Political Remittances: The Migration of Ideas, Identities and Practices

Lead Research Organisation: University of Oxford
Department Name: International Development

Abstract

The proposed research explores the way in which low-income populations circulate political ideas, identities and practices as they migrate from one location to another for short durations. The approach in the research is sociological, which highlights the transformations and changes unfolding in society. Therefore, the research questions focus on the ways in which the social experiences of migrants in their 'originating' and 'destination' localities influence them politically. In particular the research design takes particular account of the political changes in the migrants' 'originating' localities and the structure of the industry in which they seek employment in the 'destination' localities. The research proposes to use a combination of methods to develop a textured account of these influences: the methods include ethnography, surveys and elite interviews. The analysis will be qualitative, directing attention to migrants' meanings, feelings and practices in relation to politics.
The project will make the following contributions to the field. One, it will focus attention on the internal, rather than international, dimension of migration. Two, it will emphasize the political, rather than economic, implications of migration. Three, it will highlight the constructed and multi-faceted aspects of political identities, against static and singular views. Fourth, it will consider the circulation of ideas, identities and practices between 'originating' and 'destination' localities of migrants, instead of assuming that these are remitted only from 'destination' to 'originating' localities.

Planned Impact

In addition to academia, the research will impact the following stakeholders: workers; employers; Government; and civil society. As a result I have taken care to develop this proposal in consultation with them and taking their suggestions and insights on board.
This research will impact workers by providing activists in civil society with summaries of the destinations to which they travel. This data will enable activists to make contact with workers' associations in the 'destination localities' and provide migrant workers with relevant advice and support. It will also impact workers if the State Government uses the data to establish a migrant services unit responsible for their well-being during their time in the 'destination localities'. The research will impact employers by enabling them to understand better the conditions in which their workers live and impress upon them the need for a more productive workforce.
The research will impact the government of one of the States in which this research will be conducted. The research speaks to the need expressed in the government for accurate and reliable information on migrants' destination localities. This research will serve as a template for such data to be collected at the level of the local government without the government incurring any additional expense. They will also be able to demonstrate innovation in data gathering and management. Policy briefs- specially prepared in Hindi- will be disseminated among them to keep them informed about the project's implications for policy: they will be prepared thrice during the life of the project (March 2016, December 2016, September 2017).
The research will impact activists and other relevant and interested actors in civil society by presenting them with data about the conditions and constraints faced by migrant workers. This will enable them to forge solidarities and networks with workers' associations in destination locations. Activists and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) will be able to use this opportunity to raise their profile and attract positive attention and rewards.
The project' s academic beneficiaries have already been listed. Alongside, members of the local 'applied research' community will also benefit from the project's data on past and present migration and livelihoods patterns. Relevant analysis from the data will be shared with them, subject to permissions being obtained from the research participants and depending on ESRC guidelines.
 
