The Migrant as Citizen
For many years I lived as a
temporary resident in a small American suburban town. Within the short ambit of
my home there, I had easy access to recreation, sport and cultural activities –
a basketball court, a pool, a public library, a neighbourhood park, health
services, museums and galleries. In every way my temporary stay had all the
amenities accorded to any permanent resident. Other than voting rights, I was
part of the local community.
One of the real problems of the Indian city is
that the migrant is never made to feel like a citizen. When the citizen himself
doesn’t feel like a citizen, this is but expected. For everyone – the affluent,
the middle class, and the labourer, the city’s scattered facilities and erratic
social services provide no respite from daily drudgery and despair. Urban life
is a battle for survival. Of course, over a long period, the resident learns to
fend for himself or herself, and work out a reasonable routine. For migrants
though, things are more difficult. Confined to illegal settlements – under
flyovers, and on temporary building sites – they live with constant fear of
eviction. For most, there is no future beyond the period of construction or
other short-term employment.
Read more :- The Migrant as Citizen
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