Reflections on place-making through neighbourhoods: an analysis of Northeast Indian out-migrants in Delhi

Abstract

ABSTRACT Census data shows that Northeast Indian (NEI) migration to various metropolitan cities has been fast emerging as a new phenomenon where Delhi is increasingly becoming a sought-after destination for out-migrants from the region. While on the one hand, the lack of opportunities or the developmental gaps in the region ‘pushes’ the youth out, and on the other, by catering to the labour market it not only contributes to the destination’s economy but has also leads to the creation or development of areas where people from the region are concentrated, including ‘Northeast Neighbourhoods’ within the vast city of Delhi. This paper attempts to look into this process of creating ‘places’ by Northeast out-migrants in Delhi. Data from censuses (1991–2011), along with primary data collected during a field survey in Delhi have been used for the analysis.