“I wouldn’t be alive and talking had I not converted to Christianity,” Khon Khiam, one of the last surviving warriors of the bygone Naga head hunting era says in his calm demeanor during a conversation recently at his home at Noklak village.
In his twilight years with a declining memory, Khon Khiam (short for Khiamniungan) cannot remember his exact age. And he can only recall patches of his life.
With age catching up on him, Khon spends most of a day inside the smoke fuming kitchen hearth and guzzles black tea. And he is happy to answer a question or two, so long as he can connect the bits and pieces of his life.
“I never thought it important to determine my age,” Khon ponders for a while and remarks. Like any wise old man would utter, life, according to Khon, is not counted in years but in deeds.
But he is certain he has crossed 100. Certain details still flood back. “I was around 17-18 years old when a team of British Administrators passed Noklak while on their way to Pangsha, a Naga village bordering Myanmar,” Khon recalls. This supposedly happened in the early 30s.
Still looking lithe and able with fascinating tattoos marking his wrinkled torso; a reminder of his tumultuous head hunting days, Khon may be one of the few head hunters alive.
“I might have died early…I am happy I converted to Christianity, it saved my life,” he mutters once again, evoking a reminder of his many comrades who chose to follow the head hunting path and died early, in the hands of enemies at bloody battles.
More memories come flooding back. Khon was one of the best warriors from his village with five enemies heads felled by his dao. That was back then.
“I remember I never walked behind, I was one who always led the way,” Khon says his status of being a warrior.
But converting to Christianity was never that easy, Khon remembers with a chuckle.
“I cannot recall exactly when, on one occasion, I converted and rejected Christianity merely because I did not want to quit drinking rice beer. Then I again reconverted in 1966.” Khon can recall the exact year and the name of the missionary who baptized him-one Imti from the Ao tribe.
That was when Khon quit rice beer and head hunting for good.
Khon was also one of the warriors representing Tuensang district to participate (as a dance troupe) at the Nagaland Statehood inauguration in 1963 at Kohima.
The troupe journeyed all the way from Noklak to Tuensang, Mokokchung and to Assam by foot. From Assam, they were taken on a train till Dimapur. And finally to Kohima on motor transport. What was the fondest memory of the journey? Khon is asked. There is a hint of a smile. “I can still clearly remember the scrumptious food we had in Assam.”
Yes, there are certain memories even age cannot erase.
Imti Longchar
Noklak
In his twilight years with a declining memory, Khon Khiam (short for Khiamniungan) cannot remember his exact age. And he can only recall patches of his life.
With age catching up on him, Khon spends most of a day inside the smoke fuming kitchen hearth and guzzles black tea. And he is happy to answer a question or two, so long as he can connect the bits and pieces of his life.
“I never thought it important to determine my age,” Khon ponders for a while and remarks. Like any wise old man would utter, life, according to Khon, is not counted in years but in deeds.
 |
| Pic : Khon Khiamniungan |
But he is certain he has crossed 100. Certain details still flood back. “I was around 17-18 years old when a team of British Administrators passed Noklak while on their way to Pangsha, a Naga village bordering Myanmar,” Khon recalls. This supposedly happened in the early 30s.
Still looking lithe and able with fascinating tattoos marking his wrinkled torso; a reminder of his tumultuous head hunting days, Khon may be one of the few head hunters alive.
“I might have died early…I am happy I converted to Christianity, it saved my life,” he mutters once again, evoking a reminder of his many comrades who chose to follow the head hunting path and died early, in the hands of enemies at bloody battles.
More memories come flooding back. Khon was one of the best warriors from his village with five enemies heads felled by his dao. That was back then.
“I remember I never walked behind, I was one who always led the way,” Khon says his status of being a warrior.
But converting to Christianity was never that easy, Khon remembers with a chuckle.
“I cannot recall exactly when, on one occasion, I converted and rejected Christianity merely because I did not want to quit drinking rice beer. Then I again reconverted in 1966.” Khon can recall the exact year and the name of the missionary who baptized him-one Imti from the Ao tribe.
That was when Khon quit rice beer and head hunting for good.
Khon was also one of the warriors representing Tuensang district to participate (as a dance troupe) at the Nagaland Statehood inauguration in 1963 at Kohima.
The troupe journeyed all the way from Noklak to Tuensang, Mokokchung and to Assam by foot. From Assam, they were taken on a train till Dimapur. And finally to Kohima on motor transport. What was the fondest memory of the journey? Khon is asked. There is a hint of a smile. “I can still clearly remember the scrumptious food we had in Assam.”
Yes, there are certain memories even age cannot erase.
Imti Longchar
Noklak
No comments:
Post a Comment