Long Road to Justice: How an Indian Artisan Exposed Labor Exploitation at a US Mega-Temple

When Rajeev Y. was approached by a local recruiter in the western Indian state of Rajasthan more than eight years ago, the skilled artisan believed he had finally secured an opportunity to transform his family’s economic future. The promise of steady employment in the United States, accompanied by fair wages and improved living conditions, felt like the ultimate realization of a long-sought dream.

Instead, the artisan's journey led to what he described as years of confinement and relentless physical toil. Rajeev became one of several Indian laborers who eventually initiated a class-action lawsuit against the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, widely known as BAPS. The conservative Hindu organization, celebrated globally for its sprawling, intricately carved religious monuments, stands accused in US court of severe labor violations, trafficking, and worker abuse.

The international profile of BAPS has drawn intense scrutiny in recent years. In France, the group captured headlines during the opening of its major complex near Paris, an event overshadowed when personnel at the Eiffel Tower staged a strike. The industrial action was triggered after female staff members were temporarily excluded from portions of the iconic landmark to accommodate a private tour conducted for BAPS spiritual figures and their followers.

For Rajeev, the realities of his assignment in the United States began unraveling almost immediately upon his arrival in 2018. Dispatched to the construction site of the monumental BAPS temple in Robbinsville, New Jersey, the stone worker quickly found his autonomy stripped away by supervisors who managed the sprawling compound with strict control.

Upon entering the facility, workers were instructed to surrender their passports to site administrators. Rajeev explained that supervisory staff warned laborers against attempting to leave the premises, threatening that anyone caught outside without valid identification documents would face immediate apprehension and incarceration by local law enforcement authorities.

Fenced off from the outside world, the New Jersey construction site became what Rajeev termed a central prison. Confined strictly within the boundaries of the compound, laborers were forbidden from interacting with local residents or venturing into neighboring communities. Their daily existence was reduced entirely to continuous, exhausting stonework without moments of personal freedom.

The prolonged ordeal has imposed an immense emotional toll on the 35-year-old artisan. Over the eight years since he departed his village in India, Rajeev has been entirely separated from his three children, unable to embrace them or participate in their upbringing. Instead, his presence in their lives has been reduced to sporadic video calls, where he attempts to maintain a paternal bond across thousands of miles.

The legal action filed against the organization highlights the vulnerability of the workforce recruited for the Robbinsville project. A significant portion of the laborers brought from India belong to the Dalit community, an historically oppressed and marginalized group occupying the lowest rung of India's traditional social hierarchy. Legal filings allege that this structural vulnerability was exploited through coerced labor and systematic immigration law infractions.

For its part, BAPS has consistently and emphatically rejected all accusations of wrongdoing. The organization maintains that it has operated within the boundaries of the law, strenuously denying all charges regarding forced labor, human trafficking, mistreatment, and regulatory non-compliance across its global temple projects.

The controversy surrounding the New Jersey site contrasts sharply with the rapid international growth BAPS has experienced over the past decade. The socio-religious organization has seen its global reach and material fortunes expand substantially, particularly since the rise to power of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Today, BAPS oversees an expansive international footprint comprising more than 1,300 temples and upwards of 5,025 operational centers spanning North America, Europe, Africa, Australia, West Asia, and India.

The grandeur of these sprawling spiritual compounds relies heavily on the specialized architectural heritage of Rajasthan. The desert state is internationally celebrated for its distinctive pink and ochre sandstone, which defines UNESCO World Heritage landmarks such as Jaipur's famed Hawa Mahal. For generations, local families have preserved the delicate art of stone latticework, producing master carvers whose intricate craftsmanship is uniquely suited for traditional temple construction.

However, the industry that produces this celebrated stonework carries grave human and physical costs for its labor force. Stoneworkers across India face widespread exposure to hazardous silica dust, leading to epidemic levels of silicosis, an incurable and often fatal lung disease. Impoverished and marginalized laborers working in quarries and processing yards frequently suffer from chronic, unaddressed health complications while performing hazardous cutting and polishing tasks.

Public awareness regarding the conditions at the Robbinsville site expanded significantly in 2021 when American media reports brought the plight of the rescued Indian carvers into mainstream focus. The revelations cast a harsh light on the stark disparity between the opulent exterior of modern monumental architecture and the hidden human labor required to assemble it.

Although Rajeev gained his physical freedom after authorities and legal advocates intervened at the New Jersey compound, he emphasizes that true resolution remains distant. Operating under an assumed name to shield his family in India from potential retribution, the artisan remains committed to seeking full accountability through the American judicial system while striving to secure the future he initially set out to build.