17th February 2014

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Dimapur VOL. IX ISSUE 45

The Morung Express “

www.morungexpress.com

The aim of education is the knowledge not of facts but of values

Rahul woos women voters, promises empowerment [ PAGE 8]

reflections

By Sandemo Ngullie

We`re not sitting on your files ok? If you don`t believe us we`re open to any probe, including CBI.

The Morung Express POLL QUESTIOn

Vote on www.morungexpress.com SMS your answer to 9862574165 Will an anti-racism law protect the rights of people from North East?

Yes

no

Others

Do you agree that Bureaucracy in nagaland still holds the actual realms of power?

Yes

48% 44%

no Others

08%

Details on page 7

ABVP demands security for NE students NEW dELHI, FEBRUARY 16 (MExN): In continuation of protests and candlelight vigils to demand justice to Nido Tania’s death, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) today held a protest at Jantar Mantar demanding justice for Nido Tania and also adequate security for students from the North East in Delhi. This was stated in a press statement

by ABVP Delhi State Secretary, Saket Bahuguna. The release stated that ABVP will stand to help students from NE and, in this regard, issued helpline numbers for NE students to call for help in case of any problems in Delhi. The numbers are 9810900912, 9716199780 and 8800813757.

ANHTU, Khm unit clarifies

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KOHIMA, FEBRUARY 16 (MExN): The All Nagaland Hindi Teachers Unit (ANHTU), Kohima Unit has clarified that the ongoing protest and demands of Hindi Teachers at Dimapur “has no base and it is without concerning the Committee of Hindi Teachers.”

A press note from Kekhrieneilie Tsikhano, Convener of the government appointed Hindi teachers (2012-13 batch) stated that the “protest of some Hindi teachers at Dimapur is to misguide and arise misunderstanding among the Teachers for their own profit.” It further stated that the Committee of Hindi teachers, ANHTU office bearers and officials of the Education Department is working with the state government to resolve the problems faced

by Hindi teachers. It then assured that “all the problems will be resolved very soon.” As such, it requested all concerned Hindi teachers to “understand and co-operate in the ongoing work” and advised against being “misguided by any rumors in upcoming days.”

‘Aishwarya Rai didn’t marry me because I am a Bach’

”

Monday, February 17, 2014 12 pages Rs. 4 –William Ralph Inge

A short story of the internally displaced of Karbi Anglong

India’s flag finally hoisted in Sochi

[ PAGE 2]

‘Difficult’ for an independent Scotland to join EU: Barroso

[ PAGE 11]

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[ PAGE 12]

[ PAGE 9]

Bangalore protests racial Discrimination, on bikes BANGALORE, FEBRUARY 16 (NNN): A massive bike rally was held today in Bengaluru city (Bangalore) against racial discrimination of people from the North East.

More than 200 riders of several bike-riding clubs and individual riders, numbering about 150 bikes cutting through the heart of Bangalore, unequivocally condemned racial discrimination, as part of the ‘Bikers Against Racial Discrimination’ (BARD) ride under the aegis of Brotherhood of Bulleeters Motorcycling Consortium (BOBMC) on Sunday.

The rally had a long contingent of bikes from Royal Enfield, Honda, Duke and others. Thousands of pamphlets were distributed throughout the route of the rally to educate people about the event and the cause.

Placards read messages like ‘Racism is Wrong’, ‘Racism has no place in a democratic country’, ‘Friends Are Made by Heart, Not by Skin Colour’, ‘We, the riding family, won’t stand racial discrimination’, ‘Stop All Violence Against Northeast’ and ‘We All Have Eyes, But to See Right, We Should Use Our Brains’. A diverse set of people in terms of race, religion, region, age, gender and language participated in the rally. Large number

of people from the North East states and Caucasians took part in the event.

The bike rally, led by senior bikers Prem Menon and Ajit Lakshmiratan, was flagged off from the Town Hall at 8:40 am and passed through Hudson Circle, Mission Road, Lalbagh Road, RV Road, Nanda Theatre Road, JP Nagar, BTM Layout, Silk Board, Outer Ring Road and culminated at the BDA Complex in HSR Layout at 10 am.

Ajit Lakshmiratan, a

Biker from 50+ Bulleteers said: “We are very much concerned about the racial discrimination prevalent.

It is a blot on our society and we condemn it. We as a responsible biking community and express our solidarity with North East brothers and sisters.”

Professor Rini Ralte from Mizoram, who has made the Garden City her home, addressed the bikers and said: “Racial Discrimination is violence faced by us every day in Bangalore and in oth-

er cities. The recent exodus of thousands of North East people from Bangalore indicates the kind of constant fear we live under. Ours is a struggle against discrimination, ours is a struggle for justice and peace.”

Human Rights activist Manohar Elavarthi from Praja Rajakiya Vedike appreciated the efforts of the biking community in fighting racism. He demanded that Police be sensitized on the issues of North East people and to recruit peo-

KAtHMANdU, FEBRUARY 16 (IANS): An aircraft with 18 people on board Sunday crashed in a thick jungle and burst into a huge ball of flame in Nepal, officials said. The fate of those on board was not immediately known.

The twin otter, belonging to the state-owned Nepal Airlines and carrying 15 passengers, including a foreigner, besides three crew members, crashed in Arghakhanchi district in western Nepal, said an official at the Tribhuvan International Airport here. Airport official Bimalesh Karna told IANS that due to thick fog and tor-

rential rain, rescuers were facing difficulty in reaching the crash site. Nepal is witnessing torrential rain since Saturday which in turn has rendered visibility poor.

The ill-fated plane was heading from Pokhara, a popular tourist destination, to the mid-western Nepali town of Jumla, said Nepal Airlines spokesperson Ram Hari Sharma.

The plane went missing shortly after take-off from Pokhara and its last contact was with Bhairahwa airport from where it had originally begun its flight.

Initial reports suggested that flames were

seen at the crash site, enabling officials to locate the wreckage. The crash site is located in the jungle, making a rescue bid difficult in inclement weather.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said in a statement that the aircraft lost contact at 1.13pm while flying from Pokhara to Jumla. Nepal Army spokesperson Jagidesh Pokhrel confirmed that the plane had crashed and added that one army helicopter was also involved in the search operation.

A politician of Jumla district belonging to the ruling Nepali Congress party,

a female journalist, a bank manager, a Nepal Army major based in Jumla district and a doctor besides a Danish national were listed among the passengers.

Mahesh Moktan, chief of Nepal Airlines at Pokhara, said the aircraft was carrying 15 passengers, including a child. Moktan identified the crew members as captain Shankar Shrestha, copilot Rabindra Banjara and air hostess Muna Maharjan.

In 2012, there were two plane crashes in Nepal. In September 2012, 19 people were killed. In another crash in May that year, a plane crashed, killing 15 people.

dIMAPUR, FEBRUARY 16 (MExN): The Zunheboto district administration was issued an ultimatum by landowners affected by “the ongoing two Lane NH Project under SARDP-NE.” The ultimatum, warning of road blockade, was issued by landowners from nine affected villages and towns falling between “zero point to Zunheboto town.”

A statement jointly issued by Kilomi Village Council Chairman, GB’s & landowners; Kilo Old Village Council Chairman, GB’s & landowners; Satakha Town Chairman, GB’s and landowners; Zhekiye Village Council Chairman, GB’s & landowners; Aghuyito Town Chairman, GB’s & landowners; Shoixe Village Council Chairman, GB’s & landowners; Yemishe Village Council Chairman, GB’s & landowners; Sukhalu Village Council

Chairman, GB’s & landowners; and Zunheboto damaged Property owners stated that a meeting was convened on February 16 in Zunheboto to deliberate on the Zunheboto district administration failing to disburse compensation to landowners from the nine villages and towns.

The statement alleged that the compensation amount was already sanctioned in the month of November 2013, and had reached the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Zunheboto. Despite several appeals from the affected landowners, the district administration failed to respond to the pleas, it was added.

Considering the circumstances, the statement said that the landowners chalked out a three-point ultimatum to be forwarded to the DC, Zunheboto.

The resolutions adopted

included a three-day ultimatum to the Zunheboto district administration, from February 17 to 19 to release the sanctioned compensation. Failing to respond to the demand, the landowners warned of blockading the National Highway from Kilomi village to Zunheboto village.

The emergency meeting was convened today, February 16, at Zunheboto for taking the final resolution against the DC, Zunheboto and his subordinate officers for Non-Payment of Compensation (Property Damaged) against the ongoing two Lane NH Project under SARDP-NE from zero point to Zunheboto town to those affected villages and towns (owners) though the compensation amount was already sanctioned and reached the office of the DC, Zunheboto since November, 2013 and

fail to respond the plea made by the affected villages and towns several times for early disbursement.

“In the course of action, no law enforcing agency will be entertained,” it warned, while adding that the district administration will be held responsible for any resultant incident.

Stating that the company in concern carrying out the project will not be allowed to continue working till the matter is resolved, the statement read, “The affected villages and towns will now claim the land compensation which was earlier exempted by the owners except properties.” It further appealed the public to bear with the inconvenience and advised commuters against using the said stretch of the highway after the expiry of the three-day deadline till it is resolved.

Delhi Police unveils safety measures for ne people

Bikers from Bangalore hold placards at a rally to protest Racial Discrimination against the people of the North East of India on Sunday, February 16, after racial attacks have come into the limelight in India after Nido Tania’s death in New Delhi.

ple from the region into Karnataka police force to make it racially diverse. He appealed to the bikers to continue this long struggle to change people’s attitudes and to bring lasting changes against racism.

Bishwajit Singh Rajkumar, a biker from Manipur, said, “As a biker, I have never faced any racial discrimination inside the biking community. I am proud to be part of this community and want the larger society to emulate our biking

NEW dELHI, FEBRUARY 16 (PtI): Under fire over the repeated attacks in the city on people from the Northeast, Delhi Police today announced a slew of steps including setting up of a new unit and a helpline number to address any grievance faced by them. “We have decided to start a helpline for those hailing from the Northeast and this number will be 1093, there will be five lines of this number in the control room,” said Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi.

Bassi said that these measures were taken after the unfortunate incident in which Nido Tania died.

The Delhi High Court had also directed police in this regard. “Apart from this we have also constituted a Special Cell to address policing issues, this cell will operate from Nanakpura and an official of the rank of DCP will supervise it.”

Police have also identified certain pockets like Munirka parts of Dwarka where people from Northeast mostly reside. Bassi said that special preventive policing will be ensured in these areas from now on.

community and learn to accept the people who are different from you. If you want to understand people, you should visit their places and meet them; spend time with them.

Then only one will start to understand that they are as beautiful as you.”

Ringo Pebam, who also works in Bengaluru the city, said, “North East people face insults, harassment, sexual harassment, physical violence and humiliation on a daily

basis. People here know very little about North East people, our history, culture, food habits, languages; people don’t know that India is home to people of different races. We demand changes in school and college curricula to include information about North East so that all Indians are aware about us. The government should conduct a large scale public education about North East people through mass media and it is their responsibility.”

Nepal: Aircraft with 18 on board crashes curious. friendly. Helpful.

Sanctioned compensation not paid, claim Zbto landowners

German football trainer shares his experience at St. Joseph’s College, Jakhama

Robert Begerau, a former football trainer and psychologist from Germany, has been training young students in football at St. Joseph’s College, Jakhama, for around three weeks now.

Morung Express Feature skills, they have more credibility,” says Fr. Abraham Kohima | February 16 Lotha, who feels that Nagas Sixty-six year old Robert should pursue professionBegerau, a former football alism and not just be satistrainer and psychologist fied with raw talent. from Germany has been Part of Robert’s training training football for free is to teach the other trainto young students in St. Jo- ers, so that they can continseph’s College, Jakhama, ue teaching the students. “I for around three weeks want to give them the expenow. This is his second time rience and knowledge to in Nagaland, and will be vis- teach others,” says Robert. iting in October again.

His main task is to teach As part of the Senior them “moral ethics, to be Expert Service (SES) Asso- fair and to play in a team.” ciation in Germany, where Apart from the thirty members are sent all over boys, he is also coaching the world to train play- eleven girls who have never ers, Robert came to know played football before and of Nagaland through Fr. finds it a challenge to make Abraham, Principal of St the game interesting for Joseph’s College, Jakhama, them. He, however, adds, who was looking for a foot- “It makes sense what we ball trainer in the college. do here. They like to play Robert says that Nagas and they want to play for are, “curious, friendly and a longer period. If they are helpful.” The current foot- not organized, they always ball training will soon be shoot somewhere else and a part of an add-on course not the goal. It is like eduof the college, where stu- cating the same way you do dents can opt for job-ori- in college.” ented skills such as sports, Robert feels that Natourism studies, desk-job gas have the interest and publishing as part of their talent for football but lack curriculum. “If they have training in “tactical prin-

ciples.” “All they need is organization and discipline!” he adds. However, he feels that considering the varied seasons in the country, lack of sports facilities and infrastructures etc, it is understandable that talented players remain unrecognized and unskilled.

A retired sports teacher and Psychologist, Robert was also a former professional football player who played for the Fortuna Dusseldorf team but left at the age of 24 years because of his knee problem. He holds a diploma in Psychology, which he says is an essential part of being a trainer/ coach to help the team “get along together and bring them up when they lose.”

He started his career as an Assistant Trainer in the Bundesliga- the top professional football league in Germany. He is also a member of the Association of German Football Trainers, where he organizes training of the highest standards in Germany. Robert and his wife have three sons and two grandchildren.

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Monday 17 February 2014

A short story of the internally displaced of Karbi Anglong Morung Photo Feature

Chokihola, February 16

As of February 13, 2014, almost 1000 Rengma Naga people of Karbi Anglong continue to live in relief camps since December 2013 as a result of the conflict in the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), Assam. Seen on left is the well maintained official count of refugees at the Purana Borpathar L.P. School, which is doubling up as a relief camp. Above is a scene of settlement at one of the three relief camps, where the displaced are to go on with life, with or without their consent.

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Old people have been badly affected. This couple (L) from the Phencherop belt somehow fled their home, which was burnt down; their lives have been reduced to a mat of few inches length and breadth. They are lucky enough to have each other to draw support in the harsh circumstances of the relief camp but not so for those widowed (R) and alone.

At this age, with sickness always hovering around, even temporary seems far too long.

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The Morung Express C

‘Church leaders and village council main channel to build village’

Kohima, February 16 (mexN): A seminar for church leaders and village council members was successfully organized by Shaki Baptist Church on Saturday at Shaki village under Wokha district. The main objective of the seminar was to familiarize the church leaders and village council members about the importance of team work and to work together for all round development and common interest of the community.

Speaking on the occasion as resource person, M. Wonthungo Tsopoe, Deputy Director, School Education pointed out that church leaders and the village council members are the main channel to build the village as well as to bring the villagers closer.

He added blame game should not be there amongst them but they should be farsighted and address the social problems together.

Stating that village is the root of a nation; he said it is like a kingdom having everything in it. In this, he en-

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Food and nutrition, moreover, is limited. The Government of Assam, and KAAC, have managed to provide ration for the refugees at relief camps. But this comes in the form of two meals a day that is cooked communally on a hearth. No tea or snacks between meals. Meat was brought by some people from Nagaland who visited 2-3 times, but the refugees mostly have to make do with rice, dal and vegetables at times, mostly potato.

Seminar for church leaders & village council held

IG BSF reviews security situation in Satakha

Dimapur, February 16 (mexN): Bhola Nath Sharma, Inspector General, Border Security Force (BSF), Mizoram & Cachar visited 111 BN BSF Satakha to review the security situation on February 14, 2014.

He was accompanied by Satish Budakoti, Dy Inspector General, BSF, Mizoram & Cachar, a press release informed.

On his arrival, he met the ex RGN. He appreciated the contribution made by them in shaping the unit.

BN Sharma also met Zuheto, wife of late K Zuheto Swu, KC, PPM, VSM, GSM ex DIG BSF along with Satish Budakoti and Y M Upadhyay, Commandant, 111 BN BSF. BN Sharma also visited CI Post Kilomi and reviewed the Ops scenario.

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IG Bhola Nath Sharma being received upon his arrival at 111 BN BSF Satakha on February 14.

He also held meeting with few retired Security Forces personnel and gave a patient hearing to their problems and assured them of all possible help. Satish Budakoti, Dy Inspector General, BSF expressed

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All in all, life for the Rengma Nagas of KAAC has been one of neglect and misery, and continues down that lane. The Government of Assam, and the KAAC, has not yet secured the minds or their burnt down villages to facilitate the people to start going back home. But what are they to find back home? Many Rengma Naga villages of KAAC do not get basic facilities like electricity. In the lack of electric lines, even solar panels have to be bought by village folk to cater to their basic necessities. Faced with utter and total neglect, the mother of invention, for the Rengma Nagas of KAAC, is always extant.

that IG appreciated the duties done by the BSF in Satakha. The BSF help the local population by doing civic action programme and providing medical aid and other facilities, the note stated.

The release further mentioned that after passing out from BSF Academy Tekanpur, BN Sharma joined Triple One BN BSF as an Assistant Commandant. He served in 111 BN Satakha for three years from 1978-1981.

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Our Correspondent Kohima | February 16

Mokokchung district has witnessed improvements in access to the basic services and amenities over the years, making the quality of life of the masses relatively better and economic growth more inclusive.

This was stated in the District Human Development Report of Mokokchung district, GoIUNDP Project (Bridging Inequalities towards Human Development) released this year.

While access to services has been expanding in some areas, the quality and reliability emerge as critical issues for services life safe drinking water and electricity, the report stated.

The report stated that acute shortage of regular power supply of safe drinking water in both rural and urban areas must be addressed by providing water reservoir and safe rain harvesting technology.

“There is also considerable scope to explore underground sources. The problem of erratic supply of electricity needs to be urgently dealt with as it is associated with numerous negative economic outcomes including progress of small scale production units and other livelihood activities,” the report added.

Fountain Club, Kohima new office bearers

Women and children are badly affected. A bout of dysentery has hit the refugees at the Silonijan High School camp— only one ring well caters to their water demands. Hygiene and sanitation is poor—they are still in clothes they fled their villages in and there is no money to buy anything. To their relief, Oxfam (international development organisation) has now entered the scene and started providing the refugees (at all the relief camps) with water filters, buckets, blankets, temporary bath cubicles for women, sanitary napkins and so on.

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and act globally.

To bring about socio-economic change in the lives of the rural poor, the government is extending several welfare measures to alleviate poverty, he said and asked the gathering to play effective role to bring about progress and development.

Maintaining the lack of creating awareness of the welfare schemes as the major hurdles in translating the real packages of development, he called upon the village leaders to organize seminar by inviting resource persons to give a talk on various schemes once in a year. He also cited an example of Chakhesang community in imposing ban on import of pork meat from outside the district.

Through this, the district has beM. Wonthungo Tsopoe, Deputy Direc- come self sufficient in meat productor, School Education addressing the tion, he said. Earlier, Rev. S. Thungrio seminar held at Shaki village.

Khuvung, Asst. Pastor, Wokha Town Baptist Church dwelt on the imporcouraged the church leaders and vil- tant role of church leaders and village lage council members to think locally council.

Mkg dist sees improvements in access to basic services

590 Rengma Naga internally displaced of KAAC were moved from the Borpathar M.E. School to Silonijan High School (both government run) on February 6, 2014, as the former had to cater to its schooling duties (though 240 refugees continue to live there). Through the cold, the refugees have made cardboard boxes their beds, ropes their cupboards.

It is so cold in the rooms with their cement floors that at night children go on a fit of coughs—some of them are developing permanent problems.

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Kohima, February 16 (mexN): Fountain Club, Kohima has selected new office bearers to run the club.

Following are the names along with designation: Chairman - Er. Seyievizo Tsűkrű; Vice Chairman - Asobu Khiezhie; General Secretary - Metsisieto Zhasa; Asst. Gen. Secretary - Khrielie Thaprű; Finance Secretary - Avilie Angami; Treasurer - Vilekho Bio; Property Secretary - Ako Zhasa; Advisor - Neizokhotuo Belho.

Meanwhile, 3rd Nagaland Spelling Bee Championship Committee officials are as follows: Convener - Neizokhotuo Belho; Member Secretary - Metsisieto Zhasa; Members - Shűrhovol Naleo, Vipopal Kintso, Medo Yhokha, Er. Zenyű Yore, Kevisavi Hibo, Ruokuovikho Chale; Treasurer - Vilekho Bio, Ex-Officio Member - Er. Seyievizo Tsűkrű.

