{"id":164083,"date":"2025-05-01T19:33:08","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T14:03:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=current-affairs&p=164083"},"modified":"2025-05-01T19:33:08","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T14:03:08","slug":"bonded-labour-in-india","status":"publish","type":"current-affairs","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/bonded-labour-in-india","title":{"rendered":"Bonded Labour in India"},"content":{"rendered":"

On May 1, as the<\/span> world commemorates International Labour Day <\/b>to honour the dignity of work and workers\u2019 rights, the stories of millions in India trapped in bonded labour cast a dark shadow.<\/span><\/p>\n

About Bonded Labour<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
    \n
  • Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976: <\/b>It defines bonded labour as forced work by a debtor (or their family) for a creditor due to a loan, social obligation, or hereditary debt, often without wages or for nominal pay, either for a fixed or indefinite period.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • National Commission on Labour: <\/b>The term \u2018bonded labour\u2019 has been defined as \u201c<\/span>labour which remains in bondage for a specific period for the debt incurred\u201d.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    <\/p>\n\n\n\n
    \n

    International Labour Day 2025 (May Day)<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
      \n
    • Celebrated every year on <\/span>May 1<\/b>.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • Origin and Historical Background<\/b><\/span>\n
        \n
      • Roots in the <\/span>19th-century global labour movement<\/b>.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • Workers fought for <\/span>fair wages, safer work conditions, and shorter working hours<\/b>.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • The <\/span>first Labour Day parade<\/b> was held in <\/span>New York City in 1882<\/b> by the Central Labour Union, which became a turning point for global recognition of workers\u2019 rights.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
      • Labour Day in India<\/b><\/span>\n
          \n
        • Known as <\/span>Kamgar Divas, Kamgar Din, or Antrarashtriya Shramik Divas<\/b>.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • First celebrated on <\/span>May 1, 1923, in Chennai<\/b> under the leadership of <\/span>Malayapuram Singaravelu Chettiar<\/b>, a prominent communist leader.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • Chettiar petitioned the government to officially recognise <\/span>May 1 as a national holiday.<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

