VOA慢速英语--Indian Slaves Trade Life of Service for Leadership Position

 

While drinking tea with officials at a plantation¹ in southern India, Sharda Krishnan had memories of her childhood. She thought of the farm where, as a girl, she was enslaved.

Her only payment was food. Her future seemed hopeless.

Now she co-owns a tea plantation in Kerala state. Former enslaved laborers³ have operated the farm for almost 35 years. It is a place where freedom is a given and fear does not exist.

"There will always be work issues, but it will never be like earlier, said Krishnan. Her family was rescued from forced farm labor² in the 1980s.

"I am one of the owners now so why should I be scared?" she asked.

The state government gave over 360 hectares of land to survivors⁵ of slavery in 1986. Since then, workers have started farming other crops. They now grow peppers and coffee, as well as tea. The plantation has also opened itself to eco-tourism. It welcomes visitors interested in seeing a large undisturbed, natural area.

The plantation is considered an unusual success story in India, where the government estimates about 18 million people are trapped in slavery. They work without pay on farms, in factories, as servants or as sex workers to repay⁶ debts.

Once rescued from slavery, workers are sent back to their communities with some money and the promise of more support.

Yet most survivors struggle to receive government assistance. They often end up jobless and unable to pay off their debts. So many fall right back into slavery.

Projects such as the Kerala plantation bring victims together. They receive support from charitable groups, which hope to change the lives of slaves who have been freed.

"Rehabilitation⁷ of rescued workers continues to be one of the biggest challenges," said Kandasamy Krishnan. He heads the National Adivasi Solidarity⁸ Council, an organization that works on labor rights issues. He spoke⁹ to the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"The plantation...should be celebrated," added Krishnan. He believes the model should be used in other parts of India. "Training the rescued workers to run it could be a starting point."

Tea tourism

The name of Sharda Krishnan's plantation is the Priyadarshini Tea Environs. Its 150 workers produce about 40,000 kilograms of tea each month.

Every Vishwas Gold tea packet sold there has a note explaining the slaves-to-owners story and a picture of hands breaking free of chains.

An industry slowdown led to losses, so the plantation teamed up with the state's tourism office to organize events for tourists to raise money.

"We want every visitor to know the struggle of the men and women behind the plantation," said Vikalp Bhardwaj, a civil servant. He directs day-to-day operations at the plantation.

The events have created jobs for the children of plantation workers. They have been trained to work as travel guides or in tourism.

"When the rehabilitation program reaches out to the next generation as well, it is complete," said Dinesan Chirakkal Kalarikkal. He leads a local human rights charity.

India's program for victims of forced labor gives survivors financial help, as well as some land, chickens, and job training to help start afresh.

Yet as of last April, just one survivor⁴ received the full compensation¹⁰ of $2,500, government information shows.

Kuralamuthan Thandavarayan is with the anti-slavery group International Justice Mission.

"Group models do better because they bring survivors together as a community and help them rebuild together," he said. "They become each other's support system as well."

Words in This Story

plantation – n. a large farm

scared – adj. frightened

eco-tourism – n. visiting a place for pleasure while helping¹¹ with environmental issues

undisturbed – adj. not interfered¹² with; untouched

charity – n. a group that helps the poor

rehabilitation – n. to make a person as they were before sick or a tragedy

challenge – n. a goal that is difficult to reach

packet – n. a covering or container; a small, thin object

chain – n. a series of metal links connected to another one; something that restricts movement

1 plantation   

n.种植园，大农场

参考例句：

• His father-in-law is a plantation manager.他岳父是个种植园经营者。
• The plantation owner has possessed himself of a vast piece of land.这个种植园主把大片土地占为己有。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 laborers   

n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工

参考例句：

• Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言

4 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

5 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

6 repay   

v.偿还，报答，还钱给

参考例句：

• I feel honor bound to repay the money I borrowed.我觉得有责任归还我借的钱。
• I must repay her for her kindness.我必须报答她的恩惠。

7 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。

8 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

9 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

10 compensation   

n.补偿（或赔偿）的款物，补偿，赔偿

参考例句：

• Workers who have been unfairly dismissed may claim compensation.被无理开除的工人可以要求补偿。
• Equal compensation should be given to men and women for equal work.男女同工应同酬。

11 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

12 interfered   

v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉

参考例句：

• Complete absorption in sports interfered with his studies. 专注于运动妨碍了他的学业。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I am not going to be interfered with. 我不想别人干扰我的事情。 来自《简明英汉词典》