20th March 2014

C M Y K

The Morung Express

www.morungexpress.com

Dimapur VOL. IX ISSUE 76

“

www.morungexpress.com

Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith

India to resume hunt for missing Malaysian jetliner

Ashton and Mila Kunis ‘couldn’t stand each other’

[ PAGE 8]

[ PAGE 11]

NINET appeals churches to pray for LS 2014 polls [ PAGE 2]

ANEFWA proposed agitation in abeyance [ PAGE 5]

By Sandemo Ngullie

They are members of crime syndicate? Oh. Government or private sector?

The Morung Express POLL QUESTIOn

Vote on www.morungexpress.com SMS your answer to 9862574165 Do you feel that Nagaland should have more Members of Parliament to the Lok Sabha? no

Others

Wangtin Naga questions AR DIMAPUR, MARCH 19 (MExN): Convenor of the NSCN (K)’s Cease Fire Supervisory Board, Y. Wangtin Naga, has condemned the “ulterior motive” of the 33 Assam Rifles (AR) in allegedly raiding one Colonel Apan’s house at Forest Colony, Mon. “This is the second time that Col. Apan’s house has been raided by the Assam Rifles. The first raid was carried out by 6 Assam Rifles in 2010. During both the raids, nothing was found,” noted Wangtin Naga in a press release today. He has demanded from 33 AR “the reason why they have raided the NSCN (K) official’s house.” “All right thinking citizens, including CFSB, the state government, NGOs and all different agencies in Delhi should condemn such act,” he stated, further adding that “There is no room in present society to accommodate such violent action of the Indian army.”

NLA session begins today KoHIMA, MARCH 19 (MExN): The fourth session of the 12th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) will start from March 20 here. The session will continue till March 24. This fourth session will witness Governor’s address, debate and adoption on motion of thanks to the Governor’s address, obituary references, questions, introduction of government bills, introduction of government resolutions, laying of reports/ papers/rules, presentation of assembly committee reports, presentation of finance (budget) documents 2014-15, adoption of government resolutions, etc.

‘India visa facility via e-button soon’

C M Y K

NEw DElHI, MARCH 19 (IANS): The electronic visa facility or e-visa is in its final stage of development and is expected to be introduced this year, a tourism ministry official said today. Speaking at the “Think TourismThink India: Thought Leadership Meet”, organised by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, tourism secretary Parvez Dewan said the move would catapult India among the top four countries with visa-friendly policies. “The external affairs ministry, the National Security Advisor and all the related agencies have unanimously supported the introduction of electronic travel authorisation (ETAs),” said Dewan.

Thursday, March 20, 2014 12 pages Rs. 4 –Alexis de Tocqueville

Everyone deserves second chance: Viru [ PAGE 12]

Development not insurgency ‘key issue’ in the north east

reflections

Yes

”

C M Y K

An octogenarian returns home after fetching firewood in Tuensang Village. Though LPG and electricity as a source of heat has reached most houses in Nagaland, it is not affordable for all and wood fuel continues to be used for cooking in many areas as firewood is fetched free. (Photo by Imojen I Jamir)

Ten tribe Hohos affirm NFHRCC stand Morung Express news Dimapur | March 19

The ten tribe Hohos backing the construction of the Foothill Road have reaffirmed to stand by the Nagaland Foothill Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC).

Representatives from the tribe Hohos of the Konyak, Yimchunger, Khiamniungan, Phom, Sangtam, Chang, Ao, Sema, Lotha (Kyong) and Rengma tribes along with the NFHRCC convened in Dimapur on March 19 to deliberate and decide on the ‘contract’ imbroglio that has gripped the Foothill Road Connectivity project. The Lotha Hoho, Dimapur and the Lotha Lower Range Public Organisation represented the Wokha sector at the conclave regarded as crucial to the survival and completion of the foothill road.

The Kyong Hoho abstained from the conclave but a message was received midway into the meeting stating that the Kyong Hoho executive body decided not to attend. The brief message further stated that it has no problem with the NFHRCC. After a five-hour long discussion, the conclave came up with a 12-point resolution asserting the stand of the tribe apex bodies and the NFHRCC. The resolutions sought to clear the controversy surrounding the award of work contract and reaffirmed the NFHRCC’s stand that the project cannot be, and will not be, ‘politicized’ in any manner, while maintaining that any attempt to do so will not be tolerated.

On the statements claiming that there was no “competent contractors from the Lotha tribe,” the conclave clarified that it

was a result of “statements made by the Lotha representatives” and not the NFHRCC. Stating that the NFHRCC was a mandated body of the ten Hohos, the conclave cautioned against undermining the dignity of the Committee; while maintaining that targeting any individual or member of the Committee will be treated as an attack on the ten Hohos.

Terming the statements made by MLA Mmhonlumo Kikon as “baseless,” it reasserted that no one will be allowed to exert political pressure, which might influence the course of the foothill road. It named the Nagaland Government, the department in concern (PWD, R&B) and the NFHRCC as the entities responsible for the execution of the project. In this regard, it urged the Nagaland Government to put a stop to the ongoing construction carried out by Wokha District Class I Contractors Union. It reiterated the NHFRCC stand that it will not retract the contract agreement between the NFHRCC and the contractors (P. Imty Ao and Yashitsungba Aier) dated January 18, 2014. Any other agreement, with regard to subletting, without the approval of the NFHRCC will be treated as null and void, the conclave asserted.

With the Nagaland Contractors’ and Suppliers’ Union (NCSU) coming into the picture, the conclave asked the NCSU to withdraw its press statement demanding “open tender.” Failing to do so will compel the ten Hohos to disallow the NCSU to execute any work in the jurisdiction of the ten tribe Hohos, the conclave resolved. The ten apex bodies will meet the Chief Minister of Nagaland on March 20.

NFHRCC Resolution on page 4

AgARtAlA/gUwAHAtI, MARCH 19 (IANS): With regional parties failing to prove themselves in the North East, both the Congress and the BJP have launched their best efforts to capture all 25 seats in the eight states of the region.

However, development is a key issue in the region this time, overlooking the decades-old insurgency, experts say.

“People of the North East want to forget about militancy. The region has diverse ethnic groups, languages and religions. Political parties have to be familiar with these issues during this election too,” said Nani Gopal Mahanta, a professor of political science at Gauhati University and a well-known political analyst.

“In Assam, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress have almost identical chances in at least 6-7 of the 14 seats. But in the other states, the Congress is ahead of the BJP. Regional parties have become insignificant this time,” Mahanta told IANS. With a population of over 45 million, the eight states comprising Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Tripura, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Sikkim, have 27 million eligible voters for the general elections.

“Six to seven percent vote swing on the basis of religion or ethnicity would be a factor for both Congress and BJP,” he said. The Muslim community in the North East, especially in Assam (33 percent of the population), would have its own

Constituencies in the North East Total population Eligible voters

State Parliamentary constituencies Assam 14 Arunachal Pradesh 2 Meghalaya 2 Tripura 2 Manipur 2 Nagaland 1 Mizoram 1 Sikkim 1 Political party Seats in 2009 Lok Sabha Congress 13 Bharatiya Janata Party 4 (in Assam) Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) 2 (in Tripura) Nationalist Congress Party 1 (in Meghalaya) Asom Gana Parishad (AGM) 1 All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) 1 Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF) 1 Naga People’s Front (NPF) 1 Source: IANS impact. Unlike in the 2009 polls, there is no pre-poll alliance this time between the BJP and the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).

The AGP, which ruled Assam for two terms - 19851990 and 1996-2001 - has been suffering due to splits by senior leaders, many of whom left the party to join other political parties including the BJP. Of the 25 seats in the region, 14 are in Assam, two each in Tripura, Meghalaya, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh and one each in Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim. Congress secured 13 seats across the region in the 2009 polls.

While the BJP got four seats in Assam, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) got two seats in Tripura, Nationalist Congress

Pawar rules out aligning with nDA NEw DElHI, MARCH 19 (IANS): NCP chief Sharad Pawar Wednesday ruled out aligning with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for the Lok Sabha elections. “The question of the Nationalist Congress Party going with the NDA does not arise,” Pawar said in an interview to CNN-IBN news channel.

Asked whether Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi could be absolved of the 2002 riots in Gujarat, he said: “Are we not going to respect the judiciary? Judiciary has given a clean chit to Modi in the riots and we cannot challenge that.”

50 years on, naga political, social, cultural history evades curriculum Vibi Yhokha Kohima | March 19

“I came to know about Naga history after I left Nagaland. It is embarrassing and frustrating when outsiders know more than you of your culture and history,” says a Naga youth studying in Delhi. A nation, society or civilization is defined by its history; a society deprived of its history is one without an identity.

The demand for the inclusion of Naga history in the school curriculum has become a cliché after 50 years of statehood; larger the delay, greater the risk our society runs of losing our history.

“We are losing our older generation and today’s generation is so busy trying to catch up with the world that they tend to ignore their roots,” says Dr. Neikesanuo Sorhie, who feels that young Nagas are deeply influenced by for-

eign cultures, and with globalization, as cultures are assimilated, Naga culture faces the issue of losing its originality. Dr. Sorhie shares that most Nagas born and brought up in Nagaland hardly know their roots—the little Naga history and culture her generation learned was mostly through elders and neighbours. “Only a few are interested in our history; the rest are least bothered. We need to include our history in the school curriculum so that even those not interested can grasp at least something about our history,” she asserts.

“It is frustrating to see Naga graduates who don’t have any knowledge of our history, be it socio-political, religious or economic,” adds another youth.

In the larger context, it is not just the Nagas but mainland Indians also who need to know the history and culture of the Nagas and the North East, according to Sedevikho Angami, General Secretary, Angami Students Union (ASU), who says, “We have rich cultural heritage

which needs to be highlighted in the mainland.” Sedevikho also feels that the problem of racism against people of the North East is perhaps due to ignorance.

Rosemary Dzüvichü, Associate Professor, Nagaland University is of the opinion that youngsters today have a lesser feeling of “being Naga.” “The problem with the younger generation is that they are made to study only about European, British and Indian history. We need to be in touch with our roots. Any kind of history is a fact; as is the Naga political struggle, and its facts need to be written down,” says Rosemary, who feels that youngsters need to be aware of the Naga indigenous struggle for Self Determination; unless we have the courage to include such history in the curriculum, the younger generation will remain ignorant.

Then there is the need to introduce an indigenous perspective in the curriculum such as the traditional religion and customary laws of the Nagas before the arrival of Christianity, say a

45 million 27 million

number of citizens. Religion and traditions were interconnected.

Traditional religion was one of conscience, of knowing the difference between right and wrong. Justice was dispensed on moral conscience. Today the Naga society has forgotten that fundamental aspect, they say.

Rosemary opines that Nagaland has enough well-known historians and academicians for the SCERT to conduct a workshop with a panel of Naga experts—people who have done intensive research on Naga history and culture—to get their feedback and suggestions. There is a need for all stakeholders – politicians, civil society leaders, policy makers, educationists – to come together and form a committee so they can seriously discuss details that need attention.

Will the Nagaland State Government discuss and take steps to address these urgent issues?

The Naga public is keenly observing and waiting for a solution as the Nagaland Legislative Assembly begins.

Party secured one seat in Meghalaya, while the AGP, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF) and Naga People’s Front (NPF) bagged one seat each.

Congress is in power in Manipur, Mizoram, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, the CPI-M led Left Front rules Tripura, the NPF-led Democratic Alliance in Nagaland and the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) rules in Sikkim. Of the 566 legislators in the eight states, BJP has five members in Assam, three in Arunachal Pradesh and one in Nagaland.

“Since insurgency has been tamed to a large extent, economic development and backwardness has replaced the militancy issue this time,” said political analyst Tapas Dey, who toured the

region extensively in recent weeks. “The five-decadeold insurgency is no longer an election issue. People want development and welfare, education, high-quality health services and sanitation,” Dey, also an author and columnist, told IANS. Congress and BJP leaders say they will capture the maximum seats this time too. S.S. Ahluwalia, the BJP’s national vice president and party incharge of North East, said: “During the National Democratic Alliance regime headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a separate union ministry, DoNER (Development of North Eastern Region), was set up and the ‘Look-East policy’ was launched to promote the region.” “But the Congressled government did not utilise the ministry for the development of the region,” he told IANS. Ahluwalia, who is contesting from Darjeeling in West Bengal, said many projects related to railways, roads and bridges launched by the NDA government have been put on hold. “When Narendra Modi visited the North East twice for campaigns, we received huge public response, brightening our party’s prospects in the elections,” he said.

However, rubbishing the BJP’s claim, Congress leader Ratan Lal Nath said his party would show their best results this time, as state governments of the Congress have performed well in five of the states.

“The BJP’s tally would be zero and Congress would get at least 20 out of 25 seats.

This is 1,000 percent sure,” Nath told IANS.

Naga youth in Myanmar assert indigenous “will and consent” DIMAPUR, MARCH 19 (MExN): Five students and youth organizations of the Nagas in Myanmar have strongly demanded that the annual celebration of the Naga New Year Festival by 2015 shall not be managed or celebrated according to the directives of the State, but in full freedom, to be managed and celebrated according to the “will and consent” of the Naga indigenous peoples.

This was mentioned in a joint statement on ‘degradation of Naga indigenous culture and national identity faced by the Naga indigenous people in Myanmar’ issued by Naga Student Youth Federation, Yangon, Naga Student Youth Federation, Myitkyina, Makury Naga Youth Federation, Tangshang Naga Students’ Association, and Naga Students’ Fellowship (Myanmar)-Dimapur.

Making an observation that Naga indigenous cultural identities are no more exhibited during the annual celebration of the Naga New Year Festival, and that the cultural heritage of the Naga indigenous peoples is getting “extinct,” the joint statement, while appreciating and welcoming financial support from the State, participation of State dignitaries and all forms of help from the State, demanded that “financial assistance and support sanctioned and donated for the promotion of indigenous literature and culture shall be handed over to the concerned Township/SubTownship Cultural Committees with proper and transparent financial procedures by the organizing committee of the festival.”

It was reiterated that since the Naga New Year Festival is meant to represent the whole Naga public, monopoly on the Festival by certain political parties, dresses and

use of signs and logos that serve as propaganda for any political party, campaign activities and any other activities of the concerned political parties during the celebration are “extremely opposed.”

The five youth organizations also referred to the Naga Tradition and Culture Central Committee (NTCCC) that was formed by the Naga indigenous peoples as the tribal apex body to “promote and preserve the culture and national identity” of the Naga indigenous peoples in Myanmar in 1990.

“Though the NTCCC is meant to represent all the Naga public comprised of all tribes, different faiths and different political ideologies, some of the central committee members are involved or as leaders in some political parties, which can no way be accepted,” asserted the organizations.

They also said that the NTCCC, as the apex body of the Nagas in Myanmar, must have a “concrete constitution and its activities must be executed according to the principle and ethics of its constitution, not individual based.” The joint declaration further demanded that the “partisan leaders” of NTCCC and Township/Sub-Township Cultural Committee leaders and Tribal Cultural Committee leaders “shall be elected and replaced by the members from non-partisan candidates by September 2014 as the deadline date.”

Failing to meet the above demands, the Naga students and youths said they shall cease cooperating for the activities of the NTCCC and the activities of the organizing committee of the festival. “If only the above demands are served, Naga student organizations and youth organizations shall at best cooperate for any goodwill activity,” they jointly declared.

C M Y K

C M Y K

2

Dimapur

LocaL

Thursday 20 March 2014

M Y K

C

NINET appeals churches NSRLM Internal CRPs undergo training in Andhra Pradesh

to pray for LS 2014 polls

C

The Morung Express

ficers and Polling Officers who will be Kohima, march 19 (mExN): Nagaresponsible for each polling booth. That land Intercession Network (NINET), NagaGod will give them wisdom to rule with land Baptist Church Council has appealed truth and justice. to all the churches in Nagaland, irrespective of denomination and affiliation, to or- 12. Let us pray that God will enable us to choose the right leader to represent Naganize chain of prayer from April 1 till the galand State. end of the month for the forthcoming Lok Sabha election. Following prayer points 13. Pray that the political parties (NPF, Congress, BJP, NCP, JDU) of Nagaland will have been suggested: not indulge in any manner like corruption and violence during the election.

1. Pray for 81.4 Crore voters who have been enrolled for the upcoming Lok Sabha 14.Pray that all the Naga Christian electorates cast their own votes prayerfully and election from April 7 to elect 543 leaders democratically without any misbehavacross the country. iour or misconduct.

2. For the first time in Lok Sabha polls, Nagaland voters comprising 11,74663 are 15. In electing a leader to represent the Naga people at the national level, pray going to use Electorate Photo Identity that we will elect someone who will Card (EPIC). Pray that these voters elect faithfully lead our people further from the right leader for Nagas. where we are right now.

3. Pray that no voters sell or accept money when different party workers distribute 16. Pray that on April 9, 2014, Naga Christians would exercise their franchise with money for proxy voting. the Christian spirit.

4. Pray that no voter use or demand alco17. Pray that on April 9, 2014, Naga Chrishol during election campaign. tians would decide our fate peacefully 5. Pray that no underage cast their vote so as believers in Christ and no untoward that every voter exercise their franchise or unwarranted situations will happen with clear conscience. in the whole of Nagaland.

6. Pray that every voter maintain peaceful 18. Pray that no killings, violence, clashes environment in the polling station. and booth capturing take place in entire 7. Pray that political parties and candidates in Nagaland on voting day.

Nagaland will uphold the democratic traditions of the country, maintaining high stan- 19. Let us pray that Naga Christians demonstrate our faith in God to the world dards of political discourse and fair play. on April 9, 2014 by conducting fair and 8. In Nagaland, there are Eleven Lakhs Fifclean election. ty One Thousand Four Hundred eligible voters. Pray that each voter will freely ex- 20. Pray for the Church leaders and believers that they would not indulge/ involve ercise his/ her right without being purin any proxy voting or selling of votes as chased. this degrades the image of God. 9. Pray that election will be free and fair throughout Nagaland. As a Christian state, 21. Pray for the Church, NGOs, Student bodies, Women organizations, and Tribpray that Election Code of Conduct will be al Hohos not to involve in any undemostrictly followed so that election will be cratic practices during the election. clean and voters will not sell their votes.

10. Pray for the security personnel. That 22. Pray for the Naga National leaders and workers that they would stand firm on God will use them protecting God's the Naga principles, and not betray the people who come for voting. There will inspirations of Naga nation by indulgbe about 2,059 polling booths in Nagaing in the forthcoming election for their land using Electronic Voting Machines individual gain or factional benefits.

(EVS). Pray that these machines will not 23. Pray for the candidates Neiphiu Rio and fail while voting.

KV Pusa that God will keep them in good 11. Pray for the Returning Officers (DC) health and sound mind throughout the who will be responsible for each diselection. trict. Pray also for all the Presiding Of-

Kohima, march 19 (mExN): The National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) lays emphasis on Community Resource Persons (CRPs) as part of its Institution and Capacity Building process whereby, resource persons are selected from the community by community members themselves. The strategy is to uplift women by giving them the opportunity to be leaders and trainers to train Self Help Group (SHG) members in the community. In this context, the Nagaland State Rural Livelihood Mission (NSRLM) has laid stress on importance of training women to become resource persons and has signed an MoU with OMPLIS, Orvakal Block, Andhra Pradesh, a National Resource Organisation to jointly address the capacity needs of the 9 Resource Blocks of Nagaland.

36 Internal Community Resource Persons (ICRPs) have been selected (4 each

from 9 resource blocks under NSRLM) and have left for Andhra Pradesh accompanied by 9 Area Coordinators. The Training is expected to help in strengthening the resource blocks and rolling out the CRP Strategy. A precursory session was held on March 16 at AIDA, Dimapur. Additional Secretary to the Government of Nagaland and Mission Director, NSRLM Motsuthung Lotha briefed the gathering on the importance of the training, and encouraged them to learn as much as possible for the personal growth and the benefit of the community as a whole. He highlighted the Mission’s vision of empowering women to bring the family and community out of poverty through such intensive strategies. CEO, NSRLM Visasolie Lhoungu urged the women to assist each other during the training process and gather as much knowledge as possible to become important

Officer AICRP-Soybean, NU-SASRD on his keynote address highlighted the important of soybean in our diet and also its commercial value and various value addition and processed items that can be done in soybean.

The importance of cultivating leguminous crops like soybean in maintaining soil fertility was also highlighted. Technical session on soybean cultivation technique was taken up by Dr. Engrala, Scientist, AICRP-

Y K

Internal Community Resource Persons during a briefing session at AIDA, Dimapur on Sunday.

(Inset) Addl. Secretary and Mission Director, NSRLM, M. Lotha addressing the gathering .

resource persons. State Project Manager M. Rollan Lotha explained about the roles and responsibilities of the ICRPs who would be effectively engaged during implementation and rollout of CRP Strategy.

It may be noted that as part of the Resource Block Strategy under NRLM (Ministry of Rural Development), the State Rural Livelihood Mission and

Farmers’ training on soybean cultivation at Kohima conducted

Kohima, march 19 (DiPr): ATMA Kohima in collaboration with AICRPSoybean NU-SASRD conducted one day Farmer’s training on Soybean cultivation on March 19 at DAO conference hall, Kohima.

Nosezole, DAO & PD (ATMA), Kohima on her keynote address stressed on the importance of soybean cultivation with the advent of a new programme in NFSM (Pulses). Dr. Tongpang Longkumer, Programme

M

soybean and plants protection measures for soybean

by Mhasikhotuo Mere, AOII DAO Office, Kohima.

Problem related to disease and pest management were also discussed. The programme ended with an interaction session for the farmers. Rosalane Kithan, Dy. PD (ATMA), Kohima chaired the programme.

Altogether 35 farmers from Chiephobozou block and Kohima block could attend the training programme.

the National Resource Organization will be engaging Professional Resource Person (PRP) and external Community Resource Person (CRP) Team for developing and strengthening the resource blocks during FY 2014-15. The internal CRPs of Nagaland will form part of this team in mobilizing the community for Formation, Nurturing and Strengthening of SHGs in

Nagaland. The PRP Team will be a static team positioned at the Resource Blocks, and the CRP Team will be covering 180 Days of village stay in a year.

