Freedom denied: Why workers in Pune are pushed into bonded labour

I work at the India Labourline centre located in Maharashtra’s Pune district. Operational in nine states, Labourline serves as a helpline number as well as a help centre for workers in the unorganised sector, offering them free legal aid and other forms of assistance.

We also visit labour nakas in the city where unorganised workers gather to look for work. Contractors or owners who need labourers at minimal wages take them to workplaces that are far from the nakas. Due to this reason, we hear many stories of bonded labourers. We try to raise awareness of labour laws and rights among the workers.

At these nakas, we also meet many bonded labourers whose cases have never been registered. Suresh,* one such labourer, says, “We would be beaten if we asked for our phones or said that we wanted to go back home. We were only able to return after escaping through the fields at night.”

The workers don’t report these incidents because they don’t know that a case can be registered.

One such case, that of Amit Patel,* came to us through Labourline. Amit, a resident of Baroda city in Gujarat, had been working as a cook at various places in Pune district for the past 22 years.

Tired of facing economic challenges due to lack of work, Amit went to a labour naka near Pune railway station and approached a contractor. The contractor promised him a job in a restaurant located 70 km from Pune for INR 1,000 per day.

But Amit didn’t receive his salary on time. When he complained, the owner confiscated his phone and subjected him to inhumane conditions. He wasn’t given food and kept under constant surveillance to prevent him from leaving. Amit told the owner that he wanted to return and demanded to be released as soon as possible, but the owner refused. During this time, Amit was forced to work through the day and was locked in a room with other labourers at night.

After some time, Amit got his mobile back and talked to one of his friends, who informed him about the Aajeevika Bureau India Labourline and gave him the help centre’s number.

Under the recently revised Central Sector Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labourer, we can enlist the help of the district magistrate (DM), the subdivisional magistrate (SDM), the tehsildar, or the police to free a bonded labourer. Once the DM or SDM issues a bonded labourer release certificate, the scheme enables them to restart their lives by offering them meaningful livelihoods and job security.

After receiving this information, we went to Amit’s hotel with a police officer. Despite this, the owner refused to release Amit. After he was informed of legal proceedings and warned by the police, he agreed to pay Amit INR 400 per day instead of the INR 1,000 per day that he had previously promised, and freed him.

The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act came into force in 1976. Since then, forced labour and modern slavery have been illegal in India. Nevertheless, such incidents happen to many labourers in the country and their complaints are not registered anywhere.

*Names changed to maintain confidentiality.

Akash Shivaji Tanpure works with Aajeevika Bureau, where he advocates for labour rights and the inclusion of migrant workers.

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Know more: Learn more about a day in the life of a former bonded labourer and community leader.

Do more: Connect with the author at tanpure.akash@gmail.com to learn more about and support his work.