Long Walk to Freedom
Most of us fnd it hard to believe that people live as slaves in the world today. But it's true.

"Freedom lies in the hearts of the people."
-Abraham Lincoln

Children in Maharashtra, India.(Photos courtesy of Holdeen India Program.)

Schools are set up at brick kilns, where families work as migrant workers.

One kind of slavery that still exists today is called “human bondage.” People, of any age, become bonded when they borrow money from another person (usually a landowner) and then have to work for that landowner to pay off the debt. But the workers never finish paying off the debt because they can’t read or write and are easily cheated by the landowners. They have to serve the landowner for life and sometimes for generation after generation. Some children are bonded because of money loaned to their grandparents!

Our story about human bondage takes place in India, in the state of Maharashtra. Bonded labor is against the law in India, but the bonded workers do not know this. And, sadly, many people in government who know it is illegal don’t try to stop it.

Photo by Robin Romano/Stolenchildhoods Meet RAJU Raju is the youngest child ever to be found weaving as a bonded laborer by RUGMARK inspectors in India (see page 3). At the age of seven, Raju was sold into bondage by his parents who were very poor and could not afford to take care of him. Raju was rescued in 2000. Now he lives in a RUGMARK center and enjoys learning Hindi, English, math, music and science. He dreams of being a policeman when he grows up, so that he can prevent other loom wners from forcing children to work.

Vivek and Vidyullata Pandit, a husband-and-wife team, started an organization to help people free themselves from bondage. The Pandits believe that the only way people can begin to win freedom is to believe that they are free and to act like free people. This may sound easy, but it is very hard when all your life you have been taught to believe that you are not free. The Pandits teach people that they have the same value as any other member of society. And they work to organize the laborers so when they stand up and say “I will not serve a master for no pay,” they are not alone. This strategy has worked.

Thousands of bonded workers, including young children, have declared their freedom and never returned to bonage.

The Pandits started schools for ex-bonded children called Bhongashalas. “Bhonga” means temporary hut and “shalas” means schools. These schools operate for six months at brick kiln sites, where families work as migrant workers—people who work for pay but don’t settle down in one village. Since 1995, about 20,000 students have attended Bhonga schools. The Pandits also started a boarding school for exbonded boys and girls who, for many different reasons, do not live with their families.

In 1999, Vivek and Vidyullata Pandit won an international antislavery award. In 2003, they came to Boston to the UUA General Assembly and spoke about their work. The Pandits are supported by the UUA Holdeen India Program (see choices & me!). When he was in Boston, Vivek Pandit said, “There is no magic wand… [to wave so] all will be free. The only way is to be with each person and support him or her in the long walk to freedom.” If you and your family would like to support bonded people on their walk to freedom, see choices & me!

Free or Not Free?

by Noreen Kimball

Do you feel as if you’re free? You’ve probably always understood that nobody is completely free. Everyone has to follow rules—even adults. You’ve probably also figured out that even people who are slaves have a tiny bit of freedom. In their minds, for instance, people who are not free can still think and dream and nobody can stop them.

That makes the whole question of freedom pretty interesting. Here are some questions to get you thinking about how free you really are. Compare answers with your family or friends or in your Sunday school class, and maybe you’ll figure out what freedom really means to you.

Are you free to:

Live with your family?
Go to bed whenever you want?
Decide whether to go to school or not?
Eat candy for breakfast?
Play video games as long as you want?
Use the telephone whenever you want?
Choose the clothes you wear?
Choose your friends and the activities you do with them?
Choose your beliefs?
Choose when you eat your meals?