Modern Day Slavery - Human Trafficking in India

Jean Jacques Rousseau, Swiss philosopher once said, “Slaves lose everything in their chains, even the desire of escaping from them.” Slavery takes away the most basic of human rights. Slavery takes away the hope of betterment; it beats the human soul into a submission of all physical choice. It allows one human to exercise limitless control over another. The master of a slave is allowed to beat him, to kill him, and demoralize him. Most people believe that slavery is an ugly spot in history, no longer prevalent in modern culture. Those people are in dire need of awareness. Slavery is as dangerous and heinous today as it has ever been. It appears in almost every culture, in the form of human trafficking.

Human trafficking is the politically correct term for modern slavery. There is nothing polished or proper about this trade of human flesh. Most modern day slaves are women and children. The women are addicted to drugs by their pimps, then used as prostitutes. The girls are often lured away from their villages with false promises of jobs. Many expect to work as maids for the upper class, or to be married to a rich man. Many of the girls are only children, nothaving yet reached the age of puberty. These girls go through a sickening training process, where they are starved and beaten. This breaks their spirit. The girls are then desensitized, and exposed to porographic material, raped, and taught how to “please” customers. They learn to serve up to twenty-five clients a day. India is one country with a high instance of human trafficking. India does not only exploit its own citizens, but is also a transit country. They receive slaves and send them to other countries. Trafficking is much safer and easier than being a drug lord. Brothel owners need merely to pay off policemen, and law enforcement will turn the other way.

Human trafficking evolved from slavery. Slavery in India has been prevalent since the time of the Islamic conquerers. They took power, and forced many of the natives into slavery. They exported people like Britain would tea. India was also famous for a form of slavery called debt-bondage. People would be loaned money, then had to work of their debt for a number of years until it could be repaid. This form of slavery offered a faint glimmer of freedom, but only just. Most slaves never outlived their debt, because of the high rates of interest and bad work conditions. From these two forms of slavery, human trafficking emerged. Parents would sell children for a sum of money, so that they could support themselves. Many of these children were between the ages of four and twelve. However, paying for each slave at monthly or yearly intervals became too cumbersome for their owners. Trafficking lords began luring girls and children away with false promises. The girls, many between the ages of 10 and 12, go through a rigorous training process, involving starvation, being burnt with cigarettes, and beatings. The girls are desensitized and shown pornographic material. They are lectured on ways to please customers, and are often raped.

India’s high instance for human trafficking has led them to be a nation with one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS. Despite the staggering amount of women dying, many educated males still chose to go into fields involving organized crime, simply because it is lucrative. Not only does human trafficking pay, but it also is much safer than selling or supplying drugs. It is simple to smuggle people across borders and into brothels, especially when law enforcement looks the other way. There are an estimated 10 million prostitutes in India alone. Every day, 200 more women and girls are forced into prostitution. Many of these prostitutes are young girls, not yet having reached the age of puberty. Men in India believe it is good luck, and that sickness can be cured, if one has sex with a virgin. As a result, 300,000-500,000 children in India are sex slaves.

There is a faint glimmer of hope for the victim’s of India’s negligence. Brothels are being raided, but not at a rate at which is satisfactory. With the lack of police cooperation, independents are taking the matter into their own hands as best they can. An organization called Apne Aap is dedicated to ending the trafficking of females. They run youth centers to educate children, and prevent it from happening to them. Many of the members are former prostitutes, and they speak publicly about what goes on behind closed doors. Until Indian officials get involved, the violence and sexual exploitation of women and minors will not end.

Slavery is just as prevalent today as it was hundreds of years ago. It is not an archaic institution, but a modern day tragedy. It has led to the spread of disease and death, the destruction of dignity and innocence. Modern society has allowed this slavery to continue, although many are fully aware of the toll it is taking on the human race. Human trafficking is a horror that must be stopped.

Bibliography

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Majumder, Sanjoy . "UN seeks end to human trafficking ." BBC News 10/10/2007 28 Mar 2009 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7037154.stm>.

Masud Ali, A.K.M.. "Trafficking in Persons: Towards an Inclusive Paradigm." Sustainable Development Policy Institute 2004 26 Mar 2009 <http://www.sdpi.org/sdc_2004/6_Human_Trafficking.htm>.

"Study calls for efforts against human trafficking and HIV ." International Planned Parenthood Federation 10/14/2008 25 Mar 2009 <http://www.ippfsar.org/en/News/Intl+news/Human+Trafficking.htm>.