The growing real estate business in Tamil Nadu and the simultaneous emergence of Chennai as an industrial hub have an adverse effect of putting pressure on hundreds of bonded labourers working in thousands of brick kilns, quarries and wood cutting units.
These kilns, quarries and wood cutting units in and around Chennai have reported the rescue of bonded labour families, with their youth and children losing their education to the illegal practice of child labour.
Thirteen-year old Pasupathy of Eripudhur in Salem district was one such victim, who spent over a year in a brick kiln, before he was rescued by government officials.
"Pasupathy's father took an advance of Rs 5,000 from the owner of the brick kiln. This one act of his father made Pasupathy a child labour. With no other choice, he was compelled to obey the orders of his employer," one of the officials of Sama Kalvi Iyakkam, which helped in his rescue says.
According to the mandate issued by the Labour Department of Tamil Nadu government, the wage fixed for a daily wage labourer is Rs 136.02 per day.
"But, you will find that not many quarries or brick kilns would pay that much money. These people are paid just peanuts," Pranita Timothy of the NGO 'International Justice Mission' says.
'International Justice Mission' is a human rights agency that brings rescue to victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression.
In her 10-year career in this field, Timothy has witnessed the rescue of over 5,000 persons from overworking and being subjected to exploitation in brick kilns, quarries, wood cutting units, textile mills across the state.
"Most of these victims are tribals, who do not have proper education and are dominated and made submissive by the society. They are not aware of their rights. The lack of education is the reason behind this," Timothy says.
Some of the victims are defaulters of big loans, which they borrowed from the owners of these brick kilns are not able to pay back on time or at all.
"Then, these owners make them work in their brick kilns or quarries for a minimum amount, say Rs 15-20 a day. While they would be rising the cost of the bricks these people make, these victims are paid the same amount for years together. The demand for bricks keeps rising since nearby Chennai is growing," she says.
