Sholapur: Rajasthan Police Free 53 Bonded Tribal Workers in Operation Vishwas
Rajasthan Police mounted Operation Vishwas in December 2025 and rescued 53 tribal labourers who had been held captive in Sholapur, Maharashtra, and forced into unpaid sugarcane work. Among those freed were 40 men and 13 women, and a probe into the captors is ongoing. Sholapur's cultural vitality was also on show: a troupe of 100 drum beaters from the city's Param Veer Yoga Mandal performed before thousands of devotees at the Tirumala Brahmotsavams.
🤝 Operation Vishwas Frees 53 Tribal Workers Held Captive in Sholapur
Rajasthan Police launched Operation Vishwas and freed at least 53 tribal labourers who had been held captive in Sholapur and forced to work without wages in sugarcane fields. The rescued group included 40 men and 13 women, all from Pratapgarh district in Rajasthan. The rescue was carried out by Pratapgarh police officers in a coordinated intervention, and a probe is underway to identify those responsible for holding the workers against their will. The labourers had been brought from Rajasthan to Sholapur, Maharashtra under what appear to have been coercive circumstances and were subsequently confined and put to work without pay. Forced labour in seasonal agricultural work, particularly sugarcane harvesting, has been a recurrent problem in parts of Maharashtra, with vulnerable tribal communities from neighbouring states among those most at risk. The fact that the rescue came from a police force outside Maharashtra reflects the cross-jurisdictional complexity of bonded labour cases. Officers coordinated across state lines to retrieve citizens from Rajasthan who had been stranded in exploitative conditions far from home. Authorities confirmed that a probe is underway and that action would follow once those responsible are identified. [6]
🪔 Sholapur Drum Beaters Enthral Devotees at Tirumala's Simha Vahanam
One hundred drum beaters from Sholapur's Param Veer Yoga Mandal brought the city's percussion tradition to Tirumala, the hilltop pilgrimage shrine revered by millions of Vaishnava devotees. The troupe was led by Sri Ketkar Maharaj and had been invited by the Hindu Dharma Prachara Parishad to participate in the Brahmotsavams festival, one of Tirumala's grandest annual celebrations. During the Simha vahanam procession along the four mada streets, the performers combined rhythmic drumming with dancing to the beat, drawing appreciative attention from devotees lining the route. The ensemble was divided into three teams, each presenting their art during both the morning and evening vahana seva using traditional instruments including drums and the Tasha. Around 30 girl students from colleges in Sholapur were part of the troupe alongside seasoned performers who practise drum beating as their occupation. Before the Tirumala appearance, the group had already established a strong reputation by performing at prominent Maharashtra temple festivals including Sri Siddeswarlaya and Sri Pandaripur. Their participation at Tirumala placed Sholapur's cultural identity on a national stage and illustrated how the city's long tradition of percussion-based folk art remains a living, travelling force that continues to draw recognition well beyond Maharashtra. [9]