No homes away from home

A study of state GDP trends by Bibek Debroy and me showed that if past trends in per capita state GDP were to continue all the way till 2020, the differences in income and lifestyles between states would widen greatly. States such as Bihar would have a standard of living in 2020 much like what exists in Bangladesh today; and there would be parts of India not very different from lifestyles in developed countries such as the US and Germany as measured in PPP terms. The point here is not what will happen, but economic forces that are being generated are going to create great pressure for people to migrate 8212; from low wage locations to higher wage ones, and from low growth locations to high growth ones.

So what we are about to see is the greatest peaceful and spontaneous movement of people in our country8217;s history. The bulk of this movement would be of people who are less educated, poor, have little skills; and with the break-up of the joint family, they will be more likely to bring their whole families with them. These migrants will benefit from the opportunities and also contribute in a large way to the progress of the locations that they migrate to. For one, they will keep the wage inflationary pressures down, the need to survive and create a new life will ensure relatively greater levels of effort whether they are employed or self-employed.

However, the recent killings in Assam and Noida have one commonality 8212; the susceptibility of migrants, and the inability of the state to provide the necessary protection. In Assam it is the seasonal migrants living in rural hinterlands. In Noida the bulk of the children belonged to recent migrants into India8217;s political centre. Both went unprotected. But the lack of protection is only one among a much larger set of problems faced by migrants.

There are three major sources of vulnerability for migrants.

The first set has to do with the lack of their access to government services, whether law and justice, education or health. The second has to do with the lack of strong social networks and inability to pressurise through the political system. The third has to do with the lack of knowledge and understanding of how to 8220;operate8221; in a new environment.

Most migrants tend to lack the necessary documents related to place of residence, and consequently lack basic identification. This makes it difficult for them to access everything from ration shops to primary schooling to government healthcare facilities. In a large survey conducted in Delhi8217;s slum areas we found many migrants who stated significant difficulties in getting their children in government schools because of their inability to complete the necessary paperwork. Same issues are likely to apply to healthcare, access to ration shops, etc.

The second is lack of access to a strong enough social network. Migrants necessarily do not have the same sets of non-economic relationships read jaan pehchaan that are so important in our country. So whether you want a document such as a passport, or open a savings bank account, or get yourself a quick LPG connection, or access any pubic service, migrants lives are much more difficult. To top it up, it takes many years before migrants finally enter the voting segment. So their ability to pressurise through the political system is also limited.

The last set is perhaps the most difficult to overcome: the inherent insecurity that is felt in a new place where few know you. It is therefore not surprising that despite a few complaints in Noida we did not observe significant enough sustained pressure build-up by the parents.

The vulnerability of the migrants is compounded if they belong to the poorer sections of the society. And seasonal migrants are most vulnerable, since they are at a location only temporarily. These vulnerabilities are well-known and that is precisely why those on the fringes of the law whether militants or criminals exploit them. But little is known about the extent of the crimes against migrants, as many, if not most, crimes go unreported. The solutions however are not entirely unknown.

First, there has to be a system of record keeping where a recent migrant can easily get himself registered without the need for impossible-to-arrange paperwork and references. Without appropriate records and IDs, migrants do not 8216;exist8217; as far as the administrative set-up is concerned. Second, all parts of the government need to include specific procedures where migrants can access public services, given that they lack the conventional means of identification. Third, migrants need special facilities and services, whether in schools or in law enforcement. And this is even more important in the case of seasonal migration.

Among the many things that are desirable, addressing the various vulnerabilities of migrants are perhaps not very urgent. But they are among the most important. Very soon the majority of the country would comprise migrants.

The writer heads Indicus Analytics, an economics research firm