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The Morung Express
Dimapur VOL. VIII ISSUE 338
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www.morungexpress.com
A problem well stated is a problem half-solved
Homosexuality an offence: SC [ PAGE 08]
ManU beats Shakhtar Donetsk to top group
By Sandemo Ngullie
DImAPUr, December 11 (mexN): The NSCN (K) today acknowledged General Khangao Konyak “on his outstanding completion of fifty years in the service to the Naga nation.” A press note from Lt Gen Niki Sumi, Military Supervisor of West Nagaland stated that “of the thousands of patriots, only few achieve this unique distinction in outlasting contemporaries to arrive at such landmark golden anniversary.” “Having survived and surpassed untold miseries and dangers all through, it is indeed a moment to rejoice and celebrate. May the God almighty grant you good health, wisdom and fruitful leadership even in the days to come,” it added.
NSSA suspends agitation till Jan 15
koHImA, December 11 (mexN): The Nagaland Secretariat Service Association has suspended its pen down/cease work agitation with immediate effect till January 15. A press note from the NSSA informed that the agitation has been suspended following the government’s time-bound assurances on the demands made by the NSSA. It further stated that resumption of the agitation shall be subject to fulfillment of the assurances within the committed time frame. The decision was been taken by the General Body of the NSSA at its Emergency Meeting on December 11at the Secretariat Plaza.
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Beyond the ‘Borders’ Pope Francis is Time Nagas in Burma deprived of most basic human needs “Person of the Year”
Seen in this image is Lahe, a Naga village situated in northwest Burma. Nagas in Burma have long suffered neglect and violation of their most basic human rights. Photo by N Arhe
Vibi Yhokha Kohima | December 11
“Nagas in Burma have been deprived of basic education and health care. There has also been discrimination among the Christians in Naga areas. And labour force is heavily imposed on us,” says 25 year old Kejung, a Naga from Burma, who is currently pursuing his Bachelors in Computer Science from Delhi University. Kejung is one among the estimated 500,000 Nagas living in the Sagaing Division and Kachin State, consisting of 229 Naga villages (as per a report by the Naga Youth Organization 2010) in Burma. For long, Nagas in Burma have suffered many human rights violation, including lack of education (there are only 7 high schools and no college in the Naga areas), destruction of villages, forced relocation, land alienation, forced labour, arbitrary arrest and killing, religious persecution and sexual assaults. The Naga Youth Organization Burma report informs that within 2001-2010, 22 Naga women were raped by Burmese police, monks and military. Forced ‘portering’ is another common violation, where Naga villagers (including women, elderly and children) are forced to carry supplies and heavy weapons of Burmese soldiers, without any payment or food. “I’m sure Nagaland has enough problem of its own, but I hope that we all can work together and bring out a practical solution. We hope that Nagas
in Nagaland will think beyond the border,” adds Kejung. “Even though we are the second majority in NC Hills, we are often discriminated. Our people are less educated and human rights awareness is very less among us, which makes it easier for the Army and others to take advantage of us,” says Angau Newme, a PhD scholar in Assam University and a human Rights Activist He asserts that the Naga cadres make it difficult for the Nagas in Assam to live. Their presence in the Naga areas has led to arbitrary arrests and torture of innocent civilians. One such case is the arrest of Ngaulube, in January this year. Ngaulube, a Zeme Naga who works as a daily wage labourer was picked up by the Assam Rifles while sleeping and tortured for 2 days. In a case filed against him by the Army, a report was written where the Army falsely accused him as a ‘publicity officer of NSCN.’ In July 2013, 2 Nagas in Halflong, Assam were attacked by a group of Dimasa men while washing their clothes in River Diyung. Videos of them forcefully stripped naked were uploaded on the internet. Kirang, President of the Zeme Mothers Association was beaten up with bricks by Dimasa men in 2012, while attempting to pacify an ethnic clash. She was seriously injured and had to be taken to
Guwahati through helicopter. “A case was filed right after the attack but no action has been taken so far,” says Kirang. “The idea of human rights violation has changed today. Human rights violation is happening within us and as individuals, we fail to emphasize on our responsibility we have to each other,” says Chingya Luithui, Human Rights Activist. He asserts that human rights violations are not just between the state and the community but within communities itself. Citing the example of exploration of natural resources in Naga areas in Manipur, such as Tamenglong, Luithui adds that land issues has emerged as a crucial aspect in the human rights framework; where the state, on the pretext of protecting the land, often takes away the land of the people. Luithui feels that the concerns in Nagaland have shifted to more commercial aspect of rights instead of rights based on ideologies and the debate has shifted to private rights as opposed to collective rights. “Nagaland has celebrated its 50 years of statehood, which means carving out Nagaland State from Naga lands. This is a state created not out of our choice but by others. The other Nagas have been left out in the process. Don’t they also have the right to celebrate a home for themselves?” says Dr. Achan Mungleng, an independent researcher. He feels that fifty years have divided the Nagas on the basis of tribalism and state craftsmanship and stopped Nagas from thinking beyond the border.
New York, December 11 (AFP): Time magazine named Pope Francis its person of the year on Wednesday, hailing the head of the Catholic Church as a new voice of global conscience since taking office in March. The 76-year-old, who rose from modest beginnings and has been praised for his downto-earth approach, is the first nonEuropean pope in nearly 1,300 years, the first Latin American head of the Church and a leading voice for the dispossessed. He has taken on leadership of a 1.2-billion-strong Church beset by scandal and signs of deep internal dysfunction, but there are signs his popularity is revitalizing it. Time’s runner-up was NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, who has been granted asylum in Russia and with whom Time published an exclusive interview Wednesday conducted over email. “For pulling the papacy out of the palace and into the streets, for committing the world’s largest church to confronting its deepest needs and for balancing judgment with mercy, Pope Francis is TIME’s 2013 Person of the Year,” said managing editor Nancy Gibbs. She said it was rare for a new figure on the world stage to capture so much attention so quickly -- from the “young and old, faithful and cynical.” “He has placed himself at the very center of the central conversations of our time: about
Traffic regulations for NPF Golden Jubilee
koHImA, December 11 (mexN): The Kohima Superintendent of Police has informed of traffic regulations in view of the NPF Golden Jubilee Celebrations at local ground, Kohima on December 12. A press note from the SP informed that all buses and heavy vehicles involved in attendance of the event shall be parked at Indoor Badminton Stadium area and Charü parking (on the road to Science College, Jotsoma) after dropping the delegates at Local Ground. All light vehicles of delegates shall be parked at the ground behind 19 Assam Rifles MT Garage; Kezekie area and Mission Compound. The stretch from Head Post Office to DC Office Jn. is reserved for parking of vehicles of VIPs attending the celebrations.
DMC employees go on indefinite strike
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–Charles Kettering
World leaders [ PAGE 02] bow at Mandela’s ‘UNDERGROUND AUTHORITY’ Wins casket Hornbill International Rock Contest
Here come the Christmas shoppers. Quick open the shop and raise the prices.
NSCN (K) salutes Gen Khangao Konyak
Thursday, December 12, 2013 12 pages Rs. 4
‘Guardian of the Frontier Villages’ in promotion dilemma
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DImAPUr, December 11 (mexN): Staff of the Dimapur Municipal Council has embarked on an indefinite agitation/strike, demanding cancellation of the lease issued by the Urban Development Department in favor of 37 lessees for collecting toll tax. The DMC employees association also demands that its staff be allowed to collect toll tax. The agitation has seen visible effects, where piles of garbage remain uncollected in the streets. A press note from the DMC Employees Association President, Badal Bhadra and General Secretary T Revo Anar informed that the DMC presently employs 305 staff for sanitation works, developmental works, revenue collection and other allied duties. It stated that the directive of the Nagaland state government to ban toll tax collection for 5 months led to a short fall of about Rs. 120 Lakhs, causing the DMC “acute” financial strain. The DMC t h e n sought financial assistance from the Department of Urban Development. However, it stated that despite several pleas, no assistance was extended from the concerned department; leaving many DMC employees to work “without salaries for many months.” Considering the situation; the then CEO obtained approval of the
Pope Francis, Time magazine’s 2013 Person of the Year, is seen an undated photo of the magazine cover provided by Time, Wednesday, Dec. 11. Time said the Catholic church’s new leader has changed the perception of his organization in an extraordinary way in a short time. (AP Photo)
wealth and poverty, fairness and justice, transparency, modernity, globalization, the role of women, the nature of marriage, the temptations of power,” said Gibbs. Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi welcomed the accolade, not because the pope sought fame but because it would give people hope. “It is a positive sign that one of the most prestigious acknowledgments in international media
should be given to someone who preaches spiritual, religious and moral values in the world and speaks effectively in favour of peace and more justice,” he said. “If this draws women and men and gives them hope, the pope is happy.” Snowden, the fugitive US intelligence leaker whose disclosures of classified documents has rattled Washington, said he had acted to force reforms and to direct the NSA to focus “its tremendous power toward developing new global technical standards that enforce robust end-to-end security.” “What we recoil against is not that such surveillance can theoretically occur, but that it was done without a majority of society even being aware it was possible,” he told Time. In third place was US gay rights activist Edith Windsor in honor of her victory in June when the US Supreme Court granted same-sex married couples the same federal benefits as heterosexual couples. In fourth place was Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for managing not only to survive but turn the tide of the civil war his way. “The mild-mannered ophthalmologist-turned-Old-Testamenttyrant has taught his neighbors an ancient lesson: that absolute, unrelenting brutality combined with geostrategic cleverness is the most likely way to retain power in the Middle East,” the magazine wrote.
GPRN/NSCN questions AR highhandedness
kIPHIre, December 11 (mexN): The GPRN/NSCN today alleged that Lt Leose (Dino) of the Naga Army was “picked up” by personnel of the 46 Assam Rifles led by one Major Pravesh on December 10, while he was in a garage to repair a car at Kiphiri town. A MIP press note informed that Lt Leose was “beaten up and questioned” during his two hour detentions and asked about the whereabouts of his gun and his two other companions. “Leose responded that he was alone and on medical leave, and thus the question of possessing arms was out of question,” it added. According to the MIP, Major Parvesh released the cadre “with a condition that, he (Leose) should
submit any kind of Pistol within 2 days, after which, he would be re-arrested and booked.” “Major Parvesh has direly warned Leose that he (Parvesh) has two country-made pistols in his possession, and if Leose do not submit any pistol within two days, the Major would take those country-made pistols and claim it as having found it in Leose’s possession, thus booking him under National Security act,” it alleged. The GPRN/NSCN has termed the incident as a “shame” and expressed surprise that a commanding officer “can stoop so low. . .” It further cautioned that if “anything happens to Leose, Major Parvesh and his boys will be held responsible.” Full text on Page 4
DMC urged to call off agitation
In this image, garbage is seen lying unattended at several locations in Dimapur Town due to a strike called by DMC Employees’ Association. (Morung Photo)
state government and issued lease for collection of toll tax of 41 items to 41 lessees. However, the Department of Urban Development had simultaneously issued lease of 37 items to 37 leases. Accordingly, “dispute arose between the lessees of DMC and Urban Development, which was accordingly adjudicated by the High Court, Kohima Bench.” During the pendency of the “dispute,” DMC employees collected toll tax from September 21 2013 to December 9, 2013. The DMC informed that during the period, its employees generated more than double the amount which has been fixed by the Municipal authority & Urban Development.
However, it lamented that the state government has approved a list of leases for collection of DMC toll tax, whereby the revenue is to be deposited in the account of the DMC by the said lessee, amounting to 40% of the total revenue collected by the DMC staff. It expressed apprehension that allowing collection of toll tax on a lease system will “not only adversely affect the general welfare of the public but also adversely affect the fulfillment of the basic requirement of the staff of DMC.” While regretting the inconvenience caused by the strike, the DMC Staff Association has called for co operation from the citizens of Dimapur.
DImAPUr, December 11 (mexN): The 37 lessees who have been newly contracted by the Department of Urban Department to collect toll tax of the DMC with effect from December 10 has appealed for the DMC Employees’ Association not to resort to ‘cease work’ as it would affect the well being of the town at the time of festive season. It further condemned the arson attempts made at DMC toll tax collection booth at Burma Camp, near New Dhansiri Bright and Kivejau Colony, Thahekhu village gate and DMC main office at Marwari Patti on December 9. It further clarified that the 37 lessees have no involvement whatsoever in the arson attempt. Acknowledging the sentiment of the association, it assured that the newly contracted lessees would cooperate in the investigation. The statement also requested the DMC Employees’ Association not to demand for cancellation of the order authorizing the 37 lessees to collect the DMC tolls. It further urged not to disturb the collection of toll tax being carried out by the new lessees “as they are functioning purely as per the order of the concerned department.”
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The Morung Express C
‘Guardian of the Frontier Villages’ in promotion dilemma
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Kiphire VGs appeal to ban “deputation, direct appointment and political influence”
Our Correspondent Kiphire | December 11
Submitting a representation to the Additional Chief Secretary and Commandant General VG Nagaland through the Deputy Commissioner, who is also the Ex-Officio VG Kiphire, the VG Kiphire President, C. Thronginju and secretary Lakiumong stated that, “deputation, direct appointment and political influence in appointing the commanding officer hamper the growth of the organization.” The VG Kiphire has made an appeal to ban all kind of deputation and direct appointment to the organization and further appeals to the higher authorities to enhance the salary and other allowances. The VGs has expressed resentment that though they perform their duties diligently, “almost all the village guards retire as constable without any pension or benefit. The only space for them is promotion to
JCO or Subidar, however with political influence the Village Guards cannot get the benefit of the service they render throughout their life.” It may be mentioned here that, the Village Guards (VG) Kiphire was established with the motto “Service, Courage and Justice” on January 23, 1959 at Phelungre Village, as a consequence of several conflict followed by fierce fighting between the villagers and the Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) cadres. According to the Golden Jubilee book of VG Kiphire, which was celebrated in 2009, Phelungre villagers prior to 1959, was given four ‘DBBL’ gun in 1944 for protection of village from the enemies after four Japanese soldiers were captured and handed over to the government. However, those guns were withdrawn after few years. On early morning of January 1959 when a group of about 20 FGN cadres came to
Duties beyonD bounDary: Village guards on duty in a jungle in Kiphire district. (Morung Photo) the village and abducted three person including DB, the villagers chased and fought the UG with their mere dao and spears killing 4 of them after fierce
fighting and captured four .303 Rifles. According to sources, initially there were only 30 volunteers as Village Guards. It is
stated that after VG post was established on January 23 itself, the VGs of Phelungre village carried out daring missions earning awards and commen-
dations but many of which went unrecorded. Today, Kiphire district has a total strength of 2052 VGs inclusive of all rank and files, headed by the Dy Commandant, Assistant Commandant and Junior Commission Officer. However, it is facing stagnation in promotion due to “political influence, deputation and direct appointment.” Known for their dedication, sincerity and honesty, the roles and responsibility of village guards is complex. They are requisite and utilized for multiple jobs as situation demands though they are appointed mainly to protect the villages from intruders and the insurgents. Drawing an honorarium of Rs 1750 per month, the Village Guards also known as, ‘Guardian of the frontier villages’ performs their duties and share the same role and responsibility like any other Para military force in the country. They
help in community policing in most of the villages however sadly, they retire as constable if they fail to reach the rank of Hawalder. The Kiphire district has three band parties who train themselves. These bands are exclusively from the village guards whose service are being used in almost all the occasion and especially in national programs like the Republic Day and the Independence Day. With hardly any allowances, except the Ration Allowance (RA) of rupees 25 per day (if they perform extra duties) and clothing allowance of rupees 500 a year, the Village Guards perform their duties as guide for tourist and ROP when VIP and VVIP visit the area with not enough bullets in their antique .303 Rifles. In Nagaland, the Village Guards is operating in the districts of Tuensang, Mon, Kiphire, Longleng and Meluri subdivision of Phek district.
NSU Shillong releases ‘Odyssey’ magazine Azo graces Thuvopisumi Welfare Union silver jubilee celebration
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Imtiwapang Aier, ARC Nagaland House, Shillong along with NSUS executives during the release of “Odyssey” magazine on December 9.
Dimapur, December 11 (mexN): The Naga Students’ Union Shillong (NSUS) organised a small gathering cum advent Christmas dinner on December 9, at Nagaland House, Shillong with Imtiwapang Aier, ARC Nagaland House, Shillong gracing the occasion as the main guest. Imtiwapang Aier, a great guardian and caretaker of the NSUS with his uncompromising attitude for the Nagas; especially the student community, released the 4th edition of the NSUS “Odyssey” magazine in the presence of NSUS executives dating from 2008 to date. The president Ketoulhoukho Suohumvii in his short address expressed his deep-
Dimapur, December 11 (mexN): Thuvopisumi Welfare Union, Dimapur, today celebrated its silver jubilee at the Diphupar Village Local Ground. Kuzholuzo Nienu (Azo), Minister Roads & Bridges and Parliamentary Affairs, graced the occasion as chief guest. Speaking on the occasion as chief guest, Nienu pointed out to the misconception that jubilees are a time for feasting and merry making, clarifying that jubilees are actually a time to come together - to create friendship, to forgive and forget, and to come closer to God. Stressing on the importance of Naga unity,
est gratitude and sincere appreciation to all individuals, well-wishers, elders, members, groups and organisations for their unflinching support, which gave the NSUS yet another successful year. A special thanks goes to the Directorate of Higher and Technical Education, Kohima; Nagaland for making the publication a grand reality. Meanwhile, General Secretary, Ikaito V Zhimo, notified that the Union office would remain closed from December 10 till January 15, 2014 on account of the festive season. Lastly, the Union wishes every Dimapur, December member a blessed Christmas and a prom- 11 (mexN): Livingstone ising new year. Foundation Higher Secondary School (LFHSS), Dimapur, in commemoration of its Silver Jubilee, on Tuesday, had a special reason to celebrate, as it inaugurated its first day cover and cancellation of its seal. The brief ceremony started off, by invoking God’s blessings by Mandel. The ceremony was graced by E. Yanthan, As“ Jesus said come to me, who are weary and burdened, sistant- Sub Divisional I will give you rest”… Matt 11:28 Inspector, Department of Post. While addressPlace : KASA Stadium, Diphu, Karbi Anglong ing the audience, the Chief th th Date : 14 to 16 December 2013 Guest stressed on the importance of letters, as a Service Timing : Morning : 9:00am to 11:00am means of communication Evening : 3:00pm to 5:00pm exchange, which is still rel-
Minister Kuzholuzo Nienu releasing the Thuvopisumi Welfare Union, Dimapur, Silver Jubilee souvenir on December 11. (Morung Photo)
Nienu advised the gathering not to become selfish in trying to protect ones interests, but instead, he advised, “show respect,
love and concern for one another.” Concerned about the way the press had carried reports on the Hornbill
festival, Nienu singled out one of the English dailies in Nagaland, which he found critical of the Government in their reports. Nienu de-
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Healing Crusade
Speaker:
Rev Zotuo Kiewhuo, Senior Pastor, Koinonia Baptist Church & Principal Kohima Bible College, Nagaland.
Organised by: All the Gospel Preaching Ministry, Karbi Anglong
For further contact : +91 9435429976
ObiTuAry Words are inadequate to express our heartfelt gratitude to all who stood by us physically, financially and in prayers at the untimely demise of our beloved Son and Brother Akahoto Jakhalu (Akabo), we the bereaved family humbly pray that the Almighty God bless each and every one of you abundantly. Though we cannot mention the names of each and every individual in this column, your friendship, kindness, prayers and sympathy shown to us will forever be cherished in our hearts.
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LFHSS release First Day Cover and Cancellation of Seal
Festival of Prayer
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fended the Government, saying, the Government was very clear about Hornbill festival, that it is celebrated to promote and showcase the various Naga tribes and their culture and that it was a platform to promote unity. Mincing no words, Nienu blamed the Naga people for defaming Hornbill festival saying “Nagas are champions of abuse” before adding that Nagas have abused Christianity, jubilees, festivals etc. He further expressed sadness that the Government was being blamed when it was really the Naga people who were misusing and abusing the festival.
