Footfalls in Nagaland

Footfalls in Nagaland

Dr. Yashesh Anantani

PROLOGUE

Nagaland borders the states of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, and across an international frontier, the Union of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is home to some two million people from some sixteen Tibetan-Mongol-Burmese tribes and several sub-tribes who have been fighting a remote and rarely reported war for independence from India, on and off, since early 1950s. What Naga independence movements and guerilla armies have been fighting for over several decades is the dream of ‘Nagalim’ or a Greater Nagaland, an independent country that would unite all the tribes in a land of their own.

Dimapur is where most travelers to Nagaland enter the state. A question that anyone arriving at Dimapur may innocently ask is, “Where are the Nagas?” They are here. They just happen to look more or less like anyone in Dimapur, a town that, superficially, nods more to the world outside than to the mist enshrouded hills that rise high and far beyond its municipal borders. Dimapur is not Nagaland. Nagaland is still some way off, up roads bustling with 4x4s, minibuses and military convoys lumbering onwards and upwards to ever more remote villages, most of them out of bounds to foreigners and Indians alike[1].

4-4-44 is an amazing date line for Kohima in the history of Second World War. The Japanese army having crossed the Burma border suddenly appeared at Kohima! Recalls Lhusi Haralu, “The first sudden burst of gunfire at Kohima started around 4pm that evening. One could hear the whine of the shells as they came screaming towards you. We would all crouch down, scared and holding to our heads… One thing strikes me as I recall the war – the absolute loyalty of our people to British administration which tended to make them adopt a hostile attitude towards the invading Japanese in a war that was not ours. Come to think of it, the Japanese were never our enemies”[2]. The battle to recover Kohima and the reopening of the Imphal Road lasted 3 months until June 22, 1944. The War Cemetery in Kohima continues to witness many a tearful reunion, even between the families of ‘enemies’.

Historians have called the Kohima event as ‘one of the most bitterly fought battles of the Second World War”. Earl Mountbatten, Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, described it as ‘one of the greatest battles in history…naked, unparalleled heroism”. And Field Marshall Wavell called it ‘the turning point of the war when the Japanese were routed and their downfall really began’.[3]

In fact, the Japanese had hoped to reach (then) Calcutta and Delhi through the Naga Hills but were beaten back by Naga warriors loyal to British. Had the Japanese succeeded, they would have broken the back of colonial India and of the British Empire itself[4].

And so the land as in Nagaland has had a bloody history, trampled upon by the armies of the British and the Japanese, and the Indian army now. Today[5], the fighting continues sporadically, the skirmishes between rival independence (politico-tribal) movements and against the Indian armed forces (thus) undermining fragile treaties.

Amidst all this, and in what could be a moment of tragic-comic irony, there appeared on a Naga hill, an oddity from, of all the places, the land of one gentleman who gave his life preaching non-violence!!

Present Day, April 2012

“You must be Dr. Livingstone!” exclaimed the first African native to greet the Englishman when he discovered the ‘Dark Continent’ ages ago. For this Gujaratibhai hailing from aapnu amdavad however, there were no natives to receive him at Kohima in Nagaland where he landed, err, drove down actually, to take up a one-year residency for a project in urban sector. But, I was no less thrilled than Dr. Livingstone! I must admit that despite being a self-professed ‘international’ traveler, this was one Indian State, tucked into a corner that I had missed, in fact, never even planned to visit. This attitude in general has remained the bane of the north-eastern region, and I would unabashedly agree that I was a part of this attitude-syndicate – until now that is.

And thanks to the opportunity, the British and Japanese are no longer the only footfalls in Nagaland!

Delving into the past, and beginning in the 1840s, the British, while colonizing India, made several attempts to encroach onto the Naga territory. They were met with stiff resistance from the Nagas who had never been conquered by any ‘empire’ before. The stiffness of the resistance can be gauged by the fact that it took nearly four decades for the British to conquer a territory that is less than 10,000 square kilometres! Kohima was the first seat of modern administration as the Headquarters of Naga Hills District (then under Assam) with the appointment of Political Officer in 1879. When Nagaland became a full-fledged state on 1^st December 1963, Kohima was declared as the state capital.

Sheltered on the hem of eastern Himalayan range, Kohima is noted for its unhurried pace of life, calm and serene environs and fresh, unpolluted air. A picturesque township, it forms a cradle on a high ridge amidst lush green wealth of the nature, with panoramic views of the rugged Naga Hills. This could be a great marketing jargon for tourism but to a discerning eye, it could have been much more breathtaking; for, during the two hour, 75 km drive climbing slowly away from Dimapur airport on the Assam border to Kohima at appx. 3500 feet above sea level, I came across rampant destruction of coniferous forests and stark denuded scenario. Painful it might be but the tradition of jhum cultivation (slash-burn-shift) continues to devour the natural beauty and biological life of Naga Hills.

