3071-The political economy of new slavery

136 Bonded Labour in South Asia
majority of bonded labourers are providing goods and services for local
consumers. Bidi, bricks and agricultural produce, for instance, normally
are for local consumption, and international ethical trade codes are
unlikely to help the labourers involved.
Apart, therefore, from the liberation and rehabilitation of bonded
labourers, greater awareness needs to be created among local people and
consumers. International organizations and solidarity networks can
encourage and help governments and local authorities to implement
the international labour and human rights standards which, generally,
already have been ratified.
At the national level, many programmes of governmental and nongovernmental
organizations have been concentrating on individual
bonded labourers. That is good, as far as it goes. It does, however, leave
the root causes of forced and bonded labour untouched. The whole
system must be tackled. Implementation of the law and initiation of
punitive actions against those employing bonded labourers can achieve
this. Punitive actions often receive publicity, and have the effect of
spreading the message. In addition, programmes should address the
widespread discrimination against certain sectors of the population,
whether it be due to caste, ethnic origins or religious beliefs. The crosscutting
issues like gender should be included in all activities at different
levels. Children should be targeted as a priority. Any development programme
designed to help bonded labourers must have a human rights
component to allow them, eventually, to claim, assert and enjoy their
human rights. A rights-based approach in analyzing the situations of
the bonded labourers, especially identifying the rights violated and
the perpetrators and corresponding duty holders, must help in devising
programmes to provide effective support for bonded labour communities
and in ending the abuse.
To succeed, the release and rehabilitation of bonded labourers must
be monitored by a competent and independent authority. Without such
monitoring in the past, corruption and mismanagement in the distribution
of rehabilitation packages have been reported in both India and
Nepal. Bonded labourers must be supported, so as to enable them to work
and use the skills they have already acquired. Meanwhile, awarenessraising
at local level, particularly training law-enforcement officials,
and advocacy work at international and local level must be continued.
To ensure continued freedom, bonded labourers or ex-bonded labourers
should be unionized.