1. Migration Profile of Tripura
----- With Special Emphasis on Women
Indraneel Bhowmik
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

2. What is migration?
Migration means movement from one
place to another.
In Economics, migration is movement
from one place to another for an
economic activity.
Theories on Migration in most cases
have been regarding developing
countries.
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

3. Census Definition of Migration
Migrants by place of birth are those who
are enumerated at a village/town at the time
of census other than their place of birth.
Migrant by place of last residence are
those who have changed their place of living
during the interim period of census.
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

4. Migration Statistics- India( By
Birth)
Total Migrants 2001 Census 1991 Census Variation (%)
Persons 307.1 229.8 32.9
Male 90.4
Female 216.7
Intra-district 181.7 136.2 32.6
Inter-district 76.8 59.1 29.5
Inter-state 42.3 27.2 54.5
Abroad 6.1 6.9 -11.6
Note: J&K Excluded In 1991
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

5. Migration Statistics- India
( By last residence)
Total migrants by last residence …….. 314.5 million
(29.68%M &70.32%F)
Duration less than 1 year ………….... 8.8 million
Duration 1 to 4 years ……………….. 47.2 million
Duration 5 to 9 years ……………….. 42.1 million
Duration 10 to 19 years …………….. 69.4 million
Duration 20 years and above ….…. 101.0 million
Duration not stated ……………….…. 45.6 million
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

6. Causes for Migration- India
Causes (in %) Persons Male Female
Work / Employment 9.51 28.09 1.66
Business 0.90 2.55 0.20
Education 1.06 2.55 0.44
Marriage 49.64 2.33 69.61
Moved after birth 5.02 9.94 2.94
Moved with household 13.68 19.39 11.27
Others 20.19 35.15 13.87
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

7. Observations: India
Marriage is the most important cause for migration
among females.
Work/Employment is the 2nd most important reason
for migration among males after Others.
Work/Employment is most prominent reason for in-
migration of males to industrial states like
Maharastra, Gujarat.
Union territories and small states have the highest
migration rate- Daman &Diu(44.1%), Dadra & Nagar
(32.6%), Chandigarh (21.4%), Delhi(18.7%).
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

8. Observations: India
Least rates for Bihar(-2.7%), UP(-2.0%),
Manipur(-1.4%), Nagaland(-1.4%).
Tripura- 1%.
97% of the migrants from the neighbouring
countries.
3.0 million from Bangladesh, 0.9 million
from Pakistan, 0.5 million from Nepal and 0.1
million from Sri Lanka.
Considerable migration from China.
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

9. Historical Background
People from the Chakla Roshanabad prior to
independence of India
Partition – huge Bengali speaking population
Indo- Pak War 1971: Inflow from the present
Bangladesh
Settlement also in hilly tracts
Change in the demographic profile
Population- 31,99,203
Male: 1642225(51.33%) & Female: 1556978(48.67%)
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

10. Migrants by Birth: Tripura
Persons Male Female
Total 939052 394292 544760
Intra-district 476680 171800 304880
Inter-district 99669 39727 59942
Inter-state 62890 30060 32830
International 299813 152705 147108
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

11. District- Migrants:
West-478635: South-215148: Dhalai- 63210:
North-182059
Migrants Distribution
North
19%
Dhalai West
7% 51%
South
23%
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

12. Female Migrants in Tripura
District Migrants Female Female Migrants along with total migrants
Dhalai 63210 34971 600000
400000
North 182059 103071 200000 Series1
South 215148 129562 0
Dhalai North South West
Series2
West 478635 277156 population
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

13. Migration Profile of Tripura
29.35% of the population are migrants.
34.99% of the women are migrants.
76.11% of the migrants live in Rural Areas.
26.94% of the rural population are migrants.
Intra-district and inter-district migration
greater for women.
33.06% of the female living in villages are
migrants.
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

14. Rural Urban Divide
total rural urban urban rural
Tripura 544760 426515 118245 Tripura 21.71 78.29
Dhalai 34971 30329 4642 Dhalai 13.27 86.73
North 78988 88737 14334 North 18.15 81.85
South 129562 115338 14224 South 10.98 89.02
West 277156 192111 118245 West 42.66 57.34
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

15. Migration by last residence:
Tripura
Total Migrants- 961,653
Male- 403929 (42%), Female-557724(58%)
National - 72.69% (M-38.42%,F-61.58%)
Within State-90.89% (M-37.48%, F- 62.52%)
Within District-84.38%(M-37.03%,F- 62.97%)
Other States- 63778 (M-47.83%, F- 52.17%)
Other Districts- 99369(M-39.88%, F- 60.12%)
International – 27.21% (M-51.59%, F-48.41%)
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

