Bonded labourers rescued from TN left out of Independence Day guest list
Highly placed sources in the state government confirmed that they had received a communication from the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment, requesting details of rehabilitated bonded labourers along with the names of their spouses.
Independence Day ceremony at the Red Fort
CHENNAI: Bonded labourers rescued from Tamil Nadu, whose rehabilitation has set a national benchmark, have been left out from the list of special guests invited to witness the 79th Independence Day ceremony at the Red Fort in the national capital on Friday.
Highly placed sources in the state government confirmed that they had received a communication from the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment, requesting details of rehabilitated bonded labourers along with the names of their spouses.
"We shared the details of the survivors in the format prescribed by officials from the Central government. We also appointed nodal officers and shared their contact numbers for further coordination. However, we have not received any communication to date,” said a reliable source privy to the development.
Meanwhile, information has emerged that released bonded labourers from Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana have been shortlisted as special guests for the I- Day programme. They have reportedly been taken on a tour in and around the national capital in the run-up to the event.
Sources also confirmed that the Union government authorities cited "logistical reasons" for their decision, thereby overlooking survivors from Tamil Nadu and other southern states that are making concrete efforts to curb the bonded labour system.
The process was initiated following a communication from the Ministry of Defence (D-Ceremonials) on May 2, which had announced its decision to invite 100 rehabilitated bonded labourers (rescued and rehabilitated women and children) along with their spouses, as special guests of the government to witness this year's I-D ceremony at the Red Fort.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment was tasked with coordinating with state governments and Union Territories to collect and finalise the list by June 6, which later changed to June 13.
Following this, the Labour Ministry requested details of bonded labourers rescued and rehabilitated between 2019-2020 and 2024-2025.
"We shared the details as per the required format before June 13," reaffirmed a senior official in the TN government, while activists have condemned the exclusion of TN, calling it ‘unacceptable’.
They pointed out that the state has set a precedent for the rest of the country in identifying, rescuing, and rehabilitating bonded labourers.
The state government machinery, according to officials, has supported survivors in becoming successful entrepreneurs, assisting them in setting up brick kilns, poultry farms, and catering businesses. One rescued bonded labourer was even elected as a panchayat president in the state, while several others have gone on to become brand ambassadors for international agencies working to combat bonded labour.
When contacted MoD's Under Secretary (ceremonials) Sandeep Kumar to seek response, he declined to speak by stating that "I am not authorised to speak". Under Secretary of Union Ministry of Labour Chitra C, who is also the ministry's nodal officer, refused to speak.
