New Delhi: The National Human Rights
Commission (NHRC) has directed the Orissa government to
register an FIR against those who are responsible for keeping
several persons of lower caste in "illegal confinement" and
using them as their slaves under a "pernicious custom".
The Commission issued the directives to the state
authorities yesterday after hearing on a complaint filed by
one Baghambar Pattanaik of Puri in 2007.
"The complainant alleged that under the custom of
'bartan', the upper castes families in a village give an
advance of a little quantity of paddy for each married man at
a particular time of the year and in return, that person, who
is called 'sewak', has to render service to all the members of
the family throughout the year without any remuneration,"
according to the rights body.
These "sewaks" wash the feet of the guests visiting
the family, perform many other "menial jobs" in case of a
death or a marriage in the family.
The rights body has also asked the state authorities to
to consider appropriate action against the government officers
who have failed to stop this "illegal" practice and directed
them to submit action taken report within two months.
Collector of Puri and the Panchayati Raj Commissioner
were present before the Commission at the time it issued the
directives.
The rights body said the complainant had alleged that "17
persons and many others are victims of the custom 'bartan'
system prevailing in district Puri of the state".
The Commission said there can be no doubt that the
practice of 'bartan' is a manifestation of the bonded labour
system as defined in Bonded Labour System Abolishing Act.
An inquiry report by the then Collector of Puri on the
issue, claiming that no 'bartan' system existed in the
district, was found "factually incorrect" in course of the
proceedings of the case, NHRC said.
The Commission said in the present case the district
magistrate and the collector of Puri appeared to have turned a
blind eye to the ignominy and ridicule heaped on the sewaks by
the upper caste families in the district."
"The state government has the duty to abolish such
customs and it must ensure that the barbers and the washer
men in the state be given sufficient remuneration for
rendering these services by notifying minimum wages for them,"
it added.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, February 17, 2010, 22:20