We would like to convey our sincere thanks to: 1. Sumi Baptist Church Kohima Akahoto Jakhalu 2. Pastor & Staff SBCK 29th August 1978 to 7th December 2013 3. Kohima Surumi Community 4. Suruhuto Tokukujo kuqhakulu, Kohima 5. Daklane Panchayat 6. Daklane Youth Social Organisation 7. Daklane Sumi Youth Fellowship 8. Daklane Sector II 9. P.C.P. Colony Youth 10. Soul Harvest Church, Kohima 11. Friday Mothers Prayer Group, Daklane 12. Neighbours & Friends.
Till we meet again, Loving Parents, Brother, Sisters Brother-in-laws & Relatives.
E. Yanthan, Assistant- Sub Divisional Inspector, Department of Post official launch the first day cover and cancellation seal of Livingstone Foundation Higher Secondary School (LFHSS), Dimapur, today. (Morung Photo)
evant in today’s context. He remarkable and noble idea mony marks LFHSS, Dimafurther complimented the in the commemoration of pur, as the first educational school for achieving such a its Silver Jubilee. The cere- institution in the North
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
East India, to bring out the School’s day cover Bulletin. School Chairman, Andrew Ahuto Sumi, described it as a new chapter in the history of Livingstone Foundation Higher Secondary School, Dimapur. He elaborated that the cover envelope is an official cover that would have validity acceptance across the world, while on the other side, the cancellation of the seal, indicated that the old school logo would not be in use anymore. Initially, Som Kamei, Director of Post, was to grace the event, as the Chief Guest, however, he could not make it due to, the sudden demise of his mother-in-law.
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“I have fought the good fought, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing ”. (2 Timothy 4:7-8)
IN GRATITUDE
We, the bereaved family members of late S. Akang Jamir IPS DGP (Retd) thank each individual, churches and associations for upholding and sustaining us with your prayers throughout his brief illness and sad demise on 01.12.2013.Thank you for your solidarity and unstinting support in manifold ways during our moment of unbearable grief. We are overwhelmed. It is our prayer that God meet all your needs according to His glorious riches. We wish to make special mention of our indebtedness to: 1. Dr.Talimoa, Dr.Athiko and Staff of Zion Hospital, Dimapur 2. Doctors and Staff of GNRC, Guwahati, 3. JRC and Staff, Nagaland House Guwahati 4. Friends and well wishers ,Guwahati 5. DGP and all ranks, Nagaland Police 6. IPS Association 7. Kashiram Village Council 8. Dimapur District Ao Pensioners 9. Kohima College Teachers Association(KCTA) & Principal 10. United Baptist Church,Gautam Bast,Karbi Anglong 11. Police Baptist Church Association 12. Police Union Baptist Church, Phesema/Chumukedima 13. Bethel Church, Karbi Anglong 14. Pastor, NCF Guwahati 15. Dimapur Ao Baptist Arogo 16. Emmanuel Baptist Church, Karbi Anglong 17. Changkikong Union 18. Khar Baptist Arogo 19. Khar Union, Kohima/Dimapur 20. Chungliyimsen Fellowship, Kohima/Dimapur 21. Chungliyimsen Home Bred Society 22. Chungliyimsen Senso Telongjem, Mkg 23. Chungliyimsen Council Loving wife, son, daughter, grandchildrens & relatives
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Children of Stepping Stone School, Dimapur added gaiety and fervor to their 4th Annual Day cum 1st Graduation celebrated on December 10 by dressing up in costumes, and dancing to a Hawaiian song. (Morung Photos)
3 Regional Protesters attack police station over killings Centre gives nod to 6,418 km of Thursday
The Morung express
Allegations of "staged shootout" guwAHAtI, DECEMBER 11 (IANS): A mob in Assam's Chirang district Wednesday attacked a police station and set fire to some motorcycles, alleging that police and army personnel killed two students and injured another in a "staged shootout" claiming they were Bodo insurgents.
Northeast Briefs
ZYF (AMN) to meet Manipur CM IMPHAL, DECEMBER 11 (MExN): The Zeliangrong Youth Front (Assam Manipur and Nagaland) led by its President and accompanied by General Secretary, Joint Secretary, of ZYF (Assam, Manipur & Nagaland), Chairman, ZYF Tamenglong Zone, General Secretary, ZYF Imphal West, Finance Secretary, ZYF Luangchum Zone and Publicity & Information Secretary, ZYF Nungba Zone met Deputy Chief Minister at his Office, located at Manipur Old Secretariat. The meeting was also attended by Vice Chairman, Hills Area Committee (HAC) and also the MLA of Tamei A/C. A press note informed that the meeting discussed the six points submitted by the ZYF to the government and ended without any conclusive outcome. It further informed that an appointment with the Chief Minister of Manipur on December 13 was fixed to discuss the points. The ZYF prohibition and restriction on orange growers to abstain from participating the Orange festival on December 14 which will be held at Longmai (Noney) town still continue till there is amicable solution is arrived, the ZYF (AMN) asserted.
4 persons abducted in Assam - Nagaland border
MokokCHuNg DECEMBER 11 (MExN): Four persons, working in a private owned tea plantation at Selenghat area bordering Nagaland, were abducted by unidentified persons on December 12. The four persons have been identified as Dijen Gowala, Dumo Garh, Moina Baishya and Amar Praja, all belonging to tea community and residents of Rankham Gaon under Selenghat P.S. in Jorhat district. The All Assam Tea Tribes' Student Association (AATTSA) has demanded for immediate release of the abducted persons without any harm and ransom. Sources informed that the AATTSA have threatened to go on agitation from December 13 if the abducted are not released.
12 December 2013
Residents, however, refused to buy the police version. They said the two youths were students and were gunned down in a staged shootout. They said the three boys were from the same family and that they were innocent. The slain youths were students of Class 7 and 10 while the injured youth is a student of Class 6 in a local school, the residents added. They then came out on the streets to protest the killings, attacked the Runikhata police station
and also set fire to some motorcycles. This forced the police to resort to a baton charge and fire blank rounds to disperse the crowd. The situation is under control now, police said. "An operation was launched in Raijungbari village in the district Tuesday night after a tip-off that militants were taking shelter there. There was firing from the militants' side and two were gunned down during an operation today (Wednesday)," said Chirang Superintendent of
Police R. Bhuyan. Meanwhile, considering the public outcry against the killings, the Chirang deputy commissioner has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. On Saturday, another youth was killed by a joint team of police and army at Kahitama village in the district, close to the India-Bhutan border. Although police termed him a militant, his family members said he had no link with militants and that he had gone out to his paddy field in the morning and never returned.
ItANAgAR, DECEMBER 11 (PtI): The Union Road Transport and Highways (RTH) Ministry has approved road construction of 6,418 km under Special Accelerated Road Development Project-North East for implementation of Phase A and the Arunachal Pradesh package of roads and highways. "Of the 10,141 km stretch of road included under the ministry's SARDPNE, 6418 km have been approved by the Centre for implementation under Phase A and the Arunachal
SHILLoNg, DECEMBER 11 (IANS): Security forces intensified combing operations against Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) rebels in western Meghalaya after they overran the general headquarters of the outlawed outfit, a police official said Wednesday. "The operation is in full swing, and has yielded good results. However, we cannot divulge details at this stage," Meghalaya Police chief Peter James Pyngrope Hanaman told IANS.
On Wednesday, a joint team of commandos of Meghalaya's Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit and the Combat Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) overran the GNLA general headquarters in Durama hill range near Adugre village in East Garo Hills district. "Although they (GNLA rebels) managed to escape from the hideout (their general headquarters), we have recovered a cache of weapons, explosives and incriminating documents," Hanaman said. Durama hill
range is a vast, densely forested area in the Garo Hills which the GNLA and the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) rebels have been using as their sanctuary. Sohan D. Shira, chief of the GNLA's military wing, also controls his rebels from Durama. Meanwhile, Meghalaya Police have confirmed that there was no casualty in Tuesday's crackdown on the GNLA general headquarters. "We have confirmed that there were no casualties on both sides
in yesterday's (Tuesday) crackdown, but we have seized one MA3 (Mark-II) assault rifle, a China-made hand grenade, two pistol magazines, four rounds of 5.56 live ammunition, ten Neogel gelatine sticks, identity cards and incriminating documents from the GNLA's headquarters," said J.F.K. Marak, the district police chief of East Garo Hills. Meghalaya, especially the Garo Hills region, is being used as a safe haven by various northeast-based militant groups, including
the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM), the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB). With the outlawed A'chik National Volunteers Council (ANVC) on a ceasefire agreement with the central government, the NSCNIM and the ULFA spawned several rebel groups with the intention of exploiting the lucrative extortion in the coal-rich areas of the Garo Hills region.
Date: 27 - 30 Dec’13
Pradesh package of roads and highways, while the remaining 3,723 km have been approved for preparation of detailed project report under Phase B of the programme," Union Minister of State for RTH Sarvey Sathyanarayana said in reply to a query by Lok Sabha member Takam Sanjoy, official sources said here today. The minister informed that Phase A and the Arunachal package were targeted for completion by March 2017. While conceding that there had been delays
in completion of works in all north-eastern states due to delay in land acquisition, environment and forest clearance, and in some cases due to poor mobilization by the contractors, the minister said non-performing contractors have been debarred from participating in future work. "The ministry has posted one additional director general for NE region at Guwahati, who will be assisted by three chief engineers, posted at Guwahati, Agartala and Itanagar, to expedite the pre-construction activities," he added.
Combing operations stepped up in Garo Hills JOB VACANCY
Naga Comic Book ‘The Final Head’ released IMPHAL, DECEMBER 11 (NNN): To quench the literary thirst of the tribal community, young minds are fiddling their fingers using modern gadgets these days driven by the trail of explosions of the accumulated frustration due to literary barren of the yester-years. One such young mind is Alyson Abonmai who has just published a comic book based on a Naga folk tale. The comic christened, "The Final Head" was released in the just concluded Hornbill Festival, Kisama, near Kohima in Nagaland. 31 years old Alyson Abonmai hails from Konsaram village, Sadar Hills under Senapati district, Manipur. The 77-page comic is a coloured one and the ilustrations are done by one Shokreishing Keishing while one Joy Kharang edited the comic assisted by
Police case against MLA
ItANAgAR, DECEMBER 11 (PtI): Arunachal Pradesh police has registered a case against ruling Congress party MLA and Tax and Excise Parliamentary Secretary Lokam Tassar for allegedly burning down documents related to Kurung Kumey district electoral roll revision on December 9 last. Kurung Kumey District Deputy Commissioner Gejum Ete in a report submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) here charged that Tassar along with others burnt the documents after waylaying the vehicle carrying those at Hawa Camp near Kimin under Papum Pare district. "The vehicle was on its way to Itanagar under police escort. Unfortunately, a group of people intercepted the vehicle near Hawa Camp and took out all the documents of the electoral roll
revision for Palin, Nyapin, Tali and Koloriang Assembly constituencies and burnt them along with a computer set and four digital cameras," the DC said in its report. According to the FIR lodged at Kimin police station by the accompanying team, the act was carried out by a group of about 16 persons led by Tassar, the DC said in his report yesterday. A case has been registered and investigation is on. Meanwhile, Papum Pare SP Nabam Gungte while confirming registration of the case said, since the accused is a member of the Legislative Assembly, certain formalities are required to be met before he is taken into police custody in connection with the case. "The legislative assembly speaker has been intimated about the matter," Gungte added.
Orgd. By the Youth Dept., Aoyimkum Baptist Church, Near Rangapahar. th
road construction in Arunachal
The incident took place in Runikhata, about 200 km from Assam's capital Guwahati. Police and army personnel killed two youths and injured another early Wednesday and the police said the two slain youths were cadres of the anti-talk faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) led by I.K. Songbijit. One AK-46 rifle, one grenade and 15 rounds of live ammunition were recovered from their possession. Police said the injured youth was a linkman of the outfit.
4th OPEN WINTER BADMINTON TOURNAMENT th
Dimapur
one Ngounibou Thiumai and one Claudia Teronpi. The comic depicts how the head hunting Naga tribes discarded the practice with the coming of Christianity in the region. "It is the story of how a primitive tribe of head hunters, living on the steep, mist covered mountains of Northeast India, came to know the love of Jesus Christ," commented Dr Bobby Herrell of CBC, Texas. He continues, "Long isolated from outside influences, their story now emerges from under the jungle canopy, ready to be revealed to the world." Dr Bobby concludes,"Theirstorywillinspire you in your own journey to discover a life of peace." Meanwhile, the comic illustrations are that of the Nagas with traditional and cultural touch but the dialogues are modern common exchanges done straight from the epics.
APPRECIATION
For further information, please contact Senti: 9856014211 or Tali: 9774003252 “Upland Inn paying guest” with all modern facility and comforts at reasonable rate, especially for outstation players, is available at walk able distance from the venue. For accommodation, contact: 9612417404.
GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAND
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF EMPLOYMENT & CRAFTSMEN TRAINING
The Kiusum Town Student union would like to express gratitude to Chief Engineer PHED Nagaland and the concern department for providing water supply to Kiusum Town the remotest part of the state during 2012-2013. The water supply which is the long felt need of the town has been fulfilled by the department therefore the general public also would like to express gratitude to the department.
NAGALAND: KOHIMA
NO.DET-8/6/2006/485
IN THE COURT OF DEPUTY COMMISSIONER DIMAPUR DISTRICT: NAGALAND
NOTICE
Dt. Dimapur the 11th Dec’13
NO.REV-12/2000-D/11038-39/ Notice is hereby given that Shri Sosa R/O Darogapathar has reported that he had lost his Jamabandi/Patta Bearing Patta No. 208 Dag No. 320 of Block No/Village Darogapathar area 120x70 which was lost or destroyed. The undersigned hereby invites claims /objection concerning to the said land or any should be submitted to this court in written on or before 11/01/14.
NOTIFICATION
sd/(Muthingnyuba Sangtam) Director, Employment & Craftsmen Training, Nagaland, Kohima.
Sd/Deputy Commissioner Dimapur: Nagaland
CELEBRATION PROGRAMME NAGALAND CIVILDEFENCE & HOME GUARDS CHURCH
SERVICE SCHEDULES December 14 (Saturday) at 4:30 p.m (Post Unveiling of Silver Jubilee Monolith)
Silver Jubilee (1988-2013)
Leader Speaker
Date: December 14 - 15, 2013 Venue: C.T.I. Toluvi, Dimapur
Topic
: Ms.Ruofukhrienuo, Women Leader : Rev.Dr.N.Mong Lotha Executive Secretary, NPBCA : “Proclaim the Love & Peace of God” Order of Celebration
Welcome the celebration Bible reading & prayer Congregational Hymn A word of welcome
Theme: Proclaim the Power of God.
SPEAKERS 1. Rev.Dr.N.Mong Lotha
(Ps.63:34)
: Executive Secretary, Nagaland Police Baptist Churches Association Nagaland, Chumukedima.
2. Rev.Dr.Ajoy Kumar Lama : General Secretary, Council of Baptist Churches in North East India (CBCNEI), Guwahati 3. Pianist
: Areni Murry
Dated Kohima, the 11th Dec’2013
The result of the Interview for selection of candidates against on Job Apprenticeship held on 06/12/2013 is hereby declared for information of all concerned. TRADE 1. IT Diploma: Roll no-2,7,8, WL-6. 2. Civil Diploma : Roll no -11,15,16,18,19,20,21,22. 3. Electrical /Electronics Diploma : roll no -24,26,32,35,37. WL 1-42 ,WL 2-23 4. Chemical & Pulp Diploma : roll no — 137,140,144,146. 5. Mechanical Diploma : roll no- 46,47,50,51,100. 6. MCA roll no-76,77,79. 7. MBA Finance: roll no- 52, 55,61. WL — 56. 8. MBA Human Resource: roll no- 68,72,73. 9. Graduate Engr. Mechanical: roll no-85,92,104. WL-94. 10. Graduate Engr. Electrical: roll no-113,116,117. WL-106. 11. Graduate Engr. Civil: roll no-130,133,134. WL-132 12. Graduate Engr.Chemical &Pulp :roll no-141,145,147. WL-136. 13. ITI Technician Welder : roll no-149,150,151,152,182. 14. ITI Technician Electrician: roll no-156,157,158,159,160,161,163 . 15. ITI Machinist :roll no-167,168,170,173,174. WL -169 16. ITI Technician Plumber :roll no-175,176,178.179. 17. ITI Technician Fitter :roll no-180. 18. ITI Technician Turner :roll no-181.
M.K Shukiu Executive chairman KTSU
Venue: Aoyimkum Village Football Ground
Men’s Singles: 2nd Prize: Rs.7, 500 (Regd Fee: Rs.500) 1st Prize: Rs.15, 000, Men’s Doubles: 2nd Prize: Rs.12, 500 (Regd Fee: Rs.1000) 1st Prize: Rs.20, 000, th Last date of form submission: 24 Dec’ till 3:00 pm Chief Referee: Shri C.Tinu Pongen, State Coach and National Referee Forms available at a). Kiran Sports. (NL Road) b). Revelin Bakery & Provision. (Tinali Sub Jail Road) c). Needs Medical, Padu, Pukheri. d). Rs Medicos, Purana Bazar e). Popular Sports, Hotel Trinity East Complex.
Required male wardens for the year 2014 for a Reputed School/Higher Secondary in Dimapur with and educational qualification of B.Th. Salary RS.7000/- with food and lodging. Apply with your full bio-data, marksheet from HSLC onwards including Phone Number & Photo -1 No. Contact: 9402682268
: S.S.Department : Rev.Shetovi Swu, Pastor, TBC : : Shri Dally Jamir, Commandant, C.T.I. Dimapur Release of Souvenir : Rev.Dr.A.K.Lama, Gen.Secy.CBCNEI Special Song : Toluvi Baptist Church Youth Greetings : Shri G.Akheto Sema, IPS, Commandant General (HGs) A short history of the Church : Pastor, CD & HG Church Life Testimony : Shri P.T.Jamir, Coy.Commander, HGs, Mokokchung What A Friend We have in Jesus
: Jubilee Choir
Message Benediction
: Speaker : S.Lanu, Pastor Ao Baptist Church Purana Bazar ‘B’
December 15 (Sunday)’ at 10:00 a.m Leader Speaker Topic
: Shri Medozhalie Pienyu (DCG) Chairman, Planning Committee : Rev. Dr. Ajoy Kumar Lama, General Secretary, CBCNE : "Proclaim the Power of God"
Order of Celebration Bible reading & prayer Lord Let Me Serve Greetings
Offering & Offertory Prayer
: Dr. H. Ndang, Pastor, PBC Peren : HGs Personnel, Dimapur Dist. : (1) Shri L. Thechamo Lotha, IPS Director General, Home Guards (2) Shri Kejong Chang Hon'ble Parliamentary Secy., HGs : Mr. Limatemsü, Pastor (PBC) Mokokchung.
