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Nagaland
On the border with Burma
(Myanmar), south of Arunachal Pradesh and east of Assam, Nagaland is physically
and conceptually at the very extremity of the subcontinent. Many of its hills
and valleys, home to the fiercely independent Nagas, were uncharted until
recently, and the eastern regions, remain far beyond the reach of the skeletal
road system, despite the fact that the forested mountains rarely exceed 3000m
in height. Today this remains the most politically sensitive of the so-called
north eastern hill states, and is all but closed to foreigners.
The
traditional art prevalent in Nagaland for many centuries is weaving. Colurful
Naga Shawls, table mats, wooden carvings and banboo works can be bought as
souvenirs. Tribal dances are another added attraction that the stae of Nagaland
has to offer. These dances are performed during festivals, marriages, harvests
or just for enjoyment.
Kohima - Although the
capital of Nagaland, Kohima, 74km east of Dimapur bordering the Assam Valley,
was built by the British in the nineteenth century. It was never a hill
station, and lacks Victorian promenades, villas and public gardens. It was
founded here - alongside the large Angami village known as Kohima Village, or
in the adopted Hindusthani as Bara Basti (the large village) - strictly for the
purposes of administration, and continues in much the same vein under a new
regime. A more intimate glimpse of traditional Naga life is offered by the walk
up to Bara Basti, or the short trip to Khonoma, 20km beyond Kohima, the Nagas'
once impregnable stronghold, sacked by the British in 1879 and again by the
Indian army in 1956.
The Japfu peak, Dzakou Valley, Khonoma village and
Mokokchung are the places around Kohima which should be visited. Jhum or
shifting cultivation on terraced fields can be seen everywhere in the state.
Rice is the most important foodgrain of Nagaland.
The Nagas - From villages perched high on
the mountain ridges to either side of the valleys of Nagaland, Naga tribes
people survey
their separate domains. Headhunters until not so long ago,
the Nagas have long been feared and respected throughout the northeast,
although in truth they are
a warm and welcoming people. They seem originally to have lived
in northeast Tibet, then moved through southwest China into Burma, Malaya
and Indonesia, as
well as eastern Assam. In Nagaland, they can be divided into
sixteen main groups, including the Angamis around Kohima, the Konyaks,
Ao, Lothas, Semas and
Wanchus. Despite their fierce reputation, all are essentially
farmers who cultivate terraced fields and tend cattle.
Traditionally, Nagas
differentiated between the soul, a celestial body, and the spirit, a
supernatural being, believing that the human soul resided in the nape of the
neck and could only be set free by beheading, while the spiritual being, in the
head, brought good fortune. Heads of enemies and fallen comrades were collected
to add to those of the community's own ancestors. Some tribes decorated their
faces with tattoos of swirling horns to mark success in headhunting. Trophies
were hoarded in each village in the men's meeting house, or morung, which also
served as the boys' dormitory. This large open hall was decorated with
fantastic carvings of animals, elephant heads and tusks. Constructed of wood
and bamboo, morungs were frequently destroyed by fire, along with the precious
collection of heads; however, the benevolent spirits were retained by the
re-creation of the lost collection in carved wood. In addition, the Naga still
construct megalithic monuments, which line the approaches to villages, and come
to personify those who erect them after death. Menhirs stand in pairs or in
long double rows, to honour fame and generosity or enhance the fertility of a
field. The Angamis were never ruled by chiefs; the closest equivalent is the
Tevo, a descendant of the founder of the village and mediator between the
community and the supernatural world. Each village is sub-divided into khel,
which in the past often had independent inter-tribal policies, and who settled
their own disputes by bloody fights. Relations between the sexes traditionally
were conducted with great openness and equality. Few first marriages led to a
permanent union, and in spite of the Christian influence divorce remains
common.
Although each tribe has its own dialect, a pidgin drawn from
various Naga languages, Assamese and even Nepalese, has developed into the
common Nagamese tongue. As the Nagas have been integrated into the modern
world, their traditions are under threat. In an effort to realign society along
so-called civilized lines, boys are encouraged to live at home with their
parents, and morungs are discouraged and left to fall into ruin.
Dimapur - The British administrators of Nagaland who
arrived at a truce with the Nagas towards the end of the nineteenth century,
agreed not to penetrate beyond certain boundaries, so their maps left numerous
blank areas. Based in the Angami village of Kohima, the Deputy Commissioner
occasionally toured the territories to collect taxes and administer justice and
came to hold a certain authority among the various tribes. Some developed a
loyalty to the British, others saw them as intruders. In 1879 loyal Kohima
Angamis who helped to smuggle a message through to British lines in the Assam
Valley relieved the Khonoma Angami rebellion against Kohima through assistance.
When the Indian flag replaced the Union flag in 1947, it was promptly removed
by Nagas, who had come to accept the British presence(Crown Colony) but did not
want to join India. For many years, the Naga National Council (NNC) under
Angami Zapu Phizo, and with Chinese and the then undivided Pakistan support,
fought a bitter war for Naga independence. In 1974, a section of it broke away
and, as the United Democratic Front, won election to the state government, then
signed the Shillong Accord and laid down their arms. But the rump of the NNC
fought on, splitting in 1980 when Phizo's lieutenant, Thuingaleng Muivah, Ishak
Chishi Swu and SS Khaplang broke away to form the National Socialist Council of
Nagaland (NSCN), again in 1988 they divided into two faction naming as NSCN(K)
and NSCN(IM). SS Khaplang faction is still fighting to this day but with one
year ceasefire I-M group has now come to negotiation process with Indian
Government.
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