Wait for the Migrant

Context: Analysing the migration and reverse migration tendencies in the context of Pandemic induced lockdown.  

Migration and Reverse Migration: 

• Migration plays a major developmental role: Various empirical studies 

• Economist K N Raj brought the importance of migrant labour by bringing to our notice the historical role of migration in Japan’s development.

• Economist Kaoru Ishikawa had shown that labour migrated to those Japanese areas which were growing fast economically, including agriculturally.

• ILO economist Rashid Amjad, published a book that talked about the similar experience of migrant workers in several other countries.  

1. Reverse Migration also play a great role:
•   Iwan J Azis, the Indonesian economist showed that there was reverse migration. The migrants went back to their villages where they did not have to starve. They had picked up skills in the cities which helped them initiate agro-based development like diversification. The experience was similar in the Philippines and Vietnam. 
2. A shock absorber:  Migrants were regarded as an asset. They have always been a shock absorber. 

Present Context: We choked off by regional lockdowns and transportation blockages, causing enormous suffering and many deaths to these migrants. Many of the migrants will never come back.

Way forward: 

1. Once opportunities are there, they will return, good economics doesn’t make careless choices between life and death.
2. It is not quite legitimate to stop them from going home under pressure from builder lobbies. The market should be allowed to work for both industry and labour. 
3. The reverse migration could bolster the agricultural sector in the short-run.