Nagaland's Green Changeover By Michael Megosiva Sophi

This specialized hunter turned crusader to save the existing jungles of Nagaland, Michael Megosiva Sophi's influential impact changed other village hunters to 'Green Village' crusaders.

Attitude shift from gruesome hunter to eco protector came to Sophi much earlier before meeting Tsilie Sakhrie a former contractor with the Forest Department who helped him to transform to nature protector.

It was in a fateful day when Sophi in his daily routine with his tribe's hunt men invaded a densely populated monkey area in the forest for big kill shook his gruesome methodology of survival by killing and hunting many innocent animals.

In a gruesome attempt to capture monkeys dead or alive, Sophi in his senseless act tried to strangle hard a baby monkey by snatching it from his slain mother to whom it was holding tight.

But as he was strangulating the tiny baby with his bare hands his humanity made a sudden burst by seeing how he was claiming victory over the life as the eyes popped with pupils rolling down. It was like the fainting light from his hand suddenly making a reversal impact of remorse on his hard feelings and vindicating over him to restrain his task.

It is in the blood of Naga to kill for sustenance and honor as skillful hunting techniques were passed traditionally from centuries. In this process Naga's war technique and tools improvised which remained to be unmatched to British invader's sophisticated war weapons. As Nagaland's history recalls Angami tribe who were regarded as fierce warriors and hunters had withstand the pressure of British invasion for decades before finally making their opponent to make a peace treaty in 1880.

This Angami tribe who belonged to Khonoma area that is situated 20 kilometres from Kohima capital of the state, Sophi made his crusade to transform their fierce hunter outlook to nature protector. Today with Sophi's dedicated effort transformed and titled Khonoma as “green village” where timber trading and hunting are banned in its forests.

Michael Megosiva Sophi was the leader of this crusade against forest violators, where in 1993 killed near about 300 Blyth’s tragopans to cease fast exempt of green areas of the forest and disappearance of many endangered species according to Sakhrie.

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