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The Morung Express
Dimapur VOL. VIII ISSUE 230
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www.morungexpress.com
Be patient and understanding. Life is too short to be vengeful or malicious Dabholkar murder: CCTV footage fails to offer lead [ PAGE 08]
reflections
By Sandemo Ngullie
[ PAGE 02]
Test-tube babies: A simpler, cheaper technique?
[ PAGE 11]
[ PAGE 09]
“We have every right to agitate”
Nagaland college teachers go on mass casual leave Morung Express news Dimapur | August 22
That is our VDB Secy? Wow. What a development?
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One held for online obscenity DIMAPur, August 22 (MExN): One person, identified as Amit Ghosh was arrested for obscenity on the web. He had posted an obscene picture on a facebook group called ‘Nagaland Open Online Barter or Sell.’ A press statement from the Additional Superintendent of Police, Dimapur informed that West Police Station personnel led by officerin-charge, Jenmei Konyak arrested Ghosh following a complaint. A mobile phone and the computer used for uploading the obscene material were also seized.
Call against AFSPA AgArtAlA, August 22 (PtI): A former member of the National Security Advisory Board has said that the Armed Forces Special Power Act should be amended to stop harassment to the people. Sanjay Hazarika, a former member of the board and Justice Jeevan Reddy committee, which reviewed the AFSPA in 2004-05, said the act, which some of the North Eastern states have opposed, should be adequately amended so that the common people are not harassed during operations by security forces. “Justice Jeevan Reddy Committee, comprised of a retired Supreme Court judge, a Lieutenant General and Social workers and in its recommendations in 2005 had suggested for suitable amendment of the act formulated by the colonial rulers to suppress the Indians and their voices,” Hazarika said in a special lecture at the Tripura University yesterday. However, he said, the Government did not agree for the amendment of the act due to opposition by the army.
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Career Track Eduyearbook 2013 launched in Nagaland
Sushant to marry longtime girlfriend Ankita
Government colleges across Nagaland remained empty today after their teachers went on ‘mass casual leave’ as a mark of protest. The teachers are agitating against the attitude of the Nagaland state government which has not paid the pending arrears from their enhanced salaries, approved by the 6th pay commission, for the period January 2006 to March 2010. Having followed various channels of negotiations with the Nagaland state government and failed, the teachers, under the aegis of the All Nagaland Government College Teachers’ Association (ANGCTA), embarked on today’s agitation to have their rights fulfilled. “We have been waiting all these years. Then it was decided by the cabinet that the arrears will be diverted towards our General Provident Fund. That is unacceptable,” revealed a government college teacher from Kohima district. The cabinet of the Nagaland
A classroom in one of the government colleges in Dimapur district remained empty today as teachers of government colleges all over nagaland went on ‘mass casual leave,’ agitating against the nonchalance of the nagaland state government towards their pending arrears. (Morung Photo)
Legislative Assembly met recently and decided this but according to the Director of the Department of Higher Education, there has been no formal notification yet to bring the decision into effect. The inkling of such a decision being made without the consent of the teachers disturbed them nonetheless. “The government has already taken so many years and still not released the arrears; now it cannot decide for us if we should save the money, or spend it as we please,” asserted a senior lecturer from a government college in Mokok-
chung district. The arrears, amounting to a few crores, have been pending with the government long enough to have lost more than half their market value. The teachers now expect at least the principal amount to reach their accounts. “We should have taken this to a court of law in the first instance, then we could have had our arrears on time with interest,” said the teacher, who iterated that the teachers have been “victimized” by the state government. The state government’s reason, for the most part, has been the lack of enough
money in its coffers. The University Grants Commission (UGC) requires the state government to first pay the college teachers the arrears from its treasury, after which the UGC’s 80% share to the deal will be reimbursed to the state government. “We understand the financial crunch the government is going through but holding up our due share for so many years? This is unfair,” maintained a college teacher from Tuensang district. “We have every right to agitate—the government should have been more sensitive,” seconded a govern-
the Returning Officer, after which manual counting of the ballot slip can be done. The DEC expressed hope that the launching of VVPAT at 51 Noksen A/C bye-election would be a successful trial and that the Election Commission of India would be able to introduce the extra unit in the EVM to the rest of the country. He further requested polling personnel to attend the training sincerely and called for feedbacks to the Commission about their experience and insight regarding the machine. The DEC was accompanied by a General Observer, officials of the Election Commission of India, Chief Electoral Officer Sentiyanger and engineers from Bharat Electronics Limited, Bangalore and Electronics Corporation of India Limited, Hyderabad; who developed the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). The team was welcomed by Deputy Commissioner, T. Mhabemo Yanthan.
DIMAPur, August 22 (MExN): Disenchanted with the “lack of sincerity, commitment, negligence and poor attendance of government employees at Zunheboto district,” a team of Sumi Hoho officials led by its President, Hovishe Arkha and Secretary, Vihuto Asumi inspected various government establishments on August 19 under Zunheboto district. A press note from the Sumi Hoho informed that the outcome of the visits were “beyond comprehension,” as most HoDs and AHoDs were not stationed in Zunheboto, resulting in negligence and poor functioning of public works and services. It added that “many other discrepancies” were also found during the day long visit/inspection. It said that while visiting the Zunheboto District Hospital, the Medical Superintendent was not in station. “When asked for the attendance register, surprisingly it was learnt that the register was never maintained,” the note added. The Hoho lamented that in spite of repeated appeals by NGOs and public leaders to upgrade Zunheboto District Hospital to
ment college teacher from Mon district. Many teachers feel that they have been immensely patient with the government, which the latter has taken advantage of. This patience has come with a cost for teachers, especially those located in peripheral districts, who have to come to Kohima, braving Nagaland’s backbreaking roads to voice their demands. For these teachers, though the agitation has come late, “at least it concretizes our position,” according to a government college teacher from Zunheboto district. Besides, “it is a democratic and legal form of protest,” as another put it. “As a teacher, we are in an honest profession. We work with students everyday and our priority is the welfare of our students. But we are wholly dependent on our salary. We are not asking for more than we deserve and the agitation is our last resort as we have faced injustice,” reiterated a teacher from Phek district. The Director of the Department of Higher Education said that “The matter has been put forward to the Chief Minister by the Commissioner & Secretary, as well as the Parliamentary Secretary, for Higher Education but the final outcome cannot be ascertained yet.”
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Friday, August 23, 2013 12 pages Rs. 4 –Phillips Brooks
Sharapova out of US Open with shoulder injury [ PAGE 10]
India should abolish ‘capital punishment’ NEw York, August 22 (IANs): The Indian government should stop impending executions and renew its moratorium on capital punishment, Human Rights Watch said Thursday. On August 14, the Supreme Court of India rejected the appeal for clemency of Devinderpal Singh Bhullar, who was sentenced to death in 2001 for a 1993 bomb attack that killed nine people. “In the past year, India has made a full-scale retreat from its previous principled rejection of the death penalty,” Human Rights Watch said. “The government should instead declare an official moratorium, commute all existing death sentences to life in prison, and then work towards abolishing the death penalty once and for all.” Human Rights Watch urged the Indian government to demonstrate its commitment to international human rights obligations by halting all executions starting with Bhullar. It also told New Delhi to immediately adopt a moratorium on
death penalty and abolish the death penalty permanently in domestic law.
Since July 2012, President Pranab Mukherjee has rejected 11 clemency pleas and confirmed the death penalty for 17 people
Human Rights Watch opposes the death penalty in all circumstances as an inherently irreversible, inhumane punishment. An eight year unofficial moratorium on executions in India ended with the hanging on November 21, 2012 of Mohammad Ajmal Kasab, a Pakistani convicted of multiple murders in the 2008 terror attack in Mumbai. On February 9, 2013, Mohammad Afzal Guru, convicted for the 2001 attack on the Indian parliament, was executed. Indian President Pranab Mukherjee has rejected 11 clemency pleas since he took office, confirming the death penalty for 17 people.
VVPAt launched for ‘Negligence of public services will not be tolerated’ Sumi Hoho inspects government 51 noksen bye-polls establishments in Zunheboto
tuENsANg, August 22 (MExN): Marking a historical landmark for the Indian electioneering process, the VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trial) was first introduced to polling personnel in Tuensang by Dr. Alok Shukla, Deputy Election Commissioner. This was done during the first phase of training for polling personnel for the September 4, 51 Noksen A/C Bye-election at CKS Hall, Tuensang on Thursday. Dr. Shukla stated that EVM’s were first introduced at Perul, Kerala in 1982. It was used in the entire country for the first time at the 2004 parliamentary election and this will be the first time since its introduction that an additional unit (printer) is added to the EVM. He divulged that numerous tests have been done in all climatic conditions across the country resulting in 100% accuracy. He expressed confidence that the installation of the printing unit would
be successful and enable voters to physically verify their candidate of choice. As the voter presses the ballot button, the vote is recorded in the control unit and simultaneously, the ballot slip is printed. It will be visible to the voter for seven seconds through a small screen in the printer. The serial number and symbol of the candidate are printed in the ballot slip. Printing is done thermally and refilling of ink is not required. The ballot slip is automatically cut after seven seconds and dropped into the ballot slip compartment. The printer also has a paper roll compartment that supplies paper for the ballot slip. This compartment is not to be opened during the poll and an additional printer will be provided in case there is shortage of paper during the poll. Shukla affirmed that counting during this election will be done by the machine. In case a discrepancy arises, a petition needs to be filled to
at least 100 beds from the present 50 beds, “it is given step motherly treatment and all those colourful promises are never kept”. It said that since the hospital’s inauguration in 2009, “the department has done nothing required for a District Hospital.” It further cited the lack of infrastructure development; additional man power and equipments. The Hoho informed that even the Regional Diagnostic Centre (RDC) is not made functional “unlike other districts.” It informed that Zunheboto District Hospital (now known as Hezukhu Memorial Hospital) has only 6–10 doctors and 20–25 nurses, while as per Indian Public Health Standards, District Hospitals should have about 34 doctors of various specialization and 75 – 100 nurses. The Hoho expressed surprise that inspite of this, many doctors appointed or posted in Zunheboto Hospital are attached elsewhere. It added that even an O&G specialist doctor is not available. Revealing that there was no
room for the emergency doctor, the Hoho said that the operation theatre and labour rooms are in a “pathetic condition.” While urging the department to address these issues, the Hoho also acknowledged Dr Viheshe, a retired Chief Medical Officer, appointed on contractual basis as GDMO through the NRHM Scheme and a few other doctors who are “overworked.” The Hoho on further visits to other offices learnt that the Sub Divisional Education Officer (SDEO) Zunheboto, District Horticulture Officer and District Sericulture Officer “hardly come to the station.” It added that the Horticulture and Sericulture offices were closed during the visit and “it was learnt that these offices are seldom or never open.” On a positive note, the Hoho was pleased to find the Principal, teaching faculty and staff of the Government Higher Secondary School, Zunheboto “diligently discharging their duties.” It however lament-
ed that the infrastructure was deplorable and that parts of the building are on verge of collapse. It said that the new school building was seen locked as the department has failed to release the pending bill to the contractor. While lauding those officers working for the welfare of the public, the Hoho nevertheless said that “there are some departmental Officers (HoDs/ AHoDs) who summon the Dealing Assistants to bring files and salary slips for signature to their residence in Dimapur, Kohima and so on.” It cautioned such officials that negligence of public works and services will not be tolerated. The Sumi Hoho has appealed for the government and the concerned departmental authority to assure that Zunheboto gets its deserved share of human and physical developments. Though all departments could not be covered in the first phase, the Hoho said it would visit the uncovered offices in follow up phases. It also informed that the Hoho will conduct such surprise visits on regular basis to monitor the smooth functioning of government offices in the district.
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Career Track Eduyearbook 2013 launched in Nagaland Our Correspondent Kohima | August 22
Parliamentary secretary for higher education and SCERT Deo Nukhu today launched Career Track Eduyearbook 2013, annual career handbook of Northeast here at the Kohima Press Club. Speaking on the occasion, Nukhu said that he released this book for the benefit and interest of the students as well as the people of the state. He was optimistic that the book will help many students and enable them to pursue their career in the right track. He strongly felt that this book should be read by the higher secondary students so they can learn where they should go. Nukhu also assured that the department will procure this book for the purpose of library and also distribution to the students. He further invited to the representatives of Career Track to open their career diagnosis centre, namely, Career Clinic in Kohima. Jasmine, a member of Career Track team said the first edition of 2012
Parliamentary secretary Deo Nukhu launched the Career Track Eduyearbook 2013, which is an annual career handbook of North East at Kohima Press Club on August 22. (Morung Photo)
got a huge response from the student community and academic community. The book was nominated in India Education Awards 2012-13. It was sold out in almost all book stalls and online book selling portals such as infibeams, homeshop18 and flipkart. The book had to go for reprint 3 times in the very first year. This year’s edition has been prepared in close association with the Department of Employment and Craftsmen Training and attempts
have been made to incorporate non-traditional career options suitable for the children of the urban poor or the rural belt. This year edition has been prepared under the academic guidance of Prof. Umesh Deka, dean, faculty of fine arts of Gauhati University and Chandan Kr. Goswami, head of the department of communication and journalism, Gauhati University. She said the book is being stocked in the prestigious National Library of
Kolkata. The book is recommended by the education department for all school and college libraries of Assam and Manipur. She said Career Track is willing to offer the book to the local state government too at cost price so that they can purchase it in huge bulk and make it available across the state for the benefit of the students. It also invited the corporate houses to buy bulk quantitative of the book through their corporate social responsibility budgets and make the same available to the final year students of rural areas free of cost. Jasmine said that Career Track is offering 50% discount for this Eduyearbook 2013. Mentionably, Career Clinic has in the recent past been a catalyst in sending one Naga student-Veipune Sarah for a 100% U.S. Scholarship programme to Washington, the first of its kind for the state of Nagaland. Jasmine said that through the initiative of minister for school education C.M. Chang, Nagaland could witness the launch of Career Track in the state.
The Morung Express C
One Keeled box turtle rescued
DIMAPuR, August 22 (MExn): One Keeled box turtle (coura mouhotii) was rescued today by Dr R Wati, owner of Animal Health Centre located at fellowship colony, Dimapur and handed over to the Officer-in-Charge, Nagaland Zoological Park (NZP). It was reportedly found in front of his veterinary clinic in the morning. NZP, Officer-in-Charge Obed Bohovi Swu in a press release said that the keeled box turtle is an endangered species found in the forests of the region. Their numbers are drastically decreasing in forests due to over collection for food. Dr. R. Wati is also a visiting veterinary doctor in NZP and an active wildlife
conservation campaigner. Dr. R. Wati may be contacted at 9862092268, office no. 03862-293356. The Animal Health Centre is located at Fellowship Colony, opposite to Don Bosco Higher Secondary School Junction. Meanwhile, just a day after five numbers of green pigeons were donated by Amenba Yaden, Chairman Nagaland Pollution Control Board, one more green pigeon was donated to the Zoological Park by some group of persons who did not wished to be named. Appreciating the noble gesture Obed Bohovi Swu said, “We have come across persons who donate wildlife species without wanting to be named in the past also.”
kohIMA, August 22 (MExn): The Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) has reminded all public and business establishments within its jurisdiction that the Plastic (Waste Management Handling) Rules, 2011 as notified by the Ministry of Environment & Forest (MOEF), Government of India under the
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 is enforced in the capital city The thickness of plastic carry bags made of virgin or recyclable or compostable plastic shall not be less than 40 microns in thickness, no carry bags shall be made available free of cost by retailers to consumers. KMC will contin-
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The Royal Club Kohima is organizing Royal Inter School Debate Competition 2013 here on August 30 and 31 as part of its silver jubilee celebration activity. Topic set for this zonal debate competition included; Zone-A “Schools should not have uniform,” Zone-B “Annual examination is better than Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation” and Zone- C “Sports should be made
an integral part of school cur- Coraggio School. bench to sum up the debate. riculum.” The organizer stated that Each speaker shall be givThe participating schools the speaker in favour of the mo- en four minutes to speak and a categorized into three zones in- tion for the host school shall be warning bell shall be given at the cludes (Zone A) - Northend of the third minute field, G. Rio School, Bethand the final bell at the ZONE WISE SCHEDULE el HSS, Mt. Hermon HSS, end of the fourth minute. Khedi Baptist School, Zone A: Northfield School, 31 August, 10:00 AM Four speakers from (Zone B)- Chandmari Zone B: Baptist High, August 30, 2:00 PM each zonal competition HSS, Modern School, Zone C: Dainty Buds, August 31, 1:30 PM. will be selected to go Charity School, Baptist to the final round. Each High, Don Bosco HSS and (Zone the ‘Mover” for the zonal debate participating schools may attend C)- Dainty Buds, Model HSS, Fern- where the participants shall be the competition with atleast 30 wood School, Holy Family School, allotted 2 minutes after the last students and two teachers. Best speaker (individual) Minister’s Hill Baptist HSS and speaker from the opposition
will be awarded a cash of Rs. 3000 with certificate and a library book coupon worth Rs. 5000 for his/her school, runner up for individual Rs. 2000 with certificate and library book coupon worth Rs. 3000 for his/her school, participants from the zonal competition will receive book coupon worth Rs. 300 each with certificate of participation and participants in the final debate will receive a book coupon worth Rs. 500 each with certificate of participations.
NRHM Mon conducts competency test Workshop on export procedure
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Mon, August 22 (MExn): The office of the Chief Medical Officer, Mon conducted a competency test for Nurses and laboratory Technicians of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) today at CMO’s Office Mon. The written test was followed by one on one interview which is to be continues with practical skill test tomorrow at District Hospital, Mon, stated a press note received here. Altogether 33 nurses and one Laboratory Technician showed up for the test which was overseen by the Chief Medical Officer, Mon, Dr. U. K. Konyak; DPO (RCH/UIP) Dr. Supongmenla Walling; Dr. Limasangba, MS DH-Mon; Dr. Aman Konyak (Gynaecologist DH, Mon); Dr. Chimang Paul Konyak (Paediatrician, Mon) and Sister NRHM Nurses appearing for the competency test at office Shitoni (Assistant Nursing Superintendent DH, Mon). of the CMO, Mon.
