Its one more story of freedom from slavery 95 members of Sahariya Tribals in Central India of Guna, Gwalior and Shivpuri belt were set free from the clutches of unscrupulous stone quarry owner Devi Singh and his musclemen on 8-9 July 2002. For the last more than 10-12 years, all these men, women and children were subjected to the most inhuman exploitation. They were forced to do the most back breaking work of stone mining in very inhospitable conditions. Against the work done usually from sunrise to sunset, they were paid a pittance wage of Rs. 60 for a whole family of two or three persons per day (approx US $1.20) and that too never in cash but in the form of a slip of paper which would entitle them to some wheat flour, salt and a few very essentials. They survived all the drudgery but what was most intolerable was the sexual exploitation of their young women by the contractor and his henchmen. Regular, beating, humiliating, abusing and raping had reduced these hapless people into a most hopeless situation

In sheer desperation, two of the victims escaped in the darkness of night and after a harrowing journey reached the Residence - cum office of Swami Agnivesh at 7 Jantar Mantar Road, New Delhi. At 6 in the morning, Swami Agnivesh was a little surprised to find two tribal young men, with terror writ large on their faces, with tears in their eyes, hair over grom & dishervlled, eager to tall their tab of woe. After preliminary enquiry Swami Agnivesh decided to intervene. He got in touch with the District Magistrate - Gwalior Mr. Washim Akhtar on phone who in trun directed his Sub-Divisional Magistrat Mr. Atul Singh to raid the stone quarry being illegally operated about 12 kilometers on forest land. It was a coincidence that Swami Agnivesh's colleague and social activist Mr. J.P. Katare was in Gwalior on that day. Mr. Katare contacted his student life friend and editor of a powerful Hindi daily newspaper Navbharat Mr. Rakesh Pathak.

Next day morning, the two tribal young men Mr. Siddharth & Mr. Battanlal accompanied by the local administration, & police and press and NGOs all arrived at the site to liberate 100 odd victims of modem day slavery.

While the quarry owner Mr. Devi Singh absconded, the bonded labourers came out to narrate their suffering and exploitation. Under the Bonded Labour System Abolition Act 1976, the SDM after collecting prima facie evidence, ordered their release and improvised some transport to carry them safely to the District head quarters of Gwalior.

The timely intervention saved nearly eight lives of children who, due to several days of starvation & unbearable heat, were fighting for life. They were immediately hospitalized, put on Glucose, the pregnant women were attended to and with food, clothing, medical care, police security provided, the victims breathed the air of freedom. After recording detailed evidence of 10 to 15 years of bondage, several exploitation and inhuman treatment eachone of them were given a Release Certificate which assured them a package of Rehabilitation with land for cultivation, housing and other income generating assets worth Rs. 20,000 each. The timely intervention saved nearly eight lives of children who, due to several days of starvation & unbearable heat, were fighting for life. They were immediately hospitalized, put on Glucose, the pregnant women were attended to and with food, clothing, medical care, police security provided, the victims breathed the air of freedom. After recording detailed evidence of 10 to 15 years of bondage, several exploitation and inhuman treatment eachone of them were given a Release Certificate which assured them a package of Rehabilitation with land for cultivation, housing and other income generating assets worth Rs. 20,000 each.

Swami Agnivesh and dedicated band of social activists of Bandhua Mukti Morcha (BMM) thanked the District Administration and the entire media persons for their unstinted cooperation and said that since 90% of the Sahariya tribals are in one way or the other victims of landlessness, illiteracy, acute poverty, destitution and bonded labour system, we should together launch a sustained programme for the overall empowerment of the Sahariya Community. Some of the released bonded labourers, young men & women themselves should be equipped with training for the social - economic spiritual regeneration of their community. A two day workshop has been planned around the next Independence Day 15 Aug. 2002. All the bonded labourers after being free, experssed a desire to settle near their native place called Isagarh in Guna District. They were safely transported to Ambedkar Mangal Bhavan in Guna where the young dynamic District Magistrate Ms. Neelam Rao has taken Charge of their rehabilitation. In the meantime, the Gwalior administration has filed criminal case against the owner-employer and his hench men under various Acts.