Human migration is the movement by the people from one place to another with the intentions of settling permanently or temporarily in a new location. It has many dimensions associated with it i.e. social political economic, cultural etc. which affect migrant's life. Migration can be Voluntary or Involuntary but in both the cases, people have to undergo transformations which affect their culture and changes them. MSA RAO in his work “ Some aspects of sociology of migration” has beautifully addressed the socio - cultural and economic dynamics of a migrant's life. And to illustrate it with suitable case study, we will be referring to the work “Migration and adaptation” by ANAND INBANATHAN.
FEATURES OF MIGRATION-
Migration has major implications
for urbanisation, slums and social change as it is a major factor in economic
development and man power planning. It has notable feedback effects on the
place of origin as the migrants maintain different kinds and degrees of
contact. There are different dimensions of migration-
1.ETHNICITY
Migrants belonging to a
particular region, hive together and form their ethnic groups on the basis of
shared elements of culture and ideology. The affluent ethnic groups establish
their own housing cooperatives, schools, dispensaries and employment bureaus
and try to recreate their cultures of the place of origin at place of
destination. This creates problem of ethnicity.
2.EMPLOYMENT PROBLEMS AND
CONFLICTS
There’s a crystal clear
discrimination between locals and migrants. While the locals seek employment in
the primary sector, the migrants are found in the secondary sector. Further
while the locals are found in the higher levels of the job hierarchy the
migrants occupy jobs in the lower levels. In the Indian context, where migrants
having diverse skills and resources enter their job market at various levels.
For e.g. The educated people from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Bengal have
moved to different places in search of white collar and professional jobs. The unskilled
and semiskilled workers from Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar have
moved to distant places in search of jobs in plantations, factories and in
informal sector.
GENDER ASPECT OF MIGRATION-
While male migration is for
different economic and social purposes, much of the women’s migration is
considered marriage migration. Women who belong to the working class continue
working after migration in the place of their destination. Women of the middle
classes gets employed in white collar jobs and professions. The women of the
lower classes finds jobs in the informal sector which provides continuity
between the rural and urban areas.
TYPES OF MIGRATION-
INTERNATIONAL, INTERNAL AND RURAL MIGRATION
International migration is
related to the international migration either overseas or overland. For
example- In Punjab continuous waves of overseas migration to England, United
States, Canada created a shortage of labour filled up by the tribal, from Bihar
and UP. Second type is internal migration which means migrating within
the city. And rural migration is from rural to urban.
With migration comes the problems
of cultural adjustments, inter-ethnic relations and relations between the
migrant and the locals. From all of the different migrations of India ,
rural-rural occupies a central place at its accounts for about 70 percent of
total migration. Rural migration consists of movement of landowning peasants
and farmers, labourers, artisans and service caste and tribes. There is also a
difference between the adjustments of the non-tribal, tribal and inter-tribal.
For e.g. Shillong and Imphal.
PEASANT, AGRICULTURAL LABOURERS
AND SEASONAL MIGRATION
Peasant migration in the
rural context has several variations. Peasants have moved to large river valley
project areas either on their own ( for better living) or under the sponsorship
of the government. It is seen that peasants who have had experience of flow
irrigation voluntarily move to the new river valley project areas. They legally
buy land from the locals and establish their settlements called “camps”.
Migration of agricultural labourers, both seasonal and permanent in other rural
areas gives rise a different set of problems related to their conditions of
work, nature of their exploitation by the middle men and the farmers, their
relationship with the locals and the impact on their places of origin.
Seasonal migration occupies
a very important place in migration studies, but unfortunately is the most
neglected area. Seasonal migration have acquired a singular importance in
the context of commercial crops, such as cotton, sugarcane, tobacco, potato,
groundnut and mulberry leaves. Other operations which also needs seasonal
labour are- bamboo cutting, building tanks, bridges and dams. Seasonal migration
is work specific and only certain group specialises in particular job.
Seasonality is relative to
economic and social conditions of migrants in the place of origin and of
destination. The seasonal migrants have a place of origin where they might have
some land and a hut and they might have some land and a hut and they might move
out for two different seasons in a year after spending some time in between in
their villages.
