If you don’t look at it, the problem does not exist. Like an ostrich, both the Administration and the Government of India bury their heads in sand whenever somebody mentions the word ‘influx’. Nobody seems to be bothered about the far reaching consequences of unbridled flow of economic migrants from every part of India as well as the neighbouring countries (another story!) vitiating the peace and harmony of the territory apart from stretching its material resources to the limit.
Influx and Inner Line Permits are still Greek to many in Andaman and Nicobar Administration. The Islands have suffered tremendously under the pressure of the ever increasing inflow of population to these fragile Islands. Since 1960s, there has been an average increase of one lakh population in every decade, though not recorded officially. In contrast to the official figures, the total population has exceeded the five lakh figure long back.
The A&N Administration speaks with two tongues on the subject. In the Home Minister’s Advisory Committee meeting held in 2007, the Chief Secretary Shumsher K Sherrif had stated that “as per the Census figures, rate of growth of population in the islands had reduced sharply in the last three decades” and that the survey to assess the number of migrants who had settled in the islands was “…expected to open up number of social issues”. The Members of the Home Minister’s Advisory Committee from these islands, all of them, political activists including the MP, were mute spectators in the meeting. The Home Ministry does not seem to consider influx a serious issue and the Inner Line Permit Regulation might not ever see the light of the day. Without any regulation in place, how they could stop people from coming here, complained a senior police officer.
The major cause of influx has been always developmental work and development is synonymous with concrete construction. APWD was the only construction agency till the 80s and it had permanent labourers for departmental work. Things started changing with the gradual transition from departmental work to private contractors. They required labourers who were not locally available. Tamil Nadu had been the largest supplier of labourers for three decades. The flow started in 70s and 80s. Initially, most of them were doing menial jobs and a little bit of agriculture. Their hard work paid off and they graduated to contractors and started hiring more labourers from mainland.
Today, they control the economy of the Islands. Their contribution cannot be ignored. But, the Island had added another layer of population to the existing one.
Booming economy, rise in general level of prosperity and easy flow of funds spurred the private construction activities. People started raising concrete building replacing the old timber structures. It had become the fashion as well as a symbol of prosperity and status. Skilled labourers were required to undertake such massive constructions.
The Tamilians, who had already turned contractors had established themselves and enlisted in all agencies including APWD, CPWD, AHW and MES. Their hands were full. Private construction work also required labourers. Very few Bengali contractors with their own labourers had entered the scene. They were not enlisted. They became sub-contractors for the major firms. They had dedicated labourers brought from 24-Parganas District of West Bengal, where they were either sharecroppers or labourers working for a paltry sum of Rs 30 for eight hours of hard work. Andaman turned out to be labourers’ paradise. They were paid not less than Rs 100.
Word spread like wildfire in the poorest of poor districts and the floodgates opened. More labourers joined them. From just a figure of 100 labourers in 80s, the number crossed many thousands in a few years. All the masons and carpenters, who were once Tamilians, were replaced en masse by the Bengalis.
The Bengali labourers had a clear hierarchy among them. Each group had a mason, a carpenter, a semi-mason and a group of unskilled labourers. They slowly rose among the ranks. Masons became contractors, semi masons became masons. Hardworking labourers learnt the skill and started looking for job outside their group. Rivalries too started. A few murder cases were also reported in Port Blair. Gradually, the number of contractors began to rise. They also required labourers and the vicious circle continued. As the pressure in Port Blair increased, they spread to the adjoining areas of South Andaman.
Tsunami changed the entire scenario. It had not only taken a heavy toll of human lives but also destroyed the basic infrastructure in an unprecedented manner. The damage was colossal from Little Andaman to Campbell Bay. Jetties, roads, buildings, water supply system, power houses, transmission lines, nothing was spared. It required reconstruction. It was a windfall for these groups. Contractors flocked to mainland to get labourers. In every voyage from Kolkata, the ships brought approximately 400 to 600 labourers. Contractors were forced to airlift the labourers at tremendous cost. Most of them were sent to the Southern group where constructions of permanent shelters were in full swing.
The established Bengali contractors who begun their sojourn in the Islands twenty years back are well-settled now.
These migrants, over two lakh by conservative estimates, do not exist in official figures. The planning process does not provide for them but they draw their sustenance from the same society. The policymakers need to consider these migrants too while formulating any policy or programme, or there will be severe resource crunch, that the islands face today. The resources available in the Islands are for the 3,56,152 persons only as per 2001 census. But the beneficiaries exceed the figure by another two lakhs. The resources are shared among them, whether it is shipping, transport, power or water. They are a burden. We can either provide all subsidised services to them or stop more of such kind entering the Islands. It all depends whether we are serious containing the menace or wait till the problem explodes on our faces with all its ferocity.