India’s Bonded Labour Crisis: A Persistent Shadow on Workers' Rights

Despite constitutional guarantees and decades-old laws, millions in India remain trapped in the exploitative cycle of bonded and forced labour. As India commemorates Labour Day, stories from the ground reflect the country's continued struggle to uphold the dignity and rights of its most vulnerable workers.

Summary in Short Points:

• Bonded Labour in India persists despite being officially abolished in 1975.
• Mukesh Adivasi and K. Thenmozhi are examples of the brutal exploitation that persists through debt-traps and lack of legal enforcement.
• Systemic causes include poverty, caste discrimination, illiteracy, and lack of unionisation.
• The government planned to rehabilitate 1.84 crore bonded labourers by 2030, but only 12,760 were rescued between 2016-2021.
• India’s unorganised sector houses 39 crore workers (out of 47 crore total), often facing conditions similar to bonded labour.
• Labour reforms in 2019-20 have weakened union rights and collective bargaining powers.
• The International Labour Organisation (ILO) Report 2024 flags informal employment and job quality as critical issues in India.

Detailed Explanation for RAS Aspirants:

1. Legal and Policy Background:

• Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976: Abolishes all forms of bonded labour and cancels debts which led to bondage.
• Constitutional Provisions:
• Article 23: Prohibits trafficking and forced labour.
• Article 21: Right to life and dignity.
• Despite this, enforcement remains weak due to poor ground-level monitoring and societal factors.

2. Governmental Targets and Implementation Failure:

• Target: Release and rehabilitate 1.84 crore bonded labourers by 2030.
• Performance (2016–2021): Only 12,760 individuals rescued.
• Required Rate: Over 11 lakh rescues per year needed from 2021 onwards.
• Reality Check: Currently far behind, reflecting a significant policy-implementation gap.

3. Root Causes of Bonded Labour:

• Immediate Triggers: Medical needs, unemployment, dowry, religious obligations.
• Systemic Triggers:
• Caste and ethnic discrimination.
• Lack of education and awareness.
• Monopoly of employers over wages and resources in rural/remote areas.
• Debt as a tool of control.

4. India's Informal Sector:

• Employment Stats (NSSO):
• Total employed: 47 crore.
• Organised sector: Only 8 crore.
• Unorganised sector: 39 crore – largely without contracts, benefits, or rights.
• ILO 2024 Report: Warns of poor job quality and dominance of informal employment.

5. Labour Codes 2019–20:

• Supposed to unify and simplify labour laws.
• Criticism:
• Weakens collective bargaining and union rights.
• Makes strikes harder to organise.
• Prioritises ease of doing business over labour rights.

6. Socio-Economic Context:

• Migration due to climate change, poverty, and unemployment fuels the bonded labour supply.
• Lack of unionisation leads to:
• No grievance redressal.
• No collective negotiation.
• Easy exploitation by employers.

7. Implications for Governance and Policy-Making:

• Reflects poor labour rights enforcement in India.
• Highlights failure of social justice mechanisms in practice.
• Raises questions about ethical growth and human rights violations.
• Reinforces need for grassroots awareness campaigns, active unionisation, and data-driven policy action.

Conclusion:

India’s continued struggle with bonded and forced labour exposes deep cracks in its commitment to labour rights and social justice. Legislative action, unless backed by robust implementation, remains symbolic. For aspiring RAS officers, understanding this issue is crucial — not only as a labour problem but as a symptom of systemic exclusion, poor governance, and policy neglect. This subject connects labour rights, social justice, human trafficking, and economic reforms, all of which are key themes in the RAS Mains exam.

MCQs:

1. Under which Article of the Indian Constitution is bonded labour explicitly prohibited?
A) Article 19
B) Article 23
C) Article 32
D) Article 24
Answer: B) Article 23

2. As per government data between 2016 and 2021, how many bonded labourers were rescued in India?
A) 1.84 crore
B) 8 crore
C) 12,760
D) 3 lakh
Answer: C) 12,760