SOCIO – CULTURAL DIMENSIONS OF
MIGRATION
One of the most essential aspect
of migration is that it is an interaction process between the place of origin
and of destination. When one migrates to a different culture, his socialisation
affects him and changes his personality and his original culture. So , a
cultural interpretation is important to gain a deeper understanding of the
process of migration.
MIGRATION AS A SYMBOL OF
ROOTEDNESS AND MOBILITY
To explain the mobility aspect of
migration, example of the Kammas will be most suitable. Lammas are
migratory peasants. Kammas argue that they value the set of symbols associated
with mobility more than that associated with rootedness. According to them
agnatic (paternal) ties encourage rootedness to property through inheritance,
the affinal relations sponsor mobility, acquired land is more prestigious than
the ancestral land, territoriality is bondage but migration is freedom.
1.Therefore, migration is a
structural transformation of symbols of rootedness into symbols of mobility.
2.The Kammas move from their ancestral village to another place and establish a
settlement, they will be striking roots again. 3. The cultural symbol far from
being fixed are dynamic and undergo significant changes in the context of
cumulative experience of people, changing interest and demonstration effects. 4.
They enter into socialisation process and influence peoples interests and
attitudes towards migration and their consequent behaviour. 5.Hence there is no
hiatus between cultural and sociological interpretations in analysing and
understanding migration.
We saw from the work of MSA RAO
about the economic and socio-cultural aspects of migration and to test the
applicability of the text, the case study of LOWER CASTE TAMILS IN DELHI
RESETTLEMENT COLONY will be helpful.
CASE STUDY OF TAMIL
MIGRANTS-
Tamils from different castes
migrated to large cities in India such as Pune, Bombay and Delhi in the
twentieth century Migrants were mainly Brahmins at the beginning. But after
sometime Pallars (ST) and Devangana chettiars (BC) started arriving in Delhi.
The Pallars migrated mainly
because of successive droughts and famines in their native place which hindered
their agriculture whereas the Devangana Chettiars who were handloom weavers
lost their source of livelihood when power looms were introduced in Tamil
Nadu. So in both cases the migration was involuntary.
THEIR ADAPTATION-
To function effectively in the
new environment, the migrants have to make changes in their lifestyle and
culture by adapting to that of the new society which is the host society. There
are three stages of adaptation.
1. accommodation where
there’s limited acceptance by the host and minimum conformity to the norms of
the host society.
2. integration which is an
intermediary stage where the migrants develop close and intimate relations with
the members of the host society. There are changes in their lifestyles and
there also maybe selective borrowing from the culture of the host
society.
3.assimilation which involves
intermarriage and complete identification with the host society.
The above three stages concludes
that the identity of migrants disappears and it assumes that the migrant group
progressively loses its own cultural distinctiveness and adopts the identity of
the host society.
TRIVENIPURI - SETTING AND
METHODOLOGY
Trivenipuri is one the many and
larger resettlement colonies, established in 1975 on the outskirts of Delhi
across the river Yamuna. The colony has 22 residential blocks and slum
dwellers and squatters who were evicted from various parts of the city in
the slum clearance drive live there. Tamils who migrated were clustered
in particular block. In Trivenipuri, members of each caste preferred
staying close to each other. Hence, allocation of lands were done according to
caste distinctions.
The majority of the residents in
Trivenipuri consist of migrants from north Indian states- the Hindi speakers
and Tamils make only 5 per cent of the total population the colony. The houses
built in the area have no space between them and are very conjusted. The houses
are too small to accommodate all the members of the family
A study was conducted on Delhi
which included major sections of Tamil society- the Brahmins, non-Brahmins, and
Adi Dravidas(SC). The study was done in the year 1983-84 to study the
social relationships and cultural adaptation of the Tamils in Trivenipuri .
Responses of 26 people were recorded.
REASONS FOR MIGRATION
Out of 26 respondents, all
the migrants from Tamil Nadu migrated to Delhi due to economic hardship. Some
because of successive years of drought and famine conditions and some because
of unemployment, due to the introduction of power . Caste is also one
such factor that can be regarded as important in instigating migration because
of the fact that the migrants are mainly from Scheduled caste and Backward
class status, which means they are groups of people who are mostly economically
exploited and deprived in the society. So they stayed in squatter settlements
and worked as unskilled labourers.
