FACTS IN BRIEF :- The Petitioner wa s an organization dedicated to the cause of release of bonded laborers. It made a survey of stone quarries in Faridabad District near Delhi and found that there were a large number of labourers from Maharashtra , Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan who were working in these stone quarries under "inhuman and intolerable conditions" and many of whom were bonded labourers. The petitioner therefore addressed a letter to the Supreme Court stating the circumstances and filed a Public Interest Litigation alleging that hundreds of workmen were living in bondage and under inhuman conditions. The Court appointed a Commissioner to look into the matter in 3-4 days and to submit a report to the Court.
JUDGMENT:- Upon a report given by the Commissioner entailing violations of various constitutional and human rights of the poor labourers, the Apex Court declaring that Article 21 of the Constitution assures right to live with human dignity free from exploitation held that State was under a constitutional obligation to ensure that there is no violation of fundamental rights of any person particularly weaker sections of society. It held that State is bound to assure observance of social welfare and labour laws enacted for securing workmen a basic human dignity. Thereupon the Apex Court gave a set of 21 guidelines to Central Government as well as the State Governments to check such gross abuses of citizen’s rights in future. The Court also appointed a Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Labour, Government of India as a Commissioner for the purpose of carrying out the job to see that directions are fulfilled.
FOR COMMON MAN:- The concern of the Court in securing the release and rehabilitation of the bonded labourers in the present case set the trend in the Court of ensuring that no such violation of the fundamental and human rights of the citizens re-occur. It is clear now that the Courts in India will not allow any one to be bondage of anyone on account of grave poverty or ill. All citizens have an equal right of survival and it is the duty of the state to ensure the same.
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