The NSRLM hopes that this strategy will help in developing home grown models which will enable scaleup of NRLM Program in the State of Nagaland through the nurtured resource block.

NSF Martyrs Day today Kohima, march 19 (mExN): The Naga Students Federation would be commemorating the 28th NSF Martyrs Day as a sign of paying homage to Lt. Vikhozo Yhoshü and late Kekuojalie Sachu on March 20 at 9:00 am at NSF Martyrs Park, Kohima. Therefore, the Federation invites all the senior leaders, Tribunals, Federating units/sub ordinate bodies with at least 5 members, bereaved family members and relatives, students from Mezhur Higher Secondary School Kohima and Government Higher Secondary School, Seikhazou to attend. This was stated in a press release issued by NSF General Secretary Esther Rhakho.

HBI Alumni meeting on March 19 DimaPur, march 19 (mExN): Hindustan Bible Institute & College (HBI) Alumni has convened meeting on March 25 at 2:00 pm at Indigenous Cultural Society Centre City Tower Junction, Dimapur. A press release issued by Dr.H.Chishi, President HBI Alumni has requested all the alumni members to attend the meeting positively.

C M Y K

Updates on GPF final payment cases TUBER CROPS-an important

DimaPur, march 19 (mExN): All retired state government officials are informed that GPF Final payment cases settled upto the month of February 2014 have been uploaded on the AG Nagaland website. Pensioners may log on to this Office website at www.agnagaland.gov.in by clicking at Felicitation and GPF Felicitation or by directly clicking on the Sticky Note written, “Click here to view list

C M Y K

of settled GPF final payment cases” An Online Grievance Redressal System is functioning in this Office and can be viewed on this Office website. Any person having grievance with any Entitlement function (GPF and Pension) discharged by the Accountants General can record his/ her grievance online. Along with text of the grievance, relevant documents can also be uploaded. Acknowledg-

ments would be provided both via SMS and e-mail, along with status updates via SMS. They can also write to the Deputy Accountant General (A&E) Kahoto J Yepthomi or e-mail at kahoto_j@yahoo.co.in or agaenagaland@cag.gov.in for immediate redressal of their grievances.

A press release issued by Accounts Officer, IT Cell/PF Branch informed that this is also to inti-

mate all serving State government officials once again, that a special drive for missing credit adjustment and balance transfer cases has been initiated in this Office w.e.f. September.2013. Therefore, complaint if any of non-adjustment of missing items may be submitted indicating Receipt number and Account Number for immediate redressal and action at this end.

Workshops on biotechnology and IPR held at SETAM

Kohima, march 19 (mExN): A one day workshop on Biotechnology and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) was organized at School of Engineering Technology and Management (SETAM), Dimapur, on March 13 by Biotechnology Hub and Patent Information Cell (PIC) under Nagaland Science & Technology Council (NASTEC), Kohima Nagaland.

The programme began with a welcome address from H. Rathore, Asst Professor, Department of Biotechnology, SETAM, while a keynote address was delivered by Dr Nesatalu Hiese, Scientist D and Coordinator.

In her address, Dr Hiese stressed on the need for the academia and researchers to collaborate and work together so that a progres-

Participants of the workshop on biotechnology & intellectual property rights organized by Nagaland Science and Technology Council (NASTEC).

sive development can be brought in the field of Science & Technology, particularly for Nagaland state.

In the technical session, Kekuneil Henry Ltu, Scientist ‘B’ spoke on the prospects of Biotechnology in Nagaland and Gihukali

Chishi, In-charge of PIC, on IPR. Chishi emphasized on the importance of IPR in the present scenario and how our rights are being infringed by others and thus deliberated on awareness to safeguard & protect our rights.

Dr. Merino Visa, Research Scientist, encouraged the students to take up germplasm documentation or harness our latent resources in the best way possible with a scientific temper.

She also challenged stu-

Dimapur Bosco B.Ed. College Welcome Home Dad celebrates foundation day

C M Y K

We welcome our father, Mr. Kevileso Angami, fondly also known as K. V. Angami in the railway community, who halls from Zhadima village of Kohima district, has retired from the Railway Services on the 28th of February 2014, from Alipurduar Division, N. F. Railway, West Bengal, from the post of Divisional Security Commissioner. He joined the Railway Services as a Sub-Inspector in the year 1976 and rose to the rank of Divisional security Commissioner, making him the first and the only Naga from Nagaland to do so, till date. His duties gave him the opportunity to serve various parts of the country, where he brought fame and recognition of our people, the Nagas, the Angamis, the people of Zhadima and to us in particular, his children. We, his sons, along with his daughter in laws and the staff of Railway Protection Force of Dimapur, led by Mr. Rokoneicha Pucho, the Inspector, his officers and staffs welcomed and received him home on the 12th of March 2014. We thank God the almighty for taking care of him all these years and bringing him home safe, may he continue to do so.

With best wishes and love

Your Sons and Daughter in laws

DimaPur, march 19 (mExN): Bosco B. Ed. College, Dimapur celebrated the 12th foundation day on March 18 in the college auditorium, with Nibu Nagi, Proprietor and Managing Director, NN Constructions and Décor, Dimapur, as the chief guest.

The publicity wing of the college in a press release said that Nibu Nagi, in his speech emphasized upon the need to impart quality education to the society.

He said that the teachers are highly respected in the society and they should do justice to their duties as teachers. He called upon all the teachers to be more sincere and committed in their profession, and help build up a more honest and progressive society. He exhorted all the teachers to be more hard working, dedicated and honest in their

profession.

Fr. Bosco, vice provincial of Salesian Province of Dimapur, who was the guest of honour, exhorted all the teachers to acquire as much knowledge as possible for serving the student community better. He also called upon the teachers to develop communication skills to be more effective in their profession, and to become lighted candles in order to dispel the darkness of this world and to enlighten it. Fr. TC Joseph, rector of B. Ed. College said, “A teacher’s life is directly and visibly an ‘other oriented’ life as the teacher works for the betterment and welfare of the students.”

The whole programme was a colourful and enthralling one as the B. Ed. Students put up a wide variety of well-prepared items.

The programme ended with refreshment for everyone.

dents to give a follow up of the programme and urged them not to hesitate to contact the NASTEC group when in need. Dr Visa further expressed gratitude to Prof. D.P. Chaturvedi, Dean, SETAM, for hosting the workshop.

alternative food source of energy

TuENsaNg, march 19 (mExN): Tubers are modified plant structure enlarged to store food for the plant. Of the two types of tubers, i.e., stem and root tubers, more importance has been attributed to the root tubers in the diet of the common person.

Their high contributions of carbohydrates in the limited availability of rice have made the tuber crops, particularly colocasia indispensable as energy source. In Nagaland, more importance has been given to colocasia and tapioca based on the level of consumption and area under such crops.

Colocasia/Taro: Colocasia has its origin in South-Central Asia.

Nutritional facts • Corms has more calories than potato, 100g provides 112 calories • One of the finest source of dietary fibre; 100g of flesh provides 4.1g or 11% of daily requirement of dietary fibre • Taro leaves as well as yellow fleshed roots have significant level of phenolic flavonoid pigment antioxidants such ascarotene and cryptoxanthin along with vitamin A • It also contains good levels of some valuable B-complex group of vitamins such as pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), folates, riboflavins, panthothenic acid and thiamine.

• Further, the corm also provides some important minerals like zinc, magnesium, copper, iron and manganese.

In addition the roots have very good amount of potassium.

Cassava/Tapioca: Originated in Brazil of Latin America.

Important features • It is one of the cheapest source of carbo-

hydrate • Tapioca produces more calories per unit area per unit time • Plants are highly adjusted to different climatic factors • It is an important low cost source energy source for livestock • Tapioca is also used as raw material for industrial starch and fuel alcohol Though these tuber crops were being grown in the state with no definite history, its contribution as food for man and feed for livestock had always been present. As food crops that have helped humans to tide over periods of food scarcity these crops have potential as food reserve owing to its high calorific values and plant characteristics to adapt to adverse climatic factors. In recognition of its importance and contribution to the food plates of the tribal people of the NEH region, the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Sreekariyam, Trivundrum have initiated a project in collaboration with ICAR NEH with an objective of enhancing Food Security and Sustainable livelihoods in the North- Eastern India through Tuber crops technologies. Under this project, technologies dissemination through Frontline Demonstration in the field has been carried out for showcasing and popularisation of the various technologies. Three districts under Nagaland centre, Mon, Mokokchung and Tuensang were selected partnering with ICAR Centre Dimapur, NGO Shibah Welfare, KVK Mon, KVK Mokokchung and KVK Tuensang.

The technologies that are been demonstrated are Tapioca Var. Sree Vijaya, Colocasia Muktakeshi for 2013-14. This was stared in a press release issued by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Tuensang.

C M Y K

DRFCB cautions on illegal excavation DimaPur, march 19 (mExN): The Dhansiri River Flood Control Board (DRFCB) has stated that excavation above the embankment to construct the open septic latrine is illegal work. The Board, Chairman Hokheto Kiba said in a press release that it is strictly prohibited to construct the open septic latrine at the riverbank, which is polluting the environment and river.

The board cannot accept that under whosever supervision/in-charge such an unwanted works is not allowed to work on the riverbank and damage the embankment. Therefore, the board directs to repair the damaged embankment immediately. “It is A JCB engaged in illegal excavation work on the riverbank. highly risk for urban haat flood time.

The bridge has British period so it needs port to hold it,” the Board and old dhansiri bridge during rainy season or been constructed during a strong foundation sup- added.

C M Y K

REgional

The Morung Express

Thursday

20 March 2014

Rahul Gandhi applauds Manipur youth IMPHAL, MArcH 19 (THe HIndu): The AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi appreciated the talented youth of Manipur who have brought laurels from national and international arenas at various sports events.

Speaking in a public meeting at Wangjing Kodompokpi which falls within the reserved Outer Manipur constituency on Wednesday, Mr.Gandhi said that the youth have proved their mettle and assured that the government will bring about employment generation.

He made special mention of Mary Kom, the boxer who has been reigning the international scenario for at least five years. He said that he was not surprised to see that girls outshine the boys in sports and other fields.

Because there were more women than men in the public meeting, he noted.

He arrived at the Tulihal airport by a special aircraft from Meghalaya at 2 p.m. Thereafter, he rushed to the meeting venue by a helicopter and reached there in ten minutes. He spoke for about 25 minutes.

Mr. Gandhi said that the country takes a serious view of the lynching of

a student from Arunachal Pradesh in Delhi and other reports of maltreatment of the youth from the Northeast. Care has been taken to ensure that it is stopped once and for all.

India is a big country of different communities with their own culture, languages and tradition.

The Congress respects all of them and it is the duty of the communities to keep the country strong and united. Without naming the BJP, he said that one opposition party is dreaming of having a country of one flower only. But the Congress respects all communities in the country and all flowers are blooming since the Congress does not believe in one community country.

He said that the Congress respects the culture and tradition of the people of Manipur and he described the state as a jewel.

As a part of the Look east policy the UPA I and II had improved the national highways 2 and 37 and the construction works of the railways were started. He was confident that people will taste the fruits during the UPA III. He also said that 100 bedded hospitals have been constructed in five districts

Gogoi's son files nomination

BJP bats for Gorkhaland, asserts Ahluwalia

Gaurav Gogoi

nAGAOn, MArcH 19 (PTI): The second generation of Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's family stepped into active politics with his son Gaurav Gogoi filing his nomination papers for the Koliabor parliamentary seat on Wednesday.

Accompanied by his mother Dolly Gogoi and his English wife Elizabeth Colburn Gogoi, Gaurav filed his papers before the returning officer and Nagaon Deputy Commissioner.

Gaurav, later on, participated in a procession with Gayan Bayan (ethnic cultural troupe) to the DC's office accompanied also by ministers Rockybul Hussain and Ajanta Neog, MLAs Gautam Bora, Bismita Gogoi, Arun Phukan and other Congress leaders.

Former MLA Jiten Gogoi and Arup Kumar Mahanta also filed their nomination papers on Wednesday for the seat as Independent and CPML candidates respectively, DC office sources said.

On Tuesday one Binood Gogoi had filed his papers to fight as an Independent contestant from Koliabor seat. The last date for filing nomination for this seat is March 21 and scrutiny will be held the next day.

Rahul cancels Mizoram trip

Rahul Gandhi speaking in a public meeting at Wangjing Kodompokpi which falls within the reserved Outer Manipur constituency on Wednesday, March 19. (NNN Photo)

and the remaining districts will be covered shortly.

He also declared that Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal had been upgraded to the AIIMS like status. The Rajiv Gandhi NIT will soon be constructed in Manipur. The government is giving special stress on healthcare services since there are plans to improve the healthcare tourism in Manipur for the benefit of the East Asian countries.

The Tulihal airport had

SILIGurI, MArcH 19 (IAnS): BJP vice president S.S. Ahluwalia Wednesday asserted that his party was in favour of creating smaller states, and said the demand for a separate Gorkhaland was not unconstitutional.

Ahluwalia, who is contesting from the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency, criticised the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal for its "vengeful atti-

recently been upgraded to an international one. He also ridiculed the opposition plan to impose the Gujarat model on other states.

He said that each state has its own model and there is no need to copy model of another state.

The Congress party unit in Imphal had arranged 12,000 chairs in the meeting venue. After roughly counting the people squatting or standing in the field it is estimated that about 30,000

tude" towards the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) which has been demanding Gorkhaland.

"BJP is in favour of creating smaller states for better administration. We have always maintained that the problems and concerns of both the Gorkhas and the tribals here will be considered sympathetically," the Bharatiya Janata Party leader told reporters.

"People, who are against the

division of the state have the constitutional right to oppose, but at the same time the Gorkhas by demanding a separate state are also not asking for anything unconstitutional," said Ahluwalia.

Ahluwalia said a BJP delegation will meet the Election Commission against the "wrongful" arrest of GJM activists.

"In the garb of the EC's order, the Trinamool government is venge-

ITAnAGAr, MArcH 19 (PTI): Election Commission has extended the polling time by one hour for the April 9 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh, Commission's Director General Ashish Srivastava said.

Srivastava, who is on a two-day visit to the state to assess poll preparation, told reporters here yesterday that polling would be held between 7 AM and 5 PM in Arunachal Pradesh on April 9 next.

The DG said all arrangements had been made for ensuring free, fair, error-free and peaceful polls in the state.

"The polls preparations are in place to provide a level playing field for all," he said. "Central Observers have also been deployed to act as eyes and ears of the Commission and their mobile numbers will be published and also fixed scheduled time for meeting the Observers in each district," he said.

Steps have also been taken for deploying micro observers, video cover-

age in polling centres and webcasting in some locations.

Other measures, he said, included deployment of adequate central paramilitary forces, operationalisation of state surveillance team, flying squads, expenditure control team and model code implementation team. He called upon all the stakeholders ranging from the voters, candidates, political parties, polling officials, media and all other stakeholders to make the 2014 polls a successful one.

Mizoram LS: UDF announces common candidate AIZAWL, MArcH 19 (PTI): The eight-party opposition combine today announced that the United Democratic Front (UDF) would nominate Robert Romawia Royte as its common candidate for the election to the lone Mizoram Lok Sabha seat.

The combine at a press conference also announced the name of M Dawngliana as its common candidate for by-election to the Hrangturzo assembly constituency Polling for the Lok Sabha seat and by-election to the Hrangturzo seat would be held simultaneously on April nine.

Robert Romawia Royte,

After brief hiccups in the alliance, when the ZNP, BJP and the HPC formed a separate alliance, the UDF constituents finally agreed to fight the ruling Congress unitedly, former Deputy Speaker Vanlalhlana said. Vanlalhlana said that the Lok Sabha candidate Royte, if elected would join the NDA in Parliament.

The two common candidates would contest the election and by-election as Independents and use 'Bus' as a symbol, he said, adding that the candidates do not belong to any political party and were acceptable to the people irrespective of party affiliations.

Meghalaya presents deficit budget

LOST LOSTMARKSHEET MARKSHEET

sive and promoted inclusive growth, and that it was committed to ensuring that the benefits of growth reach all sections of society. There has been significant increase in allocation in the last four years in crucial sectors like agriculture, roads and education and health, he said.

Expressing concern over the security situation posed by militants in certain pockets of the state, Sangma said the government has decided to raise a full-fledged commando force to be known as "Special Force 10", with a total strength of 1,795 personnel.

The chief minister said a $125 million project agreement was signed between India and the Asian Development Bank Jan 23 to improve the quality, delivery and access to secondary and higher secondary school education and facilitate result-oriented technical and vocational skill training in the state, especially for women.

The ADB's loan will be $100 million and the state

government's contribution will be $25 million. Out of the $100 million, 90 percent would be as grant to the state government and 10 percent as loan by the union government, he said.

I, E. Chenithung Ezung am applying for a duplicate copy of marksheet of Class-12 as have lost it.

Name: E. Chenithung Ezung F/name: Y. Ekyimsao Ezung Registration number: 827449 DOB: 15th May 1990 School: Christian Model High School, Wokha, Nagaland Year: 2008 Batch

AFFIDAVIT REG. NO. 0024/14 Know to all men, I, Dr. Toshimanen Ozukum, son of Late mapuzulu, age about 53 years, resident of Lower Chandmari, Kohima, Nagaland in the State of Nagaland do hereby solementy affirm and declare as follows!

1. That I belonged to Ozukum clan of Ao tribe hailing from Mongsenyimti Village in Mokokchung District in the State of Nagaland. ‘Ozukum’ is my clan name and ‘Ao’ is the name of my tribe and as such it is voluntary and optional to use the name of the clan or the tribe after my name.

2. That my name has been abbreviated and entered as M. Toshimanen Ao in my Service Book.

3. That In the 2006, I have been conferred the Doctorate of Philosophy in view of which the word, Dr has been used before my name and since then my name has been entered as Dr. Toshimanen in my identity card as well as in other documents.

4. That however, in my Credit Card my name has been entered as M. Toshi Ozukum which is my short name.

5. That different names were used in different Official documents due to inadvertent mistakes, However, all are my name.

6. That this affidavit may be treated as a piece of evident that M. Toshimanen Ao, M. Toshimanen, M. Toshi Ozukum and Dr. Toshimanen is the same person and henceforth my name shall be as Dr. Toshimanen Ozukum in all official documents in future.

7. That the statement made in paragraphs I to 6 are true to the best of my knowledge and I have not suppressed anything.

And I signed this affidavit on this day the 10th day of March 2014 at Kohima Solemnly affirm and declare before me who is also identified by Wati Jamir, Advocate on this the 10th day of March, 2014 at Kohima.

Deponent NOTARY PUBLIC.

Rahul promises sports facilities in Manipur THOuBAL, MArcH 19 (PTI): Congress vicepresident Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday promised sports facilities in Manipur if the party came to power. Speaking at a public meeting at Wangjing village in interior Thoubal district, Rahul Gandhi said if his party came to power after the coming Lok Sabha polls, facilities for the improvement for sports would be developed in the state.

The youth who were interested in sports would then be provided with all the facilities by the Centre, he said during his brief stay in Manipur, which has produced sportspersons like boxer Mary Kom. The Congress vicepresident also said that his party would also try to set up a National Institute of Technology in the state.

fully issuing warrants against GJM activists. Moreover, in a show of favouritism, warrants have not been issued against those GJM activists who have switched to Trinamool.

"Ever since the GJM entered into an alliance with us, the Trinamool government has issued over 1,000 warrants. This is nothing but to create panic. A BJP committee will be meeting the EC in this regard," he said.

EC extends poll timing by an hour in Arunachal

(47), a former government employee, is the chief managing director of the North East Consultancy Service (NECS) and consultant of Nagaland and Meghalaya state governments while M. Dawngliana is a retired Mizoram Civil Service (MCS) officer.

The UDF, comprising the Mizo National Front (MNF), the Mizoram People's Conference (MPC), the Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP), the Maraland Democratic Front (MDF), the Hmar People's Convention (HPC), the Paite Tribes Council (PTC), the BJP and the NCP would kick-off its campaign in Aizawl tomorrow.

SHILLOnG, MArcH 19 (IAnS): Announcing levy of export fee on forest products in Meghalaya, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma Wednesday presented a Rs.527 crore deficit budget for the 2014-15 fiscal.

Sangma, who holds the finance portfolio, said the government was exploring the feasibility of increasing the tax slab for liquor and also to bring into the tax net the admissible textile products. He said the government was examining a proposal for upward revision of rates on sand and stone.

Sangma said the overall expenditure in fiscal 201415 would be Rs.11,893 crore, of which revenue expenditure is estimated at Rs.9,903 crore and capital expenditure at Rs.1,990 crore. The plan expenditure has been pegged at Rs.7,434 crore while the total non-plan expenditure has been estimated at Rs.4,249 crore for 2014-15.

He said the government's approach to development was comprehen-

persons were present in the meeting held from 2:10 pm to 3:37 pm. Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh had said that about 50,000 persons would attend the meeting.

Security measures were beefed up in Imphal east and Imphal west and Thoubal districts on the occasion of the visit of Mr. Gandhi.

Police say there was no untoward incident despite the general strike and boycott calls given by two underground organizations.

AIZAWL/AGArTALA, MArcH 19 (IAnS): Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, who is on a visit to the northeastern states, has cancelled his visit to Mizoram on Wednesday in view of the ongoing assembly session, a party spokesperson said in Aizawl. "Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to address an election rally at Mualpui (near Aizawl city), Wednesday. He cancelled his trip to the state in view of the ongoing assembly session," state Congress spokesman Thanglawra Ngurte told reporters.

Gandhi, who addressed an election rally in Arunachal Pradesh Tuesday, would also speak at several election rallies in Meghalaya and Manipur Wednesday. He addressed election rallies in Assam last month.

No schedule has yet been announced to visit Leftruled Tripura by any top Congress leaders to campaign for the party. Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland and Meghalaya will go to polls April 9 (second phase), while Manipur will see two-phase polling April 9 and 17. Mizoram and Nagaland have one Lok Sabha seats each. Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Tripura and Manipur have two seats each while Assam has 14 Lok Sabha constituencies.

