News Desk, News Nation 360 : To mark the 50th anniversary of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, several legal awareness and sensitisation events were planned throughout West Bengal. One of the main public outreach events took place at Howrah Railway Station, where a prominent human rights activist, Md. Imtiaz Bharati was present, along with Shri Niladri Kumar Nath, the Honourable Railway Magistrate of Howrah Station. In partnership with the Government Railway Police (GRP) of West Bengal, Anubhuti, a coalition of non-governmental organisations, ran the program, which aimed to raise public awareness of human trafficking, bonded labour, and

labour exploitation, particularly among migrant workers. Recent workshops and legal awareness camps in West Bengal brought to the fore the legal framework that has been created through the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act of 1976, which has banned the system across the country. The workshops made the audience aware of the particular role of the District and Sub-Divisional Magistrates and Vigilance Committees in the process of identifying and freeing bonded labourers. The discussion also made the audience aware of the rehabilitation facilities provided under the Central Sector Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labourers (2021), which aims to ensure that the rescued receive proper care. These camps, organised under the supervision of the State Legal Services Authority (SLSA), emphasised the need for joint efforts by law enforcement agencies, the legal system, and civil society. The camps particularly emphasised railway stations, which have been identified as strategic points where intervention can save people from trafficking and bonded labour. It has been fifty years since the Act was passed, and the camps emphasised the need for joint efforts to ensure proper implementation and timely justice for the vulnerable workers. Speaking on the occasion, Niladri Kumar Nath, Honourable Railway Magistrate, Howrah Station, stated that Human rights like freedom and dignity cannot be compromised. Let's create a society in which no individual must give up their freedom to survive.

Pic - Courtesy