Debt and distress spur youth migration from rural Punjab

Introduction

The state of Punjab, securing the food security of the nation, is known as the granary of India (Kaur and Sharma, 2017; Singh et al., 2013; Thakur et al., 2008) [7,17,16] . Punjab, comprising only 1.5 percent of the total geographical area of country now contributes 13-14 percent towards the total food grain production of the country (Grover et al, 2017) [5] . The Green Revolution is a pivotal point in the history of Indian agriculture. The rural areas of Punjab experienced a general spurt in their prosperity after the green revolution in the mid 1960s, showing its short lived positive impact on famers. The potentials of green revolution technology soon began to be exhausted in the 1980s generating pressure of economic stress among the poor strata of peasantry and agricultural labourers. With the replacement of labour with machinery, unemployment plummeted. The cost of inputs rose considerably and farming became unremunerative, causing almost 2 lakh small are marginal farmers to leave their occupation in the last one and a half decades, according to NSSO. Depeasantization in Asian highperforming economies is growth-led, whereas that in Punjab is deemed distress-driven (Singh et al 2009; Singh 2012). These farmers failed to get absorbed by the industrial or service sector. In fact, the country had jobless growth during 2003-04 and jobless growth after 2012-13 (Gill 2024) [3] . The debt position of Punjab is truly an alarming figure, having the highest state-wise debt in the country in case of both individual and public debt. The debt burden on Punjab farmers was estimated to be 5700 crore in 1997 which increased to Rs 80,000 crores in 2016 and further estimated 1 Lakh crore in 2020. Public debt which was 1.78 lakh crore in 2017-18 rose to 2.48 lakh crore in 2020-21 (Sharma et al, 2023) [12] and presently the state has accumulated more than Rs 3.51 lakh crore debt, which is 47 per cent of the debt-to-GSDP ratio (Singh 2024). Farmers are known to remain in a vicious cycle of debt and it is this distress, increasing input costs, mechanisation and distress which prompts the rural youth to look towards greener pastures and resort to migration to better their standards of living. Punjab ranks second in sending international migrants after Kerala (Batra et al. 2022) [2] . The aftermath of migration and its impact on both the destination country and country of origin have been studied in this paper. It also underscores the push and pull factors of migration and focuses upon the unforeseen impact of brain drain and the effects of remittances sent back home by the migrants.

Materials and Methods

This paper is based on a detailed examination of ten papers published between 2005 to 2023. The studies reviewed employed a variety of methodologies, including structured questionnaires, personal interviews, secondary data analysis and mixed-method approaches. Data sources ranged from primary data collection through surveys and interviews to secondary data obtained from conference papers, academic journals, research articles, books and websites. The reviewed papers cover diverse geographical location within India and abroad, providing a broad perspective on how rural debt and distress spur youth migration from rural Punjab.

Results and Discussion

The table summarizes various research studies focused on migration and socio-economic challenges in Punjab and Tamil Nadu, revealing critical insights into the factors influencing migration, economic distress, and rural development.

Exodus from Rural Punjab: Analyzing its Drivers

This study by Sharma et al. (2023) [12] explores the factors driving migration from rural Punjab, with a specific focus on Jat Sikhs. The findings highlight that unemployment, low income, and social issues such as www.extensionjournal.com corruption and drug abuse are significant motivators for migration. The research suggests that to address these issues, policies should be developed to create job opportunities through agro-processing units and vocational training, thus improving the employability of the rural youth.

Socio-economic and Demographic Analysis of

International Migration from Rural Punjab: Kaur et al. (2021) [8] focus on the socio-economic characteristics of migrants from the Patiala district. The study reveals a youth-centric migration trend, largely influenced by unemployment and aspirations for better living standards. The authors advocate for government initiatives to generate sufficient local employment and combat drug abuse, emphasizing the need to improve the living conditions in Punjab to retain its population.

Indebtedness among Rural Households in Punjab:

An Economic Analysis Toor et al. (2023) [15] assess the debt situation of rural households, finding that medium farm households experience the highest levels of indebtedness. The research suggests enhancing the cooperative sector to provide easier access to agricultural loans, particularly for small and marginal farmers, in order to alleviate their financial burdens and reduce reliance on non-institutional moneylenders.

