Rescued migrant labourers narrate their ordeal to RDO

An inquiry was conducted with 14 migrant youth engaged in borewell industry in Madurai to ascertain whether they were kept as bonded labourers. They were rescued over a month ago by a city-based non governmental organisation.

The Revenue Divisional Officer enquired about the plight of the migrant labourers who hailed from Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. Notices were served on the borewell rig owners and the inquiry report is awaited.

A first information report was registered against the borewell rig owners by the police.

It was hope at last for Hopna Murmu from Jharkhand and his associates as the owners finally paid their long-pending salary dues.

IDEAS, the NGO, rescued them after Hopna Murmu sent a video message via WhatsApp to his family members.

After the NGO came across the message and was informed of the plight of the youth, its representatives swung into action with the help of the police to rescue them.

“The youth were left stranded during the COVID-19 lockdown without food and shelter. They informed us that they were picked up from the interiors of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra and sent to Tamil Nadu for employment,” said advocate Sahaya Philomin Raj of IDEAS.

He said that if the inquiry established that the youth were held as bonded labourers, they would be entitled to compensation under Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act. At least 12 of them belong to Scheduled Tribe. So they will be entitled to compensation under the SC/ST Act also.

If the owners were guilty, they would face punishment for compelling the youth to work as bonded labourers. The youth belonged to poor families and their financial position was exploited. This was nothing short of human trafficking, he added.