Migration: A dream or a nightmare for labour and national integration?

Accelerating inter-state migration will not only enhance the efficiency of the labour market but also foster national integration

India has witnessed internal migration for centuries. For instance, even in the 19th century, Marwaris from Rajasthan could be found as businessmen in the easternmost regions of the country, Marathas as warriors in its northwestern and southern parts, and Bengalis, Tamils, and Telugus spread across the nation as employees of the John Company and the subsequent British imperial government.

 

With economic development, the spread of education, and a bulge in the proportion of youth in the population, internal migration has accelerated in recent times. Its scale came into sharp focus during the Covid-19 lockdown. Special trains and buses had to