MARRIAGE , FAMILY AND KINSHIP
(SOCIAL DIMENSION)
Endogamous marriage is the
general practice and deviants are ostracised. Endogamy is reinforced by
settlement pattern within the colony . Everyone living in the colony is
strongly enmeshed in intense relationships - among members of ones own caste and
kin group - becomes difficult to defy social pressures towards conformity .
People may have different opinion , but if they defy the norms of caste
endogamy , it will become impossible to live in the colony . but, Norms of
endogamy are now relaxing - marriage with members of proximate caste is now
tolerated . but relaxation is more seen in BCs ( backward classes) than SCs. So
there’s pressure of family ties in choosing brides and they have strong family
ties.
FRIENDSHIPS
Friendship - along the lines of
caste and kinship. Language is the obstacle to striking friendship with those
outside ones region. Though they became friends with people from Kerala because
of no linguistic barrier. They follow Tamil and they in turn can follow
Malayalam. North Indian - Tamilian can speak Hindi . Close friendships
sometimes occur across caste lines - usually among people from same village .
People believe in sufficiency of
friends within their caste and kinship ties. Also Nadars - consider themselves
superior to others and do not like close social relationships with other castes
, although they don't mind talking to them .
RELIGION AND OTHER SOCIAL
INSTITUTION
Mariamman - common village
Goddess - in Trivenipuri. Tamils who had no tradition of worshipping Mariamman
have started worshipping her. This shows how diffusion of various cultures and
beliefs is a characteristic feature associated with migration. Murugan festival
held every year in March and Mariamman’s in May are very important occasions
for Tamils of the colony . migration leads to fusion of cultures and very
often the migrant loses his original culture.
To conclude , we can say that
Trivenipuri Tamils living in a colony surrounded by other language speakers and
located on outskirts of Delhi , sense a feeling of being isolated . Try to
maintain links with natal villages but distance and expenses make it difficult
to visit Tamil Nadu frequently . Feeling of isolation produced in them an
intense desire to return to Tamil Nadu in foreseeable future . They consider
Tamil Nadu as their home and say they live in Delhi only to earn a
living.
This brings in the forefront, how
migration is associated with socio culture problems also other than economic.
There are enough articles to address the economic aspect of migration, for
example Benjamin’s work “Urban Land transformation for Pro poor economies”
which also addressed the politics of urban life. This helps in understanding
how in metropolitan cities urban poor has to face both economic and
political problems.
ELOBORATED ECONOMIC DIMENSION OF
MIGRATION-
Issues of urban poverty in Indian
metropolitan areas interconnect with a wider range of social and
political issues. These concerns relate to conflicts between ethnic
groups, a divided society reflected in rich enclaves and poverty
entrenched ghettos, declining employment opportunities in the public
sector for the masses. the popular media and many times city planners
link this situation with unplanned urban growth and the development
of slums.
As we know that many cities in
India have to sign proportion of their urban economy constituted by
distinctive local economies. Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata
although known popularly as political, financial and trade centres
are also important centres of small firm based neighbourhood economies
in manufacturing and trade spinning a wider range of services.
First- these economies are just a
transient “informal” sector, but economic processes that are very
much part of the mainstream. Second- they generate extensive employment at
various levels to constitute a significant proportion of urban
economic activity and employment. Third- as significant economic nodes,
informal economies are linked in turn to sophisticated financial
circuits at the local, urban and also national levels. Forth- local economy
clusters operated as major training grounds for youth both from urban and
rural families. Finally- an issue which a close and direct linkage
between financial flows in real estate markets to those of the local
economy and the way poor groups use property markets to fund economic
enterprise.
So , Benjamin’s article explains
how there is a close relationship between the economy and transformation of
urban space. At the end of the discussion one can conclude that there’s
dynamics of a migrant's life i.e. socio - cultural and economic. Migration also
impacts the culture of the person migration to a whole new, similar to that of
the place in which he migrated.
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