Planning Committee Report Acknowledgment Hallelujah Chorus Scripture Reading Message Vote of Thanks Thanksgiving Prayer
: Shri Vikiho K. Sumi, Chief Instructor Secretary, Planning Committee : : Jubilee Choir : Ms. Yilanbeni Tsopoe, Youth Director : Speaker : Shri S. Rotokha Zhimomi Sr. Staff Officer (Hqrs) Kohima : Mass Spoken prayer
JUBILEE FEAST Grace for the feast
: Pastor Monenlo Apon, RBC, Padumpukhuri
C M Y K
The Morung Express 4 local public discoursE L&T Insurance launched in Nagaland Dimapur
Thursday
12 December 2013
Kohima, December 11 (mexN): L&T General Insurance Company Ltd (L&T Insurance) office was formally inaugurated on November 28, opposite World War II Cemetery, Kohima by Parliamentary Secretary for National Highways and Mechanical, Nuklutoshi Longkumer in presence of Director, Soil & Water Conservation, R. Nangshi Jamir and Project Director, Soil & Water Conservation, Limameren Ao. A press note received here stated that L&T General Insurance Company Limited (L&T Insurance) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro Limited, a USD 12.8 billion technology, engineering and construction group, with global operations, one of the world’s top 50 most reputed companies in the June 2009 issue of ForbesReputation Institute’s
Paragon SHG conducts ESDP training
Dimapur, December 11 (mexN): The Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship under the Ministry of MSME in collaboration with Paragon SHG organized Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Programme (ESDP) training from October 29 to November 21. Ravi Kumar, principal Merry Hill School, Zunheboto, Tokai K Awomi, inspector DIC Zunheboto and Nihtoho Sumi, programme coordinator were the resource persons.
BIRTHDAY GREETINGS
GPRN/NSCN on the attitude of the 46th Assam rifles stationed at Kiphiri town
O
Parliamentary Secretary Nuklutoshi Longkumer (third from left) along with others during the launching of L&T General Insurance Company Ltd (L&T Insurance) office on November 28 last in Kohima.
“World’s Most Reputable Companies” survey. L&T insurance offers a wide range of financial services motor insurance, health insurance, Corporate insurance, home insurance and SME insurance. Its
Health Insurance my: health Medisure Prime Insurance from L&T Insurance voted Product Of The Year 2012 by Nielsen. Four hospitals are already empanelled in Nagaland Bethel Medical Centre Kohima, Faith Hos-
pital Dimapur, Oking Hospital and Research Clinic Kohima, Metro Hospital Dimapur and 5000 + hospitals across India through its leading third party administrator E-Meditek (TPA) Services Ltd.
Dimapur, December 11 (mexN): The executive meeting of the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Association (CISTA) was held at Seven Brothers Hotel, Kokrajhar, Assam on December 4 organised by the Kokrajhar District Committee, All Assam Small Tea Growers’ Association. During the interaction, D. Hukiye Kibami highlighted the various grievances faced by the small tea growers of Nagaland such as nonrelease of subsidy for which the Association has filed a case for natural justice and its final verdict is still pend-
ing. It may also be noted that the small tea growers of the state has been facing much difficulty in carrying out the official work without the presence of Tea Board office in the state and hence as requested by the Association, the Tea Board has approved for the setting up of Tea Board office in Nagaland. In the meeting, the brochure of the India International Small Tea Growers was inaugurated where in Reo Rewa Narzary, EM, Bodo Territorial Council was the chief guest. Pabitra Kar, Deputy Speaker, Tripura Legislative Assembly as well
as the President of All Tripura Small Tea Grower Association and Dinesh Sharma, Vice-Chairman, Tea Board were the special guests. The All Nagaland Small Tea Grower Association were invited as a special invitee represented by D. Hukiye Kibami, President, ANSTGA and Yongthrise Sangtam, Executive Member, ANSTGA and affiliated to the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Grower Association. This was stated in a press release issued by Er Inavito Yepthomi, Press Secretary, ANSTGA.
Tea Board office in Nagaland
Dear Taliakum Longchar On this special day, we wish you all the very best of joys you can ever have and may you bless abundantly today, tomorrow and the days to come! May you have a fantastic birthday and many more to come. May God bless you. Happy Birthday
The State Institute of Rural Development (SIRD) concluded its Induction Training Course Wishes from, Ajenla for Master Trainers today on December 11, which was scheduled from December 5 at Alemla, Mum and Dad Training Hall of SIRD. District and Block Level Officials, Representatives of NGOs and and loved ones Research Scholars attended the training course.
_
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.”
1
SUDOKU Game Number # 2733
n the 10th of December, 2013, Lieutenant Leose (Dino) of the Naga Army, stationed at Designated Camp Shanphure (Punze) was in a garage at Kiphiri town to repair a car when he was picked up by the Indian Army led by Major Parvesh of the 46 Assam Rifles stationed at Kiphiri. During the two hour long detention, Leose was beaten up and questioned. Major Parvesh and his boys asked the GPRN/NSCN cadre where his other two companions were and where he had hidden his gun. Leose responded that he was alone and on medical leave, and thus the question of possessing arms was out of question. During the interrogation, the Indian Army beat up
C
Leose so bad that it fractured his rib on the left side and is in critical condition. Major Parvesh released the GPRN/NSCN cadre but with a condition that, he (Leose) should submit any kind of Pistol within 2 days, after which, he would be rearrested and booked. Major Parvesh has direly warned Leose that he (Parvesh) has two country-made pistols in his possession, and if Leose do not submit any pistol within two days, the Major would take those countrymade pistols and claim it as having found it in Leose’s possession, thus booking him under National Security act. The GPRN/NSCN cadre has been receiving calls from Major Parvesh till the time of filing this report, for which he can neither un-
dergo proper medical treatment, nor stay in peace at home though on medical leave. The GPRN/NSCN is surprised that a commanding officer in the Rank of a Major can stoop so low as to prove himself an enemy agent. Any commanding officer heading the battalion should be well versed with the dos and don’ts of a unit/battalion commander. Clearly misusing his power as a responsible commander and beating up a Naga Army cadre undergoing treatment, thereby leaving him in critical condition and threatening to book him under NSA if no pistol is submitted within two days is a shame. How can someone entrusted to command act so cheap as
to gain mileage in his career by hospitalizing someone and then asking for things that cannot be done from a sick person? What good can it be for the GPRN/ NSCN cadres to adhere to the ceasefire ground rules if the other party acts like hooligans? The GPRN/ NSCN would like to make known that if anything happens to Leose, Major Parvesh and his boys will be held responsible and also asks Major Parvesh and his boys to do their duties conscientiously and get familiar with the cease-fire ground rules so that such incidents do not happen in future Issued by: Ministry of Information & Publicity, GPRN/NSCN
The Power Of Communication
ommunication has the power to bring people together as well as divide. What has happened in the past is all because of communication and what happens in the near future also depends on it. Today, our culture, social and religious life are influenced and moulded by communication. Communication technologies are directly and indirectly controlling the world today. Good communication works toward liberation and build connectedness. Communication is not just a socioreligious needs but an organizational and political need as well. Therefore, the right model of communication ought to be address to the people of Nagaland today. Nagaland was divided by Indians 50 years ago. Instead of coming together, we have allowed ourselves to be disintegrated along the tribal, regional and lingual lines. Nothing can be worse than a nation, a state or a people in a constant process of organizational division. All these has happened because of inequality, and lack of right information and transparency in communication. For successful communication to happen, we always need to understand and respect others thinking and culture in the midst of diversities. When a particular Tribe/Group is consider superior problem arises. We cannot
communicate with people whom we considered as inferior. Therefore, we should always respect each other equally irrespective of tribes, church denomination, political parties, and nationalist group. It is high time now for the Nagas to wake up from the slumber of corruption, differences and misunderstanding. Peace is said to be indivisible, so is freedom, so is prosperity now, and so also is disaster in this one world that can no longer be split into isolated fragments. The past is over and it is the future that beckons to us now. The end to which various nationalist groups fight for is the same goal for all. They just use different names for it, like the six blind men touching an elephant and depending on the parts they touched, name it as- a snake, a sword, a fan, a wall, a pillar, and a rope. The quest in each instance is the same, only the answer differs. Thus, along their different paths the various nationalist groups should lead the nation towards peace and identical summit. Despite, great differences, right Communication will allow nationalist groups to be more complementary rather than contradictory. Human are created to be in relationship with God, human beings and with the entire creations. Jesus Christ came to give liberty to the people and
His own communication was the act of self humanity. Jesus taught us how to love our enemies and to forgive those who persecute us. We wait every year to celebrate Christmas. Yet when we plan our celebrations, we tend to forget many souls who serve us unfailingly. We gather around the Christmas tree with friends and family. But we forget to invite those who are ‘alone’ in this world. Take this festive season as an opportunity to forgive whom you have not been able to forgive for long and invite them to your house. Let us retrospect on our past and make an obligation to ourselves before God that we will all resolve to peace and become an agent of love to the world. There is no time for petty and destructive criticism, no time for ill-will or blaming others. We have to build the noble mansion of free Nagaland where all her people will live in peace and equality. We cannot deny the fact that there will be lots of obstacles and problems in upholding this task. However, if we stand together united than impossible will be our shadow. Without new visions and dreams you will be travelling in the same road. As 2014 come may we all aim to be a communicator who affirms justice and peace. Kerio Wetsah
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.
DAILY CROSS WORD
CROSSWORD # 2744
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 # 2732
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
O
R
GymNAstics
Backhandspring
gymnastics
Bars
layout
Beam
leotard
demi
point
douBle
saFety
douBle Front
springBoard
eight incher
stingmat
Flex
ten o
Flip
triple
Floor
tsukahara
Flop
tuck
Four incher
twist
Fronthandspring
Vault
Full gymnast
yurchenko
D A Y O L X G G S R U F D Y F L I P E
X S D G K Y N F U E R O I L X E L F
S D R O C L M I L O E O D F O T T L F
O E U N A N R O K A N A Y O N S U E
E U T B Y Y A P P I B T I U R O U F G
B E L O O S S E N E H Y R L S K T Y
L A E S U T D I O A A D C T E A S M
A E Z F P T H N G S M N R H R G H I N
O N R R Y S A H T F D A E I H A W A
R O W O I E I H T I O S T N P F R T S
E P N N N I K I N U P O K L T A A T
A O T G E O C N G R R E O E E A E I
C S I A B W O A C M I I L D S F N O C
V N I O R B B H A N N R O W O A B S
A T C A N D B E T C G S A F E T Y E
H U N U R Y A E R O H A Z U E L A D I
L T Y D R A W M A E F W T R E O F O
ACROSS
T I A S U G U E I R E Q G N A S E
1. Garbage 6. Notability 10. Keen 14. Heart artery 15. Garments of goat hair 16. Was a passenger 17. Public transit vehicles 18. Lease 19. Digestive juice 20. Daughter of a stepparent 22. Frozen 23. Japanese sash 24. Change 26. Plaster 30. Submarine detector 32. Silk-cotton tree 33. Puzzling 37. Weightlifters pump this 38. Nimble 39. Novice 40. Mindset 42. Puke 43. Accumulate 44. Gentle stroke 45. Wizardry 47. Excavate 48. Timbuktu’s land 49. Practices
56. Savvy about 57. Computer symbol 58. Cancel 59. Two-toed sloth 60. As a result 61. French for “Our” 62. Hearing organs 63. Bygone era 64. Thick woolen fabric
DOWN 1. Checks 2. Defeat decisively 3. Backside 4. Stair 5. Ottoman 6. The language of Persia 7. Assist in crime 8. Head of hair 9. Alienate 10. A type of judge 11. Vocalization 12. Lazybones 13. Accomplishment 21. Nigerian tribesman 25. Flee 26. Read superficially 27. Container weight 28. Atop 29. Communicable 30. Piques
31. Greasy 33. Auspices 34. An indefinite period 35. Colored part of an eye 36. Camp beds 38. Eagerness 41. French for “Friend” 42. Drifter 44. Spy agency 45. Bread from Heaven 46. Communion table 47. Compacted 48. Pout 50. Reflected sound 51. 60 minutes 52. Winter precipitation 53. Initial wager 54. Attraction 55. Sleigh
Ans to CrossWord 2743
DIMAPUR: 03862-232201/101 (O) 9436601225 (OC) CHUMUKEDIMA: 03862-282777/101 (O) WOKHA: 03860-242215 (O) 9402643782 MOKOKCHUNG: 0369-2226225/101 (O) 9856872011 (OC) PHEK: 03865-223838/101 (O) 9436012949 (OC)
TUENSANG: 03861-220256/101 (O) 8974322879
08974997923
MON: 03869-290629/101 (O) 9856248962/ 9612805461 (OC)
Toll free No. 1098 childline
W
KOHIMA: 0370-2222952/101 (O) 9436062098 (OC)
ZUNHEBOTO: 03867-220444/101 (O) 9856158740 (OC)
CHILD WELFARE COMMITTEE
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
CHEVROLET CARS PRICE FOR dECEmbER ‘2013 CAR MODELS
STARTING PRICE
spark 1.0 mce
3,38,705/-
Beat 1.2 (petrol)
3,91,493/-
Beat 1.0 (diesel)
4,77,441/-
sail u-Va 1.2 (petrol)
4,23,265/-
sail u-Va 1.3 (diesel)
5,33,999/-
sail 1.2 (petrol)
5,03,799/-
sail 1.3 (diesel)
6,34,665/-
enJoy 1.4 (petrol)
5,53,163/-
enJoy 1.3 (diesel)
6,73,963/-
cruZe 2.0 lt
13,96,498/-
captiVa 2.2 lt
22,66,213/-
* condition apply *3 years / 100,000 kms warranty * For petrol *cashless ownership maintenance oFFer
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 99.85 7.85
61.43 100.98 7.93
Australian Dollar
55.37
56.17
Singapore Dollar Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen
48.68 57.4 59.36
49.26 58.1 60.08
Euro
83.74
84.66
LOCAL
The Morung Express
Thursday 12 December 2013
The political uncertainty and fate of Naga political issue! Oken Jeet Sandham
importance of the northeastern region and its people who have also been victims of a weak leadership of the country. They would also like to see someone who can really take care of their wellbeing. One should also realize that youth of the region are equally concerned for their future. In many areas, the region is far behind than many parts of the country. We are completing 66 years of Independence and living in 21st Century. They also want to enjoy like others. The political uncertainty and the fate of Naga political issue: When such a very unpredictable political scenario fast emerges, what do we think of the ongoing political dialogues between the leaders of the NSCN (IM) and the Government of India? It has been 16 years since the signing of the ceasefire agreement between them and more than 60 rounds of political talks have already been held and both sides have really narrowed down their differences over the years. They could manage to remove political glitches. This is, without doubt, a big achievement on their parts. Out of the 16 years of peace process, the present Congress-led UPA Government has been dealing with the Naga underground leaders for the last almost 10 years. Dr Singh used to say
that the solution to the protracted Naga issue would be arrived at during his tenure. It is, certainly, a welcome gesture. But in reality, it is easier said than done for the fact that the nature of the process is political and when political stability is not there, no political talks can be safely held whatever the case may be. And the political instability in the Congress-led UPA increases while their allies are heaping all the blames of the present political crises on the weak leadership meaning the Prime Minister of the country. Yet, one should keep in mind that the present UPA Government is a coalition one and the majority Congress alone cannot take any political decision as such on the Naga issue without the consent of their allies. Besides, the issue needs debating on the floor of the Parliament while seeking opinions of the respective Chief Ministers of the region. Because of this complicated process, a strong political will with a stable Government at the Center is the need of the hour. On the other hand, present Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has been running the affairs of the State since 2003 after defeating the powerful Congress regime of Dr SC Jamir. It has been now almost 11 years that he has been at the helms of affairs of the State as the peace process between the
Naga underground leaders and the Government of India completes 16 years. But he kept saying that they were not a party to talks and acting only as “facilitator” to the process. Rio also used to say that talks were going in the right direction but not being able to share any stages of the talks. Many also described Prime Minister Dr Singh as “sincere” to the Naga issue. Yet none of them had courage to say the “Timeframe” of the settlement to the issue. Everyone is still kept in the dark of the issue even after 16 years of the process. This vague style of development is also largely responsible to destroying the “confidence” of the masses. I think this is ridiculous. Something is wrong somewhere. One should not run politics like this at the cost of finding a political solution. If you cannot push the process further, tell to the people that we cannot. It appears that no responsibilities are there with the leaders. Sometimes, they talked big things even to the extent of international politics. They seemed to have suffered from “I-knoweverything syndrome.” Now, in all probability nothing is going to happen to the Naga issue during Dr Singh’s tenure as Prime Minister of this great nation. We have to keep our fingers crossed till such time when new guards take over to run the country.
Kohima, December 11 (mexN): The Wakching Union Kohima has expressed concern over the alleged threat to one of its serious members, Yona Konyak by a PA attached to the Speaker of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly over an RTI petition filed by the former seeking information on the number of government vehicles titled to the Speaker and the In this image, the House Committee & Committee on ST/SC/OBC are seen with the Speaker, Nagaland Legislative Assembly on December 10 at his Office chamber. The Deputy Speaker. A press note from the team interacted with the NLA Speaker pertaining to the House Committee and other matters of mutual interest. WUK President and General Secretary stated that the PA to the Speaker had issued a “letter of threat”,
where it was stated that Yona Konyak “shall be held sole responsible if any untoward incident comes to the speaker, his family members, his PS/PA, drivers and vehicles.” WUK further informed that copies of the letter were also given to the Principal PS to the Chief Minister, President of the Chakesang Public Organization and to the President of the Konyak Uniion. “Don’t we all have the freedom and right to seek information on matters concerning various departments or authorities for the mat-
ter? What is the meaning or the value of RTI if we are to personalize, target and threaten one another for seeking the same,” WUK questioned. The union further expressed concern that the “letter of threat” was served to the CPO and the KU, “pulling the matter in tribal lines, which is serious.” It further cautioned that any “consequences/ incidents which happens to Yona Konyak and his family members in any manner shall be the sole responsibility of the PA to the Speaker.”
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he outcome of the assembly elections in five states---Rajasthan, MP, Delhi, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram--was something frightening. The BJP has got absolute majorities in three States while in Delhi it has faced short of 4 to form the Government. In Mizoram, the Congress retained. Delhi was not only the stronghold of the Congress but also the face of the country. Delhi’s three-time powerful Congress Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit finally became the victim of the strong anti-Congress wave that had swept across the country. However, the outcome of Delhi Assembly election has thrown uncertain political future as the single largest BJP is not prepared to stake claim to form the next Government. It has already declared that it preferred to sit in Opposition. The AAP, which decimated the Congress came second with 28 seats, said it would neither lend support to any party nor willing to seek support from any. It also said to sit in Opposition. The scenario in Delhi is increasingly clear that it may be placed under President’s Rule. The AAP that fought on the "pro-people" and "anti-corruption" poll plank feels that it will be suicidal to form Government in Delhi by taking sup-
port either from the BJP or the Congress. But the fact is if the PR is imposed in Delhi and holding of fresh election announced, the BJP may increase its tally from the present 32 to nearly 40, while AAP may hang around the same strength they have now. Because it is an antiCongress wave that has been sweeping across and not the anti-BJP wave. Yet, it is far more honorable for the AAP to face fresh election as it will enhance its political credibility in the eyes of the country. The outcome of these assembly elections will definitely have major impact on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections due early next year. This country has witnessed the activities of the Congressled UPA Government led by Dr Singh at the Center for the last one decade. The common men across the length and breadth of the country are not fully convinced by his leadership, though he is generally considered as “Clean.” But he seemed lacking political will and courage on many occasions and not decisive. That affected his image considerably and became most unpopular Prime Minister of the country. Scandals after scandals involving high profile and powerful Ministers in his Government had damaged his political standing and the very so-called “Clean tag” has lost its relevance along the
way. Some of his Ministers landed in jails over the years. The price rise issue is also one of the main factors to the Congress electoral debacle this time but at the same time, the rise of vociferous Narendra Modi as a national leader and making him the Prime Ministerial candidate of the main Opposition BJP also became spoilsports to the Congress in many parts of the country. Today’s youth are more well-informed, educated, well-versed and they are not interested to live any more on the hollowness and rhetoric of politicians. They have clearly seen the weakness of their Prime Minister on many issues. On the other hand, they have seen the kind of leadership in Modi who knows how to keep today’s youth close-knitted with his political strategies, visions and plans for the future of the country. Besides, they see in Modi that he can take the country forward. At the same time, the Western countries as well as many powerful countries started appreciating his performances as Chief Minister in Gujarat. This man is thoroughly prepared for the game and most of the Congress veterans in the country are seen finding difficulties to face him. All these factors have given political edge to him. Modi even knows the
KCYa to celebrate silver Jubilee
KiDima, December 11 (Dipr): The Kidima Catholic Youth Association (KCYA) of St. Francis Xavier’s Church will observe its Silver Jubilee celebration under the theme of “Be of good comfort, rise, He calleth thee” (Saint Mark 10: 49) with a yearlong celebration of Silver Jubilee. Er. Kropol Vitsu, Parliamentary Secretary, Information and Public Relations and Printing and Stationery, Government of Nagaland is the chief guest for the Cultural Celebration on December 21 and Most Reverend Dr. James Thoppil, Bishop of Kohima Diocese will bless the formal culmination on December 22 at Kidima Village Council Hall. The Director of Eden Garden Children’s Home, Khuzama, Reverend Father Raymond D’ Souza SJ will lead the Holy Eucharistic celebration for thanksgiving to Almighty God for the
success and completion of its Silver Jubilee of KCYA. The retired Director of School Education, Vikepelhou Lucas will be the resource speaker. Blessing and unveiling of Jubilee Monolith by Most Reverend Dr. James Thoppil, Bishop of Kohima Diocese. Invocation would be pronounce by Reverend Father Thomas Muttathil, Parish Priest of St. Francis Xavier’s Church, Kidima, singing a poem and anthem of Jubilee, traditional baby child amusement to make sleep, folksong, folkdance, and special number presentation by sing-inspiration group and Jubilee Choir, release of souvenir by the Chief Guest. Special prayer for departed souls and bestow the blessing to new office bearers team with sacrament will be the highlights of the celebration in the Apostolic church faith in the formal culmination
programme. Welcome address and vote of thanks will be delivered by Vimeyol Ronald and Sahovi John, Organising Committee, Convenor and Secretary respectively. Presiding of the different ceremony are Cultural Celebration by Kekhrüseto Paul, Advisor KCYA, thanksgiving service by Puchotole Patricia, Secretary KCYA and blessing & unveiling of Jubilee Monolith by Kenongol Mark, President KCYA. The keynote will address by Vitsu R. Martin former President KCYA. The whole session will compere by Shirley Thol and Kekuneil Henry. The Organizing Committee has invited all the wellwishers and faithful peoples to join in the occasion and share their love, peace and forgiveness and receive back the grace and blessing in the historic and joyful celebration.
