World Refugee Day: Bangladeshi refugees still waiting for permanent resettlement in Korba

On the occasion of World Refugee Day, ETV Bharat talked to 40 Bangladeshi families, who were resettled in Korba, after being first settled in the Mana Camp in Raipur, in 1982. Neither have these refugees been stably resettled nor have they received any land for their trades and shops, as it was promised to them by the then Indira Gandhi government.

Korba: It's been 50 years since these Bangladeshi immigrants settled in the district, but to date, they still await for stable resettlement.

In 1982, as many as 40 immigrant families from Bangladesh were resettled in Korba, after being first settled in the Mana Camp in Raipur. During the time of their settlement, many welfare schemes were also announced.

In the last 4 decades, Korba has developed and emerged as a power hub, but for these immigrants from Bangladesh, life today is still on pause since then. Neither have these refugees been stably resettled nor were they given any land for their trades and shops, as promised to them.

The then Indira Gandhi government had introduced Dandakaranya Project, or the DNK Project, in September 1958 for the settlement of displaced people from Bangladesh.

Under this scheme, innumerable Bengali refugees were settled in Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, and in the north-east too.

Today on World Refugee Day, ETV Bharat talked to 40 such Bangladeshi families, who were unsettled from their homes in East Pakistan (modern-day Bangladesh).

Currently, these refugees are residing in different areas in Jashpur, Korba and Raigarh districts. These refugees were so tired of the hostile circumstances after the war and the riots in (the then) Eastern Pakistan, that they decided to live in India itself.

All these refugees are still living in the same houses that they had received in the 1980s.

According to these refugees, they have not yet received the title for their lands.

These 40 families had then been settled in TP Nagar. In 1982, TP Nagar was in the outer areas, but today it is in the heart of the city.

Despite living near the posh area, these people have not experienced any impact on their livelihood.

"Those who were settled in the rural areas are now farmers and are earning well. We chose to do business and still are waiting for our shop allotments," told Maya Dakua.

Around Rs 5000 had been announced for us, but till now we have received only Rs 3000, added Dakua.

The refugees also informed that they visited many leaders, made many applications to officers, but they have not received any positive results.

Gaurav Nandi, a young refugee, stated that he had heard from his ancestors, that they settled here after they came from Bangladesh (then East Pakistan).

"The bathrooms in the camp get easily clogged during monsoons and they become unusable," revealed Nandi.

World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees around the globe. It falls each year on June 20 and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution.