Blasts continue to break rocks at the Kapoori stone mines in Charkhi Dadri in Haryana's Bhiwani district. The dust and explosion can be seen and heard miles away, but for years have failed to catch the attention of government officials.
Despite a ban on mining in the Aravallis, illegal contractors continue to flout the law, often with the involvement and knowledge of the local administration. And they use bonded labourers to work these mines.
Surja Ram and his family have been held captive in these mines, working as bonded labourers by an illegal mining contractor for over three years.
Ram and his family were lured from Gujarat with a promise of regular wages of almost Rs 3,000 every month. Instead, he was paid just Rs 1500 in three years.
"The contractor had brought me and the family several years ago and we could not leave," Ram said.
He somehow managed to reach Delhi and accompanied by an NGO and the NDTV team, hoped to free his family. But that was not an easy task because the state government has already declared that there are no bonded labourers in their state.
"The problem is that Haryana has announced that it does not have any bonded labour. Therefore, it does not give release certificates," said R S Chaurasia, chairperson, Bachpan Bachao Andolan.
The DC too seemed to be towing the government line. Though a board placed in the DC's office in Bhiwani warns anyone from keeping bonded labour, but even before talking with victim or waiting for his inquiry report, the DC pronounced that this could not be a case of bonded labour.
Finally, a day and much prodding later, the Tehsildar agreed to accompany NDTV on a rescue raid. But when our team arrived there, it discovered that the Labour Inspector was already there. And there was no sign of Surja Ram's family.
For two hours as Surja Ram searched the hill and the surrounding forest, it became apparent that the mining contractor has been tipped off. There was little that we could do but to head back into town. But then some luck.
On its way back, the NDTV team spotted Surja Ram's wife and two sons near the bus station.
"They came and told us that they were taking us to see town and made us pack our things. Then they brought us into town and started beating us and told us to go away," said Pintu, Surja Ram's son.
Suja Ram's sister-in-law and four others are still missing. Last year, more than a 100 such bonded labourers were rescued from the same area, but with Haryana continuing not to acknowledge the problem, it may be a difficult to break this cycle.
