The 10-minute documentary has been made by the Karnataka Rural Development Panchayat Raj Department along with International Justice Mission.
Screenshot
February 9, 2021 marked 45 years since the Indian Parliament enacted The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act. However, the inhuman system of exploitation is not yet a relic of the past in India. A short documentary made by the Karnataka Rural Development Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Department in partnership with International Justice Mission (IJM), an NGO that works against bonded labour and other forms of violent oppression, released on Tuesday, shows the ordeal of people who were once trapped in bondage. The documentary sheds light on the brutal conditions in which these people work – long working hours, no pay, physical and mental abuse, and severe constraints on freedom of movement, access to basic necessities such as food, water and medicine. Featuring interviews of people who were once bonded labourers, the documentary has them recount ordeals of slavery and exploitation which trapped them from a few years to decades. It also highlights how caste intersects with bonded labour, as many of those rescued are from Scheduled Caste communities, and find themselves trapped in debt that spurs bondage that is passed down from one generation to another. Their situation also renders them entirely at the mercy of the owner, compelled to do more than the work they signed up for. Annapoorna, who was formerly a Bitti Chakra labourer for eight years, says, “We have to do whatever they ask us to do. If they ask us to clean the floor, we have to clean. If they ask us to wash clothes, we need to wash. If they ask us to clean the pots, we have to.” She adds, “Nobody would do this dirty work except people belonging to the scheduled caste.” Bitti Chakri implies ‘free work’ without remuneration, and is passed through generations based on traditional caste obligations. Another couple – Rajappa and Munilakshmyamma – recount that they had just borrowed Rs 500 for which they were kept in bondage for 24 years at a rock quarry. Further, many things could be products of bonded labour that we do not know of. Calling bonded labour an organised crime, M Prathima, the head of Strategic Management at IJM, says, “We may be inadvertently supporting products made by bonded labourers. For example, it may be the bricks used in our buildings, products we use in everyday lives such as silk sarees, garments, or our shoes, bags, and even the incense sticks we offer to god, or maybe even our favourite snack, panipuri. Bonded labour is all around us and yet hidden in plain sight.” It is often linked to human trafficking, unsafe migration and criminal networks. Watch the documentary here. Releasing the documentary, the RDPR Department and the Department of Social Welfare jointly organised a rehabilitation camp on February 9, 2021 for released bonded labourers and manual scavengers in 24 districts of Karnataka. Survivors were made aware of the various state schemes they are eligible for, and given the option to register for them. Further, Minister of RDPR KS Eshwarappa met and interacted with released bonded labourers on February 5, 2021 to understand their issues during bondage and after their release.
from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2Z2f0ST
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment