HT Correspondent
MARGHERITA, Oct 18: A delegation of All Assam Sema Naga Council on Sunday visited 124 number Margherita constituency MLA Bhaskar Sharma’s office at Margherita and submitted him a memorandum regarding the burning issues that the Sema Naga community people are suffering since many decades.
Kahoto Sema, president of All Assam Sema Naga Council; Shitoi Sema, chairman of Longtong Village Council; Kasheto Sema, vice president of All Assam Sema Naga Council; Hekiya Sema, village pradhan (gaon burah) of Saliki Sema Naga village and Ihoshe Sema, cultural secretary of Longtong Village council visited Margherita MLA Bhaskar Sharma’s residence and presented him a Sema Naga Jacket and a Naga Machete.
Kahoto Sema said, “The Sema Naga people are residing at Tirap tribal belt under 124 number Margherita constituency of Tinsukia district since many centuries, unfortunately till today, we are the most deprived and exploited aboriginal tribes of Assam.”
“Our forefathers were brought to Tirap tribal belt from NEFA and Naga hills before Independence by British Authorities in the year 1881 to work at road, colliery, brick kilns, oil exploration, forest clearance and world-famous Stillwell Road construction from Ledo to Kumming, China,” said Kahoto Sema.
Kasheto Sema said that they have submitted a memorandum to Margherita MLA Bhaskar Sharma demanding the welfare of plain tribes and backward classes and to sanction Rs 50 crore for Sema Naga community for holistic growth of the community in areas of education, agriculture, social, cultural and language development, to create Tirap Autonomous District Council at Tirap tribal belt under 124 number Margherita constituency of Tinsukia district, to clear 600 bighas of land which were forcefully occupied in the name of power project at Saliki as this land belongs to Sema Naga people, to stop coal dumping proposed project at Saliki Sema Naga village, to protect aboriginal Sema Naga community from encroachment and harassment, to recognise Sumi Naga also known as Sema Naga tribes as Schedule tribes(Hills) in Assam, to create quota seat for Sema Naga community students in Dibrugarh and Gauhati University, to reserve Member of Legislative Assembly at 124 No Margherita constituency and Jagun Zila Parishad member, president and ward members of gaon panchayat within Tirap tribal belt areas and 50 percent employment reservation for Sema Naga community students for state government job, public sector undertaking such as Coal India Ltd, Oil India Ltd and Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.
“Margherita MLA Bhaskar Sharma has assured us that all round development of Tirap tribal belt areas and for Sema Naga community people will happen very soon,” said Kasheto Sema.
