International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition: History and Significance

Hyderabad: Every year, August 23 is recognized worldwide as the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. This day serves as a time to honor the tragic history of the millions of innocent individuals who suffered in the transatlantic slave trade during the era of colonial rule. Numerous cultural events and discussions are held worldwide on this occasion.

Slave trade:

During the age of empire, racist beliefs were used to support dishonest political, social, and economic activities that allowed these empires to grow their economies. The slave trade, a byproduct of this racism, was a result of these imperial ambitions. In India, the indentured slave trade began in 1834 and ended in 1922, leading to a significant diaspora of a mix of Indo-Caribbean, Indo-African, and Indo-Malay descent who today live in various Caribbean islands, Fiji, Reunion, Natal, Mauritius, Malaysia, and more.

The significance of this day was initially recognized by UNESCO. The slave trade was a widespread practice under the imperialist regimes of European countries. People from Africa and Asia were traded as slaves to serve the colonial powers in Haiti, the Caribbean and several other regions worldwide. The global slave trade was finally abolished in the year 1807. The first anniversary of the uprising was celebrated in 1998, recognized by UNESCO and also in Senegal the following year.

History behind the day:

The history of the day begins on the night of August 22-23, 1791 in Saint Domingue, Republic of Haiti. On that exact day, a revolt broke out on the island of Saint Domingue, now known as Haiti, setting in motion events that led to the end of the transatlantic slave trade.

The importance of this day stems from the end of the transatlantic slave trade. The day was first celebrated on August 23, 1998 in Haiti and on August 23, 1999 on Goree Island in Senegal.

Since its launch in 1994, the UNESCO programme “Routes of Enslaved Peoples: Resistance, Freedom and Heritage” has contributed to the production of innovative knowledge, the development of high-level scientific networks and the support of commemorative initiatives on the theme of slavery, its abolition and the resistance it provoked.

At the international level, the programme has thus played an important role in “breaking” the silence surrounding the history of slavery and placing this tragedy that shaped the modern world in the universal memory. In 2024, the Routes of Enslaved Peoples Programme will celebrate its 30th anniversary.

Modern Slavery in India:

Modern slavery in India takes many forms. Today, slavery can take many forms, including forced labor, sex trafficking, forced marriage, and child exploitation. Other forms, such as medical testing and organ harvesting, exist specifically in India. Forced labor and sex trafficking are the most common forms of slavery; however, one form of slavery sometimes overlaps with the other in some way. For example, the sexual exploitation of children is common in India’s forced labor industry.

Modern slavery in India feels far from modern. Slavery is still deeply rooted in the country’s ancient caste structure, entailing socio-economic disparities and the neglect of lower castes from birth. Untouchables, India’s lowest caste, are less valued in their society than cows.

In the world:

India has the highest number of slaves in the world. This is partly due to India’s status as one of the world’s two most populous countries, and to the prevalence of all forms of modern slavery in the country, including forced child labor, forced marriage, commercial sexual exploitation, bonded labor, and forced recruitment into armed groups.

China, the most populous country in the world, has the second largest number of slaves, at about 3.8 million. Although China does not show the multitude of slavery. Other countries with large slave populations include Russia, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, Egypt, Myanmar, Iran, Turkey, and Sudan.

Important figures who worked for the abolition of slavery:

Many famous personalities are known for their contributions to the abolition of slavery.

In the United Kingdom, Member of Parliament William Wilberforce is known for his role in taking the fight to Parliament and securing laws to end the slave trade.

Still, many slaves and former slaves took action to fight for freedom, not only for themselves, but also to make an impact in other countries.

Here are some of the major figures who contributed to the abolition of slavery in different parts of the world: Toussaint L’Ouverture, James Somerset, Mary Prince, Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, Olaudah Equiano etc.

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