New Delhi, May 4 (MExN): Dr Alok Kumar Kanungo, Associate Research Professor (Archaeology) at IIT Gandhinagar, along with Alino Sumi, a former postdoctoral fellow at the institute, has authored a new book titled Nagas: The Knowledge Practitioners, published by Routledge.
The book examines the Nagas not merely as custodians of tradition but as active knowledge practitioners, documenting their ecological understanding, craftsmanship, social organisation and cultural expression. It is an outcome of the Ministry of Education, Government of India’s flagship research scheme SPARC.
The volume takes a close look at nature-based belief systems and subsistence practices of Naga communities, many of which were once widely prevalent but are now preserved in select villages.
Through detailed case studies, it highlights traditional methods and ancient sciences that continue to be practised, offering insights into the worldview of the Nagas while contributing to the preservation of this knowledge for future generations.
The book carries a foreword by noted ethnographer Peter van Ham and concludes with a reflective couplet by celebrated poet Mirza Ghalib, linking classical literary thought with the enduring vitality of indigenous knowledge traditions.
Drawing on decades of scholarly engagement and lived experience, the work is positioned as a resource for researchers in archaeology, anthropology and Indigenous Studies. In the context of renewed national focus on development and heritage, it underscores the intellectual contributions of Naga communities and their relevance in broader cultural and academic discourse.
“The primary concern in writing this book is to clear longstanding misconceptions about one of India’s most studied yet often stereotyped communities — the Nagas of the Naga Hills — and to explore them as knowledge practitioners rather than mere subjects of anthropological curiosity, including discussions around historically documented practices such as headhunting,” Kanungo said.
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