Analysis: Sizable But Sidelined: Decoding Punjab's Migrant Demography
Despite migrant laborers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh forming a significant portion of Punjab's workforce, they remain largely ignored by the state's political parties. Analysis shows that these workers lack meaningful representation in local and state government despite their economic importance.
Why it matters
The political marginalization of a large migrant demographic highlights a disconnect between economic contribution and political representation in Indian state politics.
Migrant labourers, who form the backbone of Punjab's economy today, had started making a beeline for the state in 1960s and early '70s, when the Green Revolution started. Today, from 4,000 in 1971, their numbers have reached an estimated 3.3 million. Around 70 per cent of them work in industrial units and the rest in the farm sector. Even so, their presence is largely ignored by political parties during the state elections.Government data shows that migrant labourers account for 12 to 15 per cent of Punjab's population; the majority (80 to 90 per cent) come from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.The only Bihari MLA in the Punjab assembly is Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, a former Punjab cadre IPS officer who was elected from Amritsar North on an AAP ticket.
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