Nabarangpur, 9th Sept 2025: The tribal-dominated Nabarangpur district’s sanctuary is changing, and the business of local traders is being affected by outside traders. Not only business, but migrant traders have also woven a web of illicit liquor trade, leading to an increase in crime in local rural areas. In most areas, outside migrants are forcibly occupying government land to establish residences, farms, and business establishments, but the administration has not taken any strict action against this. On the other hand, it is far from the administration taking any steps, as there is no information about migrants in the administration or police records. In some areas, migrants are being politically supported to take over government schemes. Politicians and public representatives, seeking vote banks, are blessing them, which is expected to become a boomerang for the district residents in the future.
According to information, in the last decade, when undivided Koraput district saw the influx of Bangladeshi refugees, the then government had provided them shelter. Now, in Nabarangpur and Malkangiri districts, their numbers have increased disproportionately. During elections, their votes play a decisive role. However, beyond government recognition, the unjustified increase in migrant numbers and government assistance are impacting the interests of legitimate tribal residents. Not only Bengali refugees but migrants from other states have also increased unnecessarily. Recently, while Nabarangpur Merchants Association had gathered to put restrictions on outside traders’ businesses, Bengali traders have now been barred from the Hati Gaon market under Raighar block. The block has 2,653 Bengali refugee families, while Umarakot block has 1,631 and Jharigaon block has 471 families living there. Government records show a total of 4,755 families, but in reality, the number of Bengali refugees and migrant families from other states is ten times higher, meaning more than 40,000 families. Moreover, most of them have illegally acquired government land, housing, ration cards, and other facilities. In most places, these traders are involved heavily in illicit liquor and gutkha (chewing tobacco) trade. All eyes are now on whether the district, whose landscape is changing due to migrants, will be freed from their control.