Bhubaneswar: On this Labour Day, we must remember the plight of bonded labourers who continue to suffer in our society. However, there is hope in the form of a group of young rescued bonded labourers from various migrant-prone districts of Odisha who have come together under the banner of ‘Shramavahini’ to ensure quick response from the state government for victims of bonded labour in distress.
Equipped with smartphones, adept networking skills and social media know-how, this network of over 4000 individuals aims to use their outreach to report any such issues that come to their notice through labour helplines and social media platforms.
Many migrant labourers who face bondage and torture in a different state struggle to communicate their plight to the authorities on time. As a result, help often arrives too late, with some losing their lives or limbs. To address this issue, the young brigade is using their network to report such cases to the district administration and concerned officials to help extract distressed labourers as soon as possible.
Additionally, the youth plan to conduct various sensitization programmes and campaigns in villages to raise awareness about safe migration.
“In the coming days we will approach the government and non-government organisations for collaborations and to equip us with training’s and use us to ensure that the distress migration from this region changes to “informed migration” and “migration with choice”, says Satyaban Gahir, secretary of Shramavahini
Language barriers can often present challenges during rescues outside of Odisha. To address this issue, the team intends to act as a bridge-builder between the source and destination states, providing assistance with any language-related challenges that may arise.
Furthermore, Shramavahini aims to collaborate with government and non-governmental organizations to aid in the safe transportation of victims to their homes and connect survivors with various government welfare schemes.
“Odisha is best when it comes to bonded labour response. As compared to other states, Odisha officers, when they receive the information, rush to the rescue without delay. We want to play a role in improvising this response,” says Santoshini Chinda, President of Shramavahini. “We also want to launch campaigns to spread awareness on safe migration and assist the Govt to improve response to bonded labour, she adds.
“We have been through the perils of bondage and know exactly how it affects the poor. Coming together like this provides us with a sense of strength and security. It gives us the confidence of walking into a government office and follow up on entitlements and welfare schemes. We wish to support the government wherever possible in rescues and rehabilitation,” says Ranjita, one of the board members.