Economic Distress and Farmer Suicides in Punjab

Gill (2005) [4] examines the interlinked phenomena of economic distress and farmer suicides in Punjab. The study identifies a close relationship between economic hardship, debt, and suicides, pointing out that various socio-economic factors contribute to this crisis. The research calls for immediate compensation for affected families and enhanced educational support in rural areas to break the cycle of poverty and despair.

Primary Data

The study reveals migration to be a youth centric phenomenon, with 96.62% of migrants belonging to the age group of 15 to 45 years. Unemployment, desire for higher remuneration for work and better standard of living, peer pressure an other social issues were the major drivers for migration. A linkage between education and migration is evident by the fact that 43.58% of surveyed migrants migrated just after completing their secondary education. One of the study's positive aspects was that in 92.91% of cases, migration followed a legal channel.

International migration causes

Primary Data

For students without a migration background, the intervention had a lasting positive impact which in comparison, diminished over time for student with a migration background. Regardless of the background, all participants benefitted from the study in the way that after the intervention, there was a flattened development of their depression symptoms. The intervention had a differential effect on self reported grades of students. In the control group, students with a migration background reported significantly worse grades than students without a migration background, probably due to their impaired sense of belonging.

2024, Punjab

The objective of this study is to analyse the socio-economic aspect of migration as well as the push and pull factors that cause this mass movement.

The central plain zone was selected randomly out of the five agroclimatic zones of Punjab. Multistage random cum purposive sampling techniques were used to choose the sample. Two districts, Tarn Taran and Amritsar were selected randomly first. Then two blocks were randomly selected from each district. And then at the third stage, two villages from each block were chosen. Lastly, 120 agricultural households were selected from the selected villages, keeping in mind that at least one family member from each of these households had migrated abroad. Relevant information about expenditure was taken from the migrant's family and their place of origin. Descriptive Statistics was used for this study.

Primary Data

The study revealed a strong linkage between age and migration, with 64% of emigrants who migrated at the age of 21 to 25 years. Also, a linkage between education and migration is evident by the finding that 38% of the youngsters migrated just after completing their secondary education. In this study, primary sampling unit is the selected household. From Tamil Nadu, first a locality was selected, then from it a ward, from which 50 households were selected using systematic random sampling method. Using this method, 400 localities from over 32 districts were selected, keeping in mind choosing the households on the basis of proportion of rural and urban strata, using the Census of 2011. Thus, the total sample size was 20,000 households. The ECR method is used to calculate the total remittances to Tamil Nadu. [2] analyze the push and pull factors associated with migration from Central Punjab. The research underscores the importance of education and employment opportunities in attracting migrants to foreign destinations while identifying socioeconomic distress, including corruption and agricultural decline, as major push factors. The authors recommend creating non-farm employment opportunities and supporting skill development to curb migration.

Primary

Overseas Marriages-The Course of Events from

Marriage till Abandonment: Kaur et al (2013) [6] analyses the various events that take place from the marriage of NRIs with their Punjabi wives to the abandonment of their brides. The study indicates that the parents' want for an 'Indian bahu' is what prompts them to marry an Indian girl. Further the causes behind the abandonment and the impact of the abandonment are discussed. Various changes have been proposed to improve the situation, which include introduction of counselling sessions and empowering women to be economically independent. The research advocates for immediate financial support and policy reforms to improve market conditions and guarantee fair prices for farmers, thus addressing the root causes of economic distress.

Conclusion

Overall, these studies highlight the complex interplay of socio-economic factors influencing migration patterns, indebtedness, and agricultural distress in Punjab and Tamil Nadu. They argue for comprehensive policies to improve rural employment opportunities, support vulnerable groups, and improve education infrastructure to build a more sustainable future for rural communities. Addressing these issues holistically is essential to curb migration and promote socio-economic stability in these regions. Overall, the studies show a strong association between economic distress (characterized primarily by debt and low agricultural profitability) and youth migration. High debt and economic challenges have forced young people to seek better opportunities abroad, creating a cycle of exodus that can deplete the local labor force in Punjab and cause broader socio-economic problems. Recommended policies often focus on improving local economic opportunities, improving education and vocational training, and providing financial assistance to alleviate rural household distress.

Acknowledgement

Acknowledgement I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude and acknowledge Dr. Shalini Sharma, Professor of Sociology and Dr. Lavjit Kaur, Assistant Professor of Sociology of the Department of Economics and Sociology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana for their unwavering support and constant guidance throughout the compilation of this paper. References 1. Agnihotri N. Punjab to abroad: factors, causes and

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