Opinion | Blurring Identity & Gloomy Futures: Labour Migration And Structural Challenges In Bengal |
The recent administrative crackdown to deport Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants has created an atmosphere of fear, trauma, and political allegations across parties. During the search operations, the identities of Bangla-speaking Indian Bengalis and their Bangla-speaking neighbours are becoming blurred.
These unwanted blurred identities often generate traumatic experiences among the genuine residents of India. In this context, it is an opportunity to understand the context of labour migration from West Bengal.
Mass-scale labour migration from the state is a very contemporary phenomenon. Traditionally, West Bengal used to receive more migrants from other states than it used to send out. It was only during the last Census of 2011 that the phenomenon of large-scale outmigration became clearly evident. Over the years, the situation has worsened.
The state is struggling to keep pace with the development and job creation of the other leading states. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs informed Parliament that between 2011-12 and 2024-25, about 6,688 companies have left West Bengal. The ministry also stated that one-third of these — more than 2,200 companies — left........