Chennai – The new destination of choice for northeast migrants

Chennai city is the capital of Tamil Nadu and is on the Coromandel Coast of the Indian peninsula. It is the fourth largest city in India and big business and commercial hub of South India.

With the opening of the Indian economy and FDI pouring in from different quarters of the globe, Chennai achieved prominence due to its strategic location. Soon foreign companies started investing in and around Chennai for their manufacturing needs and the city which has an artificial port to its credit soon became one of the most favored destinations for foreign investors.

This led to mass migration into the city from other parts of Tamil Nadu and elsewhere in search of jobs and livelihood. After initial investments in the IT sector, the state of Tamil Nadu opened its doors for industries from other sectors too.

Along with investments came expatriates who brought their culture and food along with them. The city, which was once a sleepy large town became a large metropolis over the period due to a heavy rush of migrants from different parts of the country, particularly from the northeast.

There is a sizeable population of northeast people in Chennai and they have adopted and adapted to the culture and tradition of Tamil Nadu. They are mostly employed in sectors like Restaurants, Bars, and Retail to name a few. Their friendly attitude has enabled them to settle and mingle well with the local population.

Out of the total migrants from the northeast, the majority are students who are enrolled in various courses across the city colleges. The remaining are those who have migrated with their families due to official work or for permanent settlement.

Chennai has become the preferred destination for these north east residents due to the availability of quality education and vibrant job and services sectors. Most of the northeast migrants are from Assam, a few of them from Nagaland and Manipur, whereas the rest are from Tripura and Sikkim.

Many northeast residents vouch that Chennai is an ideal place for them since the city habits resemble their culture and food. Since the staple food for the northeast migrants is rice and fish, it correlates with similar food habits prevalent in Chennai, and as a result, they feel at home at once.

Most of them prefer to visit their parents back home once in two years, however, it becomes quite tedious for some to visit every year due to a variety of reasons. But most of them somehow manage to visit their homes at least once during their stay in Chennai.

The majority of the northeast migrants agree with the fact that Chennai has umpteen job opportunities in the manufacturing and the services sector and the pay they receive is on par with industry standards. This has encouraged and motivated the people back home to pack their bags and move out. Therefore, more migrants are waiting to come over to Chennai to study and earn a livelihood.

Being a migrant is not an easy thing to be. Being away from home in a far of land is weird and lunatic but when an opportunity beckons you and your family, there is no other alternative other than taking the plunge. Making the right decision and choosing the right destination is the buzzword for most of the migrants anywhere in India, and that applies to the northeast migrants as well. Hope Chennai would prove to be a friendly, adaptable, and adjustable destination to the people of the northeast.