The Union home ministry has asked the Punjab government to look into allegations that farm workers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were being trafficked to the state and forced to work as bonded labourers.
The home ministry’s letter, dated March 17, says the Border Security Force (BSF) has highlighted trafficking, narcotics abuse and bonded labour in the state, asking the chief secretary and the director general of police to submit an action-taken report. News18 has seen a copy of the letter.
It says BSF has outpointed that at least 58 people have been rescued from border villages in Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Ferozepur and Abohar over the past two years.
“Border Security Force has informed that they had apprehended 58 Indian nationals from the border areas of Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Ferozepur and Abohar in Punjab in the years 2019 and 2020,” the letter says.
During questioning, it was found that most of them were either mentally ill or “in a feeble state of mind and have been working as bonded labourers in border villages of Punjab”, according to the letter. It adds that these people belong to poor families in remote areas of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
The home ministry has said human trafficking syndicates are luring such workers by promising good salaries. But they are subjected to inhuman treatment and given drugs — which impacts their physical and mental health — to make sure that they could work “long hours in the fields”.
Drug menace in Punjab has been a subject of heated discussion — a Bollywood movie was based on it — even as the police there have launched a crackdown campaign.
“Keeping in view the multi-dimensional enormity of the problem which involves human trafficking, bonded labour and human rights violation, you are requested to look into the matter and take appropriate measures to address the serious problem. Action taken in the matter may please be informed to the ministry on priority,” the home ministry’s letter says.
BSF has handed over several of those rescued to the state police concerned.
“A serious issue has been highlighted, and the ministry is bringing it to the notice of the state government and asking what remedial measures have been taken,” a home ministry official told News18.
Agriculture is one of the mainstays of Congress-ruled Punjab, a site of India’s green revolution. Recently, thousands from the state have launched a protest against three central farm laws that they say will hurt them.
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