C M Y K
www.morungexpress.com
Dimapur VOL. IX ISSUE 16
The Morung Express “
www.morungexpress.com
Our life always expresses the result of our dominant thoughts
Honeymoon threatens to be brief for anti-graft party AAP [ PAGE 8]
reflections
By Sandemo Ngullie
Suchitra Sen legendary actress dies
”
Shashi Tharoor’s wife found dead
Shashi Tharoor and his wife Sunanda Pushkar
New Delhi, JaNuary 17 (aGeNcies): Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Union minister Shashi Tharoor, has reportedly been found dead in a fivestar hotel here. Pushkar’s body was found at room number 345 in Leela Hotel. The incident came to fore around 8pm after the hotel authorities informed the police. The special commissioner of police Deepak Mishra confirmed to TOI about the incident. However police were yet to ascertain if it was a suicide. Further investigations are on. The room in which Pushkar was staying has been sealed by the police. The shocking news comes just a day after Sunanda and her husband Shashi Tharoor were involved in a Twitter controversy, also involving a Pakistani woman journalist. Pushkar had accused the 45-year-old Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar of stalking her husband and trying to “break” her marriage when she was away for medical treatment. The minister of state for human resources development is a Congress Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram.
Intoxicated driver injures six people
C M Y K
DiMaPur, JaNuary 17 (MexN): A volleyball game was disrupted midway, after a car drove right into the playing area, injuring six people. The incident occurred at Zunheboto public ground on Friday afternoon. The man driving the car was in an intoxicated state, Zunheboto police station informed. Six spectators were injured. Five were released after first aid, while a sixth, said to be a woman, was admitted to hospital, it was added. The intoxicated driver was arrested by police, who was later identified as one Khetoka (28 years), a father of two. The final match of Zunheboto Area Sports Association Women’s Volleyball tournament was underway, when the intoxicated driver drove the car into the field. A sizeable crowd had gathered to watch the game, who seized the vehicle and set it on fire.
–Soren Kierkegaard
Israeli PM slams settlement critics as hypocrites
[ PAGE 11]
[ PAGE 9]
Ivanovic ends Sam Stosur’s Australian Open [ PAGE 12]
Congress decision on Rahul Gandhi is final
Sonia Gandhi stalls push for Rahul’s PM candidacy
Instead of road and electricity, I think we`re going to get helicopter service.
Saturday, January 18, 2014 12 pages Rs. 4
Registration of food business operators made mandatory [ PAGE 2]
C M Y K
New Delhi, JaNuary 17 (aFP): Indian political matriarch Sonia Gandhi Friday refused to bow to her struggling party’s pleas to nominate her son as its prime ministerial candidate in upcoming elections, which she called a battle to save the Hindu-majority nation’s secular identity. A day after she rejected a clamour within the Congress party to declare Rahul Gandhi as its choice for premier at polls due in May, the Italian-born Sonia told followers there was no going back on the decision. “We took a decision on Rahul yesterday and that decision is final,” she said in a speech that was interrupted several times with shouts of “Rahul for PM!” “We meet today to signal that Congress is ready and prepared for the battle ahead,” she told a party conclave in New Delhi. “It will be a battle between competing ideologies, conflicting views of the history and a different vision for the future... it will be a bat-
tle for India.” After a decade in power, Congress is lagging well behind the Hindu-nationalist opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in opinion polls, with voters turned off by an economic slowdown and a string of corruption scandals. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is retiring after
two terms, and the party had been expected to nominate Rahul, 43, as its choice for premier at the conclave. But the prospects were dashed when Sonia Gandhi, the powerful party president and senior-most figure in the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, opposed the move at a meeting on Thursday night.
