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An average
family size of 3-4 have to reconcile their food need with whatever they
get as weekly allowance. However, few are doomed as their own
calculations have been flawed and the brick kiln owners set a revised
target to make more bricks than the number agreed earlier with the
labour contractor. In most cases, the labour contractor deceive the
labourers about the terms of actual negotiation with the owner regarding
wages, number of bricks to be produced, transport and food allowance for
the workers. At every juncture, the labour contractor earns commission
and pass on the buck to the labourer who at the end has to repay the
same by doing extra work without any extra remuneration. Now there is no
option left for the hapless people but to obey the dictate of the owner.
Otherwise, they will be harassed for their final payment, will be denied
transport, food and travel allowance as well.
In December 2009, Rahasa Rana from Jamutbahal village in Sandhibahal
panchayats of Gaisilet block of Bargarh district of Odisha migrated with
3 member of his family to Puchiathipet in the suburbs of Chennai. He had
taken an advance of 15,000 from the local labour contractor for making
bricks. In 2009, the movement of the people to brick kiln had delayed by
three months. Usually people migrate from western Odisha to Andhra
Pradesh and Tamil Nadu brick kilns during September/October. But this
time around the movement had been delayed by two/three months owing to
reduced demand for real estate which in turn reduced the demand of the
bricks. Experts attributed the drop in demand to the global recession
that also affected India. After November 2009, the market showed signs
of revival impacting the renewed demand on the brick industries. The
workers were thus recruited late in December and started moving to the
brick kiln by January. Rahasa and his family put in daily hard work of
12 hours and accomplished an average 7,000 bricks per week. Within two
month the entire family moulded more than 50,000 bricks. However, during
middle of March, due to excessively hard and long hours of work
accompanied by inadequate food, Rahasa slowly started complaining severe
weakness, nausea and ill health. The local RMP (Registered Medical
Practitioner) gave him some vitamin pills but to no visible result. And
after two days Rahasa collapsed before he could be taken to the
hospital. The owner cremated his body in the same evening and the family
was sent back with a compensation of 2,000 rupees. The owner was in fact
more worried about the completion of task which remained half done by
the family than the treatment of Rahasa.
Abhi Bhoi, from Bijaghat, in Lokhana Gram Panchayat under Muribahal
block in Bolangir district of Odisha too joined in January this year
with other migrant labourer from his village to the brick kiln in
Chennai. His wife and two daughters also accompanied him. He would not
have thought in his wildest dreams that this would turn out to be his
final journey of life. He had taken an advance of rupees 20,000 from the
labour contractor and landed up in the kiln with an agreement of making
150000 bricks in five months. Mostly during winter the output of brick
making goes up to 1500 bricks per day and a unit of brick makers can
achieve target of 40,000 bricks per month. But in summer the output
sharply dips down as labourers have to work in the scorching heat and
under humid conditions in Chennai. The task is quite painstaking. The
workers put their sweat and blood to meet the target. After working for
two and half months, Abhi Bhoi complained of stomach problem but ignored
thinking it a minor health disorder owing to problems in adjusting to
the climate, food and water in the worksite. Gradually, however he
started feeling acute pain at the lower abdomen. The local RMP
administered some pills but there was no improvement of condition. He
was admitted in a general hospital at Central Chennai and died the same
day. The owner claimed to have spent thousands of rupees for his
treatment but couldn’t save his life. The family members performed last
rites and rituals of the departed soul at the brick kiln with their
fellow workers. The owner instead of sending the family of the deceased
back to home state asked them to continue work. Since they are no longer
capable of making bricks in absence of Abhi, they are now engaged as
head loaders in the brick kiln.
Working as brick carrier or head loader in the brick kilns is one of the
tough and labour intensive work. Each of the labourers has to carry
brick on their head and walk a distance of 50-150 meters. Each brick
weights approximately 4.5 kilo. The man and women both do the work and
each of the people gets an advance of rupees 5,000 to transport
approximately 1.5 lakh bricks on head load in the full season. The wage
system is somewhere rupees 50-60 to transport 1000 bricks. While, rupees
40 is deducted from the advance, rupees 10 are given as food allowance
during the work. In a weeks’ time, a group of 2-3 members of a family
carries around 10,000 bricks which is equivalent of 45,000 kilos!
