From bonded labourers to owners of a brick kiln, an inspirational journey

40-year-old Kala worked in a brick kiln as a bonded labourer for five years before she was rescued in 2008. Twelve years later and after numerous struggles during which she was forced to do odd jobs to eke out a living, the former bonded labourer on Wednesday became one of the proud owners of ‘Siragugal (Wings) Bricks’.

“I am flying like a bird today. Our company is called Siragugal Bricks and I truly feel I have wings today. We will continue to fly,” Kala told DH.

Kala is not alone. As many as 300 former bonded labourers, who were rescued between 2003 and 2019, have come together to run Siragugal Bricks, an initiative of the Tiruvallur District Administration under the Tamil Nadu State Rural Livelihood Mission, in Veeraganallur village, 80 km from Chennai.

The district administration infused Rs 5.83 lakh as working capital to form a Self-Help Group that will run the brick kiln. The government identified a two-acre land in the village for the brick kiln for which water facilities have also been arranged.

Not just this, the bricks made at the kiln will be purchased for constructing houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, a centrally-sponsored housing scheme, in a bid to ensure that the new set of entrepreneurs has sustained income.

Tiruvallur District Collector Alby John with bonded labourers-turned owners of brick kiln. Credit: Special Arrangement

Kala added: “The sufferings at the brick kiln cannot be explained in words. Even after the rescue, we never had a sustained income. We went for odd jobs that would get us less than Rs 150 a day if we found work. And today, it is a great feeling to call ourselves owners of a brick kiln – the same place where our basic rights were violated.”

Tiruvallur District Collector Alby John told Deccan Herald that Siragugal Bricks will be jointly owned by all 300 people who were rescued from brick kilns over the years.

“We wanted to ensure they have a sustained income and we hit upon this idea. They have enormous skill in making bricks and we wanted to put that to use. Since the government infused the working capital, there is no financial burden on them. They are the owners,” John said, adding that they will work in shifts. Using MNREGA funds, the collector said, the government is also constructing a shed at the brick kiln.

Of the 300 people, as many as 60 persons who are skilled woodcutters will be employed to cut kaatu karuvelam trees, known biologically as prosopis juliflora. “It is an invasive species and after cutting, it can be used as a fuel in the brick kiln,” John added.

Helen Barnabas, Lead-Government Relations, International Justice Mission (IJM), said people rescued from brick kilns and wood cutting industry are being rehabilitated using the TN State Rural Livelihood Mission.

“The beauty is the traditional skills of these rescued bonded labourers are being tapped. These 300 individuals will be working at the kiln and in another project and draw salaries,” she added.

30-year-old Jagadeesan was taken as a bonded labourer along with his parents at a rice mill when he was just five years old. “I didn’t even know what I was doing there. But today I am happy that we are able to stand on our own. Without government support, we could have never thought of sustained revenue for us,” he said.