Journal of Civil & Legal Sciences
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Migration is a very important aspect of human life. There is not an utter immobile population anywhere in the world. The marvel of migration is as old as human civilisation. Throughout the early days, people used to travel from one place to another in search of food. Due to the lack of means of transport, migration was limited to a certain degree. However, migration is now a reaction to technological change, industrialisation, urbanisation and encourages convenient means of transportation.

The theoretical explanation for migration dates back to the 1880s when Ravenstein first formulated his migration theory. According to this theory, migrants migrate from areas of low opportunity to areas of high opportunity where distance influences the option of destination. Rural migrants move first to nearby towns and then to larger cities. [1] [2]. Todaro put forward the theory of perceived income and employment opportunities to explain migration. According to him, the prospect of higher incomes in urban areas promotes migration to cities [3].

Research on internal migration showed a decline in population mobility until the 1990s. [4-7]. Conversely, a rise in internal migration is shown in the post-reform period. With the rapid development and growth of urbanisation, migration to urban areas is expected to increase further in the future. In the agricultural sector, low growth rates and income uncertainty decreased livelihood opportunities in rural areas due to structural adjustment programmes, leading to migration from underdeveloped regions. As a result, most migrants are absorbed into the informal urban economy [8].

Rintluanga Pachuau, in his book 'Mizoram: A Study in Comprehensive Geography', illustrated the migration trend of Mizoram based on the 1991 census [9]. Sangkima also wrote a book called 'Cross Border Migration: Mizoram'. The book is a study of the infiltration of outsiders into Mizoram. It focuses on the forces and factors that have encouraged the infiltrators to enter the state. The arrival and settlement of Chakmas, Reangs, Gorkhas and Myanmarese and the impact on Mizoram are discussed in the volume [10]. Hlawndo, Sailo and Kanagaraj conducted a study entitled "Migration and Development: Perceptions and Experiences of Migrants in Aizawl, Mizoram." The study's findings showed that migrants typically represent economically weaker sections and lead their lives in difficult situations. They've got to start a new life in a new destination and face many problems. The consequence of uneven development in the region is rural-urban migration. It has been noticed that rural areas are deprived of modern facilities, services, etc. So, people are looking for better jobs, better educational facilities, civic amenities, etc., in the city [11].

There have been limited migration studies, especially in Mizoram. There is a lack of credible migration data in India. The primary source of information about migrants in India is the census. We can learn about the overall migration scenario in India only every ten years by evaluating the results of the census. Even though the census was performed ten years ago, migration data has recently been available in the public domain. Therefore, it is interesting to analyse the data of 2001 and the 2011 census and study migration in Mizoram. Migration is still understudied, despite its size and social impact in a state like Mizoram. The study of migration from census data is expected to shed some light on a better understanding of migration in Mizoram. The present paper is a modest attempt in this direction.

Data Sources

In India, the most important source of internal migration data is the census. This paper relies entirely on secondary data sources. For the present study, the place of the last residence criteria has been used. The data needed for this study was obtained from the 2001 and 2011 Migration Tables. The total population of the state and each district is available in the D1 table. The migration information based on the place of the last residence was available in the D2 table. The types of migration based on distance and streams of migration information were also taken from the D2 table. The D3 table provides information for the reasons for migration. Analysis has been done based on these three tables. Simple statistical techniques such as percentiles have been used to meet the objectives outlined above.

Levels of migration in Mizoram

The proportion of migrants in a population at a given point in time is one of the widely used migration indicators. Table 1 presents the share of internal migrants in Mizoram over the last two decades. According to the 2001 census, data on migration by place of the last residence in Mizoram shows that the total number of migrants was 2.68.932. As per the census definition, they are considered migrants. Mizoram's total population in 2001 was 8,88,573, which means that migrants make up 30 per cent of the state's total population. According to the 2011 census, Mizoram's total population was 10,97,206. The total migrants as per the place of last residence criteria were 3,87,370. 35 per cent of the total population in the state is made up of migrants. There was a 5 percentage point rise in the proportion of migrants between 2001 and 2011.

Table 1: Percentage of Migrants in Mizoram 2001 and 2011.

The per cent migrant has been calculated for each district based on the total population of the district. Among the 8 districts, the proportion of migration was highest in the Aizawl district for both censuses. Aizawl district is the district's administrative centre, and all-important development facilities were concentrated in the district. Because of this, it attracts migrants. On the other hand, it was the lowest in the Saiha district. Here a low percentage indicated people are less mobile. At the same time, it can also mean, the area receives less migration from outside. The district of Saiha is located in the southernmost part of Mizoram. The geographical location of the district could be one factor why there are fewer migrants in the district. The proportion of migrants in Mamit district remained the same in the years 2001 and 2011. Although the migration trend in other districts is increasing, Lawngtlai district showed a declining trend. The percentage of migrants showed an increasing trend in Kolasib, Aizawl, Champhai, Serchhip, Lunglei and Saiha.

