Billu Singh S/o Sadak Singh resident of village V- Meha Singh wala, tehsil- Zira, Distt- Ferozpur. He belongs to the Majhabi Sikh Caste, declared as a scheduled caste by the Government of Punjab. Billu Singh and 6 others persons are working with M/S Khambiyan Wala, village-Khambewala, tehsil- dharamkot Distt- Moga. Bonded labour Billu Singh and his family members were working for the employer from June 2009 to October 2009. The employer gave them advance Rs. 25,000/- which he had used for the marriage of his daughter. The brick kiln owner pay them after 15 days work the employer paid them Rs.1500/-only. Billu Singh and his family members were prepared 2500 to 2600 bricks in a day.

Sukhcain Singh & his wife prepared 1100 to 1200 bricks in a day. On 20 October when Billu Singh’s wife shinder Kaur and their daughter in law Jaswinder Kaur went to attend the call of nature then the Munshi of the brick kiln Raju followed them and both of the women workers said him to go back but he did not go. The women workers came back and talk to the men workers about the incident. When the men workers asked to Mushi raju about his incident then Raju brought other unknown persons and beaten all the family members and threaten them that they can do anything with their women because the bonded labourers have to pay them the bonded debt of Rs. 80,000/- Due the threaten and beaten by munshi Raju the life of the bonded labourers was under threat.  Complaint was filed before Deputy Commissioner, Ferozpur Ref.No-DDVA/5568/09 Date: 23/12/09. All the laborers are free from the bondage of the brick kiln owner and also free from bonded debt.

Channa S/o Dina resident of village- Satiyewala, tehsil & District- Ferozpur. He belongs to “Valmik” caste which is declared Scheduled Caste by the Government of Punjab. They were working with M/S The Nagpal Brick kiln Gram Udyog Samiti (Regd.),V- Bhadru wala, tehsil @ District- Ferozpur. There were 26 bonded labourers including Channa were working for the same employer. They were working from 2008 for the employer. The employer give them advance recruit them on his work. Every family has been given petty amount after 15 days according to their bricks which they have made. But from last one & half months the employer stopped to give them the petty amount which they were given after 15 days that’s why they were facing starvation. Labourer Rita W/o Sukha was ill & his husband Sukha demanded his wages from the employer for the treatment of his wife. But the employer beaten him and refused to pay him any wage. The employer has said all the labourers that they will not be paid any money without paying the bonded debt. They could not go anywhere without paying the bonded debt. If any person among them will try to run away without paying the debt then he will caught him to police. These all labourers were facing the life of starvation and they have threat of life from the employer. The employer demands the bonded debt Rs. 2, 50,000/- from the bonded labourers. The complaint has been filed before Deputy Commissioner, Ferozpur Reference No-DDVA/5339/09 dated19.6.09. Now they are physically free and free from bonded debt. 

Harmesh Singh S/o Suvinder Singh R/o Village Chawinda Khurd, Tehsil: Ajnala belongs to Mazhabi Sikh caste which is recognised by the State of Punjab as a Scheduled Caste. He  is a brick kiln worker employed at M/s Aulakh Bricks Co. located in V.P.O. Vaniyeke Tehsil Ajnala Distt Amritsar. The name of the occupier of the said brick kiln, as per his knowledge, is Shri. Sukhdev Singh S/o Partap Singh. He along with my family members were employed as a Pather in the above mentioned brick kiln in December 2012 on payment of an advance amount of 35,000 (Thirty Five Thousand). That along with, his family of elder brother Angrej Singh S/o Suvunder Singh and his family members were also brought to the brick kiln by payment of a separate advance amount of Rs. 50,000 (Fifty Thousand).  The names of his family members are as under;

The names of the family members of my brother Angrej Singh are given below;

Due to the strike of the brick kiln in the State of Punjab, they were not given any work although they were employed and presented for work. They were not allowed to take up employment of their choice and were compelled to remain present in the brick kiln. They were made to sit idle at work place from December 2012 up to around first week of April. No compensation was given by the employer for the loss of wages.

When the strike was over , they worked continuously for three week int eh first week of April. After this, the employer, Shri Sukhdev Singh, also known as Deva, stated pressurising him to put his thumb impression on some papers. Being illiterate, they do not know the contents of the papers on which the employer was forcing to place his thumb impression. He was afraid that the employer would deny their rights and wages if he will put my thumb impression on these papers and he refused to do so. Thereafter, the employer, without notice, threw us out of the brick kiln with the help of local police from Ajnala Police Station. Some trucks were hired by the employer and his family and he were removed from the brick kiln forcefully. They pleaded with the employer that their livelihood will be jeopardised, but the employer did not heed to their please. Having no other choice, he his family as well as his brother’s family tried to take employment elsewhere as the employer at M/s Aulakh Bricks Co.demanded the debt amount of Rs 35,000 back from him and Rs 50,000 from his brother’s family. To their shock and dismay they were denied employment in all the brick kilns they approached as it was instructed to the occupier of that brick kiln that unless the debt advance was paid to the previous employer at M/s Aulakh Bricks Co. they will not employ him or his brother in their brick kiln. His family and his brother’s family were in a state of starvation as they were being systematically denied employment in any brick kiln in Amritsar and elsewhere due to their debt obligation. Being Pathers, the only skills they have earn our livelihood, is that of brick moulding and their life and liberty was in danger to the social boycott imposed by the employer. Their only mistake, it seems, is that they stood up for their rights. For the past 5 months his family and his brother’s family were in state of despair, being denied their right to life and livelihood. The complaint was sent to the DM, Amritsar and the persons were physically released but no FIR was registered against the employer. The complaint was sent to the DM, Amritsar and the persons were physically released but no FIR was registered against the employer.

