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The Morung Express
Dimapur VOL. VIII ISSUE 338
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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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reflections
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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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