India’s headhunter warriors sever past, fret over future

The Konyak tribesmen with guns and sickle dance at their community gathering in in Longwa village in the Mon district of India’s Nagaland state. Photo: AFP

Once, the way to get ahead among India’s Konyak warriors was by chopping off an enemy’s skull. Today, the last survivors of a past age mourn the changing times – and a new generation they see as soft.

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.