16. Migration statistics- Tripura
Total migrants by last residence …….. 961653
Duration less than 1 year ………………..25257
Duration 1 to 4 years …………………….134134
Duration 5 to 9 years ………………………85562
Duration 10 years and above ….……..507301
Duration not stated ……………………….209349
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

17. Migration Profile of Tripura
Exodus from erstwhile East Pakistan.
Maximum number of immigrants from-
Mizoram(28,292), followed by Assam
(17827).
No immigrants from Daman &Diu,
Lakshadeep, Dadra & Nagar and
Pondicherry.
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

18. Migration Profile of Tripura
More than 30% of the people in the
state are considered to be migrants.
Marriage is the most important cause
for intra state migration.
Out migration from the state mostly to
West Bengal.
Second to Arunachal in terms of
migration rate among NE states.
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

19. Causes of Migration: Overall
Causes (in %) Persons Male Female
Work / Employment 5.38 10.76 1.49
Business 0.95 2.05 0.15
Education 0.92 1.55 0.46
Marriage 28.69 2.03 48.00
Moved after birth 0.55 0.79 0.37
Moved with household 23.99 27.36 21.55
Others 39.52 55.46 27.97
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

20. Migration Profile of Tripura
Others is the most important factor for migration in
Tripura.
It includes widespread internal displacement due to
insurgency and ethnic unrest.
More than 10000 persons have migrated from
Takarjala & Jampuijala.
Several persons in the state who have been forced
to migrate due to exogenous factors for more than
twice.
Huge migration from areas once used for
resettlement of refugees after partition.
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

21. Migration Profile of Tripura
• Inter state migration with Assam mostly for
marriage and in the North District.
• Migration from Mizoram is highest for other
causes and concentrated in the North
District.
• Out migration rate from Dhalai as part of
inter district migration is highest.
• Lack of industrial sector factor for low
migration for work/employment for both
inter-state and intra-state sections.
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

22. Causes for Migration:
International
Causes (in %) Persons Male Female
Work / Employment 3.28 5.52 0.88
Business 0.88 1.53 0.19
Education 0.44 0.70 0.15
Marriage 11.26 0.65 22.53
Moved after birth 0.24 0.46 0.18
Moved with household 44.19 41.94 46.59
Others 39.70 49.35 29.41
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

23. Migration Profile of Tripura
International migration maximum due to
socio-political factors.
Marriage between the two sides of the border
is not very frequent.
99.69% of the international migrants from
Bangladesh.
Male majority migration from Bangladesh.
International immigrants also from Nepal,
Burma, Pakistan, the African and American
continent.
June 2006 migrants from Europe including 4 women.
5

24. Changing Scenario
Between 1991-2001
Causes (in %) Persons Male Female
Work / Employment 10.23 22.70 3.19
Business 1.20 2.96 0.20
Education 2.78 5.25 1.38
Marriage 37.83 3.05 57.44
Moved after birth 0.71 1.05 0.52
Moved with household 24.96 28.42 16.03
Others 22.28 36.55 14.24
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

25. Migration Profile of Tripura
Out migrants from Tripura during 1991-2001:
23,538.
15.8% migration to other states for
work/employment.
In-migrants from other states( 1991-2001): 40,262.
In migrants from abroad (1991-2001): 11,246.
65509 migrants in Agartala- 32237 males & 33272
females.
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

26. Changing Scenario
Between 1991-2001
Migration for education is on the rise for
all.
More migration in the offing-
regrouping of villages by the state
government.
Marriage assumes more than 50% of
the cause for female migration.
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

27. Changing Scenario
Between 1991-2001
Female migration rate for
work/employment,business, education
more than double.
Female migration as dependent on the
decline.
Indication for ……………..Women
Empowerment…...
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

28. Major literature on Migration ----
Arthur Lewis ( “Economic Development with Unlimited
Supplies of Labour”, 1954)
Michael Todaro (“ A Model of Labour Migration and Urban
Unemployment “, 1969)
John Harris & Michael Todaro (Migration, Unemployment
and Development: A Two-Sector Analysis”1970)
T.W. Schultz (“ Agriculture in an Unstable Economy”, 1945)
Gustav Ranis and John Fei ( “ A Theory of Economic
Development”1961)
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala

29. Major literature on Migration
G. Fields (“ Rural- Urban Migration, Urban Unemployment
and Underemployment, and Job Search Activity in LDCs”,
1975)
L.Y.L.Yap (“The Attraction of Cities: A Review of the
Migration Literature”,1977)
A.S. Oberai & H.K. Manmohan Singh (“Migration,
Employment and the Urban Labour Market: A Study in the
Indian Punjab”1984)
Biswajit Banerjee (“ Information flow, expectations and job
search: rural-to-urban migration process in India, 1984)
Presentation at IGNOU Seminar,
June 2006 Agartala