An Analysis of India’s Uncalled Migrant Labor Crisis during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Case Study of Bihar
An Analysis of India’s Uncalled Migrant Labor Crisis during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Case Study of Bihar

Author(s): Bhavana Kumari
Subject(s): Sociology, Migration Studies
Published by: Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci
Keywords: India; COVID-19; lockdown; migrant laborers; Bihar;
Summary/Abstract: The chapter discusses the migrant labor crisis in India that surfaced because of the lockdown imposed during the first wave of the SARS CoV-2 (COVID-19) in 2020. Despite several relief measures, there have been lapses that resulted in unwelcome consequences to the fate of migrant laborers. This chapter attempts to find the reasons behind the unfortunate consequences and offers an in-depth analysis of India’s COVID-19 lockdown and its effects on the socio-economic challenges of domestic migrant laborers. Neoclassical Migration and Dual Labor Market theories are applied to understand the nuanced situations of migrant laborers in India. This research makes an inductive and qualitative analysis. The chapter uses official empirical data available for study, and takes Bihar, a central eastern state of India, as a case study for a better understanding of the issue.

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