Anti-slavery day

Slavery is the ancient form of labour in which the slave is bonded to the house of the master and has no free will of his own. Under the slavery system, the slave is treated like a chattel and can be transferred from one master to another for a price or as a gift. A slave and his children are the property of his master.

Slavery has existed through ages. It includes chattel slavery, bonded labour and forced labour. Slavery demeans the human worth and equates human life with that of animals or as lifeless objects. It is considered to be one of the biggest violations of human freedom and dignity.

The Universal Declaration on Human Rights has declared freedom from slavery as one of the fundamental human rights. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights also declares freedom from slavery as a fundamental freedom. It prohibits slavery and enforced servitude.

In India, the Constitution prohibits bonded labour and beggar. The Bonded Labour (Prohibition) Act, 1976 also lays down provisions relating to the abolition of slavery.

However, after all these legal provisions also, the menace of slavery still exist the world over. It needs to be addressed at public platforms. Social consciousness alone can curb it.