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After the Long Walk Home…the Gendered Rural Safety Net

Author

Listed:
  • Dev Nathan
  • Rahul S.
  • Govind Kelkar

Abstract

In the absence of adequate social security for migrant workers, the recession forced the mass exodus of millions of circular migrants supported by their rural households of largely left-behind women. Our article looks at what happened after that. How did the returned migrants manage to survive and retain their capacity to work till they were required back in urban employment? This article argues that gendered rural households functioned as safety nets in the severe recession in the Indian economy which highlights the weakness in the state policy and lack of resources in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. They were safety nets not only for workers directly working in food value chains but also for reverse migrants. Overall, the recession did not just result in a temporary loss of income but also increased inequality and strengthened the oligopoly structure of the Indian economy.

Suggested Citation

  • Dev Nathan & Rahul S. & Govind Kelkar, 2023. "After the Long Walk Home…the Gendered Rural Safety Net," Agrarian South: Journal of Political Economy, Centre for Agrarian Research and Education for South, vol. 12(2), pages 227-239, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:agspub:v:12:y:2023:i:2:p:227-239
    DOI: 10.1177/22779760231164860
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Amrita Datta, 2020. "Circular Migration and Precarity: Perspectives from Rural Bihar," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 63(4), pages 1143-1163, December.
    2. Nathan, Dev, & Rahul, S.,, 2022. "Gendered safety nets and growing inequality pandemic-induced recession in India," ILO Working Papers 995187393102676, International Labour Organization.
    3. Joshy Jesline & John Romate & Eslavath Rajkumar & Allen Joshua George, 2021. "The plight of migrants during COVID-19 and the impact of circular migration in India: a systematic review," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-12, December.
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