Koraput district: Difference between revisions

| image_skyline          = Deomali peak.jpg

| image_caption          = Peak of [[Deomali (mountain)|Deomali]], highest point in Odisha

==Location==

Koraput district is located between 18 degree 13’ and 19 degree 10’ North Latitudes and 82 degree 5’ and 83 degree 23’ East Longitudes. It shares its borders with [[Rayagada District]], [[Nabarangpur district]] on the north, with [[Bastar district]] of [[Chhattisgarh]] on the west, with [[Malkangiri district|Malkangiri District]] on the south and with [[Vizianagaram district|Vizianagaram]] and [[Visakhapatnam district|Visakhapatnam]] districts of [[Andhra Pradesh]] on the east. Its area is 8,807 km², making it the third largest district of Odisha after [[Mayurbhanj]] and [[Sundargarh]].

The early history of the district is obscure owing to the absence of written records. Its location in the hills, isolation from means of communication and the dense forests all around served to keep the district politically separate from the nearby plains on both sides. The earliest event that can be fixed with certainty is the acquisition of the tract by the [[Kingdom of Jeypore]] sometime in the 15th century. Before this, it was probably ruled by the Silavamsi Dynasty. Ruins of 10th century [[Jain]] temples in the district point to a presence of that sect as well. The Jeypore Rajas became tributaries to the [[Qutb Shahi Dynasty]] of [[Hyderabad]] by 1580. This suzerainty later passed to the [[East India Company]] when the [[Northern Circars]] were ceded to them by Emperor [[Shah Alam II|Shah Alam]] in 1765. However, the people of the region under the kinship of Maharaja Vikram Dev I defended their kingdom against the British and two battles were fought between them in [[Jeypore]] and [[Rayagada]]. The British emerged victorious and granted [[Zamindar|Zamindari]] status to the kingdom which was later promoted to the status of [[Princely state]].

|| 5 || Machhakund (Lamtaput) || Kundura  

According to the [[2011 census of India|2011 census]] Koraput district has a [[Demographics of India|population]] of 1,379,647,<ref name=districtcensus>{{cite web | url = http://www.census2011.co.in/district.php | title = District Census 2011 | access-date = 2011-09-30 | year = 2011 | publisher = Census2011.co.in}}</ref> roughly equal to the nation of [[Swaziland]]<ref name="cia">{{cite web | author = US Directorate of Intelligence | title = Country Comparison:Population | url = https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html | access-date = 2011-10-01 | quote =Swaziland 1,370,424}}</ref> or the US state of [[Hawaii]].<ref>{{cite web

Scheduled Castes make up 14.21% of the population while 50.6% of the population hails from Scheduled Tribes.<ref name=districtcensus/> The district has one of the highest tribal populations in Odisha and is a Scheduled District under the [[Constitution of India]]. This prohibits sale and purchase of tribal land by non-tribals. As many as 51 different tribes have been noted in the undivided district - each with its own language and culture.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://gopabandhuacademy.gov.in/?q=node/750|title=Gazetteer {{!}} Gopabandhu Academy Of Administration|website=gopabandhuacademy.gov.in|access-date=2016-09-11}}</ref>

The second largest community are the Khonds, who mainly live in the northeast near Rayagada and have a population of 2 lakhs. Other major communities include the [[Bhottada]], [[Gadabas|Gadaba]] and Bhumia.

At the time of the [[2011 Census of India]], 64.36% of the population in the district spoke [[Odia language|Odia]], 12.25% [[Desiya language|Desia]], 10.21% [[Kui language (India)|Kui]], 9.12% Proja, 3.46% [[Telugu language|Telugu]], 2.81% [[Kuvi language|Kuvi]], 2.10% [[Gutob language|Gadaba]] and 1.49% [[Bhatri language|Bhatri]] as their first language.<ref>[http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-16.html 2011 Census of India, Population By Mother Tongue]</ref>

{{Pie chart

| thumb = right

| caption = Languages of Koraput district in 2011 census

| label1 = [[Odia language|Odia]]

| value1 = 64.36

| value2 = 12.25

| color2 = darkkhaki

| label3 = [[Kui language (India)|Kui]]

| value3 = 10.21

| color3 = deepskyblue

| label4 = [[Telugu language|Telugu]]

| value4 = 3.46

| color4 = Maroon

| label5 = [[Kuvi language|Kuvi]]

| value5 = 2.81

| label6 = [[Gadabas|Gadaba]]

| value6 = 2.10

| label7 = [[Bhatri language|Bhatri]]

| value7 = 1.49

| color7 = thistle

| label8 = Others

| value8 = 3.32

[[Christianity]] is practised by approximately 5% of the population. The Evengelical German [[Lutheran Church]] has been active in Koraput since more than a century .Adherents mostly belong to the Scheduled Castes. Both Koraput and Jeypore have large churches while smaller ones can be found throughout the district.

Muslims form a minuscule proportion of the population owing to the district's isolation from the plains. Most Muslims are recent migrants from the rest of Odisha who are employed at Koraput, Jeypore or at the NALCO unit at [[Damanjodi]]. However, the village of Thuba in Nandapur block has a community that is native to the district and is probably descended from demobilised Qutb Shahi soldiers who had invaded Koraput around the 16th century. Scattered Islamic shrines can also be found at Narayanapatna which had a small Muslim community till about a century ago.

Naxalism is a serious matter of concern in south [[Odisha]], including Koraput district, since around 2000. Earlier, the [[Naxalite]] activities were confined to districts such as [[Malkangiri]], which share its borders with the neighboring states. With time, the Naxal activities has spread to Koraput as well as other tribal-dominated districts like [[Rayagada]] or [[Nabarangpur]]. The inaccessible hilly terrain, dense forests, lack of development, grievances of the tribals and poor, and the absence of administration have been conducive to the spread of left-wing extremism in Odisha. The seriousness of the problem was underlined by a co-ordinated Naxalite attack on the District Headquarters and armoury at Koraput on February 6, 2004.<ref>{{cite web | title = Maoists in Orissa Growing Tentacles and a Dormant State | url = http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/publication/faultlines/volume17/nihar.htm}}</ref> Another prominent leader, Nachika Linga, president of Chasia Mula Adivasi Sangh with Maoist links, organized tribals of Narayanpatna block against moneylenders and landlords who had taken their lands and in 2009 marched on the Narayanpatna police station.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-11-08|title=Robin Hood like Odisha tribal leader walks out of jail after 6 years|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/robinhood-like-odisha-tribal-leader-walks-out-of-jail-after-6-years/story-GDxxAOH7q3b4I8LqdsFtaK.html|access-date=2021-01-29|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref>

Naxal group, namely People's War Group (PWG), has carried out numerous operations (attacks on rich farmers, police, bureaucrats and politicians, loots from godowns) within last few years in Koraput as well as in its neighboring districts.CoBRA BN of CRPF was deployed here for this purpose and it has helped to reduce Naxal activities to a large extent.<ref>{{cite web | title = Naxalite Consolidation In Orissa | url = http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?220969}}</ref>