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A young boy with catapult in his neck eats food with his friends at Tsuthur Village under Kiphire district. It is recorded that under SSA, NRBC and RBC programs are implemented that reach out to ‘never enrolled’ children between 6-10 years and ‘drop out students’ between 11-14 years of age respectively. Over the recent past, the growth of educational institutions in the district has made access to educational facilities easier for the people in both rural and urban regions. (Photo by Lipichem)

Science quiz in Kohima on National Science Day

Kohima, February 16 (mexN): National Science Day in Kohima district will be celebrated by conducting a ‘Science Quiz’ at Little Flower Higher Secondary School on February 28, 10:30 am, where students from various educational institutions will participate. District Education Officer, Kohima, Senthang in a press release informed that winners will be awarded cash prizes

and certificates. This celebration has been organized in pursuance of the letter of Director, Science and Technology, dated Kohima, January 28, 2014 informing on the celebration of National Science Day on February 28, 2014 throughout the country and a request to organise science competition programme in the district basing on the theme “Fostering Scientific Temper”.

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Scenic beauty of Nsonji project… Nsonji project was started in 2007 by the Sendenyu Baptist Church (SBC) and well wishers, who voluntarily donated their land surrounding Nsonji. The main aim is to harvest the products of this natural pond towards the centenary celebration of SBC due in 2018. Further, its vision is to expand and refurbish this project into a tourist destination in the near future by setting up an indigenous wild fruit orchard and other tourist attractions. On February 10, 2014, Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) deputy speaker Er Levi Rengma laid a foundation stone for setting up of a tourist reception centre there.

(Morung Photo/Chizokho Vero)

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REgional

The Morung Express

Monday

17 February 2014

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New militant outfit floated in Meghalaya Newmai News Network Shillong | February 16 The Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) has made an exposé that its former finance secretary, Reding T Sangma was demoted for breaking the rules of the outfit.

The exposé comes after the announcement of Reding T Sangma on the creation of a new militant outfit, breaking away from the erstwhile GNLA and adding fear that the peace settlement may need more thought.

'Arunachal prosperity vital for country'

i ta N a g a r , F e b ruary 16 (tNN): Arunachal Pradesh governor, Lt. Gen (Retd) Nirbhay Sharma suggested a state-level apparatus to deal with security issues at the border and disturbed areas in a coordinated manner. Participating in the maiden two-day 'Conference of Governors' at Rashtrapati Bhawan, which ended on Friday, Sharma expressed concern over factional rivalry between various outfits and increasing extortion demands on residents in troubled districts like Tirap, Changlang, and Longding, a Raj Bhavan statement read.

"This state-level apparatus will be useful in dealing with unforeseen emergencies, including natural disasters," Sharma said.

He called for a review of border area development plans to ensure that villages in these areas become self-sustaining. He added that out of the 17 districts of the state, 13 have international borders.

Reding Sangma announced the floating a new outfit - A'chik Songna An'pachakgipa Kotok (ASAK), which means ‘Vanguards of Garoland’. Apart from the new outfit, he has also formed a conglomeration of outfits in South Garo Hills (SGH), namely, United People's Revolutionary Alliance (UPRA), comprising of United A'chik Liberation Army (UALA), A'chik National Liberation Army (ANLA) and Breakaway faction of A'chik National Volunteer Council (ANVC-B).

The Eastern Area Command of GNLA, Nawal Sangma clari-

fied, "Reding deserted us after being appointed as the grievance secretary. He invested the outfits' Rs 70 lakhs on coal and rubber business, which is managed by his new mistress".

He alleged that Reding used GNLA's letter pads and stamps even after his removal from the post of finance secretary and had extorted huge amounts of money from Tura, Baghmara and Nongalbibra.

Nawal also revealed that Reding had murdered his own comrade identified as Joksret, a youth from Mindikgre

at Paromgre village, believing him to be a police informer. He claimed that Reding was the only one to kill one of its own adding that no other member from the GNLA had ever executed its cadres.

The militant leader also accused the former finance secretary of being a womanizer and claimed that he deserted the outfit only in fear of action being taken against him for his misdeeds by the outfit's leadership.

Reding Sangma, on the other hand, accused GNLA's commander-in-chief, Sohan

D Shira, of deviating from the original goal of the outfit and his dictatorship.

Speaking on the reason for the break up, Reding said, "We formed the GNLA to fight for Garoland and to protect our people. We wanted to take the cause of Garos to a higher level. Over the years GNLA gained from strength to strength until Sohan broke all rules of the organization and began to take decisions without consulting the other leaders of the group".

He blamed Sohan for fratricidal killings within the

GNLA group and for targeting other outfits like the ANVCB and the Norrok X Momin led UALA. “We were unhappy with Sohan's dictatorship due to which many cadres left the organization,” he stated. He further accused Sohan of accumulating wealth by extorting traders and businessmen of all communities including Garos. Even the government officers were not spared the diktat. They had to pay tax. He even questioned Sohan's role on the formation of the outfit and said that the GNLA C-in-C

Competitors paddle a country boat during a traditional boat race in the River Brahmaputra in Guwahati, Assam, Friday, February 14, 2014. The 2,906 kilometers (1800 miles) long Brahmaputra is one of Asia's largest rivers which passes through China's Tibet region, India and Bangladesh before converging into the Bay of Bengal. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

JAC against Tripura Land Reforms Act amendment bill

agartala, February 16 (ageNcieS): The Joint Action Committee, a consortium of indigenous rights activist forum in Tripura, on Sunday organized a oneday sit-in-demonstration and mass rally seeking amendment of the much debated Tripura Land Reforms Act, 1960. The bill is slated to be tabled in the state legislative assembly in the forthcoming session starting February 18.

Addressing the media in the sidelines of the agitation at Astabal ground in Agartala, convener of the forum – Anthony Debbarma said that the forum would continue agitating for safeguarding the interests of the

Northeast Briefs

Shots fired at journalist’s house IMPHAL, FEBRUARY 16 (NNN): Few days after a group of India Reserve Battalion (IRB) personnel led by Havildar Md Mujibur had assaulted and injured journalist A Chaoba at the northern gate of Kangla Fort in Imphal, gunshots were fired at his residence on Saturday night around 7:45 pm. Chaoba who works as a reporter at Imphal Free Press (IFP), an English daily based in Imphal, said some gunmen came in a car and fired two rounds at his residence. However he was not there at the time of the incident. In this connection, journalists are scheduled to have a meeting on Monday under the aegis of the All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU) at Manipur Press Club. Meanwhile, the Indian Journalists Union (IJU) has asked the chief minister of Manipur to award the severest form of action on IRB personnel involved in the assault incident of Chaoba. A missive addressed to the chief minister in this count has reached AMWJU today but being a holiday today the letter will be submitted tomorrow. In the strongly worded letter, IJU has demanded severest action be given to the IRB personnel involved and stern warning be used against such future incidents.

The IJU further demanded that the victim journalist be duly compensated and the media in Manipur be assured safety and security. IJU also stated that it views the attack on Chaoba as an attack on the freedom of the press.

KLO leader held in Siliguri

Siliguri, February 16 (iaNS): Militant outfit Kamtapur Liberation Organisation's (KLO) vice president Tom Adhikary was arrested along with an associate near the India-Nepal border here Sunday, police said. "Adhikary and another KLO leader were arrested at Lichu Bagan (in Darjeeling district) at 1.30 p.m. today (Sunday)," Siliguri's Police Commissioner Jagamohan told IANS. A total of 50 SIM cards and a motorcycle were seized from their possession. Blamed for a string of attacks in north West Bengal, the KLO has been demanding a Kamtapur state comprising six districts - Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, North and South Dinajpur and Malda - of West Bengal and four districts - Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Dhubri and Goalpara - of Assam.

Nursing students boycott classes in Sikkim

gaNgtok, February 16 (ageNcieS): The students of Vinayaka Missions Sikkim University pursuing Nursing course have boycotted classes alleging administration setback and negligence part. The Private owned University established under the Act of State Assembly which started Nursing College studies since 2010 affiliated with the West Bengal Medical Council has come under the fire of hundreds of students calling off classes in College premise at Chandmari, Gangtok. According to the protesting students from first till final year due to uncertain problem of faculties with the administration has resulted in collapsing several classes ever since the college was established. Students have stated that they should not be the ones to suffer whatever be the reason behind the problem between the administration and the faculty. A series of anomalies between staff and the University on salary issues resulted in the lack of classes during the academic period. Interestingly the college is affiliated to the West Bengal Nursing Council due to lack of state’s own Council. The setup of the State Medical Council remains in the fray. The hierarchy of issues related to VMSU doesn’t rest there. Students further allege that basic facilities like Library, Food, Accommodation are unattended by University authorities. Speaking to media, the Principal of the Nursing College, Chandmari Smt Kalyani Kala said that issues been continuously pressed to the higher authorities of the University.

Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC). ”We want the provisions of the principal act amended with transfer of power of allotting khash lands to the district council authorities”, Anthony said.

The JAC further demanded formation of the land acts and rules for the district council should be approved by the state government and Governor complying with Paragraph 3 of the 6th schedule of the Constitution.

Similar land acts and rules are operational in district councils of several other states in India’s northeast.

Asked about his take on the amendment bill of the Tripura Land Reforms (TLR) Act, 1960, Anthony

Debbarma said, “The phrase ‘or rubber’ has to be removed from sub-section (1) (a) of section 178 of the Tripura Land Reforms Act”. Insertion of the phrase can not be accepted under any circumstances by which rubber cultivation would be restricted up to 21.60 hectares 0r 135 kani, he stated.

A delegation of the JAC met Tribal Welfare minister Aghore Debbarma earlier in November, 2013. Fifteen NGOs submitted views on the proposed land reforms amendment act and protested against strictures imposed on rubber cultivation in the bill. “It is established that rubber cultivation is one of the most vital income generation sources in Tri-

pura and any restriction on its cultivation would directly impact the economy of the state”, Anthony said.

The Indigenous Nationalist Party of Twipra (INPT) staged agitation against the amendment of the land reforms and land revenue act in 2013. Congress protested the amendment bid and said that the amendment would adversely affect tuber cultivators of the state. The pre-amendment position says that three kani (41,840 square feet) of tilla land was equivalent to one kani (17,280 square feet) of lunga in plain or valley. The revised bill proposal is reported to have removed any difference between tilla and lunga land.

Assam voters await clearance by foreigners’ tribunals

guWaHati, February 16 (tHe HiNDu): About 1.43 lakh ‘D’ (doubtful/disputed) voters in Assam would be able to apply for inclusion of their names in the updated National Register of Citizens (NRC) but their names would be finally included only when the foreigners’ tribunals declare them as non-foreigners. This was one of the modalities for updating the NRC 1951 which were mutually agreed upon by the Centre and the Assam government.

The State government on Wednesday tabled on the floor of the Assam Assembly a letter from the Ministry of Home Affairs listing 12 modalities including the one on ‘D’ voters.

In 1997, during intensive revision of electoral rolls, the Election Commission had ordered that the letter ‘D’ be written against names of those voters who failed to provide proof of their citizenship and cases of all those were referred to the foreigners’ tribunals.

The ‘D’ voters have been

not allowed to cast votes in all elections held since then.

There has been a political consensus in the State that the updating of the NRC 1951 by taking 1971 rolls as the basis was the only solution to the vexed foreigners issue in the State and the updated NRC would be an effective means to protect genuine Indian citizens from harassment in the name of detection and expulsion of foreigners.

On March 17, 2010 the Assam Assembly passed a

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• Corrective surgery will be conducted by team of specialized Doctors from SVNIRTAR, Cuttack (Odisha).

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is now trying to ink a deal for peace to enjoy the riches he has gathered.

Meanwhile, the ANVC - B has signed the "agreed text for settlement" on January 5 last year and is negotiating peace with the government.

The new outfit (ASAK) has senior members from GNLA with Jack Marak as its finance secretary. Other members are Cheo Challang as its Chairman, Dilsrang Sangma as it deputy C-in-C, Dura Matgrik as its secretary and Anmisil Marak as its joint secretary.

United Nations team visited Mizoram

aiZaWl, February 16 (NNN): The United Nations Mission team, comprising four UN agencies, which had visited Mizoram few days ago to carry out ground inspection for possible joint venture with Mizoram Government, has left Aizawl today, looking forward to take up initiatives to enhance development on multiple sectors. During their stay, the UN team visited several places and held meetings with government department leaders with whom they discussed about several possible grounds for joint venture to enhance inclusive development.

Before leaving Aizawl, they held another meeting with New Land Use Policy (NLUP) Implementing Board Vice Chairman, P.L.Thanga, and government department leaders, continuing the discussion of the previous meetings. Official sources said that the idea to embark on a joint venture is being initiated as some of the important objectives of the UN, such as protection of the earth and environment, sustainable development utilizing its resources, increasing economic produc-

tion, raising living standard, creating permanent source of income for daily wage earners, preservation of water sources, preventing cattle from endemics etc. are similar to that of the objectives of the Mizoram government flagship programme, NLUP, and also that the same are also the objectives of the four agencies individually.

Discussions with regard to "potential area" for initiatives were held with various departments, NGOs, and with those concerned with bamboo processing plant.

Different UN agencies in India have had carried out development works with other North Eastern States but they were all individually done.

Therefore, the present one will be the first time in India that UN Mission, on behalf of 27 UN Agencies in India, will embark on a project. The UN Mission team for the purpose comprises of top leaders of UN agencies. The UN team will within February chalk out plans and proposals for steps to be taken at the initial stage. Such plans and proposals will be reviewed in mid March with representatives of Mizoram government.

resolution urging the Centre to update the NRC 1951 by taking 1971 electoral roll as the basis towards finding a permanent solution to the vexed problem of foreigners illegally residing in Assam. The Supreme Court has set a timeframe of three years from the date of issue of notification for updating the NRC, 1951.

POSITIONS AVAILABLE

The following positions are available for an upcoming 100 Bedded Multi-Speciality Hospital in Kashiram (Near Sub-Jail), Dimapur, Nagaland. Accommodation shall be provided within the campus as per availability.

DOCTORS MD General Medicine MS General Surgery MS ENT MD/MS Obstetrics and Gynaecology MD Paediatrics MD Radiology MD Pathology MS Orthopaedics MD/DA Anaesthesiology MD/MS Dermatology MD/MS Ophthalmology MBBS Medical Officer (MO) NURSES Qualification Required –GNM/BSc Nursing MEDICAL TECHNICIAN (PATHOLOGY, HAEMATOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY) Qualification Required – Certificate in Medical Laboratory Technology/Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology/BSc Medical Laboratory Technology RADIOLOGY TECHNICIAN (X-RAY, CT SCAN AND MRI MACHINES) Qualification Required – Diploma in Radiology Interview for Nurses : 10:00 AM, 11.03.2014.

Venue: Hospital Site,

Rangapahar Road, Kashiram (Near Sub - Jail), Dimapur Interview for Technician: 10:00 AM, 12.03.2014.

Venue: Hospital Site,

Rangapahar Road, Kashiram

(Near Sub - Jail), Dimapur Interested doctors can kindly contact 08414978454 for details.

C M Y K

4

businEss

Monday

Dimapur

17 February 2014

Tatas find fraudsters using its name for online ponzi scheme

New Delhi, February 16 (PTi): A British Virgin Islands entity has been found to be fraudulently using Tata brand name to lure investors to online investment plans promising huge monthly returns of up to 100% for payments made in bitcoins and some other virtual currencies.

Claiming to be a subsidiary of $97 billion Indian conglomerate Tata Group, the company, ‘Tata Agro Holding Ltd’, was soliciting investments on various online platforms including through its website.

Terming the claims made by this entity as “absolutely false, misleading and intended to defraud innocent and unwary members of the public”, Tatas have denied any association with them and have initiated “appropriate action” in this matter.

While the website of this company no more appears to be functional, its investment plans continue to find a place on a number of internet forums for such online schemes. About “misuse of Tata name”, the group’s main promoter entity Tata Sonssaid in a ‘caution notice’ that it “is initiating appropriate action in the matter”.

“Neither Tata Sons nor any other Tata company has any connection whatsoever with the aforesaid Tata Agro Holding,” it added. Besides being a promoter entity in a host of its group entities, Tata Sons is the owner of the Tata business name and trademarks.

Internet is full of hundreds of such fraudulent investment schemes and thousands of such fraudulent activities are said to be in business outside the internet also, despite continued crackdown by various regulators and government departments, including Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) and cor-

porate affairs ministry.

Among those having come to light, this could be the first case where name of a major corporate house has been misused for such frauds.

Tata Sons said that the British Virgin Islands-based company was promoting on its website tataagro.com a wide range of investment plans with a monthly profitability of up to 100%, while claiming to be a Tata group company. The investors have been asked to invest amounts ranging from as low as $5 to a maximum of $10,000 for daily returns of 1.9-3.1%, while there is also a “profitable referral programme that lets you earn more and work side by side with your family and friends”. This ‘referral programme’, which gives the investment scheme a ponzi-like pyramid marketing structure, promises 5% commission on every deposit by first-level referrals, 3% for second-level referrals and 1% for third-level referrals. The lowest return of 1.9% a day has been promised on 15-day investments of $5-100, while returns get higher for bigger investments with larger durations.

Another group firm Tata Investment Corp. Ltd. has also issued a separate ‘caution notice’, saying that “they (Tata Agro Holding) are illegally using the Tata logo and are wrongly and fraudulently representing that Amit N. Dalal, (executive director of Tata Investment Corp. Ltd.) as the president and CEO of Tata Agro Holding Ltd.” “Neither Tata Sons Ltd., the owner of ‘Tata’ business name and trademark, nor any other Tata company nor Amit N. Dalal, executive director Tata Investment Corp.

Ltd. have any connection whatsoever with the aforesaid Tata Agro Holding Ltd. The contents on the website are fraudulent

representations and therefore neither any Tata company nor Amit Dalal are responsible for actions taken in response to the claims of Tata Agro Holding Ltd. Tata Sons is initiating appropriate action in the matter,” it added.

In messages posted on various online investment platforms, this entity had claimed that Tata Agro is an agricultural investment company established by Amit Dalal in 2012 in British Virgin Islands.

“We are a subsidiary of transcontinental conglomerate Tata Group that has been established in India back in 1868 and now boasts the combined market capitalisation of $96 billion,” it adds. “We have retained only the best things from a rich and long experience of our ancestor: the unique corporate culture, client-oriented and customised approach, and understanding of the market through retrospective analysis.

Our fundamental aim is to help you grow your capital,” it says further.

Claiming to be working in businesses like “barley, soya, soya oil and meat, corn, wheat, and livestock and operating on global exchanges like CME Group, TOCOM, and MGEX, the British Virgin Islands entity has offered four investment plans with the “daily ROI (Return on Investment) of 1.9% to 3.1% and investment terms of 15 to 120 days”.

In one of the investment proposals, the company claims it has been dealing in sales of different agricultural commodities for more than 10 years, starting from 2001.

“Nowadays our main business activities consist of assets management through wheat and corn futures trading on stock exchanges: CME Group, The Minneapolis Grain Exchange and Tokyo Commodity Exchange,” it says.

‘Mobile tariffs have to be increased every year’ New Delhi, February 16 (PTi): Vodafone India has said the mobile telecom industry has reached a point where annual tariff increases are needed to sustain itself.

“We have had declining tariffs for 18 years; this cannot be sustained forever. We believe the point has come where we will have to increase our tariffs every year, depending on cost levels,” Vodafone India Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Marten Pieters told PTI. He said payments for spectrum in the just-concluded auction will be funded by debt and to pay for the loans, either tariffs need to go up or service levels and investments have to be cut back. Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular, the three biggest mobile service providers in the country, and

Reliance Jio were among eight companies that bid a combined Rs 61,162 crore for spectrum in the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands offered by the government during a 10-day auction that ended on February 13.

“The industry has not yet recovered from the excesses of the 2010 auction and this auction, combined with others expected in the next couple of years, will worsen the industry’s health further,” Pieters added.

The value of the spectrum at this month’s sale was Rs 47,933.40 crore at the reserve price. Companies can pay part

of the amount upfront and the rest in instalments.

“If you look across the world, spectrum in India is expensive: we pay a lot per MHz in an auction and then 5 percent of revenue in the form of spectrum usage charges.

This will invariably have consequences,” Pieters said. Telecom operators have been cutting back on freebies and discounted minutes to maintain profitability. Analysts say this trend may continue as they have to pay for the fresh spectrum purchases.

“We have always maintained over the last few quar-

ters that there is room for reduction of discounted minutes and a gradual movement up of voice realisation,” Bharti Airtel (India) Joint Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Gopal Vittal said after the December quarter results. He told investors the difference between headline and realised tariffs was about 30 to 40 percent, providing substantial headroom to cut back on discounted minutes.

While it is too early to comment on tariff hikes, there certainly would be upward pressure on data tariffs and discounted minutes would be reduced, said Rajan S Mathews, Director General of the Cellular Operators Association of India, the GSM industry body. “There may also be 1-3 paise hike in voice minutes in over nine months,” he added.

