10th March 2014

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www.morungexpress.com

Dimapur VOL. IX ISSUE 66

The Morung Express “

www.morungexpress.com

Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation

Antony not to contest Lok Sabha polls: Congress

Selena Back on stage after reuniting with ex-boyfriend Bieber

reflections

By Sandemo Ngullie

[ PAGE 2]

Assange talks NSA, hints at more leaks [ PAGE 9]

The Morung Express POLL QUESTIOn

Vote on www.morungexpress.com SMS your answer to 9862574165 Is it time for present Naga leaders to hand over responsibilities to the younger generation?

Yes

no

Others

Over the last 50 years of nagaland Statehood has corruption become more widespread?

Yes

94% 0%

no Others

06%

Details on page 7

Salary payment approved for Hindi teachers under CSS KOHIMA, MARCH 9 (MExN): The Nagaland Finance Department has concurred to the release of pending salaries, including arrears, up to the month of February 2014, to 1379 Hindi teachers appointed under Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS). In a letter to the Principal Director, Treasuries and Accounts, the Secretary for Finance, Y Kikheto Sema stated that this has been done following the receipt of Rs 16.53 Crores from the Government of India, for the said purpose. However, he directed that no further payment is to be made beyond the stated period until further instructions, since the fund is received only for the aforementioned period.

Lotha orgnizations resolve to uphold Naga aspirations

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WOKHA, MARCH 9 (MExN): The Kyong Hoho, along with Kyong Eloe Hoho, Kyong Students’ Union, Wokha district GB’s Union, Wokha district DB’s association and Lotha Hoho Doyang, have resolved to uphold the “ardor and interest of the Kyong Lotha tribe in particular and the Naga aspirations in general.”

This was resolved at a “get together cum picnic” at the Doyang Hydro Electric Project, Wokha on March 8. Kyong Hoho Chairman, Yansathung Jami said that the apex Hoho would not interfere in activities of the KSU & KEH, but work for the larger degree of the community. He urged all to uphold and defend Lotha integrity, strength, unity and “approval to prevail in Lotha Naga soil.” Pinyimthung Lotha, Advisor to the KH challenged the gathering to “exit hatred and selfish mindedness.” He urged all to honour, respect and preserve past and present tribal Lotha leaders. Nzano Kikon, General Secretary of the KEH and Amos Odyuo, President of the KSU assured that they would join hands in working for the welfare of the Lotha community.

–D. Elton Trueblood

Federer, Nadal, Murray Advance at Indian Wells [ PAGE 12]

Malaysia Airlines flight 370 Bangladesh assures firm action on North East insurgent groups Missing, Mystery Deepens India hands fresh

Probe into missing plane looks at possible mid-air disintegration Sir, Ummm, aahh.. errrr...

What is your annual corruption income?

Monday, March 10, 2014 12 pages Rs. 4

‘Development of society incomplete without development of women’

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[ PAGE 8]

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KUAlA lUMPUR, MARCH 9 (REUtERS): Officials investigating the disappearance of a Malaysian airliner with 239 people on board are narrowing the focus of their inquiries on the possibility that it disintegrated in mid-flight, a senior source said on Sunday.

Malaysia Airlines flight 370 vanished after climbing to a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing in the early hours of Saturday, but search teams have still not been able to make any confirmed discovery of wreckage in seas beneath the plane’s flight path almost 48 hours after it took off.

“The fact that we are unable to find any debris so far appears to indicate that the aircraft is likely to have disintegrated at around 35,000 feet,” said the source, who is involved in the investigations in Malaysia. If the plane had plunged intact from such a height, breaking up only on impact with the water, search teams would have expected to find a fairly concentrated pattern of debris, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly on the investigation.

The source was speaking shortly before Vietnamese authorities said a military plane had spotted at sea an object suspected to be part of the missing airliner. Asked about the possibility of an explosion, such as a bomb, the source said there was no evidence yet of foul play and that the aircraft could have broken up due to mechanical issues. Malaysian authorities have said they are focused on finding the plane and have declined to comment when asked about the investigations.

list of 66 insurgent camps to Bangladesh

A Malaysian Muslim woman cries as she offers a special prayer for passengers aboard a missing plane, at a mosque in Putrajaya, Malaysia, Sunday, March 9. Military radar indicates that the missing Boeing 777 jet may have turned back before vanishing, Malaysia’s air force chief said Sunday as authorities were investigating up to four passengers with suspicious identifications. (AP Photo)

‘Plane may have turned back’

KUAlA lUMPUR, MARCH 9 (AFP): Malaysia on Sunday said a missing airliner carrying 239 people may have inexplicably turned back as authorities launched a terror probe into the plane’s sudden disappearance, investigating suspect passengers who boarded with stolen passports.

The United States sent the FBI to investigate after Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing vanished from radar early Saturday somewhere at sea between Malaysia and Vietnam, but stressed there was no evidence of terrorism yet. Indications that the plane may have deviated from its route only compounded the anxiety of relatives, many of them Chinese, desper-

ate for news of their loved ones. “There is a distinct possibility the airplane did a turn-back, deviating from the course,” said Malaysia’s air force chief, General Rodzali Daud, citing radar data.

But Malaysia Airlines (MAS) chief executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said the Boeing 777’s systems would have set off alarm bells. “When there is an air turnback the pilot would be unable to proceed as planned,” he said, adding authorities were “quite puzzled” over the situation.

Malaysian authorities have expanded their search for wreckage to the country’s west coast after initially concentrating to the east in the South China Sea. Related story on page 9

LS Polls: A straight Don’t hamper Foothill fight for Nagaland? Road construction: LHD newmai news network Dimapur | March 9

Nagaland is scheduled to witness a straight fight between Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio, of the Naga People’s Front (NPF) and former Nagaland Minister, KV Pusa of the Congress party, in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. So far there have been no signs of any independent candidate contesting in the polls, leaving the NPF and the Congress party to vie for the lone Parliamentary seat of the state.

Both KV Pusa and Neiphiu Rio were senior Cabinet Ministers in the SC Jamir led Congress government in Nagaland. Pusa lost in the Nagaland assembly polls of 2013.

Meanwhile, the likely vote-planks for both the NPF and the Congress party are the Naga political issue, the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) issue (demand of a separate state),

the economic development of rural Nagaland and peace in Nagaland.

Being from the party which is at the peak of its popularity in Nagaland, Rio is confident of harvesting votes through this perspective. NPF is in alliance with the BJP led NDA, and the latter coming to power in the centre would bode well for the current Chief Minister. In Nagaland, Rio is the consensus candidate of BJP, JD-U, NCP and the NPF. For KV Pusa, he can take advantage in the ENPO areas, in the districts of Tuensang, Mon, Kiphire and Longleng.

ENPO has been very vocal in accusing the Nagaland Government of not paying attention to these four Nagaland districts. The demand to create a separate state: ‘Frontier Nagaland,’ by carving out these four districts, has become very vocal under the regime of NPF, over the past few years.

DIMAPUR, MARCH 9 (MExN): The Lotha Hoho Dimapur (LHD), at an emergency meeting on March 8, opined that the joint efforts of the Nagaland Foot Hills Road Construction Committee and the Department of Road & Bridges “should not be hampered or disturbed in any manner.” A press note from the LHD expressed concern at the “undesirable exposure of dwindling unity and vested interests being published in local media over the ongoing construction of the Nagaland Foot Hills Road construction.”

It stated that “having taken untold hardship to materialize the long standing need for an alternative road for general traveling convenience and economic growth into a reality, the Nagaland Foot Hills Road construction development has come up thus far.” It added that this feat “deserves appreciation and support.”

Acknowledging the “sincere initiatives spearheaded by the NFHRCC to overcome the multi faced problems obstructing the construction of the Nagaland Foot Hills Road for decades,” the LHD appeal to all concerned and the denizens of Wokha District in particular, “to shun any form of recalcitrant attitudes that could inhibit the progress of the referred ongoing road construction and tarnishing the image of Kyong/Lotha on the other.” The LHD stated that the “selfless service and contributions of the NFHRCC members, representing the Lotha community, are acknowledged” and assured that their “security and self respect in every social front shall be safeguarded.”

Dimapur district administration issues guidelines for LS elections

DIMAPUR, MARCH 9 (MExN): The Dimapur district administration has issued various orders and guidelines to be followed, in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha Polls in the state.

A press note from the Dimapur Deputy Commissioner, N Hushili Sema informed all heads of offices/ departments, under Dimapur district, to liase with the Office of the Deputy Commissioner and the District Election Officer, Dimapur to ensure smooth and efficient communication

and correspondence. The concerned officials have also been directed to submit the detail of the nodal officer, including name, designation, contact number and email address, on or before March 13.

The Dimapur DC, in a separate order, informed the public of Dimapur district that movement with licensed arms is prohibited under Section 144 of the CrPC. The order directed that all licensed arms should be deposited at the nearest police thana. It

further stated that this order will be in force till the election process is over and cautioned that any violation of this order will lead to the arms being impounded.

Concurrently, the District Election Officer for Dimapur, in a press release, has informed that any offer of cash, liquor, gift items or free food to the electors during the election process is considered as a bribe. It cautioned that both the person offering and accepting

such bribes are liable for punishment with an imprisonment of up to one year and a fine.

It stated that flying squads and surveillance teams have been formed to keep watch over such activities and to check movement of items meant for inducement of electors during the election process. It appealed to the public to inform such incidents of bribe to the Complaint Monitoring Room, set up in the district, at 03862248975.

SHIllONg, MARCH 9 (IANS): Bangladesh’s border guards have promised firm action against insurgents from India’s northeastern states taking shelter in that country, an Indian official said Sunday.

“We have handed over a list of 66 Indian insurgent camps to the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). They have assured us of taking firm action against the Indian insurgents operating from Bangladesh,” Inspector General of Border Security Force Sudhir Kumar Srivastava, in-charge Guwahati Frontier, told media.

Moreover, he said the BGB has submitted names of 16 Bangladeshi smugglers who it alleged were operating from India for smuggling narcotics to Bangladesh. A four-day inspector general-level Border Coordination Conference between the BSF and the BGB concluded here at the BSF frontier headquarters Sunday. Srivastava, who led the Indian side, said the new list was submitted to the BGB delegation led by its commander north-east region Brig. Gen. Habibul Karim. The list is according to the specific intelligence inputs about the location of the insurgent camps.

“Most of these insurgent camps are located at several areas in Bangladesh’s Mymensing, Moulvibazar, Netrakona, Khagrachari, Rangamati, and the Kasalong Reserve Forest,” the BSF official said.

The camps included those of the ULFA, NSCN (IM), NDFB, PLA, ANVC-B, HNLC and other rebel groups active

in India’s northeastern states with demands ranging from secession to greater autonomy and the right to selfdetermination.

However, Srivastava said the number of insurgent camps in Bangladesh has declined due to the action initiated by the Bangladesh forces and also because of the insurgents shifting their base to Myanmar.

Four northeastern states -- Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Assam -- share a 1,880-km border with Bangladesh. The dense forests, mountainous terrain, unfenced borders and other issues make the area porous and vulnerable.

Apart from the insurgent camps, the BSF expressed concern at the frequent crimes committed by Bangladeshi nationals inside Indian territory which include poaching, illegal migration and smuggling of fake Indian currency notes.

“We have asked them (BGB) to adopt stringent steps by initiating simultaneous border patrolling to prevent the smuggling of fake Indian currency notes and narcotics on both sides of the border,” Srivastava said.

In 2013 alone, the BSF seized fake Indian currency worth Rs.5.48 lakh and seized nearly five lakh bottles of cough syrup Phensdyl worth Rs.3 crore and a large quantity of ganja (marijuana) along the India-Bangladesh border. India-made Phensdyl is banned in Bangladesh as many people, especially the youth, use it as a recreational narcotic.

BGB’s Brig. Gen. Karim raised issues like killing, kidnapping and injuring of unarmed Bangladeshi nationals by the BSF and the Indian nationals in bordering areas, and illegal trespassing of Indian nationals into Bangladesh.

‘Delay in talks due to lack of wisdom, guts’ Morung Express news Dimapur | March 9

The NSCN (IM) collective leadership has alleged that the delay in resumption of peace talks between the Government of India and the NSCN (IM) was due to the lack of “wisdom and guts” on the part of the GoI. Talking to media persons at Dimapur Airport Sunday noon, after their arrival from Delhi, the NSCN (IM) collective leadership, including Chairman Isak Chishi Swu and General Secretary Th Muivah, also accused the Centre of deliberately postponing the peace talks.

“Whatever might be the circumstances, you know they (Centre) ought to take steps but they don’t take.

Very sorry we don’t see wisdom and guts on the part of the Indian Government because you know both the Indian and Naga people are anxiously waiting for the outcome of the talks and that is not wrong on our part,” Muivah said.

The two NSCN (IM) leaders, who had been campaigning in Delhi since November 13, 2013, returned on Sunday. “The ball is in their (Centre) court and naturally we expect that they will be prepared to continue the talks. Of course they are willing to do it but we came to understand that they are too much engaged. On top of the coming election, there has been an unfortunate incident also, the interlocutor resigned himself and so

Government of India was not expected to keep silent but to take initiatives, as the ball was in the court of the Centre: NSCN (IM) collective leadership on their from Delhi

nSCn (IM) Chairman, Isak Chishi Swu (left) and General Secretary, Th Muivah, on their arrival at Dimapur airport from Delhi on Sunday.

without the presence of the Interlocutor, initiative cannot be taken from our side or either side and so the process has been held up”, Muivah said.

It may be mentioned the Centre’s interlocutor to the Naga peace talks, RS Pandey resigned in December 2013 and later joined the BJP. Stating that the delay in resumption of talks did not mean that the peace process has stopped, the NSCN (IM) General Secretary however said that GoI was not expected to keep silent but to take initiatives, as the ball was in the court of the Centre.

“Of course the assurance is that the talks must there, solution must be worked out. That is what they told us. Yet we are not satisfied with that kind of promises. In the past three

years they kept themselves silent. When the Interlocutor was there, the talks could have been taken up”, Muivah said.

“They cannot go back upon their own commitment. Remember the Prime Minister, almost all the Prime Ministers, they said that Naga history is unique and we have to seek solution basing on the uniqueness of Naga history. How can they go back? They cannot go back”, he added.

Asserting that the NSCN (IM) was not disappointed by the temporary setback, the collective leadership nonetheless insisted that things have to work out.

“But things have to work out when the time is ripe, when it is not done than whose failure is it? Naturally those people who did not take initiative,” Muivah said.

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Monday 10 March 2014

The Morung Express C

‘Development of society incomplete without development of women’

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Our Correspondent Kohima | March 9

The Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority organized a play at the Town Square in Mokokchung on Sunday, March 10, 2014, to create awareness and educate the public on preparedness about natural disasters, especially earthquakes. Dreamz Unlimited from Dimapur enacted a short play which created awareness about the importance of being prepared for natural disaster. (Morung Photo)

Nagaland Chief Secretary Banuo Z. Jamir has said that traditionally, women in Naga society have always enjoyed a position of respect and honour, appropriate to the circumstances.

“With the progress made by women in the past one decade and more, women’s rightful recognition in all spheres is expected to be ushered and promoted in the state of Nagaland- sooner than later, as the development of a society would be incomplete without the development of women who are crucial towards the advancement of any progres-

sive society,” she said while delivering keynote address during the celebration of International Women’s Day here Saturday.

In Nagaland context, she said, the rise in female literacy and the increasing participation of women in society is a positive sign, adding that modern educated Naga woman is no longer confined to her home and hearth role as a housewife, but also contributes towards the economy, by venturing into various career avenues.

She said the gap in the literacy rate between male and female in the state is still around 6%-8%, in some as wide as 10% but in higher

education up to doctorate, females outnumber males.

“Women are getting equipped to handle a variety of career/professions and we must ensure that the doors of opportunity are kept open for them, including the doors to public offices, through election,” she said.

The Chief Secretary said the conservative societal mindset to confine women at home is undergoing rapid change in Naga society and work force of women as cultivators, agricultural laborers and in household related work is equal or more than male workers in some activities.

The formation of women SHGs has contributed

immensely in the confidence building of women particularly in rural areas, through the activities of the groups, she stated. “This changing scenario has catapulted women to successfully play multi-tasking roles as social crusaders.”

Traditionally, in Naga society, as in most societies, the household and all activities regarding its management are seen as the gender domain of the women and there is the tendency to demean the role of ‘housewife” which is normally the woman in the house. However, she termed the job of a housewife the most difficult task. “She is not just the one who bears the children,

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nurtures and looks after them, cooks for the family.”

The housewife, she said, is a management specialist, a financial manager, a planner, the food/nutrition specialist, the accountant, the cashier, the doctor, the teacher, the cleaner, the diplomat, the mediator, the negotiator, the peace maker.. most valuable.

“We must respect the ‘housewife’ and stop referring to her as merely a housewife,” she urged. “Let us promote her value…”

Jamir termed the theme of the day, “Inspiring Change” as most apt at this juncture where there is urgent need for change. “Change in attitude, approach, mindset and action.”

‘Verbal abuse amounts to domestic violence’ The Youth Space: My Space, My Unmanifesto campaign DDLSA observes International Women’s Day

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Dimapur, march 8 (mExN): Dimapur District Legal Services Authority observed International Women’s Day at Darogapathar here with Veprasa Nyekha, Secretary, Dimapur District Legal Services Authority and District & Sessions Judge, Dimapur as guest speaker.

A press release informed that Veprasa spoke on Domestic Violence Act, 2005 emphasising on Section 498 IPC relating to cruelty against women and maintenance rights of women under section 125 of CrPC. He also stressed on various is-

sues underlining that even a mere verbal abuse by a husband amounts to domestic violence. He spoke on protection of wife or female live-in partner from domestic violence at the hands of the husband or male live-in partner or his relatives. The law also extends its protection to women living in a household such as sisters, widows or mothers, he said, adding domestic violence under the above mentioned Act includes actual abuse or threat of abuse whether physical, sexual, verbal, emotional or economic.

Resource person, Ad-

vocate Esther K Aye spoke on Rights of Legal Aid to persons whose annual income is less than 1 lakh and especially for victim of sexually abused women and children. She also highlighted on one time settlement method of Lok Adalat, dowry related cases and how to file Domestic Incident Report (DIR) and Victims Compensation Scheme from government.

Meanwhile, Advocate Limasenla Longkumer spoke on Child Labour, Human Trafficking and Domestic Workers Rights. She highlighted on Child La-

bour (Prohibitions & Regulation) Act, 1986 and Right of a person against exploitation under Article 23 of the Constitution also relating to fundamental rights of domestic workers to fair working conditions.

N.K. Keny, president, Nagaland Alliance for Child Rights (NACR) chaired the programme and Ketsunuo, VDB President, Women Wing delivered the keynote address. The programme was attended by village council members and GBs, VDB women leaders and around 250 women participants.

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Dimapur, march 9 (mExN): After reaching out to more than 1000 youth through seminars, workshops, one to one and social networking sites, Youngs' Club along with Youth for Change, a voluntary youth group under Youngs’ club, and Peace Channel reached out to youth leaders from Dimapur colonies for the workshop “The Youth Space - My Space, My Unmanifesto campaign” - a campaign led by the youth of the country to create a one of its kind crowd sourced and youth powered manifesto on March 5, 2014 A press release from Youngs’ Club informed that Unmanifesto campaign creates spaces for young people to raise their voice, highlight their rights, their decision to bring changes in the society through collecting promises/manifesto which will later be handed over to different political parties.

The primary supporter and partner of the campaign is UNFPA and initiated by Community - The Youth Col-

Youth leaders from different colonies of Dimapur along with Youngs’ Club members.

lective (CYC) Delhi, Youth ki Awaaz, Pravah, Bosco institute along with over 40 civil society organizations.

In Nagaland, Youngs' Club is taking the initiative of the campaign along with support from Youthnet, Naga Blog and Peace Channel.

The release added, the campaign brings out the voice of the youth from diverse and marginalized sections of population and

Catholic Church begins Lent season C M Y K

NAGALAND’S BIGGEST BRAND IN EDUCATION, NICSE, IS NOW HIRING FOR FACULTY (FULL TIME/ PART TIME) & MANAGEMENT POSITIONS FOR KOHIMA CENTRE FOR ITS UPCOMING NEW DIVISION, NICSE-EDGE (FOR SSC-COMBINED GRADUATE LEVEL (TIER I + TIER II), IBPS-BANK PO, CDS, CAPF (ASST. COMMANDANT) & OTHER EXAMS)

AND IS ALSO HIRING FOR EXPANSION OF ITS CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION DIVISION

FACULTY POSITIONS: (FULL TIME/ PART TIME)

FACULTY POSITIONS FOR KOHIMA: FOR NICSE-EDGE & NICSE CIVIL SERVICES PROGRAMS HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY, POLITICAL SCIENCE/CONSTITUTION, ECONOMICS, SOCIOLOGY, ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS/MENTAL ABILITY, GENERAL SCIENCE (P, C, B), CURRENT & FOREIGN AFFAIRS, NAGALAND IN ALL ASPECTS ELIGIBILITY FOR FACULTY POSITIONS: Minimum P.G. in the respective subject with minimum 1 year of experience in teaching in the respective subject or govt. administrative experience. Age & Gender no bar.

(EX-BUREAUCRATS i.e. EX (IAS, IPS, IFS, NCS, NPS) OFFICERS, EX-SERVICEMEN (MILITARY/ PARA-MILITARY), BANK PERSONNEL, COLLEGE PROFESSORS/ LECTURERS, TEACHERS; CAN APPLY IF INTERESTED.) NATURE OF JOB: Full time or Part Time, depending on calibre & subject of candidate and nature of present work involvement of candidate.

