Bonded labour camp in UP exposes reality behind Modi govt’s development claims
Lucknow: Exposing the grim reality faced by thousands of vulnerable workers despite the Modi government’s claims of rapid economic growth and development, authorities have uncovered a bonded labour camp inside a paper plate manufacturing factory in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, where labourers, including children, were held captive, brutally tortured and forced to work without wages.
According to Kashmir Media Service, investigators are also probing the death of a laborer who died after prolonged abuse. His body was reportedly stuffed into a bag and disposed of in an attempt to destroy evidence.
The revelations emerged after a joint operation by police and district authorities rescued 12 workers from the factory in Muzaffarnagar district earlier this week. Officials said the operation exposed a system of illegal confinement, forced labour and physical abuse that had been operating for more than a year.
The workers, reportedly recruited from different Indian states on the promise of monthly salaries equivalent to about $140, told investigators they were instead confined inside the factory, prevented from leaving and forced to work without receiving the promised wages.
Several of the rescued workers bore visible injuries. During questioning, they said they had been repeatedly beaten, whipped, attacked with sharp objects and set upon by dogs whenever they attempted to escape. They also said they were forced to eat animal fodder and kept in degrading and inhumane conditions.
Police have registered criminal cases against factory owner Ankit Balyan and Shiva Tyagi, who is already in custody. Authorities are continuing to search for other suspects, who remain absconding.
Although banned under Indian law, bonded labour continues to surface in several parts of India, particularly in brick kilns, factories, farms and small manufacturing units employing migrant workers. Labour rights groups have repeatedly warned that poverty, migration, weak enforcement of labour laws and dependence on informal employment leave millions of vulnerable workers exposed to exploitation, abuse and modern-day slavery.
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi described the incident as an assault on human dignity and demanded strict action against those responsible.
