Status of Tribal Migration for Employment in Jharkhand

• Post by: Arjun Kumar
• January 24, 2025
• No Comment

Sunita Kumari¹ and Subratha²

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1. Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Kolhan University, Chaibasa
   Email: sunita22jnu@gmail.com ↩︎
2. Independent Researcher ↩︎

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Title:	Status of Tribal Migration for Employment in Jharkhand
Author(s):	Sunita Kumari and Subratha
Keywords:	Tribal Migrants, Spatial Dimension Trend and Pattern
Issue Date:	24 January 2025
Publisher:	IMPRI Impact and Policy Research Institute
Abstract:	Paper emphases on tribal migration for employment in Jharkhand. Against this backdrop, the paper focuses trend and pattern of tribal migration for employment in the state as well as in the country. Jharkhand is one of the tribal-dominated states of India where more than one-third population is tribe. Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2017-18 and Census 2011 are used for data analysis. The result shows that the employment-related migration of tribes has increased compared to the last decade in India as well as Jharkhand. Analysis shows the casualization of tribal employment in the country. There is an inverse relationship between migration for employment and multidimensional poverty in Jharkhand. Thus, the paper accentuates the significance of understanding the process of tribal migration leaving their traditional set-up. It emphasizes the need for effective strategies for stabilizing the floating labor pool.
Page(s):	20-32
URL:	https://iprr.impriindia.com/status-of-tribal-migration-for-employment-in-jharkhand/
ISSN:	2583-3464 (Online)
Appears in Collections:	IPRR Vol. 3 (2) [July-December 2024]
PDF Link:	https://iprr.impriindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/PP1_Status-of-Tribal-Migration-for-Employment-in-Jharkhand_-Sunita-and-Subratha_IPRR_V3I2_July-Dec_2024.pdf

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Introduction

The paper focuses on the diversification of tribal work from traditional agriculture and forest-based economy to non-traditional sectors in urban areas. Over 90 percent of the labor force of India engaged in informal sectors. As per the Census of India and the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), there are three types of migrants in the country: permanent, semi-permanent, and temporary migrants. NSS78th round, 4.2 percent of temporary visitors from rural are migrated to other states whereas from urban areas 32 percent migrated to other states. Srivastava (2020) nearly 60-65 million workers are temporary and circulatory migrants who work in the informal sector. Almost 40% of these migrants work in the construction sector and 15% in agriculture. The rest are engaged in manufacturing, transport, and other services. With accompanying family members, their numbers would not be less than a hundred million.

Dandekar, and Ghai (2020) most of the migrants worked in the informal sector like brick kilns, construction sites, services (maids to guards to drivers) industrial non-skilled workers, small and tiny roadside businesses like tea shops, dhabas, small eateries, hotels, restaurants. Many tribal migrants returned to their native places during the pandemic via various modes of transportation. Some came by buses/trains; some were taken out by different NGOs or Government aid, while many others also started their journey on foot. A large number of them want to stay back in origin with their families and work here. However, their integration into the employable mass seems unclear as per current policies of the Government while many of them went back to their destinations to seek post-pandemic work.

Literature Review

Tribal migration in search of work has been a burning phenomenon ever since the British Colonial period. Although, it has become a part and partial of life of the tribes in contemporary times. The trend of migration reflects that people leave their origin for financial betterment and better employment opportunities (World Economic Forum 2017; Chandra, J., Paswan, B. 2020). The current study proposes to focus on not only all migrant workers working in the informal sector but also the poor and vulnerable tribes. Most of the tribal migrants hail from underdeveloped areas of the country. At the destination, they work in the informal sector, mostly without written job contracts, paid leave facilities, and social security. Kujur and Minz (2021) observed that the migrants faced both mental and physical difficulties because of unawareness of labor laws and their implications.