Mon DPDB to implement ‘No Work No Pay’
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Mon, August 22 (DIPR): The Mon DPDB meeting was held on August 17 at the DC’s conference hall, which was presided over by the Deputy Commissioner & Vice Chairman DPDB Mon, Angau I. Thou. Asserting that Medical officials posted in the interior place are frequently found absent, he said that they should be posted immediately to meet the requirement of the rural people. He also said that any Government servant, especially the teachers transferred along with post from Mon should be immediately transferred back to Mon district. He also pointed out that Government servant posted in the district are usually found out of the station and enjoying their salary through their bank accounts. He appealed to the HoDs to control their staffs under their respective departments to be in their place of posting and be available in the post for the welfare of the people. In this connection, the house unanimously resolved to strictly implement ‘No Work No Pay’ policy of the Government in the district. Earlier, the meeting started with a review of the last DPDB meeting by the Deputy Commissioner, Mon Angau I Thou. The meeting was attended by Eshak Konyak, MLA 57 A/C, Aboi. Addressing the members, the MLA apprised about the irregularity of Government servants in their respective posting place under Mon district.
and documentation conducted
DIMAPuR, August ness prospects in the sec- Export promotion is also 22 (MExn): A workshop tor was at the core of the high on the agenda of the state government, he said, on Export Procedures and workshop. Director of the depart- while adding that the govDocumentation was organised in Dimapur on ment of Industries and ernment has identified and Thursday, August 22. The Commerce, Thekrunei- designated certain villages seminar was conducted by tuo Kire attended the pro- falling along the internathe Export-Import (EXIM) gramme as the chief guest. tional border with MyanBank of India and Federa- Addressing an enthusiastic mar in this regard. Resource pertion of Indian Export sons, BR Khaklary, Organisations (FIEO) North-East Chapter Entrepreneurs sensitised Foreign Trade Develin Association with on nuances of export and opment Officer of Directorate General of YIMSEAN Livelihood Foreign Trade; PrabDevelopment Sociimport business hat Rajbongshi, SBI, ety, Nagaland. Guwahati and ShonThe objective of the workshop was to sen- turnout of entrepreneurs, ly Litting, regional head sitise entrepreneurs on Kire said that entrepre- of Exim bank (Guwahati); the nuances of the export neurs, irrespective of the and Nirveek ghosh, head of and import business. De- size of their trade, can FIEO, North-East Chapter veloping knowledge and make great impact in the presented papers on Forskill of entrepreneurs in export-import trade. How- eign Policy Overview and compliance with the pro- ever, while doing so, entre- Role of DGFT, Export Procecedures and the necessary preneurs foraying into the dure and Documentation, documentations involved sector must be aware of role of Exim Bank and role while enhancing busi- the procedures involved. of FIEO respectively.
Youths called to be ‘Champion of rural reformers’
kohIMA, August 22 (MExn): Ten days orientation training for Nehru Yuva Kendras, Nagaland concluded with Kelei Zeliang, Director, Youth Resources & Sports, Government of Nagaland as the chief guest during the closing function at Bamboo Hall, Kisama Naga Heritage village Kohima. Around 140 National Youth Corps (volunteers) from all the districts of Nagaland attended the training camp from August 13 to 22. The Director called upon the youth as ‘Champion of rural reformers’ urged them to be a catalyst by bringing about sea change in the society particularly the rural villages. He stated that many youths are selected as National Youth Corps from among youth population, which has 40% of Indian population. They are the bridge between the Government and the people as the volunteers can disseminate developmental agendas to the rural youth. Jacky Ruihva, Zonal Director, NYKS said NYCs are to implement NYK programmes through youth clubs and can linked their village youth clubs to any developmental agencies for development. Jacky Ruihva called upon the youth to do good documentation in every
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KMC reiterate on usage of polythene plastic bags
Royal inter school debate competition 2013
Our Correspondent
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ue with the checking and if any shop is found selling or using polythene plastic bags below 40 microns defaulters will be penalized as under. Penalties would be awarded to traders who utilize illegal plastic bags. The first offence will cost them Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000. Under Labour act, the
next violation i.e. second offence would lead to cancelation shop license. KMC, CEO, Elizabeth Ngully in a press release has informed that any stockiest or firms may apply for import permit to bring the products of virgin plastic of 40 microns after approval from Kohima Municipal Council.
MEx File
ABAM plea on title for Mkg district Mokokchung, August 22 (MExn): The Ao Baptist Arogo Mungdang (ABAM) has made a plea to the Mokokchung Deputy Commissioner & ViceChairman, District Planning & Development Board, to name/title Mokokchung district as, “The Cradle of Christianity and Education” as per the decision of ABAM Annual Meeting held in 2011. ABAM Executive Secretary Rev. Dr. Mar Atsongchanger made this plea in response to letter Ref. No. DPMC/MKG-291/DPDB2013/707 dated Mkg the 13th Aug. 2013 regarding the change of nomenclature of Mokokchung district.
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ANATU (2012) meeting on Aug 28
DIMAPuR, August 22 (MExn): All Nagaland Adhoc Teachers Union – ANATU (2012) – has convened an executive meeting of all district unit presidents on August 28 at 11:00 pm at Red Cross building, Kohima. Informing this in a joint press communiqué, ANATU (2012) president Khoto Nyekha and general secretary Neito Dzuvichu have requested all district unit presidents to positively attend the meeting. For enquiry purposes, one may contact any of the following cell numbers: 8014688165/9856277144; 8794356318; 9436078676.
NRHM Dimapur Competency test
DIMAPuR, August 22 (MExn): The competency for test GNMs, ANMs and Lab Technicians employed under NRHM Dimapur district will be conducted on August 26 at School of Nursing (District Hospital Dimapur Campus) from 11 am onward for written test and the Oral test will be held on August 27 from 11:00 am onward. All concerned are directed to appear for the test without fail. This was informed in a press release issued by Dimapur Chief Medical Officer Dr. P. Tia Jamir.
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Monthly musical promotional night at Tsg
kohIMA, August 22 (MExn): The Tuensang Hills Accolade Society (THAS) is all set to organize the first monthly musical promotional night on August 29 from 1800 hours onwards at Tuensang town under the banner “Bridge Café” at Regional Council Hall/CKS Conference Hall. In this connection, interested bands have been requested to contact event manager at +91 9863899488 and chairman + 91 9862579749. The organizing committee also extended invitation to all the well wishers to the show.
NNC/FGN joint meeting on Aug 30
kohIMA, August 22 (MExn): All the National workers of the Naga National Council (NNC) and the Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) are informed that as usual the monthly NNC/FGN joint meeting will be held on August 30 at 10.00 a.m. at Transit Peace Camp, Kohima, Nagaland. FGN Assistant Secretary, Thihü Khamo in a press release has informed all the National Workers (NNC/FGN) to positively attend the meeting and “top-priority” may be given to the meeting attendance.
‘Zeliang people’s issues to be routed through ZPO’
Trainees and others during the orientation training closing function at Bamboo Hall, Kisama Naga Heritage village Kohima.
programme that NYKs conduct programme. NYKS Vice Chairperson, Kohima Tilotama interacted with the participants. After getting feedback, she delivered an address stating that youth is the best part of life. She also called upon them to use God given talents for others. DYC, NYK, Kohima John Makhabo in a press release stated that the participants vis-
ited Kisama where Nagaland Adventure and Mountaineering demonstrated some adventure programmes like sliding, Burma Bridge, rappling etc after which they went to Kigwema village to interact with Youth club members and learnt about their club activities. They visited Khuzama Youth club and interacted with them about their club activities. They also had visited Eden Garden Children’s
Home run by Catholic Mission for the welfare of abandoned and poor children. The volunteers also planted tree at the campsite and landslide area at Phesema. Around 1000 saplings provided free by DFO office. Rosy, Albert, Pelenizo Joseph, Michael, Eyozol Pucho, Ruokuoviko, Paulina DYC, Marjit DYC, Laxman DYC and John Makhabo DYC animated the programme.
JAlukIE, August 22 (MExn): All tribal hohos, head of government department and other concerned are informed that Zeliang People Organisation (ZPO) new team of office bearers headed by Kiezin as president and Kerang Dumtta as Secretary was elected by all village and town chairman and authorize person presence on June 21, 2013 at Jalukie Town Zeliangrong Baudi Hall. ZPO, Secretary Kerantg Dumtta in a press release stated that it was done in pursuance of the joint council resolution of the Zeme and Liangmai Council dated June 7, 2013 meeting at Administration Rest House, Jalukie and Zeliang People’s Joint Consultative meeting dated June 15, 2013 at Peren Town. Therefore, all concerned are appealed that any issue or matters relating to Zeliang people should be rooted out only through ZPO and should not entertain the claim of any other organizations other than ZPO. “Anybody doing so will be doing at his or her own risk,” Kerang Dumtta further stated in the press release.
ZPO Nagaland office inaugurated
The office of the Zeliang People Organisation, Nagaland was dedicated and inaugurated by Mongzeung Mpom, Pastor Local Baptist Church Jalukie Town at Market shed Jalukie Town on August 13. Office bearers and executive members attended the function.
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The Morung express
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23 August 2013
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GJM to go on indefinite stir, hunger strike
Darjeeling/KolKata, august 22 (ians): The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) Thursday called for an indefinite "ghar bahira janata" (people in the streets) agitation in West Bengal's Darjeeling Hills, and said its leaders would also go on a hunger strike. This comes as a response to the arrest earlier Thursday of the party's assistant general secretary Benoy Tamang, along with six party workers. The GJM said the protest will continue until its leaders are released.
GJM supremo Bimal Gurung, who earlier in the day announced a two-day shutdown beginning Saturday, later declared an indefinite "ghar bahira janata". Following the Calcutta High Court declaring the shutdown, including the peoples' curfew, as illegal, the GJM has changed its mode of protest, calling for people to protest in the streets. The arrested GJM leaders led by Tamang will also go on an indefinite hunger strike. "Ghar bahira janata agitation will continue indefinitely
till GJM members are released and cases against them are withdrawn. The 721 arrested people who are in judicial custody will also go for an indefinite hunger strike," GJM supremo Bimal Gurung said. Tamang, a close associate of the GJM supremo, is also the senior-most of the GJM leaders to be arrested so far. He is, however, only one of over 700 party activists held by state authorities since the renewed protests for the formation of a separate Gorkhaland began last month, after the
United Progressive Alliance at the centre approved the carving out of Telangana from Andhra Pradesh. Gurung, who Wednesday had sought West Bengal Governor M.K. Narayanan's intervention in the matter, however, ruled out any dialogue with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her government. "We will not talk to the state government. This matter concerns the centre and it will have to intervene," Gurung said. Meanwhile, Narayanan who earlier had expressed
his willingness to talk to the GJM leadership, said the Gorkha outfit should first come to him if it wanted his intervention. "If they want my intervention, let them come and ask," Narayanan told mediapersons in Kolkata. Following heavy rains and thunderstorms earlier in the week in Darjeeling and surrounding areas, the GJM had deferred its agitation to enable relief work to go unhindered. The Gorkha outfit which has accused Banerjee of going on an "arrest
spree" said the state government is wrongly treating the issue as a law and order problem. "The government is treating this as a law and order issue. Can a solution emerge like this? It has to be handled as a political issue, but the government is handling it administratively. Such administrative actions have been taken over the last 107 years," said GJM legislator and spokesperson Harka Bahadur Chettri, adding that the movement cannot be curbed by a government crackdown on its leaders.
The GJM, which has joined hands with other pro-Gorkhaland parties to form the Gorkhaland Join Action Committee (GJAC), under which the protests are now being carried out, will meet Saturday to decide the future course of action. North Bengal Development Minister Gautam Deb defended the arrests, saying the GJM protests had been resulting in destruction to government properties and hindering development of the region. Meanwhile, the Congress and the Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) have criticised the Banerjee government for its crackdown on the GJM movement, which was resulting in the "issue going out of hand". "This oppressive approach of the state government is only causing the issue to flare up. The government must explore ways to find a solution to the issue through dialogue before it gets completely out of hand," state Congress president Pradip Bhattacharya said. Bhattacharya's views were echoed by BJP leader Tathagata Roy.
agartala, august 22 (ians): The union home ministry has again asked the Mizoram government to take back over 37,000 tribal refugees, living in Tripura for almost 16 years, officials said here Thursday. "The union home ministry has again asked the Mizoram government to take back the refugees immediately," Tripura's revenue department secretary Swapan Saha told reporters here. He said: "In a separate letter, Tripura Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar Panda requested Mizoram Chief Secretary (L. Tochhong) to take appropriate steps so that the refugees could go
back home." The tribals had fled after ethnic clashes with the majority Mizos over the killing of a Mizo forest official. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde in New Delhi last month and requested their intervention. Sarkar told the two that "continuous presence for over 16 years of refugees from Mizoram has been a matter of concern for Tripura". "The long stay has its own socio-economic and law and order problems. The state government is providing necessary sup-
port for early repatriation of these families. However, the process has been extremely slow," said Sarkar. However, refugees have been insisting that without a formal agreement between the union, Mizoram and Tripura governments and tribal leaders, their rehabilitation will remain uncertain. The Reang refugees, lodged since October 1997 in six makeshift camps in Kanchanpur sub-division of north Tripura, 180 km north of Agartala, have sent several memoranda to the prime minister and the union home minister in support of their 18-point charter of demands.
Rains cause havoc in Senapati district Mizoram told to take back refugees
laKhamai, august 22 (the hornbill express): Chilivai Road has suffered many major damages due to flood in the region, with washed away culverts and almost disconnected from the rest of the district at every interval of about one/two kms. There are stretches of landslide along the Maram-PurulLakhamai road, which threatens further damage if the rains persist. The illmaintained road was today inspected by MLA Dr. V Alexander Pao, along with P.P Ronald, Jr.MCS, SDO Purul; E. Chothe, EE-PWD division, Senapati; village Chairman, Secretary, Headman, contractors and social workers of villages connected by the road, especially Lakhamai, Phaibung and Shirong. The single lane, dilapidated road is the sole connecting road for 19 villages supporting population about 15 thousand. Speaking at the site, the MLA was shocked at the stretch of road carried away by the monsoon rains. On being reported about the plight of the peo-
Chivali road which has been massively damaged following torrential Monsoon rains.
ple, the MLA assisted the urgent need of the people by engaging a JCB at the site for small vehicles to pass narrowly, sponsored from the Local Area Development Fund. The MLA has appealed for the Government of Manipur, through the Work Minister Ratan Kumar and the concerned department to make imme-
diate investigations and intervene. He also hoped that the government would respond swiftly to the urgency of the people. Lamenting on the pain of the people in times of sickness and ailment, the MLA reiterated that people suffered immensely due to bad roads. Adding to misery of the people telecom-
Trafficked girls rescued in Bangalore
bangalore, august 22 (Dna): Banashankari police cracked a case of human trafficking with the help of Praja Rajakiya Vedike, an NGO, and arrested three people, including a woman. Sanaulla alias Sam Edwin, his wife Mala and brother-in-law Sharath, as well as Rishav Gupta and his fatherin-law were involved in trafficking two 19-year-old women from Manipur. According to the police, the women were illegally detained in the houses of Rishav Gupta and his father-in-law for over 40 days. One of the victims who was abducted at Churachandpur in Manipur has lodged a written complaint. They were brought to Bangalore by train by a Manipuri man from Moyreng, and were promised training in a beauty clinic. Instead, they were separated and detained as maids in the two houses. They were not allowed to go out or talk to anyone. Their phones were also taken away and returned in five days with all the con-
tacts deleted. One of the women managed to call her mother back in Manipur, who in turn inquired with an agent of the ‘beauty training clinic’ in Manipur. After their parents failed to get proper response, they filed a police complaint and an FIR both in Moyreng and Churachandpur. Later, the families, belonging to the Kuki tribe, informed the Kuki Students’ Association in Churachandpur who informed their Bangalore chapter. Naga girl robbed of scooter Three men robbed a girl of her scooter at Lingarajapuram in the early hours of Wednesday. Lichu, who hails from Nagaland, accompanied by a male friend, Kinnie, was returning home after attending a party, when her scooter ran out of petrol on Hennur Main Road. Lichu and Kinnie were pushing the scooter towards a petrol bunk when the three men accosted them. They hit Kinnie on his head with an iron rod, grabbed the scooter and fled.
‘Transfer all land records of hill districts’
imphal, august 22 (nnn): The Committee on Protection of Tribal Areas, Manipur (COTAM) has urged today for the transferring of all the land records of hill districts in Manipur, being maintained in the neighboring valley districts, to their respective hill district deputy commissioners as per 1947/1971 district boundaries. In a memorandum submitted to the chief minister today signed by COPTAM president Letpu Haokip and its general secretary Thangkam Lupheng, the Committee said there are numerous land records of Hill Districts in the valley district, which needs to be transferred to their respective hills district headquarters as per ADC Act 1971 boundary. COTAM however, appreciated the State Cabinet decision to transfer all land records to their respective deputy commissioners, which is one of the demands so far raised by COPTAM. "The decision implies that all the hill district land records maintained in the neighbouring valley districts should also be transferred to their respective
hill district deputy commissioners," the memo said. "However, there is no officer Order/Notification yet from the Revenue Department for transfer of hill district land records to their respective deputy commissioners except for Churachandpur district. In respect of Churachandpur, the Commissioner (Revenue) government of Manipur has issued an Office Memorandum No. 3/1/ mics/2008-com (Rev)pt date Imphal the 24th April, 2013 to the Deputy Commissioner of Bishnupur district and ADC, Jiribam to transfer all available land records of Churachandpur district to the Deputy Commissioner Churachandpur," COPTAM pointed out. But COPTAM said it was shocked to learn that three SDOs of Bishnupur district have reported to the Deputy Commissioner, Bishnupur district that there is no land record of Churachandpur district within their respective jurisdictions. At the same time, the COPTAM is also discontented to learn that without verifying the fact, the deputy commissioner of Bishnupur in line
with the report of the three SDOs, has written to the Commissioner (Revenue) on May 13 , 2013 that there is no land records of Churachandpur district to transfer from Bishnupur district to Churachandpur district. "If this is the case in all the hill districts, many parts of hill districts are supposed to merge into valley districts illicitly. This problem poses direct threat to our district boundaries as well as to our traditional institutions like those of chieftainship and other constitutionally provided right privileges for the tribals," the COPTAM memorandum expressed. The fact that some pockets of the hill areas of Manipur are 'surveyed land' and their land records being maintained in the neighboring valley districts is never a valid argument for transferring the said villages or areas or lands to valley districts or converted them into a Revenue district , COPTAM argued while adding, "This is an unhealthy trend as it could transfer age-old district boundaries into ones based on communal lines."
munication services is very poor as well. Therefore, PP Ronald, SDO for Purul appealed to the BSNL Telecom to open up towers in the region. The Lakhamai village Headmen, S Thailu, in his litany of grievances also added that the 33 Village Power Centers are defunct without any power depart-
ment staff, which has left the region in darkness for over a fortnight. The recent flood of 14 August, also has threaten the livelihood of the people by washing away vast stretch of paddy field in Lakhamai, Khodom (Khullen/ Khunou), Shirong(Sofii), Khongdei. People in these villages chiefly depend on farming as their source of livelihood and the recently transplanted paddy worth about 6 lakh has been tarnishs by the Iril River. Meanwhile, in a press note the Headmaster of Koide Government High School stated that vast portion of school compound in the southern side of the school has been washed away due to heavy downpour in recent past. It stated that approximately 118 ft in length and 20 ft. in height portion of land had been washed away. The villagers sought the immediate action of the concerned department to salvage the lone school building in the village from further collapse and damage, maintained the press note.
HIRING OF TRANSPORT BY ARMY
QUOTATION
Quotations are invited from Registered contractors for fixing rates of hiring by Army on as required basis of 5 Ton and 15 Ton Trailor for use within Nagaland and neighboring states and 15 Ton, 20 Ton, 30 Ton and 40 Ton from Dimapur to Guwahati, Kankinara, Meerut. Interested parties may collect the blank quotation documents and also instruction on requirement and conditions for hiring of civil transport from 3 Corps Zonal Workshop, Rangapahar. Completed quotations must be deposited in the sealed quotation box placed at 3 Corps Zonal Workshop, Rangapahar Military Station on or before 1000 hours on 05_Sep 2013. Quotations will be opened at 1030 hours on 07 Sep 2013 at 3 Corps Zonal Workshop. (M Hanu Rao) Colonel Presiding Officer
Government of Nagaland
State Health Society National Rural Health Mission Nagaland: Kohima
NL/NRHM/Estt./B-35/HR/2010/5278
Dated: Kohima, the 21st Aug. 2013
NOTICE This is to inform all the applicants who have applied for the post of Staff Nurse (GNM) under NRHM to come for a walk-in interview on the date mentioned below along with supporting documents in original. Sl. No. 1.
