During my trip to Kamataka, I was able to observe the local culture in a number of small, rural villages. During a tour of a nearby village, Silvepura, I was given the opportunity to visit one of the brick factories. I saw a number of small, brick huts which housed several families. Our local tour guide explained that there were bonded labourers., who were working at the brick factory until their debt was paid off. These were families who had voluntarily been transferred from another state and brought here to work. They become enslaved until their debt to the site manager was paid off. After visiting the brick factory, I conducted some online-research about the current law on bonded labour in India. I was shocked to find that it was strictly outlawed, yet the brick factory I visited was in open sight to anyone passing by. I then began searching for charities that were working towards removing labourers from these sites, and found several across India. However, without solving the underlying issues which allow bonded labour to survive, it will continue to exist.
binded labour,
Heppell, Tiffany
Supervisors: Corrywright, D
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Year: 2017
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