Non local labourers in Kashmir Valley

50% increase in migration of non-local labourers in 10 yrs

In the last 10 years, the immigration of non-local migrant laborers to Kashmir has been more than 50 percent. There has been a rising trend in the migration over the past 30 years.From the year 2000-2010 Valley has witnessed 51.19 percent migrations of non local laborers to Kashmir. The migration has been taking place since 1980.

From 1980-1990 there was 05.97 percent migration while from 1990-2000 there was 20.19 percent migration.The revelation was made in the study conducted by the sociology department of University of Kashmir, with Prof B.A.Dabla being the principle investigator. The study titled ‘Causes and Consequences of Labour Migration in Kashmir’ says that 79.85 percent are male migrants while 1.95 percent females.

55.92 percent of total migrant laborers belonged to the age group of 19-30 years; about 20.64 percent belonged to 31-45 years while 17.80 percent belonged to 8.18 percent.The majority of the migrants hail from Bihar which account for 46.93 percent, followed by Uttar Pradesh (15.33 percent), Madhya Pradesh (01.86percent), Gujarat (08.86 percent), Nepal (0.83 percent) and Punjab (3.45percent).

However out of the total number of migrant labors, 45.52 percent stayed in Kashmir only for summer while others preferred staying for the whole year.

As the occupations of the migrant labors are concerned, most of them are involved manual labor and masonry. Around 23.85 percent are involved in manual labor, 17.40 percent are involve in masonry, 10 percent work as carpenters and painters and more than once percent are involved in agricultural activities.

While most the migrant labor is living individually here, 19.84 percent migrated with their families.The major problems faced by the migrants labor is child labor. According to the study, 13.10 percent face problem of children labor, 33.45 percent face accommodation issues, and 14.53 percent face health problems and 9.06 face drug addictions.

It was found that 1.60 percent of the migrant labors had contact with some trade union while 41.02 percent had no contacts.

More than seventeen percent of the migrant labors were motivated by the contractors to come to Kashmir; the study revealed that 10.07 percent of labors were motivated by employers, 16 percent by agent and 17.21 percent by the contractors.Working in Kashmir has raised the income of most of the labor. More than 70 percent of the labors had improved mean of income after working in Kashmir. In some areas the migrant labors had replaced local workers as well. Though 50.48 percent had not replaced local workers, 25.02 percent migrants had replaced local workers

in their area.