18th January 2014

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

C M Y K

2

Dimapur

18 January 2014

Homemade pickle sold at a food stall in Dimapur. (File Photo)

M Y K

Kohima, January 17 (mExn): All Food Business Operators (FBOs) in the state irrespective of urban and rural based food business operators are directed to obtain license and register their food business under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, before February 4, 2014.

While informing this in a press release, Dr. Neiphi Kire, principal director & additional food safety commissioner, directorate of health & family welfare, Nagaland added, “Operating food business without license or registration will attract penalty upto Rs 5 lakh and imprisonment up

to 6 months under section 63 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

According to the Act, all Food Business Operators should be registered under FSSAI and obtain license.

FBO includes hotels, permanent or temporary stallholders, hawkers, home based canteens, Dhabawalas, food manufacturers, processors, re-packers, food stalls arrangements in religious gatherings, slaughterhouses, storage houses, retail and wholesale traders, hostels, packaged drinking water units and so on.

Application forms for licensing/registration and other details can be obtained

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

“1972 – 2014”

C M Y K

The Morung Express C

Registration of food business Medical staff trained on Emergency operators made mandatory Mass Casualty Management Offenders shall attract penalty upto Rs 5 lakh and imprisonment up to 6 months

C

LocaL

Saturday

With profound gratitude we the family members of LATE EKOBE MECHIU would like to thank different organization, individuals, friends and families, neighbors who has taken the pain even from far flung to share their grieves on dated 10-01-14 with us in the shape of physical participation, financial, material and prayer support, we are not able to thank each and everyone of you personally but it is our trust and prayer the great mighty God Jehovah to bless you.

Bereaved family members

from the office of the Designated Officer (CMO) of the district on all working days.

Further, all food business involved in local food products and homemade food for sale, stores, distribution for sells are directed to properly seal the products in Food Grade plastic container or polyethylene. The product seal should carry the following information on the label: name of food; date of manufacture or packing; ingredients used or added; net weight, volume, number; lot number, batch number, code number; best before; use by date and expiry date.

This was informed in pursuance of Food Safety and Standards (packaging and labeling) Regulations 2011 chapter 1 of sub-rule 1.2 (1.2.1).

The information on the package shall be duly printed and not through a sticker. The concerned has to register their business under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Rules & regulation 2011. “Noncompliance to this directive would be an offence, punishable under the said Act and Rules,” Dr. Neiphi Kire said in the press release.

The measure will help the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, an agency of the Union ministry of health and family welfare, protect and promote public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety.

Kohima, January 17 (mExn): The Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA), Home Department in collaboration with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Department of Health and Family Welfare (DoH&FW) and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) organized two-day training on Emergency Mass Casualty Management in Kohima on January 16 and 17.

Addressing the gathering during the inaugural programme Sentiyanger Imchen IAS, Commissioner & Secretary H&FW, stated that the best way to face disasters is to be prepared.

Stressing on the need for an organised response to disasters he said that Mass Casualty Management is a very important topic in the event of a major disaster. Further, he thanked the NSDMA for organising the training and urged the participants to take the training with utmost sincerity.

Earlier, T. Ao IAS, Secretary RR&DM-NSDMA, chaired the inaugural programme.

The training touched several topics such as the importance of having an emergency preparedness plan, the pre-hospital management, the triage system, the basic and advanced life support and a final tabletop exercise. Resource persons for the training are Sonia Peyrassol (MSF), Dr. Asit Misra (NDMA), Amit Tuteja (NDMA), Dr. Anish Banerjee (NDMA) and Kholie

Commissioner & Secretary H&FW Sentiyanger Imchen addressing the gathering during the training on Emergency Mass Casualty Management in Kohima.

Dolf (Red Cross).

During the training programme, a representative of the NDMA Amit Tuteja shared the mandate of the NDMA and emphasised on the disaster management planning policies and guidelines and institutionalization of the same.

He also emphasised on the importance of disaster management training programmes including the aspects of hospital safety & disaster management planning and mass casualty management. It may be mentioned here that NDMA is already holding the capacity building programmes and Emergency Management Exercises (EMEX) in urban cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Guwahati and Jorhat. These EMEX cover various aspects of disaster preparedness while also addressing all important Emergency

Support Functions (ESFs).

Further, he hoped that this two-day training will set the tone for safe Nagaland especially in terms of Hospital safety and Mass Casualty Management.

MSF International Emergency Preparedness specialist, Sonia Peyrassol, who conducted parts of the training said, “Nagaland, as every other place, has to be prepared to cope with disasters that could strike the state.

Everyone is thinking about a big earthquake while many other smaller disasters occur regularly in the state, such as landslides, fires, bus accidents and even bomb blast, but also internecine clashes. MSF is very pleased to have collaborated with the NSDMA and the NDMA for all the support which made this training possible.”

The Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is an

independent international medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, healthcare exclusion and natural disasters in more than 65 countries.

MSF offers healthcare to people based only on need and irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation. The MSF in partnership with the Department of Health and Family Welfare has been supporting Mon District Hospital since 2010. An initial 3 years Memorandum of Understanding was signed in July 2010 and an extension for one year was agreed this year, bringing the collaboration between MSF and the DoH&FW to an end in July 2014. MSF received the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development in 1996 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999.

CECS medical camp in Mkg district underway

moKoKchung, January 17 (mExn): One month medical health camps is being conducted by Mobile Health Unit (MHU) and team this is a programme initiated by Community Educational Centre Society with support from “The Hans Foundation” to reach the rural masses specially women and child with proper health care services.

A press note received here stated that the health camp started from December 16, 2013, which is still on going, the MHU will wrap up its first round of medical camp on January 21, 2014. So far, the medical unit has covered 12 villages of Mokokchung District with more than 1000

MHU team with ‘Women for Villages’ with their MHU registration card.

patients registered with the MHU to avail free medical treatment and access to medicine and other medical services. Majority of women who attended the camp were from age group 50-70, with

prevailing cases of backache and hypertention.

Villages where medical camp were conducted are: Kangtsung, Aopenzu, Wamaken, Kangtsung Yimsen, Aitlenden, Asangma, Yaon-

gyimsen Village, Yaongyimsen Compound, Merangkong Village, Merangkong Compound, Changtongya Village, Changtongya Yimsen The MHU was launched on November 7, 2013 with

an aim to reach and help rural and remote villages of the state by providing health care focusing on women and child. The MHU is a ‘critical health care unit’ ambulance which will provide free medicines, health check-ups, link to referral services, and promotion of healthy lifestyles etc., through health camps, awareness and more. The interior facilities of the MHU are highly equipped with all the basic lab and surgical tools with facilities to conduct emergency operation etc. CECS has a long-standing relationship with serving the community with special focus on Women empowerment, child rights and Education.

DC Dimapur on shifting of office

M Y K

Dimapur, January 17 (Dipr): Deputy Commissioner Dimapur, N Hushili IAS had a meeting with the user departments and officers at the DC Conference Hall on January 17, 2014. In the meeting, the DC enquired from all the department officials with regard to the preparedness for shifting to the New DC Complex, Chumukedima.

The departments were asked to consult their head of department for furnishing as well as partitioning of allocated rooms for shifting to new complex which would be informed later.

GBs asked to submit annual house tax

Kohima, January 17 (Dipr): SDO (C) Sardar, Kohima and incharge of Kezocha, Wennyei Konyak has informed all the concerned GBs under Kezocha Administrative Circle to submit the Annual House Tax for the year 2013-2014 to the office on or before the February 25, 2014. Failing which grant of commission for House Tax and issue of Red Blanket to all defaulting GBs would be forfeited.

Workshop postponed

Kohima, January 17 (mExn): The Regional Workshop on Review of Central Sector Scheme and Training Planning for EEI and SAMETIs of NE States scheduled on February 13 and 14 at Conference hall, Book Marc, Dimapur has been postponed to February 21 and 22. This was informed in a press note from N Tekatoshi Ao, Director of Agriculture and SNO ATMA.

C M Y K

Workshop on NEAC

Dimapur, January 17 (mExn): An orientation workshop for selected participating organizations under National Environment Awareness Campaign 2013-14 will be held at Nagaland Pollution Control Board Conference hall on January 22 at 10:00 am. Therefore, all the selected organizations are requested to attend the programme without fail.

For any clarification please contact 943266086. This was informed in a press release issued by Rusovil John, Member Secretary & Coordinator NEAC.

C M Y K

C

C

M

M

Y

Y

K

K

Regional

The Morung express

Tripura asks Mizoram to prevent Bru influx

Saturday

18 January 2014

diai, Tumpanglui and New Eden villages on Monday, accusing the latter of maintaining clandestine relation with banned militant outfits.

"They beat up the Brus and set at least 13 house on fire, forcing the Bru families to flee the place and take shelter in camps in Tripura," he alleged.

As many as 37,000 Bru tribes have been living in six camps at Kanchanpur in North Tripura for the past 17 years following ethnic clashes between the Mizo and the Brus. After the intervention of the Union home ministry, the Mizoram government took back about 5,000 refugees. The rest are still living in the camps.

Sawibunga further alleged that Mizo youths have been pressurizing the Brus to ensure the release of three persons, including a Kolkata-based telecommunications engineer and two local Mizo drivers, who had been kidnapped by armed insurgents in the area on November 23 last.

The drivers, both Mizos, were released on Wednes-

day but there is no information about the telecom engineer, who is a non-Mizo.

"Before the assembly election last year, Mizoram chief minister Lalthanhawala visited Bru camps in Tripura and made a commitment to ensure safety and security of the Brus in Mizoram. He also promised early repatriation of the refugees, but nothing has progressed. Rather, renewed torture has started on the minority tribes," Sawibunga said.

He added that since the abduction of the three persons last year, about 1,000 Bru families have become victims of torture and violence. Many of them have also fled to nearby villages in Cachar and Karimganj districts of south Assam over the past two months.

He also demanded adequate security for Bru families and shifting of Bru refugees to their homeland immediately, free rations for two years and Rs 1.5 lakh financial assistance to each family to construct houses and restart cultivation besides allotment of land.

IMPHAL, JAnuARy 17 (nnn): Tension gripped Chabangphai village area in Moreh, Manipur on Friday morning as a bomb exploded in front of a house in the village, located along IndoMyanmar road in Manipur section.

Police sources informed the explosion occurred inside a makeshift bathroom located at the courtyard of the house, as a patrol party of 9 Assam Rifles was about to get through the site at about 8 am.

No one was injured in the blast. The bomb was planted by suspected militants to target the Assam Rifles personnel, sources said.

The Assam Rifles personnel then pulled up three men fleeing the site in panic after the blast.

On seeing the three be-

ing held by the security personnel, the villagers intervened and tried to stop them from taking them away, resulting in a scuffle. Despite the villagers’ insistence, that the three, who are residents of the village were whisked away by the security forces.

Enraged over the incident, a large number of protesters gathered in the area and blocked the Indo-Myanmar road for sometime demanding that the AR to free the trio. They also held a protest rally demanding immediate release of the trio.

They also damaged some vehicles, including cars and vans during the protest. As the protest became larger, the Assam Rifles later released the three villagers in the afternoon.

IMPHAL, JAnuARy 17 (IAnS): A Manipur court Friday sent Asian Games gold medal winning boxer Dingko Singh to 15 days judicial custody on charges of assaulting a 17-year-old girl athlete and outraging her modesty.

The ace boxer and an Arjuna awardee was arrested Thursday.

He was presented before the chief judicial magistrate of Imphal west district Friday. "Dingko Singh surrendered to police Thursday evening after family members of the

A Tiwa woman participates in a community fishing event as part of Jonbeel festival near Jagiroad, about 75 kilometers (47 miles) east of Guwahati, Assam on Friday, January 17. Tribal communities like Tiwa, Karbi, Khasi, and Jaintia from nearby hills participate in large numbers in the festival that signifies harmony and brotherhood amongst various tribes and communities. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Bomb blast in Moreh Manipur boxer sent to custody for assaulting girl athlete female athlete registered a case against him," police said.

Police said the incident took place Jan 13 at the Khuman Lampak Sports Complex in Imphal. The woman told police she was assaulted by Dingko Singh who alleged that she had scribbled his name on his car's dust-covered registration plate. Dingko Singh said the athlete had written "Oja Dingko with love from ...".

The boxer, also a coach of the Sports Authority of India (SAI), had allegedly paraded all women play-

ers of the complex hostel and asked them to write his name on a piece of paper. Subsequently, he singled out the girl and claimed it was she who had scribbled his name on the car's registration plate. The girl alleged that Dingko Singh hit her with a stick in a brutal manner.

She has since received treatment at a private hospital in Imphal. Dingko Singh shot to fame by winning a gold medal at the 13th Asian Games in Bangkok in 1998. He was posted as a SAI coach

in Manipur in December last year.

He was honoured with the Arjuna Award after his success in the 1998 Asian Games and was conferred the Padma Shri last year.

Several organisations in the state, including the All Manipur Weightlifting Association, have condemned his behaviour and demanded strong action against him. Sunil Elangbam, secretary of the All Manipur Weightlifting Association, said they would send a formal complaint against the boxing coach to SAI officials.

There’s no definitive theory on how Shillong, the capital of the northeastern state of Meghalaya, became known as the rock capital of India.

Some say the Khasi culture of most Meghalayans has always celebrated music and is simply continuing to do so. Others cite the hymns brought by Welsh missionaries, while some point to the void created by the lack of Hindi cinema in this mostly Khasi-speaking state.

The love of music is evident throughout this city of 350,000, which drapes the verdant Khasi hills like a sprawling picnic blanket. The city’s fervent fan bases draw foreign bands far off their normal circuit, and dozens of local cover bands play everything from ABBA to Zappa. For many here, even truck drivers it seems, music is a way of life. As the faces of Hindu gods do in other parts of India, the dripping gothic font of the American heavy metal band Slipknot’s logo adorned many trucks’ sides in Meghalaya, as did Rastafarian flags and song lyrics.

The Shillong music scene has birthed original music as well, and one of the most promising acts is Summersalt, which is made up of four brothers, one of their wives and a friend.

The band members — Kitkupar “Kit” Shangpliang, Ador Shangpliang, Baianeh Shangpliang, Dawad Shangpliang, Pynsuk “Suk” Syiemion, and Greg Nongrum — play Khasi folk music fused with reggae, progressive rock, gospel and blues, and they sing songs, both in Khasi and English, that contain messages of tribal unity and social responsibility. Their

first album, which has yet to be titled, comes out in March.

Earlier this month, the band members gathered around a backyard bonfire at the family matriarch’s home for an unplugged jam session and an interview with India Ink afterwards, in which Kit Shangpliang and Suk Syiemion, the husbandand-wife duo at the band’s core, set out to explain their motivations, the place of music in Khasi culture and what they believe are the false and true notes hit by Shillong’s music scene.

Q. Where did the name Summersalt come from and what are you guys all about?

A. Shangpliang: Salt is very much at the center of the concept – summer just makes it sound better. Salt is very practical: It’s a preservative, and just a little adds a lot of taste and even brings out others. We like to think we’re a bit like that too – we want to preserve Khasi culture and add a bit of taste to it. India can learn a lot from Khasis in general, too, about gender equality and community mobilization, even though we’re a small group of people.

Q. Most of your songs carry a message. Are there any particular lyrics that come to mind that epitomize that message?

A. Shangpliang: “We need to have the courage to say sorry when we need to. We need to be the change that we need. We need to be the parents our children need us to be. We need to be the leaders, not the bosses that we never intend to be.

Trade our ego for the unconditional peace of mind.

Live more, preach less, and let our souls connect to the great divine.” In a way we’re just calling people

IMPHAL, JAnuARy 17 (MExn): The Zeliangrong Youth Front (Assam Manipur Nagaland) has reiterated its earlier stand of “non-cooperation movement” to Longmai (Noney) village for failing to give justification and clarification regarding the physical assaults upon ZYF leaders.

A press note from the ZYF (AMN) stated that ZYF leaders were “picked up from Reangkhung village which is about 7km away from Longmai (Noney) village by groups who were well equipped with blunt deadly weapons such as sticks, clubs and suspected deadly objects etc.” It stated that this was done while the ZYF leaders were enforcing democratic agitation of people common cause.

It stated that the ZYF decision of non cooperation is not a new method but based on traditional and customary practices of the Zeliangrong community, “as whenever any family of a village violates rules or breaches common understanding to pursue common cause of the people of the village declared non-cooperation or declared ex-communication until and unless the family realized mistake and apologize for pardon.”

It added that Longmai (Noney) village “failed to give justification and clarification for the criminal activities of these individuals thereby equated as concealing the facts and backing these individuals.” The ZYF (AMN) informed that the non cooperation will still be enforced for the sake of better understanding among the people of the community especially on serious issues.

Each family to have an account: Banking industry goal

AGARTALA, JAnuARy 17 (IAnS): The banking industry in India was striving towards a goal where every household in the country has at least one bank account, a top bank official said here Friday.

"Mainstream banking services would be provided to all unbanked semi-urban, rural and remote areas having a population of 2,000.

Banks in India are striving hard to bring all people in the country un-

der the banking services," United Bank of India (UBI) chairperson and managing director Archana Bhargava said. "We are reaching out to the unbanked areas under financial inclusion plan and have so far covered 757 villages in northeast India. Banks would be extending state of the art banking services to the rural people through their rural branches," she said.

According to Bhargava, who took over the helm of affairs of the

Kolkata-based bank in April last year, the UBI is entrusted with lead bank responsibilities in 34 districts of eastern and northeastern states.

Out of 34 districts, 24 districts are in the northeastern region.

"The UBI has sponsored four regional rural banks (RRB) serving eastern and northeastern states. Out of the four RRBs, three are in northeastern states of which one is Tripura Gramin Bank," the UBI chief said.

Tripura Gramin Bank (TGB) posted a net profit of Rs.48 crore, the highest among the RRBs in eastern and northeastern India, during the current fiscal so far.

TGB, one of India's 82 regional rural banks, made profit for the second consecutive year. "The TGB has achieved a net profit of Rs.68 crore during last financial year (2012-13) and earned a net profit of Rs.48 crore so far this year (2013-14). Our net profit target for

A conversation with ‘Summersalt’ from Meghalaya Max Bearak

3

ZYF (AMN) on assault of members

AGARTALA, JAnuARy 17 (Tnn): After the exodus of about 900 Bru tribals from Mizoram to neighbouring Tripura in the last three days, the Mizoram administration has agreed to provide security to Bru families in the western part of Mizoram to prevent more Brus from leaving Tripura.

This decision was taken at an officer-level meeting at Kanchanpur in North Tripura on Wednesday.

North Tripura district magistrate and collector Prashant Kumar Goel said, "About 247 Bru families comprising 900 people from three villages of western Mizoram have fled to Tripura in the past three days." Following this, the district administration held urgent meetings with their Mizoram counterpart for safe repatriation of the families and action to prevent fresh exodus.

Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum (MBDPF) president A Sawibunga alleged that a group of Mizo youths perpetrated violent against Brus living in Dam-

New York Times

Dimapur

this year is Rs.90 crore," TGB chairman Upendra Sabar told reporters.

Archana Bhargava said rural India today offers a remarkable opportunity for banks and financial institutions to make a difference in the lives of the aspiring rural poor.

