At one time, the way to get ahead among India's Konyak warriors was by chopping off an enemy's skull. Today, the last survivors mourn the changing times – and a new generation they see as "too privileged".
At 90, Nokkho Konyak can barely see beyond a few feet, his facial tattoos marking him as a warrior are fading and his frail body needs support.
But his eyes light up and his hands become animated when he talks about "those simpler times".
"We witnessed our brave elders cutting off enemies' heads and participated in many battles," he says.
Nokkho is a Konyak, a respected warrior community in north-eastern India's Nagaland state.
The small but fierce community of Konyaks were the last to give up the age-old practice of severing enemies' heads in this remote, hilly and densely forested region close to the Myanmar border.
"I am lucky to still be alive, to be around my extended family, and I feel that today's generation is too privileged," he says at Chi village, about 360km from the regional capital Dimapur.
'Heads were trophies'
Nokkho is an old man from a dying breed that practised or witnessed headhunting before it stopped half a century ago.
"Human heads were trophies that earned you respect," he says, sitting in front of a wall decorated with the skulls of animals sacrificed by his family.
Warriors were inked with different tattoos signifying anything from participation in a battle to killing someone and actually taking a head.
As a young boy, he practised lopping off heads on large puppets, though he never severed a human one in battle himself.
The last two headhunters in the village, his two elderly friends, died about 20 years ago.
Most tribal fights happened over land and limited resources, with warriors carrying spears, axes and machetes ambushing their enemies.
Wherever possible, enemies' headless bodies were tied to a bamboo pole and taken back to the victor's village.
The head itself was taken and paraded about for the village to see, hailed as a sign of bravery to be celebrated.
"My youth was a time of great transition," Nokkho says, referring to the arrival of missionaries, who denounced headhunting and gradually converted most people from their traditional animist beliefs to Christianity.
Nokkho remembers the Second World War; the end of British colonial rule and India's independence in 1947; the first roads and power lines; and now, finally, the arrival of mobile phones.
'Hard for women'
Like Nokkho, 90-year-old Bo Wang, king of nearby Hongphoi village, took up hunting wild boars and other animals after "headhunting became taboo".
Wang's family, like other royals in nearby Konyak villages, has been the final local authority for generations.
"Everyone lived in fear of an ambush, and we were taught to be wary of everyone," Wang says, describing the stress of growing up with the threat of headhunters.
The area is peaceful now, he says, but he laments what he sees as a lost era.
"Everything changed with modernity, our culture is dying," he says.
"People respected hierarchy, elders and their king – which isn't the case anymore," he adds.
Dressed in a traditional red conical cap adorned with fluttering feathers and boar tusks, he sat around a fire with his peers reminiscing, saying they hoped their stories, lives and culture would not be forgotten.
But Wang's second wife, Kamya, 80, said she was glad her granddaughters were growing up today and not in the conditions she experienced.
"There was just stress, not enough food or resources," she says. "It was particularly hard for women, who thanklessly worked at home, in the fields – all the time".
Kaipa Konyak, 34, from a local tribal organisation working to support the Konyak culture, says that the history will not be lost.
"Young people are proud of their warrior traditions and culture," he says.
"We remember our roots and will strive to protect them while also securing our future with the best modern education and infrastructure."
Law%2041.9.4%20of%20men%E2%80%99s%20T20I%20playing%20conditions
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Common to all models unless otherwise stated
Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi
0-100kph: 5.3 seconds (Elantra); 5.5 seconds (Kona); 6.1 seconds (Veloster)
Power: 276hp
Torque: 392Nm
Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD
Price: TBC
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Specs%20
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
IF YOU GO
The flights: FlyDubai offers direct flights to Catania Airport from Dubai International Terminal 2 daily with return fares starting from Dh1,895.
The details: Access to the 2,900-metre elevation point at Mount Etna by cable car and 4x4 transport vehicle cost around €57.50 (Dh248) per adult. Entry into Teatro Greco costs €10 (Dh43). For more go to www.visitsicily.info
Where to stay: Hilton Giardini Naxos offers beachfront access and accessible to Taormina and Mount Etna. Rooms start from around €130 (Dh561) per night, including taxes.
The biog
Year of birth: 1988
Place of birth: Baghdad
Education: PhD student and co-researcher at Greifswald University, Germany
Hobbies: Ping Pong, swimming, reading
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Dr Graham's three goals
Short term
Establish logistics and systems needed to globally deploy vaccines
Intermediate term
Build biomedical workforces in low- and middle-income nations
Long term
A prototype pathogen approach for pandemic preparedness
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