SALARY: In case of full time, salary will be Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 30,000 per month depending on calibre, subject and experience of candidate. In case of part time, remuneration will be per class Rs. 1000 to Rs. 3000 per class depending on calibre, subject and experience of candidate.

MANAGEMENT POSITIONS:

FOR NICSE-EDGE & NICSE CIVIL SERVICES PROGRAMS

1.

COUNSELLOR: FOR KOHIMA, Male/Female, Graduate, Excellent Comm Skills in English, With minimum 2 years of experience (fluency Salary: 10,000 to 16,000 in any of the regional languages of Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram or Assam will be preferred)

2.

CENTRE MANAGER: FOR KOHIMA, Male/Female, MBA/PG/Graduate, Excellent Comm Skills in English, With minimum 3 years of Salary: 12,000 to 20,000 experience

3.

ACADEMIC CO-ORDINATOR: FOR KOHIMA, Male/Female, P.G., With minimum 2 years of experience.

4.

PROGRAM CO-ORDINATOR: FOR KOHIMA, Male/Female, Graduate, With minimum 1 year of experience. Salary: 7,000 to 8,000

5.

ACCOUNTS EXECUTIVE: FOR KOHIMA, Male, B.COM, With minimum 1 year of experience.

Salary: 7,000 to 8,500

6.

FRONT OFFICE EXECUTIVE: FOR KOHIMA, Female, Graduate, Fresher or experienced.

Salary: 6,000 to 7,500

Salary: 11,000 to 15,000

SALARY WILL BE OFFERED DEPENDING ON RELEVANCE OF EXPERIENCE & CALIBRE

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ALL CANDIDATES SHOULD WALK IN FOR INTERVIEW WITH PASSPORT PHOTO, DETAILED & UPDATED RESUME, PHOTOCOPIES OF ALL MARKSHEETS & RELEVANT DOCUMENTS TO SUPPORT EXPERIENCE

10TH,

11TH,

12TH

13TH

DATE: & OF MARCH, TIME: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

VENUE : N.I.C.S.E., SECOND FLOOR, KROS PLAZA, TCP GATE, KOHIMA PH: 9774 000 780

OUT STATION CANDIDATES AND THOSE WHO WON’T BE AVAILABLE FOR WALK IN INTERVIEW, ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD CV AND SCANNED COPIES OF ABOVE MENTIONED DOCUMENTS TO hr@nicse.in BEFORE 4:00 p.m.,12/03/14

Dimapur, march 9 (mExN): On Wednesday, March 5, the Catholic Church began one of the most important seasons of the Church year: the 40 days of Lent. It may be mentioned that Lent is a time when Catholics remember the 40 days and nights Jesus spent alone in the desert without food, being tempted by the devil. The season is marked by a time of spiritual renewal accompanied by penitence, fast and abstinence.

According to a note received here, some significant days during the period of Lent are Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Maundy or Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Starting on Ash Wednesday, the Lenten season includes 40 weekdays and five Sundays before Holy Week and the culminating triumph of the Resurrection at Easter.

Incidentally, the Easter Sunday falls this year on April 20.

The note stated that Most Rev. Dr. James Thoppil, the bishop of the Diocese of Kohima, has exhorted every faithful of the diocese to avail this time of grace for personal spiritual renewal. The Bishop also wished all the Catholic Faithful of Nagaland a fruitful season of Lent.

creates learning and leadership around the democratic and political process.

The March 5 campaign was held at Rotary Club Hall along with youth leaders from Midland colony, Forest colony, PWD and Supply colony. Levi V Sumi from Peace Channel, Jenpu Rongmei and Chumben Merry from Youngs’ Club spoke during the workshop. The workshop had

group activity and group presentation on the role of politicians and role of youth to bring positive changes in the society.

The big event will be held in the middle of this month, the release noted.

1000 youth will be invited and collected promises/ manifesto of the youth will be presented to the political leaders, witnessed by UNFPA representatives, CYC.

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Church celebrates pastor’s fifty years of service

Dimapur, march 9 (mExN): Rev. Dr. Vitoho Jimomi celebrated 50 years of his service at Nunumi Baptist Church on March 8. He was appointed as pastor of the Church in 1964 and is still serving as pastor. The celebration was attended by a host of religious leaders, dignitaries, leaders of organizations, GBs, friends, well-wishers and family of Rev. Dr. Vitoho Jimomi, a press release informed.

Speaking at the celebration, Y. Kikheto Sema, IAS, Secretary to the Government of Nagaland, Finance Department noted that not only among the Sümis, but perhaps among the Nagas, this may be the first and only instance where a pastor has served in one village/church for 50 years and is still serving. He credited “this uniqueness” to both Rev. Vitoho and the denizens of Nunumi Village.

Remembering the past leaders such as Rev. I. Khala, Rev. Nitoi K Achumi, Rev. Najekhu Y. Sema, who were some of the pillars of the Sümi Church, he appreciated the services rendered

by Rev. Dr. Vitoho Jimomi to the Sümis in general and to Nunumi Baptist Church in particular. Y. Kikheto Sema said, “I am what I am now because of God’s grace, and because of the prayer support of our church leaders like Rev. Vitoho.”

He also stated that in respect of clothing, food, etc, new is good; but for human beings and leaders, old is gold; and called upon the younger generation to honor, respect and regard the elders so “their blessing will be upon us always, to guide us with wisdom and prayers.”

He also called upon the elderly church leaders to continue praying for the younger generation for a better tomorrow.

Earlier, Rev. Dr. Khehovi Shohe, Director, Sümi Baptist Convention regarded Rev. Dr. Vitoho as a religious warrior and peacemaker. Others also spoke in appreciation of the services rendered by Rev. Vitoho. Rev. S. Yevito, Executive Secretary, SBAK, Nito Mount, Zunheboto dedicated a book written on the celebration.

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Rev. Dr. Vitoho Jimomi was appointed pastor of Nunumi Baptist Church in 1964

Expired goods seized from shops in Pfutsero

pfutsEro, march 9 (mExN): The Pfutsero Town Voluntary Consumer Organisation (PTVCO) along with the administrative staff and Police conducted a surprise check of expired goods and seized them from shops in Pfustero on March 7, 2014. The expired items were mostly chips, noodles, juice, squash, tinned fish, mustard oil, etc.

The seized items were later burnt at dust-bin dumping site in the presence of ADC and his staff.

PTVCO in a press release appended by its general secretary, Ngotso Dasai and press secretary, Wete Kapfo has requested consumers to be aware while buying soft drinks as most of them have to be consumed within two and half months from the date

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ADC Pfutsero, Vikeshe Sema with other officials burning the expired goods seized from shops in Pfutsero on March 7.

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of manufacture. It also requested ADC, Pfutsero to give circular to the shops stating advice and actions to be taken on defaulters.

The organization fur-

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ther expressed its gratitude to ADC Pfutsero, Vikeshe Sema and EAC Pfutsero, Zubenthang Ngullie for permission and co-operation in executing the said checking.

It also thanked OC, Pfutsero Station Chullen Chang and his personnel, PA to ADC, DBs and Pfutsero Advisory Council members for accompanying.

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Three abducted ONGC agrees to supply gas Soso Lorho is NPF candidate for Outer Mnp persons released Grassroots support for Sword Vashum to Tripura power project Newmai News Network Dimapur | March 9

REGION Briefs

Blow to AGP as former chief resigns

GuwAHAtI, MArcH 9 (IANS): Assam's Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) Saturday received a jolt ahead of the Lok Sabha polls with the resignation of former party president Chandra Mohan Patowari, who is now likely to join the BJP. Although Patowary could not be contacted, AGP sources confirmed his resignation. Besides Patowari, several other leaders of the once prominent regional political party had left in the last few years due to growing dissidence. Prominent among those who left the party included Sarbananda Sonowal, who is now head of the Bharatiya Janata Party's state unit. Patowary, a four-time legislature from Dharmapur and state agriculture minister in the AGP government from 1996 to 2001, took the final decision of resigning from the party after holding a meeting with his supporters Friday. Sources close to Patowary said that he had been insisting the AGP leadership to have an alliance with the BJP for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls and set a deadline of March 1 to finalize the alliance. There is now speculation that Patowary will join the BJP soon and is likely to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls from Barpeta Lok Sabha constituency.

Last week, AGP leader and former minister Hitendra Nath Goswami joined BJP. The AGP, which ruled Assam twice (1985-90; 1996-2001) has not won a single election since 2001 and remained a divided house.

CBI inquiry sought in shifting of airport in Arunachal Pradesh

ItANAGAr, MArcH 9 (PtI): The People's Party of Arunachal Pradesh (PPA) has demanded a CBI inquiry into the state government's proposal to shift the Greenfield airport site from Banderdewa to Halonji. Lambasting the Congress leadership in power for "abrupt" shifting of the Greenfield airport site, the PPA has demanded a CBI enquiry into the whole episode to reveal all the "black sheep involved in the mess." "Had the project site not been shifted for getting huge land compensation deal, the all important multi-crore projects would have started by now," party's Chief Ministerial candidate Laeta Umbrey said in a statement here today. Supporting the voices of the Banderdewa Circle Intellectual Forum (BCIF), Umbrey urged the government not to make mockery of the development projects of Banderdewa circle. Taking a dig at Congress Party, Umbrey stated that "administration and governance today is done by Supreme Court and High Courts and not by the elected government". "When the High Court has directed the government to maintain status quo on the issue of Greenfield airport, the Chief Minister of the state has no moral and legal authority to push the subject further," Umbrey said.

Arunachal Assembly dissolved due to financial crisis: AAPSU

ItANAGAr, MArcH 9 (PtI): All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union today alleged the state government that it dissolved the state Assembly due to severe financial crisis and not for holding election along with Lok Sabha polls as it claimed. "There is serious financial mismanagement and crisis which forced the Cabinet to call for simultaneous election of the state Assembly along with the Lok Sabha polls," AAPSU president Kamta Lapung said in a statement. Complete breakdown of law and order, economic blockade, boundary issue, infighting of Congress leaders were the other reasons to recommend dissolution of the Assembly, it said. In this situation, there was no need for a caretaker government and the state should be immediately brought under President rule, Lapung said. The state Assembly was dissolved on March 6, seven months before completion of the present term, as the Congress government sought Assembly election along with Lok Sabha polls to minimize the election cost which was roughly estimated as Rs 70 crore, it said.

Government several years ago. 'Acting Chief Minister' in the present day context would mean Deputy Chief

Minister. Hailing from Senapati District, he had contested in the Lok Sabha polls in 1978 from the

Congress (I) ticket. He became cabinet Minister in the Manipur Government from 1980.

GuwAHAtI, MArcH 9 (PtI): The total cost of NHPC'S Subansiri project in Assam has gone up by about Rs 1,200 crore due to forced suspension of work since December 2011, following agitation by a section of stakeholders on grounds of safety related aspects and downstream impact.

NHPC has already spent

about Rs 6,600 crore but due to stoppage of construction of the project, the cost of the project has gone up by about Rs 1,200 crore, according to a status report prepared by the public sector undertaking.

There is a recurring expenditure of Rs 50 crore every month due to work stoppage and any more delay will further escalate the cost

of the project which will ultimately affect the people of Assam in terms of higher cost of electricity. Huge losses are occurring on account of idling of men and machineries.

Assam will get around 533 MW of power which is more than 25 per cent of the total power which in terms of energy is equivalent to about 2,000 million units (MU) an-

nually, valued at about Rs 600 crore. The construction of the dam has been opposed by certain stakeholders on grounds that its design was not fully safe from seismological and geological aspects, downstream effects, effect on environment and related capacity for sustenance of multiple projects in the Brahmaputra basin.

DIMAPur, MArcH 9 (MExN): A number of units of NPF Manipur had in their letter to the NPF Convenor of the Search Committee, TR Zeliang, extended their support and had recommended the Working President Sword Vashum to be given the NPF candidature for the Outer Parliamentary constituency of Manipur.

The Manipur Unit of the NPF Youth Wing, in a letter addressed to the Convenor of the search committee stated, “after meticulous observation and assessment on the mandate of the common people inclined to support the NPF, we, on behalf of the youths honestly forward our support for nomination of NPF ticket to Sword Vashum in the 16th General Election Manipur Parliamentary Constituency, Outer-II.” The Women Wing of the NPF Manipur, in its letter said that it “seriously ob-

served that extending support for nomination of NPF ticket to Sword Vashum, in the 16th General Election Manipur Outer Parliamentary Constituency – II will enhance the prospect to win the forthcoming parliamentary election in the state.”

The Sadar Hills Division, Ukhrul Division, Tamenglong Division, Senapati Division and Chandel Division of the NPF, Manipur state unit, in their respective letters to the Convenor of the search committee, had also expressed similar support to Vashum. The endorsements were signed by the unit Presidents and/or General Secretaries in all the documents.

Despite the support for Sword Vashum, with reports indicating that the NPF ticket has been given to Soso Lorho, a party source stated that the “search committee had succumbed to external pressure.”

Subansiri project's total cost goes up

Assam says Demwe project will affect park

SHILLoNG, MArcH 9 (PtI): The Border Security Forces has deployed one hundred women constables in the north eastern region along the border with Bangladesh to improve inspection, a BSF official said today. “We have deployment of over 100 women constables of the BSF in the entire region,” Sudhir Kumar Srivastava, IG, BSF Assam Frontier, said at the end of the 3-day bi-annual Inspector General level meeting of border management and coordination here.

Altogether 70 women constables had been posted at the headquarters of Assam Frontier in Guwahati and 30 in Tripura while 11 women reached here for their posting in Meghalaya Frontier, he said. BSF men constables had problems in frisking women offenders and deployment of women constables would solve the problem, he said.

NEw DELHI, MArcH 9 (tHE HINDu): The controversial 1,750MW Demwe mega-dam project in Arunachal Pradesh could be in for more trouble with the Assam government stating that the project needed clearance from the State wildlife authorities as it would impact the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park. The project on Lohit river got a wildlife clearance from the Environment Ministry in February 2012andhasbeenchallenged intheNationalGreenTribunal at present.

The Assam government, in its affidavit before the tribunal, has contended that the project in the upper riparian State will alter the riverine ecology of the national park and therefore under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 requires a clearance from the Chief Wildlife Warden of the State. The Assam government has also said that the impact of the project further downstream of the Kaziranga National Park too

requires an assessment by experts. While Demwe itself may be hit by this late reaction from the Assam government, a precedent in this case is likely to impact many other dams in Arunachal Pradesh.

Earlier too a report of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) had contended that the Demwe hydroelectric project should not be permitted due to the impact of the flow fluctuations in the Lohit river on the national park and the river ecology downstream in Assam.

The report, authored by non-official member and conservationist Asad Rehmani, had also noted that the project anyway required clearance from the Assam wildlife authorities under law. But the Environment Ministry ignored it with a bureaucratic jargon stating, “Any decision of the standing committee [of the NBWL] is subject to fulfilment of legal requirements.”

Rehmani also noted that the existing downstream water

AIZAwL, MArcH 9 (NNN): Mizoram will soon have its first Medical College, an official press release said. The release credited Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla saying he had taken necessary steps and had fervently approached the Central government for the same.

The permission to set up Medical College has been given by Central Government, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,

to Mizoram Government on the 3rd of this month (March 3, 2014) vide Letter No.D.O.U. 12012/46/2012 - ME (P.II) dt.19.2.2014.

The Central government and the state government will share the expenditure 90% by Central Government and the rest by Mizoram Government. The Central Government has in fact cleared its share of the expenditure amounting to Rs. 189 Crore.

The Medical College is proposed to be set up at

the State Referral Hospital, Falkawn, on the outskirts of Aizawl. The Mizoram Government will take up necessary steps vigorously henceforth, the release said.

A committee led by Chief Minister Thanhawla has taken steps for the setting up of a Medical College in Mizoram. ‘Support for Preparation of DPR of Mizoram Medical College’ has also been submitted to NEC to make sanction within 2011–2012.

flow studies were inadequate to assess the damage and that was another reason to reject the project.

The other report for the board on the same project, prepared by the Chief Wildlife Warden of Arunachal Pradesh, Pratap Singh, said that it was not the mandate of the standing committee of the NBWL to get into legal issues and that should be left to the concerned States.

File notings with The Hindu show that the Environment Secretary suggested that the cumulative impact assessment studies on the river basin could be done after clearing the project, which precluded any chance of rejecting the project if the assessment showed serious damage.

The Ministry in its orders completely ignored the legal question of requiring clearance from the Assam authorities. The Ministry cited a study which had not in fact assessed the damage to the national park till then.

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IMPHAL, MArcH 9 (NNN): Lien Gangte is the consensus candidate of the Left and Secular Alliance (LSA) for the Outer Parliamentary constituency of Manipur for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. Lien Gangte is the vice president of Janata Dal-United (JD-U). Left and Secular Alliance (LSA) is a group of non BJP and non-Congress ten political parties in Manipur. They are CPI, CPI (M), JD (S), JD (U), Shiv Sena, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Manipur Pradesh Trinamool Congress, All India Forward Block (AIFB) and Peoples Democratic Alliance (PDA).

For the Inner Manipur LS seat, Dr M Nara of the CPI will be the candidate for this alliance.

Over 100 BSF women constables deployed in NE

Soso Lorho is the Naga People's Front (NPF) candidate for the Outer Parliamentary constituency of Manipur. However, till the filing of this report, the NPF was yet to announce the name of the candidate officially.

"We will declare it officially later this evening in Kohima," Nagaland Minister for Planning TR Zeliang informed Newmai News Network this evening. TR Zeliang is the Convenor of the 'Search Committee' of the party. He disclosed that Soso Lorho has been the consensus candidate of the NPF for the Manipur Outer seat.

Soso Lorho is the president of NPF, Manipur State.

He was 'Acting Chief Minister' and Minister on several occasions in the Manipur

CE

LSA consensus candidate is Lien Gangte

ra by floating a company -ONGC Tripura Power Company (OTPC).

The ONGC, in association with Rajasthanbased Chambal Fertilisers and Chemicals Limited, and the Tripura government would also set up a Rs.5,000 crore fertilizer plant in northern Tripura.

"The process is on in full swing to set up the fertilizer project," said Mahawar, who was accompanied by senior ONGC officials.

The 726 MW capacity combined cycle gas-based thermal power project (using both water and natural gas) at Palatana, 60 km from Agartala, in southern Tripura is ONGC's first commercial power project in India.

"The generation from the first unit (363.3 MW capacity) of the power plant began Dec 31, 2013, and the generation from the second unit (363.3 MW capacity) would start in June," OTPC managing director Sudhindra Kumar Dube said.

"However, there are some problems of transmission of electricity in the northeastern region from the Palatana power project.

We expect these problems would be overcome soon," he told reporters.

tE

earlier told reporters that the ONGC's repeated dillydallying on supplying gas has delayed the corporation's second biggest thermal power project in northeast India and resulted in huge losses.

"In view of the delayed commissioning of the environment-friendly power project, the corporation (under the union power ministry) has been incurring a loss of Rs.3.5 crore a month," NEEPCO general manager (Electrical) S.R. Biswas said.

"Conceived in 2000 with an installed capacity of 500 MW, the power plant's capacity was reduced to 280 MW in 2003-04 after ONGC reduced its gas allocation by half," he said.

He added the ONGC further cut the gas allocation in 2008, forcing NEEPCO to scale down the installed capacity of the project to 101 MW, whose foundation stone was laid in March 2002.

The commissioning time of the power plant has been rescheduled several times.

The ONGC has also commissioned its first mega commercial power project in southern Tripu-

SOft-

AGArtALA, MArcH 9 (IANS): State-owned ONGC has finally agreed to supply natural gas to 101MW capacity Monarchak power plant that is being set up by government-run NEEPCO in western Tripura, senior officials said here Sunday.

"We would start supplying gas to Monarchak power plant from this year end. We need seven to eight months to complete the technical works to provide the gas," said Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) group general manager V.P. Mahawar.

He told reporters: "To supply the gas to Monarchak power project and to finalise other details, a meeting was held recently in New Delhi with the secretary of union power ministry in the presence of top ONGC and NEEPCO officials."

The state-run North East Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) is setting up 101 MW capacity power project at Monarchak in western Tripura, 70 km south of Agartala, at a cost of Rs.9.50 billion (nearly $150 million). The project site is eight km from the India-Bangladesh border.

The NEEPCO officials

MoKoKcHuNG, MArcH 9 (MExN): Three persons, who were abducted from the Assam Nagaland border near Morongial village, under Nakachari police outpost on March 8, were released on the same night. A source informed that the three persons namely, Jadu Phukan, Debojit Gogoi and Montu Gogoi, all residents of Borhabi Napam Gaon, under Nakachari Police outpost were accosted by 12 armed miscreants, while on their way back from collecting firewood.

Sources added that the abductors released Montu Gogoi, with a demand of Rs 15,000 for the release of his companions.

On getting the information, the Border Peace Co ordination Committee (Assam Nagaland) alerted its members living on either side of the adjourning areas for safe release of the abducted persons. They were reportedly released later at around 8:00 pm, Saturday.

The BPCC (AN), led by its President and Vice President visited the area and met with the abductees, the source informed. They also had a meeting with the Borhabi Napam villagers and appealed to all sections of people to work for a peaceful and coordinated atmosphere in the border areas.

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Cong list has wrong candidate for Tura

SHILLoNG, MArcH 9 (IANS): In a goof-up, the first list of Congress candidates for the Lok Sabha polls has the name of Meghalaya Sports Minister Zenith Sangma instead of Daryl William Cheran Momin, grandson of the state's first chief minister Capt. W.A Sangma, for the state's Tura seat, a party leader said. "There has been a goof-up in the list of candidates for the Tura parliamentary seat as the party ticket has been allotted to Daryl William Cheran Momin and not Zenith Sangma," Chief Minister Mukul Sangma told IANS by phone from New Delhi.

