Migration is a strategy for the marginal population to survive and sustain their livelihoods. Most of the times it is associated with distress while it can also be viewed as opportunistic in nature. PEPUS has been associated with migrant workers, providing them with the safety net and ensuring their rights that provide a condition of minimum livelihood.
Migration provides opportunity, alternatives to sustain the livelihood for those who live on the fringes of society and have no basic means of sustenance. In this way migration should help workers but the associated aspects of this phenomenon make it a painful journey to undertake. Lack of adequate basic amenities at destination work site, arduous working conditions and long duration of work are the most minimal of issues. The cost of earning better income is in terms of adjusting to the harsh conditions is extreme. Associated with migration is problem of identity, oral and physical abuse from the host community. The need to make the process safe and secure has been recognized repeatedly where migrant workers can work with their dignity and pride. Migration is continuously growing trend and in coming years we can expect the possibility of rise in migration rate. For making the migration an inclusive process of development there is need to engage the institution, put system in each step from source place to destination place and from destination to source place.
From source place it may panchayat or urban body, labour department of sending state and labour department of receiving state who should have the channel to monitor the flow of migrants and share all information related to migrant workers. In this channel engagement of panchayat (local government body) is very important which can help in tracking the migrant workers right from the source. This channel should be enabled and equipped with needed resources which can take prompt action in case of harassment or injustice incidence with migrant workers. There should be a system that would be responsible to ensure that the journey for livelihood is secure.
Aritra Chakrabarty
As a social researcher, I believe in knowledge-based policy action. With a postgraduate degree in Development Studies, I've been associated with social issues in my professional space. As a part of SHRAMIC initiative, was involved with data creation, sourcing of resources that will become the knowledge bank of this project.
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