To eradicate slavery we need to understand what drives slaveholders,says American sociologist and academic – and its not always just about moneyIt took hours to arrange my first conversation with Paratapa. He agreed to an interview for my research on modern slaveholders, but he wasn’t free until late evening. When he finally greeted me on his sprawling estate, or I learned why. He balances the demands of his large farm in India with the presidency of a local agricultural bank that makes loans to farmers like him. I met Paratapa while travelling across India to interview men whose businesses rely on bonded labour,a form of modern-day slavery. During our conversation, it became clear that where I saw human rights and labour violations, and he saw something else. He explained that,in his father’s and grandfather’s time, his family “used to sustain bonded labourers, and they used to stay here,even their children and their wives”. Related: Raped, beaten, and exploited: the 21st-century slavery propping up Sicilian farming Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com