Dimapur

3

NPF fields 12 for Arunachal Assembly polls KO H I M A , M A r c H 19(PTI): The Naga People's Front (NPF) today declared names of 12 candidates for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh scheduled on April 9, a senior party official said.

Four candidates would be fielded in the Naga-inhabited areas of the state while eight would be fielded from Itanagar, party president Shurhozelie Liezietsu said during a ticket distribution ceremony here today. On Students Union Movement of Arunachal (SUMA)'s call to oppose NPF's entry into the state, he said the party will take up the matter carefully as there are some "misinterpretations". "We will meet SUMA leaders and resolve the matter with them," he said.

On SUMA's allegations that the NPF has close ties with NSCN (I-M) and its presence in the state would lead to a tribal unrest and exert political influence through "militant power", he clarified that NPF and NSCN (I-M) are different. "Ours (NPF) is a recognised political party and when there are takers, we can go to any part of the country." The SUMA has written to the state chief electoral commissioner in this connection also.

TO LET (BLDG) & FOR SALE- SCHOOL BUS A RCC building (18050 Sft) comprising 28 Rooms with attached 19 Toilets in heart of Dimapur (Duncan) Town situated in main road NH: 36. Preferable to offer the entire building to one group/individual person letting for hire.

Amenities power (3 phases), W/S (gravity) with Security wall. Also, a School/ College 37 Seaters Bus 2012-Model six months used in city Dimapur for sale available.

For details may contact Mobile No: 9436002356

Christian Institute of Health Sciences & Research, 4th Mile, Dimapur

VACANCIES

1) Diploma /ITI in Electronics and Communication preferably with experience in medical equipment. Candidates should have knowledge in repairing and troubleshoot problems in Electronic devices.

Candidates should submit the prescribed application form along with their supporting documents by 2nd April 2014.Application form can be downloaded from our website-www.cihsr.in And address it to The HR Department, Christian Institute of Health Sciences and Research, 4th Mile, Dimapur-797112 Or e-mail to:hrd.cihsr@gmail.com Contact Number: 03862-242555 (Extn no. 2213)

FELICITATION Tsieramia Youth Organisation, L. Khel Kohima Village hereby felicitates its member Mr. Kesonyü Yhome (IAS) for having assumed charge as Principal Director and Joint Secretary (Education Department) Government of Nagaland.

The organization pledges to extend its full support and cooperation and wishes him the very best in all his endeavours Ketouvizo Tseikha President Tsieramia Youth Organisation.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Born 16-11-1948 Died 13-03-2014 “Your battle is now over, no more tears flowing down your cheeks, no more pain, no more sufferings.”

Through this column, we the bereaved family members express our heartfelt gratitude to every individual, churches, friends, organizations and well wishers who stood by us physically, materially, financially and through constant prayers at the sudden and untimely demise of our beloved father Lt. Kidese Coloman Rhetso, who left for his heavenly abode on 13 March 2014.

We regret our inability to thank each one of you individually but it is our sincere and humble prayer deep down our hearts that our Almighty God bless each one of you in abundance.

Loving wife, children and relatives.

C M Y K

4

public discoursE

Thursday

Dimapur

20 March 2014

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

GPRN/NSCN on Khaplang appointing Gen. Niki I n 2012, Mr. Khaplang had written to Western Nagas through FNR not to interfere in his affairs in Burma, while assuring that he will not interfere in the political affairs in western sector. That was a clear indication and perhaps the most practical decision which GPRN/NSCN duly acknowledged and appreciated.

On 18th March, 2014, there was a tiny space in the local dailies mentioning SS Khaplang’s order, appointing Gen. Niki as his finance In-charge.

Whether or not the order originated from Khaplang is a different issue, but the manner in which a military commander in the rank of a Major General reduced to a mere collector is something unheard of. The prime minister allocates portfolios in consultation with the president under normal procedures.

In today’s age, revolutionary conducts and ethics, be it during peacetime or wartime must be acceptable to the people. And GPRN/NSCN do

The Morung Express

not subscribe to dictatorship mindset and approach. The order of SS Khaplang cannot be implemented in Nagaland since his demand has been fulfilled by Myanmar government.

On March 11, 2014, a GPRN/ NSCN cadre was injured at Kohima, when he was accosted by the Khaplang group and shot at. The perpetrators have been identified. GPRN/ NSCN do not wish to disturb the peaceful atmosphere. Patience need not be tested further.

GPRN/NSCN requests the Naga people against subscribing to such bogus demands as it only legitimises mafia culture. On its part, GPRN/NSCN shall be on a lookout and identify all those demanding tax in the name of General Niki. Those civilians found collaborating with K group, collecting and transacting on their (Khaplang) behalf shall be seriously dealt with.

Ministry of Information & Publicity, GPRN/NSCN

Nagaland Foot Hill Road Construction Committee Resolution on March 19 1. We, the Apex ten Naga Tribal Hohos re-affirmed the decision taken by the NFHRCC not to politicized the historic project in any manner whatsoever. In the event, if the same is violated by any tribes/persons the apex Hohos will not tolerate in any manner.

2. The Apex Hohos fully understood that the statements made to the effect that there is no competent contractors from the Lotha tribe is a result of statements made by the Lotha representatives. Therefore, the public should not be confused.

3. The Apex Hoho reposed the faith and confidence to the NFHRCC. Further, it is also resolved that whatever the NFHRCC acts or does the same is to be treated as an act or action of the apex Hohos.

4. The apex Hohos also warned not to personalize the matter and in the event if the same continues it will be treated as an attack to the apex Hohos and for which necessary action will be initiated.

5. It is made very clear that NFHRCC is constituted on the strength of the apex Hohos. Therefore no one is allowed to undermine the Majesty and Dignity of the NFHRCC. 6. It is also resolved by the apex Hohos that there is no reason to tender apology by the NFHRCC before any forum in respect of ongoing foothill road construction.

7. It is resolved by the apex Hohos to all the contractors and Hon’ble MLAs not to interfere with the ongoing foothill road construction.

8. It is fully established that the foothill road is extra ordinary project.

Therefore the project should be executed among three organs namely: Govt., Concerned department and NFHRCC. 9. It is resolved by the apex Hohos to immediately withdraw the news statement made by the NCSU in respect of the F.H.P. Failing which the NCSU will not allow to execute any contract works within the jurisdiction of 10 tribes.

10. It is also resolved by the 10 Apex hohos to press upon the Government to immediately stop the unauthorised construction carried out by 1st class Lotha contractors.

11. It is also resolved that the 10 apex Hohos thoroughly dismissed the baseless statements made by the honourable MLA. 12. The Apex Hohos has fully uphold the Agreement entered between the NFHRCC and the Contractors. Further, it is also resolved that in the event if any Agreement/Power of Attorney is signed/entered by the Contractor(s) without the written approval of the NFHRCC the same will be treated as null and void in to-to.

K

ohima has a landmark. It is called BOC. It stood for a fuel station. In earlier times, it was the only fuel station in the whole of Kohima. It had two fuel dispensing machines. The surroundings were dirty, dusty and full of puddles filled by waste mobile oil. The owners of this station never bothered to make it a pleasant place with overhead shades or plaster the parking area to make it neat. They had the monopoly over fuel in Kohima but did not give back anything to the place. The fuel station closed a few years back as more people developed better facilities around the city.

Tata started off with steel. They have a cool advertisement. They talk about all the social and charitable projects they undertake in the country. At the end of it all, it closes with – We also make steel. Tata Trust now funds many worthy causes. They also govern the way Indians live. We drink Tata tea, wear Titan watches and Tanishq jewelry, see through Titan glasses, get our gadgets from Chrome, talk on Tata Indicom mobile network, drive Tata vehicles and stay at Ginger hotels – all Tata enterprises. Their social input seems to be paying off – apart from their market savvy culture.

Shell which is one of the largest oil companies in the world extracts oil from Nigeria one of the big oil producing countries. It ravaged the country for many years. Nigeria did not benefit from its oil except some wildly rich folks. Today, it advertises itself as a socially responsible company contributing to many worthy causes around the world. British petroleum (BP) seems to have caught on the same idea.

Bill Gates the once richest man of earth (and still a young man) put most of his earnings into the Gates foundation which funds a huge amount of social projects across the globe. Warren Buffet the then 2nd richest man and

now an old man of 85 gave almost all of his personal fortune to the Gates foundation. When Lakshmi Mittal the 4th richest man was asked his opinion on this concept, he said - it was crazy.

Gates and Buffet learnt the joy of giving early in life.

America is the greatest country on Earth today. Its multicultural people are the most creative and innovative people. Americans give to the world with phenomenal generosity. Children give out of their pocket money to feed the hungry in Africa. America takes. It also gives.

India has one of the most number of millionaires in the world. India does not give in proportion to its wealth.

We do not have a culture of giving. It is mainly a culture of hoarding. We started spending just a few years back when Manmohan opened up the economy.

Indians spend the most per capita amongst travelers in Europe. I have not seen too many Indian Philanthropy foundations apart from Azim Premji, Infosys and some like them.

The Government of India has now passed an order saying that all companies/ corporates need to undertake CSR or corporate social responsibility projects. It comes from the concept that if you take from the land, you must give back to the land. You cannot just exploit the place and run off with your profits.

Today companies utilize CSR for various reasons. It helps them • Get a good public image as a responsible organization with an interest in society.

• Helps them save on taxes • Sell their products more as people would like to buy from good kind hearted responsible companies.

• Some do have a genuine interest in the country and people.

Closer home, how could we utilize and implement CSR. Why is CSR important?

Any unequal country will have more problems. As long as there is a disproportionate gap between the rich and the poor there will always be heartaches.

Wealth could be acquired through hard work and just means or corrupt ways. The end product of course is wealth that is visible.

If wealthy people give back to the land in a good proportion, others will not grudge them their wealth. The scripture is full of examples of instructions to wealthy people.

1. Look after your servants well – The Roman centurion and book of Philemon 2. Do not pick up the left over’s after your harvest so that the poor can glean from them.

3. Give and it shall be given unto you. Give cheerfully.

Wealthy people in Nagaland could practice CSR by 1. Creating scholarships for poor deserving students in select good schools. Rs 10,000/- per month will pay the fees of 20 children @500 per month.

2. Build concrete roads for at least about a km near their houses. (This will cost less than the lobsters they serve during their children’s weddings). The colony people would be very grateful.

3. Contribute to making the market sheds in their localities pucca so that they and their wives could walk through lovely paths when buying fish and vegetables ( instead of apologizing to their foreigner friends who come visiting) 4. Get their servants and domestic helpers to be educated in various crafts or correspondence courses so that they are empowered and uplifted.

5. Socially responsible organizations could raise an army of 10,000 volunteers to develop a 5 year long term strategy to clean Dimapur or other

towns. Naga Blog did a similar event once. Raise funds for the same.

6. They could invest in low cost high quality patient and relatives guest house at some of the hospitals in the state under their parents names.

This would be an immense help.

7. Create funds for Cancer patients to avail of basic chemotherapy and radiotherapy in some hospitals.

8. Sponsor the education of at least 5 orphans each in some high quality school. Some of these orphans might one day save the lives of their own children.

9. The recent step of Kuda villagers to mend the potholes of the main road is laudable.

10. Rich and well known schools could invest in developing similar schools – one each in the Eastern Nagaland areas or at least partner with some good people or the Catholics there to deliver education. No point calling those areas backward. It is our responsibility. We were fortunate that the missionaries first came to us. It is shameful for Kohima and Dimapur dwellers to live in comfort when our brothers languish in other places in this very tiny state of Nagaland.

The Government will never have enough resources to do what individuals or communities can do to help themselves.

The alternative to Corporate social responsibility is to live selfishly, look after number one – me and my immediate family and party members.

When crime increases, we then have only ourselves to blame.

The health of a good society depends on how we treat the least and weakest amongst our members.

We have only one life to live. It is a very short life. Let us live it well and give back to the land that has given so much to us.

Dr Sedevi Angami

Textbook Aishe

S

o, a little girl exclaimed in joy, “Book aishe,” as we unloaded the cartons of books from the Mahindra Invader. She must have missed the assignments and tests for weeks now and the fun of learning. Classes have been on, though, without the textbooks. Most students would run to me in the middle of the road and inquire: “Sir, textbook kitiya ahibo?” And I would reply: “Come to school. I will tell you.” And so, they would not fail to come to school.

The classes were hanging by a thread and a passion had seamlessly threaded together the students’ and the teachers’ hearts. The past weeks have cemented this all the more.

Amazing grace; more graceful than ever. Textbooks did not determine learning; texts did.

So did the passion to learn and to teach for willed hearts. Oil them more ever learning.

It’s more than textbooks as one of the teachers expressed happily: “I’m using newspaper clippings to teach Grammar. Anyhow, concepts are the same. You can make use of the available resources to teach them.” Then, do Naga decision makers do cakewalking with sub-standard concepts? Another teacher confidently expressed: “...that’s what we are here for – to teach.

So, teach.” To teach indeed and scratch the itch of the students is worth it. The powers

that be in the Naga Land need a rough scratch. One citizen was radically practical: “Take a gun and kill them. That’s an effective deterrent. Practical enough.” More practical is to teach, then, wait for textbooks to come. There is no option to settle for less. The lesser the resources, the more the creativity. This, of course, is not the “Re-plan, re-teach, re-test” cycle because one doesn’t have eternity to teach. Besides, CBSE does not call the shots by spearheading the CCE because there are geosocio-economical contextual differences all around. So, conceptual teachers teach on.

No sophistry required.

The tags on the car-

tons read: Frank Brothers & Co Publishers. And frank enough, as a prominent Naga figure has said: “The DoE in Nagaland is the most corrupted department.” There are many like that figure in the land. And further frank enough, the Nagaland Governor has said that he has met “not only one but many” Naga youngsters who want to change the Naga society. It’s that they need to be more courageous. So, the little girl was frank and courageous to long for the textbooks. We have what it takes to change in that little girl then. So, the teacher cannot afford not to nurture hopes. That settles the equation. More textbook delays

and others must take place, must the little boys and girls and teachers become frankly courageous about their passion for knowledge. While the RTE might be wondering on how the SSA dream is realised in effect in the Naga Land, a generation has already realised their own dreams for all posterity like the little girl.

Besides, as said before the teaching-learning process has its own way of threading the students’ and the teachers’ hearts together.

For now, it’s as the little girl had exclaimed in joy, “Book aishe.”

Taliakum GMS Salangtem, Mokokchung

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.

_

LEISURE

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

SUDOKU Game Number # 2825

DAILY CROSS WORD

CROSSWORD # 2835

DIMAPUR Civil Hospital:

STD CODE: 03862

Metro Hospital: Faith Hospital: Shamrock Hospital Zion Hospital: Police Control Room Police Traffic Control East Police Station West Police Station CIHSR (Referral Hospital) Dimapur hospital Apollo Hospital Info Centre: Railway: Indian Airlines Chumukedima Fire Brigade Nikos Hospital and Research Centre Nagaland Multispecialty Health & Research Centre

Answer Number # 2824

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

R

JourNey To AmericA

AMERICA

LISA

ANNIE

MAMA

BOMB CAMP CLARA EMIGRATE

NAZI PAPA POPULATION RUTH

ERICA

SHIP

HITLER

SOLDIER

IMMIGRANT

TRAVEL

JEWISH

WAR

D

E E D U I N A T S E U O A I S T

N M Y E A O C C E E U P E I T L

S

A R I A L A V A N L A G C N F T

E

W O B G O T M U N P E W H A G Z

B M O B R E E Y A A A V I V M C

S N I H R A U G Z V L J A I F P

A

E A H I S H T A I N P L N R T I

D I C T E C J E E H O T U C T E

R

R A O A J E I H E I P A C F R M

T D R N E E U D F T U S R I L A

R E U N L B W S U L L D C A A M

C

P T T I I D E I E E A A G A L A

O R H E S P E U S R T P I H S C

H

D G I S A U A T Z H I N A I E I

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

ACROSS

Y R G I M M I G R A N T I R A W

1. Church alcove 5. Iron 10. Extent 14. Let go 15. Adjust again 16. Not there 17. Inadequacy 19. Chocolate cookie 20. Meadow 21. Admirer 22. What we are 23. Trap 25. Ancient Roman magistrate 27. One or more 28. Norm 31. Dye with wax 34. Protective ditches 35. Ghost’s cry 36. Iridescent gem 37. Deadly snake 38. Blackthorn 39. Lair 40. Scrawny 41. Stinks 42. Outside 44. Color 45. Amidst 46. Total weight in tons 50. Permit

52. French for “Queen” 54. Not against 55. Entice 56. Bigger than a teaspoon 58. Axlike tool 59. French for “After” 60. Backside 61. Views 62. Specter 63. Dregs

DOWN 1. Befuddle 2. Primp 3. Couches 4. Upon (prefix) 5. Religious residence 6. Late actor Christopher 7. Feudal worker 8. Administrative assistant 9. Hog’s home 10. Ought 11. Porous 12. Region 13. A noble gas 18. A loud resonant noise 22. Ancient units of liquid measure 24. Found on a finger 26. Information 28. Not drunk 29. A chess piece

30. Accomplishes 31. Portend 32. Pinnacle 33. Seduce 34. Treatise 37. Metal money 38. Observed 40. Found over each eye 41. Graphic symbols 43. Acts 44. Truthful 46. Anagram of “Islet” 47. Previously 48. Gander 49. Sea eagles 50. Garments of goat hair 51. Stow, as cargo 53. River of Spain 56. Children’s game 57. Friend

Ans to CrossWord 2834

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

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

Toll free No. 1098 childline

O

DIMAPUR: 03862-232201/101 (O) 9436601225 (OC)

TUENSANG: 03861-220256/101 (O) 8974322879

CHILD WELFARE COMMITTEE

W

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

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

08974997923

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 MARCH ‘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

61.18 101.42 7.86

61.61 102.57 7.95

Australian Dollar

54.87

55.65

Singapore Dollar Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen

48.17 54.97 60.01

48.74 55.64 60.73

84.6

85.53

Euro

LOCAL 5 Chief Minister avoiding answers: NPCC Rio, Soso formally recieve Thursday

The Morung Express

DIMAPUR, MARCH 19 (MExN): The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee today alleged that Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio “hiding behind the façade of the state BJP unit to justify his outburst against the congress in the language of sectarian and communal forces portrays political opportunism.”

The NPCC, in a press note, stated that “instead of publicly declaring his stand on the five core questions put forth by the NPCC, the CM has left it to the state BJP unit to come up with hilarious explanations, especially on anti conversion laws and ban on cow slaughter.”

Referring to the BJP statement published recently, the NPCC said that “the state BJP leaders are either ignorant of the core issues” or have “blindly chosen to play alongside the divisive and communal agenda of the RSS backed BJP in the mis-

20 March 2014

placed hope of sharing the spoils of power.” It reminded that minorities in the BJP “are just used as the façade to hide sinister and divisive agenda that the BJP harbors since its inception, while desperately attempting to project a moderate picture to expand their political base and get a clear majority.”

The NPCC further stated that the “BJP could not carry out its divisive agenda owing to the compulsion of coalition politics with over a dozen allies forming NDA.” “However, the BJP leaders have never missed an opportunity to reiterate their commitment on the issues of anti conversion laws; building of Ram Temple in Ayodhya; Total ban on cow slaughter; Uniform Civil Code and abrogation of Article 370 in J&K, if voted to power with clear majority,” it added.

It further criticized the ideology

MEx FILE NSF Martyrs Day today KoHIMA, MARCH 19 (MExN): The Naga Students Federation will be commemorating the 28th NSF Martyrs Day as a sign of paying homage to Lt. Vikhozo Yhoshü and late Kekuojalie Sachu on March 20 at 9 AM at NSF Martyrs Park, Kohima. The Federation, in a press note, invited all the senior leaders, Tribunals, Federating units/sub ordinate bodies with at least 5 members, bereaved family members and relatives, students from Mezhur Higher Secondary School Kohima and Govt.

Higher Secondary School, Seikhazou to attend.

Dimapur police recover stolen vehicle DIMAPU, MARCH 19 (MExN): Dimapur Police on March 18 recovered a vehicle which was carjacked at gunpoint by four miscreants on the night of March 17.

A press note from the Dimapur SP office informed that the miscreants managed to escape under the cover of darkness, leaving the vehicle abandoned. The vehicle was handed over to the owner and investigation is on to arrest the culprits, police stated.

GPRN/NSCN informs DIMAPUR, MARCH 19 (MExN): The GPRN/NSCN has informed all its rank and files, including the regional and Military wings to reach the Council headquarters, at designated camp, Khehoi before 08:30 AM, on March 21, for the Republic day celebration. This was informed in a press note from the MIP.

FGN Lotha region informs DIMAPUR, MARCH 19 (MExN): The Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) Lotha Region has informed that “unknown/unauthorized FGN workers are forcefully demanding illegal tax and donations in the name of the FGN Lotha Region.” A press note from Mhatung Ovung, Medan Peyu, Lotha Region, informed every head of department, departments, contractors, business establishments and other establishments that fall under the Lotha region to “ignore such illegal taxation and donation without written authorization” given by the Meda Peyu of the said region.

The said official may be contacted at 9612560574.

AR apprehend NSCN (K) cadre KoHIMA, MARCH 19 (MExN): The 31 Assam Rifles on March 17 apprehended one NSCN (K) cadre from Phom Basti, Changtongya. A press note from Lt Col AS Chauhan, PRO to the Assam Rifles identified the cadre as one Lt Imtimeren. One pistol, a 12 bore gun and ammunition were recovered in the operation. The apprehended cadre was later handed over to the Changtongya Police Station.

Excise seizes IMFL, narcotics DIMAPUR, MARCH 19 (MExN): In a drive to check all forms of illegal trafficking and smuggling of liquor, drugs for the last three months i.e. from January 1 to March 19, 2014, the narcotic cell has detected 25 cases and a total of 27 persons were arrested. The quantity seized included Opium-4kgs; ganja-75 kgs; other drugs-34,500 capsules of Spasmo Proxyvon and IMFL-814 bottles. The ‘street value’ of the seized drugs and liquor is estimated at approximately Rs. 19,70,100. This was informed in a press release issued by Dimapur district deputy commissioner of excise (NC) Pitongse Sangtam.