Pfutseromi village gets panchayat hall
Dimapur, December 11 (mexN): The Pfutseromi Village Community Hall (Panchayat ghar) was inaugurated on December 9 with parliamentary secretary for Horticulture Neiba Kronu as the Chief Guest. In his inaugural speech, he encouraged the public, specially the younger generation to venture out into different trades for better economic development and in order to be self-sufficient. According to a press release, he also challenged the youth and the public to show better workmanship so as to prosper and have a better living. The inaugural function was attended by the government official under
WUK concerned by “letter of threat” to RTI petitioner
Pfutsero sub-division, and also the Village Council members and VDB members of the neighboring villages. Earlier, the dedicatory prayer was pronounced by the Senior Pas-
tor, PBC, Rev. L. Ritse, while the welcome address was delivered by W.K. Ritse, Chairman Village Council, Pfutseromi. Vote of thanks was tendered by Lhiwenyi Kapfo, VDB Secretary.
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MEx FILE DPDB meet cum Pre-Christmas on Dec 13 Dimapur, December 11 (mexN): The District Planning and Development Board (DPDB) meet cum Pre-Christmas celebration will be held on December 13 at 11:00 am at Aqua Mellow Park at Naga United Village, Dimapur. Dimapur DPDM vice chairman and DC K. Tarep Imchen in a press release has requested all the members to take note of the change of date and venue and attend the celebration.
NSF to celebrate advance with needy people
Dimapur, December 11 (mexN): Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) along with children from various orphanages and destitute homes in Kohima will be celebrating advance Christmas at Naga Solidarity Park on December 18 at 3:00 pm. A press release issued by NSF asst. general secretary informed that the celebration will witness Christmas carols, special musical presentations, messages to children and lots more. The federation has invited children from all the orphanage and destitute homes in Kohima, senior student leaders, federating units, sub-ordinate units and well wishers to the celebration. Further necessary information can be availed from the Office of the Naga Students’ Federation.
AAY food-grains for Kohima centre
Kohima, December 11 (mexN): All FPS and village councils of Kohima Centre are informed that the AAY food-grains for two months will be released from December 16 to 18 between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm. Food & Civil Supplies, Assistant Director Kapenlo Thong in a press release has directed all concerned to collect their respective quota within the stipulated period.
Car Pass for NLA session
Kohima, December 11 (mexN): In view of the Third Session of the Twelfth Nagaland Legislative Assembly to be held on December 17, Car Pass and Official Gallery Pass will be issued from December 13 onwards. Ministers/Parliamentary Secretaries and AHODs are to collect Car Pass and Gallery Pass from the Special Secretary (Home), Nagaland, Kohima; MLAs/HODs/Medias are to collect Car Pass from Assembly Secretariat Reception Counter Gate No-1. NLA Secretary AE Lotha in a press release further informed that Car Passes and Gallery Passes may be collected in advance to avoid the eleventh hour rush.
Data dissemination workshop
Kohima, December 11 (mexN): The Directorate of Census Operations, Nagaland is going to organize a two-day long Data Dissemination Workshop from December 17 to 18 at Hotel Vivor, Kohima. The agenda on the first day of the workshop will be on analysis of data on primary census abstract, slum PCA and age data from Census 2011” and the second day is exclusively reserved for imparting training on Census Info software –A tool for accessing census 2011 data. The census info software is an innovative and flexible database technology, which will enable its user to extract information easily and generate maps and chart by way of visualization of the data.
NCSU advance Christmas celebration
Kohima, December 11 (mexN): The president of Nagaland Contractors’ & Suppliers’ Union (NCSU) head office Kohima and his colleagues have invited all “bonafide” members of NCSU to the advance Christmas cum felicitation programme to be held at the conference hall of Engineer-in-Chief, NPWD on December 14 at 3:00 pm.
NSU (N) resolves
Dimapur, December 11 (mexN): Njauna Students’ Union, Nagaland held its executive meeting on December 7 and deliberated on the ‘ongoing construction of PMGSY connecting road to the village from Ngam Village.’ The house resolved to cooperate with the two contractors in executing the works. It was also resolved that the work must be carried out as per the criteria of the government guidelines and the work value and quality must be transparent to the Students’ union. NSU (N) general Elders have dinner during the Senior Citizen’s Day observed at IMC Hall, Dimapur on secretary Pezetlieteu in a press release also requested December 8, which was started by the IMC Board of Trustees on December 8, 2012. The the concerned to continue the work till the completion. gathering of the senior citizens was about forty, and the event will be held every year.
Demise of Late S.A. Jamir condoled
CondolenCe Messages
I am shocked and grieved to hear the demise of S.A. Jamir through phone call. My family and Council (CBCC) express deep sorrow to the members of the bereaved family. Sir Akang was the rarest Police officer who loved Church ministry and mission. He became the pathfinder for the formation and building of Nagaland Police Baptist Churches Association in its initial stage. The passion he had for the lost souls impacted me, Mission Centre Staff and Church leaders tremendously. His love and concern for the Church workers, missionaries and believers cannot be simply expressed by words and I believe, all the Church workers of those days will say with me in unison "Yes it is true". He has left a legacy behind of how a top brass of Police officer should humbly and wisely take part in the extension of Gods kingdom. He has done his best, I believe, to be rewarded by the Lord in Heaven with the crown of righteousness. May his soul rest in peace. Rev. Dr. Vezopa Tetseo Executive Secretary Chakhesang Baptist Church Council (CBCC) & Former Executive Secretary, Nagaland Police Baptist Churches Association (NPBCA)
Pfutseromi Village Community Hall (Panchayat ghar).
Dimapur
Former Chief Secretary, Nagaland and Former Chief Information Commissioner, Nagaland.
I would like to convey my heartfelt sympathy towards the family members of Late Shri S. A. Jamir on this sad day. He had been a colleague and a friend for many years and I have lost a dear friend. Again my deepest condolence to all the near and dear ones. H.I. Kathar NCS (Retd)
Late Vilhouzhalie Dzüvichü condoled
Parliamentary secretary for Excise, Economics & Statistics and LM&CP, T Torechu, has expressed shock and grief at the sudden demise of Vilhouzhalie Dzüvichü, chairman of Kohima Village, who passed away Tuesday evening at his residence. The parliamentary secretary in a condolence message said Dzüvichü was an honest and down to earth public leader who dedicated his whole life for the welfare of the public. “I knew him personally and whenever we met, we use to talk on wide range of issues. What was uppermost in his mind was his concern for the uplift and welfare of the general public. His sudden demise has created a void which would be difficult to fill in”, Torechu said. Conveying condolences to the bereaved family members in the hour of grief, Torechu also prayed the Almighty to give eternal rest to the departed.
We are shocked and much saddened to hear about the death of Mr. Akang Jamir. He had rendered many years of sincere and dedicated service to the people as a senior officer in the Police. He was an honest and affable person. We shall miss him very much, We offer our deepThe Mao Union Kohima (MUK) is shocked est condolences and pray that God will give the to learn of the demise of Late Vilhouzhalie strength and to bear the grief and sorrow. May Dziivichii, Chairman Kohima village. A conthe soul of the departed rest in peace. dolence note issued by L.Athikho, President, P. Talitemjen Ao, IAS (Retd) MUK and D.Neli Koso, General Secretary, MUK
stated, “In his demise the Mao people have lost a friend and an elderly advisor. His concern and love for the poor and downtrodden people will ever be remembered with gratefulness and his good deeds emulated by the younger generations. May God the Almighty grant the bereaved family the strength to bear the sorrow of the passing away of your loved one at this hour of grief. May his soul rest in peace.” The Kohima Sümi Hoho (KSH) deeply mourns the untimely demise of Late Vilhouzhalie, Chairman, Kohima Village Council on December 9, 2013. A condolence note issued by Edward K. Zhimomi, President, Kohima Sümi Hoho, stated that the Kohima Sümi Hoho vividly remembers his great concern for Kohima Village in particular and other communities in general. “We have lost a peace loving gentleman who had clear vision to maintain peaceful atmosphere and ever ready to extend any assistance for the cause of co-existence. The Kohima Sümi Hoho extends profound condolences to the bereaved family members. May his soul rest in peace,” the note stated.
The Royal Club, Kohima (RCK) expressed shock and grief at the sudden demise of Vilhouzhalie Dzüvichü, Chairman, Kohima Village Council on December 10. A press note issued by Kenny Peseyie, Press Secretary, Royal Club, Kohima stated, “Late Vilhouzhalie was an admirable personality with kind heart and soft spoken nature who had always stood and devoted his life for the betterment of the society. His death has created a deep vacuum difficult to fill”. The Royal Club while extending its heartfelt condolences to the members of the bereaved family also prays to Almighty to grant eternal rest and peace to the departed soul.
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IN-FOCUS
The Power of Truth
The Morung Express THursDAy 12 DEcEmbEr 2013 vol. vIII IssuE 338
A Resource for Peace
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n this 21st century era of referendums and peoples’ aspirations to decide their future, it is important to revisit the United Nation’s vision to “develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace.” Woodrow Wilson’s insight was revealed when he said that “self-determination is not a mere phrase. It is an imperative principle of action, which statesmen will henceforth ignore at their peril.” Ironically, many statesmen have ignored Wilson’s perceptive caution which has led to needless conflict and human suffering. Unfortunately, Wilson’s assertion that “national aspirations must be respected; people may now be … governed only by their own consent,” continues to be ignored. The relationship between self-determination and peace demonstrated by prevailing conflicts between States and Peoples often results in protracted and violent conflicts. Unresolved conflicts around issues of self-determination are among the “biggest challenges in global politics.” Today, the challenge before the UN and the world community is to find ways to arrive at a respectful settlement through “peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law.” From the perspective of justice and peace, Johan Galtung clearly states that, “no nation should be forced to choose between the status quo and total independence because alternatives are not offered, and no nation should be forced to choose between acquiescence and violence because their right is not recognized.” Barry Hart while stating that “denial of self-determination is the source of conflict,” clarifies by using the term “complex conflict,” since conflict is an everyday occurrence. Complex conflicts, he says, “mainly occur when there is a shaming function in place and is often related to structural violence, e.g., occupation of land or territory, economic deprivation, lack of access to resources, political dominance and related inequality, etc.” James Gilligan adds that shame is a major source of violence, possibly the source of it. Hart further notes that people who are without a dignified “self as determined by their identity and worldview usually find themselves caught up in violent structures that oppress and denigrate, and they in turn then often use violence to express their rejection of this shame and identity manipulation.” Galtung asks the inevitable question, “Whether, under what circumstances and to what extent, the right to self-determination can serve as a mechanism for conflict resolution, or at least transformation?” He urges that “the right to self-determination must be linked to a duty to conflict transformation,” and asserts that “adequate conflict transformation becomes a right, not only a duty.” While history has demonstrated that humankind has not come closer to creating a world of JustPeace, it is necessary to explore whether a shared and inclusive language of self-determination will enable humanity to come closer to ending a history of domination and exploitation.
lEfT wiNg |
Nicholas Kristof Source: IHT
Mandela Lives
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y favorite fact about Nelson Mandela is that he invited one of his white jailers, who had helped imprison him for 27 years, to his inauguration as South Africa’s president. It was a sign of the magnanimity, warmth and absolute lack of vindictiveness that marked Mandela. There have been many great dissidents and freedomfighters, but few have made the transition well to national leader. The qualities that mark a rebel—raw courage and stubbornness, even unreasonableness—don’t tend to make a great president. Mandela faced plenty of pressures to be petty, to humiliate those who had humiliated him and even murdered his friends, yet he somehow resisted them. He’s the biggest man I’ve ever seen. More broadly, Mandela epitomized public service and sacrifice more than anyone of his generation. Here was a lawyer with a promising career who could have chosen to work within the system, and yet he tossed it aside to fight for all his country’s people. When on trial and facing the death penalty, he was defiant as ever. And then during those 27 years in prison, he was repeatedly offered the chance to be released early. Indeed, the government pretty much begged him to accept a conditional release, because he was an embarrassment behind bars. Yet he refused to accept anything less than an absolutely unconditional release—and eventually he got it. Putting his country first also meant family troubles, including his break with his wife, Winnie, after he was released. It meant standing up to those long-time allies of his who thought that he was acquiescing in racial and economic gulfs and giving away the store. And it meant taking just one term as president, to show that South Africa would be led by laws and not presidents-for-life. That set an example for governance that rippled around the region. When experts debate why Africa faltered in the postindependence period, one common factor cited is poor governance and poor leadership (partly because of dismal education systems and tribal conflicts put in place by colonial authorities). There were few shining examples of great leaders in Africa, outside of Botswana. Yet Mandela turned out to be as great as a president as he was as a freedom fighter, and his example was inspiring and contagious. All across Africa and the world, people turned to Mandela as an inspiration of public service and leadership. He raised the bar, and it’s perhaps not a coincidence that African leadership has been much better in the post-Mandela period. There’s also a message for the rest of the world. When Mandela was behind bars and most needed help, much of the world was mute. Dick Cheney even voted against a 1986 House Resolution calling on South Africa to release Mandela. That was short-sighted, and we are similarly shortsighted when we don’t speak up for dissidents in countries from China to Bahrain. Eventually freedom will prevail in Beijing and Bahrain as it does in South Africa. Mandela’s contributions to black-white conciliation are well known, but what is perhaps less famous is his tireless work to fight AIDS, to bring peace to warring nations, and to promote respect for LGBT rights. In a continent that has often been deeply repressive of gays and lesbians, Mandela was a strong advocate of equality and gay marriage, and it was because of his influence that South Africa became the fifth country in the world to legalize gay marriage. He was a leader not just for South Africa but for the world. So, yes, a mighty figure may have died at the age of 95. But travel around Africa and the world, and you see his imprint, his legacy, his spirit. Mandela lives.