Name of the Post Staff Nurse (GNM)
No. of posts 25
Monthly ReQualification muneration (fixed) Rs 13,000Diploma in GNM 25,000/- pm (Recognized by the Indian Nursing Council)
Venue: EDUSAT Conference Hall, Directorate of Health & Family Welfare, Kohima, Nagaland. Date : 31/08/13 Time : 10:30 am Sd/(DR. Khanlo Magh) Mission Director, NRHM Directorate of Health & Family Welfare Nagaland: Kohima.
PRESS RELEASE
Categorization of Health Units The office of the Mission Director, NRHM, Nagaland would like to state that the recent categorization of health units placed in all the districts across the state has been made in the best interest of the general public, since the NRHM aims at providing affordable, accessible and equitable health care to all the sections of the society, and more so in the remote areas where healthcare facility is minimal. Having experienced the difficulties in recruiting manpower, particularly doctors, for placement in remote areas, the ‘categorization of health units’ based on inaccessibility and remoteness of the health facility was formulated. Although from before, the categorization into A, B & C districts was already in place, it was observed and felt that even within the same district all the places cannot fall under the same category. Hence the Office has further sub-categorized a district further to A,B,C & D, taking into account that certain health facilities are most remote and inaccessible and therefore should be placed under category ‘D’. One of the key conditionalities to the state enforced by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, with effect from 2013-14 is the rational and equitable deployment of Human Resources with the highest priority accorded to high priority districts and delivery points. Further, according to the Ministry’s directive, baseline assessment of competencies of all Staff Nurses, ANMs, Lab Technicians should be done and corrective action taken thereon. In the light of the above reasons, the Office has undertaken the exercise of categorization of all health units in order to march towards the objective of providing health care to all sections of the people, and most importantly, to the far-flung and unreached areas. Sd/(DR. KHANLO MAGH) Mission Director, NRHM
C M Y K
4
Dimapur
businEss
Friday 23 August 2013
The Morung Express
Rupee hits record low of 65.56, continues to struggle
MuMbai, august 22 (ReuteRs): The rupee fell through 65 to the dollar to a record low on Thursday, after Federal Reserve minutes hinted the United States was on course to begin tapering stimulus as early as next month and as foreign investors become sellers of Indian stocks. In an ominous sign for Asia’s worst-performing currency this year, overseas investors, who had been net buyers of Indian stocks so far in 2013, headed for the exits this week, selling a net amount of more than $700 million worth of shares in the five sessions through Thursday. Foreigners have also sold a net amount of nearly $1 billion of Indian government and corporate bonds so far this month. “Unless growth signals emerge in the next few quarters, foreign institutional investors will continue to pare down Indian equities, which will weigh on the rupee,” said Deven Choksey, managing director of KR Choksey Securities. Indian stocks, however, snapped a four-day losing streak, with the benchmark BSE index ending up 2.27 percent despite continued selling by foreign institutions.
An Indian walks past a sand sculpture of a rupee coin on a beach in Puri, India, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2013. The Indian economy, Asia’s third largest, grew 5 percent in the financial year ended March, its slowest in a decade and well off the 8 percent pace it had averaged over those 10 years. the indian rupee has plumbed new lows against the dollar on a near daily basis, showing the pressure of a current account deficit that has swelled from high import costs. (AP Photo)
The rupee fell as much as 2 percent to 65.56 to the dollar, before recovering losses to close at 64.55/56, a sixth straight session of declines, and is down 14.8 percent so far this year despite policymakers’ efforts to prop it up.
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram sought to lift confidence, telling a news conference that while economic growth remained flat in the first quarter of the fiscal year ending March 2014, it was likely to pick up in the remaining three quarters.
“We are in better health than many other countries in the world,” he said in New Delhi. “Therefore there is no reason for excessive or unwarranted pessimism.” Currencies in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand all hit
multi-year lows on concerns that the Fed’s scaling back of stimulus would trigger further capital outflows from emerging markets, which have benefited for the last two years from waves of cheap money printed by Western central banks. Ratings agency Fitch warned that governments in India and Indonesia, also facing a crisis of confidence among investors, needed to halt the slide in perception. India’s credit rating is one notch above junk grade. “Rapid private-sector credit growth, widening fiscal deficits or sustained higher inflation could lead to a broader and more sustained loss of confidence among investors,” Fitch said in a statement on India and Indonesia. “This could potentially undermine economic and financial stability, and ultimately lead to negative rating action.” Rupee buyers in the forex market seemed to be drying up, with the central bank suspected to have intervened in the last several sessions to support the currency, including late in Thursday’s session. Some strategists made increasingly bearish calls on the
rupee, with Credit Agricole saying that unless capital flows returned, it did not see the fundamental value for the rupee below 70 to the dollar and would not recommend buying it for fundamental reasons below 75. Deutsche Bank said on Wednesday the rupee could fall to 70 in a month or so. The 1-month offshore nondeliverable forward contract was quoted at 65.60 compared to the onshore one-month forward of 65.07, suggesting offshore players are betting against the rupee. The Reserve Bank of India’s efforts to support the currency have failed to do so but have sent bond yields surging, pushing up borrowing costs and undermining an economy that grew at its weakest in a decade in the last fiscal year to March 2013. ICICI Bank, the country’s second-largest lender, became the latest to raise interest rates, lifting its base rate by 25 basis points to 10%, effective Friday. A weak coalition government facing national elections by May has been unable to push through structural reforms to lure long-term foreign investment, with the current parlia-
PM okays amendment to Nokia launches Lumia 925 & Lumia 625 in India DeLHi, august 22 in direct sunlight and offers a super rank to be placed at number two food bill as cabinet divided NeW (Pti): Expanding its Lumia range, sensitive touch technology for op- in the survey with a 27.2 per cent
NeW DeLHi, august 22 (iaNs): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday intervened and cleared a key amendment to the Food Security Bill to protect the present grain allocation of states even as senior cabinet ministers expressed reservations on the move, sources said. According to the sources, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde expressed their reservations at the amendment, which involves an additional burden of Rs.5,000 crore to the exchequer. But Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath and Food Minister K.V. Thomas pitched for it, arguing it was necessary for the passage of the food security bill, stuck up in the Lok Sabha. Finally, the prime minister gave his nod to the amendment, after the issue was debated for around 45 minutes in the cabinet meeting, said the sources. The amendment seeks to address the concerns of 18 states who were to get
lesser grain that they get under the existing public distribution system, once the food bill became a law, said sources. As per the amendment, these 18 states, including Tamil Nadu and Kerala, would continue to get the present quantity of wheat and rice allocated to them at the price charged from the above poverty line people which is Rs.8.70 per kg for rice and Rs.6.10 per kg for wheat. For instance, Uttar Pradesh will get around 30 lakh tonne more grains and save Rs.9,000 crore in subsidy under the new food bill. However, there are as many as 17 states which will get more grain under the new food bill in which there will be no BPL or APL category and 67 percent of Indians numbering around 800 million will get subsidized grain at Rs.3 per kg (rice), Rs.2 kg (wheat) and Re.1 a kg for coarse grains, said the sources. The difference in allocation of states arose after the latest data collected by the National Sample Survey Organization.
Finnish handset maker Nokia today launched the flagship 925 in India along with 625, its biggest smartphone to date, targetting people in the age group of 18-25 years. The company has priced Lumia 625 at Rs 19,999 and the phone will be available in the market in 3-4 days, while the Lumia 925 is already available in the market for Rs 33,499. Stating that India is amongst the top three markets globally for Lumia, Nokia India Director Marketing Viral Oza said, “We have launched 12 Lumia devices in 18 months... thats amazing speed when you have a platform which is launched from scratch.” He said the company is targeting th-25 year old youth and within that depending on the kind of offering we have, we appeal to different parts of them,” Oza said. He said for 625, the company is appealing to somebody who wants a smart and affordable device which has the advance Lumia features and a large screen where they can enjoy entertainment. Lumia 625 features a 4.7 inch LCD screen, which can be viewable
eration with gloves or nails. The company is offering free movies worth Rs 4,275 on an application by Digitainment which is available on the device. The Lumia 925, which was launched in May in London, is the flagship device, which is lighter than the earlier model and has a metal design. Nokia is facing stiff competition from iOS and A n d ro i d - b a s e d phones in smartphone category. Nokia, which had been holding fort in the Indian market for over a decade, has been replaced by Korean handset maker Samsung as per the latest Voice&Data Survey. Samsung became the market leader with a 31.5 per cent market share while Nokia was down by a
market share. According to research firm Gartner, Nokia’s Windows Phone sales have sequentially improved reaching a volume of 5.1 million units, but it was still at a tenth slot in terms of market share in smartphone segment in the first quarter of 2013.
public discoursE
Bible work in China
D
uring Cultural Revolution in China Bibles were burnt, Churches were destroyed and life became so miserable. However, handful of believers were praying to God everyday shedding their tears for God’s intervention. Surely, God is merciful hence deliverance came upon His people. The United Bible Societies obtained special permission from the Chinese Government for opening printing Press. In 1987 Amity Printing Press was opened at Nanjing city Southern China. It is a joint venture between Amity Foundation and the United Bible Societies. It is unthinkable that Bibles will be allow to be printed and distributed again in China, but the Lord has done it for His people. Amazing is that the banned book “Bible” has become the bestselling book in China. It is unbelievable, the incredible work of our Almighty God. Since 1987 it has printed more than one hundred million copies of Bibles. The Amity Press is now the largest Bible Press in the world. We praise the Lord for His miraculous work in China. Churches are growing very fast and spreading God’s Word is increasing. We must continue to pray for the growth of the Churches in China. Rev. Dr. Z. K. Rochill Senior Auxiliary Secretary
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.
DiMAPuR Civil Hospital:
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 # 2625
mentary session all but paralysed by political bickering. “Barring a galvanising economic crisis, pending tax, land acquisition and insurance reforms will likely be delayed for several years, providing no respite for India’s faltering economy,” Eurasia Group analyst Anjalika Bardalai wrote. In what was seen as a partial roll-back considered by some market participants to have sent a mixed message, the RBI took steps on Tuesday to support a bond market hurt by its rupee defence. Bond prices continued to recover on Thursday, with yields ending down 18 basis points at 8.23%. Some analysts said the RBI’s move was similar to the Fed’s “Operation Twist” begun in 2011 to buy long-end bonds. “Policymaking is essentially in a quandary, as the framework comprises of multiple and often conflicting objectives,” said Radhika Rao, economist at DBS Bank in Singapore. “To this end, a single-minded focus on correcting the currency’s course entails collateral damage - dampens equity and bond markets and carries risks to growth,” she added.
CROSSWORD # 2637
Answer Number # 2624
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 Northeast Shuttles Chumukedima Fire Brigade Nikos Hospital and Research Centre Nagaland Multispecialty Health & Research Centre
KOhiMA
Police Control Room: North Police Station: South Police Station: Fire Brigade: Naga Hospital: Oking Hospital: Bethel Nursing Home:
232224; Emergency229529, 229474 227930, 231081 233044, 228846 228254 231864, 230889 228400 232106 227607, 228400 232181 242555/ 242533 224041, 285117, 248011 230695/9402435652 131/228404 229366 22232 282777 232032, 231031 248302, 09856006026
StD CODE: 0370
Northeast Shuttles
100/2244279 2222222 2222111 2222952 2222916 2243339 2224202
O
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Numbers ANd Colors
AMARiLLO
nuEVE
AzuL
OChO
BLAnCO
CAFE
CinCO
ROJO
ROSA
SEiS
CuAtRO
SiEtE
DiEz
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DOS
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nARAnJO
VERDE
nEgRO
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W R B L A n C O P R E n t n R P
i i t i A g S n A A E n h t E n
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n A R A n J O S t C D O O i Y t
E
u t B z D O E E g u E E L O t Y
n A u E O i g V u A O S L g i F
O i u i S O E E S t g i i E S R
A
n n O D i Y h u t R u i R L C F
n E t E i S M n t O M R A h t A
R
K A E L A B i u t x M i M E J C
n R O A E E S A i A E n A R u t
O L E O A V A S O R t g O O D t
C
t R E S E A A P R g C O Y C R Y
F E n R A n W t R O R i E h A C
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t n D i h L A M E g J D n O W A
S E A z u L O R E R S O S C W F
t i F F D S g n V n P D R A O E
ACROSS 1. Sudden burst 6. Proven information 10. Sleep in a convenient place 14. Back tooth 15. Double-reed woodwind 16. Small island 17. Offensive 19. Stigma 20. Cave 21. Paintings 22. twinge 23. Smells 25. Make a counterfeit 26. Break in friendly relations 30. highest goals 32. Against the law 35. Involuntary jerky muscular contractions 39. trader 40. Mountain range 41. Cost 43. Variant 44. Afternoon nap 46. Male offspring 47. tranquility 50. Chinese “bear” 53. hodgepodge 54. Craggy peak 55. Personification
60. Lantern 61. Car 63. Leg joint 64. Russian emperor 65. A kind of golf club 66. Contributes 67. Arid 68. Place
DOWN 1. Dirty air 2. Decant 3. Countertenor 4. Sourish 5. Muse of love poetry 6. Enemy 7. On the train 8. Parts of a meal 9. Exam 10. Deprive 11. Academy award 12. Jargon 13. twilled fabric 18. Deity 24. Petroleum 25. Pizazz 26. Go on horseback 27. holly 28. Flutter 29. tools for star gazing 31. Church alcove 33. Wish granter
34. Backside 36. threesome 37. Weightlifters pump this 38. tins 42. Take up the cause 43. Delivery vehicle 45. Disagreeable woman 47. A type of dance 48. African antelope 49. intended 51. Water barrier 52. Declares 54. Makes lace 56. Assist in crime 57. It ebbs and flows 58. Aquatic plant 59. Marsh plant 62. Mineral rock
Ans to CrossWord 2636
DIMAPUR: 03862-232201/101 (O) 9436601225 (OC) CHUMUKEDIMA: 03862-282777/101 (O) 9436012949 (OC) WOKHA: 03860-242215 (O) 9402643782 MOKOKCHUNG: 0369-2226225/101 (O) 9856872011 (OC) PHEK: 03865-223838/101 (O) 9402003086 (OC)
TUENSANG: 03861-220256/101 (O) 8974322879
08974997923
MON: 03869-290629/101 (O) 9856248962/ 9612805461 (OC)
Toll free No. 1098 childline
W
KOHIMA: 0370-2222952/101 (O) 9436062098 (OC)
ZUNHEBOTO: 03867-220444/101 (O) 9856158740 (OC)
ChiLD WELFARE COMMittEE
MOKOKChung:
FiRE StAtiOnS
StD CODE: 0369
Police Station 1: Police Station 2 :
2226241 2226214
Civil Hospital: Woodland Nursing Home: Hotel Metsüpen (Tourist Lodge):
2226216 2226263 2226373/2229343
TAHAMzAM (formerly Senapati) STD CODE: 03871 Police Station: Fire Brigade
222246 222491
CHEVROLET CARS PRICE FOR AuguST ‘2013 CAR MODELS
StARting PRiCE
SPARK 1.0 MCE
3,38,705/-
BEAT 1.2 (PETROL)
3,91,493/-
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4,77,441/-
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CRUZE 2.0 LT
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* 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
64.5 100.14 8.3
64.95 101.5 8.39
Australian Dollar
57.85
58.67
Singapore Dollar Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen
50.22 61.39 65.46
50.83 62.13 66.24
Euro
85.84
86.79
LOCAL
The Morung Express
Friday 23 August 2013
CM confident for Noksen bye poll
NOKSEN, AUGUST 22 (MExN): Chief minister Neiphiu Rio has said that the public of 51 Noksen assembly constituency should be very clear on the coming bye-election in the constituency and not commit “political suicide.” “There should not be any confusion as to who is running the government.... now the question is not whether he (DAN consensus candidate) will win but by how much margin,” the Chief Minister said. Rio was speaking at the “kickoff election campaign programme” of the DAN coalition consensus candidate and Lok Sabha MP, CM Chang, to bye-election to 51 Noksen assembly seat at public ground, Noksen town, on Thursday. Rio said that among the 7 legislators of Tuensang district, only CM Chang was given a minister portfolio, even though he made his maiden entry to the state assembly in 2013. Earlier in 2009, CM Chang was elected as Lok Sabha MP with the support of DAN alliance partners and the people of Nagaland as a whole, he reminded. The CM said that the time is now for the public of Noksen to repay the generosity of DAN partners and the people of Nagaland by electing CM Chang with a thumping majority. He also cautioned
Convenor of DAN election campaign committee and Roads & Bridges minister, Kuzholuzo (Azo) Nienu, deputy chairman, State Planning Board, P Longon, parliamentary secretary for Village guard, Kejong Chang, political advisor to the chief minister Chingwang Konyak, also appealed the public of Noksen area to vote in favour of CM Chang.
Chief minister, Neiphiu Rio, addressing the “kickoff election campaign programme” of DAN coalition at public ground, Noksen town, on Thursday.
the public not to believe in the “false propaganda” circulated by the state Congress party that some DAN legislators, including even Rio himself, were covertly giving support to the Congress candidate Limaonen Chang. NPF president Dr. Shurhozelie said the choice before the people of Noksen A/C is “very simple” - that is whether the public were willing to enjoy the meal lavishly spread them or to starve for another five
2nd Nagaland Spelling Bee Championship 2013
years. The NPF president was alluding that CM Chang would retain his minister portfolio if re-elected whereas the public would suffer if they elect the Congress candidate. DAN candidate CM Chang in his address said that Noksen A/C despite being in the opposition for the last ten years (2003-2012), DAN government was gracious enough to bring development to the constituency.
BJP, JD (U) and NCP support CM Chang DAN coalition partners BJP and JD (U) have extended unstinted support to the DAN consensus candidate CM Chang. Addressing the “kickoff election campaign programme” of DAN coalition, State BJP spokesman and general secretary, James Vizo, said the BJP had remained loyal, steadfast and committed to DAN alliance since its formation in 2003. The BJP spokesman said things are looking bright for the DAN coalition as the BJP-led NDA would definitely come back to power in the Centre. Alleging that the Congress-led UPA government was giving “step motherly” treatment to Nagaland state, Vizo reminded that during Vajpayee’s tenure as Prime Minister, the BJP government had been generous enough to give special economic package to Nagaland state.
