BENGALURU: A report compiled by an NGO estimates that one in every three labourers is a potential bonded labourer in three districts of Karnataka. The report estimates that over 5 lakh bonded labourers work in the three districts of Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru Urban and Ramanagaram. The report was compiled by the NGO International Justice Mission (IJM) through a survey carried out in 2015. It was released at the start of a two-day conference on bonded labour in partnership with the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) department here.
The government’s estimates on the number of bonded labourers in these districts and in the states varies wildly with these numbers. Krishnappa Kodipalya, State Nodal Officer, Bonded Labour, said though no exact records exist, it was likely that the entire state only had 4,000-5,000 bonded labourers. “Lots of cases have not been proven to be bonded labour as per its legal definition,” he said.
Former Chief Justice of India Venkatachaliah, while speaking at the conference, said, “Statistics about bonded labour are greatly flawed. I suspect that our stats show just about 25-30% of the reality.” IJM surveyed 4,306 labourers between April and June 2015 across the three districts. The study captured data on 15 distinct industries across 3,765 worksites where manual labour takes place. The study also included interviews with 39 labourers currently living outside the targeted study districts, who had migrated into Karnataka for employment opportunities.
The study extrapolated that from an estimated total number of 16,70,734 labourers in the three districts, 5,58,334 or 33.4% could be bonded labourers. About 40% of those surveyed are in bondage in brick kilns, fish farms, plantations, rock quarries, rice mills, tobacco, and other industries. There was evidence of trafficking in 59.3% of the bonded labourers.
Shivaiah, a bonded labourer who was rescued in 2014, narrated his experience at the conference. He said his employer paid him a meagre salary and did not allow him to visit his family. “Even when a parent passed away, the owner informed me only a day later. It was very tough to survive there,” he said.
On September 7, 14 bonded labourers were rescued from a ginger farm in Bylakuppe by the Bylakuppe Police and the Hunsur District administration.