He said the error would be corrected. Zenith Sangma, who is also the younger brother of the chief minister, was one of the nine aspirants who have sought party ticket for Tura parliamentary seat in western Meghalaya. Once considered the stronghold of former Lok Sabha speaker Purno Agitok Sangma, Tura

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APOLOGy I wish to apologize for making derogatory statement against Eastern Nagas, resulting to hurt the sentiment of Eastern Nagaland Women Organisation on the faithful day of 27.02.2014, at my Signal basti Dimapur residence.

It was not my intention to cause any damage, inconvenience or insult the Eastern Nagas.

Knowing the cause, will help me guard against future mistakes.

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Sports Reflection Hero to launch Disneywe think of the Seoul Olympic of 1988, one name comes to mind is ‘Ben Johnson’. The When branded bicycles in India fastest man on two legs had his medals and records

Discounted airfares bring in new flyers NEW DElhi, March 9 (iaNS): Discounted fares have helped airlines bring in new flyers this lean travel season and get assured seat fills. There is a strong demand on the key leisure destinations like Goa and Kerala, say airline officials, and bookings have more than doubled in recent days.

“Such offers add to the abysmally small flyer base in the country. The lower the fares, wider is the flyer-base. When a person flies for the first time and observes the huge time-saving thereof, it often becomes difficult for him/her to take a long journey by train,” Amber Dubey, partner and head, aerospace and defence, KPMG, told IANS. “Families use these discounted tickets to shift from trains to flights and get more bang out of their three-four day vacation. Airlines get incremental traffic, better seat factors and advance cash. A typical win-win for all,” Dubey added.

Since the start of the year, the Indian aviation sector has seen three promotional schemes offering 3050% discount on fares.

“The recent discounts are to fill the 10% seats by giving an alternative to the AC1/2 train passenger,”

Rajiv Chib, associate director, aerospace and defence at PricewaterhouseCoopers, told IANS. “No airlines can afford discounts unless they have a strategy in mind. Discount is based on the premise that all airlines, even in peak season, have approximately 10% of vacant seats. At times like now with the exam season, it is much more.” The new promotional scheme comes after the low cost carrier (LCC) SpiceJet launched two previous discount schemes that led to other airlines also offer the promotional fares.

“These advance purchase offers are a win-win for customers, for airlines, and for the travel industry and the economy overall, as it leads to significant demand stimulation, customers get to enjoy deeply discounted fares, airlines get to reduce wastage of seats,” said airline’s new chief operating officer Sanjiv Kapoor. Other carriers have followed suit and tried to face the competition head on.

“In a highly competitive market with little differentiation between airlines, a discount by one has to be matched by all others. There’s no option. Though it

comes as a rude surprise to other carriers, they do plan for such scenarios in advance,” said Dubey.

Passengers, travel agents and online booking websites have been quick to grab the new schemes.

“These flash sales are becoming a regular feature. Besides stimulating demand, these are also prompting Indians to plan their travel in advance, as these sales encourage travel planning in a particular timeframe and at least a month in advance from the date of the promotions,” said Vikram Malhi, general manager, south and southeast Asia, Expedia.

“We are already seeing strong demand on the key leisure destinations like Goa and Kerala and bookings have more than doubled post the announcement. We expect other airlines to follow suit with similar discounts as these prices are sure to strike a chord with the leisure traveller,” said Sharat Dhall, president, Yatra.com. Some in the industry say the promotional airfares should be seen in the context of AirAsia India’s entry into the market. If this is true, then an interesting fare war could be on the anvil in the summer of 2014.

NEW DElhi, March 9 (PTi): World’s largest cycle maker Hero Cycles has launched a range of Disney- and Marvel-branded bicycles featuring characters like Mickey Mouse and Spiderman for kids aged 3-12 years. As part of the licensing agreement with Disney India’s Consumer Products arm, Hero Cycles will sell 12 models, priced between Rs 3,300 to Rs 4,500.

These cycles, inspired by Disney and Marvel stories and characters, will be available across more than 100 premium distributors. The range, featuring Disney franchises like Mickey & Friends, Disney Princesses, Disney.Pixar Cars and Marvel’s Spider-Man, will be made available across 30 cities in the first three months. The companies did not disclose the revenue sharing details.

“Today’s kids have an opinion of their own and it is important for us to provide play options to the younger fans that are inspired by the charac-

ters they are growing up with.

With this licensing deal, Disney and Marvel inspired range of bicycles will be available for our fans across India,” Disney India VP and Head (Consumer Products, Retail, Publishing and Franchise Marketing) Roshini Bakshi told PTI. In the first phase, Hero will manufacture one lakh Disney and Marvel branded bicycles in the first year. It will be scaled up to five lakhs in the second year and a million cycles by the third year. “Cycles are the first medium through which a child gets to feel the road. We strongly believe that introducing character-inspired cycles will make cycling a pleasurable and joyous experience for kids,” Hero Cycles Managing Director Pankaj Munjal said.

The kids bicycle segment is one of the fastest growing markets in India at 15 per cent annual growth. The overall market of kids bicycles, including organised and unorganised, is around 3 million units.

remotest Villages of Nagaland like Yimrep in interior Tuensang District –the Village where Gaidinliu was stowed away after her release from Kala Pani –Andaman Islands on India’s Independence by the last Naga Hill’s DC Sir CR Pawsey, as a precaution against possible social disturbances in future if she were to move to her own Village again in Tamenglong- has Tree Plantations. Already the Villagers have started harvesting their Tree Crops.

How can Nagaland stop the destruction of the priceless Tree Plantations from wild Fires?

Preservation of the precious Tree Plantation from Fire is of immense importance to the Economy of Nagaland. Tree Species like Hollock [Terminalia myriocarpa], Ghora Neem [Melia azadirecta] Naga Neem (Spondias axilaris?), Kadam [Anthocephalus cadamba], Bogipoma [Amoora wallichii], most Pomas are all thin skinned trees and are ‘Fire Tender’ [not resistant to fire]. The Plantations of these species, grow to the size of a Man’s Thigh [30CM = 1foot] in 12 years and are vulnerable to destruction from Forest Fires.

The Year 2014 has proven to be Colder, Drier and may prove

to be Hotter; the prospect of sever Forest Fires in FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL, MAY, JUNE is very likely. There were no rains in OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER last year and JANUARY this year.

Usually Japfü Mountain experiences Rain and Snow at least once in JANUARY. This year, we see only Fire for the last several days nstead. The indications are that year the Spring Season of 2014 March–June is going to be very dry. This may portend serious Forest Fires.

The Forest Undergrowths like Herbs, Shrubs, Grasses and annual Lianas are not completely dried-up in February and do not burn furiously but by March they become dry like a Match Box. By then Forest burns furiously like Hell. Therefore to choose the less of two Evils; your Tree Plantations may be set on Fire -management fire- in February to prevent destructive jungle fire June. One of the only measures to control Forest Fire is by Fire!

Burn your tree farm in Jan-Feb to save it from May-June fire

W

ith plentiful rainfall, beautiful Sunshine, vast jhumlands lying idle, the only stumbling block in the way of very profitable Wood Production in labor-short Nagaland is the unconscionable Weeds –some of them grow 22 times faster than Trees- Lianas and Climbers –that smother Tree Plantations.

Besides the Weeds, the other most destructive element that destroys Tree Plantation in Nagaland is the Forest Fire.

The solution to the Weeds, Lianas and Climbers that choke the Tree Plantations is Tree Plantaion through Jhum Cultivation. The Jhum planted Trees grow very fast gaining Height and Diameter growth quickly after the Agriculture Crops are harvested in October/November but Forest Fire in May-June becomes the greatest hazard.

It is economically not possible for Villagers to continuously ‘Clean’ the Plantations beyond the 2rd year of plantation. The Plantations are best protected by burning the Weeds and Grasses during JAN-FEB. The undergrowth of Grasses, Herbs and Shrubs in the Plantations are still half green and not died dry in January-Feb-

ruary. This does not encourage run-away wild Forest Fires. If the Plantations were to catch Fire later in MARCH, APRIL, MAY OR JUNE when the undergrowth is Matchbox dry, that would completely destroy the priceless TREE Plantations: Some Species like Hollock, Cadam or Neem are Firetender and die easily after being burned. Teak, Gomari, Bogipoma, Oaks, and Sal are Fire-hardy, but Fire-hardy or not; Trees are never benefited from Forest Fires.

Wood from the Trees are the strongest Economic backbone of the Villagers in Nagaland. Wood Production and not Agriculture Production; has the greatest potential to become the ‘Economic Backbone’ of the State. Greening the State and Carbon ‘sinking’ is only a collateral benefit that Forestry plays: an estimated 17 lakhs Tons of Carbone Dioxide (CO2) is eliminated by the Forests in Nagaland.

The main aim of Forestry is to make EVERY VILLAGER or the State of Nagaland rich in one Generation. EVERY Naga Family must have an income of at least `72,000/- per year in one generation. This is possible only from Wood production. No other Resources have more potential to

becoming the Economic Backbone of Nagaland than Timber.

Agriculture has not the blessing to become the economic backbone of mountainous, labor short Nagaland.

Nagaland has vast stretches of vacant jhumlands lying idle, Rainfall plenty, Sunshine –generally enough and expert in Jhum Cultivation: nothing can beat this Team for the generation of Economy for the Villagers.

The Wind blows away more soil in the Ganga basin States and Rajasthan than Rain washes away soil from Nagaland. The sudden disturbances of the Natural drainage system of the mountainsides due to extensive Road and Development constructions in Nagaland and the whole North East cause landslips, Soil erosion and River bank erosions. It is not Jhum Cultivation alone that causes of the Brahmaputra water muddy.

ALL Development activities in the NorthEast involve almost always Earth cutting and that causes soil erosion problems. It is not Jhum Cultivation of the Northeast alone that causes soil loss in the Region!

Nowhere in this ancient land of India has Villagers planted more Trees than in Nagaland! Even the

The Morung Express

Thepfulhouvi Solo, IFS Retd (RR-68) Retd Principal Secretary, Forest, Wildlife & Environment Government of Nagaland

stripped away for having taken prohibited substances. He was banned from sports competitions for two years and had pages and pages written against him in the world’s press.

No one could defend Ben Johnson, neither even his own family nor his country. Why? He did wrong and deserved all that he got. On the other hand that’s the weird thing about our crazy, hypocritical and immoral world; after his medal was striped he was given twoyear sentence for something relatively unimportant (it was. After all, only a sporting issue).

The society that condemned Ben is the same one that let things go by unheeded in the political arenas.

It’s the same one that keeps quiet when someone’s connection is the right places make things happen. It’s the same one that lets thousands starve to death while others get armed to the teeth for war. It’s the same one that turns a blind eye to the half-hidden ‘theft’ of millions of rupees meant for the good cause. It’s the same one that is destroying the peaceful co-existence in the world for the sake of power and control. It’s the same one that discriminates against others because of their race, color, sex and above all, their social standings.

And there’s no-one to dish out any sentence or punishment for any of this evil works happening everywhere in the world!

When Adam & Eve sinned they looked for something to cover them with, because sin strips them bare, showing who they really are! So they got hold of a fig leafs. And today we carry in covering things with the equivalent of fig leaves-as in the case of Ben Johnsonthinking we’ve dealt with the issue, while greater evils go unchallenged and unpunished: What could a punishment be for those corrupted people or leaders for taking all the benefits of their power and position?

What about the bureaucrats and politicians for their greediness and selfishness to public funds? Remember, God is watching all your secrets doing!

We study in the Bible about Judas Iscariot, who was one of the most trusted and closest to Jesus. Judas was trusted and even given all the financial responsibility of the team. But in the end he betrayed his friend for his love for money that we read in the Bible, especially during the Passion Week. Judas blotted bad name with money in exchange of his Master’s life, but all these happened to fulfill the prophecies. Forget about Judas, many God’s people are too corrupt and are selling/betraying Jesus everyday, and some even many times in a day. Did you realize what you did to Jesus?

Such is very much existed in our present situations and scenarios. What about deceit? Or killing someone precious to the parents and community? We’d better not go any further down this path or else we’ll all be guilty of something! Just take a moment to reflect, what can be done to you, and for those GUILTY? Do you know what, God knows we’re all guilty!

We’re all in the same boat. We’ve all sinned and fallen short of His eternal glory and standards. So don’t go looking for a way out; we’re all in this together. You think you’re therefore, of what we are all like. We’re all guilty in God’s eyes. We may think that some people definitely deserve to be punished more than others, but that doesn’t change the overall verdict. ‘History has given its verdict: humanity is guilty’! Learn to be fair to punish the guilty, as if you are one of them. Be considered! For none can escape the heavenly verdict, the sooner or later when our time’s up!

“Know the Truth and the Truth shall sets you free, yes free indeed” – the Bible Thamsing Lamkang Sports Resource Center

Readers may please note that the contents of the articles, letters and opinions published do not reflect the outlook of this paper nor of the Editor in any form.

_

LEISURE

Simple Rules - There is just one simple rule: “Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box co ntains the digits 1 through 9.”

SUDOKU Game Number # 2815

DAILY CROSS WORD

CROSSWORD # 2826

DIMAPUR Civil Hospital:

STD CODE: 03862

Metro Hospital: Faith Hospital: Shamrock Hospital Zion Hospital: Police Control Room Police Traffic Control East Police Station West Police Station CIHSR (Referral Hospital) Dimapur hospital Apollo Hospital Info Centre: Railway: Indian Airlines Chumukedima Fire Brigade Nikos Hospital and Research Centre Nagaland Multispecialty Health & Research Centre

Answer Number # 2814

KOHIMA

Police Control Room: North Police Station: South Police Station: Fire Brigade: Naga Hospital: Oking Hospital: Bethel Nursing Home:

232224; Emergency229529, 229474 227930, 231081 228846 228254 231864, 224117, 227337 228400 232106 227607 232181 242555/ 242533 224041, 248011 230695/9402435652 131/228404 229366 282777 232032, 231031 248302, 09856006026

STD CODE: 0370

Northeast Shuttles

100/2244279 2222222 2222111 2222952 2222916 2243339 2224202

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CIEL

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ORIHIME

HARUHI HIKARU HINABI

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SASUKE

KAKASHI HATAKE

SEBASTIAN

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N M E S S B R M K O E N V C R

1. Make do 5. Between the head and shoulders 9. Contributes 13. Throat-clearing sound 14. Characteristic 16. A type of liquid food 17. Speech disorder 18. Abrasive 19. Fizzy drink 20. Sacred song 22. Not often 24. Weightlifters pump this 26. Anagram of “Smite” 27. A grouping of elements 30. Plaid 33. Supervisor 35. Academy award 37. Was victorious 38. Short person 41. Spy agency 42. Allowed 45. Double-magnum 48. Separate 51. Fearful people 52. Panache 54. Blend 55. Intense sorrow 59. Gash

62. Dogfish 63. Expertise 65. Dwarf buffalo 66. Sword handle 67. Feel 68. Stigma 69. Backside 70. Marsh plant 71. School session

DOWN 1.Serene 2. Buckeye State 3. Plague 4. Male ruler of an empire 5. Greatest possible 6. Historical periods 7. Billiards bounce 8. Fate 9. Helps 10. Bad end 11. Guy 12. Resorts 15. 8th Greek letter 21. Clothing 23. Novice 25. Require 27. Yowl 28. Steer clear of 29. Not used 31. Conformity

32. A nymph of lakes 34. British rule in India 36. Adult male sheep 39. Record (abbrev.)

40. Not “To” 43. Go over again 44. Diplomacy 46. Is endebted to 47. Used to stabilize a ship 49. Elegance 50. Cyberpunk 53. Yours (archaic) 55. Laugh 56. Arab chieftain 57. Afflicts 58. If not 60. Fly high 61. Damage 64. Directed Ans to CrossWord 2825

CHUMUKEDIMA: 03862-282777/101 (O) WOKHA: 03860-242215 (O) 9402643782 MOKOKCHUNG: 0369-2226225/101 (O) 9856872011 (OC) PHEK: 03865-223838/101 (O) 9436012949 (OC)

MON: 03869-290629/101 (O) 9856248962/ 9612805461 (OC)

Toll free No. 1098 childline

O

DIMAPUR: 03862-232201/101 (O) 9436601225 (OC)

TUENSANG: 03861-220256/101 (O) 8974322879

CHILD WELFARE COMMITTEE

W

KOHIMA: 0370-2222952/101 (O) 9436062098 (OC)

ZUNHEBOTO: 03867-220444/101 (O) 9856158740 (OC)

08974997923

MOKOKCHUNG:

FIRE STATIONS

STD CODE: 0369

Police Station 1: Police Station 2 :

2226241 2226214

Civil Hospital: Woodland Nursing Home: Hotel Metsüpen (Tourist Lodge):

2226216 2226263 2226373/2229343

TAHAMzAM (formerly Senapati) STD CODE: 03871 Police Station: Fire Brigade

222246 222491

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For details & Test drive Contact: Urban Station, Near NSC Petrol Pump, 6th Mile Dimapur. Ph No : 240994 CURRENCY ExCHANGE CURRENCY NOTES BUY(Rs) SELL(Rs) US Dollars Sterling Pound Hong Kong Dollar

61.67 102.54 7.93

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Australian Dollar

54.87

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48.4 55.46 60.43

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LOCAL

The Morung Express

Spring Festival 2014 ends with cultural extravaganza DIMAPUR, MARCH 9 (MExN): The curtain call of the Spring Festival at NEZCC complex on Sunday evening witnessed a confluence of culture of all regions of the country lending credence to catchword “unity in diversity” that is India.

The evening was marked by scintillating performances by cultural troupes from all the seven cultural zones including participants from the North eastern region representing North East Zone Cultural Centre (NEZCC).

Though the turnout was moderate, the cultural troupes comprising mostly of teen artistes captivated the audience with a medley of cultural performances till the end.

Earlier, NEZCC director, Lipokmar Tzudir, in his address said the Spring Festival was a “huge success” considering the fact that so

Monday 10 March 2014

5

ANPWDFWA express grievances KoHIMA, MARCH 9 (MExN): All Nagaland PWD Field Workers’ Association (ANPWDFWA) has in a press statement highlighted “the government’s total failure to regularize work-charged employees’ service and revision of pay even after several assurances were given.”

The statement appended by ANPWDFWA president, Inakhu Aye and general secretary, K Atovi Awomi asserted that the decision of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to contest Lok Sabha election “is wise to pay a bigger vital role at national level, but before that the grievances of the workcharged employees should be redressed, likewise the interest shown by the CM in attending migrants Amur Falcon birds as we are purely Naga indigenous government employees.”

While strongly supporting the decision

of All Nagaland Inter Departmental Field Staff Association Joint Forum on their seven days ultimatum to the government for fulfilling the demands of work-charged employees, ANPWDFWA has requested the presidents and general secretaries of all the divisions to get prepared for the proposed agitation, “come out to the streets in their respective headquarters as a token of demonstration against the state indifferent attitude towards the legitimate rights of the work-charged employees and their dependants.”

Further, the association stated that the salaries of regular staffs are yet to be disbursed even though the centre has already sanctioned in the yearly budget.

Therefore, it appealed the government to immediately disburse the salaries of the regular employees.

Disaster preparedness prog held

many young talents had the opportunity to perform and participate in the festival.

The NEZCC director said that these young artistes would carry forward the “timeless and rich cultural heritage we have inherited.”

“It has been a privilege and responsibility to groom them and hand them over the responsibility to carry forward our prestige and honour. I wish to remind the youth of the Region (North East) that we have heeded to the call

that the ‘future is yours’,” Tzudir said. “The future had dawned, it has started.

Awake now and stake your claim in the overall understanding of this great nation’s cultural heritage.”

The NEZCC director also thanked artistes from

other cultural zone centres for making the festival more vibrant and colourful with their participation. He further thanked the staff of NEZCC for their commitment and dedication in making the Spring Festival a success.

KoHIMA, MARCH 9 (MExN): The Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) organised a 'Disaster Preparedness' programme at Holy Cross School, Dimapur on March 6 in preparation of the 'M.8.7 Shillong Earthquake, 1897: Multi-State North East Mega Mock Exercise' scheduled to be conducted on March 13. A

LoNgLENg, MARCH 9 (MExN): In view of the forthcoming parliamentary election scheduled to be conducted on April 9 and for the smooth conduct of election, Deputy Commissioner & ARO, Longleng, K Libanthung Lotha has informed that a standing committee has been constituted with the following members: Deputy Commissioner and Assistant Returning Officer - Chairman, Members - ADC & AERO (HQ), ADC & AERO (Tamlu), SDO(C) HQ /SDO Sadar, Superintendent of Police LLG, President PPC, LLG, President, Phom Student Conference LLG, Executive Secretary, Phom Baptist Church Association, President INC, NPF, BJP, NCP, JDU and other recognized political parties of LLG District, President, Phomla Hoichem, PA to DC, LLG, Head DB of DC's Office, LLG and AEO, LLG - Member Secretary The committee will have meeting time to time for peaceful and smooth election process, therefore, the DC has asked all to remain in the station regularly as far as possible. The standing committee will maintain neutrality and impartiality towards any political party, he added.

It shall be dissolved as soon the election process is over.

The first meeting will be held on March 10, 3:00 PM in the conference room of DC Office, Longleng. All concerned have been requested to attend the meeting.

meeting for the month of March 2014 was held on March 5 in the DC’s conference hall under the chairmanship of Parliamentary Secretary Excise, Legal Metrology & Consumer Protection, Statistics and Chairman DPDB, T. Torechu.

