Migrant Working and its effect upon the poor
Migrant work is an important and eons old means of gaining some income for poor families all over India. According to the a report by www.actionagainsthunger.org.uk from 2016 Rajasthan has a total tribunal population of 9,238,534 persons comprising of 12 groups including 59 scheduled castes and sub castes. The Bhopa are a scheduled caste and according to law should not be discriminated against. The report lists issues effecting these people as entrenched tribal poverty despite national schemes in place, with people living on less than 1 Euro a day. Another issue raised in the report is the cash earning activities and the negative cycle of tribal indebtedness. This speaks to ‘distress migrants’ who leave their families to work far away. They are subject to casual contracts and are often not paid, or paid less than agreed and payment deferred by their employers. The illiteracy of most of this workers frustrates their ability to negotiate fair contracts and leaves them legally infirm. City life is a big change to their rural ways and this disjunct can lead to mental health issues, risk of injury, cessation of work, and an kind of indentured serfdom. Bonded labour, such as at brick kilns, in dirty dangerous conditions is one example of the vulnerability they are exposed too. ‘Headloaders’ carrying possessions and goods at transport stations being another type of work inherent with risk. If the monsoon fails, or locusts, floods or drought effect farming then agricultural labouring and construction work can also lead to lack of payment and being stranded far from home. We are currently trying to improve digital literacy in the villages. If you would like to donate a no longer used smartphone to help us improve access to educational online resources please send your old phone to The Chapel, Eastback, Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, Wales. UK. We will buy the 4g packages to repurpose the phone for village use. Many thanks 🙏
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