Responding to Covid-19 Pandemic: Policy and Governance Perspective to Reverse Migration in Uttarakhand
| Published date | 01 December 2024 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/00195561241248300 |
| Author | Prakash Chand Kandpal |
| Date | 01 December 2024 |
Responding to Covid-19
Pandemic: Policy and
Governance Perspective
to Reverse Migration in
Uttarakhand
Prakash Chand Kandpal1
Abstract
The coronavirus disease, commonly referred to as Covid-19, had engendered
inadvertent and significant societal upheaval, widespread economic setbacks, and
compelled the relocation of individuals on a global scale. Analogous repercus-
sions have been witnessed in the context of India, notably exemplified by the mass
exodus of migrant labourers from their designated areas of employment to their
native regions, precipitated by a comprehensive governmental lockdown enacted
to interrupt the transmission chain of Covid-19. This stringent lockdown exacer-
bated the plight of economically marginalised migrant workers, compelling them to
endure financial precarity and minimal reserves while confined to their residences.
Consequently, a substantial number of migrants, primarily employed in the infor-
mal sector, found themselves compelled to return to their ‘places of origin’ from
their ‘places of destination’ as an imperative means of survival. The present arti-
cle elucidates the characteristics and ramifications of this phenomenon of reverse
migration, undertaking an evaluative analysis of India’s response to the challenges
posed by reverse migration in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Special
attention is directed towards the policy and governance dynamics, with a particular
focus on the hilly state of Uttarakhand, India.
Keywords
COVID-19, lockdown, migration, reverse migration in Uttarakhand, governance
Article
Indian Journal of Public
Administration
70(4) 688–703, 2024
© 2024 IIPA
Article reuse guidelines:
in.sagepub.com/journals-permissions-india
DOI: 10.1177/00195561241248300
journals.sagepub.com/home/ipa
1 Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, Delhi, India
Corresponding author:
Prakash Chand Kandpal, Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University,
New Delhi, Delhi 110067, India.
E-mail: prakashchand@mail.jnu.ac.in
Kandpal 689
The Phenomenon of Reverse Migration During
Covid-19
The occurrence of reverse migration amid the Covid-19 pandemic in India pre-
sented a dual challenge, involving the imperative to safeguard public health and to
secure the livelihoods of economically disadvantaged, marginalised, and migrant
labourers, particularly those engaged in the unorganised sector. The developing
nations, like India, witnessed a pronounced manifestation of reverse migration coin-
ciding with the enforcement of a comprehensive lockdown in response to the crisis.
Migration, a phenomenon driven predominantly by economic factors, typically
involves individuals relocating for improved employment opportunities and enhanced
nancial prospects. Reverse migration, in the context of this study, is delineated as the
movement of individuals from their designated places of employment (commonly
referred to as the place of destination) back to their ‘native or root’ locations (Mukhra
et al., 2020). This manifestation of reverse migration, however, diverged signicantly
from conventional instances, as it primarily comprised migrant workers compelled to
return to their places of origin due to the absence of income sources resulting from the
protracted complete lockdown. The repercussions of this phenomenon were com-
pounded by a notable economic downturn, exemplied by the loss of livelihoods for
a substantial segment of the population, as indicated by Vyas (2021), the CEO of the
Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). Vyas reported that, by April 2020,
approximately 122 million individuals had lost their means of livelihood, with an
additional 10 million rendered jobless during the second wave of Covid-19.
Furthermore, a considerable proportion of Indian households, accounting for 97%,
experienced a decline in their income sources.
The announcement of the ‘Janata Curfew’ on 23 March 2020, followed by the
subsequent imposition of a comprehensive lockdown on 25 March 2020, initially led
individuals working in the unorganised sectors to anticipate a brief duration of
restrictions. However, the phased extensions of the lockdown contributed to a dete-
rioration of their circumstances. Factors such as unemployment, domestic responsi-
bilities, meagre savings, and a pervasive sense of insecurity prompted migrant
labourers to embark on the process of reverse migration to their ancestral roots. This
endeavour involved considerable physical and psychological distress for the migrants,
who, against governmental advisories, opted to travel by foot, bicycle, crowded buses,
etc., owing to the absence of operational public transportation. The resultant psycho-
social trauma endured by migrant labourers during the crisis is attributed to the ‘alien’
treatment meted out by receiving societies, concerns for the safety and security of
family members at the place of origin, social exclusion, and unfavourable reactions
by the host communities (Das & Saha, 2016; Kumar et al., 2020).
The sudden and extensive reverse migration, with millions of migrant workers
returning to their places of origin, imposed an unprecedented burden on the local econ-
omies of their respective sending societies. This inux necessitated urgent interven-
tions by local governments to provide essential amenities such as food, shelter, and
sanitation for the large population of returning migrant workers. State and local
authorities also faced substantial pressure to generate income-generating opportunities
within the tumultuous environment precipitated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
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