39 'bonded' labourers rescued in quarry raid

Workers were not allowed to go to their native places for six years

The labourers included 11 men, as many women and 17 children. The district administration and police officials were assisted in the raid by Bangalore-based NGO International Justice Mission.

Assistant Commissioner (AC) Prabhulinga Kavalakatti told reporters here that the NGO representatives were not able to identify the exact location of the quarry for almost a month. “We were able to find the location only on Wednesday morning and raided the quarry owned by Abdul Haji,” the Assistant Commissioner said.

He said the labourers were forced to work against their will. They were not allowed to go to their native places in Mysore, Tamil Nadu and Kollegal, for the last five to six years.

“Though it looks like a case of bonded labour, we can’t come to any conclusion till we complete a probe into the incident. The owner has taken permission to carry out quarrying in Vittal.

Hence no cases have been registered against him so far,” the Assistant Commissioner said. If the labourers require any medical facilities, it will be provided to them, he added.

The labourers were living in a deplorable condition in a shed on the quarry premises, which did not have even basic facilities. Water was pumped once a day. If anyone failed to collect it, they wouldn’t get water for the entire day.

According to an NGO, most of the labourers are related to each other. Even a man and his wife were not allowed to go together, fearing they might flee. A couple were paid Rs 150 a week and were forced to work seven days a week from 6 am to 6 pm.

It was Mahadeva of Kanakapura in Bangalore who informed his relatives on the pathetic conditions at the quarry, who in turn informed the NGO. Mahadeva said he suffered an injury on his eye while working at the quarry a month ago.

When he visited a hospital for treatment, he called his relatives and informed them about their hard life. His father Rangaswamy also worked in the quarry for the last nine years.