Description Study purpose and design
My research examines ideas, identities and practices of labour migrants in India. It explores internal migration in India against the backdrop of rapid- but uneven- economic growth, political change and social transformation. The project design is multi-sited, reflecting the multi-locational reality experienced by itinerant labour migrants. The ethnographic component of the research entails that my research team works closely with select families in a single village in the State of Bihar. While two researchers circulate along with migrant labourers between different localities for work, one focuses on the family members of the migrants who stay back in the village. In addition, two surveys were implemented under this project, to capture the multiple facets of migration. The surveys gathered primary data from multiple 'source' and 'destination' locations. These were supplemented by community-level group discussions. In addition to investigating the socio-economic conditions of respondents, the research also elicited information about the reasons for people to migrate. Approximately 10,000 households were covered by the surveys while group discussions were conducted in almost 20 locations. A major component of the research was implemented in the State of Bihar, whose 100 million people form a significant part of India's labour migrants.
Findings and analytic contributions
The study departs from structuralist and culturalist explanations of labour mobility that either emphasise the salience of economic 'pull' and 'push' factors or highlight the importance of shared norms and values that supposedly motivate people to migrate. Rather, the research situates migration from Bihar in the context of political change witnessed in the State during the 1990s which shook a calcified social structure and incubated ideas of social justice which in turn spurred people's aspirations for dignified lives. The study finds that migration is important for rural Biharis because it offers them the chance to move beyond the occupations and relationships that in their home villages are determined by caste. It also points to the growing ease with which people in India straddle their urban and rural worlds, thereby documenting
However, the study highlights the vulnerability and marginalisation of migrant workers. Social and political rights in India are not portable, pointing to the need for policy-makers to appreciate more 'mobile formulations of citizenship'. The country's elaborate social protection regime hinges on the provision of entitlements to sedentary populations and excludes mobile people. Likewise, voting rights in the country remain tied to people's villages of origin, effectively disenfranchising labour who are not always able to be present in their villages during elections. rights to social entitlements, such as food subsidies and their right to vote -- are invalidated the moment they leave their rural homes, where these entitlements are registered. Such a sedentary conception of social and political citizenship effectively restricts the population's mobility. Coupled with the precariousness of informal employment in which labour migrants find themselves, the research points to the 'immobile foundations of labour mobility' in India. These restrictions not only limit the potential of India's economic growth but also stunt urbanisation.
Exploitation Route The study offers practical solutions to an important policy dilemma that faces one of the world's fastest growing economies where urbanisation has, nonetheless, remained stunted. The research contributes to ongoing advocacy in civil society and government for making social and political rights in India portable. With funding from the ESRC IAA Scheme, the research project supported Ajeevika, an advocacy NGO, to convene policy round tables to explore the portability of social and political rights in collaboration with the Government of Kerala State, an increasingly favoured destination for a number of migrant workers from northern India. I have been invited to contribute to the annual India Exclusion Report which documents the experiences of vulnerable and marginalised people and suggests policy solutions for the problems they face. I was also interviewed by the Indian newspaper for his comments on recent policy pronouncements around social provisioning for inter-State migrants in India: http://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/a-combination-of-aspiration-and-desperation-is-fuelling-migration-in-india/story-SCu0jVyN7R8n5CkzNSmSvO.html
My team and I have been keen to enhance their outreach beyond academic and policy audiences. We organised an exhibition of photographs in Patna on the sidelines of a major international conference in order to disseminate the research findings to the wider public. I also exhibited select photographs in Wolfson College in November/ December 2017. The website www.livesonthemove.com presents snapshots of this research to members of the interested public.
Sectors Government, Democracy and Justice
URL http://www.livesonthemove.com
 
