For ages, households of Purnachandra Barik and Kelu Charan Barik had been residing on a bit of land recorded within the identify of deity and different villagers in Manpur village underneath Brahmagiri police station of Puri district. They have been rendering service as hair cutters for possession of the land. (For representational objective solely)
| Photograph Credit score: Sushil Kumar Verma
In a uncommon transfer to guard human rights of individuals subjected to hereditary bondage, Odisha Human Rights Fee (OHRC) has determined to turn out to be an intervener in a civil court docket case.
The dispute pertained to revolt by two barber neighborhood households in Odisha’s Puri district the place they refused minimize hair of fellow villagers and clear meals leftovers in neighborhood feasts in lieu of annual compensation of 15 kg of rice, often known as ‘Bartan System’.
For ages, households of Purnachandra Barik and Kelu Charan Barik had been residing on a bit of land recorded within the identify of deity and different villagers in Manpur village underneath Brahmagiri police station of Puri district. They have been rendering service as hair cutters for possession of the land.
In 2017, the 2 households have been launched from bondage as per Bonded Labour Abolition Act 1976. Subsequently, they knowledgeable the higher caste villagers that they might no extra proceed the undignified hereditary service.
Angered by the ‘defiance’, villagers had pushed the 2 households out from the home and have been attacked in 2020.
Baghambar Pattnaik, a famend human proper activist, introduced the matter up earlier than fee which received the case inquired by its personal investigation wing. Because the investigation discovered veracity within the complaints of two barber households, the OHRC directed State authorities to revive victims’ possession over homes and guarantee their correct rehabilitation.
As many as 16 villagers have been arrested for his or her involvement in atrocities towards the 2 households. Upon their launch from jail on bail, 4 villagers had filed a case earlier than Civil Decide (senior division), Puri in search of eviction of the 2 households from the land. The case was passionately fought in court docket of District Decide, Puri after which in Orissa Excessive Court docket.
At the moment, the 2 households should not capable of return to their homes whereas the matter is pending in court docket of the District Decide, Puri.
Because the victims continued to face a kind of social boycott, the OHRC determined to take the matter in its personal hand.
“For sure that the Safety of Human Rights Fee 1993 expects this fee to take a proactive position within the safety of human rights of residents inside its jurisdiction and for that it should take all efficient steps to stop violation of the identical. It could possibly additionally intervene in any continuing involving any allegation of violation of human rights pending earlier than a court docket with the approval of that court docket,” noticed OHRC bench comprising Chairperson Justice Satrughna Pujari and Member Asim Amitav Das.
The OHRC mentioned it could now appoint an advocate to current the fee earlier than court docket though the victims have been contesting the identical. The State human rights panel needs expeditious restoration of home of the households and their rights to stay in village.
Mr. Pattnaik mentioned, “though our society had made enormous advance throughout previous a number of many years, the shameful custom of forcing barber and washermen communities to chop hairs and wash used garments in lieu of paltry remuneration of 15 kg rice every year is constant. If these minority sections in villages muster braveness to withstand diktat, they’re subjected to social boycott.”
The social activist, who has been combating to finish the shameful custom for previous 20 years, mentioned greater than 2000 barber households had been launched from hereditary bondage as per Bonded Labour Abolition Act 1976 in six districts corresponding to Puri, Cuttack, Ganjam, Nayagarh, Khordha and Dhenkanal. There could possibly be 150 households belonging to barber and washermen communities going through social boycotts for refusing a part of demeaning custom, he mentioned.
