The NHRC has asked chief secretaries to submit action-taken reports (ATRs) within four weeks, in response to claims that women were forced to mortgage their children to return money used for the funeral of their husbands. have been forced to.
Expressing concern over the disturbing cases of bonded labour, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has ordered the Chief Secretaries of Telangana and Odisha to take action to protect the fundamental human rights of migrant workers.
The NHRC has asked chief secretaries to submit action taken reports within four weeks in response to claims of women mortgaging their children to return money used for the funeral of their husbands.
Describing the situation as serious, the NHRC has issued instructions to both the states to ensure prompt and appropriate action without delay.
The NHRC issued the direction on Tuesday after taking cognizance of a petition submitted by human rights advocate and lawyer Radhakant Tripathi in March. In his complaint, Tripathi had highlighted two instances of forced labor from Keonjhar and Balangir.
In a complaint filed by a rights activist, Shukdev Parbhue, a resident of Belpada block in Balangir district of Telangana, had gone out to work at a brick kiln near Hyderabad. He was accompanied by his son, daughter and wife. Parbuhe fell ill and died on 8 March after failing to repay the advance he had taken from the owner of the company he was working with.
The owner keeps his 12-year-old daughter as a bonded laborer to recover the advance payment, causing Parbhu’s wife and six-year-old son to leave for their village without her.
According to reports, the girl was rescued from the brick kiln after the matter was taken up with the administration in Balangir district.
Another incident involved Savitri Nayak of Champua in Keonjhar district. She was unable to repay a loan of Rs 5,000 taken from a neighbor on January 26, 2016, for her husband’s funeral. As per reports, he was forced to mortgage his two minor sons.
The widow gave her two sons to the neighbor to settle the debt. The minor boys were assigned the task of tending the animals by a neighbor for a month before they were rescued.
Earlier, on March 31, the Commission had sought an action taken report from these two states within four weeks. However, the NHRC did not receive the report by the deadline.
“With the above direction, the matter is closed. However, if appropriate action is not taken within four weeks, the complainant/victim is at liberty to approach the Commission again for further action.
