Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received disturbing information from local media KBK Samachar and CGNET Swara regarding two bonded labourers in Kalahandi district of Odisha who have had their hands chopped by middlemen. The AHRC has learnt that the middlemen illegally confined the labourers for almost a week before the incident. Such gory incidents in the impoverished Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput region refute the tall claims – of having eradicated of bonded labour and other forms of modern slavery – made by the authorities. The AHRC urges both the state and civil society to help end such inhumanity.
CASE NARRATIVE:
The hands of two labourers, Nilambar Dhangda Majhi and Gialu Nial, have allegedly been chopped-off by middlemen on the night of 15 December, 2013. The incident came to light when the labourers, travelling by bus, reached Bhawanipatna, around 40 km from Belpara, on the morning of 16 December 2013.
The labourers told the police that along with 10 other labourers of Nuagaon village, Jaypatna block, they had taken an advance of Rs. 10,000 INR each from local middlemen named Bimal Rout and Parsu Naik, to enable employment in the brick kilns of Raipur in Chhattisgarh.
Disbursing such advance loans is standard modus operandi used by touts to entrap impoverished villagers into becoming bonded labour. Poor labourers in the Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput (KBK) area, where distress migration is endemic, often have no choice but to fall into traps set by touts. Studies have, in fact, found that not only landless labourers but even small and marginal farmers are being forced into seasonal distress migration because of their inability to repay loans. Government welfare schemes like Mahtama Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act have failed to arrest the crisis, a failure that the state has acknowledged as well.
The touts had agreed to the demand of the labourers that they would not be made to work in the deep interiors of the Chhattisgarh state and that they would be employed somewhere near the state capital of Raipur. However, when the touts rounded up 12 of the villagers on 30 November 2013, they realized that they were being taken not to Raipur and to some place else. Horrified at this realisation, 10 of the villagers managed to escape, using the excuse of answering the call of nature.
The two that failed to run away were taken to the home of the main middleman Parme Rout in KantaMal of Khariar block in neighbouring Nuapada district. Parme Rout and his men kept the two men in illegal confinement and tortured them brutally. They also demanded that the men return 200,000 INR, i.e. the total advance purportedly taken by the whole group. Parme Rout called even the family of Nilambar Majhi using phone number +91 9439574038 and threatened the family of dire consequences if they failed to pay him 200,000 INR. He later called the family using two more numbers, +91 8018457393 and +91 8018701935. Intimating the police of the threatening ransom calls, the wife of Nilambar Majhi lodged a police complaint in the Jaypatna police station on 13 December. The family also approached the Superintendent of Police of Kalahandi about the abduction and threats.
The police, however, allegedly made light of the complaints and took no action. Incensed at the police complaint, Parme Rout allegedly took the two to a deserted place near Belpara village in Borda police station area of Kalahandi district. He and his men then tortured the labourers further. Telling them that they would never be able to work again, the attackers finally chopped hands of Nilambar Majhi and Gialu Nial and left them to die. The wounded men were fortunately noticed by local villagers, who sent them to Bhawanipatna hospital for medical help in a bus. The police, however, has not yet registered a First Information Statement in the case, arguing that the crime was committed under the jurisdiction of a different police station.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the authorities mentioned below demanding immediate intervention to ensure arrest of the accused, proper investigation and prosecution of those found guilty. It may also be demanded that the public authorities and officials – including the police personnel who did not take cognizance of the ransom calls – who failed to discharge their duties and save the labourers are brought to justice.
The AHRC is also writing a separate letter to (i) the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate food and the Advisory Committee on the right to food, (ii) the UN Special Rapporteur on Rights of the Indigenous People and (iii) the Chief Justice of Supreme Court of India calling for intervention in the case.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear __________,
INDIA: Middlemen chop hands of two bonded labourers in Kalahandi, Odisha
Name of the victim:
1. Nilambar Dhangda Majhi (35 years)
2. Gialu Nial (25 years)
Name of Alleged Perpetrators:
1. Parme Rout
2. Bimal Rout
3. Parsu Naik
Place of incident: Kalahandi district, Odisha.
I am writing to you to express my concern regarding the horrendous incident in which the hands of two tribal labourers, Nilambar Dhangda Majhi and Gialu Nial, have been allegedly chopped-off by the middlemen on the night of 15 December, 2013. The incident came to light when the labourers reached Bhawanipatna, around 40 km from Belpara, on the morning of 16 December 2013.
