'Govt looks the other way as landlords trap flood-hit peasants in debt bondage'.

HYDERABAD -- The Sindh government's failure to implement the Sindh Bonded Labour System Abolition Act, 2015, in letter and spirit has led to an exponential increase in bonded labour in the wake of last year's devastating floods making homeless and penniless peasants an easy prey for landlords and farm input dealers.

This was stated by Akram Ali Khaskheli, president of Hari Welfare Association, at a press conference at local press club here on Saturday.

He said that bonded labour had increased poverty and malnutrition among the poor. As many as 190 bonded labourers had been liberated on courts' orders, including 56 children and 63 women, so far since the calamity struck the province.

He deplored that only 14 district vigilance committees (DVCs) were formed under the law in 29 districts last year and those too remained largely dysfunctional.

He called for implementation of the law and said the DVCs were direly needed, especially during and after floods, because of increased chances of bonded labour. Most government officials concerned were unaware of both the Prevention of Persons in Trafficking Act (PoPA), 2018, and law against bonded labour, he said.

Khaskheli said that Sindh and federal governments had turned a blind eye to peasants and workers who lost crops, wages, cattle and houses to devastating floods. Sindh had failed to protect peasants and workers during and after floods, which caused peasants and workers to become easy prey for exploitative landlords, seed and fertiliser sellers, he said.

He feared that in the absence of government support enforcement of the law most of the peasants and farm workers had started working landlords for under informal terms and conditions, which were mostly beneficial to their employers.

He said that poor families were forced to obtain loans from landlords to survive. Such arrangements resulted in debt bondage which was already on the rise without...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT