The result of acute poverty and caste-based discrimination, bonded labour or debt bondage starts when a person accepts and gives in to slavery as security against a loan, or when they inherit a debt from someone in the family. Sometimes, the debt can be passed down the generations and children can be held in debt bondage because of a loan their parents had taken decades ago.
One such major case of bonded labour, resulting in child labour, came to light recently in Delhi. The SDM of Saraswati Vihar, North West Delhi, was quick to take action in the case and rescued over 27 children.
In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, the officer shared details regarding the same.
RECEIVING A TIP
The officer received a tip from an NGO called Sahyog Care For You, who told him about the industrial units in his subdivision that are engaging child labour in different works which may also be dangerous.
This was a violation of the Bonded Labor Abolition Act, 1976, and Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. The officer shared the information with DM North West and after receiving approval, he arranged a meeting with local police, officers of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), in charge of Sahyog NGO, and the labour officers.
“We shared all the micro details with them and once everyone was on board, we decided to infiltrate the units and look into the matter directly,” Mr. Chandrashekhar said.
THE RAID
The officer and his team found several children working in the factory during the raid. To verify their age, they were asked to present their Aadhar cards, but in a lot of cases, fake Aadhar cards cannot prove a child’s age. Therefore, all the children were rescued from the industries, and after their medical examination for age determination was done, 27 children were found to be minors.
“We brought them to our office and immediately got their medical and Covid tests done from our medical team. There were 24 boys and 3 girls who were minors and worked as bonded labourers in these firms. The CWC department did their procedure and the children were sent to shelter homes,” Mr Chandrashekhar told Indian Masterminds.
PATHETIC CONDITION OF THE CHILDREN
As the officer entered the units where the children were working, he shuddered at the sight of the pathetic living conditions.
All the children were living in a cramped-up space that had no toilets. They were defecating in the same place that they were living. The hygiene of the condition was so poor that children were also falling sick.
They were made to work for more than 12 hours a day and were just given Rs. 50 or Rs. 100 as wage. They worked in the factories where utensil polishes were manufactured. The fumes rising from the production unit are extremely hazardous and the children were passively smoking the fumes the entire day, thus affecting their throat and lungs.
“The children are at a tender age. The smoke and fumes are so hazardous to them that I believe one day’s work in that factory takes away a day from their life. They were having skin, lungs, throat, and eye problems. The chemicals in the fumes were harming their eyes, which could have also resulted in them getting blind within a few years. It was very necessary to rescue them from that place,” the officer shared.
REHABILITATION
Now that the children have been rescued from the units, they have been moved to a shelter home in Delhi, where they will be taken care of by the Child Welfare Committee. CWC will look after their rehabilitation and make sure that they live a life of peace and get proper education so that they don’t go back to the same profession again.
Moreover, a compensation of Rs. 30,000 is given to each child engaged in bonded labour, by the department, after a release certificate is issued to them.
On the other hand, a complaint was registered by the officer and his team, against the owners of the industrial units who were engaged in child labour, to the concerned police station. Appropriate action was taken by the local police, as per the law, against these factory owners.
