Based on a report submitted by Border Security Force (BSF),Union Ministry of Home Affairs,MHA has written a letter to the Punjab government seeking action. The force has informed the ministry that they had apprehend that 58 Indian Nationals from the border areas were given drugs and were forced to work as bonded laborers.
The apprehended Indians were taken from the border areas of Gurdaspur,Amritsar,Firozpur,Abohar Punjab in the years 2019 and 2020.
It came to light of MHA that most of them were either mentally challenged or in a feeble state of mind and had been forced to workwith farmers in border villages of Punjab as bonded labourers.
During the questioning it was also discovered that the arrested persons hail from remote areas of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and come fromlow-income backgrounds
The ministry also informed that human trafficking syndicates hire such labourers from their native place to work in Punjab on the promise of good salary but after reaching Punjab they are exploited and paid poorly. They have meted out inhuman treatment and for making them work long hours in fields these labourers are often given drugs which has a malignant affect on their physical and mental condition.
While asking for action taken report, the MHA said, "Keeping in view the multi-dimensional & overwhelming enormity of the problem, which involves human trafficking, bonded labour & human rights violation, you are requested to look into the matter & take appropriate measures to address this serious problem."
