Co esponding au ho : Shyamsunda Hem om
Copy igh © 2025 Au ho (s) e ain he copy igh o his a icle. This a icle is published unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion Liscense 4.0.
Labou mig a ion in luences occupa ional pa e ns and he use o ag icul u al ools:
A case s udy o San al ibe Mayu bhanj dis ic , Odisha
Shyamsunda Hem om 1, * and Su yakan a Behe a 2
1 Depa men o Poli ical Science, Ra enshaw Uni e si y, Cu ack-753003, Odisha, India.
2 School o Educa ion, Regional Cen e Bhubaneswa , IGNOU, Delhi, India.
Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 27(02), 1437-1441
Publica ion his o y: Recei ed on 10 July 2025; e ised on 17 Augus 2025; accep ed on 19 Augus 2025
A icle DOI: h ps://doi.o g/10.30574/wja .2025.27.2.3000
Abs ac
This pape aims o s udy he e ec s o Mig a ion on he ans o ma ion o li elihoods o he people o he San hal ibe
in he Mayu bhanj Dis ic o Odisha. Eme ging as one o he main Socio - Economic ac ions o he majo i y o people
h oughou he wo ld, Mig a ion has e ec i ely led o he p og ession o economic dependencies om adi ional
ag icul u al ac i i ies o mo e mode n ac i i ies. This s udy g ounded in he Dis ic o Mayu bhanj examines i e blocks
wi h majo i y San al popula ion and he e ec o mig a ion on hei occupa ional pa e ns. The indings indica e a shi
om ag icul u e owa ds mo e mode n me hods o occupa ion such as ade, sel employmen , se ice indus ies and
poli ical en u es. Ano he ocus o his s udy has been o ind ou he shi in amoun o echnological usage in
Ag icul u al p ocesses pos mig a ion in hei espec i e blocks. The indings indica e an inc ease in he amoun o
echnology used in ag icul u al p ac ices a e people om he block mig a ed o o he places in sea ch o oppo uni ies
and b ough back new p ac ices and echnologies om ci ies and owns.
Keywo d: San al T ibe;Labou Mig a ion; Ag icul u e; Occupa ion; Technologies
1. In oduc ion
Labou mig a ion has become a de ining ea u e o socio-economic change in many egions, especially in u al and
ag a ian socie ies. The mo emen o indi iduals o amilies in sea ch o be e employmen oppo uni ies o en leads o
a shi in adi ional occupa ional pa e ns. As people mig a e, hey may mo e away om a ming-based li elihoods and
adop new skills sui ed o u ban o indus ial en i onmen s. This ansi ion no only al e s he wo k o ce composi ion
in hei na i e illages bu also impac s ag icul u al p ac ices. The educed a ailabili y o ag icul u al labou o ces
communi ies o adap by modi ying a ming me hods and elying mo e on mode n ools and echnologies.
Unde s anding he ela ionship be ween labou mig a ion, occupa ional change, and he use o ag icul u al ools is
essen ial o assess he b oade implica ions o u al de elopmen and ood secu i y.
Hemb am, and T ipa hy [8] Socio-economic condi ion Signi ies an economic ac o s hose a ec hei socio-economic
condi ions. San al people a e ag icul u e is hei p ima y occupa ion. Thei li e is in ima ely connec ed wi h he o es
and hei economy. San al people a e like cul u al p og amme music, song and dance di e en es i als ac i i ies,
eligious belie a e highly p ized in hei cul u e. Padhan [5]s udied u al household mig a ion in Nuapada dis ic ,
Odisha, using da a om 80 households in Sinapali and Nuapada blocks. The s udy ound ha mos mig an s a e SC/ST
males aged 15–45, d i en by inadequa e ea nings unde NREGA. Abou 31.25% ea ned be ween Rs. 15,000–30,000,
indica ing be e income oppo uni ies ou side he p og am. Ra io and pe cen age me hods we e used o analysis.
