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Abstract

As a result of acute landlessness and high unemployment, young people especially in rural India are compelled to take money in advance from kiln owners for their daily sustenance by selling their labour. This arrangement limits their mobility to look for other locations to work in. It also hinders their negotiating power regarding minimum wages and forces them to work in appalling conditions. A vicious debt trap sucks in these powerless workers, creating a situation known as neo-bondage. This article looks at the conditions that lead to a state of neo-bondage among brick kiln workers of rural Bihar. The study is based on a field survey of 345 brick kiln labourers working in 36 sites in Rohtas district of Bihar. The findings of the survey suggest that despite the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, debt bondage is a common phenomenon in this industry. Although the Act prohibits any advance transactions, in cash or kind, made by a creditor to a debtor, the law has not been implemented effectively essentially because of poor socio-economic development, chronic underemployment and a lack of awareness found particularly in rural India.

Keywords

Neo-bondage seasonal migration decent work environment forced labour

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Neo-bondage in the Brick Kiln Industry: A Case Study of Bihar

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