The chairman welcomed the new DC Kiphire, Neposo Theluo on behalf of DPDB members and advised him to have a strong heart to cope up with the situations of the district.

Reviewing the last meeting minutes, the board members were informed to submit departmental profile and achievements made during current year to the DPO along with pho-

would be published in a booklet.

The Deputy Commissioner in his first address thanked the chairman for his advice and encouragement and sought the cooperation and support of various NGOs and officers.

Taking the present posting as an opportunity to serve the remote district, Neposo pointed out that one’s services could be delivered in such places, which may not be required in the other advanced districts.

He reminded the members not to consider DPDB as a routine meeting, but asked them to participate actively and put forward valuable suggestions.

He informed the board

regularly in the station and added that surprise checking in offices would be conducted. Deputy Commissioner also requested both elected members to pursue for opening of offices to the district since most of the departments are yet to be opened. ' With Lok Sabha election approaching, he also sought the cooperation of the officers. He further requested the Parliamentary Secretary, Power to ask every department to submit the incumbent list of staffing pattern on or before March 15, 2014.

The agendas discussed included construction of drainage cum black topping at fire station road

provision of fund. Renovation and refurnishing of GA rest house was entrusted to PWD to work out estimates for onward mobilization of funds.

Construction of rostrum at Seyochung Town public ground was discussed to be forwarded to the youth resources and sports department for necessary funding. The board was informed on the government order on recognition of the following villages under Kiphire district: Thuliin Village, Cidevong Village, Mongtsuwong village, Vongva village, Tsuther village, Jenty village, Litsaoung village, Tsurevong village, Azetso Village and Khongsa village.

Artists from different states of India perfom at the grand finale of Spring Festival 2014 organised by North East Zone Cultural Zone (NEZCC) in Dimapur on March 9. (Photo by Caisii Mao)

Standing Committee formed Surprise check to be held in Kiphire offices MARCH 9 tographs of achievements, that all heads of depart- which has been forwarded for election in Longleng KIPHIRE, (DIPR): Kiphire DPDB works and profiles which ments are to be present to Urban Development for

CMA recognizes service of retiring PGC vice principal

The mothers’ organization expressed pain to part with a learned man like Chetri, who richly contributed in different aspects for the interest of the students’ community in particular and the whole community in general. The CMA, while acknowledging his sincere and loyal dedPHEK, MARCH 9 (MExN): Chakhe- ication for the people of Phek, prayed that sang Mothers’ Association (CMA) has bid the Almighty God grant him and his family adieu to Dr. BR Chetri, vice principal, Phek a worthy retired living and a long live.

Government College (PGC) who is retiring from his service on March 10 after serving at PGC for 33 years “with full sincerity and dedication to the college.”

According to a press note appended

by CMA President, Zaposhelu Venuh, Dr. Chetri was the founder of PGC and moulded the present college from its infant till date. It added that the up gradation of the MoKoKCHUNg, MARCH 9 (MExN): college to the present status was the sole Teachers training in three disciplines handiwork of Chetri. He was tirelessly (Mathematics, English and Music) for working for the promotion of the college NBCC member schools under ABAM in even during the commissioning of the col- Mokokchung district will be held from lege under privatised institution, the CMA March 12 to 14 at Impur. All the headmasters/headmistresses have been requeststated.

Through the sincere and dedicated ed to send three teachers, one from each efforts made by Dr. Chetri for the past 33 discipline, for the said training. An addiyears, numerous students from the local- tional 15 seats will be allotted to youth ity and neighbouring villages benefited a leaders under ABAM churches who are lot and are highly indebted to him, CMA interested to join Music training (Staff Notation, Conducting Pattern etc). Food acknowledged.

Teachers training for NBCC schools under ABAM

Health and Nutrition Day at Kuda village

DIMAPUR, MARCH 9 (MExN): Kuda village Dimapur organized Village Health Nutrition Day (VHND) on March 8 at the village health sub centre. A press release informed that it was the tenth VHND held in the village for the financial year 2013-14. During the program, all the children were weighed and nutritional foods were distributed in the presence of the GBs and Village Health Committee (VHC) members. Vaccination for BCG, DPT, JE, measles, hepatitis, polio, and tetanus was carried out and also Vitamin A was administered.OPD was also carried out. Close to 150 children were attended to during the Day. According to the release, a VHC member present expressed that the sub centre has only 4 permanent employees, but oversees and covers the whole of Kuda Village, Phaipijang, Toulazouma, Super Market and High School area with a total of 4858 households and registered population of 22,216.Therefore, he opined that up gradation of the sub centre to a Primary Health Centre (PHC) with a doctor and more staffs was needed. This will not only meet the need of the locality, but also ease the rush at the District Hospital to some extent, he added.

Health workers attend to children during the Village Health Nutrition Day organized at Kuda village on March 8.

Dimapur

and lodging will be arranged by ABAM free of cost. Only Rs. 200/- will be realized from each participant for registration and training materials.

Resource persons for the training are: Mathematics- C. Wati Walling, TOT, EBRC Mokokchung and Kenilo Semp, Senior Lecturer, DIET Mon; Music: Lanu ImchenAssistant Teacher, Impur Bible School and Neingusalie Khruomo, Chairperson, Music Board ABCC; English: Temsuchizung, Assistant Coordinator, EBRC Khensa and Temsutula Longkumer, Assistant Professor, Mokokchung College of Teachers Education. For further information, contact Apok Jamir, Literature & Education Secretary, ABAM at 8729995580.

SCERT conducts teacher-training prog in Bhandari

BHANDARI, MARCH 9 (MExN): An SCERT sponsored teacher-training programme of six days duration was conducted at Government Higher Secondary School, Bhandari for the teachers of government and private schools under Bhan-

dari Sub Division.

The training for the subject teachers of Social Sciences and Science was conducted on February 24 and 26 with Imlila, Vitsonuo, Bedeko and Daniel Thong, senior lectures, DIET/SCERT as resource persons. The training for English and Mathematics teachers was conducted from March 3 to 5 with Kenilo Semp, Sinha, Akhala Kin and Dr. Imlienla Imchen, senior lectures, DIET/SCERT as resource persons.

The main objective of the training programme was to empower the teachers teaching in secondary sections with the skills and techniques of teaching the subjects concerned as many of the teachers from the region are untrained, a release said. Nearly 100 teachers from the sub division attended the training and were quite impressed and motivated by the short training.

Nellayappan, Principal, GHSS, Bhandari and the trainees have expressed their sincere gratitude to Vipralhou Kesiezie, Director, SCERT, Nagaland for sanctioning the programme and to the resource persons for devoting their valuable time to them in the rural area. They also expressed their desire to attend more such programmes in the future.

Ban on Manipur buses & vans begins in Dimapur

press note informed that this Mega Mock Exercise (MME) will be held simultaneously in Dimapur, Kohima, Mokokchung, Zunheboto and Kiphire district along with other North Eastern States. During the programme, a 30 minutes Street Play on Disaster Preparedness was staged by 'Dreamz Unlimited', a Dimapur based Theatre

group. The play by Dreamz Unlimited with conceptual inputs from NSDMA was developed with special focus on the March 13 Mega Mock Exercise. The Programme, which began with a short briefing about the MME by Rendemo Shitio, District Project Officer, Disaster Management, Dimapur, was attended by about 1000 students.

MEx FILE

In this photograph, T. Alem Jamir, a teacher under GPS, Aoyimkum, Dimapur is seen giving a hair cut to a student during school hours. Since the village does not have a hair cutting saloon, the teacher has taken the initiative to provide haircuts. (Courtesy: Maong Jamir)

DSSATA convenes general meet

DIMAPUR, MARCH 9 (MExN): Dimapur SSA Teachers Association (DSSATA) has convened a general meeting on March 12, 11:00 am at Government Higher Secondary School ground near DEO/SDEO office, Dimapur. Therefore, all members have been asked to be present without fail. Absentees would be imposed a fine of Rs.500, stated a press release issued by DSSATA Information and Publicity Secretary. However, the note stated, for genuine cases teachers may send a representation for the said meeting. Further, extending its full co-operation to the NSSATA stir called from March 10 to 22, DSSATA cautioned that strict action would be taken against defaulting teachers under its unit. For further query one may contact 9612548280/ 9615389697.

United Naga Tribes Association formed

DIMAPUR, MARCH 9 (MExN): To pursue the interest of the educated farmers residing in and around Dimapur consisting of Ao, Sumi, Lotha, Konyak, Sangtam, Khiamniungan, and many other Naga tribes, an organization called “United Naga Tribes Association (UNTA)” has been formed. UNTA secretary, Hukavi Yepthomi in a press statement informed that the organization was formed after series of meetings and discussions in regards to the interest of the like-minded Naga tribes from Dimapur. The purpose of the Association is to protect the land adjoining Dimapur within Nagaland, he added. The Association also elected Chuba Jamir as sessional chairman.

Veterinary Colony Council members

Volunteers of ANPBU&WO enforcing ban on Manipur buses and Tata Winger vans at Nichugar Gate near Chumukedima in Dimapur on March 9.

DIMAPUR, MARCH 9 (NNN): The indefinite ban on movement of Manipur bus and Tata Winger van services imposed by All Nagaland Private Bus Union and Winger Operators (ANPBU&WO) began today here. The agitation of ANPBU&WO has been triggered by the killing of a Tata Winger van driver in Manipur after his abduction by two unidentified men on February 22.

Md Muna Ali used to drive a Tata Winger van between Dimapur and

Imphal. On February 22 at 11 am, two men hired his van from North AOC, Imphal on the pretext of fetching a patient from Kangpokpi, some 40 kms north of Imphal. The driver from Assam was found murdered near a village in Sadar Hills, Senapati district of Manipur on March 7.

He was one of the members of ANPBU &WO. Md Muna Ali alias Suto, 22, S/o Md Matalim alias Akbar Ali hailed from Sukhajan village under Bokajan police station of Karbi An-

glong district.

The ban has been initiated by ANPBU&WO demanding from the Manipur Government to compensate the family of the deceased and for a prompt investigation into the incident.

Newmai News Network witnessed large number of volunteers of ANPBU&WO at Nichugar Gate near Patkai Christian College in Dimapur this afternoon, enforcing the ban on Manipur buses and Tata Winger vans.

DIMAPUR, MARCH 9 (MExN): Veterinary Colony Council, Dimapur has selected its new office bearers and executive members for the year 2014-2019. Following are the names with posts: Chairman and a member of DUCCCF as assistant secretary – D Yongnyak Konyak; Vice chairman – Takameren; General secretary – S Tokiho Swu; Jt secretary – Nchumbemo Odyuo; Treasurer – Neizo Chale; Executive members – Kihovi Sumi, Imrong Ao, Rutsangktu Tikhir, Vikholie Kezieo Angami, Keneingullie Chakhesang, Thungdemo Jami Lotha.

Vaccination camp at Niroyo village

DIMAPUR, MARCH 9 (MExN): One-day training on scientific rearing of livestock cum vaccination camp was organised by Krishi Vigyan Kendra (ICARRC) on February 28 at Niroyo village of Wokha district.

Dr. Moaakum, KVK (ICAR) Wokha informed in a press release that Dr. Moa from KVK Wokha, speaking as resource person delivered a brief lecture on scientific methods of successful rearing of livestock. Huge quantities of veterinary medicines like deworming, vitamins and mineral mixtures were distributed to the farmers.

The vaccination for farm and domestic animals was conducted along with veterinary field assistants from district veterinary office Wokha where around 65 pigs, 56 dogs and poultry were vaccinated against swine fever, rabies, ranikhet and fowl pox.

6

The Power of Truth

The Morung Express MonDAy 10 MArcH 2014 voluME IX IssuE 66

Along Longkumer consulting Editor

Changing Stereotypes

T

his year's International Women's Day was held on March 8 under the theme 'inspiring change'. The day is marked to celebrate the social, political and economic achievements of women while focusing world attention on areas requiring further action. The day was first recognized by the United Nations in the year 1975 and since then it has been held under appropriate themes ranging from human rights to non-violence to gender equality to their role in decision making. Does having an international women's day really help their cause? Have conditions of women folk improved over the years? Is there greater gender equality and acknowledgement of their rights? Are we anywhere close to ending violence against women and girls? Has the system made progress to give women access to decision making? All these are important questions that need to be asked and worked on if we are at all serious about addressing the needs and concern of our women folk.

Mere symbolism and lip service is not going to be enough.

To make women's day memorable, is it enough to just offer compliments or discount offers as is being done by advertisers, trying to market their products or services. On March 8, leading newspapers in India carried pages of colourfully designed messages aimed to salute the spirit of womanhood.

However the real intent of such publicity was to market more and more goods. There was nothing that really grabbed attention of women issues or the real concerns facing them. One such message or advertisement called for celebrating the spirit of womanhood with offer of spa, beauty and massage packages. Another bizarre advt offered a price discount worth 20 times the woman's age on a certain range of smartphones in order to make women's day 'memorable'. Really, better ways can be found to celebrate the spirit of womanhood.

In fact in many ways, especially for the purpose of marketing, women continue to be portrayed as sex objects, some in subtle ways. Women continue to be exploited. Their portrayal in the mass media (such as television, film and advertising) is disrespectful to say the least. Not only is it bad in taste but such kind of portrayal has an harmful effect on society, increase in the likelihood and acceptance of sexual or even domestic violence against women and girls. A UNESCO report published a few years ago points out that given such stereotype portrayal of women in the media, it will take another 75 years to achieve gender equality in the media. This is certainly not good news given that unless women are better portrayed in the media, their overall condition will hardly improve.

Efforts must be made to educate our society. As Nagaland Governor Ashwini Kumar rightly remarked on the occassion of a programme to observe international women's day, a collective effort must be made to remove all obstacles that prevent women from achieving their full potential. In the context of Naga society, this will require not just a 're-look at our old traditions and customs', as the Governor mentions but perhaps improving the justice dispensing mechanism (rule of law) and enforcing human rights standards in our land. The different manifestation of violence and ill treatment against women as witnessed even in the recent past points to the insensitivity of the present system and the resultant atrocities towards our women folk. At the end of the day, women actually don't need a special day to celebrate their worth. Rather they need society to evolve into a safe and enabling place that allows them to achieve their full potential while ensuring a life of fairness and respect due to them.

(Feedback can be send to consultingeditormex@gmail.com)

lEfT wiNg |

Gaurav Sharma IANS

Seeking to make a difference in lives drowned in liquor

T

IN-FOCUS

hey all reach for the "hari goli" or green tablet whether to treat a mild headache or even malaria as this is the only panacea available for 250 Sahariya tribals in Rajasthan's Baran district where healthcare facilities are non-existent but where liquor flows abundantly. "All my life I have had this hari goli whenever I have fallen sick," says an emaciated Kaushalya Devi, 60, one of the Sahariyas in Baman Deh village of Baran, which is the poorest tribal community of Rajasthan eking out a miserable existence.

The "hari goli" is nothing but diclofenac sodium - a painkiller - that comes in a green strip and is available in the two local grocery shops. Situated in a vast expanse of arid and almost un-irrigated land, the obscure village of Baman Deh is devoid of a primary health care centre, school, electricity and even roads.

Daya Ram's two-year-old daughter died in August last year after being stricken by some disease. She could not be attended to or taken to the primary health care centre - 15 km away - as the village was cut off from the main city due to rains. "It does not matter. I will have another one (child). This is how our life is," the gaunt Daya Ram, a landless farmer, told IANS. In the name of Anganwadi (state-run mother and child care centre) lies a dilapidated two-room building, which villagers say has been non-functional for the past decade.

What is ironical is that the government built a rainwater harvesting tank besides this non-functional Anganwadi in November last year.

When IANS visited the nearest community health care centre, a big lock was found hanging on the door. "The lady who was posted here has not come to this place for months," said a local.

Dinesh Kumar Sahariya, 21, is the only villager who has completed his schooling, but from some other village. "It is not that we don't have land, but how would we irrigate it as we cannot afford diesel-run irrigation pumps. Hence, almost every male goes out of this village to work as labourer," Dinesh told IANS. Another villager, Ganesh, said there is hardly any work available under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). MGNREGA is an entitlement law that aims to guarantee the right to work and ensure livelihood security in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment. "How will we make our ends meet when have no work?" says Ganesh.

The villagers complain that ever since December 2013 when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in the state, they have stopped getting their quota of rice and kerosene oil which they got under the previous Congress regime.

Liquor has ruined the men of the village. Liquor is supplied through motorbikes. Men force their women to work so that they can pay for their addiction. "There is no dearth of liquor, but medicines are hardly available. It is because of liquor mafia that it is available so easily," added Ganesh.

The World Vision India, a non-governmental organisation, is trying to make a difference in the lives of Sahariyas who until a few years ago worked as bonded labourers. It has installed several solar panels which light up the mud-thatched houses in the village. A few solar-run street lights can be sighted in the village. "At least we have light now. The children will not have to face the problems which I faced," says Dinesh.

The organisation is also planning to install solar-run irrigation pump so that the villagers can till their own land.

C O M M E N T A R Y

THE EDIT PAGE

Deniz Kandiyoti

Contesting patriarchy-as-governance: lessons from youth-led activism

Demonstrators holds candles during a protest against violence, in Caracas, Venezuela on Friday, March 7, 2014. Venezuela is coming under increasing international scrutiny amid violence that most recently killed a National Guardsman and a civilian. United Nations human rights experts demanded answers Thursday from Venezuela's government about the use of violence and imprisonment in a crackdown on widespread demonstrations. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Youth-led mobilisation has mocked and exposed patriarchal power by unmasking its politics of social control. Are we on the threshold of a new politics of gender creating cross-gender alliances around struggles against autocracy?

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he recent waves of citizen-led activism that swept the globe inspired numerous attempts to identify common drivers across diverse instances of public disobedience and protest. Growing numbers of educated, unemployed, alienated youth, the humiliations of autocracy, the authority- busting potential of the internet and social media, and the coming of age of Generation Y are among recurrent leitmotifs.

These common denominators – broadly related to the tensions between the global forces of neoliberalism seeking to expand the freedom of capital, and the forces of social resistance struggling to preserve and redefine community and solidarity - provide an overly broad umbrella for phenomena as diverse as the Arab uprisings, the Occupy movement, the indignados of Southern Europe, the student movement in Chile or the Gezi protests in Turkey. Could the lure of the “global” be making us lose sight of more subtle and context specific idioms of discontent?

In this article, I explore the reasons behind the apparent anti-patriarchal thrust of struggles against authoritarianism in some parts of the MENA region, and pose a relatively neglected question: Are there any lessons to be drawn from youth-led activism for a new politics of gender?

At first sight, the answer would appear to be negative. A mobilized citizenry was, first and foremost, demanding their social and political rights, clamouring for justice and freedom and an end to state violence and corruption. If and when gender issues came up as they did in the context of the Arab uprisings - they were treated in a rather truncated manner, mainly to document levels of women’s participation in popular protests, their subsequent exclusion from formal processes of transition and their exposure to increasing levels of violence. Feminism and women’s rights activism - considered by some as “old politics” par excellence - appeared to elicit ambivalence, if not outright indifference, among members of a new insurrectionary generation. Yet this distancing was taking place against the background of widespread popular protests against gender-based violence, involving both men and women, who were plainly engaged in new forms of grass roots activism and social critique. How can we account for this state of affairs? Is the language of feminism up to the challenge of capturing the new sensibilities and aspirations animating the actions and idioms of multitudes of youth, both male and female? Or do the lenses we train on the politics of gender inadvertently restrict our vision?

Patriarchy: now you see it, now you don’t In the 21st century, pinning down the meanings, locations and operations of patriarchy is no easy task. On the one hand, there are many who claim that women’s rights advocates, both at the international or local levels, are engaged in a rearguard battle against a global tide of growing conservatism, both religious and political. Patriarchy is not only deemed to be alive and well but thriving under conditions of neo-liberalism, with women bearing the brunt of every new twist in global capitalism. The success stories of women who “ make it” in the corporate world are tempered by the knowledge that this passes the majority of women by in an increasingly unequal world. Yet, issues of social justice are easily overshadowed by passionate debates about the politics of representation with working class, black, ethnic, religious and sexual minority women all fighting for their particular corner in the oppression league.

There are those, on the other hand, who maintain that feminist norms and values, far from being mar-

ginal, have gained institutional power, most notably in the development of international criminal law aimed at prosecuting sexual violence. The term "governance feminism" has come to signify a reliance on state-centred forms of power and the promotion of a politics of respectability and political correctness that criminalizes and marginalizes certain practices and subjectivities. This has turned the discussion about patriarchy on its head, suggesting that the topdown enforcement of women’s rights has itself become an oppressive governance practice.

Transposed to contexts such as Egypt, governance feminism accrues even more sinister connotations. The women’s anti-violence movement may be interpreted, in this perspective, as a collaboration between upper class feminists and a brutal security state colluding around a class-specific politics of respectability that marginalizes and criminalizes working class masculinities and demonises the socalled “Arab street”- potentially demobilising classbased movements for democratic change. Although the focus on class is undoubtedly welcome, should we take manifestations of misogyny and violence in our stride so long as they emanate from “subaltern” quarters that are the target of state repression? And how do women’s rights activists in the MENA region, who have in most cases had a risibly meagre record of success in amending discriminatory legislation in their favour, share in the opprobrium of governance feminists who allegedly walk the corridors of power (a dubious proposition in itself)?

