By Matters India Reporter
Bhubaneswar, July 15, 2024: A family in Odisha now thanks a Catholic nun for rescuing them from bonded labor in the southern Indian state of state.
“I can finally breathe freely. I thank Sister Sujata profusely,” says Deepthi Singh, who was held in bondage along with her husband in a brick kiln in Karnataka state’s Mallur district.
The 22-year-old pregnant woman told Matters India July 17 that they had spent “countless nights crying out for help, feeling bitter about my circumstances and even blaming my parents.”
Sister Sujata Jena’s initiative has helped Deepti, her husband, father, mother and stepmother to return to Gandhinagar, their village in Odisha’s Gajapati district, on July 11 after toiling in the Karnataka brick kiln for a total of nine years.
Sister Jena, a lawyer and a member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, said she heard about the family on July 3 during her visit to villages in Gajapati district to conduct awareness programs for migrant workers.
One of the participants of an awareness program was Deepti’s mother Subasini Singh, who told the nun how her family – husband, daughter, son in law and another member – was held in bondage in Karnataka.
On her return to Bhubaneswar, Odisha capital, five days later, Sister Jeana appealed to the Labour Commissioner of Karnataka to get the family released from the illegal bondage.
“The family’s rescue highlights the demeaning conditions of migrant laborers in India,” Sister Jena, who has worked among migrants for more than five years, told Matters India.
The bonded labour system was abolished throughout India from October 25, 1975, under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976. It freed generations of labourers held in bondage. Although the law made the practice a cognizable offence punishable by law, many are still held as bonded laborers in various parts of the country, laments Sister Jena.
At the awareness program, Subasini told the nun that some agents had lured her and her husband to work in the Karnataka factory six years ago.
When her father-in-law died, the brick kiln manager denied their request to return home. “So, Deepthi and her husband were coerced into taking their place to repay a debt of 140,000 rupees,” Sister Jena said.
Subasini also told the nun that her family worked from 6:30 am to 6 pm without weekly off. Initially, the entire family was paid 3,000 rupees a week. The manager restricted pregnant Deepthi from moving from the factory.
Desperate to save her daughter and son in law, Subasini pleaded Sister Jena for help. The nun, with the support of the Vatican’s Migrants Dicastery, appealed to the Labour Commissioner of Karnataka. Sister Jena’s efforts caught the attention of Shabhana Ajmi, the Mallur District Labour Officer, who intervened and rescued the family.
The labour department provided the family with tickets and 2,000 rupees for their journey home. “If Sister Jena hadn’t appealed on our behalf, my daughter would never have been released and we could have remained as bonded laborers forever,” the mother said.
She also said they had sought help from many, but none knew how to free them.
When Sister Jena initially contacted Manjunath, the factory manager for the family’s release, he demanded 300,000 rupees. Sister Jena refused and persisted with the state labor department until the family was liberated.
Sister Jena said the manager threatened her when she spoke about recovering the family’s wages. “Every day the owner calls them to go back to work,” she said and added that she suspects that even the labour department is frightened of the company.
The nun says she hopes to receive the labor department’s support to recover the overdue wages for the family.
Suhasini expressed relief that they are liberated from the chains of slavery finally. “My heart ached endlessly for my daughter, especially knowing she was pregnant and yearning for freedom from this relentless hardship. I searched tirelessly for help, but it was Sister Sujata who became our savior.”
Deepti said with relief, “Now, as I await the birth of my child, I am filled with relief knowing that we are out of that agonizing ordeal.”
Working with bonded laborers, trafficked persons, and substance abusers is inherently risky. Priests and religious figures who engage in this work require immense courage and unwavering support from their congregations.
I commend Sr. Sujata for the swift rescue of the bonded laborer family. This is a significant achievement. Securing a certificate of release for them would be a crucial next step. While the district department may offer excuses for its shortcomings, persistent pressure on this matter is essential to achieve the desired outcome. Best wishes to Sr. Sujata.
Very encouraging move by Sr.Sujata Jena.God bless you sr for your competency. You hv done such a marvellous job by getting these people out of these inhuman nd cruel persons only pressing upon these bonded labourers.It is not easy to take this difficult task on you but with God’s Grace you hv achieved so much for these helpless people of Odisha.
Thank you Sister Sujata for this rescue. By law the family is entitled to a certificate issued by the state government saying they are released bonded labour. They are also entitled to some rehabilitation by the state government and of course to their unpaid wages. Please persist and get them these entitlements.
Bonded labour is prohibited in India by law vide Articles 21 and 23 of the Constitution. A specific law to prohibit the practice was legislated only in 1976 known as the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act. It freed unilaterally all the bonded labourers from bondage with simultaneous liquidation of their debts. It made the practice of bondage a cognizable offence punishable by law.
Debt bondage, also known as debt slavery, bonded labour, or peonage, is the pledge of a person’s services as security for the repayment for a debt or other obligation. The person is then tricked or trapped into working for very little or no pay.
As per the Bonded Labour Rehabilitation Scheme which was modified in January 2022 and came into effect from 27.01.2022 as “Central Sector Scheme’ for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labourer – 2021”, a labourer released from Bonded Labour is entitled to the following benefits (Source: Government of India – Ministry of Labour & Employment website):
1. Financial assistance for rehabilitation of a rescued bonded labourer is Rs. One lakh per adult male beneficiary, Rs. two lakh for special category beneficiaries such as children including orphans or those rescued from organized & forced begging rings or other forms of forced child labour, and women and Rs. three lakh in cases of bonded or forced labour involving extreme cases of deprivation or marginalization such as trans-genders, or women or children rescued from ostensible sexual exploitation such as brothels, massage parlours, placement agencies etc., or trafficking, or in cases of differently-abled persons, or in situations where the District Magistrate deems fit.
2. The State Governments are not required to pay any matching contribution for the purpose of cash rehabilitation assistance.
3. The Scheme provides for financial assistance of Rs. 4.50 lakh per district for conducting survey of bonded labourers once in every three years for sensitive district, Rs. 1.50 lakh for evaluatory studies (maximum of five evaluatory studies per year) and Rs. 10 lakh per annum for awareness generation per State.
4. The release of rehabilitation assistance is linked with conviction of the accused. However, immediate cash assistance up to Rs. 30,000/- may be provided to the rescued bonded labour by the District Administration irrespective of the status of conviction proceedings. Further, in case, where the trial has not been concluded, but the District Administration has arrived at a prima-facie finding and proof of bondage, then the proposal for cash assistance shall not be stopped for want of details of conviction. Any such immediate financial assistance shall be deducted from the rehabilitation assistance amount. However, final disbursement of cash assistance and non-cash assistance shall be made upon proof of bondage and other legal consequences as per judicial process.
5. The above benefits are in addition to other cash or non-cash benefits provided by the States.
Sister Sujata Jena may correct me on the above information.
Continue the good work Sr.
May God strengthen u in all your endeavours.
Commendable job sister, no words to express, today’s church needs people like you, militant missionaries of our Militant Lord
Congratulations to sister Sujata Jena for using the firepower of her legal expertise to release Deepti, her husband and their family from bonded labour. It was a great achievement on her part to tap the right contacts and get them released from far away Karnataka. However, it will be a great miracle if the family gets their outstanding wages. That will be a big bonus.
Really touching story! Kudos to Sr. Jena and best wishes to the rescued family