Editorial, DNA, Mumbai, Mar 29, 06

Go East, Young Man

Migration solves many problems, but needs to be carefully managed.

That India and Russia have good relations is well known, but there is one area of common interest that is seldom remarked on. India is billed to become the most populous nation in the world, and a large proportion of Indians are young working-age people. Russia 's population, on the other hand, actually dropped by six million in the last decade, and this is a critical problem in its far-flung Siberian and Far Eastern territories, where most of its natural resources are located. Siberia has 80 per cent of Russia 's oil, 85 per cent of its natural gas, 80 per cent of its coal and 40 per cent of its timber. But following lifting of restrictions on internal migration in the post-Soviet era, native Russians have been fleeing Siberia . If they were to be replaced by migrant Indians, it could be an out-of-the box solution that works for both India and Russia . One of India 's biggest problems is finding enough jobs for its burgeoning working-age population, and we could suggest to at least some of them "go (Far eas, young man". Russia too would gain, with enough workers to unlock its natural resources. When the Russian parliament liberalised its migration policy this month, and a senior migration official called for labour migration from India , it may be bowing to the inevitable. New Delhi ought to cooperate and work out the modalities of such migration, which could lead to an Indian presence in Russia as there is in the US .