_

LEISURE

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

SUDOKU Game Number # 2794

The Morung Express

public discoursE Debate on CM Journey to Lok Sabha

Dear NPF Press and Media Bureau,

T

he Gospel Writer recorded Jesus telling Peter: ‘When you are young, you go wherever you liked; when you get old, others will bind your waist and take you where you do not intend to’. Something like that seems to have happened to me.

I hesitate Paper War: I am getting into this Paper Match only because I hope this debate will help widen the Naga Public Vision of Life in the our Society ultimately for the benefit of all of us.

Except Modi’s, I have no interest in assassinating anybody’s character. You allege I assassinate the character of the CM. I know a little of the political

behavior of the Chief Minister but I do not know of his Character enough to assassinate it.

However, every Public has every Right to praise or criticized every and any public Leader, even the President or the Prime Minister, to the extent of who they slept with at night during their Foreign Tours!

You use very severe expressions like ‘Assassination’, ‘Crossed all Limits’, ‘Politically Motivated’, ‘Personal Hate’, and ‘Lost Mental Balance’ etc on me.

You seem to know my Stature well enough to find I have “stooped so low”. How can anybody who has Lost Mental Balance; who has No Limits of impropriety, who Hates and who is Politically Motivated, can be a man of Stature?

You could have been mis-

taken in your assessment otherwise my friends in your Party would not have congratulated me for what I wrote.

Very interestingly: Last night -15 Feb 2014, the night after I read what you wrote about me- I dreamed I was in a Public Meeting to hear Chief Minister Neiphi.

The Chief Minister is no friend to me, yet I dreamed he pinned a beautiful golden Neck Tie on the knot of my Neck-tie. I hope he is not too angry with me!

Let me be honest with you: that type of tunneled and narrow views at the people and the World around us, may unfortunately not enhance the Image of your Party among the increasingly educated, sensible young bloods among Nagas today.

Thepfulhouvi Solo

Thepfulhouvi Solo, (not solo opinion)

R

etires in government Service, but not in public service. Yes, many readers (News) regard him immature giant on stage. But I regard him encourageous because: he writes freely, he writes any topic, he writes for anybody, he writes anytime, he writes anyway-so he will learn more.

A retired person cannot grow physically, but can become mature with time and experience.

S

In the next issues I hope he will come out in lines with his age- to let us ‘’like reading his articles!’’

And lastly, if Neiphiu desires, we give him our blessings. Can a state champion be barred from national games? Our constitution grants him freedom of choice.

Rev. Vekhonyi Medeo Chozuba.

Headmaster who swindled: Who are we to blame?

easons are changing so as the situation also goes on changing day after day.

And now exam season had arrived, students of Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate (HSSLC) and High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) are in the battle field, fighting for the best or the highest rank. Leaving all their worries and tensions behind and looking forward their aims and ambitions. But the 16 students from Blooming Bud Montessori School (BBMS) who were swindle by their varlet Headmaster, also who have prepared everything for the exam are now left behind shedding tears. Not only the students but even their parents who have been working hard for their children’s academic fees are in heavy burden. They could do nothing more than be furious at

him (Dilip Dep).

Should we blame the NBSE? Or should we blame the BBMS’s Headmaster? Or should we blame their parents? The school has been established since 2007 but still than no one knows even their parents so also the NBSE. Who are we to blame? For everyone is taking part in this issue and has their own rights.

The headmaster (Dilip Dep), whose devilry swindled their parents has also brought sadness upon the family. It is better to make this issue dilate so that, even other schools, colleges and institutions also should be aware if they are going wrong as well as parents and students because some people never care until and unless they faced the actual problem right in front of their eyes. And so from there we can learn a lesson and never be

conniving in our work.

Definitely, there might be some other ways that NBSE could help those students who could not get their admit card and letting them write some other time. Otherwise, their bright future which they had planned might be a failure.

For the students, “life is short and precious”. Never get yourself upset, because things are just not worth to make you upset but it can always be replaced with better one. Don’t worry, even if it causes fear, anxiety, tension and stress. Remember, the difficulties of life are intended to make us better not bitter. Even Henry Ford says “Failure is only the opportunity to begin again with more intelligently”.

Soruno Kent BTC Pfutsero

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 # 2805

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 # 2793

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

JAcobite

BONNIE PRINCE

HANOVERIANS

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JACOBEAN JACOBITES KING PARLIAMENT

BERLAND

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EDINBURGH

SCOTTISH

ENGLISH

SWORD

FOREIGN

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THRONE

GUNS

D E I O T V L L T A H I J A C O B I T E S E L

E N G L I S H O O O D H I G H L A N D E R S

S N R O A O R R G O V E R N M E N T O G D G Y

I D U K E O F C U M B E R L A N D B R N O G

E L A Q O O M O B B K E G T A A A N B I K T O

D O N O E O A R V O I T N R R O R L T A E J

E I E O P B E E B I T N N I E I I G R I T A

E H N N I L I D W E Q H G E T U Y G B N L S

A J V A A S L E U V L A A R A M A E S A A O T

T A H M E B L S I E R D I R P A C R T E E H

M E C A D D E E T Y E N N N D O I A G U M D

R E U U O N O H H B R B D A G T E H L I T G E

G C M F B O H F D E I T E T B I D T R T B O

H U I O N E V U D I R E I I N B N I I A Z O

C T L L R O A A E I M L S V F S O G B F I P E

V L Z E E T T N R R H C E D I N B U R G H O

R O T I I R H T I I H F F D O E O U A U O C

O D I G A R T I O I A B A O Z N E O R N T O

H A E G N I U O T E G N N G S O L D J I S G I

D N W N I T T F E I M N S P E N O R H T G B

C O L E E N E O F I S W O R D O U L B G S E

ACROSS

R E A B O N N I E P R I N C E C H A R L I E

1. Slender 5. Frost 9. Initial wager 13. A coniferous tree 14. Notions 16. Jump 17. The products of human creativity 18. Explosion 19. 71 in Roman numerals 20. Lift 22. Industrious 24. A crumbling earthy deposit 26. Catapulted 27. A witty saying 30. Go without food 33. Plinth 35. Labors 37. Historic period 38. Doglike nocturnal mammal 41. Comes after Mi and Fah 42. Toward the outside 45. Car exhaust system part 48. Opiate 51. Distended 52. Not urban 54. Kind of bean 55. Equipment

59. An exact duplicate 62. Any day now 63. Melodies 65. Digestive juice 66. Stopper 67. Muse of love poetry 68. Diving bird 69. Arid 70. Historical periods 71. Terminates

DOWN 1. Box 2. Former Italian currency 3. Frighten 4. A communication 5. Thorax protector 6. Doing nothing 7. Intends 8. Artists’ workstands 9. Lively tempo 10. Following 11. Cab 12. Sweeping story 15. Swagger 21. Makes a mistake 23. Annoying insect 25. Strip of wood 27. Type of sword 28. Alight 29. A spring month 31. Catastrophe

32. Run away to wed 34. Permit 36. Outbuilding 39. Apprehend 40. Afflicts 43. Set up 44. Gloomy 46. Weaving machine 47. Due 49. Angry 50. Creation 53. Pertaining to the moon 55. Vipers 56. Barbershop emblem 57. Decant 58. Bristle 60. Lummox 61. Female chickens 64. Mayday Ans to CrossWord 2804

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

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Monday

LOCAL

The Morung Express

17 February 2014

Kiphire blessed with agro-climatic conditions Our Correspondent

Kohima | February 16 KIPHIRE DISTRICT IS favourably endowed climatically as well as in terms of soil types for producing a variety of crops. Altogether, 32 crops are widely grown in the district. Out of these, cereals such as paddy, maize, millets, job tear, are the most widely cultivated crops in terms of production and area coverage. Other crops grown are varieties of pulses and cash crops such as potatoes.

The district has the potential to produce on large commercial scale but due to the non availability of oil extracting facility farmers hesitate to go for large scale production of oil seeds, according to District Human Development Report of Kiphire district 2013 (GOI- UNDP project)- Bridging Inequalities Towards Human Development) published by department of planning & Coordination, Nagaland, Kohima.

The report stated that agriculture and allied sectors, such as horticulture, are significant contributors to the Net District Domestic Product and are among the largest employment generating sectors in the district.

“However, it is also seen that the farm activities are limited mostly for subsistence. Although there is ample scope to go for commercial production, due to inadequate marketing facilities and problems of transportation, farmers are slow to take up commercial production,” the report stated.

Kiphire district has been blessed with various agro-climatic conditions suited for production of variety of crops. It enjoys south-east monsoon with average rainfall between 1500 mm to 1800 mm occurring over about 6 months from May to October and the potential evapo-transpiration at 1219 mm. This clearly indicates that there is a shortage of

JD (U) Mahila national gen secy visits Nagaland

water for a considerable period from November to April.

The report stated that the main agricultural system practiced in the district is the swidden method of cultivation, more commonly known as jhum. Mixed cropping pattern is followed during the Khariff seasons. Rice, maize, a local variety of kidney beans called Kholar (Phaseolus Sp) and Soyabeans constitute the major crops in the jhum fields.

Since the terrain is mostly steep and hilly, cultivation is done by dipping in the seeds and deep cuts on the soil are rarely made to avoid soil and nutrient losses.

The system is mostly subsistence based and hardly any surplus is produced. However, maize, which is primarily cultivated as fodder for domestic animals, is being increasingly cultivated on a large scale for commercial purposes. The variations of jhum cycle are influenced by a variety of factors such as population, farm-

ing households, areas under the control of the village. Therefore, there is no uniformity among the different villages, the report said.

As per input survey report of agriculture department, the district consumption of inorganic fertilizer is recorded as negligible. This indicates that the soil of the district is sustainable in terms of nutrient content. Due to the rich diversity of soil types, the land also has the ability to support a large variety of crops.

Among the horticultural crops, apple can be productively grown in Kiphire district. An area of 145 hectares is under commercial apple plantation at the Saramati range. In addition, the district has the potential to commercially produce Kiwi fruit. Among the tree crops, the district has potential for rubber plantation under the sub-tropical crop zones.

The report stated that with proper planning, agriculture and horticulture sectors hold

immense potential for expanding the livelihood options of the people. Some of the challenges however are the land holding pattern which is usually small in size per household. The district experiences long spells of drought like situation during October to April every year and availability of quality planting materials is a recurrent problem.

The report also stated that some of the main challenges for the farming community of the district are inaccessibility to market facility that heavily restricts the development of the agricultural and horticultural potential of the district.

“Most rural farmers of Kiphire also do not have access to micro-credit and other institutional supports like in other districts in the state. Another glaring issue is with regard to gaps in transmission of knowledge and agricultural extension works,” the report stated.

Dimapur, February 16 (mexn): Janata Dal (United) national general secretary (Mahila Wing), Dipti Sharma, who is also the incharge of northeast and West Bengal, visited Nagaland and apprised the party and Mahila Wing of the overall political scenario at the centre on February 14 in Dimapur.

According to a press release issued by general secretary JD (U), in charge of publicity, Lakui Kips, Dipri Sharma said that “the congress party at the centre being discredited has lost its ground and there will be no UPA government in 2014. Also, the BJP which has lost most of its main NDA ally will find difficult to manage majority.” The emerging third front, the release said, “will be formidable to both congress and BJP in 2014, where the regional parties will get 200+ seats in 2014 will have a chance to be part of ruling government in 2014.”

The release further said that Dipti Sharma lauded the state JD (U) party unit for supporting Neiphiu Rio’s candidature for the Lok Sabha election. She also assured the party that she will soon return to Nagaland as part of campaign for Lok Sabha election and also to mobilize the JD (U) Ma- Children participating at the social work drawing competition organised by Radiant Club on the theme ‘Biodiversity’ on February 8 and 9. hila Wing in the state.

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t long last the Naga Hoho seems to have woken up after these many years of hibernation. Seeing the total fragmentation strewn all around us, the call for unity amongst the NPGs, without taking sides, was an effort that was imperative from the inception. Late as it is, the Naga Hoho deserves a pat on the back for finally coming out openly with the call for unity.

This is a time for all the Apex bodies within Nagaland and without, to make a concerted noise to wake up the NPGs from their self-centred slumber and consider the magnitude of the task in hand for a change. 60 years is a long time for any people to be wandering in the wilderness without any sense of direction...but that is exactly what we have done thus far.

At the core of their endeavour, their vision seems to have been critically impaired by self seeking priorities and greed as the sole agenda in the hearts of all the NPGs and indeed the NGO alike. Sovereignty has been reduced only to an eyewash for public consumption and everything else under the guise of it has been an effort of self-perpetuation laced with extreme egocentric considerations.

The lofty proclamation of "Nagaland for Christ" is in fact the undoing of the Nagas because of our routine acts of blasphemy. Even as nominal Christians one fails to comprehend how one would be able to invoke God's blessings with acts like this: " Mr. A, you are hereby 'requested' to pay Rs.5,00,000/failing which you will have to face the consequence". The official stamp on the demand request note reads: "Nagaland for Christ, NSCN/GPRN".

A brother-in- arms is butcher without a second thought to protect this revenue turf in the name of Christ. The NPGs have thus far enjoyed the wrath of The Almighty and the people along with them. The long road travelled so far has borne no result of achievement worth the noting other than the exemplified personal lust, greed and gigantic EGOS. The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years searching for the promised land of milk and honey, forsaking their God with their selfish and wicked ways. The Nagas have done nothing different...if not more glaringly negative.

We take the name of God in vain just to look good in the eyes of man while doing everything that put God to shame by our every actions..and yet expect a blessing? We have harvested and will continue to harvest the curse of God for another century if we propose to continue on the same blasphemous course. No one wants this for sure and yet it will happen if we do not make a concerted effort to change our ways of indifference. There is no logic in challenging God every waking

to "National service before self"... for all our sakes lest we be condemned to wander in the wilderness for another 100 years. This writer has attempted to candidly reflect some uncomfortable home truth in the past that God will never grant time extension to our NPG leaders to complete the unfinished home work. Each one will depart as God destined it. Therefore, it makes all the more relevant a sense for the NPG leaders to consider the issue of 'unity' very pointedly, shedding their individual priorities and egos. However much motivated the younger generation may be, there is a marked reality difference. The bitter excruciating experiences faced by the older generations still run determinedly in their blood when confronted with their nemeses, which would be absent in the lives of the younger generations. This factor could determine a lesser outcome of the struggle in the end. It is imperative therefore, that the present NPG elders, driven by the past reality should script the final chapter of the Naga history through a united effort backed by the masses while time is still afforded to them. The 'divide and rule' policy perpetuated by the Government of India has splendidly worked wonders within our ranks thus far and so, India will positively be apprehensive of such a development.

What we must understand without doubt is that the Government of India is an institution that will continue to exist as long as there are Indians still alive in this planet and so time is of no consequence in as far as they are concerned. The same yardstick does not apply in the case of the Nagas. Once the elder generations pass away, they presume that the fire in the belly of the Nagas will die out with them and the new Nagas generation would easily succumb to an economic package settlement within the Union. All indicators point to this conclusion from their side and therefore they have literally been stalling for time and have played with the lives of the Nagas for the past 60 years like a cat amusing itself with a rat before the kill. And the Nagas have willingly played this game with our indifference and our corruption. How much longer must this game go on?

For all practical purpose, FNR has offered an honourable platform for unity through reconciliation. No one looses face. The concept of trying to have each and every Faction join this reconciliation move is the best that can happen. However there should be a secondary consideration of as many NPGs as are willing to reconcile must forge ahead and do so. Others would eventually see the light and join the mainstream. It should abundantly be clear

5

No GIS road information in Nagaland: Report

Kohima, February 16 (mexn): Remote sensing and geographical information system (GIS) techniques can be effectively utilized for the mapping of all road networks and generation of these databases for information system in Nagaland. As of now, there is no proper inventory or mapping of road network or database for management of road for the entire state of Nagaland in GIS environment. This was stated in the publication of ‘Science and Technology Intervention in Nagaland’ published by The Nagaland Science & Technology Council (NASTEC).

NASTEC’s objective is to prepare road maps at district level and block level using various datasets and to prepare road information system for both the levels in the form of Atlas. The database of road information system include all types of road viz. National highways, state highways, other district roads, all major road, footpath and block/circle roads. It also includes other amenity layers like health, bank, educational institutions, fire services, post office, transportation, important tourist places, government and private establishments etc. The various important amenity layers prepared using GPS include - layers on medical health centre, layers on education sector and other layers include bank, transportation, tourist spot and government and private sector officers and institutes.

The spatial information is extracted from IRC Cartosat- I & II, GPS and other secondary sources. The non- spatial data are also collected using GPS for integration with the spatial layers.

Assam Rifles provides solar lights at bhandari Village bhanDari, February 16 (mexn): 17 Assam Rifles donated five solar street lights to the villagers of Bhandari village under Assam Rifles Civil Action Programme on February 14, 2014. A press release from Assam Rifles informed that the villagers emphasized on how the donation would help in improving the working condition in the village which seldom get electricity. They also highlighted the assistance provided

by Assam Rifles for the welfare of the villagers and assured full cooperation and support to the Assam Rifles, it added.

AR endeavours to empower Jotsoma youth In an attempt to further strengthen the bond of friendship with the youths of Jotsoma village, 19 Assam Rifles distributed six computer set with accessories on behalf of 60 Engr Regt at High School, Jotsoma on February 14 under Op Sadbhav-

Public SPace The wraTh of indifference

moment of our lives and yet expect His good will to befall us.

God's presence will never be found in disunity. This much I am sure.

Therefore, no matter how many times, how many days, weeks, months and years we spend fasting and praying, it is difficult even for mortals such as us, to believe that God will answer our prayers...for the simple reason that we have no intention to let go our acts of blasphemy. It is time to candidly place the consequences of our misdemeanours on the table and recognize the brutal ugliness of our craft.

1. It is not just a simple matter of accusation against the NPGs that Sovereignty is being used as a camouflage to amass personal gains from the sweat of the citizens... by cultivating FEAR as a deadly weapon against the people for whom sovereignty is being fought...supposedly so. There has been arguments in some sectors that there are some within the NPGs who were already reasonably wealthy before joining the national movement.

True as this statement may be, one would find it rather hard pressed to be able to complete counting the God given fingers to account for such a reality. The NPGs must understand from within their innermost core that their present day comfort zone of basking in the indifference of the masses will not remain forever. A time will definitely come for ACCOUNTABILITY... when the people will wake up in force and assess how their tax has been utilised all these years for the so called freedom struggle. Understand that the masses are clearly aware of the magnitude of this cancer. The movable and immovable property holdings of each and everyone in the NPG is known to the masses. It would not be a difficult proposition to conclude that this struggle has been nothing more than a struggle for self perpetuation within their fold. Thus, when the personal property holdings of each of the NPGs become a sharp focus with ground reality data compiled and displayed in the public domain...sovereignty... would be forced to take a back seat, preceded by a civil war. It would be a fatal mistake for the NPGs to presume that the masses will remain indifferent forever. Take a very careful reading of the undercurrent simmering dissatisfaction of the masses rising to the surface in the recent destiny driven events. Consider it as a forewarning of the tsunami in the making somewhere up ahead. But before this happens, the pragmatic option of UNITY amongst the NPGs must urgently be prioritised and adopted. The present reality status of "self before the national service" must find a conversion

Dimapur

to the NPG leaders by now that all of Nagaland and beyond wills it...that you UNITE! ...UNITE! ...UNITE!!!! It is no longer your personal preference but a demand in order to complete the task at hand with mass support! Each Factions continue to bemuse themselves with a false notion that they have the mandate of the Naga people. The only organization that could have claimed this true mandate of the people was the NNC/FGN...but with their Shillong Accord suicide, the National foundry had been shaken into oblivion. No matter what the argument, as long as Madam Adino continues to lead the Accordist Faction of the Shillong Accord, the fire of betrayal remains burning bright as a living witness, even if there are those within the NNC/FGN who condemn this accord and stand as Non-Accordists. One can't just appreciate or understand the logic of Madam Adino claiming that Shillong Accore 'did not happen' and yet lead the Shillong Accordist Faction. Who is she trying to fool other than herself!?

It's time for Madam Adino to pack up her bags for the sake of the greater good of the Nagas and let the unfortunate human error be buried gracefully. Once Shillong Accord is officially out of the way, all the NPGs could perhaps regroup under the "mandated fold" once more and reclaim its past legitimate status as a United House as it once used to be. As of now, the claims of people's mandate being professed by all the Factions afloat, can more better be defined as a mandate of fear endorsement, not comparable to the 1951 Plebiscite. However, whether it is under the NNC/FGN flag or not, that the NPGs must unite is a foregone conclusion. The FNR's honourable platform of unity through reconciliation is preferably the best option. It is only then that the NPGs will be able to transparently share the information of the progress of the negotiation with the people who still are unaware of their fate. This blindfold must be removed once for all.

