IJM Helps Rescue Nine People Held in Bondage for 12 Years
Slavery
CHENNAI, INDIA – Twelve years. That’s how long nine people, including three children, were held in bondage as they laboured 13-14 hours a day in a brick kiln. Until yesterday. IJM and local authorities rescued the forced labour slaves after 12 years of terrible treatment.
For 12 years, if the slaves felt sick and did not go to work, they were physically and verbally abused. Despite putting in hours of hard labour, they were paid a pittance.
After the rescue, local authorities gave the survivors a government fund, and one of the officials in charge said he would personally send school uniforms to make sure the children could start right away. They also promised to allot land to a family that did not have a home.
Disturbed by the situation, the local authorities pledged to visit all 100 brick kilns in the district to monitor the labour situations.
