THEFTS. Street crime. Dacoities. Drugs. Gang wars. No, this is not the ad blurb for a new Bollywood potboiler; rather, it is a possible scenario of urban India in the next few years. Last month, this column had discussed the certainty of a large influx of job-seekers, mainly from eastern and central India into major industrial-commercial centres in South and West India. It noted that such migration could create social tensions and would have political implications.
These migrants would fill the demand-supply gap caused by a booming economy and an inadequate population of workers in these states, all of which have witnessed decreasing population growth rates. Industry and business will welcome this influx, as it will help control wage increases. Many of the migrants would be willing to work on a contract or temporary basis, even though this implies minimal benefits and no job or social security.
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