Bonded labour persists 50 years after India's landmark law

Bonded labour remains deeply entrenched in India's social fabric despite the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act of 1976 establishing a legal framework to combat the practice, according to observations from the bench. The persistent nature of the problem reflects systemic gaps in implementation and enforcement across states, despite five decades of legislative safeguards.

The judge emphasised that ensuring every individual's fundamental right to live with dignity—a cornerstone of the Indian Constitution—must become a priority for governmental authorities at all levels. This includes strengthening mechanisms for identifying victims, providing rehabilitation support, and prosecuting perpetrators of bonded labour practices that continue to trap vulnerable populations in cycles of debt servitude.

Bonded labour disproportionately affects marginalised communities and migrant workers, who enter exploitative arrangements through debt obligations that are rarely resolved. The persistence of the practice underscores the gap between legislative intent and ground-level enforcement, with many cases going unreported due to lack of awareness and access to grievance redressal mechanisms.

Experts and judicial observers have called for comprehensive action including strengthened labour department capacity, inter-agency coordination, and sustained public awareness campaigns to effectively dismantle the practice. The judiciary's intervention reflects growing concern over the government's implementation of existing legal frameworks aimed at eradicating bonded labour.