Wishesh Magazine June 2016

TATTOOING
an integral part of the lifestyle of
BAIGAS
Baiga is a tribe found in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand states of India. The largest
number of Baigas are found in Baiga-chuk in Mandla
district and Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh. Their
sub-castes are Bijhwar, Narotia, Bharotiya, Nahar, Rai
Bhaina, and Kadh Bhaina.
The Baiga tribes practice
shifting cultivation in forest
areas. They say that they
never plough the Earth,
because it would be akin
to scratching the breast of
their Mother and they could
never ask their Mother to
produce food from the same
patch of earth time and time
again.
Baigas used to live a
semi-nomadic life and
practiced Bewar, or
‘dahiya’ cultivation, out of
respect, not aggression.
These techniques, rather
than being a cause of
deforestation, have been
shown to be effective
conservation devices,
employed for centuries by
tribal peoples. Courageous
woodsman and hunters,
the Baigas of Central
India were reluctant to do
work for others. They saw
themselves as people of the
forest, who could only live
on the produce of the forest.
It was below the dignity of a
Baiga to become a labourer.
Baigas do not interact, even
with other tribals like the
Gonds, as interaction with
any other tribe is a crime
for them. After a death in
the family, the Baigas leave
the house and build another
one. Tattooing is an integral
JUNE 2016 | WWW.WISHESH.COM