In Jharkhand, for land acquisition for mining and development projects, tribes are displaced and migrate for work (Ashwani Kumar and Deogharia, 2017). Lack of employment opportunities is the prominent reason for the out-migration of tribes in Jharkhand (Deogharia 2012). Further, he observed that on average migration is about 2.3 members per household in the villages of Gumla, Simdega, and Lohardaga districts of the state. The destination of the tribes was Punjab and Western Uttar Pradesh because of the availability of work.

Seasonal migration of the tribe, during agriculture lean seasons, from rural to urban areas was noticed in Gujarat (T. K. Jayaraman, 1979). Lack of local employment was one of the causes of tribal migration for employment from western Odisha (Ruchira Bhattamishra 2020). Less educated and poor tribal girls were migrating to ten million cities in India for employment (Planning Commission GOI). The background and relation were the main factors of migration and getting jobs among tribes of Jharkhand and West Bengal (Rajib Lochan Dhar, 2014).

Tribal migration has a long history since the 19th century; migration was the result of the double-edged, colonial policy of land alienation and labor recruitment (Singh, V., Jha, K. 2004). Pranav D. (2018) found that the rural population of the country is largely heading toward the urban areas with at least 25-30 people per minute for a better livelihood.

The migrant workers move out of their villages in search of employment, either they migrate alone or sometimes migrate along with their families. They decide to live in miserable conditions in the urban setup rather than living a life of misery at the origin.

Agrarian distress in rural areas is one of the leading causes of outmigration among tribes. The major reasons for agrarian distress range from small landholding, infertile land, lack of irrigation facilities low investments in agriculture, and debt-ridden farming (Dandekar, and Ghai, 2020). The current remigration of the workers is more distress-driven because their local economies have failed to provide them with sustainable livelihood choices. The escape of the return migrants’ shows that a large number of them belong to the area of agrarian distress in a state like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Odisha.

These areas remain underdeveloped after the post-liberalization period due to a lack of political will (EPW, 2020). Mohanty & et.al. (2016) found that federal migration accounts for a larger part of employment-related migration from the less-developed states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha. Migration can be studied at two levels; firstly, the macro level is based on aggregated data of origin and destination and see the attraction power at both places while the second is based on microdata that is based on the attributes of the migrants (Margolis, 1977, pp. 139-142).

Data Sources and Methodology

Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2017-18 and Census of India 2011 are used for data analysis. This is a descriptive analysis. The scatter plot used in which district-wise the association between tribal migration for employment and other variables like tribal literacy, level of urbanization, MPI (Multi-dimensional poverty index), district-wise percentage forested areas, and percentage tribal population are seen.

Result

Macro Scenario of Employment

The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2017-18 shows that about 32.4 percent workforce was self-employed in urban India. Almost 52 percent of rural households have a major source of income through self-employment. The average income of self-employed workers was ₹8,000 per month, which is the lowest in the income bracket.

It reflects that the rural economy is not in the condition to absorb surplus return laborers. During 2017-18, the share of income of casual laborers was 25 percent in total rural households. The equivalent figure in urban areas was 11.8 percent.

The status of informal employment in the non-agriculture sector and AGEGC sector has also been given in the PLFS. According to the usual status in non-agriculture and AGEGC sectors, around 68.4 percent of workers were engaged in the informal sector in the country. The figure for rural India was 72 percent, and the corresponding figure for urban India was 64.2 percent.

Figure one reflects the casualization of work in SCs and STs groups in India. The percentage of regular wage salary employees is the lowest among scheduled tribes followed by scheduled caste. Self-employment is also exceptionally high among scheduled tribes of the country. The proportion of scheduled tribes in household enterprises is also high among scheduled tribes. In the case of my account, work is also high among scheduled tribes of the country.

According to PLF (2017-18), almost 71 % of the regular salaried workers in the non-agriculture sector had no written job contract. In rural India, 69.2 % of regular salaried workers in the non-agriculture sector had no written job contract, and the same number for urban India was 72.4 percent. The workers with no written job contract are in a precarious situation.