The two labourers told the police that along with 10 other labourers of Nuagaon village, Jaypatna block, they had taken an advance of 10,000 INR each from local middlemen of their village named Bimal Rout and Parsu Naik. The advance was to enable their employment in the brick kilns of Raipur in Chhattisgarh state. Disbursing such advance loans is standard modus operandi used by touts to entrap poor villagers into becoming bonded labourers. Poor and impoverished villagers of the area, where distress migration is endemic, often have no choice but to fall into the traps set by touts. Studies have, in fact, found that not only the landless labourers but even small and marginal farmers are being forced into seasonal distress migration because of their inability to repay loans. Government welfare schemes like the Mahtama Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act have failed to arrest the crisis, something that has even been acknowledged by the state.
The touts had agreed to the demand of the labourers that they would not be made to work in the deep interiors of Chhattisgarh and would be placed somewhere near Raipur. However, when the touts started rounded up12 of them on 30 November 2013 to take them to Chhattisgarh, the group realized that they were being taken not to Raipur, the state capital of Chhattisgarh, but somewhere else. Horrified at what might be in store for them,10 of the villagers managed to escape, using the excuse of having to answer nature’s call.
The two that failed to run away were taken to the home of chief middleman Parme Rout in village Kantamal of Khariar block in neighbouring Nuapada district. Parme Rout and his men kept the two in illegal confinement and brutally tortured them. They also demanded that the two return 200,000 INR, the total sum purported to have been advance to the whole group. Parme Rout called the family of Nilambar Majhi using phone number +91 9439574038 and threatened the family of dire consequences if they failed to pay him 200,000 INR. He later called the family using two more numbers, +91 8018457393 and +91 8018701935. Intimating the police regarding the threatening ransom calls, the wife of Nilambar Majhi lodged a police complaint in the Jaypatna police station on 13 December. The family also approached the Superintendent of Police of Kalahandi about the threats.
The police, however, allegedly made light of the complaints and took no action. Incensed at the police complaint, Parme Rout allegedly took the two men in his custody to a deserted place near Belpara village in Borda police station area of Kalahandi district. He and his men then brutally tortured the Nilambar Majhi and Gialu Nial. Telling them that they would never be able to work again, the middleman and his thugs finally chopped Nilambar Majhi and Gialu Nial’s hands and left them to die. The seriously wounded labourers were fortunately noticed by local villagers who sent them by bus to Bhawanipatna hospital for medical help. The police, however, has yet not registered a First Information Report (F.I.R) in the case with the excuse that the crime falls under the jurisdiction of a different police station.
I, therefore, urge you to
1. Ensure that the authorities provide all possible medical attention to the wounded labourers at government’s expense,
2. Ensure that a F.I.R is registered against the alleged accused,
3. Ensure that the case is expeditiously investigated and those found guilty are prosecuted,
4. Ensure that the authorities, including the police officers who failed to discharging their duty and save the labourers from illegal confinement, despite being aware of the danger to the confined men, are prosecuted,
5. Ensure that social welfare schemes like MNREGA are strengthened to arrest the economic distress forcing citizens of India into debt-bondage,
Sincerely,
_______
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minster
Government of India
Room No. 148 B, South block, New Delhi.
INDIA
Fax: + 91 11 230116857; 23015603
Email : manmohan@sansad.nic.in
2. Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission
Faridkot House, Copernicus Marg
New Delhi 110001
INDIA
Fax: + 91 11 2338 4863
E-mail: chairnhrc@nic.in
3. Dr.Rameshwar Oraon
Chairperson,
National Commission for Scheduled Tribes
6th Floor, 'B' Wing, Loknayak Bhawan
Khan Market,
New Delhi-110003
INDIA
Fax: +91 2462462
Email: chairperson@ncst.nic.in
4. Naveen Patnaik
Chief Minister, Odisha
Through the office of the Principal Secretary
Home Department, Government of Orissa
Naveen Nivas, Aerodrome Road
Bhubaneswar, Odhisha
INDIA
Fax: +91 6742535100
E-mail: cmo@ori.nic.in
5. Shri Jugal Kishore Mohapatra
Chief Secretary
Orissa Secretariat
Bhubaneshwar – 751001
Odhisha
INDIA
Fax: +91 674-2536660 / +91 674 2536660
E-mail: csori@ori.nic.in
6.Dr. Rabinarayan Bohidar
Chairperson,
Odisha Human Rights Commission
Toshali Bhawan Complex (2nd floor), Satya Nagar
P.O. Saheed Nagar, Bhubneswar-751007
INDIA
Fax: +91 - 2573785/2572234/2572010
Email- ohrc@nic.in
7. Shri Bijay Ketan Upadhyaya
Collector and D.M, Kalahandi,
Collect orate,
Bhawanipatna
Odisha
INDIA
Fax: +91 6670 230303
Email: dm-kalahandi@nic.in
Thank you
Hunger Alerts Programme
Right to Food Programme (foodjustice@ahrc.asia)
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
