Our Correspondent
Kohima | June 23
Assumed to be migratory, swarms of grasshoppers that invaded many parts of the state last year have returned to haunt the state capital again.
Swarms of the hoppers in large numbers have been spotted in some pockets of the capital town although their presence is not alarmingly high like in the case of last year’s ‘hopper invasion’ that sparked superstitious apprehensions of ‘impending famine’. It is also yet to be ascertained if the grasshopper species presently swarming Kohima is similar to that of last year’s. Last year, the sudden appearance of the hoppers was met with mixed opinions and feelings – it proved to be a major worry for farmers but a real delight to the average Naga food connoisseur who is known to relish anything that moves.
Last year’s hoppers were identified by experts as the horned grasshopper and while many had apprehensions that they could cause large-scale destruction of crops, it proved otherwise. As a matter of fact, a good percentage of the hopper population is observed to have landed on the menu of the Nagas, who had a merry time swarming bright streetlights and high-mast lighting systems, both in the state capital and Dimapur, scooping up large quantities of the hoppers to provide feasts for their families. Most of these hoppers also found prominent places in the “modhu” (booze) joints and markets selling local Naga delicacies.