"More than 50 percent of India's overall consumptions come from rural areas, which account for 70 percent of our population," she said.

hear the dotara and the bom [drum], that’s when their faces change and they come alive. For us, being a part of humanity’s diversity is where we derive a lot of value. If you looked at the forest and you saw all the trees looked the same, it’d be ugly. We have to retain our identity. It’s the same as retaining beauty.

TransformaTion Crusade

Summersalt, a folk band from Shillong, Meghalaya, playing in their backyard.

to lead a more responsible life. Through these songs we want to invite people to introspect, as individuals and as a society.

Q. You told me earlier that there’s a strong connection with music in Khasi culture. Is that what’s reflected in music’s prominence in Meghalaya?

A. Shangpliang: True, almost each and every family has some guy in it who’s a strummer. If you go other places in the northeast you wont see that. But historically, the missionaries played a really important role in teaching systematic music reading to the people of this land. They started with tonic sol-fa, and then staff notation, which are the two ways of reading sheet music.

Syiemion: People in the older generations really knew which notes they were hitting. Now that innate sense is awakened in young people because they are exposed to so much more music in church, on TV, and with so many bands coming here.

Q. That doesn’t seem to explain how a hill-station like Shillong could become a “rock capital,” though.

A. Shangpliang: People call this place rock capital of India, but I beg to differ. I think it’s a musical place, sure, but that shouldn’t be said just because foreign bands have come here. That’s no way to measure it. People are thinking of all this from a consumption perspective not a creation perspective, even if some creation does happen here.

When music started in Shillong, it was always parroting Western songs, and a lot of it is still that.

The guys who went up on stage first had to copy people, and copy the radio. There is this respect for Dylan, and Marley, but the greater respect we could show them is through singing our own songs, because that’s actually what they did.

Before you write a book, you have to read books written by other people.

So as a community I think we’ve been “reading a lot of books.” But I think we’ve gotten to the stage where we can start writing them, too. You can still read other people’s books, but yours is yours and the time to preserve our culture is now.

Q. Some bands from Meghalaya have become world famous – like Soulmate – playing blues and rock music.

And you told me earlier that your band couldn’t make a living on music.

A. Syiemion: We’re starting from scratch. When you cover jazz, or Bollywood, it’s already organized, and you just built on top. I’d say what we do takes courage because it’s a new thing, and it might take a lifetime.

Shangpliang: If we can’t do it, maybe someone else will.

We really do have a beautiful music in our culture and its not getting heard almost anywhere. Our hope is that when our album comes out, people will feel like they co-own our songs. We hope they think “This is of my place and I’m also of this place and this is one of the songs of my place.”

Syiemion: The challenge is for us to make that traditional music palatable.

Somehow we’ve managed to fuse catchiness using modern instruments, I think, with a genuine appeal to people’s connections to their culture.

Shangpliang: At the moment people in the crowd

Venue Theme Date

: Khuochiezie, Local Ground, Kohima : “Arise and Shine”… Isaiah 60:1 Time: 4:00pm : 18th Jan, 2014

Prayer Groups for Fasting and Prayer.

Date : 18th Jan 2014 Time : 7:00am – 12:00 noon Venue : Khuochiezie, Local Ground, Kohima Group : Midland Evening Programme Time: 4:00 pm Leader : Neibalie Kiewhuo, Asst. Pastor, Koinonia Baptist Church Praise & Worship : New Covenant Church Offertory Prayer : Lasao Rengma, Nazareth Prayer and Healing Centre Speaker : Rev. Shan Kikon Pastor, Faith Harvest Church

ALL ARE CORDIALLY INVITED Come with faith and receive healing, deliverance and redemption.

C M Y K

4

businEss

Saturday

Dimapur

18 January 2014

RBI puts the brakes on the bitcoin train in India

Bank unions defers nation-wide strike on January 20 & 21

MuMBai, January 17 (reuTerS): Enthusiasm over bitcoins has dampened in India after the country’s central bank cautioned investors to be wary of using virtual currency because of the associated security, financial and legal risks.

Bitcoin, which was introduced in 2009 by a developer known as Satoshi Nakamoto (the developer’s real name or names is unknown), is an online currency created by users, also called miners, by solving complicated math problems on the Internet.

The currency is designed in a way that will produce 21 million coins that can be traded or, increasingly, used to buy things. The Reserve Bank of India’s advisory on Dec. 24 prompted some Indian bitcoin traders to suspend their operations, even as regulators seek clarity on digital currencies and ways to regulate them. The RBI’s worries include taxation, security risks, losses due to the volatility and money laundering.

While regulators have not deemed virtual currencies illegal, India’s law enforcement agency, the Enforcement Directorate, raided the offices of a few companies that operate bitcoin trading websites. While this might slow the adoption of bitcoins as a method of exchange, some see it as a necessary step in the currency’s evolution.

“This is not an attack on bitcoins, but one of its outcomes. They (regulators) want to prevent money laundering and if you want

Chennai, January 17 (BS): The United Forum of Banks Unions (UFBU) have deferred the two day nation-wide strike from January 20, as the Indian Banks Association (IBA) has enhanced its offer from the initial 5% to 9.5% on payslip cost. “Since there is an improvement in the offer from the IBA, the forum has decided to differ from the strike which was planned for January 20 and 21 and further talks will be carried out,” said C H Venkatachalam, general secretary, All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA).

The next round of talks between the forum and the IBA would be held on January 27, he said. It may be noted that the UFBU had earlier announced plans to go on a two day strike on January 20 and 21, followed by further strikes in February and March 2014 for their demand and urged the Indian Banks Association and Government to resume the talks with a better and reasonable offer of wage increase and expedite the settlement at the earliest.

On December 18, 2013, around 10 lakh Bank employees went on a strike demanding early wage revision and opposing banking reforms, as the talks with the IBA failed to come up with a solution. The IBA argued that the economy is in bad condition and the Banks cannot revise wages now. However, the forum did not agree with this view and reiterated their demand.

UBFU includes AIBEA, All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC), National Confederation of Bank Employees (NCBE), All India Bank Officers’ Association (AIBOA), Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI), Indian National Bank Employees Federation (INBEF), Indian National Bank Officers Congress (INBOC), National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW) and National Organisation of Bank Officers (NOBO).

to stop someone from using it in an illegal fashion, they seem to be going down the right path,” said Benson Samuel, a bitcoin developer who runs coinsecure.in. He added that RBI’s advisory may slow down the adoption of virtual currencies in India.

Like the RBI, global regulators are wary of the currency, which is not subject to the same kind of regulations as traditional money. China has banned banks from clearing transactions in bitcoins, while Switzerland has said they are prepared to treat it as a foreign currency. Only the United States [and Canada] supports the coin openly. Indian Revenue Services officials visited CoinMonk Ventures, which runs bitcoin buying and selling website unocoin.com, in December, seeking information on the digital currency, said its chief executive, Sathvik Vishwanathan.

“They (IRS officials) have asked me to submit a paper describing how bitcoin works, how transaction works, how to mine bitcoins and what happens technically in bitcoin mining,” Vishwanathan said. Unocoin, one of the websites that suspended operations a day after the RBI note, resumed operations on Jan. 8 after seeking legal advice. Buysellbitco, one of the oldest websites trading in bitcoins in India, was the first to shut down after the RBI’s advisory and the company was raided by the enforcement directorate.

neW DeLhi, January 17 (PTi): Vodafone, Reliance Industries and Bharti Airtel are likely to put up a fierce fight for scarce telecom spectrum in the auction next month, if bank guarantees furnished by them are any indication.

Vodafone has offered a bank guarantee of Rs 2,800 crore while RIL arm Reliance Jio, which owns a nationwide licence for high—speed 4G mobile phone networks, has put in a bank surety of Rs 2,600 crore.

Airtel has submitted Rs 3,700 crore in bank guarantees, sourc-

neW DeLhi, January 17 (PTi): With Congress party vice-president Rahul Gandhi making a strong pitch for raising LPG cap, Oil Minister M Veerappa Moily today said the quota of subsidised cooking cylinders will be hiked to 12 from 9 per household. “Yes, the cap will be increased,” Moily said soon after Gandhi made a demand to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the AICC session here.

Moily, who till last week had maintained that there was no proposal for raising the quota of subsidised LPG cylinders a household is entitled to in a year, said the decision will be announced after the Cabinet approves of it. “The Cabinet will take a view (on it) soon,” he said.

Oil Ministry officials said they will move a proposal for the consideration of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs or Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs once Moily instructs them to do so.Gandhi at the AICC session stated that 9 cylinders were not enough for households and there was a need to increase this quota to 12 cylinders of 14.2—kg.

Moily had earlier this week stated that 89.2 per cent of the 15 crore LPG consumers use up to nine cylinders in a year and only 10 per cent have to buy the additional requirement at the market price.

If the quota is raised to 12, about 97 per cent of the LPG consumers would be covered by subsidised LPG, he had said.

Increasing the limit to 12 would result in an additional fuel subsidy burden of Rs 3,300 crore—5,800 crore for the government, officials said.

With a view to cutting its subsidy bill, the government had initially capped the supply of subsidised domestic LPG cylinders to six per household in a year in September 2012. The annual quota was raised to nine in January 2013.

es privy to the development said.

The bank guarantees may indicate the amount of spectrum that the companies will bid for.

Vodafone, RJio and Airtel may bid for the 900 MHz spectrum in Delhi and Mumbai.

Idea Cellular, which has put in a Rs 1,565 crore bank guarantee, may bid for 900 MHz in Mumbai.

Anil Ambani—run Reliance Communications’ offer of a Rs 200 crore bank guarantee and Tata Teleservices putting in a Rs 267 crore surety indicate

LonDon, January 17 (ianS): World energy demand is forecast to increase by 41 percent between 2012 and 2035, with growth averaging 1.5 percent each year, said a new energy outlook report issued by the British oil giant BP. However, the energy demand growth will slow down in the future, from 2.2 percent each year between 2005 and 2015, to 1.7 percent per year in 2015-2025, and then just 1.1 percent in the final decade, said the BP annual report for Energy Outlook 2035 released Wednesday, Xinhua reported.

The report also said that gas will overtake oil as the main source of energy in member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) by 2031, with the increase of production of cheap shale gas.

The report said global demand for natural

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.”

Game Number # 2765

they may bid for small chunks of spectrum to fill gaps in their network.

Sources said Norway’s Telenor has offered a Rs 330 crore bank guarantee, while Aircel has put in a Rs 100 crore surety.

The government plans to sell spectrum in the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands. Bharti and Vodafone want spectrum in the 900 MHz band to renew their permits in cities like Delhi and Mumbai. With 900 MHz spectrum, RJio will be able to provide all kinds of mobile services, including 2G and 3G services.

‘World energy demand to grow 41% by 2035’

_

SUDOKU

The site used to record about 12 million rupees ($194,900) of bitcoin transactions every month, Chief Executive Mahin Gupta said on Dec. 15 at the Global Bitcoin Conference in Bangalore. Gupta was not available for comment after the raids.

Despite this, many entrepreneurs are confident that the currency will gain traction. A group of traders have formed a group — Bitcoin Alliance of India — to spread awareness about the currency and liaise with regulators. Tarun Thadani, an owner of the Kolonial cafe in Mumbai, does not officially accept bitcoins, but has already done a few transactions through his personal wallet on behalf of the cafe.

One example: Thadani personally will sell you a pizza from Kolonial in exchange for bitcoins, then square his own accounts with those of the cafe.

“I am looking at bitcoin as an experiment to see if it can work as barter system. I have a very good feeling about it and see it as growing only stronger,” Thadani said. When it comes to usage, India is still far away from other countries such as the United States, where people reportedly have bought Teslas and Lamborghinis with the virtual currency. According to research firm The Genesis Block, bitcoin software downloads in India increased 17.2 percent in the third quarter of this year, Tech Crunch reported in December.

Vodafone, RIL, Airtel gear up for fierce spectrum battle

Subsidised LPG cylinder cap to be hiked to 12/year: Moily

LEISURE

The Morung Express

gas will grow by 1.9 percent annually over the period to 2035, to reaching 497 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) by 2035, with non-OECD growth at 2.7 percent per year, outpacing the OECD at 1 percent per year.

“In the OECD, gas will overtake oil as the dominant fuel by 2031, reaching a share of 31 percent in primary energy by 2035. But in the non-OECD, gas remains in third place, behind coal and oil, with a 24 percent share of primary energy by 2035.”

The fastest growing sector in gas consumption is transport to be at 7.3 percent a year.

But in volume terms, the report said, the largest growth comes from industry sector at 71 Bcf/d, increasing 1.9% a year, and power sector at 63 Bcf/d, posing a growth rate of 1.9% a year.

India also clocked a more than 100 percent increase in software downloads during the first six months of 2013 as compared to previous all-time downloads, a report by the same research firm showed.

India’s own version of virtual currency, Laxmicoin, named after the Indian goddess of wealth, is being developed by a Jaipurbased company of the same name. A survey conducted by the company in Jaipur and Bangalore found that local businessmen were unhappy with the high transaction fees and delays in receiving payment after their customers transacted via card machines, its co-founder Raj Dangi said. “When we told those guys about this (Laxmicoin), they were thrilled. They said ‘if I can transfer funds using my mobile, nothing like it’,” Dangi told Reuters at the Global Bitcoin Conference in Bangalore in December.

The company is developing a system to enable Laxmicoin payments through SMS and e-mail, but Dangi did not elaborate further. They are currently waiting for regulators’ approval before they launch their model. Bitcoin prices surged back to over $1000 apiece on Jan. 7, after online games maker Zynga said they were testing a system to process bitcoin transactions on their network. Prices had fallen to as low as $455 in December after Chinese authorities prohibited banks from transacting in virtual currencies.

Bank account for all in two years — A pipe dream?

MuMBai, January 17 (BL): The dream of Nachiket Mor and his committee to provide bank account to every adult Indian in two years, may remain just that — a dream, if the past data is anything to go by.

The recommendations of the Mor committee — to provide a bank account to every Indian over 18 years by January 1, 2016 — is based on banks opening account for all individuals using knowyour-customer authentication done by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for providing the 12-digit Aadhaar number to resident Indians.

Aadhaar number Till date, the UIDAI has provided Aadhaar number to about 56 crore Indians. It further plans to provide Aadhaar number to 3 crore Indians every month and envisages to complete the coverage

by December 2015.

But UIDAI has by design or default left out most people working as migrant labourers and domestic helps as people of these categories do not possess a valid identification and address proof.

So, before banks can ride on UIDAI enabled KYC verification, UIDAI will have to re-double its efforts and seek such people out and issue them an Aadhaar number.

DAILY CROSS WORD

CROSSWORD # 2776

DIMAPUR civil hospital:

According to the Mor Committee report, only 36 per cent adult Indians — 45 per cent in urban centres and 32 per cent in rural areas — have a bank account.

It is, however, not clear how many of these accounts are unique because banks still lack the unique customer identification code, where dual accounts of the same person across banks can be identified.

Low branch density Since a majority of adult Indians still live in rural centres, despite the recent demographic shift, banks will have to severely intensify their efforts to open accounts for all adults living in rural centres. This is likely to be a daunting task given the low branch density in rural areas.

Though banks have added over 10,000 branches in rural areas in the three-year period between 2010 to 2013, a lot needs to be done to get more foots on the ground.

If banks have to provide bank accounts to another 50 crore Indians in 23 months (assuming that Aadhaar roll-out is smooth and error-free), it will mean over 2 crore accounts each month. Before that RBI will have to discuss, debate and then notify the Mor committee recommendations. Time is running out.

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 # 2764

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

DisAbilities

AdA

meAsurement

Adl

meAsures

AdvocAte

medicAl

Aging

misconceptions

chArActeristics

models

children

morAl

conceptuAlizAtion

nurse

disAbilities

nursing

disAbility

strAtegies

FAmily impAct

policy

FunctionAl

prevAlence

heAlth stAtus

public AssistAnce

iAdl

rAce

ideA

rehAbilitAtion

iep

selF

illness

selF Assessment

lAnguAge

sex

living With

someone

disAbility

tWWiiA

D F A T I D E N C A D L C S T M I A I I W W T Y

E L N E D C U I D F T H L A I Z B E D R A C E

S E E N S U O R N Q M E A O D S L H S I Y O F E

L U W N R N S E O O W R W A C V E A E F E I L

I A E E P C E F I D S A E S O S Y W E L A Z B

E V I C U E E F U R E E C R N N O N P R D F D C

I W N O I P R N S L G T D S C M U U L Q R I E

N A E R I T F C U S P E C E E E R B S A L S V

A G I L Z S U A T T I N R N R P O S L E E W A S

W R A A B A M I A X A I C H T N I I R L I B E

I I V U I L I O T C N S W O I E N C U A T I L

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

R H I R S S Z Y A H I A I E H N T S S A V E I A

D D P E E A I L T L O C G W S N T S E O M T S

I R T N X T M M L D A S L U D P R I M C E I S

C S I R L O I P O A R T N F I F O A S L A R E E

A G K L O O A R E E U M N U N L T T A T U S S

B T A I E N C A H N C N A A D I E A N E S G S

I R E H E O T L U E H E M W S C G N G C A O M

H L L N L H Y T I L I B A S I D Y I C U Y E P E

I M T R F G N I G A A A L S I H E E A T M I N

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

ACROSS

Y M U R I D E A M E D I C A L N A Y E E A T I

1. Leaf opening 6. Breaststroke 10. Requests 14. Continuation of the coat collar 15. You (archaic) 16. Scallion 17. Sporting venue 18. Horse feed 19. Tall woody plant 20. Significant 22. Leer at 23. Beasts of burden 24. Swallow 26. Fabricated 30. Pair 31. Born as 32. Wild goat 33. Rodents 35. Collection of maps 39. Laic 41. In absence of 43. Filched 44. Biblical garden 46. River of Spain 47. One more than nine 49. Poetic dusk 50. Harvest 51. Whim 54. Stair

56. Adjoin 57. Written material 63. 53 in Roman numerals 64. Norse god 65. Cover girl 66. Cocoyam 67. Not a single one 68. Delete 69. Adolescent 70. Sleigh 71. Way to go

DOWN 1. Close violently 2. Tropical tuber 3. Not closed 4. List of options 5. San Antonio fort 6. Ceramic ware 7. Knickknack 8. Greek letter 9. Plain-woven cotton fabric 10. To a complete degree 11. Twilled fabric 12. Staggers 13. Shooting sport 21. Spare 25. Tidy 26. A young lady 27. Assist in crime 28. A style of design

29. Jubilation 34. Sugared 36. Part of the outer ear 37. Emanation 38. Cease 40. Lascivious look 42. Not outer 45. Preordain 48. Women’s stockings 51. Hotel employee 52. Put up with 53. Direct the course 55. An essay 58. False god 59. Novice 60. Two-toed sloth 61. Iron oxide 62. Type of sword

Ans to CrossWord 2775

DIMAPUR: 03862-232201/101 (O) 9436601225 (OC) CHUMUKEDIMA: 03862-282777/101 (O) WOKHA: 03860-242215 (O) 9402643782 MOKOKCHUNG: 0369-2226225/101 (O) 9856872011 (OC) PHEK: 03865-223838/101 (O) 9436012949 (OC)

TUENSANG: 03861-220256/101 (O) 8974322879

08974997923

MON: 03869-290629/101 (O) 9856248962/ 9612805461 (OC)

Toll free No. 1098 childline

W

KOHIMA: 0370-2222952/101 (O) 9436062098 (OC)

ZUNHEBOTO: 03867-220444/101 (O) 9856158740 (OC)

CHILD WELFARE COMMITTEE

MOKOKCHUNG:

FIRE STATIONS

STD CODE: 0369

Police Station 1: Police Station 2 :

2226241 2226214

Civil Hospital: Woodland Nursing Home: Hotel Metsüpen (Tourist Lodge):

2226216 2226263 2226373/2229343

TAHAMzAM (formerly Senapati) STD CODE: 03871 Police Station: Fire Brigade

222246 222491

CHEVROLET CARS PRICE FOR JAnuARy ‘2014 CAR MODELS

STARTING PRICE

spArK 1.0 mce

3,38,705/-

beAt 1.2 (petrol)

3,91,493/-

beAt 1.0 (diesel)

4,77,441/-

sAil u-vA 1.2 (petrol)

4,23,265/-

sAil u-vA 1.3 (diesel)

5,33,999/-

sAil 1.2 (petrol)

5,03,799/-

sAil 1.3 (diesel)

6,34,665/-

enJoy 1.4 (petrol)

5,53,163/-

enJoy 1.3 (diesel)

6,73,963/-

cruze 2.0 lt

13,96,498/-

cAptivA 2.2 lt

22,66,213/-

* condition Apply *3 yeArs / 100,000 Kms WArrAnty * For petrol *cAshless oWnership mAintenAnce oFFer

For details & Test drive Contact: Urban Station, Near NSC Petrol Pump, 6th Mile Dimapur. Ph No : 240994 CURRENCY EXCHANGE CURRENCY NOTES BUY(Rs) SELL(Rs) US Dollars Sterling Pound Hong Kong Dollar

61.1 99.53 7.86

61.53 100.65 7.95

Australian Dollar

53.59

54.35

Singapore Dollar Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen

47.91 55.71 58.38

48.48 56.38 59.08

Euro

82.95

83.88

LOCAL

The Morung Express

Gang rape condemned Dimapur, January 17 (mExn): Lotha Ekhung (Union) Bor-Lengri Block No. II, Karbi Anglong has strongly condemned the alleged rape of a young girl on January 12 in Dimapur by three men, who were identified by police as Benathung Kikon, Yanthungo Odyuo and Wobenthung Ngullie. The Union in a condemnation note stated that the crime committed by the three accused was “too barbaric and unacceptable.” Therefore, it appealed the law enforcing agency to award them an exemplary punishment so such things do not happen in the society.