THE EDIT PAGE
C O M M E N T A R Y
Ubuntu, captures Nelson Mandela’s greatest gift
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hank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. To Graça Machel and the Mandela family; to President Zuma and members of the government; to heads of states and government, past and present; distinguished guests -- it is a singular honor to be with you today, to celebrate a life like no other. To the people of South Africa -- people of every race and walk of life -- the world thanks you for sharing Nelson Mandela with us. His struggle was your struggle. His triumph was your triumph. Your dignity and your hope found expression in his life. And your freedom, your democracy is his cherished legacy. It is hard to eulogize any man -- to capture in words not just the facts and the dates that make a life, but the essential truth of a person -- their private joys and sorrows; the quiet moments and unique qualities that illuminate someone’s soul. How much harder to do so for a giant of history, who moved a nation toward justice, and in the process moved billions around the world. Born during World War I, far from the corridors of power, a boy raised herding cattle and tutored by the elders of his Thembu tribe, Madiba would emerge as the last great liberator of the 20th century. Like Gandhi, he would lead a resistance movement -- a movement that at its start had little prospect for success. Like Dr. King, he would give potent voice to the claims of the oppressed and the moral necessity of racial justice. He would endure a brutal imprisonment that began in the time of Kennedy and Khrushchev, and reached the final days of the Cold War. Emerging from prison, without the force of arms, he would -- like Abraham Lincoln -- hold his country together when it threatened to break apart. And like America’s Founding Fathers, he would erect a constitutional order to preserve freedom for future generations -- a commitment to democracy and rule of law ratified not only by his election, but by his willingness to step down from power after only one term. Given the sweep of his life, the scope of his accomplishments, the adoration that he so rightly earned, it’s tempting I think to remember Nelson Mandela as an icon, smiling and serene, detached from the tawdry affairs of lesser men. But Madiba himself strongly resisted such a lifeless portrait. Instead, Madiba insisted on sharing with us his doubts and his fears; his miscalculations along with his victories. “I am not a saint,” he said, “unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.” It was precisely because he could admit to imperfection -- because he could be so full of good humor, even mischief, despite the heavy burdens he carried -- that we loved him so. He was not a bust made of marble; he was a man of flesh and blood -- a son and a husband, a father and a friend. And that’s why we learned so much from him, and that’s why we can learn from him still. For nothing he achieved was inevitable. In the arc of his life, we see a man who earned his place in history through struggle and shrewdness, and persistence and faith. He tells us what is possible not just in the pages of history books, but in our own lives as well. Mandela showed us the power of action; of taking risks on behalf of our ideals. Perhaps Madiba was right that he inherited, “a proud rebelliousness, a stubborn sense of fairness” from his father. And we know he shared with millions of black and colored South Africans the anger born of, “a thousand slights, a thousand indignities, a thousand unremembered moments…a desire to fight the system that imprisoned my people,” he said. But like other early giants of the ANC -- the Sisulus and Tambos -- Madiba disciplined his anger and channeled his desire to fight into organization, and platforms, and strategies for action, so men and women could stand up for their God-given dignity. Moreover, he accepted the consequences of his actions, knowing that standing up to powerful interests and injustice carries a price. “I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I’ve cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and [with] equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
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half-century ago Nelson Mandela was taken as a prisoner to Robben Island, 11 kilometers (seven miles) across the bay from Cape Town, where he would begin serving a life sentence for plotting to overthrow South Africa's racist apartheid system. The island jail was where Mandela became a worldwide symbol of resistance and where he spent 18 of his 27 years in prison, most of them toiling in the island's limestone quarry. It is where he succeeded in rising above his inmate status by building productive relations with his jailers, first to improve the conditions for prisoners and ultimately to negotiate the end of apartheid. Today at Robben Island, black former inmates work with white former guards to run the one of South Africa's most inspirational tourist attractions. It's a striking example of Mandela's policy of reconciliation in action, with visitors hearing firsthand about his legendary leadership, tolerance and reverence for education. Mandela encouraged others at the prison to study and take correspondence courses. Prisoners would gather in small groups for Socratic seminars. "The University of Robben Island," Lionel Davis, Mandela's fellow prisoner, said proudly of the jail where he was incarcerated from 1964 to 1971. "I was not the same person when I left the island, I learned so much," said Davis, 76. "It was a university created by us, the political prisoners. And Mandela was a big part of that. We political prisoners even helped educate prison guards,
US President Barack Obama’s eulogy at Nelson Mandela’s memorial on December 10, 2013
President Barack Obama waves as he arrives to speak to crowds attending the memorial service for former South African president Nelson Mandela at the FNB Stadium in Soweto near Johannesburg on Tuesday, December 10, 2013. World leaders, celebrities, and citizens from all walks of life gathered on Tuesday to pay respects during a memorial service for the former South African president and anti-apartheid icon. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Mandela taught us the power of action, but he also taught us the power of ideas; the importance of reason and arguments; the need to study not only those who you agree with, but also those who you don’t agree with. He understood that ideas cannot be contained by prison walls, or extinguished by a sniper’s bullet. He turned his trial into an indictment of apartheid because of his eloquence and his passion, but also because of his training as an advocate. He used decades in prison to sharpen his arguments, but also to spread his thirst for knowledge to others in the movement. And he learned the language and the customs of his oppressor so that one day he might better convey to them how their own freedom depend upon his. Mandela demonstrated that action and ideas are not enough. No matter how right, they must be chiseled into law and institutions. He was practical, testing his beliefs against the hard surface of circumstance and history. On core principles he was unyielding, which is why he could rebuff offers of unconditional release, reminding the Apartheid regime that “prisoners cannot enter into contracts.” But as he showed in painstaking negotiations to transfer power and draft new laws, he was not afraid to compromise for the sake of a larger goal. And because he was not only a leader of a movement but a skillful politician, the Constitution that emerged was worthy of this multiracial democracy, true to his vision of laws that protect minority as well as majority rights, and the precious freedoms of every South African. And finally, Mandela understood the ties that bind the human spirit. There is a word in South Africa -Ubuntu -- a word that captures Mandela’s greatest gift: his recognition that we are all bound together in ways that are invisible to the eye; that there is a oneness to humanity; that we achieve ourselves by sharing ourselves with others, and caring for those around us. We can never know how much of this sense was innate in him, or how much was shaped in a dark and solitary cell. But we remember the gestures, large and small -- introducing his jailers as honored guests at his inauguration; taking a pitch in a Springbok uniform; turning his family’s heartbreak into a call to confront
HIV/AIDS -- that revealed the depth of his empathy and his understanding. He not only embodied Ubuntu, he taught millions to find that truth within themselves. It took a man like Madiba to free not just the prisoner, but the jailer as well to show that you must trust others so that they may trust you; to teach that reconciliation is not a matter of ignoring a cruel past, but a means of confronting it with inclusion and generosity and truth. He changed laws, but he also changed hearts. For the people of South Africa, for those he inspired around the globe, Madiba’s passing is rightly a time of mourning, and a time to celebrate a heroic life. But I believe it should also prompt in each of us a time for self-reflection. With honesty, regardless of our station or our circumstance, we must ask: How well have I applied his lessons in my own life? It’s a question I ask myself, as a man and as a President. We know that, like South Africa, the United States had to overcome centuries of racial subjugation. As was true here, it took sacrifice -- the sacrifice of countless people, known and unknown, to see the dawn of a new day. Michelle and I are beneficiaries of that struggle. But in America, and in South Africa, and in countries all around the globe, we cannot allow our progress to cloud the fact that our work is not yet done. The struggles that follow the victory of formal equality or universal franchise may not be as filled with drama and moral clarity as those that came before, but they are no less important. For around the world today, we still see children suffering from hunger and disease. We still see run-down schools. We still see young people without prospects for the future. Around the world today, men and women are still imprisoned for their political beliefs, and are still persecuted for what they look like, and how they worship, and who they love. That is happening today. And so we, too, must act on behalf of justice. We, too, must act on behalf of peace. There are too many people who happily embrace Madiba’s legacy of racial reconciliation, but passionately resist even modest reforms that would challenge chronic poverty and growing inequality. There are too many leaders who claim solidarity with Madiba’s struggle for freedom, but do not tolerate dissent from their own people. And there are too many of us on the sidelines, comfortable in complacency or cynicism when our voices must be heard. The questions we face today -- how to promote equality and justice; how to uphold freedom and human rights; how to end conflict and sectarian war -these things do not have easy answers. But there were no easy answers in front of that child born in World War I. Nelson Mandela reminds us that it always seems impossible until it is done. South Africa shows that is true. South Africa shows we can change, that we can choose a world defined not by our differences, but by our common hopes. We can choose a world defined not by conflict, but by peace and justice and opportunity. We will never see the likes of Nelson Mandela again. But let me say to the young people of Africa and the young people around the world -- you, too, can make his life’s work your own. Over 30 years ago, while still a student, I learned of Nelson Mandela and the struggles taking place in this beautiful land, and it stirred something in me. It woke me up to my responsibilities to others and to myself, and it set me on an improbable journey that finds me here today. And while I will always fall short of Madiba’s example, he makes me want to be a better man. He speaks to what’s best inside us. After this great liberator is laid to rest, and when we have returned to our cities and villages and rejoined our daily routines, let us search for his strength. Let us search for his largeness of spirit somewhere inside of ourselves. And when the night grows dark, when injustice weighs heavy on our hearts, when our best-laid plans seem beyond our reach, let us think of Madiba and the words that brought him comfort within the four walls of his cell: “It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.” What a magnificent soul it was. We will miss him deeply. May God bless the memory of Nelson Mandela. May God bless the people of South Africa.
For Mandela, harsh island jail was a crucible Andrew meldrum Associated Press
who needed education for promotion." Many of the guards were white, and most of the prisoners were black. But to Mandela, "education was the enemy of prejudice," and to those guards he thought would be open to persuasion, he offered lessons on the African National Congress, his liberation movement. Now four ferries a day, guided by former political prisoners, bring hundreds of tourists to Robben Island. Some 320,000 people visited last year alone. Robben Island had been a prison and leper colony for more than 300 years before it became a dumping ground for apartheid's highest-profile foes. During white rule, the windw h i p p e d 5 - s q u a re - k i l o m e t e r (2-square-mile) spit of land in the cold, gray Atlantic became a silent rebuke to the graceful city of Cape Town with its striking Dutch-inspired architecture and majestic backdrop of Table Mountain, and a source of pride to the city's surrounding blacks-only slums. Life as a prisoner was hard on the island. The diet was meager and in-
mates were allowed only two letters a year. News from outside would come sporadically — from occasional smuggled newspapers, or from visitors including Winnie, Mandela's then-wife, on her two permitted visits a year. Mandela's 12 years in the quarry caused eye and lung problems that troubled him for the rest of his life, and by the time he emerged from prison, he had forgotten some of the simplest daily routines. Because shoelaces were banned in the jail, he did not remember how to tie them. Robben Island also left a lasting mark by throwing together and uniting a black leadership. The jailers who hoped to break the spirit of the anti-apartheid movement didn't count on the discipline, ingenuity and optimism of the jailed. In the end, it was white rulers who ended up cut off. Subjected to international sanctions and boycotts, they concluded apartheid was unsustainable and reached out to Mandela to negotiate an exit. Mandela was already prominent when the so-called Rivonia trial ended
wRiTE-wiNg
in 1964 with a life sentence for him and seven co-defendants found guilty of sabotage. He was a dashing figure — tall, handsome, with a trial lawyer's flair for rhetoric and a royal pedigree and bearing. Fellow Rivonia defendants recognized his propaganda potential, encouraging him to write what would become the basis of his memoir, "Long Walk to Freedom," during his time at Robben Island. Prison authorities would not have allowed such a project, so Mandela wrote at night in secret in his concrete-floored, 2-square-meter (yard) cell. Other inmates helped hide the manuscript and then smuggle it from the island. Robben Island has loomed large in the life of Christo Brand, who went to the prison in 1978 to work as a jailer. "I was 18 years old and Mandela was 60," said Brand. Gradually a bond developed, so that Brand would smuggle in items that Mandela wanted — whole wheat bread and hair cream. Brand even sneaked in a baby so that Mandela could see his granddaughter Zoleka, now aged 33. When Mandela became president in 1994, he remembered his guard and invited Brand to visit him at his offices. Now Brand runs the Robben Island gift shop. "The legacy of Mandela is here on Robben Island," said Brand. "This prison has been turned into a place where people come and learn about how we can all get along. Mandela got what he was fighting for and he created a place where we can all live in harmony."
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7
Thursday
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
12 December 2013
PERSPECTIVE NEWS ANALYSIS, FEATURE AND DISCOURSE
BACKLASH: The unintended consequences of western human rights intervention in the South rochelle Terman n 2002, a woman by the name of Amina Lawal was sentenced to be stoned to death in Katsina state in Northern Nigeria. The local Nigerian women’s group BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights filed an appeal and launched a domestic campaign against the ruling while reaching out to international networks for specific requests. After some high-profile Western women’s rights groups raised the stoning issue internationally, a wave of support for Amina was orchestrated by various groups across the globe, including a flurry of petitions and letter writing campaigns, many of which presented inaccurate information about the case. Some protest letters represented negative stereotypes of Muslims, inflaming antiMuslim sentiments that were already on the rise following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Rather than guiding appropriate action, these negative and inaccurate portrayals about the plight of women, Islam, and Nigerian culture damaged the credibility of local activists and encouraged the threatening, hostile, and violent behaviour of vigilantes. Local Nigerian activists were accused of working with foreign governments and groups to embarrass the country of Nigeria, and some officials became even more committed towards carrying out Amina’s death sentence after receiving various protest letters with Western postage. Although Amina Lawal was eventually released, the local women’s rights activists fighting on the frontlines in the battle to keep her alive were faced with ongoing harassment and repression by State and non-State forces, who continued to accuse them of being Western pawns or puppets, even spies working actively to destroy Islam from within. This is not how transnational human rights activism is supposed to go. At least not according to international relations scholars who have been theorizing on the patterns, conditions, and results of human rights activism for the last two decades. Looking at this literature, one would conclude that international intervention – particularly in the form of Western-orchestrated “naming and shaming” campaigns – is always a good thing for local human rights activists. Local actors are supposed to appeal to foreign groups to put pressure on states from outside. But in cases like Amina Lawal’s, where activists were engaging in the precarious project to transform so-called traditional, religious or cultural practices, international ties were a liability. At best, such intervention is an irrelevant distraction. At worse, it can unleash a backlash, putting local activists at serious risk.
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Boomerang or backlash? For decades, activists working in the Global South have been keenly aware of the risks in bringing Western audiences into to their local struggles. And yet the “backlash” phenomenon hasn’t gotten much attention from international relations scholars. That’s because the dominant paradigm in international human rights research up to now has been the “boomerang” theory URL of human rights influence. According to this theory, when local human rights activists are blocked from influencing their own State they will seek out international allies by “throwing” informational boomerangs into the transnational sphere. Meanwhile, transnational activists – Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch – accelerate this process through repackaging, dissemination and targeted delivery to key journalist and opinion leaders in the West. Eventually, these forces may cumulatively push Western governments and international governmental organizations (e.g. the United Nations) to “purchase” the human rights cause from local challengers and “pitch” the boomerang back to the originating country through international shame or other leverage politics (e.g. diplomatic pressure, official scrutiny, aid conditionality, sanctions). The human rights abusing State – now being shamed on a global level – will change its ways, according to the theory, in order to avoid being further stigmatized and attacked on the international stage. The boomerang theory has held steady in international relations circles even though the empirical evidence has been mixed. In the last few years a plethora of statistical studies have been released on human rights activism, and we still don’t know whether global naming and shaming campaigns actually work to improve local human rights conditions. And yet scholars of international human rights still assume that global attention to a local human rights cause is always positive, always welcome. At the very least, global attention can’t hurt. But local human rights organizations are being hurt around the world. In fact, local activists are currently being threatened by a global backlash, particularly in the form of states promulgating tough new laws aimed at regulating or altogether eliminating the political
P
rotesters waging a surreal political fight to oust Thailand's elected prime minister are trying to establish what amounts to a parallel government — one complete with "security volunteers" to replace the police, a foreign policy of their own and a central committee that has already begun issuing audacious orders. Among the most brazen: a demand Tuesday that caretaker premier Yingluck Shinawatra be prosecuted for "insurrection," and another calling on the public to "closely monitor" her family's movements. Leading academics have slammed the scheme as undemocratic and unconstitutional. Critics have called its leader, Suthep Thaugsuban, delusional. But the ex-lawmaker's bid to seize power is backed by many in Bangkok and could become reality if the military or the judiciary intervenes, as they have in the past. Analysts say this Southeast Asian nation is at a dangerous new crossroads that could drag on, and end with more bloodshed. "This is a combustible situation. We cannot have two governments in Bangkok running Thailand," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of Chulalongkorn's Institute of Security and International Studies. "Something will have to give." Yingluck is desperate to end weeks of political unrest that has killed five people and wounded nearly 300 more. On Monday, she dissolved the lower house of Parliament and called for elections, now set for Feb. 2. But neither move defused the crisis, and a 150,000-strong crowd pressed on with a massive march against her in Bangkok. Yingluck said Tuesday she would not resign despite a nighttime deadline issued by
Young Kashmiri boys watch a torch protest by Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) to mark International Human Rights Day in Srinagar, India on Tuesday, December 10, 2013. JKLF was protesting against the alleged human rights violations by the Indian security forces in Indian controlled Kashmir. Kashmir has been in the grip of a more than two-decade insurgency against New Delhi's rule that has left more than 47,000 people dead. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
influence of NGOs within their borders. According to a recent study, nearly half of the world’s states have passed more restrictive NGO laws since 1955, and most of those appeared after the Cold War. There is also evidence to suggest that this global crackdown is intensifying, driven in part by a renewed security discourse legitimized by the War on Terror. Not only are local human rights organizations hurting, but there is also good reason to suspect that they are hurting because of Western human rights intervention, not in spite of it. Repressive governments have come to keenly appreciate the symbolic and political threat of NGO “boomerang politics”, and many are trying to disrupt those links as best they can by blocking funding or confiscating records. In fact, the boomerang pattern might have worked too well, as governments grow increasingly fearful of foreign influence in the form of rights-based advocacy. As some scholars note, the governmental offensive is inadvertently supported by the dependence of many Southern NGOs on Northern funding, which disconnects them from local constituencies and allows opponents to portray them as foreign agents. In this later case, the boomerang pattern of transnational activism – in which local actors appeal to foreign groups to put pressure on states from outside – appears in distinct reversal: the State and nationalist groups gesture towards transnational developments and discourses – particularly around the “War on Terror” and the threat of neo-imperialism – in order to justify a rejection of the human rights norm. This is the global human rights backlash.
Greedy, politically motivated and western: delegitimising human rights activists How does the backlash manifest itself? In previous decades, a repressive State might defend itself against allegations of human rights abuse by rejecting the “human rights” norm altogether. These days, however, the human rights norm has become so engrained in global moral consciousness that, politically speaking, it is almost impossible to denounce it directly. Instead, repressive governments will often uphold the abstract “human rights” ideal and instead focus their target on the local human rights activists who are primarily responsible for holding states accountable to that ideal. This renunciation can take a variety of forms. Sometime activists are accused of being motivated not by altruism but by their own self-interest, such as when the Iranian government accused Shirin Ebadi, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and reformist, of tax evasion and fraud. Other times, activists are accused of being “political”, or taking sides in an ongoing civil conflict. In 2006, the Nepalese government publicly accused the refugee-rights organization Voice for Change, of using their work as a cover for the political activities of Bhutanese opposition leader Tek Nath Rizal. As a result of the government’s pronouncement, leaders and members of
the organization were threatened with police arrest. Most often, however, women’s human rights defenders are simply denounced as “Western” – foreign, culturally inauthentic, imperialist. A lesbian-rights activist in Jakarta told me that her organisation is under a constant barrage of threats from both state and non-state religious groups, some of whom claim that she and her fellow activists are pawns of a “European agenda meant to bring homosexuality and moral decadence to Indonesia.” Still others are accused of betraying national pride and integrity by “airing our dirty laundry” and embarrassing the nation, culture, or religion in the eyes of the world. In 2002, rape-survivor and human rights advocate Mukhtar Mai was banned from international travel after receiving an invitation to the United States to speak about her experiences. The President of Pakistan claimed he placed a travel ban on Mai in order to “protect Pakistan’s image abroad.” These rejections of human rights demands almost always contain a nationalist flavour. States and conservative groups deny that a “real” or systemic human rights violation has taken place, arguing instead that human rights defenders are lying or exaggerating in order to further an anti-nationalist agenda. Anti-human-rights groups speak about this form of cultural imperialism using the same lexicon as foreign military intervention or economic takeover in order to rally the public in their favour. This might explain why so many human rights defenders are arrested or oppressed in the name of protecting “national security” or “public order.” Now targeted as a national threat, activists are unable to do their work, and unable to defend human rights. Helping or hurting: How western intervention leads to a backlash Not all Western intervention will cause a backlash to local human rights defenders. Indeed, many human rights defenders purposively seek out the attention of Westernbased media outlets, advocacy organizations, and politicians, and oftentimes this solidarity engenders profoundly positive change. So when does Western attention help a local human rights cause, and when does it hurt? How, exactly does Western attention lead to backlash? In order to acquire insight into this question, we must first acknowledge a long-standing fact: public attention is unevenly distributed across similarly pressing human rights problems. Human rights scholars Emilie Hafner-Burton points out that ‘‘organizations— whether NGOs, news media, or the UN—shine the spotlight selectively. Some countries guilty of many and horrible abuses never draw much publicity, while others responsible for few abuses, draw much attention.” So how do some nations come to occupy a prominent place on the international human rights agenda? Scholars of the boomerang theory argue that nations with strong and well-linked domestic human rights organizations are more likely to be on the receiving
end of the global spotlight. Major media outlets and international human rights groups depend on local activists for on-the-ground information, and so nations with a stronger, better networked and more PR savvy domestic human rights presence will be more likely to get their message heard and have their story covered by global public attention. The literature describes this process as Western news outlets and human rights groups “purchasing” causes from local challengers on the “global morality market.” But with the rise of information and communications technology, reporters no longer need on-the-ground informants to give them the information they need to cover a human rights story. If an issue becomes “hot” reporters are just as likely to cover it with or without the guidance of locals, depending on alternative sources – social media, for instance – for the information they need. Thus public attention on human rights often correlates more with geopolitical interests and popular fads than the actual severity of human rights conditions or desires of local groups. My own statistical analysis has demonstrated that human rights coverage on the Middle East skyrocketed after 9/11, suggesting our political interests strongly determine our human rights concerns. As an example, consider the issue of women’s human rights in Muslim countries, which has become a veritable “hot topic” in Western discourse, with stories of honor killing, female genital mutilation, veiling, and gender oppression saturating the public sphere. One has to look no further than the recent Time magazine cover that depicted a mutilated Afghani girl with the headline “What Happens If We Leave Afghanistan” to see the extent in which human rights concerns intertwine with public discourse on the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the general War on Terror. As a result of this onslaught of public attention, feminist and other advocacy groups now see women’s rights concerns in Muslim countries as important and legitimate spaces for action. Big donors want to give money to groups working on the problem. International campaigns circulate petitions and calls-for-action constantly, while fundraisers and charity events are held under the call to “save Muslim women.” What this leads to is a corruption of the “boomerang” pattern of influence, which assumes a harmonious relationship between global actors and local activists. Once news of the case or human rights violation reaches the global stage, it can spread at a viral pace as various advocacy groups, political organizations, media channels, and governments respond to it. Very often, Western groups take action without consulting local activists first; as a result, misinformation spreads, and local context is often ignored. This spread of advocacy then spirals out of control while the original local activist or transnational network have little ability to guide appropriate action by the globally concerned. Perhaps the most archetypical example of this dynamic is Amina Lawal. Amina’s case exemplified how the strategies of local and international efforts around women’s rights can diverge, and demonstrates the risks involved when international groups intervene in such a case. When human rights causes are “purchased” from local activists (meaning, with their consent and guidance), they are more likely to lead to positive change. But when they are “stolen” (picked up without the consent or guidance of on-the-ground informants), they are more likely to lead to a backlash.
