Officials with the revenue department of Nagapattinam district in Tamil Nadu rescued five underage bonded labourers from a field in Thirukannapuram on Monday. The rescue operation was a joint initiative by the revenue department, the National Adivasi Solidarity Council (NASC) and the International Justice Mission which was prompted by information about five people from Sithalingamadam village near Thirukoilur in Villupuram district.
An official with the NASC said that they learned about the employed minors through a tip they received during an awareness campaign launched by the council in Villupuram district. We learned that five kids from Sithalingamadam were engaged in bonded labour by a farmer in Paramakudi, NASC secretary K Krishnan told Times of India. While three of the children's families were paid Rs 5,000 each by the farmer, the families of the remaining two children were paid Rs 15,000 each.