Scrolls of Strife attempts to probe the tumultuous history of the Nagas – arguably the most distinctive but misunderstood race in India. Seen as a belligerent people who authored the most intractable version of insurgency in Eastern India, the Nagas’ relationship with the ‘outsider’ from the ‘mainland’ has been fraught, to say the least. It’s not just that a non-Naga feels like an outsider in Nagaland, the Nagas also claim to have similar experiences when in other parts of the country. However, the Nagas’ sense of apartness does not stem from the apparent prejudices faced by them. Rather it is the very distinctiveness of these people that, in many ways, lie at the core of their alienation from the rest of India. In fact the bewildering diversity of customs and languages, as also a history of tribal warfare, serves as a faint dividing line even between the several Naga tribes. The stressed relationship with their Assamese neighbours, the lasting impact of British colonialists and American missionaries, and the tragic misunderstanding between the Naga and the Indian leaders – all combine to make the history of the Nagas deeply intriguing and endless.
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