New Delhi, Dec 18: Migration has two faces -- for
the well-off, it is a means to do even better in life, but for
the poor, it could mean more distress.
Focusing on the plight of migrant families by drawing on
the work of four NGOs in different parts of the country, a new
pictorial book 'Locked Homes, Empty Schools: The Impact Of
Distress Seasonal Migration On The Rural Poor' will be
released here later this week.
The book, a study commissioned by the American India
Foundation (AIF), will be released by Nobel laureate Amartya
Sen on December 20.
The book looks at the experiences of migrant families as
analysed by four NGOs in different parts of India across
several sectors: sugarcane harvesting in Maharashtra; saltpan,
roof tile and charcoal making in Gujarat and brick kiln
migrations from Orissa to Andhra Pradesh.
It provides an overview of distress seasonal migration in
specific sectors and education interventions for children of
seasonal migrants by NGOs in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Orissa.
AIF, a non-profit foundation, supports the work of 12
NGOs in three states -- Maharashtra, Gujarat and Orissa -- who
are together working in 14 districts and 58 blocks, covering
176 villages and 155 migration sites.
The book has been published by Zubaan, an independent
feminist publishing house based in Delhi.
Bureau Report
