There are villages in India where every second adult has migrated to the Western countries. The village streets which at one time was full of hustle and bustle are deserted now as most of the adults have left their village to big Cities in India or migrated to the western countries and have become NRI . This migration process is happening continuous for the last 15-20 years upsetting demography of many Indian towns.
Punjabis are leaving Punjab in Bulk
The ancestral homes of these NRI are vacant and abandoned since long as there is no one staying in these homes. In these villages elders are in majority as young brigade has left the homes for quick earning. Some parts of these villages are like a ghost town where most of the house’s gates have padlock , with key handed over to a local caretaker. Many villages of Indian Punjab are facing same problems and their numbers are increasing.
Second generation NRI have lost interest in their ancestral house and properties, as they are more interested to love on hourly paid job in the west . Majority of the NRI living in the far west countries do visit India in 3-5 year Intervals. Those who have farmland back home have left it to the elders to manage, which is usually done by contract farming to a third person who have labour resources available to manage their crops. As continues migration is happening, villages after villages are going vacant with palatial houses are being abandoned.
Since the young population is leaving the villages for job abroad or another Indian cities , the elderly population is increasing which giving the look of a village as a senior citizen enclave. The palatial homes are left to be used by elders who are not able to maintain their property hence buildings conditions are deteriorating day by day. Many Punjabis have settled abroad and young students are going west for studies, villages after villages are getting vacant with deserted streets and abandoned homes.
Loosing touch from the home land
There are repercussions of NRI not caring about their properties back home. In many cases the properties of a NRI which is left behind without having a proper caretaker are illegally occupied, as that stay unattended for years. In few cases these properties including farmland are sold by the illegal occupant to a third person with bogus paper works without the knowledge of the NRI owner. This ends up to a court case proceeding which prolonged for years and years, as NRI can not visit India frequently to attend the court. How much wealth NRI loose in India and how much he gains in foreign land, it is still a subject of unending debate. Migration of well to do Indians family to foreign land has become a rat race now.
