2. Understanding mobile
populations
• Routes
• Who are they?
• What do they do?
• What are their vulnerabilities?
• Legal awareness/status
• Awareness about HIV/Access to services
• Locations and numbers
4. Who is mobile?
• Mobile population from the Mid-western districts
• Easily distinguishable-Fair Mongoloid features
• Mostly single mobile men
• Highly mobile across cities as well as within cities
• Set up tents and stay in one area
• Go back home at least once in three/four months
• Generally do not mix with others/local population
5. What do they do?
• Mostly artisans/traders
• Sell two major items (shoes and bedsheets)
• They get shoes/leather from Agra and
cloth/sheets from pilkhawa from UP
• Sell in various parts of destination sites
9. Who is mobile?
• Mobile population from the western districts
• Easily distinguishable-Fair Mongoloid
features
• Initially single males come to destination sites
• Some get their families and some marry here
• Approximately 40% are single/male
• Oldest inhabitants-8 years Newest
inhabitants-2 months
• Average number of years in destination – 3/4
10. What do they do?
• Stay near industrial areas
• Work as security guards
• Work as semi-skilled workers in factories
• Women work as house maids
• Small proportion work as Sex workers
11. Vulnerabilities
• Females as house maids reported having sex in
houses worked for (extra money/forced)
• Industrial area attracts a large number of people-
some Nepalis act as pimps
• As security guards provide safe space for sex
• Approximate average of having sex for girls is 12/13
years
• Both males and females drink alcohol
• Some also take drugs (Marijuana/charas)
• Very few children are sent to schools-sent to work
13. Who is mobile?
• Mobile population from the central districts
• Easily distinguishable-Fair Mongoloid features
• Initially single males and single females come to
destination sites
• Most marry here
• Approx. Average age – 25-30
• Average number of years in destination – 7/8
• Go back home at least once in three/four months
14. What do they do?
• Stay near industrial/residential areas
• Work in shops/dhabas/ restaurants
• Some women work as house maids/sex
workers
15. Vulnerabilities
• Both men and women reported exploitation
be supervisors.
• All women are seen as sex workers
• Men are paid less than other workers
17. Who is mobile?
• Mobile population from the Eastern districts
• Not distinguishable from other Biharis/
• Mostly mobile with families
• Average number of years in destination – 8/9
• Go back home at once a year
• Population increased since unrest in Nepal
• Known as Biharis in destination –Speak Maithili
• Call themselves as Nepalis-Madheshis
18. What do they do?
• Stay near industrial areas
• Work as security guards
• Work as semi-skilled workers in factories
• Women work as house maids
• Some women as sex workers
19. Vulnerabilities
• Reported less vulnerabilities
• Access the government services-School,
health, and ration cards
• Some ready to go back to Nepal as situation
improves
21. What do they do?
• Work as traders
• Sell tea and hing
22. Mobile population in Kolkata
• Nepali males work in shops/restaurents
• Single males
• Single females ( mostly sex workers)
• Some are trafficked
• Approximate number in three Nepali specific
brothels/areas - 600
24. How do they move across
borders?
• Through a relative or someone from their own
village
• There is no agent system
• Relatives and friends provide them with
shelter at the destination sites
• Visit at least once a year. Could be more for
people on daily wages
25. How do they get work?
• People from Nepal are highly regarded for
their honesty and hard work
• Usually supervisors ask existing Nepali
people to get other Nepalis
• Supervisors can make them work for long
hours for less pay
• Supervisors can throw the out of job
whenever they want to
26. Legal status
• Some (leaders) are aware of the Indo-Nepal Treaty.
• They felt that India is not following the terms of the
treaty.
• “Nepali people in India are not getting healthcare,
security, employment, Education…as mandated,
whereas Indians in Nepal are getting all that.”
• At least half had Indian ration cards
• None of the cards have been renewed in the last 6-8
months
27. Awareness/access to services
• In general, awareness about HIV is low, Among
women even lower.
• In general, mobile Nepali do not access the
government health services (have to stand in lines,
get no respect, not treated well..)
• Access private practitioners. Some always consult
the traditional healer within their community. Some
consult private MBBS practiioners
• Generally exploited for health care. A person with TB
had to spend more than 20,000 rupees before DOTS
• Do not access anganwadi services or school for
children
28. Resources/Support
• Family and village networks (for jobs, money
transfer, support)
• Nepali associations
– Nepali Ekta Samaj – Bharat
– Nepali Migrants Association
• Transfer of money
– Informal transfer system
– Transfer through banks
31. The Routes
Where do they go?
• 24 Parganas
• Howrah (smaller proportion in Kolkata)
• Other districts in WB
Other parts of India - Delhi
32. Who is mobile?
• Mostly with families
• Few single males
• Few single females
33. What do they do?
• In armeniam colony (females work as sex
workers)
• Manual labour - Unskilled labour
• Semi-skilled (masons)
• Traders (big) bring in goods from Bangladesh
• Traders (small) sell in other parts of India
34. Vulnerabilities
• Reported exploitation by police/civil society
• Sex workers (bangladesh) reported not being
paid by clients
• Some are IDUs
• Sex workers in Kolkata refuse to
acknowledge origins
• Recent crackdowns (2/3 years)
• Newspaper reports
35. Gaps
• Validated data on numbers in each location
for Nepali mobile population
• Information on Bangladeshi mobile population
• Vulnerabilities and risk among sub-
populations of mobile men and women.
