The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has pledged to formulate a concrete proposal addressing the provision of immediate financial assistance to rescued bonded labourers, as conveyed to the Supreme Court on Friday.
During a hearing by a bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan, which was focused on enforcing the fundamental rights of trafficked bonded workers, the need for swift financial aid was highlighted.
Senior advocate H S Phoolka, representing one of the petitioners, emphasized the dire financial straits of these individuals, noting that less than 10 percent of approximately 11,000 rescued child laborers have received any financial assistance. This matter surfaced during discussions on a petition seeking justice for trafficked bonded workers.
Responding to these concerns, the counsel for NHRC assured the court of her intention to engage with all relevant stakeholders to develop a robust plan for disbursing aid to the victims. The Supreme Court has directed the NHRC to coordinate these discussions and finalize the modalities.
The bench has expressed its anticipation of the NHRC’s proposal, scheduling the next hearing four weeks from now, which will reevaluate the progress on this critical issue.
This development follows a July 2022 Supreme Court directive that sought responses from the Centre, the NHRC, and various states and union territories regarding the petition. The plea highlighted the plight of bonded workers, including one group rescued in February 2019 from a brick kiln in Uttar Pradesh, who were trafficked there by an unregistered contractor from Bihar’s Gaya district.
The petitioners, including those rescued, have recounted severe violations of their rights, including being forced to work without minimum wages and restrictions on their movement and employment, constituting a gross infringement of their fundamental rights.