Migrants by gender

According to the 2001 census, there were 4,59,109 male population in Mizoram. Census identified 1,41,440 as migrants. Of the total male population, the number of male migrants was 31 per cent. 4,29,464 was the corresponding female population in the same year. The percentage of female migrants was 30 per cent. In that year males are more migrate than females. In 2011, there were 5,55,339 male population. 1,93,388 migrants, comprising 35 per cent of the total male population, were among them. The female population was 5,41,867 in the same year, and among them, 1,93,982 were listed as migrants. That was 36 per cent of the total female population. Females are more mobile than males, but there was not much difference. Except for Mamit and Lawngtlai district, the proportion of male migrants increased over the period of study. Moreover, female migrants were also increased except in Lawngtlai district.

According to the 2001 census, Champhai and Lawngtlai were the only districts where female migrants outnumber males. In 2011, other districts like Aizawl, Serchhip and Lunglei also showed a higher proportion of females than males even though the difference is not much. Both male and female migrants were highest in the Aizawl district for both the census years. On the other hand, it was the lowest in the Saiha district. Saiha district is located in the southern part of the state. It may be to its geographical location; it received fewer migrants from other parts of the district.

Rural-urban differentials

Table 2 shows the rural-urban difference in the percentage of migration. In the 2001 census, the rural population of Mizoram was 4,47,567. The census reported 1,02,588 migrants in rural areas, representing 23 per cent of the total rural population. In the same year, the urban population was 4,41,006, with 1,66,344 of them listed as migrants. In 2001, migrants made up 38 per cent of the total urban population. There were 5,25,435 rural inhabitants, according to the 2011 census. Among them, 1,34,859 were identified as migrants by the census. 26 per cent of the total rural population is made up of migrants. That was a 3 per cent increased from the previous census. The urban population in the same year was 5,71,771. In urban areas, the migrant population was 2,52,511, 44 per cent of the total urban population. In contrast to the previous census, there was a 6 per cent rise, which was even more than in rural areas.

Table 2. Percentage of Migrants in Rural and Urban Areas of Mizoram, 2001 and 2011.

There is a clear rural-urban gap in the proportion of migration. Except for Mamit and Lawngtlai in 2001 and Kolasib in 2011, the percentage of migrants was higher in urban areas than in rural areas. In the case of Lawngtlai district, the entire district was recorded as rural areas till 2001. However, since 2011 the census recorded some areas as urban places. Even though there were few exceptions, it is pretty visible that the urban people were more mobile than the rural. More migrants have settled in urban areas than in rural areas. In urban areas, they are more opportunities than in rural areas. This attracts migrants from different places.

Types of migration

With the help of the administrative boundaries of a district and state, migration data is categorised into four different types of migration:

Intra-district Migrants: Those individuals who are listed in a different location other than their place of the last residence within the same district.

Inter-district Migrants: Those individuals who are listed in a different location other than their place of the last residence outside the district in the same state.

Inter-state Migrants: Those individuals who were enumerated in Mizoram but their last residence was in another state.

International Migrants: Those individuals identified in India but born in another country

Figure 1 presents the types of migration. Intra-district migration was the most common type of migration in Mizoram. Out of the total migrants in Mizoram, half of them can be identified as intra-district migrants. The percentage for this has increased from the 2001 to 2011 census. The second most important type of migration was inter-district migration. They accounted for 31 per cent of the overall migration to Mizoram. The proportion remained the same for both 2001 and 2011 censuses. Interstate migration constituted a little more than 10 per cent, and it decreased from 2001 to 2011. International migration was significantly less in Mizoram and showed a declining trend in the last two decades.

Source: Calculated from Migration  Table (D-2), Census of India, 2001 and 2011.

Figure 1: Types of Migration in Mizoram, 2001 and 2011

Migration within the state

When a person crosses the boundary of his/her village/town for a usual residence elsewhere within the state of enumeration, the person concerned is treated as an intra-State migrant. Thus, intra-district and inter-district migrants constitute intra-State migrants [12].

(a) Intra-district migration

When a person moves from his / her usual place of residence or birth to another politically established area (village/town) within the listing district, he/she is referred to as an intra-district migrant [13]. Table 3 shows the percentage of intra-districts migrants to the total migrants' population in each district. As discussed earlier, intra-district migration is the most common type of migration in Mizoram.

