A row of makeshift houses near Periyar Bus Stand in Madurai where the migrant worker Jamal Khan resided for over a month
| Photo Credit: R. Ashok
A 19-year-old migrant worker from Assam, who was allegedly threatened and unpaid by a contractor in Madurai, was rescued and sent back home by advocates from People’s Watch, a Madurai-based human rights NGO. The migrant worker named Jamal Khan alias Rashid, a native of Guwahati in Assam, moved to Madurai, along with 13 other workers, with the help of another Assamese contractor about 40 days ago.Ashish, an advocate with People’s Watch, who helped rescue the worker, said the workers lived in a shanty on empty land near the Periyar bus stand, and that their living conditions were deplorable.Mr. Jamal Khan was one of the workers who were brought in recently to work on the Madurai railway station renovation project. “An amateur construction worker, Mr. Jamal Khan had no prior experience in this sector. As an entrant, he was promised ₹14,000 per month if he worked all days of a month,” Mr. Ashish said. The worker, in hopes of getting paid in full, worked every day without taking any days off, he further stated.Mr. Jamal Khan, however, was shocked to hear from his contractor that he would be paid only half the amount after deductions for travel, food, and other expenses. Unwilling to continue, the worker, on October 4, asked his Assamese contractor Noor to relieve him of his duties. But Noor allegedly threatened and attacked Mr. Jamal Khan and denied him pay and relief from the work, Mr. Ashish said. Fearing repercussions, the migrant worker informed one of his relatives in Assam over the phone about the situation he was in and the ill-treatment meted out to him by his employers. On being informed about his condition, Mr. Ashish’s team tried to reach him, but were unable to do so immediately. “The worker sent us the photos and videos of his location. We traced him and went to the spot. From there, we spoke to both the Assamese contractor and the local contractor regarding his payment,” he said.The contractors were willing to let Mr. Jamal Khan go, but they paid only ₹6,700, half of what they had promised for a month’s work. Though the contract worker was rescued and sent home, the plight of other workers unwilling to speak out about their exploitation must be highlighted, Mr. Ashish said.People’s Watch executive director Henri Tiphagne said, “When a labourer is denied payment and is not given the opportunity to negotiate their pay, it amounts to forced labour. The forced labourer who is denied free movement and minimum wage, irrespective of the employer, should be brought under the term ‘bonded labour’,” he stated. In such cases of mass employment, especially in labour-intensive areas, both the State and Union governments should conduct regular inspections and ensure that the workers are paid as per the norms, Mr. Tiphagne said. “Mr. Jamal Khan was unwilling to file a complaint and only wanted to escape the situation,” he noted, adding that cases of labour exploitation and human rights violations often go unreported.Madurai Regional Labour Commissioner (Central) said his office was unaware of such situations and that his team can act only upon receiving complaints. “Inspections would also be conducted only based on complaints,” he said. Published - October 08, 2025 05:27 pm IST
