Law fails India’s bonded labourers, NCCEBL report reveals underlying reality

By A Representative 

The National Campaign Committee for Eradication of Bonded Labour (NCCEBL) in report released in Delhi has alleged serious lapses in the implementation of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 (BLSAA). Titled “Report on Migrant Bonded Labour in India,” the document claims that millions continue to work under bonded labour conditions despite the legal abolition of the system nearly five decades ago.

The report was launched at an event in New Delhi featuring testimonies of rescued labourers and contributions from legal experts, academics, and labour rights advocates. NCCEBL Convener Nirmal Gorana said the findings demonstrate a persistent gap between the law and its enforcement.

“There are people working all their life in free India but as slaves,” said Gorana, asserting that the failure to implement the BLSAA has left workers without basic rights and protections.

According to the report, key mechanisms mandated by the law — including summary trials and active vigilance committees — are rarely executed effectively, leaving workers vulnerable. It also alleges that administrative agencies often fail to provide support and, in some cases, side with factory owners and contractors. The report highlights challenges in the identification of bonded labourers, which it says allows perpetrators to evade accountability.

Senior Supreme Court advocate Sanjay Parikh criticised what he called the absence of action at the legal level, stating that without filing First Information Reports (FIRs), the law loses its purpose and victims are denied rehabilitation.

The report also highlights issues related to rehabilitation policies, including inadequate compensation and lack of access to employment through schemes like MNREGA, which activists say forces workers back into debt bondage. Professor Preeti Krishnan of Jindal University said survey findings indicate that 85% of rescued labourers are unable to access MNREGA work, while FIRs were not filed in 80% of documented cases.

Speakers at the event also raised concerns about bonded labour conditions in brick kilns and the absence of internal complaint committees required under labour laws. Aditi, President of the JNU Students’ Union, said workers have no formal grievance mechanism, making exploitation difficult to report.

Sandeep Chachra of Action Aid India called for a redefinition of development metrics to prioritise labour rights and human dignity.

The NCCEBL urged the government to acknowledge the continued existence of bonded labour and take urgent steps to strengthen enforcement, improve victim identification, and reform rehabilitation systems. It also called for effective functioning of Vigilance Committees and improved accountability mechanisms.

Founded as a national network of activists and labour rights groups, the NCCEBL works on rescue and rehabilitation of bonded labourers across India.