Carrier of culture, weapon of politics
‘Let governments rest assured that we as a people have remained beautifully unified through all these times. It is not language that has ever divided us’
July 2025
Kannada gottu: Belonging in Bengaluru
Speaking the local language is a safety net for migrant workers in a linguistically-charged metropolis, but learning it in a classroom is not an option for many
No voice for migrants in Mumbai’s language debate
India’s financial capital has been a migrant magnet for decades and despite rising political tensions around the language ‘outsiders’ speak, ‘Mumbai is still home’, say migrants
Telangana worker’s dead body brought home amid Israel-Iran ceasefire
The Migration Bulletin is a monthly round-up that compiles news and developments pertaining to India’s migrant workforce. In this month’s bulletin, we track the return of a migrant worker’s body from Israel, unseasonal showers washing away wages of brick kiln workers, and more.
Why Dalit migrants are still cleaning sewers in India’s capital
Manual scavenging is banned in India. But many still enter toxic drains to keep the city from flooding.
Bengaluru’s khanavalis: Where migration, memory and meals come together
Khanavalis, humble, family-run eateries serve authentic North Karnataka cuisine in Bengaluru, a metro city built by migrants
Missing the SIR memo
The election commission has issued front-page ads in newspapers and also put out social media posts on the ongoing SIR, but many workers in the national capital are unaware of the revisions owing to poor literacy and poor access to digital platforms
Reader connect: From rising heat to the reality of superfast food deliveries
Founders Roli and Anuradha take up reader questions on the challenges of planning a heat series and the solutions that emerged
The cost of staying on the list
Migrant workers from Bihar are spending weeks’ wages and sacrificing festival visits to ensure their names remain on the electoral rolls amidst the ongoing special intensive revision
When the bulldozer comes knocking
Delhi’s migrants are losing their homes to civic projects planned in areas where informal settlements are located