DiMAPUr, AUGUST 22 (MExN): With regard to the 2nd Edition of the Nagaland Spelling Bee Championship and Extempore and Elocution contests slated to be held from September 25 to 27 at the Capital Convention Centre, Kohima; it has been informed that students studying from Class 8 to 12 in Nagaland will be eligible to take part in the events. A press note informed that in partial modification to the sequence of events appearing in the previous publication, the Spelling Bee Championship will now be conducted in two phases: the Preliminary round on September 25 and the Finals on September 27. The Extempore and Elocution contests will
be held on September 26. The form of application will be made available in the following outlets: DIET centres of SCERT in the districts of Mokokchung, Wokha, Phek, Mon , Tuensang, Zunheboto and Dimapur, respectively and Sports World, Opposite Taxi Stand; CornerstoneBelho Complex near Red Cross Building in Kohima; Grafiti in Peren; CYN Store in Longleng Town and S.K. Enterprises in Kiphire. Interested students can obtain the Application forms from these designated outlets or download it from www.morungexpress.com and send their entries in the prescribed format, complete in all respect as desired which should reach latest by
16th September 2013 to the Convenor, Organising Committee, 2nd Nagaland Spelling Bee Championship 2013, C/o Super Travels, Hotel Japfu Complex, P. R. Hills, Kohima-797001 The note said that further information may be acquired by contacting +919402453002 / +919612153304/ +919436609258. This annual event is jointly organized by the Fountain Club, Kohima and the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) Deptt., Nagaland with the Morung Express and NM Cables as media partners. This year the event is in special Commemoration of the upcoming 50th Anniversary of Statehood celebration.
KOhiMA, AUG 22 (MExN): The KVYO Quick Response Team (QRT) last night apprehended two car thieves who were travelling in a maruti alto bearing Regd no. WB 34J 9246 in the wee hours of August 21 near BSF camp. Speaking to media persons, KVYO president Ketounei Kire and QRT
convenor and vice president Thefuhoulie Belho revealed that the accused Rihoto Zhimomi (26 years), Mughaka Aye (21), and Pavika Assuma (26), all from Zunheboto, on being questioned by the QRT vigilantes confessed that they were on their way to boost cars. Spare car keys were also found from the
accused. While Rihoto and Mughaka were nabbed and handed over to North PS, the third accused Pavika Assumi is still at large. The OC of North PS revealed that Pavika Assumi already has a case registered against him for bike lifting in 2011, for which he served sentence too.
KOhiMA, AUGUST 22 (MExN): Managing members and staff of Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) Nagaland State Branch has expressed deep shock over the sudden demise of Monton Konyak, Hony. Secy. Mon Dist Branch of IRCS on August 21 in Mon Town. A condolence note issued by the IRCS general secretary Zakie Kire acknowledged, “Lt. Monton Konyak was a very dedicated and prominent Red Cross member of imminence. He was one of the longest serving Hony Secy of Mon Branch. He was an upright person with high moral integrity.” IRCS also accredited him for “single-handed-
ly” nurturing IRCS Mon into a “very strong branch”. Lt. Monton Konyak, a recipient of “Lifetime Achievement Award” for his immense contribution towards the Red Cross movement was known as the Red Cross “Burah” (the grand old Red Cross man) in hometown Mon, the note said. IRCSN further conveyed its deepest condolences to Monton’s wife and all the near and dear ones. “In the demise of Lt. Monton Konyak, the IRCSN has lost a fatherly figure who has earned the love and respect of everyone for his ever smiling and loving nature. We will miss him dearly.”
DiMAPUr, AUGUST 22 (MExN): Amidst singing national anthem, observing silence for the departed souls, and awarding members for their donations and humanitarian undertakings, Rotary Club of Dimapur installed its 42nd team of office bearers for the year 2013- 14 on August 22 at its Dimapur office in Midland. The new team will be led by President Deepak Chettri. Rotary Club of Dimapur established in 1972 works with the motto, “Service above self.” In the year 2012-13, the Club bagged several dis-
trict awards. Some of the prominent awards include highest contribution to the Rotary Foundation in 2012-13, recognition of outstanding contribution to the Polio Immunization programme 2012-13 by India National Polio Plus Committee of Rotary Internation, and first club to reach in the RI district 3240 to reach 1,00,000 dollar mark in donation. Rotary Club of Dimapur donated 30,000 $ between 2012 and 2013 to the Rotary Foundation (international). Individual awards were also given out to the mem-
bers. Outgoing president US Agarwalla and his wife were presented with a crystal souvenir with their names engraved on it, sent all the way from the USA, for their generous donation to the Rotary Foundation. At the programme, it was revealed that every Rotarian has donated something or the other to the Foundation and that per capital comes to about 500 $. The Club particularly works towards polio eradication and helping children with hole in the heart. Under its "Gift of Life" project, the Club has sponsored more than 30 heart surger-
ies between 2005 -2013. Earlier, the welcome speech was addressed by outgoing president US Agarwalla. He acknowledged that it had been a "wonderful" year and thanked all the members for the contributions to the Club. The new board of office bearers was installed by installation officer BL Agarwalla, who has been with the Club for 40 years. BL Agarwalla was also given 100% Attendance Award along with five other members. The award is given to Rotary members who attend all the Club meetings and events.
Dimapur
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MEx FILE
CANSSEA Phek unit informs PhEK, AUGUST 22 (MExN): As per the CANSSEA central's directives, Confederation of All Nagaland State Service Employee Association (CANSSEA) Phek Unit President Teisovikuolie Therie informs all the Head of Departments and DDOs Phek district to submit membership fee of Rs 50/- per head for 2010 – 13 along with Rs 200/- as a contribution for Silver Jubilee Celebration to the treasurer Venesu Chuzho LDA, EE PWD (R&B) Phek on or before September 15, 2013, so as to submit it to the CANSSEA central on time. For details, contact president at 9436408819, 9089870245 and vice president at 9436608929.
Food & Civil Supplies office informs
DiMAPUr, AUGUST 22 (MExN): Assistant Director of Supply Temsu Jamir has informed that that Annapurna rice for the month of April to July 2013 for Dimapur has been released. Therefore, beneficiaries under urban areas have been requested to collect the same from their respective Fair Price Shops from August 23, 2013, only on Fridays and Saturdays of the week. Further, Village Councils have been directed to collect the same for their respective villages from the office go-down of the Assistant Director as and when notified.
Haipou Jadonang’s death anniversary prog on Aug 29
DiMAPUr, AUGUST 22 (MExN): The 82nd death anniversary observation programme of Haipou Jadonang (1905-1931) will be held at Nungba (Luangba) Sub-Divisional HQ on August 29 from 10:00 am onwards till 3:00 pm. The organising committee publicity wing has informed that there will be restriction on vehicular movement during the programme duration to avoid disturbances and inconveniences to the proceeding of the programme. There will be diversion and bye pass route for light vehicles carrying passengers for various destinations. However, other heavy vehicles will be restricted during the programme. The Organizing Committee also extends invitation to all citizens and especially Zeliangrong social organization leaders, village elders, women’s, intellectuals, government employees, social workers, youths and students to come and participate the programme in time and to hold it in most befitting manner.
Night curfew in Chumu village
New board members of SD Jain Yuwak Singh youth wing of Jain Samaj Dimapur. The new team is led by President Pankaj Sethi. Pawan Ajmera and Suresh Bilala have been appointed as the secretary and treasurer respectively.
KVYO(QRT) apprehends car thieves
IRCS expresses shock Forty second office bearers of Rotary Club installed
Public SPace
DiMAPUr, AUGUST 22 (MExN): Head GB Chumukedima village Zeno Kire has issued a release lamenting that some people were not paying much heed to the standing order of total prohibition of hunting, fishing and any other forest products. In the light of the above and reported prevalence of “anti-social activities” at night, he has informed that night curfew has been promulgated from 8:00 pm to 5:00 am in Chumukedima village area. The release warned that any person violating the same would be awarded severe penalty.
Stolen vehicles recovered
DiMAPUr, AUGUST 22 (MExN): Two stolen vehicle, an autorickshaw (NL 07 F 6787) and an unregistered motor-bike (Bajaj Pulsar 180) were intercepted by a joint team of Diphupar Police Station and 9th NAP (IR) personnel at Khopanala, stated the ASP, Dimapur in a press note. Two persons identified as Montsoa Khiam and Tohukha Sema were arrested in this connection.
Participants gear up for Expedition Naga Hills
Participants of Expedition Naga Hills gearing up in Kohima.
KOhiMA, AUGUST 22 (MExN): The stage is all set as participants in 22 cars and 32 two wheelers gear themselves up for a two-day adventure trip to the Naga hills, which will see them adventure
through dirt, gravel and mud. The expedition will be flagged off by G Xuivi Deputy SP (R) Kohima, Nagaland at the Club's office near Phizo Hill, Phezoucha, from where they will proceed to Maram.
The role of patient experience in health care in Nagaland
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f a family member is sick, you would like to look up the internet to see what it says. You type in some key words in Google and you will find several pages of web links, directing you to a lot of useful websites and some not useful ones. You ask for a second opinion from your family relative doctor. You search for experience of other people who have suffered similar ailments. Patient experience is gaining importance in informing how best to deliver health care. In the UK, patient experience is being researched to guide the National Health Service. It is acknowledged that most patients now search the internet before or after visiting a doctor. Even if an old patient may not be tech savvy, there is a younger family member who can do so for her. There are also online discussion forums and chat rooms where patients are communicating with each other about their disease condition. There is a suggestion that doctors may refer useful websites to a patient in the consultation room. The patient goes home to check it up and in the next visit discuss about it if she likes. Something similar has already been happening in Nagaland. People
are asking for second opinions, and looking up the internet. A facebook group has been started called ‘Ask Your Doctor’ where questions like ‘Where can I find a good skin specialist in Dimapur?’, ‘Doctor, I have chronic backache, what should I do?’ are asked. There is a group ‘Health Focus Group’ where various health issues in Nagaland are discussed. ‘Naga Medics’ group is for Naga doctors. I have been blogging (www.thatchhouse. blogspot.in) about health issues in Nagaland for some years. The Naga Blog has a blood donors list. Through this facebook group, resources were mobilized for charitable works including a drive to renovate the Maternity Ward of Dimapur District Hospital. More and more Nagas will be turning to the internet for all types of health queries. So far we have not been able to tap patient experience on how to deliver health care. If there are patients’ perspectives in policy making, they are what the policy makers and care givers think will be good for the patients rather than the patients themselves voicing out what they think. Policy making and health care are all top-down. Health policies are made in Delhi which are implemented down
to a remote village in the Naga-Myanmar border. There is no questioning of the policy makers’ expertise, and we know a nation-wide policy will not be a one-size-fit-all. What we need therefore, is to study/research how we may best deliver health care in the Nagaland context. From the provider’s perspective, the department of health and family welfare has been trying to tweak national guidelines to meet local needs. What we need is the beneficiary’s perspective on how best health care might be delivered. That perspective is lacking in Nagaland. There is no Naga health activist or NGO at present to fill in this gap. The only time when we become vocal is when we are reacting to something. Progress in health care cannot be based on reactions alone. We need to be proactive. We need people who are knowledgeable about the health care delivery system. Non-medicos need not be frightened by medical jargons. Doctors are not the sole custodians of health knowledge. There is a lot of room where experts from various fields can contribute to the knowledge pool. A patient sharing with another patient her experience on how to cope with a chronic disease can be as thera-
peutic as the doctor’s prescription. Having drawn the outline that we need to gather patient experience to inform service delivery and that we need experts from various fields to proactively engage in health care, let me get to the particulars by suggesting something that we can do. It is not an original idea but something drawn from the internet. While listening to a podcast from the Website of London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, I heard of a website www. healthtalkonline.org. I checked it out, and thought that is something we can also do in Nagaland. If you have to take a sick family member to CMC Vellore, you would like to know how to get there, in which Hotel/Lodge to stay or if it is wiser to find a house on rent. You don’t know who to ask. Suppose, another Naga family who had gone there had shared their experience and is available online, that will help you immensely. Suppose you have a sibling suffering from epilepsy and you don’t know how to deal with it, you would like to get expert opinion from more than your consulting physician. It will also be very helpful if other families who have dealt with
similar condition share how they deal with seizure episodes at home. You have a family member who is dying; how do you cope with it? To hear others’ stories will immensely help you to deal with such a difficult situation. You have a tumour and you are not sure of the prognosis. Your doctor says you are responding well to treatment but you want to know how many years you have. Or suppose you have just heard that your father has a disease of which there is no cure, how do you break the news to him? You took your relative to Tata Memorial Hospital Mumbai for cancer treatment; now how do you process her medical re-imbursement bills? Or it can be as simple as trying to locate a good skin specialist in Dimapur, as some are already asking in facebook. For all of the above cases, what about having a website similar to www. healthtalkonline.org? Health Talk Online is an award-winning website in the UK. It is a rich database of personal and patient experiences, gathered using in-depth qualitative research. It won several patient information awards by British Medical Association and rated one of the best online health resources by The Guardian.
The aims of the site are: • To share the experience of illness or a health problem and to provide support for patients and carers who may feel that they are on their own. • Answer the questions and problems that matter to people when they are ill or have a health-related problem and to help them make informed decisions about their healthcare. • Provide reliable, evidence-based information about illnesses and health problems. • Be an educational resource for health professionals. • Promote better communication between patients and health professionals. Such a venture will require medical specialists, social scientists and researchers, webmasters, donors, and patients who are willing to share their stories to help other patients. I hope Nagas will come up and take up how we may improve the health of our people. Instead of waiting for positive change to come, we can become agents of that change.
The Morung Express is introducing “Public Space” as part of our intention to provide deliberate space for the opinions of the people to be expressed and heard through this newspaper. Nonetheless, The Morung Express points out that the opinions expressed in the contents published in the “Public Space” do not reflect the views and position of the newspaper or the editor.
Dr. Sao Tunyi (saotunni@yahoo.co.in)
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IN-FOCUS
The Power of Truth
The Morung Express FrIDAy 23 AuGusT 2013 vol. vIII IssuE 230
Along Longkumer Consulting Editor
Public Safety
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hat exactly constitutes public safety and why should we be concerned. According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, issues of public safety involves the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety of the general public from significant danger, injury/harm, or damage, such as crimes or disasters (natural or man-made). A few days ago, a major fire broke out at an oil tanker garage near Essar petrol pump at 7th mile in Dimapur. The impact of the fire was so huge that three oil tankers exploded in the inferno, spreading the fire to other parked vehicles and also snapping off high-tension electric wires. Panic gripped people residing in the 7th Mile area as the fire spread to the godown. Luckily for the public living nearby, the fire was doused and thereby preventing a major human disaster. Should we worry about public safety and take preventive measures or just forget about such accidents? Though late, the concerned authorities from the Legal Metrology & Consumer Protection Department reportedly conducted inspection of all petrol pumps in Dimapur district the following day to check and ensure that everything was in order. As for the Fire & Emergency Services, at least there was a timely response and several fire tenders were pressed into service. However the fact that fire services from the Airports Authority of India and Indian Oil Corporation were also used, perhaps the State government ought to review the availability of enough man and material so that such disasters can be effectively tackled even in the future. This brings us back to the question about our disaster preparedness and also how we can ensure public safety at all times. The answer will perhaps lie in how effectively we are able to govern ourselves. In other words, our government must be working and capable of the manifold task it has to perform in order to make sure that citizens are safe. We need to have the right kind of authority put in place for specific challenges. We also require the right people at the right job to deliver the best results. Knowing the way our Naga people work, especially in the government sector, we will also need to instill a professional approach in the way we function. So who looks after public safety in Nagaland? Perhaps, the State government will have to take the primary responsibility. But specifically, which department should be made accountable? A look at the government departments, around sixty four of them in all, one will notice that a majority of them are related to development activities. Fire and Emergency Services, Legal Metrology & Consumer Protection and to some extent Home Guards & Civil Defense can be counted as the few departments related to public safety aspects. Disaster Management is not even a department but is tucked away embedded somewhere in the Home Department and clubbed with Relief & Rehabilitation as merely a branch of the Home Department. Perhaps what we also lack in our governance is innovation. We should remain open to new possibilities that will enable our government to respond better in any given situation. For instance in Canada there is a separate authority created to look into public safety. The concerned authority coordinates across all departments and agencies responsible for national security and the safety of Canadians. This ensures that the government approach to public safety in Canada is highly organized and integrated. Whether we can also have a cohesive and integrated approach to tackling public safety in Nagaland? This will require our government to think out of the box. (Feedback can be send to consultingeditormex@gmail.com)
lEfT wiNg |
Garga Chatterjee Source: DNA
Lacking in intelligibility and accountability
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uring my PhD at Harvard, I took statistics for multiple semesters. Professor Jim Sidanius, a former Black Panther, taught us concepts — breaking them down for us. He also wanted to make sure that we were digesting the broken bits. Hiding behind jargon is the best way to evade clarity. And he would have none of that. So, when he asked us questions, and we started replying in jargon, he would promptly cut us short and ask with a smile — ‘How will you explain that to my grandma?” This was a crucial question. In many cases, it called our bluff and made us more honest to the knowledge project. Jim was trying to drive in a characteristic that academicians and thinkers owe to society — clarity. But are not some ideas inherently so complex that an insistence of broad intelligibility would somehow make those ideas flatter than they actually are. To this, Steven Pinker, another professor from our department at Harvard, responded ‘to simplify is not to be simplistic’. Why should we care? Ideas shape people, their ideas about themselves and the world at large. So, if certain kinds of ideas gain currency, it is important that these do not become received wisdom but are critically evaluated by the people. For that, knowledge and ideas need to be available to people at large, with clarity, in forms they can best engage with. Academicians occupy the most privileged centre of knowledge production in our times — the university. Hence, they have to be held particularly accountable in this regard. When we look into the academic circles that universities have been breeding, many seem to breed a pathetic tendency to jargonise and speak in tongues that are largely (and I daresay, intentionally) unintelligible to people. The intention is not necessarily conscious for most practitioners of this dubious art — it is something they pick up in order to be counted. This gulf between ‘high-brow’ knowledge and its public intelligibility is most acute in those practitioners who invoke that shameful phrase ‘in our field’. Typically, this implies that one would be oblivious of contrary facts, not expose the underbelly of assumptions to scrutiny, would discount fundamental criticisms as being ill-motivated ‘power’ games. Such petulance is typically seen in ‘fields’ full of ‘isms’ or those where sentences are peppered with things like, ‘in a –ian sense/paradigm/view’. Some derive pleasure in appreciating music that few others like. If too many people start liking it, they become sad. Their special thing has become too commonplace. Such is often the case with those academicians and their acolytes who love big words and impenetrable sentences. They protect their ‘rare’ lens from the world with alertness. They are quick to defend their demigods who helped them build these lenses. Why would legitimate knowledge seekers be so invested in the infallibility of ‘favourite’ thinkers? Speaking over the head of the people, in the name of the people, remaining unintelligible and all the time claiming to unearth some deep understanding of people’s lives, desires, politics, structures and what not, is the lifeblood for conversations inside such cabals. Like mantras, these are performed technically in public view but are essentially insider-talk. Such insider-talk, whatever its purported merits and brilliance, come with a severe lack of checks and balances, like any other priestly order. This is dangerous for knowledge production as gobbledegook can pass off as insight if it sounds and feels right to the ‘initiated’. The world, especially poorer societies like ours, can ill-afford the luxury of continually feeding white elephants whose public engagement ends within the ramparts of the university and self-important conferences. The author is a brain scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
THE EDIT PAGE
C O M M E N T A R Y
Lauren Banko
New Peace Talks And Expired Mandates
