Patna: A two-day national-level consultation on seasonal migration from Bihar began on Thursday at the Anugrah Narayan Sinha Institute of Social Studies in Patna, drawing participants from across India.
Researchers from Bihar, Gujarat, Kerala, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Delhi joined representatives of labour unions, voluntary organisations and government departments to discuss migration patterns, workers’ rights and emerging policy needs.
Pushpendra Kumar, former director of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, presented caste-disaggregated data showing that more than 63 lakh workers migrate from Bihar. Only 25% migrate within the state, he noted, while 71% travel to other states and more than 3% go abroad. Professors Ram Babu Bhagat and Aviral Sharma, who have studied migration from Bihar, also delivered presentations. The session was moderated by Dr Ravi of South Asian University.
Focus on migrant rights and state interventions
A subsequent session examined government and civil society efforts to safeguard migrant labourers. Dr Ganesh Jha, Assistant Labour Commissioner, outlined schemes run by the Bihar Labour Resources Department for migrant workers.
Shatrughan Das of ActionAid described the conditions of brick kiln workers in Gaya and detailed recent rescues of bonded labourers. Representatives from Rajasthan and Kerala shared their experiences working with Bihari migrants in their states.
Child labour and trafficking concerns
The third session focused on child labour and human trafficking. State Commission for Protection of Child Rights members Dr Tulsiram Manjhi and Rakesh Kumar presented the Commission’s interventions. Advocate Sanju Singh of Nyay Network and representatives from Aditi Sanstha highlighted their fieldwork and case studies. A UNICEF consultant provided an overview of statewide trends. The discussion was moderated by Pramod Sharma of Centre Direct.
Charting a way forward
The concluding session, moderated by Professor Himanshu Kumar of Jawaharlal Nehru University, explored future strategies for policy and advocacy. Participants included Assistant Professor Vikas Vidyarthi of the AN Sinha Institute, Dr Ravi Kumar and Sudhir Katiyar of the Centre for Labour Research and Action (CLRA).
Organisers said the consultation aims to build stronger coordination among researchers, civil society and government agencies to better support migrant workers and address structural causes of migration from Bihar.