          <\/div>\n

          Scale of the Problem<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
            \n
          • Global Slavery Index 2023: <\/b>Among the <\/span>G20 nations, India<\/b> tops the list with <\/span>11 million people<\/b> working as forced labourers, followed by <\/span>China, Russia, Indonesia, Turkey and the U.S.<\/b>\n
              \n
            • 50 million people<\/b> are estimated to be living in conditions of modern slavery, marking a <\/span>25% rise over the last five years.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
            • India aims to <\/span>eliminate bonded labour by 2030<\/b>, in line with <\/span>SDG Target 8.7<\/b>.<\/span>\n
                \n
              • To meet the 2030 target of eradicating bonded labour, around <\/span>11 lakh<\/b> individuals would need to have been rescued annually since 2021.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                Types of Bonded Labour in India<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
                  \n
                • Debt-based Bonded Labour (Debt Bondage): <\/b>When a person or their <\/span>family works to repay a loan or advance<\/b> given by the employer or landlord, often for an indefinite period.<\/span><\/li>\n
                • Caste-based or Customary Bonded Labour<\/b>: When a person is forced to work because of their <\/span>caste or social status,<\/b> irrespective of loans.<\/span>\n
                    \n
                  • Known systems\/customs<\/b>: Adiyamar, Baramasia, Bhagela, Cherumar, GarruGalu, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                  • Hereditary Bonded Labour: <\/b>When bonded status <\/span>passes from parent to child <\/b>due to non-repayment of ancestral debts.<\/span><\/li>\n
                  • Forced Labour without Debt (Coercion-based Bondage): <\/b>Labour extracted using <\/span>physical force, threats<\/b>, or restrictions on movement, without debt or advance.<\/span><\/li>\n
                  • Sexual Exploitation-linked Bondage:<\/b> Women and children forced into <\/span>prostitution or sexual work<\/b> under bonded conditions.<\/span><\/li>\n
                  • Child Bonded Labour: <\/b>Children trapped in bonded situations due to <\/span>family debts or trafficking.<\/b>\n
                      \n
                    • Sectors<\/b>: Brick kilns, carpet weaving, zari work, domestic work, begging rings.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                      Constitutional Provisions on Bonded Labour<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
                        \n
                      • Fundamental Rights<\/b>\n
                          \n
                        • Article 21: Right to Life and Personal Liberty<\/b>\n
                            \n
                          • Ensures the <\/span>right to live with dignity<\/b>.<\/span><\/li>\n
                          • Any system like bonded labour that deprives a person of dignity violates Article 21.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                          • Article 23: Prohibition of Traffic in Human Beings and Forced Labour<\/b>\n
                              \n
                            • Explicitly prohibits <\/span>Human trafficking, Begar<\/b> (forced unpaid labour) and <\/span>Other forms of forced labour<\/b>, including bonded labour.<\/span><\/li>\n
                            • Violation is an offence punishable under law.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                            • Article 24: Prohibition of Employment of Children in Hazardous Jobs<\/b>\n
                                \n
                              • Prohibits employment of children below 14 years in factories, mines, or hazardous occupations.<\/span><\/li>\n
                              • Important for addressing <\/span>bonded child labour<\/b>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                              • Directive Principles of State Policy<\/b>\n
                                  \n
                                • Article 39: <\/b>Directs the state to secure <\/span>the right to adequate means of livelihood for all citizens<\/b>.<\/span>\n
                                    \n
                                  • Indirectly linked to preventing economic compulsion that leads to bonded labour.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                  • Article 42: <\/b>Ensures <\/span>just and humane conditions of work<\/b> and maternity relief.<\/span>\n
                                      \n
                                    • Calls on the state to create labour conditions that rule out exploitative practices.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                    • Article 43: <\/b>Directs the state to secure <\/span>Living wage, Decent standard of life and Social and cultural opportunities<\/b> for workers.<\/span><\/li>\n
                                    • Article 46: <\/b>Promotes <\/span>educational and economic interests of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and other weaker sections<\/b>.<\/span>\n
                                        \n
                                      • Helps address the social roots of bonded labour among marginalized groups.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                        Causes of Bonded Labour in India<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
                                          \n
                                        • Economic Causes<\/b>\n
                                            \n
                                          • Poverty: <\/b>Millions of bonded labourers in <\/span>South Asia<\/b>, including India, come from the poorest sections.\u00a0<\/span>\n
                                              \n
                                            • Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, religious minorities, and migrants.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                            • Indebtedness:<\/b> Debt typically starts with small loans or salary advances for <\/span>medical bills, weddings, or religious ceremonies<\/b>, which spiral into larger debts and lifelong bondage .<\/span>\n
                                                \n
                                              • Advances taken from landlords or labour contractors <\/span>bind the entire family<\/b> over time.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                              • Unemployment and underemployment:<\/b> Lack of local employment pushes workers into exploitative arrangements, especially in rural areas like brick kilns, stone quarries, and mining .<\/span>\n
                                                  \n
                                                • ILO <\/span>India Employment Report 2024 <\/b>states approximately<\/span> 90 percent of workers<\/b> are <\/span>informally employed<\/b> with no social security.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                                • Lack of access to formal credit:<\/b> The interlinking of credit and labour markets forces the poor to rely on informal creditors, worsening over-indebtedness and exploitation .<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                                • Social Causes<\/b>\n
                                                    \n
                                                  • Caste system and social hierarchy:<\/b> Bonded labour is concentrated among lower castes and marginalized groups, historically compelled into forced work (e.g., Dalits and Adivasis in agriculture, stone quarries) .<\/span>\n
                                                      \n
                                                    • 80%<\/b> of rescued bonded labourers are SC\/STs<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                                    • Customary obligations and social traditions:<\/b> Customs like Adiyamar, Jeetha, Kamiya, etc., enforce hereditary bondage, often passed across generations .<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                    • Illiteracy and lack of awareness:<\/b> Poor awareness about minimum wages, labour rights, and abolition laws (1976 Act) allows employers to exploit workers .<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                                    • Systemic and Structural Causes<\/b>\n
                                                        \n
                                                      • Ineffective implementation of laws:<\/b> Despite the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, highlight poor ground-level implementation and lack of proactive state action .<\/span>\n
                                                          \n
                                                        • Only 12,760 bonded labourers were rescued (2016\u20132021) out of an estimated 1.84 crore.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                                        • Corruption and lack of accountability:<\/b> NHRC reports suggest that local enforcement authorities often neglect or cover up cases; vigilance committees are weak or nonfunctional.<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                        • Migration and lack of social protection:<\/b> Migrant workers are highly vulnerable, often recruited through contractors with deceptive promises, especially in brick kilns and construction sectors .<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                                        • Employer-Driven Causes<\/b>\n
                                                            \n
                                                          • Labour shortages and demand for cheap labour:<\/b> Employers in mining, brick kilns, and agriculture recruit bonded workers to ensure cheap and reliable labour supply .<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                          • Control over land and resources<\/b>: Landlords provide loans during crises, tying entire families to agricultural work without clear repayment terms .<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                          • Profit maximization:<\/b> Contractors advance small loans or wage advances to tie workers to exploitative contracts and maximize profit with minimal cost .<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                                          • Political and Governance Failures<\/b>\n
                                                              \n
                                                            • Lack of political will:<\/b> While laws exist, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and ILO have repeatedly reported poor identification, weak rehabilitation efforts, and slow fund disbursement .<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                            • Absence of effective rehabilitation schemes:<\/b> Although the Central Sector Scheme offers \u20b91- 3 lakh for rehabilitation, many victims fail to get timely support due to administrative gaps .<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                                            • Special Vulnerabilities<\/b><\/li>\n
                                                            • \n
                                                                \n
                                                              • Children and women: <\/b>Children are often trafficked or forced into bonded work; women and transgenders face extreme deprivation, sometimes linked to sexual exploitation (e.g., brothels, massage parlours) \u200b.<\/span><\/li>\n
                                                              • Marginalized communities:<\/b> Bonded labour systems like \u2018Kamaiya\u2019 in Nepal and similar systems in India disproportionately affect Adivasis, Dalits, and minorities .<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                                Link Between Bonded Labour and the Informal Sector<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
                                                                  \n
                                                                • Dominance of Bonded Labour in Informal Workspaces: <\/b>Bonded labour overwhelmingly exists <\/span>in the informal, unorganised sector<\/b> where labour relations are undocumented and unregulated.<\/span>\n
                                                                    \n
                                                                  • India’s total employment is approximately <\/span>47 crore, with 8 crore in the organised sector and 39 crore in the unorganised sector, <\/b>as per a National Sample Survey Organization report.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                                                  • Lack of Legal Contracts and Social Protection: <\/b>Informal workers generally have <\/span>no written contracts, no job security, no minimum wage protection, and no social benefits<\/b>.<\/span>\n
                                                                      \n
                                                                    • According to the NHRC, bonded labourers often work without wages or only for nominal wages below minimum wage levels.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                                                    • Prevalence of Migrant and Marginalised Workers: <\/b>Informal sectors heavily depend on <\/span>migrant, Dalit, Adivasi, and minority workers<\/b>, who are particularly vulnerable to bonded labour.<\/span>\n
                                                                        \n
                                                                      • ILO reports highlight that <\/span>migrant workers <\/b>are often recruited through <\/span>middlemen or contractors,<\/b> offered wage advances, and then trapped in forced labour systems .<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                                                      • Interlinking of Labour and Credit Markets: <\/b>In informal settings, <\/span>employers and moneylenders are often the same<\/b>, meaning workers who borrow during crises are forced to repay through their labour.<\/span>\n
                                                                          \n
                                                                        • According to ILO, <\/span>lack of formal credit access<\/b> leads to over-reliance on wage advances, loans, and employer-controlled debt, deepening bondage.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                                                          <\/p>\n\n\n\n
                                                                          \n

