Migration will resume when urban economy restarts: India Migration Now

India Migration Now founder Varun Aggarwal says the frantic reverse migration at present is not because of harvesting needs (still a month away) but because of the income shock

Varun Aggarwal, founder of India Migration Now — a migration data, policy, and advocacy organisation based in Mumbai — has studied migration in India extensively. In an interview to Aditi Phadnis, he says the government’s ‘invisibilisation’ of migrants needs drastic re-thinking. Edited excerpts:

Are we seeing the largest migration movement in recent Indian history?

It is difficult to say so, given the lockdown window is small. Not every migrant managed to cross the state/district boundary. However, the intensity of the movement on foot was striking. While millions of seasonal/short-term migrants return home every summer for the harvest season, it’s only