DALIT MIGRANT WORKERS AND THEIR RIGHT TO THE CITY

Increasing migration is a result of a consequence and a cause of the growth of cities. As such cities are now becoming crucibles of peoples of different socio-cultural and economic backgrounds and origins. Generally, people migrate to cities for various reasons such as possibility of jobs and employment opportunities and freedom from poverty, unemployment, limited job opportunities and the socio-political unrest at the place of origin. However, their life and experiences at the place of destination are usually characterized by various uncertainties, discriminations, and so on, In this context, the paper will try to conceptually locate the “Dalit migrant workers” at the place of destination and their relationship with the city and their claims in terms of rights to the city and also try to understand their negotiations with the urban commons; physical, social, economic, and cultural. The paper will also try to explore what fails the migrant workers to get “recognition” as other city dwellers. And lastly, the paper will also analyze the role of the state apparatus and their policies in providing equal access and recognition of migrant workers in Indian cities. The paper will make use of descriptive method based on secondary sources and field experiences. KEYWORDS: Migration, Dalit migrant workers, right to the city, urban commons