MOKOKCHUNG — A monument called ‘Sungratsu Keyi Meta,’ a platform for slain tigers, in Sungratsu village was inaugurated on September 12. The monument stands as a tribute to Sungratsu’s cultural heritage, symbolising the village’s strength, unity and determination to protect their land. The platform for slain tigers commemorates the village’s historical tradition of slaying tigers in retribution for attacks on their domestic animals. For the people of Sungratsu, killing tigers was a feat of courage; a symbol of bravery, prestige and masculinity during the days of yore. The monument was inaugurated by Kiehungle, wife of the late Dr. Imtiwapang Aier, former Speaker of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, and dedicated by I Kilen Longchar, pastor of Sungratsu Baptist Arogo. The chairman of Sungratsu village council, M Taka Longchar, recounted that while no villager was ever killed by tigers, they preyed on livestock. He stated that the villagers regularly hunt in retribution for killing domestic animals.  After a successful tiger hunt, he said the carcass was carried to the village in triumph. Following a victory, celebration was held where villagers paraded the tiger’s carcass and placing it on a platform beside the village gate in the same manner as depicted in the...