From the report by Nandini Bedi and Erik de Maaker based on 14 December 2008 discussions including Lalsu, a member of the Madia community:
[…] The Madias, like the Baigas see the Gonds as their kings or rulers. […]
When Nandini questioned the group saying that even scholars like Deogaonkar who had lived amongst them called them “Gonds”, they sad he had been repeating what all the other scholars before him had written. Lalsu had said that since no Madias could read or write until recently, they didn’t know what they were being called in the scholarly literature. And since the scholars who wrote about them never went back to discuss or tell them about their writings, the Madias didn’t really know from them either. […]
Lalsu has been one of the first Madias who has come across this literature and has been in a position to question it. He’s very clear – Madias are not Gonds […]
For now, it would be best to refer to them as Madias.
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Baiga | Bhatra | Dhruva | Gond | Halba | Madia | Maria | Muria
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