Again, in India, around 54.2% of regular salaried employees in the non-agriculture sector were not eligible for paid leave. In rural and urban India, the figure was 56.2% and 52.8% respectively. In India, 49.6 % of regular salaried employees in the non-agriculture sector were not eligible for any social security benefit, and the equivalent figure for rural and urban India was 52.5 percent and 47.7 percent respectively. It reflects socioeconomic vulnerability among the workers.

Tribal migration for education is noticeably high in coastal Andhra, Mizoram, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh. It is the medium in Gujrat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Uttara Khand and Jammu and Kashmir. It is the lowest in Jharkhand and other states of India. Although migration related to marriage is the highest in central Indian states, it is the lowest in Punjab Haryana, Ladhakh, Telangana, Mizoram, Manipur, and Meghalaya. The migration for other reasons is very high in Tamil Nadu, Manipur, Mizoram, and Meghalaya (Maps).

The reasons for work/employment has increased from 2001 to 2011. Apart from the migration for education, moves after birth, and moves with household marriage have increased in a decade while a slightly declination has been observed in other areas and businesses (table 1).

Tribal Migration Based on Spatial Dimensions in Jharkhand

Tribal migration for employment in the state is uneven. The tribal migration is the highest in the Ranchi district followed by the east and west Sighbhum district. It is the lowest in the Chatra district of Jharkhand. It is a matter of concern to think that the large number migration of employment within the state is higher in the Kolhan region.

Tribal migration within the state for employment is almost 5 percent. A similar pattern can be observed for inter-district and intra-district migration for the state. Apart from unclassified migration, in the majority of the cases, an intra-district migration is higher for employment compared to the other two categories.

A Trend of Migration in Jharkhand

The tribal migration for employment has increased from 2001 to 2011. Furthermore, education-related migration, moving after birth, moving with a household, and marriage-related reasons for migration have increased in the states.

Table four presents a comprehensive picture of the migration in the state like percentage of tribal migrants is high in the Ranchi district while urbanization and tribal literacy are also better in the district. Although, the district has a medium tribal population (35.76%) and issues job cards for tribes is also low. Multidimensional poverty is low in the district. The highest percentage tribal population is observed in the Khunti district where migration is medium and urbanization is low.

Multidimensional poverty is the highest in the Pakur, Sahibganj, and West Singhbhum districts of the state. The figure reflects that Tribal migration for employment and MDI have a negative relation, when Tribal migration for employment increases the Multi-dimensional poverty is decreased (figure 3). However, there is a positive relationship between tribal migration for employment and literacy rate among tribes. Urbanization and migration for employment have also a positive association.

Scatter Plot of the Determinants of Tribal Migration for the Employment and Attribute of the District:

Tribal Migration for employment and level urbanization has a medium positive association however, forest cover also has a low positive association with employment-related migration. The district-wise proportion of the tribal population and Job cards issued to tribes has also medium and low positive relations.

Conclusion

In India, as usual, the general population and tribes mostly migrate for marriage-related reasons. Around 10 percent of tribes in India moved with households according to the 2011 Census. The same figure was for Jharkhand, which was 4 percent. The highest percentage of tribal migration with households occurred in Mizoram (41 percent) followed by 23 percent in Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh 22 percent. Work and employment-related migration of tribes in India was 6 percent. It was the highest in Sikkim and Mizoram followed by Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. The corresponding figure for Jharkhand was 4 percent. Business-related migration in India was the highest in Mizoram followed by Gujarat such a figure in Jharkhand was very nominal.

The tribal migration for employment has increased in the country from 2001 to 2011. The result of the scatter plot predicts that tribal migration for employment has a negative relation with multi-dimensional poverty. Hence, tribal migration for employment increases, and multi-dimensional poverty will be decreased. Literacy has a significant positive impact on migration. Forest cover and urbanization have a marginally significant impact on tribal migration for employment. It is essential to focus on structural reform in the agriculture sector as well as Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the tribal areas.

Acknowledgment: The author is thankful to the Indian Council of Social Science and Research, New Delhi for financing the project related to tribal migration.

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