On a bed of rocks: Longsa villagers finds daily livelihood

Ashikho Pfuzhe
Wokha | June 2  

Since ‘time immemorial’, Longsa village in Wokha district has been sleeping on a bed of rocks.   Now villagers are hewing these rocks to make their houses, as well as making a living out of these stones from the dozen quarries dotting the village.  

“We have constructed our own house from the earnings from the quarry and also using the stones to build the house”, said Oponsalie Lotha, who along with her husband runs a stone quarry along National Highway-69 just before reaching Wokha town.

One of the biggest and oldest Lotha villages, Longsa in Lotha dialect literally means ‘long’ – rock/stone and ‘sa’-embed.

The village stone industry is not only a source of income to the villagers but is also a source of employment to scores of workers and masons, mostly from Eastern Nagaland.  

“Each quarry employs around a work force of 30 to 40, mostly locals and from Eastern Nagaland. A quarry worker gets Rs. 500 as daily wage. But if they undertake the work on ‘theka’ (contract basis), then their daily earning goes up to Rs. 700-1,000”, said another owner of a stone quarry.  

On any working day, the quarries are abuzz with activities with a sizable number of women work-force from Longsa and neighbouring villages seen transporting and feeding stones to stone crushing machines and contributing in keeping the family fire burning. “After hewing the rocks, the stones are cut into different sizes like ‘radha’ (size boulder), which costs Rs. 15 per piece, ‘joita’ (middle boulder) costing Rs. 100 per bucket, and chips”, the owner said.  

“We are subsisting on rocks but due to abundance of rocks, there is scarcity of water in our village. On the other hand adjacent Wokha town and Wokha village have plenty of water and my friends there are thriving on flower and seed nurseries”, said Oponsalie with a smile.  

Of late, activities in some quarries along NH-69 have slowed down as a couple of 33 KV towers above the road and supplying power from Doyang Hydro Electric Project to Kohima and Imphal are on shaky ground due to quarrying works below. Various Lotha apex organizations have appealed for shifting of the towers taking into consideration the economic importance of these quarries.  

“Last year the Lotha Hoho, Lotha Eloe Hoho and Lotha Sudents’ Union had a meeting with Deputy Commissioner Wokha to highlight this problem. The DC assured to take up the matter with the authorities concerned as hundreds of people are dependent on these quarries for their food and shelter”, said Bankathung Lotha, husband of Oponsalie. There are plenty of folklores on rocks surrounding the village.  

Interestingly, two huge natural rock formations resting on a hillock served as an entrance or gate to the village. Bankathung said in earlier head hunting days, Longa warriors sharpened the ‘daos’ (machetes) on these rocks, which also serve as a vintage point to spot enemies.   Now the village church stands serene on the hillock.