Relevance: GS Paper 2 (Social Justice) & GS Paper 3 (Economy – Labour)

Source: The Hindu 

1. Context: A Cycle of Debt and Poverty

Recently, many tribal families from Odisha were rescued after being trapped for years in brick kilns. However, experts say that just “rescuing” them is not enough. Without money and local jobs, these families often fall back into the same trap. 

• Global Slavery Index (GSI) 2023: Estimates that on any given day, there are approximately 11 million (1.1 crore) people living in modern slavery in India—the highest absolute number in the world.
• Freedom becomes “temporary relief” until they are forced to migrate and become slaves again.

2. What is Bonded Labour?

Bonded labour is a modern form of slavery. It is not just about hard work; it is about losing your freedom because of a small loan.

• The Trap: A poor family takes a small cash advance for a medical emergency or a wedding.
• The Misery: To pay it back, the whole family is forced to work 15 hours a day in terrible conditions (like brick kilns).
• The Control: Owners often take away their Aadhaar cards or keep one family member as a “hostage” to stop others from leaving. This is called “Hostage Capitalism.”

3. The Law: Your Rights on Paper

India has very strong laws to protect the poor, though they are often not followed strictly on the ground.

• Article 23: A Fundamental Right in our Constitution that strictly bans forced labour and human trafficking.
• The 1976 Act: The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act officially made this practice a crime and cancelled all such debts. (This law turns 50 in 2026).
• Government Help: Rescued workers are entitled to financial aid:
  • ₹1 Lakh for men.
  • ₹2 Lakh for women.
  • ₹3 Lakh for children or severe cases of abuse.
  • ₹30,000 as immediate cash help at the rescue spot.
• The 2030 Goal: The Indian government set a target to rehabilitate 1.84 crore (18.4 million) bonded labourers by 2030.

4. Why Does it Still Happen?

• Social Composition: According to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), over 83% of rescued workers belong to Scheduled Castes (SC) or Scheduled Tribes (ST), highlighting the link between caste and exploitation.
• Lack of Jobs: If schemes like MGNREGS (rural jobs) fail in home states like Bihar or Odisha, families have no choice but to move to risky places.
• Paperwork (Red Tape): Many rescued workers don’t get their money because of bank account issues or language gaps between the state where they were found and their home state.
• State Denial: Sometimes, states where factories are located refuse to admit that “bonded labour” exists there, making it hard to save the victims.

5. Way Forward: How to Break the Chains?

To end bonded labour, we need more than just laws; we need a “Mission Mode” approach.

• Unified National Digital Portal: Just like we track missing children, we need a central portal to track every rescued worker. This ensures their compensation money reaches their bank account instantly, even if they move states.
• Automatic Rehabilitation: The moment a worker is rescued, the “Release Certificate” and the first cash help (₹30,000) should be given automatically without waiting for a long inquiry.
• Economic Safety Nets: States like Odisha and Bihar must ensure that MGNREGS (rural jobs) works effectively in “high-risk” districts. If a family has a job at home, they won’t be forced to take a loan from a cruel contractor.
• Strict Punishment: We must stop letting kiln owners off the hook. The police must focus on arresting the exploiters rather than just “recovering” the workers.
• Skill Development: Post-rescue, survivors should be linked to the Skill India Mission to learn new trades, ensuring they never have to return to a brick kiln out of desperation.

UPSC Value Box

Why this matters for Governance:

• Generational Loss: When children are trapped in labour, they lose their education, which keeps the country poor.
• Digital Solution: The Supreme Court has suggested a National Digital Portal to track victims and ensure their money reaches them instantly.

The Key Lesson: Saving a worker from bonded labour is only 50% of the work. The other 50% is giving them a job and a home in their village so they never have to leave in desperation again.

Summary

The 1976 Act made bonded labour illegal, but the practice still hides in our brick kilns and factories. Rescue is just the beginning. True freedom only comes when a survivor gets their compensation money on time and finds a stable job at home.

One Line Wrap: Freedom is not just being out of a cage; it is having the means to never go back.

Q. “The abolition of bonded labour in India is hampered less by the lack of laws and more by the failure of post-rescue support.” Discuss. (10 Marks, 150 Words)

Model Hints

• Introduction: Mention Article 23 and the 1976 Act which ban forced labour.
• Body:
  • Explain that physical rescue is useless if the victim is still hungry and jobless.
  • Mention the delay in rehabilitation money (₹1-3 Lakh) and the failure of MGNREGS.
  • Talk about the need for a Central Digital Portal to stop victims from getting “lost” in the system.
• Conclusion: Conclude that “Economic Security” is the only way to ensure “Permanent Freedom.”