An Analysis of Out-Migration and It's Socio-Economic Impacts: A Study of Chongtong Tea Estate in Darjeeling Hills of West Bengal

This paper looks into the issue of out-migration from Darjeeling hills particularly from tea garden area in the northern hills of West Bengal.The 2011 Census of India, clearly highlights the fastgrowing rate of out-migration from the region.Studies have indicated several reasons such as aging of tea bushes, low productivity, decreased value of Darjeeling tea in the global market, political instability, poor wages, among other factors resulting in uncertainty of tea industry.People hailing from different parts of the region including towns, rural areas, tea garden, are all rapidly migrating to major Indian towns and cities as well as to other nations mainly for employment purpose.In order to study the growing case of out-migration primary data was collected from Chongtong tea garden, one of the major tea gardens in Darjeeling hills.Several field visits were conducted in the study area, the migrant respondents were identified using purposive and snow-ball sampling techniques.The first-hand data was gathered from them through face to face and telephonic interviews.The study concludes that out-migration in the region is not generally out of ambition, willingness or a voluntary act but due to compulsion emanating from various socio-economic reasons.Migration does help in fulfilling their economic aspirations but at the same time it also has an adverse ramification on their socio-cultural domains.