ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the relationship between inequality, labour migration and development in India, with a focus on those who are left behind in the process of structural economic transformation and livelihood change in India. While recent years have witnessed a substantial rise in labour mobility in India, socio-economic inequalities often mean migration options are not available to all individuals and households, nor are the outcomes the same for all members of the participating households. This chapter reviews the implications of labour migration on the left behind populations in India, and the intersecting role inequalities play in the process. The discussion in this article also lays out the larger context of regional disparities in development in India that underpin much of work-related mobility – from backward regions to geographies that provide better life and livelihood opportunities. With a focus on these two interrelated aspects of inequalities that include spatial inequalities and inequalities between different socio-economic population groups, this chapter, based on a critical survey of literature, argues that these inequalities are creating left-behind places and left-behind populations. The chapter maps out broad contours of left-behind geographies in India, and for the left-behind populations, it identifies three groups including (i) left-behind households that are unable to migrate due to a lack of migration capital, (ii) left-behind women who face socio-cultural restrictions on labour mobility and (iii) left-behind (educated) youth whose mobility aspirations remain unrealized due to scarce availability of decent jobs. The chapter also identifies the potential implications of being left behind and argues for the need to better understand and address the socio-political and development implications of these processes.
