Migration at border: An anthropological study on cross-border oraons in North 24-Parganas, W.Bengal, India

Abstract

For the study we selected seventy Oraon families living in the village Dhuluni of Sadder-Para in north 24 parganas at the cross-border of West Bengal in eastern India. The hamlet Sadder-Para of the village Dhuluni is completely composed with homogenous population of Oraon who practice their traditional way of life even today. They had been living since hundreds of years in this locality. Record depicts, they came from the neighboring country Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) due the Indigo tax. Record further tells, their ancestors were not able to pay the Indigo tax but the Britishers were not agree to release hard taxation on them. So, the Oraons had come in India in search of new jobs with a hope that the moneylenders and Zaminders (landlords) of this locality will help them to combat their crises.