2. The slogan of ACAUT: "One Tax, One National Government" is the second option for the unity of all the NPGs which is more difficult a proposition and a less pleasant road to travel...but achievable, once the message reaches the masses. The winds of change has well and truly begun...propelled by circumstances of unreasonable, intolerable unabated taxation of the people. The artificial price rise induced by the greed of all the factions has adversely impacted upon the cost of living of each and every households in Nagaland across the board as a result of it. Fear has been the key factor which has worked in favour of the

na Military Civic Action Project. The High School authority expressed their gratitude and appreciated the thoughtfulness of the armed forces, a press release from AR said.

AR donates sewing machine 46 Assam Rifles under the aegis of HQ 5 Sector Assam Rifles donated ten sewing machines to the villagers of Ketsapumi village under Assam Rifles Military Civil Action Programme on February 11. Assam Rifles in a press release asserted that the assistance will empower local women economically. It added that Assam Rifles has completed a number of civic action projects for benefit of the local populace and it was assured to the civil populace that more such development projects will be taken up in future too and “Assam Rifles is for the people and will always strive for maintaining peace and bringing development and prosperity of the area.”

factions thus far but when the future of our children continues to be compromised, fear will ultimately lose its potency. The people have begun to show signs of courage to stand up against unreasonable taxation and amoral behaviours of the NPGs...and this phenomena is bound to increase as the days go by for the simple fact that the NPGs have no desire to alter their ways. The oft repeated accusation of ACAUT working under a hidden agenda is pure bunkum. It is an elementary human nature to want to survive and survive as comfortably as is possible just as much as the NPGs do. When this opportunity is being denied through indiscriminate taxation that drains everyone's sustenance capabilities, rebellion will be a natural outcome. This is what is happening.

The NPGs still do not seem to notice it.

The Good Lord seems to have plucked out wisdom portion from the brains of the NPGs and only left behind the reckless nature of human greed. Well, the times ahead is froth with unnecessary confrontations if the NPGs do not do a serious rethink and lock up their fire breathing dragons. The slogan of "one tax, one National Government" is not to weaken the national movement but to strengthen it. It is not anti-national... it is pro-national. The NPGs can only see the picture through their prism of greed and self-seeking nature and therefore consider such a movement of ACAUT as a threat to their 'comfort zone' which they define as 'national interest'. Asking the NPGs to unite is not Anti-National. In a reverse order, refusing to unite for their selfish motives is positively treasonous and AntiNational ...even if they hold the guns in their hands to prove it otherwise. History will define it so. At the end of the day, no movement can survive without financial stability. In order to survive therefore, Factions will have no option but to unite and earn the benefit of a stable resource base that the masses have assured them if united and most important of all earn the mass support for the movement. No greater strength can be accrued beyond this. If at all this is the hidden agenda of ACAUT... to strengthen the hands of the factions into one united house for a more believable concerted NNM. 3. Despite repeated sounding of the danger concerning Illegal Bangladeshi Immigrants (IBI) rapidly changing the demographic scenario of the State, the Government of Nagaland has been sleeping over this issue as if it is someone else's problem. These political animals can only see IBIs as a proxy vote bank during their elections and the GBs can only see the IBIs as their bank account. Together, they are focused on

a short term benefits, at the cost of a long term disaster in the making. To compound the already complex situation, the NPGs have perpetuated the IBIs as their tax collectors and revenue generators through syndicates, the majority of which are operated by the IBIs. From all understanding, the New Market of Dimapur and a good many other markets are under the complete control of the IBIs' business network.

They are beginning to have a strangle hold on our economic well being. They have reached a level of confidence through the tacit backing of the NPGs, so much so that they now dare to even participate in the murder of the Nagas as recent incident have shown. This is perhaps the most disgusting picture of the NPGs structuring a cancerous cell within our Naga community that had never existed before. Today we enjoy the comforts of the services being rendered by the optionless IBIs. Tomorrow they will enjoy the comforts of the services rendered by the optionless Nagas. Our children, the younger generations are the ones who will bear the burden of the folly being committed by the unscrupulous generation of today.

In order to stem the tide we must assess this reality with utmost concern.

As has often times been reflected, the State Government has proven over and over that it is as good as eunuchs in a corrupt harem unable to stand up. On the other hand, if all the NPGs stand together at least on this one issue and serve quit Nagaland notice to all the IBIs in Nagaland or face the consequence, just as they serve demand notes to the people, it would definitely have a prompt desired impact. This is the only remedy that is visible provided there is a political will within the NPGs to do so. No one, not even the IBIs, would want to stop breathing for good...everyone can be sure of this. Therefore, sacrificing a percentage of that national pocket money, it would be in the fitness of things if the NPGs take the responsibility of cleaning up the illegal immigrant mess. It would be a yeomen service to the future naga generations to come. Many believe that such a status reversal of a master becoming a servant to his present servant in the future is a farfetched dream and yet the trend towards that end has already begun. Are we not already paying the syndicate price in the market place? Tomorrow we will pay the price on a political platform. If we the Nagas are contend with this scenario, I certainly am not a prophet of doom but God help our younger generation.

We might just as well brace ourselves for the wrath of our indifference that will hit us squarely in the face in the days ahead.

Khekiye K. Sema IAS (Rtd) Forest Colony, Kohima

The Morung Express is introducing “Public Space” as part of our intention to provide deliberate space for the opinions of the people to be expressed and heard through this newspaper. Nonetheless, The Morung Express points out that the opinions expressed in the contents published in the “Public Space” do not reflect the views and position of the newspaper or the editor.

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The Power of Truth

The Morung Express MonDAy 17 FEbruAry 2014 vol. IX IssuE 45

Along Longkumer Consulting Editor

Peace Talk 'Interlocutors'

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few years ago the Government of India (GoI) had named three interlocutors, including eminent journalist Dilip Padgaonkar, to hold talks with all shades of opinion including the separatists in Jammu and Kashmir as part of efforts to bring peace in the State. Besides Mr. Padgaonkar, Information Commissioner M.M. Ansari and noted academician Radha Kumar were the other two named by the then Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram. However given past failures, including appointing interlocutors for the Naga peace talks, such initiatives from New Delhi faced severe criticism from both the political establishment in mainland India and also the stakeholders in Jammu & Kashmir.

Ever since the sudden decision of RS Pandey to quit his role as interlocutor in the Naga talks, the GoI has been searching for a replacement or in other words to find another interlocutor.

The establishment in Delhi needs to do a rethink on appointing such interlocutors, almost on a daily basis especially to deal with the conflict situation in the northeast region. Firstly the selection of persons to play such a role is not satisfying at all. Why is there no wider consultation with people while making such appointments?

While in most cases earlier it was retired bureaucrats, the concern now is that Delhi is looking to appoint former intelligence officers or people from the military establishment. If such appointments are made, it is going to be a step backwards and will seriously question the credibility of Delhi to resolve the Naga issue. The main concern with Delhi's culture of appointing interlocutors as of today is that they have lacked the political mandate that is required to engage with the concerned group/s in a more fruitful manner. There was some hope when Union Minister Oscar Fernandes was the GoI's pointsman for the Naga talks.

Pandey too understood the Naga situation well, being a former IAS officer belonging to the Nagaland cadre.

The term interlocutor and the penchant with which the Government of India seems to be engaging such people to talk to ‘separatists' or civil society is something of a new phenomenon although there has been no successful outcome so far of using interlocutor or emissary to resolve a particular problem. Starting with the Naga peace process, appointing interlocutors has become a noteworthy exercise of the Home Ministry to tide over a crisis.

In the last over 16 years of the ceasefire and talks with the NSCN, Delhi has employed upto three interlocutor-Swaraj Kaushal, K Padmanabhaiah and RS Pandey. For sometime, during the first UPA government, a Group of Minister headed by senior Congress leader Oscar Fernandez was given charge of the parleys with the Naga group. However this was discontinued for whatever reasons.

Later after exhausting the services of Mr Padmanabhaiah, New Delhi argued that it wanted to get into direct talks with the Naga group and therefore a former Nagaland Chief Secretary RS Pandey was roped in, although nothing much has changed. Obviously the Home Ministry has become very adept in dilly-dallying.

The appointment, of whoever the new interlocutor for the Naga peace talks will be, is only going to add to the long list of people being employed for talks with the Northeast and Kashmir groups. All such exercise undertaken so far appears to be more of a study group rather than a real effort to take the political initiative. The disappointment is therefore justified. However, if the GoI is at all serious about resolving the Naga issue, then it should appoint someone who can take the 16 year long peace talk to its logical conclusion. Rather than addressing substantive political issues, such exercises are seen as cosmetic, time consuming and pointless. The real bottomline is whoever is the interlocutor should enable and not disable the peace process.

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

lEfT wiNg |

I

IN-FOCUS

Christian Piatt Sojourners

Not Celebrating Valentine’s Day

’ve done the Valentine’s Day thing in the past. And with two school-age kids, I still make the annual pilgrimage to the card and candy aisles in the grocery store to buy sufficiently benign greetings for them to hand out to every kid in their class, whether they like them or not. But my wife, Amy, and I don’t do Valentine’s Day. In fact, we don’t even do Christmas anymore, in the way the culture tells us we should, at least. We’ve stopped buying presents, cards, and other trinkets for each other on these obligatory days, opting instead to surprise each other with gifts or other gestures of affection throughout the year. One of my biggest objections to Valentine’s Day came from a friend recently who was commenting about the coming date. She was excited, she said, because her husband “always gets me something good.” Nothing about spending time together. Nothing about love for one another. Nothing about doing anything for him. She was excited to get something cool.

I know I’m sounding a little crusty and cynical right now, and if couples choose to observe such days with the exchange of gifts or a night out, I hope they do it joyfully and without any sense of obligation. But the “Hallmark holiday” mentality in our society has swallowed the proverbial Kool-Aid when it comes to reducing love down to a materialistic, forced transaction.

Yes, Valentine’s Day is about love, but the kind of selfless, dangerous sacrificial love it recognizes is trivialized by lacy cards and chocolates. Though there’s disagreement about which priest the day venerates exactly, the legends stretch back to the Roman rule of Claudius II, some 1,750 years ago. In one version of the story, a leader in the young, dissident Christian movement continued to marry couples with a Christian ceremony, despite it being prohibited under Roman law. In another version, a priest named Valentius healed a local Roman judge’s blind daughter, causing the judge to convert to Christianity. He later got in hot water for continuing to preach the gospel, and ultimately, was called to the court of Claudius II. All was still copacetic until he tried to convert Clauidus to Christianity.

Regardless of which story you choose to embrace, the final results were violent and deadly for the priest in question. Both died for doing what they believed was right, for living out their Christian faith in the face of fiercely violent Roman oppression. And like Jesus, they responded to such fearsome oppression with love.

And now we drag ourselves to the drugstore late on the night of Feb. 13, blearily scanning the shelves for something that will suffice to keep our significant other from scolding us for our thoughtlessness. But even for those who go to greater lengths to celebrate with a romantic dinner, expensive jewelry or the like, it’s a sign that, as a culture, we’ve missed the point.

Romantic love is a feeling; Christian love is a committed practice, and ongoing, daily discipline. Romantic love is exciting but fleeting; Christian love is backbreaking and requires much more of us than most of us are willing to give. Romantic love practically demands an equal response from the object of our affection; Christian loves gives itself away freely and fully, regardless of the inevitable consequences for the giver. There is a place in our world for romantic love. I still enjoy taking Amy out on dates, buying her pretty things, and taking her away for a grown-up weekend now and then. But to conflate this with the kind of selfless, radical love to which we’re called as followers of Jesus, and which these martyred saints of the faith embodied, is like sticking a bow on a broken heart and calling it fixed. Christians have to be better at love than this if we’re ever going to have hope of realizing the inspired Kingdom Vision toward which Jesus is calling us. And heart-shaped chocolates don’t get us any closer.

Christian Piatt is a Sojourners Featured Writer and an author, editor, speaker, musician, and spoken word artist. He is director of church growth and development at First Christian Church in Portland, Oregon.

THE EDIT PAGE

C O M M E N T A R Y

Ted Anthony Associated Press

Olympics: Earth's most political apolitical event

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ach time an Olympics approaches, the ideal is articulated once more: The true spirit of the games, those who oversee them say, brings humanity together to promote amity and athletic excellence. It is most certainly not a place for the affairs of nations and vested interests to play out on a global stage.

"Olympics is not about politics. It's about the sport, fair play and humanity," Dmitry Chernyshenko, head of the Sochi organizing committee, said last week, echoing his predecessors. The new president of the International Olympic Committee, Germany's Thomas Bach, was more nuanced, saying before the games began that his organization must be "politically neutral without being apolitical."

And yet ...

In Sochi this week, politics percolate everywhere, which is not unusual. It has lurked at the margins of Olympic Games going back at least to the moment in 1936 in Berlin when German Chancellor Adolf Hitler, a white supremacist, watched Jesse Owens, a black American, take gold in the 100-meter sprint.

The Olympics, you might say, are the planet's most political apolitical event.

Consider Friday night's appearance by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the U.S. Olympic Committee's USA House — and wearing a Team USA pin on his lapel, no less. It was entirely good-natured, but it couldn't have been more political.

On the surface, it was an Olympics host leader cheerfully glad-handing guests. But below the bonhomie, it was hard not to conjure a stew of words and memories that evoked old suspicions: Cold War, "We will bury you," spies, the Eastern Bloc, NATO, detente, nuclear proliferation. And new ones, too: Edward Snowden.

Putin is only the most obvious example. To watch the Olympics — and to look beyond the marvelous athletic performances and the uncounted, often unexpected friendships it helps build — is to see a human anthill of scripts and vested interests playing themselves out.

"There is this absolute insistence that there be no politics. I think they have to say that," says Curt Hamakawa, a U.S. Olympic Committee official for 16 years.

"But the fact of the matter is, that is not true.

And it comes across as being a bit hypocritical," says Hamakawa, now an associate professor of sport management at Western New England University in Massachusetts. "Government and sport is pretty much intertwined for most countries. I don't know that they can escape from it."

Several Olympics of the past half century have been particularly politically charged. Tokyo's hosting of the 1964 Summer Games showcased Japan's return to the global stage after World War II. In 1972, Palestinian attackers killed 11 Israeli athletes in the Olympic Village in Munich. And of course there were the boycott years — 1976, 1980 and 1984 — when entire nations (including the United States and the Soviet Union) stayed away because rivals either were there or were hosting.

Front and center this time around is the disconnect between Russia's strict attitude toward gays and voices around the world that take issue with its approach. Despite some predictions that gay athletes or their supporters might turn Olympic spectacles into political ones, it hadn't happened as of Saturday.

Then there are the leaders who stay away — and sometimes make comments about the games from afar. President Barack Obama's decision not to come, for one, has been speculated about by many. Was it because of scheduling, geopolitics, or both?

At the games, Olympic politics can take many forms. There is a flap about athletes' yogurt — fueled by politics in the form of a low-level customs dispute between Russia and the United States. There is the fact that Taiwan must compete as "Chinese Taipei" because of a six-decade schism with mainland China. There are faces upon faces painted with national flags — signs of exuberance, yes, but also human po-

S

ince theatrics have been an integral feature of Arvind Kejriwal's politics, his resignation as Delhi's chief minister can be seen as part of a choreographed performance.

Having shaken off the burden of office - a responsibility for which he appeared to be temperamentally unfit - Kejriwal can now be expected to assume the role which comes naturally to him, that of a street-level agitator. It goes without saying that as a rabble-rouser, he will be far more successful than what he was as a chief minister. Moreover, he will be able to flaunt his inability to continue as the head of a government by presenting himself as the victim of an unscrupulous set of opponents.

The Aam Admi Party (AAP) leader is aware that to large sections, especially among the subaltern classes, he is something of a messiah, who is bent on cleansing the Augean stables of politics. As he told the Delhi assembly in his farewell speech, he is willing to lay down his life while fighting corruption.

Following his resignation, he will be able to claim that he was prevented by the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the industrialist Mukesh Ambani to achieve his avowed objective.

Since his claim will find considerable resonance - if he is able to keep some of his more enthusiastic camp-followers like former law minister Somnath Bharti in check - then it will not be a wild guess to say that the AAP may be able to

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, visits USA House during the 2014 Winter Olympics on Friday, February 14, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. From left, US Olympic Committee official Lisa Baird, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko and Head of the United States National Olympic Committee Scott Blackmun. (AP Photo/ RIA-Novosti, Mikhail Klimentyev, Presidential Press Service)

litical metaphors in miniature.

There is Ukraine, gripped with unrest as it tries to secure an Olympic-city bid for 2022. "The Olympic sports, the Olympics ideas, the Olympic movement, this is above any politics and Ukraine will resolve all of its political problems and all of its political issues," its acting deputy prime minister, Oleksandr Vilkul, said in Sochi a few days ago.

And there is India. Barred from flying its flag at the Sochi Games because of internal corruption, it was granted a reprieve only a few days ago, allowing its athletes to avert competing independently in a gathering organized around national pride.

"The whole world is watching. And when the Indian flag doesn't fly, people know that it's because of corruption and it's not a nice image for the country," Indian luger Shiva Keshavan, a five-time Olympian, said after his country was reinstated.

"You have a lot more behind you when you go with your country's flag," he said.

That's it exactly. As much as it purports to be about the individual athletes and their achievements (and it is), an Olympics is also about countries. And countries — every one of them — carry a lot of baggage, particularly in their relationships with other countries. To put their athletes upon fields of play and expect it to be about only sport is, to be blunt, naive.

Bach sees this. Since he began his tenure as IOC president in September, his statements suggest he is trying to balance the no-politicking spirit of the Olympics and the reality of the 21st-century world.

On the day he was elected, he acknowledged that the IOC "cannot be apolitical" — at least not entirely.

"We have to realize that our decisions at events like Olympic Games, they have political implications," he said. "And when taking these decisions we have to, of course, consider political implications," he said. "But in order to fulfill our role to make sure that in the Olympic Games and for the participants the charter is respected, we have to be strictly politically neutral."

And earlier this month, just before the games began, he offered this about the Olympic movement's role in the debate over gays: "We are not a supra-national government. We are not a superior world parliament. We do not have a mandate to impose measures on sovereign states."

Bach himself has flirted with politics in his attempt to be apolitical. He criticized former President George W. Bush — not by name — for inject-

ing a 9/11 reference into a speech at the opening of the Salt Lake City Games in 2002. At the Sochi opening ceremony, Bach called on the world's leaders to "have the courage to address your disagreements in a peaceful, direct political dialogue and not on the backs of these athletes."

Opening ceremonies, in fact, are packed with politics. At their most basic, they represent a nation's attempt to put its best foot forward to a watching world. That makes for compelling storytelling, but it's hard to depict an entire country without politics creeping in.

Sochi's opening, for example, featured a stylishly executed segment about the Soviet era, including some oblique imagery of hammer-and-sickle communism that might not sit well with many who were oppressed by the system over the decades.

Maybe the surfacing of politics is inevitable, even healthy, particularly in the country that gave rise to the story of the Potemkin Village, fake settlements built to hide what's really going on. Maybe, too, the ideal of no politics is necessary, even if the reality doesn't measure up. Particularly if the reality doesn't measure up.

In the end, politics exists for a reason: The alternative, war, is far worse. Politics is humanity's attempt to work things out and keep all interests satisfied. And that is precisely what happens at an Olympic Games — sometimes with more success, sometimes with less, always trying.

Just ask the Russians applauding for American slopestylers this past week. Or, in a case where the Olympic ideal worked, ask the Russian and Georgian air-pistol medalists who hugged on the podium during the 2008 Beijing Games while their countries fought.

Or today: Look at the American and Russian hockey fans gathering in Olympic Park 34 years after their teams met in much darker times for two countries that had, and have, the power to destroy life on Earth. Hours before the big U.S.-Russia game Saturday, they offered a tableau of the apolitical political Olympics, a measure of our contradictory times.

Instead of jeering, instead of clashing, they wrapped themselves in their respective flags and hugged, united in the spirit of an activity that transcends any national interests: posing for a souvenir smartphone snapshot. The Olympic ideal in action.

"Sports should live its own life and politics should live its own life," said Velieri Bobrov of Sochi, a spectator in Olympic Park. "There is no need for politics here."

Will Kejriwal's gamble pay off?

Amulya Ganguli IANS

secure a majority of its own in the next assembly elections in Delhi.

In the parliamentary polls, too, the AAP's tally of seats may go up from the present estimate of 20-odd to 40 or so.

Such an outcome will result in furrowed brows among the BJP top brass because the AAP is likely to gain mainly at the BJP's expense since their vote banks - the Hindu urban middle class - are largely the same. It is not impossible, therefore, that the latest turn of events is the result of the Congress's decision to fire at the BJP from the AAP's shoulder. Since the Congress is in no position in its current demoralized state to take on the BJP, why not let the more gung-ho AAP do the job for it ?