Description The project findings have been used by several stakeholders. During my preliminary consultations with bureaucrats in the Ministry of Labour as well as civil society activists in India's Bihar State, it was clear that they were all concerned about the precarious lives and livelihoods confronted by migrant workers. But they believed that the solution was to stem migration, perceived as a problem. The conceptual impact of my research has been to change this pessimistic view of rural outmigration. Civil society activists have begun to appreciate the empowering effects of migration. Government officials have begun to recognise that labour mobility is crucial to sustain India's growth rates and to achieve desired rates of urbanisation. By foregrounding migrants' agency, this research offers the chance to put their perspectives into thinking about policy. The research design and study questions were formulated through discussions with international charities such as Action Aid India and Save the Children India, activists working on labour rights such as Ajeevika Bureau, Koshish Charitable Trust and Jan Jagran Abhiyan, and key bureaucrats in the Ministry of Labour. Once the research commenced, findings were regularly shared. My exchanges with actors in government and civil society provided us with the opportunity to share our collective knowledge and experience with a view to understanding better the nature and causes of the political and social exclusion that labour migrants confronted. To present my findings and policy recommendations in a succinct way, I developed a Policy Brief titled Enhancing mobility: Political and social rights for circular labour migrants in India. I presented the brief to officials at the influential think-thank the Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI) during March 2016. ADRI used it to initiate a much-needed conversation among key stakeholders in the government and civil society about revising the received wisdom on migrant labourers being hapless victims of agrarian distress. A Knowledge Exchange grant awarded by the ESRC IAA provided the opportunity to deepen engagement with stakeholders in government and civil society . The grant helped to organise a Policy Round Table in collaboration with the Indian chapter of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Ajeevika, an advocacy organisation that works to ensure secure and dignified lives of communities dependent on migration and labour. The round table brought together bureaucrats from the Indian Government's Ministry of Labour as well as bureaucrats from select destination States, civil society activists and advocates of labour rights, journalists from such widely-read newspapers as The Hindu as well as academics researching labour migration within and beyond India. The deliberations at the round table persuaded key bureaucrats from Kerala, a key destination for migrant workers from all over India, to organise higher-level consultations with different ministries in their State. The links between my research and the impact identified above are evident from the following: 1.I was invited to present my work on the political and social exclusion of labour migrants at the Annual IGC Bihar Growth Conference in 2014 and 2015 to an audience of policymakers and researchers. The International Growth Center also hosts my Policy Brief on their 'Ideas for Growth' blog. The IGC supports policy-oriented research on economic growth in India, and provides a platform for influential ideas to be circulated with policy-makers. Their recognition of my research is indicative of its impact in the policy community. 2.The ILO and Ajeevika framed the discussions at the Policy Round Tables around the themes outlined in my Policy Brief. 3.My research has received widespread coverage in the Indian media (for example: http://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/a-combination-of-aspiration-and-desperation-is-fuelling-migration-in-india/story-SCu0jVyN7R8n5CkzNSmSvO.html) as well the widely-read and well-respected periodical Down to Earth (http://www.pressreader.com/india/down-to-earth/20141015/281895886492430/TextView) Through my ongoing research on the social and political exclusion of labour migrants in India, I hope to continue to contribute to changing the attitudes of government officers as well as civil society activists. This conceptual impact is necessary in order to achieve the instrumental impact that will, in the long term, benefit millions of internal migrants in India, spur urbanisation and fuel India's economic growth. As an early career researcher, this realisation has led me to make an active decision to embark on the path of changing hearts and minds. However, I also realise that such change can only be achieved by taking incremental steps, especially in such a challenging environment. A straight line between a single piece of research and radical instrumental change can scarcely be drawn. Building long-term engagement with organisations and individuals who can influence and shape policy is crucial. As part of my outreach plan, therefore, I have initiated, using resources from the FRL Award, a research collaboration with the Centre for Equity Studies, a widely reputed and respected advocacy organisation in India. Together with Ajeevika and ILO, I will be using the KE Dialogues Grant to broaden our collaboration with the media and industry. I have already received enquiries from the prominent Indian media house The Hindustan Times to collaboratively publicise the disenfranchisement of labour migrants as well as the lost opportunities for urbanisation and economic growth. Future plans include the formation of a consortium of media, business, civil society and workers' unions to continue to synergise their efforts towards securing social and political rights for migrant workers in India. Academic research must be as widely accessibly to the public as possible. A snapshot of my research questions and key findings have been showcased by the University of Oxford's Social Science Division and is available at youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCMkwVGUXT8. The website www.livesonthemove.com, which I have developed, conveys to members of the public both the aspirations and anxieties of migrant workers. In 2017, I organised a photographic exhibition at Wolfson College, Oxford as well as ADRI, Patna on migrants' experiences at their localities of origin and destinations. In addition to such public outreach activities, I recently convened (November 16, 2016) a workshop on 'Inclusive social policy: India in comparative perspective' at the University of Oxford, which brought together academic (Oxford, UCL, Erasmus University), activist (Center for Equity Studies, India and Oxfam, UK) and policy researchers (UNRISD and ODI) in conversation with one another to exchange global and Indian lessons in social policy. Further funding from the University of York's IAA Scheme allowed us (Centre for Equity Studies, Ajeevika Bureau and Kerala State Planning Board) to consolidate our network through consultations on "Mobile Citizens, Portable Citizenship: Social and Political Inclusion of Internal Labour Migrants" through May 2018 at York, Oxford and Sussex by academics, policy practitioners and civil society activists. Our network grew to expand film-makers with whom we produced one film for generalist audiences (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKO6gM1dsEE&t=21s) which received an excellent review in a prominent Indian newspaper (https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/sikendra-a-life-in-transit-short-film-migrants-india-5749491/). The data from the project has been published in the form of a working paper, a briefing paper, a book chapter in an edited volume on labour migration in India and a chapter titled 'Denied the right to have rights: Social and political exclusion of labour migrants in India' for the India Exclusion Report 2019. All four of us (Mander from CES, Jain from Ajeevika Bureau, Raman from KSPB and Roy at University of York) have co-authored a paper titled 'Stolen citizenship, stolen freedom: Locating the rights of India's migrants' in the inaugural issue of the journal Slavery and post-slavery. I was interviewed about my research (https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/a-combination-of-aspiration-and-desperation-is-fuelling-migration-in-india/story-SCu0jVyN7R8n5CkzNSmSvO.html) by the Hindustan Times (February 2017), invited to speak (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0000khg) about 'portable citizenship' at the BBC Radio 3 Free Thinking Program (October 2018), and was a keynote speaker (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svthbrGCt2M) at a major conference on migration and citizenship in India (November 2018). I convened a multi-stakeholder panel involving actors in civil society and government to discuss the portability of social rights in India (November 2018) and also moderated a day-long workshop in Delhi to understand good practices towards universalising social protection in India. Our collaboration has been especially successful in its public engagement activities. One photographic exhibition was organised, accompanied by the publication of a visual essay . One workshop (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1y_pSR6qCM&feature=youtu.be) was organised to sensitize members of the general public.
Sector Government, Democracy and Justice
Impact Types Societal,Policy & public services
 
