Untouchables of Asia

Jakob Carlsen

Freelance

Bonded and forced labour in Pakistan among Dalits, some of whom have converted to Christianity or Islam, is widespread. In the provinces of Sindh and Punjab an estimated 0.75 to 1.5 million people are bonded labourers. Debt bondage is fuelled by the absence of a formal credit system, as well as the availability of a vulnerable and poor labour force. A few years ago, the police conducted missions to free bonded and forced labourers. Many of them settled in the ’Freed Hari Camp’ – a camp near a stone quarry in the Sikanderabad Kotri, Sindh province. Men and women in the camp earn a living by making stone – a team of workers get ten euros per truckload. In recent years, Government commitment to abolish bonded labour has slowed down, although raids to free bonded and forced labourers still occur. Even though the official Human Rights Commission of Pakistan established the camp, it is often under attack from government forces who want the land.

Jakob Carlsen, "Untouchables of Asia," in POYi Archive, Item #43151, http://archive.poy.org/items/show/43151 (accessed November 22, 2024).