Indeed, the decision to prop up the AAP in the assembly must have been a part of this cynical game plan. And, now, even if Kejriwal acquires the halo of a martyr on the issue of the Jan Lokpal bill, he will be serving the Congress's cause by eroding the BJP's base.

The Congress is probably also aware that it is the BJP which poses a longterm danger, and not the AAP. Even if the AAP comes to power on its own in Delhi, the chances are that its belligerent ways will cut short its stint.

As the party's propensity to adopt a confrontationist posture towards all and sundry - from the Lt. Governor, whom it called a Congress agent, to Ambani showed, its holier-than-thou self-image leaves little room for compromise.

Its outlook is also skewed, comprising left-of-centre economics (no to foreign investment in retail) and right-of-centre sociology (yes to khap panchayats, community courts in Haryana's villages). It will be a miracle, therefore, if it can run a government without being engaged in constant skirmishes with other stake-holders.

For the present, however, the AAP is back where it feels at home - the street.

But, there is a disadvantage. While Kejriwal's oratorical skills and disdain for the norms of not making personal charges are bound to draw large crowds, he will have to be careful about not repeating the earlier exercise in staging dharnas (sit-ins) lest the resultant disruptions revive the allegations of being an anarchist.

It is this reputation which has disenchanted a section of the middle class, inducing admirers like the former diplomat Madhu Bhaduri, a founder member, to leave the party and corporate

entrepreneur Captain G.R. Gopinath, who set up the new-defunct Air Deccan, to distance himself from the party.

As it is, Kejriwal is courting danger with his various allegations because he may well become entangled in several court cases for defamation. It is no secret that from the time of Anna Hazare's agitation, neither the guru nor the estranged 'shishya' (disciple) has been unable to substantiate their charges against suspected villains in the establishment in any court of law.

If Kejriwal has nevertheless been able to get away with his targeting of ministers and businessmen, the reason is the widespread sense of disillusionment and anger against the government at the centre for not only the existing corruption at various levels - from the lowly constable to high officials, politicians and crony capitalists - but also the government's seeming unwillingness to act against the guilty, including those with black money in foreign banks.

It is obviously the government's apathy and culpability which have enabled the anti-corruption crusaders to gain ground. But, there have been other holy warriors before Kejriwal - V.P. Singh was a notable example and Jayaprakash Narayan before him - who started with a bang but ended in a whimper.

The next few months will show whether Kejriwal will go down the same road or prove to be a genuine knight in shining armour.

Letters to the Editor should be sent to: The Morung Express, House No. 4, Duncan Bosti, Dimapur - 797112, Or –email: morung@gmail.com All letters (including those via email) should have the full name and Postal address of the sender.

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.

PERSPECTIVE

7 Connecting Myanmar: Telecom state and revolution Reform and Political Transition Monday

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

17 February 2014

NEWS ANALYSIS, FEATURE AND DISCOURSE

Myanmar is building its telecommunications infrastructure, involving international mobile companies and complex regulatory reform: an unprecedented process requiring corporate social responsibility that will support digital rights and may finally secure freedom of expression for the country

Supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi show their symbolic sign of four fingers to commemorate the protesters killed and injured during the August 14 dispersal while marching on a street in Cairo, Egypt on Friday, February 14, 2014. (AP Photo/El Shorouk newspaper, Ahmed Abdel Fattah)

The Arab world, after analyzing the nature of states in the Middle East, needs to find its own indigenous path to democracy, based on its own unique historical and societal conditions Maged Mandour he title is borrowed from the great Russian revolutionary and founder of the Soviet Union, Vladimir Lenin. Lenin argued that in order for the revolution to succeed, revolutionaries have to take over the state and use it to reshape society. Many observers have evaluated the causes, effects, and future prospects of Arab revolutions. However, there is little analysis of the nature of the state in the Middle East as one of the main reasons behind the failures of the Arab Revolutions, and the ability of the current order to survive, in spite of facing tidal waves of popular protest and armed resistance lasting for the better part of three years. But the developing role of the state in the Middle East can go a long way towards explaining the failures of the Arab revolutions, and more widely, the seeming inability of the region to democratize.

Charles Tilly, in his study on the development of the European state system, argues that the modern state system was developed in a bargaining process between the wielders of coercion and the wielders of capital. This occurred due to the pressure exerted by an anarchic international system. As the wielders of coercion were preparing for war they had two options; they either had to extract the means of war by force, which led to severe resistance from the governed; or through a process of bargaining with the wielders of capital, which caused the state to become more inclusive. This process of bargaining depends on the level of commercialization of the economy: the more an economy was commercialized, the easier it was to tax the economy - relying on taxation rather than outright force to extract the means of war.

When one looks at the nature of Middle Eastern states, one can see that there are two main types of “rentier states”. The first is a state dominated by the military, which depends on strategic rents as a main source of income. In this case, the strategic rents refer to aid, loans and

T

other external flows. A prime example is Egypt.

In this type of state, the wielders of coercion do not need to bargain with the wielders of capital, as they simply rely on external sources of income to build up and maintain their means of coercion. Also, in certain cases, there is no clear distinction between the wielders of coercion and the wielders of capital, where the military dominates the economy, blurring the distinction. These conditions act as insulation; protecting the state from pressure to become more inclusive. This also creates a situation where there is no elite support for the demands for democracy, since there is no distinction between economic and coercive elites, a precondition for the success of a revolutionary push, as discussed by Theda Skcopol in States and Social Revolutions.

The other archetype that preponderates in the Middle East is a state that depends on rents taken from the sale of commodities, namely oil.

The archetype for this state is the Saudi state, which relies on the sale of oil as a main source of income, allowing it to maintain one of the most conservative and backward regimes in the world, an absolutist state. This setup allows the Saudi state to bribe the local population with the windfalls of oil revenues and outmanoeuver any pressures for reform. The wielders of coercion do not need to bargain with the wielders of capital, and in this case, as in the case of Egypt, the distinction between the wielders of coercion and capital is almost non-existent.

The other part of the argument examines the role of international systems in shaping the nature of the state. Tilly argues that continuous threats of war exert pressure on the state to field armies and means of violence. This pressure causes a state to attempt to bargain with the wielders of capital so that it can extract sufficient funds to raise armies and navies. When one looks at the Middle East, one can argue that the intervention of great powers has directly and indirectly subsidized wars in the Middle East, by providing military aid and massive weaponry to different Arab states. This has alleviated the pressures on different Middle Eastern states to attempt to bargain with local stakeholders. Also, one can argue, that in the Middle East, the weapons of the different armies are directed inwards, rather than outwards. The threat of insurgency and rebellion is the main threat to Arab states, rather than external enemies. This, combined with foreign subsidization of the means of violence, allows Arab states to wield coercion with impunity. This lack of external pressure allows the Arab state to avoid bargaining with their citizens, and instead rely on external support to crush resistance.

The discipline of Fiscal Sociology also ex-

amines the relationship between taxation, the flow of capital on one hand, and the nature of the state on the other. This entails the argument that the development of the extractive capabilities of the state are necessary for the development of a genuinely democratic system, following the slogan of the American War of Independence “No Taxation without Representation”. Based on this one can safely argue that the rentier states of the Middle East did not have to develop extractive capabilities due to their reliance on strategic or commercial rents. This is another barrier towards the development of a genuinely democratic system in the Middle East. The financial independence of the state allows elites to wield coercion without any fear of reprisal.

The international dimension plays a significant role in insulating the Arab states from pressure to become more inclusive. International involvement takes different forms. In the case of rentier states, external support props up regimes that act as pillars of support in the region, in exchange for financial as well as political support. A prime example of this is American support for the Egyptian military in spite of unprecedented repression after the coup against Morsi.

Rentier states that depend on commercial rent are integrated into the international market, and the states are allowed to repress and coerce their populations with impunity. This integration within the international market is not simply limited to the sale of oil; it rather involves the investment of the oil windfall in western financial centres. In this case, international financial interests become intertwined with political interests, and those kinds of states receive almost unconditional international support, regardless of their repressive tactics. One only needs to look at the position of Saudi Arabia within the international system, and its relationship with the United States and the west at large.

Does this mean that there is no hope for democratization in the Arab World? I would argue that this is not the case. However, it does mean that the path for democratization and state building will differ from the path followed by European states and societies. The Arab world needs to find its own indigenous path to democracy, based on its own unique historical, and societal conditions. A solution that is organic, rather than one that is imported. One needs to keep in mind this quote by Karl Marx, “Mankind thus inevitably sets itself only such tasks as it is able to solve, since closer examination will always show that the problem itself arises only when the material conditions for its solution are already present or at least in the course of formation”.

The Morung Express

I

andrea Calderaro

n 2011 the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) reported an internet penetration rate of 0.98% and 1.3 million mobile subscribers (representing 2.3% of the population), to the only mobile company active in the country; it, together with its subsidiaries, is controlled by state-owned Myanmar Post and Telecommunications (MPT). However, during the last two years of political reform, the situation regarding connectivity is thought to have changed radically. Travelling in Myanmar is at the moment the most blatant way to realize that the official data available about internet infrastructure and mobile penetration in Myanmar is probably far from the observed reality.

Internet and Open WiFi are broadly available in cities like Yangon, Bagan and Mandalay, where mobile phone shops are also multiplying rapidly. Ultimate generation Smart Phones are increasingly used and fully operative thanks to an expanding 3G network covering urban as well as some rural territory. The lack of recently updated and reliable data, however, prevents a clear idea of the developments of telecommunication infrastructure currently taking place.

What is sure is that Myanmar has just started to develop its connectivity and the list of challenges is certainly long. From an infrastructural perspective, implementation will involve the vast rural territory between armed groups controlling parts of the territory, as well as the significant presence of landmines. This makes remote parts of the country even more inaccessible, increasing the challenges of building any type of infrastructure. At the same time, the infrastructural challenges must go together with telecommunication and regulatory reforms.

The most evident result of the recent changes in the telecom sector in Myanmar occurred in June 2013, when the government opened its internal telecommunication market to international operators with the goal of enhancing the country’s connectivity. Among the more than 90 companies tendering for the license, the government awarded two new mobile phones licenses to the Qatari mobile company Ooredoo and the Norwegian Telenor. Together, Ooredoo and Telenor have committed to connecting 90% of the territory over the next 5 years.

However, so far neither mobile operator has received their license due to the lack of a new national telecom law, which is a key priority and currently under preparation.

Increasing connectivity in countries characterized by political uncertainty may certainly offer support to citizens to strengthen bottom up networks of cooperation. We must not however forget that more connectivity also has the potential to expose citizens to new threats of surveillance and control and that telecom companies may play a part in this.

It might be an unwelcome reminder that Ooredoo has in the past pleased the Qatari government’s internet censorship request by blocking Voice over Internet Protocol

(VoIP) – Skype services in the country, and by using internet filters to block websites considered inappropriate for the “national morality and costumes”. On the other hand, the Norwegian company Telenor is already active in the region, including in Bangladesh, India, Thailand and Malaysia; in Myanmar they have the opportunity to demonstrate their social responsibility as accumulated through their regional engagement. The development of telecom infrastructure ought to happen through respect for human rights, notably freedom of expression and the right of citizens to protect their privacy. Developing connectivity goes together with the implementation of a regulatory framework that will ensure citizens’ freedoms to use this connectivity. With this in mind, the fast development of telecommunication infrastructure in Myanmar must be watched keenly.

In the Human Rights Watch Report (2013) “Reforming Telecommunications in Myanmar: Human Rights and Responsible Investment in Mobile and the Internet” the shift in telecommunication policies, the on-going investments in developing digital infrastructures and the increasing interest and involvement of international companies in Myanmar, calls for careful evaluation of telecommunication policy development and of the potential consequences for digital freedoms. Also in the context of internet governance, private companies are usually heralded for having a positive influence on the regulations of online freedoms. As such, the current situation in Myanmar, whereby international companies are developing connectivity infrastructure in parallel with the process of developing relevant laws and regulations, is an extremely interesting and important process to be carefully followed.

As a part of the transition currently taking place, the government has opened up a process to facilitate a public debate on new regulatory laws, aiming to ensure a free and open telecom market. The new law has been drafted and published online in both Burmese and the English languages for a public consultation process that remained open for about 30 days, between November and December 2013. The consultation facilitated the submission of comments on the law from both national and international telecom companies, civil society organizations, and even foreign governments, and there is now high expectation for the release of the final version. This is no small feat: after years of autocratic regime, this transparent and inclusive process opens up new spaces for dialogue between governments, citizens, and international companies, and the debate on internet freedoms in Myanmar has clearly just begun.

Myanmar is in transition and a window of opportunity is open for ensuring that the development of its telecom infrastructure will go hand in hand with implementing freedom of expression. Both Ooredoo and Telenor will be held accountable for this double responsibility: on the one hand they are called on to develop telecommunication infrastructures, and on the other hand, they should play a key role in ensuring that this will go together with the design of a new regulatory policy agenda that prides itself on removing limits to freedom of expression and enhancing digital freedoms in the country. In the coming years, Myanmar has the opportunity to ensure real and sustainable change.

If Ooredoo and Telenor properly address their double responsibility, we should look at connecting Myanmar as indeed an opportunity – rather than a threat – and even an important tool to ensure positive change.

POLL RESULTS

Do you agree that Bureaucracy in nagalanD still holDs the actual realms of power?

Some of those who voted YES had this to say: • Yes, because they have the knowledge and experience of how to govern. Without the bureaucrats the government CANNOT function. But without the CM, Ministers and MLAs, the government can function normally. This we can see during President’s Rule in our state. Who then is running the government? The power of the bureaucracy is to check and balance the powers of our elected representative. Theoretically, powers are to be shared between the legislators and the bureaucrats. But in practice, the bureaucrats hold the power and the ministers are nominal head.

• Yes. In Nagaland only bureaucratic government exists. They run the government. No party government.

Others remain helpless.

• Yes, everything is in their hand, since, signing authorities of orders and funds distributions, so they are Controlling everything, offices, publics politicians and undergrounds etc. were in their hands because bureaucrats use public money and buy all of them.

• Politicians come and go but its the bureaucrats that have the final say. Politicians are elected and their performance is tested every five years through the elections, whereas for the bureaucrats they are not accountable to anyone. They just do what they feel.

So yes, in this sense they have the real power.

• Yes... coz the politicians are stupid and unqualified. The intelligent ones always controls the stupid people.

• Yes because ours is still an underdeveloped state and in such a situation bureaucracy will always play a bigger role. people look up to them to deliver since the government is the sole institution to meet their needs..except the govt. there is no other big player thus the dominance of the bureaucracy will continue until we reaches to an advanced state where market forces plays a dominant role and the govt. a facilitator.

• Yes, They are not suppose to. They are abusing • No, TheY are Under the control of politician....

• No, politicians control them. power in the form of displaying his or her inability to • They pat on the back of the politicians so a to enjoy • No, look at political interference in all departments. do this or that, playing delaying tactics while in reality Severely compromising quality. Even NPSC failed power. They are afraid to stand up. they have become crorepatis, far above their known • While sitting in their office chair, Naga bureaucrats are regularized! School teachers no pay for 6 sources of income which prompts me to become a months, uneducated overnight political stooges and are the most defensive saying it is not within his militant to teach the bucontractors have crores in bank. IAS and NCS any power to do this or that; but reaucrats a lesson. propriety? Any guts? Any power? it is their pride that we find • Bureaucrats hold the nauseating. To be candid, • Nay. Politics: 60%, Bureaucrats: 30%, Merit: 10%. realm of power in NagaDon’t believe? Just Wake Up. the attitude of the Naga land. And so, the tussle bureaucrats who are now between the politicians mostly crorepatis give legiti- Some of those who voted OTHERS had this to say: and the Bureaucrats is macy to militant movement. • In any real democracy, the real power should lie on. One can say, the pubwith the people and the people alone. That is why • In my opinion it is the leglic is the innocent victim there is elections every five years for people to islators who hold maximum here too. elect their representatives. So, if bureaucrats are power.....so it is a no...to the claiming that the real actual power lies with them in question....

Some of those who Nagaland, than they are directly saying that there is • Most bureaucrats have bevoted no had this to say: no democracy in Nagaland, because they bureaucome puppets. Biggest pup• The bureaucrats will like to crats have not been elected by the people. pets are best known by the arrogantly think that they departments they hold. Pup- • I think it was 50/50,by than till the executive power are the ones who are the was with governor, but manipulation mostly beget pet bureaucrats are generalfrom bureaucrats, by now power may holds either ly given departments such as masters of power in Naga40/60 or 60/40,,,,i apprehend.

Road and Bridges, Rural Deland. To an extent it may velopment, Urban Develop- • No wonder the bureaucracy holds fort for the dairing some truth because ly state of affairs and so it wont be misconstrued ment where there are more our Naga politicians are to be branded the bureaucrats with their profesmoollah ….. not educated and not ussionalism are the real power behind the scene • If the Bureaucracy in Naing their wisdom to rule through the corridors of power in Nagaland where galand still holds the acand so they tend to give the bureaucratic expert opinions greatly influence tual realms of power, this up their power to the buthe decision-making process of their shrewd and means there is no democreaucrats. But in actuality, dumb political masters to impact and shape all racy in our state. So does bureaucrats are the serand sundry of Nagas for good or bad are not unthis means that we have vants of the people and common as they both are, however, malleable to bureau-cracy? The people they should accordingly do the things to the advantage of each other-after have elected their repreconduct themselves in YES no OTHERS all they are being the top creamy layers of the sosentatives, not their buthis way. cio-economic strata of Nagaland with having their reaucrats, so the actual • No, as there are many adfingers in every pie. power should lie with the people's elected memministrative breakdowns in government functionary bers whether at the village level or constituency • Politicians holds more power but dont get bribes, and lack of political will to change the system. they only steal public funds. Bureaucrats holds lesslevel. The bureaucrats have hijacked the power • No. In Nagaland all Powers are in the hand of legislaer power but gets more bribes. away from the people. tor. Although they are not permanent executive.

48%

44%

8%

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

8

Dimapur

NATIONAL

Monday 17 February 2014

The Morung Express

Don’t expect major announcements in interim Union Budget

NEW DElhi, FEbruary 16 (PTi): Finance minister P Chidambaram may dole out some sops while doing a tightrope walk to keep the fiscal deficit under check when he presents the interim budget for 2014-15 in Parliament tomorrow ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Along with the budget, he will present a vote-on-account to seek Parliament’s sanction for spending till July.

By tradition, the interim budget does not contain proposals seeking to tinker with direct taxes, nor are there any policy announcements, although there may be some sops for the common man and sectors that need help. Earlier, Chidambaram had indicated he may tweak excise duties and service tax rates in the interim budget in an apparent bid to boost the economy, but he may not pursue key reform legislation due to lack of political consensus.

“In 2004, Mr Jaswant Singh made a 12page speech. In 2009, Mr Mukherjee made an 18page speech. So I have two numbers to choose from between 12 to 18. We can make any proposal short of amending any law. “We cannot propose amendments to the Income Tax Act, Customs Act or the Excise Act. But any proposal

ernment imposed a 10 per cent surcharge for a year (2013-14 fiscal) on people earning income above Rs 1 crore. It covered 42,800 individuals and entities.

The minister is expected to use the opportunity to highlight the achievements of the UPA-II government and focus on how the government has been

able to contain the fiscal deficit and the current account deficit (CAD), notwithstanding the difficult global situation. The full Budget for 2014-15 will be presented by the new government in June-July.

Chidambaram may explain why economic growth slowed to a decade’s low of 4.5% in

2012-13 and outline steps taken by the government to put India back on a high-growth trajectory.

Although the central statistics office (CSO) has estimated a growth rate at 4.9% in this financial year, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said it would exceed 5% once the figures were revised.

Key reform measures such as the insurance bill, the goods and services tax (GST) and the direct tax code (DTC) are not likely to be taken up by the outgoing UPA government for want of political consensus. In an election year, governments have traditionally presented an interim budget or vote-on-account, a shorter version of the budget.

The government , sources said, will come out with revised estimates for tax collection in 201314 and projections for the next financial year. As per current indications, the fiscal deficit this financial year is expected to be less than 4.8% of GDP estimated in the budget, mainly on account of expenditure compression and higher realisation from the 2G spectrum auction.

The fiscal consolidation road map requires the government to contain the fiscal deficit at 4.2% of GDP in 2014-15. Chidambaram had on several occasions said he had drawn a red line for the fiscal deficit and it would not be breached.

The gap could be 4.6-4.7% of GDP. The CAD, which was a major concern last year, is likely to narrow to below $50 billion, or 2.5% of GDP. It had touched a record high of $88.2 billion, or 4.8% of GDP, in 2012-13.

NEW DElhi, FEbruary 16 (iaNS): Medha Patkar, Anjali Damania, Yogendra Yadav, Meera Sanyal and Kumar Vishwas are among 20 people who feature in the first list of the Aam Aadmi Party’s candidates for the Lok Sabha elections announced here Sunday. The announcement took place barely two days after AAP founder leader Arvind Kejriwal resigned as chief minister of Delhi after his party’s efforts to pass the Jan Lokpal bill were stalled in the assembly.

