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www.morungexpress.com
The Morung Express
Dimapur VOL. IX ISSUE 110
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www.morungexpress.com
[ PAGE 8]
reflections
By Sandemo Ngullie
Thursday, April 24, 2014 12 pages Rs. 4
What led Adi to suddenly marry Rani in Italy?
Entrepreneurs encouraged to start food processing business [ PAGE 2]
‘Piles and piles’ of bodies in S.Sudan slaughter
[ PAGE 11]
[ PAGE 9]
Major fire burns 5 vehicles in Kohima
Kohima | April 23
All these seized stuffs were meant for the poor voters.
A major fire broke out in a motor workshop here this afternoon, which led to the burning down of five vehicles. The motor workshop called ‘Medo Motor’s Workshop’, located at High School Junction along the New Secretariat road, is owned by one Ape Chakhesang. Fire tenders rushed to the site to control the fire. Vehicles that got burnt down included two Boleros, two Scorpios and one pick-up vehicle. Sources said approximately Rs. 50 lakh worth of the workshop’s property, including the cost of the vehicles, was lost in the fire. Casualty, if any, had not been reported, and cause of the fire had yet to be ascertained till the time of filing this report.
AgArtAlA, April 23 (iANS): The model code of conduct has been slightly relaxed in those states where polling has been completed, an official said here Wednesday. “Ministers can now hold review meetings of various projects and schemes with the officials and can visit ongoing developmental projects,” an Election Commission official told reporters. He said: “However, in these review meetings and visits, the ministers cannot call the district magistrates or the officials engaged in the election-related duties.” Various state governments, including Kerala, have urged the poll panel to relax the model code of conduct for smooth work of the state administration and implementation of ongoing projects. In many states, including the northeastern states except Assam, polling is over but the model code of conduct is still effective.
Where is the ENPO package?
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DiMApUr, April 23 (MExN): The Socialist Party Youth Wing has reminded the State Planning & Coordination Department of the Government of Nagaland to clarify on the utilization of Rs. 30 crore (ENPO Package) allocated under Grant of Special Central Assistance under the fiscal year 2013-14 from the Ministry of Finance Government of India. “Amounting to Rs. 100 Crore, the planning and co-ordination department have turn deaf ear as they have failed to respond to the Socialist Party Youth Wing in regard to the clarification sought on the utilization of funds published on dated Dimapur 13th of April 2014 which reflects the manipulation of the department,” stated the Socialist party Youth Wing Nagaland Unit president, Atsolen Keor, and vice president, K. Toshi in a press release. The Socialist Youth Wing appealed to the State Government to “ponder upon this matter at the earliest so to avoid any confrontation arising out of this issue for the betterment and welfare of the Nagas in general.”
nMA questions govt on delay in payment of ssA teacher salaries
KOHiMA, April 23 (MExN): The Naga Mothers’ Association (NMA) has written to the Governor of Nagaland today drawing his attention to, and immediate intervention on, the case of the Nagaland SSA Teachers’ Association (NSSATA). Referring to the issue of non-payment of salaries by the Department of School Education to the SSA teachers, the NMA stated that “Transparency and accountability of public funds must be maintained which also includes regular and timely submission of Utilization Certificates to the concerned Ministry for timely sanction of funds
for the salary of teachers working under the SSA program.” The NMA found “highly questionable” that there is “Discrimination in payment of salaries to these SSA teachers till date.” “It has been confirmed from sources that there has been payment of salaries to SSA teachers from two districts of Mon and Tuensang, while the rest of the teachers in the other districts have been forced to go on a strike as well as serve an ultimatum to the State Government for non-payment of their salaries,” informed the Association. Such “biased discrimination,” it stated, is
“unwarranted and deplorable, in matters of service,” and demanded “immediate inquiry into this serious case of discrimination which is an indication that the Government does have the funds to pay salaries of the SSA teachers.” Furthermore, the NMA has learnt that adequate funds were received for salaries till December; “so why was there a delay in payments, which had led to unnecessary closure of schools. Is the Government/Department encouraging such strikes and harassment of both teachers and students at the same time?” It alerted that
the “silence of the School Education Minister is deafening in the midst of such continuing irregularities and we hope our grievance is conveyed in the strongest terms.” In the interest of the service of the SSA teachers as well as thousands of school children, the NMA has urged the Government to “bring out a clear policy in matters of service of teachers serving under the SSA program, which should be in accordance with laid down policies and guidelines of the Central Government and the concerned Ministry and also ensure protection of their services.”
–Henry A. Kissinger
Sachin greater than Bradman, claims book with “evidence” [ PAGE 12]
cong alleges ls election malpractice in nagaland Our Correspondent
Election code partly relaxed in some states
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A leader does not deserve the name unless he is willing occasionally to stand alone India successfully test fires indigenous Akash missile
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Congress in Nagaland today stated that it will submit documentary evidence of malpractices during the Lok Sabha elections in Nagaland to the Election Commission of India (ECI). Talking to media persons here, INC candidate for Lok Sabha polls, K.V. Pusa, said the documentary evidence will be submitted to the Election Commission to either order re-polling in multiple places or countermand the elections which was marred by large scaleproxy voting and rigging. According to the PTI, Pusa said the State Congress party has submitted a representation to the CEO Nagaland requesting him to declare elections in 1034 polling stations as null and void or hold re-poll in those polling stations. He also alleged that 48 polling stations in the State reportedly have polled hundred per cent while 986 polling stations had over 90 per cent voting. “Such heavy turnout is ridiculous, as there were hardly handful of electorates who had come out to exercise their franchise in almost all the polling stations,” he said. He said Congress party has already submitted a representation with some documentary evidence and proof to the Chief Electoral Officers and Returning Officer yesterday in Kohima. Before leaving for New Delhi to lodge a complaint before the ECI, Pusa urged the concerned authorities to take the matter
‘Declare votes in 1034 polling stations as null and void or hold re-poll in those stations’
seriously as it would affect the future generation of the State as well as due democratic process. He said the State Government had used all state machinery to win the election suppressing people’s right to their franchise. Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) president, S I Jamir, said the manner in which elections were conducted was unprecedented and undemocratic. “Whether the Election Commission accepts it or not, we are going to take up the issue with the ECI for our future generations and democratic process,” he said. Jamir also took a dig at village councils which passed resolutions in favour of political parties and candidates and cast vote for the entire populace of the villages. He maintained that such practices were against the democratic process which should be checked and stopped forthwith. Pusa said under the current trend of democratic process there would be no accountability in Nagaland as people’s right has been snatched away by a handful of people. He said be it Congress or the NPF but winning an election through proxy and poll
rigging would amount to a “proxy MP or MLA.” He also questioned poll officials for not being able to perform their duty and for allowing large scale proxy voting and poll rigging. “Congress believes in one man, one vote but one man voting for whole family and village is done with impunity,” Pusa said. The Congress candidate urged competent authorities to issue a suomoto action to all poll stations which have polled 90 per cent and above so as to deter future malpractices. He said the State’s record of 88.57 per cent was due to poll rigging and proxy voting. He said whether Naga villages were traditionally parliamentarian or of a chieftainship they have always been close to a system where individual freedom was cherished rather than despotism. “However it is unfortunate that our people in general failed to turn out to vote and taking advantage of the lacunae the polling booths throughout the State were taken over by a handful of stooges working for some politically motivated local elite,” he said. “If the polling parties have been put under pressure to allow proxy voting or booth capturing has taken place, I want to ask them to come out in the open and defend the democratic process they represent with all audacity,” Pusa said. Meanwhile, Pusa along with NPCC president and other senior Congress leaders will meet AICC president Sonia Gandhi during their visit to Delhi.
officer’s wife indians view rape as big problem Tax booked for
WASHiNgtON, April 23 (Ap): A new poll shows that Indians view rape as a big problem in their country and think the criminal justice system is inadequate to deal with it. The national survey was conducted by the Pew Research Center one year after the December 2012 gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student in New Delhi unleashed a wave of public anger about sexual violence in India. The results were published Tuesday. The survey shows nine in 10 Indians agree that the crime of rape is a “very big problem.” About eight in 10 say the problem is growing. And despite some legal reforms after the Delhi case, about three in four Indians say laws are too lax and faulted police for not being strict enough in investigating rape cases. The survey was based on 2,464 face-to-face interviews with adults across India between December 2013 and January 2014. It found the concern about rape cuts across gender and party lines, and is shared by urban and rural Indians. Some 91 percent of men said rape was a very big issue, and 89 percent of women. The nationwide outcry following the Delhi gang rape led the federal government to rush legislation increasing prison terms for
Why women’s safety not in poll campaign, ask activists
NEW DElHi, April 23 (iANS): Rights practitioners, lawyers and thought leaders Wednesday asked why was women’s safety not of pivotal concern in the ongoing elections, and called for greater awareness about the issue. “The Indian election manifesto is short. According to a poll, 91 percent of the voters said in these elections, violence against women was the number two priority, after corruption,” Supreme Court lawyer Karuna Nandy said, also stressing why governments need to be pressurized into working on women’s safety issues. She was speaking here at the inaugural session of the “Catalyst Conference: Igniting Leader to end Sexual Violence”. She added that each one has an important role to play in ending the existing patriarchy in the society. “The issue of patriarchy runs deep in our system and is the root cause of all challenges faced by women. Each one of us has a responsibility, and a role to play in dismantling the patriarchy within ourselves and outside. It is also true that the government has to lead this in a significant way,” she said. Echoing her sentiments, Naina Lal Kidwai, who is country head of HSBC India, called for increased awareness and action against sexual violence. Speaking at a session titled “Economic Empowerment: Is a Job Enough”, social worker Mirai Chatterjee said that economic empowerment is the “key”. “Economic empowerment is not just about putting money in a woman’s hand, but is also about food, basic social security, child care, pension and housing. Then, when she has money in her hand, that’s when we see a transformation,” she said. rapists and criminalizing voyeurism, stalking, acid attacks and the trafficking of women. In September, a special fast track court sentenced four of the perpetrators of the Delhi case to death. And earlier this month, a court sentenced to death three men who raped a photojournalist inside an abandoned textile mill last year in Mumbai, India’s
biggest city, under a new anti-rape law. The victim of that attack survived. The Pew poll found that only 7 percent of Indians rated the current laws as “about right” in dealing with cases of rape, and only 6 percent said the police investigated rape cases adequately. Some 18 percent thought the laws were too tough. The margin of sampling error was 3.8 percentage points.
running sex racket Five women from Manipur and Nagaland arrested gUrgAON, April 23 (iANS): The wife of a tax officer has been booked here for running a sex racket, police said Wednesday. The racket operating out of a spa and massage parlour, located on the second floor of DT City Centre Mall here on the Mehrauli-Gurgaon road, was busted Tuesday evening. “The parlour was being run by Kanta Sharma. We have sent her notice to join the investigation and will grill her soon,” Sandeep Kumar, chief of Sector 29 police station, told IANS. Kanta’s husband is an excise and taxation officer posted in Gurgaon. Five women from the northeast, aged 20 to 25 years, along with a customer, were arrested. “All accused were identified as natives of Manipur and Nagaland. The customer arrested is a Gurgaon resident. They have been sent to seven days’ judicial custody by the court of Magistrate Joginder Singh,” the officer added. A police complaint under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act has been registered.
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Dimapur
Thursday
Entrepreneurs encouraged to start food processing business
moKoKchuNg, april 23 (mExN): A seminar cum awareness programme on National Mission on Food Processing (NMFP) was held here today where more than thirty individuals were sensitized on the various programmes and schemes under the NMFP. Deputy Director of Industries and Commerce, Nagaland, Khrielie Peseyie while delivering the keynote address highlighted the background of the NMFP and encouraged entrepreneurs to start food processing businesses saying the department is always ready to help genuine entrepreneurs. He also advised that Naga entrepreneurs should learn to “start small and build big than to dream big and end small.” Peseyie also disclosed that the department is in the process of formulating a Vision Document for Food Processing in Nagaland. Sagar Kurade, Managing Director of Suman Food Consultants Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, speaking at the programme said that there are unlimited opportunities in
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Resource persons and participants of the seminar cum awareness programme on National Mission on Food Processing (NMFP) along with officials of the Department of Industries & Commerce. (Morung Photo)
food processing industry and advised Naga entrepreneurs to start from processing the food specific to Nagaland. Claiming that his company is the leading consulting company in food processing in India,
Kohima, april 23 (mExN): The Art Avenue is presenting fashion, music and dance extravaganza promoted by V. Movi on May 10 at Capital Convention Hall, Kohima from 5:00 PM onwards. Johnny Ruangmei, OSD, NSDMA will be the special guest while Hukupa Thulu-o, Mister International India 2013 will also grace the show as special appearance.
