Thane: 11 labourers rescued by activists from captivity in Bhiwandi

Bonded labourers working at the brick kiln in Bhiwandi. Pic/Hanif Patel

Tribal activists have rescued a total of 11 bonded labourers, including nine women, along with their dozen minor children, from a brick kiln in Chimbipada, Bhiwandi. All of them were living in deplorable conditions in their huts. These victims belong to primitive tribes from various talukas in Thane and Palghar districts. Some of these labourers had been enslaved at the brick kiln for the past 10 years without receiving any daily wages, while others were paid R600 a week for working 10 to 12 hours a day at Siddhik Hussain Shaikh's heavily polluted brick kiln factory.

Tribal leader Vivek Pandit with the bonded labourers and their children. Pic/Hanif Patel

The tribal activists suspect that nearly four tribal families are still being held captive by Shaikh at undisclosed locations after the recent crackdown. "After rescuing them from deplorable conditions at the brick kiln factory, we have brought these poor tribals to our facility where doctors are checking their health conditions. Out of the 11 bonded labourers, nine are women, and nearly a dozen are children between two and eight years old. The adult women are facing nutritional deficiencies, while their minor children are believed to be suffering from malnutrition, although their specific conditions (SAM/MAM) are yet to be determined," said tribal leader Vivek Pandit, who led the raid at the brick manufacturing plant. Immediately after their rescue, copies of the release certificates issued by Adhik Patil, the tahsildar of Bhiwandi Taluka, are available with mid-day.

mid-day spoke to several victims who recounted their ordeals, expressing that they were forced to work at the brick kiln factory even when unwell. "I wasn't allowed to go home. Shaikh had held me captive for the last 10 years. I worked at his brick kiln factory but wasn't paid. He only provided me with some food for survival. During the off-season, like the monsoon, I was forced to work in the fields herding goats, cutting grass, and doing household work. But I was never allowed to return home to Dahanu," said Manju Laxman Sawar.

Tribal leader Vivek Pandit is holding a child in his lap immediately after rescuing them in Bhiwandi. Pic/Hanif Patel

Another victim, Manisha Sawar, said, "Shaikh would wake me up in the early hours to load bricks into the vehicle. It was a difficult time we endured for years. Now we feel relaxed as we've been removed from a place where we never felt comfortable. Here, we get to eat good food." "He must be arrested and severely punished," she added.

Manisha had taken a small advance from Shaikh a few years ago. "After receiving some cash from Shaikh, Manisha had promised that her son-in-law would work at the brick kiln... but he didn't show up. So, Shaikh went to his house in search of her son-in-law. When Shaikh didn't find him at home, he compelled another daughter of Manisha to work at his brick kiln factory in exchange for the advance she (Manisha) had taken," Pandit explained.

"This incident occurred in Jawhar around 15 days ago, and I was searching for the brick kiln where Manisha and her daughter were held captive. On Tuesday morning, I received credible information about the brick kiln factory in Bhiwandi and conducted a raid with my team, leading to the discovery of these bonded labourers," said Pandit.

Sources told mid-day that while government records cite around 250 legitimate brick kiln factories in Bhiwandi, there are more than 400. Balaram Bhoir, general secretary of Shramjeevi Sangathana, an NGO fighting for tribal rights, urged government officials to conduct multiple raids to rescue bonded labourers.

Medical officer is checking the health condition of a rescued bonded labour. Pic/Hanif Patel

"If the labour department officials had efficiently visited these brick kiln factories in Bhiwandi, many labourers could have been rescued. But it is doing nothing to ensure fair wages for the workers at these facilities. What's preventing them from visiting these places?" wondered Pandit.

"These bonded labourers do not possess Aadhaar cards. Yet, the government claims that all tribal schemes are properly executed. These cases expose the gaping holes in the government's claims that all tribal children attend school. Who is responsible for snatching the Right to Education (RTE) of these children? Why were their childhoods and food rights taken away?" asked Pandit.

"We have also rescued the children of these bonded labourers in a daring operation. All these children, aged two to eight years old, are 100 per cent illiterate. Their Right to Education (RTE) has been violated as they have never attended school to date. Moreover, their health conditions are deplorable," added Bhoir.

After rescuing these bonded labourers and their minor children, they were taken to Usgaon in Vasai taluka, where Pandit arranged basic facilities such as food, water, shelter, and clothing for them. Government officials from different talukas, including Vasai, Dahanu, Jawhar, and Bhiwandi, rushed to the facility, where doctors checked their health conditions.

A team from Ganeshpuri police also arrived at the facility to record statements from the rescued tribals. Deputy SP Prashant Dhole confirmed, "We have registered an FIR. The accused has not been arrested yet. Our teams are working to track down his location, and he will be arrested soon."

"A few months ago, a victim had filed a case under the BLSA Act and Atrocities Act against Shaikh at the same police station, and he was arrested. There have been multiple cases registered against Shaikh in the past," added Dhole. Sources within the police department informed mid-day that the authorities have started the process to extern Shaikh from the area.

With the escalating cases of bonded labour in Maharashtra, mid-day conducted a weeklong ‘End Slavery in the State' campaign, highlighting numerous loopholes in the political and administrative approaches to eradicate this issue. This campaign was discussed during the recently concluded Winter Session of the Legislative Council, where members raised concerns, and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis addressed the issue. However, there appears to be no tangible change on the ground.

11
No of bonded labourers rescued