‘Bonded labour is organised crime’

Hyderabad: The Women Safety Wing (WSW), Telangana Police, in collaboration with the International Justice Mission (IJM), conducted a state-level workshop on combating human trafficking pertaining to bonded labour on Saturday. The inaugural session was graced by B. Shivadhar Reddy, Director General of Police(DGP), Telangana, along with Charu Sinha, Additional Director General of Police, Women Safety Wing and D. Anasuya Seethakka, Minister for Women and Child Welfare.

Addressing the participants DGP B. Shivadhar Reddy, emphasized that bonded labour is not merely a labour issue but a coercive organized crime, where victims are lured through false promises, trapped in exploitative conditions and often unable to escape without external intervention. Charu Sinha, Additional Director General of Police, Women Safety Wing , highlighted that anti-trafficking discourse often overlooks adult bonded labour and stressed various priorities

Delivering the keynote address, D. Anasuya Seethakka, Minister for Panchayati Raj & Rural Development, Women & Child Welfare outlined that while it is important to have laws what is all the more important is to have effective implementation. Telangana State Labour Minister Vivek Venkataswamy said that bonded labor is a serious issue that severely undermines human dignity. NGOs play a crucial role in identifying victims, creating awareness, and supporting rehabilitation, he said.

The workshop also highlighted the importance of community-level convergence, media engagement, data-driven policy approaches and streamlined rescue and rehabilitation mechanisms.