Understanding Reverse Migration in India: Implications and Emerging Challenges in Odisha

Reverse migration impacts the demographic, socio-cultural and political structure of the society as migration in India is not unidirectional. There is a desire of return migration among the first generation. During the lockdown there was a trend of urban-to-rural migrants returning home, facing challenges including the gendered characteristics of return migrants having a different implications on the society including power dynamics, obstructing traditional roles, social insecurity and stigmatization thereby altering household gender dynamics and constraining women's empowerment. The lack of prevalence of proper socio-legal protection measures adds to their vulnerability where Odisha is not an exception. In Odisha, networks (kinship, caste, community ties) may constrain or facilitate reverse migration. Giving it a sociological dimension, it can cover segmented assimilation of gendered perspective on capability framework of women and impact of enhanced social capital affecting reverse migration. There are few implications of the return migrants on the local space in Odisha for instance, the cultural adjustment of the returnees on one side to the challenges of the local migrants to accept the returnees and expecting them to merge with the local socio-cultural demands. The present study in this context, utilizes descriptive & explanatory research designs, with a sample size of 100 out of which 50 were migrant laborers belonging to the unorganized sectors whereas 50 were engaged in jobs & services in the cities belonging to the organized sectors and conducted in Bargarh district which lies in the Western border of Odisha. The study is conducted on a purposive sample of migrants who returned during the national lockdown to their home state of Odisha. The focus is on the push & pull factors responsible for reverse migration in western Odisha in Bargarh district and also to study the changed lifestyle of the reverse migrants. Few findings of the study shows the reasons of return migration is mostly found to be harassment at work place for the respondents followed by unable to cope with urban lifestyle and family concerns and only 4 out of the respondents have been benefited by several govt. schemes in the migrated place compared to others. Women returnees are able to cope up with the society after their reverse migration whereas men are facing difficulties to cope up with the social life. The study highlights the employment avenues, education, health facilities, utilization governmental schemes and the challenges of the return migrants.