ABSTRACT
Economic and environmental factors compel people from rural areas to migrate to other big cities for work. Many unskilled and economically disadvantaged migrants are often forced to take on unstable jobs in the informal sector, including waste picking. This paper attempts to bring the earning and non-earning dimensions of the rag pickers who have migrated from rural West Bengal to Bengaluru for work. The study is based on interviews and Focus Group Discussions conducted with Bengali migrants in Bengaluru in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023. The findings reveal that, while rag-picking has significantly improved their livelihoods, the migrants’ living conditions remain poor. Additionally, it impacts other critical aspects of their lives, such as their children's education and ability to move freely. Despite the insecurity and vulnerability they face and the exposure to societal challenges, the migrant rag pickers are reluctant to return to their homeland.
