Hassan: The dark face of the bonded labor system has been exposed once again in the district. In a highly shocking incident reported near Tavarehalli in Arsikere taluk, over 12 laborers were lured with the promise of work on a ginger farm and were illegally confined and tortured for over a year.
Poor people who had come from various districts and other states in search of work were subjected to extreme cruelty here. The list of these bonded laborers also includes a minor child and a person with a disability, all of whom were made to go through hell for the past year.
Bath Once a Month, Mobiles Snatched, and Beaten with Sticks!
The rescued laborers shed tears as they narrated the cruelty they suffered at the farm:
* Only Two Meals a Day: Despite working all day, they were never given enough food. They were provided with minimal food only twice a day.
* Assault with Sticks: If they asked for their hard-earned wages, the owners and the contractors (maistries) would brutally thrash them with wooden logs.
* Bathing Restricted: The depraved employers allowed the laborers to bathe only once a month! Additionally, they had snatched everyone's footwear so that no one could escape.
* Threats: Mobile phones of all workers were seized, and they were subjected to severe physical and mental torture with continuous death threats.
Cases Filed Against the Youths Who Rescued Them!
When the desperate workers pleaded to be rescued somehow, local youths from Tavarehalli village realized the gravity of the situation and courageously stepped forward. They freed the laborers from that living hell and brought them safely to the Javagal police station.
Outrage Over Police Action:
It is alleged that as soon as they reached the station, the Javagal Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) tried to broker a compromise between the contractors (Anand, Yogish, and Shashikumar) and the bonded laborers. Later, the police got the pending wages paid to the workers. However, in a highly ironic and shocking twist, a case has been registered at the Javagal police station against the very village youths who humanely rescued the victimized workers!The fact that an evil system like bonded labor is still alive in the district, coupled with the police taking action against the rescuers, has now sparked severe public outrage.