The story of ‘We, the moving people’, Pg6

Key Highlights:

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) is conducting a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to address issues of repeated entries due to migration.
• Globally, the number of international migrants has nearly doubled from 154 million in 1990 to over 300 million by mid-2024.
• Some developed countries are considering policies for temporary workers without offering pathways to citizenship, similar to practices in GCC countries and Singapore.
• Changes to domicile laws in Jammu and Kashmir in 2020 have allowed non-locals to obtain domicile status, leading to debates about demographic changes.

Detailed Insights:

• The increasing movement of people challenges the traditional link between citizenship and residency, causing political and governance challenges for governments worldwide.
• Nativist populism in Western countries is correlated with the rising proportion of foreign-born residents, with countries like the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia experiencing significant increases.
• Indian government policies encouraging migration to urban areas and specific regions, along with relaxed domicile rules, have implications for regional demographics and access to resources.
• Internal migration within India affects voting rights, as the right to vote is tied to a specific polling booth, and the SIR exercise determines where a citizen can vote, impacting political dynamics.
• Changes in population composition due to migration influence local politics, as seen in Mumbai, where the decline of Marathi speakers has altered the political landscape.
• The concept of birthright citizenship is being questioned, with the Trump administration attempting to overturn the interpretation of the 14th Amendment regarding citizenship for those born in the U.S.
• The upcoming Census 2027, along with the SIR and delimitation exercises, will reveal the extent of population movement and its impact on the redistribution of Lok Sabha representation.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Nativist Populism: Political ideology that prioritizes the interests of native-born inhabitants over those of immigrants.
• Domicile Laws: Regulations that restrict access to education, jobs, and property to residents of a particular state or region.
• Delimitation: The process of redrawing the boundaries of parliamentary or assembly constituencies to reflect changes in population.