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Dimapur VOL. IX ISSUE 43
The Morung Express “
www.morungexpress.com
Anti-corruption Alia’s bills have granddad ran empowered underground people: newspaper Narayanasamy against Hitler
By Sandemo Ngullie
Abokali Jimomi
Amur Falcon Conservation in Nagaland nominated for India Biodiversity Awards 2014 Story on page 5
Kejriwal quits as Delhi CM after Lokpal fiasco new DelhI, February 14 (Ians): Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Friday resigned after failing to table the Jan Lokpal bill in the assembly, ending 49 days of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) rule in the capital. Kejriwal, who became chief minister Dec 28 at the head of a minority government backed by the Congress, had threatened to quit if he failed to push ahead with the bill aimed at curbing corruption in high places. Related story on page 8
Travel advisory for commuters to Tsg
Tuensang, February 14 (DIPr): In view of the indefinite road block called by the Longkhum Lanur Telongjem from February 14, the Tuensang District Administration has advised commuters planning to travel through the National Highway from Kohima via Wokha via Mokokchung to take the road via V.K.-Akuluto-Lumami-Ungma for the duration of the blockade.
NSF cautions unauthorized institutes
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DIMaPur, February 14 (Mexn): The Naga Students’ Federation has cautioned educational institutions, including Montessories, high schools, colleges and training institutes within Nagaland, against “playing with the careers of innocent students for their selfish interests.” A press note from the NSF informed that there are several schools and institutions running without approval or permission from the competent authority. It directed such institutes to either obtain the necessary approval or immediately close down. The Federation cautioned that any institute which does not fulfill the required criteria or guidelines laid down by the department should not be entertained under any condition or circumstances. It further demanded punishment for the Principal cum Headmaster of Blooming Bud Montessori School, Dimapur, which was running without permission from the school education department and the NBSE, thereby ruining the careers of the students. It appealed to the school education department and NBSE to inspect and identify elementary schools and higher secondary schools running without permission or approval.
–Leonardo da Vinci
[ PAGE 2]
In China, Kerry talks NKorea, regional tensions [ PAGE 9]
Ishant, Dhawan put visitors on top after Day 1 [ PAGE 12]
nagaland: whose development, whose freedom? Dimapur | February 14
Did you call for protest? Thousands of Bank loan defaulters are here to join you!
Saturday, February 15, 2014 12 pages Rs. 4
Foothill road in Nagaland to boost economic upliftment
[ PAGE 11]
[ PAGE 8]
reflections
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Where there is shouting, there is no true knowledge
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What is the meaning of development? Is increase in income the purpose of development? Who defines development for us and for whose benefit? According to Economist and Nobel laureate, Amartya Sen, freedom is both the primary means and end to development. Economic growth is not the end goal; rather development is viewed as a realization of freedom, about expansion of capabilities, “the enhancement of freedoms that allow people to lead lives that they have reason to live.” He argues that “development requires the removal of major sources of unfreedom: poverty as well as tyranny, poor economic opportunities as well as systemic social deprivation, neglect of public facilities as well as intolerance or overactivity of repressive states.” “Our State is backward and underdeveloped” is repeatedly hammered into the psyche of every kid who has grown up in Nagaland. Most Naga children are encouraged to study as hard to become a top
“Government Officer.” Elders at social and religious gatherings emphasize on how many have passed the UPSC/NPSC, and why every student must keep trying and trying. Accustomed to this sort of social conditioning, it is understandable why many Naga parents have this mindset. The glory of headhunting conquests is transferred to influential bureaucratic jobs; prestige gained through attainment of new socially-constructed role of the “victorious warrior” seems to hold greater importance than the development of a child’s true potential and capability. Our “Christian” society has now come to a point where some see nothing morally corrupt or un-Jesuslike about “buying” a Government Post. It also needs inquiring who is selling and why and how many illegal appointments are made. What is that stronger force that compels us to reject ethics, values and selfrespect? Pay a hefty bribe to buy a Government post, to achieve what? - Financial security through salary? What are the salaries ranging from the highest
A young child is seen carrying a basket load of firewood, commonly used as a daily fuel by many, in a village in Zunheboto District. Women and children face the biggest brunt of “unfreedom” in the lack of any coherent form of development in Nagaland State.
administrative officer to a labourer? Are they entitled only to salaries and allowances or what are their other legal sources of income?
