Hokishe Sema

Sema was born on 6 March 1921 in the Sütemi village in the erstwhile Naga Hills District (present-day Zünheboto District of Nagaland). He studied in Mokokchung Government School before proceeding to Serampore College and St Anthony's College in Shillong. He joined government service in the 1950s as a school inspector, later serving as an assistant commissioner of the then Naga Hills district of undivided Assam. == Political career ==

In the late 1950s, he became a member of the drafting committee of Naga People's Convention. A sixteen-point agreement signed with the Government of India on the basis of this Convention led to the formation of the separate state of Nagaland in 1960. Sema became a member of the interim body of the new state government in 1961. == Chief Minister of Nagaland ==

After the elections to the Second Legislative Assembly (1969-1974), the Naga Nationalist Organisation won 22 of the total 40 seats for which elections were conducted, 12 seats from Tuensang Area were nominated from the region. Eventually, the 12 nominated members as well as eight Independent members lent support to the NNO on 12 February raising the strength of the NNO to 41. Thereby, Sema who was elected the leader of the NNO legislative party was sworn in as the third Chief Minister of Nagaland He lost his seat to Rano M. Shaiza in 1977. In the 1980s he was the leader of the Congress (I). In 1986 he became Chief Minister for brief period. == Later political career ==

He joined the Indian National Congress in late 70's, the first national party to set up a unit in Nagaland. From April 1983 to March 1986 he served as Governor of Himachal Pradesh and was later a member of the Rajya Sabha. In 1994, he left the Indian National Congress owing to differences with the chief minister, S C Jamir and formed the Nationalist Democratic Movement. == Association with the Bharatiya Janata Party ==

He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1999 He became leader of the BJP's legislature party and chairman of the ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland with Neiphiu Rio as Chief Minister. He authored The Emergence of Nagaland in 1986. == Death ==

Hokishe Sema died on 31 January 2007 of cardiac arrest. He was suffering from old age ailments and was admitted to hospital. He was buried with state honours in his native village of Sutemi. He was survived by his late wife at that time, five sons and a daughter. == References ==