Responsible action: How the west can help local human rights defenders My point in raising these risks causes is not to reject, dismiss, or disparage Western attention to human rights concerns. Nor is it to implicitly condone the accusations made by repressive governments by suggesting that we cut off all international solidarity ties lest we be misconstrued as “imperialists.” My main concern is that we ought to know the consequences – intended and unintended – of our actions. Oftentimes, Western-based human rights supporters take action with good intentions, but with poor consequences. And although we, as allies, are not responsible for the repression of local human rights activists, we do have a responsibility to do our due diligence when deciding what action we ought to take. So how does one be a responsible global ally? The bottom line is this: let local human rights defenders guide global action. Not all local activists will always agree on the best course of action to take regarding an issue, but when a reasonable consensus exists that a form of intervention is helpful or harmful, we ought to listen and follow their lead. They know their context best, and are most equipped to guide actions that will minimize the risk of backlash.
Thai democracy enters dangerous new crossroads
Suthep. But there was no hiding the nation's precarious state. Asked how she was holding up, tears welled in Yingluck's eyes. "I have retreated as far as I can," she said, just before turning and walking quickly away. The protesters accuse Yingluck's government of abuse of power and say her party has used its electoral majority to impose its will on a minority. They say Yingluck is merely a proxy for her billionaire brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who lives in self-imposed exile to avoid jail time for a corruption conviction but still wields immense influence from abroad. Thaksin was deposed in a 2006 army coup that laid bare a deeper societal conflict. On one side are Thailand's largely urban upper and middle classes, who along with staunch royalists want to end the Shinawatra family's grip on power. On the other side are the rural poor, who back the Shinawatras because they benefited policies that have brought them everything from electricity to free healthcare. The coup triggered years of political upheaval and dramatic changes in government have underscored the power of Bangkok's elite. Controversial judicial rulings removed two pro-Thaksin prime ministers in 2008, one of whom never set foot in his Government House office: He worked for 10 weeks out of the VIP lounge of the capital's old airport until protesters evicted him from there, too. The same year, army-backed par-
Todd Pitman Associated Press liamentary maneuvering allowed the opposition Democrat Party — a minority that has not won an election for more than two decades — to take power for several years. Yingluck led the ruling Pheu Thai Party to victory in 2011 elections. But anger against her government swelled after the lower house passed an amnesty bill that would have allowed Thaksin to return without going to jail. The measure was rejected in the upper house, and Yingluck has said it will not be revived. Protesters say Pheu Thai lost its right to rule because of its support of the amnesty bill and other legislation they oppose. Yingluck and other members of her party say the constitution does not allow her to resign before elections are held — a ballot both sides know Pheu Thai would win. Suthep, the protest leader, said late Tuesday that as of now, "there is no government." He said his People's Democratic Reform Committee would nominate a new prime minister to fill the vacuum, although it has no legal authority to do so. The bespectacled 64-year-old career politician also ordered the head of police to order all his forces to return their posts within 12 hours and said soldiers should take responsibility for protecting government offices. Government spokesman Teerat Ratana-
sevi dismissed the threats, telling The Associated Press on Wednesday: "We confirm that we are still the government. We are still running the country and things are normal." Suthep had laid out other details of his plan Monday. Citing a clause in the constitution stating that "the highest power is the sovereign power of the people," he claimed his movement was assuming some government functions and called on civil servants to report to it. He said a new constitution would be written that would ban populist policies, bar corruption convictions from being pardoned and ensure that "a single party cannot control things." He also said the movement will "fully respect our sovereign obligations and maintain good relations with all states and international organizations." The reality, for now, is that no parallel government exists, and that protesters hold less ground than they did at the weekend. Ahead of Monday's march, they withdrew from the Finance Ministry and part of a vast government complex they had occupied for a week. Still, Thitinan said, the momentum is on the side of Suthep, whose uprising has already triggered the legislature's dissolution and reduced Yingluck's power. The government is "at a disadvantage because they're not backed by the establishment and the powerful people in Bangkok," Thitinan said. The army has vowed neutrality, but when push comes to shove, they will side with the protesters, he said.
Thitinan said Suthep is "a front man for larger forces behind him, for the powers that be" among the elite. He said they want to "seize the reins of government because they want to preside over the transition ... we're talking about the monarchy, the succession, the constitution, the entire future of Thailand." King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 86, has suffered health problems for years, and anxiety over his health has grown in tandem with the country's deepening political divide. Thaksin, the ousted premier, was accused of disrespecting the king, in part by trying to curry favor with Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, the heir to the throne. Thitinan added, however, that if Yingluck is deposed, her supporters "will come back to the streets" just as they did in 2010, when pro-Thaksin "red shirt" protesters erected bamboo barricades around a vast swath of the capital's glitziest shopping district and occupied it for two months. A brutal army crackdown eventually dispersed the crowds, but not before more than 90 people were killed and the city's skyline was engulfed in flames. Suthep, who was deputy premier at the time, ordered the crackdown and is facing murder charges for his role in it. He also faces an arrest warrant — for insurrection. The army and the courts have had opportunities to dislodge Yingluck's government but have not taken them. The conflict is likely to "go on and on until all sides sit down and negotiate a compromise," said Siripan Nogsuan Sawasdee, a political science professor in Bangkok. "That's going to take a long, long time," she said. "There is no easy way out."
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
Thursday 12 December 2013
The Morung Express
Homosexuality an offence: SC
New Delhi, December 11 (iANS): The Supreme Court Wednesday held consensual sex between adults of the same gender a criminal offence, leaving the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community dejected. But they vowed to fight on. Setting aside a Delhi High Court verdict of 2009 that decriminalised sexual relations between people of the same sex, Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice S.J. Mukhopadhayay said there was no constitutional room for a change in section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. The section holds that same-gender sexual relationship is against the order of nature and an offence entailing imprisonment up to life sentence. The apex court Wednesday upheld the constitutional validity of section 377. But it said the government was free to amend the law. Law Minister Kapil Sibal said: “It is the prerogative of the Supreme Court to judge the constitutionality and validity of the law. The opinion of the Supreme Court must be respected by the government. They have exercised their prerogative, we shall exercise ours.” The ruling came as a major blow for gay rights activists, who pledged to fight for their rights. Many of the activists who were in the court broke down. Activist Ashok Row Kavi said with this verdict, “we are back to square one”. “We will fight for our rights. It is essential to note that this has nothing to do with morality and religion. “We are only asking for inclusive rights in the society. This is just a type of orientation a lot of people are in-
Gay sex: Activists shocked with SC verdict, call it a ‘black day’
New Delhi, December 11 (PTi): Gay rights activists were up in arms on Wednesday against the Supreme Court verdict that upheld a law criminalizing homosexuality, calling it a “black day’ for the LGBT community and vowed to carry on the fight to restore their rights including seeking its review. As members of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community expressed shock and disappointment at the verdict, additional solicitor general of Indira Jaisingh threw her weight behind them, saying the court position is an imposition of “medieval mindset” on the people of the country. She questioned the “double standards” of the apex court in dealing with human rights issues after it quashed a 2009 Delhi high court verdict and made gay sex illegal and a punishable offence again under Section 377 IPC. She raised question as to why the court put the ball in the court of legislature to decide on the issue when so many other matters and policies are being reviewed by it. A group of Indian activists hold a banner against section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalizes homosexuality “Historical opportunity to expand during a protest in Mumbai, on Wednesday, December 11. A colonial-era law criminalizing homosexuality will remain in effect in India, a top court said Wednesday, dealing a blow to gay activists who have fought for years for the chance to constitutional values has been lost,” Jaising said, adding, “It is surprising that live openly in India’s deeply conservative society.(AP Photo) volved in,” he added. The apex court verdict upholding section 377 came 21 months after it had reserved its verdict in March 2012. It allowed the appeals filed by social and religious groups challenging the high court verdict on the ground that gay sex was against the cultural and religious values of the country. Rajya Sabha MP and Janata DalUnited’s Shivanand Tiwari described the ruling as “regressive”. “The judgment is regressive. The court should reconsider its verdict. It (homosexulaity) has been in existence since time immemorial. Not accepting it
is ignorance. It has been accepted in many other countries and gay marriages have been allowed,” he said. Leslie Esteven, another gay activist, said: “We are asking for our rights given by the constitution under article 21. We will continue to fight for our rights. They do not understand our simple demand.” Activist Sohini Ghosh called the judgment “not just a betrayal of the LGBT community but of the values enshrined in the constitution. “Our fight will go on. We will fight till the bitter end,” she said. Pallav Patankar from Humsafar Trust said the verdict was a big blow to the commu-
nity. “The Supreme Court has put the decision back to parliament. The reason it went to the SC was because parliament refused to discuss issues related to alternate sexuality. There is a need to address the issue,” he said. The government had earlier told the apex court that there were an estimated 2.5 million gays in India and about seven percent of them were HIV infected. In its affidavit, the union health ministry said it was planning to bring 400,000 high-risk men who have sex with men under its AIDS control programme -- and that half of them had already been covered.
the court, which does judicial review on many issues, has put the ball in the court of Parliament to decide on homosexuality.” “What surprises me is the double standards here. When it is a question of human rights, why send it to the Parliament when the Supreme Court is itself the observer of the human rights,” she commented after the verdict. Anjali Gopalan, founder of a NGO Naz Foundation that was the first to file the petition for decriminalizing section 377, said she was “shocked” by the ruling. “This is taking many, many steps back. The Supreme Court has not just let down the LGBT community but the Constitution of India.” “The verdict was totally unexpected from the top court. It is a black day for the community,” Arvind Narayan, a lawyer of the Alternative Law Forum gay rights group, told reporters. Gay rights activists who were inside the courtroom were visibly upset while some outside broke down and hugged each other in consolation. Advocate Anand Grover, who had argued the case, said Naz Foundation would file a petition for a review of the top court’s decision.
MPs voice reservation on SC verdict on homosexuality New Delhi, December 11 (PTi): Cutting across party lines, legislators on Wednesday voiced reservation on the Supreme Court judgement making gay sex a criminal offence. “I am not in agreement with the Supreme Court decision. The HC court decision was a well thought and scientific one. The apex court can reverse lower court decision but I do not think this decision is a better one,” JD(U) leader Shivanand Tiwari said outside Parliament. Terming the judgement as “disappointment”, TMC MP Derek O’Brien said, “We are living today in a liberal world and the judgement is disappointing. Earlier in 2006, there was a letter written and signed by Amartya Sen, Vikram Seth, Shyam Benegal and
myself among others on it. Because sometime the court does very interesting views on red lights, I think it does same thing on gay rights.” CPM MP Sitaram Yechury said, “It is now a legal matter in the sense that the Supreme Court has overturned the HC ruling and on that basis it has made certain observation. Those observations involve the invoking of the executive’s responsibility in law making in order to resolve the conflict. “Since the judiciary has sought the executive’s involvement, the executive have to properly study what the judgement is all about.” In a blow to gay rights activists, the Supreme Court today upheld the constitutional validity of the penal provision
making gay sex an offence punishable with up to life imprisonment. Union Minister Salman Khurshid said the apex court would have taken into account the overall conditions prevailing in the country. Expressing his reservations over the SC judgement, Congress MP Mani Shankar Aiyar said the verdict requires “serious thought” because there must be equality for all human beings and “these kind of preferences are almost built into your genes”. “Therefore to discriminate against people to have a particular preference is not something I would advocate. I have not seen the SC judgement. We would be debating it later but in principle I think all human being should be treated equally,” he said.
No option but to live in Karzai heads to India waving wish list of military hardware peace with India: Sharif
iSlAmAbAD, December 11 (iANS): Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Wednesday said his country believes in resolving all issues with India peacefully and diplomatically “through dialogue based on parity”. Talking to Indian High Commissioner T.C.A. Raghavan here, Sharif said Pakistan desired friendly relations with all its neighbours, particularly with India, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported. “We have no option but to live in peace in the interest of the people of Pakistan and India,” the prime minister said. “My government is committed to improving relations with India.” “We need to work towards setting aside the baggage of history, prevailing mistrust and lack of flexibility. I am convinced that we have no option but to normalise relations for the sake of peace and betterment of our peoples,” he added. Sharif said representatives
from both the countries should hold regular interactions at all levels. “We should continue to hold regular meetings and interactions at all levels as these will help towards normalising of relations.” Expressing his desire to enhance trade relations with India, Sharif said: “We look forward to further interactions between the two ministries of power and commerce to discuss ways and means in moving forward on trade matters.” He said there was also the need to increase people to people contacts, including visits of pilgrims, and termed it “an important confidence building measure”. The prime minister also called for further strengthening of the existing mechanism on meetings on the Line of Control (LoC). “I believe that sincere and constructive measures need to be taken to reduce tension on LoC and to ensure that the ceasefire agreement of 2003 remains intact,” Sharif said.
New Delhi, December 11 (reuTerS): Afghanistan is pressing India to supply military helicopters, tanks and artillery as it tries to shore up security through regional alliances before the withdrawal of most NATO-led foreign troops by the end of 2014. President Hamid Karzai will use a visit to India at the end of this week to push for progress on a “wish list” of military equipment he handed New Delhi in May. India has invested $2 billion in aid and reconstruction and trained scores of Afghan officers, but has so far stopped short of arms transfers for fear of provoking Pakistan, as well as armed groups in Afghanistan. Pakistan and India have been locked in a long struggle for influence in Afghanistan, both fearing an unstable state on their doorsteps. Kabul wants India to deliver on a strategic partnership agreement signed in 2011 that allowed for the transfer of “war-
loggerheads with his Western backers in the run-up to the withdrawal of NATO forces. On Sunday, he struck a cooperation agreement with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during a visit to Tehran. Karzai is meanwhile resisting signing up to a long-term security arrangement with the United States. The U.S. security pact is a decade-long agreement that would provide a legal basis for about 8,000 U.S. troops to stay on after the NATO-led combat mission ends next year. Under that plan, the remaining U.S. force would continue to train, advise and equip the roughly 350,000 Afghan soldiers, police and airmen who will take over the fight against the Talibanled insurgency. The remaining force would also conduct limited counter-terrorism activities. Afghanistan wants tanks and artillery to boost landbased firepower and air support, including helicopters, for medical evacuation, Haidari
said. Haidari was formerly a member of Afghanistan’s National Security Council. Afghanistan’s security forces have also asked India for equipment to counter homemade bombs, the biggest killers of soldiers and civilians in Afghanistan. Gurmeet Kanwal, a retired Indian army brigadier who tracks India’s ties with Afghanistan, said New Delhi is unwilling to provide heavy equipment to Afghan forces for fear of getting drawn deeper into the conflict. India’s expansive diplomacy in Afghanistan since the 2001 ouster of the Taliban has already fanned Pakistani fears of encirclement, and its embassy in Kabul has been bombed twice. Its consulate in the city of Jalalabad - near the border with Pakistan - was hit by suicide bombers earlier this year. New Delhi may offer Afghanistan light helicopters for surveillance, field ambulances and trucks, Kanwal said.
New Delhi, December 11 (iANS): Around three million women are engaged in commercial sex work in India, a 50 percent rise from 1997, according to a new report released Wednesday. Over 60 percent of those trafficked into sex work are
adolescent girls in the age group of 12 to 16 years. More than 35% girls in India enter commercial sex activity before reaching 18 years. India has three lakh brothels in 1,100 identified red-light areas, housing nearly five million children in addition to
commercial sex workers, the report by philanthropic foundation Dasra, the Hummingbird Trust and Kamonohashi Project said. More than 25% women in commercial sex activity in India are in Maharashtra (14.20%) and West Bengal (13%), the report said.
New Delhi, December 11 (AgeNcieS): Women activists stepped up the heat on the Congress-led UPA urging the government to pass the women’s reservation Bill in Parliament in the ongoing winter session. A delegation of activists from national women’s organisations, including NFIW, AIDWA, AIDMAM, JWP and YWCA, met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and asked him to not allow any political party to sabotage parliamentary processes that hinder passing in Lok Sabha the Bill to ensure 33% reservation for women. The delegation will also meet SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav to try and persuade him to not block the passage of the Bill, said Annie Raja of NFIW.
Though it was passed in Rajya Sabha in 2010, the Bill could not be tabled in Lok Sabha due to stiff opposition by parties like the SP and RJD. AIDWA vicepresident Sudha Sundarraman said, “This legislation was subjected to possibly more scrutiny than any other Bill. Yet, three years after Rajya Sabha passed it, the Bill could not be brought to the Lok Sabha.” The PM’s heart is with this Bill and he wants to see it passed. But, opposition by allies like the SP have made a shaky Congress weak-kneed about pushing the Bill in Parliament. The PM told the women’s delegation to meet all political parties and petition them to allow Parliament to function, said Annie Raja. Earlier, the delega-
tion met Speaker Meira Kumar and parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath. “The Speaker assured that the Bill will be on the priority list of the Lok Sabha’s agenda. She discussed it at the all party meeting before the session began,” said Raja. However, at the meeting Mulayam Singh reportedly said the SP would not allow Parliament to function if the Bill is placed in LS. BJP president Rajnath Singh though assured the delegation of his party’s support as have Left parties. “It is a question of political will. Bring the Bill in Parliament and let’s see who are with the women and who are denying them their rights in decision making as equal citizens of the country,” said Jyotsna Chatterji of JWP.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaks during the opening of the Loya Jirga, in Kabul November 21, 2013. (Reuters File Photo)
like stores”, or lethal equipment. It argues that India’s security is tied to a stable Afghanistan. “Indian investment in Afghanistan, be it in the security or development sectors, is an investment in the security and development of India,” M.
