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The Committee notes that more than 15 years have passed since the authorities of India took the decision to abolish the bonded labour system in 1976; that ten years have elapsed since the Supreme Court adopted its landmark decision in 1983. Yet the situation in practice does not appear to have improved very much. The National Commission on Rural Labour has made a number of proposals and recommendations with a view to improving the situation. The Committee requests the Government to inform it of any action taken or envisaged with a view to implementing these proposals and recommendations.

The Committee notes the information provided by the Government to the Conference Committee in 1992 and the discussion which took place in the Committee.

The Committee has also taken note of the report of the National Commission on Rural Labour, published by the Government of India in 1991, as well as of the report of the Commissioner on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (29th Report, 1987-89), documents which were provided by the Government with the information submitted to the Conference Committee. The Commision on Rural Labour established in 1987 was entrusted to examine in depth the national and region-specific problems of rural labour, with comprehensive terms of reference which included matters concerning bondage. The Commission submitted its report on 31 July 1991; its findings and recommendations on bonded labour are reflected in Chapter 8. The Commission characterizes bonded labour as an "age-old inhuman system" which "combines the worst and extreme features of exploitation and discrimination".

The Committee has further taken note of the Programme of Action against Child Bondage adopted by the participants in the Asian Regional Seminar on Children in Bondage, which was held in Islamabad, Pakistan, from 23 to 26 November 1992.

Abolition of bonded labour