The Anomaly of Bonded Labour In 'Viksit' Bharat

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam

27 June 2026

Har kisi ne liya begaar mujh muflis se

Allah ne, naseeb ne toh kabhi apnon ne

Naubat Rai 'Nazar'

(Treated like a bonded labourer, I was exploited by Allah, fate and the people whom I called my own)

"All our tall talks of progress and advancement are futile

If we cannot treat our fellow beings as worthwhile "

Anon

A case of alleged bonded labour, torture and illegal confinement has come to light in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar, where 12 workers, including minors, were rescued from a paper plate manufacturing factory in Mandi village following a joint raid by police and the administration.

The investigation has revealed allegations of prolonged exploitation, physical abuse and the death of one worker who was allegedly tortured while being held at the factory.

According to police, the labourers were brought from different states with the promise of a monthly salary of Rs 12,000. Instead, they were allegedly confined inside the factory premises for more than a year, denied wages and prevented from leaving.

Several rescued workers bore visible injuries and torture marks. During questioning, they alleged that they were beaten, whipped, attacked with sharp weapons and assaulted by dogs when they tried to escape. They also alleged that they were forced to consume animal fodder and were kept in inhuman conditions.

In 1976, the government enacted the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, which explicitly outlawed the practice, cancelled existing bonded debts, and mandated the rehabilitation of freed labourers.  Despite legal protections, the practice persisted in unorganized sectors like brick kilns, stone quarries, agriculture, and domestic work. Structural inequalities, lack of viable alternatives, and irregular law enforcement contributed to its deplorable continuation.

Munshi Premchand dwelt upon the brutal realities of Begaar (bonded labour) and feudal exploitation in rural India through his extremely poignant stories such as, Sadgati, Poos ki Raat, Do Bailon ki Katha and Sawa Ser Gehun. The extreme helplessness of all the characters brings copious tears to the readers' eyes.

That this reprehensible practice still persists on the sly is a blot on our system and an assault on human dignity.

We talk of Sab ka Saath, Sab ka Vikaas, Digital India, A network of bullet trains and corridors, Grand temples and shrines appearing like toad stools, Air travel for everyone, Equality and egalitarianism and all that balderdash. Yet, amidst this fanfare, frills and fancies, you get to see a group of bonded labourers who lived in extreme squalor and were treated worse than animals for more than a year! One of them died while tried to escape. Doesn't this jolt the conscience of our government, judiciary and the entire machinery? Doesn't this make us feel terribly anguished?  

Doesn't human life have any value? Who're those savages and subhumans who ill-treated these poor humans? Somewhere, we've failed as truly conscientious humans. Even our conscience is selective and saved for a select few. It's time for every human to raise his/her voice against the inhuman treatment meted out to the 12 ill-fated workers. Arrest the owners and perpetrators and punish them so severely that it must serve as a deterrent to others.

Lastly, Rabindranath Tagore wrote, " Every child comes with the message that god is not yet discouraged of man." Seeing the unimaginable cruelty of the owners, I doubt whether god is still optimistic of mankind. No, he too has given up on us. To buttress the point, let me quote my own humdrum couplet in Urdu, " Iss qadar giraya hai insaan ne khud ko / Nahin Allah ko bhi uss se koi tavaqqo " (The way humans have relegated themselves / Even god has lost all hopes of redemption).

Hafiz Jalandhari rightly said, " Jis ne iss daur ke insaan kiye hain paida / Wahi mera bhi Khuda ho mujhe manzoor nahin " (Those who created these abysmal humans, can't be my god). 

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A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian.

URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/anomly-bonded-labour-in-viksit-bharat-/d/140560

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