At present, who holds the real power – influence and capital resources such land and access to bulk of the Central Government
contracts, schemes and funds -- in Nagaland, besides those who control the consumer goods wholesale market?
One of the main characteristics of an underdeveloped economy is the dependence on government employment– lack of opportunities for enterprise and gainful employment. Inequitable distribution of wealth and income is another feature of a backward economy, where concentrated economic power lies in the hands of a few, while the majority struggle for basic necessities. What are our un-freedoms? Does our societal arrangement place all individuals as active agents of change rather than passive recipients of dispensed benefits? Who controls the factors of production - land, labour, capital and enterprise in Nagaland? According to Sen, “unfreedom” constitutes denial of political and civil liberties; the deprivation of participating in crucial decision-making processes removes an individual’s rights to freedom. Many people in Nagaland may view development as construction of roads and RCCs, razing down acres of forest for “developmental activities,” availing of more subsidies and schemes for villagers. If that is development,
would it remove the stark inequality of opportunities where the majority live in fear, reduced to resorting to sycophantic tactics, deprived of human dignity? Would it increase the wellbeing of people at the bottom of society’s pyramid? The majority is deprived of access even to minimal healthcare: for example, in a true incident encountered recently, a father had to walk over 20km to the nearest town to buy Paracetomal for his sick child. Children (like the one in the photo) engaged in household chores lose playtime essential to social and cognitive development. Till now, our women cannot participate in Village Council meetings to discuss any matter. When this is our reality – inequality of opportunities and decision-making powers—and the vicious circle continues, who benefits from the “developmental activities” or exploitation of our natural resources, which are also depleting at an alarming rate? The conditions of the majority have to be understood to implement what truly would enhance each person’s selfworth and well-being.
Peace Talks: Two more interlocutors shortlisted Indefinite blockade begins along NH-2
KohIMa, February 14 (Ians): The central government has shortlisted two more people for appointment as the interlocutor for the peace talks with the separatist National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah), an official said Friday. “We have shortlisted two more names - Lt.Gen. (retd.) N.C. Marwah and R.N. Singh - for the appointment of an interlocutor for the peace talks with the union government and the NSCN-IM,” a top official in the union home ministry told IANS,
insisting on anonymity. “The process is on to finalise the name of either of the retired Indian Army generals. We are hoping that the government will announce the name of the interlocutor after the parliament session,” he said. Both Marwah and Singh had served in the northeastern states and were involved in the counter-insurgency operations at various levels. Earlier, former Nagaland chief secretary R.S. Pandey, who was the chief negotiator for talks with the Naga rebel
group, resigned and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. He will contest the 2014 Lok Sabha pollsfromBihar’sValmikinagar. Four names - Lt. Gen. (retd.) R.N. Kapur, former Assam Police chief G.M. Srivastava, Joint Intelligence Committee chairman Ajit Lal, who is a former special director of the Intelligence Bureau, and R.N. Ravi, who retired as Intelligence Bureau special director - are doing the rounds. The union government and the NSCN-IM entered into a ceasefire agreement in August 1997.
‘No Salary No Work’
Government-appointed Hindi teachers (2012-2013 batches) staging a protest dharna at the office of District Education Officer (DEO) Dimapur, demanding immediate release of two-month pending salary. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express News Dimapur | February 14
Government-appointed Hindi teachers (2012-2013 batches) of Dimapur district today staged a protest dharna at the office of District Education Officer (DEO) Dimapur, demanding immediate release of two-month pending salary. The teachers have also resolved not to attend classes till their pending salaries are cleared. The protesting teachers carried placards, some of which read: “no salary no work”, “no money for food, no food for strength, no strength to teach” and “a hungry person is an angry person.” One of the teachers informed media persons that the government was yet to release two month salary (Dec 2013 and January 2014) of 1379 Hindi teachers, who were appointed in 2012 and 2013. Of the 1379 Hindi teachers, 153 are serving in various schools in Dimapur district. The teachers also disclosed that delay in disbursement of salary has become the norm of the School Education department. “Last year too, our salaries for the month of April and May were disbursed only in June. Then again,
salaries from June till September were cleared only in October. And now we are yet to get the salaries of December 2013 and January 2014 along with arrears”, the teachers informed. The salaries of the Hindi teachers are funded under centrally sponsored scheme and routed through the state Education department. Meanwhile, the Hindi teachers are also demanding implementation of 6th ROP in their case. The teachers, in a representation to the president of All Nagaland Hindi Teachers’ Association, stated that almost two years since their appointment, the Hindi teachers of 2012-2013 batches are getting 5th ROP, 1999, pay scale even after implementation of the 6th ROP. “Ironically, even when we are paid the salary of ROP 1999, we are made to sign the pension plan of 2010 and subsequently issued PRAN card (permanent retirement account number), which is not even showing our balance details”, the representation stated. Pointing out the anomaly, the representation added, “since we were made to sign the new pension scheme of 2010, in accordance, it is our strong demand for implementation of 6th ROP as well.”
