T HE IMPORTANCE OF R IGHTS In during the construction work for Asian Games the government engaged a few contractors. These contractors employed a large number of very poor construction workers from different parts of the country to build the flyovers and stadiums. These workers were kept in poor working conditions and were paid less than the minimum wages decided by the government. A team of social scientists studied their poor condition and petitioned the Supreme Court.
They argued that employing a person to work for less than the minimum prescribed wage amounts to begar or forced labour, which is a violation of the Fundamental Right against exploitation. The court accepted this plea and directed the government to ensure that thousands of workers get the prescribed wages for their work. Machal Lalung was when he was arrested. A resident of Chuburi village of Morigaon district of Assam, Machal was charged of causing grievous injuries.
He was found mentally too unstable to stand trial and was sent as under trial to Lok Priya Gopinath Bordoloi Mental Hospital in Tejpur for treatment. Machal was treated successfully and doctors wrote twice to jail authorities in and that he was fit to stand trial. But no one paid any attention. Machal Lalung remained in “judicial custody.’’ Machal Lalung was released in July .
He was then. He spent years under custody during which his case never came up for hearing. He was freed when a team appointed by the National Human Rights Commission intervened after an inspection of undertrials in the State. Machal’s entire life was wasted because a proper trial against him never took place.
Our Constitution gives every citizen the right to ‘life and liberty’: this means that every citizen must also have the right to fair and speedy trial. Machal’s case shows what happens when rights granted by the Constitution are not available in practice. What if Machal was a rich What if Machal was a rich What if Machal was a rich What if Machal was a rich What if Machal was a rich and powerful man? What and powerful man?
What and powerful man? What and powerful man? What and powerful man? What if those working with the if those working with the if those working with the if those working with the if those working with the construction contractor construction contractor construction contractor construction contractor construction contractor were engineers?
Would were engineers? Would were engineers? Would were engineers? Would were engineers?
Would their rights have been their rights have been their rights have been their rights have been their rights have been violated? violated? violated? violated?