14K bonded labour cases from 1993 to Jan 31 2017: NHRC
Over 14,000 cases of bonded labour have been received since 1993 to January 31, 2017, out of which 13,266 were disposed of, NHRC has reported. It would be wrong to think bonded labour is a thing of past, as it can be found even today in not only agriculture but also in other sectors, said NHRC Chairperson HL Dattu.
New Delhi, Feb 14 (PTI) NHRC has received over 14,600 cases of bonded labour since its inception and this "anathema of civilised humanity" still persists in many sectors, chairperson Justice (retd) H L Dattu today said. He was addressing a gathering on the inauguration of a two-day National Seminar on Bonded Labour hosted by the National Human Right Commission at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library here. "Bonded labour is one of the worst violations of human rights and also the dignity of life. It is a crime against humanity, anathema of civilised humanity, denial of inalienable human rights, antithesis of decent work and a blot on civilised society that jolts the conscience of the entire nation," he said. The rights panel chief also shared the number of complaints on bonded labour received by NHRC since 1993 and said it was "alarming". "From its inception till January 31 this year, 14,614 cases have been received by us, out of which 13,266 have been disposed of." Maximum violation cases were reported from Odisha (9,983) out of which 9,899 have been disposed of, according to a report released by the NHRC. The Commission has recommended compensation in cases of bonded labour and also amendments to several provisions in Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, Dattu said. "In order to monitor the compliance of recommendations on bonded labour, the Commission has also devised a detailed reporting questionnaire format and sent it to all the states/union territories. So far, the Commission has not received information from 12 states and 6 union territories," he added. The NHRC chairperson also said it would be wrong to think that bonded labour is a thing of past, as it can be found even today in not only agriculture but also in other sectors of employment including brick kilns, stone quarries, salt fields, lather manufacturing units and so on. "As long as there is poverty, unemployment, underemployment, landlessness, migration, indebtedness, the pernicious bonded labour system will continue," he lamented. 