Table 3. Percentage of Intra-district Migrants in Mizoram, 2001 and 2011.

The percentage of intra-district migration is highest in the district of Lawngtlai in 2001. In the 2011 census, the intrastate migration was highest in the Lunglei district. The percentage was decreased in Lawngtlai district. In the case of the Aizawl district, the percentage remains the same in both censuses. For the rest of the districts, the percentage was increasing.

As far as intra-district migration is concerned, females are more migrate than males in Mizoram. In 2011, there was no difference between the males and females in Kolasib and Champhai.

Table 4 shows the rural-urban difference in intra-district migration in Mizoram. For the state, intra-district migrants in both census years were higher in rural areas relative to urban areas. There were more intradistrict migrants in rural areas than urban areas in the districts of Mamit, Aizawl, Serchhip, Lunglei, Lawngtlai and Saiha. On the other hand, Kolasib and Champhai in 2001 show more intradistrict migrants in urban areas compared to rural areas. As far as the rural areas were concerned, the proportion of migrants was highest in the Lunglei district in both the censuses. It was lowest in Kolasib district in 2001 and Mamit district in 2011. In urban areas, the proportion of migrants were highest in Champhai in 2001 and Lunglei in 2011. It is to be noted here that the entire Lawngtlai district was recorded as rural in 2001.

Table 4: Percentage of Intra-district Migrants in Rural and Urban areas of Mizoram.

Interdistrict migration

A person who crosses the boundary of the listing district while in the phase of migration but remains within the listing state is referred to as an inter-district migrant. The proportion of inter-district migrants to the total population of migrants for each district is given in Table 5. In the Serchhip district, the proportion of inter-district migrants in 2001 was the highest. However, in 2011 the proportion was highest in the Aizawl district. The higher percentage of inter-district migration indicated that the district receives more migrants from another district. In addition to Aizawl and Serchhip district, Mamit, Kolasib and Saiha district also received a considerable proportion of migrants from other districts in both the censuses. Interdistrict migration was very less in the districts of Champhai, Lunglei and Lawngtlai in the year 2001. However, the proportion increased in the year 2011. Mamit, Kolasib and Saiha districts showed a decreasing trend in the proportion of interdistrict migration. The rest of the districts have shown an improvement from 2001 to 2011.

Table 5: Percentage of Inter-district Migrants in Mizoram, 2001 and 2011.

Aizawl district has received more migrants from other districts, according to the latest census. This is because Aizawl is the capital of Mizoram, and all the important commercial activities of the state are located there. Moreover, all the important institutions and health facilities of the state are located there. These attract migrants from other districts. The southern districts such as Lunglei, Lawngtlai and Saiha received fewer migrants from other districts. The reason for less inter-district migration in these districts might be due to their isolated geographical location.

The figure for Mizoram as a whole, the female, has a higher percentage compared to males. However, the difference is significantly less. In 2011 in Lawngtlai district, the male percentage was higher compared to females. There was no difference between the male and female migration percentages in the districts like Mamit, Champhai, Lunglei and Saiha. The inter-district level migrations reveal migration and development. A more developed like Aizawl district received more migration from other districts. On the other hand, the least developed district like Lawngtlai has fewer concentration migrants in the district.

The rural-urban disparities in inter-district migration are shown in table 6. Compared to rural areas, the degree of inter-district migration was higher in urban areas, except in the district of Kolasib. This indicated that when people migrated and crossed the district boundary, they usually migrated to urban areas. In the rural areas, the inter- district migrants' percentage was highest in the Serchhip district for both the censuses. On the other hand, it was lowest in Aizawl district in 2001 and Saiha district in 2011. In urban areas, inter-district migrants' proportion was highest in Serchhip district in 2001 and Mamit district in 2011. In the state, the proportion of intradistrict migrants declined in rural areas, and it remained the same in urban areas.

Table 6. Percentage of Inter-district Migrants in Rural and Urban areas of Mizoram.

Migration from outside Mizoram

Interstate migration

If an individual's place of enumeration varies from birth and these are in two separate states, the person is considered an inter-state migrant concerning the definition of the place of the last residence. Table 7 shows migration from other states of India to Mizoram. According to the 2001 census, there were 35,293 migrants from other states of India. Out of these 58 per cent were migrated to the Aizawl district. In the next census that is 2011, the total number of migrants from other states of India were 41,380 people. Among them, 51 per cent were migrated to the Aizawl district. This indicated that more than half of the migrants from outside Mizoram were migrated to the Aizawl district. The table shows that the northern districts such as Kolasib, Aizawl and Mamit received more interstate migrants. The remaining districts received very fewer migrants from other parts of India. The gender differences are also shown in the table. Among the interstate migrants to Mamit, Kolasib and Champhai districts, females' migrants were more compared to males. In the remaining districts, males are more than females.

