2 children rescued from bonded labour in Karnataka

Madurai Collector, K Veera Raghav Rao, and Kathir, Executive Director of Evidene, an NGO based at Madurai, met the reunited family and consoled them, on Monday. Ellappan, from Muniyandipuram village near Madurai, along with his wife Pushpa, daughter, Swathi (8) and son Rana (6) were working at a stone quarry at Tekkal in 2013. They were not paid the promised wages and when Ellapan demanded it, he was attacked by the quarry owner Eshwar Narayanappa and his men.  

When his grandmother died, he asked the owner to permit his family to go over to his native village. They did not agree initially but sent him and his wife after they protested but the children were held back. Then Ellappan and Pushpa, together, petitioned the Madurai collector and Melur RDO. The couple had also met Kathir and asked him to rescue their children. 

Kathir too sent petitions to Chief Secretary, DGP and Human Rights Commission and demanded immediate action. Based on the petitions officials from District Child Welfare Department had gone to the quarry and rescued the children, on Monday.