BHUBANESWAR: In captivity for over a month at a brick kiln in Telangana, two bonded labourer families of Khaprakhol block in Balangiri district have sent out an SOS to their relatives back home to rescue them as they fear for their lives.
Forcibly taken from a railway station near Vijayawada by a gang while waiting for train to return to Balangir, eight members of the families, including two minors, were sold to a brick kiln owner at Gowreddipeta under Mutharan panchayat in Peddaplli district of Telangana.
“The bonded labourers are subjected to inhuman treatment and forced to work in the night in gross violation of the labour laws and guidelines issued by the government for maintaining protocols during the lockdown,” said Janata Chattria, a relative of Siba Barik whose daughter sent out the SOS.
The incident came to light when Sonia (21), daughter of Siba (44) and Satyabhama (38), called a senior officer of a private bank in Chennai, Sidharth Babu, and pleaded for their rescue.
A resident of Balangir and helping out distress Odia migrant workers stuck in Tamil Nadu, Babu took up the matter with several NGOs working on migration issue.
Sonia informed him that the brick kiln owner who she identified as Vinod has taken away all the mobile phones so that they cannot establish contact with anyone for help. But Sonia managed to hide her mobile phone from prying eyes of the owner and his people.
“Each of the member is given `100-`150 a week for food which is too small to manage. We fear to complain as the owner is not only talking in filthy language but threatening of dire consequence if anything is done without his approval,” she told Babu.
The two families were sent by a labour contractor of Balangir to a brick kiln near Vijayawada in January.