The Naga tobacco fields of the Yimchungrü hills: a crop in the crossfire

In the Yimchungrü hills of Tuensang district, tobacco is not a habit but a crop — grown on jhum slopes, cured over fire, and traded at the district market for cash.

The trade now sits in the crossfire of the national anti-tobacco law and the state’s own restrictions, with growers caught between livelihood and regulation.

The district is exploring alternatives — pepper, ginger, turmeric — but the transition is slow.