Hundreds of women in eastern Maharashtra’s Gondia district travel from small towns to nearby villages to earn a daily wage. This is a much less studied form of migration – urban to rural
Revantabai Kamble has not spoken to her six-year-old son for months. They live in the same house in Tirora, of course. It’s the same with Buribai Nagpure, though she might sometimes see her older boy if he’s awake. Both women are among hundreds in this part of Maharashtra’s Gondia district who spend just four hours a day at home and travel over 1,000 kilometres each week to earn Rs. 30 daily.
It’s 6 a.m. when we accompany the women from their homes to the railway station. Most have been up two hours already. “I’ve finished the cooking, washing, sweeping and cleaning,” says Buribai, cheerfully. “So now we can talk.” No other member of her household is awake when we arrive. “Poor things,” she says, “they’re tired out.” Isn’t Buribai tired out, too? “Yes, but what to do? We have no options.”
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Salwa, in Mauda tehsil of Nagpur district, is a village of just 105 households and less than 500 residents.
“We will reach home at 11 at night,” says Revantabai, who is in her 20s. “We sleep by midnight. And start all over again at 4 the next morning. I have not seen my six-year-old awake in a long time.” Then she laughs: “Some of the much younger children may not recognise their mothers when they do see them.” Their children have either dropped out of school because they cannot afford it. Or perform poorly there. “There is no one at home to watch or help,” points out Buribai. And some of the youngsters are themselves doing any work they find.
“Of course we do not buy tickets to travel on the train,” the women say. “A round ticket would cost more than the Rs. 30 we earn. Our system is simple: if we get caught, we pay the checker a bribe of Rs.5.” Ticket revenue has been privatised. “They extort it from us knowing we can’t afford it.”
“But the train only comes in by 8 p.m.” points out Buribai. “So we will reach Tirora only around 10 p.m.” Their families are asleep when the women get home. And asleep when they leave in the mornings. “What family life can there be?” asks Revantabai.
By the time they reach home, they have travelled over 170 kilometres. And will do that every day of the week to earn Rs. 30. “We’ll be home by 11 p.m.” says Buribai, “to eat and sleep.” Until four hours later, when they have to get up and do it all over again.
— source ruralindiaonline.org | P. Sainath | May 1, 2021