                                                                          International Perspective on Bonded Labour<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
                                                                            \n
                                                                          • Definition of Bonded Labour in International Law<\/b><\/span>\n
                                                                              \n
                                                                            • The International Labour Organization (ILO) defines bonded labour (debt bondage) as a form of <\/span>forced labour<\/b>, where a person is forced to work to repay a loan or advance and loses control over employment conditions, often indefinitely.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                            • Bonded labour is internationally recognized as a form of modern-day slavery.<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                                                            • Key ILO Conventions<\/b><\/span>\n
                                                                                \n
                                                                              • ILO Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29): <\/b>\u00a0Calls for the suppression of all forms of forced or compulsory labour.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                              • ILO Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105): <\/b>\u00a0Requires member states to suppress and not make use of any form of forced or compulsory labour.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
                                                                              • ILO Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182): <\/b>\u00a0Recognizes bonded child labour as one of the worst forms of child exploitation and calls for its immediate elimination.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                                                              • Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)<\/b><\/span>\n
                                                                                  \n
                                                                                • SDG Target 8.7<\/b>:\u00a0 \u201cTake immediate and effective measures to <\/span>eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking<\/b>, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the <\/span>worst forms of child labour by 2025<\/b>.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                                                                • International Best Practices<\/b><\/span>\n
                                                                                    \n
                                                                                  • The ILO\u2019s PEBLISA (Promoting Effective Bonded Labour Interventions in South Asia) project (2006\u20132008) implemented in India, Nepal, and Pakistan emphasizes:<\/span>\n