On one of the extreme north-eastern corners of our country, lies an exceptional village known as Longwa, that shares its border with Myanmar, as well as grants the inhabitants of the village dual citizenship. We must have read in social science books that our country does not grant dual citizenship, but this village is an only exception as its residents enjoy this rare privilege, since some things permeate the physical boundaries of a political border. Under the Free Movement Regime (FMR), the residents of Longwa can go upto 16 kilometres from the border and stay upto 14 days without having to go through any formal visa arrangements. They are also allowed to trade, participate in festivals or social and cultural activities, on either side of the border.
Longwa is located in the Mon district of Nagaland, roughly a three hours ride from the centre of Mon town. The residents belong to the Konyak tribe of Nagaland, who were famous for being warriors and head-hunters, till they converted into Christianity around the 1960s. The last generation of head-hunters still reside in various villages of Mon district. Currently, 21 former head-hunters reside in Longwa, all of them in their eighties and nineties now. They possess the signature face tattoos and wear a heavy necklace with brass skulls to signify the numbers of heads they have hunted. Only the warriors who dared to bring their Angh the heads of their enemies, were honoured with a face tattoo, as a symbol of bravery. Konyaks were amongst the last tribes of Nagaland to convert into Christianity.
The road to Longwa is surprisingly smooth, barring some potholes, thanks to the Konyak students’ union, as some residents mentioned, it was the young students who first initiated the construction of the paved road. It is an uphill ride through the hills and a lush green landscape, where it keeps getting colder according to the elevation. Longwa is located at an elevation of 1500 metres. The silence throughout the dense forests can be either soothing or eerie, but when ears are lent attentively, a myriad variety of birds can be heard, ornithologists can identify even, the chirpings are so clear and distinct.
Traces of the existence of Longwa village goes back to the 16th century, way before the British government drew the political borders, or even the birth of the independent states of India and Myanmar. It was in the year 1971 that both the nations decided to demarcate the boundary line through the middle of Longwa. The border pillar was erected with inscriptions written both in Hindi as well as Burmese, on either side.
Writing or reading about this kind of border demarcation gives the political perspective a lot more emphasis, perhaps even making it appear as something extremely peculiar; but for the actual people living out there, from the socio-cultural perspective, it is simply a way of life – mundane, stable and peaceful. In a very subtle manner, this shows how human bonds matter more than artificial lines of cartography.
The people of Longwa have never made a big deal out of this border situation and continue to live in harmony. This also sheds light on the deep bonding and solidarity within the people of the tribe as well as their capacity to adapt to the changing geopolitical scenario of the modern world. The nearest town on the Myanmar side is called Lahe, which falls under the Naga Self-Administered Zone of Sagaing Division. People casually walk across the border to collect woods, send children to school, buy groceries, meet friends or family and so on. It is also a common sight to see men riding around the village in Kenbo or Canda motorcycles, which they procure from Myamnar – these motorcycles are made in China and usually imported in Myanmar. These motorbikes are a huge hit amongst the villagers as an affordable and reliable mode of transportation for carrying supplies across villages.
Longwa is the largest village in the remote Mon district. There are approximately 6000-7000 people residing as of now, who speak the Longwa dialect fluently (Every village in Mon district has their own dialect that is known by the village’s name only). Some of the people can also hold conversations in Nagamese and English languages. There are five schools in the village at present and one more private school is under construction. Burmese language is also taught in the schools, so the children usually grow up to be multilingual.
Apart from the government and private schools for formal education, there is also the presence of the morung – an institution of the Nagas, where young unmarried men learn the basics of the social, cultural and religious life, as well as skills related to craftsmanship and warfare. It is considered as one of the most significant markers of the Naga cultural heritage. Inside a morung, elders would pass on all their life learnings through stories, customs and rituals, generation after generation. Morungs can be loosely translated as “youth dormitories” and every Naga tribe has their own distinct pattern of a morung. There are a total of seven morungs in the whole village of Longwa. In the present times, with the advent of Christianity, the original functions of a morung has reduced drastically, but people still keep the essence of a morung alive.
The entire village, consisting of both sides, is ruled by the hereditary Chief (or Angh) Tonyei Phawang, who happens to be the 10th generation Chief of Longwa. The international border cuts through the middle of Angh’s house, with the right side in India and left side in Myanmar (from the front). It indeed is a unique sight to watch. Inside the Angh’s house, there lay quite some old Konyak artefacts; in one of the corners of the huge kitchen, souvenirs are kept on display, which is also for sale. One can also buy souvenirs special to the Konyak artistry, made by residents of the village themselves - such as bead jewellery, bamboo craftworks, wooden sculptures and so on.
As the headhunting and fighting practices have subsided within the community, people of Longwa have started to focus more on their cultural heritage and how to sustain its significance – by preserving their rich history, one of a kind cultural tapestry, brilliant craftsmanship, songs and dances enacting stories from their past practices, which are getting passed on across the generations as oral history.
The Konyaks are known to be brilliant craftsmen, skilled at wooden and bamboo works. Skulls are the most common carvings, seen almost everywhere, owing to the prior headhunting practice of the tribe. Every house has these wooden sculptures, welcoming at their door or on the dining table edges, with carvings that relate to stories and rituals from their ancestors. These handicrafts are extensively made by the people of Longwa, as an effort by the people to sustain their heritage along with an honest income.
“All wooden sculptures that you see have some story. Storytelling is the main objective behind everything we make.”, suggests Nokao Longsa, a young man who envisions building a museum in Longwa one day, to commemorate the Konyak history and tradition under one roof. “We mostly use the wood of peen tree. This is what we call the tree in Longwa dialect. I do not know what that tree is called in English.”, informs Nokao, who is also a great communicator and helps the older craftsmen with selling their sculptures, by getting them in touch with tourists or researchers who visit Longwa. He goes on to add, “There are around twenty-five to thirty wood carvers in Longwa now.” Wood is used to make almost everything – houses, pillars, panels, benches, chairs, tables and so on. Even rifles are made with this wood. Rifles are common amongst the Konyaks and a part of their tradition, almost every household has one rifle, which is used only during rituals. “Royal families possess wooden log drums whose heads usually have the carving of an animal. These log drums can last many generations and are usually kept at the front doors to signify the family’s status.”, Nokao shares as he points towards the log drum kept in front of his front door.
As we can conclude, storytelling is a huge aspect of the Konyaks and that becomes excessively evident during the harvest time in the first week of April, when they celebrate the annual Aoleang festival with anecdotes passed on by their ancestors – keeping alive the stories through dancing, singing, feasting and praying. The people enact scenes from battles or other acts of bravery that honour their ancestors, the traditional fighting skills and weaponry are displayed as a performance. Apart from days of festivities, even on regular days, Longwa has a character of its own. The people here are aware of their distinct cultural heritage and thrive on mutual respect. Explorers and curiosity seekers shall surely be satisfied with the warm hospitality of the Konyaks in Longwa.