Govt Hindi teachers demand pending salaries
LLT demand early prosecution in July 4, 2013 murder case Our Correspondent Mokokchung | February 14
The indefinite blockade called by the Longkhum Lanur Telongjem (Longkhum youth organization) along the stretch of NH-2 (NH-61), crossing Longkhum village jurisdiction, began Friday, starting from 1:00 am. Youth volunteers from the Longkhum Lanur Telongjem put up road blocks at different locations on the highway to prevent vehicular movement. The volunteers set up their main blockades near the VK side and near Alichen (the two starting points of Longkhum village), with pockets of road blocks in between the two. The blockade is being supported by the Longkhum Students Union and the Longkhum Watsu telen. Speaking to media persons, an LLT leader expressed strong displeasure at the lack of progress made in the July 4, 2013 Dimapur murder case, where a young Longkhum girl, Nungshilila, was found murdered in Dimapur. In this regard, the LLT leaders said that several demands have been made to the state government to expedite the case, but the case is still pending without any progress. He further disclosed that the Mokokchung district administration arrived at the village on Friday morning in order to negotiate with the Longkhum Lanur Telongjem to lift the indefinite blockade. However, the LLT leaders conveyed to the district administration that the Telongjem wants a “written assurance” that the forensic tests will be brought and that prosecution will be started “within seven days.” It was informed that the seven day deadline will begin from the day when the said written assurance is delivered by the authorities. If the authorities cannot expedite the case at the earliest, then the accused in the crime should be handed over to the Longkhum public so that the case can be tried as per the Naga customary laws,
Longkhum village council members and youth leaders at the Longkhum gate. The Longkhum Youth Organization started an indefinite blockade along NH-2 that crosses their village jurisdiction from February 14. (Morung Photo)
Ao orgs deplore bail to accused DIMaPur, February 14 (Mexn): The Ao Senden, Watsü Mungdang and Ao Students’ Conference have expressed surprise that three accused persons in the July 4, 2013 Dimapur murder case have been granted bail. A joint statement from the Ao bodies lamented that this has been done despite demands for denial of bail to the accused persons, till the guilty is penalized and the case is settled. The Ao organizations demanded that the suspects be rearrested and said that the charge sheet presented by the Special Investigating Officer is “vague and highly
they added. The LLT leaders asserted that unless there is a definite response from the authorities, the indefinite blockade will continue. Meanwhile, a considerable number of police and IRB personnel were stationed at the blockaded area. No reports of any untoward incidents were reported till the filing of this report. The Ao Senden, Ao Students Organisation, Ongpangkong Mungdang, Watsu Mungdang and Ongpangkong Watsu Mungdang also visited Longkhum village and in-
questionable.” It added that the case “needs to be re-investigated thoroughly, taking into account all circumstantial evidences by obtaining the Forensic Laboratory Report at the stipulated time.” The Ao organizations expressed regret that despite a series of representations to the authority, “the government and its investigating agencies have neglected the case by trying to avoid and show insincerity to penalize culprits. It may be noted that the SIT constituted to investigate the case had established a prima facie case and submitted a charge sheet on October 2, 2013.
teracted with the villagers of Longkhum.
Mokokchung DC appeals Mokokchung Deputy Commissioner, Murohu Chotso has appealed to the Longkhum Village Council and the Longkhum Lanur Telongjem to call off the agitation, “to continue to receive the sympathy and moral support of the public.” The Mokokchung DC, in a press note, further sought “the wisdom of the court” to dispose the case at an early date, so that the “aggrieved community may also be satisfied.”
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