By Akhand in Bhubaneswar, India
The National Commission on Rural Labour in India (NCRL, 1991) estimates more than 10 million regular seasonal migrants in the rural areas alone in the country. These include an estimated 4.5 million inter- state migrants and 6 million migrants moving within the state, primarily landless vulnerable social groups. However informal estimates put the total number close to 30 million out of which 6 million constitute children. Studies and field evidence suggests that children accompanying their parents in the 0-14 age group may constitute one third of the total migrant population and put the number of migrant children below 14 years close to 6 – 9 million.
Aide et Action South Asia, an international NGO, conducted a survey on incidence of child migration in three districts of Western Orissa comprising Bolangir, Nuapada and Bargarh. The study covered 5 Blocks in the three districts. From each of the villages with high incidence of migration, 30 families having regular seasonal migration were chosen as sample for the study. The study covered a total population of 5380, out of which 4084 (76 percent) migrate.
As per the government order (Ref .F.No-2-3/2005-EE.3 Dated on 29-8-2007) under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan , Department of School Education and Literacy, Government of India, provides for special effort for the education of the migrant children both at the source and the destination places, but it hardly gets implemented. There is stark absence of policy debate on the peculiar situation of migrant labour, which neither belong to their villages nor to the destination areas. They have to forgo government welfare benefits in their villages and are unable to access these at the migration sites.
The National workshop organized by Aide et Action invited practitioners, academicians and senior government functionaries to discuss the key issues around migration and to share and develop a more coherent approach to deal with the vulnerabilities and problems associated with migration in general and child migration in particular.
Speaking at the occasion, Ms.Vandana Jena Principal Secretary, Dept of School and Mass Education Orissa, said that providing 8 years of schooling to migrant children is a huge challenge before the governments. She appreciated the timeliness of this workshop, the recommendations of which could be incorporated in the State Plans to be developed soon to achieve the Right to Education Act. Dr. Ambika Prasad Nanda of UNDP highlighted the need to ensure safe migration where families move with preparedness and gain from their migration. Professor Raman Mahadevan, Institute of Development Alternative Chennai, felt strong need for setting up of nodal agency at the National level and one in each of the state capitals where incidence of migration is high to coordinate efforts of various government departments in delivering services to migrant labour. Mr.Venkat Reddy, Convener MV Foundation said that migrant children are refused admission in local schools and workplaces invite them to join, so the exclusion. Ravi Pratap Singh Regional Director Aide et Action South Asia formally declared the launch of Migration Information Resource Center (MiRC) to support migration related work at National level to meet the new challenges posed by child migration in the light of failure of existing programs and policies.
