APJEM
Arth Prabhand: A Journal of Economics and Management
Vol.2 Issue 5 May 2013, ISSN 2278-0629
A STUDY ON FACTORS INFLUENCING THE URBAN MIGRANTS TO
RE MIGRATE TO RURAL WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO
KANCHEEPURAM TALUK
DR. K. S. MEENAKSHISUNDARAM*; DR. N. PANCHANATHAM**
*Professor & Director,
SCSVMV University,
Enathur, Kancheepuram, India.
**Professor & Head,
Department of Business Administration,
Annamalai University, Chidambaram, India.
ABSTRACT
Migration from urban to rural area is common. Migration of agricultural labourers has been
observed recently in a huge way due to many factors like poor wages, lack of continuous work,
due natural calamities, lack of proper marketing, exposure due to more urban contact, more mass
media exposure, lack of infrastructure facilities, and due to family commitments. Even though
migrants have moved to urban they are also having an idea to come back to villages after
finishing their commitments and also due to many reasons. A research has been carried out to
find out the possible reasons for their re migration by using a scale constructed for this purpose.
The results reveal that twenty five factors studied has been grouped in to seven factors.
KEYWORDS: Rural Urban Migration, Migrants, Agricultural Labourers, Re-migration.
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INTRODUCTION
Agriculture still remains to the dominant sector employing majority of labour force (Mutharasan,
2007). Migration is the movement of individuals from places where opportunities are limited to
the other areas of higher prosperity. Labourers from rural areas move to urban areas with a hope
of getting better wages and to have better standard of living. This is not an exception to
agricultural labourers who also migrate for better wages and to get better standard of living.
Proximity to towns is noted as a critical determinant fuelling out migration decisions of farmers
(Sharma and Bhaduri 2005).It has been pointed out that non- farm income has stabilized impact
on the farmers household economy (kimhi and Bollman (1999) and kimhi (2000), Goetz and
Debertin (2001). The common response of farmers to their occupational problem is to migrate to
urban areas and involve in nonfarm occupations which provides higher earnings (Anamica,
2010). Lack of rural employment, fragmentation of land holdings and decline in agriculture
create problem for rural people engaged in agriculture. Many migrate from rural to urban areas
due to push and pull factors. Agricultural labourers migrate to urban areas due to many issues
related farming .The rapid industrialisation and transport facilities offered by the employers to
pick up labourers from their villages would have also motivated agricultural labourers (migrants)
to migrate to urban areas. Even though migration of agricultural labourers have taken place it is
APJEM
Arth Prabhand: A Journal of Economics and Management
Vol.2 Issue 5 May 2013, ISSN 2278-0629
necessary to know whether the migrated agricultural labourers have a plan to re migrate back to
rural areas. Hence a research was conducted with the migrants who have migrated to urban areas.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Anamica (2010) stated about half (44.00%) of the respondents did have an idea to re migrate to
home place within 5 to 10 years, followed by one-third (33.00%) with an idea to move
permanently to their home after 10 years and 23.00 per cent of the respondents revealed the idea
of remigration within 5 years.
METHODOLOGY
Out of thirty districts one district Kancheepuram was selected in first stage. In the second stage
one taluk Kancheepuram was selected among the thirteen taluks and in third stage two blocks
Kancheepuram and Walajabad were selected. From each selected block three villages were
selected in the fourth stage. At last, in the fifth stage 270 migrants were selected by simple
random sampling from each selected village.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
To find out the possibility of remigration of migrants from urban to rural area if is necessary to
find out the factors responsible for remigration of migrants. A scale was developed for the study
and a factor analysis was done with 25 variables to find out the major reasons for remigration of
migrants. The details are given in Table
FACTOR ANALYSIS
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TOTAL VARIANCE EXPLAINED BY INITIAL EIGEN VALUES
Initial eigen values
Percentage
Total
variance
1
7.394
29.575
2
3.968
15.871
3
3.924
15.695
4
2.828
11.313
5
1.904
7.614
6
1.402
5.608
7
1.125
4.501
Extraction method: Principal component analysis.
Component
of
Cumulative Percentage
29.575
45.447
61.142
72.455
80.069
85.678
90.179
APJEM
Arth Prabhand: A Journal of Economics and Management
Vol.2 Issue 5 May 2013, ISSN 2278-0629
VARIMAX ROTATED FACTOR LOADING MATRIX
TABLE 4.107 CONTINUED FACTORS OF MIGRANTS RESPONSIBLE FOR
REMIGRATION TO RURAL AREAS (N=270)
Sl.