Seminar on scheme under NMFP Kohima, april 23 (mExN): The office of the general manager District Industries Centre (DIC), Kohima informed all the food processing/manufacturing units/ intending entrepreneurs that a seminar-cum-awareness programme on scheme under National Mission on Food Processing (NMFP) during 2013-17 will be held on May 3 at 10:00 AM in the conference hall of District Industries Centre, Kohima for Kohima district. Stating this in a release, A. Temjen Jamir, general manager DIC Kohima informed all interested entrepreneurs to avail this opportunity.
WW II veteran pension to be distributed
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moKoKchuNg, april 23 (Dipr): Zila Sainki Welfare Officer, Mokokchung, Lt.Col.R.S Ahluwalia (Retd) has informed all World War II Veterans that payment of pension and other grants will be distributed on 23rd April 2014 at Zila Sainik Board (ZSB) office, Mokokchung. All concerned have been informed to bring Identity Card and Pension Book issued by ZSB.
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Transport department notifies
Kohima, april 23 (Dipr): In con- State Finance Commission tinuation to the notification of Transport Department, the following Officials have Designation Plate 1. Commandant and equivalent been authorized to use red beacon/flag post/designation plate while discharging rank in Police 2. Addl. Deputy Commissioner Official duties. holding Independent charge and Majors/Captains of Assam Rifles on civil Red beacon with Flag Post assignments and designation plate 1. District & Session Judges This was issued in an Addendum by 2. The Registrar of High Court Commissioner & Secretary to the Govern3. PCCF & Addl. PCCF 4. Chairman and Members of the ment of Nagaland, Neihu C. Thur, IAS.
Kurade welcomed interested entrepreneurs who want their counsel and advice, including preparing of Detailed Project Reports. He also disclosed that his company will be soon opening an office in Nagaland.
Kuko Nuh, FPI Cell, Joel Phucho FPI Cell and Bendangjungla, NERAMAC were the other three resource persons for the day. An interaction session was also held as part of the seminar where the participants
were given the opportunity to clear their doubts. Moawati, General Manager, DIC Mokokchung chaired the programme while R.Abenla, Functional Manager, DIC delivered the vote of thanks.
Kohima, april 23 (Dipr): The Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms Government of Nagaland in an office memorandum stated that in line with the allocation of works under the Rules of Executive Business, the Department of P&AR is assigned with the responsibility of according recognition to the Service Associations of State Government employees. All such Service Associations shall get recognition from the Department of P&AR. It is also mentioned that the following procedure shall govern the recognition of Service Associations
ACAUT in forefront of anti-corruption fight
Dimapur, april 23 (mExN): ACAUT Convener RTI Cell, Dr. Kekhugha Murru today stated that, “75% of the money sanctioned for our state disappears due to corruption and only 25% is left for development.” Speaking strongly against corruption, Dr. Kekhugha Murru said, “Forget about Rs. 2000 crores budget even if Central government sanctions Rs. 2 lakh crores budget, Nagaland will always say it is too less.” Addressing an awareness drive held at Dimapur Government College, he said that corruption is so high that it is affecting the MNREGA Scheme. “The 100 days wage meant for poor villagers are being misused and siphoned off by the concerned government department. Villag-
ers are getting only 30-40 days of employment when in reality they should be getting 100 days of employment under the scheme,” he said. “Central schemes for the poor or economically backward, educated unemployed, etc are not reaching the targeted people. Favoritism and nepotism are a huge stumbling block,” he added. He also spoke out against “random backdoor appointments.” Further, he alleged that “even in Food and Civil Supply, the food items are not reaching the beneficiaries. Kerosene provided at subsidized rate is not reaching the beneficiaries but instead it is being diverted for fuel adulteration and is also being sold at open market at Rs. 60-80 per litre.”
ACAUT Nagaland visited Dimapur Government College on April 17 in continuation of its awareness drive. ACAUT Liaison convener, Simon Kelio, chaired the programme. Joel Nillo Kath, ACAUT Vice-Chairman dwelled on the history and formation of ACAUT Nagaland and on taxation issue and explained the ACAUT Resolution of “One Government, One Tax”. AC AU T Nagaland pledge to fight corruption was led by Tia Longchar. The call to take the pledge is purely voluntary. As the call was made, everyone present in the College Hall stood up and took the pledge keeping their right hands on their hearts. An interactive session followed where difficult questions such as “Is ACAUT another Aam
Admi party in the making?”, “What corrupted means did ACAUT conveners involve in before joining the movement and how ACAUT has changed them” were some few asked by the faculty members and students. The programme ended with the song “We shall overcome” led by an ACAUT Convener. Light refreshment followed where more interactions took place. ACAUT Nagaland informs the Principals and administrations of different colleges that if they are interested in this awareness drive and wants the ACAUT team to visit their colleges they can contact the Public Mobilization Convener, Tia Longchar, Mobile no.9863144588. This was stated in a press release issued by ACAUT Media Cell.
Language Lab at ELTI Cell SCERT inaugurated Kohima, april 23 (Dipr): Commissioner & Secretary, School Education and SCERT, M. Patton, IAS inaugurated the Language Lab at the English Language Teaching Institute (ELTI) Cell, SCERT Nagaland on April 22. Speaking on the occasion, M. Patton said that the English language learning methods have changed today although some of the older methods like writing essays and applications etc should be carried on. He said that even after completion of studies English is a necessity in all spheres of life. He stated that in competitive exams like UPSC, some indigenous languages are accepted as medium for writing, whereas English is the only channel for the Nagas to compete.
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Directives on recognition of service associations under state government
Art Avenue presents fashion, music, dance
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Since English is comparatively more important to us, Patton said that English teachers should be very careful in imparting the language and also make efforts to upgrade the standard of English in our State. While congratulating the SCERT staff for setting up the language lab, Patton urged the talented staffs to venture out in other educational fields and create more language lab-like centres. Director SCERT, Vipralhou Kesiezie while highlighting the on the establishment and working of ELTI in Nagaland said that Nagaland ELTI was established in 2008 which became the 14th and the youngest ELTI in the country. Kesiezie said SCERT provides Higher Secondary and College students
a platform in learning, reading, writing and notes preparation skills. He added that the main objective of the ELTI is to train teachers to teach English correctly and effectively. Kesiezie said that the software installed in the ELTI language lab has features in different levels like Elementary, Intermediate and advanced where errors in spoken English, pronunciation can be rectified and also learning situational conversations, comprehension through listen, repeat and exercise are part of the programme. Reader, Akala Kin, chaired the function. Resource person, Dr. Imlienla Imchen gave a demonstration of the language lab. Students also shared their experiences of the language lab.
and continuation of such recognitions: 1. An application along with the Memorandum of Association, Constitution, By-laws of the Association, names of office bearers, details of total members and any other information required by the government shall be submitted to the Department of P&AR. 2. All Association shall submit every year on or before 1st April the list of latest office bearers along with the Annual Audited Statement of Accounts and the amendments to the constitution, by-laws etc for continuation of
the recognition. 3. All applications shall be routed through the respective Head of the Departments who shall scrutinize the applications and forward them with their comments and views to Department of P&AR. All Associations are therefore directed to submit the application on or before 31st May, 2014 for getting recognition and those Associations that have been already recognized to submit the details of the orders of past recognition granted and other particulars as in item (ii) for continuation of recognition.
MEx File
AASHSS Peren informs Kohima, april 23 (mExN): The Alumni of All Saints Higher Secondary School, Peren have been informed that there will be a general body meeting on April 26 from the school auditorium at 10:30 AM. The advisors, former office bearers, school authority and past students have been requested to attend the said meeting positively. The members have been asked to SMS their name to confirm their participation to Let Gong Patrick @ 9856737812/ Azubo N. Dominic @ 8414898905.
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Alcatel one touch opens outlet at Kohima Kohima, april 23 (mExN): Alcatel one touch had recently opened its outlet at Kohima. The company which deals in mobile handsets and accessories is located at Wewe Place opposite the State Library. Proprietor Aaron Zhimomi said mobile aficionados can avail a wide variety of mobile phone ranging easy on the pocket priced handset to high end models. For further information, one can contact 9856051418.
DC Peren restricts plying of log vehicles pErEN, april 23 (Dipr): The Deputy Commissioner Peren, Peter Lichamo in a press release informed that in view of the decision taken during DPDB meeting held on 16/04/2014, plying of log vehicles will be strictly banned during rainy season w.e.f 1st May 2014 till 31st October 2014 under Peren District, in order to prevent further damage to the existing roads.
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Five prisoner escapes from Phek sub jail
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phEK, april 23 (Dipr): It was reported from Jail officials, that the 5 (five) prisoners from Phek Sub-jail were reportedly escape at around 12.10 Pm on 15th April 2014. The Jail official said that, the prisoners escaped at broad day light while there were only 3(three) wardens on duties and taking advantage of the situation, the escaped prisoners took the help of wooden bench and escaped from the backside of the kitchen. Meanwhile, in order to re-arrest/re-capture effort has been going on and it may be mentioned that 1 (one) UTPhad been arrested on the same day so far. According source from Zuchamo Lotha, Superintendent, Sub-jail, Phek.
KLLRU triennial conference on April 26
N. Imsusangba Sangtam, NPS Superintendent of police (S.P) Mon alongwith O.C P.S Tobu and Staff visited Pessao village, Tobu Sub Division, Mon District on April 22 and donated Rs 50,000/- in cash as an immediate relief to the fire victims and Rs 10,000/- for repairing of partially burnt shejong (Morung). (DIPR Photo)
In remembrance of Veteran Naga Freedom Fighter
Late Yongkongangshi Longchar
We solemnly remember on this day the 24th April, 2014 Veteran Naga Freedom Fighter Late Yongkongangshi Longchar, son of Late Martsuden on his 8th Death Anniversary who sacrificed his entire life for the cause of Naga Nationalism. Born in 1923 at Süngratsü Village, he did his schooling at Impur Mission Centre and graduated from St. Anthony’s College, Shillong, after which he served as Assistant Headmaster at the People’s Instituted Naga National School from 1952 which was later closed down by the Government of India. Seeing the Nagas’ hardship living under a foreign rule, he decided to fight for Naga freedom and joined NNC in 1956. While serving as General Secretary cum Minister for the Naga Political Movement, he along with Late AZ Phizo, Late Gen. Kaito, Late Gen.Mowu and Late Khadao Yanthan were sent to London by the Nagas in order to garner international support for the Naga national cause. Based at London, he contributed immensely towards the Naga freedom movement and even old age did not deter him in his effort. Though all of his friends and colleagues returned to our native land, he refused to do so even at the request of friends and relatives saying that, “I have been sent of a mission by the Naga people. Until I fulfil this I cannot return home, alive or dead.” Thus, with great determination he sacrificed his life for the cause of Naga freedom for more than 50 years and breathed his last breath at London on this day the 24th April, 2006 and as wished by him, his mortal remains is still preserved at London. Nonetheless, it is our prayer and hope that one day a solution will be arrived at for the Naga Political Movement and the mortal remains of our Late Yongkongangshi Longchar can be brought back to our beloved native land. Sd/Koratoshi Jamir, President, Süngratsü Senso Mungdang.
