By Dr. Sawraj Singh
Migration had very different effects on Kerala and Punjab, we can say even opposite effects. Whereas, migration is playing a big role in pushing Punjab toward intellectual, social, moral and cultural bankruptcy, in Kerala it had opposite effect. It has helped Kerala become the most developed state in India. Whereas, migration from Punjab is chaotic almost anarchic, lacking any planning and is devoid of any consideration for the long term effects on Punjab, migration from Kerala takes in to consideration its long term effects on the state.
The present large scale migration from Punjab started in the seventies and continues to grow. In the seventies, Punjab was leading India in development and economy. However, as the migration increased, Punjab started falling behind the other states. If we plot two graphs, one of the migration and the other about Punjab’s decline in the fields of development and economics, then a clear correlation can be seen. It becomes clear that migration has proved to be more of a curse than a boon for Punjab. However, for Kerala, it had exactly the opposite effect. Overall, it has helped Kerala become the most developed state in India with the highest per capita income. We have to go to Kerala and see how Kerala has left rest of India far behind in development.
Why for one state migration has proved to be a boon but be a curse for the other state? To answer this question we have to closely observe and try to understand the phenomenon of migration in both the states. Migration from Punjab is chaotic and anarchic without any long term planning and without any consideration for the interests of the state. At present the largest group migrating out of Punjab is the students who have just completed 10+2 (high school).
Hundreds of thousands of these students are migrating to the other countries, particularly to Canada after passing the IELTS test. It is estimated that to send one student abroad about 40 lakh rupees are spent. It is said that these students are going abroad for higher studies. However, everybody knows that they are going there for permanent settlement. They are only using higher education as an excuse for migration. Before, Punjabi youth used marriage as a vehicle for migration. As a result of this marriage, our most sacred institution suffered such a degeneration that is probably unmatched and unprecedented in the whole world.
Now, we are doing the same to the higher education. Education is highly revered in the Indian society. In the beginning the caste system was not based on birth but on the orientation and qualities of a person. At that time people with intellectual orientation and Sato Gun quality were called the Brahmins. Brahmin meant a scholar and a teacher. People with martial orientation and Rajo Gun quality were called the Kashatries. They were the soldiers and the kings. The Indian society is the only society in the world which put scholars above kings. Brahmins were placed higher than Kashatries.
Higher education is suffering from the same fate like the institution of marriage has suffered. A vast majority of these students who are going to get higher education are either not going to get any decent education or they will end up in jobs which do not require their higher education. It is estimated by some that in Canada, about 90% of these students fall in these categories. Many will end in the fake or substandard institutions. Even after finishing their education many will be doing jobs which do not require the education they received. They become truck drivers, taxi drivers, workers in the gas stations (petrol pumps) and security guards or get cleaning and janitorial jobs or work in pizza places. One thing is certain that none of these students is coming back to Punjab. Punjab is losing thousands of crores of rupees on their education from which it is never going to get any benefit.
As opposed to this migration from Kerala is well planned and organized. There are mainly two types of people migrating from Kerala, the nurses and the workers. These nurses are fully qualified and are sought after all over the world because there is a shortage of nurses in many countries in the world. Unlike the Punjabi students, they will be doing what they are trained to do. Many of these nurses help their relatives and friends in Kerala to get the nursing training. Workers from Kerala mostly go to the Middle East countries. They go for short time and return to Kerala after earning the money. In both the cases there is net inflow of capital into Kerala as opposed to Punjab where there is a huge outflow of capital.
Kerala workers have built a bridge between Kerala and the Middle Eastern countries. Kerala probably is the only state in India where there is visible investment from the Middle East. The strict environmental laws in Kerala have made Kerala one of the greenest places in India. This attracts tourists from all over India and even from the Middle East. Tourism is also contributing to the already robust economy of Kerala. When you are in the coastal area of Kerala you feel like you could be in North America or in Europe. Punjabis should visit Kerala to see the level of development there. We can also learn from their model of development.
Dr. Sawraj Singh, MD F.I.C.S. is the Chairman of the Washington State Network for Human Rights and Chairman of the Central Washington Coalition for Social Justice. He can be reached at [email protected].
