The recent death of nine-year-old Venkatesh, taken as ‘collateral’ for his mother’s unpaid debt, explicitly demonstrates the gruesome realities and sustained challenges of bonded labour in India, despite its legal prohibition.
Bonded Labour?
It is also referred to as debt bondage, which refers to a situation where a person is forced to work under coercion due to debt, advance payments, or inherited social obligations, often without defined limits or fair wages. It’s not only an economic problem, but also a foundational denial of human dignity.
Current Landscape and Statistics
(i) Prevalence: As of 2021, around 11 million people in India were living in modern slavery, the highest number globally.
(ii) Rescue and Rehabilitation Efforts: Between April 2024 and January 2025, approximately 250 bonded labourers were rescued in India. Though in the last fiscal year, only around 465(not exact) bonded labourers got rehabilitation against an annual target of 1.3 million, flagging huge gaps in implementation.
(iii) Dominant Social Groups Affected: More than 75%( not exact) of bonded laborers are from vulnerable communities. They include Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and Other Backward Classes. So, it underscores the deep-rooted social discrimination.
Constitutional and Legal Framework
(i) Article 23 of the Constitution prohibits beggary and forced labour.
(ii) Article 21 guarantees the right to life with dignity, which bonded labour fundamentally violates.
(iii) The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, criminalised all forms of bonded labour. Also, extinguished debt obligations and empowered District Vigilance Committees (DVCs) for enforcement.
(iv) Rehabilitation Scheme (2016): Envisioned the ambitious goal of rescuing 1.84 crore (18.4 million) bonded laborers by 2030.
Persistence of Bonded Labour in India
(i) Poverty and Indebtedness: Deeply penetrated poverty often compels families to take small advances for survival. Consequently, entangle them in long-term cycles of debt traps.
(ii) Caste-Based Discrimination: Marginalized communities, especially Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, are unreasonably affected due to systemic social inequalities.
(iii) Lack of Enforcement and Data: Poor implementation of the 1976 Act, as well as insufficient monitoring, severely hamper effective rescue and rehabilitation efforts. The large inequality between estimated cases and actual rescues is a sharp indicator of this failure.
(iv) Unregulated Informal Sector: The informal economy, employing above 85% of India’s workforce, operates with minimal legal or social protections. As a consequence, creating appropriate ground for exploitative practices like bonded labor.
(v) Policy Gaps: Non-acceptance of existing bonded labor by a few state dispensations hampers rehabilitation and legal action. For example, Maharashtra removed bonded labor from its forty-point program after the Emergency.
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Way Ahead
(i) Strengthen Legal Enforcement
(a) Formulate Special Task Forces at the district level to thwart bonded labour operations.
(b) Acknowledge bonded labour as organised crime, and treat the offenders as per the law.
(ii) Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and State Action Plans:
(a) Ask every state to make a comprehensive SOP for identification, rescue, rehabilitation, and post-rescue patronage.
(b) Do regular surveys (as ordered by the Supreme Court) to track cluster areas of bonded labour, particularly in high-risk sectors.
(iii) Robust Rehabilitation Framework:
(a) Make a robust Union Sector Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labourers.
(b) Ensure issuance of Release Certificates even after their death, so that families can get compensation and justice.
(iv) Empower Vulnerable Communities:
(a) Make targeted, comprehensive social protection schemes for the marginalized SC/ST group. It would consist of guaranteed employment, skill training, access to land rights, housing, and formal credit. All this to break the shackles of liability and provide sustainable livelihoods.
(vi) Improve Institutional Coordination:
(a) Designate a nodal department in each state for bonded labour with clear roles for Revenue, Labour, Police, and Tribal Welfare Departments.
(b) Make District Vigilance Committees (DVCs) active and independent with civil society participation and digital tracking of complaints.
Conclusion
Bonded and forced labour has always been a sensitive issue in India, demanding structural reforms to provide and protect the rights and dignity of victims. The narrative highlights the need for effective implementation of policies and greater awareness to combat modern-day slavery.