‘Worse than animals’: How modern-day slavery under 'rahua system' haunts Madhya Pradesh villages

BHOPAL: Police have arrested eleven people after rescuing 16 mentally challenged and destitute men from two villages in Madhya Pradesh’s Guna district. The victims, some held in captivity for as long as two decades, were forced into slavery and bonded labour through a local exploitative system known as ‘Rahua’.What is 'Rahua'?'Rahua', a local exploitation system, derives its name from the regional dialect phrase 'Raho aur Khao', which translates to "stay and eat". This deceptively simple term conceals a harsh system of bondage where individuals were compelled to work extensive hours, receiving only scraps of food and accommodation amongst livestock as compensation. The victims were denied wages, fundamental rights and any possibility of escape.The majority of these labourers were individuals who had been trafficked after being discovered wandering on highways or left behind by lorry drivers. Their captors forced them into various forms of labour across farms, animal shelters, brick manufacturing units, roadside restaurants and residential properties. These individuals, stripped of their personal identity, endured years of enforced servitude without any voice.Tricked, trapped, tortured: Survivors recount horrors of forced labour One of the survivor recounted his previous employment at a government establishment before becoming disoriented whilst travelling. He described how an unknown person gained his trust, subsequently deceived him, imprisoned him and compelled him into forced labour. His captors assigned him tasks of maintaining livestock shelters and gathering animal waste, whilst subjecting him to physical abuse whenever he showed opposition or became unwell.Another survivor recounted how he was deceived with promises of meals and accommodation during his time of poverty, only to be forced into servitude for multiple years. His movements were severely restricted, and he remained under continuous surveillance. The captors reportedly warned him of being 'hunted down and punished' should he attempt to flee from their control.Another survivor, who previously worked at a small restaurant in a neighbouring state, recounted being picked up whilst seeking a lift and transported to Binaganj with deceptive job offers. At the location, he was forced to tend to buffaloes, remove dung, and labour from sunrise to nightfall without compensation. His sleeping arrangements consisted of the uncovered ground adjacent to the animals, whilst his sustenance was limited to stale roti and water.“They were treated worse than animals,” an officer involved in the rescue operation said. The rescue operation, conducted jointly by the labour department, district police, revenue, and municipal officials, exposed the full extent of the abuse and the trafficking network behind it.“We have arrested 11 people and are looking for another accused. Investigations are on to trace their origins and the people involved in trafficking them,” Guna SP Amit Soni told TOI.After undergoing initial medical screening at the Binaganj health centre, the rescued men were shifted to the Apna Ghar Ashram in Shivpuri.The victims, originating from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Odisha, Gujarat, and Jharkhand, reflect the wide interstate reach of the trafficking network.