From bonded labour to self-sufficiency

CHENNAI: S Thayamma ended up slaving at a wood-cutting unit in Vellore for months for Rs 25 and a handful of rice a day all in a bid to pay off a meagre loan of Rs 1,000. But she soon realized, like other bonded labourers, that she could never seem to pay off her loan.
A couple of years ago, Thayamma got lucky. She managed to go to the nearby government hospital where doctors told her that she was anaemic.They said if she didn’t eat well, it would create problems for her. Thayamma told the doctor about her problems, but the doctor pleaded helplessness. As she was leaving, she met a friend’s friend who advised her that bonded labour was a crime and suggested ways to escape her plight.
Like Thayamma, K Mani worked in a brick unit in Tiruvallur for four years for a daily wage of Rs 20 in a bid to pay off a loan of Rs 5,000. He had borrowed the money to pay for his sister’s wedding. “I was in a bad condition. There was no proper food. I had a miserable time. There was no option left. Days passed with workload on one side and threats from the owner on another. I never knew which was heavier. Today, I am free but my health is deteriorating,” said Mani.
On Wednesday, Thayamma and Mani received certificates from deputy chief minister O Pannerselvam for successfully completing the two-year rehabilitation programme conducted by the International Justice Mission (IJM), an NGO that rescued them in 2016.
“I wouldn’t have been carrying my child now had I not listened to the friend. Many people don’t know what bonded labour is. It is better if we can create more awareness about this brutal practice,” said Thayamma.
In 2016, the IJM, which works with government officials to rescue and rehabilitate victims of bonded labour and human trafficking, freed 1018 bonded labourers of whom 81 were from Tamil Nadu. After the rescue, the survivors were enrolled in IJM’s two-year rehabilitation programme to help them access government entitlements. To celebrate the occasion, an event called ‘Simbut Paravaigal’ (swift birds) was organised on Wednesday at the Madras Christian College Higher Secondary School.
“Amma (former chief minister J Jayalalithaa) did a lot of good work for the welfare of bonded labourers in the state. The government has given land and cash for their welfare in many districts. We will continue to do it,” said Pannerselvam, after distributing the awards to the rescued bonded labourers. “A survey to identify bonded labourers across the state will be launched if necessary,” he added.