Complaint Redressal Cell in Mkg MoKoKCHUNg, MARCH 19 (MExN): For smooth functioning and operation of the MCC/Helpline/ Complaint Redressal Cell in the District election Control Room, the concerned HoDs under mentioned are requested to detail 2(two) representatives each to the District Joint Control Room, Deputy Commissioner Office till the completion of Election, 2014: Superintendent of Police, Mokokchung; DPRO, Mokokchung; District & Session Judge, Mokokchung; Regional Transport Officer, Mokokchung; and Assistant Director Supply, Mokokchung. In addition, all the members of the MCC/ Helpline/ Complaint Redressal Team are requested to attend meeting in the Addl. Deputy Commissioner Office Chamber at 11:00 AM on March 20. All are requested to attend the meeting positively. This was informed in a press release issued by Mokokchung Deputy Commissioner & DEO Murohu Chotso.

Railway Bazar residents resolve DIMAPUR, MARCH 19 (MExN): The Railway Bazar permanent residents’ youth Dimapur held its general meeting on March 16 at Railwat Bazar, Dimapur. A press note informed that the meeting discussed about the cleanliness of the colony and resolved to have a social work twice a month. In pursuance to the circular given by the administrator, DMC cum ADC Dimapur, the house reiterated to all shop owners to strictly adhere and follow the timing of throwing garbage. Election for new office bearers for the tenure 2014-2016 was also held at the meeting. The new team is now headed by President Ebouding Haining, Vice President Vijay, General Secretary Ganesh Prasad, Treasurer Akolie Nakhro, along with other office bearers.

Corrigendum In connection with the news item "Empowering young leaders in fight against HIV/AIDS", published on March 19 issue, it is stated here that Maong from Prodigals Home was also a resource person and he spoke on the topic "A Christian approach on HIV/AIDS prevention-opportunities for evangelism." The inadvertent error is regretted.

and activities of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which it said “is even despised by majority of the Hindu populace for its divisive and communal agenda.” The NPCC further acknowledged that “for the magnanimity of the majority Hindus,” the country has survived countless invasions and absorbed innumerable religions and cultures to evolve into a vast diverse country of today that has enough rooms for all people regardless of religion, race/ethnicity, language and culture.

“The congress as a political party does not identify itself with any religion whereas the BJP draws all its inspiration from the RSS, known more for its divisive and communal agenda and this will remain the main difference between the Congress and the BJP. Unless the BJP severs its ideological moorings with the RSS, it can never escape the

ignominy of being branded as communal party,” the NPCC asserted.

The NPCC press note further accused the NPF government of financial mismanagement, with regard to the state’s financial situation. It stated that the NPF government “has invited the attention of the centre by years of rampant financial mismanagement.” The NPCC informed that the state government is yet to submit utilization report of nearly Rs 700 crores, out of Rs 2000 crores plan money allocated for 2012-13 and that “this has affected the annual plan allocation for 2013-14.” It further stated that the state government has “failed to even release the 10% matching share for all central flagship schemes, thereby delaying release of central share.” It then called upon the Chief Minister to “publicly come out” with his stand on the issues raised by the NPCC.

Nagaland LS Polls Video conference with AEO Peren informs DEOs/MMC members PEREN: The Assistant KoHIMA, MARCH 19 Election Officer, Peren, (DIPR): The Election Joybell has informed all Commission will be or- BLOs of 6-Tening and ganizing a Video confer- 7-Peren A/Cs under ence based training of the Peren District to collect DEOs/MMC members on the Annual RemuneraPaid News, Pre-certifica- tion for the Block Year tion and MMC on March 2013 (Jan 2013 to Oct 20 at 1500 hours. All the 2013) in connection with MCMC members are to Special Summary Reviremain present during the sion of E/Roll (wrt 1/1/14 Video conferencing on as Q/D) from the office of the date and time men- the Deputy Commissiontioned. CEO Nagaland, er & District Election OfSentiyanger Imchen has ficer, Peren w.e.f. March requested the Deputy 18 to 31 during office Commissioners and As- hours by producing BLOs sistant Returning Officers I/D Card without fail and of all the districts to in- thereafter no payment form all the MCMC mem- will be entertained. bers to be present during the video conference, SM/SO training at Kiphire vide order NO. ELE/CSTKIPHIRE: In view of the 117/2013/1425 dated 19th forthcoming general elecMarch 2014. tion (Lok Sabha) district administration of kiphire Training for presiding/ district has conducted polling officials in Khm one day training for SecKoHIMA: Special train- tor magistrates (SM)/ Secing is being organised on tor Officers (SO) on 18th March 24 from 11:00 a.m. March 2014 at DC’s cononwards at DC’s Con- ference hall. ference hall, Kohima for DC & ARO Kiphire those Presiding and Poll- Neposo Theluo remained ing Officers who have not the polling officers that attended the training on the conduct such trainMarch 14 and 15. There- ing programme is just a fore, all concerned have refresher course to get been informed to attend prepared for most of the the training. Action shall polling officers as the be taken against those of- state election machinery ficials failing to attend the largely depend on for the meeting. successful and smooth

Kohima | March 19

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio today expressed his gratitude to the DAN partners for reposing their faith in him for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Rio said he accepted the party ticket with humility and sought God’s blessing and the blessing and support of the people “so we together make it victorious for the party and for the people” Speaking at the CEC meeting of the NPF cum ticket distribution ceremony here, Rio said that he is going to take bigger responsibilities for the people, for the state and for the cause. Rio said that the party has a long way to go

in the service of the people and looked forward to working together with bigger responsibilities.

“It will be like me going out of my comfort zone,” he said and sought more support and cooperation from the party. “Our focus is how to do and how to give the best result in the Lok Sabha elections,” he said.

Rio alleged that the Prime Minister did not visit the state in 10 years and that the Nagaland Congress has always advised the ministry and union ministers not to visit the state of Nagaland and not to give any project to the state.

He added that the Congress did not cooperate in the assembly resolutions over Article 371 (A) on ownership of land and its re-

NPF tickets for LS elections

Rio and Lorho with NPF president, state unit BJP president and state unit JD(U) president and others after the ticket distribution ceremony in Kohima.

Our Correspondent Kohima | March 19

Nagaland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio, the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) consensus candidate for Nagaland parliamentary constituency, is all set to file his nomination for the polls on March 20.

Rio announced this during a NPF ticket distribution ceremony for the polls here this morning at Naga People’s Front (NPF) central Office after CEC meeting of NPF. Soso Lorho, also received NPF ticket for Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency. NPF president Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu administered oath to the duo.

Dr. Liezietsu also did the formality of conferring NPF ticket to 12 candidates who will be contesting at the forthcoming state assem-

bly elections in Arunachal Pradesh.

Meanwhile, the official kick off of the election campaign of the NPF will take place on March 27 at Dimapur.

Pradesh and minister of planning & coordination, evaluation, geology & mining TR Zeliang for Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency.

The election campaign committee convenors at the district level included; KohimaKiyanilie Peseyie, Mokokochung- Imkong L. Imchen, Mon- Paiwang Konyak, Tuensang- CM Chang, Tseminyu- R. Khing, Zunheboto- Kaito Aye, PerenNamri Nchang, DimapurZhaleo Rio and Tovihoto Ayemi, Phek- Neiba Kronu, Wokha- Y. Patton, Pughoboto- Vikheho Swu, Kiphire- Torechu and LonglengS. Pangyuh Phom.

Earlier, the CEC meeting was chaired by Apong Pongener, working president NPF while welcome address was delivered by Huskha Yepthomi, working president.

Rio to file nomination today

conduct of the election process in the district.

DC & ERO also said the district election machinery would issue Electronic Photo Identity Card (EPIC) to the bonafide card holders to ensure one man one vote he also inform that SM’s / PO’s should complete distribution of EPIC within five (5) days.

Neposo also remained the Polling Officers to visits each and every polling station in the district to assist their basic minimum facilities requirement and to work along with the concern village councils for arrangement of volunteers so that differently able person could franchise their rights.

SDO (C) & ERO Dr. Tinojongshi Chang presented a power point on role of Sector Magistrates/ Sector Officers.

SVEEP meeting held at Peren PEREN: SVEEP meeting for forthcoming Lok Sabha Election was held at DC's Conference Hall Peren on March 19. The ADC Peren Dr. Kadambari Bhagat highlighted the ethical voting base on clean and clear election. The meeting was attended by District Administrator, Church representative and NGOs from Peren district.

Rio looking forward to new challenges Our Correspondent

Dimapur

The state level DAN election campaign committee for the forthcoming polls has been constituted with Noke Wangnao, PHED minister as convenor along with three other co-convenors Dr. Chuba Ao president BJP state unit, Mhonjan Lotha, president JD (U) state unit and Kuzholuzo (Azo) Nienu, minister PWD (Roads & Bridges) & parliamentary affairs.

Minister for tourism, art & culture E.E.Pangteang will be convenor for the election campaign of the NPF candidates for state assembly polls in Arunachal

ANEFWA proposed agitation in abeyance Nagaland State Government assures to meet demands within April KoHIMA, MARCH 19 (MExN): The All Nagaland Electricity Field Workers Association (ANEFWA) has kept its proposed agitation in abeyance till April 30. The agitation, regarding demands for payment of Time Bound Scale (TBS) of pay and past arrears, was scheduled to start from March 20. The Association had, on February 17, submitted a representation to the Government of Nagaland to meet the said demands within thirty days. It had cautioned that failure to do so would compel the Association to agitate to the extent of “tools down.”

A press note from the

ANEFWA informed that a joint meeting of the Association and the Directorate Office of the Power Department, under the Chairmanship of Er. Imlikumzuk Ao, was held on March 15. According to the ANEFWA, the Chairman highlighted the latest developments of a high level meeting, chaired by the Chief Secretary. He further assured that the matter is under “active consideration” by the Government and as such, requested the Association to withdraw the proposed agitation.

The ANEFWA press note further informed that the Chairman had assured

to complete the pay fixation of eligible W/C staff for TBS of pay, IPS fixation, preparation and verification of arrear bills submitted by the divisions and pre audit by the directorate of treasuries and accounts, within April 2014.

Recognizing, what it termed as the “belated activeness of the government,” the executive council of the ANEFWA however resolved to proceed with agitations, if the demands are not met within April. In this regard, all zonal presidents of the ANEFWA have been directed to comply with the Association’s decision and to be prepared for agitation by May 1.

sources.

Touching on rule of executive business, he said that no state in the country sends files to Governor and “we want to follow the same system.” He continued that in 1963, the Nagas were not verse with the constitutional, governance and as such all files would go to Governor.

However, he stated that, in the rule of executive business, the Chief Minister’s approval is mentioned very clearly and not the approval of the Governor.

Rio lamented that in this case as well, the Congress party did not take part and walked out. “We need to tell our people who is for our people and who is against our people,” Excise personnel seized 240 bottles of rum from a vehicle at the Chumukedima Excise he added.

Check Gate on Wednesday, March 19. Two persons were arrested in this connection.

DC Mon issues instructions for distribution of EPICs MoN, MARCH 19 (DIPR): The Deputy Commissioner, Mon Angau I Thou in a circular has issued instructions for distribution of Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC). The EPICs shall be distributed through the BLO’s supervision of the Zonal officer/ magistrate. The assistance of the village council/ward authority may be taken but they will not be given the responsibility/power to distribute the card.

The EPIC shall be issued free of cost only to the concerned elector and the signature /thumb impression shall be obtained in the EPIC issue register. Holding more than one EPIC is illegal under law and a punishable offence.

The EPIC will be distrib-

uted by the concerned BLO only to the elector under the supervision of the designated Administrative Officer.

Any loss or damage of EPIC needs to be immediately reported to the concerned BLO with a written declaration. The BLO will verify such cases and forward the same to the concerned ERO for issuance of Duplicate EPIC, on payment.

In case of any correction of details in the EPIC, request for rectification shall be made in the prescribed Form 8.

Breach of regulation related to distribution of EPIC by any Official will invite action as per law, it was cautioned. The undistributed EPIC shall be handed back to the Office of the DC

Mon district nodal officers briefed MoN, MARCH 19 (DIPR): The Deputy Commissioner & Assistant Returning Officer, Mon Angau I Thou IAS has updated the list of Nodal Officers for various activities for the conduct of the 16th Lok Sabha Election 2014 in respect of Mon district.

The first meeting of the Nodal Officers was held under the chairmanship of the Deputy Commissioner at DC’s conference hall on March 18.

While welcoming the members present, Angau I Thou urged upon the officers to extend full cooperation and & DEO and issued after due verification.

Necessary security arrangements shall be made on the days of distribution at the designated locations. Dobashis/Booth Level Agents/Gaonburas/

support to the election process to ensure the conduct of the election with free, fair and peacefully.

She also said that all election related duties are not confined to a particular department or individuals and appealed to the nodal officers to have consolidated effort of all the government department and officials for successful election in the district. She also briefed on the instruction for issue of EPIC. The respective Nodal Officers appointed for Manpower management, EVM Management, Transport man-

Village Council Chairman/ Ward Presidents shall accompany the BLO’s during distribution.

Further, the BLO should check the prepared EPIC thoroughly before distribution. He should check the

agement, Training management, Material management, Implementing MCC, Expenditure monitoring, Law & order and District Security plan, Ballot paper/dummy ballot, Medial & Communication, Computerization, SVEEP, Help line & Complaints, SMS monitoring & Communication plan and nodal officer for observers reported their respective activities and problems to the Deputy Commissioner. They also shared their views and suggestion for smooth conduct of election with the DC.

card number, name, age and address of the elector.

The photograph of the EPIC holder must be matched to see that the elector is clearly identifiable from his photograph. The BLO should also ensure that

EPIC is delivered to the same elector and proper acknowledgement of receipt is obtained from him.

Under no circumstances are EPIC’s to be handed over to any intermediary for further distribution.

6

IN-FOCUS

The Power of Truth

The Morung Express

C O M M E N T A R Y

B The Information THursDAy 20 MArcH 2014 voluME IX IssuE 76

By Aheli Moitra

T

Underpass

here is a woman farmer tucked away somewhere in a small village in Nagaland who is worried about the mental and moral health of birds in her area. “Aiyah!” she exclaimed feverishly at a farmers’ interaction, “Even the owls have started lying these days!”

Till a few years back, the traditional knowledge passed on to her through generations came to good use while farming.

When the owl hooted, as goes the agriculture lore, it promised sunshine the next day, after a continuum of rainy days.

Of course, it wasn’t the owl’s hoot itself that brought sunshine but the sense and sensibility, from probable experience, of the owl that allowed it to understand certain patterns of weather.

Considering owls have been around in this biodiverse zone of the (now) North East of India for a while, they probably knew their weather conditions better than their human counterparts, and passed on the knowledge accordingly.

The owls must be slightly confused themselves at having lost their age old wisdom about weather conditions. Whether they do, or do not, know about the rising carbon emissions from the world beyond their forests, we do not know. How does the owl networking and education system work anyway?

Human networking and education, on the other hand, has progressed at a startling pace. The World Wide Web, the “Information Superhighway,” turned 25 years last week. Quarter of a century after its invention by British engineer Tim Berners-Lee, information is available a click and type away to nearly three billion people across the world. Just imagine! Those of us privileged enough to write and read this, can technically connect to nearly three billion people from walks of life we never knew existed, or even the moon and stars. We could get knowledge of the most mundane and useless subjects to the core of fixing our electric meter and gas stove.

But there are another four billion people, also across the world, who have never logged onto this Web. Forget computers, many of the children from this four billion, do not even get textbooks in the cowshed, teacherless schools they are subject to. Nagaland shines as an example in point. Teachers do not get paid, have to agitate every now and then for something as basic as a salary, and students have lost their voice even in demanding textbooks. Now imagine the life of these young students—forced to live under the shadow of an Information Underpass—few years down the line. It will probably be where we find this region, as do many children across the poorest zones of the world, at present—in a puddle of unjust conflict and lying owls which make sense no more, connected merely through dying links.

Those not in a position thus, please ideate at moitramail@yahoo.com

lEfT wiNg |

M.R. Narayan Swamy IANS

Understanding the media outburst against Kejriwal

I

t is amusing how self-righteous the Indian media can get over a so-called threatening admonition from Arvind Kejriwal. If I was in Kejriwal's shoes, I would be as angry and upset as he is with sections of the fourth estate, some of the electronic media in particular.

In no general election in my over three decades in journalism have I seen such brazen targeting of one politician and one political outfit as I see now in the case of Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). It is very evident that there is a conscious decision to blackout Kejriwal as much as possible but pounce on him if he slips.

So if the AAP rallies outside the BJP headquarters in Delhi - quite unnecessarily, in my view - it was made out as if a terror attack had taken place! Not only was one-sided blame heaped on the AAP when TVs showed stones and more hurled out of the BJP office, but the physical attack on Kejriwal's car in Gujarat was either blacked out or reported almost in passing.

Would the media have behaved similarly if Modi's car had been attacked? One can multiply examples. But there is no need to. What is more important is this: why should Kejriwal be the focus of partisan reporting when he heads a mere 16-month-old fledgling party that is not in power anywhere? For answer, we need to return to December 2013.

The Indian media, without exception, got it all wrong vis-a-vis the AAP when the Delhi elections were held.

When the AAP galloped to the second spot with 28 seats in a house of 70, it was a stunner. Not only was the BJP denied a victory but Kejriwal proved that the so-called Narendra Modi wave could be derailed. This rang alarm bells in sections of the establishment that was not comfortable with the income tax officer-turned-activistturned-politician's zeal to take on entrenched vested interests.

So it was necessary to "prove" that Kejriwal cannot "govern". I will skip the details. But Kejriwal's exit as chief minister over the Jan Lokpal bill has opened another front. The man with seemingly unlimited energy was now free to tour the country soliciting support for the AAP. With the Congress in doldrums, it is important to spike the AAP's spread in urban areas in particular.

The AAP should not be underestimated a second time.

Since Kejriwal is a good communicator, the one way to limit his appeal is by limiting his exposure in the media when he campaigns almost like a street fighter. This is why most people saw most of what Kejriwal did in Gujarat on YouTube, not in dominant sections of the Indian media. Images are powerful. If you use television cameras with skill, then opinions can be manufactured.

When Kejriwal gave his political speeches in Gujarat, television coverage was nil or minimal. But if he drove to Modi's residence, images were aplenty - to "prove" he is into "drama" again.

This is not a new phenomenon. When Anna Hazare fasted in Delhi, I was intrigued by a television channel's unending references, even on the first day of the protest, to the crowds said to be packing the Ramlila Maidan "choc-a-block". I knew the channel's cameraman. I phoned him.

His answer remains etched in my memory: "Sir, there are only 30-35,000 people here. Most of the ground is empty. But we have been told to focus our cameras only where people are seated. We aren't supposed to say how many people are here but keep repeating 'choc-ablock". Huge crowds did throng the Ramlila ground later. But that is another story. Today, this very television channel is part of the anti-Kejriwal brigade!

THE EDIT PAGE

Cynic

Artificial ‘Development’

efore anything is said; I want you to picture this – a Naga. A head-hunting Naga, a halfnaked Naga (or naked one), living with his pigs, chicken, pig-dung infested village. Now juxtapose that with another picture- the accepted understanding of a white man, or the civilized man in his coat suit, using a knife and fork and acquiescing with the accepted norms of ’civilized society’.

That’s where I would like to begin my article, be- servants resided in quarters on today’s ‘Raj Bhafore anything is said or uttered I would like the person van’ area), DC’s Bungalow. DC’s bungalow rested reading this article to imagine that in his/her head. where we all know- even our generations. Bavayü area was thickly forested and grandmother would Our imagined ‘Development’ Who are the ’Nagas’? Only perhaps god knows collect firewood there where it was rumored tigers that answer. Some avarice colonials came to these and bears roamed. High school area was deep forhills and collecting neighboring information ested areas, lower Chotobosti regions were cultiabout the savage hillsmen tribes decided to call vated fields, in Razou point- UBC church area there them the ’Nagas’. But that’s not important, that’s were government quarters occupied by the Bengali not the ’Nagas’ I’m trying to explain here. Rather, clerks. There was a Marwari shop called ‘Duosao who were the Nagas before 1832? Before the 19th dukaan’ who spoke funny Tenydie dialect. That century dawned on them? Perhaps you would ac- was Kohima town before the II World War, where quire a vague idea from anthropologists’ or ad- some of the only Naga traders in town had a tradministrators’ photographs of what would be a first er’s union called NCF, and the Post Office in Kohima outpost town had only one postman. A Nepali encounter of ’outsiders’.

Mountain people. Rugged, wild, hardship of the postman/peon who knew all the houses in Kohima land etched on their faces, a dirty child being carried town and village and probably lived in Daklane… on someone’s back. Unhygienic villages, sanitation at The only ‘plains people’ in Kohima town back then its least, but perhaps with a strong sense of commu- were Marwari traders, Nepali ‘dhoot wallas’ and nity. The present ’Naga’ is a very different picture from Bengali traders. I always feel Grandmother can alThat ’Naga’. I would remember someone mention- ways reminisce very nostalgically about Kohima ing that the ’Naga’ is no longer the mekhala-wearing town before the II World War. Down to Pawsey woman in her village but its has expanded to the tee- Chaha’s* and Suplee Chaha’s jeep that were the shirt wearing ’Naga’ in jeans living in the cities of India only vehicles found in Kohima town. And Dimapur town was only an isolated British outpost with now. Yet, this is a big transformation. a railway track, made known only because the Burmese refugees came to ‘Burma Camp’* in Dimapur Trends Please follow the pattern of systematic explana- during the II World War. tion I am trying to give above because that is the whole point of the article. The point is about our ’artificial de- Three Generations and how velopment’, or rather our half-formed development, many changes we have seen If I should speak from my own experience ofour half-hazard, too-quickly-transitioned development that we have today in our society. I believe it is a for example, ‘Kohima town’, and three generapressing issue needing attention which defines, if not, tions that has experienced ‘Kohima’ reflecting our also slowly seeps into the villages, remote hinterlands rapid changes in Nagaland you can just tangibly see how many changes we have undergone from overwhelming us without much reflection.