Sd/Imo Longchar, Chairman, Süngratsü Village Council
Kohima, april 23 (mExN): The Kohima Lotha Lower Range Union (KLLRU) has convened triennial conference–cum-picnic on April 26 at Highland Park Conference Hall, Kohima. MLA Mmhonlumo Kikon, chairman MARCOFED will grace the occasion as the chief guest. All Lotha lower range public have been requested to attend along with their family members positively. This was stated in a release issued by KLLRU chairman Chumdemo Kikon and general secretary K. Liban Patton.
Meeting of committee to scrutinize parliamentary laws Kohima, april 23 (Dipr): The Secretary Nagaland Legislative Assembly, A.E. Lotha has informed that the Committee to Scrutinize Parliamentary Laws for application to Nagaland will have a meeting on Friday, the 25th April 2014 at 2 p.m. in the Committee Room of the Assembly Secretary to discuss matters pertaining to the Nagaland Registration of Marriage Bill, 2012. Therefore all the members have been requested to attend the meeting positively.
Naga Council calls meeting Dimapur, april 23 (mExN): The Naga Council informs all the councilors of its office that an emergency consultative meeting will be held on April 26 at 10:00 am at Unity Hall, Naga Council Office. The agenda of the meeting would be the shifting of the DC’s office from Dimapur to Chumukedima. NCD general secretary in a press release has requested all the councilors concerned to attend the meeting without fail.
YAN supports NSSTA agitation Dimapur, april 23 (mExN): The Youth Association of Nagaland (YAN) has extended full support to the ongoing agitation called by the NSSTA for nonpayment of salaries and arrears since 2013. YAN general secretary Zhalie Chuzho in a press release appealed to the State government to fulfill the genuine demand of NSSTA. The YAN also asked the department concerned to seriously view the plight of both the teachers and students.
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REgional
The Morung Express
Northeast Briefs Two dead in Assam pre-poll violence KOKRAJHAR (ASSAM), APRIL 23 (PTI): Two persons were shot dead by suspected NDFB (Songbijit) anti-talk faction militants in pre-poll violence in Assam’s Kokrajhar district a day before Lok Sabha polls, police said. Heavily armed militants attacked them at Bhogjhra village and shot them at pointblank range killing them on the spot. Security has been tightened in the district, which goes to poll tomorrow, following intelligence inputs that NDFB(S) is planning to create disturbances during the poll.
15 newborn die in hospital DARJEELING, APRIL 23 (PTI): Fifteen newborn babies have died in the state-run North Bengal Medical College and Hospital at Siliguri in the district since Monday, hospital superintendent Dr Amerendra Nath Sarker said on Tuesday. Low weight during birth, infection and some other reasons were there behind the unfortunate incident, Sarker said. North Bengal Development Minister Goutam Deb said if anyone was found guilty for the death of the babies, action would be taken against them.
12 houses gutted in Mizoram AIZAWL, APRIL 23 (PTI): At least 12 houses, belonging to the Bru community in Putlungasih village in south Mizoram's Lunglei district were completely gutted today, official sources said. No one was killed or injured in the fire which broke out at around noon reportedly from a house belonging to H Lalhmingthanga, they said, adding, that the cause of fire was yet to be determined. Meanwhile, the forest fire, which started five days back, continued to create havoc and ravaged large forest area in central Mizoram's Serchhip district, prompting the district administration to take emergency measures.
GUWAHATI, APRIL 23 (PTI): Six constituencies will go to poll on Thursday in the third and final phase of Lok Sabha election in Assam to decide the fate of 74 candidates. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who has been representing Assam in the Rajya Sabha since 1991, and his wife Gursharan Kaur are scheduled to arrive here on Thursday and cast their votes at Dispur Government Higher Secondary School around noon. Polling will be held to decide the fate of 74 candidates, including nine women, in Kokrajhar(ST), Dhubri, Barpeta, Mangaldoi, Gauhati and Nowgong spread over the districts of Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Goalpara, Nalbari, Baksa, Chirang, Darrang, Udalguri, Morigaon, Nagaon, Kamrup (Metro) and Kamrup(Rural). Guwahati senior superintendent of police (City) A K Tewary said the SPG had chalked out an elaborate security arrangement for the Prime Minister and his wife. Security has been tight-
Heat wave may mar turnout in Assam's final phase
GUWAHATI, APRIL 23 (ET): Just ahead of third and final phase of polls for 2014 Lok Sabha where ballots will be cast on April 24, Northeast India has been hit by extreme weather conditions. Apprehensions are that if such weather condition persists Assam may not be able to register impressive voter turnout witnessed in the last two phases of April 7 and 12. The northeastern region is reeling under hot weather conditions. Northeast India on Monday recorded temperatures of 40.1 degree Celsius, something unseen since April 17, 1999. Guwahati's normal temperature at this time of the year is an average 31 degree. ened across all six constituencies, particularly in Kokrajhar district, where the NDFB(S) is active and sporadic incidents of prepoll violence occurred with 75 companies of security forces being deployed. Security has been tightened along the international border with Bangladesh and Bhutan in Dhubri, Barpeta and Mangaldoi con-
mentary Constituency seat by a margin of 1.5 lakhs…Since the statement is made just after the poll i.e., 9th April, 2014, we have some apprehension that EVMs may be manipulated to their advantage.” Makunga went on to state in the letter that “according to the assessment, the NPF candidate, Mr. Soso Lorho has the maximum chances of winning the seat.” “However, if the EVMs are manipulated as speculated in the past too, it may jeopardise the free and fair election already held…It is highly probable that such prediction is being made beforehand while a workable solution for such prediction has already been in the offing,” the letter alleged. It requested the authority concerned to “kindly intervene and ensure that such manipulation of EVMs are not done at any cost
for the sake of justice as fairness.” In response to this, Under Secretary, Dilip K Varma, from the ECI, wrote to Abonmai Athuan, NPF’s Manipur unit general secretary on April 21, “The Commission assures you that the use of ECI-EVMs in every election is completely free from any malpractice. For this, the Commission has put in place stringent administrative measures and procedural safeguards to prevent any possible tampering of the ECI-EVMs. The introduction of Electronic Voting Machines in Indian Elections was made after wide consultations with Technical Experts and Political Parties. Electronic Voting Machines are in use for more than two decades. They have been proved non-tamperable owing to their technical security and administrative safeguards.”
MHA directs Assam to stop construction near Arunachal border ITANAGAR, APRIL 23 (PTI): The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has directed the Assam government to immediately stop the construction of forest camps at disputed areas of the inter-state boundary with Arunachal Pradesh and maintain status quo, official sources said here today. Ministry's Director (North East) Ajay Kanoujia in his directive to the commissioner and secretary (Home) of Assam has asked an immediate halt to the erection of infrastructure at Tarasso which might escalate tension in the boundary area, they said. The ministry also requested the Assam administration to sort out the issue with due consul-
24 April 2014
Dimapur
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Seven Assam final phase polls today, militants PM to cast vote in Guwahati surrender
Use of EVMs completely transparent and fair: ECI NEW DELHI, APRIL 23 (MExN): The Election Commission of India (ECI) has written to the Naga People’s Front (NPF) Manipur unit asking it to rest assured that the “use of ECI-EVMs in elections is completely transparent and fair and the election result would be a true reflection of the will of voters.” This came following a complaint to “the chief election commission of India” dated April 11, 2014, by W. Morung Makunga, Election Agent for Soso Lorho, NPF candidate for IIOuter Manipur (ST) Parliamentary Constituency seat for the 16th Lok Sabha elections, on the “manipulation of EVMs.” “The Chief Minister of Manipur,” noted the complaint, “and his Deputy” had openly stated that “the Congress (I) candidate Thangso Baite will win the II- Outer Manipur (ST) Parlia-
Thursday
tation with the Arunachal is fanning tension in the send a team of ministry's Pradesh government and area," the letter pointed out officials to the area to into submit a report at the and urged the ministry to spect the ground reality. earliest. The ministry's directive came after Home Commissioner of Arunachal Pradesh, in a letter to the ministry on April 18 last, sought its intervention in the reported erection of a new structure in the disputed inter-state boundary area by Assam forest officials. The Commissioner, in his letter, also drew the attention of the ministry on the reported sanction of an amount of Rs 19 lakh by the Assam government for erection of forest protection camps in the area, sources disclosed. "Construction activity by the Assam government
Six Lok Sabha constituencies of Guwahati, Dhubri, Nagaon, Kokrajhar, Mangaldoi and Barpeta will go to polls on Thursday. It is BJP's turn now to defend its bastions Guwahati, Dhubri and Nagaon and Mangaldoi. Congress is defending Barpeta and its ally Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF) is fighting hard to retain the Kokrajhar Lok Sabha seat. In the first two phases Assam witnessed voter turnout of 78.72 per cent and 76.33 per cent, respectively. Additional chief electoral officer of Assam, R C Jain, told ET, "Whatever might be the weather conditions we are expecting a robust turnout in the third phase."
stituencies too. An electorate of 94,21,977, including 48,79,424 males and 45,42,553 female are expected to exercise their franchise in 11,994 polling stations of which 920 are hyper-sensitive and 1658 sensitive. In minority-dominated Dhubri constituency, where 15 candidates are in fray, the contest is expected
Sources in Regional Meteorology Centre Guwahati (RMC) said that dry westerly winds blowing from the Gangetic plains in the lower atmosphere were at the root of the present hot weather condition in the region. The Met office has ruled out any possibility of rainfall in the anext couple of days. Political parties are worried that extreme weather conditions may work as a dampener. The prevailing power cuts and unscheduled load shedding in Assam are also adding to the people's woes. Over 9.4 million people are expected to exercise their franchise on Thursday. A total of 74 candidates are in the fray for the six constituencies.
to be between AIUDF chief and sitting MP Badruddin Ajmal, Congress candidate Wazed Ali Choudhury and BJP's Debamoy Sanyal. An interesting battle is on the cards in the Kokrajhar (ST) constituency with six candidates in fray including Assam tourism minister Chandan Brahma of BPF and sitting BPF MP S K Bwismuthiary who was denied a
ticket by the party and is now contesting as an independent bidding to win for the fifth consecutive term. Barpeta with 15 candidates in fray is another seat which has evoked great interest. The Mangaldoi constituency has 12 candidates in fray. The prestigious Gauhati constituency has the highest number of 18 candidates contesting.
TEZPUR, APRIL 23 (PTI): Seven terrorists belonging to the banned NDFB(S) Wednesday surrendered and deposited a cache of arms and ammunition in front of Sonitpur district administration officials. They surrendered before the district SP, the DC and officials from the Army and CRPF. Sonitpur SP Sanjukta Parasar said the militants were not involved in any major incident and were from various parts of the state. The militants deposited six grenades, three pistols, three magazines, 22 rounds of live ammunition and two sharp weapons. They are identified as the self-styled section commanders Manoj Narzary alias N Mathawar and Rediip Gayari alias R Rowongra. The other five extremists are Puspa Bbasumatary alias B Gwran, Futhaisha Narzary alias Grensha Narzary, Rajesh Basumatary alias Lawthai, Mulan Boro alias Kalta and Surya Barma alias Srikhang Barma.
OFFICE OF DY INSPECTOR GENERAL:: SHQ BSF CI(OPS) MANIPUR: KOIRENGEI PO: MANITRIPUKHRI IMPHAL MANIPUR No. Engg/SHQ MPR/Civil/T-Notice/2014/
NOTICE INVITING TENDER Assistant Engineer (Elect) for DIG Sector Headquarter Border Security Force, CI(Ops) Koirengei Imphal Manipur invites Item rate tenders on behalf of President of India from approved and eligible contractors of CPWD and those of appropriate classes borne on the approved list of Railways, MES, BSNL, State PWD, PHE or specialized agencies upto 1600 Hrs on date 26th April'2014 S/ No.