Surjit Singh S/o Jagir Singh R/o Village Chawinda Khurd, Tehsil: Ajnala. He belongs to the Mazhabi Sikh caste which is declared by the State of Punjab as a Scheduled Caste. He is a brick kiln worker and he was employed at M/s Aulakh Bricks Co.located in V.P.O. Vaniyeke Tehsil Ajnala Distt Amritsar. The name of the occupier of the said brick kiln, as per his knowledge, is Shri. Gurmukh Singh. He along with his family members were employed as a Pather in the above mentioned brick kiln in December 2012 on payment of an advance amount of 45,000 (Forty Five Thousand). The names of his family members are as under;

However, due to the brick kiln owners strike which is in place at that time in the whole of the State of Punjab, they were not given any work although they were employed in the said brick kiln and present for work. They were not allowed to take up employment of our choice and were compelled to remain present in the brick kiln. They were made to sit idle from the time of their arrival on the brick kiln in December 2012 up to around first week of April. No compensation was given by the employer for the loss of wages.

After work resumed in the brick kiln on ending of the brick kiln owners strike in the first week of April, his family started the work of brick moulding and worked continuously for 3 weeks. After this, the employer, Shri Sukhdev Singh, also known as Deva, started pressurising him to put his thumb impression on some papers. Being illiterate, He does not know the contents of the papers on which the employer was forcing to place his thumb impression. He was afraid that the employer would deny them their rights and wages if he put his thumb impression on these papers and he refused to do so. Thereafter, the employer, without notice, threw them out of the brick kiln with the help of local police from Ajnala Police Station. Some trucks were hired by the employer and his family and he were removed from the brick kiln forcefully. They pleaded with the employer that their livelihood will be jeopardised, but the employer did not heed to Their please. Having no other choice, his family and he tried to take employment  elsewhere as the employer at M/s Aulakh Bricks Co.demanded the debt amount of Rs 45,000 back from me. To their shock and dismay they were denied employment in all the brick kiln they approached as it was instructed to the occupier of that brick kiln that unless the debt advance was paid to the previous employer at M/s Aulakh Bricks Co., they will not employ him in their brick kiln. His family and he were in a state of starvation as they were being systematically denied employment in any brick kiln in Amritsar and elsewhere due to their debt obligation. Being Pathers, the only skills they have earn our livelihood, is that of brick moulding and their life and liberty is in danger to the social boycott imposed by the employer. Their only mistake, it seems, is that they stood up for their rights. For the past 5 months he and his family were in state of despair, being denied their right to life and livelihood. The complaint was sent to the DM, Amritsar and the persons were physically released but no FIR was registered against the employer. The complaint was sent to the DM, Amritsar and the persons were physically released but no FIR was registered against the employer.

Mangat S/o Mohan Singh R/o Village Sardar kot, Tehsil: Dharamkot District Moga. He belongs to the Mazhabi Sikh caste which is recognized by the State of Punjab as a Scheduled Caste. He is a brick kiln worker and he was employed by M/s Vishkaram industries, located in V.P.O. Baghpur gagrha Tehsil & Distt Moga. The name of the occupier of the said brick kiln, as per his knowledge, is Inder Bansal. He and his four family members and other one family were working from October 2011 in M/s Vishkaram industries. They were employed as a Pather in the above mentioned brick kiln in October 2011 on payment of an advance amount of 25,000 (Twenty Five Thousand). The Jamadar Afsar Singh R/o Village- Cheema, Tehsil & District- Moga has brought to Mangat Singh & other one family to work for the brick factory.   Inder Bansal gave advance to all the two families and they started to work as brick molders in vernacular called “Pathera” at the brick factory. After 15 days brick kiln owner gave them only Rs.1000/1500/. 

Inder Singh not gave them their earn wages. The workers are facing starvation. Inder Singh demands the bonded debt from the Mangat Singh Rs.20,000/-.Inder Singh was not paying the wages of the workers and not allowing them to go anywhere. Inder Singh was threatening the workers that without paying the bonded debt they will not allow them to go anywhere and their households will not give to them. Now all the workers do not want to work on the brick factory because the employers of the brick factory are not paying their wages, demanding debt amounts and do not allowing them to work anywhere.  One day the whole labour runs away from the brick kiln. The complaint was sent of DM Tarn Taran & Superintendent of Police, Labour Commissioner Punjab Moga on 6/6/2012. The whole labour lived in their villages. They all are physically free but bonded debt is stil existing.