My childhood memory of Kohima is a sleepy the 19th century to the 21st. This is what I want to town and sundays when we leisurely walked to talk about- the changes, transformations we Nagas grandmothers’ home after sunday service. It was have had to undergo in rapid intercessions or no a Sunday ritual which we enjoyed and not neces- intercessions at all. My grandmother’s ‘Kohima’ sarily because we didn’t have a car. We didn’t have is so different from my mother’s ‘Kohimea’ and a car in the beginning but even when we bought when it comes my experience of ‘Kohima town’ it ourselves a car we still preferred to walk that 30 has been bittersweet. It has been so many changes minute trip to grandmother’s then take the car. Be- stacked up upon one another. My childhood ‘Kocause Kohima was always quiet on sundays and you hima’ and my now ‘Kohima’ is so different from would bump into church-going or church-coming one another. There are more traffic jams, more acquaintances, greeted each other and had long cars, more affluent people in Kohima, more buildupdating-conversations of the week’s events on the ings, more ‘development’, more everything of what street where only stray dogs or the odd paan-dukan was not a part of my childhood, my mother’s or stayed open. Cars rarely drove past or just the odd grandmother’s.

This ‘Kohima’ I have to know, must I say, is no one every 15 minutes. That is why those Sundaypart of my mother’s, grandmother’s generation. I walks to grandmother’s has also embedded itself in look at ‘Kohima’ from a prism that I do not undermy wholesome childhood memories. stand at all and somehow I have to absorb that it is If my parents reminisced about their childhood memories of Kohima then back then there was only the same ‘Kohima’ that I grew up with, my mother one car in the whole of Kohima town. It was a prop- grew up with and my grandmother’s. It’s a very difer one-horse town then. Back then, Kohima villag- ferent ‘Kohima’ that we all know and talk over. ers called Kohima town ’Tephriera’ or meaning ’the ‘Artificial Development’ Plains’*. There were already some schools then but When I think about Nagaland’s development, the well known ones were Kohima English school, that’s exactly what I think. The damned changes that Baptist English school, Government High school had to come to ‘Kohima town’:- the changes that or National school. The DC office, post offices were had to come to Nagaland state that I have still not wooden structures then still in their present loca- abosorbed. It’s the same ‘Kohima town’ I have to tion. Secretariat area was forested then with no re- struggle through, with its clogged traffic jams, VIP’s semblance of what it is today. Bayavu area was jun- driving through its already congested streets and Kogle, Kohima Science college area was jungle. hima’s traffic that I would rather walk.

When grandmother reminisces then Kohima town was an even smaller town/British outpost. Where is our solution?

Kohima town started roughly from Teen Patti area, You shouldn’t ask me, Brother/Sister, because I including Raj Bhavan (where the government cannot provide any answer. But when I think ‘Naga’,

S

cotland's swithering "middle million" has Britain's future in its hands. "Swithering" means wavering, and it's a word you hear a lot in Scotland right now. Six months from Tuesday, Scottish voters must decide whether their country should become independent, breaking up Great Britain as it has existed for 300 years.

Faced with the historic choice, many find their hearts say "aye" but their heads say "why risk it?" Polls suggest as many as a quarter of Scotland's 4 million voters remain undecided, and their choice will determine the outcome.

Many long to cut the tie binding them to England, but fear the risks — and the financial fallout. "I'm swithering a bit," said Sarah Kenchington, an artist from Balfron in central Scotland. "It's getting really right-wing down in England and it would be quite a good thing to separate from that," Kenchington said. "But then, politics can be quite a temporary thing — and this is a very permanent split."

Overcoming such doubts is the challenge faced by Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond and the "Yes Scotland" independence campaign backed by his Scottish National Party. Salmond has appealed to Scots' patriotic hearts, painting the referendum as a choice between starkly different economic and social models: English austerity and Scottish social democracy.

Salmond is critical of Britain's budget-cutting, Conservative-led government, and says an independent Scotland will follow a different path, using its resourcefulness and North Sea oil revenues to create a dynamic economy and a strong social safety net. He says Scotland will be a "northern light" to balance the "dark star" of London's economic and political dominance — a vision that strikes a chord with many Scots.

I see the unhygienic, dirty, snoot-nosed ‘Naga’ child in a blurred black and white picture that speaks to me that we are going through transitions too fast, too rapid and too stacked-upon-one-another. Tell me, ‘Naga’ Brothers and Sisters, am I not right?

If I should give a simple example of ‘Kohima Town’s’ many transitions through the eyes of three generation-period, then you would know what I meant.

“Why are we so Stylish??”

Why are ‘Nagas’ so stylish? They have so much Insecurity, so much identity-crisis, so much ‘Modernity- intrusion’ that somewhere in all of that I can’t seem to find the ‘Naga’ I might have once knew; or even that ‘Kohima’ town I knew. We have ‘NSCN-K, NSCN-IM, NNC problems’ that we need to prove or explain (when initiated).We have a need to explain why we don’t look ‘Indian’ enough.

I will tell you, I’ve walked the streets of North Delhi cringing every time I see ‘Naga’ youths trying to express themselves in various forms of ‘Korean’, ‘Western’ culture/wear in an Indian city.

Perhaps that is why I ask: Who are the ‘Nagas’?

What do they think they are?? I read the latest fashion magazine with a ‘Naga’ model in the picture and I just wonder, does she represent a minute portion of her Tuophema or Kewhimia village?

‘We are Developed. We are, get over it already’ We live in a globalized world, we live in a connected-world. We emulate, reflect and imitate the outside world as much it does us. So’s life, we just move on. However, I must tell you my ‘Naga’ perception is private. It is unique, it is fragile and I am protective over it. When I see it splashed across the cover of a fashion magazine/tourist magazine as an ‘exotic land’ I always seem to feel a little sense of loss. Because my ‘Naganess’ is peculiar. Or rather, it does not need to be defined with the grind and various expressions of ‘Modernization’ the rest of the world is going through. Where is the 19th century Naga? Where is the head-hunting, village-living, nature-abiding, simple-living wild Naga who lived by a certain set of principles? Instead, why do we have amongst our midst a ‘Naga’ who is masked under an accoutrement of ‘western’ clothing, degree-holder, five-storey-house-living, vehicle-driving ‘modern’ Naga who seem not have absorbed the concept of being civilized, Westernized, or Modern? That is the Development that is artificial amongst us. We believe ourselves to be in-tune with the rest of the modern world with a degree, but we have barely walked past our cow-dung infested threshold with our Zutho in hand, hating the other tribe, ‘Headhunting mentality’ not too far from our minds still. Can that be called ‘reformed modernization’- with no proper absorption or introspection? This is the perplexity of it all. We cannot follow the latest fashion TV trend, live in our mansions, drive our latest cars and call ‘Nagas’ modern?? The transition is too fast, too unobserved and we are but a bunch of neo-colonized, neo-modernized, neowesternized farse of people who thinks they look good in a suit and pants.

Not to misunderstand, one can always wear a suitand-pant if one wishes, it just the mentality behind it that makes us the lesser. Do we ‘Nagas’ think? * *

Chaha- Angami name for the British administrators Burma Camp- ‘Burma camp’ area in Dimapur was given its name when during the II World War Burmese refugees walked across the border and ‘Burma camp’ was allotted to them as a refugee camp. We all still call it ‘Burma camp. Such as TCP gate, PR hill, BOC in Kohima- reminders of the II World War and Battle of Kohima

Head battles heart in Scottish independence debate Jill lawless Associated Press "I'm just looking forward to a different kind of government that has the interests of the Scottish people at heart," said Jeannette Wiseman, an art student from Oldmeldrum in northeast Scotland. "I think the Scottish people deserve a government they vote for. We've ended up with a Conservative government we didn't vote for."

The anti-independence campaign, backed by Britain's three main national political parties, stresses the uncertainties an independent Scotland would face. It warns businesses will flee and thousands of shipbuilding jobs for the Royal Navy will head south. Scots will forfeit the pound currency and could face passport checks at the English border.

Britain could even lose its nuclear-power status if Salmond carries through with his threat to evict the country's fleet of nuclear-armed submarines from their base at Faslane in western Scotland.

Salmond dismisses such warnings as scaremongering, and has even compared the situation to the conflict over Crimea. He said Sunday that the British government's threats to Scotland meant it forfeits the "moral authority" to criticize Russia and the region's snap referendum.

Heated rhetoric is nothing new in this debate. The Scottish and English have always had a complicated

relationship — and long memories.

In June, Scotland is planning a 700thanniversary reenactment of the Battle of Bannockburn, in which Scottish King Robert the Bruce defeated the army of England's Edward II. The two countries united in 1707 to form Great Britain, with a shared monarch, currency, and a Londonbased government. It has always been a lopsided relationship — England's population is almost 10 times Scotland's 5.3 million. But opponents of independence stress that Scotland already has considerable autonomy, with its own parliament, established in 1999, and separate legal and educational systems.

They wonder how independent Scotland will afford to fund schools, universities, health care and social programs, and accuse Salmond of glossing over difficult details. He says Scotland will remain a member of the European Union, but EU leaders have said the country could face lengthy negotiations to get back into the bloc. Edinburgh and London disagree on what share Scotland should get of Britain's North Sea oil money — and of its trillion-pound national debt.

"I think the Yes campaign is largely based on emotion," said Murray Ogston, a retired accountant from Edinburgh. "I'm a passionate supporter of Scotland, but I think it's a step too far. "At the moment we have

wRiTE-wiNg

Cynic is a pen name of a young Naga researcher with deep concerns for the people

the best of both worlds. We're part of a bigger entity in the U.K., but also have a large degree of control over our own affairs." Most polls show the anti-independence side ahead by 10 points or more, and long-term trends suggest only about a third of Scots are firmly committed to independence.

University of Edinburgh history professor Tom Devine said the No side's negative campaigning had dented support for independence.

He said a warning from British Treasury chief George Osborne that an independent Scotland wouldn't be able to keep using the pound — as Salmond has long promised — had exposed the lack of a "plan B in the nationalist camp." But Devine said the pressure could backfire. "Scots don't like to be bullied, and especially don't like to be bullied by creatures like Osborne," an aristocratic Conservative from the south of England.

Despite its poll lead, the No campaign is nervous. Salmond is a canny leader who is widely regarded as Britain's most skillful politician. The Yes side also has a strong grassroots campaign that is targeting younger voters through social media and music gigs. Ironically, the preferred option of many voters is a compromise that's not on the ballot — more autonomy, but not full independence.

Cameron endorsed that idea last week, saying "a vote for 'No' is not a vote for 'no change.'" But there will only be two options on Sept 18: In or out. Few people are willing to predict the outcome.

"The Yes campaign's narrative, its aspirations, its aims, really do speak to many aspirations and disgruntlements that Scots have had in recent decades," said John MacDonald, director of the Scottish Global Forum think-tank. "The polls consistently point to a No vote, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a Yes vote."

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

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

7 PERSPECTIVE Syria’s Silent War Crime: Systematic Rape

Thursday

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

20 March 2014

NEWS ANALYSIS, FEATURE AND DISCOURSE

Evidence is piling up that the Damascus regime has used rape – of daughters in front of fathers, wives in front of husbands - as a targeted weapon

leased, her husband had disappeared with their car.

Annick Cojean

I

Source: IhT

t is the most dreadfully silent crime currently perpetrated in Syria. A mass crime, carried out by the regime in the most barbaric ways that relies on the most deep-rooted taboos of traditional Syrian society — and on the silence of the victims, convinced they will be rejected by their own family, or even sentenced to death.

United Nations investigators and numerous NGOs say because of the silence they have failed to adequately document the widespread accounts of systematic rape since the outbreak of the uprising in Syria.

Mentions of the crime were utterly absent from the Geneva talks, even though activists believe there have been tens of thousands of victims. Yes, rape has been Bashar al-Assad’s secret weapon of war for the past three years.

Alma (all the names of victims have been changed), is lying, scrawny, on a hospital bed in the heart of Amman. She will never walk again, her spine has been shattered by blows inflicted by a militiaman of the regime with the butt of his rifle. In the first months of the revolution, this 27-year-old mother of four, a graduate in management, started working with the rebellion. First, she brought over food and medicine. Then, she carried ammunition in a knotted package on her stomach, pretending to be pregnant.

“You wanted freedom?”

One day, she was arrested at a checkpoint in the suburbs of Damascus. She spent 38 days in a detention center of the air force intelligence services, with around 100 other women.

“Compared to this, Abu Ghraib must have been paradise,” she says with a faint smile, alluding to the American prison in Iraq. “I’ve been through everything! I’ve been battered, flogged with steel cables, had cigarette butts in the neck, razor blades all over my body, electricity in my vagina. I’ve been raped while blindfolded every day by several men who stank of alcohol and obeyed their superior’s orders, who was always there. They shouted: “You wanted freedom? Well here it is!”

Many of the women, she explains, in addition to their pain, thought their families might kill them if they found out what had happened to them. Her determination to enroll in the Free Syrian Army became only stronger. When she was released, she became one of the rare women to lead a battalion, at the head of 20 men, before being seriously injured and evacuated by her fellow rebels.

Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have flowed into Jordan, and this is where, thanks to doctors, lawyers, psychologists, we managed to gather and cross-reference a large number of testimonies, as well as meet several victims, face-to-face.

“Affect the fathers, brothers and husbands” Burhan Ghalioun, the former president of the Syrian National Council and prominent member of the opposition, said international attention should be focused on the mass rape carried out by the regime.

“This is this weapon that made our revolution, which aimed to be peaceful, turn so violent.”

O

n February 27, Oglala Lakota and American Indian Movement activists joined in a four-directions walk to commemorate Liberation Day, an event to mark the 1890 massacre at Wounded Knee. As they do each year, four groups gather to the north, south, east and west and then walk eight miles until converging on top of Wounded Knee, where they honor the fallen warriors and the tribe’s rich history of resistance.

“It is an acknowledgement of the resiliency of who we are as a people,” explains Andrew Iron Shell, an organizer and activist of the Sicangu Lakota Nation. “It gives permission and courage for our upand-coming generations to face the challenges of their time.”

The history of the occupation began with a massacre more than 100 years ago. On a cold day in December 1890, the United States army killed 300 Lakota men, women and children in a massive shoot out after a member of the First Nations refused to give up his arms.

It marked the first bloodshed on Wounded Knee – although there had been many massacres of First Nations people by the colonialists before it. The event was also considered the end of the Indian Wars.

Eighty-three years later, on Feb. 27, 1973, about 200 Lakota members took siege of the town of Wounded Knee. Reclaiming a location that was written in the history books as a place of defeat, the Lakota stood their ground. They were there in protest of a failed attempt at impeaching the tribal president at the time, Richard Wilson, who was known to be corrupt and abusive. Initially a protest against the tribal government, the occupation took a turn when U.S. police forces arrived. The protestors switched the occupation’s focus to the United States’ frequent violation of treaties.

The armed warriors maintained

A Syrian woman looks over Damascus

As early as spring 2011, he says, campaigns of rape by militias were organized inside homes, while families were still there. Daughters were raped in front of their fathers, wives in front of their husbands. Men became crazy with anger and yelled that they would defend themselves and avenge their honor. “I used to think we had to do everything we could to avoid getting into a militarized phase, and that arming the revolution would multiply the number of dead by 100,” Ghalioun said. “But the use of rape decided otherwise.

And I think Assad wanted it this way. Once the revolutionaries were armed, he could easily justify the massacres of those he already called ‘terrorists’.”

This theory is hard to prove. But what is established is that sexual violence has risen, thus contributing to the climate of terror. “Women are used as means to affect the fathers, brothers and husbands,” says the writer Samar Yazbek, who has taken refuge in France. “Their bodies have become battlefields and torture chambers.

The silence of the international community on this tragedy seems deafening to me.”

Several international organizations have reported rapes committed by the regime — Amnesty International, the International Rescue Committee, the International Federation for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch. But all of them also mention the extreme difficulty of obtaining direct testimonies, the obstinate silence of the victims, the fear of honor crimes committed against raped women and the anxiety born from the generalized perception that a woman who has been arrested has necessarily been raped.

A particularly well-documented report, published in November by the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network, confirms the extent of the tragedy and points out the urgency of investigating these war crimes — which, if their premeditation is proven, could be qualified as crimes against humanity.

“The regime has made women their first target,” Sema Nassar, the main author of the report, says, speaking via Skype. “They are aimed at, as such, by snipers, especially pregnant women. They serve as human shields, like in the Ashria neighborhood, in Homs, in Feb. 2012, when the army forced women to walk in front of the troops, or even made them board tanks during patrols. They are also subject to kidnappings for ransoms or exchanges. Systematically raping them, whether they are 9 or 60 years old, is a way to destroy the entire social fabric over the long term.”

control over the town for 71 days while the FBI encircled them. At the final standoff, two warriors were killed, about 12 people were wounded and over 400 were arrested. The Oglala were able to harness national attention through their occupation, using the spotlight to question the United States’ treatment of First Nations people.

As history passed, later generations rarely heard about the occupation of Wounded Knee — or about first nation people at all.

This skewed national memory should be unsurprising: When you have a society and a nation built upon the subjugation of people of color, you can expect nothing more than the constant erasing of certain histories.

Ongoing genocide I recently visited Prisoner of War Camp 344, also known as the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. It wasn’t my first time in the sovereign Oglala Sioux Nation, but it was my first time joining in the ceremonies celebrating the 41st annual Liberation Day to remember the 1890 reoccupation of Wounded Knee.

The vibrant American Indian Movement flags waving in the harsh South Dakota winter wind reminded me of the old black and white photos I used to see in my history books. The Lakota would not disappear without a fight, regardless of what the United States’ intentions were. Children walked alongside elders who had taken part in the occupation, showing clearly the group’s intergenerational wisdom. These are children who are stripped of learning their people’s history in schools, but instead learn it through stories and dances. They are children who live in a sovereign nation that contains two of the poorest counties in the United States and who recognize the threats their families face every day.

One of these threats come

Gang raped in front of a camera Yes, she does have stories to tell, says Sema Nassar.

Specific cases, with dates. Dozens of them. Like this young girl from Hama, currently a refugee in the United States, who was at home with her three brothers when soldiers burst in and told the three men to rape their sister. The first refused; they decapitated him. The second refused; he suffered the same fate. The third accepted; they killed him on the girl, whom they then raped.

Or, there is the story that another Syrian woman has recounted, of being brought to a house in the suburbs of Homs in the summer of 2012, along with around 20 other women. They were tortured and gang raped in front of a camera. The videotape was then sent to her uncle, a prominent sheik, television preacher and member of the opposition.

“This practice is very frequent during raids on villages and systematic in secret service detention centers,” the head of the Syrian League for Human Rights Abdel Karim Rihaoui told Le Monde. Currently living in Cairo, he estimates that over 50,000 women have been raped in Bashar al-Assad’s prisons since the beginning of the revolution.

Electric prods In the Syrian refugee camp of Zaatari, 80 kilometers away from Amman, we met Salma, who looked like she was physically exhausted, with no life in her eyes. She was born in Daraa some 50 years ago but lived in Damascus with her husband and eight children. In 2011, she was stunned to learn that, in retaliation for the uprising of her hometown, her children had been expelled from their school, in the capital. “In what name are you punishing my little ones? They have nothing to do with these events!,” she complained to the school principal.

She had not even finished her sentence when the secret services burst in. They put a bag on her head and led her to the basement of a detention center, where she was thrown into a pitch black cell full of rats. She spent two days in solitary confinement, with no food or water, before joining two other women in a tiny cell where she spent six months. “We couldn’t lie down. We weren’t allowed to wash ourselves, even during our periods. We were raped every day, as they chanted: “We Alawites will destroy you.” A single sign of protest and we had electric prods in the vagina or anus. They beat me so much that they broke my leg. It turned black. My family didn’t hear about me for six months. As I can’t read or write, I signed any confession with my index finger.” When she was re-

Lakota Vow Camila Ibanez Waging Nonviolence

Lakota members marched during the annual Liberation Day commemoration of the Wounded Knee massacre.

from the so-called town of White Clay, Neb., where visitors can witness the way violence against the First Nations people has changed — but not disappeared — over the generations.

Consisting of only 12 people and four liquor stores, White Clay was once part of a 50-square-mile buffer that prevented alcohol from entering the reservation. In 1904, President Roosevelt signed an executive order that removed 49 of those square miles. Since then, the town’s economy has been driv-

en by the $4 million in alcohol sales to the people of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. There is no legal place to drink in or around White Clay: Alcohol containers can’t be opened on the property of the distributor, it’s prohibited to drink in the street, and the reservation is dry territory.

Yet, somehow, the town of 12 people manages to keep four liquor stores open. Barely two miles from the reservation’s epicenter, and less than 200 feet from the dry reservation line, the town perpe-

‘Dead or in prison before we allow the KXL pipeline’

“Incurable” traumas Oum Mohamed, 45, was arrested in the street with her daughter on Sept. 21, 2012, and brought to the Mezzeh military airport. Because the student’s cellphone displayed the flag of the resistance and the photo of a “martyr,” the two women were imprisoned for 20 days during which they were beaten, raped, locked up in a cell measuring four square meters with 17 other women and several children. One woman, the wife of a member of the Free Syrian Army suspected of having been part of the kidnapping of 48 Iranians in a bus in August 2012, was there with her children aged 8 and 9. The husband of another, a prison director who was punished for opposing outrageous torture, was held one floor below, in such a way that he could hear the cries of his wife while she was raped. “Everything was seen as an opportunity for sexual abuse,” she said, as tears filled her eyes.

She fears the future of her daughter, who lost almost 45 pounds, is jeopardized for good.

Doctors have described “ravaged” vaginas, martyred bodies, “incurable” traumas. And so the next question: Were these barbaric initiatives carried out by lone groups of mercenaries left to their own devices, or part of a thoughtout strategy, deployed by a hierarchy under orders?