Name of work
Earnest Estimated Money Cost put to amount to tender be drawn in favour of (3) (4) Rs. 16,906/- DIG 8,45,312/- BSF SHQ CI(Ops) Manipur
Last date & Time of Application
Last date Last date Last date Cost & time for & time for & Time of Connpleti of sale of received of opening of o n Period Tender Tender tender Tender
(1) (2) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) 01 C/O Toilet block nearby SHQ BSF SHQ BSF SHQ BSF 120 Days 500/SHQ BSF Sector SO's Mess at CI(Ops) CI(Ops) CI(Ops) CI(Ops) BSF Campus Koirengei Manipur Manipur Manipur Manipur 13 Bn (Now 49 Bn - BSF) 23/04/14 24/04/14 26/04/14 at 26/04/14 at under SHQ BSF Cl(ops) 1600 hrs 1600 hrs 1600 Hrs 1630 Hrs Manipur 02 C/O Dining hall for ORs at Rs 15,255/- DIG -do-do-do-do90 days' 500/BSF Campus 13 bn BSF 7,62,729/- BSF SHQ (Now 49 Bn) Koirengei CI (Ops) under SHQ BSF CI(Ops) Manipur Manipur 03 C/O Temporary Structure Rs 16,120/- DIG -do-do-do-do120 days 500/for living accommodation 8,05,969/- BSF SHQ for Jawans at CI Post CI(Ops) Cheteba of 111 Bn BSF Manipur Satakha under SHQ BSF CI(OpS) Manipur 04 C/O Temporary Structure Rs. 16,120/- DIG -do-do-do-do120 days 500/for living accommodation 8,05,969/- BSF SHQ for Jawans at CI Post CI(Ops) Phugwi of 111 Bn BSF Manipur Satakha under SHQ BSF CI(Ops)Manipur 2. The above earnest money in the mode of deposit at call receipt/fixed deposit receipt/demand draft of schedules bank issued in favour of mentioned at column 04(four) along with cost of the tender paper (non-refundable) shall be submitted by the intending tenderer at the time of submitting their application. The attested copies of all credential & registration etc, along with original documents for verification of valid PAN, Sale tax, Income tax attested copies should be submitted along with application for purchase for tender (Cost of tender paper will be submitted in cash). Application without having above documents will not be considered for issue of tender papers. 3. The above tender notice is also available on BSF Website www.bsf.nic.in 4. The department reserves the right to reject any tender without assigning any reason. 5. In case there happens to be holiday on 26/04/14 tender will be opened on next working day. Distribution:-
AE (Elect) For Executive Engineer (Civil) SHQ BSF CI (Ops) Manipur
DAVP/19110/11/0037/1415
RECRUITMENT RALLY FOR 164 INFANTARY BATTALION TA (H&H) NAGA 1. A recruitment rally for enrollment of resident Naga Tribal of Nagaland State into 164 Inf Bn (TA) (H&H) Naga as Soldier General Duty, Clerk and Steward, would be held from 09 May 2014 to 10 May 2014 at Meluri, Meluri Village local ground, Phek (Nagaland) for vacancies of Soldier (General Duty)-12, Clerk (Staff Duty)01 & Steward-01. 2. The qualitative requirement (QR) are as follows :(a) Educational qualification :(i) Soldier General Duty - Class 8th pass. (ii) Steward – Class V and above. (ii) Clerk (General Duty) - Class 12th pass with 50 % (over all) from any stream (Arts, Commerce, Science with 50% marks in aggregate. Should have studied English and Maths/Accounts/Book as compulsory subject in 10th or 12th standards. (b) Height : Minimum 152 cms, Weight : Minimum 50 kgs( + 2 Kg),Chest Minimum 77 cms with expansion of 5 cms. (c) Age : Between 18 to 42 years (should not have been married before the age of 21 years). Should not born before 10 May 1972 and after 10 May 1996. (d) Should be gainfully employed in Govt/Semi Govt/Pvt Sector or self employed. (e) Must be of resident Naga Tribal of Phek District, Nagaland State. 3. The screening of candidates will commence at 0600 AM on 09 May 2014 and the Medical Examination and Documentation of all candidates will be done after initial selection. 4. Preliminary screening. Before conduct of test, candidates will be put through a preliminary screening for Height, Weight and permanent body tattoos which are only permitted on inner face of forearms i.e. from inside of elbow to the wrist and on the reverse side of palm/back (dorsal) side hand. Permanent body tattoos on any other part of the body is not acceptable and candidate will be barred from further screening. 5. The candidates will have to undergo physical tests, Run of 1.6 Km, Chin Ups, Balance Beam and 9 Feet ditch followed by written test of short listed candidates after screening. 6. Documents Required to be Submitted are as under. Candidates to bring two photocopies of these document at the time of reporting :
(a) Education certificate and Character certificate (should not be six months old on the date of rect rally). (b) Permanent residential/Indigenous/Domicile certificate. (c) Unmarried Certificate. Certificate from village Administrative head duly endorsing his office seal for candidate below 21 year of age. (d) Two copies of latest passport size coloured photograph of candidate in light blue or white background. Photograph should not be attested.
7. Terms and conditions. (a) Annual Training Camp. Present Govt sanction for the Battalion is till 30 Mar 2015, thereafter the candidates will be called for two months Annual Training Camp each year and will be disembodied on completion of said Annual Training Camp, in case embodiment under Rule-33 is not extended. (b) Pay and Allowances. The selected candidates will be employed in 164 Inf Bn (TA) (H&H) NAGA. The pay and other facilities during embodiment will be after Rect trg Basic Pay - 6400 + 2000 (Grade Pay) + 2000 (MSP) per month + applicable Dearness allowance, Free food, accommodation, uniform, CSD facilities, Free medical facilities and Other allowances as applicable to Regular Army and Pension Benefit if individual completes 15 yrs paid service.
C M Y K
4
Dimapur
businEss/public discoursE
Thursday 24 April 2014
Toyota sells 2.58 million vehicles
TOKYO, April 23 (Ap): Toyota kept its position at the top in global vehicle sales for the first quarter of this year, outpacing rivals General Motors and Volkswagen. Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday that it sold a record 2.583 million vehicles in the January-March period, putting the Japanese automaker ahead of Detroit-based GM at 2.42 million and Volkswagen of Germany at 2.4 million. Toyota’s first quarter sales rose by more than 6% from the same period the previous year. GM’s sales grew 2%, while Volkswagen’s added nearly 6 percent. Toyota finished first last year with a record 9.98 million vehicles in sales, remaining the top-selling automaker for a second year in a row. General Motors Co. finished second and VW third. Toyota is targeting sales of more than 10 million vehicles this year. No auto-
The 2015 Toyota Camry is introduced at the New York International Auto Show, on Wednesday, April 16, in New York. (AP Photo)
maker has sold that many in a year. Toyota officials say being No. 1 is not that important, and they want to be No. 1 in customer satisfaction. But competition is intense among all the world’s automakers, and clinching
N
the top-selling automaker crown is not taken lightly. By region, Toyota’s first quarter sales grew in Japan as consumers rushed to buy ahead of a rise in the sales tax, which kicked in April 1. Its sales also grew in the rest of
Asia, the Middle East, South America and Africa, accordingtoToyota.GeneralMotors had been the No. 1 selling automaker for more than seven decadesbeforelosingthetitle to Toyota in 2008. GM retook the sales
crown in 2011, when Toyota’s production was hurt by the quake and tsunami in northeastern Japan. But the maker of the Prius hybrid, Camry sedan and Lexus luxury model made a comeback in 2012, and kept that lead in 2013. GM’s image has taken a hit after a February recall of 2.6 million vehicles for defective ignition switches, a defect the company tied to 13 deaths. GM and the U.S. government are investigating why it took the company more than a decade to recall the cars after engineers first learned of the switch problems. Toyota also underwent a massive recall debacle in the U.S., announcing recall after recall starting in 2009. It paid a $1.2 billion earlier this year to settle a U.S. Justice Department investigation into charges of covering up problems that caused unintended acceleration in some cars.
The Morung Express
DGCA allows use of mobiles, laptops in flight mode
NEW DElHi, April 23 (Bl): The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has allowed the use of portable electronic devices, including cellphone, in flight/airplane mode, during all phases of flight. “Please put your mobile phones on the flight mode’’. Now on, you may hear an airhostess announcing this before your flight takes off instead of asking you to switch it off! This has now become possible with the DGCA today amending the rule which bans the use of portable electronic devices (PEDs) and allowing their usage in all phases of flight but on a non-transmitting or flight mode, official sources said. Civil aviation requirement With the implementation of the new rule or Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR), flyers can now turn on their cellphones, tablets or laptops on ‘flight mode’ to work, play video games, listen to music, watch pre-loaded movies or type their emails. The mails would, however, be sent only after the plane lands at an airport. Maintaining that this has been a longpending demand of the airlines, aviation experts say it would give passengers more time to work or catch up on their chosen form of entertainment. In particular, it would benefit those fly-
ing on no-frill carriers which provide no access to any in-flight entertainment. The aviation regulator has also laid down training guidelines for the flight crew to handle the new facility being given to the air travellers. Air safety The new rule also directs all airlines to report to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) any suspected or confirmed PED interference or smoke or fire caused by them, the sources said. They said that a section of the CAR relating to air safety has been amended to allow the use of PEDs in “non-transmitting mode, commonly called as Flight/Airplane Mode’’. The decision was taken after a meeting on the issue last week when scheduled airlines had raised the demand to allow the use of PEDs during all phases of flight. The DGCA examined their demand in view of the new regulations of the US regulator, Federal Aviation Administration and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, which allow the use of PEDs on flight mode in all phases of a flight. The latest DGCA move would put India on par with a handful of other countries which allow the use of mobiles while on board.
Positive Mental Health
agaland joined the rest of the world in marking this year’s World Health Day on 7th April 2014 on the theme “vector borne disease – small creatures: big threat”. World Health Day is celebrated on 7th April every year to mark the anniversary of the founding of World health Organization (WHO) in 1948. Each year, a theme is selected that highlights a priority area of public health. The day provides an opportunity for individuals in every community to get involved in activities that can lead to better health. A lot of focus and importance is given to the promotion of physical health and wellbeing as it is vital for the development of any society. As physical health is vital to each one of us, mental health also is important. Good health makes us live our lives comfortably but good mental health will enable us to live happily. Positive mental health needs attention and we have to promote it in all areas of life to improve the quality of our life and well being. Positive mental health is a state of well-being in which we realize our abilities, can cope with life’s normal stresses, and can work regularly and productively. Good mental health is the foundation for a person’s effective functioning. Focusing on mental health involves all the domains of Total Force Fitness: spiritual, psychological, behavioural, social, physical, nutritional, medical and environmental. As individuals, we must fo-
cus on the integration of mind, body and spirit in order to be balanced and strong, and to maintain our own good health. Mental health is more than the absence of mental illness. The World Health Organization defines mental health as “a state of wellbeing in which the individual realizes his or her abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her society.” According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, positive mental health has been described as “the capacity of each and all of us to feel, think, and act in ways that enhance our ability to enjoy life and deal with the challenges we face. It is a positive sense of emotional and spiritual wellbeing that respects the importance of culture, equity, social justice, interconnections and personal dignity”. We know that people who are emotionally healthy are in control of their emotions and their behaviour. They are able to handle life’s challenges, build strong relationships, and recover from setbacks. But just as it requires effort to build or maintain physical health, so it is with mental and emotional health. Improving our emotional health can be a rewarding experience, benefiting all aspects of our life, including boosting our mood, building resilience, and adding to our overall enjoyment of
life. It includes the way we feel about ourselves, the quality of our relationships, and our ability to manage our feelings and deal with difficulties appropriately. Mental health will enable us to handle life’s pressure in a proper manner that can make us mature individuals. Good mental health isn’t just the absence of mental health problems. Being mentally or emotionally healthy is much more than being free of depression, anxiety, or other psychological issues. Rather than the absence of mental illness, mental and emotional health refers to the presence of positive characteristics. Similarly, not feeling bad is not the same as feeling good. While some people may not have negative feelings, they still need to do things that make them feel positive in order to achieve mental and emotional health. Positive thoughts will promote positive vibrations into our being and will promote positive mental health. Being emotionally and mentally healthy doesn’t mean never going through bad times or experiencing emotional problems. We all go through disappointments, loss, and change. And while these are normal parts of life, they can still cause sadness, anxiety, and stress. The difference is that people with good emotional health have an ability to bounce back from adversity, trauma,
and stress. This ability is called resilience. People who are emotionally and mentally healthy have the tools for coping with difficult situations and maintaining a positive outlook. They remain focused, flexible, and creative in bad times as well as good. It is a need for us today as we face more challenges of life more than ever now. In order to maintain and strengthen our mental and emotional health, it’s important to pay attention to our own needs and feelings. Don’t let stress and negative emotions build up. Try to maintain a balance between daily responsibilities and the things enjoy doing. If we take care of ourselves, we will be better prepared to deal with challenges if and when they arise. Positive thinking will help us build positive lives with good values and attitudes towards life and its challenges. Positive mental health can help us deal with emotions such as anger and depression during difficult times and situations in a mature and appropriate manner. We are social creatures with an emotional need for relationships and positive connections to others. We’re not meant to survive, let alone thrive, in isolation. Our social brains crave companionship, even when our experiences have made us shy and distrustful of others. Social interaction specifically talking to someone else
about our problems can also help to reduce stress. The key is to find a supportive relationship with someone who is a “good listener” someone who can talk to regularly, preferably face-to-face, who will listen to us without a pre-existing agenda for how we need should think or feel. A good listener will listen to the feelings behind our words, and won’t interrupt or judge or criticize for whatever we share with them. It is time that we develop a friendship with someone we can talk to regularly, and then listen and support each other. Most of us feel alone and lonely in this beautiful universe where we could be enjoying life with everything in it to the fullest. We don’t have meaningful relationships that are supportive and healthy. Our mental health is very important today. We will not have a healthy body if we don’t also take care of our mind. People depend on us in many respects and want to establish relationship that can ease their pain and stress. It’s important for us to take care of ourselves so that we can do the important things in life whether it’s working, learning, taking care of our family, volunteering, enjoying the outdoors, or whatever is important to us and we like doing. Good mental health helps us enjoy life and cope with problems. It offers a feeling of well-being and inner strength.
