Impact of Urban Migration on Caste: Rohinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance and Rural-to-Urban Caste Migration in India

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of urban migration on the caste system by thoroughly examining Rohinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance. The primary research questions are why rural-to-urban caste migration occurs, how urban migration affects the caste system and whether it fulfils the aspirations of Dalit migrants. The research reveals that the promise of mobility and emancipation provided by class operations drives rural-to-urban caste migration in India, but it also emphasizes the limitations of urban migration in emancipating Dalit migrants, as they not only remain trapped within the caste capital and family networks that existed in rural areas, but because the caste system persists in urban areas as well, it results in the double marginalization and discrimination of Dalit migrants in urban areas. Moreover, the study explains how caste marginalization in rural areas is linked to class marginalization and other forms of subalternity in urban areas. Overall, this study highlights the complexities of rural-to-urban caste migration and its impact on the lives of India’s marginalized communities. This article contributes to the field of migration studies by shedding light on the frequently overlooked issue of Dalit migration.