Residents of Orchid Colony Residents of Orchid Colony, Bor-Lengri have also vehemently condemned the January 12 gang rape. A press note from the Chairman and General Secretary of Orchid Colony, Bor-Lengri informed that two of the accused, Yanthungo Odyuo and Wobenthung Ngullie, who are permanent residents of the colony, have been expelled with immediate effect. The third accused, Benathung Kikon, has been prohibited from residing or entering the colony. The public of Orchid Colony has appealed to all citizens to come forward and condemn such acts. It further requested the administration to expedite the case and award exemplary punishment to the culprits.

The colony further requested other colonies not to accommodate “such evil minded persons in their area.”

18 January 2014

CSU reminds HoDs to be present in offices Kohima, January 17 (mExn): Owing to few HODs of Phek district ignoring the plea of the Chakhesang Students’ Union (CSU) office, the apex tribal students union has reminded the erring officers to attend their respective offices immediately in view of the preparation for the upcoming 67th general conference of CSU. Failing to comply with the plea, the HOD concerned will bear the whole responsibilities in any case, according to CSU president Thupukutho Lohe. The 67th

general conference of CSU will be held from January 20 to 22 at Khuza town to be hosted by ten units of Tizu area under the theme “Catalyst for reformation- culture and education.”

Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) speaker Chotisuh Sazo will be the chief guest at the inaugural function while minister for PWD (roads & bridges) and parliamentary affairs Kuzholuzo Nienu will be the guest of honour. Minister for school education C.M. Chang will be the cultural

guest while Neposo Theluo, Deputy Commissioner Phek will be introductory guest.

Er. Dikhrolo Mero, chief engineer, PWD (R&B) will grace the valedictory function. Hüsazü Epao, principal, Patkai Christian College will be the resource person.

Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) president Tongpang Ozukum and Chakhesang Public Organization (CPO) president Sovenyi will also extend greetings.

K. Phesao, director school education (HS) will also exhort the gathering.

The conference will be marked by workshop on disaster management, cultural competition, union assembly, presentation of awards etc.

There will also be award session during the conference.

Lt. Goyiepra Kenye Memorial Award for HSLC toppers during the academic session 2012-2013, Lt. Niesatsü Khamo Memorial Trophy Award for folk dance winners, and Lt. Zekope Krome Memorial Trophy Award for folk song (Duet) winner.

With regard to the conference preparation, Tizu Area

Public Welfare Organization (TAPWO) has acknowledged the concern shown by Kuzholuzo Nienu, minister PWD (Roads & Bridges) in the maintenance of roads from Phek Town to Khuza town and Sekruzu town to Khuza Town. The Organization also acknowledged the PD (R & B) Phek for providing necessary machineries and manpower. It also thanked the president and colleagues of CSU for initiating momentous programme in Tizu area with special concern to uplift the area.

Dimapur, January 17 (mExn): Commemorating the golden jubilee celebration of Animal Welfare Fortnight, District Veterinary & AH Office and Veterinary Hospital, Dimapur have scheduled different activities from January 14 to 30.

In a press statement, Dr. Temsu Ozukum, District Veterinary and AH Officer informed that following activities will be organized in order to highlight animal welfare issues: Treatment camp by providing medicines free of cost along with health care services at Veterinary Hospital Complex, Burma Camp, Dimapur from January 15 to 18; Anti-rabies camp at Veterinary Hospital Complex,

Burma Camp, Dimapur on January 20; Mass vaccination of pigs against swine fever and cattle against FMD and Brucellosis at Niuland Block, Dhansiripar Block, Kuhuboto Block on January 21, 22, 23 respectively; Free treatment camp in Medziphema Block, Dimapur urban and semi urban areas and on January 24, 25 and 26 respectively.

The closing function to create a platform, as the note said, for interested animal lovers/ animal welfare activists to constitute Prevention of Cruelty of Animal (PCA) and reorganize the Animal Welfare Society if need be will be held at DC conference hall on January 30.

The note stated that office personnel have been

detailed to reach out to the villages and co-ordinate with the village authorities in order to streamline and ensure service delivery.

Therefore, all the villages concerned have been asked to avail the service packages free of cost. Interested livestock owners may contact the officials concerned by calling 9436006696, 9436830159.

Meanwhile, the note also informed that there will be a free anti-rabies vaccination at Veterinary Hospital, Burma Camp, Dimapur on January 20 from 9:00 am. It will be held on first come first basis, it said.

The Deputy Commissioner of Dimapur will be the chief guest at the one-day anti rabies vaccination campaign.

mon, January 17 (Dipr): The Mon District Planning and Development Board meeting for the month of January 2014 was held on January 13 at the DC’s conference hall in Mon, under the chairmanship of MLA and Chairman NKVIB and DPDB Mon, N. Thongwang Konyak.

Reviewing the last DPDB meeting minutes, Deputy Commissioner cum ViceChairman DPDB Mon, Angau I. Thou (IAS) reiterated that the management committee of LADF should reach the work site while

going on verification of the work done under LADF. She also announced that the border guesthouse will be constructed soon at Loakon village, Tizit division under Mon District, Tri-Junction of Assam, Nagaland & Arunachal.

She further directed SDO (PWD) Tizit to submit the clear report of road construction from Tizit to Yanpan, Sakhu, Loakon and Nokzang under ISC plan and from Shangsa- Longting to Yannu under NEC plan to the DC office before the next DPDB meeting, for further submis-

sion to the Government.

DIO CMO Office, Mon, Dr. Amenla, announced the successful conduct of polio eradication in India and requested the gathering to encourage bringing children below 5 years of age to the respective nearest polio booth in the next last phase polio campaign scheduled on January 19. Mass social work and work distribution on account of the coming Republic Day was announced in the house. NGO leaders, security forces and most of the DPDB members attended the meeting.

Free animal vaccination and treatment Transformation Crusade ends day 3

LGB Bor-Lengri 2 The local Gaon Bura and the Nepali community of Bor-Lengri, Block No 2 have also condemned the alleged gang rape of a young girl on January 12 in Dimapur.

Terming the act as “barbaric and inhuman,” a press note from the LGB, Bor-Lengri 2, Taliman Chetri demanded “capital punishment” to the culprits. He further lauded the police for arresting the accused persons promptly.

Kohima, January 17 (mExn): Thousands of people from different walks of life thronged the third day of the Transformation Crusade, where Rev. Dr. Luozilie Sanchu, Ex. Secretary, ACRC shared on “Jesus is the lord of transformation”. Rev. Sanchu stressed on how Jesus conquered all the strongholds of Satan and obtained all powers and authority.

Sharing from the book of Hebrew 2:14 – 15, he said Jesus incarnated into humanity and came into the world and went through all miseries, agonies and bore “our” sins. “He tasted all the human miseries by himself.

He went to the grave but rose again and gave us everlasting life. He broke all the strongholds of Satan,” Rev. Sanchu added.

Referring from the bible, Rev 12:10 and Isaiah 14:12, Rev. Sanchu explained about the fall of Lucifer and said Satan’s power is very limited. He further added that one’s life is not in other’s hand, not in the hands that holds the gun, but in the hands of Jesus Christ who died and rose again and intercedes for “us” in heaven. Sharing on the au-

thority to drive away all the “demonic forces”, Rev Sanchu referred from the book of Matthew 28:18, Mark 16:16-18, Luke10:19, 1 Peter 3:22 and said all the “demonic forces” are under our command in Jesus name.

“Transformation means change from your old self and being transformed and young people coming to this TC today, God wants you to be a transformation agent,” Rev. Sanchu stated. He further urged the congregation to have faith as all things are possible by faith through Christ (Matthew 17:20, John 11:1-23 and Mark 5:2).

Earlier, Faith Harvest Church led the congregation in praise and worship while Neikuonyu Zuyie, Pastor Rokabozou CRC said the offeratory prayer.

The programme was led by Khrieneiu, Pastor, Peniel Church. Till the third day of the crusade, a press statement claimed, “37 people were delivered from the bondage of Satan and hundreds of people ailing from various kinds of sickness were healed.” Sicknesses included respiratory problems, kidney stone, chest pain, visually impaired, paralysis, etc, it said.

Kohima, January 17 (Dipr): The monthly Kohima District Planning and Development Board (DPDB) meeting was held on January 15 at DC’s conference hall under the Chairmanship of DC Kohima, W. Honje Konyak.

The Board reviewed the last meeting minutes, where discussions were held on the orientation of village functionaries by the Kohima DPDB in commemoration of the 50th Statehood anniversary. In order to strengthen and monitor the village functionaries, the Board constituted a district level committee, headed by

the Deputy Commissioner as the Chairman; ADC (Planning) as Member Secretary and Project Director, DRDA as Co-Convenor.

Members include all the administrative officers, District Education Officer, Chief Medical Officer, EE Power/ Rural, SDEO Kohima, SDEO Chiephobozou, District Forest Officer, DPRO Kohima, BDOs of Jakhama, Tseminyu and Chiephobozou.

The meeting also discussed issues pertaining to School Education Department and proposed a visit to other district DPDBs and to Meghalaya by the Board members. Regional Trans-

port Officer, Kohima, Pukhavi Sema gave a presentation on his Departmental activities and also spoke on the ongoing Road Safety Week being observed. He also highlighted on the awareness drives organized by the Transport Department for safety driving.

In the meeting, SP Kohima stated that the DEF Kohima will be starting a traffic school soon in Kohima where drivers, both private and government, can avail the facilities, free of cost. He said that the school is being started keeping in mind the importance of having trained drivers for road safety.

Kohima DPDB constitutes committee to strengthen village functionaries

A

Saturday

Mon DPDB meeting held

who got killed and maimed for life is very questionable and objectionable. If it can show such concern for some people then Why is the same yardstick not applied for the Sumis? Doesn’t the government owe its moral obligation for its own people?

Why is the government so callous, insensitive and inscrutable for the people who came all out for justice and protect the dignity of their womenfolk, which was its bounden duty in the first place? When the government failed to deliver justice, did the Sumis had any other option left?

It would be a great treachery on the part of the govt. if it plays only the role as a helper or a facilitator only to gain a political mileage or save their face in the regional politics being a member of the North-East Regional Political Forum (NERPF) but remain mute here on its own homefront. A government, if it is really concerned for the welfare of its people must be involved both emotionally as well as physically and do the requirement for its subjects. The power, strength and achievement of an elected government is not only about organizing and celebrating festi-

5

MEx FILE Fire breaks out in Dimapur Dimapur, January 17 (mExn): A semi-RCC building was partially razed down at Lake View Colony, Dimapur at around 1:30 am on January 17. The fire reportedly broke out as the result of a short circuit. Most of the household items could not be saved and belongings worth around Rs 3 lakhs were destroyed, along with the house. Officials of the Fire Brigade disclosed that they reached the spot after 20 minutes of hearing the news, as a result of which a kitchen attached to the building was saved.

ENPO consultative meet today

Dimapur, January 17 (mExn): Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) has convened an emergency consultative meeting on January 18, 2014 at Hotel Crown, near Nagarjan Junction, Dimapur at 10:00 am.

Therefore, ENPO joint secretary, Manlang Phom has asked all ENPO office bearers, all 20 ENLU members, six federating tribal units’ presidents & secretaries, frontal organisations’ (ENSF/ENGOA/ENWO) presidents and secretaries to attend the said meeting without fail.

Sumi Council Dimapur members informed

Dimapur, January 17 (mExn): All the office bearers and executive members of the Sumi Council, Dimapur have been requested to attend the church service at NCRC (Sumi), Burma camp, Dimapur on January 19 (Sunday) at 9:30 am. Sumi Council, Dimapur chairman, Kuhoi Zhimo in a press release said that the Sunday service will be held in the church premises as scheduled and therefore requested all concerned to make themselves available.

TASU general meeting cum sports meet concludes

mon, January 17 (Dipr): Advisor DUDA, Naiba Konyak graced the 30th Tobu Area Students Union general meeting cum sports meet as chief guest from January 6 to 10. Speaking on the occasion, the chief guest emphasized on the importance of sports and said that it plays an integral part in building a progressive society and encouraged the sports persons to take interest in games and sports seriously. He also called upon the sports association to create more facilities at the village level so as to draw more youngsters towards games and sports at a tender age. He challenged the people to be sincere and truthful and to work together for the betterment of the society. He also highlighted the importance of promoting one’s cultural identity and preservation. The closing ceremony was graced by District Welfare Officer, Mon, C. Sheyau. Naiba Konyak also inaugurated the black topping approach road from Tobu headquarter to Tobu village under MGNREGS and special development fund of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio 2012-13 and also inaugurated the extension of Tobu village football ground under DUDA 2013-14.

7th State level Mimkut festival held

ahthibung, January 17 (Dipr): Chief Secretary Nagaland, Alemtemshi graced the 7th State level Mimkut festival cum 50 years Nagaland Statehood celebration at Ahthibung town on January 16 as the special guest.

Speaking on the occasion, he urged the Kuki people to have good relationship, harmony and peace among them.

He also encouraged the youth to take up opportunity provided in the globalised world. Highlights of the programme were traditional welcome song by Ahthibung cultural troupe, welcome speech by Chairman State level Mimkut Committee, special number by Meikim Hangsing, musical contest, screening of documentary on Statehood

by IPR department.

AR apprehends GPRN/NSCN cadre

LongLEng, January 17 (mExn): 31 Assam Rifles apprehended one GPRN/NSCN cadre from Old Police Point, Longleng on January 13. The apprehended cadre has been identified as Mongang Phom (Leacy) of Yongshei village, Longleng, according to a press release issued by Assam Rifles. The apprehended cadre has been handed over to the Police Station, Longleng, the note added.

KPC Foundation Day on Jan 20

A deserted look of Tuensang on January 16 as citizens of the town imposed a total shut-down of all shops for few hours in protest against the manhandling of District Project Manager, NERLP Tuensang in Mokokchung on January 15 by some miscreants while travelling from Kohima to Tuensang. It was reported that an FIR has been lodged at Police Station, Mokokchung and the culprit already arrested. (Morung Photo)

Public SPace

Why No Ex-gratia for the Sumis?

ccording to the Dictionary, the word ‘Ex-gratia’ has been derived from the Latin word which means a compensation or a payment which is not legally binding but for which some moral obligation is felt or obliged. So, here some questions comes to mind, if an elected government is not morally obligated towards its own people and look for their welfare irrespective of caste, community or religion in all times of thick and thin, peace and war, happy times or troubled times, does it have any moral authority to govern? When the State govt. can compensate, care and show concern for the nine Karbis killed, why not for our own Sumi Naga brethrens who got killed and injured in the Mukalimi Seige. Here, I don’t mean to propagate for my own tribesmen and demean the Karbis who were massacred who I truly feel very sorry for that they have to meet such a tragic end, and it was very ethical and appreciable on the part of the government to exhibit such an exemplary exercise with great exigency. However, looking at the way the present govt. is playing a partisan and a biased role against the Sumis

Dimapur

vals, winning awards, travelling abroad or being chief guests but by involving themselves with the masses in both favorable or unfavorable situations or any given circumstances. What good is a government if it cannot dedicate and commit itself for its poor, forgotten, wronged, voiceless, maimed, etc. but is only there for the privileged few? A government is in jeopardy when it starts distancing from the common man and the people becoming its enemy. They should realize that when they do not heed to the suffering of its people, their very foundation and pillars supporting their power are crumbling. Instead of watching cautiously and silently it must speak out and start acting. Why should law breakers whoever they may be, not brought to justice and dealt accordingly? Does a leader who is indifferent and invisible to his people’s suffering deserve any respect? Except for one prominent politician speaking out boldly crossing the tribal barrier to grant exgratia for the Mukalimi victims no other voice has been heard till now. Not a single Sumi legislator have voiced their concern

Kohima, January 17 (mExn): The Kohima Press Club will be observing its 13th Foundation day on January 20, 2013 (Monday) at the KPC conference hall at 11:00 am.

Voto Niekha, PS to Parliamentary Secretary for Information & Public Relations will grace the occasion as special guest. Highlights of the programme will include invocation by KPC vice president, Ketu Viluo, welcome address

by KV Nurumi and vote of thanks by KPC president, Kopelo Krome while Xavier Rutsa will chair the function. In this connection, the press club has informed all its members to make themselves available for the occasion.

CNRH/NRHPF on Karbi-Rengma conflict

for the relief and rehabilitation of those widows and children of the ones killed, injured and maimed for life. Would Naga Hoho and NMPHR, have remained silent in the same tone had some similar incident like the Mukalimi episode taken place in Naga inhabited Areas of Manipur as not a single word of condemnation from them was heard till date. If the Chief Minister can hear loud and clear the voice of his Assam counterpart Mr Tarun Gogoi and the Karbis, what about the Sumis who are at home and hearth? It would be a good reminder to remind the government from the Saying of John F. Kennedy “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” Even when the cruelest of dictators known to the world like Hitler said that “Never deprive someone of hope; it may be the only thing they have” and Silence is the only thing that can’t be misquoted.” Do we have any more hope to be hoping then and what should we construe the Silence in all these?

