Of Human Bondage

Though the bonded labour system was abolished in 1976, it is still prevalent across the country

- Abhik Bhattacharya

ON a May afternoon at a Lucknow brick kiln, 25-year-old Mithilesh and his wife were dragging themselves to set the layers of brick moulds. High fever was not letting them walk. In the scorching heat, with burnt legs, heavy heads and dizzy vision, they were stumbling upon the stacks of bricks. They could barely hear the voice of their one-year-old who was crying uncontrollably, lying inside their temporary brick shelter that felt like a 'furnace'. Still, they must hunch over to set the layers--they have to make 1,000 bricks a day-to get Rs 50. Or else, they must sleep hungry, and their child would perhaps 'die'. Neither could they leave the place nor could they ask for relief-they were 'bonded labourers.' He didn't know any other way of living-for generations, his forefathers have been working as bonded labourers at the local zamindar's land. And now, it was his turn.

Mithilesh and his wife, along with their two children, had been taken away by a contractor to Lucknow from Gaya in Bihar for a paltry advance of Rs 2,000. They were asked to work until they repaid the loan. However, even after working day in and day out for 10 months, their loan was not repaid. "We used to start work from 2 am and had to work up to 10 pm to produce at least 1,000 bricks. Only then, they would give us Rs 50 for the daily meal. But as per their promise, they were supposed to give us Rs 200, but they used to keep Rs 150 per day as instalment for the loan," recalls Mithilesh, standing near his mud house in Bargaon village of Gaya district.