New Delhi, November 30 (IANS). Nagaland, the land of folklore, is a part of India where unique colors and traditional costumes reflect the heritage, while nature symbolizes the unimaginable beauty of this land. Nagaland was home to many Naga tribal communities who lived their lives in the jungles of India. In the First World War, the British took many Naga tribes with them. Many Nagas were sent to France and Europe during the World War. When these Nagas returned, they formed the Naga Nationalist Movement. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Naga people came into contact with the Ahoms, the most prominent and powerful tribe of Assam. The history of the Naga tribes has been such that no one has ever been able to rule over them, be it the ‘Ahom Kingdom’ that ruled Assam, who believed they ruled the territory of Nagaland, or the British, who converted almost 90 percent of the population of this state into Christians. But even after converting to Christianity, the people of Nagaland did not give up their traditions. The British conquered the territories of Nagaland with great difficulty. Even more difficulties were encountered in eliminating ‘Narbali’ traditions. In the 19th century, when the East India Company began to expand its footprints, Nagaland was under the power of the Ahom dynasty, but even though the Ahom dynasty owned Nagaland on paper, the Nagas were in fact independent. The Ahom dynasty did not interfere with the traditions of the Nagas, even if they were traditions like Narabali. Then Assam also came under British rule. Until World War II in 1944, this land remained known as Naga Hills Tuensang among the British and Indians. December 1, 1963 was the day Nagaland got the status of a full state. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya’s novel ‘Yaruingam’, written in the 1950s and published in 1960, focused on the Naga movement for self-determination. The word ‘Yaruingam’ means people’s rule. The novel ‘Yaruingam’ was based on the Nagas, especially the Tangkhul Nagas and reflected the historical moments of the mid-1940s and 1950s. But the novel was also about the early post-colonial Assamese literary imagination of ‘people’s rule’. However, after India’s independence, this state also became free from British rule. Until 1957, the area we know today as Nagaland was just a district of the state of Assam, known as the ‘Naga Hills’. In August 1957, leaders of various Naga tribes formed the Naga People’s Convention (NPC) and in July 1960, a delegation from the party met the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and demanded a separate state for the Nagas within the Indian Union, known as ‘Nagaland’. A 16-point agreement was reached, which provided for the creation of Nagaland. On 4 September 1962, with the President’s assent to the bill creating Nagaland, the State of Nagaland Act, 1962 was passed. Nagaland was officially established as the 16th state of India on December 1, 1963. Since then, December 1 is celebrated every year as Nagaland Foundation Day. It is surrounded by Assam in the west, Myanmar (Burma) in the east, Arunachal Pradesh and some parts of Assam in the north and Manipur in the south. The state has 17 administrative districts, inhabited by 17 major tribes as well as other sub-tribes. Each tribe differs from each other in terms of its customs, language and clothing. The nature and beauty of Nagaland makes it the Switzerland of the East. Lush hills, lush forests, magnificent valleys, mountains, abundant flora and fauna, this is the picture that comes to mind when we think of Nagaland. Nature has blessed this state in such a way that the picturesque views, colorful sunrises and sunsets fascinate the mind. If someone is looking for a peaceful place away from the hustle and bustle of city life, this is the perfect setting for them. For the adventurous and fearless, Nagaland is a great place for trekking, rock climbing and jungle camping. There is limitless exploration potential in its lush subtropical rainforests, which are also a treasure trove of medicinal plants. –IANS DCH/ABM