<div>EDITORIAL - <font color="Navy">South Asia Post - September 30, 2011
Distress pushing migration in India
ANY keen observer can easily notice that Punjab during the last decade or so has been on the move. We have a large scale migration of workers from across the country, engaged in farms, factories and other small jobs. Over ten lakh are engaged in eking their living from poverty stricken states like Orissa, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan, and even from Nepal. Same is the picture all across the country. Delhi has some 40 lakh migrants. Chandigarh has over four lakh migrant working class people. Though their contribution to economic activities is tremendous, but the state has failed to protect their rights and look after their welfare.
What is true about the migration into Punjab is true about the out migration from Punjab. Here too it seems that the whole of Punjab is deserting and moving to greener pastures in North America; USA and Canada, to countries in Europe, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and Arabian countries. Name a country Punjabis are there. Some countries, particularly in the western hemisphere have well laid laws to protect the rights of the workers and to minimize their exploitation; others like the Gulf have very little protection. Interestingly, while under the globalised regime, capital flows more freely than labour and goods. There are plenty of restrictions imposed by capitalist regimes.
In India, there are clear signals that large scale rural population is moving into urban centers; towns and cities. The latest data from the 2011 census shows that for the first time since 1921, urban India has added more numbers than its rural counterpart. Another fact that comes to light is that between 1991 and 2001, seven million people left agriculture and moved to urban areas. This number continues to rise. Final figures expected to be released next year would sure show that many more farmers have left their age old profession of cultivation and moved to towns and cities. Reason is poor public spending in agriculture since the reforms set in 1990s. Our farm sector growth has been around two to three per cent per annum.
There are other worrisome signs that the latest census throws up, particularly relating to gender inequality. Now the World Bank
More...
Distress pushing migration in India
ANY keen observer can easily notice that Punjab during the last decade or so has been on the move. We have a large scale migration of workers from across the country, engaged in farms, factories and other small jobs. Over ten lakh are engaged in eking their living from poverty stricken states like Orissa, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan, and even from Nepal. Same is the picture all across the country. Delhi has some 40 lakh migrants. Chandigarh has over four lakh migrant working class people. Though their contribution to economic activities is tremendous, but the state has failed to protect their rights and look after their welfare.
What is true about the migration into Punjab is true about the out migration from Punjab. Here too it seems that the whole of Punjab is deserting and moving to greener pastures in North America; USA and Canada, to countries in Europe, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and Arabian countries. Name a country Punjabis are there. Some countries, particularly in the western hemisphere have well laid laws to protect the rights of the workers and to minimize their exploitation; others like the Gulf have very little protection. Interestingly, while under the globalised regime, capital flows more freely than labour and goods. There are plenty of restrictions imposed by capitalist regimes.
In India, there are clear signals that large scale rural population is moving into urban centers; towns and cities. The latest data from the 2011 census shows that for the first time since 1921, urban India has added more numbers than its rural counterpart. Another fact that comes to light is that between 1991 and 2001, seven million people left agriculture and moved to urban areas. This number continues to rise. Final figures expected to be released next year would sure show that many more farmers have left their age old profession of cultivation and moved to towns and cities. Reason is poor public spending in agriculture since the reforms set in 1990s. Our farm sector growth has been around two to three per cent per annum.
There are other worrisome signs that the latest census throws up, particularly relating to gender inequality. Now the World Bank
More...