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PVCHR takes up cause of bonded labourers
MORE THAN half a dozen members of the Musahar community are reportedly confined in a brick-kiln and working as bounded labourers under the pressure of its owners in Amauli village, under Chaubepur police station, in Varanasi.
MORE THAN half a dozen members of the Musahar community are reportedly confined in a brick-kiln and working as bounded labourers under the pressure of its owners in Amauli village, under Chaubepur police station, in Varanasi.
A human rights organisation, People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) has come forward to ensure safe release of these labourers.
While taking to mediapersons here on Wednesday, PVCHR convenor Dr Lenin demanded from the district administration to conduct a raid at the brick-kiln in Amauli village.
Dr Lenin, also member of the District Bonded Vigilance Committee, said the matter came to his knowledge when three labourers escaped from the brick-kiln and approached him in this regard on February 19.
Those three labourers were Sittalu, Suresh and Jagdish. However, Jagdish returned to the brick-kiln, as his relatives were still under the custody of its owner. Dr Lenin said he had sent a fax to the district magistrate, the Human Rights Commission and special secretary of home affairs on February 19. The Chaubepur police conducted a raid at the brick-kiln and arrested two bonded labourers, Sachidanand and Chotelal, on February 19.
He alleged that the policemen brought these labourers to the police station and released them after forcing them to pay Rs 1,200 to the brick-kiln owners.
“Since it is a matter of bonded labour, officers of SDM rank are authorised to conduct raids,” he said, adding that 9 persons were still working as bonded labourers in the brick-kiln.Dr Lenin added that if the district administration did not give a positive response in this connection, he would approach the Asian Human Rights Commission.
Sittalu and Chote complained that brick-kiln owners Sawry Yadav, Namuna Yadav and Namvar Yadav did not give them the minimum fixed payment and compelled them to work on their own conditions.
