The Global Slavery Index 2013, compiled by non-profit Walk Free Foundation, presents quite a dismal picture about a reality in India: Modern slavery. It estimates that 13.3 million to 14.7 million people are enslaved in India, exhibiting the full spectrum of such rights violations. It is scary, heart-rending, exposes our underbelly and gives a peep into our minds and the exploitative tendencies we have. Most of all, it depicts the feudalistic mindset we suffer from.

The reality smacks us in the face when we look at two figures reported within the report: One, the prevalence of modern slavery is the fourth highest in India. Two, in absolute terms the country enslaves the highest number of people.

In recent times, we have had debates on exploitation of domestic helps though none of us has had the courage to look at our underbelly, the underlying attitudes or mindsets. One would be clearly horrified at hearing some incidents and the treatment domestic helps are subject to (one will use the word servant further on, even though this IANS columnist severely detests the usage).

The threats and issues servants would face include: Threat of being thrown out of the locality if a 16-hour daily schedule is not followed; not being allowed to drink water from the home kitchen; exposure to things being thrown at their faces; denial of using the elevator when the bosses or their children are inside; denial of simple comforts like use of the washroom or water heaters; denial of using the neighborhood parks for their wards; denial of visits to tend to even emergencies in their homes at the cost of daily chores.

India does have an act to protect the exploited, but it remains a piece of legislation and an ineffective tool.

The impact is limited as the perpetrator quite likely is the one who has the responsibility of serving and protecting the people in the country. Put in a different way, it can be said that the law is ineffective since the exploited, most of the times, are under servitude of an officer, a bureaucrat or a person who yields disproportionate power in the system and the servants are too scared to complain.

One is not too sure if India or any Indian had thought at the time of independence that such would be the treatment the citizens would be exposed and subject to. The disheartening idea here is that this treatment is no different from the most horrific statements Indians had to live with pre-independence — Indians and dogs not allowed. The only thing that could be the saving grace in this case is that we are now under the rule of a brown sahib if nothing else.

What matters here is how we set this exploitative tendency right and take immediate action or else the social upheaval it may cause would be exceedingly difficult for anyone to control or handle.

- Courtesy: Asian Lite