Jonah Achumi, Dimapur

I

t is quite disheartening to come across in some local and regional dailies terming the Karbi perpetrated atrocities upon the peace loving Rengmas who are the indigenous people of the soil since time immemorial as — ‘Karbi and Rengma Clash'.

Mass media and civil societies would be much wiser should they refrain from terming the Karbi created turmoil as clash of the two communities since Rengmas had and will never have clash of interest or whatsoever with any group of people.

Right thinking citizens all over must have come to know very well the genesis of the turmoil that was created by the KPLT forces who are illegally armed to the death along with the Karbi Public who intruded into the peaceful Rengma Villages in Rengma Hill Areas of Assam, killing innocent women and children indiscriminately and burning of houses and granaries randomly. Their wild dream is purely a pre-planned diabolic scheme to Wage Civil War with the peace loving Rengmas in order to chase them out and grab their land. This mischievous scheme to pursue a Utopian

dream of forming a Karbi Statehood through militant means at the expense of other neighboring communities prompted them to engage in bloody conflict with all the neighboring ethnic group of peoples since the 90's.

Like any other ethnic minorities, the NRHPF was compelled to defend their villages from the marauding KPLT forces which resulted in the death of three of their cadres. Despite the unwarranted provocations and terrors meted out by the KPLT cadres to the peace loving Rengma Villages, the latter group of people restrained themselves from reacting to the uttermost. However, the one sided attitude of Tarun Gogoi govt. in dealing with the conflict has turned out to be of grave concern for the Rengmas in Assam.

His govt. is aiding and abetting the terrorist activities of KPLT and its leader Rajen Engti Karbi who was arrested recently by its Police. Rajen Engti's involvement in the abduction and disappearance incident of Late Nzankheng Rengma on October 21, 2013 as revealed by Deven Tisso and John Rangpar who were arrested by the Rengmas, clearly shows the

hand in glove relation between Assam govt. and the KPLT. As per their revelation, Karbis are determined and are all out to wage Civil War with the Rengmas in Assam in order to flush them out and grab their land. It is also amusing to learn the Karbis who are the perpetrators of the conflict and who are not at all affected or displaced by the unfortunate incident, but are being given shelter at the relief Camps along side with the genuinely affected and displaced Rengmas, just to get free relief materials from the KAAC and Assam government.

The Council of Naga Rengma Hills (CNRH/NRHPF) is constraint to warn the marauding Karbis to restrain themselves completely from their mischievous dream of chasing out the land owners of Rengma Hills to form a Karbi Statehood and ensure Karbi hegemony at the expense of the indigenous people of the land, who will never part with even an inch of its land and will never cow down to the aggression and threats from any quarters.

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.

Keyhang Rengma Chairman CNRH/NRHPF Assam

6

People, life, etc...

Saturday | 18 January, 2014

Lawyers and the Boycott of Courts Justice Pana Chand Jain (Retd.)

T

Source: ebc.co.in

he father of the concept of "the right to work" is said to be Charles Fourier (1772-1837) a Frenchman who declared that "Politics extol the rights of men and do not guarantee the prime and only useful right, the right to work." This statement marks the origin and establishment of the "right to work" as a political concept.

The right to work, as a human right, is provided for in several international documents.

Though not expressly stated, it was implicit in the two basic texts of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), namely, the Constitution of 1919 and the Declaration of Philadelphia of 1944. The right to work is included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966).

Article 1 of the ILO Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) states: "Each member shall declare and pursue as a major goal an active policy designed to promote full, productive and freely chosen employment." This Convention is among those which have received the largest number of ratifications. Among other things this policy aims at ensuring that "there is freedom of choice of employment".

Besides these documents, three instruments which recognise the right to work are (i) The American Declaration of the Right and Duties of Man (1961) (ii) The European Social Charter (1961) and (iii) The African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (1981).

According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights everyone is entitled to the right to work. It can only be guaranteed in conditions of full employment, the importance of which is acknowledged by the Declaration of Philadelphia and the United Nations Charter.

In India with reference to "right to work", there are two decisions of the Apex Court which have taken different views. The first decision was handed down in Delhi Transport Corpn. v. DTC Mazdoor Congress The second is the one reported in Delhi Development Horticulture Employees' Union v.

Delhi Admn. In the first case, the Apex Court has held that income is the foundation of many fundamental rights and when work is the source of income, the right to work becomes as much fundamental. In the case of Delhi Development Horticulture Employees' Union a two-Judge Bench has observed that this country has so far not found it feasible to incorporate the right to livelihood as a fundamental right in the Constitution.

This is because the country has so far not attained the capacity to guarantee it, and not because it considers it any-the-less fundamental to life. The Court found support for its view in the fact that it has been placed in the Chapter on Directive Principles, in Article 41 which enjoins upon the State to make effective provisions for securing right to work within the limits of its economic capacity and development. It may be stated that the United States Supreme Court has regarded right to work as the most precious liberty Though in Olga Tellis v. Bombay Municipal Corpn. the Supreme Court of India has placed reliance upon the observations made by Douglas, J. in Baskey case3, it appears from the Supreme Court's judgments that the right to work has not been recognised as an enforceable right. If there is no right to work, drawing the analogy of reasoning of the Supreme Court in inferring negative rights out of positive rights, it can be said that there is no right not to work.

The right not to work could be comprehended as right to strike. The word "strike" has been defined under Section 2(q) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. Strike is the act of stopping work by a body of workmen for the purpose of coercing their employer to accede to some demands they have made

A

cne is an extremely condition affecting nearly 80% population at some point of life. It is among the top 5 disorders that present to our OPD at CIHSR. The term acne and pimple are one and the same, consisting of blackheads, whiteheads, deeper lumps and modules which occur on the face, chest, back, scalp, shoulders and arms.

Most of us believe that acne is a condition pertaining to teenagers, but there are a large number of adults who still get theirs acnes into their 30’s, 40’s, & 50’s. The presentation may vary in these age groups with acne confined more than the usual T.Zone. In our set up, most patients are of the age group of 15-35 years.

This article is aimed at dispelling certain myths about acne.

upon him. A perusal of various provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 would reveal that workers have no absolute right to go on strike. Section 22 of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 lays down circumstances in which strike in public utility services is prohibited. Under Section 23 there are restrictions imposed on workmen from going on strike in the circumstances enumerated therein. Section 24 on the other hand lays down that a strike shall be illegal, if it is commenced or declared in contravention of Section 22 or Section 23 or is continued in contravention of an order made under subsection (3) of Section 10 or sub-section (4A) of Section 10-A. It is regarded as a powerful weapon for collective bargaining though.

If we look into the provisions of the Advocates Act and the Legal Practitioners Act, it becomes evident that the position of advocates is quite different from an employee.

An advocate is a person learned in the law and duly admitted to practice, who assists his client with advice and pleads for him in open court. It is the professional body of lawyers - the Bar Council of India which lays down standards of professional conduct and etiquette for advocates to safeguard the rights, privileges and interests of advocates.

A Code of Ethics for the legal profession in India was framed as early as 1962. It details the duties of advocates. Bar Council of India has also framed rules in exercise of its rulemaking power under the Advocates Act, 1961.

Chapter II of Part VI of these "Rules Governing Advocates" prescribe standards of professional conduct and etiquette for lawyers.

The Preamble to these Rules states the duties and obligations of lawyers in general terms. Rules I and II of Chapter II of the rules lay down standards of professional conduct and etiquette and duties to the client and to the Court.

Rule 12 provides that an advocate shall not withdraw from engagements once accepted, without sufficient cause and unless reasonable and sufficient notice is given to the client. Rule 15 provides that it shall be the duty of an advocate freely to uphold the interests of his client by all fair and honourable means without regard to any unpleasant consequences to himself or to any other. Rule 24 lays down that an advocate shall not do anything whereby he abuses or takes advantage of the confidence reposed in him by his client. The rights and privileges of an advocate carry with them the corresponding duty not to abuse them.

Thus when an advocate accepts a brief it is his bounden duty to attend to his client's interest with due diligence and if he fails to do so, he is likely to be dealt with for neglect and is also answerable to the client. If he is unable to attend when the case is called, he is bound to make some other arrangements for the proper representation of his client or the brief should be returned in good time.

In short, the advocates owe a duty not only to their clients, but also to the court and are bound to cooperate with the court in the orderly administration of justice.

It is in this background that one has to look into the problems created by lawyers' strikes. The questions usually raised are: Can we afford lawyers' boycott of courts any more? Whether lawyers' boycott is justified?

Who suffers the most on account of boycott?

Amongst various duties required to be discharged by the lawyers, one of the duties to the court is that an advocate shall maintain towards the court a respectful at-

and a clog/block the pores which give rise to blackheads, whiteheads and inflamed lesions on the surface of the skin.

titude bearing in mind that the dignity of the judicial office is essential for the survival of an independent judiciary, and thus of constitutional Government.

The court has also a reciprocal duty to perform and should not only not be discourteous to a lawyer but should also try to maintain respect in the eyes of his clients and the general public with whom he has to deal in his professional capacity. Hypersensitiveness on the one side or rudeness on the other must be avoided at all costs.

Both the Bench and the Bar are the two arms of the same machinery and unless they work harmoniously, justice cannot be properly administered. The need for mutual understanding and respect between the Bench and the Bar was emphasised by many a writer on the subject.

When we consider the role of lawyers in the administration of justice, we ought to remember that the profession of law is not a mere trade or business. It is a vocation to be pursued to meet the challenge of times.

There is much more in the profession than a traditional dignified calling. In fact the term "lawyers" refers to a group of men pursuing a learned art as a common calling in the spirit of public service. Pursuit of learned art in the spirit of a public service is the primary purpose. In ensuring the rule of law a most significant part is played by the lawyers. It is said that Judges most often shine

with the reflected glory of lawyers.

In this view it is difficult to concede a right to boycott courts to the lawyers on the analogy of conceding right to strike of employees. Moreover, the right to strike work in India is admittedly not absolute.

This is so in the industrial sector as well as in public service sector. The members of the Bar Association thus have no right to boycott courts in view of the duties which they are required to discharge. It is true that under the Constitution of India, freedom of association is guaranteed as a fundamental right, but this right is subject to reasonable restriction in the interest of public order or morality. The prohibition against strikes by lawyers is inbuilt in the Advocates Act, 1961. The duties to the court and duties to the clients prescribed

by Bar Council of India go to prove that strike or boycotting of courts is antithesis to practise in the court, and is a professional misconduct. An advocate being an officer of the court and thus bound to submit to its authority cannot join in an action to boycott the court or a particular judge because of any grievance - real or alleged.

In this context it would be worthwhile to examine the judicial decisions on the issue.

In Emperor v. Rajani Kanta Bose a Special Bench of the Calcutta High Court consisting of three Judges opined that a pleader being

an officer of the court is bound to submit to its authority and thus cannot join any action to boycott the court or a particular judge because of any grievance - real or alleged, whether touching the court or of political or other character. The pleader accepting the vakalatnama cannot divest himself of his duties arising from such acceptance without leave of the court. If he desires to discharge himself from a case, he must give his client reasonable notice of his intention. It is not difficult to realise that serious uncertainties and inconveniences might arise in the conduct of judicial proceedings if the appointment of a pleader made in writing and lodged in the court where the case was to be tried could be revoked without the knowledge and sanction of the Court. If the practitioner wants to withdraw he must always give reasonable notice of his withdrawal from the case to his client.

Taking the same line of arguments the Supreme Court also observed that absenting from courts on a particular day in pursuance of a concerted movement on the part of the lawyers to boycott a court amounts to professional misconduct. The Supreme Court has also observed that it is the duty of every advocate, who accepts the brief in a criminal case, to attend the trial from day to day. Having accepted the brief, he will be committing a breach of his professional duty if he so fails to attend.

This view of the Supreme Court is in consonance with the views of the Indian Judiciary for the last several decades. The Calcutta High Court adopted this view as early as 1923 in Tarini Mohan Barar case. In that case a decision to boycott the court was in issue. A resolution was passed by the Bar Association not to appear before the Fourth Subordinate Judge in view of the fact that insult inflicted on Pleader Shri Babu Rabindra Nath Chatterjee, was an insult to the whole Bar. It was in consequence of the resolution that the pleaders refused to appear before the Subordinate Judge.

The High Court ruled: "The pleader has duties and obligations to their clients in respect of the suits and matters entrusted to them which were pending in the Court of the learned Subordinate Judge.

There was further and equally important duty and obligation upon them viz. to cooperate with the Court in the ordinary and pure administration of justice. By the course which they have adopted, the pleaders isolated and neglected their duty and obligation in both these respects. We desire to make it clear that such conduct cannot and will not be tolerated. In this case if the pleaders thought they had a just cause of complaint, they had two courses open to them either to make a representation to the learned District Judge or to the High Court.

They took neither of these alternatives, but they adopted the high-handed and unjustifiable course of boycotting the learned Subordinate Judge in court".

The same view was expressed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in Maharaj Baksh Singh A Division Bench of the same High Court has in Rajinder Singh v. Union of India observed: "What legal sanction the Association of Lawyers has to give call to the lawyers to go on strike is beyond our comprehension. The fear in the lawyers as is being projected by Mr Saini, not to argue the case of being pun-

BUSTING ACNE!

Myth II: We can eliminate acne by scrubbing the face frequently- Not so.

This will only exacerbate the condition. Too much scrubbing/cleansing will dry out the skin and lead to more irritation, then inflammation and hence more break outs. Gentle cleansing with a mild, medicated cleanser and lukewarm water twice a day is sufficient.

Myth III: Squeezing or popping pimples can eliminate acne- By doing so, you will only be pushing in bacteria, dirt, oil and dead cells further into the pores, leading to more swelling, redness and scarring. Scars once wherein food that causes a rise in Myth I: formed will stay a lifetime on your blood sugar level like chips, soda, Acne occurs because your face is face. sugary food have been suspected to dirty- Absolutely not. Acne occurs increase acne, as also dairy products due to the action of sex hormones Myth IV: like milk. Consuming them in excess (which is spurting in the teenage Eating chocolate and fried food can increase acne and sticking to a period & hence the increased inci- can cause acne- It was thought high fiber diet along with fruits and dence in the age group) on the skin previously that diet have no role vegetables may lessen the distress. glands which produce sebum/oil. to play in acne. But recent studies If you notice that certain food cause Together with the oil, dead skin cells have shown a link between the two a flare up, stop eating those.

Myth V: You should let acne run its course it is just a phase and will go away eventually – Acne can last for year’s altogether and if not treated, may worsen leaving people in a lot of distress and depression. One does not have time to suffer silently with acne.

Timely intervention will help in lim-

ished by the Association for his appearance in Court on account of the call given by the Association to go on strike or in other words to abstain from appearing in Court, has no legal basis. The functioning of the Courts in the matter of administration of justice is not to be regulated or controlled by the Association of lawyers, in the manner of giving calls to its members to go on strike and not to appear in Courts in their cases, which is not legal when such association of lawyers have no arrangement for providing work (judicial work) to its members for their livelihood, how such calls are given for strike by such associations. Further comments can only be given as and when action of any Association in imposing penalty on a lawyer is challenged in any Court. If the position is examined from a different angle, the result would be alarming. The primary function of the Court is to administer justice to and between the parties approaching Courts. The Courts would be failing in their duties in not performing such a function merely on the ground that lawyers choose to abstain from appearing in Courts. The Judges are supposed to train themselves to decide cases by studying the pleas and the law on the subject even if unaided either by the parties or their counsel. There is no legal impediment in the way of the Court not to administer justice when lawyers abstain from appearing in Courts or they appear but refuse to assist the Court in the administration of justice. Code of Civil Procedure contains provisions for proceeding with cases where parties fail to appear."

A Division Bench of the Allahabad High Court has also ruled on 22-7-1994 that lawyers have no right to go on strike.

Thus the courts are unanimous in their verdict that deliberately absenting from court is unprofessional and unethical and there is no legal basis behind the strike commenced pursuant to the passing of resolution by the Bar Association when such association of lawyers have no arrangement for providing work to its members for their livelihood.

Let us now examine the legal implication of a lawyer's accepting a brief. An advocate does certainly undertake a duty on his client's behalf, but by accepting the brief, he enters into a contract, express or implied, with his client. He is deemed to have taken on himself a duty in the proper discharge of which, not only the client but the court and the public at large have an interest. Lawyers have extensive discretion as to the mode of conducting the case for his client. Various provisions of the Advocates Act, 1961 make it evident that an advocate is not an agent or power of attorney holder. The jural relationship between him and his client is not founded so much on a contract as from his status. His status is above a servant or an agent. He holds a position of trust and even above it.

As members of the Bar, lawyers no doubt have their importance and role in the society and, therefore, cannot be expected to stand mute to the events around them but as right thinking members of the society they cannot be expected to countenance any action on their part which could in any manner compromise their duty to the court and responsibility they bear towards those they have undertaken to represent. The members of the Bar are required to assert their just rights to be heard, without failings in respect to the Bench. They should be fearless and independent in the discharge of their duties. And in case if the advocate himself is improperly dealt with — he should vindicate the independence of the Bar. The Bar Association should seriously discuss the issues involved in boycotting the courts, for the purpose of protecting the rights of the litigants and to carry out the objects underlying Articles 22 and 39-A of the Constitution of India and evolve other legal appropriate measures as an alternate to strike to seek redressal of grievances. The earlier the better.

iting disability and controlling the 3. Gently wash with a mild cleanser twice a day and avoid vigorous disease. There are various treatment scrubbing. modalities available to help clear acne and prevent scarring and future 4. Use oil-free cosmetics and sunscreen. breakouts. Consult a dermatologist for the right medication as there are 5. Avoid alcohol based astringents which will strip your skin of natdifferent types of acne and treatment ural moisture. will vary from individual to individual.

6. Do not be over zealous with the Myth VI: medications as most anti-acne preparations have a tendency to You can’t wear make-up if you have dry the skin. acne- Anything heavy with oily base should be avoided. While certain 7. Certain drugs like steroids, antiTB drugs, anti-epileptic drugs cosmetics make acne worse, those and OCPS can cause acne after that are oil free or non-comedogenic taking the medicine. Consult can be used for a short period during your doctor. the day. Remember to always wash off make-up with a mild cleanser at 8. Avoid hairstyles where hair is constantly coming in contact with the the end of the day. face and the shampoo regularly Myth VII: 9. Drink lots of water to get rid the Steaming helps get rid of acnebody of toxins and impurities, No, high humidity and heat will only and exercise regularly. If you feel aggravate acne. Several studies have good it will show on your skin. shown that acne worsens in the 10.Avoid facials during breakouts to summer. A cool shower after a hot, avoid flare-ups. humid day will cool the skin.

11.If nothing else works, please visit a Dermatologist (Skin Specialist) Tips on Acne care: for consultation.

1. To prevent scars, do not pop or Department of Dermatology, prick at acne.

Venereology, Leprology and Cosmetology 2. Seek treatment early.

CIHSR

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.

Saturday

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

18 January, 2014

Morung Youth Express

Amartya Sen on India’s failure of public reasoning Raymond Zhong

“H

The Wall Street Journal

ow Is India Doing?” is the title of an essay by economist Amartya Sen that appeared in the New York Review of Books in December 1982. Sen’s answer, at the time, was that India had made “quite remarkable” achievements in the 3½ decades since independence. Economic opportunity had increased enormously for much of the population, and the pace of GDP growth, at 4-6% per year, had become “internationally respectable.”

