J. Geographical Studies, 3(2), 43-53, 2019. M. Debnath and S. Ray Original Research Paper Rural Male-Out-Migration and Its Dynamic Links with Native Villages: A Study of Selected Villages of Rarh Region of West Bengal, India Manoj Debnath* , Sheuli Ray Department of Geography, School of Human and Environmental Sciences, North Eastern Hill University, Shillong-793022, Meghalaya, India. Abstract Article history Bankura district is drought-prone in nature from where rural people regularly migrate to Received: 07 February 2020 the nearby agriculturally and economically developed districts. In the paper, regional Revised: 16 April 2020 pattern, nature, distance, duration, mechanism of this rural male-out-migration and Accepted: 17 April 2020 linkages of migrants with the native villages have been analyzed. The study is primarily Keywords conducted on the basis of information collected from door to door survey through a structured questionnaire. These collected data indicate that the landless people, Drought; especially from drought-affected villages, experience a higher proportion of out- Dynamic Link; migration. They normally migrate during the absence of agricultural activities at their India; native villages and a large portion of these migrants also return to their village during Male; the short agricultural season. It is also found that the frequency of visiting the native Migration; village has an inverse relation with distance. Those who regularly visit their native Rarh region. village, most of them move from a short distance. Editor(s) M. A. Siddiqui 1 INTRODUCTION argued that more than 50 per cent of landless households From ancient times, rural people have occasionally have at least one migrant in Bihar. Parganiha et al. migrated in search of food, clothing and shelter. These (2009) pointed out that out-migration is greater in the movements have been shaped by various geographical, poorly developed agricultural areas and particularly high socio-economic and cultural factors. A large number of among the landless farmers. Dodda et al. (2016) found people from West Bengal live in rural areas, and most of that landless and marginal households are more likely to them are directly or indirectly depended on agriculture. migrate compared to large households. Roy (1991) However, as it has been widely reported, agriculture is argued that landless households want to increase a better becoming highly unsustainable in many parts of the standard of living by out-migration. country leading to a situation of agrarian crisis. Therefore, rural farmers bereft any other alternative Haan and Rogaly (1994), Rogaly (1998), Rogaly et options are increasingly adopting migration as their al. (2001, 2002), Rogaly and Coppard (2003), Rogaly livelihood strategy. Out-migration from poorly and Rafique (2003) did extensive work on seasonal out- developed agricultural areas among the landless farmers migration of Rarh region of West Bengal. They found has a long history (Parganiha et al., 2009). Panda (2016) that during the 1990s, a large volume of migrants came found that the proportion of out-migration is higher to Barddhaman and its surrounding areas during paddy among the landless and marginal farmer compared to the and potato seasons. Rogaly et al. (2002) noticed that large farmer. Out-migration is a cabalistic livelihood rural people migrated towards Pube Jawa (going east) strategy which received landless agricultural labors and with men, women, young children, with different social poor rural people (Keshri and Bhagat, 2012; Breman, groups by foot or bus. It was found that the Rarh 1996; Haberfeld et al., 1991). Deshingkar et al. (2006) * Author‟s address for correspondence Department of Geography, School of Human and Environmental Sciences, North Eastern Hill University, Shillong-793022, Meghalaya, India. Tel.: +91 8927807719 Emails: [email protected] (M. Debnath - Corresponding author), [email protected] (S. Ray). http://dx.doi.org/10.21523/gcj5.19030201 © 2019 GATHA COGNITION® All rights reserved. 43 J. Geographical Studies, 3(2), 43-53, 2019. M. Debnath and S. Ray region in general and the Bankura district, in particular, purposes i.e. meet with family, during the short have experienced an exceedingly high rate of out- agricultural season, an inspection of properties, social migration (Debnath, 2017). Although it may not very ceremony and other purposes. Purposive sampling used high from an Indian perspective but 7-8 % out-migration to select Bankura district for the present study because it from this particular district is of great concern compared is the highest out-migration district in West Bengal. to the other districts of the region. Haan (1995) Stratified sampling technique has been used to divide mentioned that the western part of the Bankura district is Bankura district into two regions i.e. the western comparatively poor and a region of the surplus of labor. drought-affected region and eastern non-drought- Rogaly et al. (2001) noticed that the Western