Bonded labour persists as modern-day slavery despite five-decade-old law

2026-02-07 - 13:15

This may be the 21st century, but the scourge of slavery is still a reality. Inequality, brutality, and dehumanisation have taken new forms in various workplaces, once again targeting the marginalised, with migrant workers added to the painful mix. The poor are still forced to work in inhuman conditions without wages and are subjected to verbal abuse and caste-based discrimination. On February 9, the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act will turn 50. Despite the Act and efforts to abolish bonded labour, Tamil Nadu still finds that the system of ‘modern-day slavery’ remains alive and kicking. While the State has made considerable efforts to rescue bonded labourers and file cases, delayed justice and inadequate rehabilitation continue to undermine the Act, pointing to the need for far stronger implementation, finds Meghna M.