KOLKATA: Bengal sends the fourth-highest number of migrants to Jammu & Kashmir overall, and the second-highest to the state for the specific purpose of marriage, recently released census data show.
In terms of total migrant movement to J&K, the eastern state comes only after Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar; for marriage, it’s only after Punjab.
The Census 2011 migration data show that 43,938 people from Punjab, 20,190 from Uttar Pradesh, 13,200 from Bihar and 10,164 from Bengal migrated to J&K. For marriage, 23,773 people migrated to J&K from Punjab, followed by Bengal’s 5,196, which works out to a shade over 51% of the total figure.
Of the total ‘wedding migrants’, an overwhelming majority (5,114, or 98.4%) were women, and only 82 were men. Interestingly, women from urban Bengal were more likely to migrate to J&K to get married, rather than those from rural areas, the data indicate.
“The high migration numbers from Bengal to J&K are surprising,” said economist Abhiroop Sarkar, a state planning board member. “Among the primary factors, I believe is that Bengal has a much better sex ratio than J&K. The other factor, I believe, is that an average urban Bengali Muslim, who speaks Urdu and is educated, will find no difficulty in adjusting to the socio-cultural milieu of J&K.”
‘Work-related migration is seasonal’
Meena Kak, the principal of Lakshmipath Singhania Academy, also stressed on the gender ratio mismatch to explain the marriage migration figure. “In a region rocked by intense volatility and tensions, such a migration from Bengal does appear surprising. Given the backdrop, for an average Kashmiri man, finding a bride in their state would be much harder than finding one outside the state,” she said.
There is another factor at work. “Bengal has very deep-rooted links with Kashmir,” said political analyst Biswanath Chakraborty. “Malda has traditional links with Kashmir over silk trade. From late September, for example, in the apple harvest season, a lot of labourers from Bengal travel to J&K for work. These links over the years have also translated to marriage... I would like to infer that this marriage migration is more among Muslims.”
While 51.1% of the total migration from Bengal to J&K is for marriage, around 1,334 people travelled there for work, 112 to set up businesses and 87 for education. The remaining cited other reasons. “The work-related migration to J&K is a seasonal migration, and these people choose not to stay there for long,” he added.
Migrants from Bengal were most likely to settle in the urban patches of Jammu, Srinagar, Udhampur, Kathua, Sophore and Baramullah.
In terms of total migrant movement to J&K, the eastern state comes only after Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar; for marriage, it’s only after Punjab.
The Census 2011 migration data show that 43,938 people from Punjab, 20,190 from Uttar Pradesh, 13,200 from Bihar and 10,164 from Bengal migrated to J&K. For marriage, 23,773 people migrated to J&K from Punjab, followed by Bengal’s 5,196, which works out to a shade over 51% of the total figure.
Of the total ‘wedding migrants’, an overwhelming majority (5,114, or 98.4%) were women, and only 82 were men. Interestingly, women from urban Bengal were more likely to migrate to J&K to get married, rather than those from rural areas, the data indicate.
“The high migration numbers from Bengal to J&K are surprising,” said economist Abhiroop Sarkar, a state planning board member. “Among the primary factors, I believe is that Bengal has a much better sex ratio than J&K. The other factor, I believe, is that an average urban Bengali Muslim, who speaks Urdu and is educated, will find no difficulty in adjusting to the socio-cultural milieu of J&K.”
‘Work-related migration is seasonal’
Meena Kak, the principal of Lakshmipath Singhania Academy, also stressed on the gender ratio mismatch to explain the marriage migration figure. “In a region rocked by intense volatility and tensions, such a migration from Bengal does appear surprising. Given the backdrop, for an average Kashmiri man, finding a bride in their state would be much harder than finding one outside the state,” she said.
There is another factor at work. “Bengal has very deep-rooted links with Kashmir,” said political analyst Biswanath Chakraborty. “Malda has traditional links with Kashmir over silk trade. From late September, for example, in the apple harvest season, a lot of labourers from Bengal travel to J&K for work. These links over the years have also translated to marriage... I would like to infer that this marriage migration is more among Muslims.”
While 51.1% of the total migration from Bengal to J&K is for marriage, around 1,334 people travelled there for work, 112 to set up businesses and 87 for education. The remaining cited other reasons. “The work-related migration to J&K is a seasonal migration, and these people choose not to stay there for long,” he added.
Migrants from Bengal were most likely to settle in the urban patches of Jammu, Srinagar, Udhampur, Kathua, Sophore and Baramullah.
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