HISTORY books describe the Korwas of Madhya Pradesh as a "criminal tribe". It is a stigma they have lived with for generations, simply because the British found them too unruly to be civilised. Independence has made no difference as census reports of the Indian Government continue to describe them as criminals.

This actually gives the simple-minded hill folk the "licence" to plunder with impunity, indulge in free sex, perform animal sacrifices and kill at will, without fear of being punished by the law of the land. If there’s anything or anybody they are scared of, it is Khuria Rani, their ancestral deity.

"They are most savage and terrifying," observed Col Philip Dalton, a surveyor during the British Raj. The Korwas have long been hounded out from their homes in the plains and have turned into forest-dwellers in the Sarguja range. Various clans trace their descent to a particular tree or animal. The Hazeda Korwas, for instance, belong to the bamboo tree, the Mudiyas are from a canine lineage while the Ginu Korwas are said to have descended from an ant hill!

But the common strand that binds them together is their faith in Khuria Rani. "The goddess is believed to have protective powers," informs M.K. Mishra of the Tribal and Rural Development Institute in nearby Jashpurnagar. "A goat, coconut, red hen, milk, vermillion and lighted lamp are offered on every auspicious occasion to appease the deity.

"Before the British banned human sacrifice, the Korwas sacrificed a Brahmin male child to the goddess every year. Even today, no Brahmin enters the temple of Khuria Rani."

The Korwas are expert hunters and love to kill a bird flying or an animal running. Before setting out on a hunt, they worship their bows and arrows while seeking the blessings of Lord Shiva and Goddess Durga. They are also very fond of dacoity and proceed on expeditions, often accompanied by their women.

The victims are usually travellers or the Ahirs living in plains who bring their cattle to graze in the Sarguja forests. "A Korwa will never attack anybody helpless," says Mishra. "He enjoys a fight, or challenge. If you offer him money, he will not touch it. But should you try to run to save yourself, he’ll track you down. That way, he’d have earned the money. The same applies to birds and animals. It’s after all, a sport."

Says Etva Ram, a village chieftain: "Korwa can kill for money, tobacco, alcohol or plain fun. Drunken brawls are very common. Last full-moon night, Phulsai Korwa killed his father-in-law in a bout of drunkenness. Then there are so many women killed by their husbands on suspicion of adultery."

Funnily, Korwa customs permit free sex among the unmarried. But again, sex with someone outside the community is prohibited and attracts death penalty. And after marriage, a woman is supposed to be faithful to her husband, whereas the same does not hold good for the man.

Marriages are conducted by a ritual known as dhuku — whereby a woman takes her man by surprise by barging into his hut at night and insisting upon marrying him. Should he allow her to stay overnight, it is an indication of his consent. He must then offer a pot full of hadiya (fermented brew) to her father as compensation.

The marriage ceremony is as elaborate as any Hindu festival, with much merry-making and feasting on animals sacrificed for the occasion. The entire village descends on the groom’s house. The women are dressed in dhoti and blouse, their hair adorned with balls of dyed cotton and honeycomb flowers. Men generally tie a lungi around their waist and leave their chest bare.

Both bride and groom are massaged with jatangi (a herb) oil and turmeric and made to sit under a canopy of sal leaves. The boy’s father presents the bride price — usually a goat and 40 (a teacup) measures of uncooked rice. The goat is slaughtered on the spot and amidst the beats of the dumkutch dance, the wedding gets underway.

Thereafter, the baiga (local witch-doctor) escorts the couple back home to start a new life.