Vellore family of four escapes bonded labour but still ensnared by red-tapism

Tirupattur MORE than six months have passed since a family of four from Vellore district was liberated from alleged bonded labour from a brick kiln in Bairapalli in Mittalam panchayat near Ambur.

-  PRAVEENA SA

They are yet to receive their bonded labour release certificates, the delay has deprived them of compensation and other livelihood assistance they are entitled to from the government.

The family - Sathish (30), Sangeetha (27), Karthikeyan (9) and Tharun (6) - from the Irular community, now resides in Vasanthan Nagar in Kuppambattu in a makeshift hut without a shelter. Dried palm leaves fill their hut, which they collect and sell for a living now. To support his family, Sathish has returned to work at another brick kiln in Vellore.

Liberated after two years

Since the end of 2021, they had worked for two whole years at a brick kiln run by one Nagaraj, from whom the family had obtained an advance of 40,000 at an exorbitant interest rate to settle their previous debts. The family claimed they were denied minimal wages, with a lack of facilities and freedom of movement; claimed the children, often skipping school, were forced to toil at the kiln.