But at the same time, Sen wrote, life was still wretched for a large portion of Indians. The country was striding boldly onto the world stage, yet deprivation and injustice remained widespread at home, intolerably so.

“Indian society,” he wrote, “is a deeply troubled one.” “It hasn’t changed much since then, you know?” Sen told The Wall Street Journal in an interview this week.

Sen, who won the 1998 Nobel Prize for economics and now teaches at Harvard, was in Delhi on his way to the Jaipur Literature Festival, where on Friday he will give the keynote address. His latest book, “An Uncertain Glory,” was written with economist Jean Drèze and addresses the uncomfortable distance between India’s successes and its deep basic weaknesses. The book ignited controversy in India when it came out last year, but its arguments seem only to have grown in relevance as economic growth wobbles and national elections approach.

Sen made clear Wednesday that he believes there has been progress in India since 1982. Health care is improving, sort of. More Indians are receiving schooling. “The quality of education is basically pretty abysmal,” Sen said. “That has not changed. The fact that it has not declined much may be some consolation.”

Yet there’s one area, he said, in which things have gotten decidedly worse in the last three decades: India’s politics. “None of the parties look any good at this time.”

There has been a “genuine loss of options” for Indian voters both left and right, he said. On the right, “lots of people who are pro-business end up voting for people whose communal and divisive politics they don’t like,” referring to the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, which advocates Hindu nationalism. “The right of a secular kind has gone,” Sen said.

“The right of the Hindu kind is strong, no matter how much they play up the development agenda. The party’s base comes from Hindu support.” Narendra Modi, the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate in this spring’s polls, has a reputation as a skillful manager who can attract and encourage investment in India.

On the left, Sen said, the governing Congress party is “certainly not pro-business.” “The left secular parties remain secular, but I think they’ve lost their brain in many ways.” “This election will be, in my mind, quite a sad one,” Sen said. “An Uncertain Glory” documents the inequities—poverty, hunger, malnutrition, illiteracy, gender and caste inequality—that have persisted in India despite the last decades’ economic growth. But India’s deeper failure, Messrs. Drèze and Sen argue, is one of public reasoning: Democracy and free discourse, however vibrant in India, are not transmitting the interests of the poorest Indians to the broader consciousness.

“The fact that the deprivations of the people

The Naga Blog is a forum on facebook where Nagas from Nagaland and around the world network, share ideas and discuss a wide range of topics from politics and philosophy to music and current events in Nagaland and beyond. The blog is not owned by any individual, nor is it affiliated to or associated with any political party or religion.

The only movement it hopes to stir is the one raised by the voices of the Nagas every step of the way, amassing perhaps to mass consciousness one day. www.facebook.com/groups/thenagablog

Nagaland House: Built for VIP’s or Common Man?

Amartya Sen

are not taken up in the media,” Sen said Wednesday, “prevents India from using its muscle to deal with the problem. Whenever it’s taken up, it does something.”

He cited polio eradication and last October’s cyclone in the Bay of Bengal, which, as a result of swift government action, killed far fewer people than a storm of that magnitude might once have. Ten years ago, Sen pointed out, there were fears India would be the next center of the global AIDS epidemic. “It became a big issue,” he said. “And things happened.

More things ought to happen.”

Even when things do happen, he said, the media sometimes miss the deeper issue: “On the 31st of July, a year and a half ago, when 600 million people lost power, the newspapers grumbled, rightly, that 600 million people didn’t have power—overlooking the fact that 200 million of these 600 million never had any electric connection at all.”

Sen also lamented the prevalence of what he said is misinformation in India, especially when it comes to government social expenditures. India spends about 1% of gross domestic product on food security and employment guarantees for the poor. It spends three times as much on electricity, fuel and fertilizer subsidies, whose benefits accrue disproportionately to the non-poor, Sen said.

Most people, he said, would say the opposite was true, that spending on the poorest far exceeded other subsidies. “I think that it is a lapse of journalistic responsibility that I—as a professor at Harvard, visiting India, giving a lecture at Jaipur—have to give these numbers, [that] they are not on the tips of people’s tongues.” “An Uncertain Glory” draws frequent comparisons between China and India, showing that despite its authoritarian political system, China has focused on providing basics like electricity, health

Bangkok delights beyond its nightlife, shopping

Jaideep Sarin | IANS hat will you do in Bangkok for seven days travelling with your family? The question, raised by a few friends just before we left for Thailand's capital could have even raised a doubt or two in our minds on whether we were doing the right thing. Should I include Phuket or Koh Samui in the itinerary to cover the days? Will the kids, both aged below 12 years, get bored of seeing the nightlife and shopping? We got the answers as we landed in Bangkok's busy Swarnabhumi International Airport and in the days that unfolded.

The holiday in Thailand, with Bangkok being the base for day trips, turned out to be a wild one - literally - for us. First-hand encounters with tigers of all ages and sizes - from one month-old cubs to the big cats weighing over 250 kg - at the Tiger Temple in Sai Yok, an absolutely fantastic Dolphin show at Safari World near Bangkok, being with the sharks at the Siam Ocean World and getting kissed by amusing Orangutans or shopping in the floating Damnoen Saduak market.

"Bangkok certainly has a lot more to offer than the nightlife, shopping, massages and sex tourism that it is generally associated with. The city has great potential for all kinds of travellers," Patrick Dean, a visitor from Britain who was on his third trip to Thailand, told IANS. At the Safari World, which is nearly one hour away from downtown Bangkok, an open zoo and world-class theme park attract hundreds of visitors every day for a close encounter with the best of wildlife and marine life. The Safari Park here is one place where you can drive in your own car or take a park bus to see nearly 200 species of rare and endangered animals - up close and personal. Rolling down windows or getting out of the vehicles, though, is not permitted as the animals include tigers and lions. Thousands of pelicans can be seen at the Great Pelican Lake. At the Safari Terrace, visitors can feed a big herd of giraffes. At the Marine Park, the dolphin show is certainly the high point, with six dolphins executing breath-taking stunts with their trainers. To top it all (for 490 baht/Rs.920), one can get photographed while patting a live dolphin which comes up on a platform for a photo-op.

From Orangutans to tiger cubs, one can have pictures taken with ease at the Jungle Walk. For the daring ones, a trip to the Tiger Temple complex in Sai Yok district of Kanchanaburi province, which is about a three-hour drive (175 km) from Bangkok, will translate into a live experience with the big cats. The tigers here are managed by Buddhist monks and assisted by a number of volunteers who come from various countries. The entry fee to the complex is 600 baht per person. The Tiger Temple offers personal encounters with the big cats as well as playing time with the younger ones out in the open. One can even lap up the tiger cubs inside some enclosures. The personal encounters cost an additional 1,000 baht per person for a 40-minute delight.

At the Siam Ocean Park in the heart of Bangkok, the undersea marine life can be seen at its best. One can see sharks and other fish varieties from a glass bottom boat or through a 180-degree glass tunnel. For an additional cost and some amount of daring, one can even get into the water and walk with the sharks. At the floating market, motorised Thai tail boats take you around on an over two-hour trip. One moves through the small water canals on the boat through gift shops, other boats loaded with cut fruits, snacks and other goodies. For an extra cost, an elephant ride through water and a monkey show are also thrown in. In Bangkok, though there is no dearth of shopping malls and nigh markets, one recent attraction is the Asiatique night market along the Chao Praya river front.

W

7

care, education, immunization.

But Sen said he didn’t think the India-China parallels contained easy lessons about democracy and economic progress. His regular visits to China—he is affiliated with Peking University and Renmin University—show him that the country is starting to change, he said. “I’ve seen that the freedom of discussion is greater now. I would like it to be more.

Whether it will happen, I don’t know. But if it does happen, will it cut down the growth rate or anything like that? No. Will it cut down social expenditure? I see absolutely no reason why it should.”

Likewise, Sen continued, “If India were authoritarian, I don’t have any reason to think that its performance in these areas would be greater.”

When asked about Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who announced this month that he won’t seek a third term, Sen said first that Singh is an old friend from his undergraduate days. “So I’m not entirely unbiased.”

Singh is leaving office with a reputation for ineffectiveness and with India’s economic prospects in serious doubt. “Can I understand why the press doesn’t judge him so kindly today?” Sen asked. “Yes, I do understand. Was he in a difficult wicket? Yes, he was.”

Sen said that India’s 1991 economic liberalizations shouldn’t be written out of the prime minister’s legacy—Singh was finance minister at the time—and that his 10 years as head of government saw a boom without precedent before it turned to bust. “So I give him much higher marks than the media does. But I recognize that for various reasons, mostly not very much within his control, the achievements which were very great at one stage have been far less in recent years. The last two years have been pretty bad.”

Comedians have ‘high levels of psychotic traits’

Source: BBC News omedians have personality types linked with psychosis, like many other creative types, which might explain why they can entertain, researchers claim.

They score highly on characteristics that in extreme cases are associated with mental illness, a study by Oxford University researchers suggests. Unusually, they have high levels of both introversion and extroversion.

The team says the creative elements needed for humour are similar to traits seen in people with psychosis. The idea that creativity in art and science is connected with mental health problems has long captured the public imagination.

However, there has been little research on whether comedians have some of the traits - in a healthy form - associated with psychosis (delusions or hallucinations that can be present in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder).

C

Unusually introverted Researchers from the University of Oxford and Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust studied 523 comedians (404 men and 119 women) from the UK, US and Australia.

The comedians were asked to complete an online questionnaire designed to measure psychotic traits in healthy people.

The four aspects measured were: • Unusual experiences (belief in telepathy and paranormal events) • Cognitive disorganisation (distractibility and difficulty in focusing thoughts) • Introvertive anhedonia (reduced ability to feel social and physical pleasure, including an avoidance of intimacy) • Impulsive non-conformity (tendency towards impulsive, antisocial behaviour).

The questionnaire was also completed by 364 actors - another profession used to performing - as a control group, and by a group of 831 people who worked in non-creative areas.

The researchers found that comedians scored significantly higher on all four types of psychotic personality traits than the gen-

eral group, with particularly high scores for both extroverted and introverted personality traits. The actors scored higher than the general group on three types - but not on introverted the personality aspect. The researchers believe this unusual personality structure may help explain the ability of comedians to entertain.

Thinking 'outside box' Professor Gordon Claridge, of the University of Oxford's Department of Experimental Psychology, said: "The creative elements needed to produce humour are strikingly similar to those characterising the cognitive style of people with psychosis - both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder." He said although schizophrenic psychosis itself could be detrimental to humour, in a lesser form it could increase people's ability to associate odd or unusual things or to think "outside the box".

Manic thinking, which is found in those with bipolar disorder, may help people combine ideas to form new, original and humorous connections, he added.

Prof Claridge told BBC News: "Comedians tend to be slightly withdrawn, introverted people who may not always want to socialise, and their comedy is almost an outlet for that.

It's a kind of self-medication."

Dr James MacCabe, of the Institute of Psychiatry, at King's College, London, said: "Psychosis is not a problem with personality, it's a more severe disorder than that. "People with psychosis and schizophrenia have a very impaired ability to appreciate humorous material. "This study tells us some interesting things about the differences between comedians and actors but not about the link with psychosis."

Paul Jenkins, CEO of the charity Rethink Mental Illness said these were interesting findings, but we must guard against the "mad creative genius stereotype". "Mental illnesses like schizophrenia can affect anyone, whether they are creative or not. Our knowledge and understanding of mental illness still lags far behind our understanding of physical illnesses, and what we really need is much more research in this area."

Rhanlamo Lapon:The Misuse of power by some corrupted Nagaland Ministers MLAs (Agony Never to be forgotten). On the 7th Jan early morning at 6am I and my wife reached Howrah railway station from Dimapur so due to unavailability of ticket to Bangalore, we took a taxi and proceeded to Nagaland House Shakespeare Sarani after reaching there I saw many people waiting for the receptionist to arrive but when inquired it seems he will be coming only at 8:30AM and I got frustrated since I badly needed a cabin because of my accident in head, backbone fractured & back burn injuries and also my wife was not feeling well too but still we waited and at last the receptionist came Name Bhattacharya (I don’t know his full Name)so I was the first person to ask whether there is a cabin/room for a night but he replied in negative saying that there is a women conference to be held so all the rooms have been booked but still I requested that I cannot bear the pain and need rest I even told him if he don’t believe me I can show him my hospital result which shows that it’s a serious accident but he was hesitant to hear to my agony so I told him that even if you ask the women leaders about my problem I am hopeful that they too might spare me a room for a night but still no positive reply, so I step aside and was thinking what to do, then next one girl came with an MLA chit/letter for 4 Rooms and at first the receptionist denied them and after a while he told them he can allot them two Rooms since they have the MLA chit and when I inquired to one of the group the reason they came to Kolkata is for shopping woooo not bad I thought and then I realized that it’s of no use arguing and wasting time and after that I asked for a dormitory even that at first he said it’s full but when I went up there was only one person and all the remaining beds were empty, and I asked for mattress even that I have to wait for an hour that was a very bad experienced.

Here are the incidents which I would like to note down 1) There were three Naga student’s two guys and a girl waiting from morning and even they faced the same problem like me so they left saying that this Nagaland house is only for Ministers and VIPs, truly said and they were even denied dormitory when it was empty(reason being some employees said most of the rooms are empty).

2) After an hour or so I again went down and asked for the letter to show me who the MLA is but it was nowhere to be seen except some other letters, already hidden but I saw that the MLA Title but it’s no use to mention his name as all the ministers and MLA’s are same.

3) why did I opted for a room at Nagaland House because it’s much safer and nearer to the railway station and less painful for my injury and also I have to book the ticket from there itself, and for dormitory there is a restriction of girls and boys visiting each other inside the dormitory and for me I needed a dressing for my wounds which can be done only by my wife as it’s risky and difficult for others.

4)If boys are not allowed to entered in girls dormitory then why did the house keeper keep on entering the girls dormitory every now and then when my wife was alone, why can’t they keep separate housekeeping persons for boys and girls.

5) At 9:00Am I saw a young lady and her friend taking a car with red beacon for shopping, I think it’s illegal to use govt. official car by their children that too with a red beacon light!

6) At Around 7Pm three guys from Manipur were allotted beds in the dormitory where as our Naga’s brother from Nagaland were denied beds saying it’s already full. (My apology to our brothers from Manipur for mentioning your stay but it’s a compulsion to write down so as to let the readers understand how our NH functions) 7) If at all I have to book rooms at Nagaland house why I do always received the reply that the guest house is full for a period of 12yrs just imagines. I have never ever slept in Nagaland house in my 12yrs of travelling.

Lastly If I don’t understand why most of the employees are given free Rooms in the other building, why not they can come from outside to come for work other than the required night duty workers?

Hooligans tainting Naga Society

Athsole Mero Olson: Today my husband and I truly experienced the degeneration of naga society. We are visiting our family in Nagaland and was returning from Pfutsero on a Tata mobile which my husband was driving and I was the passenger.

We were overtaken by an auto rickshaw which cut and stopped right in front of us on a busy National highway in Dimapur near Diphupar by two naga men. The traffic came to a stop and when it continued the auto rickshaw never moved. We honked and the driver jumped out and gestured toward my husband. When my husband got out to see why they stopped, the driver pushed him and my husband pushed back. I saw the passenger jump out from the other side and move towards my husband. They were clearly not intimidated by my husband who is 6ft 3 and weighs 240lbs as they both began to assault my husband. I got out of the vehicle and grabbed the passenger who I dragged away from my husband. The passenger turned and punched me on my jaw and kicked at me which I blocked. My husband had the other guy pinned down to the ground. Luckily there were cops patrolling and they came and stopped it before it escalated further! As this was happening the crowd had gathered and it was interesting to see how a certain group tried to work their intimidation tactic in the crowd supporting the two guys when they assumed my husband to be a mainlander until they heard his accent. I insisted on the cops arresting the men and they would not do it. They asked us to go to the police station and I insisted that they take the guys so we could have them booked. The Duty Officer of Diphupar Police Station reported the two men's version of incident (we had supposedly hit their vehicle and ran, though there were no signs of damage on both vehicles), no inspection was done nor our statement taken before the report to the SP. At the police station they insisted that my husband attacked them until the Diphupar Chakhesang Youth President went to the scene and got testimonies from witnesses who corroborated our version of the story. Luckily truth always prevail. The bad guys are in jail for the night and we will decide whether we should pursue it further. Thank you to all the people who came to the scene and followed us to the police station to assist and support, especially to my family members friends who turned up. What is appalling is this whole attitude of the Nagas to let go of things through discussion instead of pursuing justice, which has become the bane of Naga Society. Clearly they were not your average person.

They knew what they were doing and what their intent was.

(The Naga Blog was created in 2008 by Yanpvuo Kikon. This column in The Morung Express will be a weekly feature every Saturday)

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

Saturday 18 January 2014

The Morung Express

2014 will be a battle for India: Sonia

New Delhi, JaNuary 17 (iaNs): In a combative speech that sounded like an election bugle for a beleaguered party facing widespread public resentment, particularly from the middle class, Congress President Sonia Gandhi said that Friday the “divisive” ideology of BJP will only end up dividing the country, adding that the April-May Lok Sabha elections will be “a battle for India” and its secular traditions.

In her opening address at the All India Congress Committee meeting at the Talkatora Stadium here, Sonia Gandhi exhorted party workers to keep up their spirit of meeting challenges and expressed confidence that the party will emerge victorious in the struggles ahead. “We assemble here as the 2014 Lok Sabha elections approach. We meet today to send a clear signal that the Congress is ready and prepared for the battle ahead,” she said. Referring to the Bharatiya Janata Party as the “main political adversary”, Gandhi said its path was of “dividing the society” on communal lines.

In a hard-hitting speech that started off in English and then switched to Hindi, Gandhi accused the BJP of spreading radicalism and hatred. “In the name of unity, they want to impose uniformity. Their way is to hide their real face behind artificial politeness. It is to criticise our leaders and make false allegations against them.

And it is even to spread violence. How can such ideology be tolerated,” she said. BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is a trenchant critic of

Time to bring in ‘right to health’, ‘right to justice’: Congress

India’s ruling Congress party President Sonia Gandhi, third from left, Vice President Rahul Gandhi, third from right, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, center, are presented with a huge floral garland at an All India Congress Committee (AICC) meet in New Delhi, on Friday, 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 a general election in May. (AP Photo)

the Congress and has been urging people to work for “Congress-free” India.

Sonia Gandhi said that Lok Sabha elections will be a sharpening contest between conflicting ideologies, between competing interpretations of the past and between clashing visions of the future”. “These elections will be a battle for India as it was conceived by our founding fathers and as we cherish. It will be a battle for the preservation of our age-old secular traditions, traditions of diverse communities living harmoniously in one composite national identity,” she said.

The UPA chairperson said: “The Congress has faced many difficult times in the past. Much harder

than today. But we have never lost heart. We have repeatedly demonstrated our resilience by remaining committed to our vision, to our values and the beliefs that have always sustained them.” “Our party is woven into the fabric of this nation from its very conception as a modern nation state.” In an apparent effort to boost morale of party workers following the party’s drubbing in recent assembly polls, Sonia Gandhi said they had given strength to the organization without consideration of reward. “Such workers who never accept defeat, I greet them,” she said.

