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Indian Army Auxiliary
Kothava Sema (from Assam)

He came down from his far away valleys to enrol in the great Indian army. And thus he will continue to serve. For centuries his tribe have been servants, not enslaved, for sure; but its free men, by religious tradition, are forced to do the most humble jobs. They are not the merchants of the Temple, they sweep its floors. Above their villages the high mountain peaks are ranged, lost in the clouds. The wind that comes from the yellow kingdom, which has blown on the desolation of the "Roof of the World", on the most venerable places on earth, comes to them like a blast from eternity. And nevertheless they came to fight or to help others to fight. For the war is holy; the duty of the soldier is sacred and God receives in his Paradise, those who have served bravely in the armies of men.

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Kivi Chish, a retired police officer, has emailed me with the following information about the above.

Sema whose real name is Khothavi Sema of Chishilimi village under Pughoboto sub division, District Zunheboto, Nagaland State, India, was part of the Indian labour Corp. His grand children and great grand-children are alive. I have shown this photo to the neighbours of Khothavi and they have confirmed it is him. KHUTHAVI died in 1944 ,his only son Khakhuhe lived up to the ripe age of 102 and died on 22nd November 2019.