Unsung Heroes: From chains to change – how Rupa and Poornima are breaking the cycle of bonded labour

“My parents and I were working till 11 pm. We had to break the bricks, blow the ashes, load and unload the bricks from the trucks. Having one meal a day was itself a big deal. Even if we worked throughout the week, we weren’t paid. Sometimes, we were underpaid. The owner used to pay us only Rs 300-400 per week,” said Rupa.

The family was cut off from festivals, and social gatherings, among others. “When we were going through these difficult times, I just had one thing circling my mind. My children should not go through the same trauma that we went through,” said Rupa, who was married off when she was around 16 years old.

However, Rupa tasted independence in 2015. She was then a mother with a nine-month-old son. Rupa and her husband fled with their baby in the dark of the night. They walked all the way from Ramanagara on foot to a village adjoining Bannerghatta forest where Rupa’s mother was staying, covering a distance of around 60 km. “The villagers thought that we had robbed something from the brick kiln and we made our way to the village overnight. The word spread around the village, which further pushed us into deep distress,” said Rupa who returned to Ramanagara seeking a new life, months later. But as fate would have it, her husband, fearing exploitation by the owners, decided to abandon Rupa and their son. By this time, Rupa had also delivered a girl child.  “In fact, even when I was pregnant… the owner made me work. I endured all the pain and had to push myself for survival and a day’s meal,” recalled Rupa, who was finally rescued by the state government from the clutches of the brick kiln owner later in 2015.

“The moment I experienced independence for the first time, I prayed that everyone going through the same sufferings as me should also get independence and progress in life,” said Rupa who went on to lead a normal life after initial hiccups. “Even after independence, I had some fear that the owners would pick me up and exploit me once again. But over time, I got used to normalcy,” said Rupa, who currently earns around Rs 400-Rs 500 per day.

She emphasized that after rescuing bonded labourers, the government should also provide them with financial, psychological and social support. “Right now, as a member of Udayonmukha, I am engaged in several social activities where I speak to other bonded labourers who are stuck in this vicious cycle of exploitation. Share my own life experience with them, create awareness among the other victims and instil confidence in them to fight against such inhuman practice,” said Rupa.

From bondage to freedom: The journey of Marappa and Poornima

The husband-wife duo of Marappa and Poornima are the second batch of leaders, leading the Udayonmukha association.

The duo’s lives took a tragic turn when they unknowingly walked into bonded labour. Lured by what seemed like a generous advance to cover their wedding expenses, they found themselves trapped at a brick kiln, forced into gruelling 12-15 hour workdays. Their wages were slashed, their movements restricted, and resistance was met with violent abuse. Poornima recalled, “We never realised we had slipped into bondage until it was too late.”

Life at the brick kiln was unbearable. The houses were in deplorable condition, lacking electricity and toilets. Women, including Poornima, struggled to manage their menstrual hygiene in the open. She witnessed her pregnant sister-in-law lose her baby after enduring days of excruciating pain, a fate she feared for herself when she conceived her first child, Naveen. Determined, she fought to secure a government-issued maternity card and, against all odds, delivered her baby in a hospital.

Life at the brick kiln was unbearable for Poornima. (Express Photo)

For seven years, Marappa and Poornima endured this life, unable to attend village festivals or family events together, as one of them was always held back as collateral. Their suffering ended unexpectedly one afternoon in August 2014, when government officials and the police raided the kiln. “We were scared at first, but when we saw the police, we knew something was about to change,” Poornima recounted. The intervention resulted in their rescue, and in 2017, the kiln owner was sentenced to 10 years in prison under IPC Section 370, marking Karnataka’s first-ever conviction for bonded labour trafficking.

Their liberation did not just grant them freedom; it also ignited in them a new purpose in life. Marappa and Poornima are now heading Udayonmukha, an organisation run by Released Bonded Labourers (RBLs) to rehabilitate and empower survivors. “We knew the struggle firsthand, so we wanted to help others break free,” said Marappa, who leads the trust’s advocacy efforts, working closely with government officials.

Poornima channelled her resilience into Udayonmukha Handicrafts, a unit she now runs to support fellow survivors. With no formal training, she taught herself to stitch school uniforms through YouTube videos. “If a school bag tears, children now come to me to fix it,” she said proudly. Her dream is to expand the initiative, hiring more survivors and ensuring financial independence for them.

Once unable to share a meal, they now relish family dinners. Poornima, once clad in dust-covered work clothes, now wears bright sarees and styles her hair freely. “Only after I left the brick kiln did I start wearing colourful dresses,” she said.

The couple’s journey is not just about survival – it is about rebuilding lives. “Making freedom work is harder than gaining it,” said Poornima. But through Udayonmukha, they have turned their pain into purpose, lighting the way for others still trapped in darkness.