Women’s organic farms mitigate Jharkhand’s migrant issue
India was caught in a seismic shift in 2020 — a pandemic and an unprecedented lockdown that brought a sprawling landscape to a grinding halt. Everyone hunkered down and millions of migrant workers were stranded in big cities without jobs, food and shelter. Fearing starvation, whole families packed their pots, pans and blankets into rucksacks and, balancing children on their shoulders, started walking home along highways.
Among those who took the journey home were farmers from Jharkhand, who have been migrating to other states for seasonal work between the Kharif and Rabi harvests every year. According to government data, more than 500,000 people from Jharkhand migrate as labourers annually, but this figure is believed to be much higher.