The Politics of Interstate Migration in India

Abstract

While there is a vast scholarship on the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of internal migrants in India, we know relatively little about their participation in elections and politics. According to various estimates, India has over 450 million internal migrants, accounting for over a third of its population of 1.4 billion. Between 100 and 200 million of these migrants engage in short-term seasonal and circular work. As tragically highlighted during the coronavirus pandemic, it is this segment of short-term migrants that faces relatively greater bureaucratic, political, and policy barriers to expanding its livelihood opportunities and exercising its voting rights. Building on insights from Myron Weiner’s seminal work on ‘sons of the soil’ and emerging research on migrant’s political exclusion and the rise of ‘competence politics’ in Indian cities, this chapter explores the paradox that while migration is guaranteed as a fundamental right by the Indian constitution, internal migrants are not only denied the right to vote and participate in the electoral process, but also face virulent forms of nativist politics in destination areas. The chapter further identifies emerging patterns and dynamics within the politics of interstate migration in contemporary India. It concludes by proposing new directions for future research.