Farmers Movement Archive

In unusual move, MHA flags Punjab on ‘bonded labourers’

NEW DELHI/ AMRITSAR: The home ministry has, based on inputs from BSF about the plight of “bonded labourers” from UP and Bihar working in fields of border villages in Punjab, asked the state government to look into the matter and take appropriate measures to address the problem. The unusual letter sent to the Punjab chief secretary and DGP on March 17, said it had been informed by BSF that most of the 58 Indian nationals it had apprehended from the border areas of Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Ferozepur and Abohar in 2019-2020, were found to be either mentally challenged or in a feeble state of mind. It turned out they had been working as bonded labourers on the employ of farmers in border villages of Punjab. These people came from economically weak background and hailed from remote areas of UP and Bihar. A BSF official told TOI that the labourers were apprehended as they were possibly loitering in the border and could not come up with a plausible explanation for their presence there. Read Also63 bonded labourers rescued from 2 brick kilns of Punjab rescued after HC interventionSixty-three bonded labourers — including 13 who hailed from UP’s Muzaffarnagar — have been rescued from two brick kilns in Kapurthala and Jalandhar in Punjab after the state’s high court acted on a non-profit’s plea and intervened.The Punjab government and also farm unions leading the protest against the Centre’s agri-laws rejected the allegations, terming the MHA letter a “tactic” by the BJP-led Centre to defame Punjab. “It has been informed that human trafficking syndicates hire such labourers from their native place to work in Punjab on the promise of good salary, but they are exploited, paid poorly and meted out inhuman treatment. For making them work for long hours in fields, these labourers are often given drugs, which adversely affect their physical and mental condition,” the MHA said, adding that BSF had been handing the persons to state police for necessary action. Read AlsoFCI helps Punjab stave off crisis by lifting wheat stockIn Punjab, farmers sell their foodgrains to five state procuring agencies (SPAs) and they pay the money to farmers. Later this amount is reimbursed by FCI. To pay the amount to farmers immediately, these state agencies take advance loan from an SBI-led consortium of banks.Punjab labour minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said, “These activities are being done by the Centre just to torpedo farmers’ agitation. They want to spoil Punjab’s relations with Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.” Read AlsoFarmers’ protest: SC-appointed panel on farm laws submits reportAbout two months after it was constituted and after holding 12 rounds of consultations with the stakeholders, the committee appointed by the Supreme Court to study the three contentious central farm laws submitted its report on March 19. According to one of the three members on the panel, the reportSukhjinder Singh Randhawa, cooperative and jails minister, said the Centre’s allegations were an insult to the border farmers who had bravely fought against Pakistan. The Centre should immediately revoke its letter and tender an unconditional apology, he said. Even Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, spearheading the farmers’ stir, claimed it was an attempt by the Centre to weaken their protest and drive a wedge between farmers and labourers. The MHA requested the Punjab chief secretary and DGP to take measures to address the “serious” issue, citing the multi-dimensional problem which involves human trafficking, bonded labour and human rights violations. A copy of the letter was also forwarded to the Union labour secretary Apurva Chandra.

The Times of India

2021-04-03

India