Table 7. Percentage of Interstate Migrants in Mizoram, 2001 and 2011.

Table 8 shows the rural-urban differentiation of inter-state migration. Except for the Aizawl district, more people from other states were migrated to rural compared to urban areas. The proportion of interstate migrants in Serchhip and Saiha districts was 1 per cent of the total interstate migrants in rural areas. This proportion remained the same for both the census years. Mamit district has the highest proportion of interstate migrants in both the censuses as far as the rural areas are concerned. In urban areas, the Aizawl district received the highest proportion of migrants from other states of India. Serchhip district again has the lowest even in urban areas.

Table 8. Percentage of Interstate Migrants in Rural and Urban areas of Mizoram.

Figure 2 shows the originating states where people were migrating from. The graph shows that Mizoram received most of its interstate migration from the adjoining states like Assam, Mizoram and Tripura and the nearby north-eastern states of Meghalaya and Nagaland. Apart from the northeast, Mizoram received migrants from a few mainstream Indian states such as Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh. Migration from the rest of the states is extremely low.

Source: Calculated from Migration  Table (D-2), Census of India, 2001 and 2011.

Figure 2: The migrant Sending States to Mizoram, 2001 and 2011

The Assam districts adjacent to Mizoram are inhabited by the Muslim community, such as Cachar, Karimganj, Hailakandi, etc. These districts have high density because of illegal migrants from Bangladesh. People from these areas are migrated to Mizoram in search of jobs. Most of the cement related works in Mizoram are done by migrant workers from Assam. Political factors and other related aspects could also stimulate the movements, and in such cases, economic factors may not have any role to play. For instance, during the conflict between Kuki and Paite in Manipur in 1997-98, Mizoram received many Paite migrants as refugees. Most of them did not return even after the end of the clash.

International migration

Table 9 depicts the percentage share of international migrants for each district. According to the 2001 census, 15,487 were identified migrants from other countries. Out of these, 33 per cent were migrated to the Champhai district. In the 2011 census, 15,370 international migrants were recorded in Mizoram. The international migrants were declining from 2001 t0 2011. Aizawl district received the maximum number of international migrants as per the 2011 census. In 2001, Aizawl, Champhai, Serchhip, Lunglei and Saiha districts received a sizeable proportion of international migrants. On the other hand, Mamit, Kolasib and Lawngtlai districts received very a much smaller number of international migrants. The proportion of international migrants increased only in Aizawl and Lawngtlai districts. In the districts of Kolasib, the percentage remained the same for both the censuses and in the remaining districts, it has declined.

Table 9. Percentage of International Migrants in Districts of Mizoram, 2001 and 2011.

The rural-urban distinction in international migration is seen in the following tables. Except for the district of Aizawl, most international immigrants have migrated to rural areas.

Figure 3 shows the originating countries of international migrants in Mizoram. Most international migrants came from neighbouring countries such as Myanmar (Burma), Nepal and Bangladesh (East Pakistan). Except for these three countries, migrants from other countries were minimal. According to the 2001 census, there were 17,160 foreign migrants in Mizoram. Among them, 84 per cent were from Myanmar. By 2011, this percentage reduced to 76. The higher proportion of migrants from Myanmar (Burma) could be due to Chin refugees. After the pro-democracy uprising in Myanmar (Burma) in 1988, ethnic Chin refugees migrated to India's Mizoram state, which borders Burma's western Chin state. The second migration sending country is Nepal. According to 2001, migrants from Nepal constituted 11 per cent of the international migrants in Mizoram. This percentage reduced to 6 in 2011. The percentage for Bangladeshi immigrants was 6 in 2001 and 5 in 2011.

Source: Calculated from Migration  Table (D-2), Census of India, 2001 and 2011.

Figure 3: Migrant Sending Countries to Mizoram, 2001 and 2011

Streams of Migration

Based on the place of the last residence, movement of people of Mizoram can be classified into four significant patterns, or directions of migration flows as under:

1. Rural to Rural (R-R)

2. Rural to Urban (R-U)

3. Urban to Rural (U-R)

4. Urban to Urban (U-U)

In Mizoram, Table 11 shows the migration sources. Rural to rural migration was the most dominant stream of intradistrict migration in the year 2001. The agricultural economy of the state is reflected through this stream of migration. However, rural to urban migration was the most dominating migration stream in the year 2011. Urban to rural migration is extremely less compared to other streams. In 2001, females in rural to rural and rural to urban streams surpassed males.