Title Group discussions checklist 
Description Thematic discussions with groups of individuals with similar socio-economic backgrounds is another source of data for this study. Group discussions are an excellent means of gleaning the collective perspectives of people who live in close proximity with one another. Group discussions enable researchers to tap into shared meanings. The group discussions were conducted by researchers at PRAXIS who developed different checklists to work with men in both source (link with file presently under 'Men in Source Locations') and destination (link with file presently under 'Men in destination locations') localities, and women in source (link with file presently under 'Women in destination locations') localities. The source localities included ten rural locations in the State of Bihar. Destination localities included ten urban locations within Bihar as well as in Delhi. 
Type Of Material Model of mechanisms or symptoms - human 
Year Produced 2016 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Allows researchers to solicit collective opinions in a manageable way. 
 
Title Indepth interview checklist 
Description The purpose of the indepth interviews checklists is to develop a detailed understanding of the lives and labours of migrant workers, and examine the ways in which they navigate the social, economic and political changes around them. Indepth interviews are useful for researchers to elicit information in order to achieve a holistic understanding of the interviewee's point of view or situation. CES Fellows use the in-depth interview checklist to chat with their interlocutors in both the origin and destination locations. Many of the questions they ask flow from the immediate context rather than a pre-determined sequence of questions. 
Type Of Material Model of mechanisms or symptoms - human 
Year Produced 2016 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Allows in-depth understanding of respondents' experiences. 
 
Title Life history checklist 
Description Developing life histories entail the compilation and assembling of 'life courses' of individuals in relation to not only their families, neighborhoods and communities, but also the broader socio-economic and political continuities and changes within which they are embedded. Life histories provide a rich source of data that enable researchers to examine the relationship between agency and structure. CES Fellows use and refine the life history checklists to develop granular accounts of select migrant workers with whom they meet over the period of their research. 
Type Of Material Model of mechanisms or symptoms - human 
Year Produced 2016 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Enables granular understanding of people's lives. 
 
Title Observation checklists 
Description The centrepiece of this research is ethnographic research. By exposing researchers to what might otherwise be perceived as insignificant, ethnographic methods allow them to appreciate the quotidian ways in which people create new identities and forge new practices that interrogate (or affirm) existing relations of power, authority and influence. The observation checklists are being used and improvised by CES Fellows as they ethnographically 'hang out'with labour migrants and their communities. 
Type Of Material Model of mechanisms or symptoms - human 
Year Produced 2016 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Provision of deep ethnographic account 
 
Title Participatory mapping 
Description PRAXIS researchers used participatory mapping techniques to complement their insights from the group discussions. Participatory mapping refers to a research method where participants identify the themes of importance to them and express the linkages between these themes and the people, organisations and structures that impinge upon them. participatory maps were generated for all the twenty locations where group discussions were conducted. 
Type Of Material Model of mechanisms or symptoms - human 
Year Produced 2016 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Enables researchers to understand the social infrastructure of the respondents' localities of residence. 
 
