Dalits and Adivasis worst hit by demonetisation in Bundelkhand

Bundelkhand is one of the major hubs of distress migration in the country where migration is mostly undertaken by Dalit and Adivasi communities. Demonetisation has disrupted this migration pattern in two major ways: first, those who had already left to work in cities are coming back to their villages; second, those who were about to leave their village after the sowing season finished have no money to even buy a bus ticket to the city. These two groups of migrants, belonging to the poorest class and to the lowest caste communities in Bundelkhand, are struggling to find employment opportunities, which are already scarce in the region’s agrarian economy.