Whilst old and new conventional wisdoms jostle for attention in academic and policy circles, we have been witnessing new spontaneous grass-roots movements where young men and women mobilize together to mock authority, and to condemn the repression and violence perpetrated by both state and non-state actors. If resistance follows and contests the terms of systems of power, anti-patriarchal contestations must surely flourish in contexts where the language of power and patriarchy are most intimately and explicitly intertwined.

Contestations from below: forms of domination, paths of resistance The Green Movement in Iran, starting with the contested 2009 presidential elections, provided us with a rare spectacle. Majid Tavakoli, a student leader arrested after delivering a fiery speech against dictatorship, was alleged by pro-government news agencies to have been caught trying to escape dressed as a woman. A series of photographs showing him wearing a headscarf and chador were clearly intended to expose him as a coward, and to humiliate a hero of the student movement. This ploy backfired badly when an Iranian photographer invited men to post pictures of themselves wearing hejab on Facebook - which they did en masse, stating “We are all Majid”. This reaction hit two targets simultaneously; it ridiculed the regime’s transparent attempts to manipulate public opinion, whilst rebuffing its bid to enlist men into accepting that an association with femininity debases them.

Does a form of rule that explicitly targets the private and the policing of gender relations bring personal liberties and gender issues closer to the heart of democratic struggles? The answer appears to be resoundingly positive if the dizzying array of everyday forms resistance and defiance displayed by Turkish youth before, during and after the Gezi protests of the summer of 2013 are anything to go by.

After three consecutive electoral victories Erdogan, who came to power on an ostensible “democratisation” ticket in 2002, interpreted his mandate at the ballot box as a licence to rule by fiat. Adopting a hectoring and moralistic tone he attempted to regulate citizens’ private lives, from dictating how many children they should have, whether women should be allowed to have abortions and caesarean sections, to whether they could drink or manifest affection in public. The PM’s clearly stated intent to promote “a pious generation” was perceived by many as a thinly disguised bid to create a docile citizenry - obedient subjects who fear God, their head of state and their fathers. The saturation of public space with piety, a populist move undoubtedly meant to bind believers to the ruling party, appeared to backfire long before the regime’s alleged corrupt practices started making the headlines. For instance, the admonishments to behave decorously in public led to a “kissin” with couples locked in passionate embraces

in public spaces like the subway. The news spread fast through the social media and youth remained undeterred by being denounced as “immoral” and members of “marginal groups”, or even attacked by groups of zealots.

When the PM announced, at the annual meeting of his deputies in November 2013, that he intended to take legal measures to prevent unmarried male and female students sharing dorms and apartments, again, protests spread like wildfire. Mixed sex groups started posing for photographs bearing protest banners on university campuses across the land, and a couple even came forward to incriminate themselves, applying to the public prosecutor’s office to be tried, only to have their case dismissed. Although sources of discontent are varied and deep ( environmental concerns, urban plunder, police brutality, censorship of the media and general lack of transparency), the head of state taking on the mantle of the strict pater familias became the subject of the most virulent lampooning and ridicule. Repeated acts of defiance, through the medium of music, performance and cartoons, alongside street protests, defined the contours of a lively sub-culture that corrodes patriarchal power by unmasking its political intent: “normalizing” patriarchy as a tool of governance. This form of protest goes to the heart of political culture in Turkey by shining a light on an idiom of power that transcends the secular/Islamic divide and traverses diverse mainstream political parties.

The Arab uprisings also revealed youth sub-cultures intent on democratic participation and a rejection of their elders’ conventional politics. In Egypt, for instance, the spotlight was turned, as never before, on the political nature of violence, including gender-based violence. This lifted the lid on the previously taboo topic of harassment in general, prompting the formation of networks such as Harassmap, Operation Anti-Sexual Harassment, Tahrir Bodyguard and Imprint that include young men in their membership. Contesting Orientalist notions of essentially misogynistic Arab masculinities, young men have been more willing to take positions on women’s rights and to do so publicly.

Are there any grounds for imagining that these new voices for democratic change represent anything more than evanescent episodes of civic euphoria? The challenges of translating these aspirations into sustainable organizational forms and governance alternatives remain phenomenal. Yet, there are some harbingers of longer term transformations that cannot be ignored.

Old alliances, new crises Although state practices are always gendered, there is a particularly explicit connection in the MENA region, across regime types, between the language of power and that of patriarchal authority. Power holders utilize the idiom of patriarchy to legitimise their regulation of citizens’ lives, to suppress dissent and to elicit consent. The patriarchal state enlists men in its project of rule by explicitly upholding male prerogatives over the control of women: honour crimes carrying lighter sentences and marrying one’s victim extenuating the crime of a rapist constitute pertinent examples. The exclusion of women from the realm of equal citizenship is plainly visible and enshrined in legislation to varying extents. The trade-off in abdicating authority to patriarchal state rule, even for men of popular classes who are themselves subordinated in the class hierarchy, is to retain control over the domestic and communal domains, a control deemed central to the exercise of masculinity.

This compact manifests itself in cross- party and cross- class alliances among men when the question of curtailing women’s rights or blocking reformist moves entailing their expansion are on the agenda (for instance, in Turkey a group of male MPs across political parties attempted to block the draft of a reformed civic code in 2000 on the grounds that equality in the family would lead to chaos and, in Egypt, the secular Wafd party, among others readily joined the fray in calling for a restriction of women’s rights after the fall of Mubarak, giving the lie to the notion that Islamist parties hold a monopoly in this domain). The safeguard of male privileges (whether in the name of religion, the maintenance of social order or the integrity of the family) has acted as an important plank of populist consensus and cross-class alliances among men.

Are there any reasons to assume that these alliances might ever fracture and give way to budding cross-gender alliances in new struggles against various forms of autocracy?

Under conditions of neo-liberalism, most states have abdicated their paternalistic functions of provision of public goods and welfare. Many resort to crude ideological means to shore up their legitimacy, or deploy increasingly forceful methods of surveillance and coercion, or both, and cannot sustain the myth of the ruler as benevolent patriarch. At the domestic level, the male provider role, one of the bedrocks of male privilege, is under significant strain.

High male unemployment rates and increasingly precarious forms of employment coincide with a period when women’s aspirations and their public presence have never been higher. Notions of female subordination are no longer securely hegemonic. Reliance on a new politics of masculinist restoration - a politics that requires systematic indoctrination (Islamic, nationalistic or mixtures of both), greater surveillance and higher levels of intrusion in citizens’ lives- becomes essential to the maintenance and reproduction of patriarchy. The contradictory pulls of the politics of masculinist restoration on the one hand, and anti-patriarchal resistance on the other, open up new fields of contestation for a new generation of men and women who are more fully alert to the intimate relations between authoritarian rule and forms of oppression based on gender, creed, ethnicity or sexual orientation. One of the lessons that youth activists - male and female - may have absorbed is that as long as the patriarchal social order is taken for granted, naturalized and not opened to question, citizenship must remain imperfect and democracy truncated.

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Readers may please note that the contents of the articles, letters and opinions published do not reflect the outlook of this paper nor of the Editor in any form.

FAITH LEAF

SunDAY

THE MORUNG EXPRESS 9 March 2014

www.morungexpress.com

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he popular misconception is that faith is opposed to reason. And so we think that if our faith is to increase, our reason must take a break. We often mistakenly think that we must fully exercise faith in God without questioning because questioning shows our lack of faith in God’s spoken word and instructions.

So the basic premise with which we start is that the Bible is a book of faith, and must be approached solely by faith. This premise may lead to having many “spiritual” experiences, but I can assure you that your Christian life with not grow, and your faith will stagnate after a certain point of time. This sort of approach will eventually get stuck somewhere, because even though faith may seem to increase, you have left behind the very foundation of faith,—which is—increase in knowledge by making use of the faculty of your mind.

Faith, in and of itself will not survive. Like anything else, it needs a strong foundation in which to stand and grow. What is that foundation? The Bibles say it is knowledge, and more specifically, knowledge of God’s revealed Word, and his created world. Our problem is that we do not use reason enough to understand God’s revealed Word and his created world. Let us see some examples: (1) Hebrews 11:3 says “By faith we understand.”

Someone paraphrased this and said, “by faith we think.”

The Bible is very clear that when our thinking goes in the right direction, our faith increases. But if we think that faith can increase by leaving reason behind, we are in serious trouble. Recently I heard someone talk about the “Naga way” of doing missions, where we simply go “by faith” without proper preparation like networking, creating a strong home base, and proper planning. We may experience a few miraculous deliverances here and there, but we will eventually end up in the wrong place, and even begin to lose faith because we think God has not been faithful enough in providing for our needs.

We may even end up cursing God, but the real culprit is our lack of a proper reasoning process in planning.

(2) Jesus said in Matthew 6:28, “Consider the lilies of the field.” Jesus, in trying to build faith in his hearers, does not say “ just believe and have faith, and everything will be OK.” He says think about the lilies of the fields, and the birds; consider how they live life without a care, and yet God takes care of them. Think about them, and think about yourself. Jesus’ argument is simple: if lilies, then why not you who are worth much more. There is nothing spiritual about Jesus’ argument. But who can counter such an argument based on facts of the created order.

(3) Paul says (2 Corinthian 5:7), “we live by faith, not by sight”. Faith is contrasted to sight, not reason.

The point is this: people lose faith not because they reason too much, but they lose faith because they see too many things they are not supposed to see, or they see it

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here do I find my identity as a woman? It’s not the Proverbs 31 woman or Ruth—it’s God Himself. I was created in His image (Gen. 1:26-27) and am being conformed back to Christ’s (Rom. 8:28-30).

In Scripture, the defining characteristics of the first woman—those things that make her utterly unique to her male counterpart—are inextricably tied to the character of her Creator. Knowing Him precedes knowing ourselves. If we want to understand our identity as women, we must first understand His identity as God. Genesis 1:26-27 says, "Then God said, 'Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.' So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them" (NIV).

After Genesis 1 states the general idea of man and woman being created to bear the image of God, Genesis 2 zooms in on the creation of the first woman: "The Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him'" (v. 18).

This woman, created in the image of God, was designed to be a helper suitable to her male counterpart. When I read this in common English, it always sounds condescending and substandard. “I’m called to be help?

That sounds like some 18th-century snob referring to their servants! I’m not 'the help.'”

But that is simply because our English translation can’t do justice to the Hebrew term.

Instead, think of the Man of Sorrows carrying His cross toward Gethsemane. As He

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he boy screeched howling and yowling, “Lucifer is my king” facing the sky. He scratched the floor as hard as a wolf leaving the prints of claws as though of XMen, yet not a scrape on his fingers or nails. He yelled in hoot and holler, bumping and thumping the floor and the wall whenever the name of Jesus was uttered. He growled and roared as an injured lion at the counsellors when he heard them chanted in tears, “Jesus loves you.” A counsellor drew closer to pat him to appease him and to tell him it is okay but he hit his hands off to make it clear he don’t want love and care. He anathematized Jesus with all possible foul languages, denouncing and cursing the very person who will deliver him in a few hours from horror.

His body rigid and strong, his spirit unyielding, his will unwavering, his emotions wounding, his language profaning, his eyes horrifying, he went down to his knees in tears moaning and groaning. Before long he squawked, “Lucifer, help me. Give me back my powers” smashing the floor with both his hands repeatedly. Lucifer never turned up for the rescue. Lucifer cannot because God, Most High arrested the boy with His power to set him free from the clutches of darkness. The ambiance was bloodcurdling but thanks to the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit that hovered and soaked the soul of the elect with faith and courage. The boy was delivered in the mighty name of Jesus.

This paranormal phenomenon was eerie and spine-chilling. It smashed my skeptical sense. It gave me a new perspective on the reali-

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INSPIRATIONAL STORIES, MESSAGES, POEMS & SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES

Faith Vs Reason

what we see around us tells us otherwise. Hence, Paul’s assertion that we live by faith [strengthened by proper reasoning], not by sight [affected by emotions].

I hope now you see that ours is not a blind faith, but a faith firmly based on truth about God and how he relates to his creatures. Engagement with truth requires a fairly good thinking and reasoning power. In the following section, I will share some simple steps on how we can increase our intellectual power so that our faith will be unshaken.

(1) Solitude and Silence: I think the best way develop your mind is to shut up and shut out the world as often as possible and just engage in reading books, interacting with what you read in silence and solitude. You can also pray along as you read and interact with the book[s] asking God to give you understanding power and increased concentration. For some of us, this is what we often call “quiet time”. Of course, read the Bible and argue with it too, but do not forget to take it to the Lord in prayer.

The more often you do this, the easier it will become to deal with the noise and distractions around. Noise and distractions include everything from mobiles phones to a itching back or a noisy neighbour. But learning not to be distracted is an intellectual disciplines itself.

(2) Observation and Dialogue: Of source, solitude and silence is just one part of intellectual development. Other important disciplines will include observation of the world and trends around, and dialogue with the right kind of people. We may have a fairly good knowledge of the Bible, or any other subject matter, but it is in observation and dialogue that we actually learn proper application of knowledge. If we can learn to do this, we can attain a higher level of the intellectual discipline, —which is—of connecting of ideas, or connecting of truth with issues and problems around us. Then we are not just observing or dialoguing, but also discovering solutions.

Kedo Peseyie

from the wrong premise. For example, we may look at the progress in the world where people get rich by unfair means, or we may see the suffering in the world and say God does not care one bit. Our sight has affected our faith. But when we think about the lilies and birds and use our reason to discover that we are worth much more than them, and connect them to God’s promises in the Bible, our faith is enriched. We find that it is not difficult to believe in a God who cares and who will restore all things eventually. Therefore, we can wait in faith, reasoning that God will never abandon his creation, even though

(3) Calculative and Meditative Thinking (James W. Sire, “Habits of the Mind”): James Sire mentions two kinds of thinking: meditative thinking and calculative thinking. Calculative thinking is the kind of thinking we do which only connects us with our needs and wants and engages us in thinking about how materials and money can be acquired for our consumption. It is selfish and does not allow us to go beyond ourselves. In meditative thinking we connect with God the Creator and it helps us to see the whole of life from the eternal perspective. Someone said that today calculative thinking is the only way people are taught to think.

How true. And how sad! We can learn the art of meditative thinking by connecting everything we hear and see around us with God and God’s plan as revealed in the Bible. This will require knowing the Bible and knowing the world, and connecting them, one giving more meaning to the other.

You are a prize to be won

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Discover your identity as a woman in God

stumbles, Simon of Cyrene steps in to carry it with (or for) Him. This is a much closer picture of the biblical concept of 'help.' It does not mean being a maid. It is more like being a crutch. It does not mean being a mindless sidekick, waiting on an order. It is Morpheus or Trinity to the Matrix’s Neo. The Hebrew word indicates strength.

The Hebrew term for helper is most often used in the Old Testament of God Himself, which makes sense since the woman was created to bear the image of God. Consider its use in Deuteronomy 33:29: "Blessed are you, Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will tread on their heights."

God Himself is called our "helper," the same Hebrew word used of the first woman in Genesis 2:18. In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is also called our helper, counselor, and comforter (depending on which translation of the Bible you use). These are all translations of the Holy Spirit’s role of paraklete, or "one who comes alongside in aid." When we understand God’s role on this issue, it puts things in perspective.

God, the Almighty Sovereign Lord of the universe, is our helper, and we, as women, are created in His image. If I hold on to the attitude that being created as a helper is condescending and substandard, I am basically mocking the name of God and His character, for the role of helper is one He willingly embraces.

God, our help, defends (Ex. 18:4), cares for the oppressed (Ps. 10:14), delivers from

Wendy Alsup

distress (Ps. 70:5), rescues the poor and needy (Ps. 72:12-14), comforts (Ps. 86:17) and supports, shields and protects (Ps. 20:2; 33:20). God’s example reveals a high and worthy calling for women as helpers suitable to their husbands. We are not glorified maids, butlers or cooks waiting on an order to perform from a master. This is not God’s example of help at all! We are called to show compassion and to support, defend and protect those in our care. We are called to deliver them from distress and to comfort them. We are called to be conduits of God’s grace in our homes. We are called to be like Christ.

There is a sense in which God’s call to us is a general call to be strong helpers and advocates in widespread ways. My help extends to my children, my neighbor and the stranger God brings across my path, as He taught in the parable of the Good Samaritan.

But there is also a very strategic application of this help that I'm called to offer. Eve was created to help her particular husband.

I remember asking my husband one day, “What would you find helpful?” To put the question in context, I had heard much from various sources about what a Christian woman was supposed to do for her husband.

I found myself judging how well I was doing by comparing myself to friends, women’s ministry leaders, book authors and so forth.

If any of them suggested what I thought was a better method of fulfilling my role

Leilani Haywood

endy Griffith is beautiful and has a glamorous job but has experienced a devastating heartbreak and the ups and downs of dating. She shares her story in You Are a Prize to Be Won, which has been released in time for Valentine’s Day. A CBN news anchor, Griffith shares advice learned the hard way of dating a noncommittal man who broke up with her because he knew he was going to marry her.

My favorite chapters are “The Dangers of Recreational Kissing” and “Purity Is Sexy.” Griffith is her 40s and knows the challenges of dating with standards set by the Bible as far physical intimacy goes. The book is chock full of sound advice on how to date without compromising your Christian faith. In the chapter “Avoid the Counterfeit,” she offers these three steps: 1. A man’s intentions and feelings about you should be clear. You shouldn’t be forced to guess how he feels about you. The counterfeit guy I dated told me month after month, “God keeps telling me, ‘One day at a time.’”

But if a guy doesn’t know what his intentions are after several months of dating, he’s “playing you, not planning with you,” as author and comedian Steve Harvey says. Yes, I bought the “one day at a time” thing, and now I know what was happening—I was being played!

Sometimes we have to learn things the hard way.

2. Listen to God. God will warn you. He loves you.

He wants you to make good decisions, especially when it comes to your love life. I ignored numerous warning dreams from the Lord because they didn’t fit in with my fairy-tale plans. Don’t ignore the little promptings, the red flags and the warning dreams. However God speaks to you, pay close attention. We often need God’s help to discern the real thing from the counterfeit.

3. Make sure a man’s words are consistent with his actions. “I love you,” “I miss you” and “I need you” all sound wonderful, but they only ring true if a man’s words match his actions. After months of “I love yous,” if a guy’s not popping the question to you, chances are that he’s not really serious about you. Sincerity is proven by action. If you find a man consistent in his pursuit of you who puts his words into action, you may have just found “the one.”

Griffith includes entries from her journal and stories of covering Hurricane Katrina and visiting the Philippines to follow up the Gracia Burnham story.

Every chapter ends with questions for personal reflection. This is a great read for singles in every situation—widowed, divorced, young or older—as there is wisdom for everyone. Click here to order the book.

in my home, I either worked to adopt it or beat myself up for my laziness for not doing it. When my husband and I talked about it, though, I realized he longed for my help in the strongest sense of the term—but I was constrained by the lesser expectations of others that distracted me from helping him in the ways he needed.

When I ask my husband what I can do for him on a particular day, he often tells me to simply “keep calm and carry on.” He needs me to be strong and face the chaos of the day with two small boys with calm responses. He needs me to defend and protect, to rescue and comfort, to support and care for those who can’t care for themselves. He needs me to minister to our family like God, our help, ministers to me.

This may be painful to hear if you are single, widowed or divorced. But you, too, are God’s strong helper though you do not have a particular man to whom to direct it. Throughout Scripture, women helped. Ruth helped Naomi. Mary helped Jesus. Phoebe helped Paul. Lois and Eunice helped Timothy. I do not trivialize the reality in which you find yourself.

As God said in the garden and you well know by your own life experience, it is not good for man (or woman) to be alone. If you find yourself in this state of aloneness that God declared “not good,” you are in good, godly company.

The gospel of Christ meets us in all of these realities. The single woman who longs to be married. The married woman who longs to have a husband who loves her as Christ loves

the church. The divorced woman whose marriage ended in betrayal. The widow who feels the hole in her heart daily. The truth for all of us is that the fall of man has marred the image of God in us. We are not who He created us to be. And the fall of man has marred the environment in which we live. Others around us are not what He created them to be, either.

Loved ones betray. Loved ones die. And sometimes loved ones simply never show up. But in Christ, we start to see the reclamation of His image in us through redemption.

In Ephesians 1 and 2, the apostle Paul lays out for us all that Christ’s death on the cross has accomplished for us. He expounds on it more in Ephesians 3 and 4. Then he opens Ephesians 5 with the amazing phrase, “Therefore be imitators of God” (NKJV). Finally, we have the tool for bridging the vast gulf between our created image in Genesis 2 and the fall of Genesis 3!

Now, in Christ, we start to reclaim His image in us, and Paul fleshes out what this looks like across the board—husband, wife, parent, child, co-worker, boss and every relationship within the church. I can’t fully articulate in this short article how exactly the gospel does this for us.

Paul sets the foundation for how God does it in six chapters in Ephesians, and I have spent much time studying it there. But living it out daily will require a lifetime of gospel meditation and transformation until finally I see Jesus face to face in perfection.

Today, I am simply asking God in prayer how the gospel equips me to reclaim His image in my life and what it looks like to live it out as a strong helper in my relationships. I trust He will meet us all in this prayer with wisdom for this day’s struggles as a women after God’s own heart.

Satanism in Nagaland: Putting it into Perspective

ties of Satan in our land. This write up does not aspire to give exhaustive details on different aspects of Satanism, not even in aspects which it addresses below. The ambit is to give the readers a bird’s eye view of Satanism in our land till date.