No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
41
7
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8
9
10
11
12
13
Factors
Remigration
for
F1
No peaceful living
(X1)
Enjoy the village
life again(X2)
To enjoy doing the
agricultural work
since the present
work is not selfsatisfied and found
boring. (X3)
To get rid of urban
pollution.(X4)
Affinity
towards
own
family
profession in the
village. (X5)
No Social respect in
Urban (X6)
Unable
to
accommodate the
Urban culture (X7)
To take care of
parents
in
the
village (X8)
Home
sickness
(X9)
Because of high
level of crimes in
urban (X10)
Urban culture is
immoral (X11)
Make my kids to
love native village
(X12)
Low cost
(X13)
Factor loadings
living
F2
F3
F4
F5
F6
0.758
0.816
Communalities
F7
(h2)
0.68 0.928
4
0.991
0.954
0.901
0.945
0.542
0.983
0.69 0.987
3
0.984
0.906
0.702
0.994
0.747
0.982
0.591
0.743
0.597
0.948
0.566
0.870
0.657
0.732
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Arth Prabhand: A Journal of Economics and Management
Vol.2 Issue 5 May 2013, ISSN 2278-0629
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
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25
Due to communal
feelings in urban
areas (X14)
To get rid of Noise
pollution (X15)
Over
Crowding
(X16)
Lack of Access to
Clean Water (X17)
Lack of
Proper
Sanitation (X18)
High Risk of Food
Insecurity
(Huge
cost, Shortage of
Food) (X19)
Urban
Violence
(X20)
Mental Stress &
Tension (X21)
Loneliness (X22)
Ultra- Modern way
of Life (X23)
Heavy
Traffic
(X24)
No close cordial
Movement
with
neighbours since no
knowledge due to
mechanical life of
urban area. (X25)
Percentage
of 22.127 13.130
variance explained
Percentage
of 22.127 35.257
cumulative
variance explained
0.5
30
0.967
0.561
0.832
0.650
0.911
0.495
0.777
0.467
0.695
0.641
0.894
0.640
0.977
0.4
61
0.6
59
0.912
0.919
0.528
0.804
0.514
0.939
0.5
76
12.66
1
47.91
8
11.
984
59.
902
11.534
9.388
71.436
80.82
4
0.875
9.3
55
90.
179
Source: Primary Data
As evident from Table it may be seen that, 7 factors extracted together account for 90per
cent of total variance. Hence the number of variables has been reduced from 25 to 7 underlying
factors.
Variables X2- Enjoy the village life again loaded as (0.758), X3- To enjoy doing the
agricultural work since the present work is not self-satisfied and found boring. (0.816), X7-
APJEM
Arth Prabhand: A Journal of Economics and Management
Vol.2 Issue 5 May 2013, ISSN 2278-0629
Unable to accommodate the urban culture (0.906), X12- Make my kids to love native village
(0.566) on factor 1. Thus factor 1 can be named as“Personal Factors”.
As for factor 2, it is evident that X9- Home sickness, has the highest load of 0.747, X8To take care of parents in the village, loaded as 0.702 and X5-Affinity towards own family
profession in the village (0.542), this factor can be termed as “Family Factors”.
Variables X4- To get rid of urban pollution loaded as (0.901), X15-To get rid of noise
pollution (0.561), X16-Over Crowding (0.650) X17- Lack of access to clean water (0.495) and
X18- Lack of proper sanitation (0.467) and X 24- Heavy Traffic (0.514) on factor 3. Thus factor
3 can be named as Environmental Factors”.
Variables X21- Mental Stress and Tension loaded as (0.461) and X22-Loneliness (0.659)
on factor 4. Thus factor 4 can be named as “Health Factors”.
As for factor 5, it is evident that X20-Urban Violence has the highest load of 0.640, X11Urban Culture is Immoral be loaded as 0.597 and X10- Because of high level of crimes in urban
be loaded as 0.591, this factor can be termed as “Moral Value Factors”.
Variables X13- Low cost Living loaded as (0.659), X19-High risk of food insecurity
(huge cost, shortage of food) (0.641), and X23-Ultra modern way of life (0.528) on factor 6.
