New Delhi, 14 July 2008; Bachpan Bachao Andolan, SDM Saraswati Vihar, and Delhi Police did a combined raid on Zari and Leather factories located in Mubarkapur and Kanjhawala and were able to rescue 13 bonded child laborers. All the children were from Madhubani and Sitamadhi districts in Bihar. All the children are aged between 8 years to 15 years and they were working in these factories for past 2-3 years.

10-year-old Sami Alam (name changed) was crying sitting in the corner of the police station after getting rescued. One of the BBA activists consoled him and then he revealed the most dreadful part of his life. 3 years back his uncle (known person from home town)
brought him to Delhi. This alleged uncle (middle man)  had given Rs 500/- to his father as advance and said that he will take him to Delhi and will make him study there and also will get him vocational training. But as soon as he reached Delhi there were no school for him to study but a congested zari factory to work in, when he denied to work his uncle reminded him about the money given to his family and said "I have given loan to your father till the time you repay it, there is no chance that you can leave this place ". He had been working in the industry from past three year for 11-12 hours a day without getting any salary but two square meal. He recalled that once he was not able to work accurately according to the design so he was burnt with hot iron rods and has those marks on both of his arms, there was no medication provided to his burnt marks therefore it still hurts and has black marks on the arms. He tried to run away but then was cached by the owner and was beaten again. He misses his house and home made food and is not able to understand how many more months he has to work to repay the loan. When BBA activists what you told him he could go home now and asked what he  wants to do now he gave the most honest answer and said “ I love to study and was in third class when brought to Delhi so would like continue studies “

SDM of Saraswati  Vihar Mr. Ranjit Singh said that after talking to these children we came to know that these children were working from 7 O' clock in the morning till 12 at night. Most of them were not getting paid any money by the owners. So all these children would be considered bonded labourers. All theses children were rescued under the bonded labour abolition act, 1976. Soon these children would be given release certificates so that there rehabilitation can be taken care of.

Mr Rakesh Senger the National secretary of Bachpan Bachao Andolan said that for past 6 months around 400 bonded child laborers were rescued and rehabilitated. He also said that there are still around 10,000 children in Delhi who are working as bonded labors, and the best part is that the labor department does not see this at all. On this occasion he told that there is a PIL (Public interest litigation) filed with the high court about the release and rehabilitation of bonded child labourers on which the hearings are going on. Soon the labour department would have to make a project plan and would have to implement it as well.

All the children rescued today would be staying in the Mukti Ashram a rehabilitation center run by Bachpan Bachao Andolan. The resident commissioner of Bihar would help in sending these children back to their families, where they would be awarded Rs 20,000/- rehabilitation package under the Bonded Labour Abolition Act ,  1976 as financial aid, these children would be given admissions in school.