Bonded labourers freed after 25 years in Karnataka

By Matters India Reporter

Bengaluru: A couple working as bonded laborers in Bangapete was released after 25 years.

Thanks to the persistent efforts of “Jeevika” (livelihood), a Bengaluru-based NGO that focuses on ending bonded labor in India.

In 2003, Jeevika organization identified the couple–Krishnappa (66) and Rukkamma (53) working as bonded laborers since 1995 at the farm of a landlord in Bangarapete, a town in Kolar district in southern India’s Karnataka state.

In the same year, two applications were submitted to the Deputy Commissioner of Kolar District to release the bonded laborers according to the Law of the Bonded Labour (Abolition) Act, 1976, and compensate and rehabilitate them immediately.

But, due to the negligence of government officials, the release did not happen over the years, Kiran Kamal Prasad, founder and chief secretary of Jeevika, told Matters India.

However, Jeevika repeatedly applied for the release of the two bonded laborers in 2005, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2016 and 2019 with regular monthly follow-ups with the officials after years of neglect by the authorities, added Prasad, a Catholic and noted anthropologist.

Jeevika drew the attention of the government by following all the officers of Kolar district and Bangarapete taluk and forced the authority to issue a release certificate.

“After so many years of a long fight, finally, Krishnappa and Rukkamma were freed on November 6 after 25 years of bondage and received Release Certificate from the government. Hence, the continuous effort of Jeevika succeeded,” said Kalavida Yallappa, Jeevika’s organizational coordinator.

The bonded labor is known as the services of people who were pledged to lenders until the repayment of their debt or borrowing. In general, bonded laborers have hardly any access to justice, education and employment

Since 1987, Jeevika has been working to eradicate the exploitative practice of bonded labor–all forms of both traditional and modern slavery in Karnataka. Its key approach has been to identify, free and rehabilitate them.

It primarily works with bonded laborers who are mostly Dalits and Moolnivasis.

Jeevika’s struggle against the bonded labor system is a fight against the unjust and unequal caste system. It believes education and community organization to be key in allowing people to stand free. That enables to change in government policies and make it respond to instances of bonded labor.

So far, Jeevika has helped free over 35,000 bonded laborers, out of whom 10,000 received rehabilitation grants from the government.