Hindu (Dalit) Bonded labourers set at liberty Umerkot (Sindh) Pakistan

By DAWN News (Pakistan)

Thursday, 21 Jan, 2010

UMERKOT, Jan 20: As many as 66 bonded labourers, including children and women, were recovered in police raids on two agricultural farms near here on Wednesday.

The Umerkot police raided the farm of landlord Allah Rakhio Rajar near Berchhan and recovered 32 bonded labourers, including eight women and 17 children.

Jumo Bheel had submitted an application in the district and sessions court, stating that Rajar had made his relatives and other peasants bonded labourers.

The district and sessions judge ordered the police to recover the bonded labourers. The police raided the farm and recovered the bonded labourers.

They were produced in the court, where they were set at liberty after recording their statements.

The freed bonded labourers told Dawn that their accounts were manipulated, their movement was restricted and they were not allowed to visit their relatives even for attending a marriage or condoling a death.

Meanwhile, the Chhor police in a raid on the farm of landlord Lal Mohammad Soomro recovered 34 bonded labourers, including 14 children and 12 women.—BoC