Causes and consequences of migrant labour in Ludhiana city: a case study

The study conducted to bringforth the causes and consequences of migrant labour in Ludhiana city revealed that most of the migrant respondents hailed from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and largely belonging to Hindu religion. Most of them were from younger age group, illiterate and from the intermediate and lower caste. Almost all the respondents came to Punjab through relatives and friends already living and working in Ludhiana city. Poverty, wide spread unemployment, better opportunities for working in Ludhiana and the help of relatives and friends were the major causes of migration. Most of the migrant respondents changed their occupation from agricultural labour/farming to skilled labour of various types. Migrant labourers were able to reduce their indebtedness at native place beside providing education to the children and achieved respectable social status. Nearly all the migrant respondents have also adopted the food habits and dressing pattern of the Punjabi people. The migrant labour also have favourable influence on local employers because they were cheap and amenable labour. However the large scale migration have also created lot of problems. Fast emergence of slums, unhygienic surroundings, increase in crime rate are posing lot of problems. Evils like drug addiction and kidnapping are becoming a part of life in Ludhiana city. Proper identification and regulation of migrant labour are some of the suggestions which may help to solve the problems created by migrant labourers.