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lmost no sooner proposed than the renewal of peace negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians seemed to be, unsurprisingly, in jeopardy. Despite the promise made by US Secretary of State John Kerry in mid-July that peace talks would very soon be resumed after a three-year stalemate, both parties began refuting various claims made since the announcement in regard to the talks. Although the proposed Israeli representative to the negotiations, Tzipi Livni and her Palestinian counterpart Saeb Ereket, did not comment, other officials on both sides hinted that they might not start as expected. Furthermore, each side offered a different opinion as to whether preconditions had already been made and agreed upon in order for the renewed peace talks to begin. As of mid-August, the talks were set to begin after a controversial release (for the Israelis) of a number of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Kerry’s announcement of a resumption of talks came after a month of visits with Palestinian and Israeli officials. The announcement was met with both surprise and expressions of pre-emptive resignation and pessimism. Pundits in both the US and Israel dissected the announcement, the conditions necessary for the talks, the choice of veteran negotiators (who achieved little during the Oslo and Camp David years), the timing of the negotiations in regard to the European Union’s recent announcement of new guidelines for interaction and funding between the EU and Israeli settlements, the release of Palestinian prisoners in order to secure the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) participation and the usefulness of the negotiations themselves. In the occupied Palestinian territories, Kerry’s speech was met with cynicism and a shrugging of shoulders. Indeed, what will new talks bring in terms of practical changes in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza? More importantly, when one considers the Palestinian situation circa 2013, does the PA even have a legitimate mandate to enter into new peace talks? Shortly after Kerry’s announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu made an important, although not unusual, declaration to the Israeli public and the international community. The declaration can perhaps even be construed as a threat of sorts: any agreement by the two sides that came out of the peace negotiations, Netanyahu stated, would need to be ratified by the Israeli population in a national referendum. The impact of such a statement is not insignificant when considering the position that it puts the future Israeli negotiating team in. It is also important when considering the general idea of putting an agreement in front of the citizenry of one side in order to be voted on. On the one hand, the Israeli negotiating team would need to work out a way in which to structure the talks to ensure that the ultimate agreement reached would be ratified. Yet on the other hand, a referendum could mean that the same negotiating team could proceed in such a fashion as to ensure that any agreement would not be ratified by the Israeli electorate. In both cases, Israel would give an impression of its commitment to peace. Of course, the talks will need to succeed in producing an agreement for Netanyahu’s national referendum to be put into place, but the idea itself could be used in a pragmatic fashion if the talks do get off the ground. The national referendum would work in Israel, but what if the idea were analysed for the Palestinian case and a referendum considered for the Palestinians despite their muted reaction to the renewal of the peace talks? Indeed, a discussion on a referendum might well offer an interesting look into a number of issues faced by the Palestinian Fatah leadership in choosing to enter into new talks. For example these issues include the structure of the peace talks themselves, the late 2012 successful statehood bid by President Mahmoud Abbas at the United Nations, the fragmented political system in the occupied territories, the lack of elections and thus the lack le-
I
used to be a Bible study leader. And per the undergraduate campus fellowship tradition, it kept me busy: Sunday brunch community building, Monday night small groups, Tuesday leadership meetings, and Wednesday training sessions. Discipleship, oneon-ones, social activities, all-campus worship, weekend retreats, week-long retreats, all-day retreats, evangelism workshops, work day, capture the flag, scavenger hunts, and prayer meetings. But what I remember most vividly are Thursdays. Every Thursday. The evening walk through campus, past bars and restaurants beginning to fill with my peers, through a door almost hidden to the unaware, flanked by a man sitting on the ground. The man is dirty and unkempt. Sometimes he’s panhandling. Sometimes he’s asleep. On one occasion, he eats, still alone, from a small bag of popcorn one of my fellow Bible study leaders had brought to him. The man catches my attention, yet I don’t show it. I don’t ask his name, or where he goes when he doesn’t sit by the door, or how he manages to stay warm through Midwestern winters. Thursdays are obligatory for Bible study leaders, so maybe that’s why I try to ignore the man. Maybe that’s why I feel I can’t stop to ask him his name. Or maybe being a Bible study leader is just a convenient excuse to keep walking. So every Thursday I climb the stairs behind that door, leaving the man below, allowing him to fade into the background until he is just another distant person, indistinguishable from those filling the pub across the street or sleeping on their textbooks in the library across the quad. Suddenly the band is on stage, the rhythm of worship distracts me, channeling an ener-
In the current climate of political fragmentation and the expired mandates of the executive and legislative branches of the Palestinian Authority, the rights and the duties of the citizens and the government should not continue to be swept aside gitimacy of the Palestinian president, the position of both Palestinian citizens and Palestinian nationals vis-à-vis the PA and the concept that “the people are the source of power” as stated in the 2003 Basic Law. In particular, what is the role of the collective Palestinian citizenry in determining the nature and the goal of peace negotiations? In order to come to any sense of a conclusion or argument on the role of the Palestinian citizen (or indeed of the Palestinian national within the diaspora) in future peace talks, a number of these issues should be considered. Since 2011, one of the main points of contention between officials in the West Bank and those in Gaza has been the outline of the political reconciliation of Fatah and Hamas. Despite the high hopes in the West Bank and Gaza in mid-2011 as officials from both political parties came together in Cairo to begin a unification deal, neither side has had much to show for their efforts in the past two years. Instead, quite the opposite has happened: the West Bank and Gaza are more politically fragmented than ever and Fatah has become considerably weaker as a result. In fact, Secretary Kerry’s efforts at renewing peace talks were blamed by individuals in the Hamas government, such as senior official Mousa Abu Marzouk, as the reason for the continued failure of a Hamas-Fatah reconciliation deal. Specifically, Hamas publicly stated that the decision made by President Abbas to enter into the talks does not represent the will of the Palestinian people and that such talks are contradictory to the wishes of the population. Abbas, Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri argued, does not even have the legitimate right to negotiate in the name of the Palestinian population. The argument is not a new one, as Hamas and others have made similar statements concerning Abbas’ statehood bid at the UN and his recent appointment of a new prime minister to replace Salam Fayyad (the former resigned shortly after the appointment). In 2010, after a short-lived attempt by the US to resurrect peace talks, Hamas’ political leader Khaled Mishal stated that Hamas would accept any Israeli-Palestinian agreement that the majority of Palestinians also agreed upon. He emphasised the starting point for the negotiations to be the pre-1967 borders, dismantling all of the settlements in the occupied territories, the declaration of Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital, the right of return and the guarantee of true sovereignty. Although Hamas’ arguments against Abbas’ unilateral decision to meet with Kerry and even begin “negotiations for the sake of negotiations” may be valid - without any referendum and without any recent legislative council election campaign it is difficult to conclude what the will of the Palestinian people actually is in regard to peace talks. A national referendum being put to the Palestinians is hard to imagine when the population’s right to exercise the franchise for a new Palestinian Authority president and Palestine Legislative Council (PLC) has been long overdue. Recently, a Fatah official suggested that Fatah will start unilateral preparations for presidential
and legislative elections if Hamas did not move forward on a reconciliation deal. Hamas, for its part, seems to be used to exclusion from elections. However, the situation remains that gauging the reaction of the Palestinian people toward Abbas’ legitimacy to enter into talks with Israel is not a straightforward process. Abbas’ term expired in 2009 and the last presidential and legislative elections were held in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Thus, no candidates for the national government have had a chance to state their position on the topic of negotiations, nor have the citizens been given the opportunity to vote for candidates at the executive and legislative levels on the basis of those positions. Will the peace talks then include any recognition or measure of popular opinion or the will of the people? If their aim, at least on the Palestinian side, is to produce a viable and sovereign Palestinian state for its citizens then what is the role of the citizen in ensuring that such an aim is understood and met? Hamas is correct in arguing that Abbas has no legitimate mandate to negotiate on behalf of the Palestinian people. According to the Basic Law, the now-irrelevant Palestine Liberation Organization holds the claim to this. Therefore, it seems that Abbas only represents himself in his appointment of Erekat and others to serve as negotiators with the Americans and the Israelis. Yet, elections themselves are not the be-all and end-all solution, especially as Mouin Rabbani has recently demonstrated. Rabbani asks whether elections hinder the rights of Palestinian citizens and the struggle for self-determination as he considers whether electoral democracy is suitable for Palestine and the particular crises confronting Palestine right now. One of these crises is arguably the failure of past peace negotiations. After 2006, elections—those which took place at the local level and the debates over elections at the national level—have served to legitimise the political fragmentation in Palestine. Rabbani suggests that what must first happen in Palestine is that an official agreement be made by the dominant political parties about the programme of the national movement and the aims of the national struggle. An agreement must be reached before elections can determine who will lead this programme. Now, one can also question whether it is a good idea for the Palestinians to enter into new negotiations with Israel without a consensus on the national programme and thus without new presidential and legislative council elections. Currently, only the highest officials in the PA can decide whether Kerry’s carrots are enticing enough to attempt to bite. As Nathan Brown recently asked, as long as the Palestinian citizens (and those who consider themselves Palestinian nationals outside of the occupied territories) remain voiceless in regard to their own affairs, who is responsible for appropriately deciding upon the path forward? Reconciliation efforts between Fatah and Hamas would likely mean that the proposed negotiations could not be carried out. The Palestinians themselves have yet to see the practical results of the UN’s acceptance of Palestine late last year. Negotiations make such results even more unlikely. Larry Derfner points out that Abbas’ plan to go to the UN in September and attempt to take Israel to the Hague will be scrapped. This is not a surprise: with disregard to the “will of the people,” as the UN vote took place last year Abbas pledged not to unilaterally bring Israel to court for human rights violations. Any renewed negotiations, whether they begin in the coming weeks or are postponed yet again, should be scrutinised as much as possible by the Palestinian citizenry. This of course, is well-known. Yet Netanyahu’s plan for a national referendum on any future agreement should also be considered by the Palestinian people and all political parties rather than simply the leadership of Fatah. It is important to assess the role of the Palestinians in determining the aims of the national programme and of future peace talks in order for those future talks to achieve a state that is truly for and by its citizens.
When Doing the 'Christian Thing' Isn’t the Right Thing Gregory Damhorst Source: Sojourners gy that gives way to reflection, to reverence, to calm. Every Thursday. And then it’s over. And like all good Bible study leaders, I greet friends, practice fellowship, welcome newcomers. We leave in groups to study or socialize. I don’t notice if the man is still there when we leave. This man has come to represent many things to me in my faith journey, and something I’ve encountered this week brings my thoughts back to him. There is a certain logic among many Christians that says it is necessary to proselytize on account of our tradition’s teaching that our truth is exclusive. Because our exclusive truth teaches us that the consequence is damnation for those who do not subscribe, we feel we must convince others of our truth. At all costs. At any length. Whatever it takes. To not do so, we reason, would be unloving. I happen to agree – to a certain extent – with this logic. But I also happen to disagree with where this logic has led many Christians: to the notion that we must be aggressive, abrasive, disrespectful, and judgmental. I believe that the problem evangelicalism faces today is that we have forgotten the very example that we claim to follow: the example of a servant, preacher, and prophet who was a friend of those who religious lead-
ers considered sinners and outcasts. In fact, Jesus seemed to value relationships over regulations and rituals, whether that relationship was with someone of a different tradition, someone society hated, or someone religious leaders considered immoral. What we Christians fail to see is that the most important way to relate to a person who believes differently is not to convince them of how they are wrong, which we have tried with every method available — approaches that ironically seem to make our message even less convincing. What is more important is to communicate the message of our faith, the Gospel (hint: it’s about more than just being a sinner). But unfortunately, we haven’t been taught how to communicate the Gospel. We’ve been taught how to lead Bible studies and have fellowship, how to run prayer meetings, and draw the bridge diagram. But we haven’t learned to communicate the Gospel. Why do I say this? Because the Gospel is not only communicated through words, but also how we live our lives. And when I was faced with the opportunity to live according to the Gospel, I felt obligated to abandon it on the street, on my way to being a good Bible study leader. I credit two people with teaching me how to communicate the Gospel. One of
wRiTE-wiNg
them is a Christian living in the slums of Philadelphia, and the other is a Muslim. So that’s why I quit being a Bible study leader. Not because it’s the wrong thing to be, but because it kept me too busy to do the right thing. Because while I participated dutifully in Christian activities, a homeless man sat outside in the cold and ate popcorn. Because Shane Claiborne reminded me that Jesus would have quit being a Bible study leader too, to sit alongside that man, if for no other reason than to ask him his name and eat popcorn together. And because Eboo Patel taught me that you don’t have to do that alone. Even if you’re the only Christian eating popcorn with a homeless man while your fellow believers sing songs and socialize upstairs, if you invite them, there are Jews, Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus, atheists, Jains, and Buddhists who will join you. And the funny thing is that authentic dialogue begins to happen in these sorts of situations – you build relationships and you share stories, simply because you all agree that no one should have to eat popcorn alone in the cold. And even though you might not observe the conversion experience your evangelism training taught you to expect, your actions have communicated something deeper than your words, and your stories have taken on fuller meaning. And there's a good chance that you've convinced them all of something about the Gospel.
Greg Damhorst is an MD/PhD student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he pursues a doctorate in Bioengineering developing a portable, low-cost, point-of-care device for HIV/AIDS diagnosis in resourcelimited settings. Greg has been a leader with Interfaith in Action, the University of Illinois’ premier student interfaith organization, since early 2007. Greg also co-directs Faith Line Protestants, a blog dedicated to encouraging Evangelical Christians toward relationships with people of other worldviews and faith traditions through social action.
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PERSPECTIVE
7 of The International Criminal Assessment surface water Court: Rhetoric and Reality quality in Nagaland
FRiday
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
23 August 2013
NEWS ANALYSIS, FEATURE AND DISCOURSE
Dr. T. Tiakaba Jamir
Can the International Criminal Court deter atrocities and crimes? Using the persistence of conflict as a standard to criticise the ICC is fundamentally problematic and over exaggerates our expectations of international criminal justice
I
Birju Kotecha
n a recent BBC HardTalk episode, the British journalist Stephen Sackur interviewed President Theodor Meron, the first President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Sackur was swift to raise the criticism that those currently committing atrocities in Syria are hardly deterred by the threat of international criminal justice. In light of this, any expectations for the progress of international accountability for serious crimes ought to be qualified. It is the existence of such questions in the dialogue of international criminal justice that reveals our idealised expectations of what we want the International Criminal Court to achieve. The ambition of the ICC to act as a deterrent is highly rhetorical and aspirational. Using the persistence of conflict as a standard to criticise the ICC is fundamentally problematic and over-exaggerates the ICC’s potential reach, and our expectations of international criminal justice at large. We need to be aware of the diverse limitations that deterrence draws, exposing its weaknesses as an ambition and therefore highlighting the need for a more measured barometer of critique, when we assess the effectiveness of the ICC. From the outset, Sackur’s question leads to what is often a dangerous falsity in the debate surrounding the justification of international criminal tribunals and courts. That is the creation of an assumption that their very existence leads to the reduction of conflict and a reduction in violence. Paradoxically, courts exist on the assumption that crimes do occur and will continue to do so. Their raison d’être rests within the capacity to be responsive to international crimes, with any deterrent effect in the prevention of violence being incidental to this pursuit and reflecting its record on completed trials. Indeed the conflation between individual and general deterrence is similarly a feature of the debate. Where the ICC is arguably most effective is in its capacity to act retrospectively on an individual that is already in custody and brought to trial. In this regard, the court therefore functions to deter those already on trial, such as the likes of Katanga or Lubanga, from repeating offences, rather than as a broader public deterrent effect. Even if it were the case that the ICC did have a broader deterrent effect, a challenge arises from a methodological perspective. Whilst it is possible to determine those who are not deterred by international criminal prosecution owing simply to the situation of continuing atrocities, it is not possible to determine let alone quantify those who are in fact deterred. This is due to the blend of structural social, economic, political and security causes of conflict, which could lead to a strategic decision in showing restraint in the commission of crimes. The impact of the ICC in this blend is challenging to measure. There are many other problems with the idea of deterrence. Knowledge and rational behaviour are two critical pre-conditions to the idea of deterrence. Once knowledge
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any Pacific Island nations are celebrating the success of rising school enrolment rates, with 14 members of the 16-member Pacific Island Forum on target to meet Millennium Development Goal 2: achieving universal primary education by 2015. But a closer look inside the classroom, and in communities surrounding these schools, reveals a shockingly low literacy rate. Two organisations – the Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education (ASPBAE) and Papua New Guinean Education Advocacy Network (PEAN) – teamed up to assess the impact of formal education on people between the ages of 15 and 60 years in the Madang Province of Papua New Guinea, a southwest Pacific Island nation of just over seven million people. Their findings suggest that so-called strides in education have not yielded much concrete success: the literacy rate in the national languages of English and Tok Pisin was just 23 percent, with many students unable to read or write after completing primary education. Similar findings have been reported in Melanesian countries throughout the southwest Pacific region: in 2011, ASPBAE surveyed 1,475 people aged over 15 years in the Shefa Province of the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu, and discovered that while 85 percent declared they could read and write a simple letter in the official languages of Bislama, French or English, individual testing confirmed that only 27.6 percent were literate. Vanuatu boasts a primary enrolment rate of 88 percent, and although 90 percent of respondents had experienced some formal education, only 40 percent completed primary school. In the Solomon Islands, an archipelago nation located southeast of Papua New Guinea, the government has claimed remarkable recovery from a five-yearlong civil war (1998-2003), with primary school enrolment at 91 percent. However, poor school facilities in rural areas and disinterest in formal learning have been cited as contributing factors to a critically low literacy rate of 17 percent. While 97.7 percent of the 2,200 people surveyed by ASPBAE in the capital, Honiara, and in Malaita Province agreed that it was important for children to attend school, 53.8 percent of females and 37.6 percent of males, aged 15 to 19 years, were not in education. “The issue of low literacy is prevalent mainly with those who are learning in a language other than their primary one,” Lice Taufaga, lecturer at the school of education at the University of the South Pacif-
of the law exists, there is the assumption that individuals are rational actors capable of making calculations about the benefits of perpetrating crimes against the cost of future accountability and punishment. For perpetrators to be deterred they must have adequate knowledge of international criminal and humanitarian law. Whereas this can be assumed especially in the worst cases of atrocities, it is more likely that they nonetheless perceive such knowledge to be inapplicable, irrelevant or patently wrong. In the case of internal security conflicts such as Syria, the effect of legal knowledge is diluted due to the strength of strong political and ideological motivations. Indeed in such situations there may be the belief that the law is in fact “on their side” in the name of security. Thus actions are likely to be framed in the language of self-defence and necessity, unmarked by criminal intent and therefore presented as legal. One element in such decision making may be the knowledge that in the case of continuing conflicts, repression appears temporary until the victory which always appears as impending. Therefore the contemplation of defeat and capture becomes negligible, and deterrence is thus undermined. Even if a perpetrator could think rationally and judged prosecution as being unfavourable, the extent of prosecutions compared to the prevalence of international crimes makes deterrence rather limited. The probability that perpetrators will face justice can be judged by the record of the ICC which, 11 years on, has presided over eight investigations, six arrests from a possible 23 and, to date, one completed trial and conviction, which is subject to appeal. To add to this, the continuing high profile defiance of arrest warrants such as that of Sudanese President Bashir or Joseph Kony do little to improve confidence in the pursuit of broad deterrence as an ambition. Surely the crucial factor in deterrence is the probability
and likelihood that the Court’s punishments will actually be imposed. It therefore relies on actual individuals being arrested and since the Rome Statute has few effective enforcement measures such as its own police force, it must rely on the will of state parties to carry out the arrest warrants. Unfortunately, in the context of the perceived politicised selectivity of cases, arrest warrants have repeatedly not been executed by ICC member states in Africa. The idea of the ICC as a universal and global deterrent is also undermined, as there are still non-signatories and non-ratified members to the Statute including high profile countries such as Israel, the United States, Sudan, India, China, Pakistan, Russia, Syria, Iran and Egypt, to name a few. If the perpetrator is a national of a non-member state, and all the crimes have been committed domestically, they are in effect beyond the reach of the law. The only method available for ICC investigation would be through a referral by the UN Security Council in the highest profile cases. Despite protestations, as Syria is a non-signatory to the Rome Statute and for reasons of global geo-politics (the use of a veto from the permanent members of the Council), no ICC investigation is as yet possible. These are all serious limitations in the ICC’s pursuit of deterrence. The ICC can no doubt contribute to the prevention of crimes but it is unrealistic to expect and trace causality between the presence of the ICC and the threat of punishment to the incidence of violence. A more measured and proportionate standard needs to occupy the gap. The ideal of deterrence is too easily overly inflated. No international court can independently prevent the rise of a Hitler or a Pol Pot, and no threat of sanction would be enough to deter those beyond the reach of arrest from carrying out egregious human rights abuses. Whilst no one should doubt the goal, achieving it will prove to be far more challenging than the rhetoric.
