A Guardian newspaper has sent shockwaves among the Sikh community worldwide revealing Sikhs turned into slaves by gangster lords of Italy’s farming industry.
The report reveals that about hundreds of thousands of Sikhs work in the farm country of Italy and just in Pontina there are about 10,000 Sikhs working. The Sikhs are paid well below the minimum standards with long working hours and harsh living conditions. When one Sikh escaped and landed at a police station to file a complaint but instead he faced threats and intimidation by his gangster lords.
The grueling work hours and lack of sleep has caused the Sikh migrant workers to take drugs which they mix with their morning tea.
To put thing into perspective, a quote from the Guardian:
“Since he arrived he has worked 13-hour days for about €4 an hour. He knows he isn’t earning enough, but feels unable to report his situation to the authorities for fear of being unable to work or being sent back to India. He says he finds the work humiliating.
“We do not have an employer – we have a master,” he says. “He often yells at us and, when you talk to him, you should step back and bow your head.”
After one Sikh man died in Pontina due horrendous working conditions, about 2,000 Sikhs took to the streets to protest and in 2016 a law was passed to protect the workers.
Read rest of the report: The Guardian