Abstract
Bihar has long been a focal point of academic deliberations and political discourse on migration. Amrita Dutta’s recent work, Migration and Development in India: The Bihar Experience, stands out for its holistic exploration of the undercurrents of internal migration. Situated within the broader context of India’s neoliberal economic development, the book navigates the intricacies of rural–urban migration processes in Bihar. The first chapter sets the backdrop for the book by specifying theoretical and methodological perspectives, providing conceptual clarity on migration, and offering insights into Bihar’s migration history. The second chapter meticulously engages with the policy document from the 1930s to the present to give a comprehensive historical perspective on the state’s discourse on migration. Chapters 3–5 use longitudinal survey data to analyse migration patterns and trends, the focus is also on the intersectionality of caste, gender and class, educational status and assessing how individual and household factor affect decision to migrate. Rigorous descriptive statistical analysis has been used to estimate emerging mobility and perception of migration in rural Bihar. Chapters 6 and 7 bring narratives and case studies of the migrant in the cities to foreground migrant subjectivities through their emotional struggle of aspiration for a good life and the social isolation of the city. The conclusion chapter weaves together the analysis of all the chapters to highlight the implications of the state’s dismissive attitude towards migrant, despite their pivotal role in socio-economic transformations in both source and destination to advocate for policy on migration.
The book has successfully addressed the existing limitations of migration research by skilfully integrating policy analysis and longitudinal surveys with multi-sited, multi-generational narratives from the field. This has exposed the vast landscape of migration research, where the book aims to bring to the forefront the intricacies of migration without losing itself in overly detailed scrutiny. The chapters progress seamlessly from a macro perspective of India’s development story, which lacks a coherent policy discourse on migration, to the microcosm of the migrants’ everyday struggles where they are deprived of socio-economic, civic and political rights in the city. The book stands out in bringing an intertwined source–destination perspective on circular migration—dominantly situated within the structural exclusion in urban spaces, where migrants depend on remittance to sustain life in the village. The book stresses the need to consider structural and individual factors, for example, circular migration also ensures socio-cultural security in family and kinship ties in the village. Hence, the author advocates for research on the emotional geographies of migration and emphasises on the agency exercised by the migrants. The book pushes for researchers and policymakers to look at the rural–urban continuum and have an integrative approach to address the well-being of migrants. Overall, the book is a noteworthy and valuable contribution to the field of migration research. The relevance of integrating diverse methodologies, spatial considerations and complementing statistical analysis with the voices of the migrants makes it a compelling read for scholars, policymakers, and anyone intrigued by migration and development.