Just as we take care of our body by eating right and exercising, we need do things to protect our mental health. In fact, eating right and exercising can help maintain good mental health. We have to work to keep our mind healthy. The emergence of a positive mental health perspective needs shift in the focus of educators and health professionals. In educational institutions, positive mental health initiatives/programs need to focus on increasing students’ understanding of mental illness and preventative strategies through the adoption of a healthy lifestyle. Enhancing the quality of life of children and youth through prevention approaches has been shown to be very effective at reducing the risk of developing mental health-related concerns. It is time we prioritise the promotion of positive mental health. As we give importance to physical health and well being we need to educate ourselves on the need and importance of mental wellbeing and growth. It is a challenge to all of us that we seem to sleep over the problem not realising that it has long term impact and effect in each of us and the generations to come. Mental health affects the way we think and act and our behaviours so we need to focus our attention on mental health promotion for positive living. Fr. Joe Mariadhas St. Joseph’s College Jakhama - Nagaland
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.
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LEISURE
Simple Rules - There is just one simple rule: “Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.”
SUDOKU Game Number # 2856
DAILY CROSS WORD
CROSSWORD # 2864
DIMAPUR Civil Hospital:
STD CODE: 03862
Metro Hospital: Faith Hospital: Shamrock Hospital Zion Hospital: Police Control Room Police Traffic Control East Police Station West Police Station CIHSR (Referral Hospital) Dimapur hospital Apollo Hospital Info Centre: Railway: Indian Airlines Chumukedima Fire Brigade Nikos Hospital and Research Centre Nagaland Multispecialty Health & Research Centre
Answer Number # 2855
KOHIMA
Police Control Room: North Police Station: South Police Station: Fire Brigade: Naga Hospital: Oking Hospital: Bethel Nursing Home:
232224; Emergency229529, 229474 227930, 231081 228846 228254 231864, 224117, 227337 228400 232106 227607 232181 242555/ 242533 224041, 248011 230695/9402435652 131/228404 229366 282777 232032, 231031 248302, 09856006026
STD CODE: 0370
Northeast Shuttles
100/2244279 2222222 2222111 2222952 2222916 2243339 2224202
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Instrument Names ALTO SAXOPHONE BARITONE BASS BASS CLARINET BASSOON BELLS BONGO DRUM BRASS CELLO CLARINET CONTRABASS CLARINET CYMBALS FLUTE FRENCH HORN GUITAR HARP MELLAPHONE OBOE PERCUSSION PIANO PICCOLO SNARE DRUM STRING TROMBONE TRUMPET TUBA VIOLA VIOLIN WOODWIND
D I D G M O N G L U L I V T A X O S L U I A
E T D E T B A R I T O N E I A I M H N O F
S K A A L P H X A H K C U A C O N U E A T A
E N G L S O H A I I O E F Y L L R X L W D
O H U A P V I O L I N N R M O I D C T E S
E C N I P W N C A O I T O E B C N O G O Y P
E X T H O S L V G T R U N A C A G S S P I
W Z A O O L A U D T A O C L I G N S A S Q
A N S R N D L R R A R B I H S P Z O I X T S
P A N E W E I E A B A N H Z N A B B O R N
E E S J I B N M N A S V O S U G H T P I A
R O D R U N I E N S S S I R O C A R V H N U
N E O C D R T R D S C O N I R U N G O G C
A A E U U U D A S C L L N P M Y V E N E S
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08974997923
I A N E D S T R E L A A N P U R D U E P B
P I O S P E S A E A R W E N F L U T E C A
N S B L F H B I E R I T C E L L O R N S S
O S M S G U A N O I N E C B A S S O O N S
X A O T T D T J U N E I S E I Z O B O E G
U R R N V G H I A E T Z S N A R E D R U M
MOKOKCHUNG:
N B T A G W R E G T I Y A E L E S P I S L
ACROSS 1. Knife 5. Andean animal 10. WW1 plane 14. Rate 15. Cowboy movie 16. Hodgepodge 17. Ends a prayer 18. Feelings of anxiety 20. Set aside 22. Reasonable 23. Enemy 24. Liberates 25. Exchange 32. Angry 33. Painful grief 34. Possesses 37. Claim 38. Acknowledge 39. The month after May 40. S 41. Cream (cooking term) 42. Four-wheeled toy cart 43. An orderly grouping 45. Not earlier 49. Chemist’s workplace 50. Inauspicious 53. Diadem 57. Turbulent 59. Impetuous
60. End ___ 61. Accumulate 62. Sea eagle 63. Arid 64. Child’s term for a horse 65. Biblical garden
DOWN 1. Box 2. Docile 3. Air force heroes 4. Perquisites 5. Parallel slat 6. Alley 7. Consumed food 8. Food from animals 9. Backside 10. Submarine detector 11. Academy freshman 12. Passageway 13. Units of medicine 19. Deduce 21. Lasso 25. Go on horseback 26. Twin sister of Ares 27. Taxis 28. More peculiar 29. Punctuation mark 30. Extraterrestrial 31. Preschooler 34. Large
35. Nameless 36. Dispatched 38. Arrive (abbrev.) 39. Celebration 41. Christmas song 42. Don 44. Shiny 45. Water lily 46. Entertain 47. Anagram of “Merit” 48. Habituate 51. Salt Lake state 52. Japanese wrestling 53. Swear 54. An aromatic ointment 55. Feudal worker 56. Not now 58. Paddle Ans to CrossWord 2863
DIMAPUR: 03862-232201/101 (O) 9436601225 (OC) CHUMUKEDIMA: 03862-282777/101 (O) WOKHA: 03860-242215 (O) 9402643782 MOKOKCHUNG: 0369-2226225/101 (O) 9856872011 (OC) PHEK: 03865-223838/101 (O) 9436012949 (OC)
TUENSANG: 03861-220256/101 (O) 8974322879 MON: 03869-290629/101 (O) 9856248962/ 9612805461 (OC)
Toll free No. 1098 childline
H
KOHIMA: 0370-2222952/101 (O) 9436062098 (OC)
ZUNHEBOTO: 03867-220444/101 (O) 9856158740 (OC)
CHILD WELFARE COMMITTEE
W
FIRE STATIONS
STD CODE: 0369
Police Station 1: Police Station 2 :
2226241 2226214
Civil Hospital: Woodland Nursing Home: Hotel Metsüpen (Tourist Lodge):
2226216 2226263 2226373/2229343
TAHAMzAM (formerly Senapati) STD CODE: 03871 Police Station: Fire Brigade
222246 222491
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LOCAL
The Morung Express
Thursday 24 April 2014
Business Orgs condemn grenade attack
Naga girl a victim of phishing scam puNE, april 23 (DNa): After a student from Nagaland received an email announcing that she has won Rs. 5 crore, she felt lucky. The next moment, she submitted all details along with the processing fee of Rs. 40,000. Little did she know that she was victim of a phishing scam. According to information available, the girl had lived in the city for nearly five years to pursue her Phd and currently resides in Kondhwa. On April 17, she received an email from one Martin Wheat informing her of the prize money she had won from the Coca Cola Company. For further processing they had asked her to fill up a form and deposit an additional sum of Rs. 40,000 to an account under the name of Ravindra Singh. Working as per instruction, the girl found the situation to be a fraudulent when they persisted on more money from her. It was only after she reported the incident to the police on April 19 that she realized she had been robbed of her first deposit of Rs. 40,000. Kondhwa police are investigating the case. "According to the process, we have registered an FIR and we are on a look out for the people involved in the fraud," said Sudam Pachorkar, police inspector, crime.
Dimapur , april 23 (mExN): The GS Road Business Owners Association, Dimapur has strongly condemned the grenade blast which happened on April 22 in one of the business establishments located at GS Road here, injuring one of the staff. A press release from the Association’s president Omega Yepthomi stated that the recent spate of lobbing grenade by the miscreants “with a sinister design” has created panic within the locality and has now left the people to live unsafe and insecure. The release mentioned that April 22 attack was the fourth incident that had happened in the locality in the recent past. Stating that GS Road is a populous area and creating fear psychosis within the business com-
munity and public cannot be tolerated anymore, it appealed to the perpetrators not to indulge in such activities and “avoid breaking the peace and tranquility, otherwise those responsible has to face serious consequences.” The Association also appealed to the law enforcing agencies to act immediately and bring to book the offenders while requesting to depute more security personnel in the area. It also appealed to its peace loving citizens and various sections of the organization to join hands to “uproot the menace which is spreading like an epidemic in the society and Nagaland.” Meanwhile, Business Association of Nagas (BAN) also strongly condemned the second grenade attack at Jasokie Mar-
Sirhi Angami Vill Council clarifies Dimapur, april 23 (mExN): Apropos a statement issued by Mezoma Welfare Forum (MWF) and published on April 22, which stated the existence of Sirhi B Village under Medziphema sub-division, Dimapur, Sirhi Angami Village Council has clarified that there is Sirhi Angami Village and another Sirhima Village inhabited by the Kukis. But, there is no Sirhi B Village as stated by Mezoma Welfare Forum. Regarding the demand note of Rs. 5 lakhs served to the farmers by Kezhangulie Kuotsu, the “so called” Gaon Bura and Village Council of Sirhi Angami Village clarified to the general public that “we have nothing in connection with him in this regard. Therefore, the matter should be treated as his individual concern.” The clarification was issued by Sirhi Angami Village Council secretary Megokehielie Kuotsu and chairman Mezhükho Kuotsu.
ket at GS Road within a month. “Such brazen attack is a mockery to the law enforcement agencies and shows scant regard for public welfare,” stated a press release issued by BAN information & publicity secretary Mar Longkumer. At the same time, BAN wished quick recovery to the victim of “this heinous crime”. BAN further urged the business communities to identify strategic locations in their respective areas and install CCTVs in order to aid the police in their investigation and also deter such callous attack on the business community. It also urged the police to leave no stone unturned to nab the assailants. The Dimapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) also vehemently condemned the incident. DCCI expressed
serious concern over “the intimidation in which business establishments in Dimapur are surviving.” A statement issued by DCCI Secretary Sanjay Sethi stated that maximum of wholesale business of essential commodities and other trading are concentrated in the vicinity of G.S Road, Old Market and Marwari Patti. Observing that lack of police booth in the vicinity could be giving the miscreants an advantage to operate in the area, DCCI felt there was an urgent need to have a police assistance booth in the area to ensure adequate security for the traders. It therefore urged the authority to take up the matter in the interest of Dimapur as a whole. Meanwhile, DCCI wished the injured a speedy recovery.
