| dc.description.abstract |
The unforeseen lockdowns across Indian states due to the
COVID-19 pandemic impacted the labour forces involving
millions of migrant workers, particularly engaged in the
informal economy. The situation became complex when with
ease in lockdown, migrant workers started returning to their
source states. Odisha, an eastern state of India, witnessed a
similar challenging situation when it had to receive thousands
of desperate and distressed migrant workers who returned
home amid the pandemic. The situation however revealed the
inadequate knowledge about the migrant workers, despite
their contribution to the state’s economy with remittances and
skills. The situation also tested our personal knowledge about
migrant workers, with disappointment and ineptitude, both
professionally and academically. The existing studies rarely
acknowledge the complex lived realities of the migrants in their
own voices. After conducting in-depth interviews with returnee
migrant workers amid COVID-19 situation, this study, while
limited in its generalizability, illustrates the multifaceted
complexities of migration situation through a grounded
perspective from migrants themselves. |
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