Title Surveys 
Description The broader research also draws on surveys of individuals and families. The surveys are multi-sited, reflecting the multi-locational reality experienced by itinerant labour migrants. Two surveys are being implemented under this project, one in source areas (link with file presently listed under 'Survey schedule localities or origin) and the other in the destination locations (link with file presently listed under 'Survey schedule destination localities). The surveys are made up of focussed questionnaires that elicit information from respondents on specific themes pertaining to their socio-economic conditions, including - of course- their patterns of spatial mobility. 
Type Of Material Model of mechanisms or symptoms - human 
Year Produced 2016 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Enables researchers to collect focussed set of data from a large sample 
 
Title Data set of 5300 households +1000 indviduals 
Description Survey data covering the socio-economic conditions of 5300 households and 1000 individuals in Bihar State, India 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact Impact on further research design 
 
Title Group discussions database 
Description Database comprising transcripts from twenty group discussions among labour migrants and members of their communities in origin and destination localities in India 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact Impact on further research design 
 
Title ethnographic notes 
Description daily briefs of ethnographic observations 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact interest among policy-makers and activists 
 
Description Ethnographic work 
Organisation Centre for Equity Studies
Country India 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution Intellectual output
Collaborator Contribution Logistical support
Impact Erhnographic research
Start Year 2016
 
Description Group discussions 
Organisation Institute of Participatory Practises (PRAXIS)
Country India 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution intellectual inputs
Collaborator Contribution conduct group discussions and report outputs
Impact group discussions.
Start Year 2015
 
Description Survey of households and individuals 
Organisation Asian Development Research Institute
Country India 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution Provision of intellectual inputs and strategic direction
Collaborator Contribution Asian Development Research Institute and Koshish Charitable Trust: surveys PRAXIS Institute of Participatory Research: group discussions Center for Equity Studies: support for ethnographic research
Impact Surveys Group discussion reports
Start Year 2014
 
Description Survey of households and individuals 
Organisation Center for Equality Studies
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution Provision of intellectual inputs and strategic direction
Collaborator Contribution Asian Development Research Institute and Koshish Charitable Trust: surveys PRAXIS Institute of Participatory Research: group discussions Center for Equity Studies: support for ethnographic research
Impact Surveys Group discussion reports
Start Year 2014
 
Description Survey of households and individuals 
Organisation Institute of Participatory Practises (PRAXIS)
Country India 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution Provision of intellectual inputs and strategic direction
Collaborator Contribution Asian Development Research Institute and Koshish Charitable Trust: surveys PRAXIS Institute of Participatory Research: group discussions Center for Equity Studies: support for ethnographic research
Impact Surveys Group discussion reports
Start Year 2014
 
Description Survey of households and individuals 
Organisation Koshish Charitable Trust
Country India 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution Provision of intellectual inputs and strategic direction
Collaborator Contribution Asian Development Research Institute and Koshish Charitable Trust: surveys PRAXIS Institute of Participatory Research: group discussions Center for Equity Studies: support for ethnographic research
Impact Surveys Group discussion reports
Start Year 2014
 
Description Challenges of universalising social policy 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact A consultation on universalising social policy was organised, at which approximately 50 people, including academics, students, civil society practitioners and aid professionals participated.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57a1d5b3e3df2869acf85400/t/582c2b052994ca19ba315c95/147928960...
 
Description Fragmented Transitions Inaugural Seminar 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact About 100 people attended the talk, which generated much interest in the concept of 'fragmented transitions'.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57a1d5b3e3df2869acf85400/t/582c2b5c2e69cfef1ae5d0d6/147928969...
 
Description Lives on the Move website 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Establish website to share project findings from a human interest point of view.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016,2017
URL http://www.livesonthemove.com/
 
Description Media citation 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact My research was cited in the Hindustan Times, one of India's largest circulating newspapers.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/govt-panel-suggests-removal-of-domicile-provision-laws-rela...
 
Description Media interview: internal migration in India 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Interview with the HIndustan Times, an English language newspaper reaching to over 2.5 million readers and counting.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL http://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/a-combination-of-aspiration-and-desperation-is-fuelling-migrat...
 
Description Policy round tables 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Policy round tables to work with government on the issue social and political rights of circular labour migrants
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016