India figures in top-four in global slavery survey

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery today

Slavery of one form or other still haunting 40 million people around the world, even after 150 countries legally abolishing it. India turns out to be in the top four offenders, leaving behind the likes of North Korea, Uzbekistan and Cambodia, which have a very poor human rights track record.

Global Slavery Index of 2016 compiled by an Australia-based rights group Walk Free Foundation estimates that around 45.8 million individuals are subject to modern slavery in the world.

International Labour Organisation(ILO), an agency under United Nations that deals with labour issues has categorised modern day slavery into Sex Trafficking, forced labour and forced marriage. It includes bonded labour, child trafficking and women forced into flesh trade.

Modern slavery can be defined as a form of exploitation where a person is meanly paid and is not allowed to quit for a number of reasons. Women and children are most vulnerable in these cases. More than 50% of women and children are forced into one or the other form of debt bondage.

The global labour organisation also claims that a majority of the world's population have no social protection, that has deserted them in a cycle of endless poverty, inequality, social exclusion and illness.

Though we have Slavery Abolition Act, and labour laws, the amount of prosecutions against the ones involved in these crimes is low in India. In some cases, the victims are often threatened and cases end up without proper evidence.