Anyway, a few April days later, and away from the heat of Ahmedabad at 42 degrees, the 13-18 degrees at Kohima hit me like the very real, massive hailstorm and pre-monsoon showers that surprised me no end. Quite expectedly, the news was greeted with a lot of envy from back home!

A Monsoon Morning!

Realization! I have to remind myself that I am NOT in Bihar or Nepal! Where are the Nagas, the famed warriors?? Most of them could be working in the government offices 10am to 4pm.; the rest, Biharis and Nepalis, are businessmen, shop owners or taxi owner-drivers. And, of course, cooks! Sometimes, a Naga could be seen manning (or wo-maning) a pan shop. Yes. Kolkata mithi patti with a sprinkling of zarda and a small bit of roasted coconut is a favourite pass time with men and women alike, several times a day. One sees more of beautiful globalised Naga women and lovely, petite girls on the roads and in the markets, much more than the men. If the sex ratio in Kohima is 50:50, then pray, where are the 50% men? Talking of rest of the species, there are no cows on the roads, no crows, not even pigeons…but lots of house sparrows!

The biggest shock to this Gujarati who has come here seeking solace in Bacchus is the fact that Nagaland has remained a dry state since long. Unlike Gujarat rightly or wrongly, a visitor fails to understand the logic here. Well, some logic is discussed in whispers! Whatever may be the case, liquor is available freely in any corner shop thank you!

Drinking water is scarce, particularly in winter when the far away river source almost dries up. Since power is generated from the hydel project on this same river, its supply is also erratic, particularly in the 2-5 degree cold winter when heating demand zooms up. And so, it is a double whammy! 70-80% of the piped water supply is in the hands of unorganized private sector, of those lucky few to have wells or streams on this rugged terrain; the water however needs boiling to make it safe for drinking. There are no lakes in Kohima, more because of urbanization process; in fact, the district was once known as the ‘city of seven lakes!’

A room with a View

The angamis and migrant Nepalis constitute the majority in a population of one lakh in Kohima. ‘Headhunters’ must be a misnomer as Nagas are polite and humble, not aggressive. They speak English well. In fact, it is the state language, Nagaland being the largest Baptist Christian state.

The food habits are very, very interesting as indicated by a visit to markets. Nagas consume a lot of biodiversity! Apart from vegetables and pulses, the list includes all meats, fish (the state consumes 24000 kgs per day!)[6], frogs, eels, snakes, grubby larvae and insects. Dog meat is a delicacy; both, child-lifters and dog-lifters alike, get the same punishment from the irate public!

Downtown in Clouds

Sunrise these April days is at 4.30am. Daily routine at Kohima in general begins at 4am and it is lunchtime at 8am, to office by 10am and back home at 4pm. The markets open by 8am and close down by 7pm. Security from unwanted elements could be one reason but it is quite assuredly, a safe, peaceful state, in fact the most peaceful among the ‘seven sisters’ of the North-Eastern region of India. My upscale neighborhood high up on the highest hill overlooking a brightly lit up Kohima, wears a deserted look by 8 pm. Post-dinner walk in total silence and solitude, occasionally interrupted by a swish or a whoosh of cold, blowing wind, is an absolutely delightful experience; it also means not venturing too far out for the fear of being alone if for no other reason akin to violence, and always with a flashlight as load-shedding is a frequent feature.

As for tourism, there is the exquisite alpine landscape of Dzuku valley, a visit to Khonoma and Jotsoma village s and of course, the world famous Hornbill Festival every first week of December.

A final word! A nice town, so tranquil and so scenic, with a salubrious English weather; however, for a first-time visitor, Nagaland may remain a mystery, an enigma actually! Kohima could be a great place to retire to, not for youngsters seeking entertainment joints; there are no movie theatres. However, if you are a rock band enthusiast, you must come to this land of rock music! For those with an adventurous streak, there is a lot to trek, explore and learn keeping in mind that transportation could be expensive with poor roads and long hours of travel – apart from security of course.  

All of this and yet, Nagaland could be the most exciting discovery of your life time!

2012's largest full moon over nga Hills

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[1] “Nagaland - A Journey to India’s Forgotten Frontier” by Jonathan Glancey, Pub. Faber & Faber, 2011

[2] “Heralding Hope – 125 Kohima”  Pub: Bhabani Offset & Imaging Systems Pvt Ltd, 2004

[3] “Heralding Hope – 125 Kohima”  Pub: Bhabani Offset & Imaging Systems Pvt Ltd, 2004

[4] “Nagaland - A Journey to India’s Forgotten Frontier” by Jonathan Glancey, Pub. Faber & Faber, 2011

[5] “Nagaland - A Journey to India’s Forgotten Frontier” by Jonathan Glancey, Pub. Faber & Faber, 2011

[6]  The Nagaland Post, April 2012