The same Cooum River that flows through Chennai snakes into Tiruvallur too along its 72-km journey. But unlike in Chennai, where Cooum is filthy, in Tiruvallur, it’s what outside the river that’s filthier – the shadow of bonded labour. The blight obliterates generations with back-breaking labour at rice mills or unending toil in the searing heat of brick kilns. Before bureaucracy spread its tentacles here, there was a time when Tiruvallur was a theatre of war – a part of the Carnatic war was fought here. Now, a battle still wages on here, a rather humanitarian one.
According to a State government reply to an RTI filed by International Justice Mission, this is the district from where the most number of bonded labourers were rescued – 1,250 (from 2005-2014). In 2013-14, 24 per cent of those rescued belonged to Tiruvallur, a district known for its industry, and ironically, its educational institutions. Though the district boasts of 23 engineering colleges, the literacy rate among the most vulnerable section – the Scheduled Tribes – stands at a paltry 46 per cent, according to the 2011 census. However, things have picked up a tad, with the rescued labourers realising that education is one of the ways in which the community can break free of the shackles of bonded labour.
“My father was born in a brick kiln. So was I, and so were my wife and kids. Now, I’m educating all my children. My daughter has finished her diploma in computer science,” says Raman, a rice mill labourer from the district who was rescued in 2004. Spending the first 35 years of his life breaking his back and working 16 hours a day for a measly daily wage of `5, Raman now knows his life equations perfectly, but he has learnt it the hard way. “What every vulnerable member of the community needs is at least one acre of land, so that they can grow something – spinach, tomatoes, anything. This way, people wouldn’t borrow money and get bonded for generations,” he adds.
Education is our ticket out of misery and the rice mill owners know this. Our owner used to push a broom into my son’s hand as soon as he came from school.
Kasthuri, rescued rice mill worker
The power of education is not lost on Kasthuri, a rehabilitated rice mill worker, who says, “Education is our ticket out of misery and the rice mill owners know this. My former owner used to push a broom into my son’s hand as soon as he came from school. They wanted to keep our children illiterate, they weren’t allowed to study.” Malliga, another rice mill worker rescued in 2005, complains that some of them are yet to receive their community certificates and pattas. “We are the most easily evicted, and keeping our land is difficult even when we have all our papers. So speedy issue of pattas and community certificates is what we want,” she says.
We are the most easily evicted, and keeping our land is difficult even when we have all our papers. So speedy issue of pattas and community certificates is what we want
Malliga, rescued rice mill worker
Carved out of Chengalpattu district, Tiruvallur consists of 12 taluks. The district comprises 10 Assembly constituencies, including Tiruvallur, which is now held by AIADMK’s Ramana B V. The seat has traditionally been a Dravidian stronghold, with AIADMK and arch-rival DMK taking turns to hold on to it since 1971. The spell was broken only once, in 2001, by D Sudharsanam of the Tamil Manila Congress (Moopanar).
Several labourers who have been rescued from brick kilns and rice mills now have a voter ID. But those who are still bonded cannot vote, says Raman. “Work is seven days a week, 18 hours a day. And since we were born into bondage, we didn’t know any place called home,” he says. As per the report of the National Commission on Rural Labour, 1991, 86.6 per cent of the identified bonded labourers belonged to SC/ST. However, according to more recent findings and community estimates, as much as 97 per cent of bonded labourers are from the SC/ST community.
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