“Today we have announced the names of 20 candidates. The selection of all these candidates has been done on the basis of their work for the society,” AAP leader Manish Sisodia said at a press conference here. The over a year-old AAP had made a stunning debut in last year’s Delhi assembly elections, bagging 28 seats. It went on to form the government that lasted 49 days.

Social activist Medha Patkar will contest from Mumbai Northeast constituency while former banker Meera Sanyal will fight the electoral battle from Mumbai South, which is currently represented by Milind Deora of the Congress.

From Mumbai Northwest, Mayank Gandhi will be the party candidate. Anjali Damania will contest from

Nagpur constituency, a stronghold of former BJP president Nitin Gadkari.

Sisodia said: “While choosing the candidates, we have tried to prevent corrupt and people with criminal charges from entering politics.” AAP leader Yogendra Yadav will contest from Gurgaon in Haryana while poet-turnedpolitician Kumar Vishwas will be fielded from Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi constituency, which is a Congress stronghold and currently represented by its vice president Rahul Gandhi.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh also announced that Yogendra Yadav will be in charge of the party’s efforts for Haryana’s assembly polls, which are scheduled later this year. In the first list, over a dozen candidates are to fight from constituencies that are currently represented by the Congress.

Only one BJP-held constituency figures in the list.

The AAP’s first list of Lok Sabha candidates includes party spokesperson and former journalist Ashutosh, who will contest from Chandni Chowk, a constituency currently represented by Law Minister Kapil Sibal. Another journalist, Jarnail Singh, who hurled a shoe at then home minister P. Chidambaram, will be in the fray from west Delhi. Mukul

Tripathi will fight from Uttar Pradesh’s Farukkhabad constituency that is represented by External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid.

Baba Hardev Singh, a former Uttar Pradesh state civil service officer, is being fielded from Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh. The constituency is represented

by Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh. Khalid Parwez, a social activist, is to contest from Moradabad constituency, which Congress MP and former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin represents.

Lawyer H.S. Phoolka will contest from Ludhiana, the constituency of Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari.

Subhash Ware will fight from Pune, which is represented by Suresh Kalmadi.

Ashutosh told IANS that every challenge was big and he believes the party will do well in general elections.

“I take it as a challenge and we will get success as we got in Delhi. I have not planned what would be my strategy but will think about it,” he said. The decision on the candidates was taken after a meeting of the party’s political affairs committee (PAC) earlier Sunday morning. Party sources said many names, including that of Arvind Kejriwal, were discussed at the PAC meeting.

NEW DElhi, FEbruary 16 (PTi): CBI has started fresh questioning of the cousins of former IAF chief SP Tyagi in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal in light of claims by alleged middleman Guido Haschke that he had paid money to them. Sources said that the agency has recently questioned Sanjeev alias Julie, Rajeev alias Docsa and Sandeep in connection with the claims made by Haschke.

“What I told CBI is that we have absolutely nothing to do with the deal and all supporting documents have been given to CBI,” Sanjeev Tyagi told PTI when asked to comment on his examination. “We are cooperating with CBI and went to them every time we were called,” he said. “The CAG report and Ministry of Defence release on the VVIP helicopter deal last year clearly refutes the charges levelled against us by CBI,” he added.

Sources said that Haschke, who was questioned first by Defence Ministry officials and then

by CBI, had told the probe agency that money was paid to the Tyagi brothers for the engineering works and meeting other administrative requirements in India. Arrested in Switzer-

land in September last year and later extradited to Italy to face trial, Haschke has denied that he had ever met the former IAF Chief or handed over any money to him to clear the VVIP helicopter deal in favour of AgustaWestland.

A case was registered

by CBI against former IAF chief Tyagi and 12 others, including his cousins, for alleged cheating, corruption and criminal conspiracy in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP helicopter deal, in which Rs

360 crore is alleged to have been paid as kickbacks. The former IAF chief has refuted the allegations against him.

The questioning of the Tyagi brothers became necessary after Haschke alleged that he had paid money to them for engineering works at IDS Chandigarh, footing rent and meeting administrative expenses in India.

They were questioned last year in the case and had denied any wrongdoing. CBI has alleged in its FIR that Haschke, through his Tunisia-based company, Gordian Services Sarl, entered into several consultancy contracts with AgustaWestland from

2004-05 onwards and, “almost on a back-to-back basis he also made consultancy contracts with the Tyagi brothers”. Under the cover of these contracts, Haschke is alleged to have sent Euro 1.26 lakh (about Rs 1.06 crore) and Euro 2 lakh (about Rs.1.68 crore) to the Tyagi brothers.

“Besides these two remittances, the Tyagi brothers also received some unquantified sum of money from the middlemen (Haschke and another, Carlo Gerosa). “The inflow of remittances to Tyagi brothers and softening of IAF’s stand on service ceiling of the helicopter closely match in terms of time,” the FIR claimed. The allegation against the former Air Chief is that he reduced the height of the VVIP helicopters so that AgustaWestland could be included in the bids.

The decision was taken in consultation with the Special Protection Group (SPG) and other top officials of the Prime Minister’s Office, but the agency did not get permission to question either MK Narayanan or BV Wanchoo, the governors of West Bengal and Goa, respectively.

While Narayanan was the National Security Adviser, Wancho had been the head of SPG at the time.

baNGalOrE, FEbruary 16 (TNN): They are 13 of the 14 children of Shankaranarayana Manja from Kargal in Shimoga, and, with a collective age of over 880 years, they are now staking their claim to be the oldest family in the world. “We could be the oldest in the world as our cumulative age crosses the record listed in the Guinness World Records,” say the Kargal siblings.

Even as the Brudenell siblings of London claim to be the oldest family in the world after adding up an amazing 855 years, the Kargal siblings have written to the Guinness records authorities. “When I read the story about the Brudenells, I calculated the collective age of my 12 siblings and mine which is 880 plus years. I sent a letter to the Guinness authorities,” said Ra-

makrishna Manja, a retired registrar of the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai, and now a resident of Bangalore. The oldest sibling is 79 years and the youngest is 56 years.

The family doesn’t have a family tree. When they attempted one on Friday, it wasn’t easy to recall all the 101 names. “Forget about us, even our father couldn’t recall the names of all his children sometimes. There was no family planning those days. We’re all well-settled now and it’s nice to recall the childhood days spent in a tiny house with all of us living together,” says Srinivas Manja, the oldest sibling.

Their father, Shankarnarayana Manja, was a lineman in the Karnataka Electricity Board in Kargal from early 1940s. “We saw the heyday of Jog Falls when it became a promi-

nent hydroelectric power plant. The then chief minister Kengal Hanumantaiah would visit Jog to inspect the project. My father was also his cook. We used to run a small mess at Kargal and every member of the family worked there as servers, cleaners and cooks.

We were so poor that as a family with all siblings and parents have never gone out together anywhere, not even to the nearby town of Sagar,” recalls Ramakrishna, the eighth sibling.

The siblings were born within a gap of two years.

“All of us were born at home. For some deliveries, our mother had no midwife and she just managed them herself. But we were all born healthy and are living happily despite the struggles in our childhood. Our mother delivered the first child in her seventh month

itself,” the Manjas say.

The entire family, including spouses, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren adds up 101.

The family clicked their first group photograph when their father passed away decades ago. The last time the entire family met was dur-

ing the wedding of Shreyas Kumar, son of Prathima, in April, 2013 in Shimoga.

“We’re currently collecting the proof of date of birth of 13 siblings to send to the Guinness staff. We do not have a group photograph taken so far and we should all meet up for one as it is re-

quired,” said Ramakrishna.

Some family members now live in France, the UK, the US, Canada and some have studied abroad too.

The siblings have worked in Bescom, KPC, education department, nationalised banks, and central universities, among other places.

Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, in white shirt, pose for photographs while giving final touches to the interim budget in New Delhi, India on February 16. The budget for 2014-15 will be presented on Monday. (AP Photo)

short of amending a law can be made. We can also outline a vision for the future,” he had said.

It would be interesting to see if Chidambaram continues with the superrich tax in 2014-15 as well, but indications are he may choose not to since it would need amendment of the law.

In the last Budget, the gov-

Must collectively AAP announces its first list address censorship of Lok Sabha candidates issue: Publishers

NEW DElhi, FEbruary 16 (PTi): In the wake of Penguin’s decision to withdraw US scholar Wendy Doniger’s book in India, publishers today rallied for the need to make collective efforts against the issue of censorship.

“The withdrawal of Doniger’s book is not an issue of a CEO or an editor.

As publishers we need to collectively address the issue of censorship,” Urvashi Butalia, Director, Zubaan Books said today.

She was speaking at the event “CEO Speak - a Forum for Publishing” organized by the National Book Trust in collaboration with FICCI here today.

Doniger’s book “The Hindus- An Alternative History” was withdrawn

by Penguin India which agreed to an out-of-court settlement, to recall and pulp all copies of the book within six months.

Many other publishers also pointed the lack of a cogent response from the publishing industry on withdrawal of Doniger’s book.

“There has been no cogent response by the Indian publishing industry on the

withdrawal of Wendy Doniger’s book. As an industry we should have a say and be public about this. There are bigger issues of censorship here,” Karthika V K, publisher, HarperCollins India said.

She also pointed that censorship is a matter of concern for the entire publishing industry. “We let our fellow publisher down when we say it is not our business,” she said.

Shireen Quadri, Manager, Media and Marketing, Simon and Schuster India said publishers must come together against banning on books and freedom of speech.

“Withdrawing books is a call of a publisher and depends from publisher to publisher but we should not succumb to such pressures. In future, everyone in the industry must come together against banning of freedom of speech so that one publisher does not get chickened out,” Quadri said.

She further stressed on the need for collective action by the publishing industry so that one does not have to succumb to any pressure.

raNchi, FEbruary 15 (iaNS): Candidates for the Lok Sabha elections would be able to e-file their nominations and affidavits, in a move aimed to bring about faster dissemination of information about the candidates, Election Commissioner H.S. Brahma said Saturday.

The e-filing, a web-based form, would be in addition to filing the nomination in paper form. The Election Commission will soon ask the government to modify the current rules to make efiling mandatory. “This move of the ECI holds the potential to accelerate the process of dissemination of information regarding the criminal, financial, educational and other background details of candidates contesting elections,” said a press release of the 10th Annual Conference on Electoral and Political Reforms.

The election commissioner also launched a citi-

zen reporting tool - Election Watch Reporter, an android based application developed by the National Election Watch (http://goo.gl/ ZcZCph). Brahma recommended that it be used by the election commission in the upcoming polls to keep a check on malpractices like bribing of voters (by liquor distribution, cash etc)and excessive spending by candidates. The tool will enable citizens to capture photographic evidence (with precise GPS location and time) of any wrongdoing in and around elections and report it instantaneously to the nearest election commission observers, said the statement. There are around 1,600 registered political parties in the country, but only a few have contested elections regularly. The conference was organised

by National Election Watch (NEW) and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

Candidates can e-file nominations in Lok Sabha polls

Rahul woos women voters, promises empowerment

Tumkur, FEbruary 16 (PTi): in a veiled attack on BJP and RSS, Rahul Gandhi today said the opposition does not respect women and their ‘ideological sangathan’ has no place for them. “Their ideological sangathan has no place for women. Their leader, what he says and what he does you know it. I do not have to elbaorate,” he told an allwomen’s rally here.

The Congress Vice President made a strong pitch for women’s empowerment, saying the party’s aim was to bring more women forward in the election process. “India can’t be a superpower until we empower women. Wherever women are being empowered and given a chance, those states are progressing rapidly,” he said.

“We want to give women an equal chance in politics… In panchayats, in the Assembly, in Parliament, more women should be visible,” he said. The Congress leader said he wished

to ensure there comes a day when women could walk without fear “in the evenings, nights and in buses.

I want them represented in every sector with safety, freedom and no fear”.

Gandhi said the Uttar Pradesh government had taken a leaf from Congressruled Karnataka and implemented the Women’s Self Help Group Scheme.

Referring to the Women’s Reservation Bill, he expressed the hope it would be passed in Parliament.

He listed out various welfare programmes of the UPA government like MNREGA and Food Bill, which, he said, were implemented mainly for the benefit of women.

The UPA government, he said, has also worked on anti-rape laws. ”We want to use your strength in the progress of this country.

We want to open doors for women, doors of schools, hospitals and Parliament, as without you, there is no progress,” he added.

CBI starts fresh questioning of Tyagi brothers in AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal

“We have absolutely nothing to do with the deal and all supporting documents”

‘Oldest family in the world’ aims for Guinness World Records

InternatIonal

the Morung express

Pakistani Taliban decide on ceasefire: Reports ISLAMABAD, FEBRUARY 16 (PTI): The Taliban have decided in principle on a ceasefire that is likely to be announced in the next 24 hours but have demanded the release of detained non-combatants and withdrawal of the Pakistani Army from North Waziristan region, media reports said on Sunday.

The outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)’s political ‘shura’ or council met in the tribal belt to deliberate on the government’s demand for a truce to take forward a controversial and fragile peace process.

The shura decided in principle to announce a ceasefire in the next 24 hours, TV news channels quoted their sources as saying.

The Taliban demanded the withdrawal of the army from the lawless North Waziristan tribal region. They also said non-combatants, including women and children, who are allegedly in the custody of security forces should be freed.

Analysts said the army might have a problem with any demand to

withdraw its troops since it established its presence in Waziristan after much time and effort.

The TTP shura includes its deputy chief Qari Shakil Ahmed Haqqani, TTP spokesman Azam Tariq, Amir Islam, Commander Ahmed, Anwar Gandapuri, Quetta division leader Pir Sahab, Maulana Abdullah and Commander Pashtun.

State negotiators and a Taliban-nominated committee have held preliminary talks aimed at ending the decadelong insurgency that has claimed some 40,000 lives.

However, there is growing scepticism that the process will produce a lasting solution, with observers pointing out that the Taliban have reneged on all past peace deals.

The Taliban have carried out several terrorist attacks even after joining the peace process.

State negotiators had earlier this week made it clear that further attacks would not be tolerated.

They said that if attacks continued, “it would become difficult to continue the dialogue process”.

Bangladesh’s opposition chief Khaleda Zia faces arrest warrant DhAkA, FEBRUARY 16 (PTI): A Bangladeshi court today warned expremier and opposition chief Khaleda Zia that she would be arrested if she fails to appear before it for the next hearing in a major graft case, in which she is a key-accused.

“She (Zia) is being given time for the last time to appear before the court during the hearing on charge framing in the two cases. She must be present in the court on March 19,” Special Judge Rezaul Islam was quoted as saying by court officials.

The judge made the comments after Zia’s lawyers sought to defer the hearing claiming their client was sick.

The Anti-Corruption Commission in 2009 filed the case against Khaleda, her elder son and BNP Senior Vice Chairman

Tarique Rahman and four others on charge of embezzling over Tk 2.10 crore by forming a “fake” trust.

The officials said with the deferment of the hearing today, Zia so far sought time for the 41st time in the Zia Orphanage Trust and for the 11th time in the Zia Charitable Trust graft cases in the court which was set to try both the cases.

The court warning came after public prosecutors filed a petition seeking an arrest warrant for Zia for her repeated failure to turn up as her lawyers submitted a prayer for postponement of the hearing on grounds of her “cold related illness”.

Zia’s counsels, however, assured Judge that their client would certainly be present in the next hearing.

BEIRUT, FEBRUARY 16 (AFP): Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam (pix) on Saturday unveiled a compromise government, capping 10 months of political wrangling during which the war in neighbouring Syria exacerbated sectarian tensions.

The 24-member government, including only one woman, brings together the powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah and its allies with the Sunni-led bloc of former prime minister Saad Hariri, who back opposing sides in the Syria war.

“After 10 months of efforts, of patience, a government protecting national interest is born,” said Salam, who had been tasked with forming the cabinet in April.

“It is a unifying government and the best formula to allow Lebanon to confront challenges,” he said, announcing the line-up to replace that of his predecessor Najib Mikati.

Syria’s nearly threeyear war has deeply divided Lebanon, and the violence has spilled across the border into the Mediterranean country which has been hit by car and suicide bomb attacks.

Lebanon is also strug-

gling under the weight of nearly one million Syrian refugees, who are testing its already limited resources.

Salam pledged to “bolster security ... confront all types of terrorism” and tackle “the burden” faced by Lebanon as more refugees pour in from Syria.

Since April, efforts to form a government had stumbled over disputes between Hezbollah, whose fighters have been helping the Syrian army crush the revolt, and the Hariri bloc which backs the Sunniled uprising.

Britain, France, the United Nations and the US welcomed the new government, pledging to work with Salam and his cabinet to help Lebanon achieve security and stability.

The new government brings together for the first time in three years Hezbollah and the Hariri bloc, and the agreed compromise ensures neither side has veto power over the other.

To preserve the delicate balance between the country’s 18 sects, the government is also equally divided between Christian and Muslim representatives.

Lebanon forms govt after 10-month deadlock

Monday 17 February 2014

Dimapur

9

‘Difficult’ for an independent Scotland to join EU: Barroso

LONDON, FEBRUARY 16 (AFP): European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso warned on Sunday that it would be “difficult, if not impossible” for an independent Scotland to join the European Union.

Barroso’s blunt statement ramps up the pressure ahead of Scotland’s key referendum on independence from the United Kingdom, following Britain’s warning that it will not be allowed to keep the pound if it votes to break away.

“I believe it’s going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible” because the formation of a new member from a member state needs approval from all other EU nations, Barroso told BBC television.

Scots are due to vote on independence on September 18 in a historic referendum that could result in the breaking up of its 300-year union.

“I don’t want to interfere on your referendum here, your democratic dis-

cussion here, but of course it will be extremely difficult to get the approval of all the other member states to have a new member coming from one member state,” Barroso said.

“We have seen Spain has been opposing even the recognition of Kosovo, for instance. So it is to

some extent a similar case because it’s a new country and so I believe it’s going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible, a new member state coming out of one of our countries getting the agreement of the others.”

But he added: “It’s for the Scottish people... to decide about the future of

Scotland.”

The comments drew a sharp rebuke from Scotland’s deputy first minister Nicola Sturgeon, whose Scottish National Party (SNP) is spearheading the pro-independence campaign.

“This is a preposterous assertion — as the ri-

Scores of SA miners feared trapped

BENONI, FEBRUARY 16 (BBC): Scores of illegal miners are feared trapped in an abandoned gold shaft near Johannesburg, South African emergency officials say.

Emergency services told Reuters that they were communicating with a group of 30 miners trapped near the top of the mine by fallen boulders. nThose miners have told them that there a further 200 trapped below. The smaller group appears to be in good health, but the condition of those trapped below is not yet known.

Authorities suspect the mine, near the town of Benoni, was an illegal operation.

Map Werner Vermaak of ER24 emergency services said the mine was in the middle of a public field and was not blocked-off.

He told the BBC that police were patrolling the area this morning when they heard cries for help coming from underground.

Authorities say heavy

equipment is being brought in to try to remove the boulders blocking the mine shaft.

Safety concerns Mining is a vital part of the South African economy and the country is the fourth-biggest gold exporter. According to South Africa’s Department of Mineral

Resources, a 2008 study of the gold sector found that an estimated $509m (£309m) in revenue was lost a year as a result of illegal mining.

It also has some of the world’s deepest gold mines and safety is a major issue.

In recent years the majority of deaths underground have occurred in illegal mines.

Earlier this month nine South African miners died in three different incidents at various legal gold mines operated by the Harmony gold company.

At least 82 men died in a fire at a Harmony gold mine in 2009.

ISTANBUL, FEBRUARY 16 (FT): Turkey’s parliament has voted to increase government control over judges and prosecutors, in a move Ankara says is a justified response to a conspiracy against the government but which critics depict as an authoritarian step that undermines the rule of law.

The bill, approved at the weekend after a marathon parliamentary session that featured a brawl between legislators, now only awaits a presidential signature to become law. The legislation comes despite deep misgivings by the EU, which Turkey is seeking to join, and the US, its most important ally.

Stefan Fule, EU commissioner for enlargement, has sent three letters to Ankara outlining his concerns about earlier drafts of the measure, while the US has also expressed uneasiness, calling last month for a Turkey “where no one is above the law and where

allegations against public figures are investigated impartially”.

Critics of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, prime minister, say that, by putting judges and prosecutors further under the authority of the ministry of justice, the new law is intended to protect his administration and confidants from legal proceedings, notably high-profile corruption probes into government-connected figures.

Similarly, Brussels and Washington have signalled their concern about moves to toughen controls on internet sites – a measure also widely criticised as authoritarian but justified by Mr Erdogan as a legitimate step in a fight against the movement of Fethullah Gulen, a preacher and former ally.