Indian ambassador to Myanmar visits international trade centre Kohima, april 23 (Dipr): The Indian ambassador to Myanmar, Gautam Mukhopadhaya visited International Trade Centre DAN on April 16 accompanied by Deputy Chairman SPB Longon, Parliamentary Secretary for Vety. & AH Yitachu, MP of Myanmar, Samo and other officials. Speaking on the occasion, the ambassador said
the main reason of his visit was to see the development process of the trade centre and the potential possibilities of development for the border people and promote healthy relations between the Nagas living both in India and Myanmar. He said the most important component to uplift the border people through trade and the development project for better communication and transportation are in the record. Therefore, the Government of India has harder for the uplift of stu- opened border trade cendents and their education because “education is the weapon of the knowledge and through education the society can transform.” U Yaung Rarn, Member of Naga self-administration (MLA) at the same woKha, april 23 time asserted, “Culture (Dipr): The monthly is our identity and dig- Wokha District Planning nity, through culture we and Development Board can identify each ethnic (DPDB) meeting was groups, therefore, we must held at Governor’s Camp, preserve our culture.” Liphayan on April 22. The Besides, various short meeting was chaired by speeches were delivered Addl. Deputy Commisby different organiza- sioner, Bhandari, Orentions. Among them, Lom- thung Lotha. MLA and ham Tangha, president, Chairman MARCOFED Changlang Redressal Mmhonlumo Kikon also Forum termed the con- attended the meeting. ference the first historic The following proposmeet between the Tang- als were discussed and apshang Nagas of both India proved during the meeting: and Myanmar. Michael Construction of Town Hall Kaita, Advisor, TNSA and at Sanis Town SDO (C), former president of ENSA Headquarters, and con(now Naga Students’ Or- struction of security fencganization) appealed to ing at Governor’s Camp the Naga leaders of Myan- Liphayan Village. With remar Naga to find any kind gard to water supply, the of job for the Naga edu- E.E. PHE informed the cated instead of employ- Board that the department ing non Nagas in Naga will tie up with the village areas to avoid misleading authority and Area Adminthe Naga youth, stated the istrative Officer and extend release. all possible help for the
First general conference of TNSA conducted
ters in many places. He also advised the gathering to promote and cooperate in the areas of culture for better relation between the two sides for healthy progress of trade functioning. He thanked the reformed democratic government in Myanmar for showing more interest in trade and development. The ambassador stated that only under the democratic form of government, there will be better progress in development activities and respect for human life and values.
Wokha DPDB meeting approves proposals
The new officials of Tangshang Naga Students’ Association.
paNgsau, april 23 (mExN): The first Tangshang Naga Students’ Association (TNSA) general conference was held from April 17-19, 2014 at Pangsau, Sagaing Division, Myanmar. Over thousand delegates from different organizations and village
representatives attended the conference, informed a press release from TNSA officials, which added it was a historic conference ever held in Tangshang area related with students’ organization. U Zinn Wan, Phyithu Hluttaw, Representative
Nihokhu VC general meeting Dimapur, april 23 (mExN): The annual general meeting of Nihokhu Village Council has been convened on April 26, 8:00 am at the residence of council banker. Council chairman, Ghosuho Zhimomi has informed all bonafide members of the village including those residing in Dimapur to attend the meeting without fail.
NSDU general conference cum farewell Kohima, april 23 (mExN): The Nagaland Secretariat Drivers’ Union (NSDU) has convened its 21st general conference cum farewell programme on April 26, 10:00 am at JBKK building, PWD junction, Kohima to discuss regarding Silver Jubilee. Therefore, all the responsible members have been requested to attend the meeting without fail. Actions will be taken against the absentees, cautioned a press release issued by NSDU general secretary Lanu Temsu.
Naga Kuotsu Union meeting Kohima, april 23 (mExN): All the Naga Kuotsu Union office bearers, building committee members, village office bearers, village representatives and Kuotsu elders have been informed that there will be a meeting to discuss some “very important and urgent issues” on April 26, 10:00 am at Naga Kuotsu House, Kuozhuzou, Kohima. A press release from Naga Kuotsu Union president Bizo M Kuotsu and its secretary Er. Neisievilie Lhousa informed that the agendas of the meeting include lottery report, leasing of Naga Kuotsu House, and any other important agenda. All the aforementioned members have been requested to attend the meeting positively.
CANSSEA Central elects new office bearers Kohima, april 22 (mExN): CANSSEA Central office has elected new office bearers for the tenure 20142017. The handing and taking over of the same took place at CANSSEA Head Office Building, Kohima on April 21. Following are the names and designations of the new office bearers: President - Takatuba Aier, Department of Urban Development; Vice president - Ikuto Zhimomi, Department of Agriculture; General Secretary - Dr. Zathang, Department of Health & Family Welfare; Joint Secretary (I) - Tarachu, Department of Urban Development; Joint Secretary (II) - Y. T. Manlem, Department of Underdeveloped Area; Finance Secretary - Sandy Peseyie, Department of Soil & Water Conservation; Treasurer – Yimso Yimchunger, Department of Soil & Water Conservation. Finance Committee Members: Asenlo Tep, Department of Agriculture; Zulu Ao, Department of Vigilance; Wepe Ritse, Department of Co-operation; Dr. Dawang, Department of Health & Family Welfare. Board of Advisors: Dr. K. David Sema, former President; Kepelhoutuo Chusi, former Vice President.
Nanyun (MP) was the chief guest. In his message, Zinn Wan called the conference historic and urged the TNSA to further promote education, students and the society. According to the release, he expressed that through TNSA many areas can be controlled related to wild life and natural resources throughout Tangshang land. Meanwhile, U Maung Nyut, member of Naga self-administration Zone (MLA) and the guest of honour stated, “in our time there were no such chances and organization for the students, this is first organization among Tangshang Naga.” Therefore, he encouraged the TNSA members to work
development of the same. The board also deliberated on the issue for creation of EAC Post at Tsurang Valley and Yamhon Area. In this regard, the MLA requested the ADC Bhandari to submit the criteria, profile and feasibility report at the earliest for necessary action. Raising concern over the death of two people at Mekokla village after consuming mushroom, the MLA requested the ADC Bhandari and Chief Medical Officer, Wokha to investigate the matter and submit report to the authority. To avert such issues in future, Mmhonlumo also suggested that District Level Evaluation committee should be constituted to monitor the function of the Village Health Committee (VHC) and to make them understand the real meaning of communitisation process.
AR apprehends NSCN cadres, seizes liquor moN, april 23 (mExN): 33 Assam Rifles apprehended one NSCN (K) cadre from Techa Colony, Mon on April 22. The apprehended person, according to a press release from Assam Rifles, has been identified as No 7372 Lieutenant Colonel Aman Konyak, 42, resident of Langkho village (Myanmar). Assam Rifles also recovered a pt 22 Pistol with one magazine and five live rounds from the cadre. “The apprehension has once again sent a strong message to the fac-
tion to restrict unauthorized movement with weapons, thereby maintaining peace, tranquility in the area and enforcing Cease Fire Ground Rules,” stated the note. GPRN/NSCN cadre apprehended Troops of 29 Assam Rifles under the aegis of HQ 6 Sector AR also apprehended one GPRN/NSCN cadre with “illegal weapons and incriminating documents” from City Tower, Dimapur. The press release informed that the individual
has been identified as Ato Sema from Zunheboto district. 7.65mm pistol (registration No 1407) along with two magazines and a tax collection receipt were recovered from him. The apprehended person along with the recovered items was handed over to the West Police Station, Dimapur, the note added. Illegal liquor seized Meanwhile, troops of 37 Assam Rifles during routine vehicle checks on NH-29 intercepted a Maruti Eeco van and seized 382
bottles and cans of illegal liquor near Kukidolong. Four persons travelling in the vehicle (Registration No NL-01-8103) were apprehended. The illegal liquor was being taken to Kohima, said the release. The apprehended persons were identified as Sheela Basumatary, Mohu Basumatary, Annmi Angami, and Mamang Singson. The apprehended persons along with the recovered items were handed over to the Excise Department, Dimapur.
Talk cum discussion on Indo-Naga peace process to be held in New Delhi
NEw DElhi, april 23 (mExN): FUNICH (Forum for Understanding the Naga-India Conflict & Human Rights) is organizing a talk cum discussion on the theme “Reflection on Peace Talk as a means for Conflict Resolution: The Case of Indo-Naga Peace Process” on April 24, from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm at the auditorium of Delhi School of Social Work, University of Delhi (North Campus). A press release from FUNICH stated that despite the peace talk for al-
most 17 long years between the Government of India and NSCN there is hardly any tangible result. Hence, Team FUNICH wanted to seek the opinions from different perspectives on the whole process of peace talk as a means for conflict resolution. “In the past we have seen peace talk yielding positive result, ending conflict by signing accord through peace talk like Mizo Accord, Bodo Accord, Assam Accord, etc,” expressed FUNICH. “However, in the case of
Indo-Naga peace talk including earlier peace talks it has produced more conflict then solution. Hence the whole process of peace talk becomes questionable. Such precedent can be very detrimental to the whole interest of the Indian State.” Therefore, FUNICH added, “we wanted to engage into discussion to see how Indo-Naga peace talk can have negative impact on future Government efforts to initiate peace talk with many conflicting groups in NE, Kashmir and
in Maoists affected areas. In addition to this, we wanted to use this platform to explore more effective means in resolving conflicts.” Panelists for the talk cum discussion are: G.K. Pillai, Former Home Secretary GoI; Dr. Kumar Sanjay Singh, Ass Professor, DU; Binalakshmi Nepram, Gen. Secretary, Control Armed Foundation of India; Inshah Malik, Activist and Research Scholar; Gautam Navlakha, Consultant Editor, EPW, Writer & Activist; and Kekhrie Yhome, Asst. Professor, DU.
Dimapur
5
MEx FILE Govt on use of red beacon/ flag post/ designation plate Kohima, april 23 (mExN): In continuation to the Transport Department’s notification of even number dated 15/03/14 and 19/03/14, Chief Secretary Banuo Z Jamir has informed that the following officials have been authorized to use red beacon/ flag post/ designation plate while discharging duties: District & Session judges, the Registrar of High Court, PCCF & Addl PCCF, chairman and members of the State Finance Commission – Red beacon with flag post and designation plate. Meanwhile, commandant and equivalent rank in police, additional deputy commissioner holding independent charge and Majors/ Captains of Assam Rifles on civil assignments have been authorized to use designation plate.
Owner asked to claim Bolero pick-up truck Dimapur, april 23 (mExN): The authority of the Union Territory (UT) of NSCN/GPRN seized a white Bolero pick-up truck with no registration number, chassis no. – MAIRU4GHKD3A28757, engine no. – GHD4A62627, and 2012 model from Thilixu B Village on April 23 at 3:30 pm. In this connection, UT secretary, Khekuto Jakhalu has informed the rightful owner to bring necessary documents and claim the aforementioned vehicle within seven days. One may contact 9436971965 for further information.
Advisor (Health) NEC to visit Mokokchung moKoKchuNg, april 23 (Dipr): Advisor (Health), NEC Secretariat, Shillong, Dr. Bamin Tada, who is visiting Nagaland from April 20 to 25, would be visiting Mokokchung on April 23. During his one day stay at Mokokchung, Bamin Tada would be inspecting projects at Woodland Nursing Home and Impur Christian Hospital.
NFHRCC meeting on April 26 Dimapur, april 23 (mExN): There will be a meeting of the Nagaland Foot Hill Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC) to review the progress of the foot hill road construction on April 26, 2:00 pm at its treasurer’s residence at Khermahal, Dimapur.
