: Drought often forces farm labourers to migrate to other places in search of livelihood, and for a district like Chitradurga, which has witnessed drought for 73 of the last 100 years, migration has become an annual event. Farmers here are well aware that agriculture is a gamble with the monsoon — if it rains, they stay back, and if it doesn’t, they migrate.
With no government initiatives to create employment opportunities, no big or medium industries, no serious attempt to attract them and no committed elected representatives, the extent of migration in Chitradurga district has only worsened with every passing year. Now, with the district facing drought for the fourth successive year, the percentage of migration has doubled.
Migration doubledA large number of small and medium farmers in the district are dependent on agriculture for a livelihood. A drought year results in an average migration of 15 per cent but this year, it has doubled to 30 per cent, according to official sources. The reason: drought, and the sudden fall in the prices of the district’s major crops, including onion and maize. The little yield farmers were able to secure is being sought for a pittance.
Labourers from Rampur, Molkalmuru and surrounding areas move to the Ballari district, which has several industries and more commercial activities when compared with Chitradurga. People from other taluks, like Chitradurga, Hiriyur and Challakere, move to Bengaluru to look for work in garment factories. Some head for Andhra Pradesh.
Industries neglectedA few decades ago, the Challakere taluk had several oil factories that, however, were shutdown, reportedly because of the non-availability of ground nut and other oil seeds at affordable prices, which forced migration.
The majority of the migrants are workers involved in agriculture and dairy farming. According to economist G.N. Mallikarjunappa, who is also the executive director of the Veershaiva community’s Bruhanmutt Chitradurga, officials’ indifference towards ensuring jobs under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) had only worsened the situation. “Elected representatives in the district have completely failed to create an industry-friendly environment and don’t appear to be keen on attracting investments. At least they should have taken steps to encourage small and cottage industries to stop migration,” he said.
Passing the buckElected representatives are, however, just passing on the buck. S. Thippeswamy, MLA of Molakalmuru, where the migration is higher, said that the government had failed to understand the severity of the situation. According to him, the release of crop loss compensation would have probably checked migration. Worst of all, district officials and elected representatives of the drought-prone district have not put in place any long-term plan to address the distressing issue.
