International

Tribal Laborers in India

Located in northeastern India, the desert state of Rajasthan is home to many scheduled tribes and castes. Occupying the very bottom of India’s complex caste system, their lives are caught up in a world of rapid social and economic change. Due to generations of isolation and illiteracy, they often become indebted to corrupt moneylenders and lead lives of indentured servitude. The following photographs show two forms of labor that the indigenous people of southern Rajasthan are often bound to through indebtedness: brick making and marble mining. Photography by Sam Hollenshead