition Act. From the District Collector down to the field-level officers, all departments coordinate closely. Once we receive information, we act quickly — identifying labourers, rescuing them, ensuring their rehabilitation, and filing FIRs,” a senior officer in the Labour Welfare Department said on the condition of anonymity.
“Vigilance Committees monitor follow-ups, and if the rescued persons are from another state, we arrange for their safe return. This is a continuous process,” he added.
K Krishnan, who has spent over two decades working on bonded labour rescue, agrees that vigilance committees have become more active.
“Government-led vigilance has improved in recent years. Immediate rescue efforts have increased, and rehabilitation measures are being intensified,” he noted.
Krishnan, however, highlighted a critical gap: justice for victims.
In Murugan and Valarmathi’s case, the landowners who trafficked them from Tiruvannamalai and forced them into bonded labour in Madurai were fined a mere ₹3,000 (₹300 per rescued worker) and sentenced to just 15 days in jail.
While the case was disposed of swiftly, Krishnan and other social workers argued that the punishment was disproportionately mild for such a grave violation of human rights.
“The problem,” Krishnan said, “is that many officials still see bonded labour as just a social issue, not a serious human rights violation. That’s why punishments are minimal. In India, more than 15 million people are still trapped in bonded labour, but only about one percent of cases result in convictions. The law defines bonded labour as a crime against humanity, yet at the enforcement level, it is treated like a welfare issue. That mindset leads to weak penalties.”
After the police register an FIR, these cases move to the regular judicial system, where they take years to conclude. By then, many rescued workers fall back into bondage, or their cases are forgotten.
Krishnan stressed the need for special courts. “Only through special courts can convictions be expedited, offenders punished, and rescued workers assured of justice,” he said.
The senior Labour Welfare Department officer said the conviction rates depended on the judiciary. “Our role is to rescue workers, initiate legal action, and secure their livelihood support. Once the case goes to court, the judicial process takes over,” he said in response to Krishnan’s concern.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
