After alerted by a profit group, officials rescued a 10-year-old Tamil boy who was working as a laborer in the district of Thanjavur at Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. Reports said that the boy was traded for Rs. 36,000 INR that she loaned from her landlord, she had to borrow the money for the funeral of her husband who got killed in the Gaja Cyclone.
The 10-year-old Tamil boy is currently in a children’s home at Thanjavur, the boy is also eligible for the state rehabilitation package that is worth Rs. 2 lakhs. According to the officials, this is the second time that they have rescued a minor from a bonded labor after the Gaja Cyclone destroyed almost every community shelter in the coast of Tamil Nadu.
The mother of the 10-year-old boy had to borrow money from their landlord after the death of her husband which was caused after their home collapsed. As the mother failed to repay the money she borrowed, she had to give away one of her sons to repay the loan.
The 10-year-old boy, who was a Grade 5 dropout, was required to look out for 200 goats day and night, the boy only got to eat once every morning, he only had a bowl of gruel once a day.
Parthima Raj the chief of a non-profit group who reported the case to the police said “The boy lived with the goats 24×7. He wasn’t even given a place with a roof for resting.”
Revenue Divisional Officer, C Suresh of Thanjavur said “A bank account would be opened and we would take all steps to deposit Rs. 2 lakh he’s eligible for. We will also register a police complaint to bring the landlord to justice.”
The landlord who forced the boy to work as a laborer has been identified as P Mahalingam, he is currently on the run.