Youtor
Displaced Dreams – West Bengals Unemployment Crisis
>> YOUR LINK HERE: ___ http://youtube.com/watch?v=JQucnpZT2xc
By Shefali Khan • Amal, 27, is a migrant worker from West Bengal’s Purulia district who was forced to leave his village due to a lack of local job opportunities. The recent halt in funding for schemes like MGNREGA in this state has worsened his struggles, pushing him to migrate to different states in search of work. Leaving behind his wife and ailing mother, Amal’s story reflects the harsh realities faced by rural workers dealing with unemployment, migration and the collapse of social safety nets. • Unemployment in West Bengal has deep-rooted structural causes linked to industrial stagnation, a weak manufacturing sector and an over-reliance on agriculture. While the state has a large working-age population, the lack of industrial expansion has limited employment opportunities, particularly in formal sectors. • Many large industries, including jute and tea, have struggled due to outdated infrastructure, declining demand and inconsistent policies. The rise of an informal economy, with most workers engaged in low-paying and unregulated jobs, has further contributed to economic insecurity. • The service sector has grown, but it has not been able to absorb the large workforce displaced from traditional industries. Coupled with limited private investment, inadequate skilling programs and bureaucratic hurdles, these factors have resulted in sustained joblessness and large-scale migration of workers. • West Bengal’s economic challenges could also be tied to its political history. • The state was ruled by communist parties for over three decades, during which policies prioritised land reforms, workers’ rights and agricultural cooperatives. While these measures improved land ownership patterns and strengthened rural labour rights, they also led to a decline in large-scale private industrial investments. • Trade unionism, which was strongly encouraged, gave workers greater bargaining power but also made businesses wary of investing due to frequent strikes and labour disputes. Several industries, including engineering and manufacturing, either shut down or relocated to other states where labour policies were perceived as more business-friendly. • Although the state’s political leadership has changed, the long-term effects of these policies, including an aversion to private sector-led growth, continue to shape the job market today. • NOTE: At 10:38 and 10:48, Bankura was mistakenly written as Bokaro. Apologies for the error.
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