How the Rahua System of MP Is Challenging Daily Waged Labour

Daily wage labour in India is challenging, as the chances of getting daily work are next to impossible. The economy strives to settle the daily wage labourers and provide them with the necessities. In a recent bust, MP police have arrested 16 bonded labourers who are believed to be mentally unstable. The labourers have been rescued from the Guna district after they were bonded for more than 12 decades. The labourers were kept by a local exploiter who was later arrested along with 10 others.

The rescued people were arrested because of a system referred to as Rahua, which means “Raho aur Khaao”. In this tradition, the bonded labourers need to work for extensive hours and in compensation, they would get bare minimum food along with a place to stay. The quality of life becomes challenging for the labourers as the possibility of escaping from the situation is impossible.

The rescued labourers were mostly individuals who were trafficked to the exploiters. The labourers are often abandoned by their kids, and they wander on the streets to sustain themselves. The exploiters make fake promises and then force them into bonded labour. Some industries use such labourers as Brick manufacturing, farming and agriculture. In specific terms, these men have no personal identity, nor can they voice against being exploited.

One of the rescued survivors narrated how he was working for a government entity and later on became disoriented. A person gained his trust and offered him employment. He would often be told to clean the animal waste and take care of the cattle. He would be abused or hurled when he would resist, even when he was unwell.

Another survivor narrated the story of how he was promised accommodation and meals; however, the only thing they could have got was abuse and bare minimum meals that would just sustain them. The movement of the man was prohibited, and he was not allowed to go anywhere except to his work. A strong surveillance was created around him so that every activity of his can be traced. He was given constant threats of how he would be hunted down and killed if he tried to escape.

The third person narrated his ordeal where he was picked from a location and given lucrative job offers which he could not deny. This led to a sudden increase in the bonded labour also they could not escape from the situation.