Wednesday, April 4, 2007

Story Of Ramesh

There is lot of things happen around us but few things really set us to think like this one where bonded child labour explotiation happened which is still continue in india.
" Ramesh is wiser to day. And "revolt" is the lesson that this 12 - year - old bonded labour has learnt from his agonising stay in the Capital. "I will revolt against my father if he tries to send me back to my master's house," said the domestic help, who was rescued by Delhi government officials, in association with NGO Bandhua Mukti Morcha, from a flat in Timarpur. Though still struggling to come to terms with his new-founded freedom, Ramesh does not hide his eagerness to reunite with his family in Supol district of Bihar. He is not deterred by the fact that it was his father, a poor farmer with five sons, who forced him into bonded laobur. His father had consciously pushed him into the drudgery of bonded labour for a sum of Rs. 3, 500. Another Rs. 1,000 were received by his elder brother from the couple, who exploited Ramesh as domestic help. Even five hours after his rescue, Ramesh, appeared to be living under a threat. The numberous scars on his body - apparently inflicted with a hot iron road by his masters, explained why. "Till the time I return to my village, I get this felling that Mummyji (his master's wife and his main tormentor) would come and take me back," he said, sitting in the office of Swami Agnivesh, Chairman, Bandhua Mukti Morcha. Ramesh used to address his masters as daddyji and mummyji but they rarely treated him like their child. Besides extracting over 17 hours of work from him, his masters allegedly used to beat him up and threaten him that he would be handed over to the police on false theft charges. This class five student's 10 month-long tale of horror also included a three-day confinement in the flat when his masters had gone to a relative's place. During this period, he was made to cook rice - which he had never done earlier - and eat it with sugar. Even this bland three-times-a- day meal didn't come without tabs. "Mummyji used to call up to tell me that I could have my meal," he said. Ramesh claimed he was often beaten up for taking too long in fetching the groceries from the market. His attempts to complain to the neighbours also allegedly invited severe punishment. Ramesh's brother works as a mason in Timarpur area and it was he who left him at the Timarpur flat. Today, Ramesh can't contact him because he doesn't know his address. But, thankfully, he remembers the address of his village house. Probe ordered

NEW DELHI : Divisional commissioner Naveen Chawla has directed Civil Lines SDM Arun Mishra to conduct an inquiry into Ramesh's alleged case of bonded labour. The SDM has been told to submit his report within three days. If the change of "bonded labour" are proved against Ramesh's masters they may be jailed for three years and fined Rs. 2000 under the provisions of the Bonded Labour Abolition (System) Act 1976, he said.

Social workers from the Morcha are likely to take him to his village and Ramesh claimed he can't wait for that moment to arrive."

Posted by Ajay :: 5:16 PM :: 0 comments

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