KOHIMA — It is more than 15 years that Chotalal has been working in Nagaland in the construction sector to earn a livelihood and support his family.
He said not only work opportunities are more but also the working environment is better here than in his home state Bihar.
There are many like Chotalal who see Nagaland as a good place to make a living with ample works.
"We get work there (in Bihar) but we get lesser amount of work, plus there are a lot of workers. But out here in Nagaland, there are plenty of work opportunities," the migrant worker told Eastern Mirror.
He added that he would like to stay in Nagaland as long as work opportunities are available.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]"I have friends from Bihar working here, so I came here through them in 2006", he said on how he landed up in Nagaland.
The 44-year-old worker earns around INR 15,000 to INR 16,000 per month and most of the money he sends to his native home in Bihar, for the education of his four children and household management.
Life after accident
During the lockdown in 2020, he went back home where he met with a major accident, which incapacitated him from working for a year.
He fell off from a beam, breaking his leg and left hand. The accident costs him dearly in terms of finance as he ended up spending over INR 8 lakh for treatment, Chotalal said.
His left arm is now fully supported by metal, so he still cannot lift heavy things. But he back into work to recover the money spent on his health.
"I don't know any occupation other than construction work," he said, adding that he had been in this profession all his life.
Rajender, also from Bihar, who is in-charge of a group of construction workers including Chotalal, said that he has been working in Nagaland for 30 years now.
“Since when we are young, we started working here. So our work setting is here and even if we go to other places, we will have to work in a new setting which becomes challenging,” he shared.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]Currently, he is in-charge of a building construction in Kohima with about five workers under him. He said their earnings range from INR 500 to INR 800 per day, from which their ration is deducted.
Adjusting to makeshift living condition
Pointing to a dilapidated makeshift house, Rajender said,"enika hi buhi aseh" (we are staying like that).
"We will clean up the under-construction building and shift there because we don't know when this house (temporary structure) will collapse," he said.
Most of the workers do not stay in a rented place; they adjust with whatever accommodation is provided to them.
“About five of the workers from Bihar and Assam are staying at the construction site, sharing the same room. They cook and eat together here,” he said.
They keep all their belongings in a room provided by the owner for free. Munna, also from Bihar, said he has been working in Nagaland for 15 years. Like Chotalal, he also came to Nagaland searching for work through his friends.
"We came here to earn money. We have work opportunities back home too but we came here," he said, adding he prefers working in Nagaland.
Munna earns about INR 700 per day and sends home INR 12000 to INR 15000 every month for his four children and wife. He uses the remaining money for his own expenses.
Ashihan from Assam, who joined the construction sector two months ago, said that he is the sole bread winner for the family. He earns around INR 400 to 500 per day and sends home most of his earnings.
How migrant workers gets work: Local perspective
A Kohima-based local construction worker, who has been in the sector for over 10 years, told this newspaper that the house owners and contractors trust the non-locals more than the locals. This is why even if locals can do the construction work, they allot the work to non-locals, he claimed.
"Local workers like us are made to do all the hard and heavy work, and when the job gets easier, it is given to the non-locals," he added.
This is one of the main reasons why a lot of local workers are not getting work though there are lots of work opportunities, he continued.
Another local construction worker said that migrant workers come to Nagaland and take their earnings back to their states. In addition, the experienced construction workers from outside the state demand higher wages.
"Our own people have more trust in non-locals than the locals, which is why there are fewer construction workers from the state," he said.
However, he said awareness on dignity of labour is beginning to make an impact among the masses and Nagas are also now realising the need to promote local workers, especially in the construction sector.
(This is the second in a series of stories taken up as part of the KPC-NBOCWWB Media Fellowship 2023)