She said Congress had faced ups and downs but adjusted to conditions and

kept itself relevant. “One more thing that we have had is the spirit to fight. I have full faith that in the coming days, this resolve will be strengthened further and we will fight the challenges resolutely. We will have one resolve, one voice, one task and we will emerge victorious in the struggle,” she said. Before beginning of her speech, Sonia Gandhi made it clear that there will be no rethink on party’s decision to make party vice-president and her son Rahul Gandhi the chief of campaign for 2014 polls and not the prime ministerial candidate.

“The decision taken by the party’s working committee yesterday is final,” Sonia Gandhi said as party

Africans in the midst of political storm

New Delhi, JaNuary 17 (iaNs): A group of young Africans found themselves in the middle of a political and media furore in Delhi with a greenhorn minister in the new state government accusing them of being part of a “prostitution and drug racket” and demanding their arrest. The women, who were mostly Ugandans and Nigerians, said they were assaulted by “people not in uniform” while a member of the ruling Aam Admi Party charged the minister with making “racist remarks” against Africans.

Speaking to IANS Friday, one of the women, who called herself Sandra, a student, narrated the Thursday night incident: “We were in our house when suddenly we heard people shouting outside. “When we peeped out, we saw a huge crowd.

We got scared and locked ourselves inside,” Sandra, 24, who said she was pursuing a course from the Indira Gandhi National Open University, added. Her friend Selvia, 23, who has come for medical treatment, said: “They hurled abuses and insulted us.” Both of them said the police came and told them to come out of their rooms. “We were taken to the hospital and were later allowed to go home,” Sandra said.

“We thought the crowd will kill us. We were very scared,” she added. She was talking about the past midnight raid by Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti and AAP cadres who reached Khirki Extension in south Delhi to bust a “prostitution and drug racket” of which he had received complaints from his constituents. According to eyewitnesses, the minister and the party volunteers came in large number and tried to barge into a house from which they claimed a “drug and sex ring” was operating.

Other Africans, most of whom come here either for higher studies or for medical treatment, said that men wearing “black jackets” knocked on their door.

“Around 12.30 a.m., I was inside my house with my roommates, when some people wearing black jackets started knocking on our main door. They wanted us to show them our passports,” 29-year-old Irene, who lives in the same lane, told IANS. “However, after five to 10 minutes the police came and took them away,” she said, adding that she felt the mob would “kill” them. When the police reached the spot, the minister had a heated argument with them and asked

them to arrest those who were operating the “racket”. But Delhi Police, defying the minister, refused on the grounds that, under law, women cannot be arrested after sunset and that they did not have a warrant.

The minister’s vigilante action came in for much criticism with a new entrant to the party, activist Mallika Sarabhai, saying the minister’s remarks againt Africans “smacked of racism”.

The minister had said he had decided to take action because of “complaints of women of the neighbourhood” about the activites of some “foreign nationals”, which included “Nigerians or Ugandans”. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal denied his ministers were interfering in police work, saying it was the duty of the ministers to speak and act if they witnessed any crime.

He also demanded that the Delhi Police suspend the police officers involved. But the police refused to do so, saying the were only following the law. Both the Delhi Police, which functions under the union home ministry, and some ministers of the Delhi government reached the doors of Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung, who Friday ordered an inquiry into the episode.

workers raised slogans hailing Rahul Gandhi and a few of them displayed posters demanding his appointment as prime ministerial candidate. In her speech, Sonia Gandhi said that disparities were “still painfully widespread” despite impressive economic growth.

She said lack of equality in opportunities posed a danger and education was the means to tackle the problem. The Congress president, whose speech evoked intermittent clapping, also referred to initiatives of UPA government to fight corruption and enact rights based legislations.

She said that the United Progressive Alliance government had more achievements than any

New Delhi, JaNuary 17 (ageNcies): Congress, which has decided to make rights based legislations brought under UPA rule a major poll plank on Friday said time has now come to bring in ‘Right to Health’ and ‘Right to Justice’ for all Indians.

“The Congress believes that it is time for us to consider Right to Health for all Indians.

“In addition, conscious that our growing economy will inevitably bring conflicting claims and consequent need for fair adjudication, the Congress party believes that it is time to introduce the Right to Justice by ramping up the legal aid schemes and expanding the judicial footprint to ensure faster dispensation of justice,” said a resolution at the AICC meet here.

other government in the past. Lauding Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, she said he had led the government with great dignity despite obstacles from the opposition. She said secularism was an article of faith for the Congress and not a mere election slogan.

Sonia Gandhi said that the policies of UPA government had raised expectations of people and led to rise of middle class.

“Sometimes it feels that there has been some deficiency in meeting these expectations,” she said. Sonia Gandhi said Congress was the only party which was present in each locality of the country and had brought millions of people out of poverty .

The party said that it has taken several bold legislative and policy initiatives to enable empowerment of all Indians through the rightbased approach.

“Congress has remained committed to its promise to the people of India of social empowerment and inclusive growth.... It has enacted progressive legislations like the Right to Information Act, the MNREGA, the Forest Rights Act, RTI, RTE, National Food Security Act and the Right to Fair Compensation in Land Acquisition and R& R Act,” it said.

Terming its commitment to social empowerment and inclusive growth as “cornerstones of its policy agenda”, the resolution said that the effective implementation of these legislations remain a key

priority of the party.

It also noted that recognising the needs of most Indians to access affordable and quality healthcare, a massive infrastructure has been created through the National Rural Health Mission. The resolution said the party’s commitment to inclusive growth agenda can also be gauged from the manifold increase in budgetary allocations for social welfare programmes under the Congress-led UPA government.

“As a result of these policies, the rate of decline of poverty has more than doubled under the UPA government. “The Congress party remains deeply committed to this empowerment and the inclusive growth agenda, and to eliminating poverty from India,” it said.

Rahul rules himself out as PM candidate, MPs to decide

New Delhi, JaNuary 17 (iaNs): Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Friday ruled himself out as the party’s prime ministerial candidate for the Lok Sabha election, saying “in a democracy MPs choose the prime minister” and this was outlined in the country’s constitution. “If you read India’s constitution, it is written there that the prime minister is chosen by Members of Parliament. We are a democratic party and take democratic decisions,” he said at the Congress party plenary, the All India Congress Committee, meeting at the Talkatora Stadium.

“We will fight the elections and win but the prime minister will be elected by the party’s MPs as per our constitution,” he added, scotching speculation that the meet will declare him the PM candidate for the 2014 election. Attacking Modi - without naming him - Gandhi said his party did not believe in the “structure of democracy to be handed over to one man”. He said the Indian constitution clearly stated that elected MPs of the victorious party would choose their prime minister after the general election.

AmArTyA Sen’S Seven-poInT wIShlIST

Wishes the media to report more responsibly

Jaipur, JaNuary 17 (iaNs): Nobel laureate and author Amartya Sen’s seven wishes marked the opening of the seventh edition of Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) here Friday where he hoped to see a strong right-wing party with a secular ideology come to power at the centre, media reporting to be more responsible and children getting quality education in a sustainable environment, among other things.

Delivering the keynote address to a packed audience at the Diggi Palace under a warm winter sun, the 80-year-old said when he was invited for the JLF, he felt nervous because he was to share his

thoughts with an elite audience.

“A wish a day for a week,” Sen told the audience here, “is what I am going to share with you.”

The address didn’t tread the conventional path. Sen, in fact, chose a conversation with what he called the “Goddess of Medium Things” (GMT). “I asked her (GMT) to give me seven wishes a day for my country,” he said. “We seriously need to cultivate classical education like the arts, language and culture in our country.

There are many students who go for science and technology, but how many are actually looking at humanities as a subject,” he asked.

His second wish was for a “strong right-wing party that is secular and not communal” to come to

Missing female IT engineer’s burnt body found

MuMbai, JaNuary 17 (pti): Eleven days after a 23-yr-old female software engineer, who hailed from Andhra Pradesh, went missing from the city, her burnt body was found on Thursday, police said. The body of Esther Anuhya, bearing burn injuries, was found in suburban Kanjurmarg. “The highly decomposed body of Esther Anuhya, who had gone missing from Mumbai, was found at suburban Kanjurmarg,” Mahesh Ghuriye, Deputy Police Commissioner told.

The body was identified by her father S Prasad, a retired Professor of Andhra Pradesh University, police said, adding a murder case has been registered. According to police, Anuhya, employed with Tata Consultancy Ser-

power at the centre. “I want to see a party that is pro-market and probusiness to come to power and doesn’t prioritise one religion over another,” said Sen. His third wish was to see the left parties play a stronger role in Indian politics. “The political parties in the left should be stronger and less conservative and should take care of the marganalised,” he said.

Sen also wished for the courts to strengthen their decision making. Referring to a Supreme Court ruling upholding Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) barring unnatural sex, Sen wished the decision could be reversed.

“The courts in the country have become weaker, if one looks at the recent ruling of Supreme Court for making homosexual relations

vices (TCS), had boarded the Vishakapatnam-LTT Express train from Vijayawada on January 4 for Mumbai. She was returning to Mumbai after Christmas holidays.

Anuhya’s father spoke to her the same day at about 10 PM when she told him the train had reached Solapur. She promised to call him again after reaching her hostel in suburban Andheri. However, there was no phone call and her father, too, could not contact her subsequently. Prasad later contacted her colleagues but there was no trace of his IT professional-daughter.

Her father then lodged a missing person complaint at Vijayawada railway police station on January 5. Later, Prasad came to Mumbai and lodged a similar complaint at the Kurla railway police station on January 8. Preliminary investigations established the techie went missing after reaching Mumbai, police said.

criminal,” he said.

Sen also contended that if the country utilsed its resources properly, it could tread the path of prosperity. “We need decent schools, children should be fully immunised, every home should have a toilet and good education in a sustainable environment for all,” he added.

Last, but not the least, he wished the media to report more responsibly and bring voices of the poor and marginalised people to the forefront. “Media should be more responsible in reporting about people who make India, reach out to poor and marginalised people and not just write about glamour,” he said. There are around 250 authors at JLF this year and it will end Jan 21.

Juvenile among 3 more held for Danish woman’s rape New Delhi, JaNuary 17 (iaNs): A juvenile and two others were arrested Friday for the gang rape of a Danish tourist earlier this week, taking the number of arrests in the case to six, police said. The adults were identified as Arjun and Raju, police said. The name of the juvenile was not given as he cannot be named under law.

Earlier, two men were arrested -- Mohd Raja, 22, hailing from Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh and Mahendra alias Ganja, 25, belonging to Maharashtra. They have been sent to police custody till Jan 20. On Thursday, a third person, Raju alias Bajji, 25, was arrested. The Danish woman was robbed and raped at knife-point by eight vagabonds near New Delhi Railway Station Tuesday.

Honeymoon threatens to be brief for anti-graft party AAP

New Delhi, JaNuary 17 (reuters): From a rally that nearly ended in a stampede, to a rebellious lawmaker and a minister openly duelling police over drug gangs, the honeymoon could be short-lived for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the anticorruption party that shook up India’s politics last month. The AAP enjoyed a heady few weeks after its leader Arvind Kejriwal pulled off a political surprise by becoming Delhi chief minister in December elections.

He eschewed the usual displays of power beloved of many of India’s VIPs, such as expensive official cars that routinely ran red lights, and promised voters cheap water and power.

With his party aiming to contest a general election due by May, both the ruling Congress Party

and the main opposition Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worry that Kejriwal could eat into their traditional voter support in the cities.

Kejriwal’s party is still a force as it attracts supporters across the nation, ranging from intellectuals to journalists and rights activists. But a sinking feeling of inexperienced, outof-their-depth politicians is increasingly manifesting itself.

“Attacks From All Directions” was Friday’s headline in the Economic Times newspaper on a list of five “embarrassing moments” for the party.

Taking a jab at a leader seen as being happier in opposition than in power, one newspaper Arvind Kejriwal (R), leader of Aam Aadmi (Common Man) Party, cartoon featured Kejriwal holdspeaks during a meeting with his party leaders and media personnel after taking the oath as the new chief minister of Delhi, in New ing a protest placard demanding that Delhi’s chief minister Delhi December 28, 2013. (Reuters File Photo)

quit, while a nervous aide reminds him that is his own position now. The first sign of trouble came last weekend when Kejriwal had to flee a town hall meeting where out-of-control crowds threatened to stampede.

He abandoned plans for more meetings that had been touted as his version of “people power”.

The incident provided ammunition to critics, who accused Kejriwal’s government of being undisciplined. “Now they are out of activism...they need to understand what is governance,” said Kiran Bedi, a former Delhi police commissioner and antigraft activist who is not an AAP member. Next, Delhi law minister Somnath Bharti led a night raid on what he described as the homes of African prostitute gangs and drug dealers, provok-

ing criticism of vigilantism.

A senior police officer warned the politician against “crossing the limit”. With a base in Delhi, the AAP’s anticorruption platform, coupled with promises of free water and cheaper electricity, resonated with voters. But its foray into wider national issues has been shaky, and it has gained an image of a populist party with few realistic economic policies. Kejriwal faced criticism within his party after he barred foreign supermarkets from setting up shop, dealing a blow to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s efforts to open India’s $500-billion retail industry to foreign investors. “(The party) is in danger of being branded like other political parties - resorting to cheap and populist measures,” said

C.R. Gopinath, the founder of a low-cost airline and a member of the AAP. One AAP lawmaker accused Kejriwal of behaving like a dictator, surrounding himself with a small circle of advisors.

For the AAP, many of the controversies are just hiccups for a new party gaining support across India. In many cities tens of thousands of voters fed up with the patronage and perceived graft of mainstream parties are signing up. So it is early days yet, say supporters. “It’s good that people have many expectations from us,” said Yogendra Yadav, a senior party leader. “It keeps us on our toes. However, along with that, it also makes sense to keep a reasonable sense of time when it comes to getting things done.”

International

The Morung Express

Saturday 18 January 2014

Dimapur

9

Israeli PM slams settlement critics as hypocrites JERUSALEM, JAnUARy 17 (AP): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday dismissed international critics of Jewish settlements, calling them hypocrites and saying claims that the construction on occupied lands poses an obstacle to peace were “bogus.”

Israelis and Palestinians began peace talks in July after years of stalemate and the Israeli government has come under heavy criticism for continuing its construction plans throughout talks. More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

But Netanyahu insisted continued construction in existing settlements was “part of the deal” when talks began and questioned the motives of those who were outraged now.

“I think this is a bogus claim,” he said in his annual address to international journalists. “I think that this is hypocritical.” While the Palestinians dropped a longstanding demand that Israel halt all settlement construction when peace talks resumed, they say they received assurances that Israel would show restraint. Since then, Israel has approved plans, most recently last week, to build thousands of new settler homes.

The Palestinians, and the international community, view the settlements as illegal or illegitimate. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry recently said the construction raises questions about Israel’s commitment to peace. In his comments, Netanyahu took specific aim at the European Union, which has been outspoken in its criticism of settlement construction. On Thursday, several EU countries, including Britain, France and Italy, informed Israel they were summoning local Israeli ambassadors to protest the building, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said.

In London, Britain’s Foreign Of-

Jordan king to Israeli PM: Make peace with Palestinians

Palestinian children attend a rally in solidarity with Palestinian refugees in the Yarmouk refugee camp in the suburbs of the Syrian capital of Damascus, in Gaza City, on January 16. The Yarmouk camp once housed some 160,000 Palestinian refugees from the 1948 war in Israel known by Palestinians as “Naqba,” or the Catastrophe, and by Israelis as the War of Independence. The dire conditions at the Yarmouk camp are a striking example of the catastrophe unfolding in rebel-held areas blockaded by the Syrian government. (AP Photo)

fice confirmed the Israeli ambassador was summoned Thursday “over the Israeli government’s recent decision to announce new settlement tenders in east Jerusalem and the West Bank.” In a statement, the government said it had “made clear that settlement announcements had a detrimental impact on an atmosphere conducive to productive talks.

The U.K. urged Israel to refrain from further such announcements.”

Netanyahu questioned why the EU protested the construction of “a few houses,” but did not summon Palestinian diplomats over Palestinian misdeeds. “When did the EU call in the Palestinian ambassadors to complain about the incitement that calls for Israel’s destruction?” he said.

“I think it is time to stop this hypocrisy. I think it is time to inject

some balance and fairness to this discussion. Because I think this imbalance and this bias against Israel doesn’t advance peace,” he added. “I think it pushed peace further away because it tells the Palestinians, ‘Basically you can do anything you want, say anything you want and you won’t be held accountable.’”

Under heavy American pressure, Israel and the Palestinians resumed peace talks after a five year lull. So far, there have been no outward signs of progress, and the talks have been marred by finger pointing by both sides. With an April target date for an agreement approaching, the U.S. has said Kerry will soon return with bridging proposals for a framework deal.

The Palestinians seek the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip,

NSA collects millions of text messages globally

LOndOn, JAnUARy 17 (AFP): The US National Security Agency has collected almost 200 million mobile phone text messages a day from around the world, a report said Thursday, in the latest revelations from the Edward Snowden files.

The Guardian newspaper and Britain’s Channel 4 News reported that the NSA used the messages to extract data on the location, contact networks and credit card details of mobile users.

British spies were given access by the NSA to search the collected “metadata” -- information about the text messages but not the actual contents -- of British citizens, according to the report.

The secret files say the pro-

gramme, codenamed Dishfire, collects “pretty much everything it can”, the Guardian and Channel 4 News reported. Dishfire works by collecting and analysing automated text messages such as missed call alerts or texts sent to inform users about international roaming charges, the news organisations said. It was also able to work out phone users’ credit card numbers using texts from banks. They cited an internal NSA presentation from 2011 on the programme and papers from Britain’s electronic eavesdropping facility GCHQ. There was no immediate reaction from the NSA. GCHQ said it worked within British law. “All of GCHQ’s work is carried

out in accordance with the strict legal and policy framework which ensures that our activities are authorised, necessary and proportionate and that there is rigorous oversight,” it said in a statement. The NSA also said its collection of text messages was carried under strict limits under the law and was not arbitrary. “DISHFIRE is a system that processes and stores lawfully collected SMS data,” the spy agency said in a statement.

The report comes a day before US President Barack Obama is due to give a long-awaited speech proposing curbs on NSA phone and Internet data dragnets exposed by fugitive intelligence contractor Snowden.

Father’s diet linked to obese, diabetic children

SydnEy, JAnUARy 17 (IAnS): We all know how crucial a pregnant woman's nutrition is for an healthy new born. Now, consider father's diet and weight equally important. According to a new research, obese fathers cause altered gene expression in pancreas and fat of offspring - possibly leading to diabetes, obesity, chronic degenerative disease and premature aging.

There is a biological link between paternal diet, bodyweight and health at the time of conception and the health of his offspring,

said a study published in the FASEB Journal. Scientists showed that if male rats ate a high fat diet, had diabetes and were obese, their offspring had altered gene expression in two important metabolic tissues pancreas and fat.

“This altered gene expression may increase the risk of future obesity and premature aging. Other genes that were affected include markers of premature aging, cancer, and chronic degenerative disease,” said Margaret Morris, a researcher at University of New South Wales

in Sydney, Australia. “This study is part of an exciting new research exploring the impact of paternal diet on offspring risk of obesity,” added Morris.

