Migration

Fears of being swamped by infiltrators from Bangladesh have been aired time and again by parties across the political spectrum in the north-east. With the swearing in of Khaleda Zia as Bangladesh’s new PM at the head of a BNP-led four-party coalition, the nervousness has increased, reinforced by reports of apprehension among minorities in Bangladesh who have traditionally voted for Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League which was defeated in these elections. A number of Hindus, including Awami League workers and leaders, are believed to have crossed over to Tripura apprehending the hostility of the BNP and its allies.

Distress migration has been a regular resort of the poor in less-favoured regions, more so in areas that face chronic water scarcity. This paper looks at the evidence from Gujarat, and examines the impact of watershed development programmes on migration among farm workers from landed as well as landless households.

With a declining birth rate and an imbalanced sex-ratio, Russia is on the edge of a demographic crisis. What is required is a prioritisation of the government's population policy - focusing equally on evils like alcoholism and drug abuse as well as encouraging a immigration policy that would offer incentives and welcome living conditions to the migrants.