Unemployment, inter-state migration and livelihood in South Assam: A study of migrant construction and coal mining workers in Mizoram and Meghalaya

Inter-state migration within India's North Eastern region is a pressing issue long associated with South Assam. Poverty, unemployment, loss in farming, backwardness, marginalization and lack of small and large industrial establishments result in inter-state migration. The livelihood of the workers migrating from South Assam to different states in North-East India have always been under risk. Seasonal migrants from this region are compelled by their socio-economic circumstances to join unorganized sectors like construction and coal mining, risking their lives. This paper highlights the causes of inter-state migration and its long-term consequences on the family, society and economy of the South Assam region.