Baiga tribe youth losing interest in tattoo tradition

BAIGA CHUK (DINDORI): Young girls in the near-extinct Baiga tribe in Madhya Pradesh are losing interest in having tattoos on body, something that has been an integral part of the community for generations. Modern education and modern way of life, as shown on television, are mainly to blame for this.
Shanti Bai, a tribal tattoo artist, says village teachers are discouraging young girls to have tattoos on their body.
Amarawati of class VII and Ratia of class VIII, studying in primary school of Dhurkuta in Baiga chuk, a settlement of 52 villages Baigas in Dindori district, says, "We do not like tattoos on our face. They, however, still follow other rituals of the community, but not the tattoos, particularly on the face.
The school in Durkuta has 32 girls of class VI, VII and VIII standard but only three girls have tattoos on their faces.
Baigas mainly dwell in Dindori district in more than about 202 villages. However, the density of the tribes people is the highest in Baiga Chuk, which is 60 km wide and about 300 km.
Amarlal Bariya, teacher in primary school Tatar, Baiga Chuk, says "We have 61 girls and 51 boys in our school and 75% are Baigas. Only a few girls have tattoos on their faces," he adds.
Bhagat Singh Maravi, a member of Baiga tribe, a graduate, now teaching in a government school, says the culture in the community is changing because of education and affect of television and films. The young generation has started wearing jeans, salwar and T- shirts. Earlier Baiga woman used to wear Mungi," a thick cotton cloth, but now they also use synthetic sari, says Sardesh Sahu, a shopkeeper at Dhurkuta weekly market.
Expressing concern over erosion in tribal culture, an expert of tribal and folk culture Dr Kapil Tiwari, former secretary MP Adivasi Lok Kala Parishad, says, "If Baiga youths are giving up their language, culture and tradition like tattoos and want to be a modern then we have to think again about definition of modernity." "We need to preserve their culture without hampering the development."