Seasonal migrant workers have been termed as___________.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Footloose labourers
Option (3) Footloose labourers — Correct. Men from drought-prone and less productive regions migrate out periodically in search of work, to farms in Punjab and Haryana, brick kilns in U.P. or construction sites in cities. Jan Breman termed these migrant workers ‘footloose labour’, though the term does not imply freedom: they have few rights and are often not paid the minimum wage.
NCERT (2025-26): “4.5 Circulation of Labour … As a livelihood strategy, men migrate out periodically in search of work and better wages, while women and children are often left behind in their villages with elderly grandparents. Migrant workers come mainly from drought-prone and less productive regions, and they go to work for part of the year on farms in Punjab and Haryana, or on brick kilns in U.P., or construction sites in cities such as New Delhi or Bangalore. These migrant workers have been termed ‘footloose labour’ by Jan Breman, but this does not imply freedom. Breman’s (1985) study shows, to the contrary, that landless workers do not have many rights, for instance, they are usually not paid the minimum wage.…” |