As the number of deaths due to industrial accidents is on the rise, it seems that labourers are still being treated like bonded labourers in India.
Articles 23 and 24 of the Indian Constitution are about protecting every citizen against exploitation, starting from human trafficking and child labour to bonded labourers. But as the number of deaths due to industrial accidents is on the rise, it seems that labourers are still being treated like bonded labourers in India. In the month of June 2025, 46 labourers died and many more were injured in Telangana’s worst-ever industrial accidents. Earlier in the same month, a fire in a chemical factory in Maharashtra’s Pune killed 18 workers, among whom 15 were women. An enquiry has revealed that the workers of the chemical factory were completely unaware of the hazardous chemicals they were handling. Besides, women workers of that factory were paid less than their male counterparts, in total violation of the existing laws of the country. It is ironic that such a violator had also managed to obtain ISO 9001 certification, which proves a clear nexus between the factory owner and unscrupulous officials who are duty-bound to report any violation of law to the government to ensure workers’ safety. It will not be an exaggeration to say such practices are going on nationwide, making a mockery of the promises made to us while adopting the Constitution.
It is sad to note that just to make some extra profits, industrial safety rules are more often than not deliberately violated in the country at the expense of poor labourers who work sincerely to earn their livelihood. The profit-hungry owners have always seen expenses on workers’ safety as unnecessary expenditure, rather than considering it a strategic investment. Due to poor safety standards, India is losing four per cent of its GDP and ranks as low as 133 in terms of labour productivity in the world. This year’s Economic Survey has also expressed caution about the poor industrial safety standards in the country. All these facts and figures clearly point to the need for strict government intervention, as no country can allow its workers to die due to violation of safety rules. The endeavour to ensure labourers’ safety should be treated as a moral as well as ethical commitment, so that the rich business houses can no longer exploit the workers. To achieve this goal, the Labour Ministry along with other law-enforcing agencies should work unitedly to expose those factory owners who violate safety rules knowingly.
There can be no compromise on workers’ safety, as it shows abundant exploitation of the labour force, taking advantage of their unstable economic conditions. As the country is striving hard to become a developed nation from a developing one by 2047, stress on workers' safety will definitely help India to achieve this stiff goal in two decades’ time from now. A blast in a reactor of a chemical factory due to violation of safety rules is not at all a good advertisement for a country in search of excellence. If the country is sincere about propelling itself to a developed one, it should make every effort to prevent such human tragedies.