Life has been hard following demonetisation, especially so for informal workers who constitute as per the NCEUS’ 2007 report, about 92% of India’s workforce. In Delhi, many of these informal workers are also migrants. But behind the stories of hardship, there is the reality of coping mechanisms and a variety of strategies that have helped people survive and manage risks.
Informal Economy and Migration
Priyanka Saharia on December 19th, 2016
In association with the India Bangladesh migration crisis in Assam and largely in the north east of India, it is a complex issue at hand. While the problem is framed by certain interest groups within political rhetoric in the mainstream media of Delhi, international migration is fundamentally a social movement across legally determined boundaries and therefore requires structural adjustments rather than rhetorical concepts organising the transpiring reality, in the host as well as the home country.
Community perceptions: How #Demonetisation impacts migrants
Mukta Naik on November 29th, 2016
This morning I was roped in to speak about the impacts of demonetisation on migrant workers by Gurgaon ki Awaz, a community radio station in Gurgaon, where I live. I was speaking on a live show with the mandate to highlight systemic problems that might impact migrant workers in particular ways in this predicament, when cash is hard to access. To offer context to those outside India, currency notes of particular denominations (Rs 500 and 100) stopped being legal tender at midnight on 8th November 2016, in a bid to eradicate black money (that has evaded taxation).
Rescuing Child Bonded Labour: Initiative by PARDA
Sarabjit Kaur on November 28th, 2016
A news paper reported on the torture committed on some brick kiln workers he raided the brick kiln and found 19 families from Odisha were found bondage in brick kiln of Sri Yedupati Raja at Vakarivarikandriga village. The Executive magistrate issued all of them release order under The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1776 on 16-4-2012.Among the released bonded labours
Mapping the South-Asian Political Landscape in the Context of Migration
Sarabjit Kaur on November 14th, 2016
Given the current political climate in the world on the issue of migrants, refugees and the stateless, Partha S. Ghosh’s book, ‘Migrants, Refugees and the Stateless in South-Asia’ is a topical academic contribution on the same, addressing it within the context of South-Asia.
UDYAMA bagged the Prestigious International Environmental Award from KYOBO foundation, at Seoul
Sarabjit Kaur on October 24th, 2016
UDYAMA has bagged the Prestigious International Environmental Award from KYOBO foundation, at Seoul.
Pathways Adaptation to Climate Change and Migration: Challenges and Opportunity
Sarabjit Kaur on October 24th, 2016
Migration is a positive trend and it facilitates real development transformation. Migration or movement is our fundamental right to make a move within country for better livelihoods, knowledge. It facilitates to bring more assets, resources technology and tools. It provides better learning environment to expand our research ability and explore innovations towards better well-being along with good remittances. In other words migration creates an avenue for individual and country’s growth.
“Beti Zindabad” Awareness Programme
Sarabjit Kaur on September 19th, 2016
“Beti Zindabad” Awareness Programme was organised by Debadatta Club with the support of Action Aid on 20th August 2016 at Aragadi. On this occasion first an awareness rally was organised with school students, teachers, volunteers and women leaders. The slogan and placard were shown at the Rally.
Interaction with Block Administration on Interstate Migrant Labour Registration
Sarabjit Kaur on September 19th, 2016
Debadatta Club, Grindolmal organised an interactive programme with Block Administration on 22nd June 2016 on Interstate Migrant Labour Registration at Rajiv Gandhi Seba Kendra, Gaisilat. Mr.Hemanta Kumar Barik President of Debadatta Club chaired the programme.
Homage to Sharit Bhowmik: He will remain an inspiration for scholar-activists
Mukta Naik on September 10th, 2016
The tragic death of TISS Professor Sharit Bhowmik two days ago in Bangkok has left a gaping hole in that small but vital community of academics who have been vocal activists for causes that bring the voices of the most marginalised to the fore.
I did not know Dr Bhowmik personally and therefore I will restrain myself to this brief commentary (read e-social science’s more detailed obit here); but I have admired his steady focus on the lives and concerns of the working poor in India. His broad range of work has spanned types industry and multiple geographies. His numerous papers on workers unions across the country, in Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Gujarat and in metropolitan centres like Kolkata and Mumbai have offered deep insights into political processes, labour rights and methods of self-organisation and negotiation.
More recently, his work on hawkers and street vendors in collaboration with the National Street Vendors Association of India (NASVI), has contributed to building a movement that has pushed through a national law protecting the rights of this community. Moreover, his work has been relevant to a larger debate over the Right to the City in academic as well as activist circles, a debate that is now amplified to the highest levels with the inclusion of these principles in Habitat III’s New Urban Agenda as recently as yesterday.
A much-respected and loved teacher, Dr Bhowmik will be remembered for many years to come and the momentum of his research will continue to drive activist-researchers forward in their quest for a balanced view of the contradictory world we inhabit. We must make him proud.
