The slave owner in this village had a strong hold on the community. Not only had they taken a financial debt that was impossible to work off, but he was also continuously threatening to take their home away. The people of Ban Bhikhampur lived on forest land and were blocked from gaining ownership of land. The slave owner got the leaders of the forestry department on his side to make sure the village was completely in his control. There was no where else they could go for food or emergencies which kept the debt cycle going.
It took a long time for the the frontline team build trust with the villagers who didn’t think anyone would ever treat them respectfully. Finally the community started to come together for meetings, learn the importance of education, and their rights. In a violent attempt to overthrow the work being done in the village, the slave owner and his henchmen ambushed the community using clubs and sticks, they even shot at them. But Ban Bhikhampur was already understood that these people couldn’t control them anymore. They had the support of the frontline team, their children were getting educated, and they had come together as a community and committed doing what needed to be done to stay free forever.