With scant rains in Saurashtra, migration goes eastward

Chandaben Chauhan, a 40-something labourer, had come along with her husband to Ghanteshwar village in Rajkot district from Dahod 10 years ago to become a farm labourer. A fortnight ago, she and five of her family members shifted back to Dahod district due to lack of work in parched Saurashtra.

"There is hardly any work available there this season. We broke up the bhagiyu (partnership with land owner) and came back to our native village," says Chandaben.

The migration trends are reversing because of scanty rainfall in the region this monsoon. Tribals from central and south Gujarat usually come to Saurashtra to earn a living working as farm labourers. But this year, they are heading back home.

Monsoon is the season when they start descend to Saurashtra from districts like Dahod and the Panchmahals and also from nearby states like Madhya Pradesh.

"Usually, during this season, state transport buses from Dahod to Rajkot run full and crowded. But this time, buses from Rajkot to Dahod are running with more passengers than its capacity," said Vipul Pandya of Khet Majdoor Sangh, a union of farm labourers.

According to Pandya, many labourers had settled in Saurashtra due to satisfactory monsoon throughout the last decade. But this year, deficit rainfall has forced them to pack bags and head home. "According to our estimates, nearly two lakh tribals were scattered across eight districts of the Saurashtra-Kutch region. Now, reverse migration is taking place in a big way," he said.

Though some of them have stayed back in the region, they have shifted to places where construction work is available.

"Nearly 10 labourers from Rajkot district have come to our construction site at Sadhiyar village in Bhuj taluka of Kutch. Earlier, they were engaged in farming in Rajkot," said Ratna Bamaniya, a small-time contractor.

... contd.

ALSO READ

Annual census of herbivores in Gir begins

2 yrs after daughter was raped, killed in Sydney, family awaits justice

Modi on the move, his minders run digital war room for next big shows

Modi addresses farmers, blames Centre for delay in Narmada gates