ImportMaster at 14:40, 15 January 2022

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{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2019}}
The '''Dandakaranya Project''', or the DNK Project, was the form of action the [[India]]n government designed in September 1958 for the settlement of displaced persons from [[Bangladesh]] (former [[East Pakistan]]) and for integrated development of the area with particular regard to the promotion of the interests of the local tribal population. The particular focus was on Bengali refugees from [[East Pakistan]] moving to lands and resources in [[Odisha]] and [[Chhattisgarh]]. To implement this project, the [[Government of India]] established the '''Dandakaranya Development Authority'''.

==Background ==
{{main|Partition of India}}
When [[India]] achieved liberation from [[British Empire|British]] occupation in 1947, two sections of the [[Indian subcontinent]] were "combined" into [[Pakistan]], a country founded on the so-called "[[Two-nation theory|Two Nation Theory]]". The Hindu people residing on the land of East [[Pakistan]] (East [[Bengal]] now [[Bangladesh]]) that was divided into [[Pakistan]] moved to India as refugees in three phases. In the first phase people were settled in the state of [[West Bengal]] and then in its second-phase people were settled at [[Assam]] and [[Tripura]]. Eventually there was no room for more people in [[West Bengal]], [[Assam]], or [[Tripura]], so the [[central government]] (union government) decided to give them rooms at others states like part of [[Madhya Pradesh]] (which is now [[Chhattisgarh]]), [[Odisha]] and [[Andhra Pradesh]]. In the third phase [[refugees]] began being sent to places like [[Andaman Islands]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Dandakaranya Project|title=A Massacre In Dandakaranya|url=http://www.countercurrents.org/kamal160712.htm|accessdate=21 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Management|title=MANAGEMENT OF DANDAKARANYA PROJECT, KOREPUT|url=http://www.rishabhdara.com/sc/view.php?case=14550|accessdate=21 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Project review|title=Developing Bastar: The Dandakaranya Project|url=https://www.academia.edu/9119682|accessdate=21 February 2015}}</ref>

Most of the places where [[Bengalis|Bengali]] [[Refugee|refugees]] were resettled belonged to tribal people. So the union government (which is now central government) designed and put the Dandakaranya Project in place. Through the Dandakaranya Project the Bengali refugees would be resettled on tribal lands, and integrate and uplift the area belonging to the tribal people.
<ref>{{cite news|last1=News of Dandkaranya|title=Rebirth of Bangladeshi Hindu Refugee - Dandakaranya|url=http://empireslastcasualty.blogspot.in/2008/12/rebirth-of-bangladeshi-hindu-refugee.html|accessdate=21 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=refugees|title=refugees and Borders : The Great Exodus of 1971|date=21 August 2012|page=151|isbn=9781136250361|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uGJcun8ma2cC&q=Dandakaranya+Project&pg=PA151|accessdate=21 February 2015}}</ref>

In 1947 a high level committee known as the AMPO committee, made up of the Indian states [[Andhra Pradesh]], Madhya Pradesh (the part is known as [[Chhattisgarh]]) and [[Odisha]], was formed to enquire about the soil conservation, forest and health departments. Later they declared that Dandakaranya Project will play a vital role to both the Bengali refugees and tribal people residing there. In 1958 the Dandakarnaya Development Authority was set up with its headquarters at [[Koraput]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Dandkaranya Project|title=Dandakaranya: A Survey of Rehabilitation|url=http://dev.epw.in/system/files/pdf/1965_17/1/dandakaranya_a_survey_of_rehabilitationithe_state_of_agriculture.pdf|accessdate=21 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=work|title=Villages Established|url=http://yojana.gov.in/CMS/(S(d3srdvmjh2vecd45vrtwqa55))/pdf/Yojana/English/1965/Jul_Vol09_No14.pdf|accessdate=25 February 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150225133145/http://yojana.gov.in/CMS/%28S%28d3srdvmjh2vecd45vrtwqa55%29%29/pdf/Yojana/English/1965/Jul_Vol09_No14.pdf|archivedate=25 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Project Detail|title=Rs. 7.81 crores has been provided for Rehabilitation|url=http://www.teindia.nic.in/mhrd/50yrsedu/15/8P/84/8P840K02.htm|accessdate=25 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150225172324/http://www.teindia.nic.in/mhrd/50yrsedu/15/8P/84/8P840K02.htm|archive-date=25 February 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=The Hindu News|title=From an editorial Desk|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/dated-april-10-1960-from-an-editorial-dandakaranya/article747118.ece|accessdate=25 February 2015}}</ref>

== Existence of Dandakaranya Project==
The Dandakaranya project was run by [[Dandakaranya Development Authority]] (D.D.A) and the project was conceptualized in 1947. It was set up to rehouse homeless refugees from [[East Pakistan]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Progress report|work=Yojana|volume=109|issue=14|title=29 New Villages Established in Dandakaranya|url=http://yojana.gov.in/CMS/(S(d3srdvmjh2vecd45vrtwqa55))/pdf/Yojana/English/1965/Jul_Vol09_No14.pdf|accessdate=25 February 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150225133145/http://yojana.gov.in/CMS/%28S%28d3srdvmjh2vecd45vrtwqa55%29%29/pdf/Yojana/English/1965/Jul_Vol09_No14.pdf|archivedate=25 February 2015}}</ref> who were leading a demoralized existence on doles in camps.{{fact|date=January 2022}}