Pa ida and Mish a[11] s udied he socio-economic condi ions o ibal communi ies in Mayu bhanj, Odisha, no ing hei
dependence on na u al esou ces and limi ed mains eam in eg a ion. Despi e de elopmen e o s, dispa i ies pe sis
Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 27(02), 1437-1441
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ac oss ibes and gende s. While g oups like he San al and Bhumja show some p og ess, o e all de elopmen emains
une en, highligh ing ongoing challenges in social inclusion. Sadual and Sahoo[7] s udied he challenges o u ban ibal
labo e s in Odisha, highligh ing issues like unemploymen , low skills, poo awa eness o wel a e schemes, and unsa e
wo k condi ions in he uno ganized sec o . Su eying 500 wo ke s, he s udy compa ed legal issues aced by ibal and
non- ibal labo e s, conside ing gende di e ences. I aimed o sugges legal emedies based on judicial ulings and
policies. Panda [4] examined he impac o Mo he Tongue-Based (MTB) educa ion in ibal schools in Odisha, aimed a
educing d opou a es and imp o ing lea ning. Despi e Odisha's ea ly adop ion, challenges like eache sho ages, poo
in as uc u e, low wages, and di icul y ec ui ing in u al a eas pe sis . The s udy calls o be e aining and
esou ces o enhance he e ec i eness o MTB educa ion. Hemb am and Mohapa a [ 10 ] s udied he educa ion o San al
child en in Mayu bhanj, Odisha, highligh ing i s ole in p ese ing cul u al iden i y and p omo ing in eg a ion in o
mode n socie y. Using p ima y and seconda y da a, hey ound ha San al child en show s ong in e es in mode n
educa ion, suppo ed by a ious ini ia i es. This has os e ed socio-cul u al p og ess while e aining adi ional alues,
con ibu ing o hei o e all de elopmen . Pa amajhi and Pa a [1]s udied he educa ional s a us o Scheduled T ibes
in Gajapa i dis ic , Odisha, using da a om Mohana and R.Udayagi i blocks. They ound low educa ion le els, poo
acili ies, and economic insecu i y. The s udy emphasized he impo ance o he T ibal Sub-Plan (TSP) o imp o ing
socio-economic condi ions and p o ec ing ibal communi ies h ough coo dina ed e o s.. Ma andi and Pa el [12]
s udied he e ec s o seasonal mig a ion on child en's educa ion in Jha khand's San hal Pa gana egion. D i en by
po e y and ood insecu i y, mig a ion dis up s schooling and exposes child en o unsa e li ing condi ions. Families
o en mig a e oge he , lea ing no ca egi e s behind, wo sening he educa ional impac . While mig a ion o e s sho -
e m elie , i poses long- e m isks o child en's educa ion and well-being. Nayak and Kuma [ 6 ] explo ed he
educa ional challenges aced by ibal gi ls o he O aon ibe in u al India. Using an e hnog aphic app oach, hey ound
ba ie s such as po e y, ea ly ma iage, and lack o ole models, while suppo i e eache s, local language ins uc ion,
and amily suppo helped educa ional success. Applying ecological sys ems heo y, he s udy showed how indi idual
and socie al ac o s oge he in luence d opou a es. Ba ik and Pal asingh [ 2 ]s udied he educa ional challenges o
mig an wo ke s' child en in Odisha, no ing high d opou a es and poo school a endance despi e he RTE Ac .
F equen eloca ions, po e y, language ba ie s, and inadequa e implemen a ion o suppo schemes like seasonal
hos els dis up hei educa ion. The s udy called o a ge ed in e en ions o imp o e access and lea ning ou comes
o hese ulne able child en. Pa a[ 9 ] conduc ed a s udy on Ekala ya Model Residen ial Schools (EMRS) in Odisha,
which aim o p o ide quali y educa ion o ibal s uden s om classes VI o XII. Su eying p incipals, eache s, and
s uden s, he s udy ound issues wi h in as uc u e, hos els, s a ing, admissions, labs, and eaching me hods. I
highligh ed he need o imp o emen s o enhance he e ec i eness o EMRS.
2. Theo e ical amewo k
This s udy is si ua ed wi hin he in e sec ion o mig a ion heo y, u al li elihood amewo ks, and he an h opology o
echnology use among indigenous communi ies. To analyse how labou mig a ion a ec s occupa ional pa e ns and he
use o ag icul u al ools among he San al ibe in Mayu bhanj, his amewo k d aws on h ee majo heo e ical
cons uc s: he Push-Pull Theo y o Mig a ion, he Sus ainable Li elihood F amewo k (SLF), and he heo y o
Technological Adap a ion in Ru al Socie ies. Labou mig a ion among he San al ibe can be unde s ood h ough he
dynamics o "push" ac o s (unemploymen , declining ag icul u al p oduc i i y, land aliena ion) and "pull" ac o s
(be e wages, u ban employmen oppo uni ies). This amewo k helps explain why many ibal you h abandon
adi ional a ming occupa ions and mig a e seasonally o pe manen ly. This amewo k is use ul o unde s anding
how mig a ion al e s he li elihood asse s (na u al, inancial, human, physical, and social capi al) o San al households.
Mig a ion enhances inancial capi al ( ia emi ances), bu o en educes eliance on na u al capi al (ag icul u e),
leading o shi s in occupa ional pa e ns— om a ming o wage labou o se ice-sec o jobs. The SLF also sheds ligh
on esilience and coping s a egies adop ed by amilies le behind. The use o ag icul u al ools is no s a ic; i e ol es
wi h socio-economic changes. As mig an s e u n wi h exposu e o mode n ools o send emi ances, amilies may
adop o abandon ce ain adi ional implemen s. Labou sho ages due o mig a ion also lead o ei he mechanisa ion
o a shi owa ds less labou -in ensi e a ming p ac ices. Toge he , hese heo ies p o ide a comp ehensi e lens o
examine how mig a ion impac s occupa ional di e si ica ion and echnological change in ag icul u e wi hin ibal
communi ies like he San als o Mayu bhanj.
