7 bonded laborers (bandhuwa mazdoor) including a 12 year old child from Uttar Pradesh escaped safely from the hands of their contractor and reached to the office of Udaipur district collector today in the evening.

Pleading for their safety, they narrated the whole shocking story of 15 days torture and immorality of their contractor jeet aka “mama”.

Gudli, village near Paratapnagar is a place approx 20 kms from Udaipur is also an industrial area, it is said that these laborers were working forcefully in a small factory of oatmeal. More than 20 more laborers are still kept like hostage in that factory.

M.L. Chouhan Additional District Magistrate Udaipur has instructed SDM, Mavli to do required action against the contractor and to free the still captivated laborers.

The contractor mama was also present in the ADM’s office, claimed himself  innocent he blamed one unknown person who brought these laborers from UP. Later the contractor was taken into police custody.

Bonded labor system in India is active since the British colonial rule has introduced Zameendari system. Though the Indian law article 23 and Bonded Labor System (Abolition) act 1976 has prohibited all forced labor but due to low income, poverty and other socio-economic problems such illegal movements are still targeting landless farmers to turn into landless laborers.

courtesy: INNEWS

UPDATE: From the recent information by UT reporter Sayeed Ahmed who visited the Gudli village where the laborers were caged inside the factory were now set free by Police. There were 36 laborers including around 15 kids, most of kids were forced to ran away from factory before raid conducted by ADM Udaipur