Rahul remains the party’s chief election strategist. Analysts have said the BJP’s decision to project the divisive Narendra Modi as its choice for premier could limit its room for manoeuvre in post-election coalition negotiations -- a trap that Sonia Gandhi is keen to avoid. There has also been
press speculation that Congress’s expected defeat will be so comprehensive that the Gandhi family fears it could kill off Rahul’s nascent political career. But the clan’s star power remains high and many in the party see Rahul as their best hope, despite his well-documented reserva-
tions about following in the ing it to breaking point”. Prime Minister Singh prime ministerial footsteps of his father, grandmother picked up on the theme, contrasting the “inclusive and great-grandfather. and secular” nature of Congress with the BJP. “I have Opposition crows The party’s general sec- no doubt that if we prepare retary said Sonia had effec- well for the 2014 general tively vetoed an otherwise elections and tell people unanimous decision by the about our achievements, Congress Working Com- we will win in the elections, mittee on Thursday for Rahulji will win,” Singh Rahul to be announced as added in a show of support the choice for premier. She for Rahul Gandhi. The BJP, however, acsaid: ‘This is not the party’s tradition. Just because cused the Congress of runsome party has declared ning scared by failing to the PM candidate, does not nominate Rahul to go head mean that Congress will to head with Modi, the son do the same’,” Janardan of a tea-stall owner who has been at the helm of one Dwivedi told reporters. The BJP has stretched of India’s most dynamic its lead in the polls over states for a decade. “If they had done so Congress since its September decision to elevate Gu- there would have been jarat Chief Minister Modi comparisons, analysis vis-- accused by critics of turn- a-vis Narendra Modi and ing a blind eye to savage an- all surveys show that Rahul ti-Muslim riots in his state Gandhi stands nowhere in that,” said Ravi Shankar in 2002. In her speech, Sonia Prasad, one of the BJP’s Gandhi launched a blister- leaders in parliament. A survey last week said ing attack on Modi. “It (the election) will be a battle that only 14 percent of votfor the preservation of our ers believe Rahul Gandhi age-old secular tradition,” would make the best prime she said. She referred to minister while 58 percent India as a fabric “whose vi- opted for Modi. Rahul Ganbrant beauty can be seen dhi is often seen as a reluconly as whole, a single fab- tant leader and his previric much bigger than the ous refusal to embrace the sum of all the strands”, ac- political spotlight has fruscusing the BJP of “stretch- trated colleagues.
active in Assam and West Bengal as well as the antitalk NDFB (Songbijit) group were also invited by Baruah for the meeting, the DGP said who took charge today. “This kind of experiment has failed earlier. If they regroup, we will have joint operations with other NE states,” Sharma asserted. The DGP said, the government would like to see Paresh Baruah participate in the ongoing peace talks with the ULFA faction headed by Arabinda Rajkhowa. To a query on which sub-
versive group was the biggest threat to Assam now, Sharma said, “The Maoists are the biggest threat. They have about 100 trained cadres in the state and many supporters.” “If not controlled they will pose a big problem. Four of their top leaders have been killed here and it is a big setback for them,” he said. The Police also has information that the ULFA, NDFB(S) and KLO were planning bomb blasts in different places in the state and target some communities, he alerted.
DiMaPur, JaNuary 17 (MexN): Nagaland State Home Minister, G Kaito Aye today urged students to cultivate peace in the land during the 36th general conference of Western Sumi Students’ Union under the theme “A glorious generation.” He stated that “prosperity and a glorious generation can come through peace and freedom.” The event is being hosted by the Aqahuto Area Students’ Union at Khekiho village from January 16 to 18. Kaito challenged the
students to inculcate a spirit of healthy competition among them, with the view to equip one another, explore their abilities and make good use of it for a better future. Stating that dignity of labour is a crucial aspect for the advancement of society, he encouraged students to work towards being self-dependent in life. The chief guest also unveiled the conference monolith. The inaugural function was chaired by Benjamin Sema, Convenor of the programme commit-
tee for the conference. Akavi Zhimo, Convenor, organizing committee delivered the welcome note while Rev. Helkath Kappo, Director, Mission & Evangelism WSBAK pronounced the invocation prayer. Dimapur Deputy Commissioner, N. Hushili Sema (IAS) had earlier exhorted the students during the introductory session on January 16. Hushili stressed on the dire need to ensure that mother tongues are not lost and thereby preserve cultural identity. She further called
Minister for Roads & Bridges, Kuzholuzo Azo Nienu inspecting the NH-29 stretch at Purana Bazaar with Chief Engineer, Virat Kumar (Centre) and Commander Tejpal Singh. (Morung Photo)
that it will be redone. BRO representatives also explained to the Minister that traffic, amongst other reasons, is why repair work was not moving as fast as they would have liked. When BRO officials apprised the Minister of not having enough funds to maintain the existing drainage along the highway, cautioning that not maintaining drainage runs the risk of damaged road come the next monsoon, Nienu, assured them of all possible assistance and informed that he would engage someone for the drainage immediately. He then promptly went on to make a phone call, and an engineer arrived not much later. Speaking to media persons after the inspection, the Minister, calling the stretch the “worst part” of the highway, expressed happiness at the quality of work being undertaken and asked BRO to continue with the good work. Seeking the public’s support, Nienu appealed to the public not to have a negative perception of BRO but called for cooperation towards BRO. He also urged upon the district administration to render support and cooperation to the organization.