To make this discovery, Morris and colleagues used two groups of male rats, one of which was obese and diabetic and fed a high-fat diet and the other was lean and healthy and fed a normal diet. The two groups were mated with lean female rats and researchers examined their female offspring. Those who were born from obese fathers on a high-fat diet, showed a

poor ability to respond to a glucose challenge, even while consuming a healthy diet.

Specifically, the offspring of the obese rats showed gene expression changes in pancreatic islets - responsible for producing insulin to control blood glucose and the fat tissue of their female offspring. “This report is the first step in understanding exactly how the nutrition and health of fathers affects his children, for better or worse,” said Gerald Weissmann, editor-in-chief of The FASEB Journal.

territories captured by Israel in 1967, for an independent state. Netanyahu wants to keep parts of the West Bank and says he will not share control of east Jerusalem, home to sensitive Muslim, Jewish and Christian religious sites. He also has insisted that the Palestinians recognize Israel as the Jewish homeland, a condition they say would undermine the rights of Palestinian refugees and Israel’s own Arab minority.

Speaking Thursday, he repeated the demand, saying it was the core of the conflict. “The real issue is not the settlements, is not the Palestinian state. The real issue was and always has been the Jewish state. The persistent refusal to accept a nationstate for the Jewish people by our adversaries, whom we want to turn to peace partners,” he said.

AMMAn, JAnUARy 17 (AP): Jordan’s king called on visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to seize the moment and opportunity made possible under a U.S. diplomatic push to achieve a lasting and comprehensive settlement with the Palestinians, the Royal Palace said.

The appeal came during a surprise visit by Netanyahu, who held talks with Abdullah II on the latest in the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. The palace said the two talked behind closed doors about the “developments in the peace process” and Israeli-Palestinian negotiations sponsored by the United States.

The visit was not previously announced. Netanyahu made at least three similar visits to Jordan last year. There was no immediate comment in Israel on Thursday’s visit.

Jordan maintains cordial relations with Israel under a peace treaty signed in 1994 — one of only two signed agreements the Jewish state has with an Arab nation.

Abdullah’s talks with Netanyahu came a week after the king hosted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and days earlier, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. The palace statement said the meeting with Netanyahu was significant because it coincided with a “critical period” in the negotiations. It did not elaborate, but added that Thursday’s talks were part of Jordan’s “cooperation with all the sides involved in the peace process.”

The palace quoted Abdullah as urging Netanyahu to make use “and build on the opportunity made available by the consolidated ef-

forts of the U.S. secretary of state to achieve tangible progress in the peace negotiations.” The ultimate goal, Abdullah added, is the establishment of an “independent and viable Palestinian state” with East Jerusalem as its capital. He stressed that Palestinian-Israeli final status negotiations touch on “higher Jordanian interests.” “They are a top priority for us,” he reportedly told Netanyahu.

The palace said Netanyahu briefed Abdullah on the negotiations with the Palestinians, but did not provide details. In the IsraeliPalestinian negotiations, which resumed last summer, the two sides set an April target date for agreeing on a framework for peace. But in recent weeks, they appear to have hardened their positions.

The Palestinians seek the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, territories captured by Israel in 1967, for an independent state. Netanyahu wants to keep parts of the West Bank and says he will not share control of east Jerusalem, home to sensitive religious sites. He has also insisted that the Palestinians recognize Israel as the Jewish homeland, a condition they say would undermine the rights of Palestinian refugees and Israel’s own Arab minority.

Jordan has significant interest in the peace talks, especially in its own border with a future Palestinian state, as well as in the fate of Jerusalem and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and their descendants displaced to the kingdom in the 1967 Mideast War. Jordan hosts the largest number of Palestinians outside the West Bank and Gaza.

Explosion hits Bangkok protesters

BAnGKOK, JAnUARy 17 (AP): Dozens of people were wounded in Thailand’s capital Friday when a grenade blast ripped through a crowd of marching anti-government demonstrators, an ominous development that raises tensions in the country’s political crisis and the specter of more bloodshed to come.

Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban was in the procession but was not wounded when the explosive device was thrown toward a truck driven by demonstrators that was several dozen meters ahead of him, spokesman Akanat Promphan said. The city’s emergency services center said 36 people were injured, most not seriously, although one man was in surgery.

Thailand has been wracked by repeated bouts of unrest since the military ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006 amid charges of corruption and alleged disrespect for the monarchy.

The crisis boiled over again late last year after the ruling party attempted to push through an amnesty bill that would have allowed Thaksin to return from exile.

Anti-government demonstrators seeking to oust Thaksin’s sister, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, have taken over seven key roads and overpasses in Bangkok this week, blocking them off with walls of sandbags, tires and steel barricades.

The protests, which are also aimed at derailing Feb. 2 elections that Yingluck called in a bid to diffuse the crisis, have been peaceful.

But assaults have been reported

Injured anti-government protesters are taken out from a street by other protesters during a demonstration in Bangkok, on Friday, January 17. (AP Photo)

nightly, including shooting attacks at protest venues and small explosives hurled at the homes of top protest supporters. It is unclear who is behind them.

Prolonged violence, even on a small scale, increases the risk of a military coup, which would benefit the protest movement. Thailand’s army has seized power 11 times since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932.

Police said the grenade thrown at the marchers Friday was hurled from the direction of one of several nearby abandoned buildings. Witnesses said panicked people began running away after the blast, while some helped carry victims with blood dripping from their arms and legs. A damaged pickup truck sat idle, its front tires flat and gasoline from a ruptured tank

spilling across the road near splotches of blood.

The buildings were quickly searched by protesters armed with wooden sticks. Soldiers and a police explosive ordnance disposal team combed the area, finding five walkietalkies, several knives, rifle parts and a pair of flashlights.

Overnight, two motorcycle-riding men drove past the residence of Bangkok Gov. Sukhumbhand Paribatra and hurled a grenade inside, according to police Col. Samarn Rodkamnerd. Sukhumbhand, a member of the Democrat Party which is backing the protesters, was not home and no injuries or serious damage were reported. The violence comes as pressure mounts against Yingluck to resign.

are there, for a genocide,” John Ging, director of operations for the U.N. Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told a news conference in Geneva. “It has all the elements that we have seen elsewhere, in places like Rwanda and Bosnia.”

Ging said the country amounted to little more than a territory on a map, without state infrastructure and functioning security forces. He said French and African Union (AU) peacekeepers were having a positive effect but were stretched to their limits.

“Central African Republic has to move up the priority list,” he said.

“However desperate and alarming the situation might be right now, it can be turned around very quickly.” France hurriedly sent some 1,600 troops to its former colony in December. The deployment of Rwandan troops, the first of whom arrived aboard a U.S. military aircraft on Thursday, will increase the AU contingent to more than 5,000 peacekeepers this month.

Many say the bloodshed has little to do with religion, in a nation where Muslims and Christians have long lived in peace. Instead, they blame a political battle for control over natural resources in one of Africa’s weak-

est states, split along ethnic lines and worsened by foreign meddling.

Around 20 more people were killed on Thursday when anti-balaka fighters attacked a convoy of Muslims, many of them women and children, headed for the town of Bouar, some 450 km to the west of Bangui, witnesses said.

The families were fleeing militia attacks in the nearby town of Bohong.

“There were about 20 lifeless bodies strewn here and there on the road. Some were killed by bullets, others with knives,” Achille Yakende, a salesman travelling to Bouar by motorbike, told Reuters by telephone.

In Bangui, hundreds of angry residents surrounded a convoy of Chadian Muslims fleeing the country.

They shouted “go home” and “assassins”. Some in the crowd tried to loot and set fire to one vehicle but were prevented by AU peacekeepers, who fired warning shots to disperse them.

At least eight people were killed late on Wednesday in violence in the north of the capital, witnesses said. The commander of French forces, General Francisco Soriano, told a video conference in Paris the security situation was improving, but still “extremely complicated and very volatile.”

‘SeedS of genocide’ in centrAl AfricAn rePublic

In this Friday, December 27, 2013 file photo, French soldiers protect a truck of fleeing Muslims after it broke down and was surrounded by hundreds of hostile Christian residents, including several anti-balaka militiamen, in the Gobongo neighborhood of Bangui, Central African Republic.

Central African Republic has long teetered on the brink of anarchy, but the new unrest unleashed by a March 2013 coup has ignited previously unseen sectarian hatred between Christians and Muslims. More than 1,000 people were killed in December alone and nearly 1 million displaced. The crisis has forced some to flee across borders to desperately poor and unstable countries like Chad and Congo. (AP file Photo)

BAnGUI/GEnEVA, JAnUARy 17 (REUtERS): A senior U.N. official warned of the risk of genocide in Central African Republic without a more robust international response to communal bloodshed in which at least 20 more people were killed on Thursday.

The former French colony descended into chaos after a mostly Muslim rebel coalition, Seleka, seized power in March, unleashing a wave of killings and looting that sparked revenge attacks by Christian militia known as “anti-balaka” (anti-machete).

More than a million people have been displaced by the violence since Seleka installed their leader Michel Djotodia as interim president. Over 1,000 people were killed last month alone in the capital Bangui, prompting neighbouring countries to evacuate more than 30,000 of their citizens.

There has been relative calm since Djotodia resigned last week under intense international pressure, but sporadic violence has persisted in Bangui. On Thursday, a spokesman for a 15,000-strong group of antibalaka criticised the interim government and threatened a return to violence if it was not overhauled.

“If there is no solution to this, we

always have our machetes which we have not yet handed in,” the spokesman, Sebastien Wenezoui, told Reuters at a base in the northern Bangui suburb of Boeing, flanked by around 20 militiamen armed with knives, machetes and Kalashnikovs.

His group wants the country’s transitional assembly (CNT) to be reworked to boost the presence of the anti-balaka and reduce the number of Seleka representatives. It plans a march in Bangui on Friday to try to stop the appointment of a new interim president, he added. The CNT is due to vote on the new head on January 20, its vice president Lea Koyassoum Doumta said on Thursday.

SEEDS OF GENOCIDE Central African Republic is designated by the United Nations as one of the top three global humanitarian emergencies, along with Syria and the Philippines. But a U.N. appeal has received only 6 percent of a $247 million target. Returning from a five-day trip to the country, a U.N. official said the crisis was foreseeable and stemmed from many years of international neglect of the chaotic country.

“The elements are there, the seeds

The Morung Express 10 SPORTS Faulkner heroics seal Messi powers Barca into Copa quarters dramatic Australia victory Dimapur

Saturday

18 January 2014

Australia's James Faulkner, left, and Clint McKay celebrate after winning the second One Day International cricket match against England at the Gabba cricket ground in Brisbane, Australia, Friday, Jan. 17. (AP Photo)

Gabba, JaNUary 17 (aFP):James Faulkner`s sensational late assault powered Australia to a dramatic one-wicket victory over England in the second one-day international in Brisbane on Friday.

Crushed 5-0 in the Ashes series and thumped in the first one-dayer in Melbourne, England sensed the chance of securing their first win over Australia on the tour after Eoin Morgan`s sparkling 106 powered them to a commanding 300 for eight.

Australia made a feeble start to their chase but Shaun Marsh contributed 55 before Glenn Maxwell (54) and Faulkner (69 not out) provided the late surge that took the hosts past the victory target with three balls to spare. Needing 25 runs from the last two overs with number 11 batsman Clint McKay keeping him company, Faulkner blasted back-to-back sixes off Ben Stokes and stole a single off the last delivery of the penultimate over.

Facing Tim Bresnan in the final over and still needing 12 runs, Faulkner hammered three fours in a row to trigger wild celebrations around the ground.

Faulkner remained unbeaten after his 47-ball blitz studded with three fours and five sixes. "He is the new finisher, the new Michael Bevan," Australia captain Michael Clarke said in a televised interview.

"He showed he is a wonderful player with loads of talent and he strikes the ball as cleanly as anybody ... he deserves all the credit in the world." Australia lead the five-match series 2-0 going into the next game in Sydney on Sunday.

After Alastair Cook opted to bat first, Morgan teamed up with Jos Buttler (49) to plunder 117 runs in 11.2 overs and help England post a competitive total against an Australian attack boosted by the return of Ashes hero Mitchell Johnson. Batting on one, Morgan was caught off Clarke at deep midwicket but the 27-year-old lefthander had the presence of mind to point out there was one extra fielder outside the ring and get the delivery adjudged a no-ball.

He went on to complete his first fifty in 70 balls and took only 24 balls for his next fifty, hitting five of his six sixes during that stage.

The Dublin-born play-

er brought up his sixth ODI century in spectacular fashion, bending backwards to guide a short Nathan Coulter-Nile delivery over the wicketkeeper`s head for a boundary.

M o rga n ` s 9 9 - ba l l knock ended in the 50th over when he miscued a Faulkner delivery but England milked 104 runs from then final 10 overs to post an imposing total. When they returned, Gary Ballance took a one-handed catch to send back Aaron Finch, who followed his Melbourne century with a three-ball duck.

Chris Jordan then caught a full-blooded shot from David Warner (18) off his own bowling to deny Australia a flying start. Maxwell refused to give up, however, adding 80 runs with Brad Haddin (26) in just over eight overs to rekindle the hosts` hopes before Faulkner made sure they materialised. "It took an unbelievable innings to beat us today," Cook said.

"Three hundred was defendable ... It`s an emotional dressing-room now, a tough place to be, but when we look at it tomorrow we`ll realise it was an astonishing innings that beat us."

MaDrID, JaNUary 17 (aP): Lionel Messi scored a pair against Getafe to power Barcelona into the Copa del Rey quarterfinals with a 2-0 win which was mired by an injury to Neymar on Thursday. Days after seeing Cristiano Ronaldo end his four-year domination of the Ballon d'Or, Messi demonstrated his intention to pry it right back from his Real Madrid counterpart with goals in each half to guide the Spanish champions into the last eight by an aggregate score of 6-0.

But the victory was tarnished by Neymar's exit in the 22nd minute after the Brazil striker turned his right ankle while attempting to extend his dribble to the goal-line, falling under his own weight and going over his limb. Barcelona, which will play Levante in the last eight, said Neymar tore tendons in the ankle.

Neymar, who was replaced by Alexis Sanchez, was in obvious pain after going down without any contact, appearing to catch his boot in the grass and go over it. "Thankfully it wasn't as bad as it could have been," coach Gerardo Martino said. "He'll be sidelined for a time but everyone should stay cool, he's alright. I don't think it will sideline him too long."

After losing 4-0 at Barcelona, the hosts nearly gained some early momentum at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez only for Barcelona goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto to deny Pablo Sarabia moments before Neymar's injury. But Getafe

Barcelona's Lionel Messi, centre, in action with Getafe's Lisandro Lopez, left, during a Spanish Copa del Rey match between FC Barcelona and Getafe at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez stadium in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, Jan. 16. (AP Photo)

never stood a chance of getting back into the series after that as Messi ensured there would be no repeat of the 2006-07 season when Barcelona lost 4-0 here in the return leg to miss out on the final.

Cesc Fabregas played to Cristian Tello's run into the left side of the area and Messi was well-placed to redirect the Barcelona winger's cross beyond goalkeeper Jordi Codina for the 44th-minute open-

er. The Argentina forward showed he hadn't lost any of his pace after missing two months as he blew past four defenders in the 63rd and into the area around Codina before slotting home from a tight angle for

2-0. "It was only a question of time until Messi played 90 minutes," Martino said.

"He's been taking it littleby-little and he's feeling better. He just needed some playing time after being out 60 days."

India stun World No. 1 Germany 5-4 NASA group D

NEW DELHI, JaNUary 17 (PTI): The Indian hockey team pulled off a sensational come-from-behind 5-4 win over Olympic champions Germany after Mandeep Singh slammed a brilliant hat-trick in their fiercely-contested 5-8th place classification match of the Hero World League Finals on Friday. World ranked 10th, India rode on Mandeep's (18th, 41st, 53rd) three field goals and Rupinderpal Singh's two perfect strikes from penalty corners to set up the fantastic win against the Germans, against whom India last won way back in 2004 in the Champions Trophy in Lahore, Pakistan.

In the end, it was a fair result for India who drew 3-3 against the Germans in the pool stages. India will now face Belgium in the fifth-sixth place

play-off match tomorrow, while Germany will take on Argentina to avoid the wooden-spoon in the eight-nation tournament. In today's match, it was the world number one Germans who enjoyed the early share of exchanges by taking a two goal lead through skipper Oliver Korn (4th) and Thilo Stralkowski (6th) before Benjamin Wess (27th) made the scoreline 3-1 in favour of the world champions at half time.

After the change of ends, Germany found the back of the India net just once when Martin Haner converted a penalty corner in the 55th minute. The Indians, however, were slow to get off the blocks as Germany took the initiative from the onset with relentless attacks.

The Germans put the Indian defense, their perennial problem, under tremendous

pressure from the word go and surged ahead as early as in the fourth minute when captain Korn gently tapped home a pass from Tobias Hauke. Two minutes later, Stralkowski doubled Germany's lead by perfectly converting their first penalty corner.

The Germans continued their aggressively style of play and created a couple of bright scoring chances only to waste them.

India, however, managed to pull one back in the 18th minute through Mandeep, who slammed home from the right corner of the German goal after receiving a through ball from Rupinderpal Singh. A minute later, Germany got another scoring opportunity when they earned their second penalty corner but the Indian defense was up to the task this time.

Wrestling Meet

KOHIMa, JaNUary 17 (MExN): The Wrestling Meet for the NASA group D got underway today with CL John, parliamentary Secretary for RD & REPA as the chief guest, here at Chiechama today. Wrestlers from 12 villages from the NASA D will be competing to represent their range in the NASA Meet.

Speaking at the inaugural function, CL John impressed on the sportspersons the need for society to delve upon the statutes of human living according to the Bible. Striking instances from the Holy Scriptures, the Chief Guest on his first visit to Chiechama stressed on the need for society to be honest in all dealings. Stressing on the need for Nagas from beyond boundaries to emotionally connect together as one, CL john harped on the need for society to leave all prejudices and isms to build forth a bright future.

Commenting on the present work scenario in Nagaland, he challenged the audiences to live on the tenets of "Work and Eat" as a challenge to himself and everyone present.

Thunder storms back to beat Rockets 68th Viswema wrestling meet

Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant, center, goes up for a shot as Houston Rockets' Aaron Brooks (0) and Donatas Motiejunas (20) defend during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 16 in Houston. Durant was fouled by Brooks on the play. (AP Photo)

HOUSTON, JaNUary 17 (aP): Kevin Durant scored 36 points and Reggie Jackson added 23 to lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 104-92 win over the Houston Rockets on Thursday night.

The Thunder used a big third quarter to erase a 12-point deficit and tie the score entering the fourth.

The teams stayed within a

basket after that until Jackson scored five points in a 7-0 run which gave the Thunder a 97-89 lead with about 4 minutes left.

Oklahoma City scored four quick points capped by a fast break dunk by Jackson a couple minutes later to stretch the lead to 103-92. James Harden and Terrence Jones scored 16 points each for Houston,

which scored just 19 second-half points after posting a season-high 73 points in the first half — setting an NBA record for the largest scoring differential between two halves.

Oklahoma City was up by eight points when Dwight Howard and Kendrick Perkins got tangled up fighting for a rebound. The two had to be separated and

Perkins received a personal foul and they both were slapped with technicals for the scuffle. Serge Ibaka added 21 points and had 15 rebounds for the Thunder.