The head of the Syrian League for Human Rights Abdel Karim Rihaoui has no doubt: “It is a political choice made to crush the people. Technique, sadism, perversity: Everything is meticulously organized. It is not a coincidence. The testimonies are similar and some rapists have admitted themselves to have acted on orders.”

Lawyers we reached in Syria share this opinion, despite the difficulty of gathering evidence. “I have photos of [sexual] stimulant boxes that the militiamen pack before leaving for a raid in a village,” Sema Nassar says. Several testimonies also reported the use of paralyzing products injected in the thighs of the women before they were raped.

Worse than death One of the victims, Amal, explains that, in a Damascus detention center, a doctor — nicknamed “Dr. Cetamol” — went around the cells to note the dates of every woman’s periods, and hand out birth control pills. “We lived in filth, in blood, in shit, with no water and barely any food. But we had such an obsessive fear of becoming pregnant that we took these pills scrupulously. Once, when my period was late, the doctor gave me pills that gave me stomach pains all night.” Experts says this is crucial testimony in order to establish the premeditation of rapes in detention.

But babies have been born from these gang rapes, leading to series of tragedies. In Latakia, a young woman committed suicide because she was not able to abort. Another was thrown off the first floor balcony by her father. Newborn babies have been found at dawn in back alleys in Daraa.

“How can we help these women?”, asks Alia Mansour, a member of the Syrian National Coalition. “They are so scared when they are released from detention that they shut themselves away in their despair, without being able to ask for help.”

In Homs, Syrian poet Lina Tibi tells us about a woman who has managed to organize, in one week and in great secrecy, 50 hymenoplasty procedures on girls aged from 13 to 16 who were raped. “It was the only way to save their lives.”

But families are disintegrating. Husbands are turning away and divorcing. In Homs, the family-in-law of a woman who had not even been released from prison yet gathered her belongings to throw her out of the house. Parents are rushing their daughters to marry the first man who agrees.

“The world is preoccupied with the chemical weapons, but, for us, Syrian women, rape is worse than death,” whispers a law student, in tears. She has not told anyone about her tragedy yet. Especially not her husband.

trates a type of violence that is, on the reservation, known as liquid genocide.

The reason for this name becomes apparent when one examines the teenage suicide rate on the reservation, which is 150 percent higher than the U.S. national average for this age group. Many attribute this death rate to the sale of alcohol to minors, which White Clay store owners are known to do.

The liquor stores also break the law by selling to intoxicated people, and by trading alcohol for pornography, sexual favors — including from minors — and welfare checks.

The effects of free-flowing alcohol are devastating: On the reservation, 90 percent of all court cases are related to alcohol use.

Kate, a Tokala warrior, believes that alcoholism is part of a larger problem of the disappearance of indigenous culture. For her, the only way to live in the geographical region of Pine Ridge is the indigenous way. “We are the ones on the back roads, still chopping wood.

We are living the way we used to live,” she said. “It’s not hardship; it’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

Kate and many others know that alcohol was introduced to her people as a means to steal from them.

Living deeply connected to the history of their nation, they believe that if they shake free of the colonized mindset, alcohol wouldn’t even be an issue.

Threats to the land In addition to trying to close down White Clay, the Oglala Lakota Nation is actively fighting the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. This 1,700-mile pipeline, which would carry 830,000 barrels of crude oil each day from western Canada through South Dakota en route to Texas. At two points it would even intersect with a pipeline that serves as a main water source for the Sioux Nation, affecting all of the Pine Ridge reserva-

Originally published in Le Monde/Worlcrunch

tion as well as the nearby Rosebud reservation.

Advocates for the pipeline argue the pipeline is the safest way to transport crude oil. TransCanada, the company in charge of the pipeline, predicted that the first Keystone pipeline, which runs from Alberta to Illinois, would spill once every seven years. During its first year in operation, it spilled 12 times. The Lakota, along with other First Nations, have vowed to use direct action to stop construction of the pipeline.

For a nation whose land and sovereignty has been threatened for hundreds of years by U.S. politics, the Keystone XL pipeline is part of a long history of threats to the Lakota Nation – and to the earth itself.

“They want to get rid of the Lakota, the protectors of the earth,” said Olowan Martinez, an organizer in the Lakota community. “But what they don’t know is when they get rid of the Lakota, the earth isn’t too far behind. Our people believe the Lakota is the earth.”

President Obama is scheduled to be make a final decision on the pipeline by the middle of 2014. While the Lakota are hoping he will not approve the project, they are also getting ready to stand up and fight. During the Liberation Day celebrations, the Lakota’s dances and stories relayed messages about sacred water and Mother Earth. The tribe has also united with other First Nations to organize a three-day direct action training called Moccasins on the Ground, which was designed to prepare people to act if the pipeline is approved.

“Dead or in prison before we allow the Keystone XL pipeline to pass,” the Lakota warriors, many mounted atop horses, repeated during the Liberation Day celebration. Their words carried the weight of 521 years, and counting, of lived resistance.

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

Thursday 20 March 2014

India not to support western sanctions against Russia

India to resume hunt for missing MH370 NEW DELHI, MarcH 19 (TNN): India is all set to resume the search for Malaysian jetliner MH370, which mysteriously went missing en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur 11 days ago, by redeploying its P-8I long-range maritime surveillance and C-130J “Super Hercules” planes for surveys over southern Indian Ocean.

Government officials on Wednesday said Malaysia had sent a fresh request to India to help in the new designated search area stretching 5,000 nautical miles southwards from Jakarta. “One P-8I is already on stand-by at the naval air station at Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu, while another C-130J is positioned at Port Blair,” said an official.

“Both planes, with long endurance, can scan the designated area with their radars, electro-optic and infra-red sensors. They are likely to begin operations from Thursday morning to cover the area spanning 5,000 nautical miles from Jakarta towards Antarctica,” he added.

India had earlier joined the ongoing hunt by over 25 countries for the missing Malaysian Airlines 777-200ER aircraft by deploying six warships and several planes to search an area spanning over 250,000 sq km in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal.

However, the Indian search operations were suspended after Kuala Lumpur decided to rethink and redirect the efforts on Sunday, with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak also calling PM Manmohan Singh to request for technical help and radar data to corroborate the possible paths taken by flight MH370.

The Indian military establishment has already rejected the possibility that the jetliner, hijacked or otherwise, could have flown over the Indian mainland after been “diverted” to

NEW DELHI, MarcH 19 (PTI): With Russia facing sanctions from the US and some other countries after it annexed Crimea from Ukraine, India on Wednesday made it clear that it will not support any “unilateral measures” against Russian government.

“India has never supported unilateral sanctions against any country e.g. Iraq or Iran. Therefore, we will also not support any unilateral measures by a country or a group of countries,” sources in the government said here.

The remarks came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin explained the situation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who underlined India’s position on “unity and territorial integrity” of countries and hoped a diplomatic solution would be found to the issue.

Earlier this month, national security advisor Shiv Shankar Menon had said, “There are legitimate Russian and other interests involved and we hope they are discussed and resolved.”

The US and the EU have imposed sanctions on several officials from Russia and Ukraine accused of involvement in Moscow’s actions in the Black Sea peninsula. Australia has also announced its decision to impose financial and travel sanctions on a dozen political figures from the region.

Putin signed the treaty last night with the Russianbacked leaders of Crimea, pressing ahead with an annexation that Washington and Ukraine’s new government say is illegal and unacceptable.

Poll panel urges media to report paid news cases NEW DELHI, MarcH 19 (IaNS): The Election Commission Wednesday urged the electronic media to report to it cases of paid news, where political parties approach channels for advertisements without the certification of the poll panel.

“Paid news without the certification of the poll panel are electoral offence. It gives a wrong idea to the public and tries to manipulate them, which is a violation of the model code of conduct,” said Vijay Dev, chief electoral officer of Delhi, at a media workshop here.

The news channels were also directed to disclose their political affiliations, either towards a political party or candidate.

He said news broadcasters that use video feed from political parties will have to disclose it. The media channels have been directed not to broadcast any election-related matter intended or calculated to influence the results of the election. A total number of 54 paid news items without the certification of the Election Commission were reported in the Delhi assembly polls in 2013.

Indian farmers take their lives after freak hailstorms MuMbaI, MarcH 19 (aFP): A string of farmers have committed suicide in western India after freak hailstorms and rains destroyed winter crops worth millions of dollars, activists and politicians said Wednesday.

The unusual weather struck parts of western Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital, from late February and went on to badly damage crops. A source from the Maharashtra chief minister’s office told AFP that seven suicides had been confirmed, with more killed by the storm itself, but the opposition and activists said the real figure was much higher.

“There have been 32 (farmer) suicides so far across Maharashtra after the hailstorms started... We are getting hourly updates from our people,” said Kishor Tiwari, president of farmers’ advocacy group Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti. He said the figure was expected to rise after more post-mortems were carried out.

India’s main opposition group, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said on Tuesday that the number of farmer suicides had gone up to 37, demanding that the natural disaster be declared a “national calamity”, the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency reported. “Since the hailstorm began on February 28, the entire rabi (winter-sown) crop on 1.6 million hectares of land in 17 districts has been destroyed,” said senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde.

Grape farmers were the worst hit by the storms, but crops of other fruits such as mango, papaya, lime and watermelon were also badly hit, according to local reports. Among those to commit suicide was debt-ridden Bapu Ramchandra Pawar, 62, who poisoned himself after his pomegranate farm was destroyed, police told PTI. Ahead of a closely-fought general election, the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is due to visit the troubled area on Thursday. He is expected to hold a public rally in Vidarbha, a region notorious for its high level of farmer suicides.

A delegation of ministers from Maharashtra met India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday and demanded 50 billion rupees (800 million dollars) in relief towards damage caused by the freak weather.

Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan in Central Asia, as earlier reported by TOI. This came after Razak on Saturday declared the missing plane’s last communication with a satellite suggested it could have been “deliberately diverted”, after its transponders were switched off, into “two possible corridors or arcs”.

The northern one was identified as stretching from northern Thailand to Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, while the southern one from Indonesia to southern Indian Ocean. Indian officials, however, believe that MH370 in all probability went down in the southern Indian Ocean after being diverted and flying close to the Malacca Strait.

Pieces of aircraft found floating on Andhra coast?

Pieces of what is suspected to be an aircraft were seen washed up on Andhra coast Wednesday, a Telugu television channel reported.

Fishermen, who saw them floating at Kutta Gouduru beach in T.P. Gudur mandal of Nellore district in south coastal Andhra off Bay of Bengal, informed the police.

According to a channel, the authorities alerted the top officials. However, there was no confirmation from any official if the objects seen floating were indeed pieces of an aircraft.

An airplane of the Malaysia Airlines, with 239 people, including five Indians aboard, vanished while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing March 8.

A TV news channel in Malaysia had reported two days ago that missing plane may have crashed either in the Bay of Bengal or in the Indian Ocean. (IANS)

In this photo provided by the Indian Navy, Indian navy officers work inside the control room of the Indian aircraft “P8i, a long-range maritime patrol,” as it patrols over the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, on March 15. Indian navy ships supported by long-range surveillance planes and helicopters scoured Andaman Sea islands for a third day on Saturday without any success in finding evidence of the missing Malaysia Airlines jet, officials said. (AP File Photo)

UNGA president to raise Italian marines issue with India

uNITED NaTIONS, MarcH 19 (PTI): UN General Assembly president John Ashe has informed Italy that he will try and raise with India the issue of the two Italian marines who are being tried for killing two Indian fishermen during his three-day visit that begins on Wednesday. Italy’s deputy Prime Minister and interior minister Angelino Alfano met Ashe here on Monday and “briefed him on the situation of the two-yearold case of the marines. “In response, President Ashe informed the minister that in the course of his imminent state visit to India,

he will be alert for whatever opportunity presents itself to raise the issue,” a statement issued by Ashe’s spokesperson said.

Ashe will visit India from March 19-22, during which he is expected to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and external affairs minister Salman Khurshid.

Alfano also briefed the President of the General Assembly on issues of priority for Italy, including enhancing efforts to counter terrorism and human trafficking.

Alfano had also met UN chief Ban Ki-moon but according to information provided by the office

of Ban’s spokesperson, there was no mention of the issue of the Italian marines and their trial in India during Ban’s meeting with Alfano.

A readout provided by Ban’s office about the meeting said the secretary general “called on Italy to ensure that refugees crossing the Mediterranean are treated with dignity and that the principle of non-refoulement is respected. “He expressed concern about reports of severe treatment of migrants, especially women, at reception camps and underscored the need to ensure their human rights.

“The secretary general praised

Congress rules out supporting Arvind Kejriwal against Modi

NEW DELHI, MarcH 19 (PTI): Narendra Modi could be in for a tough fight in Varanasi with the Congress declaring its resolve to put up a formidable candidate against the BJP’s PM nominee in the Lok Sabha polls and ruling out support to AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal.

Congress leadership has already shortlisted three candidates for Varanasi to take on Modi and the final choice will be announced soon.

“There are many names under consideration for Varanasi seat. Congress will field a strong candidate and we will fight with full strength,” party spokesman and Union Minister Anand Sharma told reporters.

To a question as to why Congress is not announcing its candidate and whether it could support Kejriwal’s candidature, Sharma said, “Is there any dearth of candidates? It will be declared in the party list in time. The question does not arise (of supporting Kejriwal). Congress will fight the battle on its own strength. Congress is a national party and will fight on the ground.”

A senior party leader said on the condition of anonymity that the party will put up “strong” candidates against Modi in both Varanasi and the Gujarat seat from which he would be contesting. Yesterday, the AICC had urged all like minded parties to support its nom-

inee in Varanasi in the “battle against communalism”.

“Do not be surprised if Varanasi witnesses a similar spectacle as Ghaziabad from where BJP chief Rajnath Singh ran away after Congress fielded Raj Babbar,” party spokesman Randeep Surjewala had said. The remarks of Surjewala came two days after party General Secretary Madhusudan Mistry had declared that the Congress will give a “good fight” to Modi on Varanasi seat and did not rule out fielding an ‘outsider’.

Among the local candidates, the names of Rajesh Mishra and Ajay Rai are doing the rounds. A section in the Congress wants an influential leader pitched against Modi, while others want a celebrity to be fielded against him. A section views that after the exit of BJP veteran Murli Manohar Joshi from the electoral contest from the holy city, the Congress fielding a Brahmin candidate could be advantageous.

Senior Congress leader Anil Shastri in a tweet had said “If BSP and SP are serious on defeating Modi from Varanasi, they alongwith Congress should put up a joint candidate against him”.

AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal has declared that he was ready to take on Modi in Varanasi but linked his final call to the people’s approval there.

In his foreword, Union home secretary Anil Goswami said the general policy of the government is not to encourage soliciting of foreign contribution and the endeavour of the ministry has been to bring in transparency and accountability in the operation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act while ensuring national security.

Interestingly, the returns have not been received from nearly 19,000 organizations for which appropriate action has been taken by the home ministry for non-compliance of their statutory obligations.

A total of 43,527 NGOs were registered under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act upto March 31, 2012.

Amongst the purposes for which foreign contribution was received and utilized are: rural development (Rs 945.77 crore), welfare of children (Rs 929.22 crore), construction and maintenance of school/college (Rs 824.11 crore) and research (Rs 539.14 crore).

The figures have been captured from the amounts indicated under various standard heads of utilization prescribed in the annual returns.

Further, some NGOs, which have reported receipt and utilization of foreign contribution, have not classified utilization appropriately under the respective standard heads and, therefore, such amount has been shown under the miscellaneous head.

“Thus, these figures may not accurately reflect the utilization of foreign contribution under the specific standard heads. However, they do represent a statistical trend,” the home ministry report said.

During the year 2011-12, 22,702 NGOs reported receipt of foreign contribution amounting to Rs 11,546.29 crore. Among the NGOs, which have reported receipt of foreign contribution, the World Vision of India, Chennai, received the highest amount of foreign contribution (Rs 233.38 crore).

Italy for its contribution to peacekeeping, the fight against organised crime and counterterrorism efforts, especially in North Africa, the Sahel and the Horn. He thanked Italy for accepting another group of residents from Camp Hurriya.”

Ahead of his meeting with Ban, Alfano had said that Italy is willing to try the marines “at home, but in the meantime we ask for their freedom.” Marines Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone shot dead two fishermen off the Kerala coast in February 2012, sparking diplomatic tensions between India and Italy.

The marines, deployed on the Italian-flagged oil tanker MT Enrica Lexie, said they mistook the fishermen for pirates. They are now staying in the Italian embassy in New Delhi awaiting trial. India has removed the possibility of a death penalty but insisted that the marines would still be prosecuted under the anti-piracy law and face up to 10 years in prison. Italy has said the marines should be tried in Italy since the incident took place in international waters. However, New Delhi says it has the right to try the Italians as the victims were Indians on board an Indian fishing boat.

‘Parties stoke communalism for votes’

NEW DELHI, MarcH 19 (IaNS): Political parties stoke communal sentiments to garner votes, says a report on the Muzaffarnagar riots released here Wednesday to educated voters ahead of the general elections. Compiled by activists under the banner of the Forum for Democracy and Communal Amity (FDCA), the report claims to “help people decide whom to vote for”.

“A seven-member FDCA team visited the riot-affected areas for three days (Jan 4-5

NGOs vulnerable to risk of terror financing: Govt

NEW DELHI, MarcH 19 (PTI): With voluntary organizations receiving more than Rs 11,500 crore of foreign funds annually, the Union home ministry has warned that the NGOs in the country were vulnerable to risks of money laundering and terror financing.

In its latest annual report on receipt and utilization of foreign contribution by voluntary associations, the home ministry said since the NGOs work independently outside the government, it is expected that they should be self- regulating and law abiding.

One of the objectives of the national policy on the voluntary sector is to “encourage NGOs to adopt transparent and accountable system of governance and management”.

“While it is not proper to make sweeping generalizations, it is necessary to note that the NGO sector in India is vulnerable to the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing,” the report said.

The Morung Express

Other NGOs which have received sizeable foreign contribution are the Believers Church India Pathanamthitta, Kerala (Rs 190 crore), the Rural Development Trust, Ananthapur, Andhra Pradesh (Rs 144.39 crore), the Indian Society Of Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints, Delhi (Rs 130.77 crore) and Public Health Foundation Of India, Delhi (Rs 130.31 crore).

The list of foreign donors is headed by the Compassion International, USA (Rs 99.20 crore) followed by the HCL Holdings Pvt Ltd, Mauritius (Rs 69.98 crore), the Action Aid, UK (Rs 62.66 crore), Population Service International, USA (Rs 61.34 crore) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, USA (Rs 48.91 crore).

The five major donor countries are USA (Rs 3838.23), UK (Rs 1219.02 crore), Germany (Rs 1096.01 crore), Italy (Rs 528.88 crore) and the Netherlands (Rs 418.37 crore).

and 10) and met the victims, their families, community leaders and members of the local administration,” FDCA joint secretary Mohammad Salim Engineer told IANS. “People in the affected villages know who the culprits were behind the riots. There were specific political parties that are working there to divide people on religious lines for their (own) gains,” he added. Without naming any particular party, Engineer said parties indulging in

“communal politics” must be defeated.

He further said the report was to be submitted to Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde as well as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav but both of them refused to meet the FDCA representatives.

“Therefore, we decided to release the report to the media,” he said. Communal clashes in Muzaffarnagar and adjoining areas last year claimed 63 lives and rendered 40,000 people homeless.

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, center, arrives to address a convocation at the Himachal Pradesh University in Shimla, on Wednesday, March 19, 2014.

(AP Photo)

Guj ranks No 1 in ‘economic freedom’: Report

NEW DELHI, MarcH 19 (agENcIES): In a boost to BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Gujarat has been ranked number one in a list of India’s 20 largest states in terms of “economic freedom”. The index on “economic freedom” takes into account governance, growth, citizens’ rights, and labour and business regulations.

As per the 2013 ‘Economic Freedom of the States of India’ report, “Gujarat has widened its lead at the top of the economic freedom table, with an index score of 0.65 (on a scale from 0 to 1.0). Tamil Nadu remains in second position, but some distance behind, with a score of 0.54.”

The report also had some good news for Nitish Kumar’s Bihar. The state, which though continues to remain at the bottom of table, has seen significant progress after Nitish Kumar took charge as the chief minister, the report said.

It is noteworthy that the three states, which have seen fastest improvement in economic freedom, have also recorded a significant jump in economic growth. The growth rate in Gujarat has been an average 12% between 2005 and 2011, while in Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh it has

been 10.6% and 10.4% respectively.

“Gujarat is not only the freest state, but it has also registered the fastest rate of improvement in the index (from 0.46 in 2005 to 0.65 in 2013),” the report said. “States in India which are economically more free are also doing better in terms of a higher per capita growth for its citizens, unemployment levels are lower in these states, sanitary conditions are better and the states also attract more investments,” said the report.

As regards Bihar, the report said, “Under chief minister Nitish Kumar, its GDP growth rate averaged 11.8% between 200405 and 2010-11.”

“The main pillars of Nitish Kumar’s strategy were the improved provision of two essential government services (technically called public goods) needed for the proper functioning of the state—public order and good road connectivity,” it adds.

Bihar with an index score of 0.31 remains that bottom of the table, behind Assam (0.32) and Jharkhand (0.33), as per the report. The report, which is published every year, was co-authored by economists Bibek Debroy and Laveesh Bhandari, and Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar.

Thursday

InternatIonal

the Morung express

20 March 2014

Dimapur

9

Ukraine naval headquarters in Crimea stormed SEVASTOPOL/MOS cOW, MARch 19 (REuTERS): Russian troops backed by unarmed volunteers stormed Ukraine’s naval headquarters in the Crimean port of Sevastopol on Wednesday and raised the Russian flag, as Moscow tightened its control of the Black Sea peninsula.

The dramatic seizure came as Russia and the West dug in for a long confrontation over Moscow’s annexation of Crimea, with the United States and Europe groping for ways to increase pressure on a defiant Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russian lawmakers raced to ratify a treaty making the Ukrainian region part of Russia by the end of the week, despite threats of further sanctions from Washington and Brussels. The Russian military moved swiftly to neutralise any threat of armed resistance in Crimea.

“This morning they stormed the compound.