The Crisis It is no juvenile’s prank to burn the bible, eat raw meat, sneak out naked at midnight enchanting hocus-pocus. It is no teenage gang’s game to curse Jesus and knelt with tears to call on Lucifer and demons to come for help when no one is abusing him physically not even verbally but just praying for him, telling him about the love of God. The prayer warriors are not misguided to tell the public it is the work of Satan when they see young teenage girls challenging them in the name of Lucifer, ridiculing and mimicking their prayers. It is no unstable emotions or psychic disorder when the eyes of the boy turn devilish red out of the blue while praying making wacky groans and moans, other times crawling and rolling on the floor chanting the name of Lucifer (nobody pushed him), or collapse with foams all over his mouth during praise and worship, who has no history of epilepsy whatsoever. It is no overreaction to a normal spiritual phenom when a girl starts speaking in a heavy tone referring to herself in third person (I will kill her) and guffaws at the sight of the bible and screams at counsellors to shut up and not to take the Name of Jesus.

Mezhiisevi Mark Ziitso

My nous on Nagas and the Bible

The writer is currently doing his Master of Theology (Th.m) majoring in Biblical Theology in Asian Christian Academy and also works with Christ in Youth Team, Kohima.

The above events happened in real time. The reality of Satanism in Nagaland is nailed when former Satanists daringly testified their experience with the horror. It is a crisis in the church, a doom-laden for the clergy, and depravity at its zenith in the young souls of our land. It is no hoax that Satanism has invaded our land.

so as to gain power from Satan to put an end to her misery. This sob story covers the major aspects of why and the wherefores of the horror among youngsters.

First, the family crisis, a former Satanist told me that family crisis; being unloved, abused and rejected in family is one main cause. Second, she had supernatural fantasy and hankering. She wanted and craved for power. This desire for power is usually created because of ghoulish and power games in gadgets and certain animated shows on television. Third, she desired a devilish delight. She sought for a diabolical favour. These favours can range from money, fame, power and anything. She allowed the devil to solve her problem in return sold her soul to him.

The Cause Every Satanist has a personal reason when probed on why they get into this morbid trend. I sympathized with this girl when she told me her sorry tale. She adopted Satanism because she couldn’t stand the miseries of her family. Her elder brother was an abusive chronic alcoholic. In addition she felt rejected and unloved by her siblings and parents. Long story short, she was desperate for a panacea to all her family chaos. At the end The Contract of her tether she embraced Satanism A person is initiated into Satan-

ism with a contract. On mutual accord between the person and Satan, the covenant is cut. It can be done in diverse ways. Three prominent methods found in Nagaland are: First, the person has to cut himself/herself and pour his/her own blood in places where the devil tells him/her to. Second, the devil shows certain symbols with meaning to be tattooed to the body. This is known as the Tattoo Covenant. Third, the devil demands the person to sign on certain things and enchant certain demonic creed.

Once the contract is done, the Devil assigns certain demons to the Satanist according to desire or demand, it depends. The demons work for the Satanist. The Satanist uses the demons in the form of spell, charm and power. There are also ranks and clans in Satanism. The prominent clans in Nagaland are werewolf and vampire (it is not like the ones you see in media, it is spiritual). I am yet to see a clear ranking among the Satanist in our land.

The Cure There is only one cure for the Satanist. The person has to repent and renounce Satan and his demons. He/she needs to confess his/ her sins and come to Jesus to be cleansed by His blood. That being done, the prayer of the believers in Jesus Name is needed for complete deliverance. This is where it gets messy and manifestation of all sorts comes. The demons won’t leave easy until they are exorcised in Jesus name.

The Caution - Do not say it is not happening when it is.

- Do not blame it all on the clergy and church when the devil is at work.

- Do not claim that the people of your Tribe or Denomination are not involved when all are in it.

- Do not spread rumours on hearsay and escalate the chaos when it already is.

- Do not allege Satan is exalted when a person talks about Satanism when the men of God are at work to demolish demons.

- Do not label all demon-possessed as Satanist when they are not.

The Care The cliché applies, “prevention is better than cure.” We couldn’t prevent the past but we sure can for the present and the future. It should start from our family. Show love and practice love in the family. The church should take care of its flocks. Practice care for the lost and weary in the house of God. The clergy should serve to save the sheep. Sound teaching and prayer can guard the soul.

Equal or more love, care, and service should be given to both present and former Satanist. They shouldn’t be shunned in church or stigmatized in the society instead, soak them with the love of God. Our love can loosen them, our care can cure them and our service can save them. When Satanism is real in our land, the best we can do is to love, care and serve with the power of God. This love, care, and service has to be across culture, tribe, and denomination.

Readers may please note that, the contents of the articles published on this page do not reflect the outlook of this paper nor of the Editor in any form.

8

Dimapur

NATIONAL

Monday 10 March 2014

The Morung Express

Stigma hinders efforts to combat leprosy

TAHIRPUR, MARcH 9 (AP): At first, Ashok Yadav ignored the patches of pink skin on his arm. But when pale sores erupted on his body and he lost sensation in his fingertips, a doctor issued the devastating diagnosis: Yadav had leprosy.

“What followed was like a nightmare,” said Yadav, who has lived in Kasturba Gram, a leper colony outside New Delhi, since his diagnosis 30 years ago.

“I lost my job. My parents felt I would spoil my sisters’ chances of getting married.

My family felt it would be better if I left home.”

The stigma of leprosy endures in India, even though the country has made great strides against the disease, which is neither highly contagious nor fatal. Now the number of new annual cases has risen slightly after years of steady decline, and medical experts say the enormous fear surrounding leprosy is hindering efforts to finally eliminate it.

People continue to hide their diagnoses from families and loved ones out of fear they will be ostracized. Employers regularly turn away people who have had the disease, even if they’ve been treated and cured. Many struggle to get driver’s licenses and other routine documents.

Even the disease-free children of leprosy patients are

shunned.

“We face a thousand indignities every day,” said Neelawati Devi, a longtime resident of Kasturba Gram.

Some 10,000 people live there, including the children of leprosy patients.

“Our children face taunts and slights when they go to school,” said Devi, holding out her hands, the stubs of her fingers wrapped in gauze bandages. “But we want them to get an education and get

jobs. Their future should not be ruined.”

Public health centers across the country have launched campaigns describing leprosy as the world’s “least contagious communicable disease.”

Health workers are trying to spread the word that leprosy is not hereditary and does not spread through normal contact.

But the deformities that are the hallmark of leprosy contribute to the

fear surrounding the disease, a chronic bacterial infection that often lies dormant for years before attacking the body’s nerves and slowly causing numbness. Hands and feet eventually claw inward and serious injuries often go unnoticed because no pain is felt. Often fingers and toes are lost due to injuries and sores. Scientists believe it is spread through droplets from coughing or sneezing during pro-

longed contact with someone infected, but they are still not completely sure.

Also called Hansen’s disease, leprosy has been curable since the 1940s thanks to antibiotics, and the worst physical deformities can be avoided if it is caught in time. About 95 percent of people have a natural immunity.

Worldwide, the number of new leprosy patients dropped from around 10 million in 1991 to around

230,000 last year as countries intensified efforts to fight the disease. In India, hospitals and clinics began treating patients with a combination of drugs that effectively kills mycobacterium leprae, the germ that causes leprosy.

In 2005, India declared victory, with health authorities reporting less than one case for every 10,000 people. But pockets of the country continue to have problems with leprosy, including in the central state of Chattisgarh, Maharashtra in western India and Bihar and West Bengal in the east.

According to the health ministry, during 2012-2013 India detected 134,752 new cases of leprosy, slightly more than the 127,295 cases reported a year earlier. India accounts for 58 percent of newly diagnosed leprosy cases in the world, according to the World Health Organization. The disease also remains a problem in Brazil, China, Indonesia and East Timor.

C.M. Agarwal, the health ministry official in charge of the country’s leprosy campaign, says the rise in cases is the result of an intensified campaign against leprosy, meaning health workers are reporting cases that otherwise would have gone unnoticed.

But some activists disagree. They say that after India’s 2005 declaration,

WAsHIngTon, MARcH 9 (IAns): Indian writer Pankaj Mishra is one of the eight writers from seven countries winning a $150,000 Yale University prize each in recognition of their achievements and to support their ongoing work.

Mishra, an Indian essayist, memoirist, travel writer and novelist, won the Windham Campbell Literature Prize in non-fiction category, The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale announced. “Pursuing high standards of literary style, Pankaj Mishra gives us new narratives about the evolution of modern Asia,” the New Haven, Connecticut based institution said.

“He charts the journey from the Indian small town to the metropolis and rebuffs imperialist cliches with equal verve.” “Such delightful news!” said Mishra.

“As a freelancer obliged to make a living from writing, you are always scrounging for bits of time in which to write the next book, and this wonderfully generous prize will help me secure a long undistracted period.”

Mishra’s work “expands our understanding of the encounter between Western and Non-western culture”, the announcement said. “His prose is distinguished by a mellifluous yet precise phrasing whose generous intelli-

gence speaks to the general reader and specialist alike.”

In addition to a novel, “The Romantics”, Mishra has published four works of non-fiction: “Butter Chicken in Ludhiana: Travels in Small Town India”; “An End to Suffering: the Buddha in the World”; “Temptations of the West: How to Be Modern in India, Pakistan, Tibet, and Beyond”; and “From the Ruins of Empire: The Intellectuals Who Remade Asia”.

“From the Ruins of Empire”, his most recent book, attempts a re-visioning of the geo-politics of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries from multiple Asian perspectives. His literary and political essays and longformjournalismregularlyappear in The New York Review ofBooks,TheLondonReview of Books, The Guardian, The Hindu and elsewhere.

Other winners in the three categories are: in fiction, Aminatta Forna (Sierra Leone), Nadeem Aslam (Pakistan), and Jim Crace (Britain); in non-fiction John Vaillant (United States/Canada); and in drama, Kia Corthron (United States), Sam Holcroft (Britain) and Noëlle Janaczewska (Australia). All eight writers will accept the prize in person at a ceremony at Yale Sep 15. The ceremony will be followed by a three-day literary festival celebrating the work of the prize recipients.

tired government officials and journalists have been roped in by the EC to hold ‘charcha’ or dialogue sessions with voters as part of its drive to crack down on blackmoney instances in “expenditure- sensitive” pockets.

For the first time, the EC has directed the chief electoral officers of all states and Union Territories to create village level awareness groups (VAGs) and ward level awareness groups (WAGs) in all municipal areas of a district, especially in those constituencies which are sensitive from the point

the run up to the polls.

Such groups, comprising retired government officials, bank officers, corporates, eminent journalists and educationists and civil society representatives of the area, will be formed at all such marked polling booths and they will indulge in group discussions, chats and talks with the local voters with an aim to urge them to shun electoral malpractices and also report their occurrence.

The group, the EC directive issued accessed by PTI said, will also organise ‘nukkad’ meetings and

and doling out cash bribe, liquor or any other inducements during polls. “These groups will hold talk sessions with local voters and even take out a door-todoor campaign.Talking is doing is the belief behind this initiative,” a senior official involved in the exercise said.

The expenditure sensitive seats are being currently determined by the EC based on “past experiences, the level of development and literacy profile and sensitivity of the area for distribution of cash, liquor or items of bribe.”

will “spread the message of ethical voting among voters and to abstain from any inducement like cash, gift, liquor or community feat organised for campaign purpose, during election process” and also hold meetings and group discussions with the voters against the evil effects of bribe during elections, which shall also be attended by the local sector officers appointed by the poll panel in view of the election process. The group will also have the mandate to report “malpractises” noticed in this regard to the EC.

B A n g A l o R e , MARcH 9 (PTI): Unique Identification Authority of India Chairman Nandan Nilekani joined the Congress on Sunday, a day after he was declared the party’s candidate for Bangalore South Lok Sabha seat. Nilekani, the face of “Aadhar” programme, was formally inducted into the Congress with KPCC President G Parameshwara handing over the party flag to him before he filled in the membership form at a function at the party office here.

“I think I bring some unique experience to the

people,” he said. “Three major things I was part offirst, from scratch I was co-founder of one of India’s largest companies (Infosys), so I know how to create jobs and I have created lakhs of them.

Number two, from scratch from idea I was part of ID programme which gave 60 crore people identity. Third, 1999 to 2004 I was chairman of BATF (Bangalore Agenda

Task Force) where I got an opportunity to go into the nitty-gritty of local governance..”

“I know every detail of how a city functions, so the fact that I have diverse experience, I’m a clean and local candidate.

T h e re f o re people should vote for me,” he said. On his political debut, 58-year-old Nilekani will be taking on BJP’s Ananth Kumar,

who has remained unchallenged in Bangalore South, winning the seat five times.

Weeks before his formal entry into Congress, Nilekani has begun his campaign, coming to grips with ground realities as he faces a daunting task with the polls just less than six weeks as the election in Karnataka is slated for April 17.

Rules stipulate that ticket seekers should serve in the party for three years but it has apparently been relaxed in the case of Nilekani, who is said to be close to the Gandhi family.

neW DelHI, MARcH 9 (ReUTeRs): Indian politicians are expected to spend around $5 billion on campaigning for elections next month - a sum second only to the most expensive U.S. presidential campaign of all time - in a splurge that could give India’s floundering economy a temporary boost.

India’s campaign spend, which can include cash stuffed in envelopes as well as multi-million-dollar ad campaigns, has been estimated at 300 billion rupees by the Centre for Media Studies, which tracks spending. That is triple the expenditure the centre said was spent on electioneering in the last national poll in 2009 - partly a reflection of a high-octane campaign by pro-business opposition candidate for prime minister, Narendra Modi, who started nationwide rallies and advertising last year.

“They started much before, and they are also

focusing on states where they are traditionally not strong. They are leaving no area untouched,” said N. Bhaskara Rao, chairman of the Centre for Media Studies. The campaign spending for this election could give a boost to the economy, which has been heading for its longest slump since the 1980s. Economists have forecast a second year of growth below 5 percent in the financial year ending this month.

Candidate and party funding in India is opaque and the source of much of the spending is hard to ascertain, but the Centre for Media Studies and other transparency advocates say the main contenders have built up large war chests.

“This election spending largesse will help to boost Indian consumption expenditure over the second quarter of 2014, but this will be a temporary spike,” said Rajiv Biswas, the Asia-

Pacific chief economist at IHS Global Insight.

India’s projected campaign spending is only rivalled by the $7 billion spent by candidates, parties and support groups in the 2012 U.S. presidential race, the world’s most expensive, according to data provided by the U.S. election commission.

Spending on previous Indian elections have benefited a wide range of businesses, from media groups and advertisers that rake in campaign-ad revenues to consumer-based firms that capitalise indirectly on the overall jump in spending, such as motor-bike manufacturers and brewers like United Spirits.

India’s advertising industry expects to see an $800 million injection during the election season, according to an outlook by the country’s largest local agency, Madison Media.

That should benefit me-

dia firms, such as DB Corp, which owns the high-circulation Hindi language daily Dainik Bhaskar.

about $32.65 million in the form of concealed cash, some if it stashed in helicopters, milk trucks and even funeral vans, a former election commissioner said.

The dates for the monthlong election starting on April 7 were announced last week, with polls staggered in nine stages to help security forces prevent polling booth fraud.

Despite evidence of vote-buying, India’s elections are now largely seen as free and fair on polling day. However, chief election commissioner V.S. Sampath said on Wednesday he was worried about “money power” - heavy spending and the use of illegal funds to influence the outcome. The Centre for Media Studies’ spending projections are based on analyses of rising costs in local and state elections in the past five years. It also surveys voters on prevalence of bribes.

MODI FUNDRAISING Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, got off to an early start in campaigning, pushing into the south where the BJP is weak and has avoided spending money in the past. Modi’s BJP-led coalition has a strong lead over the ruling Congress party in opinion polls, but it is unlikely to win an outright majority.

Some of Modi’s fundraising is led by a sevenmember team, including Deepak Kanth, a former investment banker previously with Citibank in London.

This team has organized an online fund-raising drive in India and is also targeting donations from wealthy Indians living in Hong Kong and Singapore.

This team has only raised $4 million, a party source said, but shows how far Modi is casting his net for campaign funds.

In this February 20, an Indian mechanic suffering from leprosy fixes a water pump motor in his house at a leper colony in New Delhi, India. Although India has made great strides against leprosy over the years, the stigma of the disease is as intractable as ever, hindering efforts to eliminate the disease entirely. Worldwide the number of new leprosy patients has dropped from around 10 million in 1991 to around 230,000 last year. Of these, 58 percent were to be found in India, according to the World Health Organization. (AP Photo)

the leprosy program was merged with the country’s public health scheme and scarce resources were reassigned for other urgent causes.

They also say the problem might be worse than anyone realizes because of leprosy’s long gestation period.

“The incubation period can stretch from five years to 15 before the first signs become detectable. And by then, many others could become infected,” said P.K. Gopal of the National Forum of Persons Affected by Leprosy, a nongovernmental organization working with leprosy patients.

The government is stepping up its fight against the disease, assigning additional health workers to 209 districts seen as high endemic areas in 16 states.

But that won’t end the pain and stigma that leprosy brings to patients and their families.

“Our children shouldn’t have the shadow of leprosy hanging over their lives,” said G. Venugopal, one of the elders at Kasturba Gram, as he sat outside his home under Delhi’s weak winter sun.

“They often face taunts in school. People are cruel. They will say: ‘Oh, this is the son of a leper.’ Then the children say they don’t want to go to school and we have to push them,” he said.

Antony not to contest Lok Sabha polls: Congress THIRUvAnAnTHAPURAM, MARcH 9 (IAns): Defence Minister A.K. Antony will not contest the Lok Sabha polls from Kerala, a senior Congress leader said Sunday. Addressing reporters here, Congress’ Kerala unit president V.M. Sudheeran said Antony, a Rajya Sabha member, had called him up after media reports about his likely candidature from Kerala and asked him to issue a denial.

“He has asked me to inform the media that he is not going to contest the polls,” said Sudheeran after a meeting of the party’s election committee which sat for the first time to prepare the list of candidates.

The Congress party normally contests 17 seats out of the 20 seats in the state. “We will be meeting again on Tuesday and today’s (Sunday) meeting did not discuss any names.

We have asked our district committee’ to come out with their opinion on candidates,” said Sudheeran.

He also said they will soon have their first round of talks with the Revolutionary Socialist Party, which has left the Left Democratic Front Saturday after being denied the Kollam Lok Sabha seat. “There are not going to be any preconditions for the talks,” said Sudheeran. He also made it clear that at no cost would the party tolerate any sort of indiscipline by its party workers and leaders.

Pankaj Mishra wins EC initiates ‘charcha’ with voters on blackmoney in polls Indian-American boy wins DelHI, MARcH of view of illegal money dialogue sessions against The 5-10 member team, $150,000 Yale literary prize neW epic spelling bee battle 9 (PTI): Ex-bankers, re- power coming into play in the practice of accepting according to EC directives,

UIAI Chairman Nandan Nilekani joins Congress

“I think I bring some unique experience to the people”

India set to challenge US for election-spending record CASH HIDDEN IN NEWSPAPERS Much of India’s campaign spend will remain in its thriving black economy.

Rules allow candidates to spend 7 million rupees on campaigns for a parliament seat but the real cost of winning is about 10 times that, thanks to spending on rallies, fuel and media campaigns that often include payments for coverage.

Indian politicians regularly bribe voters with cash payouts or alcohol to secure their support. Recent state elections have seen innovations such as getting money to voters via mobile phone credit and envelopes of cash delivered in morning papers.

In the last three years, election authorities seized from politicians a total of

Kush Sharma, center, reacts after spelling "definition" to win the Jackson County Spelling Bee in the 29th round at the Central Library, as Sophia Hoffman, right, looks on, in Kansas City, Mo. on March 8. Two weeks ago, the bee ran out of words after the two eliminated 23 other contestants and went another 47 rounds against each other. (AP Photo)

WAsHIngTon, MARcH 9 (IAns): After a two-week 90-round gruelling battle, a 13-year-old Indian American student Kush Sharma finally broke a tie in a local county contest to go to the National Spelling Bee competition.

The Indian champ Saturday faced his 11-year-old adversary Sophia Hoffman again to resume the Jackson County Spelling Bee in Kansas City, Missouri, that had ended in a tie Feb 22 when the judges ran out of words.

The two had eliminated 23 other contestants and went another 47 rounds against each other in their previous encounter, according to Kansas City Star.

But in the end, in the 29th round Saturday Kush, a seventh-grader from Kansas City, won with not a tongue twister but a simple word “definition” after Sophia, a Lee’s Summit fifth-grader too stumbled on her word “stifling” - in Round 28.

After an appeal, a judges’ huddling to review a recording and then a break, “Kush stepped to the microphone in the bone quiet of Helzberg Auditorium at the Kansas City Central Library”, as the Star recounted.

After nailing earlier killer words like “hemerocallis”, and “jacamar”, Kush spelled “definition” after first, of course, asking for its definition.

“Behind him, Sophia was first to clap, happy for

the friend she got to know in passing 75 times back and forth to the microphone,” Star said.

“Kush, a polite young man, patiently gave the moderator a handshake before hurriedly going to Sophia. They hugged,” the newspaper said.

Minutes later, Sophia said: “It was a great experience and I’m happy for Kush.” She added she would be back next year.

In their previous epic battle, the two had traded “madeleine” for “scherzo”, “mukhtar” for “bobbejaan”, and on and on for more than five hours before the judges ran out of words resulting in a rare tie.

But Scripps officials rejected a groundswell push on Twitter to “Send Them Both!” to the nationals in Washington D.C. in May. In Saturday’s contest, neither skipped a beat until Sophia’s miss in Round 28.

During the ensuing break, she gathered with her family, and Kush saw Sophia crying.

He walked over and bent to her. “Stop crying or you’re going to make me cry,” he told her, according to the Star. She looked up and laughed.

Indian-Americans have dominated the contest over the years. New York student Arvind Mahankali won the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee, breaking a personal four-year losing streak.

