18 child labourers of TN rescued from fishermen

By Pramod Mellegatti

SHIMOGA, JAN. 13. Eighteen children from Tamil Nadu, all aged below 14, who were ``illegally'' held as bonded labourers by fishermen in Sagar taluk in Shimoga District, were rescued on Friday, thanks to the efforts of the Campaign Against Child Labour (CACL), a non-governmental organisation.

It is said that the children were engaged illegally as bonded labourers by fishermen in Holebagilu, Besuru, Ambargodlu and Hesarumakki in the backwaters of the Sharavathy.

Mr. Joy, National Co-ordinator, Mr. Verghese, State Co-ordinator, and Mr. K.C.Basavaraj, District Coordinator of CACL, detected the illegal engagement of children in hazardous fishing activities in their surprise visits to fishermen's camps on Friday with the help of the officials.

The officials, who accompanied the volunteers to the spot, included the Assistant Commissioner (Sagar Sub-Division), Mr. Mujeeb Ahmed, the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr. Nanjundaswamy, and the District Labour Officer, Mr. Ramachandra.

Mr. Ganesh and Mr. Shekhar, volunteers of the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Development and Social Change Trust, joined the rescue operation.

The rescue operation continued for the second day today as four more children were suspected to be engaged in bonded labour. The rescued children were kept under the care of the Assistant Commissioner.

On being interrogated, the rescued children said they were taken to islands in the middle of backwaters early morning in fishing boats and were forced to fish. They reportedly complained that they were beaten up and harassed if they were found to be wanting in their work. They said they were not allowed to stay for more than four days on one island.

Enquiries revealed that there was nothing to suggest that they were kept as bonded labourers as they were not ``secured'' on payment to their parents. According to fishermen, all of them hailing from Tamil Nadu, they picked up children from different parts of Tamil Nadu for their fishing activities as they were found abandoned.

No arrests have been made so far. There was no resistance from fishermen when volunteers went to their camps.

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Section  : Southern States
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