Thus factor 6 can be named as “Economic Factors”.
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As for factor 7, it is evident that X6-No social respect in urban has the highest load of
0.597, X1-No peaceful living be loaded as 0.591, X25-No close cordial movement with
neighbours since no knowledge due to mechanical life of urban area be loaded as 0.576 and X14Due to communal feelings in urban areas be loaded as 0.530 this factor can be termed as “Social
Factors”.
From the perusal of the personal factors, migrants revealed that they wanted to enjoy the
village life again and they need to continue to work in the agricultural lands, since their present
occupation is not satisfied for them. Further, they are not able to accommodate to the urban
culture and they again wanted to enjoy and make their kids to love their village. Considering
the factors discussed it becomes absolutely essential to make the agricultural activities still more
interesting, simple, and rewarding. Further, the occupation should have to be continuous so as to
attract the migrated agricultural labourers to re migrate to rural areas.
On perusal of family factors, it may be seen that migrants need to re migrate to rural areas
due the fact they had affinity towards their family profession and also to take care of their
parents. Hence this clearly indicates that villagers whatever distance they migrate they have an
idea to remigrate again to their places and interested do their known profession in which they are
familiar and stronger.
Perusal of environmental factors, it may be seen that migrants wanted to re migrate in
order to get rid of urban area from noise, pollution ,over crowing ,lack of clean water, improper
APJEM
Arth Prabhand: A Journal of Economics and Management
Vol.2 Issue 5 May 2013, ISSN 2278-0629
sanitation and to avoid heavy traffic. All the mentioned problems of urban areas could be
avoided if they stay in rural areas.
Regarding health factors, migrants in urban areaswere subjected to mental tension since
they feel that are away from their kith and kin and they are alone They love to stay again in rural
setup which could avoid their mental problems.
Analysis of moral value factors, it could be seen that due to immoral culture and due to
high crime rate in urban areas coupled with urban violence migrants wanted to re migrate to
villages in order to have safe and morale life in rural areas.
The economic factors like the motive to have cheaper life in village the migrants wanted
to re migrate. The factors like ultra-modern life are huge cost coupled with shortage in getting
food materials made them to plan to re migrate to rural areas. By remigration they can be able to
secure their food items comparatively at a lower cost than the urban areas.
Regarding social factors, migrants wanted to have peaceful living with respect and to
avoid the communal feelings which are more in urban areas. More over the mechanical life
prevalent in cites not even knowing the neighbours also made them to plan to re migrate to rural
areas.
CONCLUSION
Migration of agricultural labourers has taken due to many reasons and the migrants are willing to
re migrate to their villages and engage in farm operations.
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The migrants wanted to remigrate to villages to lead a cheaper life. The factors like ultramodern life and huge cost coupled with shortage in getting food materials made them to plan to
remigrate to rural areas.
By re-migration they can be able to secure their food items comparatively at a lower cost
when compared with that of urban areas. Hence all these factors have to be considered and
planning must be effectively done for re-migration.It is a welcome measure to introduce welfare
schemes for the rural people by Government, Private, Public and corporates since it is not
possible to cover the beneficiaries by Government alone.
REFERENCES
1. Anamica, M. 2010. “Migration Behaviour of Dry Land Farmers-An Expost Facto Study”
(UNPUBLISHED M.Sc.(Ag) Thesis–Department of Agricultural Extension & Rural
Sociology,TNAU,Coimbatore)
2. Goetz, S. J. and Debertin, D. L. 2001. Why Farmers Quit: A country level Analysis.
American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 83(4)
3. Kimhi, A. 2000. Is part-time farming really a way out of agriculture. American Journal of
Agricultural Economics, 82(1).
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Arth Prabhand: A Journal of Economics and Management
Vol.2 Issue 5 May 2013, ISSN 2278-0629
4. Kimhi, A. and Bollman, R. 1999. Family farm dynamics in Canada and Israel: The case of
farm exits. Agricultural Economics, 21(1).
5. Mutharasan, R .2007. “Lack of Jobs Forces Farm Labours into Beggary,” The Hindu,
130(206): 3.
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6. Sharma, A. and Bhaduri, A. 2005. The tipping point in Indian Agriculture. Available at:
www.nrlp.org/Docs/DReports/phase_01/07%20Indian%20agriculture-Migration%20sharma%20et%20al.pdf