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There have been numerous investigations in recent years to determine the incidence and prevalence of modern slavery worldwide, and debt bondage in India has been found to be the most extensive form of slavery in existence today, occupying the greatest number of captives. Although there is an abundance of data to support these findings, the Indian government has not allotted sufficient effort to end the practice. It is apparent that India has unique conditions that have enabled slavery to persist over a great length of time, and allowed slaves to exist in greater numbers there than in any other country on Earth.
The objectives of this paper are to outline the socio-political context in India that has allowed the continuation of slavery, to describe the practice of Indian debt bondage, to identify the current anti-slavery laws and organisations in the country, and to recommend interventions that may improve the present set of circumstances.
The Social Consequences of Caste
To understand the social structure in India, it is imperative to outline the caste system. This system of social hierarchy is the most important contributory factor in debt-bondage slavery. The caste system has been described as uniquely Indian,1 and it is unlikely that slavery could exist without it since the majority of slaves are Dalits (the lowest social group, actually outside the traditional varna system of caste).
Caste is one of the oldest customs in India, the roots of which date back more than three thousand years. In theory, the hierarchy consists of four tiers, or varnas. These varnas include the Brahmins, the highest caste, traditionally consisting of priests and scholars; the Kshatriyas, warriors and rulers; the Vaishya, merchants; and the Shudra, peasants, labourers, and servants. The Dalits have been known as the "Untouchables" (including Scheduled Castes/SCs and Scheduled Tribes/STs, which will be referred to as Dalits for the purposes of this paper) and were not part of the original ranking system. Technically speaking they remain outside the varna structure today.
In 1935, the British Parliament passed the Government of India Act with the professed intention of balancing British and Indian economic interests, yet according to Jawaharlal Nehru in reality it strengthened the roles of elites (both British and Indian) while excluding the possibility of interference...