The Indian government claims that less than 300,000 of its citizens are in bonded labour in India, but NGOs estimate this figure to be much higher – possibly nearer 20 million. Why does such a huge discrepancy exist?

Recent investigations by Tehelka, an Indian independent weekly news magazine, have helped to uncover why figures recorded by state and national governments vary so much from those of NGOs.

Bonded labour is a form of human trafficking, as defined by the United Nations, in which individuals are forced to work for a factory boss or landowner in order to pay off a loan. In effect their work acts as security for the loan. Working conditions are often unreasonable – excessively long hours, dangerous and even life-threatening. Repayment terms are just as unreasonable, with extortionate interest rates, terms that change without notice, and agreements which are a mystery to illiterate debtors.

The reality on the ground

Tehelka magazine interviewed Ashok, a 29 year-old farmhand hired for 2,000 rupees (about £27) a month – 90p a day, which is half the official minimum wage. Despite working for a year he received no wages for his labour, and his landlord claimed that he now owed over £400 in interest on his ‘wage’ and £275 for the wheat he was given that year. Ashok’s story is repeated in the lives of 34 others from his village.

Sushpal, who lives nearby, is one of 125 living in similar circumstances. He is 45 years-old and has been living like this since he was 12. Referring to his landowner boss, Sushpal says, “No matter how much I work, every year I owe him an even bigger sum”.

In the hamlet of Jawaaipura in Maharastra state, between one and three male members of all 50 households are in bonded labour. However, Baran district officials deny everything or distances themselves from the problem. One official protested, “Who says they are bonded? This is hali, this area’s traditional practice where people work as agricultural labourers in return for an advance. Banning this will derail the system.” Tehelka points out that hali is among the 31 forms of bonded debt outlawed by India’s The Bonded Labour (Abolition) Act 1976.

The magazine claims that ‘The (state and national) authorities seem unwilling to investigate instances of slave labour that jar with its self-image of a modern economy. Those working on the issue since the 1980s say the government has been in denial.’ Economist Ravi Srivastava says, “There is no count of the Dalit and tribal labourers in bondage in agriculture, besides immigrant labourers”.

Denials fuel misreporting

Such reports demonstrate the levels of denial which exist within the authorities: this denial fuels misreporting the true numbers of people trapped in bonded labour.  Anti Slavery International claims that there are 15 million children in bonded labour in India today - it is highly possible that this figure could be accurate.

Since the exposé by Tehelka, the Baran district authority has changed its response and is requesting money from the state government to conduct a survey of bonded labourers. India’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) plans to confront the Rajasthan government with these findings.

NHRC Special Rapporteur, Laxmidhar Mishra, when highlighting  the need for regular surveys, commented, “It is a peculiar government mindset to think that admitting labourers are in bondage will be a slur on their image. We must accept that we have not been able to abolish bonded labour and poor families are vulnerable to fall into this trap.”

DFN UK's response

Most victims of bonded labour are Dalits (from the 250 million people who fall outside India’s caste system and are categorised by the Indian government as scheduled castes and scheduled tribes).  Some reports put the proportion of Dalits as high as 80-98% of bonded labourers. Dalit Freedom Network UK is campaigning to end all forms of trafficking and slavery among India’s Dalits, including bonded labour. DFN runs a range of education, healthcare, economic development and legal advocacy programmes [link all 4] in India designed to help Dalits break out of the cycle of poverty and exploitation, and to prevent their trafficking.

Useful links

Anti Slavery International has produced a useful online tool on their Products of Slavery website, which shows the kind of products that are likely to be produced through bonded labour in countries across the globe, including India..

Click here to view the original report in Tehelka Magazine (18 Dec 2010)

Click here to view the follow-up report (25 Dec 2010)