The Coromandel incident highlights the dire situation in rural Bengal, where pervasive corruption and lack of job opportunities push people to seek better fortune elsewhere. Despite the risks involved, year after year, the lure of slightly better prospects compels them to board south-bound trains.
https://thewire.in/labour/coromandel-express-bengal-migrants-labour-problem
In recent years, the Coromandel Express, formerly known as the “hospital express” during the 1980s and 1990s due to its popularity among medical patients traveling south, has acquired a new reputation as the “migrant express.”
The agrarian crisis, climate change, and limited employment opportunities under the National Rural Employment Guarantee are compelling people to seek greener pastures. According to migration data from the 2011 Census, using the Place of Last Residence (POLR) approach, it was found that 2.4 million individuals, accounting for 2.6% of West Bengal’s total population of 91.3 million, reported being lifetime outmigrants.
06/06/2023