Governor kicks off seminar on migration, ethnicity in NE
Source: The Sangai Express / DIPR

Kangpokpi, February 23 2018: Governor Dr Najma Heptulla today inaugurated a two-day National seminar on "Migration and Ethnicity in North-East India" at Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Regional Campus located at Makhan, Kangpokpi.

The seminar is being organised by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies, Kolkata in collaboration with Centre for North-East Studies and Policy Research, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi and Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Regional Campus, Manipur.

Addressing the gathering, Najma Heptulla stated that migrants as human beings are an integral part of the human development in a society and country and migration as 'factor mobility' and migrants as 'factor of production' are of paramount importance in economics.

Governor kicks off seminar on migration, ethnicity in NE

She stated that a large number of people from all over the country have migrated in search of work towards bigger cities of the country and the North East is also not far behind in this phenomenon of social mobility as a large number of young people from this region have migrated to different cities across the country.

The limited educational and job opportunities in the region are, by far, the most significant 'push' factors while the availability of better educational and job opportunities in bigger cities act as the 'pull' factors.

With the exception of students, the majority of the migrant workers are engaged in different service professions.

The trend is now more towards the hospitality, industry, BPOs, retail and security services, she observed.

There is a serious concern about illegal migration in the North Eastern States.

Illegal migration has been considered as a cultural and demographic threat for the numerically smaller communities of the region.

The North Eastern states share long borders with neighbouring countries and this has led to a more pronounced feeling of insecurity among the local populace in the region for illegal migration from across the borders.

The issue of regulating the entry of people into 1he region through a mechanism such as ILP system has been occupying the attention of the people in the NE States, she continued.

The Governor maintained that recent studies on North East migration have also delved into the alleged discrimination confronting the people of the region in other parts of the country.

However, the mainstream population is gradually getting an opportunity to understand the region, and a change in perspective has been seen over a period of time.

The two day National seminar covers a broad range of topics related to migration and its fallout with special reference to the North East, she added.

The Governor further stated that such a seminar is a rare forum, which will deliberate on important issues such as history and cause of outward migration from India's North East region, identify the socio-economic and motivational characteristics of outward migration, analyse the subjective experiences of the migrants in the host society and their employment aspirations and expectations, pattern of conflict and accommodation between migrants and members of the host society and determine the contribution of the migrant Workers both in sending and receiving places.

The inaugural session of the seminar was attended by Prof Talat Ahmad, Vice-Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia; Prof Simi Malhotra, Director, Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research, Jamia Millia Islamia; Prof Ramjeevan Singh Thakur, Director, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Regional Campus, Manipur; faculty members and students of of Indira Gandhi National Tribal University.