They cut the gates open, but I heard no shooting,” said Oleksander Balanyuk, a captain in the navy, walking out of the compound in his uniform and carrying his belongings. “This thing should have been solved politically. Now all I can do is stand here at the gate.

There is nothing else I can do,” he told Reuters, appearing ashamed and downcast.

Ukrainian military spokesman Vladislav Seleznyov said the commander of the Ukrainian navy, Admiral Serhiy Haiduk, was driven away by what appeared to be Russian special forces.

Hillary Clinton warns of further Russian aggression

Unarmed members of Pro-Russian self-defense forces, left, force themselves through a chain of Ukrainian military men at the Ukrainian Navy headquarters in Sevastopol, Crimea, Wednesday, March 19, 2014. An Associated Press photographer said several hundred militiamen took down the gate and made their way onto the base. They then raised the Russian flag on the square by the headquarters. The unarmed militia waited for an hour in the square before the move to storm the headquarters. Following the arrival of the commander of the Russian Black Sea fleet, the Crimeans took over the building. (AP Photo/Andrew Lubimov)

of soldiers to Crimea in the buildup to a weekend referendum in which the Russian-majority region voted overwhelmingly to leave Ukraine and join Moscow, reflecting national loyalties and hopes of higher wages.

But there is unease among pro-Ukrainian Crimeans who have complained about the heavy armed presence across the region. “I was born here, my family is here, I have a job here and I am not going anywhere unless there is an all-out military conflict,” said Viktor, a 23-year-old MIXED FEELINGS salesman. “It is my home Russia sent thousands but things will not be the

same any more.”

A few hundred metres away, the local authorities attached new, Russian letters spelling “State Council of the Crimean Republic” on the building of the local assembly. Putin said his move to annex Crimea was justified by “fascists” in Kiev who overthrew pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovich after deadly street protests last month.

Ukraine and Western governments have dismissed the referendum as a sham, and say there is no justification for Putin’s actions. Yanukovich enraged many Ukrainians by turn-

ing his back on closer ties with Europe to sign agreements on economic integration with former Soviet overlord Russia.

GERMANY MAKES MOVE Germany’s cabinet approved EU plans for closer political cooperation with Ukraine, a government source said, clearing the way for Chancellor Angela Merkel to sign part of a socalled association agreement at an EU summit later this week.

The 28-member bloc is expected to sign a more far-reaching trade accord with Ukraine later. But

maintaining aggressive rhetoric reminiscent of the Cold War, Russia accused Western states of violating a pledge to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and political independence under a 1994 security assurance agreement, saying they had “indulged a coup d’etat” that ousted Yanukovich.

Moscow, which has said it will retaliate for so far largely symbolic Western sanctions targeting Russian officials, announced on Wednesday it was closing its military facilities to a European security watchdog for the rest of the year.

The Russian Defence

MONTREAL, MARch 19 (AP): Other countries near Russia could also face aggression if President Vladimir Putin is allowed to get away with his actions in Ukraine, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday.

Clinton, a potential 2016 presidential contender, called Russia’s move to annex Crimea illegal and a violation of international law.

“If he’s allowed to get away with that, I think you’ll see a lot of other countries either directly facing Russian aggression or suborned with their political systems so that they are so intimidated that in effect they are transformed into vassals, not sovereign democracies,” Clinton said at an event hosted by the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal at the Palais des Congres.

In response to a question about Ukraine, Clinton advocated a “two-track” approach toward resolving the crisis that included economic incentives and “standing up for our values.” Along with sanctions against Russia, Clinton argued for increased financial and technical support for a democratic government in Kiev.

She also said Europe needs to be enMinistry was quoted as saying the signatories of a 2011 Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe agreement had exhausted their quotas to inspect Russian military facilities and a planned inspection in the coming days would be the last.

FURTHER SANCTIONS? U.S. Vice President Joe Biden was in Lithuania to round off a lightning visit intended to reassure Baltic and east European NATO allies that Washington will stand by them after Moscow’s action in the neighbouring former Soviet

Earth ‘dodged’ massive magnetic bullet from sun

WAShINGTON, MARch 19 (IANS): A massive magnetic eruption that barely missed the earth would have hit it hard had it come nine days earlier wreaking havoc with the electrical grid, disabling satellites and GPS and disrupting our increasingly electronic lives.

Detected by NASA’s STEREO A spacecraft, a rapid succession of coronal mass ejections - the most intense eruptions on

the sun - sent a pulse of magnetised plasma barreling into space and through earth’s orbit in July last year. The solar bursts would have enveloped earth in magnetic fireworks matching the largest magnetic storm ever reported on earth, the so-called Carrington event of 1859. In 1859, the telegraph system was knocked out across the US, shocking telegraph operators. Meanwhile, the North-

ern Lights lit up the night sky as far south as Hawaii. “Had it hit Earth, it probably would have been like the big one in 1859 but the effect today, with our modern technologies, would have been tremendous,” explained physicist Janet G Luhmann.

A study last year estimated that the cost of a solar storm like the Carrington Event could reach $2.6 trillion worldwide. A considerably smaller event on

An investigator looks over the aftermath of a news helicopter crash Tuesday, March 18, in Seattle, Wash.

A KOMO-TV helicopter crashed into a city street near Seattle’s Space Needle, killing two people and critically injuring a person in a car on the ground. (AP Photo)

March 13, 1989, led to the collapse of Canada’s Hydro-Quebec power grid and a resulting loss of electricity to 6 million people for up to 9 hours.

The cost of an extreme space weather event, if it hits earth, could reach trillions of dollars with a potential recovery time of 4-10 years. It is paramount to the security and economic interest of the modern society to understand solar

superstorms, Liu added. The researchers concluded that a huge outburst on the sun July 22 propelled a magnetic cloud through the solar wind at a peak speed of more than 2,000 km per second. It tore through the earth’s orbit but earth and the other planets were on the other side of the sun at the time. Any planets in the line of sight would have suffered severe magnetic storms.

Bangladesh indicts former PM Khaleda Zia

DhAKA, MARch 19 (AP): A court in Bangladesh’s capital on Wednesday indicted a former prime minister and leading opposition figure in two related cases involving charges of corruption for allegedly using an illegal fund to buy land for a charity named after her late husband. Judge Basudeb Roy accepted the charges against Khaleda Zia, who was present in the court.

Defense lawyer Khandker Mahbub Uddin said the charges that Zia had illegally collected more than $1 million in donations for the charity named after late President Ziaur Rahman were not true. Zia says she is innocent and the charges are politically motivated. Authorities deny the allegations.

Pressing the charges against Zia could further complicate the country’s tense political situation. Zia’s party and her allies boycotted troubled January 5 elections in which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina returned to power with an overwhelming majority. Zia has vowed to restart protests against Hasina to oust her from power, but Hasina has said she would stand tough against any such moves in the South Asian nation, which is a parliamentary democracy.

couraged to find other energy sources so they aren’t dependent on Russian oil and gas. “We don’t have to be rattling sabers and all that. That’s not useful,” she said.

“But people need to get moving in protecting themselves against future intimidation. It might take a year, it might take two years, but it needs to be slow and steady.

And then once again people will see the difference, they will see the choices.”

Clinton referred to the conflict as a “clash of values” and “an effort by Putin to rewrite the boundaries of post-World War II Europe.” “We’re going to stand up against illegal acts and we’re going to demonstrate that we have a better model, just like we did for 50 years. That takes continuity and persistence and it takes a consensus across the political spectrum in our country, certainly,” she said.

Clinton said she’s hopeful another Cold War can be avoided. “Obviously nobody wants to see that. I think that’s primarily up to Putin.” Earlier this month, Clinton likened Putin’s actions on the Crimean Peninsula to those of Adolf Hitler in the 1930s. She has also said he is a tough but thin-skinned leader who is squandering his country’s potential.

republic.

In Warsaw on Tuesday, Biden said the United States may run more ground and naval military exercises to help Baltic states near Russia beef up their capacity after what he called Putin’s “land grab” in Ukraine. Washington and Brussels said further sanctions would follow the visa bans and asset freezes imposed so far on a handful of Russian and Crimean officials, drawing derision from Moscow.

European Union leaders will consider widening the number of people targeted by personal sanc-

tions when they hold a regular summit in Thursday and Friday, diplomats said, as well as signing the political part of an association agreement with Ukraine’s interim government. EU officials say they have identified more than 100 potential targets.

France has said it is considering suspending a contract to supply two helicopter carriers to the Russian military, the first of which is due to be delivered later this year. French officials say they expect EU partner Britain, in return, to close its gates and bank vaults to oligarchs close to Putin.

Myanmar draws up strategic plan for 2015 poll

YANGON, MARch 19 (IANS): Myanmar’s Union Election Commission (UEC) has drawn a strategic plan for holding the 2015 general elections in a free and fair manner, the state media reported Wednesday.

UEC Chairman U Tin Aye asked the commission to prepare well for the elections, slated for late 2015, Xinhua reported, citing the state media. Seeking suggestions from political parties, U Tin Aye said the commission was striving to lay down rules for the election campaign.

He disclosed that the commission, in collaboration with the International Foundation for Election System (IFES), would conduct a pilot project on ballot collection in urban and rural areas and “unsafe” places in May. Experts from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) would give more information on the election management system at a forum scheduled from Wednesday to Friday, he added.

The commission has drafted a “12-chapter strategy” for holding the 2015 elections, including a chapter calling for cooperation with civil society organisations which are to work as election

observers.

Myanmar’s last general election were held Nov 7, 2010, in which the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) won the majority of the votes with its chairman U Thein Sein being elected as the country’s president to lead the civilian government after five decades of military rule.

In April 2012, a by-election was held, in which the opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), won 43 out of 45 open parliamentary seats with its chairperson Aung San Suu Kyi occupying a seat of the House of Representatives or the lower house of parliament.

In the latest development, Myanmar set up a 31-member constitution amendment implementation committee Feb 3 for reviewing a report compiled and submitted by the Parliament’s Joint Committee for Review of 2008 Constitution at the end of January.

The joint committee, formed earlier, claimed that it had received over 28,247 letters of suggestions from over 20 political parties, legal experts, government departments and military and civil societies.

What if the missing plane is never found?

WELLINGTON, MARch 19 (AP): The plane must be somewhere.

But the same can be said for Amelia Earhart’s. Ten days after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared with 239 people aboard, an exhaustive international search has produced no sign of the Boeing 777, raising an unsettling question: What if the airplane is never found?

Such an outcome, while considered unlikely by many experts, would certainly torment the families of those missing. It would also flummox the airline industry, which will struggle to learn lessons from the incident if it doesn’t know what happened.

While rare nowadays, history is not short of such mysteries — from the most famous of all, American aviator Earhart, to planes and ships disappearing in the so-called Bermuda Triangle.

“When something like this happens that confounds us, we’re offended by it, and we’re scared by it,” said Ric Gillespie, a former U.S. aviation accident investigator who wrote a book about Earhart’s still-unsolved 1937 disappearance over the Pacific Ocean. “We had the illusion of control and it’s just been shown to us that oh, folks, you know what? A really big airliner can just vanish. And nobody

wants to hear that.”

Part of the problem, said Andrew Thomas, the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Transportation Security, is that airline systems are not as sophisticated as many people might think.

A case in point, he said, is that airports and airplanes around the world use antiquated radar tracking technology, first developed in the 1950s, rather than modern GPS systems.

A GPS system might not have solved the mystery of Flight 370, which disappeared March 8 while flying from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing. But it would probably have given searchers a better read on the plane’s last known location, Thomas said.

“There are lots of reasons why they haven’t changed, but the major one is cost,” he said. “The next-generation technology would cost $70 to $80 billion in the U.S.” Experts say the plane’s disappearance will likely put pressure on airlines and governments to improve the way they monitor planes, including handoff procedures between countries. Flight 370 vanished after it signed off with Malaysian air-traffic controllers, and never made contact with their Vietnamese counterparts as it should have.

And if the plane is never found, liability issues will be a huge headache for courts. With no wreckage, it would be difficult to determine whether the airline, manufacturers or other parties should bear the brunt of responsibility.

“The international aviation legal system does not anticipate the complete disappearance of an aircraft,” said Brian Havel, a law professor and director of the International Aviation Law Institute at DePaul University in Chicago. “We just don’t have the tools for that at present.”

The families of the missing, of course, would face the most painful consequences of a failed search.

“In any kind of death, the most important matter for relatives and loved ones is knowing the context and circumstances,” said Kevin Tso, the chief executive of New Zealand agency Victim Support, which has been counseling family and friends of the two New Zealand passengers aboard the flight. “When there’s very little information, it’s very difficult.”

Tso said the abundance of speculation about the plane’s fate in the media and elsewhere is not helpful to the families, who may be getting false hope that their loved ones are still alive.

It has been nearly 50 years since a plane carrying more than two dozen people vanished without a trace, according to a list of unexplained aviation disappearances tracked by the Flight Safety Foundation. An Argentine military plane carrying 69 people disappeared in 1965 and has never been found.

Earhart, the first female pilot to cross the Atlantic Ocean, vanished over the Pacific with Fred Noonan during an attempt to circumnavigate the globe. Seven decades later, people are still transfixed. Theories range from her simply running out of fuel and crashing to her staging her own disappearance and secretly returning to the U.S. to live under another identity.

There is also an ongoing fascination with the Bermuda Triangle, where several ships and planes disappeared, including a squadron of five torpedo bombers in 1945. Studies have indicated the area is no more dangerous than any other stretch of ocean.

More than two dozen countries are involved in the effort to find Flight 370 and end the uncertainty, with dozens of aircraft and boats searching along a vast arc where investigators believe the plane ended up, judging by signals received by a satellite.

A man takes a picture of a paper plane of a Malaysian airliner, on the messages board for passengers aboard a missing Malaysia Airlines plane at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia, on Wednesday, March 19. New radar data from Thailand gave Malaysian investigators more potential clues Wednesday for how to retrace the course of the missing Malaysian airliner, while a massive multinational search unfolded in an area the size of Australia. (AP Photo)

10

Dimapur

SPORTS

Thursday 20 March 2014

The Morung Express

Chelsea win to reaCh Cl quarters LONDON, March 19 (aP): Samuel Eto'o and Gary Cahill scored first half goals as Chelsea turned in a dominant performance to beat Galatasaray 2-0 on Tuesday and reach the Champions League quarterfinals with a 3-1 victory on aggregate.

Galatasaray's former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba made no impact on his return to Stamford Bridge, being reduced to a minor role like the rest of his teammates in the second leg match of the last 16.

Playing his first game at Chelsea since his last kick for the Blues won a penalty shootout with Bayern Munich in the final two years ago, Drogba received a warm welcome from the home fans. But Eto'o quickly stole the spotlight, opening the scoring from a tight angle in the fourth minute. Cahill doubled the lead from close range in the 42nd.

Drogba looked a shadow of his former self and did not have a single clearcut chance. But both his manager Roberto Mancini and his former coach Jose Mourinho jumped to his defense. "It was not his fault, it was very difficult for him because we did not play tonight," Mancini said.

Mourinho said his former protege was not helped by his teammates after they failed to produce attacking football. "We were very solid and very confident, we controlled the game," Mourinho said. "If you're a striker and your team doesn't attack, you feel a lonely man."

All eyes were on Drogba as he entered the pitch to start his warm-up at a nearly empty stadium. The

Ivory Coast forward did not change his usual routine, touching the grass and crossing himself before joining his teammates. After being lured from Marseille by Mourinho, Drogba scored 157 goals in 341 appearances for the London club between 2004-12 and was voted the greatest player in the club's history.

As teams entered the pitch before kickoff, Drogba pointed a finger towards the Chelsea kop where a banner reading "Drogba Legend" had been unfurled. He then ran to the touchline to give a handshake and a kiss to Mourinho. Though the spotlight was on Drogba, Eto'o soon gave Chelsea a perfect start to the game.

Eden Hazard linked up well with Oscar to release the ball for the Cameroon striker, who fired past goalkeeper Fernando Muslera.

Wesley Sneijder struggled to build any attacks from midfield for the visitors, while Eto'o created further danger from the right flank before his attempted cut-back was blocked by defenders. Drogba then tried his luck from the edge of the box but his acrobatic volley ended well over the bar in a moment that summed up his return to his former club.

Toying with defenders with his usual frenzied pace and dribbles, Hazard produced another stellar performance for Chelsea. The Belgium playmaker was behind nearly all his side's attacks and his relentless efforts made it a tiring night for the Galatasaray defense.

Hazard and Oscar exchanged a series of one-twos in the 22nd minute before the Belgium international crossed for Lampard, who

Chelsea ready to face big guns: Mourinho

Chelsea's Samuel Eto'o, right, shoots and scores the opening goal during the Champions League last 16 second leg soccer match between Chelsea and Galatasaray at Stamford Bridge stadium in London, Tuesday, March 18. (AP Photo)

missed his attempt and sent the ball over. Hazard took a shot from distance two minutes later but his effort was stopped by Muslera.

Chelsea went closer in the 33rd minute when captain John Terry's superb left-footed volley from Lampard's free kick flew over the

bar with Muslera looking beaten. Another fast move between Hazard and Oscar almost paid off but Alex Telles' return pass prevented Willian from doubling the lead. Chelsea's tenacity was finally rewarded before the interval when Cahill scored from the rebound

with a powerful finish after Muslera had parried away Terry's header from a corner.

Hazard continued to torment Galatasaray's defense in the second half. In the 49th, he went on a diagonal run across the pitch and evaded Semih Kaya before releasing the ball for

Eto'o — but Oscar's shot from the striker's cross was blocked by Melo. Though Galatasaray pushed forward in search of a goal, Chelsea comfortably kept the visitors at bay while being dangerous on the break until the final whistle.

Drogba left the pitch to

LONDON, March 19 (aFP): Jose Mourinho insists Chelsea have no fears about facing one of Europe's super-powers in the Champions League after his side strolled into the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over Galatasaray. Mourinho's team barely had to break sweat to see off lacklustre Galatasaray in the last 16 second leg at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday as first half goals from Samuel Eto'o and Gary Cahill sealed a 3-1 aggregate victory. The scoreline didn't do justice to Chelsea's dominance, but sterner tests lie ahead for the Premier League leaders, with the likes of holders Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Paris Saint Germain already through to the last eight.

Facing one of those star-studded sides would be a major step up in class for a relatively young Chelsea team that Mourinho believes is still to reach its full potential. But the Blues boss is confident his players can hold their own against anyone and he expects they would relish the chance to knock out one of the giants of the European scene.

"All the big teams are there, all the big candidates to win the competition. We welcome any of them," Mourinho said. "It will be very good for our evolution as a team if we can play one of the best. We wait for the draw." While the likes of Eden Hazard, Oscar and Willian are enjoying their first serious assault on Europe's elite club prize, few managers are more battle-hardened when it comes to the latter stages of the competition than Mourinho. The Portuguese has already won the Champions League with Porto and Inter Milan.

Asked if he felt his impressive European pedigree would make Chelsea a feared opponent even in such illustrious company, Mourinho for once declined to blow his own trumpet and instead praised his players for a composed and clinical display.

"I never lost in the quarter-finals? I never thought about it. I know that I have a lot of matches in the Champions League," he said. "It was a very good performance.

We were solid and compact with no fears. "We were very much in control. a standing ovation as Chelsea fans chanted his name.

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard was delighted with side's performance in west London. "It was everything we wanted it to be. We knew it was going to be a tough game and they hardly threatened," Lampard said.

"It was a very controlled, very professional performance from all of us," said After Manchester City and Arsenal exited the competition last week, Manchester United will try to join Chelsea in the last eight when it hosts Olympiakos on Wednesday.

Serena readies for Miami tourney near home

KEY B I S c aY N E , March 19 (aP): Serena Williams will certainly be in a comfort zone when she opens the defense of her Sony Open title this week.

Williams is a six-time winner of the Florida event, collecting more trophies than at any other tournament. That surpasses the five titles won at three of four Grand Slam events — the Australian Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open.

What's more, the tournament is held not far from where the top-ranked player has lived since she was a preteen. While she also spends many weeks training in Paris, nearby Palm Beach County remains Serena Williams smiles as she speaks during an interview, close to her heart. "I've Tuesday, March 18, 2014 in Key Biscayne, Fla. Williams is been waiting on this and it looking for a seventh Key Biscayne title in the Sony Open feels good to be back here," Williams said Tuesday. "It is tennis tournament, which begins this week. (AP Photo)

F 1 cars too quiet: Australian GP organizers SYDNEY, March 19 (aGENcIES): The new Formula One rules have made the cars too quiet which detracts from what the fans want, according to the Australian Grand Prix organizers. With the onset of 2014 season, the sport has seen a lot of changes, especially as it looks to push the boundaries of hybrid technology, with the machines consuming almost 35 percent less fuel than they previously required.

The year has also seen a return of turbocharged engines, which have not been used since the 1988 season.

The 1.6-litre V6s have replaced yesteryear’s 2.4-litre V8s. This has resulted in a considerable lowering of the noise produced by the cars, which has not gone down too well with the Australian GP organizers; they have submitted a complaint citing breach of contract by the FIA. Ron Walker, the Chairman of the Australian Grand Prix, has expressed his disappointment stating that the lack of noise was not what he or the audience had paid for.

“I was absolutely delighted with the whole weekend, but I was not too happy with the sound,” he told Fairfax radio, while also adding that if you were sit-

home. It feels home."

Williams opens on Thursday against Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan, who beat 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy 6-4, 6-2 in the first round on Tuesday.

"I love my fans and love the opportunity to be able to play for them," Williams said of the South Florida crowds. She's entering her fourth tournament of the year after winning the Brisbane title in January against Victoria Azarenka.

However, a bad back has taken its toll. She lost in the fourth round of the Australian Open to Ana Ivanovic, and in Dubai lost in the semifinals to 23rd-ranked Alize Cornet. Williams had insisted the back was better, but she clearly had trouble reaching up for her serve

against the Frenchwoman.

"The back is good," she said, smiling. "It's much better. It's really good, actually.

I've been doing tons of treatment to make sure it stays loose, so I don't have any problems." The 32-year-old Williams, a winner of 58 career titles, is considered the best of her generation, if not of all time. Her achievements tend to lead to the assumption that whenever she plays, she's going to win. While it's not a given, she doesn't mind having that kind of burden.