the Classrooms Are Full– but the Students Can’t Read Catherine Wilson Inter Press service
School children in the Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea.
ic, Fiji, told IPS. “Literacy is best learnt in one’s primary language, yet most learners in South Pacific countries are expected to achieve it in English, the language of business and administration.” Taufaga added that there were also cultural challenges, as the solitary activity of reading was not always encouraged or supported in many communal-oriented Pacific societies. “There is very little exposure to books in the home and in schools, and many children do chores to supplement family income after school, so they have no time to read,” she said. The linguistic diversity of the region, which contains a population of 10 million and one fifth of the world’s languages – plus European languages introduced during the colonial era – makes literacy a complex issue. In Melanesian countries, there are hundreds of commonly used local vernacular languages, many of which are only oral. These are used by 88 percent of the population in Vanuatu, while 60 percent claim to utilise the national languages of
Bislama, English or French in everyday communication. Yet low literacy also extends to national indigenous languages, with a World Bank study last year in the Polynesian South Pacific state of Tonga concluding that only three in 10 students who had engaged with three years of primary education were able to read fluently enough in either English or Tongan to comprehend content. More than a decade ago Pacific educationalists began rethinking the legacy of introduced western curriculums and claiming a priority for Pacific languages and cultures within the education process. However, the reality is that a bilingual approach remains, with English and French perceived as necessary for engaging in a global world. “The long term impacts of low literacy levels in English and French are a key concern because much of the information about development is only available in English or French, hence a higher level of literacy in these languages will enhance transfer of technology, infor-
mation and knowledge at all levels of society,” Rex Horoi, director of the Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific told IPS, although he is supportive of translation into vernacular languages. “It is critically important that Pacific people have direct access to information relevant for their sustainable livelihoods and improvement of life in the language they understand and communicate in…” Horoi emphasised. Government budgets do not appear to be the main issue, although their allocation raises questions about the delivery of quality education. According to the World Bank, 23.7 percent of Vanuatu’s government expenditure is allocated to education and this rises to 34 percent in the Solomon Islands, compared to approximately 16.1 percent in New Zealand and 13.5 percent in Australia. However, up to 90 percent of Pacific Island education budgets are committed to teachers’ salaries, with little funds left to develop education systems, infrastructure and resources. Inadequately qualified teachers are another issue, especially in light of evidence that only 29 percent of teachers in the Solomon Islands and 54 percent in Vanuatu are trained. According to Taufaga, many “who are teaching English lack the proficiency to model or teach it well.” She also pointed out that urban class sizes in the region can be as large as 40 to 50 students and most schools cannot afford suitable books for reading. Remote students remain the most disadvantaged, with poor education facilities and lack of basic materials plaguing rural communities. In Papua New Guinea, similar to the neighbouring Solomon Islands, approximately 80 percent of schools do not have libraries. “People keep talking about quality education,” a school graduate named Niniu Oligao told IPS in Honiara. “I believe in people reading books in order to be able to write in full sentences and be exposed to meaningful ideas.” Oligao is so concerned about the repercussions of the absence of a library in the Takwa Community Primary and High School, an institution of 2,000 students based in the North Malaita Province, that he has taken it upon himself to build a collection of donated books. Though he has no funding, he hopes this initiative will form the beginnings of a library for students’ research. Addressing poor literacy now is vital to improving students’ chances of completing secondary and tertiary qualifications and empowering Pacific Islanders to contribute to social and economic development, whether at the local, national or regional level.
Department of Chemistry Kohima science College, Jotsoma
urface water is one of the most exposable to pollution due to their easy accessibility for disposal of waste water and effluents. Various natural and human activities, like industrial, domestic, agricultural activities and others are creating water pollution. And all these anthropogenic activities as well as natural processes degrade surface waters and damage their use for drinking, industrial, agricultural, reaction or other purposes. In our state Nagaland, there is no proper drainage system, municipal and domestic waste from urban and rural areas are directly discharged into natural water bodies, besides there is no system for recycling the waste effluents. Hence the surface water can get contaminated easily. And therefore study was done keeping in mind the extent of contamination if any, may be found for health and well being of the inhabitant of the state. In this study, the physiochemical characteristics such as temperature, PH, electrical Conductivity, TDS,DO, BOD and COD, total hardness, calcium hardness was determined following mainly the standards methods while the level of essential trace elements namely iron, copper, zinc, nickel, manganese and toxic elements namely lead, cadmium, silver and arsenic have been estimated using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer of corresponding analytical wavelengths and slit width (Perkin Elmer 3110).The water samples were collected from various sources covering mainly the urban populated area of Kohima, Dimapur, Mokokchung, Wokha, Tuensang ,Lumami, Tseminyu and Ungma. The physiochemical characteristics of water samples of different districts of Nagaland have the pH in the ranges 6.02-7.43. Many representative samples from Kohima and few from Mokokchung were slightly acidic in the range of 5.56-5.61 and 5.64-5.80 respectively. While some sources under Ungma, Mokokchung & Lumami found to be slightly alkaline in the ranges of 7.89-8.14. The electrical conductivity of the samples was in the range of 70-670 μ mhos cm-1 and that the values of total dissolved solid (TDS) was in the ranges 43-387 ppm, however few representative samples of Dimapur have in the range of 1.30 ppt. (2.62 ms -1.30 ppt) which is above the permissible limit. It was also observed that the water samples collected from Tseminyu area show the lowest electrical conductivity. The water temperature of all the samples ranges from 14-240C (winter & summer). Analysis of Dissolved Oxygen(DO) showed in the ranges 10-23 mg/L while the biological oxygen demand(BOD) was in the ranges 2.13.7mg/L. It was also observed that few samples from Ungma, Mokokchung, Tseminyu and Tuensang showed BOD contents above the permissible limit. Nevertheless the analysis of DO, BOD and Chemical Oxygen demand (COD) of almost all the samples adhere to ISI and WHO guidelines values. As regard to the samples collected in different seasons, it was concluded that the value of dissolved oxygen marginally decreases in summer than in winter and the values of biological oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand increases during summer season than in winter. This may be due to the reasons that during summer the monsoon brings all the organic and inorganic load into the water bodies thereby increases the number of oxygen demanding microorganisms leading to the reduction of oxygen contents thereby decreases the dissolved oxygen and increases the values of biological and chemical oxygen demand. Analysis of water samples further revealed the high presence of Calcium and Magnesium (43.4-120.3 mg/L total Hardness) especially in Dimapur district. The increased in concentration of Calcium and Magnesium is one of the reason for the cause of hardness of water. However in other districts of Nagaland, the total hardness of water was all within the permissible limits. The trace elemental analysis of water samples showed the concentration of As, Ag, Ca, Cd, Cu, Mg, and Zn within the permissible limit. However the concentration of lead, Iron and manganese in some water sources were above the permissible limit. The concentration of lead in few water sources under Mokokchung, Kohima and Wokha were slightly above the permissible limit in the ranges of 0.14-0.19 mg/L (maximum permissible limit is 0.1mg/L). This relatively higher concentration of lead in some water sources confirms that many surface water sources are unprotected from domestic and municipal sewage, human and industrial effluents as most of the heavy metals and in particular the lead metal is generate from street dust. The concentrations of iron in many water samples from Dimapur were above the permissible limits in the ranges of 0.34-0.68 mg/L. Few sources of Kohima, Tseminyu, and Wokha showed concentration of Iron in the ranges 0.33-0.46 mg/L (maximum permissible limit is 0.3 mg/L WHO). Similarly higher concentration of manganese was observed in Dimapur, few sources in Mokokchung and Lumami in the ranges 0.13-2.1 mg/L (WHO permissible limit is 0.1 mg/L). Based on the study, it was concluded that the quality of surface water is found deteriorating slowly with the passes of years and need an immediate attention to restore the water quality in the State. (This article is an abstract which has been published in two peer reviewed research journal).
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
Friday 23 August 2013
The Morung Express
Dabholkar murder: CCTV footage fails to offer lead
PuNe, August 22 (Pti): The CCTV footage, recovered by cops immediately after murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar on Tuesday, has not yielded any concrete clues on the identity of the assailants who gunned down the activist on a city bridge during a morning walk. Police, who have recovered the video footage from CCTV systems operating at the establishments in the vicinity of the bridge, said it was “blurred and unclear” to offer any lead so far. “We are still examining the CCTV footage which has only shown images of two motorbike riders. But it is blurred and unclear to establish identity”, an official in charge of the investigation said. An eyewitness account of the incident had said that two youths, aged between 25 and 30, had fled the crime scene riding a bike after firing shots at the 69-year-old anti-superstition activist. Police is also verifying the number plate details as given by the eyewitness to trace the vehicle. “The investigations are on and so far no individual or organisation has been identified for involvement in the murder,” he added. Eight squads have been formed by Pune police crime branch to track down the killers who continue to be at large after more than 48 hours. Meanwhile, a Mumbai police team has arrived in the city to offer “technical assistance” to their Pune counterparts in the investigation, sources said. Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has announced an award of Rs 10 lakh to person giving information about the activist’s broad daylight murder. The killing has once again put the spotlight on the deteriorating law and order situation in the city, which has been in the news for terror attacks and cases of violence against women.
‘Anti-superstition bill opponents responsible’
MuMBAi, August 22 (Pti): Blaming opponents of the anti-superstition bill for the killing of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has said organisations behind such acts should be be isolated and their activities stopped. Amid spontaneous public outrage and grief over 69-year-old Dabholkar’s killing, the state government yesterday had cleared a proposal to promulgate an ordinance to check black magic and inhuman religious rituals. “The forces which did not want this Bill to be presented and passed into a law were the people responsible for silencing his voice,” Chavan said. He added that those who targeted Dabholkar were not political organisations. This is ideological rift. People who carried out such assassinations, they are not political parties. “This organisation had earlier indulged in bomb making and terrorist activities,” he said but added, “I am not saying specifiIn this Tuesday, August 20, 2013 photo, people shout slogans as they protest the killing of anti-superstition cally because I have no information as to activist Narendra Dabholkar in Pune. Police are searching for the two motorcycle-riding attackers, who in daylight gunned down the 67-year-old activist who crusaded against superstition, black magic and unholy who killed him.” The CM asserted, “What I am trying to say is the organisation, similar Hindu godmen. (AP File Photo)
We all have a little Dabholkar in us, say his children
PuNe, August 22 (AgeNcies): The murder of Narendra Dabholkar has only emboldened his son Hamid and daughter Mukta as they show strength to take forward his cherished ideals of fighting against superstition in the society. Like his father, Hamid too is a medical practitioner. Their similarity doesn’t end there. The father-son duo often used to discuss thoughts and ideas to take forward their organisation Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (ANS). Hamid spoke to his father, whom
he called baba, for the last time on Sunday and they did not discuss family matters but ANS. While recalling that moment, Hamid broke down but quickly regained his composure to narrate how his father passionately pursued his mission to spread anti-superstition message. Now, the son wants his father’s killers behind bars. “It is very sad that a person who raised the voice of reason was gagged with a bullet,” he said. Along with his wife Deepali and mother Shaila, they run their family hospital Swayam
UPSC changes pattern, to opt for shorter answers
hYDerABAD, August 22 (tNN): The Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) has changed the answering pattern in its exam, with students now having to write in a consolidated question paper-cum-answer book. Instructions would ask candidates to write the answers only in the pre-defined areas below each part/sub part of the questions. Students are being told that ‘any attempt outside the pre-defined space shall not
be evaluated’. “This is a major departure from the conventional free answer type of essay writing which was being followed for the longest time. The new pattern will help people from technical backgrounds as they are used to a point-wise presentation,” said Gopala Krishna, director of BrainTree, an institution which trains candidates for the UPSC exams. “The UPSC seems to have borrowed from the
USA model which follows the short answer type of questions in its recruitment. This would benefit many who did not have the need to hone their English skills due to their choice of technical subjects in graduation,” he added. The new pattern would also mean that students will not be allowed to take home the question paper. The UPSC will, however, provide the question paper after the examination is over.
Delhi gangrape: Supreme Court paves way for juvenile board verdict
New Delhi, August 22 (iANs): The Supreme Court Thursday allowed the Juvenile Justice Board to go ahead with pronouncing its verdict on the alleged involvement of a juvenile accused in the Dec 16, 2012 Delhi gangrape. The apex court bench of Chief Justice P. Sathasivam, Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai and Justice Ranjan Gogoi, however, said it would examine the larger issue of immunity granted to a juvenile accused involved in heinous offences from being tried under the normal criminal laws. “...it is now open for the Board to proceed further in the matter and render such orders, in accordance with law, as may be considered just, adequate and proper,” said Justice Gogoi. The court said that the government plea objecting to the locus standi of the BJP leader Subramanian Swamy in the matter will not stand in the way of its considering the larger issue of immunity for a delinquent. The court accepted Swamy’s submission that reference to Dec 16, 2012 juvenile accused was mere incidental and illustrative and his plea was on the large question of interpretation of provisions of the
organisations indulged in terrorism. Such organisations have to be identified, isolated and their activities have to be stopped,” the chief minister stated. He opined that it was a well planned and premeditated murder is what I am saying.” “What has happened is most reprehensible. It brings a black name to the fair name of Maharashtra. The only thing we can do is to catch the culprits and the conspirators. The ideology which created such hatred… that they have silenced the voice,” he said. “Dr Dabholkar had been fighting for the cause for a long time. In 2005, a law was drafted and introduced in the state Legislature. There was lot of ruckus, there were other issues…there was a lot of misunderstanding. The government agreed to discuss,” Chavan said. “This is what Dabholkar preached… that let discussion be the key to resolve disputes,” he said. In 2005, the then government had an all-party meeting. Dabholkar was invited. A committee under Justice Dharmadhikari was appointed. That committee reduced some differences. Then again, a bill was introduced in state Legislature in 2011.
Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000. Section 2(k) of the Act defines “juvenile” as a person who has not completed 18 year of age. Section 2(l) of the Act defines “juvenile in conflict with law” as a juvenile who is alleged to have committed an offence. “In fact, interpretation of the relevant provisions of the JJ Act in any manner by this court, if made, will not be confined to the first respondent (juvenile accused in the Dec 16, 2012 case) alone but will have an effect on all juveniles who may come into conflict with law both in the immediate and distant future,” the court said. “We are of the view that it would be appropriate for us to hold that the special leave petition does not suffer from the vice of absence of locus standi on the part of the petitioners so as to render the same not maintainable in law,” the court said. Issuing notice to the government on Swamy’s plea, the court said: “We will proceed to hear the special leave petition on merits and attempt to provide an answer to the several questions raised by the petitioners before us.”
in Satara. They also help manage Parivartan, an organisation started by Dabholkar that tries to tackle problems of addiction. “We are all workers of ANS. Baba’s work will be carried forward and the movement will continue. We all have a little Dabholkar in us. The rational thinking is in us too and we would want the government to take cognisance of the anti-superstition Bill, which was forwarded by my father to the government,’’ he said. Hamid said the ANS activists will take forward Dabholkar’s mission with
the same spirited approach. Mukta said: “I am his daughter and also an activist who cherished my father as a social reformer.” A graduate of TISS, Mumbai, she has been working on issues related to domestic violence, panchayati raj and welfare measures taken up by village-level coordination committees in Dapoli. “I just spoke to him two days ago. Our conversation was routine. But when I attend meetings and other activities coordinated by the anti-superstition movement, it amazes me that I have
so much more to learn. I had spent enough time with him and admired the way he zealously worked on subjects that were close to his heart,” Mukta said. Mukta, who stays with her husband in Dapoli and is strongly involved in anti-superstition movement, said threats have always been a part and parcel of their lives. “We did not really worry so much about it and my father always used to say ‘let it go’ ...the voice of reason will continue to live as long as people espouse similar goals,” Mukta said.
PM Manmohan Singh may intervene in discussion on missing coal files, says govt
New Delhi, August 22 (Pti): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may intervene in the discussion on several files pertaining to coal block allocations going missing, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajeev Shukla said today. Shukla made the announcement after main opposition BJP and AIADMK stalled Question Hour in Rajya Sabha seeking response from the Prime Minister on the issue of missing files. “Prime Minister may also intervene in case it is required,” Shukla told the House, which saw a brief adjournment after it met for the day.
He said that in response to demands by Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley and several members, Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal made a statement on the issue on Tuesday. “Some clarifications were sought (and) clarifications were given. (However) it remained inconclusive. We are ready to conclude that discussion and if necessary Prime Minister may also intervene,” he said. The response came after Jaitley said the opposition was not convinced by Jaiswal’s statement and Prime Minister should give clarification. “Prime Minister is in the House... Prime Minister should
give his reaction,” he said as Singh watched the proceedings from his seat. V Maitreyan (AIADMK), who had given a notice for suspension of Question Hour, said missing of important files has been termed by CBI Director as a “serious set back” to investigation. The CBI Director had stated that “you can draw your own conclusions” when asked if there was a conspiracy in files going missing, Maitreyan said, adding this was a serious issue and “Prime Minister necessarily needs to intervene and clarify the matter.” Earlier, when the House met Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP) said
Jaiswal should not have made the statement as it was in conflict of interest since he was arbitrator in deciding on a family feud in AMR Co, which was a beneficiary of coal block allocation. Chairman Hamid Ansari said there was a procedure to be followed, but Prasad insisted that the Prime Minister should assure the House that all cooperation will be extended to CBI in investigating the case. Ram Gopal Yadav (SP) sought a response from the Prime Minister on the falling rupee value against the US dollar and an “economic emergency” like situation developing in the country.
