Ramaswami: In the midst of a pandemic, it makes abundant sense to stay put. Migrant labourers in Delhi chose to leave for the same reason Indian students abroad chose to hurry back, and Indian workers returned en masse from Europe and the Gulf only to begin a tough quarantine period. To leave, at great risk to one’s life and security, exposes the key difference between source and destination for migrants: familiarity. For most migrants, especially circular migrants, the ‘destination’ is linked to a specific, usually revenue- earning or skill- building activity. For labourers, this may be daily wage work or agricultural work. For students, it is education and skill-building. For businesspersons, this could be running shops, factories or small manufacturing units. The list of possibilities is endless, but the fundamental dichotomy between ‘home’ and ‘destination’ remains.