part of affected region. Before going to the selection of sample Bankura is drought-prone and they are migrated to East. villages, a pilot survey carried out to know nature, Given the reality and the fact that this is the region extension and intensity of out-migration at the study which suffers from recurrent drought may be a fertile areas in Bankura. Two villages have been randomly area for investigation of the nature, extent and process selected from each region of the district. The selected of rural out-migration particularly among the small, villages are Kurul Pahari and Dhabani from western marginal and landless households. In this context, the drought-affected region whereas Patan and Kalagram present study tries to identify the destination areas of are from the eastern non-drought-affected region (Figure rural male out-migration. The study also examines the 1). The field survey was carried out during March-April, factors controlling migrants in visiting their native 2019. Out of 426 total households at four study villages village. 116 migrant households selected randomly. For the purpose of the whole enquiry, households from each 2 MATERIALS AND METHODS village have been selected randomly on the basis of the The present research is based on a primary household size of landholdings and persons stayed outside of the survey where the information about nature, extent and village for at least a period of 3-6 months. process of rural out-migration has been collected with Migration is the result of several economic, social the help of a structured questionnaire. General and demographic factors which has great impact on information about the villages has been collected with rural male out-migration. The independent variables are the help of village schedules. To assess the rural out- selected on the basis of present investigation, similar migration at the household level, the landholding size of past studies and from the existing literature (Yang, households have been divided into three categories i.e. 1992; Haberfeld, et al., 1999; Yang and Guo, 1999; landless households, marginal landholding (less than 1 Mendola, 2006; Keshri and Bhagat, 2010; Sridhar et al., hectare) and small landholding (1.0 to 2.0 hectares). 2012; Piotrowski et al., 2013; Coffey et al., 2014; Types of rural out-migration have been classified into Shonchoy, 2015). Here, binary logistic regression model two categories i.e. internal migration and international has been fitted to analysis the effect of determinant migration. Internal migration again sub-divided into factors on rural male out migration in the study area. To three categories i.e. intra-district, inter-district and inter- study the effects of socio-economic characteristics on state. Migration streams have been classified into two the rural male out migration in the study area, the categories i.e. rural to rural and rural to urban. Rural working age group of male population (15 to 65 years) male out-migration at the city level has been classified taken as consideration. The probabilities of male out into different cities. Source of information before migration was coded in a binary form, the dependent migration have been categorized into following i.e. variable considered as value “1” if rural male out- employers, private employment agency, newspapers, migrated and “0” if not migrated. The total sample has information by relatives, information by friends, taken 441 adult male (15 to 65years), among of this 245 middleman and others. Nature of work at the destination person who are migrated and 196 not migrated. The has been classified into five categories i.e. regular basis, independent variables which are taken as consideration, seasonal basis, casual basis, daily basis and others. all are categorical form. Age group is the important Working hours of migrants at the destination have been parameter to determine the intensity of male out- classified into seven categories i.e. below 8 hours, 8 migration (Connel et al., 1976; Russel and Strachan, hours, 9 hours, 10 hours, 11 hours, 12 hours and above 1980; Singh, 1997). Rural male out-migration still 12 hours. Linkages with native places of rural out- effects by the rural caste system in India (Panda, 1986; migrants have been studied as the frequency of visit to Haberfeld et al., 1999; Singh, 1997; Mosse et al., 2005; the native place, the purpose of visit and time spent at Shonchoy and Junankar, 2014). Level of education is an the native place. Frequency of visiting native village has important parameter of socio-economic development been classified into six groups i.e. regular, once in a that closely associated with of rural male out-migration month, once in a three months, once in a six months, (Yang, 1992; Agarwal, 1998; Gupta and Prajapati, 1998; once in a year and rarely visiting. Time spent at the Kumar et al., 1998; Sidhu and Rangi, 1998). There is a native village has been classified into three categories close correlation between landholding sizes and out i.e.