"There is a tremendous Basketball Friendship tournament was held by the Patkai student’s team at college ground amount of pressure when on March 19. Seen in picture are the two women team of NU: SASRD Medziphema and Patkai you step on the court," Wil- students which played an exhibition match. (Photo Courtesy/Heutinggumbe) liams said. "It's bigger news for me to lose than it is to win.

Usually it's big, front cover news if I lose. "But I don't look at it as pressure. Billie Jean King always told me, 'pressure is a privilege.'"

Heat proves too hot for Cavaliers

Cwa mourns

KOhIMa, March 19 (MExN): The Chakhesang Wrestling Association (CWA) mourned the sudden demise of former champion Naga wrestling Vechihu Vadeo who passed away at Naga Hospital Kohima recently.

Stating this in a condolence message, the CWA prayed to Almighty to grant eternal peace to the departed soul.

sushil hopes to win gold in asian Games

The organizers of Australian Grand Prix are unhappy as the new Formula 1 cars are too quiet, and are claiming a breach of contract by the FIA.

ting in the grandstand you could barely hear the cars coming down the home straight. “We are resolving that with Bernie (Ecclestone). It’s clearly in breach of our contract.

“I was talking to him last night (Sunday) and it’s not what we paid for. It’s going to change. He’s horrified about it. It will be an issue for all promoters all round the world. “Everybody was talking about it,” he added.

“When you take the excitement away, you have trouble selling tickets. You have to create demand and part of that demand is people liking the noise of the race cars.” Andrew Westa-

cott, the chief executive of the Australian Grand Prix agreed with Walker, adding that he didn’t even need his ear-plugs in the pit lane.

“One aspect of it was just a little bit duller than it’s ever been before and that’s part of the mix and the chemistry that they’re going to have to get right,” he said, adding that hardcore racing fans in Europe will likely be even less impressed by the quieter cars. “We pay for a product, we’ve got contracts in place, we are looking at those very, very seriously because we reckon there has probably been some breaches.” Ecclestone was unavailable for comment.

NEW DELhI, March 19 (PTI): Laid low with injuries after his silver medalwinning effort at the London Olympics, wrestler Sushil Kumar now wants to hit top form as he gears up to compete at the Asian Games later this year and expressed confidence of winning a gold in Incheon.

"I have won medals in all the major events. I hope I can win a gold there," he said on the sidelines of the 2014 Incheon Games Roadshow in New Delhi.

Sushil had won a bronze in freestyle 66kg category at the 2006 Doha Asiad.

Sushil, who won a bronze and a silver in 66kg freestyle in 2008 and 2012 Olympics respectively, said that his preparations for Glasgow Commonwealth Games (July-August) and Incheon Asian Games (September-October) has been going on well despite having to shift to higher weight

categories due to change in rules.

"My preparation has been going on well though it's not easy to shift weight category. My body may be affected because I have to fight in two different weight categories in Glasgow and Incheon. But that's part and parcel of a sportsman's career. I think I will be able to cope with that," said Sushil, who was made Incheon Asian Games Goodwill Ambassador along with archer Deepika Kumari.

Due to change in rules

by FILA and to accommodate fellow 2012 Olympics medallist Yogeshwar Dutt, Sushil will now contest in 74kg category in Glasgow and 70kg in Incheon.

He had not taken part in any event after the 2012 London Olympics but Suhsil said two competitive tournaments and a training stint abroad should suffice to get himself to top form.

Miami Heat's Udonis Haslem, left, and LeBron James, right, block a shot by Cleveland Cavaliers' Dion Waiters, center, during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, March 18, 2014, in Cleveland. Miami defeated Cleveland 100-96. (AP Photo)

cLEVELaND, March 19 (aP): LeBron James scored 43 points — 25 in a bewildering first-quarter shooting display — and Chris Bosh added 21, leading the Miami Heat to a 100-96 win Tuesday night over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who played their first game without injured AllStar guard Kyrie Irving.

James added two crucial blocks and made six free throws in the final two minutes, and Bosh had a key rejection to lead the Heat to just their third win in eight games.

Miami's Dwyane Wade sat out to rest his knees, but the

Heat's two other megastars picked up the slack and put away the Cavs.

Jarrett Jack scored 22 and Dion Waiters added 17 and 11 assists for Cleveland, which was also without forward Luol Deng (sprained ankle). Irving is expected to miss two weeks with a strained biceps tendon, an injury that further damages the Cavs' fading playoff hopes.

James and the Cavs were tied 25-25 after one.

He had 31 points at halftime and 37 after three quarters, but the Heat entered the final 12 minutes tied as they

were unable to shake off the Cavs, who shot 60 percent from the floor through three and had all five starters in double figures.

With James content to distribute the ball, Bosh scored nine straight points to put Miami ahead 93-88 with 2:24 remaining. Cleveland cut it to three on a basket by Anderson Varejao and had a chance to get closer but James snuffed a dunk attempt by Spencer Hawes. Just 11 seconds later, Bosh turned away Waiters and James made a pair of free throws to make it 9590 with 1:06 remaining.

Entertainment

The Morung Express C M Y K

'couldn't Ashton and stand each Mila Kunis other'

W

hen reports emerged that Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis were engaged, That ‘70s Show fans were delighted to see a happy ending for Jackie and Kelso. However a source who knew the former co-stars at the time they were filming the sitcom has revealed their shock at the romance. During the show’s run from 1998 until 2006, the two actors apparently were far from friendly. ‘Everyone shakes their head over the romance,’ an old friend of the couple told Radar Online.

‘Ashton and Mila were absolutely not friends during much of the making of That ’70s Show. In fact, they couldn’t stand working together.’ The insider added: ‘The two were never close on the set. Quite the opposite!’ but apparently after Ash-

ton’s split from wife Demi Moore, ‘Mila was the one who came forward to bury the hatchet. ‘She could see Ashton was going through a tough time and reached out to him. They built a solid friendship, which was a new thing for both of them.’

Nowadays, Ashton, 36, and 30-year-old Mila are madly in love, and the Black Swan star has been spotted wearing a huge diamond on her ring finger, while rumours are swirling that she is pregnant. The source said: ‘Everyone’s amazed at how different Ashton and Mila are together from when they were younger.

It’s such a total change and now they’re a match made in heaven – something that no one could have ever predicted in their wildest dreams back then!’

Dimapur

11

TGOUN annual fashion show 2014

T

he Global Open University Nagaland (TGOUN) is presenting “Trendz-o-Mania”, the 3rd annual fashion show 2014 tentatively on March 26 at Molu Ki, Para Medical Colony Kohima.

The programme will also witness the presence of Chekrovolü Swüro, the first Naga female Olympian and recipient of Arjuna Award as special appearance.

To inspire and also to showcase the creative talent of upcoming fashion designers under the theme “Trends-O- Mania,” the an-

nual fashion show will highlight today’s fashion trends and also include a wide variety of styles.

TGOUN annual fashion show will strive to create an ideal ambience and platform to showcase the creativity of upcoming fashion designers.

This annual fashion show will not purely be for the benefit of the students of the department/ university. The show will also aim to challenge and inspire the imagination and creative ability of the audience.

“Fashion has become a

C M Y K

way of life in today’s world so TGOUN annual fashion show will surely prove to be a practical inspiring and educative experience,” TGOUN stated in its pamphlet received here.

Top model from the north east region will walk the ramp. Entertainment in the form of music and dance will be performed by various artists from Nagaland.

All the participants will be awarded with certificates from TGOUN. The students’ award category will be based on the judgment by an expert panel of jury.

DaviD Beckham named

world's best underwear model

F

Adele's songs accused of making people gay

O

20 March 2014

Trendz-o-Mania

It comes as it has been revealed that Ashton was very traditional in his proposal and asked Mila’s father Mark for her hand in marriage. ‘He talked with Mila's dad around Christmastime,’ a source told People. ‘He asked for Mark's blessing to marry her. ‘It was important to Ashton to be respectful and traditional. This is the real thing for him and he wants to do it all right.’

Meanwhile the insider added that they believe the pair will marry later this year. ‘They don't want to wait,’ the source said. ‘This relationship started on solid ground and everything is working out. They are in it for the long haul, truly.’ The happy couple, who have been dating since April 2012, are yet to confirm their engagement.

scar-winning singer Adele is accused of turning people gay with her music in a TV documentary. The 25-yearold singer is on a list of things that men should avoid if they want to be straight, reportedly.

Doctor Christian Jessen, 37,

Thursday

made the bizarre discovery in a channel`s `Cure Me I`m Gay`, which sees him visiting the States to test several therapies. Retired doctor John Smid from Texas offers rehab and orders him to strip his life of things that encourage him to be gay.

In the documentary, Jessen said, Adele is very popular within the gay community. You have to listen to Christian music. Jessen also said that he is shocked that people still think that being gay is a curable condition and that it`s a load of utter rubbish.

ormer football star David Beckham has been named the world`s best underwear model by ace designer Tommy Hilfiger. Hilfiger believes the 38-year-old star can pull off the minimal clothing look. I have seen all kinds of underwear models, but we all wish we looked like David Beckham at the end of the day. He is like the underwear model of the century,” tmz.com quoted the designer as saying.

Beckham first stripped down in 2007 when he appeared alongside his fashion designer wife Victoria in the Emporio Armani campaign. In 2012, the star bared his toned physique once again when he launched his own bodywear line for the high-street retailer H&M and he has continued to provide the chain with collections ever since.

‘Style never goes out of fashion!'

Jared Leto posts Twitter picture of himself and Jesus... but insists it's not a comparison

C M Y K

When John Lennon declared The Beatles were bigger than Jesus in 1966, he had fanatics threatening to burn him at the stake.

It's a pop culture warning so indelibly seared on the consciousness. that almost three decades later Jared Leto made sure to stress that he wasn't 'comparing to Christ' after he posted a split of himself and The Son of God. On Monday, Jared wrote: 'Haaaa! Fashion may go out of style but style never goes out of fashion. #ClassicLooks #FashionForward #ThanksJC #NotComparingToChrist xo The Academy Award winner for Best Supporting Actor thanks to his stunning turn in Dallas Buyers Club, is certainly the golden boy

at the moment. Though he's far from being able to walk on water, Jared performed on Sunday night in Moscow with his band Thirty Seconds To Mars and his long rockstar hair was on full display during the concert.

The My So-Called Life star is showing no signs of tiring of his long flowing hair. The star wore his locks proudly on March 2 when he accepted the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Dallas Buyers Club. Jared and his band performed in Ukraine last week and dedicated their show to those involved in recent protests across the capital city Kiev. ‘You guys are in the midst of something really beautiful and it may be difficult, but there's

C M Y K

no price too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself,’ Jared said during the show.

The actor also gave a nod to Ukraine while giving his acceptance speech at the 86th annual Academy Awards. ‘To all the

dreamers out there around the world watching this tonight in places like Ukraine and Venezuela,’ he began. ‘I want to say we are here, and as you struggle to make your dreams happen and live the impossible, we are thinking of you tonight.’

Courtney Love makes claim to have 'located' missing MH370

I

C M Y K

t has been missing since March 8 after vanishing during its journey from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board, sparking a mass international search effort and thousands of conspiracy theories. And now, none other than Courtney Love has weighed in with her own verdict on where the Malaysian airlines plane MH370 has disappeared to.

Alongside a photograph of satellite imagery from crowd sourcing website Tomnod, Courtney wrote: 'I'm no expert but up close this does look like a plane and an oil slick.' Helpfully, the rocker marked in red where she believed the oil spots and the plane were lying in wreckage. '[It's] like a mile away Pulau Perak, where they 'last' tracked it 5°39'08.5"N 98°50'38.0"E but what do I know?' she added.

Thrilled with her 'discovery', the singer retweeted several news articles reporting her post. 'I went to the satellite site and just uploaded tons and tons of pictures,' she told the publication. 'I really doubt aliens took it. It's got to be some-

'I'm no expert but this looks like a plane and an oil slick'

where.'

Satellite company DigitalGlobe uploaded highresolution satellite and aerial images to its Tomnod site that lets people explore the seas for clues about the crash, as well signs of a wreckage or oil slick. Images are then tagged by users and analysed by experts

before the most significant sightings are sent to the search teams in Asia 'I mean I don't know anything about aviation per se,' Courtney told the magazine. 'I saw an article asked people to help search on Tomnod.com so I decided to give it a shot. 'I figured a plane would still be leaking

some fuel so I searched for signs of an oil slick. I found one and there appeared to be an object nearby. I don't know if it is the plane or not, but I figured I'd do my part and bring some awareness to the site, for the sake of all the families involved. 'I hope they find the plane, I pray they're still alive.'

C M Y K

C

C

M

M

Y

Y

K

K

Real completes rout of Schalke

Real's Cristiano Ronaldo, right, in action with Schalke's Joel Matip during a Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Real Madrid and FC Schalke 04 at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Tuesday, March 18. (AP Photo)

MADRID, MARch 19 (AFP): Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Real Madrid cruised into the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 9-2 aggregate victory over Schalke thanks to a 3-1 win at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.

Ronaldo put Real ahead on the night when he swept home Gareth Bale's low cross on 21 minutes, but Tim Hoogland's deflected effort brought the visitors level before half-time. It took until 16 minutes from time for Ronaldo to put Madrid back in front as he collected a loose ball from Bale and stormed forward to drill low into the net for his 13th Champions League goal of the season.

Bale was the creator once more for his side's third moments later when he squared for Alvaro Morata to fire home after Ronaldo had struck the bar. However, victory came at a cost for Los Blancos as promising forward Jese Rodriguez suffered cruciate ligament injury in his right knee early on in the game.

"I think it is confirmed he has ruptured cruciate ligament," said Real boss Carlo Ancelotti. "He has had bad luck and it is bad luck for Real Madrid because we are go-

ing to lose a very important, young player who has done very well this season and surprised everyone." Schalke boss Jens Keller lamented a few individual mistakes that cost his side, but was proud of how his inexperienced reacted to their 6-1 thrashing in the first leg and had particularly praise for goalkeeper Ralf Fahrmann.

"Real Madrid have the quality to turn a chance into a goal in a second. The tough thing is that due to two specific mistakes they scored two goals," he said.

"I think the team reacted well and even the 19-yearold players we had out today performed well, whilst Farmann proved again that he can be a world class goalkeeper. "I am a bit sad at the result, but I am pleased with the performance."

Ancelotti had named a weakened side with one eye on Sunday's crucial La Liga clash against Barcelona. However, the Italian was forced to introduce Bale inside the first 10 minutes when Jese had to be stretchered off after appearing to suffer a serious knee injury as he challenged for the ball with Sead Kolasinac on the right. Bale replaced the Spanish under-21 inter-

national and injected plenty of pace into Madrid's play for the rest of the half.

The Welshman teed up Ronaldo for the opener as he received Morata's pass and squared for the Portuguese to tap into an empty net. Morata should have doubled his side's advantage six minutes later after a wonderful run and cross

by Bale, but he skewed horribly wide with just Fahrmann to beat.

Against the run of play, Schalke were back on level terms just after the half hour mark when Hoogland wandered forward from rightback and saw his shot deflect off Sergio Ramos and past the flat-footed Iker Casillas. Fahrmann then made a hat-trick of saves to keep his side from going in behind at the break as he denied Isco, Morata and Nacho. And the Bundesliga side could even have been in front at the break as former Real striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar slotted the ball inches past the far post from Max Meyer's through ball.

Fahrmann was a busy man in the second period too as he made a fantastic save to turn a Ronaldo header over before denying Isco from close range.

everyone deserves second chance: Viru NEW DELhI, MARch 19 (TNN): Virender Sehwag has been away from international cricket for more than a year now and it's easy to forget that for over the last decade or so, he was the most feared opening batsmen in world cricket. Now 35, Sehwag doesn't have age on his side. His slowing reflexes and fading eyesight too have caused him problems. The pile of scores has run dry even in the domestic arena.

Can Sehwag make yet another comeback into the national side, or is one of the most explosive openers of the modern era considering retirement? "Quitting the game is farthest from my mind at the moment. I still believe that I have 2-3 years to give to Indian cricket," Sehwag, who is preparing to take fresh guard with Kings XI Punjab, told TOI on Tuesday.

"I think there is hope for everyone and everybody deserves a second opportunity. I have been really working hard on my fitness in the gym and trying to hone some of my batting skills to prepare for IPL. The focus has been to watch the ball right from the bowler's hand. I have been struggling to pick the ball up early enough and I'm trying to improve that," Sehwag said.

The veteran of 104 Tests struggled all season with the Delhi Ranji team. Sehwag played in seven games for Delhi and only managed 234 runs at an average of less than 20, with just one halfcentury. Delhi Daredevils lost faith in Sehwag and when their former skipper went up for auction for the first time, Kings XI showed faith in Sehwag's ability and picked him for Rs 3.2 crore.

"I have no ill-feelings towards the Daredevils management. It was a completely professional decision and I was lucky enough to be picked by Kings XI. The Punjab team looks good this season and I am looking forward to meeting up with the new team and management," he said.

Asked how different it will be to turn out in Kings XI colours at his home — Ferozeshah Kotla — he said, "I have been an India player for many years. I have played all over the country including Kotla and Mohali. I have fan following all over the country and they will cheer for me no matter which team I am representing." Kings XI have plenty of quality players in their lineup including skipper George Bailey, David Miller, Mitchell Johnson and Glenn Maxwell.

Just before the start of the Sony Open tennis tournament in Miami, Porsche brand ambassador Maria Sharapova (dressed in Chloe) attends the "Porsche Media Night" in Bal Harbour, Miami where she talks about her role as an ambassador of the brand and her goals as a professional tennis player for this year. Additionally she presents the Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid, one of the latest models within the Porsche family, which clearly demonstrates that fuel efficiency and sporty driving is no contradiction at The St. Regis Bal Harbour on March 18, 2014 in Miami, Florida. (Getty Images)

UAE to host 20 matches in IPL 7 first leg

chENNAI, MARch 19 (PTI): The United Arab Emirates was on Wednesday awarded the hosting rights of 20 matches in the IPL's first leg with defending champions Mumbai Indians opening the tournament by squaring off against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 16 in Abu Dhabi. The IPL Governing Council announced the schedule for the first phase of the tournament after a meeting here.

The UAE leg of the IPL, a part of which has been shifted out of the country due to general elections, will wind up on April 30 with Mumbai facing Sunrisers Hyderabad in Dubai. "The opening match on April 16 will be played in Abu Dhabi between @mipaltan and @ KKRiders (8 pm IST/6:30 pm local)," the IPL organisers announced in a series of tweets.

"20 matches will be played in 3 stadiums: Sheikh Zayed Stadium- Abu

IPL fIxtuReS foR fIRSt PhaSe

April 16: April 17: April 18: April 18: April 19: April 19: April 20: April 21: April 22: April 23: April 24: April 25: April 25: April 26: April 26: April 27: April 27: April 28: April 29: April 30:

Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi Delhi Daredevils vs Royal Challengers Bangalore in Sharjah Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab in Abu Dhabi Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals in Abu Dhabi Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians in Dubai Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Daredevils in Dubai Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab in Sharjah Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Daredevils in Abu Dhabi Kings XI Punjab vs Sunrisers Hyderabad in Sharjah Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings in Dubai Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders in Sharjah Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Daredevils in Dubai Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians in Dubai Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore in Abu Dhabi Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai Indians in Sharjah Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Chennai Super Kings in Sharjah Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kings XI Punjab in Dubai Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals in Abu Dhabi Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad in Dubai.

Dhabi, Sharjah CA Stadium, Dubai International Cricket Stadium #PepsiIPL. "The IPL GC has confirmed that the first phase of the #Pep-

siIPL 2014 season matches will be played in the UAE from April 16-30," another tweet said.

The second leg of the

tournament has been tentatively kept for Bangladesh but could be held in India between May 1-12 if the government agrees to provide

security to the event. The IPL has been refused security by the government as its schedule is clashing with the general elections, scheduled to be held in nine phases from April 7 to May 12.

The last leg of the IPL from May 13, including the play-offs and the final slated for June 1, will be held in India. This is the second time the event has had to be forced out of the country due to elections. In 2009, the entire tournament had to be shifted to South Africa, a country which was in contention to host the event even this time.

Due to the lesser number of teams, the duration of the league has also been shortened this time to 47 days and 60 matches -- much less than the 76 games played last season which was spread over 54 days. The schedule of the second and third phase of the tournament will be released later.

Jwala-ashwini aim for improvement CHARITY CAR WASH Raising money for the sweet little children of Mother‛s Hope - We‛re giving hope, one wash at the time! -.

C M Y K

NEW DELhI, MARch 19 (IANS): India's top doubles shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa wants to leave behind her dismal performance at the Swiss Open and All-England and is confident of a better show with partner Jwala Gutta at the $250,000 India Open Super Series to be held here April 1-6.

The 24-year-old, who will be defending her women's doubles title with Jwala at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, was ousted from the All-England qualifiers and the first round of the Swiss Open in the last couple of weeks.

"The results have not been up to the mark recently but I feel we as a team are getting there. You also have seen that we got tough draws. Hopefully, we can put up a better show at India Open," Ashwini said on

Wednesday at a Red Bull promotional event.

"We had a really tough match at All-England.

Though we lost, we got confidence with the way we played. Matches like those make us feel we are heading in the right direction. For us, it is just about getting better and better." When asked about how long she is planning to partner Jwala, the 2011 World Championship bronze medallist said that she is taking it as it comes.

"I am taking it as it comes and not thinking about the future of the partnership.

One reason we did well at the Commonwealth Games and the World Championships was that we played a lot of tournaments before those events. Even then we were not playing well, we got better as the CWG came along.

We cordially invite you to the Charity event with

Mother’s Hope at

Okusa Toyota

Walford, near Don Bosco Statue Dimapu Nagaland.

Dimapur,

March 21 - 22 2014 9 a.m - 5 p.m Proceeds to be completely donated to Mother’s Hope

For details kindly contact: 9856229999/8974836695 9856110854

Published, Printed and Edited by Aküm 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

C M Y K