Text: unrest in the country, the head Jaeger

A production of OnTheSpot Media Services Pvt Ltd.

Report: Armin Paul Hampel & Meera Menezes

Camera: Tom Kahmann

Editor: Dmitry Yakovenko 

0:01 OT Lempha

"From the mountains of Burma, enemies came and invaded us. Down in the valley there was a great final battle. I was there. We were victorious and captured many of the heads of our enemies. "(0.14)

0:16

Old Lempha reflects on his memories with pride – memories from a long time ago when he and his tribesmen were still headhunters. The skulls of slain enemies were valuable trophies, as it was believed amongst the Nagas that they guaranteed the fertility of the fields and the prosperity of the village. 

0:40

Twenty years ago a new age dawned, when Christian missionaries came to the republic of Nagaland in the far northeast of India. They said that with Jesus they would bring the modern world to the Nagas, along with a new religion, schools and education.

Today most of the former headhunters have converted to Christianity.

01.03

"Our previous world no longer exists. You have to cultivate your fields more efficiently, and you have to learn to read and write. Enemies who seek you out for life no longer exist. Therefore captured heads have no significance. "

01.20 O-Ton Son Pastor Ang

01.23 VO start

"Before, skulls could be found in every hut here. But they were once humans. They deserve to find a final resting place that gives dignity to the dead ".

01.35

With heavy hearts, the headhunters had to part with their trophies. But the church leaders did not completely seal the tombs – a gap, a foot wide, allows a view of the skull... 

01.51

It seems that the Christian missionaries dealt carefully with the traditions of the headhunters. The former tribal hero and successful headhunter, Khaopa, even built a monument to the church. Towards the end of his life he appears to have affirmed his Christian beliefs.

02.07

Yet the influence of Christianity ends at the threshold of Lempha’s hut. And it is not only old Lempha who feels nostalgic about the past. Younger tribe members also regret that they are no longer allowed to practice the old rites and traditions.

02.23 O-Ton Pangle, Lemphas nephew

"We once had total freedom. We could always do what we wanted. For example, we could go on headhunting. But these days we are told, “you must not do this, you can’t do that”. It’s bad. It was different before. "

02.42

Lempha hasn’t let go of his former headhunting successes. Since he had to bury his trophies, the old warrior has made himself two skulls out of papiermache.

02.52 O-Ton Lempha, former headhunter

„I captured two heads, one of a man and one of a woman. The skulls had to be hacked off with two blows of an axe. Then you could get a tatoo on your face as a prize."

03.05

In Lempha’s smoky hut modern civilization has not yet taken hold. He explains why the heads of slain enemies were so important to his people:

 03.15 E-Ton Lempha

Why did we behead our enemies?

Well, because everything is in the head; knowledge, the soul, the emotions. Whoever brought a captured head into the village was rewarded. We prepared the skull with chilli, salt and ginger. And we ridiculed them, because they have lost not only their lives, but all of their knowledge. We have given this up now, and just pay tribute to it in our dances. " 

03.40

However, these old warriors cannot live completely in the past; the modern world came to the Naga people a long time ago.

03.54

In the short term the sound of a disco makes for a lively atmosphere, but in general, the descendants of the headhunters have little to smile about. The literacy rate is low, unemployment is high - the whole village lives almost exclusively on small industries, such as weaving and woodwork.

04.15

When the future seems to offer few positive developments, the past is often revered as a better time. It's no different in Nagaland. 

04.37

Here the past is often re-lived. For example, the sound of the big war drum on the anniversary of the great battle, reminds people in surrounding villages of a time when enemies were overcome.

05.00

The audience is mostly dressed in western clothing. But here, in the mountains, traditional tribal dress is still worn with pride.

05.27

The ancestors of the young warriors went to battle in similar attire. Even the old hacking knife seems to sit particularly well with certain young Naga.  They secretly dream of taking part in real battles – and not just folkloric displays, as they do here.

05.50

Here, in the extreme northeast of India, where the government is far away in New Delhi and the ancient rites are not forgotten, the great battle is fought again - with blank cartridges and without skull-trophies.

06.04

The setting of the spectacle is the square in front of the church, providing a stark contrast between the symbol of the new faith, and the celebration of the old.

06.21

However, the mood of celebration is rather quickly followed by the disillusionment of everyday life.

The former headhunters know that their old world is ending, and fear for their cultural identity. They take refuge in the illusionary world of opium-induced dreams.

06.40

Opium is cheap here; it comes from neighboring Myanmar. For a few hours, it makes life beautiful. 

06.56

“Of course,” murmurs Lempha’s nephew, “I should not have started using the stuff. I should make something of my life. Now I'm sitting around at home and have lost all my energy.”

07.15

At some point Lempha left without saying goodbye. Like one of his opium-induced dreams of the past, he disappears into a time soon to be forgotten – even by the Naga.