ADEE convenes combined meeting Kohima, april 23 (mExN): The Adhoc Diploma Electrical Engineering (ADEE) will have a combined meeting on April 26 at Electrical Guest House, Nagarjan, Dimapur at 9:30 AM to discuss about important service matter. All the junior engineers and promoted SDO’s of electrical department irrespective of qualification have been requested to attend the meeting without fail, stated a release issued by ADEE president Er. N. Thiya Jamir.
CMO informs of Quarterly Medical Board Dimapur, april 22 (mExN): The Office of the Chief Medical Officer, Government of Nagaland, has informed that the Quarterly Medical Board for confirmation of service, invalidation, and commutation of pension for Grade III and IV staffs under Dimapur District will be held on May 7 and 8 at 10 AM in the office of the CMO, Dimapur.
GBs informed on annual house tax Kohima april 23 (Dipr): All the concerned Gaon Buras (GB’s) under Kezocha Administrative Circle and Kohima Sadar Administrative Circle (KMC Areas and Kohima/ Chedema/ Chedema Model Village) who have submitted the Annual House Tax for the year 2014 have been informed to personally collect their commission from the Office of the Deputy, Commissioner, Kohima during office hours.
GBs Union Dimapur cautions Dimapur, april 23 (mExN): GBs Union Dimapur has cautioned its member GBs not to collect any money from the beneficiaries of National Food Security Act. A press release issued by GBs Union Dimapur chairman MY Ngullie and its general secretary Yeheto Zhimomi stated it has been ascertained that some GBs of respective colony/ ward/ village/ are collecting some sort of amount against new ration card form under National Food Security Act, which is strictly prohibited. The Union warned that the name of the violator GBs will be informed to the deputy commissioner and Food & Civil Supplies office, Dimapur followed with necessary disciplinary action.
SUK offers condolences Kohima, april 23 (mExN): The Sangtam Union Kohima (SUK) has expressed deep grief and shock over the sudden demise of Biriba Sangtam of Amuhator village on April 21 at Naga Hospital, Kohima. In a condolence message, SUK acknowledged that late Biriba was a young dedicated person and active in the society “for which we always remember good example in our society.” The SUK further conveyed condolences to the bereaved family and prayed for their peace, comfort, and solace.
SDO (C) Sadar Kohima informs Kohima, april 23 (mExN): All the Gaon Buras (GBs) concerned under Kezocha Administrative Circle & Kohima Sadar Administrative Circle (KMC areas and Kohima/Chedema/Chedema Model Village) who have submitted the annual house tax for the year 2014, have been informed to personally collect their commission from the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Kohima during office hours. This was stated in a release issued by Wennyei Konyak, Sub Divisional Officer (C) Sadar, Kohima, I/c Kezocha.
Burning of jungle, hunting and fishing banned in Peren district pErEN, april 23 (Dipr): In the interest of public service, burning of jungle, hunting and fishing is strictly banned under Peren district to protect the flora and fauna of the "Green District". Hence, all the Village Councils have been directed to adhere to this order to control rampant burning of jungle and destruction of valuable forest products effectively. Violations of this order will initiate primitive actions against the defaulters. This order comes into force with immediate effect.
VCCs informed on formation of village market committee Kohima, april 23 (Dipr): The District Agriculture Officer & Member Secretary, Nomination Committee (APMC) Kohima, Nosezole in a circular has reminded all the VCCs of Kohima Sardar to form a new team of Village Market Committee as per the section 14, subsection 2 and 3 of the APMC Act 2005. The circular stated that selection of the Committee should be completed and submitted to the District Agriculture Officer & Member Secretary, Nomination Committee (APMC) Kohima on or before April 30, 2014. For any clarification, contact 9436401414.
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IN-FOCUS
The Power of Truth
The Morung Express THursDAy 24 APrIl 2014 volumE IX IssuE 110 By Aheli moitra
Hotchpotchization
T
he process of industrialization of Nagaland through its urbanization with the help of globalization to rid it of tribalization, in a manner best suited to civilization, has been long wound. So now, the attempt is towards liberalization. It has been suggested for a while now that the quickest way to embark on this project is through the establishment(alization?) of Special Development Zones in Nagaland—since, you know, tribalization of the Naga lands has led to such economic downtrodden-ness among the Nagas, the need is to be saved from balkanization first of all. Where else to look for models of peace but the free market? The Nagaland Legislative Assembly, in March, 2014, passed a resolution to set up Nagaland Special Development Zones (NSDZs). The Resolution’s agenda includes the structuring and introduction of policies that could facilitate investment from non-Nagas, on either a lease or permanent basis, in the foothill areas of Nagaland—in its words: “To liberalize the system of entry and stay of non-Nagas in the NSDZ for the purpose of investment.” That is great because not only is a four lane foothill road proposed to facilitate the “entry and stay of non-Nagas in the NSDZs for the purpose of investment,” a rail line is supposed to take shape on Nagaland’s foothills to serve the same purpose. The missing inspiration is here. An SDZ, much like a Special Economic Zone, is expected to be a geographical region where the economic policy and other related laws are more liberal and free-market oriented than a particular country’s typical or national laws. These zones are primarily established to attract investors that, the country hopes, would generate employment and income. While no independent research exists to suggest that this model actually works for India, what effect would it have on the Naga people? Since Nagaland finds itself in a peculiar position vis-àvis rights of the indigenous peoples, it could be helpful to study the effects of such special economic/development zones on the indigenous peoples of Philippines. Researchers suggest that while benefits of such zones for indigenous peoples in Philippines have been limited, disadvantages are numerous: unskilled local residents are usually hired on a temporary basis for the least paid, menial jobs, these projects tend to encroach on the resource base that indigenous peoples depend on for their social, economic and cultural life, usually converting or reserving their use for outsiders and investors, the influx of new migrants and laborers pit local communities against them in a fight for local (scarce) resources, and unsustainable displacement of local communities, among other things. In a run for the zations that the world has on offer today, it could bode well for the Naga people to study these new world models of “self actualization” by placing the local populace, and their particular requirements and aspirations, at the core. Let us hope that the NLA Resolution will give way to such sensitive liberalization (if there is such a thing) and not more, honestly unrequired though sort of inevitable, hotchpotchization. For more mindgamization, please write to moitramail@yahoo.com
lEfT wiNg |
Amit Kapoor IANS
In a democracy you can celebrate differing opinions
A
democracy's very resilience stems from the fact that you can celebrate opinions you don’t agree with. This clearly highlights the value of diversity - to be willing to accept ideas that one doesn’t necessarily agree with. What must be emphasized is that the real value of opinion is the absolute right to be wrong and be wrong without fear and where there is no vindictiveness or its threat doesn’t exist. My previous column, "Will anything change with the new prime minister” got some positive comments like how this was worth a larger discourse, how it could change the country for the positive and how an action agenda needs to be set to get the idea in motion. What, though, came as a surprise were the not so positive comments - or, I should say, the near threats or direct threats from the bureaucracy to refrain from such articles because they seemed to believe that opinions and ideas are dangerous; that they can lead to the downfall of the world’s largest democracy. This compels us to look afresh at the true meaning of democracy. At the core is free speech - the right to an opinion, the right to disseminate the opinion and the right to be heard. One thing, though, is definitively true: that no curtailment of ideas can happen or should happen. Quite remarkably, we don’t have to agree with each other’s ideas, thoughts or writings. We should be fight to protect the right to tell, suggest, criticize and debate. Thus, we can clearly state that the entrenched power of democracy is its free speech and the ability of the people to self-correct whenever and wherever required. At times one finds the dichotomy difficult to fathom and understand. On the one hand, we proudly suggest we are the world’s largest democracy with the largest number of people voting. But we also have numerous restrictions - implicit or explicit and straight-jacketing. One cringes at the thought of real freedom of speech when there when there are so many restrictions. One seemingly faces so many restrictions from a section of the bureaucracy that it is trying to curtail our right to free speech that one would like to ask a few questions: * How free is our speech when we are beaten down and threatened, if even implicitly, by the very people who are paid to serve us? * How can we go about changing the country when the bureaucrats would work overtime to find you, work against you and think that even discussing an idea could bring down the world's largest democracy? * How can we progress without celebrating non-conforming ideas as the status quo wouldn’t work? My own case is trivial and only serves as an example. But it represents countless others whose voices are silenced or never even whispered from fear of bureaucratic reprisals. One needs to understand and appreciate that the only way India's big and difficult problems would be resolved is by having misfits and rebels in the system, debating their ideas and carrying the best of those forward. How on earth can we imagine that we would have solutions when we push such people down and not appreciate their points of view? Ideas being freely given seem to be seen as threatening in the febrile imagination of some bureaucrats as if these could affect the government's foundations. This is exceedingly short-sighted. They can threaten me, intimidate me, take away my position, demean me, hurt me professionally or affect my credibility, but the bureaucracy cannot take away my ability to opine and contribute. It makes the understanding stronger that it is the bureaucracy that a threat to this country, not ordinary citizens who opines his ideas to take the country forward.
THE EDIT PAGE
C O M M E N T A R Y
Henia Belalia
Coming Together: Reclaiming memory and reconciling identity
T
housands of youth boycotted the presidential elections in Algeria in protest of the likely success of an ailing president who is now in office for his fourth term. But ultimately, the roots of the protests ran much deeper: state institutions that uphold the status quo, an economy too reliant on oil exports, and the lack of economic and employment opportunities for the younger generations. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s National Liberation Front, which won the election even amongst rumors of fraud and the president’s own poor health, was once a political party that claimed liberation. Now, it has adopted many of the ways of the colonialist empire. For me, a woman of color whose family, native to Algeria, left for France and later for the United States, the political state of Algeria is a reality that is complicated to sit with — and one that reminds me of the nuances of building a truly liberatory multiracial movement. Sometimes I think it’s a miracle that my people have survived long enough to birth me. For years, imperialism and capitalism have attempted to exterminate us through colonization, militarism and forced economic development. Even as Algeria forced out the European settlers, decolonized our lands, and gained independence in July 1962, the dominant culture attempted to do away with our traditional heritage. The media demonized our people, casting all Arabs as dirty and dangerous. Imperialist nations have benefited just as much from colonialism and the theft of our lands as they have from the indoctrination of our minds through the erasure of our ancient ways, memories, traditions and cultures. What my own history has taught me, as a person born at the intersections of colonized and settler culture, is that in today’s world being a person of color is complex. Our identities go beyond skin color or ethnicity, because the systems within which we exist and the oppressions they perpetuate are complex. The complexities that have been used for generations to divide communities of color now also shed light on the journey ahead and begin to answer the questions of how we liberate our minds and how we begin the process of coming together. The mainstream culture has pitted our people against one another and left us fighting for crumbs from the master’s table. As people of color, we need to unite to fight back, whatever our class, gender or ethnicity may be. From there, we can genuinely talk about building a multiracial movement that includes those who’ve been on the margins for generations.
