How does one describe slavery in these modern times? The Global Slavery Index, a report by the Walk Free Foundation, says slavery includes forced and bonded labor, human trafficking, forced marriages and the use of children in the military. Including these, the Foundation, which claims to include data from 162 countries in its index, says that India has by far the highest number of slaves (nearly 14 million), followed by China (2.9 million) and Pakistan (2.1 million).

Undoubtedly, there is a lot to be desired when it comes to the working and living conditions of workers in many countries, including the developed ones. But it is wide of the mark to describe those who work extra long hours for extra money or in bad conditions as slaves.

A slave is defined as the property of another person and slavery refers to the condition of being a slave.