
TIRUVANNAMALAI: "The oppressed are made to believe that their condition is natural, that it has always been this way and will always be this way—until they wake up."
– Malcolm X
When 56-year-old S Selvam, a daily wage labourer belonging to the Irular community, asked his employer for permission to visit his newly-born grandson, he was met with a resounding ‘No’. When he insisted, Selvam was abused with caste-based slurs. For even the slightest slip-ups, he and his fellow workers would be brutally beaten up. The dooming reality dawned on him. He was seen as less than human, enslaved by bonded labour.
For five gruelling years, Selvam and his wife S Kannammal toiled day and night, loading piles and breaking rocks for just `600 per week and a handful of ration rice. “It was a life of misery and helplessness,” he recounts. Now, Selvam a native of Tiruvannamalai, has become a backbone for his community, tirelessly helping rescued labourers reintegrate into society by obtaining essential documents like community certificates, birth certificates, Aadhaar cards, and ration cards. “These documents are crucial for accessing government welfare schemes and rebuilding lives with dignity,” he emphasised.
Born in Andhra Pradesh, Selvam moved to Tiruvannamalai as a child to live with his relatives due to his family’s financial condition. Denied an education, he began working as a daily wage labourer, taking up agricultural jobs across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. Despite his hard work, poverty persisted, leaving Selvam unable to provide education for his children. His family’s struggles worsened in 2014 when he, along with 23 others, became bonded labourers at a stone quarry in Melmalaiyanur, Villupuram.
“I borrowed Rs 50,000 from the quarry owner through an agent for my son’s wedding. At first, we didn’t realise we were becoming bonded labourers. Gradually, it became clear,” he recalled.
“The conditions at the quarry were harsh. We lived on-site and were not even allowed to go out without permission,” he added.
Liberation came after five years when one of the labourers managed to escape and inform the Villupuram district administration. Selvam and 23 others were rescued, and the quarry owner was arrested. “Being allowed to return to our families in Tiruvannamalai felt unreal, like a dream,” Selvam said.
However, the challenge did not end there. “It was not easy to access the government schemes meant for rescued bonded labourers. I struggled a lot to get the benefits. That’s when I decided no one else should go through the same ordeal,” he says. With guidance from the Rescued Bonded Labourers’ Association, Selvam has been working tirelessly for the last eight years to help others like him.
The work comes with its fair share of struggles, yet Selvam finds purpose in it. “I have helped over 50 rescued bonded labour families, especially those from the same community as mine. I have been raising awareness and assisting them in obtaining Aadhaar cards, ration cards, and community certificates as these are basic documents essential to access government benefits,” he added.
“No rescued bonded labourer should suffer as I did. That is why I’m committed to helping every rescued bonded labourer in Tiruvannamalai,” Selvam says.
Murugan, one of the people Selvam helped, said, “I was struggling to get a group house under the Integrated Rural Development Programme and Selvam was the one who helped me with all the procedures to get it.” Cauvery, another beneficiary, chips in, “He is the one who helped us get a community certificate. Because of that, my kids are getting quality education.”
(Those who need assistance can contact Selvam on 9840967244)
(Edited by Ashyl Paul)