Table 10. Percentage of International Migrants in Rural and Urban Areas of Mizoram.

Table 11. Streams of Migration in Mizoram, 2001 and 2011.

Rural to urban migration is the second dominant stream at the intra-district level. This stream is more economical than social in nature. The share of rural to urban migration in intra-district migration is 62.19 per cent. Rural to rural migration is the second most important intradistrict migration stream; it is 44.80 per cent. Urban to urban migration contributes 29.98 per cent of the total intradistrict migration. Urban to rural migration is significantly less that is only 8.12 per cent. Rural to rural, urban to rural and urban to urban migration is more common among men than women at the intra-district level. But females surpass males in rural to urban migration. Males surpassed females in urban to rural or urban to urban, on the other hand. The proportion of rural to rural and urban to urban migration was the same for both men and women in 2011.

The most significant migration stream in the 2001 and 2011 census was rural to urban migration at the inter-district level. The phenomenon of rural to urban migration is increasing because of globalisation and urban over rural economic advantage. Urban to urban migration was the second most common stream seen in the table at the inter-district level. Urban to rural migration again was significantly less. According to the 2001 census, males are more than females in rural to rural migration streams at the inter-district level. In the 2011 census, males dominate urban to rural migration at the inter-district level. In other streams in both the years, there was no difference between males and females.

Rural to urban migration was the most dominating stream found at the interstate level. Next was urban to urban migration, and the share of urban to rural migration is significantly less. Females are more mobile than males in rural to rural migration. In 2011, the proportion of males and females was the same in urban to urban migration streams. In the remaining streams, males are more compared to females. The pull factor attracting migration from rural to urban areas has been opportunities in urban areas for jobs, education etc. Rural to urban migration, like rural to urban sources, is driven by economic variables. People move from one urban centre to another intending to improving their employment prospects.

Reasons for Migration

There are various causes of human movements. One of these is the pressure that often forces people to go out of the area searching for land, employment, or any other means of subsistence.

On the other hand, better job opportunities in relatively more industrially or economically developed areas attract economically backward regions. The census of India classified the reasons for migration into the following categories:

(a) Work/employment

(b) Business

(c) Education

(d) Marriage

(e) Move after birth

(f) Move with household

(g) Others

Move with household dominate as the main reason for migration in both the censuses as shown in table 12. The second one is the 'others’ category. In this category, different reasons like natural calamities, internal displacement etc. were club together. The work/employment reasons for migration can be interpreted as being influenced by economic factors. This reason was cited by 19 per cent of the migrants in 2001 and 16 per cent of migrants in 2011. However, in interstate migration, work and employment were the most important reasons for migration. Migration due to education was significantly less, especially among interstate and international migrants. This indicated that the state does not have reputed institutions to attract migrants from outside.

Table 12. Reasons for Migration in Mizoram, 2001 and 2011.

Table 13 shows the difference in reasons for migration between males and females. Among males, move with the household was the most important reason for migration. Work/employment was the second most important reason. This reason was cited by 28 per cent of the male migrants in the state. Others category was cited by 27 per cent of the male migrants. The proportion of males and females who cited education as the reason for migration is the same. The main difference between males and females is ‘Work/employment’ and ‘marriage’. It is noted from the table that the most striking reasons for migration are 'jobs' among males and 'marriage' among females.

Table 13. Male’s and Female’s Reasons for migration in Mizoram, 2001 and 2011.

The latest information on migration reveals an increase in migration from the 2001 to 2011 census. However, when we look at the district level, Mamit district did not show any change in the proportion of migrants from 2001 to 2011. Moreover, Lawngtlai districts showed a declining trend over time. There was a higher proportion of migrants in urban areas compared to rural areas. However, few districts like Mamit and Champhai showed more migrants in rural areas than in urban areas in 2001. In general, males are more migratory than females. Intra- district migration is the most dominating type of migration in the state. In inter-district migration, Serchhip and Aizawl districts showed a higher proportion than other state districts. The concentration of institutional and other economic activities in the Aizawl district attracts people to the urban areas. Neighbouring states such as Assam, Manipur and Tripura account for a large number of inter-state migrants. From the outlying areas, Jharkhand and Bihar were the two important migrants sending states to Mizoram. These were low income and highly density states. Myanmar, Nepal and Bangladesh were the three important migrants sending countries to Mizoram. In Mizoram, the rural to the urban stream of migration is dominant among the four migration streams. As far as migration is concerned, the main reasons for migration in the state are employment among males and marriage among females. Inter-State migration is not significant in this region due to political restrictions; the figure constituted only a small percentage of the total population.