Ashraf Haidari, deputy chief of mission at the Afghan embassy in New Delhi, told Reuters. Karzai, who will hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday, has been seeking to bolster regional ties while he remains at
ISRO successfully performs 1st TCM on Mars Orbiter ‘3 mn women commercial sex workers in India’
cheNNAi, December 11 (PTi): The first Trajectory Correction Manoeuvre of India’s maiden mission to Mars was today carried out successfully by ISRO scientists on the spacecraft, which is presently travelling some 2.9 million kms away from Earth. “The first Trajectory Correction Manoeuvre (TCM) of Spacecraft was carried out successfully at 06.30 hrs (IST) by firing the 22 Newton Thrusters for a duration of 40.5 seconds. The spacecraft is travelling at a distance of about 29 lakh (2.9 million) km away from Earth,” ISRO said in a statement. The TCMs fine tune the trajectory of the spacecraft to keep it travelling in the intended track towards the red planet. Ever since the successful TransMars Injection on December 1, MOM navigators were spending days ranging and measuring the spacecraft’s velocity and precisely determined its flight path to come up with the required correction in the path, ISRO said in its official Facebook page. “Based on this, the firing duration and delta-v has been calculated which will correct the deviations before they have a chance to grow large. During the Trajectory Correction Manoeuvre, accelerometers on
Over 20,000 Indians apply for one-way trip to Mars
lONDON, December 11 (PTi): Over 200,000 people, including more than 20,000 Indians, have applied for an ambitious private mission that will send four men and women on a oneway trip to Mars in 2023 to establish a permanent space colony. In the five-month application period, Mars One received interest from 202,586 people from around the world, with 10% of the applicants from India alone. The Mars One foundation has also announced that it has been able to secure lead suppliers for an unmanned mission launching in 2018, involving a robotic lander and a communications satellite. The first round of the Mars One Astronaut Selection Programme has now closed for applications, the Dutch company said. Mars One applicants come from over 140 countries; the largest numbers are from the US (24%), India (10%), China (6%), Brazil (5%), UK, Canada, Russia and Mexico (4% ), Philippines, Spain, Colombia and Argentina (2%), and Australia, France, Turkey, Chile, Ukraine, Peru, Germany, Italy and Poland (1%). From this applicant pool, the Mars One selection committee will select prospective Martian settlers in three additional rounds spread across two years.
board MOM gives the information when the desired delta-v is achieved,” it said. Earlier, the spacecraft was rotated from its nominal orientation to the orientation required for the first TCM. Today’s correction was carried out by the computer on board the spacecraft, since the amount of time required for the signal to go and return was about 20 seconds, as MOM was
already travelling about some 2.9 million km away, ISRO said. “MOM team is gaining hands-on experience in handling the communication delay as it keeps increasing gradually,” it said. Four TCMs are planned to fine tune the trajectory of the spacecraft so as to keep it in the precise intended track. ISRO had earlier said MOM was not taking the shortest route to the Red Planet, since accelerating and
later decelerating to match the planet’s speed would require an extremely large amount of fuel in that option. The propulsion system of MOM, which is to travel a total distance of about 680 million km, will be using monomethyl hydrazine as fuel and dinitrogen tetroxide as oxidizer during all the four TCMs. The Mars Orbiter had earlier crossed a major milestone in the country’s space history by venturing out of Earth’s sphere of influence for the first time in an attempt to reach the red planet’s orbit. ISRO performed the transMars injection, a “crucial event” intended for hurling its Mars Orbiter spacecraft into the planned orbit around the Sun in the early hours of December 1, marking the first step towards the 300 day voyage to reach the orbit of the red planet after crossing roughly 680 million kilometre. The national space agency’s PSLV C 25 successfully injected the 1,350-kg ‘Mangalyaan’ Orbiter (Mars craft) into the orbit around the earth some 44 minutes after the launch at 2.38 PM from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on November 5, marking the successful completion of the first stage of the Rs 450-crore mission.
Activists urge PM to pass women’s reservation bill in Lok Sabha
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The Morung Express
Thursday 12 December 2013
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The handshake that offers a hopeful sign HAVANA, December 11 (AP): It was the briefest of moments, just seconds, two presidents shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries amid a gaggle of world leaders together to honor the late Nelson Mandela. It would hardly have been noteworthy, except the men locking hands in Johannesburg were Barack Obama and Raul Castro, whose nations have been mired in Cold War antagonism for more than five decades. A single, cordial gesture is unlikely to wash away bad blood dating back to the Eisenhower administration. But in a year that has seen both sides take small steps at improving the relationship, the handshake stoked talk of further rapprochement. “On the one hand you shouldn’t make too much of this. Relations between Cuba and the United States are not changing tomorrow because they shook hands,” said Geoff Thale, a Cuba analyst at the Washington Office on Latin America, a U.S.based think tank. He contrasted the moment to a 2002 development summit where then-Mexican President Vicente Fox asked Fidel Castro to leave to avoid having him in the same room as U.S. President George W. Bush. “What’s really striking here is the contrast,” Thale said. “It’s a modestly hopeful sign, and it builds on the small steps that they’re taking.” Not everyone was so happy about it. “Sometimes
Republicans thump Obama for handshake
US President Barack Obama shakes hands with Cuban President Raul Castro at the FNB Stadium in Soweto, South Africa, in the rain for a memorial service for former South African President Nelson Mandela, Tuesday Dec. 10, 2013. The handshake between the leaders of the two Cold War enemies came during a ceremony that’s focused on Mandela’s legacy of reconciliation. Hundreds of foreign dignitaries and world heads of states gather Tuesday with thousands of South African people to celebrate the life, and mark the death, of Nelson Mandela who has became a global symbol of reconciliation. (AP Photo)
a handshake is just a handshake, but when the leader of the free world shakes the bloody hand of a ruthless dictator like Raul Castro, it becomes a propaganda coup for the tyrant,” said Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a CubanAmerican congresswoman from Florida who until January 2013 was chairwoman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Obama and Castro’s en-
counter was the first of its kind between sitting U.S. and Cuban presidents since Bill Clinton and Fidel shook hands at the U.N. in 2000. It came as Obama greeted a line of world leaders on his way to the podium for a speech at the memorial. Obama also had a cheek-kiss for Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. The two have clashed over reports the National Security Agency mon-
itored her communications, leading the Brazilian leader to shelve a state trip to the U.S. earlier this year. In another potentially uneasy exchange, Obama briefly greeted Afghan President Hamid Karzai, whose refusal to sign a security agreement with the U.S. before year’s end has irritated the administration. Obama adviser Ben Rhodes said the handshakes were not planned in advance
and didn’t involve any substantive discussion. “The president didn’t see this as a venue to do business,” he told reporters traveling back to Washington aboard Air Force One. By shaking Castro’s hand, Obama sent a message of openness that echoes a speech he gave at a Democratic fundraiser in Miami last month. “We have to continue to update our policies,” he
political situation in Bangladesh, where there have been violent protests by the opposition for weeks to demand a nonparty caretaker government to oversee next election. The government has rejected that demand and said a political government headed by Hasina would conduct the election. The government has set the election for Jan. 5, but an opposition alliance led by opposition leader Khaleda Zia plans to boycott it. Weeks of blockades and general strikes have left nearly 100 people dead since October. Mollah’s party has been banned by the Election Commission from taking part in election.
LoNDoN, December 11 (AP): Global efforts to curb malaria are stalling after a drop in funds to buy bed nets, according to the latest report Wednesday from the World Health Organization. For the second year in a row, WHO noted a dramatic decline in the number of bed nets given out to protect people from the mosquitoes that spread malaria. In 2010, 145 million bed nets were distributed; that fell to 92 million in 2011 and 70 million last year. “Victory over this ancient foe is still a long way off,” WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan wrote in the report. WHO says it has less than half of the $5.1 billion it needs for its malaria efforts. Last month, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, a leading international donor, temporarily stopped
WAsHiNgtoN, December 11 (AFP): Republicans were left steaming after President Barack Obama shook the hand of Cuban leader Raul Castro, with one senior lawmaker likening the act to appeasement of the Nazis. The gesture between Obama and the brother who took over the duties of longtime Cuban dictator Fidel Castro occurred in South Africa at the memorial service for Nelson Mandela, and was seen by millions around the world on live television. A White House official said it was not “pre-planned,” but that did not stop Republicans from assailing Obama for greeting an iron-fisted ruler. “It gives Raul some propaganda, to continue to prop up his dictatorial, brutal regime, that’s all,” said Senator John McCain, who lost against Obama in his 2008 bid for the White House. McCain said it was a mistake to “shake hands with somebody who is keeping Americans in prison.” Jailed US contracter Alan Gross this month marked four years in prison in Cuba, after his arrest and conviction there for distributing communications equipment to Jewish groups. “What’s the point?” McCain said when asked by AFP if Obama should have made the gesture. “Neville Chamberlain
said then. “Keep in mind that when (Fidel) Castro came to power, I was just born. So the notion that the same policies that we put in place in 1961 would somehow still be as effective as they are today in the age of the Internet and Google and world travel doesn’t make sense.” Cuban state television broadcast images of Tuesday’s historic handshake, as well as a snippet of Obama’s
shook hands with Hitler,” he said. Senator Marco Rubio, whose parents left Cuba three years before Fidel Castro took power, offered a more measured reaction. Obama “should have asked him about those basic freedoms Mandela was associated with that are denied in Cuba,” Rubio told ABC News. Senate Republican James Inhofe said the handshake was “not appropriate.” Distrust of the Castros runs deep in the Cuban-American community, including congresswoman Ileana RosLehtinen, who lectured Secretary of State John Kerry about Obama’s gesture. “Mr. Secretary, sometimes a handshake is just a handshake, but when the leader of the free world shakes the bloody hand of a ruthless dictator like Raul Castro, it becomes a propaganda coup for the tyrant,” she told Kerry at a House hearing on Iran. Amid the criticism, independent Senator Bernie Sanders, who identifies as a democratic socialist, praised the handshake as “positive.” “What I hope it means is that we move toward normal trade relations and normal relations with Cuba,” Sanders said. Senate Democrat Carl Levin dismissed the controversy, saying “I think there’s too much read into hand shakes.”
speech. It did not, however, include his implicit criticism of governments like Havana’s. “There are too many who claim solidarity with (Mandela’s) struggle for freedom but do not tolerate dissent from their own people,” Obama said. Obama made waves in 2009 when he shook hands with the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a strident critic of the United States, at
the Summit of the Americas. That ultimately did little to improve relations, and Venezuela and the United States are without ambassadors in each other’s capitals. Washington and Havana are still far apart on many issues, among them Gross, four Cuban agents jailed in the United States, the embargo, the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo and Cuba’s record on human rights and democracy.
Bangladesh halts execution of opposition leader Fight against malaria slows, fewer nets given out
DHAKA, December 11 (AP): The appeals division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court is reviewing death sentence for one of the country’s opposition leaders after a judge halted his execution at the last minute so his attorneys could seek a new review of the case. The execution of Abdul Quader Mollah, convicted of war crimes, had been scheduled for the early hours Wednesday, but lawyers went to the home of judge Syed Mahmud Hossain and sought a postponement, defense lawyer Sazzad Ali Chowdhury said. “We have got that order,” Chowdhury said. Chowdhury said the postponement gave them time to file a
petition which the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division was reviewing Wednesday. The execution would be the first in special trials begun by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2010 of suspects accused of crimes during the nation’s war of independence against Pakistan in 1971. The government says Pakistani soldiers, aided by local collaborators, killed 3 million people and raped 200,000 women during the nine-month war. Mollah’s party, the Jamaat-e-Islami party, issued a statement warning of “dire consequences” if he was executed. Carrying out the execution could further complicate an already critical
World leaders bow at Nelson Mandela’s casket
PretoriA, December 11 (AP): World leaders bowed and prayed Wednesday before the flag-draped casket containing the body of Nelson Mandela, having a final look at the anti-apartheid icon in the amphitheater where he was sworn in 19 years earlier as South Africa’s first black president. Some made the sign of the cross, others simply spent a few moments gazing at Mandela’s face through a glass bubble atop the coffin at the Union Buildings, the government offices in South Africa’s capital, Pretoria. Leaders like Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, South African President Jacob Zuma and others passed by the casket in two lines. Four junior naval officers in white uniforms kept watch. Celebrities like singer Bono of the band U2 also paid their respects. So did F.W. de Klerk, the last president of white rule who shared a Nobel Peace Prize with Mandela for ending the apartheid era. “My thought now is that I hope that his focus on lasting reconciliation will live and bloom in South Africa,” de Klerk later said. Mandela’s widow Graca Machel, his former wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and other family members also viewed his body. Some appeared lost for a moment looking down at Mandela. South Sudan’s Salva Kiir Mayardit stood transfixed before removing his trademark black cowboy hat and crossing himself. Police officers were a few steps away, one holding a box of tissues. Some clearly were overcome by the sight, one woman covering her entire face, weeping as she walked away supported by a colleague. Others carried posters bearing Mandela’s image. “I just hope I won’t cry,”
Nelson Mandela’s widow Graca Machel pays her respects to former South African President Nelson Mandela during the lying in state at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, South Africa, on Wednesday, December 11. (AP Photo)
said Paul Letageng, 47, an employee there. “It’s amazing to think that 19 years ago he was inaugurated there, and now he’s lying there. If he was not here we would not have had peace in South Africa.” Mandela emerged from 27 years in prison under the white racist government in 1990, appealed for forgiveness and reconciliation and became president in 1994 after the country’s first all-race democratic elections. He gave his inaugural address from the amphitheater, which Zuma named after him by decree. Mandela said at his inauguration: “Out of the experience of an extraordinary human disaster that lasted too long, must be born a society of which all humanity will be proud.” On Wednesday morning, motorcycle-riding police officers escorted the hearse from a military hospital outside of Pretoria to the Union Buildings. People lined the streets to watch the procession, singing old songs from the struggle
against the apartheid regime and calling out their farewells to Mandela, who died Dec. 5 at the age of 95. Police blocked traffic, backing up cars for several kilometers (miles) on a highway leading into Pretoria. Army helicopters had been circling overhead but then a sudden quiet fell over the amphitheater as the hearse arrived. Eight warrant officers representing the various services and divisions of the South African National Defense Force carried the casket, led by a military chaplain in a purple stole. The officers set down the coffin and removed the flag. Officials have banned cameras from the viewing area and asked people to turn off their mobile phones. Mandela’s body will lie in state for three days at the Union Buildings, which the South African government describes as a “modernday acropolis” atop a hill overlooking Pretoria. The architect who designed it envisioned its two wings, made of half a million cubic
feet (14,100 cubic meters) of stone, representing the Afrikaans and English languages spoken in the country — but none of the land’s native languages. Even from its inception, the majestic buildings have long been considered a symbol of governance in the country — and of apartheid until Mandela took office. Each day Mandela’s coffin will be driven back to 1 Military Hospital to be held overnight. Authorities have asked the public to line the street as an honor guard for each trip. The government set up buses to bring in mourners. At the Pretoria Showgrounds, one gathering point, the line of people waiting for hours started pressing forward against fencing there. Police ended up having to help some children and elderly people away as they feared they’d be hurt in the crush. Mandela’s body will be flown Saturday to Qunu, his home in the Eastern Cape Province. He will be buried Sunday.
“Victory over this ancient foe is still a long way off..” buying bed nets from the two top manufacturers after a corruption scandal. Malaria causes symptoms including fever, chills and vomiting and can kill if not treated early. The parasitic disease mainly strikes children under 5 in Africa. WHO estimated there were about 207 million cases of malaria and 627,000 deaths worldwide last year, with 80 percent of the cases in Africa. But those numbers come with a big disqualifier; Credible figures are only available for countries representing about 14 percent of malaria cases worldwide. WHO said it has so little information it cannot tell if malaria cases are going up or down in the worst-hit countries,
including the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria, which account for about 40 percent of the global caseload. “These are the black hole countries,” said Jo Lines, a malaria expert at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who was not part
of the WHO report. “Not knowing what’s happening in these wild places is a concern.” The slowing progress makes it highly unlikely that WHO and its partners will achieve their target of reducing malaria deaths to “near zero” by the end of 2015. “It’s one thing to be aspirational but something else to be promising things that can’t be done,” Lines said. “This is a marathon and we need to treat it like one.”
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Thursday 12 December 2013
The Morung Express
Moyes urges United to raise game in last 16
ManU beats Shakhtar Donetsk to top group
MANCHESTER, DECEMbER 11 (AFP): Manchester United manager David Moyes says that his team need to sharpen up their act before they can be considered one of the favourites to win the Champions League. United will avoid several European heavyweights in next week's draw for the last 16 after edging Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 at Old Trafford on Tuesday to finish top of Group A. Phil Jones scored the game's only goal -- the first United had scored at Old Trafford in exactly a month -- as they got back to winning ways following successive home defeats by Everton and Newcastle United. While their form in Europe has been in stark contrast to their domestic struggles, with four wins and two draws from their six group matches, Moyes knows that there remains significant room for improvement. "The club itself could easily be classed as one of the favourites, but we all know that as a team we have to improve if we're going to keep progressing in the competition," he said. "But hopefully we've given ourselves the best chance Manchester United's Shinji Kagawa, right clashes with Donetsk's Yaroslav Rakitskiy as he attempts a shot on goal during their Champions League group by winning the group." He A soccer match between Manchester United and Shakhtar Donetsk at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, England, Tuesday, Dec. 10. (AP Photo) added: "You want to try and MANCHESTER, DECEMbER 11 (AP): Manchester United rediscovered the winning feeling at Old Trafford by beating Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday to finish top of Group A and eliminate the Ukrainian champions. Phil Jones' fiercely struck volley in the 67th minute ensured United finished the group stage unbeaten and is more likely to face a weaker team in the draw for the last 16. It was scrappy and unconvincing, but any win will do for United and its under-pressure
manager David Moyes after backto-back home losses to Everton and Newcastle in the Premier League in the past week. "I thought there wasn't much difference to the Everton and Newcastle games," said an unsatisfied Moyes, who admitted to getting tough with his players at the break for giving the ball away "terribly" in the first half. "Tonight we got the goal. In those other games, Everton and Newcastle got the goal." A victory would have guaranteed Shakhtar a place in the knockout stage alongside already-qualified United, but the
visitors failed to cap their early dominance with a goal and ended up third in the group behind Bayer Leverkusen, which beat Real Sociedad 1-0. Shakhtar drops into the Europa League, where it hasn't played for four years. "The first half and the second half were like two different games," Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu. It was a moraleboosting win for United, whose successive defeats left the team languishing in ninth place in the Premier League, 13 points off leader Arsenal. Not since October 1962 and the week before
the outbreak of the Cuban missile crisis had United gone down to three home defeats in succession, but that gloomy prospect was avoided and Moyes can celebrate a successful start to his first season in the Champions League. It will get much tougher from here, though. "I think the club itself needs to be classed as one of the favorites but I think we all know we as a team have to improve if we are to keep progressing in the competition," Moyes said. "Hopefully we have given ourselves the best chance by winning the group." There was an
air of nervousness throughout the first half as Shakhtar's busy, Brazilian-heavy midfield pulled the strings. United center backs Rio Ferdinand and Jonny Evans were often left exposed as Shakhtar's playmakers, particularly Alex Teixeira, scythed their way through to create chances. Teixeira wasted two of them, first shooting just wide after a through-ball by Taison and then firing at David de Gea, while Fred miscued at the end of another incisive Shakhtar break. Those misses proved to be costly. "The way our players were
win the group. It was a difficult group and a lot has been said (of the fact) that I was inexperienced in the Champions League, so to have my first real experience, I'm happy to top the group." United have laboured in the defence of their Premier League title, losing five of their first 15 games, but they have impressed in Europe, notably beating Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 and 5-0. Moyes, who never experienced the group stage during his 11-year tenure at Everton, admits he is at a loss to explain the disparity. "If I had the answer, I'd have solved it by now and it would all be OK," he told a post-game press conference. "I do believe there is a different style (in Europe). You can tell that the players here are used to it, they're well experienced in European football, so I think they're more than capable of playing at this level. "They're also very comfortable playing in the Premier League, but at the moment we're not showing it." Prior to Jones's 67th-minute goal, which came from a Robin van Persie corner, Shakhtar spurned several opportunities to take the lead, such as when Alex Teixeira shot narrowly wide in the 12th minute.
playing in the first half, we could have scored and finished the game 2-0," Lucescu said. There was an openness and fragility to United early on that will worry Moyes, especially his central midfield where the 40-year-old Ryan Giggs and Jones — a center back playing out of position — were often overrun. Giggs was hauled off midway through the second half whereas Jones improved as the game wore on, eventually getting his goal. Robin van Persie, on as a substitute, swung in a corner that went through a mass of bodies, struck the side
Moyes admitted that United had been "fortunate" not to concede a goal and said that the Ukrainian champions had given his team "the most problems" that they had faced at Old Trafford this season. He was also critical of United's finishing, having seen Ashley Young spurn two very presentable chances shortly before half-time. "I'm not concerned about scoring goals from set-pieces, that's for sure, but we want to score more from open play and we missed a couple of chances tonight (Tuesday)," he said. "Some good crosses came in and Ash had two good chances." United currently trail Arsenal by 13 points in the Premier League, but Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu said he detected no signs of nervousness in the English champions' display. "No, on the contrary -- I thought the team were very confident," said the experienced Romanian, whose side missed out on a place in the knockout phase. "Today there were players who hadn't played in the last two games that United lost, so their attitude to the game was different. "We hope this result will help Manchester United rediscover their place in the Premier League."
of Yaroslav Rakitskiy and fell invitingly for Jones, who lashed home low into the center of the goal from 10 yards. That sucked the life out of Shakhtar, which failed to create a clear-cut chance in the final quarter as the game petered out. However unconvincing, United brought an end to its sorry run of home defeats, something Moyes will look to feed on when the team returns to Premier League action this weekend. "We know we've had a disappointing couple of weeks and we hope that we can kick on from this now," Jones said.
