Freed from bondage after a decade, tribal labourers in Odisha travel back home on foot

A tribal couple who had been in bondage for years allege they were forced to walk over 30 km through the night to reach home, as they could not afford travel expenses after their rescue in Odisha’s Jajpur district.

Naveen Munda (47), his wife Balma (34), and their three children were rescued on Tuesday (August 26, 2025). While the three children, including a girl, were shifted to different shelter homes, Mr. Munda stayed back on Wednesday (August 27, 2025) to file a criminal case against his employer, who had allegedly kept him captive and tortured him for a decade in a brick kiln at Madhapur in Jajpur district.

However, Mr. Munda said he soon lost faith in the police, fearing they had been influenced by his employer and that there was little hope of justice.  “I was offered to ₹5000 not to insist on filing a police complaint. I refused to budge from resolve,” he said.

Terrified, he decided to return home. With no money for travel, the couple set out on foot, walking several kilometres before a truck driver offered them a lift. They again walked through the night of Wednesday (August 27, 2025) and Thursday (August 28, 2025) to Bandipur in neighbouring Bhadrak district.

When Jajpur district officials, along with social workers, reached the brick kiln on Tuesday (August 26, 2025), they found the situation grim. “It was a low-roof house. The condition was so precarious that it could have collapsed at any time. It was not a place fit for anyone to live in,” said Ajay Panda, Tahasildar in-charge who led the rescue team.

Mr. Panda confirmed that the family had been under bondage. “As per the victim’s complaint, one member of the family was always forced to stay back as a hostage whenever another wanted to visit home. This amounts to bondage. We will verify it further in our subsequent investigation,” he said.

District Child Protection Officer Niranjan Kar added that the children had never been enrolled in school. “They were engaged in the brick kiln and also forced to do household chores,” he said.

Since everything took place in rush, the couple was yet to receive immediate compensation of ₹30,000 each.

As per the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment, financial assistance for rehabilitation of a rescued bonded labourer is ₹1 lakh per adult male beneficiary and ₹2 lakhs for special category beneficiaries such as children, including orphans or those rescued from organized and forced begging rings or other forms of forced child labour, and women.

“We are deeply grateful to the district administration for their swift action. Without them, this family may have remained trapped for many more years. But freedom must mean more than release—it must also mean safety and dignity. What happened at the police station is unacceptable. Survivors should not be harassed after rescue. We need police who stand with victims, not with owners,” said Ranjita from Shramavahini, who also leads an association of released bonded labourers, in a statement.