Nepali workers allege ill-treatment in India
Three Nepali youths working in India are being held hostage in an iron ore factory in Maharashtra, other youths returning from the state said.
The Himalayan Times reports that 16-year-old Bhagya Narayan Sahani, 18-year old Bilasi Sahani and 35-year old Ram Prasad Sahani left for employment in India three months ago from Rautahat district?s Bariyarpur VDC Ward No 6.
The three youths have been held hostage after they raised their voices against the tough work in the Niles iron ore factory at Chandanpur district in the western Indian state, 24 other Nepali youths from Bariyarpur VDC, who had also been working in the same factory and who managed to escape, said upon their arrival in the district.
One Ganesh Sahani of the same village had managed the jobs for the youths for a monthly salary of INRs 3,500 to 4,000 a month.
However, the youths were not paid for three months and the factory owner held them as captives and made them work for 16 hours a day, Binod Sahani, one of the youths arriving here said.
The 24 were able to give the factory guard a slip and somehow managed to return home.
The programme coordinator of Himrights in Rautahat, Tika Ghimire, said necessary steps will be taken to seek the youths? release.