Delhi, India
Rescue on February 5, 2022 – Authorities rescued 21 people from three months of violent bonded labour at a brick kiln in Uttar Pradesh, thanks to the quick work of Ravi ji, a proactive local citizen and goodwill partner of IJM.
IJM’s team in Delhi has been working alongside grassroots NGOs since 2012, and Ravi ji was a key collaborator at one of our early partners. Today, he works independently to rally other organizations and officials to combat bonded labour in the state of Uttar Pradesh. He has helped lead six successful cases with IJM’s support since 2020 and has been instrumental in coordinating aftercare for other survivors returning to his state.
In this month’s case, a survivor assisted by Ravi ji in the past told him about these 21 people trapped at a brick kiln near the city of Varanasi. These families had been trafficked from another part of the state under the promise of good jobs and fair wages. They were given a payment advance of 5,000-6,000 rupees per family (about $90-109 AUD), which was then framed as a debt they would repay with their labour.
Life at the brick kiln was nothing like they expected: The owner paid only 500 rupees a week for each family’s basic food and provisions (about $9). He forced them to work long, exhausting hours to make bricks and refused to allow them to leave the facility. Women and children faced frequent verbal and sexual harassment from the owner and his men, and all of the laborers bore constant threats of violence—especially when the owner was drunk.
One of the laborers tried to appeal for help outside the kiln, but he says,
“The owner got to know about this and abused us physically…Our friend and his wife were brutally beaten up by the owner because they asked to go back home. They kept pleading for him to stop, but he didn’t stop.”
When the case stalled with local authorities, Ravi ji worked with the National Campaign Committee for Eradicating Bonded Labor and the National Human Rights Lawyer Association to escalate the situation to the High Court. In late January, the court issued a notice to the state to ensure the families were rescued swiftly.
On February 5, Ravi ji accompanied local authorities to the brick kiln to uncover the truth of the abuse and bring the families to safety at last. The survivors included 12 adults, 6 boys, and 3 girls. Officials granted Release Certificates to the survivors, which broke their illegal debts to the owner and officially mark them as free. This is the first time these crucial certificates have been granted to survivors of bonded labour in Varanasi district.
Police filed a First Information Report (FIR) outlining charges against the owner and arrested him on the day of rescue. He is currently out on bail awaiting trial. Authorities also forced him to pay back-wages to the laborers for work they had done.
Today, the rescued families have returned safely home to their community with police protection. Ravi ji will help them access government benefit programs to aid in their long-term rehabilitation from the violence and abuse.
IJM is deeply grateful for the concerted efforts of local authorities and goodwill partners like Ravi ji to rescue vulnerable people from violence and work toward the end of bonded labour for good.
Note: Ravi ji is not affiliated with a NGO and is not a formal, funded partner of IJM.
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