Mr Erdogan depicts the corruption probe as a virtual coup against his government by Mr Gulen’s supporters in the police, prosecution service and judiciary. He says that the

proposed changes in the legal system are necessary to prevent rule by Gulenaffiliated judges. nThe prime minister put the judicial legislation on hold late last month in the wake of the concerns expressed

by Mr Fule and also raised

by Abdullah Gul, Turkey’s president.

Mr Erdogan’s supporters say that he had little option but to revive the legislation – which now features some amendments – after Turkey’s opposition rejected an alternative government proposal to give political parties more say over judges’ and prosecutors appointments. His supporters add that Gulenists on the country’s top legal body have prevented it from taking any measures by pleading illness, so forcing the government’s hand.

Mr Gulen denies all involvement in the investigation and many Gulenists argue the prime minister is trying to distract attention

from the substance of the corruption investigations, which include bribery, tender fixing and illegal construction and have drawn in four former ministers and Mr Erdogan’s own son, Bilal.

All deny any wrongdoing.

Since the probe became public in December, the government has transferred thousands of police officers and scores of prosecutors and judges from their positions. Assetfreeze orders against suspects have been rescinded.

On Friday one central figure, Suleyman Aslan, a state bank chief executive who was alleged to have $4.5m in cash in shoeboxes at his home, was released from jail pending trial.

However, the government has not been able to establish statutory control over the judiciary and prosecutors, nor to stem a tide of apparent leaks from the investigation, which continue to appear on the internet.

Mining South Africa’s riches

* Minerals and metals account for 60% of all export revenue * Mining contributes close to 10% of South Africa’s GDP * 513, 211 jobs - in 2011 * South Africa is world’s biggest platinum producer, with 80% of the world’s reserves * It has 50% of known global gold reserves Source : South African Chamber of Mines (2012)

Turkish PM tightens grip on judiciary

diculous comparison with Kosovo illustrates,” Sturgeon said in a statement.

“Scotland is already in the EU and has been for 40 years.”

“As Mr Barroso rightly says, the question of Scotland’s independent membership of the EU is a matter for the democratic

wishes of the people of Scotland and the views of other member states — not the European Commission,” she said.

“The fact of the matter is that no member state has said that it would veto Scotland’s continuing membership.” mBritain, which is campaigning for a “no” vote in the referendum, has already warned that an independent Scotland would have to leave the pound.

Finance minister George Osborne said on Thursday that there was “no legal reason” why the rest of the United Kingdom would have to share the pound.

All three of Britain’s three main political parties argue that they will not let an independent Scotland retain the pound sterling currency.

The Scottish government has previously said it will seek to negotiate Scotland’s EU membership in the 18 months after the referendum, should Scots vote in favour of leaving the UK.

Lawyers for Egypt’s Morsi walk out of latest trial

CAIRO, FEBRUARY 16 (BBC): Lawyers for deposed Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi have walked out of his trial on charges of espionage and conspiring to commit acts of terror. The trial has now been adjourned until 23 February. The lawyers withdrew in protest at Mr Morsi and other defendants being confined in a soundproofed glass cage. The Islamist former leader is facing four separate trials, three of which have now opened.

Mr Morsi was brought to Cairo’s police academy on Sunday morning by helicopter from the Burj al-Arab prison where he is being held. In this trial, he and 35 others are accused of working with Lebanese and Palestinian groups to carry out attacks in Egypt. Mr Morsi has been put in the soundproof cage in recent appearances to prevent him shouting and disrupting proceedings.

The defendants have said they cannot follow proceedings because of the cage, but the judge insisted that headphones installed inside the dock will allow them to listen.

The cage allows the judge to control when the defendants are heard. At one point when he was audible, Mr Morsi said: “What are you so afraid of? Are you afraid because you have no public support?” Reuters reports. The court said it would appoint a new defence team.

Morsi defiant Mr Morsi was ousted by the military last July following mass street protests against his rule. Since Mr Morsi was ousted there has been a severe crackdown on his Muslim Brotherhood group, as well as on other activists seen as hostile to the military-backed government. The Brotherhood has been declared a terrorist organisation and authorities have punished any public show of support for it.

Other senior Brotherhood figures, including supreme guide Mohammed Badie and his deputy and former presidential candidate Khairat al-Shater, are also facing a raft of charges, At least 1,000 people have died in clashes between security forces and pro-Morsi protesters since he was deposed, with thousands more arrested.

In this latest trial, Mr Morsi is accused of collaborating with the Palestinian movement Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. If convicted he could receive the death penalty. Proceedings in two other trials have already begun: The first opened in November on charges of inciting the killing of protesters near the presidential palace when he was in office in 2012.

In January another trial opened concerning his escape from prison in a jailbreak in 2011, during which police officers were killed. The fourth trial will be on charges of insulting the judiciary. nMr Morsi’s supporters say he and other senior Brotherhood leaders are the victims of politically motivated prosecutions.

In his previous court appearances Mr Morsi has struck a defiant tone, refusing to recognise the legitimacy of the court and insisting that he is still the rightful president.

During that court appearance, from inside a glassedin defendants’ cage, he shouted: “I am the president of the republic. How can I be kept in a dump for weeks?”

John Kerry warns climate change threatens Indonesians’ way of life US secretary of state John Kerry has warned Indonesians that climate change could threaten their “entire way of life” as he called for all nations to do more to stop global warming.

JAkARTA, FEBRUARY 16 (ANN): Speaking to students in Jakarta, Mr Kerry derided sceptics of the view that human activity causes global warming as “shoddy scientists” and “extreme ideologues”, adding that big companies and special interests should not be allowed to “hijack” the climate debate.

Aides say Mr Kerry had chosen Indonesia for the first of what is to be a series of speeches on the topic this year partly because as an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, it is particularly at risk from rising sea levels.

“Because of climate

change, it’s no secret that today Indonesia is ... one of the most vulnerable countries on Earth,” Mr Kerry said in speech at a hightech US-funded cultural centre at a Jakarta mall.

“It’s not an exaggeration to say that the entire way of life that you live and love is at risk,” he added.

Mr Kerry says climate change ranks along side terrorism as an issue of global importance that needs to be tackled like any other. “Terrorism, epidemics, poverty, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction: all challenges that know no borders,” he said.

“The reality is that cli-

mate change ranks right up there with every single one of them.” Indonesia has promised to use Mr Kerry’s visit to raise the subject of Australia’s immigration policies with the United States.

His public push takes place against the backdrop of a negotiation among nearly 200 nations about a possible new global treaty on climate change that is scheduled to be agreed next year and to address greenhouse gas emissions from 2020.

In Beijing on Friday, Mr Kerry announced that China and the United States, the world’s largest emitters

of such gases, had agreed to intensify informationsharing and policy discussions on their plans to limit greenhouse gas emissions after 2020.

US officials made clear they hope that the example of the two countries, historically on different sides of the debate, working together might inspire other nations to do more to combat climate change.

Kerry faces tricky political decision Despite evidence that human activities that emit carbon dioxide contribute to climate change, some sceptics believe a rise in global temperatures is due

to natural variability or other non-human factors.

Others question whether temperatures are in fact rising. The fact that temperatures have risen more slowly in the past 15 years despite rising greenhouse gas emissions has emboldened sceptics who challenge the evidence for man-made climate change and who question the need for urgent action.

Mr Kerry, who faces a politically tricky decision at home on whether to allow Canada’s TransCanada Corp to build the Keystone XL pipeline despite the opposition of environmental groups, had little patience

for such sceptics in his speech. “We just don’t have time to let a few loud interest groups hijack the climate conversation,” he said.

“I’m talking about big companies that like it the way it is, that don’t want to change, and spend a lot of money to keep you and me and everybody from doing what we know we need to do. “We should not allow a tiny minority of shoddy scientists ... and extreme ideologues to compete with scientific fact.

“The science is unequivocal and those who refuse to believe it are simply burying their heads in the sand.”

10

The Morung Express SPORTS Lionel Messi scores 2 in Unbeaten Bayern Munich stretches Bundesliga lead Dimapur

Monday

17 February 2014

Barca's 6-0 rout of Rayo

FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi of Argentina, center, goes for the ball between Real Sociedad's Jon Gaztanaga, right, and Mikel Gonzalez, left, before to scoring his goal, during their Spanish Copa del Rey semifinal second leg soccer match, at Anoeta stadium, in San Sebastian northern Spain, Wednesday, Feb. 12. (AP Photo)

BARCELONA, FEBRUARY 16 (AP): Lionel Messi scored two goals and set up another to help Barcelona brush aside Rayo Vallecano 6-0 and keep its share of the Spanish league lead on Saturday, while a smoke bomb with tear gas forced an evacuation during Villarreal's 2-0 home loss to Celta Vigo.

Atletico Madrid beat Valladolid 3-0 as Diego Simeone's side and Barcelona opened up a three-point advantage over Real Madrid before it plays at Getafe on Sunday.

Barcelona's big win, which included the scoring return of Neymar after a monthlong injury absence, came three days before it visits Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

While two of the league's top teams thrilled their fans, a device thrown onto the pitch at El Madrigal released noxious smoke, forcing the match to be temporarily interrupted in the 87th minute with Celta winning 1-0 after Fabian Orellana's goal four minutes before.

Fans and players streamed out of the stadium to avoid the irritating effects of the smoke.

After a 20-minute delay, the game was restarted and Celta's Manuel "Nolito" Agudo scored from a free kick in the 90th.

Villarreal president Fernando Roig said police were looking for the person who threw the bomb. He said the device released tear gas.

Barcelona punished a visiting Rayo side intent on trying to deploy a similar precision

passing attack and was unfortunate to head into halftime only up 2-0 from Adriano's secondminute opener and Messi's lob in the 36th. The Camp Nou hosts found their finishing touch in the second half, as Messi struck again before assisting Alexis Sanchez, with Pedro Rodriguez and Neymar also adding goals.

Messi's double left him with 228 goals in league play, giving him one more than Alfredo Di Stefano and tying him with Raul Gonzalez as the competition's third all-time leading scorer.

The 26-year-old Messi reached the mark in 263 league games, while Raul needed 550. Former Athletic Bilbao star Telmo Zarra holds the record with 251 goals in 277 games in the 1940s-50s.

"Messi will surpass all the records he sets out to break," Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino said. "He will lose count.

We are in the presence of a kind of player that only comes round every 30 or 40 years."

The Argentina forward appears to have regained his full fitness following a two-month injury layoff, with four goals in his last two games.

Atletico likewise dominated its home match after Raul Garcia scored three minutes in from a set-piece and seconds later passed for Diego Costa to record his 21st league goal, one less than leader Cristiano Ronaldo. Diego Godin scored in the 74th minute of Atletico's placid victory that saw goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and striker David Villa return from injury absences.

SOCHI, FEBRUARY 16 (AP): No protests. No real problems. But plenty of Putin. Midway through the Winter Olympics, things couldn't be going much better for both Russia and its president, even if winter is actually missing from Sochi itself. The arenas and mountains are spectacular, the games have been peaceful and protest-free, and Russians seem filled with pride about their country's ability to put on a spectacle for the world to see.

Worries about terrorist attacks and fears that gay protests could overshadow the Olympics have faded as the world's best battle for medals on the ice and in the snow. Grandstands are mostly filled, television ratings are strong, and athletes haven't said a negative word about either Russia's laws or the food in the athlete's village.

Yes, a heat wave turned the snow a bit slushy and drew bathers to the Black Sea just steps from the main Olympic stadium. But weather is a factor at any Winter Games, and even Vladimir Putin can't do anything about that.

In charge of it all is the Russian president, who won the games with a personal plea and has so far treated them as his personal playground. Putin presided over the opening ceremonies, celebrated his country's

first gold medal on ice with figure skaters, and watched stonefaced as the Russian hockey team lost an epic shootout Saturday to the U.S. in a tournament that means more to the country than 100 gold medals.

On Friday he even paid a visit to the U.S. team house, where he wore a pin that read "Happy Valentine's Day from Team USA" while chatting with athletes over a glass of wine.

If these are Putin's Olympics, he has spared no expense to put them on. They are the costliest ever, a $51 billion gamble that transcends sports as part of an effort to show Russia's resurgence as a world power.

Are they worth it? They just might be to some of the fans getting Russian flags painted on their faces earlier in the week as they waited to enter the figure skating arena.

"It is very special for us," said Diana Severyukhin, a Sochi-area resident who was attending the skating with her urologist father. "I'm proud of our country to be here."

Russian fans waved flags and cheered wildly as the home country won its first gold in team figure skating, though the opening week wasn't all fun and games. Four-time medalist Evegny Plushenko fell in the short program and withdrew from

Atletico's win ended a run of three straight losses before it visits AC Milan on Wednesday in the Champions League.

Rayo and Valladolid, meanwhile, remained in the relegation zone along with Real Betis.

In Valencia, Levante extended its undefeated streak to six rounds and provisionally rose into seventh place thanks to its stout defense and David Barral's solo effort to beat visiting Almeria 1-0. Adriano has several long-range goals for Barcelona, and the Brazilian defender struck again from outside the box to get Barcelona going just moments after the whistle.

Rayo's insistence to try and work the ball up the pitch with short passes played into Barcelona's pressure and resulted in a slew of chances for the defending champions.

Cesc Fabregas intercepted an errant pass and spotted Messi completely unmarked to chip Martinez. Messi found Alexis to beat Martinez in the 53rd and tally his team-leading 15th league goal of the season, and three minutes later Pedro tapped in a short pass from Fabregas, who was played clear

by Andres Iniesta's deft backheeled flick.

Messi took his second goal in the 68th with a left-footed shot just inside the upright, and Neymar capped the rout in the 89th after he came on as a substitute. The Brazil striker, who had been out since hurting his right ankle on Jan. 16, unleashed a long-range strike that sailed in over Martinez.

BERLIN, FEBRUARY 16 (AP): Bayern Munich stretched its Bundesliga lead to 16 points with a comfortable 4-0 win over Freiburg on Saturday, while Hamburger SV fired its coach after losing 4-2 at bottom side Eintracht Braunschweig.

Dante headed Bayern into a 19th-minute lead and Xherdan Shaqiri scored with deflected shots in the 34th and 42nd.

Claudio Pizarro completed the rout in the 88th as Bayern stretched its league record unbeaten run to 46 games.

"It's always hard when the whole world says you have to win," said Bayern coach Pep Guardiola after his side's 13th consecutive Bundesliga victory.

Guardiola rested several players with an eye on Wednesday's Champions League roundof-16 first leg at Arsenal. But Shaqiri will miss the game after tearing a muscle at the back of his right thigh in the second half. French winger Franck Ribery was already out after undergoing surgery on a burst blood vessel in his buttock. Secondplace Bayer Leverkusen lost 2-1 at home to Schalke, which was on a four-game winning streak.

Schalke midfielder Leon Goretzka won the ball from Lars Bender, lifted it over an incoming defender's challenge and chipped the goalkeeper in the 28th.

Leverkusen equalized in the 66th after Schalke defender Felipe Santana cleared off the line but conceded an own goal from the resulting corner. The home side was left to rue several missed chances when Klaas Jan Huntelaar headed a free kick in-

side the far post in the 74th.

Leverkusen was knocked out of the German Cup by second-division Kaiserslautern on Wednesday and next faces Paris Saint-Germain at home in the Champions League on Tuesday.

"We played the better football, I feel for the team," Leverkusen coach Sami Hyypia said. "If we play like this on Tuesday I'll be happy. We showed a lot of character."

Hamburg slipped into full crisis mode after slumping to its seventh consecutive league defeat and fired Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk and his assistant Roel Coumans late Saturday.

"My job is not important right now," Van Marwijk had said after Domi Kumbela scored a hat trick for Braunschweig to move within a point of Hamburg, which is facing the prospect of its first relegation from the Bundesliga. Also, thirdplace Borussia Dortmund defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0, Werder Bremen drew 1-1 with Borussia Moenchengladbach, and Hoffenheim beat 10-man Stuttgart 4-1 for the visiting side's sixth consecutive defeat.

Hamburg goalkeeper Rene Adler's two mistakes proved costly for his side in Braunschweig. Pierre-Michel Lasogga marked his return for the visitors by scoring Hamburg's first goal of the year in the 23rd, with a hopeful header back that looped over the goalie.

Adler spilled a shot from Karim Bellarabi and Kumbela swept the rebound home in the 51st, 10 minutes before he scored again. Ivo Ilicevic equalized in the

NEW ORLEANS, FEBRUARY 16 (AP): John Wall soared over his own mascot as the East stomped on the West in the slam dunk contest at the NBA's All-Star Saturday.

Wall's sensational slam finished off a clean sweep for the Washington Wizards star and his Eastern Conference teammates, Indiana's Paul George and Toronto's Terrence Ross, in the contest's new battle format.

Answering Sacramento rookie Ben McLemore's dunk in which he leaped over Shaquille O'Neal seated in a king's throne, Wall took the ball from over the head of the Wizards mascot, brought it between his legs and slammed down a reverse dunk.

"It was only my second time doing it. My first time was on Thursday," Wall said. "So I just felt comfortable with myself and I knew it was a dunk that hasn't been done before."

Judges Dominique Wilkins, Magic Johnson and Julius Erving all gave the victory to Wall in his matchup, after previously voting for George over Golden State's Harrison Barnes, and defending champion Ross over Portland's Damian Lillard.

Earlier, San Antonio's Marco Belinelli won the 3-point contest, and Lillard and Utah rookie Trey Burke won the skills challenge to give the Western Confer-

ence two victories on the night.

Miami's Chris Bosh, Wilkins and WNBA star Swin Cash won the night's first event for the East, the shooting stars contest.

The NBA tried to jazz up AllStar Saturday for its return to New Orleans, with a number of tweaks to the format.

The biggest was in the dunk contest, which was broken into two parts. The first was the freestyle portion, where the teams had 90 seconds to execute as many dunks as they could, before the three 1-on-1 matchups in the battle format.

McLemore came out wearing a king's robe and was trailed by O'Neal, a new minority owner of the Sacramento Kings. McLemore made it over O'Neal's throne on his second attempt, and the 15-time AllStar center presented him with a crown. Moments later, however, Wall was the real king.

"The slam dunk has returned," said Erving, one of the NBA's most famed dunkers.

Belinelli needed to win a tiebreaker in the 3-point contest to beat the Wizards' Bradley Beal. Beal had made his final six shots, including two "money balls" worth two points each, to tie Belinelli's final-round score of 19. The Italian then racked up an event-high score of 24 for the win.

Bayern's Claudio Pizarro of Peru celebrates after scoring during the German first division Bundesliga soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and SC Freiburg in Munich, Germany, on Feb. 15. (AP Photo)

76th, but Adler could only parry a free kick in the 85th, allowing Kumbela to scoop the ball over two defenders. Bellarabi eluded two Hamburg defenders and crossed for Jan Hochscheidt to seal the result in injury time.

"It was so unnecessary. But if you give away goals like that it makes it very difficult," Van Marwijk said. Dortmund was playing Frankfurt for the second time in a week after its 1-0 German Cup quarterfinal win on Tuesday. Hen-

rikh Mkhitaryan dispossessed Frankfurt defender Sebastian Jung and waited before playing the perfect pass between four Frankfurt defenders for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to open the scoring in the 10th. Aubameyang got his second goal 11 minutes later after a corner, and Robert Lewandowski converted a penalty to make it 3-0 two minutes after the break.

It was the Polish striker's first goal against Frankfurt and his 14th of the season.

Wall leads East to All- AR inter boxing championship Star dunk triumph

Pugilists fighting it out in the finals of the Championship.

DIMAPUR, FEBRUARY 16 (MExN): The Assam Rifles Inter Sector Boxing Championship was conducted at ARTC & S, Shukhovi, from February 10 to 15. A press note informed that 106 pugilists, representing twelve Sectors, vied for the coveted ‘DGAR Boxing Trophy’ in ten weight categories. Over the conduct of the preliminary rounds, the best boxers fought their way to the finals, which was conducted on February 15. The event was witnessed by an enthusiastic crowd of over 400 personnel,

including the Assam Rifles personnel and their families. Brig K Narayanan, Commandant ARTC & S graced the closing ceremony as the Chief Guest. L/Hav Jagta Singh of 26 Sector was declared the Best Boxer and L/Hav K Liana of 22 Sector was declared the Best Loser. 22 Sector emerged as the Inter Sector Boxing Champions whilst 7 Sector was the Runners up. The Prize distribution ceremony was conducted with traditional military fervor and the boxers were feted for their respective performances.

and they switched back to the old ones to try and get back on the medal podium.