India’s ruling Congress party President Sonia Gandhi, center, gestures as she stands for the national anthem along with her son and party Vice President Rahul Gandhi, left, and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, right, at the end of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) meet to prepare for the upcoming polls in New Delhi on January 17. Members of the Congress party erupted in rapturous applause Friday for Rahul Gandhi, heir to the country’s Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty, who is leading the struggling party’s campaign in the general election in May. (AP Photo)
Paresh trying to regroup ne insurgents cultivate peace in the land: Kaito
GuwahaTi, JaNuary 17 (PTi): The ULFA-I led by Paresh Baruah is trying to regroup insurgent outfits and Maoists and might convene a meeting of the groups next week, Assam’s new DGP Khagen Sharma said on Friday. “Paresh Baruah is bringing northeast militant groups together. He has invited them and the Maoists for a meeting next week. Outside support like that of the ISI’s, is also there,” Sharma told reporters here. The Kamatapur Liberation Organisation (KLO)
Azo calls for cooperation with Bro Morung Express News Dimapur | January 17
For the many commuters travelling the Purana Bazaar-Naharbari stretch of National Highway (NH) – 29, there is reason to cheer up. With Delhi sanctioning funds for the repair of the 25 kilometer stretch, the Border Roads Organization (BRO) has finally started repair works in one of the dustiest parts of Dimapur. Sometime before the New Year, repair works on NH 29 were seen in patches - along the 4th Mile stretch and the Chumukedima stretch - but had stopped for a few weeks. Work resumed this week and this time round, the stretch of the highway, which had for so long remained in pathetic conditions making commuters suffer, is finally undergoing some much needed repair. The bumpy roads notwithstanding, road visibility along this stretch of the highway has been badly affected by dust - a major factor of this being the sand depots on both sides of the highway, and, heavy motor vehicles, which would leave plumes of dust and smoke as they passed through. Also, some light
motor vehicles, in their bid to escape the slow moving traffic, go driving off road, often leaving a trail of dust. With work in progress, BRO, in their bid to reach to the public and have their much maligned name cleared, today, invited State Minister for Roads & Bridges, Kuzholuzo Azo Nienu, for inspection. The Minister, known for his punctuality and no-nonsense approach, arrived about half an hour before schedule, and straight away went about inspecting the repair
work being undertaken. The BRO was represented by Tejpal Singh, Commander, 15 BRTF, and Virat Kumar, Chief Engineer, SEWAK. The Minister was briefed by the two BRO representatives on the status of work. Nienu, without much ado, raised the issue of quality of repair work at the 4th Mile stretch of the highway - where the newly laid tar is visibly seen coming off. The BRO officials responded that this was because of extreme cold and informed
on the students to discourage the enrolment of illegal immigrants in the electoral roll in their respective areas. Pointing out the need for civic sense in society, the Deputy Commissioner asserted that education must go along with civic sense. Lamenting the lack of civic sense in the Naga context, she encouragedstudentstoinstill the same in the minds of the people. A cultural and sports competition,includingracing of indigenous wooden kart were the other highlights of the inaugural day.
C M Y K