Baiga

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Baiga are an ethnic group in central India, mainly in Madhya Pradesh, with smaller communities in Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. Their total population was 552,495 in the 2011 census. Most Baiga live in Madhya Pradesh, especially in the Mandla and Balaghat districts. They also live in Chhattisgarh (89,744), Uttar Pradesh (47,393), West Bengal (13,423), Jharkhand (3,583), Bihar (544), Odisha (338) and Maharashtra (333).

Baiga languages and identity
- They mainly speak Hindi and regional languages such as Chhattisgarhi, Gondi and Marathi. Some ancestors are said to have spoken an Austroasiatic language, but today few Baiga understand it. In Mandla, some people once called their mother tongue Baigani, now seen as part of Chhattisgarhi influenced by Gondi.
- The name Baiga means “sorcerer-medicine man.”
- Sub-castes include Bijhwar, Narotia, Bharotiya, Nahar, Rai maina and Kath maina.
- The Baiga religions mix Hinduism, Islam and tribal beliefs.

Official status and modern facts
- The Baiga are officially recognized as a Scheduled Tribe in eight states: Madhya Pradesh (about 414,526), Chhattisgarh (89,744), Uttar Pradesh (30,006 as ST; 17,387 as SC in other districts), West Bengal (13,423), Jharkhand (3,583), Bihar (544), Odisha (338), and Maharashtra (333).
- In Uttar Pradesh, most Baigas are listed as ST in Sonbhadra, while in other districts they are counted as SC.

Culture, food and economy
- The Baiga do not plow fields because they believe it would hurt Mother Earth. They practice shifting cultivation, called bewar or dahiya.
- Their diet relies on coarse grains such as kodo millet and kutki, with pej (a drink) and plenty of forest foods. They also hunt fish and small animals.
- Live-in relationships are common. When marriages happen, the man often pays a form of compensation to the woman’s family. If a marriage ends, the new husband may have to compensate the previous husband; custody of children goes to the mother first, then the father, and if no one wants the child, the community assigns a guardian until age 15.

Chhattisgarh and health rights
- In Chhattisgarh, Baigas are considered a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG) due to declining population and low literacy. In 2018, a court ruling allowed Baiga women to access contraceptives, strengthening their family planning rights.

Beliefs and history
- Baiga myths tell of Nanga Baiga (male ancestor) and Nanga Baigin (female ancestor), born from the goddess Dharti Mata. They are said to have great magic and helped create and guard the world.
- Since the 1960s, Baigas have often faced forced evictions by authorities, sometimes in the name of tiger conservation, leading to displacement and hardship for many families.