Three Families Freed After 15 Years in Bondage

The rice mill owner had trapped these families in bondage by lending advance payments of 18,000 to 30,000 rupees (US$200 to 350), taking advantage of their need to meet their children’s medical expenses. The families never suspected that his generosity was a trap to keep them working indefinitely.

From the day the laborers moved to the rice mill, the owner forced them to work for over 16 hours every day. Their daily tasks involved boiling, drying, and de-husking hundreds of pounds of raw rice, then collecting and storing it in heavy burlap sacks. It exposed them to intense heat, thick dust, and physical exhaustion every day while only getting two short breaks to eat a small meal. He also resorted to violence to keep them afraid and working. One victim shared, “The owner beat us using a stick or sometimes his hand, saying that we were not working.”

If the laborers asked to leave work for a family event or religious ceremony, the owner only permitted one person to go—ensuring the rest of the family stayed behind as bait to ensure their return.

When a 13-year-old boy at the rice mill was killed in a sudden bike accident, his family asked to return home to bury him properly but the owner again coldly refused and sent them back to work. The devastated family had to bury their son near the rice mill, without a formal funeral or any time to mourn.

Exhausted by these conditions, several victims escaped the rice mill last month and returned to their hometown. The owner eventually tracked them down and took them back—but it was enough time for the victim’s relatives to learn about their abuse and recognize something was wrong. These relatives reported the case to Jeevana Jwala, an advocacy network of bonded labor survivors living in Andhra Pradesh, who then requested action from the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO; a senior government official).

On November 30, authorities traveled to the worksite along with Jeevana Jwala, Rural Organization for Poverty Eradication Service (ROPES; a local NGO) and IJM to investigate the case. They confirmed that the families were victims of bonded labor and freed them from all false debts by issuing Release Certificates.

The government has yet to kickstart legal action against the owner, but ROPES and IJM will support officials to ensure he faces legal consequences for the alleged crimes. ROPES and IJM will also connect the survivors with government welfare programs to aid their ongoing recovery after 15 years in bondage.

IJM’s team in Andhra Pradesh is hopeful for positive collaboration with the government in the coming days as the officials are eager to address bonded labor in this district.