Garib Sunani from Goheria village in Golamunda block, Kalahandi district
of Odisha is a first timer to the brick kiln and work as brick carrier
in the brick kiln in Chennai. He and his wife have took advance money of
rupees 10,000 from the labour contractor. Both of them have to transport
300000 bricks on head load during the span of 5 months. During their
work in the brick kiln both wife and husband would earn weekly rupees
120 as food allowance. However, one day while carrying brick Garib
Sunani slipped and fell down and got his spinal cord injured. The RMP at
the site gave some pain killer but Garib didn’t get any relief. With
unbearable pain he is continuing the work and the owner is hell-bent on
him to complete his commitment. Now the burden has obviously shifted to
his wife and daughter who are struggling hard to fulfil the task.
Case of Rupadhar Bariha from Solbandha village under Patnagarh block of
Bolangir district in Odisha portrays a gloomy case of death and slavery
in Brick Kiln. Bariha with his wife Anjana and two minor sons went to
Udaimal in Nalgonda district of Andhra Pradesh 6 years back. They were
given no advance money but were kept as bondage labourers there for
these many years. Every time they asked the Kiln owner Jagan Seth to go
home after the end of the session, Rupadhar was subjected to physical
assaults and threat by the owner and his supervisor. However, finally in
April 2010 when he urged to go home, Rupadhar was severely beaten up by
the kiln owner and his goons. When the family protested, they were also
ill treated. Dejected and hurt Rupadhar was left in his makeshift hut at
the site, but later he was found dead in a suspicious state of hanging
from the roof. His wife was shocked, terrified but was unable to protest
the inhuman act committed by the kiln owner. The family was kept for 8
more days after the death of Rupa and were allowed to go home with a
compensation of 1000 rupees. Signature of Anjana – wife of Rupadhar -
was taken on a paper by the kiln owner where something in Telugu was
written which Anjana could not read. The bereaved family had to perform
his last rites near the kilns itself. Back in their village, the family
does not dare to file a complaint with the police due to lack of
confidence to follow up the case.
Brick kilns in India produce around 140 billion brick and it is the
second largest brick producing country after China. If someone does a
simple calculation, the brick kilns which are the backbone of the
growing real estate and infrastructure industry will be anywhere close
to 280 billion rupee of business turn over. According to Indian Brick
Manufacture Association, approximately 1 lakh brick kilns are operating
in India which employs more than 4 million workers. Most of the workers
are migrants who belong to backward and underdeveloped regions of the
country and normally hail from low income and socially disadvantaged
section of the society. Till today, the brick manufacturing is
considered as highly labour intensive which consist both skilled and
unskilled work force covering adult and child labour. Bandhua Mukti
Morcha, the national campaign against bonded labour led by Swami
Aginivesh in 1981 has first raised the issues of the brick kiln workers
who are living a life of bondage and contemporary form of slavery. The
entire process of recruitment, transit, working and living conditions in
the brick kiln is a testimony and indication of existence of severe form
of human bondage.
Government under its arm has a plethora of laws, legislation, regulatory
and enforcement apparatus to protect the rights and entitlement of
migrant labourers. Inter State Migrant Workman Act of 1979 which was
enacted to protect the concern of migrant labour has failed to safeguard
the interest and living condition and wellbeing of worker which is a
paramount obligation of the government at source and destination. On the
other hand barring some labour unions, few civil society organisations
are engaged with the migrant labourer to make them aware, organise and
advocate for their rights and entitlement. Since it requires a concerted
effort to network both at source and destination which involves
networking at multiple states, tracking of labourers and coordinate with
the respective states for the protection of rights and entitlements of
the migrants. The government machinery in this regard has not done
enough and lot more need to be done in regard to ensure labour
standards, provision for compensation, living condition and elimination
of all forms of bondage and slavery that exist in the brick kilns.
India with its roaring economy and a distinct inequality of people in
the rural area is a huge concern for all. While, it is important to
reduce the distress or forced migration of people, a more human approach
to manage and monitor migration is of utmost importance to provide a
level playing ground for the unorganised labourers where their rights
and wellbeing are ensured.
(Author is the Head
(Thematic) at Aide et Action, Bhubaneswar) |
