Survivor Leaders Help Free Eleven People From Abusive Business Owner shield arrow-simple-alt-top arrow-simple-alt-left arrow-simple-alt-right arrow-simple-alt-bottom facebook instagram linkedin medium pinterest rss search-alt twitter video-play arrow-long-right arrow-long-left arrow-long-top arrow-long-bottom arrow-simple-right arrow-simple-left arrow-simple-bottom readio arrow-simple-top speaker-down plus minus cloud hb pin camera globe cart rotate star edit arrow-top arrow-right arrow-left arrow-bottom check search close square speaker-up speaker-mute return play pause love

LIMITED-TIME MATCH! Your gift doubles in impact to help send rescue and restore more lives.

give now.

Survivor Leaders Help Free Eleven People From Abusive Business Owner

CHENNAI, INDIA – Last week, a group of survivor leaders in the Released Bonded Laborers’ Association (RBLA) helped authorities free 11 people from an abusive wood-cutting business, including an 11-year-old boy who had been forced to work alongside the adults.

These victims had been trafficked from the Irula community, a tribal ethnic group living in Tamil Nadu. A man from their own community recruited them for good jobs at a wood-cutting business in the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh and even offered a payment advance of 5,000 rupees (about $65 USD) to entice them to move.

But once the families arrived, they fell under the control of a brutal business owner who began exploiting them for their work. He moved them constantly around the countryside between Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. They had to chop down trees and process lumber for 20 hours a day—all while being subjected to extreme verbal abuse (especially the women). They were never allowed to leave his control.

The owner also left them to live in appalling conditions: They slept in open fields—no matter the rain or heat—and could only get water from a nearby reservoir that often contained sewage. They had each been promised 1,000 rupees for every ton of wood, but the owner gave them only 1,000 rupees for the entire group. This was barely enough to buy basic necessities, so they lived for over a year off the low-quality rice the owner provided.

Desperately Seeking Safety

About three months ago, the owner ran into legal issues with some land he was clearing and allowed the laborers to return home briefly. In early March, he called the laborers and demanded they return. When a laborer named Rajendran refused, the owner showed up angrily at his village and threatened to break Rajendran’s legs if the families did not return.

Terrified, Rajendran’s wife and children traveled immediately to Meesanallur—a “model village” developed in Tamil Nadu for survivors of bonded labor. They reported their plight to the RBLA leaders there, who took their case to the district’s Revenue Division Officer (RDO) in the local government.

On March 16, the RDO assembled a rescue team and traveled with RBLA leaders to meet the families and free them from abuse. Arul, one of the RBLA leaders, shared:

Even though the RDO was a newly appointed official and did not have experience in bonded labor rescues, the moment we gave the information, a team was formed immediately, and rescue happened. They were cooperative and sensitive to the laborers’ needs. The officials arranged for food, medical treatment for a person with injuries, and victim drop [back at their homes]. The owner was also brought to the police station on the spot for questioning. It was very heartening to see new officials also approach the issue of bonded labor with concern and urgency.

Officials provided the rescued families with Release Certificates, which formally break their bonds to the owner and declare them as free. These certificates will also help them get long-term rehabilitation support from the government as they rebuild a life in safety.

RBLA leaders will be following up with the rescued families on aftercare and the next steps of the legal case.

You might also be interested in…

see more

Media Contact

We're here to answer your questions. Please fill out the form below and someone from our team will follow up with you soon.

More Information

Petra Kooman

Director of Marketing and Public Relations
pkooman@ijm.ca
519.679.5030 x.229

Make an Impact

Your skills, talents, and ideas are a force for change. From birthday parties to polar dips, your fundraising campaign can stop the violence.

Learn More

Thank you for signing up to learn more about starting a fundraiser. We will be in touch soon!

In the meantime, please take a look at our free guide: 25 Tips for the Novice Fundraiser.

Need Help?

Need more information?
We're here to help.
Contact us at events@ijm.ca

Test

Test