Norwegians, meanwhile, kept winning, though few paid attention. The country of just 5 million people is the leading medal winner in Olympic history, but the sports of cross country and biathlon aren't high on the glamour list and don't translate well on TV. The first full week of the Olympics, though, was as much about what didn't happen as what did. Sochi wasn't overrun by packs of marauding stray dogs, as some journalists had come to expect. Hotel rooms were finished for the most part, and there has been nothing but raves over the efficiency of an Olympic transportation system charged with moving people between the mountains and the coast. Most seriously, there was no sign that Islamic terrorists who roam just a few hundred miles over the mountains have done anything to carry out their leader's pre-Olympic plea to disrupt the games.

Credit much of that to a massive security operation that sealed off the area around Sochi, with chips embedded in credentials to track where everyone goes. There's security everywhere but, at the same time, the net cast around these games

hasn't seemed terribly overbearing. There's still a full week to go, of course, and nothing is guaranteed. One bad or bloody incident could throw everything in turmoil and forever stain the games.

But the Sochi Olympics seem to have found a voice, or at least a spirit. They're achieving an identity of their own, even while cloaked in the identity of everything Putin. Still, if Russia should fail to come home with a gold in hockey, all bets are off.

"The most exciting part, I think, is ahead and we are all dreaming about the finals," 'said Dmitry Chernyshenko, head of the Sochi organizing committee.

"Especially in the ice hockey, the most dramatic (for us Russians) moment of the games. "That drama was on full display Saturday when even overtime wasn't enough to settle a preliminary game between the U.S. and Russia.

T.J. Oshie finally settled it for the Americans in a shootout, sending Putin and his countrymen home disappointed but their team still very much in the hunt for gold.

There are limits to Putin's power.

He can't control the weather, and he can't play goalie for the Russian team. And with the U.S. and the defending champs from Canada looking strong, even the $51 billion he's shelling out for his games may not be enough to buy the one prize that matters most.

Midway through, Sochi Games delivering for Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin shows handmade mittens presented to him at Canada House during the 2014 Winter Olympics, Friday, Feb. 14 in Sochi, Russia. At left is Chairman of the Canadian National Olympic Committee Marcel Aubut. (AP Photo)

his attempt to make Olympic history, and the Russian hockey team was so shaky in its opener that one sports writer asked the coach if it was "a death sentence" should the team let Semyon Varlamov remain in goal.

The U.S. took its lumps, too. Prohibitive favorite Shaun

White was shut out in his bid for two gold medals, speedskater Shani Davis came up short, and Bode Miller and Julia Mancuso missed medals in the downhill.

If it weren't for a strong showing by U.S. women in sports invented in recent years mostly on American slopes, the peren-

nial Olympic power would be an also ran in these games.

And then there was the equipment malfunction that short-circuited U.S. hopes in speed skating — or so the skaters believe. The high-tech uniforms that were supposed to make them go even faster were a drag, they claimed,

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Entertainment 11 Katy Perry fuels engagement rumours Monday

The Morung Express

17 February 2014

Beyonce

T plays sexy cowgirl

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eyonce showed more than just her scantily-clad voluptuous figure this time. The 32-year-old singer displayed her talent for twirling a lasso above her head in a sneak peek for her new Drunk In Love video. The blackand-white teaser begins nicely enough with Beyonce walking slowly across a dusty paddock, holding a coil of rope behind her back and wearing a Stetson. Beyonce isn’t wearing much else, just a white cut-out leotard and leather chaps in the 38-second clip that also features the voice of Kanye West rapping in the remix of the song. The music picks up with a scene of horses running, and Kanye’s expletive-laced rap begins in voiceover. ‘You will never need another lover ‘cuz you a MILF and I’m a mother f**ker,’ Kanye says.

Beyonce is then seen whipping her las-

so - a tool used to rein in horses or cattle clear into the air although the Single Ladies singer’s target isn’t quite clear at this point.

Kanye’s X-rated rap, which was inspired by Kim Kardashian, goes on: ‘I impregnated your mouth, girl, that’s when I knew you could be my spouse, girl.’ The crude refrain is featured on the latest remix of Beyonce and Jay Z’s song, which already boasts rude lyrics. This latest teaser suggests that the mother-of-one will soon be releasing a full-length video version. The original music video came out in December 2013 and featured Beyonce’s husband Jay Z. Beyonce performed a raunchy number to Drunk In Love at The Grammys last month while wearing a high-cut bodysuit that left little to the imagination.

‘Aishwarya Rai didn’t marry me because I am a Bach’

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heir relationship has gone from strength to strength after a temporary break up last year.

And Katy Perry and her beau John Mayer sparked speculation that they are ready to take things to the next step after a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner on Friday night.

The 29-yearold songstress showed off what appeared to be a gold ring on her wedding finger as she and the rocker made their way to their car after dinner at the exclusive Sunset Towers Hotel.

She made no attempt to hide

the previously unseen bling on her ring finger, clutching her phone with her left hand as they made their way out into the night together. Aside from the piece of jewellery, Katy was dressed to the nines in a highwaisted polka dot skirt and a tight black off the shoulder top showing off her slim and toned arms.

Her hair was neatly straightened and styled with neat bangs cut short and a cute white bow sitting on top of her head and completed the look with red high heels.

John Mayer looked suave and handsome

in jeans, a basic white Tshirt and an elaborate necklace-type garment hanging around his neck. Rumours have swirled about the pair’s engagement for months now, with a source for E! News saying a proposal was ‘inevitable’. Katy has made no secret of her adoration for her fellow singer, telling the November issue of W magazine: ‘I actually am dating my crush. I had a crush on him for a long time, and it just so happens we fit together great.’

Mayer seems equally enamoured with the Roar singer, tweeting on Valentine’s Day: ‘I got the hottest girl in the game,’ he wrote on the social media site, before curiously adding: ‘Pick in’ my brain. Katy - who was previously married to Russell Brand - has been dating John since August 2012, but the couple have been on and

Dimapur

off, briefly splitting last year, which the star later claimed was a welcome shock to their relationship. ‘It was like a splash of cold water to search inward on what was going on with me,’ she told Marie Claire in its January issue. ‘That is what let me to this new awakening, this realising, if I don’t do some self-love, I’m not going to be able to keep the love that I want.’

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‘Temptation’s on!!’ SRK George Clooney S Wants Happiness

hah Rukh Khan’s global appeal was on display once again this weekend when fans mobbed the Bollywood superstar in Malaysia, where he performed live as part of his Temptation Reloaded tour. A stellar team of film industry biggies, including Madhuri Dixit and Rani Mukerji, took the stage at Kuala Lumpur’s Stadium Merdeka on Saturday for a sold-out three-hour show. The veterans were accompanied by popular new-age stars Yo Yo Honey Singh and Arijit Singh, who had the 15,000-strong audience under as strong a spell. Arijit, the new blue-eyed boy of playback singing, had to perform an encore of his mellifluous love anthem ‘Tum Hi Ho’ from Ashiqui 2 on popular demand.

Honey e n t h ra l l e d the audience with his single ‘Blue Eyes’ and much to their delight, danced with SRK on the chartbuster ‘Lungi Dance’ from Chennai Express.

Still recovering from the leg injury he sustained on the set of Happy New Year, SRK said the rehearsal had him nervous but added that

he was excited about the performance.

“Malaysia. Temptations on!! Little nervous to do rehearsals and dancing. But the art is more important (sic),” he tweeted ahead of the concert. Before the event, SRK, Madhuri and Honey addressed a press conference, on the sidelines of which the latter was seen teaching the two superstars some of his trademark moves.

Having also performed there in 2012, Shah Rukh dubbed his visit to Malaysia a second “homecoming”. “It’s always a matter of pride for me whenever I come to Malaysia. I often feel that I have never left home. It’s a great feeling to be back among such lovely people once again,” Shah Rukh said. Temptations Reloaded was o rga n i se d in conjunction with the ongoing Visit Malaysia Year 2 0 1 4 c e l e b ra tions.

Shah Rukh said it was his “duty” to promote the country as a tourism destination.

“Getting people to (visit) this country is my job.

I always mention how the people have been very kind (to me) ever since I first came to Malaysia 14 years ago,” he added.

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eorge Clooney is looking for “happiness, peacefulness and joy”. Actor George Clooney was mocked by Tina Fey at the Golden Globe awards over his constant pursuit of younger women has responded by insisting he is getting “wiser” as he grows older, but still has the same priorities he has always had. Discussing the joke, Clooney says he is searching to find “happiness, peacefulness and joy” in his life and adding: “Yes I did hear and I heard everybody laughing very hard too. “All I will say is we get wiser as we get older. And that what I am looking for in life is the same as I always have; happiness, peacefulness and joy. And that’s all I’m going to say about that because otherwise I’d get into trouble.” George’s latest movie, ‘The Monuments Men’ follows an Allied group trying to save pieces of art and other items of cultural importance before their destruction by Adolf Hitler has

filled his home with pictures and paintings that make the place feel “warm”, rather than splashing out on expensive pieces of art.

He recently told Britain’s Hello! magazine: “I do have paintings on my wall which I love and are incredibly important to me, but for personal reasons not because they’re expensive.

“I have a picture of a rainy Paris street scene which I bought when I was 33 and on my first trip to Paris. I go past it when I go upstairs every night and it reminds me of that trip and makes me happy. “I bought a painting in Madrid on my first trip there too and a lot of people say, ‘Well it’s not the greatest painting’ and I say, ‘It is to me’. “OK, you can look at a beautiful painting and say, ‘That’s beautiful’ but to me, it feels warmer to fill my home with pictures of friends and family and paintings of places I’ve gone.

That’s what I want to come home to.”

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Nigella Lawson undergoes image transformation S

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bhishek Bachchan says that his actress wife Aishwarya did not marry him because he is a film star or the son of megastar Amitabh Bachchan. Abhishek Bachchan says that his actress wife Aishwarya did not marry him because he is a film star or the son of megastar Amitabh Bachchan. In an upcoming episode of ‘Koffee with Karan’, when asked by the host Karan Johar about the ‘insecurity’ coming from being married to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, “the most beautiful woman on the face of earth”, Abhishek said there was none. “I believe she is and to me

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she is the most beautiful thing on earth. I see myself in the mirror every day and it is a horrific sight. So I am not competing, I can’t. The reason why we got together wasn’t cosmetic,” Abhishek said. “She is one of the most down to earth… normal people you will ever meet. She hasn`t married me because I am a film star or I am a Bachchan and I haven’t married her because she is the most beautiful woman on earth or one of the biggest stars on earth, so that never comes in the equation,” he said. Abhishek and Aishwarya tied the knot in 2007.

They have a daughter named Aaradhya.

Nicole Scherzinger taking a shot with Lewis Hamilton on a romantic Valentine’s break

he’s had a tough start to 2014 after her housekeepers were cleared of defrauding her in the wake of her divorce from ex-husband Charles Saatchi. But Nigella Lawson has started ringing the changes in her life and revealed the results of an image transformation when she stepped out at the Chanel pre-BAFTA dinner on Saturday night.

The raven-haired beauty showed off a voluminious new hairdo at the event at Annabel’s nightclub in central London. Nigella also had a hint of cleavage on display and looked to be enjoying herself at the nightspot. She was in good company at the event and posed for pic-

tures with comedian Graham Norton, who looked dapper in a black suit and red and white spotted tie.

Nigella’s image transformation comes after she hit the headlines again in early February when she posted a recipe for ‘slut’s spaghetti’, known in Italian as ‘pasta alla puttanesca’, on Twitter.

She then followed up the post with another tweet stating there was ‘no agenda’ behind her post, writing: ‘Folks: no agenda behind #recipeoftheday!

Slut’s Spaghetti an old fave of mine. (sic)’ Despite this, the celebrity chef ’s message sparked speculation about whether she was referring

to anybody in particular.

Her tweets came shortly after her ex-husband Charles’ new companion, Trinny Woodall, made a tasteless joke that appeared to refer to Nigella. The quip also happened on the same day that her former aide’s affair with a married man was revealed. Writing about turning 50 on the high50 website last night, Trinny said: ‘It’s great that, at 50, life can still grab you by the throat and shake you up.’ Nigella and Charles divorce was finalised in July 2013 just weeks after pictures emerged of him with a hand around her throat at a London restaurant last June.

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Man City beats Chelsea in Fa Cup MANCHESTER, FEBRUARY 16 (AP): Manchester City powered forward with ease into the FA Cup quarterfinals on Saturday, overcoming Premier League title rival Chelsea 2-0 to maintain its quadruple chase. Stevan Jovetic and Samir Nasri provided the goals to avenge a 1-0 league loss this month, with a formidable City in complete control and preventing Chelsea from hitting the target once.

"We can beat everyone," Jovetic said. "We learnt something (from losing to Chelsea), you could see that on the pitch." Although Chelsea leads the league, City is only three points behind in third with a game in hand after its midweek game was postponed due to bad weather.

City also remains in Champions League contention, facing Barcelona at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, and meets Sunderland in the League Cup final next month. Sunderland also advanced in the

FA Cup, with Craig Gardner clinching a 1-0 victory over Southampton.

Wigan maintained its cup defense by winning 2-1 City's Stevan Jovetic, looks on as he scores the openat Cardiff, with Ben Watson, Manchester ing goal past Chelsea's goalkeeper Petr Cech, left and Nemanja whose goal clinched the Matic during their English FA Cup fifth round soccer match at the cup before the team was Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England on Feb. 15. (AP Photo) relegated from the topflight last May, netting the winner in south Wales.

In Sunday's headline fixture in the fifth round, Arsenal hosts Liverpool in another meeting of Premier League title rivals.

With City hosting Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, beating Chelsea showed the enviable depth of resources available at Manuel Pellegrini's disposal.

Jovetic, who is only City's fourth-choice striker despite being signed last year at a cost of 24 million pounds ($40 million), first came close when he struck the crossbar from the rebound after goalkeeper Petr Cech fumbled Yaya minute but this time the sea defense missing cap- sent the ball out for Jovetic ic's sixth goal of an injury-hit Toure's strike.

Jovetic hit the wood- ball went over the line as tain John Terry. David Silva to strike off the post into the start to his City career. City work again in the 16th City ripped through a Chel- played in Edin Dzeko, who bottom left. It was just Jovet- was far more assertive and

India's flag finally hoisted in Sochi

ROSA KHUTOR, FEBRUARY 16 (AP): India's flag has finally been hoisted at the Sochi Olympics, five days after the IOC lifted a 14-month ban and more than a week after the games began. The ceremonial raising of the tricolor Sunday symbolically marked the end of the suspension, exactly a week after a new Indian Olympic Association board was elected to replace corruption-tainted officials. "I am absolutely thrilled and delighted," new IOA president Narayna Ramachandran said.

"It's a tremendous boost for Indian sports.

"The national sport bodies were suffering because you didn't get the grants from the IOC or the Indian government. To have the ban lifted in two days was truly amazing."

India has three athletes competing in Sochi. They carried the IOC flag during the opening ceremony on Feb. 7 and started the

Games as independent athletes. They will now be able to march behind their national flag when the Games are closing next Sunday.

"We are very excited," Indian luger Shiva Keshavan said. The five-time Olympian said that he and his teammates -- crosscountry skier Nadeem Iqbal and Alpine skier Thakur Himanshu -- had been hoping the issue was resolved before the Sochi Games began. "Unfortunately that didn't happen," Keshavan said. "I have been at the Olympics before but it really didn't do justice to (my teammates) so I hope one of them get to carry the flag in the closing ceremony." The ceremony on the central plaza in the mountain athletes' village was attended by about 100 people, mainly Olympic volunteers and media. The Indian team and officials were applauded when they entered the square, and responded with smiles and waves.

ACKNOWLEDMENT

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Dr. Mar Atsongchanger Appointed as Council Member, Serampore College(University) Council, W. Bengal

As per the announcement made by Prof.(Dr.) Laltluangliana Khiangte, Principal & Secretary, Council of Serampore College, the Ao Baptist Church Association(ABAM) acknowledges the nomination of Rev. Dr. Mar Atsongchanger, Executive Secretary, ABAM as a Council Member of Serampore College, the most prestigious theological University in Asia. Through his representation, we hope to have closer ties between ABAM and the Senate of Serampore College in its venture for quality and relevant theological education today. Simultaneously, we want to reiterate that Dr. Mar Atsongchanger is also the Vice President of the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI), and Ecumenical Church body in India (30 Member Churches in India).This year is NCCI Centenary year (2014) with its hundred years of its ministries. We wish him God’s leading hand under his leadership.

- ABAM, Impur

cohesive than the side that was beaten here by Chelsea less than two weeks ago, with Dzeko also testing Cech with a curling shot.

"We wanted revenge today," City captain Vincent Kompany said. "Twelve days ago we had a really bad game, we gave them a lot of chances." How different this game was. After failing to get a sight of goal in the first half, Chelsea striker Samuel Eto'o was replaced at halftime, with Mohamed Salah coming on.

The January signing didn't help to transform Chelsea's fortunes, and forward Fernando Torres was brought off the bench on the hour to replace Ramires, taking a central position as Salah shifted to the right.

But it was a City substitution that made a bigger impact as Nasri, in his first appearance in a month, completed an incisive move to score six minutes after coming on. After receiving the ball from Nasri, Silva squared it back to the Frenchman, who con-

tinued his run to dart into space between defenders David Luiz and Gary Cahill, and slot the ball in from close range. It was City's 117th goal of a season that should end with a trophy unlike last year under Roberto Mancini. "I had a lot of questions after Chelsea, if we're going to change our way of playing," Pellegrini said, referring to the 1-0 loss. "But I repeat: We will not change the way we play. Today was important to show why we continue to play in the same way."

Chelsea can only win on two fronts — the Premier League and Champions League — and Jose Mourinho's side has the edge over City domestically having won both league encounters.

"We were never close to scoring or being dominant, or bringing a scare to the game," Mourinho said.

"Today there was a different freshness between the teams ... and one team had a week without professional football," he added.

new Zealand 252-5 at stumps on day 3

WELLINGTON, FEBRUARY 16 (AP): New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum made a century and wicketkeeper BJ Watling a half century in a gritty sixth wicket partnership Sunday to stall India's drive for a seriesleveling victory in the second cricket test.

Trailing India by 246 runs on the first innings, New Zealand was 94-5 and staring at likely defeat when McCullum and Watling came together four overs after lunch. They stayed together for the next 259 minutes and 373 balls, adding 158 runs before stumps.

McCullum was 114 and Watling 52 at the end of the day.

New Zealand leads the twotest series 1-0 after winning the first match at Auckland by 40 runs.

McCullum was twice dropped early in his innings and seized on both reprieves to become only the fourth New Zealander to reach 5,000 runs in tests, after Stephen Fleming, Martin Crowe and John Wright.

He reached the mark with his 81st run.

McCullum took 214 minutes and 146 balls to reach a half

century, but as his partnership with Watling gained momentum, he scored more freely and added his second half century in 84 minutes from 53 balls. He reached his ninth test century with a six off Ishant Sharma.

"We had a test match to try and save," he said. "At 5-94 things weren't looking so good, but thankfully BJ and I put together a partnership which remains undefeated at the end of the day." "If we can put ourselves in a good position later on tomorrow, who knows what we can achieve?"

Watling came into the match lacking form and low on confidence — he made just 1 and 11 in the first test at Eden Park and a duck in the first innings of the second test at the Basin Reserve.

But he batted doggedly on Sunday, getting his half century in 230 minutes off 192 balls, with only four fours.

Zaheer Khan (3-60) put India in good position for an innings victory when he claimed two wickets during the morning session. The veteran paceman had dismissed Peter Fulton (1) late on the second day to send New Zealand to stumps at 24-1.

He then removed Kane Williamson (7) and Hamish Rutherford (35), both caught by wicketkeeper MS Dhoni, to leave New Zealand 87-4 at lunch.

Tom Latham, who made a duck in the first innings in his test debut, guided New Zealand back into the match, batting a steady 111 minutes for 29 before he was dismissed before lunch.

But Corey Anderson (2) then fell, caught and bowled, to Ravindra Jadeja shortly after lunch, and New Zealand, at 945, seemed to have little chance of making India bat again. That's when the partnership of McCullum and Watling took over. "As captain ... you've got to try to work your game to the situation and I was just pleased to be able to get through to the end of the day and make sure we're still only five down," McCullum said.

"We've got a lot more ground to cover tomorrow."

India’s Ishant Sharma attempts a caught and bowled of New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum on the third day of the second cricket test at Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Sunday, Feb. 16. (AP Photo)

FRIENDS OF THE NORTH EAST 17 FEB 2014 – 28 FEB 2014 ORGANISED BY : ASSAM RIFLES

C M Y K

With an aim to foster sense of sportsmanship in the youth of Dimapur, Assam Rifles will be organising a Football League at DDSC Stadium, Dimapur. The league is scheduled from 17 Feb 2014 to 28 Feb 2014. Prizes for winner is Rs.20,000/- and runner up is Rs. 10,000/-.

The teams participating in the event will be from various villages in and around Dimapur and Assam Rifles. Final match of the league will be played on the 28 Feb 2014.

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