'Maoist-cop fear, climatic vagaries trigger migration'

Government schemes have failed to attract and keep rural youths at home. Nothing seems to stop youths from moving to outside States to seek employment. The trend is prevalent not only in the 10 distress migration prone districts of western Odisha, but also from the hilly and tribal areas of southern Odisha.

Conflict situation and climate induced changed conditions are accentuating the youth migration from their native village to far-off places like Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and other places.

This was observed by speakers at a regional level consultation, organised by Aide at Action, Youth Council for Development Alternatives (YCDA), and Western Odisha Migration Network at Bargarh. It was attended from representatives of 20 districts of south and western Odisha, besides CWC members and lawyers, academicians and civil society activists.

Conflict migration basically points out to a situation where people especially youth are sandwiched between two conflicting forces .The Maoist activity in villages is the best example. If the youth stays in the village, the ultras would try to woo them. Once they join out of fear or compulsion or otherwise they would become the target of police. Either way they are going to suffer, the speakers said.

Besides the conflict migration, migration due to climate change has accentuated the crisis further in hilly areas of southern Odisha especially in Koraput. Due to climatic change, heavy rainfall is taking place resulting in flash flood and causing havoc to paddy and other cultivation. As the cultivable land in these areas are limited once the source of income is lost in the flash flood, poor tribals have no other options but to migrate to far-flung places to face torture and exploitation, said a civil society activist from Koraput. 

Youth migrants between 18 and 35 years of age are the powerful agents of change and development. However, poverty, lack of development and unemployment in the villages as well as discrimination and social exclusion are forcing them to migrate, said a survey conducted in Bargarh, Nuapada and Boudh districts by YCDA.

According to 2001 Census, 307 millions which is 30 per cent of the population of India are migrants and in Odisha 10.8 millions are migrants. The poor people who migrate also face torture and exploitation there and even face the horrifying incidents like chopping of hands of two migrants workers of Kalahandi in 2013. Safe, dignified and secured migration is a basic right of every migrant, said Umi Daniel of Aide et Action.