Palghar tribals rescued from bonded labour at Surat brick kiln

Those rescued tell mid-day more families from Palghar, Dahanu are still trapped, forced to work without proper food or sleep. This is reportedly the first case of interstate bonded labour registered at various police stations in Palghar in recent history. Though a first information report (FIR) was registered at Manor police station

An interstate trafficking ring involving bonded labourers has surfaced in Palghar district, where poverty-stricken tribals were coerced into working in inhuman conditions at a brick kiln factory in Surat, Gujarat. Seven workers and four children between the ages of 15 months and five years have been rescued with the help of activists from the Warli community, an indigenous group primarily found in Thane and Palghar districts as well as parts of Gujarat.

The brick kiln facility in Surat where the labourers were allegedly made to toil. Pics/Hanif Patel

Tribal activists, along with those who have been rescued, said that more poverty-stricken families from Palghar and Dahanu talukas are still trapped at various brick kilns, where they are forced to work without proper food or adequate sleep. “Two underage children have been forced to work at a Surat brick kiln,” said 25-year-old complainant Nitesh Chimbate, who somehow managed to escape from a heavily guarded kiln where the owner Jigneshbhai Prajapati had allegedly installed CCTV cameras to prevent workers from dozing off.

This is reportedly the first case of interstate bonded labour registered at various police stations in Palghar in recent history. Though a first information report (FIR) was registered at Manor police station in the early hours of Thursday, the cops failed to add the Interstate Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979.

The case

In his statement to Manor police, Nitesh said that Prajapati’s agent had paid him Rs 10,000 in advance in June 2024, asking him to be ready for the work at his Surat setup. “My neighbour, Dinesh Rasal, had told me that labourers were wanted at Prajapati’s brick kiln,” said Nitesh.

The rescued tribal workers from Palghar district and their families

“At the same time, some of my relatives and neighbours agreed to work. But we were not paid properly by Prajapati,” Nitesh alleged. A tribal activist, Vijay Jadhav, from Shramjeevi Sangathana, said, “The advance was given to these tribals in June last year to ensure they would not work for others.”

“In November, Prajapati came to the tribals’ village, Wadakhadkona in Palghar, telling them to accompany him to Surat. When they told Prajapati and his agent Mukesh that they couldn’t go to Surat because field work was pending, they were threatened to face dire consequences,” Jadhav’s colleague Suresh Barde alleged.

“Since these tribals are illiterate, the brick kiln owner exploited their poverty. Their hands and legs were tied with a rope and they were bundled into an Eicher tempo and taken to Surat,” Barde added.

After reaching Surat, the tribals learnt that many other tribal families from Palghar district were being forced to work round the clock at Prajapati’s brick kiln setup, which is spread over several acres.

The Surat-based brick kiln pays a Palghar-based tribal an advance to secure his labour in June 2024; Five months later, the former visits Palghar and bundles poverty-stricken tribals into a tempo. Illustrations/Uday Mohite

Nitesh said the men were made to do gruelling work, including moulding and firing clay, under harsh conditions. “Whenever we tried to rest after a tiresome day of work, Prajapati’s cane-wielding guards would assault us,” said Nitesh.

Meanwhile, Barde said, “I have been told that CCTV cameras were installed near the labourers’ huts and a guard would monitor them on a TV screen. If anyone fell asleep in a hut, the guard would cane them and force them to work.”

‘I get goosebumps’

Nitesh added, “We were never treated properly at the worksite, where we were treated like dirt. If any of us fell sick, we were never taken to the hospital on time. Even if the ailing person was admitted to a hospital, their relatives were not allowed to meet them. This was truly atrocious. I get goosebumps recalling those days.”

A cane-wielding guard tyrannises the bonded labourers, who are monitored by a CCTV camera, in Surat

In the FIR, Nitesh said that his uncle Krishna Chimbate, working at the same place, fell sick and was admitted to a hospital. “But we were never allowed to see him at the hospital. Later, we learnt that my uncle had gone missing from the hospital. We have registered a missing complaint at Mahuwa police station in Surat.”

In a desperate bid to search for his uncle, Nitesh set everything aside and dared to defy the guards and escape from the kiln in January. While returning to Palghar, Nitesh bumped into a group of tribal activists from Shramjeevi Sangathana who helped him register an FIR at Manor police station.

“We have managed to rescue seven: Nitesh Chimbate, Rupesh Chimbate, Ranjana Chimbate, Ladku Chimbate, Bhavna Pagi, Ranjit Pagi and Krishna Chimbate. After the FIR was registered, we learnt that Krishna Chimbate, whose missing complaint was registered in Surat, had escaped from the hospital to avoid returning to the brick kiln,” said Barde.

A guard checks live footage; a labourer escapes the heavily guarded brick kiln

Toddler's death

Barde said an eight-month-old, Mehul Mahendra Rahe, died at a Surat-based brick kiln where his mother Rasika had been working as a bonded labourer. “The constant exposure to smoke and toxic fumes from the burning of clay and fuel can lead to respiratory issues, eye problems and other chronic illnesses. Children living in or around brick kilns are vulnerable to air pollution, which can affect their growth, development and overall health. These children often have limited access to medical care,” said Jadhav. More than 50 poverty-stricken tribals are allegedly being forced to work at brick kilns adjacent to Prajapati’s setup.

The escapee reaches Manor police station in Palghar where the FIR is registered

Police Speak

The Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Palghar taluka, Abhijeet Dharashivkar said, “Based on the complaint received, we have registered an offence under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act as well as Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. If required, we will add the (Interstate Migrant Workmen) Act to the FIR. No arrest has been made in this case as our investigations are underway.”

Nitesh Chimbate, the complainant. Pic/Hanif Patel

‘Dearth of workers’

The chairperson of the Tribal Development Review Committee in Maharashtra, Vivek Pandit, said, “There is a huge dearth of workforce in Surat, so opportunists have been eyeing the poor tribals in Palghar. The state government must look at this seriously.” 

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