The Dandakaranya Project came into existence in terms of the [[Government of India]] [[Resolution (law)]] dated ''12 September 1958'' for the avowed purpose of effective and expeditious execution of the schemes to replace displaced persons from East Pakistan in Dandakaranya and for the integrated development of the area with particular regard to the promotion of the interests of the area's tribal population. The sphere of activity has been confined to the districts of Bastar in [[Chhattisgarh]] and Koraput in [[Odisha|Odisa]].{{fact|date=January 2022}}

The area coming under this scheme comprises nearly 30,000 square miles and offers possibilities for reclaiming over two lakh acres, at least 45,000 acres of which can be irrigated by two projects . The first hopes of a rapid resettlement of 20,000 East Bengal refugee families . The actual arrivals from the refugee camps, have been only 1,464 families.<ref>{{cite book|last1=433 development programs|title=Regional Planning in India|date=23 May 1983|pages=526|isbn=9788170230588|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l2WT7RWNCM4C&q=Dandakaranya+Development+Authority&pg=PA526|accessdate=31 March 2015}}</ref>

== Project at glance ==
There are 13 sections in the project, namely, project headquarters, finance and accounts, zonal administrations, [[agriculture]] and [[animal husbandry]], [[construction]], irrigation, [[transport]] and workshop, Industrial, forestry, medical and health, [[education]], supply base, liaison.

Following are the project undertaken :
* [[Bhaskel Dam]]
* [[Pakhanjore]] Reservoir ([[Kherkatta Reservoir]])
* woodworking centres at [[Jagdalpur]], [[Boregaon]], and [[Umerkote]]
* Balangir-Kozilum railway project
* [[Bailadila]]
* [[Bhawanipatna]]
* [[Malkangiri]]/ [[Malkangiri district]]<ref>{{cite news|last1=The Telegraph|title=Malkangiri News|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110227/jsp/7days/story_13641972.jsp|accessdate=25 February 2015}}</ref>
* [[Koraput railway station]]<ref>{{cite book|last1=Regugees settlers|title=Koraput District in Umerkot Zone|year=2006|page=209|isbn=9788131300213|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a6vHxaHCnkIC&q=dandakaranya+project&pg=PA209|accessdate=25 February 2015}}</ref>
* [[Titlagarh railway station]]
* [[Jharsuguda railway station]]
* [[Sambalpur railway station]]
* [[Kothavalasa–Kirandul line]]/ [[Kothavalasa railway station]]/ [[Kirandul railway station]]<ref>{{cite web|last1=railway line|title=The Kothavalasa-Kirandaul line|url=http://www.mannanna.com/mannannaArt1.html|accessdate=31 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011235936/http://www.mannanna.com/mannannaArt1.html|archive-date=11 October 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Biramitrapur]]
* [[Rourkela]]
* [[Bimlagarh]]
* [[Kiriburu project]]
* [[Araku railway station]]
* Dandakaranya – Bolangir – Kiriburu project (DBK project)<ref>{{cite book|last1=History|title=Bolangir-Kiriburu Project|url=http://www.baral.us/Orissa-rail-history.pdf|accessdate=25 February 2015}}</ref>

== Other members of the authority ==

* [[Anthony Leocadia Fletcher]] was the Chief administrator from 1950 to 1960.
* Sahadeva Sahoo was the Chief administrator.
* Badal Chatterjee was the interim Chief Administrator for a period of 6months.<ref>{{cite web|last1=sahadeva sahoo|title=chief administrator|url=http://sahadevasahoo.in/career.php|accessdate=31 March 2015}}</ref>

== Failure of project ==
'''Saibal kumar Gupta''' (husband of [[Ashoka Gupta]], an Indian social worker and freedom fighter)<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ashoka Gupta|title=Husband of Ashoka gupta|url=http://www.harmonyindia.org/hportal/VirtualPrintView.jsp?page_id=1250|accessdate=25 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150525143729/http://www.harmonyindia.org/hportal/VirtualPrintView.jsp?page_id=1250|archive-date=25 May 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> the chairman of DDA, blew the whistle on the Project in a series of damning articles in 1964. He said that less than 10 percent of the soil was fit for farming. These difficulties of agriculture colonization in the Dandakaranya Project were a result of rainfall variability, aridity, land reclamation, soil and hydrological problems .
<ref>{{cite book|last1=failure of Project|title=The spoils of Partition: Bengal and India|date=15 November 2007|pages=140|isbn=9781139468305|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FjQ0iWSq2R0C&q=dandakaranya+project&pg=PA136|accessdate=31 March 2015}}</ref> Before partition of Bengal people suffered a lot financially and after the partition too people had to leave their own homeland and had to adjust on little allowance given to them by government. In both the cases people of Bengal suffered and in their own county they were referred to as refugees.

== News ==
* Dandakaranya : Struggles Of A Different Kind <ref>{{cite news|last1=news|title=Struggles Of A Different Kind Published in 1999|url=http://www.bannedthought.net/India/PeoplesMarch/PM1999-2006/archives/1999/mar-apr_99/Dandakaranya.htm|accessdate=25 February 2015}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Partition of Bengal (1905)]]
*[[Marichjhapi massacre]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.dandakaranyasamachar.com/aboutus.htm DandakaranyaSamachar]

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Refugees in India]]
[[Category:History of the Republic of India]]
[[Category:1950s in Orissa]]
[[Category:1958 in India]]
[[Category:Forced migration]]
[[Category:Partition of India]]
[[Category:History of Chhattisgarh (1947–present)]]
[[Category:Government agencies of India]]
[[Category:1958 establishments in Orissa]]

Dandakaranya Project - Revision history

ImportMaster at 14:40, 15 January 2022