Lata Didi : From Distress Migration to Successful Farming

The journey of Lata Markam of the sub-primitive Baiga tribe and her fight against abject poverty to survive with honour and dignity, her economic and social challenges and her hope for a secure tomorrow…

The Baigas

T he Baigas are a few of the surviving sub-primitive groups (SPG) in India. As per the 1981 Census, they number 2,48,949. They are predominantly found in Mandla district and in Baihar tehsil of Balaghat district. They are also scattered in small groups in several villages in Paraswada and Balaghat blocks of Balaghat district.

The Baigas are one of the most exploited and impoverished communities in the Central Indian belt. Most of them are either landless or have insignificant landholdings. Usually dependent on forest produce (they are heavily engaged in bamboo basket making) for their sustenance, the dwindling resources and strict regulations of the forest department have pushed them further to the brink of a steady but sure extinction in this area. In addition, there is the rabid problem of rampant alcoholism. The mahua flower, used for making country liquor, important from the point of view of the muchneeded cash income, is destroying the social fabric of the Baigas. Alienation from the system and a decline in their way of life and local culture have resulted in the Biagas resorting to heavy drinking to cope with their identity crisis. Their semi-nomadic way of life also puts them at high vulnerability. Distress migration to urban centres such as Nagpur and Jabalpur is a rising trend among the Baigas. Added to all this is the Baiga belief that the Earth is Mother Goddess and that ploughing the fields is equivalent to ploughing the breast of a mother. This prevents them from ploughing the field for agriculture. However, many Baiga families, driven to desperate poverty, have now starting venturing into agricultural practices.