Entire families migrate every year from other states in India to find work in Punjab’s brick kilns. The survey data suggest that there are more than 18 million people or 1.4 percent of the total population, who are living in conditions of modern slavery in India. Industries implicated in survey data include domestic work, the construction and sex industries, agriculture, fishing, manufacturing, manual labour, and forced begging. Most of India’s slavery problem is internal, and those from the most disadvantaged social strata—lowest caste Dalits, members of tribal communities, religious minorities, and women and girls from excluded groups—are most vulnerable.
Yashodha was trapped in bonded labour in a brick kiln.
We used to get up at midnight or 1am and work through the day making clay ready for moulding. We lined up the bricks for drying and changed bricks sides later.
I like reading but my father had to take me to the brick kiln to work as he did not have money.
Narrative and image provided by Anti-Slavery International