InternatIonal

the Morung express

Monday 10 March 2014

Dimapur

9

‘Jet may have turned; suspicious passengers checked’

KUALA LUMPUr , MArch 9 (AP): International intelligence agencies joined the investigation Sunday into two passengers who boarded the missing Boeing 777 jetliner with stolen passports, as Malaysian authorities said radar images showed the plane may have turned back before vanishing.

More than a day and half after Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 went missing, no debris from the plane had been found, and the final minutes before it disappeared remained a mystery. The plane, which was carrying 239 people, lost contact with ground controllers somewhere between Malaysia and Vietnam after leaving Kuala Lumpur early Saturday morning for Beijing.

A massive international sea search has so far turned up no trace of the jet, though Vietnamese authorities said late Sunday that a low-flying plane had spotted a rectangular object in waters about 90 kilometers (56 miles) south of Tho Chu island, in the same area where oil slicks were spotted Saturday. State media speculated the object might be from the missing plane.

Civil administration chief Pham Viet Dung said search teams from Vietnam and other countries were asked to send boats to the area to examine the object. Authorities said

earlier that they had spotted an orange object in the area that turned out not to be from the aircraft.

The missing plane apparently fell from the sky at cruising altitude in fine weather, and the pilots were either unable or had no time to send a distress signal — unusual circumstances under which a modern jetliner operated by a professional airline would crash.

Malaysia’s air force chief, Rodzali Daud, said radar indicated that the plane may have turned back, but did not give further details on which direction it went or how far it veered off course.

“We are trying to make sense of this,” Daud said at a news conference. “The military radar indicated that the aircraft may have made a turn back, and in some parts this was corroborated by civilian radar.”

Malaysia Airlines Chief Executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said pilots are supposed to inform the airline and traffic control authorities if the plane does a U-turn. “From what we have, there was no such distress signal or distress call per se, so we are equally puzzled,” he said.

Authorities were checking on the identities of the two passengers who boarded the plane with stolen passports. On Saturday, the foreign ministries in Italy and Austria said the

used stolen passports, and that earlier reports that the identities of two others were under investigation were not true.

White House Deputy National Security Adviser Tony Blinken said the U.S. was looking into the stolen passports, but that investigators had reached no conclusions.

In addition to the plane’s sudden disappearance, which experts say is consistent with a possible onboard explosion, the stolen passports have strengthened concerns

about terrorism as a possible cause. Al-Qaida militants have used similar tactics to try and disguise their identities.

Still, other possible causes would seem just as likely at this stage, including a catastrophic failure of the plane’s engines, extreme turbulence, or pilot error or even suicide.

Establishing what happened with any certainty will need data from flight recorders and a detailed examination of any debris, something that will take months if not years.

European authorities on Saturday confirmed the names and nationalities of the two stolen passports: One was an Italianissued document bearing the name Luigi Maraldi, the other Austrian under the name Christian Kozel. Police in Thailand said Maraldi’s passport was stolen on the island of Phuket last July.

A telephone operator on a China-based KLM hotline on Sunday confirmed that “Maraldi” and “Kozel” were both booked to leave Beijing on a KLM flight to Amsterdam on March 8. Maraldi was then to fly to Copenhagen, Denmark, on KLM on March 8, and Kozel to Frankfurt, Germany, on March 8.

She said since the pair booked the tickets through China Southern Airlines, she had no information on where they bought them.

Having onward reservations to Europe from Beijing would have meant the pair, as holders of EU passports, would not have needed visas for China.

Meanwhile, the multinational search for the missing plane was continuing. A total of 34 aircraft and 40 ships have been deployed to the area by Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, China and the United States, in addition to Vietnam’s fleet.

Vietnamese air force jets spotted two large oil slicks Saturday, but it was unclear whether they were

PYONGYANG, MArch 9 (AP): North Koreans went to polling stations on Sunday to approve a new national legislature.

The vote for the Supreme People’s Assembly is the first in five years and the first under leader Kim Jong Un. The last elections were held in March 2009, when 687 deputies were elected to the assembly. It is the most powerful body under North Korea’s constitution, but which in reality has little political power.

Instead of choosing who they support, voters are given the choice of

a yes or no for the single candidate on their ballot.

Virtually all choose yes.

Despite the lack of drama, the voting was being held in a holiday atmosphere, with national flags hoisted along the streets, women decked out in colorful traditional clothing and dancing events held in parks, schools and riversides.

Voting in authoritarian North Korea is considered to be obligatory.

Outside observers say that this makes elections in North Korea an opportunity for the authorities to check up on the population

and tighten control. Hyon Byong Chol, the chairman of a preparatory committee for one of the sub-districts in the election, called the vote “meaningful” because it is the first under Kim. “Through this election we will fully display the might of the single-hearted unity of our army and people who are firmly united behind our respected marshal,” he said.

The Supreme People’s Assembly usually runs five-year sessions. It meets only rarely, often only once a year. When it is not in session, its work is done by a

KABUL, MArch 9 (AP): Afghan vice president Field Marshal Mohammad Qasim Fahim, a leading commander in the alliance that fought the Taliban, died Sunday. He was 57.

Fahim was an ethnic Tajik who was an ally of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the charismatic Northern Alliance commander who was killed in an al-Qaida suicide bombing two days before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. President Hamid Karzai’s office said Fahim died from an illness. Karzai called Fahim a true patriot and said his death was “a huge loss for Afghanistan.” He also expressed his condolences to the Afghan nation and Fahim’s family.

Fahim served as a vice president and defense minister in Karzai’s first administration and most recently was the first of two vice presidents. But he was best remembered as a former warlord who fought against the Soviets when they were occupying the country and went on to battle with Massoud against the Taliban, who were ousted in 2001.

Karzai’s spokesman Aimal Faizi said the government has called for a threeday mourning period and flags would be lowered to half-staff. Presidential candidate Hedayat Amin Arsala said Fahim’s death “will affect the future political development,” but he didn’t elaborate.

Family members comfort Chrisman Siregar, left, and his wife Herlina Panjaitan, the parents of Firman Siregar, one of the Indonesian citizens registered on the manifest to have boarded the Malaysia Airlines jetliner flight MH370 that went missing over the South China Sea, at their residence in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia on March 9. Military radar indicates that the missing Boeing 777 jet may have turned back, Malaysia's air force chief said Sunday as scores of ships and aircraft from across Asia resumed a hunt for the plane and its 239 passengers. (AP Photo)

names of two citizens listed on the flight’s manifest matched the names on two passports reported stolen in Thailand.

“I can confirm that we have the visuals of these two people on CCTV,” Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said at a news conference late Sunday, adding that the footage was being examined. “We have intelligence agencies, both local and international, on board.”

Hishammuddin declined to give further details, saying it may jeopar-

This photo released by the Polk County Sheriff's Office shows a plane nosediving into the ground after getting tangled with a parachutist, left on March 8, at the South Lakeland Airport in Mulberry, Fla. Both the pilot and jumper hospitalized with minor injuries. (AP Photo)

dize the investigation.

“Our focus now is to find the aircraft,” he said, adding that finding the plane would make it easier for authorities to investigate any possible foul play.

Interpol confirmed that at least two stolen passports used by passengers on the plane were registered in its databases. It said no one had checked the databases, but added that most airlines and countries do not usually check for stolen passports.

Hishammuddin said only two passengers had

Russian forces tighten grip on Crimea

SIMFErOPOL, MArch 9 (rEUTErS): Russian forces tightened their grip on Crimea on Sunday despite a U.S. warning to Moscow that annexing the southern Ukrainian region would close the door to diplomacy in a tense EastWest standoff.

Russian forces’ seizure of the Black Sea peninsula has been bloodless but tensions are mounting following the decision by proRussian groups that have taken over the regional parliament to make Crimea part of Russia.

The operation to seize Crimea began within days of Ukraine’s pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovich’s flight from the coun-

try last month. Yanukovich was toppled after three months of demonstrations against a decision to spurn a free trade deal with the European Union for closer ties with Russia.

In the latest armed action, Russians took over a Ukrainian border post on the western edge of Crimea at around 6 a.m. (0400) GMT, trapping about 30 personnel inside, a border guard spokesman said. The spokesman, Oleh Slobodyan, said Russian forces now controlled 11 border guard posts across Crimea, a former Russian territory that is home to Russia’s Black Sea fleet and has an ethnic Russian majority.

President Vladimir Pu-

tin declared a week ago that Russia had the right to invade Ukraine to protect Russian citizens, and his parliament has voted to change the law to make it easier to annex territory inhabited by Russian speakers.

The worst face-off with Moscow since the Cold War has left the West scrambling for a response, especially since the region’s proRussia leadership declared Crimea part of Russia last week and announced a March 16 referendum to confirm it.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking to Russia’s foreign minister for the fourth day in a row, told Sergei Lavrov on Saturday

AUSTIN, MArch 9 (AP): Fugitive WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, speaking over Skype from the Ecuadorean embassy in London, said his living situation is a bit like prison — with a more lenient visitor policy. He also hinted that new leaks are coming from WikiLeaks, though he gave no specifics on what these might be.

Assange, who has been confined to the embassy since June 2012, discussed government surveillance, journalism and the situation in Ukraine on Saturday in a streaming-video interview beamed to an audience of 3,500 attendees of the South

By Southwest Interactive festival in Austin, Texas.

Assange’s hour-long remote appearance was spiked with technical glitches. As the audio cut out, he sometimes asked audience members to raise their hands if they could

hear him. Benjamin Palmer, the co-founder of marketing firm The Barbarian Group who interviewed Assange, at one point resorted to texting his questions.

Looking well-groomed in a white shirt, scarf and a black blazer, Assange blasted President Barack Obama’s administration, saying it was not taking fellow secrets leaker Edward Snowden’s revelations about the National Security Agency’s surveillance activities seriously.

“We know what happens when the government is serious,” he said. “Someone is fired, someone is forced to resign, someone is prosecuted, an investigation (is launched), a budget is cut. None of that has happened in the last eight months since the Edward Snowden revelations.” Assange’s appearance at this five-day conference — which will host Snowden

in a similar remote interview Monday from Russia which granted him temporary asylum — signal the growing concern in the tech community around issues of online privacy, surveillance and security, even as Internet giants like Google and Facebook reap billions in advertising revenue from collecting information about their users.

“Now that the Internet has merged with human society and human society has merged with the Internet, the laws of the Internet become the laws of society,” Assange said, adding that the NSA’s “penetration of the Internet” has led to a “military occupation” of civilian space. Assange has taken asylum at the Ecuadorean embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden over a sexual assault charge, which he has said would be merely a first step in efforts to move him

that Russia should exercise restraint. “He made clear that continued military escalation and provocation in Crimea or elsewhere in Ukraine, along with steps to annex Crimea to Russia, would close any available space for diplomacy, and he urged utmost restraint,” a U.S. official said.

President Barack Obama spoke by phone on Saturday to the leaders of France, Britain and Italy and three ex-Soviet Baltic states that have joined NATO. He assured Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, which have their own ethnic Russian populations, that the Western military alliance would protect them if necessary.

smaller and more powerful body called the Presidium.

Kim is also a candidate.

State media announced that his constituency is a remote mountain area on the border with China.

Mount Paekdu is venerated in North Korea’s official history as the birthplace of Kim Jong Il, although historians outside the country agree that he was born in the former Soviet Union.

Election results are normally announced the following day. The new parliament was expected to meet next month. No date has been officially announced.

North Koreans cast votes, but govt decides for whom

Afghan VP, ex-Northern alliance commander, dies

Assange talks NSA, hints at more leaks

Fugitive WikLeaks founder Julian Assange speaks via Skype at the South By SouthWest Interactive festival in Austin, Texas on March 8. Assange's appearance underscores the increasing attention that the technology industry is paying to issues of online privacy, security and surveillance. (AP Photo)

to the U.S. to face charges over publishing hundreds of thousands of secret government documents.

Asked if he was afraid, Assange said he is, like any

linked to the missing plane.

Two-thirds of the jet’s passengers were Chinese.

The rest were from elsewhere in Asia, North America and Europe.

After more than 30 hours without contact with the aircraft, Malaysia Airlines told family members they should “prepare themselves for the worst,” Hugh Dunleavy, the commercial director for the airline, told reporters.

Finding traces of an aircraft that disappears over sea can take days or longer, even with a sustained search effort. Depending on the circumstances of the crash, wreckage can be scattered over many square kilometers (miles). If the plane enters the water before breaking up, there can be relatively little debris.

A team of American experts was en route to Asia to be ready to assist in the investigation into the crash. The team includes accident investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board, as well as technical experts from the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing, the safety board said in a statement.

Malaysia Airlines has a good safety record, as does the 777, which had not had a fatal crash in its 19-year history until an Asiana Airlines plane crashed last July in San Francisco, killing three passengers, all Chinese teenagers.

normal person. “Only a fool has no fear. Courage is seeing fear,” he said, and proceeding anyway. Journalist Glenn Greenwald, who has reported extensively about

Snowden and the NSA’s surveillance efforts, also will appear at the festival Monday. Unlike Assange and Snowden, though, he’ll be there in person.

In this Septemper 22, photo, Afghanistan’s Vice President Field Marshal Mohammed Qasim attends a press conference honoring former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani in Kabul, Afghanistan. Government spokesman Aimal Faizi confirmed the death of Fahim, an ethnic Tajik who also served in President Hamid Karzai’s first administration. Faizi says the government has called for a three-day mourning period. (AP File Photo)

China to toughen environment law BEIJING, MArch 9 (rEUTErS): China will toughen its environmental protection laws to target polluters, according to a high-level policy report released on Sunday, paving the way for possibly unlimited penalties for polluting and the suspension or shutdown of polluters.

The revised law would hold “polluters accountable for the damage they cause and having them compensate for it”, said the report, delivered by Zhang Dejiang, who sits on the seven-member Politburo Standing Committee as one of the country’s most powerful politicians.

Premier Li Keqiang declared a “war on pollution” in a report during the country’s annual parliamentary session on Wednesday, but critics say the statement amounts to mere rhetoric without legal reforms to back it up.

The environment has emerged as one of Beijing’s

key priorities amid growing public disquiet about urban smog, dwindling and polluted water supplies and the widespread industrial contamination of farmland.

Sources with ties to the leadership told Reuters in February that amendments to China’s 1989 environmental law would expand the environment ministry’s powers significantly and allow regulators to suspend and shut down repeat offenders.

Sunday’s policy report did not give specific details on how enforcement would be toughened. China’s environment ministry has historically been unable to enforce anti-pollution laws effectively. Almost all Chinese cities monitored for pollution last year failed to meet state standards.

China tested a domestically-produced drone aircraft that disperses smog by releasing a chemical catalyst, state media reported on Sunday.

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The Morung Express

AC Milan loses to NBA: Spurs beat Magic 121-112 Udinese in Serie A

AC Milan's Giampaolo Pazzini, top, jumps over his teammate Robinho as he reaches for the ball during the Serie A soccer match between Udinese and Milan at the Friuli Stadium in Udine, Italy, Saturday, Mar. 8. (AP Photo)

MILAN, MARCH 9 (AP): AC Milan lost 1-0 at Udinese in the Italian league on Saturday and failed to boost its confidence for the Champions League clash at Atletico Madrid next week. Antonio Di Natale scored the only goal in the 66th minute, finishing off a great team move by Udinese.

"We're disappointed," Milan coach Clarence Seedorf said. "You're never happy when you lose and certainly more so when certain mistakes could have been avoided.

The lads tried tonight and gave what they could but we need to be more clinical in front of goal.

"We have to keep in mind our good performances and not forget all that we have done well up until now. It's a football match on Tuesday and we can win it, we are convinced. Everyone saw the first leg and we have to pick up from that performance."

Milan remained provisionally 10th after its second successive league

defeat. Udinese moved to 13th with its first win in four matches.

"It's a fantastic victory against a great club like Milan," Di Natale said. Being International Women's Day, he dedicated the win to his wife "and all the women."

Milan enjoyed the best opportunities in the first half and forced teenage goalkeeper Simone Scuffet into several fine saves, notably denying Giampaolo Pazzini from close range with one hand.

Cristian Zapata should have given Milan the lead moments earlier but headed a corner wide after being left unmarked at the far post.

Scuffet also made a superb diving save shortly after halftime to parry Robinho's header from point-blank range.

Milan goalkeeper Christian Abbiati — who made his league debut when Scuffet was only two years old — pulled off a brilliant save to deny Roberto Pereyra early on.

Udinese improved

after the break and took the lead when Pereyra released Bruno Fernandes, who crossed for an unmarked Di Natale to slot home. Substitute Mario Balotelli blasted over the bar shortly afterwards for Milan, while Allan curled an effort narrowly past the top corner for Udinese. Also, relegationthreatened Catania drew 1-1 at home to 10-man Cagliari. Matias Vecino broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute but Catania leveled nine minutes later when Gonzalo Bergessio nodded in Francesco Lodi's curling free kick at the far post.

Cagliari had to play out the final 17 minutes a man down after Danilo Avelar was sent off following a second booking.

Catania almost made the most of the numerical advantage but hit the woodwork twice in quick succession as first Cristiano Biraghi's effort crashed off the post before Alexis Rolin headed off the bar. Catania remained second to last.

SAN ANTONIO, MARCH 9 (AP): Tony Parker scored 30 points, Manu Ginobili added 24 and the San Antonio Spurs overcame a lethargic performance to beat the Orlando Magic 121-112 on Saturday night.

Kawhi Leonard added 17 points, Tiago Splitter scored 14, Danny Green 12 and Tim Duncan had 11 points and 10 rebounds as the Spurs (4616) extended their winning streak to six games.

Tobias Harris scored 23 points, Nikola Vucevic added 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Arron Afflalo had 17 points for Orlando (19-45), who were swept in the season series. Coming off the emotional high of a 111-87 victory over Miami two nights earlier in an NBA Finals rematch, San Antonio appeared listless against the Southeast Division's last-place team.

Led by former Spurs player and assistant Jacque Vaughn, the Magic gave his former team a tense evening before San Antonio closed it out late.

Ginobili lured E'Twaun Moore into hitting his right triceps, as he rose for an off-balance, fallaway, 14-foot jumper.

The Argentine guard made the free throw to complete the three-point play and give San Antonio a 114-104 lead with 2:34 remaining. Leonard followed with a breakaway dunk off a turnover and Parker nailed a 3-pointer to put the Spurs up 119104 with just under 2 Orlando Magic forward Maurice Harkless, left, shoots against San Antonio Spurs forwards minutes left. At Milwau- Tiago Splitter, of Brazil, and Kawhi Leonard, right, during the first half on an NBA basketball kee, Bradley Beal scored game on Saturday, March 8 in San Antonio. (AP Photo)

Graeme Smith quits to spend time with family

JOHANNESBUR G, MARCH 9 (AFP): South Africa captain Graeme Smith, who last week announced his retirement from international cricket, was influenced by his family in taking the decision, media reported on Sunday. Smith, 33, told the Sunday Times newspaper that he knew he had made the right decision while at the hospital bedside of his 18-monthold daughter, who had suffered burns from hot water. He says the toddler reached out to him and touched his Proteas badge. "That's all she's known of me really." "She sees me on the TV and that was a moment where I realised I'm pretty happy with the decision I've made," he said.

The Proteas captain stunned the cricketing world on Monday when he announced he would quit international cricket at the end of the Test series against Australia.

"I'll have more time to see my children grow and I'll be mentally more there." Smith is the most capped Test captain in the history of the game with 9,262 Test runs at an average of 48.49 with 27 hundreds and 38 half-centuries. He has captained the Proteas for 12 years since the age of 22. "As a captain, even when you are at home your brain is still elsewhere a lot of the time," he said.

The batsman, who married Irish pop singer Morgan Deane in 2011 also has an Irish citizen-

ship, but says he has no plans of playing for his second country. "I won't be picking up a bat for that country. I won't be playing for Ireland."

"If am going to play for anyone, it would be the Proteas," he said. He said breaking the news of his decision to his team was difficult, and he struggled to get his words out.

"After I'd said my piece, I had to get out and get some fresh air because I was a bit of a wreck." The skipper said his wife has carrying the load of raising their two young children while he played cricket. "I think of her with the two kids travelling to wherever I am in the world, and making it work. She is a strong woman."

Plea for peace and Ukraine's independence in Sochi

SOCHI, MARCH 9 (AP): In the fading light in the mountains above Sochi, the athletes and flags from Russia and Ukraine appeared side by side Saturday, united by success on the opening day of action at the Paralympics as the discord between their nations deepens.

The collection of gold, silver and bronze medals amassed by Ukraine justified — in sporting terms — the decision before Friday's opening ceremony not to boycott the Winter Games in protest at Russia's military occupation of the nearby Crimean peninsula.

The confrontation, which escalated in the days after the Olympics ended here, has taken the shine off Sochi in the two-week lead in to the Paralympics as Russian President Vladimir Putin challenged the sovereignty of part of his neighbor's territory. And from Ukraine's first Paralympic medalist in Sochi, there was a clear message sent back to her troubled homeland.

"I devote my first medal in Sochi to an independent Ukraine," said Olena Iurkovska, who won bronze in the women's 6 kilometer sitting biathlon. The four-time Paralympian appeared at the

Biathlete Mykhaylo Tkachenko, representing Ukraine, enters the arena during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Paralympics at the Fisht Olympic stadium in Sochi, Russia, Friday, March 7. (AP Photo)

medal ceremony alongside Svetlana Konovalova of Russia, who beat her to silver.