Sports stars speak out against homophobia Tyson barred from Britain
UNITED NATIONS, DECEMbER 11 (AP): Former professional basketball player Jason Collins and tennis great Martina Navratilova on Tuesday urged world sports bodies like the International Olympic Committee and FIFA to take gay rights into consideration when awarding major sporting events. The two openly gay athletes spoke at a special United Nations event celebrating International Human Rights Day. They focused in part on the upcoming Winter Olympics in Russia, which passed a law this summer banning homosexual "propaganda." The law has drawn international condemnation and sparked calls for a boycott, though no nations have threatened to pull their athletes. Navratilova, who lost lucrative endorsements when she came out in 1981, said she doesn't support boycotts of any kind. But she
In this photo provided by the United Nations, U.S. Tennis Legend Martina Navratilova addresses a discussion on the theme, “Sport comes out against homophobia,” held in observance of Human Rights Day at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Dec. 10. (AP photo)
said the IOC is "putting its head in the sand" and criticized FIFA, the world soccer body, for awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. "Nobody's talking about Qatar and the World Cup. You can get a jail term there,"
she said of consensual gay sex in the Persian Gulf nation. In six other countries, including Saudi Arabia, simply being gay is punishable by death, she said. "Gays and lesbians seem to be the last group it's seen as OK to pick
on," she said. The two athletes also joked about how times have changed for gay rights in the U.S. "When Collins came out this year, he got a phone call from President Obama congratulating him," Navratilova said. "Well, in 1981, Reagan was president. I didn't get that phone call." "It's funny, right before President Obama, it was Oprah Winfrey," Collins added. "Like a surreal experience." Collins almost shyly thanked Navratilova for being so outspoken. "I'm sitting next to one of my idols," he said. North America's major pro sports leagues are still awaiting an openly gay athlete. Collins, 35, was prepared to become the first when he came out after the NBA regular season had ended. The aging reserve player and free agent has not been signed by another team, though he says he stays in shape and hopes to
return to the NBA. Collins said the league is doing a "great job changing the culture of sport" in regard to gay players. In a recorded message, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also praised straight athletes who speak out against homophobia. "They understand an abuse against any of us is an affront to all," he said. In a related event Tuesday, U.S. ambassador Samantha Power called the Russian law "as outrageous as it is dangerous." Power, who was meeting with dozens of gay activists from around the world, said 78 countries still have laws that criminalize consensual sex between adults. "To deny gays and lesbians the right to live freely ... is in fact barbarian," Power said. This year was the first time the U.N. held a ministerial meeting on LGBT issues, with Secretary of State John Kerry attending.
LONDON, DECEMbER 11 (REUTERS): Former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson has been banned from entering Britain to promote his book due to changes in the country's immigration laws, British media reported on Tuesday. The American boxer and convicted rapist is currently in Paris having been due to arrive in Britain this week to plug his new autobiography "Undisputed Truth". New immigration rules, however, mean anyone with a previous conviction resulting in a jail sentence of more than four years is barred from entering the country. Tyson, 47, was sentenced to six years in the 1992 for raping an exbeauty queen. "There was a change in the UK immigration law in December 2012 of which we were unaware," his publisher Harper Collins was quoted as saying. "For this reason Mike had to change location to Paris
to salvage his press obligations for the UK." Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion of the world in 1986, at age 20, and was the first heavyweight to own all three major boxing world title belts a year later. The British Home Office confirmed it had changed the rules last year. "We would not comment on the details of an individual case," it said in a statement. "We reserve the right to refuse
entry to the UK to anyone who is convicted of serious criminal offences. "In December 2012 we toughened up the rules on entering the UK, replacing the previous discretionary approach with a clearer, stronger framework including mandatory refusals based on the length of, and time since, sentence." Tyson has fought in Britain before, defeating Julius Francis in Manchester in 2000 and Lou Savarese in Glasgow the same year.
against the Lakers. Phoenix's small, active lineup led by Dragic and Bledsoe was too much for the bigger, slower Lakers in the final minutes. The game was another bump in a long road for Bryant, who had nine points in a rocky season debut on Sunday night. He was unable to rally the Lakers late in a loss to trade-depleted Toronto, and he gave his performance an "F" after the game, but upgraded the score to a "D" on Monday. Bryant felt fresher than expected after his first game since April. Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni doesn't want to play Bryant more than 30 minutes per game early on, hoping to keep him healthy during the team's stretch of four road games in five nights starting later this week. Bryant started off his night against Phoenix with his first dunk of the season off a two-footed leap in the first quarter.
CHICAGO, DECEMbER 11 (AP): John Henson had 25 points, 14 rebounds and six blocked shots, and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Chicago Bulls 78-74 on Tuesday night in a matchup of injury-riddled teams trying to break out of a slump. Brandon Knight added 19 points and 10 rebounds for Milwaukee, which had dropped three of four. O.J. Mayo was just 2 for 12 from the field, but had seven assists and made a couple of big plays in the fourth quarter. Chicago used only eight players after Joakim Noah was sidelined by a bruised right thigh. Carlos Boozer was the only starter in the lineup from the season opener at Miami. Mike Dunleavy scored 18 of his 24 points in the second quarter, but the Bulls struggled on offense in the latter part of their fourth loss in five games. Boozer finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds, and Tony Snell had 13 points. The Bucks trailed by seven at halftime, but cut
the deficit to two heading to the fourth quarter, and then opened the final period with a 10-2 run. Henson's dunk over Snell off a pass from Mayo made it 65-59 with 8:30 to go. Chicago had a chance after Dunleavy made a 3 to trim Milwaukee's lead to 73-72 with 1:59 remaining. But Henson hit a long turnaround jumper as the shot clock expired at the other end, cracking a smile as headed down the court. Snell then was blocked on a 3-point attempt, and the Bucks held on for their third road win over the season. Noah participated in the morning shootaround and coach Tom Thibodeau did not mention the injury during his pregame availability. But the Bulls announced the thigh problem for their leading rebounder a short time later. Luol Deng (left calf tightness) and Jimmy Butler (sprained right big toe) already had been ruled out. Derrick Rose is likely out for the season after right knee surgery.
Kobe still winless after Suns beat Lakers
LOS ANGELES, DECEMbER 11 (AP): Goran Dragic scored 31 points and the Phoenix Suns beat the Lakers 114-108 Tuesday night, keeping Los Angeles winless with Kobe Bryant back in the lineup. Bryant led the Lakers with 20 points while playing 29 mostly sharp minutes in his second game back from a nearly eightmonth absence with a torn Achilles tendon. He led a fourth-quarter rally by the Lakers, who got within four points with 3 minutes left before Phoenix held on for its first three-game winning streak of the season. Marcus Morris scored 22 points and Eric Bledsoe had 18 points and nine assists for the surprising Suns, who never trailed after the opening minutes. Phoenix held off the Lakers with superb fourth-quarter play from both Morris brothers. Markieff Morris added 15 points.
Los Angeles Lakers forward Nick Young, middle, passes to Jordan Hill, left, between Phoenix Suns guard Gerald Green, right, and Markieff Morris during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2013. (AP Photo_
Phoenix hadn't beaten the Lakers at Staples Center since November 2010. Bryant made just three turnovers against Phoenix after committing eight in his season debut two days
ago, but had just two rebounds and three assists. Pau Gasol scored 19 points while Jodie Meeks, Nick Young and Jordan Hill added 13 apiece for the Lakers, who have lost three
of four to fall back below .500. Los Angeles' NBAbest bench contributed 43 points while using just four reserves, but Phoenix dominated the boards, outrebounding the Lakers
43-33. Dragic hit two 3-pointers and didn't miss any of his 11 free throws, finishing one point shy of his career high in his latest outstanding performance
Mike Tyson. (AP File Photo)
Bucks rally past Bulls
Entertainment
The Morung Express
Thursday 12 December 2013
Dimapur
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The Hillsong London Team is welcomed on their arrival at the Dimapur airport on December 11. Hillsong London will be in Dimapur for the mega event in live worship to be held in the Dimapur District Sports Council Stadium, from December 13 to 15 (4:00 pm - 7:00 pm). Pastor Gary Clarke, Senior Pastor of Hilsong Church in London will be the main speaker for this event. Entry is FREE! (Manen Aier Photo)
Prince George to Get 'Joke' Christmas Gift?
Prince George may get a "joke" Christmas gift from his family as the royal family prefer to give each other humorous gifts rather than lavish expensive presents on one another.
r i t a i n' s P r i n c e George may get a "joke" Christmas gift from his family. The young heir, who was born in July, will enjoy his very first Christmas with his parents Duchess Catherine and Prince William, grandpar-
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ents Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla, uncle Prince Harry, and greatgrandparents Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, and he may find himself joining in on family traditions. According to ABC News, the royal family, who gather at
the queen's Sandringham estate in Norfolk for Christmas, exchange humorous gifts on Christmas Eve instead of lavishing expensive presents on each other. Royal expert Victoria Murphy said: "Legend has it that, despite having
he's known for being a bit of a jet-setter, but Hollywood actress, Angelina Jolie, has reportedly been banned from enjoying one of her favourite pastimes. Page Six reports that the star cannot currently fly her beloved personal plane after she failed to renew its registration in time. According to documents from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the 38-year-old did not file a new airworthiness certificate for her plane before the certificate expired on June 30th. So now, Angelina's $360,000 red and white Cirrus SR-22 plane, which
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is one of the world's fastest single-engine aircrafts, cannot be flown until the situation is remedied. Angelina's team did make some effort to send a renewal application to the agency, but Page Six say they were told it didn't ar-
hara, 8 and twins, 5-yearold Vivienne and Knox in the jet which can reach a speed of 300 miles per hour. Angelina received her pilot's licence eight years ago and said at the time
Retired footballer David Beckham has revealed that he struggles to keep up with his 11-year-old son Romeo during their early morning runs. The 38-year-old made the admission during a chat at the National Football Museum in Manchester with The Times on Tuesday evening. David, who retired from professional football in May of this year, told of his pride that his second son is showing signs of the same dedication he has when it comes to training. He said he told Romeo, who has modelled for Burberry in the past, to be up at six for a run but unsure his son would wake at that hour he asked his wife, Victoria, to set their alarm for half past just in case. But he needn’t of worried: ‘At 6am on the dot, I felt a tug on my arm and I heard, 'Daddy, it's time to get up', David said. ‘He's one of those annoying runners who always want to be one step in front of you. We ran three and a half miles and the third mile was the quickest of all of them. I was breathing hard.’ ‘He was a step ahead of me the whole way. My drive must have rubbed off on him. I was
very proud of him.’ David, who is father to Brooklyn, 14, Romeo, Cruz, 8, and Harper, 2, also shared that he was hoping to bring up his children in the same manner he was
enough money to afford luxury gifts, the royal family instead gives each other joke presents. "Perhaps Prince George will get something funny from his relatives. I also think he will be inundated with gifts from the public, just as he was when he was born. He is one lucky little prince!" Meanwhile, despite spending Christmas with her parents Carole and Michael Middleton last year, Duchess Catherine isn't expected to join them this year, nor are they likely to be invited to enjoy the festive season with the royals. Victoria added: "Royal Christmas is steeped in tradition, and there is absolutely no precedent for in-laws being invited for Christmas. William and Kate spent last Christmas with her family, and I think this year they will see the Middletons at a different point over the festive period, and probably for New Year's."
Jolie is 'BANNED' from flying her personal plane
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said at the time. 'If I could actually fly a plane... I'll be like Superman to him.' It sounds like Angelina wants to take the flight dreams even further as she and Brad Pitt are said to be interested in being space travellers on Richard Bran-
Brad Pitt's film company, Plan B entertainment, has signed a production deal with New Regency and RatPac Entertainment. This will precipitate his company's departure from Paramount Pictures at the end of the year. Angelina's movie career is going from strength to strength and she is currently in Australia on location for production of hew new film, Unbroken. She is also recording the voice of Tigress in animated movie Kung Fu Panda 3, although it's not slated for release rive on time. until 2015. MailOnline flying. Keen flyer Angelina has has contacted Angeson's Virgin Galactic. 'Every time Mad sees flown Brad Pitt, 49, Shiloh, that she was inspired by Meanwhile, The Los lina's spokesperson for 7, Maddox, Pax, 10, Za- her son, Maddox to get into a plane, he's amazed,' she Angeles Times reports that comment.
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'I can't keep up with Romeo!'
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with my kids. I take it easy on them to a certain point, but they have got to learn to win. They do actually win most of the time, certainly when there are three of them against me. My par-
Fighting fit: David has been helping his second son Romeo (centre) train while his oldest Brooklyn (L) hopes to be a footballer
by his parents – Sandra and David. He said: ‘I was lucky. My dad pushed me and pushed me, but he gave me a lot of support. Some kids don't react well to that, but I was one of the lucky ones. He'd put an arm round me when it was needed. ‘I just like to win, even if it's playing in the garden
ents had a great work ethic. It's about sacrifice and dedication.’ Of course the conversation turned to football being at the National Museum Of Football and also the city in which David’s own hugely successful career began. David revealed that his eldest son Brooklyn
was hoping to follow in his his’s footsteps and make a career out of the beautiful game. And it seems if he does, David will be on hand to guide him and offer support about dealing with the pressures involved. Reflecting on various difficulties in his own career, such as being sent off in the World Cup in 1998, the Essex born star said: ‘Pressure is going to Afghanistan and fighting. Playing football is fun, simple as that.’ Speaking about the future David revealed that he is planning on creating a new franchise in Major League Soccer – which is the leading club competition in the United States, in which he played for LA Galaxy. ‘It's a league I think will grow to become one of the biggest in the world,’ he said. ‘I haven't announced where my franchise is going to be yet, but it's something I'm very excited about.’ While he will definitely always be involved in football, it looks unlikely it will be the management side of things. He said: ‘I'm passionate about coaching kids; but being manager of a team, I don't think that will ever happen.’
‘UNDERGROUND AUTHORITY’ Wins Hornbill International Rock Contest 2013
‘Underground Authority’ from Kolkata won the Hornbill International Rock Contest (HIRC) 2013 and walked away with a cash prize of Rs. 10,00,000 (1 million) while Nagaland Band We the Giant and Chennai Band F16s were adjudged the first and second runners up respectively. The ten-day Hornbill International Music Festival, organized by the Music Task Force (YRS), Nagaland concluded on December 10 at Naga Solidarity Park, Kohima. Hornbill International Rock Contest (HIRC) 2013, presented by Airtel is part of the annual Hornbill Festival showcasing the rich Naga culture was organized by the state government’s Music Task Force (MTF), department of Youth Resources and Sports and managed by XL. TSM, Mumbai also sponsored various special categories prizes worth Rs.30 lakhs the best band from Nagaland, most promising band among the finalists plus runners-up in various categories. Divine Connection also performed at the show as guest band. Prizes were handed out by the representatives of various sponsors.
Prize money were as follows: Winner- Rs.10 Lacs - Underground Authority, Kolkata, West Bengal (Plus a prize - LI Compact worth Rs.83,000 sponsored by BOSE) 1st runner-up- Rs. 3.5 Lacs - We The Giants, Nagaland, 2nd runner-up: Rs.2.5 Lacs - F16s Chennai. Best band from Nagaland: We The Giants. Most Promising band: F16s, Chennai. Best Vocals Rs.30,000- S. Serivasagar (Underground Authority, Kolkata). Best Guitarists: Rs. 30,000 - Aren Longkumer (Infuse, Nagaland) plus a prize- Guitar sponsored by IBANEZ), Best Bassists: Rs.30,000- Soumyadeep Batthacharya (Underground Authority), Best Drummer: Rs 30,000 - Sourish Kumar (Underground Authority) plus a prize- Iron Cobra & double base pedal sponsored by TAMA), Best Key Boardist- Rs.30,000Harshan Radhakhrishnan (F16s Chennai). Nine bands took part in the final while a total of 24 bands from various states and from abroad took part in the rock competition. The judges were Ashutosh, Purab Kohli and Dirang Lungalang.
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(DIPR News)
Bollywood actors Aamir Khan right , along with Katrina Kaif center, and Abhishek Bachchan pose for the picture during a news conference of their film Dhoom 3 in Mumbai, India, December 10. Dhoom 3 is a Hindu action thriller film that will be released on December. 20. (AP Photo)
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Nagaland contingent returns with Gold & Silver Special OlympicS Of the aSia-pacific GameS
sons across the state. SON encourages all persons with disability to come forward and take a stance to show their capabilities. It reminded families with differently abled persons not to shy away, in giving a
new platform to their family members. It has further asked all Society or NGO’s to approach SON for further assistance. With the astounding results it has achieved, SON is now hopeful of support
from the State government or the Ministry concerned in the days ahead, as it wishes to spread across all the districts in the state. SON now seeks recognition status from the state Government. In this recently conclud-
ed Special Olympics- Asia Pacific Games, 30 countries participated and from India 21 states took part, while from North East India only 2 states Assam and Nagaland participated. The next Special Olympics world
game is scheduled for 2015 at Los Angeles, USA. The four differently abled participants further anticipate and remain hopeful to represent Nagaland in the forthcoming Special World Olympics as well.
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Nagaland Special Olympics Team (L_R) Mhachio Ngullie, Chiilizoh-oChuzoh, Bhupender Sharma and Sanglikhum Chang with their coach Imliwati at the Asia Pacific Games, in New Castle, Australia. Morung Express News Dimapur | December 11
Four differently abled youngsters from Nagaland, who took part at the Special Olympics of the Asia- Pacific Games held in New Castle, Australia, reached home on December 10. The four athletes are Sanglikhum Chang, Mhacgio Ngullie, Bhupender Sharma, and Ciilizuh-ochuche; they were accompanied by coach Imliwati. The team has special reasons to cheer about their return. The four athletes adorned with medals and Olympic uniform took the attention of the press conference, held at DC’s conference Hall today, in the presence of acting DC Dimapur, Tarep Imchen and Dr kadambari, SDO (Civil), Dimapur. Sanglikhum Chang won 4th and 5th positions in 100m and 200m race respectively. When asked about his future participation he nodes a smart “yes”. Bhupender Sharma, won Gold medal in the long jump category and clinched the 4th position in running race, and is now happy all smiles on. Mhachio Ngullie won 7th and 8th positions in 100m and 200m respectively. Ciilizuh-o-Chuzoh won silver medal in shotput and secured 7th position in running race. He acknowledges God for His blessings and the success of the Olympics, and proudly
says “by God’s grace, we went and came safely.” Tarep Imchen, the acting Deputy Commissioner for Dimapur; while congratulating the four athletes, said that he was indeed surprised and overwhelmed to see participants from Nagaland achieving such a staggering height of achievement. He considered all four differently abled athletes as winners, regardless of winning medals. He asserted the outcome of the differently abled athletes of the state has proved, for the first time, that differently abled persons are no different from others. He was of the view that with such achievements, differently abled person should also focus much on sports, as none is less from the rest. The acting DC remained hopeful for the assistance of Special Olympics from the state government and wished that the Ministry of Youth resources and sports do its best to help and promote special athletes of the state. Dr Kadambri noted that she is happy and proud of the achievements of the four athletes. She congratulated all the four achievers for making the state proud. Meanwhile, the Special Olympics of Nagaland (SON), an NGO, which officially spearheaded the process of awareness, selection, and participation
of the four state athletes till the international level, feels the achievements are an indication that much more needs to be done for differently abled per-
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