Dreaded
And tribal vehemently
Taking to far fringe
Looking beyond to
With Kewhira, Kohima
As capital,
Kohima War Cemetery,
Dimapur, Zunheboto,
Wokha, Tuensang,
Peren, Chumukedima.
Nagaland
The land of the Nagas,
Tribal, aboriginal peoples
Divided by sect, costume and speech,
Scattered over the hilly terrains,
Green and wild.
A hilly state of the tribes
Angami, Ao, Chakhesang, Chang, Kachari,
Khiamniungan, Konyak, Kuki, Lotha, Phom,
Pochury, Rengma, Sangtam, Suni, Yimchunger,
Zeme-Liangmai,
Distinct in dress, habit, custom and sect.
A state of the mountain summits
Panoramic and landscapic
Looking down over
The boundaries and corridors beyond
Is of lakes and rivers
Famed for ecotourism and birdwatching.
Mountainous, indigenous
And tribal,
It is of the Nagas, Naga culture,
Telling of the tumultuous past,
British settlement,
The trauma and tension of compromise.