What is it like to be a migrant worker in Chennai - a permanent ‘outsider’? South First spoke to stakeholders on the realities and challenges of migrant workers.
Published Sep 21, 2024 | 1:00 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 10, 2024 | 9:21 PM
Migrant workers in Chennai on the struggles they face
Compulsion took Rahul, like many others from his home state, to Chennai, a city of opportunities.
While leaving Bihar, life stood before him like an invincible, unassailable, imposing obstacle. At the first whiff of opportunity, he took a south-bound train, to a land so alien but promised much.
Rahul often found out of place in the new land, like an outsider in his country. Food, language, culture, customs, festivals, people — everything was so different and difficult to adapt. Yet, he stayed put, knowing well that life should go on.
“I feel trapped at times but I don’t have a choice,” the man in his late 20s told South First. In Chennai, he is one among the nameless — and often faceless — migrant workers from the north.
Chennai has always attracted workers from outside Tamil Nadu, even when it was known as Madras. It attracts a significant number of migrant workers every year. Looking for opportunities that aren’t available in their respective states, people from states across India make Chennai their home, in an attempt to ensure a better life for themselves and their families.
According to NGOs in Chennai, the influx of migrant workers into the city has steadily risen over the past decade, particularly in sectors like construction, hospitality, domestic work, and beauty industry.
How does the city treat them? What challenges do they face? South First received mixed responses to these questions.
Maria is a migrant from Nepal. “I love Chennai. I have worked in a beauty parlour for over 10 years and my kids study in a government school. My children and I initially struggled to fit in but I kept working hard,” the 35-year-old Nepali mother is now fluent in Tamil.
While she makes others look good, the beautician’s life is still hardships-poked and a daily battle. “I earn around ₹15,000 a month, which is enough to support us here. I also send money to my family in Nepal,” her earnings and spending reflect the untold austerity measures she has adopted to keep floating.
Shyam (name changed) is another Hindikkaran — as Hindi speakers are called — like Rahul. “I have been working at construction sites in the city for the past six years. The physical work is tough but what hurts the most is the way locals treat us,” the 32-year-old man from Bihar told South First.
“We are called ‘outsiders,’ and I have faced discrimination while trying to find an accommodation,” his words reflected the othering of blue-collar workers.
Shyam also felt trapped in Chennai with no better opportunities elsewhere in sight. “I earn ₹11,000, but after rent and food, there’s little left to send back home. I have no other option,” the man explained why he was still in Chennai.
Ritesh, too, moved to Chennai seeking better job opportunities. “It was hard to find stable work in Bihar. I heard from others that the pay here would be better and that there was a demand for construction workers,” he said.
He decided to try his luck without much thought. “It is harder than I thought. I hoped to send money back home, but with what I earn, I can barely sustain myself here.”
A construction worker, Sahil, earns ₹11,000 a month but still manages to send ₹3,000 home. “We get food for free at times and a place to stay.” Sahil is now looking for additional work during his free evening hours.
Roshi is happy to get a supportive manager. The 28-year-old woman from West Bengal had come to Chennai three years ago to work as a waiter in a restaurant.
I faced several challenges. I did not speak the local language and hence could not communicate with the customers and colleagues. However, my manager was supportive and encouraged me to learn the language. Now, I can speak Tamil reasonably well, and am feeling more comfortable now,” she said.
However, not all migrant workers get supportive managers. Earlier last month, three hotel employees from Mizoram and Manipur were held in alleged illegal confinement in Chennai.
They claimed that their manager refused to relieve them after a dispute over unpaid wages. Police intervened following a complaint and are investigating.
State Labour Secretary Veera Raghava Rao said immediate steps are initiated whenever they notice such atrocities. “It’s not just about migrant workers. We keep a tab on all workers and if they raise any concerns with us, we take immediate measures,” he told South First.
Migrant workers played a pivotal role in developing Chennai’s infrastructure even during the colonial rule, when it was referred to as Madras.
The migrant workers before independence were primarily engaged in construction, dock work, and domestic service, laying the foundation for the city’s expansion.
Post-independence, the industrial boom of the 1960s and ’70s attracted a new wave of migrants, particularly from rural Tamil Nadu and other southern states. The city’s growth as an industrial and automotive hub in the 1990s led to an even more diverse influx of workers, including those from northern and eastern India, as well as neighbouring countries like Nepal and Bangladesh.
This period marked the beginning of Chennai’s transformation into a cosmopolitan city, with a workforce that came from varied linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
However, they often find themselves at the receiving end for no apparent reason. Sample this: a YouTube channel claimed that nothing could be done to prevent violence against Tamil women unleashed by North Indian men. Such statements incite fear and hostility, further straining intercommunity relations.
Even as the country was preparing for the general elections, a video surfaced online, saying migrant workers from Bihar were being killed in Tamil Nadu. The fake news soon gained traction as social media handles, mostly pro-right, shared the video.
Investigations revealed that the videos were either unrelated or old and not connected to any current events.
Wage
In 2022, a group of migrant workers from Odisha working on a major construction project in Chennai reported that they were not paid wages for over six months.
The workers, who were employed by a subcontractor, claimed that they were promised a monthly salary of ₹10,000, but received only partial payments and were eventually denied their full dues.
Despite repeated appeals to the contractor and local authorities, the workers were left in a precarious situation with no legal recourse due to a lack of formal contracts.
Living condition
In Perumbakkam, a resettlement colony on the outskirts of Chennai, hundreds of migrant workers live in deplorable conditions. A 2021 report documented that the workers — mostly employed in construction and domestic work — resided in overcrowded, poorly ventilated rooms with inadequate sanitation facilities.
The lack of access to clean water and healthcare services further exacerbates their situation, leading to frequent outbreaks of illness.
The Tamil Nadu government has been criticised for not providing adequate housing or basic amenities for these workers, despite their significant contributions to the city’s economy.
Political representation
A 2020 study conducted by the Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development (CMID) found that migrant workers in Chennai faced significant discrimination in accessing services like healthcare and education.
The study also highlighted the exclusion of migrant workers from local politics with many being unable to register as voters due to lack of proper documentation.
This exclusion has led to their concerns being largely ignored by policymakers, perpetuating a cycle of neglect and marginalisation.
Bonded labour
In 2018, a rescue operation by the Tamil Nadu Police and the International Justice Mission (IJM) freed over 50 migrant workers, including women and children, from forced labour at a brick kiln on Chennai’s outskirts.
The workers, who were trafficked from Odisha, were found to be working in inhumane conditions, with their movements restricted and wages withheld by the kiln owners. The case highlighted the ongoing issue of bonded labour in Tamil Nadu and the need for more proactive measures to combat human trafficking and exploitation.
A few NGOs in Chennai take special interest in helping migrant workers.”There might indeed be a language barrier and people from other states might find it difficult, but many NGOs are working towards the social inclusion of the migrants,” Vedant Lohia, the founder of Siragu Foundation – Wings of Change, told South First.
He mentioned that his foundation has employed people who can teach the local language and English to migrant workers.
(Edited by Neena).