"Every time I race, it will be for Ukrainian independence and peace in my country," Iurkovska said. Focusing on sports is not easy for some Ukrainians against the backdrop of the strife unfolding about 300 miles (475

kilometers) west of Sochi on the Black Sea coast.

But as well as two further bronze medals in the biathlon, Maksym Yarovyi claimed silver in the men's 7.5-kilometer sitting event, and Vitaliy Lukyanenko took gold in the visually impaired class ahead of a Russian. "The most important thing in sport is not

12 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, helping the Washington Wizards avoid blowing a 28-point lead and beat the Milwaukee Bucks 114-107.

Washington opened a 71-43 lead in the second quarter, but the Bucks cut the deficit to 104-101 on a pair of free throws by Ersan Ilyasova with 2:13 to go. Beal then scored on a driving layup and hit a baseline 3-pointer to give the Wizards a 109-101 lead with two minutes left, which it held on to for its eighth win in nine games.

Blake Griffin had 27 points and eight rebounds, Chris Paul added 19 points, including a lead-taking layup in the final minute, and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Atlanta Hawks 109-108 for their season-high seventh straight victory.

The Pacific Divisionleading Clippers got 13 points and 12 rebounds from DeAndre Jordan, and 17 points from Matt Barnes on the eve of his 34th birthday. DeMarre Carroll scored 19 points in Atlanta's 14th loss in 15 games and sixth in a row.

Carmelo Anthony shook off a horrid shooting start and scored 26 points, leading the New York Knicks to their third straight victory, 107-97 over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Amare Stoudemire added 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks.

Elsewhere Saturday, the Utah Jazz beat the Philadelphia 76ers, 10492, and the Memphis Grizzlies easily overcame Charlotte, 111-89.

to beat a competitor, but to beat yourself," Lukyaneko said.

And what the team hopes for most is peace in Ukraine — a sentiment it chanted during Thursday's welcoming ceremony in the Alpine Village.

"The situation is very difficult and very sad," Yarovyi said through an interpreter. "But at the

moment I'm trying to relax and concentrate on my sports and trying not to think about things in a negative way."

Yarovyi was beaten to gold by Roman Petushkov — a Russian sporting rival but not a foe.

"This is sport. This is not about politics," Yarovyi said. "I really appreciate and really sup-

port all sportsmen no matter what their nationality is.

"The past week was difficult for me because it was changing all the time whether we participate or not." Having chosen to, Ukraine ended the first day of action third in the standings, only behind Germany and leader Russia. Although one young Russian medalist — 16-year-old Alexey Bugaev — suggested Russia and Ukraine are "joined."

"I think we are together, and this is sad what is going on," Bugaev, who won silver in the downhill standing event at the Rosa Khutor Alpine Center, said through an interpreter. "But we are all Slavic and we must support each other."

That could just be what Putin wants to hear as he goes around the Sochi region embracing Russian sports success, while isolated in European capitals. The crisis in Ukraine has overshadowed the second phase of Putin's bid to use the Winter Games to polish his country's image abroad.

But the Russian medal chase is going to plan. "I do hope that the team will keep the pace you have set," Putin told them at a meeting Saturday.

Kohli reclaims top spot in ODI batting rankings

DUBAI, MARCH 9 (PTI): India's Virat Kohli has reclaimed the number one position in the latest ICC Player Rankings for ODI Batsmen, which were released on Sunday after the conclusion of the Asia Cup. Kohli had entered the Asia Cup, trailing number one ranked South African batsman AB de Villiers by two ratings points.

Kohli's tournament aggregate of 189 runs in three innings with 136 against Bangladesh as his series best earned him 12 ratings points, which has put him ahead of South Africa's ODI captain by nine ratings points.

Following his knock of 136, Kohli had achieved his career high rating of 886 but finished with 881 ratings points after scores of 48 (against Sri Lanka) and five (against Pakistan). He didn't bat against Afghanistan.

Kohli was last ranked number one just before the ODI series against New Zealand in January.

Other Indian batsmen to head in the right direction include Shikhar Dhawan in eighth (up by three place), Rohit Sharma in 22nd (up by one place) and Ravindra Jadeja in 50th (up by 12 places).

Strong batting performances in the Asia Cup have resulted in a reshuffle of the positions, with Sri Lanka's Lahiru Thirimanne, who won the player of the tournament, making the biggest progress. The left-handed opener has jumped 29 places to a career-best 39th position.

In the ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers, India spinners -- Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin -- are the biggest gainers inside the top 20.

Jadeja has earned four places and is now in fifth position after claiming seven wickets in four matches, while Ashwin's nine wickets in the series has given him a lift of seven places that has put him in 14th position.

Amit Mishra has also gained five places to be at 36th. Meanwhile, India team has been guaranteed to retain its number two position in the ICC ODI Team Rankings at the 1 April cut-off date.

India finished with 113 ratings points, just one ahead of third-ranked Sri Lanka, to walk away with a prize of $75,000. There was no other change in the table with all sides retaining their positions.

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Entertainment

The Morung Express C M Y K

Back on stage after reuniting with ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber

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elena Gomez returned to the stage on Saturday for a concert in Texas after cancelling an overseas leg of her tour last year and entering rehab for two weeks in January. The 21-year-old singer performed at the Borderfest concert at the State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas a day after reuniting with on/off boyfriend Justin Bieber. The Come And Get It singer looked stunning in an allwhite ensemble that showed her toned arms, flat mid-riff and plenty of leg. The Texas native had her long dark hair down

as she sang and danced on the stage.

Selena and 20-year-old Canadian pop star Justin grabbed breakfast together on Friday at Don Pepe’s in Hidalgo County before hitting up a Starbucks in the afternoon.

Justin on Monday posted two photos of the Wizards Of Waverly Place actress in her revealing gold gown at the Vanity Fair Oscars party. His caption read, ‘Most elegant princess in the world.’ The gushy note came as a bit of a surprise after the couple reportedly had a bad falling out earlier this year.

Before their Texas reunion, they were last seen together in January riding Segways in Justin’s neighbourhood in Calabasas, California. Selena posted a photo of herself at Starbucks on Friday with a message to her fans. She wrote:

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Aamir files complaint with Mumbai police

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‘Hidalgo, I’ve missed this :) ill see you soooon (sic).’ The Instagram shot showed her wearing sunglasses and a leather jacket, with her hair loose around her shoulders.

Selena posted another photo on Saturday showing her giving two young fans a big hug. ‘Reunited and it feels sooo good :) TX always makes me proud #littles #realmexicanfood #home,’ Selena wrote to her more than 18 million followers on Twitter. The Spring Breakers star in January voluntarily checked herself into a recovery centre in Arizona as she dealt with emotional issues. The Australian/ Asia leg of her Stars Dance tour was cancelled in December before she entered rehab. Her representative told MailOnline: ‘Selena voluntarily spent time at Meadows but NOT for substance abuse.’

Stall New Album And Tour

t ou gs citb A son ex us y io 30 reall var g e t, in bein r ’ we abou s of ed e h ed stat finis

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he Irish rockers are reportedly delaying the release of their next album until 2015 just weeks after frontman Bono told USA Today he and his bandmates were hoping to release new material this summer (14). Reports

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suggest the band has also axed a planned tour that was to begin in September (14). The dates are now expected to begin next summer (15).

Last month (Feb14), drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. blamed the group’s work on Oscar nominat-

ed Best Song Ordinary Love for the album delay, and guitarist The Edge told Rolling Stone earlier this year that the group had “about 30 songs we’re really excited about, in various states of being finished”.

hoom 3 star Aamir Khan is unhappy with the on-going malicious, slanderous and defamatory campaign against him on social media networks.

According to the star, certain quarters have been attempting to spread lies and misinformation about his show Satyamev Jayate on Whatsapp, Twitter, and Facebook. In addition, this campaign’s been attempting to incite religious sentiments of people. The star has officially registered a complaint with the Mumbai police.

The Cyber Cell of the Crime Bureau has promised to unearth the name/names of the people behind these activities and to book them under the relevant section of the Criminal Code. Aamir Khan posted on social media: “Hi Guys, False and malicious messages are circulating through various electronic media including Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter and other social media networks alleging that donations are being sought in my television program Satyamev Jayate Season 2. This is entirely false. I urge the members of the public to disregard the said malicious message.”

Sevigny: Clooney’s ex Stacy ‘Nothing but the kitchen Chloe MCM’s New Style Keibler marries N Ambassador! sink!’Nigella igella Lawson asked for nothing but the contents of her kitchen after her bitter split from Charles Saatchi. The TV chef, 53, who divorced the art dealer last year, got her fishmongers to remove her cooking appliances according to friend Nathaniel Goldberg. In fact he says Nigella threw a party for those who helped her through her difficult year, including lawyers, her agent, make-up artist and the fishmonger. Nigella told the Mail last year: ‘One of the people I follow avidly on Twitter is my local fishmonger. I see what his catch is then I direct-message him with my order and waddle over and get it.’ Currently the only fishmonger the mother-of-two appears to follow is Rex Goldsmith of the Chelsea Fishmonger.

Photographer Nathaniel, who shot Nigella’s Vogue cover, told the magazine she found the riches that came

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with being part of a society couple with Saatchi, 70, difficult to deal with.

And so the mother-of two wanted no other material possessions than the contents of her beloved

kitchen, report the Mirror.

‘She adores the indulgences in life - good food, good face cream, good bed linen. But she’s not spoilt,’ said Nathaniel. ‘The very fact she walked away from her mar-

riage without asking for anything other than the contents of her kitchen is testament to that.’ Nathaniel also said Nigella is finally getting back to normal and starting to enjoying life again after the storm surrounding the divorce. According to him the domestic goddess ‘felt an incredible sense of comfort’ after throwing an impromptu dinner party recently, and said she is ‘able to take pleasure from things again’. He said Nigella’s life changed dramatically in the 13 years after meeting Saatchi at The Ivy in April 2000, and that she became anxious and isolated. He said: ‘They clearly adored each other but the atmosphere always depended on his mood. And his mood was variable. ‘Hers was no longer the house you just dropped into and Charles was not one to sit around the kitchen table cracking jokes.’

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hloe Sevigny teams up with MCM to host the opening celebration for the brand’s iAMP Flagship Store on Friday (March 7) in Shanghai, China.

The 39-year-old actress was just announced as the fashion brand’s latest style ambassador.

She will be shooting multiple advertorials for the Asian editions of Harper’s Bazaar as part of her partnership.

Andrew Garfield Gets Praised in New ‘Spider-Man 2’ Featurette

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he was rumoured to have split from George Clooney in July of last year because he didn’t want to settle down. But that certainly hasn’t been a problem with Stacy Keibler’s current partner as the former wrestler is now a married woman. The 34-year-old has confirmed that she wed Jared Pobre, who she has been dating for just seven months, on Saturday. The happy couple married on the beach in Mexico during an intimate ceremony which took place at sunset. ‘My happiness is indescribable!’ Stacy told People. ‘Marriage is the ultimate bond of love and friendship. ‘It means putting all your faith and trust into a person that you can’t help but believe is your soul mate.’

She added: ‘Someone who has all of your best interests at heart; someone handpicked for you, to help you grow and be the best person that you can be. Jared is all of this for me.’ Stacy and the millionaire entrepreneur were not known to be engaged ahead of their surprise nuptials.

While they have been together for a short time, the pair had in fact been friends for over five years before things became romantic. Stacy and Jared were first reported to be dating in August, just a month after the actress’ split from Clooney.

The glamorous star had been in a relationship with the ndrew Garfield keeps a low profile under his hat and A-lister for two years before their break-up, which Stacy sunglasses while spending a couple of hours alone claimed was not due to anything ‘dramatic’. George, 52, is now believed to be romantically involved with British bar- shopping around town on Saturday afternoon (March 8) in Los Angeles. The 30-year-old actor, who treated Batkid rister Amal Alamuddin.

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to a day at Disneyland earlier in the week, was seen stopping by some book stores and an antique store. A brand new featurette for Andrew‘s film The Amazing SpiderMan 2 was just released and he gets a ton of praise from

his co-stars in the clip. “When I first found out that they wanted me to be Spider-Man, it was overwhelming. It’s everything that I ever dreamed of as a kid,” Andrew says in the video.

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Barcelona lose Li, Maria win Indian Wells opener to Valladolid

Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, left, and Valladolid's Stefan Mitrovic struggle for the ball during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Jose Zorrilla stadium in Valladolid, Spain, Saturday March 8. (AP Photo)

BARCELONA, MARCH 9 (AP): Barcelona's title defense took a blow when it stumbled to a 1-0 defeat at Valladolid, missing the chance to move top of the Spanish standings on Saturday ahead of its Champions League clash with Manchester City at Camp Nou. Atletico Madrid took advantage of Barcelona's latest slip by winning 2-0 at Celta Vigo courtesy of David Villa's two goals in a three-minute span to move ahead of Barcelona and level on points with Real Madrid at the top of the standings.

Once the league pacesetter, Barcelona has won just two of its last seven away league games and trails its title rivals by one point before Madrid hosts Levante on Sunday.

Lionel Messi was the only Barcelona player who looked sharp, while his teammates were plagued by uncharacteristic passing errors and again proved brittle at the back.Valladolid outplayed the defending champions early and midfielder Fausto Rossi netted the winner in the 17th minute. The relegation-threatened side then did well to protect three points against the star-studded visitors for the remainder.

After its strong start this season under firstyear coach Gerardo

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Martino, Barcelona has dropped points in five of the last nine rounds.

"As long as it is mathematically possible we will keep fighting," said Martino, whose team visits Madrid in two weeks.

"We are not in our best form, and we have to rediscover it within 15 days.

We are worried because the league title is being decided right now." Before the clasico, however, Martino will have to regroup his team against City on Wednesday. Barcelona will be looking to protect its 2-0 lead in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

Valladolid started the round in the drop zone, but the big win — only its fifth in 27 rounds — provisionally pulled it out of danger. "It's an incredible result," said Rossi, who was at Valladolid on loan from Juventus. "All together we can save this team." Also, last-place Real Betis gave a boost to its slim hopes of staying up by beating Getafe 2-0 in Seville, while Villarreal lost 2-0 at Granada to falter in the race for fourth place.

After Barcelona lost 3-1 at Real Sociedad in its last league away match, Martino aligned his best 11 available without Andres Iniesta, who didn't travel with the team for undisclosed personal reasons.

Even so, Barcelona lacked its regular cool composure from the start and failed to dominate possession until it was trailing in the score. Holding midfielder Sergio Busquets, usually so sure with the ball, erred on three passes before the 25-minute mark.

By that time Valladolid had threatened Barcelona's area and taken the lead when Rossi finished off a rebound after both his first attempt and Javi Guerra's follow-up had hit defenders.

Messi's solo effort saved by goalkeeper Diego Marino in the 10th was all the visitors could muster in the first half hour. Messi, who showed no signs of his apparent vomiting from Argentina's 0-0 draw against Romania this week, used a burst of speed to break free in the 48th, only to be denied again by Marino.

Messi got little help.

Neymar had a quiet match and sailed his only scoring chance over the bar before he was substituted. Atletico was without suspended leading scorer Diego Costa. That meant Villa, who was dropped from Spain's squad for its friendly with Italy, got the nod up front. And after a dull first half, the former Barcelona striker notched his 12th and 13th league goals of the campaign.

INDIAN WELLS, MARCH 9 (AgENCIES): Top seed Li Na was among the second- round winners Saturday at the $5.9 million BNP Paribas Open tennis event at Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The Chinese star and reigning Australian Open champion beat countrywoman Zheng Jie 6-1, 7-5. Li is making her seventh appearance at this lucrative hardcourt tournament, with her best result being a semifinal berth in 2007.

Up next for Li will be Karolina Pliskova, who took out fellow Czech Klara Zakopalova, the 28th seed, 7-5, 6-2. Fourthseeded Maria Sharapova defeated Julia Goerges 6-1, 6-4 and will face Camila Giorgi, who beat 25th-seeded Sorana Cirstea 7-6 (7-3), 6-3.

Meanwhile, eighth-seeded Czech Petra Kvitova defeated American wild card Coco Vandeweghe 6-1, 6-3 and 11thseeded Serbian Ana Ivanovic rallied to beat Ukraine's Elina Svitolina 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-1).

Twelfth-seeded Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova, 21stseeded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and 27th-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova also advanced.

American Sloane Stephens made quick work of Croat Ajla Tomljanovic 6-4, 6-0 and will face Ivanovic in the next round.

Spaniard Maria Teresa Torro Flor upset fifth-seeded Angelique Kerber 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4. Also advancing were Russian Alisa Kleybanova, 16thseeded Samantha Stosur, Italian Flavia Pennetta, Russian Ekaterina Makarova and Pole Aleksandra Wozniak.

Maria Sharapova, of Russia, returns a shot to Julia Goerges, of Germany, during their match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Saturday, March 8, 2014, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo)

Federer, Nadal, Murray Advance at Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS, MARCH 9 (AP): Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Stanislas Wawrinka won their opening matches Saturday in the BNP Paribas Open. Federer, the fourtime champion seeded seventh, beat French qualifier Pail-Henri Mathieu. The Swiss star was coming off his 78th career title last week in Dubai.

"It's important to win," he said. "It's a lot different from Dubai. You have to force a bit more, but I'm satisfied." In a late match, the top-seeded Nadal rallied to beat Radek Stepanek 2-6, 6-4, 7-5.

"He is not the right player to play against in the first round," Nadal said. "He's not the right player because what you want to find in the first round is rhythm and against him every point is different. He goes quick to the net. They don't give you that few

games to find your rhythm, to find a way that you want to play."

Nadal is 41-6 in his 10 appearances here and has made it to the semifinals or better for the past eight years. But he said worries about his back affected his serve during the 2-hour, 24-minute contest.

"With my serve I was doing nothing. When that happens, the opponent is able to play more aggressive, play more confident and in the end, eight double faults, I give him an opportunity to win a lot of free points," Nadal said. "I was a little bit scared for the back. I am not feeling 100 percent confident with my serve.

But probably that match is going to help me understand that I can start to serve normal again."

The fifth-seeded Murray topped Lukas Rosol 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, and the third-seeded Wawrinka, playing for the first time since

winning the Australian Open, beat Ivo Karlovic 6-3, 7-5.

Kevin Anderson and Tommy Haas also moved into the third round. Anderson spoiled two-time tournament champion Lleyton Hewitt's bid for his 600th career match win, topping the Australian 7-6 (5), 6-4. Haas, who will be 36 on April 3, rolled to a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Jeremy Chardy.

In women's play, top-seeded Na beat Chinese compatriot Zheng Jie 6-1, 7-5, and fourthseeded Maria Sharapova opened her title defense with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Julia Goerges.

Fifth-seeded Angelique Kerber dropped out, falling 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 to Maria-Teresa TorroFlor. Aleksandra Wozniack also beat No. 15 Sabine Lisicki 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (5).

Murray reached the final in 2009, but has mostly struggled

in the event. "I think it's important sometimes to think about it, because when you're not expecting it to happen and then it does, that's when it can kind of take you by surprise and you might panic a little bit or worry," Murray said. "But I don't feel like (that happened) today. I was a set and a break down. I got broken three times in a row the end of the first set, beginning of the second. I just kind of kept going and found a way to win, which is always the most important thing."

Mikhail Youzhny, seeded 14th, withdrew because of a back injury and the American men's contingent was trimmed from its initial 14 members to one after losses by Michael Russell, Sam Querrey, Tim Smyczek and Ryan Harrison. The only U.S. player remaining is 12th seed John Isner, who will face Nikolay Davydenko on Sunday.

Mizoram clinch 68th Santosh Trophy

SILIgURI, MARCH 9 (AgENCIES): A bunch of unheralded diminutive footballers took the Santosh Trophy by storm and maintained their rich brand of fast-paced attacking football in the Final to deservingly win their maiden Nationals crown sweeping aside Railways 2-0 in the title clash of the 68th National Championships for the Santosh Trophy here at the floodlit Kanchenjunga Stadium on Sunday (March 9, 2014).

A brace from Zico Zoremsanga, either side of halftime, and an injury time strike from F Lalrinpuia capped a brilliant tournament for the Northeastern outfit who went from strength to strength as the competition progressed. Railways – who had not won the Santosh Trophy since 1966 – came closest in the 43th minute when Rajesh S’s close range header came off the crossbar.

Courtesy their triumph, Mizoram bagged a purse of Rs. 5 lakhs while runners-up Railways got richer by 3 lakhs. Present on the occasion were All India Football Federation Jorge Linares of Barinas Venezuela, left, trades punches with Nihito Arakawa of Musashino (AIFF) Senior Vice-PresiJapan during their lightweight boxing match, Saturday, March 8, 2014, at The MGM Grand dent Subrata Dutta and Mr. Menla Ethenpa, AIFF Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Linares won by unanimous decision. (AP Photo)

Competitions Committee Chairman and Executive Committee Member.

The match started at a good pace with both the outfits looking for an early goal. Railways earned three quick corners to keep the rival defense on their toes while at the other end their goalkeeper Ehtesham Ahmed -- oozing confidence after his penalty heroics in the semifinal -- spread his body wide to keep Lalnunmawia and Lalbiakhlua’s shots at bay.

With Railways missing their first choice centrebacks Vimal Kumar and Rajiv Boro due to suspension, Mizoram looked to take advantage but firsttimers Akhil Rajbanshi and makeshift stopper-back Dipankar Das stood firm.

David Larinmuana found Lalnumawia free on the left with a goodlooking ball from midfield but the latter was well marked by Dipankar and right-back Y Raju Singh.

Lalbiakhlua then tried to be cheeky minutes into the half hour mark, trying to dink Ahmed from just outside the box on the right flank. But the hero of the previous night had his near-post covered with the attempt also landing onto the roof of the net.

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