MPs demand strong steps to prevent Chinese incursions
School children receive a free midday meal at a government school on the outskirts of Jammu, India, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2013. India’s midday meal scheme is one of the world’s biggest school nutrition programs, covering some 120 million school children. The Indian government last month decided to come out with an ordinance to give two-third of the nation’s population the right to 5 kilograms of food grains every month at a highly subsidized rate of 1-3 rupees per kilogram ($0.016- 0.05), which, if implemented, will be the largest food security program in the world. (AP Photo)
New Delhi, August 22 (Pti): Voicing serious concern over repeated Chinese incursions into the Indian territory, members from various parties in Rajya Sabha on Thursday asked the government to take stringent measures to prevent such incidents. Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Jagat Prakash Nadda (BJP) said, “Chinese troops recently intruded 20km into Indian territory in Chaglagam area of Arunachal Pradesh...A contingent of 25 members of Peoples Liberation Army intruded into Indian territory on August 11. The intrusion was detected on August 13 and the soldiers left on August 15 after the Indian contingent there was reinforced.” Seeking to know what steps the government intended to take to prevent such incursions, Nadda said it was a serious matter that the Chinese army intruded in the same area again on August 19 and had even erected tents in the Indian territory in April. Nadda claimed that during the last 3 years, the Chinese army has crossed Indian border 600 times including 150 times in the last eight months and given the gravity of the situation, the government should act immediately. A large number of members from BJP and other parties including a memberfromCongressjoinedtheNaddaindemandingstringent measures to prevent recurrence of such episodes. “China is repeatedly crossing the Indian border... government should take up the issue urgently,” said a Congress member, while Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP) said the issue was urgent. Naresh Agarwal (SP) wanted to know from external affairs minister Salman Khurshid, who was present in the House, what was the Indian policy on it.
‘Uttarakhand’s orphaned children may fall prey to traffickers’
DehrADuN, August 22 (iANs): Two months after the Uttarakhand tragedy, the wounds continue to deepen as stories of missing and orphaned children come to the fore with fears expressed that many of them may fall prey to human traffickers. While the state government estimates 455 children missing after the floods ravaged towns and villages, the state’s child rights commission puts the number much higher. The commission and aid agencies are also worried that orphaned and vulnerable children may be falling prey to traffickers. “The risk of children falling prey to traffickers is always there after a natural calamity, especially of this magnitude,”
Ajay Sethia, chairperson of the Uttarakhand State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, told IANS. “My concern is how to handle the more than 300-400 orphaned children because the government has no infrastructure.” Flash floods and landslides caused by cloudbursts claimed thousands of lives in Uttarakhand in June. Among those killed and affected were both pilgrims and locals. As a result, families have been torn apart, some being entirely washed away, others leaving only a few survivors and orphaned children. Quoting the latest state government figures, Sethia said that as of now, 287 children from other states - mostly pilgrims’ children - have been
reported to have gone missing after the tragedy. The most among these missing children - 130 - were from Uttar Pradesh. Others were from Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Chandigarh. “The district administration figures of children of local people going missing is 168, but the commission believes the figure is higher,” Sethiya said. “For instance, in Rudraprayag district, the official estimate of missing children is 146, but the commission’s figure is 181. So our total figure is 203 missing children, but there may be more.” Kailash Satyarthi of the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) said that the fo-
cus of the government has not yet reached the children, which is a matter of concern. “The focus was on rescuing the missing people, the pilgrims first because they were in such big numbers and then the locals. Children have still not got the focus, which is worrying, because from our experience, after every natural disaster a place becomes a trafficking zone. We had seen it during and after the Kosi floods, during the Tsunami, and now we fear the same in Uttarakhand.” The Uttarakhand SCPCR pushed the central government to start the Integrated Child Protection Scheme in the state under which all existing child protection schemes, with additional interventions, will be brought
together to build a protective environment for children. “The central government will allot the funds and we have given directions for the care of vulnerable children and orphans. We have said that of the 13 observation homes, only three should remain and the rest should be made children’s homes. In Tehri, there is one shelter home which should be converted into a children’s home,” Sethia said. Although no case of trafficking or kidnapping has been reported till now, recognising the looming threat on vulnerable children, Sethia said, he had instructed the director general of police to activate the four anti-trafficking units in the state. Civil society, on the other
hand, has been doing its bit to offer a protective environment to the affected children. Save the Children India, for instance, has plans of building 100 childfriendly spaces in as many villages in which trained caregivers will help children learn, play, get medical help and interact with one another for psycho-social support. “Children are at a loose end and unprotected, either because their families have disappeared or they are left alone because their parents have gone looking for alternative livelihood. Schools have been washed away and the kids are extremely traumatised. In such a scenario, these child-friendly spaces, which are tented areas, aim to provide support,” Devendra Tak of the NGO told IANS.
Of the 100 planned, 13 such spaces in three districts Chamoli, Uttarkashi and Tehri Garhwal - are functional and support 25-30 children each, although their capacity is 50 each. The initiative has the support of both the state government and the Centre. Satyarthi further said that BBA has written to the Uttarakhand government to instruct the local police to prevent outsiders from entering the 2,000 affected villages without verification. “It’s very easy to lure away children from parents on the pretext of a job in a city and a good livelihood when they have lost everything. Traffickers will be on the lookout for such vulnerable families to source child labourers,” he warned.
INTERNATIONAL
The Morung Express
Friday 23 August 2013
Dimapur
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Test-tube babies: A simpler, cheaper technique?
LONDON, August 22 (AP): Since the first test-tube baby was born more than three decades ago, in vitro fertilization has evolved into a highly sophisticated lab procedure. Now, scientists are going back to basics and testing a simpler and cheaper method. In the West, many would-be parents spend thousands of dollars for IVF, which involves pricey incubators and extensive screening. But European and American scientists say a simplified version of the entire procedure aimed at developing countries could be done for about 200 euros ($265) with generic fertility drugs and basic lab equipment that would fit inside a shoebox. “IVF is made to sound complicated but the fact is that the early embryo is not very demanding,” said Jonathan Van Blerkom, a fertility expert at the University of Colorado. A human embryo doesn’t need much beyond some basic solutions, a steady pH level and constant temperature, he said. The simpler approach calls for women to take cheaper fertility tablets to stimulate their ovaries to release more than one egg per month. In conventional IVF, expensive, potent drugs that are injected can produce more than
In this August 14, 2013, photo, an embryologist works on embryo at the Create Health fertility clinic in south London. (AP Photo)
20 eggs. Van Blerkom developed the simplified technique after European colleagues asked him how IVF could be done in developing countries. “My first reaction was, ‘You’ve got to be kidding,’” he said. But with two test tubes and special solutions, “it’s possible to generate the exact same conditions, or very similar, to
what people are generating in a $60,000 incubator.” One test tube is used to prepare a solution including carbon dioxide, which creates the ideal conditions for fertilization. That’s piped into a second tube, where one egg and a few thousand sperm are added, before being placed in a heating block. After about two to three days, any re-
sulting embryo is examined under a microscope before being transferred into the woman. Van Blerkom and colleagues estimated that about half of all people seeking infertility treatment could potentially be helped by the method. Those who have complicated infertility problems, like men with severe sperm problems or wom-
en with very few eggs left, will still need standard IVF. In an ongoing trial in Belgium, researchers are comparing the techniques. Women under 36 seeking IVF for the first time are given a mild dose of injectable fertility drugs. If at least eight eggs are retrieved, half undergo traditional IVF, and half use the simpler method. A specialist who doesn’t know which technique was used, picks the best-looking embryo to be transferred. For the more than 100 women treated so far, the pregnancy rate was about 34 percent for both methods. So far, 14 babies have been born using the simplified method and 13 babies from traditional IVF. The World Health Organization estimates there are between 120 and 160 million couples struggling with infertility worldwide. “Nobody thinks that infertility in developing countries is a problem but it is an even bigger problem there than in (the West),” said Sheryl Vanderpoel, a WHO reproductive health expert. She said more people in poor countries have complications from untreated sexually spread infections than in the West, which can hurt their fertility. “Making IVF affordable is a
public health priority,” she said. Dr. Hassan Sallam, director of the Alexandria Fertility and IVF Center in Egypt, said the cheaper IVF method would be welcomed. He said there is considerable social pressure on young Egyptian couples to have children — and that is compounded by the fact in rural areas, many newlyweds live with the man’s family. “All eyes are on the newlywed couple to see if pregnancy has happened after the first month,” he said in an email. He said couples married for two to three months occasionally come to see him “just to please their in-laws.” Although the new IVF strategy is intended for use mainly in developing countries, doctors in rich countries are also interested. “You should not have to be rich just to have IVF,” said Dr. Geeta Nargund, medical director for Create Health Clinics, a private fertility center in London. “There are so many people who cannot afford the treatment (in the West) that there would be huge demand if there were something cheaper available.” In many European countries, national health systems pay for several IVF cycles for eligible couples but it can cost more than $10,000 for those
Myanmar rejects Syria opposition demands urgent UN probe UN rights envoy’s BEIRut/AMMAN, Au- of the team, tasked with gust 22 (REutERs): investigating a few sites of opposition demand- previous alleged chemical claim of attack Syria’s ed on Thursday that United attacks, to give it the right
YANgON, August 22 (AP): Myanmar’s government on Thursday disputed accusations that it failed to protect a top U.N. human rights envoy who said his vehicle was attacked by a 200-strong Buddhist mob during a visit to a city where religious violence flared earlier this year. President Thein Sein’s spokesman, Ye Htut, said U.N. rights rapporteur Tomas Ojea Quintana was never in any danger during his visit this week. He said members of the crowd approached Quintana’s convoy in the central city of Meikhtila only to give him a letter and a T-shirt, “so what Quintana said is very different from the true situation.” Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist nation of 60 million people, has been gripped by sectarian violence in the last year that has left more than 250 people dead and sent another 140,000 fleeing their homes. Most of the victims — including at least 43 from a March attack in Meikhtila — were Muslims. Quintana’s 10day visit to Myanmar, which ended Wednesday, was in part aimed at investigating ongoing tensions and the response of the government. Quintana said his convoy was mobbed Monday night as security forces looked on. “The fear that I felt during this incident, being totally unprotected by the nearby police, gave me an insight into the fear residents would have felt when being chased down by violent mobs during violence last March ... when police allegedly stood by as angry mobs beat, stabbed and burned to death 43 people,” he said. Quintana slammed the government for failing to do its job. “The state has failed to protect me,” he said. Ye Htut had another version of events. In addition to helping to disperse hundreds of people before Quintana’s arrival — he said 100 were left by the time the convoy arrived — one police car was escorting the U.N. rights envoy and 30 other officers were controlling the crowd, he said. “Police gave protection to him and people had no intention to hurt him,” Ye Htut said, adding that police successfully cleared a path and the convoy passed without incident. Myanmar only recently emerged from decades of isolation and military rule. One of the biggest challenges of the new, quasicivilian government has been the rising anti-Muslim sentiment.
Nations chemical weapons inspectors immediately investigate a besieged rebel-held region hit by an alleged chemical weapons attack that killed hundreds of people a day earlier. In Paris, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the international community needed to respond with force if the allegations that the Syrian government was responsible for a chemical attack on civilians proved true, although there was no question of sending troops on the ground. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces have continued a heavy bombardment of the ring of rebel-held suburbs around the capital, known as the Ghouta region, which activists say will further hinder U.N. investigators from entering the area, only a few kilometres from where the team’s Damascus hotel. “We are asking for this team to go directly, with complete freedom ... to the site of the crimes which took place yesterday,” George Sabra, a prominent member of the umbrella opposition’s National Coalition, told Reuters. He said the U.N. Security Council should amend the mission
to visit any site. “But we are doubtful because the mission of these experts is constrained by the Syrian regime, limited to a few areas which it will take them to,” he said by telephone. With Wednesday’s death toll estimated between 500 and 1,300, what would be the world’s most lethal chemical weapons attack since the 1980s prompted an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council in New York. Syrian authorities have denied the army used chemical weapons. Opposition activists said men, women and children were killed as they slept. Activists say several towns in Ghouta where hit with rockets loaded with poison gas at dawn on Wednesday. The Security Council did not explicitly demand a U.N. investigation of the incident, although it said “clarity” was needed and welcomed U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon’s calls for a prompt investigation by the inspection team in Syria, led by Ake Sellstrom. An earlier Westerndrafted statement submitted to the Security Council, seen by Reuters, was not approved. The final version of the statement was watered
A Syrian man who lives in Beirut, holds up a placard during a vigil against the alleged chemical weapons attack on the suburbs of Damascus, in front the United Nations headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, on August 21. (AP Photo)
down to accommodate objections from Russia and China, diplomats said. Moscow and Beijing have vetoed previous Western efforts to impose U.N. penalties on Assad. In Paris, Fabius called for action if the allegations proved true. “There would have to be reaction with force in Syria from the international community, but there is no question of sending troops on the ground,” he told the BFM television network. Many rebels and activists in the opposition area say they had lost interest in U.N. investigations or help from
Western powers abroad. Some say the rebels should take matters into their own hands and retaliate. “The families of Ghouta have lost hope in any investigation committees, which have offered us no relief since the revolution began two years ago ... We are 7 kilometres away, just a 5 minute car ride from were they are staying. We’re being exterminated
with poison gas while they drink their coffee and sit inside their hotels,” said activist Bara Abdelraman, speaking by Skype. “As leaders of the activists and opposition, of course we still call for the entrance of investigators and vow to protect them, as it is a responsibility before God to do everything we can for our people who are being massacred.”
seeking it privately. For many couples, up to three cycles are necessary to create a baby. She has asked Britain’s regulatory agency for fertility treatment for permission to test the simpler technique. Some said the success rates of the cheaper IVF method would likely be lower than those for regular IVF. The simplified method does not include any extensive screening of embryos or any procedures to inject sperm directly into the eggs. “You aren’t producing as many eggs with this (cheap) method so the numbers will not be as high,” said Ian Cooke, an emeritus professor of reproductive medicine at Sheffield University. Cooke also thought training enough health professionals in developing countries might be an issue. Still, he said the method was promising. Because doctors were planning to use less potent fertility drugs, he said it was fine to cut back on the regular screening and daily tests used in normal IVF regimens. “From a technical point of view, they have proven it works,” he said, adding it was now necessary to test the technique in developing countries. Patient groups said doctors should offer the cheaper IVF method if it is approved.
10 Maria Sharapova out of US Open with shoulder injury Dimapur
Friday
23 August 2013
Maria Sharapova (AP FilePhoto)
NEW YORK, August 22 (AP): Maria Sharapova pulled out of the U.S. Open on Wednesday because of a right shoulder injury. The U.S. Tennis Association announced the withdrawal of the 2006 champion, who has played only one match on tour since her second-round
loss at Wimbledon in June. Sharapova originally was seeded third at the U.S. Open. The USTA said 2012 Wimbledon runner-up Agnieszka Radwanksa would shift from No. 4 to No. 3, and all other seeded players below her would move up a spot, too. "I just wanted to let you know
1st Mokokchung Auto-X
DIMAPuR, August 22 (MExN): The 1st Mokokchung Auto-X, an autocross and motocross event for 4-wheelers and 2-wheelers presented by Adventure and Motor Sports Association Mokokchung (AMAM) will kick-start on August 24 from 12:30pm onwards at Imkongmeren Sports Complex in Mokokchung. All together 22 4-wheelers and 12 2-wheelers will be participating at this grand event. For safety reasons organizers have neatly barricaded the venue. Ambulance with doctor, police protection and fire extinguishers will be deployed. This has been informed by the AMAM.
Doyang FC to conduct trial camp
WOKHA, August 22 (MExN): Doyang Football Club, Wokha Franchise- Nagaland Premier League (NPL) will conduct a trial camp for selection of dedicated, promising and talented youths from August 26 to 30 at local ground Wokha. All interested players (including all present and former DFC players) are requested to report to the local ground at 2:00 PM on August 26 and register themselves for the camp. For further information, interested parties can contact 9436073877 or 8575774111. This was informed in a press release issued by Doyang FC CEO N Ovung.
GTC Chess Grand Prix 2013-14
KOHIMA, August 22 (MExN): The 4th edition of "GTC Chess Grand Prix 2013-2014" will be held on August 28 at the Gauhati Town Club Auditorium. As in the previous edition, the tournament will be held in 7 round Swiss league format to be played under rapid time control of 25 minutes each. The top 10 position holders will be awarded with trophy and certificate while the top 3 players will also receive cash prize.Moreover the top 3 players in the Under 7, Under 9, Under 11, Under 13 and Girls category will be awarded with Medals and certificate. The Grand prix, which consist of 12 events will come to an end on March 2014 whereby the top two players will be declared champion and runners up of the event and will be awarded with full sponsorship to participate in an International rated tournament outside Assam. The event is open to student studying up to class 12. Also keeping in mind the spirited response from the senior players of the city last time, the organiser will continue with the Open category tournament which will be played parallel to the main event and player of any age can take part in this category. Top 3 players in the open category will be awarded cash prize. All interested players are requested to confirm their participation on or before 25th August 2013 at Gauhati Town club. For further details contact 9954136181 or 9864443051. No entry will be entertained on the day of the event. This was stated in a release issued by Biswajit Bharadwaj, Director, GTC Chess Foundation.
Trials postponed, is India in doubt for boxing World C'ship?
NEW DELHI, August 22 (PtI): The administrative wrangling in the suspended Indian Boxing Federation could end up costing the country's boxers a chance to compete in this year's World Championships. The national trials for the event were scheduled to be held on August 16 and 17 in Patiala but were postponed till the end of this month with neither the boxers nor the coaches having any clue about the reasons. "We have just been told that the trials would now be held at the end of this month and nothing more. We have not been given any reason as to why the trials have been delayed," said a boxer. It is learnt that the IBF plans to hold the trials after the much-anticipated August 25 meeting between the International Olympic Committee and the Indian Olympic Association to discuss the country's suspension. But that would leave very little time for the team to be finalised as the last date for submission of entries for the October 11 to 27 Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan is September 1. The IOA-IOC meeting would be watched with bated breath by the IBF as the International Boxing Association (AIBA) had cited India's Olympic suspension as the primary reason for provisionally barring IBF. Even though putting together a team after the IOA-IOC meeting, if at all it brings some good news for IBF, would not be much of a hassle but the apprehension is that AIBA could altogether shunt India out of the World Championships due to the IBF's failure to conduct a re-election.
that withdrawing from the U.S. Open has been a really tough decision to make. I have done everything I could since Wimbledon to get myself ready but it just wasn't enough time," read a message posted on Sharapova's Facebook page Wednesday. "I have done many tests, received several opinions and it all comes down to taking the proper amount of time to heal my shoulder injury properly." The USTA said Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova would become the No. 32 seed. The draw for the year's last Grand Slam tournament is Thursday. Play begins Monday. Sharapova's surprising exit caps a tumultuous couple of weeks for the four-time major winner and former No. 1-ranked player. She was sidelined by a hip injury after Wimbledon, then hired Jimmy Connors as her coach — an arrangement that lasted all of one match, a loss. Sharapova last skipped the U.S. Open in 2008, when she was off the tour for about 10 months because of surgery on her right shoulder. She won her first major title since that operation at last year's French Open, completing a career Grand Slam. Earlier Wednesday, former top-10 player Mardy Fish withdrew from the U.S. Open, citing personal reasons.
