The week has been lengthy, D Sivakumar (30) informs us on his approach again from a brick kiln in Tiruvallur, Tamil Nadu. Right here, he spent the higher a part of the day interacting with over 40 households who’ve discovered refuge — together with everlasting housing — on this government-operated shelter. Sivakumar explains, “Bonded labourers are majorly expert in wood-cutting jobs or working in brick kilns.” So, this mission, he provides, allows them to proceed their work whereas being pretty compensated for it.
Nevertheless, the day felt nearly like déjà vu for Sivakumar, who was pressured to work at a kiln shortly after his father handed away when he was simply six years previous.
Explaining his early foray into youngster servitude, he shares, “After my dad handed away, I started residing with my aunt and uncle. In the future, one in every of their neighbours took an advance [sum of money] from a kiln close to the Karnataka border. I bear in mind being despatched to work on the web site.”
Nobody appeared to fret that the fragility of Sivakumar’s arms was no match for the heavy hundreds he was anticipated to shoulder from 5 am to eight pm daily. “I might steadiness one brick on my head and two in both hand,” he recollects.
The story, whereas heart-wrenching, is sadly a commonality. The export and development trade — which majorly accounts for youngster labour in India — manages to evade the lengthy arm of the legislation, consequentially contributing to some appalling statistics: India accounts for 7.2 % of the world’s inhabitants of child-bonded labourers.
In instances of profitable crackdowns, there are gaps in rehabilitation. Because of this by the point corrective motion is taken, scores of younger youngsters have already traded their innocence for contemporary slavery. To them, hope for a greater life appears a far-fetched idea, because it did to Sivakumar 23 years in the past.
Throughout his teaching classes with survivors of child-bonded labour, he recognises their hesitancy to dream huge. In an try to assuage their issues, he tells them, “What’s behind you will not be your future. There’s a lovely future ready for you.”
Sivakumar credit his redemption to the strangers in his life — “The NGO that rescued me from the brick kiln, the individuals who helped re-enrol me in class, and everybody who believed in me”.
“I need to have the ability to do the identical for these youngsters,” he provides. And he may do with just a little assist from us.
‘Baby labour is an odd life’
Like many child-bonded labourers, Sivakumar’s elementary training took a backseat. Recent out of Class 1 when his dad died, the following few years noticed him confined to the drudgery of the brick kiln.
“As a toddler, doing such heavy work will not be okay. However there was nobody I may speak in confidence to. There was nobody to assist me,” he shares.
Issues reached a hilt when the backbreaking job took a toll on his well being and he fell sick. Naturally, his turnaround time on these days was slower than normal. However there was no room for mercy on the kiln. “The proprietor’s son-in-law began interrogating me. Once I informed him I wasn’t feeling properly, he wouldn’t hear and began hitting me together with his shoe and abusing me within the native language. It was very unhealthy.”
For 3 years — earlier than a sting operation in 2003 led to Sivakumar discovering freedom in the end — he bore the brunt of those nefarious practices. After the rescue, when requested what he want to do, Sivakumar, who craved some semblance of childhood, responded, “I wish to research.” And, the NGO (which needs to stay nameless) made this doable.
Nevertheless, this era wasn’t utterly untouched by labour. He was nonetheless put to onerous work by his kin underneath the garb of home chores. “I needed to take the cows and goats to the forest daily. Generally I wouldn’t have the ability to attend faculty for days as a result of there wasn’t time. I actually wished to review however work would make me miss out on lessons,” he recollects.
Nevertheless, Sivakumar made up for it by taking pc programs supplied to him by the saviour NGO. On the age of 21, with faculty behind him, he was able to embark on his faculty journey. Whereas Sivakumar aced his BCom diploma, everybody was satisfied that he would enter the company world, however he stunned folks by pursuing a grasp’s in social work from Madras Christian Faculty in 2022.
“I used to be at all times eager on serving society,” he causes. Right now, Sivakumar is placing his data to good use in his position with the NGO’s ‘After Care’ wing, the place he coaches youngster bonded labour survivors — serving to them meet up with their friends in mainstream education.
Citing the instance of Shiva, one in every of his college students, Sivakumar says, “Shiva had failed his Class 12. My spouse and I made a decision to teach him without cost. We helped him try his exams and write his papers. Now he’s pursuing his grasp’s in Tamil literature.”
Watching a toddler dwell their desires, realizing he was instrumental in making it doable, is all of the validation Sivakumar seeks.
Present freedom to survivors of kid bonded labour
Bonded labour has been branded unlawful since 1976. But it surely persists; particularly youngster bonded labour. This constitutes youngsters working in situations of servitude to repay a debt that the majority usually is incurred by the youngsters’s dad and mom.
Whereas the Central Sector Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labourers is meant to offer monetary and non-financial help as soon as they’re issued bonded labour launch certificates by district magistrates or sub-divisional magistrates, many bonded labour survivors discover it robust to entry their dues. “It’s because most aren’t even conscious that what they had been doing was bonded labour,” Sivakumar explains the premise of the issue.
Victims of child-bonded labour need to navigate super hardship. This contains working within the sweltering warmth of a stone quarry, choosing rags in metropolis streets, and spending hours within the discipline. These atrocities barely scratch the floor of the difficulties they need to endure.
With many youngsters being sentenced to this life from as younger as 5 years of age, research have discovered that by the point they attain maturity, they develop into irrevocably sick or deformed, slicing their life span quick. By means of the scope of his work, Sivakumar is reaching out to those youngsters (and adults) throughout 13 districts of Tamil Nadu. “I assist them with training, entry to livelihood, details about authorities schemes and any social service they may want. I mentor college students from Courses 8 to 12 by means of profession steering programmes to discover their pursuits.”
Sivakumar shares that he additionally takes the scholars on publicity visits to schools, malls, and workshops whereas additionally aiding them with faculty admissions and counselling. “We conduct common follow-up conferences with college students to examine on their progress and supply any help as wanted. We additionally assist them by means of typing lessons, internships, English lessons, and tuitions.”
Acknowledging that it’s robust to renew one’s training after a break, Sivakumar and the group supply particular person counselling whereby dad and mom and youngsters are spoken to about the advantages of training. These classes see Sivakumar driving house an vital message: “Settle for your story. I’m right here immediately due to the help of so many individuals.”
“Generally dad and mom inform me, make my youngster a ‘Kumar’ too. It makes me completely happy,” he smiles.
Sharing extra about his work, Sivakumar says, “Instantly after the rescue, we help the survivors in getting their caste certificates, Aadhar card, ration card, launch certificates, and a right away rehabilitation quantity of Rs 30,000. We additionally assist them open a checking account.”
He provides that together with this, the survivors are taken for publicity visits the place they will get a way of present livelihood initiatives like poultry models, brick kilns and so on. Together with this, routine trainings are performed, the survivors are made conscious of presidency schemes and month-to-month conferences with the Launched Bonded Labour Affiliation (RBLA) leaders are facilitated.
At present, Sivakumar works with 22 youngsters and 300 adults rescued from bonded labour. “We’ve got managed to enrol 12 youngsters into faculty this 12 months and assist many households with jobs,” he states proudly.
You possibly can assist Kumar in his endeavour to make the desires of those youngsters a actuality. Your funds will go in the direction of the training of youngsters rescued from bonded labour in addition to these weak to exploitation. Let’s give these youngsters the futures they deserve.
Donate right here to assist a child-bonded labour survivor make their dream a actuality.
Edited by Pranita Bhat; Footage supply: Sivakumar
