Tribal girl’s death: Maharashtra minister admits she was a bonded labourer

Maharashtra’s Tribal Development Minister Vijaykumar Gavit on Friday admitted in the Legislative Council to the prevalence of bonded labour among tribal children in the state. The opposition accused the government of failing to prevent the practice in the state. Bonded labour is banned in Maharashtra.

Gavit was replying to a question about ashram schools in tribal areas of the state. Subsequently, Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe sought a reply about news in the media regarding sale of tribal children in the state. “In January a news in the media came to my notice that tribal children are being sold. I sought your reply about this. We even visited such areas along with Leader of Opposition Ambadas Danve. But I did not get a reply from the government,” she said.

Gorhe urged Gavit to set up a meeting and give an explanation to members of the council on the issue. Opposition members then pressed Gavit to clarify about children allegedly being sold in tribal areas of the state, to which Gavit said, “They were not sold, they were brought for bonded labour.”

This led to an uproar from the opposition. “What is happening in Maharashtra? The practice of bonded labour has been banned by law, and here the minister is admitting that it happened in case of a tribal child,” Eknath Khadse said.