SPORTS
The Morung Express
Neymar helps Barca draw at Atletico
MADRID, August 22 (AP): Neymar scored his first goal for Barcelona to secure a 1-1 draw at Atletico Madrid on Wednesday after Lionel Messi left the field injured in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup. Atletico's David Villa enjoyed the perfect start against his former club by netting well-taken opener in the 12th minute. He left Barcelona following the arrival of Neymar in the offseason. Neymar went on in the 59th with the Catalan club struggling in attack, and seven minutes later headed in the equalizer from a pass by Dani Alves. The 21-year-old Neymar joined the Spanish champions from Brazilian club Santos for 57 million euros in June, the eighth most expensive signing in football history. And after two appearances, both as a substitute as he recovers from anemia, he has his first goal. "My first goal is a thrilling moment," said Neymar. "I'm very happy because I went on and was able to help the team in a tough moment. We got a good result and now we need to finish it off at home." The return match will be played at Barcelona's Camp Nou next Wednesday after this weekend's league fixtures. Villa opened the scoring with a beautiful goal that he helped create with his passing before finishing off with a right-foot volley. After Atletico had recovered the ball, Villa
combined with Arda Turan on the left flank before slicing the Turkey midfielder's cross between diving goalkeeper Victor Valdes and the post. "I'm happy because (scoring) is what I'm asked to do," Villa said. "In the first half I was able to put one in. But the draw is a shame because we worked and ran hard against a very good team. Too bad we couldn't get a better result. The tie is wide open." In the first half, Atletico's packed midfield and physical play shut down Barcelona's attack that had cruised to a 7-0 win over Levante on Sunday, but against the Copa del Rey holders was limited to Pedro Rodriguez's timid shot before Villa's goal. Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino may have insisted he wanted his team to recover its pressing defense from the early years of Pep Guardiola, but early on it was Diego Simeone's team that was more intense in closing in with multiple defenders. Messi was replaced at halftime with a left thigh problem. Although he showed no apparent signs on injury in the first 45 minutes, Cesc Fabregas took his place after the break. On Sunday, Martino took Messi off after he had scored two goals in the league opener, but this time the club said his exit was "due to precaution for pain in the back of his left thigh caused by a knock." Barcelona had begun to show some flashes in
Atletico de Madrid's celebrates after scoring a goal during a Spanish Supercup, first leg soccer match against FC Barcelona at the Vicente Calderon stadium, in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, Aug. 22. (AP Photo)
attack when Neymar replaced Pedro Rodriguez in the 59th, but it was Atletico forward Diego Costa who drew a save from Valdes moments later after a team buildup more reminiscent of the league champions'
passing style. With the visitors apparently stalled once again, Dani Alves worked a onetwo with Xavi Hernandez on the right flank before picking Neymar out charging in at the far post. The
Brazil striker jumped over his marker and headed the ball under goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Barcelona lifted but was unable to find the winner and had to settle for the away-goal advantage.
13th Nagaland State Chess Premier (State “A”) 2013 Arsenal hammers Fenerbahce in CL
gENEVA, August 22 fore the break. Wenger's (AP): Arsenal answered its players surged on and deearly-season critics with a fender Gibbs struck in the high-class 3-0 win at Fen- 51st when connecting with erbahce in a Champions Theo Walcott's slick pass League playoff first-leg across the goalmouth. Ramsey's 22-meter match on Wednesday. Kieran Gibbs, Aaron (yard) shot in the 64th Ramsey and Olivier Giroud slipped under Fenerscored in the second half to bahce goalkeeper Volkan face down a noisy crowd in Demirel's diving grasp, and Istanbul, plus hostile media Walcott earned a penalty by and Gunners fans at home drawing a foul from defendafter an offseason of failed er Michal Kadlec. Giroud transfer deals for the cash- fired the 77th-minute spot kick decisively to Demirel's rich club. Under-fire manager right, and Arsenal goalkeepArsene Wenger now looks er Wojciech Szczesny preall but certain to lead his served the clean sheet with team into the Champions excellent late saves. Participants of 13th Nagaland State Chess Premier (State “A”) 2013 on August 22 at Kohima Press Club. This championship League group stage for the PAOK thrived on its will go on till August 24. (Morung Photo) 16th straight season af- reprieve by UEFA, having *Kughaho Kiho 4 ½ KOHIMA, August 22 Press Club with 20 partici- level. This championship ter the return match next already lost this month to *Keviliekho Zumvu 4 (MExN): The 13th Naga- pants across the state. Four will go on till August 24. Tuesday. "We could have Metalist Kharkiv which was *Melesayi Dawhuo 4 land State Chess Premier players will be selected from been a little bit shaky after then disqualified for fixing *Seyiekhrietuo Mere 4 what happened on Satur- a Ukrainian league match (State “A”) 2013 got under- this championship to repre- ROUND 6 RESULTS *Mughaho Awomi 5 ½ *Neikehiezo Zinyu 4 way here at the Kohima sent the state at the national day," said Wenger, whose in 2008. The Greek side earned team lost 3-1 at home to Aston Villa in the Premier a 1-1 draw in Germany League opener. "So for us when Miroslav Stoch levit was very important to eled in the 73rd to cancel start on the front foot. That Peru forward Jefferson was vital tonight for us and Farfan's perfectly placed we did it well." Arsenal's low shot for Schalke in the neat passing impressed 32nd. Egyptian midfielder from the start though Gir- Mohamed Salah starred oud and Ramsey spurned for Basel, scoring twice and two weeks due to the EuroLONDON, August 22 pa League winners' Super- its only half-chances be- earning a late penalty. (AP): Branislav Ivanovic's cup match against Champisecond-half header gave ons League winner Bayern Chelsea a 2-1 victory over Munich. Aston Villa moments after After scoring eight past he avoided a red card in a Villa in this fixture last seafiery second match of the son, Chelsea did not find it Premier League season on as easy going this season Wednesday. The right back — even after going in front was only booked for elbowso early. A fine pass from ing Christian Benteke in the Oscar set up Eden Hazard head, and then sent Frank on the left of the penalty Lampard's free kick into area and the Belgium midthe net in the 73rd minute. fielder's resulting shot was "This is English football, pushed by goalkeeper Brad for some reason the world Guzan onto Luna and the loves it more than any othball bounced off him into er league — one thing is his net. Just like in Sunday's (because of) a real aggres2-0 victory over Hull, Chelsion I would call it," Chelsea sea was overwhelming the manager Jose Mourinho opposition, with its incisive said. "Another thing is duand superior football — els that are handled in a initially at least. certain way and I think the But after failing to exreferee did very well. tend its lead — Oscar struck "From minute 1 to minwide and Demba Ba forced ute 95 there was a real fight Guzan into a low save — — a football fight between Chelsea conceded for the Benteke and Ivanovic." first time this season. Chelsea fortuitously In the third minute of went in front after seven stoppage time, Gabriel Agminutes when the ball inbonlahor cut down the left advertently bounced off and crossed low to BenAntonio Luna into his own teke, who controlled the net. Although Chelsea fadball with his first touch and ed, allowing Benteke to level in first-half stoppage Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic, right, head the ball over Inter Mi- then curled the shot around time, Villa couldn't find the lan's Alvaro Pereira during the first half of an International Cham- Petr Cech's near post. pions Cup soccer match on Aug. 1 in Indianapolis. (AP Photo) Villa came close to taknet again and replicate its surprise victory at Arsenal has started with back-to- created great difficulties." ing the lead in the second back league wins. "A draw The victory gives Chel- half, with Agbonlahor curl- Fenerbahce's Pierre Webo ,right, vies with Aaron Ramsey of on Saturday. Instead, Ivanovic en- wouldn't have been an un- sea an early edge over its ing over and Andreas Wei- Arsenal for the ball during their Champions League qualifysured Mourinho's second fair result — they fought a title rivals, with this game mann only denied at close ing playoffs, first leg soccer match at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey on Aug. 21.(AP Photo) spell at Stamford Bridge lot," Mourinho said. "They moved forward by almost range by Cech.
Ivanovic heads Chelsea to 2-1 victory over Aston Villa
Entertainment
The Morung Express
Friday 23 August,2013
Dimapur
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Lance Bass: *NSync rumours are cute
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L Drew Barrymore to release
first ever book of photographs
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ctress Drew Barrymore is set to release her first ever book of photographs in January (14). Find It In Everything is a collection of 96 photos of heart-shaped objects the Charlie's Angels star has shot over the past 10 years. She says, "I have always
loved hearts. The way that one continuous line accomplishes the most extraordinary thing, it conveys love. Hearts are my beacons. I love them man-made and natural, young and old. "Whenever and wherever I see the heart shape, a smile spreads across my face. The heart has an unbeatable ro-
mance when you discover one where you least expect it." Barrymore has had her photos exhibited at the International Center of Photography in New York City and just last year (12), she shot Shailene Woodley, Victoria Justice and Isabelle Fuhrman for V magazine.
ance Bass thinks it is ''so cute'' people want *NSync to reunite. The former star of the boy band is said to be getting back together with his old group when Justin Timberlake receives a special trophy at the MTV Video Music Awards this Sunday but has played the rumours down. Speaking on his SiriusXM radio show, he said: ''Justin Timberlake is getting the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award this Sunday at the awards, so of course people are automatically going to think we're going to be there performing, but this is exactly how it happened and I knew these rumors were going to fly. ''It's amazing to see the reaction out there on Twitter and social media. It's so nice to see, because when we ended things [over] 10 years ago, there was no social media, but it's so cute to see how many people are supporting [us], and *NSync was even trending.'' Lance admitted he
had also given fans hope by posting a picture of him with Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick, who complet-
ed the band with himself and Justin on the internet. However, while he has dampened rumours, Lance
hasn't outright denied them. *NSync launched in 1995 and enjoyed worldwide success at the height
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of their fame between 1998 and 2002, when they went on hiatus but never reunited.
Sushant to marry longtime girlfriend Ankita Dentist to clone John Lennon
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ai Po Che star Sushant Singh Rajput is planning to tie the knot with actress girlfriend soon. The couple, who have been dating for the past four years, met on the sets of TV show 'Pavitra Rishta' where they played reel life husband and wife. "We are in happy space today. I think marriage can happen anytime... It can be this year or next year," Sushant told PTI. "She is the stabilising factor in my life. It is because of her that my happiness gets multiplied and when there is a setback she holds me," he added. Sushant, who made his debut in Bollywood with "Kai Po Che", is not bothered about his female fan base even as he is vocal about his
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relationship status. "I did not think about all this... I don't understand stardom I don't aspire for stardom. I feel even if I am married or single or divorced and still I am skillful at my work and convincingly portray characters on screen then there is no reason to worry as the believability factor is still there in me," he added. On professional front Sushant has an interesting range of projects lined up for release including Aditya Chopra's "Shuddh Desi Romance", Aamir Khanstarrer "Peekay" and Dibarkar Banerjee's "Detective Byomkesh Bakshy". "She is very much aware of the films I am doing. She does give me suggestions. I think I can't ask for more," Sushant said.
dentist is planning to clone John Lennon from one of his rotten teeth. Canadian doctor Michael Zuk bought the late star's decaying gnasher for £20,000 at an auction two years ago in Britain and is now hoping - with the help of scientists - to extract the late singer's DNA from it so he can create a genetic copy of the Beatles legend. Speaking to examiner. com, Dr Zuk said ''If scientists think they can clone mammoths, then John Lennon could be next. ''To potentially say I had a small part in bringing back one of rock's greatest stars would be mind-blowing.'' The Beatles rocker - who was shot dead by a crazed
Ben could go into politics, says Jennifer Garner
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rgo director Ben Affleck may be one of Hollywood's leading liberals, but he could take the extra step and enter politics in the not too distant future. That's the opinion of his wife, actor Jennifer Garner, who suggested Affleck's future career direction in a forthcoming interview in Allure magazine. In a taster for the magazine's September issue (published 20 August), Garner i revealed to have said: "Right now [Ben] feels like he can do more good for people politically from outside the system ... Would I be surprised if one day he did go into politics? No. But not now." Affleck and Garner married in 2005
after the pair met making the superhero film Daredevil, shortly before Affleck revived his film career by turning to directing the thriller Gone Baby Gone. Affleck has a strong record of political activism, having campaigned for Democratic presidential candidates Al Gore and John Kerry among others. In 2010 he founded the Eastern Congo Initiative to provide help for the war-ravaged region of central Africa. However, when asked directly in 2009 if he had thoughts of a political career, Affleck replied: "I really like my job that I have now ... in politics you have to have a lot of people to vote for you. I think it's harder work."
fan in New York in 1980 had given the decomposed molar to his housekeeper Dorothy Jarlett after it was pulled out by a dentist in the 60s. Doctor Zuk had been using the mouldy tooth to promote cancer awareness but has now sent a chunk of its enamel to the lab for DNA extraction. He explained ''I am nervous and excited at the possibility that we will be able to fully sequence John Lennon's DNA, very soon I hope. ''Many Beatles fans remember where they were when they heard John Lennon was shot. I hope they also live to hear the day he was given another chance.''
Lady Gaga calls for action against internet trolls
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he 'Applause' singer has blamed social media bosses for letting their users bully others by spamming them with hurtful messages and believes sites like Twitter should be monitored in a better way. In an interview with Scott Mills on UK station BBC Radio 1, she said: ''It's not something we can control. The only people who can control it are the compa-
nies that run these sites, and they're putting money into the promotion of the site and the platform not into monitoring. If we were to monitor it better, it would be safer.'' This comes after the 27-year-old star's own fans - who she calls her Little Monsters - have been accused of harassing others online - namely her chart rival Katy Perry, whose new song 'Roar' is outperforming Gaga's comeback single.
Fans also trolled showbiz blogger Perez Hilton after Gaga publicly accused him of stalking her when she discovered he was apartment hunting in her building. Despite revealed she was constantly ''teased for being ugly, having a big nose, being annoying'' as a teen, the singer can't believe just how vicious and ''abusive'' some people can be. She said: ''You go on
the internet and especially Twitter and the things I see really shock me. This is the age we live in - this faceless cyber-bullying. ''There's no accountability, there's no recourse. Freedom of speech is freedom of speech but there's a line that needs to be drawn when the language becomes abusive.'' The full interview airs on Scott Mills' Radio 1 show between 1pm and 3pm on Thursday (22.08.13).
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18 groups to compete
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ance Rendezvous organized by Loyal Club, Kumlong Ward will be held at 5:00 PM in Town Hall, Mokokchung on the theme: Echoing Waves. Eighteen dance groups from Mokokchung are scheduled to participate in the two rounds of dance competition, until the results are declared. All the dance groups comprise of young dancers, some of whom have already participated in other dance competitions and functions. Loyal Club, Kumlong Ward, one of the oldest clubs in Mokokchung town, is organizing the dance competi-
tion with an aim to tap young talents and give them a platform to showcase their skills. The club has been involving in a many social activities in the colony and also at Mokokchung town during it’s nearly twenty five years of existence. This dance rendezvous aims at molding the young talents in the society. The winner of the dance competition will be awarded a cash prize of Rs 15,000 plus certificates, while the runner-up will be awarded a cash prize of Rs 10,000 along with certificates. The groups will be judged on their performance, their decency (clean performance)
and their creativity (best creative performance). The Dance Rendezvous will have other surprises for the audience. There will be a solo dance performance by upcoming young dancer Imlisunep, while another young talent in Kumlong Ward, Tiasola (a Class VI) student will present a special number. The show will be hosted by Associate Professor Asongla, lecturer at Peoples’ College Mokokchung. Tickets priced at Rs 100 (admit one) and donor’s ticket (admit two) are priced at Rs 300 will be available at the venue.
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McLaren Mercedes driver Jenson Button of Britain holds the hand of his partner Japanese model Jessica Michibata at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, Belgium, Thursday, Aug. 22. The Belgium Formula One Grand Prix will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo)
19th CLASSIC CUP 2013 Headhunters, Elite, Billy Graham FC win
Headhunters XI and Crusaders XI Kitsubozou players in action at the ongoing 19th Classic Cup at Kohima Local Ground on August 22. (Morung Photo) Our Correspondent
defeated Young Boys FC Jotsoma 5-1. Kuhiam contributed two goals for Elite while Kohima | August 22 Rigumlung, Graceson Headhunters XI toand Pauding netted day overpowered a goal each for the Crusaders XI KitIst Match (12:00 noon) team. Menoneikho subozou 4-0 at the Fresh Kicker Club Tseminyu vs netted a goal for ongoing 19th ClasTsieyama SA Jotsoma Young Boys FC Jotsosic Cup 2013 here 2nd Match (1:30 PM) ma Billy Graham FC at the Kohima Local 4th NAP FC vs Viper FC Nerhema defeated Arsenic FC Ground. The scorers 3rd match (3:30 PM) 4-0 in the last match for Headhunters XI Kohima Komets FC vs Paopong Club of the day. The scorincluded Medo Aners for Billy Graham gami, Khekiho, Tiayanger and Khampai. FC included Mato Yhome, Mhathung Ezung, In another match of the day, Elite FC Sepoi Rongmei and Kezevituo.
AUGUST 23 MATCHES
BCCI clocks Rs 350 crore net income in 2012-13
MUMBAI, AUgUst 22 (PtI): The Cricket Board posted net income of Rs 350 crore, while its gross revenue stood at Rs 950 crore during the fiscal 2012-13. The BCCI, considered the world's richest cricket body, has earned a surplus of Rs 382.36 crore in 2011-12. Informing this on Thursday after the BCCI's finance committee meeting in Delhi, Board treasurer Ravi Savant said that the net income figure has been arrived at "provided there is no tax (levied on the amount)." "The finance committee passed the accounts and they will be placed before the Board's working committee that should be meeting in the first week of September," he said. The working committee would also finalise the dates of the Board's AGM, also to be held next month.
Force India will pull out all stops against McLaren: Vijay Mallya
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NEW DELHI, AUgUst 22 (IANs): Force India Formula One team principal Vijay Mallya says his team can pull off the "massive task" of beating eight-time constructors' champion McLaren in the 2013 season. McLaren may not seem to have a racing winning car but by scoring 20 points in Germany and Hungary before the mid-season break, they have reduced the gap with Force India who are fifth in the standings on 59 points. The Silverstone outfit, however, drew blank from Nurburgring and Hungaroring after enjoying their best ever to a season. Mallya said the team is working hard to recapture the form it showed till the British Grand Prix. "We are working hard to recapture our form, but at the same time it would be foolish to underestimate the strength of McLaren. We will do all we can to hold on to fifth place but remain well aware of the massive task facing us in the remaining nine races," Mallya told IANS Thursday ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend. What went wrong in the last two rounds? "Neither Germany nor Hungary are tracks that traditionally suit our car, but we can't use this as an excuse. We have also been struggling to fully understand the new tyres introduced by Pirelli, but we have worked hard to fix that," said Mallya of the tyre changes introduced after blow-outs at Silverstone. It is also a team which has fared better in the second half since joining the F1 grid in 2008. Asked whether Force India have peaked a bit too early this time around, Mallya said: "We had our best ever start to a season, but this does not mean we have already peaked.
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