With Kamal Raj of Cross Global Asia Foundation

This week on The Human Trace, we sit down with Kamal Raj — justice advocate and founder of Cross Global Asia Foundation — to uncover how the caste system, one of the oldest forms of systemic oppression, continues to shape modern-day exploitation.

From manual scavenging to bonded labour, Kamal breaks down how caste hierarchies intersect with class, poverty and trafficking vulnerabilities, often hiding in plain sight. This episode explores the silence around caste, the cultural complicity that enables it and the leadership needed to dismantle inherited injustice.

If you’ve ever wondered how deeply entrenched social systems drive exploitation and what it takes to challenge them, this conversation is not to be missed.

Books referenced by Kamal on the episode:

1. Bonded Labour by Siddarth Kara (https://www.amazon.com/Bonded-Labor-Tackling-System-Slavery/dp/0231158491 )
   
   
2. Annihilation of Caste by Dr B.R. Ambedkar https://www.amazon.com/Annihilation-Caste-B-R-Ambedkar/dp/9390492734
   
   
3. These Seats Are Reserved by Abhinav Chandrachud https://www.penguin.co.in/book/this-seat-is-reserved/
   
   
4. SLAVERY IN ANCIENT INDIA Author: DEV RAJ CHANANA https://pphbooks.net/product_info.php/products_id/186
   
   
5. Slavery in the Tamil Country By Sundararaj Manickam https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Slavery_in_the_Tamil_Country/09-7lAEACAAJ?hl=en&kptab=overview
   
   
6. Caste and Religion by A Sivasubramanian (https://www.amazon.in/Caste-Religion-Sivasubramanian/dp/819601712X)

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Published by Asia Freedom Network.
The Human Trace is produced to spark real conversations, amplify unheard stories, and trace the human impact behind global issues.

Helen Avadiar-Nimbalker is a trauma specialist, anti-trafficking strategist, and Director of the Asia Freedom Network. She is the founder of The Whispering Willow and CEO of Rise Foundation Asia — two organisations providing trauma-informed, community-based support for survivors of exploitation across Southeast Asia. With over two decades of experience, Helen has supported displaced communities, led survivor care initiatives, advised governments and civil society on systems reform, and shaped regional conversations on human rights, trauma, and justice.

Connect: linkedin.com/in/helenavadiarnimbalker
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