By: Syed Anaiyat Bukharie
In the shadow of our interconnected world, a sinister reality persists, largely hidden from the view but inflicting unimaginable suffering upon countless individual who fall prey to what is defined as‘Modern slavery’.The concept of Modern slavery is defined, by UNO (United Nations Organizations), as “The recruitment, harbouring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of exploitation”.
Slavery skews demography, deteriorates agricultural production, increases gender discrimination and violence. The main victims of modern slavery are men, women and children of all ages.
Sex trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which a person gets exploited by trafficker which leads to the deterioration of individuals well-being. International Labour Organization (ILO) reported 4.5 million victims of forced sexual exploitation in 2012 and was increased to 5 million in 2016. Elements of modern slavery are child slavery, forced criminality, domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, forced labour, forced marriage and sex trafficking. It is said that the most common form of modern slavery is forced labour and forced marriages. Roughly 49.6 million live in modern slavery out of which 22 million people are in forced marriage.
Lack of knowledge is a major cause of modern slavery. When people don’t have access to knowledge, they are more likely to be vulnerable to the opinions and beliefs of others, which can limit their ability to think critically and make independent decisions.
In particular, individuals who lack education and access to information are more susceptible to falling into mental slavery and without a solid foundation of knowledge they may not have the vision to critically evaluate information and form their own opinions. As a result, they can blindly accept what they are told, rather than engaging in critical thinking and questioning authority.
Poverty is another factor in creating and perpetuating mental slavery, as it can limit individual’s opportunities and limit their ability to liberate themselves from oppressive system. Poverty often leads to lack of access to education, healthcare and other essential resources, which can make it difficult for people to develop the skills and knowledge. This lack of access can make people feel hopeless, helpless and powerless, which can lead to the feelings of despair and a lack of self esteem.
this can increase the vulnerability that people will be subjected to abuse, exploitation and discrimination, which can further erode their sense of selfworth and dignity. The mental toll of poverty can be devastating and can trap people in a cycle of poverty and oppression that can be difficult to escape. Breaking this cycle requires addressing the root causes of poverty and empowering people with the resources and support.
The roots of mental slavery are multifaceted and complex, depending upon the individual, culture and the historical identity in which it occurs. The main and common factors which contribute to mental slavery are:
Systematic oppression also leads to the effect of mental slavery in which one group holds power and controls over another. It can have many forms like socio-economic and political etc and this can create a sense of powerlessness and even helplessness sometimes.
Mental slavery can also be the result of socialization oppressionin which we are bound to certain beliefs, values and even behaviours that are enforced on us through social norms.
Trauma and fear too play a very crucial role.Trauma cum fear can be also part of mental slavery, mostly when the situations, arise the individuals feel powerless. Trauma can lead to disempowerment and fear can lead a desire for safety and security which can be exploited by those who are in power or higher ups.
Slavery can also be influenced by psychological factors, such as low self-esteem, lack of self-awareness, fear of uncertainty. These factors can lead to difficult for any individual to break the chains of slavery system and beliefs, even can lead to the sense of discomfort or resignation as per the circumstances.
The world yet to confront the hidden reality of modern-day slavery. We can’t turn a blind eye on the sufferings faced by countless individuals and the need of the hour is the collective Consciousness to break this chain of mess for the betterment of tomorrow.
The writer is a Masters Student in The Department Of Statistics University Of Kashmir. Syedanaiyatbukharie@Gmail.Com