3. Me hodology
This s udy ocuses on 100 labou mig an s Block:Bahalda, Ti ing, Jamda , Rai angpu , Bija ala in Dis ic mayu bhanj ,
Odisha . Bo h he p ima y and seconda y sou ces ha e been u ilized in he w i ing o p esen a icle on eligion belie s
and p ac ices. The s udy was conduc ed using a combina ion o p ima y and seconda y me hods. The e a e a ious
Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 27(02), 1437-1441
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me hods o da a collec ion such as pu posi e sampling, pe sonal in e iewing, obse a ions, su eying, ocus g oup
discussion on labou mig an in san al socie y.
4. Resul s and Discussion
4.1. Occupa ion
The gi en able e lec s he changing pa e ns o occupa ions. This happens as he local people mig a e ab oad and
changed he p e-exis ing concep s. A sho - e m and/o long e m eaches he mig an s o change he p o ession o hei
sui abili y and eliabili y o hei li elihoods.
Table 1 Occupa ional S uc u e
Be o e mig a ion
P esen
Ag icul u e
100
65
T ade/Business
30
65
Sel - Employmen
20
40
O ganiza ional Se ice
0
15
Poli ical
10
30
Figu e 1 Occupa ional S uc u e
4.2. Occupa ional Pa e ns Be o e and A e Mig a ion
• Ag icul u e: The e is a no iceable decline in ag icul u al occupa ions a e mig a ion. This sugges s ha many
indi iduals ha e mo ed away om a ming, likely due o limi ed land access o be e income oppo uni ies in
o he sec o s in u ban o semi-u ban a eas.
• T ade/Business : A signi ican inc ease in ade and business ac i i ies e lec s g owing en ep eneu ial e o s.
Mig an s migh be s a ing small businesses o engaging in in o mal ade o suppo hei li elihoods in hei
new se ings.
• Sel -Employmen : The ise in sel -employmen indica es ha mo e people a e wo king independen ly, possibly
in se ices, c a s, o o he skilled labo , which p o ides lexibili y and income wi hou elying on o mal jobs.
• O ganiza ional Se ice: The eme gence o people wo king in o ganiza ions (like p i a e companies, NGOs, o
go e nmen se ices) sugges s inc eased access o o mal employmen oppo uni ies pos -mig a ion.
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• Poli ical In ol emen : The g ow h in poli ical pa icipa ion indica es g ea e social engagemen and awa eness.
Mig an s may be mo e in ol ed in local go e nance, ac i ism, o communi y leade ship in hei new loca ions.
4.3. Ag icul u al Tools and Techniques Be o e and A e Mig a ion
T adi ional Tools and Techniques: The e is a conside able decline in he use o adi ional ag icul u al ools and
me hods a e mig a ion. This sugges s ha mig an a me s o ag icul u al wo ke s a e mo ing away om age-old
p ac ices such as using wooden ploughs, bullock-d i en equipmen , o manual sowing and ha es ing me hods.
Mode n Tools and Techniques: A signi ican ise in he adop ion o mode n ools and echniques (like ac o s, h eshe s,
ha es e s, chemical e ilize s, and i iga ion sys ems) indica es a shi owa ds mo e e icien and mechanized
a ming. This could be due o exposu e o ad anced ag icul u al me hods, go e nmen suppo schemes, o he in luence
o u ban and pe i-u ban a ming p ac ices.
Table 2 Ag icul u al Tools and Techniques
Be o e mig a ion
P esen
T adi ional
100
40
mode n
10
65
Figu e 2 Ag icul u al Tools and Techniques
This p esen able indica es he changing pa e ns o using echnologies o ag icul u al pu poses. This is due o he
eceip s ecei ed by he mig an s’ amilies. In absence o males, women ake he majo esponsibili ies o cul i a e he
land, as a esul , hey alone can no a m and hi e ei he labou e s o mode n echnologies o cul i a ion.
5. Conclusion
The da a e eals a clea shi om adi ional ag icul u e o a mo e di e se occupa ional s uc u e a e mig a ion. The e
is g ea e in ol emen in business, sel -employmen , o mal se ices, and poli ical ac i i ies, e lec ing enhanced
economic oppo uni ies, social mobili y, and in eg a ion in o b oade socie al oles in he pos -mig a ion phase.
Mig a ion has led o a majo ans o ma ion in ag icul u al p ac ices. While adi ional me hods a e declining, he e is
a no iceable emb ace o mode n echnology in ag icul u e. This shi likely esul s in imp o ed p oduc i i y and
e iciency, bu i may also c ea e a disconnec om adi ional ecological knowledge and sus ainable p ac ices.
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Compliance wi h e hical s anda ds
Disclosu e o con lic o in e es
No con lic o in e es o be disclosed.
S a emen o in o med consen
In o med consen was ob ained om all indi idual pa icipan s included in he s udy.
Re e ences
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