On the Margins in the City: Adivasi Seasonal Labour Migration in Western India


Authors: David Mosse, Sanjeev Gupta and Vidya Shah


Seasonal labour migration has  become an  irreversible part of the  livelihoods of rural adivasi communities  in  western  India. This  article examines  the nature,experience and implications  of such migration  primarily to major urban  centres for construction  work. It goes on  to suggest  why those  institutions  mandated  to protect vulnerable informal workers  -  labour departments, unions and the law  -  have largely  failed to  do  so, and how in consequence adivasi migrants  depend  for their welfare upon agents, brokers  and contractors  who are  also  their most intimate exploiters.  Finally, the article suggests how adivasi labour migrants  might be supported and describes a  recent initiative  in  this regard.


The paper could be downloaded or read online from JSTOR
And the for hard copy: Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 40, No. 28 (Jul. 9-15, 2005), pp. 3025-3038