Howard had 11 points and eight rebounds for Houston.

Jeremy Lamb's 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter made it 86-85, giving Oklahoma City its first lead since early in the second quarter. The teams each scored a basket after that before both offenses went silent, with neither team scoring for about a 3-minute span. Jackson ended Oklahoma City's scoring drought with a reverse layup with about 7 minutes remaining before Chandler Parsons ended Houston's with a bucket about a minute later to cut the Thunder's lead to 90-89.

Steven Adams and Howard both received technical fouls when they pushed each other with about 9 minutes left. The Rockets had a 12-point lead with about 4 minutes left in the third quarter before Oklahoma City went on a 15-3 run to tie it at 83-all entering the final period. Serge Ibaka scored four quick points to get the spurt going and also had a 3-pointer in that span. But it was Durant who capped it in style, taking Parsons off the dribble and pulling up to sink a 3-pointer at the buzzer. Durant fell backward to the court after the shot and flipped over before getting up wearing a huge grin as he was mobbed by teammates.

KOHIMa, JaNUary 17 (DIPr): Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Public Relations, Printing & Stationery, Er. Kropol Vitsu formally graced the 68th Wrestling Meet at John Govt. High School, Viswema football ground on January 17 as the Chief Guest.

Er. Kropol Vitsu ad-

dressing as the Chief Guest thanked the leaders of the Viswema Youth Organisation (VYO) for promoting understanding and unity in the village. The Parliamentary Secretary urged sportsmen to maintain the sporting spirit with a code of conduct and good morality. Stressing on sports, he urged all concerned to

have determination, dedication and respect towards the sport.

Earlier, the invocation was pronounced by Reverend Atha Neikha, Pastor VBC. Welcome address was delivered by Meyiekul Noswe, Advisor VYO followed by tati pfe Tepumhazo Kennao. Administration of oath to players and

field judges was given by Neitha Kikhi, games and sports secretary VYO. Unfurling of the flag and declaration of the wrestling meet open was done by the Chief Guest, followed by felicitation.

Noseto Koso, Chairman of Viswema Village Council will to be Guest of Honour at the closing ceremony.

MOKOKCHUNG, JaNUary 17 (MExN): Mokokchung’s cricket lovers were treated with two very exciting semi-final matches in the ongoing MDCA Inter Club Cricket Tournament played at Imkongmeren Sports Complex here today.

In the first match of the day, Titans CC played against Ascesis in the first semi final match of the 23rd MDCA Inter Club Cricket Tournament. Ascesis won the toss and batted first getting off to a flyer as they could amass 30 runs in the first two overs. But they later lost their track with some tight bowling attack from the Titans bowlers.

For Ascesis, Funa and Alemwapang contributed 25 and 22 runs and helped their team past the hundred run mark. They finished with 110 losing all their wickets in 19.2 overs.

Ato Chang was the pick of the Titans bowlers yet again who finished with a figure of 2/14 in his 4 overs. Akumdong also took 2/21 in his 3 overs. Longsa-

sunep, Pawan, ToshiMeren and Bir Bahadur also too a wicket apiece.

Chasing the target of 111 runs, Titans also started like their counterpart and lost wickets at regular intervals but Akumdong (28 runs) and Toshimeren (22 runs not out) batted sensibly and ensured their team cruise home. Moakaba was the best bowler for Ascesis finishing with a figure of 3/7 in his 3.2 overs.

Tsukmen, Lulen, Wapang and Shilu took 1 wicket each.

Titans won the match losing 7 wickets in 18.1 overs in a close encounter and winning it by 3 wickets to qualify for Saturday’s final. Akumdong was awarded the Man of the Match trophy along with certificate for his all-round performance.

In the other semi-final match played between Mustang United and Züngamedem CC, the former emerged the better team by winning the match by 6 wickets to face Titans CC in

the final.

Earlier, Züngamedem decided to bat first after winning the toss and they managed to post a respectable total of 130/5 in their 20 overs with Rongsenyanger scoring 32 runs and Bendangwapang hitting an unbeaten 23 runs.

Aosashi was the best bowler for Mustang who took 2/35 in 4 overs. Merenkaba, Achet and Nukshimeren took 1 wicket each.

Later, Mustang United got into trouble early on while chasing the target as they lost the wickets of Aosashi and Talikiba in the third over of the inning bowled by Lipokyapang.

They could have been in more trouble had Züngamedem's fielder took the bails off the stump instead of throwing the ball and missing it completely to run out the new batsman Nukshimeren in the very next over.

It proved to be a costly miss as Imliakum and Nukshimeren built a good partnership to take the game

away from Züngamedem.

Limalenden finally took out Nukshimeren (23 runs) with a nice fielding move to run him out with a direct hit but by then the match was out of their hands. Imliakum remained not out till the end on 63 runs. Mustang reached the required run of 131 losing 4 wickets in 19 overs. Imliakum was awarded the Man of the Match for the second semifinal match.

The final match will be played between Titans CC and Mustang United from 10:00 am onwards at the Imkongmeren Sports Complex which promises to be a tight contest. The current edition has been the most flamboyant and exciting MDCA tournament and only one team will walk away as the champions tomorrow.

Both teams have an equally strong batting lineup but Titans CC are a better fielding side while Mustang has some of the state’s best talents in their playing eleven.

MDCA Inter Club Cricket Tournament

Entertainment

The Morung Express C M Y K

Oscar nominations

H

C M Y K

ollywood woke up to the announcement of this year's Oscar nominees today, read out by Rush star Chris Hemsworth and Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs. Tom Hanks was a notable omission snubbed for Best Actor - in an otherwise expected list of nominees. Complete list of nominees American Hustle and Gravity led the nominations list with 10 nods each, including for Best Film and Best Director.

Like the previous two years, nine films have made it to the Best Film category. The remaining seven spots were taken by 12 Years A Slave, Philomena, The Wolf Of Wall Street, Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, Nebraska and Her. Alfonso Cuaron, who just won a Golden Globe for directing Gravity, was nominated for Best Director here as well, as were American Hustle's David O Russell, Nebraska's Alexander Payne, 12 Years A Slave's

Steve McQueen and Martin Scorsese, scooping his seventh Oscar nomination, for The Wolf Of Wall Street.

Best Actor favourites Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years A Slave) and Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club) featured on Oscar list as did Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf Of Wall Street), Bruce Dern (Nebraska) and Christian Bale (American Hustle) who is thought to have edged out Tom Hanks. Of the five, Bale already has an Oscar having previously won Best Supporting Actor for his work in The Fighter.

Matthew McConaghey and Leonardo DiCaprio were the top men at the Golden Globes this year.

There were no surprises in the Best Actress list. Blue Jasmine's Cate Blanchett and American Hustle's Amy Adams both Golden Globe winners - received Oscar nods as did Sandra Bullock for Gravity, Judi Dench for Philomena and Meryl Streep, notching up her 18th nomination, for Au-

gust: Osage County. Of the five nominees, Amy Adams is the only actress not to have won an Oscar previously.

Both Supporting Actor categories included the names of this year's Globe winners as well - Jared Leto for Dallas Buyers Club and Jennifer Lawrence for American Hustle. Jennifer Lawrence was last year's Best Actress at the Oscars for Silver Linings Playbook.

Other names in the Best Supporting Actor category include Barkhad Abdi for Captain Phillips, Michael Fassbender for 12 Years A Slave, Bradley Cooper for American Hustle and Jonah Hill for The Wolf Of Wall Street.

None of the five nominees are previous Oscar winners. Also up for Best Supporting Actress are Blue Jasmine's Sally Hawkins, 12 Years A Slave's Lupita Nyong'o, August: Osage County's Julia Roberts and Nebraska's June Squibb.

The Oscars will be hosted by comedienne Ellen Degeneres on March 2.

Dimapur

18 January 2014

11

set to release

T

he group h a v e signed a deal with HarperCollins to publish an official autobiography and One Direction: The Official Annual 2015 this year. Since releasing their first book in 2011, One Direction have sold three million copies worldwide across all formats. Their most recent book, Where We Are: Our Band, Our Story, spent five weeks at the top of the UK

Gravity have 10 nods

Saturday

top selling list.

One Direction's first full joint autobiography, which will be released in September, will chart the former X Factor group's rise to stardom. According to HarperCollins: "Fans will discover how the boys have really felt over the last few years and their hopes and ambitions for the future. "The One Direction official autobiography will offer an incredible insight and inti-

two new books this year

macy to the band as never before and will bring fans even closer to Harry, Niall, Liam, Louis and Zayn."

Publishing director Natalie Jerome said: "The boys are an absolute pleasure to work with and always strive to deliver more to their fans. "It's a hugely exciting departure from the books we've published with them so far and there's

a lot we're going to be doing that will make this an extra special experience for their loyal and devoted fans."

One Direction: The Official Annual 2015, set to be released in August, will contain photos, interviews and behind-the-scenes stories. In December, One Direction's third album, Midnight Memories, entered the US Billboard 200 at

C M Y K

number one making them the only group to have their first three albums top the chart in their opening week. The album also went to number one in the UK and is the fastest-selling album for two years. This year the band embark on their Where We Are world tour, which includes dates in London, Manchester and Edinburgh.

Gravity, 12 Years win big at Critics’ Choice Awards

‘G

ravity’ soared with a record-setting seven Critics’ Choice Awards, but ’12 Years a Slave’ was named Best Picture. The Broadcast Film Critics Association presented its annual awards Thursday in Santa Monica, Calif., honoring many movies that earned Oscar nominations just hours earlier. Awards for ‘Gravity’ included Best Actress for Sandra Bullock, Best Director for Alfonso Cuaron and Best Sci-Fi movie.

‘American Hustle’ won four prizes, including Best Comedy, best acting ensemble and best actress in a comedy for Amy Adams. ’12 Years a Slave’ collected two other awards besides best picture: best supporting actress for Lupita Nyong’o and best adapted screenplay. Other winners Thursday included Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto for ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ and Cate Blanchett for ‘Blue Jasmine.’

C M Y K

Suchitra Sen legendary actress dies

L

C M Y K

Taylor Swift parades her pins in tiny tap shorts to shop on Melrose. Her statuesque, 5ft 10in frame gives her enviably long legs. And Taylor Swift took advantage of LA's 85-degree winter by parading her slim pins in tiny black tap shorts and brown booties on Thursday. The 24-year-old singer strutted down Melrose avenue wearing a low-cut white top under a preppy grey cardigan.

egendary actress Suchitra Sen, one of the leading lights of the golden age of Bengali cinema, died of a heart attack in Kolkata's Belle Vue Clinic today. She was 82.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced a gun salute at the actress' funeral. Sen's last rites will be held in Kolkata's Keoratola crematorium later today.

Mamata Banerjee, a frequent visitor while the actress was in hospital, officially announced Sen's death, saying: "The passing away of 'Mahanayika' (great actress), I feel in world cinema and in Bengali cinema is a big and sad news. Such a talent is born only once and there is no parallel. Today is extremely saddening for us.

We have lost someone important today."

Banerjee was the only public figure to have been admitted into the reclusive star's presence in the last 35 years. The actress had been in hospital since December 23, being treated for a respiratory tract infection.

Sen began her career with the unreleased Bengali film Shesh Kothai in 1952 and is known to Hindi film audiences for her roles in Bimal Roy's Devdas (1955) and Gulzar's Aandhi (1975).

With actor Uttam Kumar, she made up one-half of Bengali cinema's most beloved screen couple, delivering hit films such as Harano Sur, Sagarika, Chaowa Paowa and Agnipariksha. Suchitra Sen most acclaimed performances were in the Bengali films Dweep Jele Jaai (1959), in which she played a psychiatric nurse involved with a male patient, and Uttar Falguni (1963), in which she played the double roles of a courtesan and her lawyer daugh-

For information on registration, all the Haggai Alumni of Nagaland can contact: menuo@haggaiindia.com or call 1.Menuo Keditsu (State Coordinator)-09436000598 2.Imti Longchar (HIAAK President)-09436005293 Last date for registration will be 28th January 2014. ter. Sen was also the first Indian actress to be awarded at an international film festival, winning Best Actress for Saptapadi at the Moscow Film Festival in 1963.

After her 1978 movie Pronoy Pasha flopped, Suchitra Sen retired from public life, living a life so reclusive that she allegedly refused the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2005 because it meant making a public appearance. Suchitra Sen was married to Dibanath Sen, scion of one of Kolkata's most prominent business families. She is survived by her daughter Moon Moon and granddaughters Raima and Riya, all three actresses.

25

18

18 C M Y K

C M Y K

NLA Speaker graces Chozuba range wrestling meet Our Correspondent

KolKata, January 17 (IanS): Olympic medal-winning boxer M.C. Mary Kom Thursday said she had also faced a sex attack when she was 18, but managed to overpower the assaulter. The boxer expressed concern over women's safety in India and urged them to go for physical training to fend off attackers.

"I would urge them to have some kind of physical training to prevent sex attacks, because you need to be strong and fit to fight attackers. I would also tell them to fight sex offence without fear," she said. The boxer's comments came in the wake of a series of rape cases, including of foreigners, reported from across the country. Mary Kom, who won a bronze in women's flyweight class in the

Chozuba | January 17

A two day long 25th wrestling meet of the Chozuba Range Wrestling Association (CRWA) got underway here this morning, with Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) speaker, Chotisuh Sazo as the chief guest.

Altogether, 58 wrestlers vied for the coveted champion title in Naga style.

Speaking on the occasion, Sazo asserted that the range has a great reason to rejoice with its achievements and progress made over the last 25 years.

He acknowledged the CRWA for producing a renowned sportsperson Chekrovolu Swuro, first Naga woman Olympian.

Advocating the popularity of wrestling in Nagaland, Sazo called upon the wrestlers to have constant practice and acquire the basic technique by attending trainings. Sazo expressed happiness that Chozuba range has produced many outstanding wrestlers and has brought laurels to the people and hoped that it would exemplify further growth and progress through the silver jubilee.

Advising them to maintain self discipline and a balanced diet, he asked them to abstain from abusive use of alcohol and at the same time not to go against certain rituals practiced by forefathers.

He also called upon the youth to give importance to national style wrestling, adding that it would open scope to compete at the national and international level. Minister for PWD (Roads & Bridges) and parliamentary affairs Kuzholuzo (Azo) Nienu in his message in the souvenir congratulated CRWA for various tournaments they have been organizing over the years for the benefit of the youth.

Polan John, additional deputy commissioner, Chozuba also graced the occasion as the guest of honour and appreciated the Chakhesang community for promoting and preserving the culture and traditional practices.

Also lauding the

Mary Kom recounts sexual attack 2012 London Olympics, said she faced a sex attack when she was 18, but managed to overpower the assaulter. "I was going to church on a Sunday. I was wearing a traditional wraparound dress and took a rickshaw as I was a bit late. Suddenly, the rickshaw puller caught my hand and tried to molest me," she told a stunned audience at an interactive session organised by the FICCI Ladies Organisation.

Mary Kom said she kicked and punched the man who fell flat. "I managed to flatten him because I was fit and strong. But that incident taught me a lesson that as a woman, I have to be very alert all the time and must have courage (to fight the odds)," she said. Mary Kom recently launched a mobile app for teaching self-defence to women.

C M Y K

Ana Ivanovic ends Sam Stosur's Australian Open

Wrestlers Compete at the 25th wrestling meet of the Chozuba Range Wrestling Association (CRWA). (Morung Photo)

MElBournE, January 17 (agEncIES): Ana Ivanovic put paid to the hopes of home favourite Sam Stosur to set up a fourth-round clash with Serena Williams at the Australian Open. Ivanovic recovered from losing a topsy-turvy first set to win 6-7 (8/10) 6-4 6-2 under the roof on Rod Laver Arena.

Both women wasted chances to take the opener before Stosur finally took it on a tie-break after a brief interruption when the heavens suddenly opened. But Ivanovic, unbeaten this season after winning a title in Auckland, fought back impressively, smashing 46 winners.

Although the crowd were supporting Stosur, Ivanovic said: "I definitely didn't feel lonely. My team has been loud enough and all the Serbians here... "She's a very tough opponent, she played very well, served well, but I hung in there. They were tough conditions, it was hotter when the roof got closed but I'm so happy and thrilled to be through."

Ivanovic has not won a set in four previous meetings against Williams, three of which have been at the US Open. She said: "We had really tough matches in the past. In Auckland I played Venus. I didn't have

many wins against her and I played a really good match.

That gives me confidence for the next match. I look forward to the challenge."

Williams was again relatively untroubled in securing her progress, beating old rival Daniela Hantuchova 6-3 6-3 in intense heat. It was her 61st win in the singles main draw at the Australian Open, more than any other woman. The world number

Ivanovic sets up Serena meeting after beating local favourite Sam Stosur

NLA speaker Chotisuh Sazo unfurls CRWA flag as an act of the inauguration of the 25th wrestling meet at Chozuba on January 17. (Morung Photo)

Chakhesang community for excelling in wrestling, he called for competitive spirit and fair play during the meet. Lauding CRWA for attainment of 25 glorious years, he said that the jubilee is not only a time for merry making but also a time to make new friends, introspection, build better understanding and strengthen peace and unity amongst the people.

In a significant step, the CRWA granted free entry to old aged persons holding Old Age Cards at the meet.

Earlier, Thepule Lohe, president Chozuba Range Public Organization (CRPO) released a souvenir of the CRWA while the presidential address was delivered by CRWA president Zhopopra Rhakho.

The inaugural function was chaired by CRWA vice president Ruyovo Keyho with Chekhwuveyi Khusoh and Venezolu Veswu as comperes while administration of oath was done by CRWA general secretary Vezholhu Khusoh. National style wrestling will start from 10:00

AM on January 18.

It may be recalled that Chozuba range has produced three Chakhesang wrestling champions so far: Khwuthayi (1982), Kuvelhu Sapu (1990) and Lhuvenu Phesao (1992). Further, three wrestlers from the range emerged Nagaland wrestling champions: Thupukro Phesao (1974), Lhuvenu Phesao (1994) and Phuluveyi Swuro (2000). The range also produced three international sportspersons so far: Chekrovolu Swuro,Thupuvoyi and Vesuzolu.

one then revealed that she has thought about ending her boycott of Indian Wells.

The world number one and sister Venus have not played at the March tournament in the American desert since 2001, when they were subjected to heckling and, allegedly, racist abuse.

They have resisted all calls to put the past behind them, but Serena revealed she had considered the issue after watching the Nelson Mandela biopic Long Walk To Freedom.

She said: "It actually crossed my mind a couple days ago, after I saw the movie. I thought about it."

C

C

M

M

Y

Y

K

K

Published, Printed and Edited by Ak端m Longchari on behalf of Morung for Indigenous Affairs and JustPeace from House No. 4, Duncan Bosti, Dimapur at Themba Printers and Telecommunications, Padum Pukhuri Village, Dimapur, Nagaland.

RNI No : NAGENG /2005/15430. House No.4, Duncan Bosti, Dimapur 797112, Nagaland. Phone: Dimapur -(03862) 236871, Fax: (03862) 235194, Kohima - (0370) 2291952

For news email: morung@gmail.com and for advertisements and circulation contact: (03862) 236871, Fax-235194 or email : morungad@yahoo.com

PO Reg No. NE/RN-722