Looking back In itself, the term “people of color,” often called POC, is a product of a more comprehensive understanding of racialization through time. The expansion of its use in the 1960s and 70s within the United States coincided with the surge of national liberation movements that were dismantling colonialist empires abroad. While natives the world over were kicking settlers out of their territory, their brothers and sisters living in the Global North (as migrants, refugees, in the ghettos and on the margins) were fighting to dismantle the white supremacy ingrained in their laws, institutions and mainstream consciousness. Historically, communities of color have been misplaced under the same umbrella of oppressions, which is problematic in that it erases our unique identities and lived experiences. What has emerged, instead, is the need for a framework that can transcend what scholar Salvador Vital-Ortiz calls the “disadvantages … based on different variables (e.g., access to education, housing, employment, immigration status, English proficiency).” That said, a collective identity cannot come at the price of neglecting these complexities and differences. Indigenous Cherokee activist and scholar Andrea Smith clearly exposes this phenomenon in her framework of the “Three Pillars of White Supremacy,” which are slavery/capitalism; genocide/colonialism; orientalism/war. She expands on the notion
“M
en just do not want to give up their seats, it’s as simple as that,” says 67-yearold candidate in the Indian election Subhhasini Ali, voicing a gloomy view across women’s groups in India. Ali, a two-time member of Parliament and key functionary of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), an arm of the Communist Party of India-Marxists (CPI-M), is contesting from Barrackpore, a constituency in the eastern Indian state West Bengal. She is among a few women contesting. Political parties, even those vociferously supporting reservation for women in Parliament, have failed to put up on average even one woman for every 10 males contesting India’s 543 seats in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament. Women candidates are only seven percent among 3,355 candidates in the first five phases of the nine-stage election, says the Delhi-based public interest organisation, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), that is campaigning for greater transparency and more inclusive representation in Indian elections. Women activists looking at statewise trends expect no improvement by way of inclusion of women in the final phases of the election. Women constitute 388 million, or 47.6 percent of the 814.5 million voters eligible to vote in the election running from Apr. 7 to May 12. “When our presence is not considered important in the Parliament, when decisions about our future are taken without consulting us, why should we cast our votes to elect another group of politicians who do not believe in the cause of women empowerment in this country,” says Ranjana Kumari from the Delhi-based Centre for Social Research. “This election, we get
Algerian youths from the Kabyle ethnic group clash with riot police in Raffour, eastern Algeria on Thursday, April 17, 2014, as they protest against the presidential elections. Scattered clashes erupted in a few towns around the country as young men attacked some polling stations hinting at some degree of dissatisfaction over President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's continued rule. Six candidates are running for the powerful presidency in the April 17 elections. (AP Photo/Anis Belghoul)
that white supremacy operates differently in how it has impacted our communities over time. This has often made us complicit in the oppression of others — even through our strategies of resistance. “What keeps us trapped within our particular pillars of white supremacy is that we are seduced by the prospect of being able to participate in the other pillars,” she writes. “For example, all non-Native peoples are promised the ability to join in the colonial project of settling indigenous lands. All non-Black peoples are promised that if they comply, they will not be at the bottom of the racial hierarchy. And Black, Native, Latino and Asian peoples are promised that they will economically and politically advance if they join U.S. wars to spread ‘democracy,’ which serves to cast Arabs and Latinos as ‘perpetual foreign threats to the U.S. world order.’” Identifying as a person of color doesn’t mean we should adopt uniform politics and values. In order to take down systems of white supremacy, we don’t need to negate that our oppressions and realities look very different. Instead, there are some very real tensions for us to hold in the face of overlapping systems of oppression, and those realities carry profound implications within our organizing. The times are calling for us to be more interrelated in our analysis, more demanding in our definitions of success, and more aware of each other as we build collective power. Having each other’s backs For generations, we’ve been doing the system’s dirty work by fighting one another and throwing each other under the bus. As our own people have been systematically targeted, this defense mechanism has been one of our primary means of survival. As we were ripped from our roots, through forced migration, colonial borders and the industrialization of our labor and resources, we were also misled about our neighbors’ existence. As we were forced to assimilate within a system that has thrived at the cost of our forgotten memories, we were bred to distance ourselves from other communities of color. We were taught to neglect our own histories, and to forget whose lands we’re standing on and whose stolen labor built this country’s economy. Our work today is one of unlearning. We must unlearn the stories we’ve been spoon-fed through the media about our place in the world and our selfworth; the history we were taught in school from the imperialist perspective; the values that were imposed upon us by a white-dominated system; and the presumptions we were made to believe about other marginalized groups. With every bit that we unlearn, we create spaces for rediscovering and reclaiming what has been stolen from us, including the sacred knowledge that our ancestors have passed on. With every piece of wisdom that we reclaim, we allow space for the reconciliation of historical feuds with communi-
ties carrying the burden of white supremacy. From that deep, slow work, we gain new understandings and ways of relating and honoring one another. Recently, writer and creator of Black Girl Dangerous, Mia McKenzie raised a question within the context of a twitter dialogue (#CancelColbert) that ensued as a response to racially offensive jokes on Stephen Colbert’s late-night show. The opinions were divided, and many people of color defended white racial satire as a legitimate tool to “end racism.” In response to that argument, McKenzie asked: “Why is their ‘education-in-the-form-of-racistjokes-that-are-satirical-so-it’s-okay’ more important than the people we know for sure exist who are harmed by these jokes?” What her question raises for me is how we challenge ourselves to find common ground. As we take the time to dismantle our own internalized oppressions and reeducate ourselves, we also must learn how to have each other’s backs. Honoring the wisdom of our ancestors The good news is that the current dominant sociopolitical system has failed in erasing us. Our cultures and memories have survived. We still carry that ancient knowledge deeply imprinted within our psyche and vividly alive within our traditions, even in those instances when it takes us considerable effort and time to retrieve this knowledge. We know it in our flesh, and can feel it reawakened through the drumming of our djembes or the smells coming from our kitchens. Photo-documentarist La Loba Loca recently wrote a post about the ancestral wisdom we carry in our flesh, as a process of “constantly (re)claiming, (re)creating, (re)membering, (re)imagining Abuelita (grandmother) Knowledge.” This Abuelita Knowledge has shown up for me in many ways: in ritual and ceremony, music and dance, shared food, and the slowing down of time. Healing happens through shared tears over cups of tea, at poetry readings surrounded by dozens of other migrants and refugees, and during the time we take to bring our community together for cross-cultural dinners. Reclamation lies in our story-telling circles, in the rituals that call in our ancestors, in the anecdotes and recipes from our homelands. The reconciliation happens with the questions we raise as we connect the dots between our struggles and the care we take in not perpetuating subtle but toxic systemic oppressions. Rather than coming together in ways that continue to compromise the healing of historical traumas, many of which are still playing out as violent realities for our communities, let’s be more demanding — more demanding in how we show up for each other, in how we sit through the inconvenient conversations, in how we honor the complexities of our identities. If our final destination is a multiracial liberatory movement, let’s honor the deep collective work it will take to get there.
India’s Women Lose the Election manipadma Jena Inter Press Service the feeling that we have lost. Women are getting more and more sidelined,” Jyotsna Chatterji from the non-profit Joint Women’s Programme (JWP) tells IPS. In the 15th general election in 2009, 556 women out of 8,070 contestants from 363 political parties were given tickets to contest, according to data from the Election Commission. That was just 6.9 percent of the candidates, making representation in this election hardly better. Fifty-nine women – 10.9 percent – won. This was the highest number of women contestants and winners since 1957. A 1996 Women Reservation Bill (WRB) proposing reservation of a third of the seats to women in the lower house of Parliament and in state legislatures has been stymied by various political parties for more than 18 years now. Women groups pushing for greater representation, for whom the failure to pass the WRB has remained a political raw nerve since, blame this on the entrenched patriarchal mindset of male politicians. If enacted, 180 berths in the Lok Sabha would be reserved for women. Political parties opposing the WRB say a quota within the quota should be given to women from backward communities. Dalits and tribal communities already have 120 seats reserved in the Lok Sabha. In 2009, 17 women got elected under
this quota. “Many political parties had agreed to the WRB’s stipulation about voluntarily giving 33 percent tickets to women members, legal quota aside,” says Chatterji, who spearheaded the reservation movement in the late1990s with a group of other activists. Political parties have fallen far short of this. Given women’s visibly increased participation in professional spheres, public debates, and also increased voting in elections, women groups say they had hoped political parties would walk the gender talk and give at least 15 to 20 percent tickets to women, recognising the major socio-political changes under way. “Nothing is going to change in women’s representation unless the [Women’s Reservation] Bill is passed,” says Ali. The three main political parties – the ruling Congress party, the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) widely expected to form the new government, and the few months old Aam Aadmi Party (Common Man’s Party) have all promised in their manifestos to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill if voted to power. “Unless certain attitudes are overcome it is useless to expect individual parties to put up more women candidates, and moreover where no party is obliged to do it,” Malini Bhattacharya, 70, twice member of Parliament and former member of the National Commission for Women, tells IPS.
wRiTE-wiNg
Ruth Manorama, 62, Dalit women’s rights activist, who heads the National Alliance of Women, and is contesting from the Bangalore South constituency on a Janata Dal (Secular) party ticket, is more optimistic. “To give a bigger role to women in political decision making, we need to go step by step,” Manorama tells IPS. Others argue for bolder change. “Political party structures and the election process itself need drastic change if women are to participate in large numbers,” says Tapashi Praharaj of AIDWA. “Women’s winning ability is consistently under question, without however attempting to build them up.” “The huge funds required to fight an election today is another obstacle for women to contest elections,” says Chatterji. The government raised spending limits for a candidate in this election to seven million rupees (116,000 dollars). Chatterji says while male leaders argue they cannot find suitable women candidates, there are many eligible women who have not caught the eye of political parties. More than two million women have served in decision-making bodies in India’s local governments, or panchayat raj, under the 33 percent seat reservation since 1993. In some states that quota has been raised to 50 percent. Urban local bodies too have reserved seats for women. These quotas have created a significant mass of grassroots women leaders. India, the world’s largest democracy, has a mere 11.4 percent women in both houses of Parliament, compared to the world average of 21.8 percent. Afghanistan has 27.6 percent women in Parliament and Pakistan 18.5 percent, according to 2014 data from the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
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PERSPECTIVE
7 Fearing the Icefall: On Counting the cost of conflict Everest, dangers are clear
Thursday
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
24 April 2014
NEWS ANALYSIS, FEATURE AND DISCOURSE
Elizabeth Minor and Serena Olgiati he comprehensive and systematic recording of casualties – including details about what happened, to whom, when, where, and why – is a key tool in protecting and assisting civilians living in conflict: without knowing who the victims of violence are, their needs for material assistance and redress, both during and after conflict, cannot be met. Yet, in most areas affected by conflict and high rates of armed violence, there is no authoritative record of casualties. As a result, there can be no justice for those killed and injured. Those responsible cannot be held accountable, their family members cannot seek justice or redress, and the international community cannot respond effectively to those still struggling to survive. More and more, however, states, civil society, and particularly the United Nations are beginning to appreciate the essential benefits of recording the deaths and injuries from armed violence. On 27th March, states at the Human Rights Council voted for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to investigate possible war crimes and abuses committed by both the state and the Tamil rebels in the final stages of Sri Lanka’s 26-year civil war. The negative reaction to this from Sri Lanka, which rejected the resolution as a violation of state sovereignty, was foreseeable. The UN’s engagement with Sri Lanka both during and after the conflict, which ended in 2009 with the defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE), has been particularly difficult. The 2012 internal Petrie report reviewing UN performance at the end of the war identified a number of failings. One of the most damning findings was the UN system’s failure to effectively use local UN knowledge of mass civilian casualties in northern Sri Lanka to push for action – either from UN Member States or conflict parties – to prevent further harm to the civilian population. Yet, while it is clear that the UN should have been more vocal about the loss of civilian life at the end of the conflict, ensuring Member States and conflict parties act on casualty data to protect civilians is a challenging task, one affected by political power dynamics often beyond the UN’s control. Consider Syria, where the OHCHR’s very public reporting of casualty figures throughout the conflict has done little to spur UN Member States to action to protect civilians. As the death toll continues to rise we must ask whether information about casualties collected and reported on by the UN makes any difference at all. Can credible and impartial information on casualties ever really help to protect civilians living through conflict?
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Casualty recording and the protection of civilians in conflict The UN’s experience in Afghanistan shows that when it is used effectively, systematic and credible information about civilian casualties can indeed help save lives. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan’s Human Rights unit (UNAMA HR) has systematically recorded civilian casualties since 2007. UNAMA HR analyses casualty data to identify the tactics and policies that cause the most harm to civilians, and uses it to support evidence-based dialogue – based on irrefutable data and analysis - with conflict parties, including the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the Taliban. By demonstrating the impact on civilians of particular tactics, UNAMA HR’s data has encouraged policy changes that protect civilian lives, including ISAF’s forbidding of the use of airstrikes on civilian dwellings in 2012 (except in exceptional circumstances). In the wake of its self-identified failures in Sri Lanka, the UN, through the newly introduced Rights Up Front initiative, aims to change the way it coordinates and acts on information about abuses and casualties. The Secretary-Gener-
al has recommended establishing a common information system covering civilian casualties within the UN. Oxford Research Group’s new report shows that more effective use of casualty recording by the UN would benefit the work of UN agencies and offices in their efforts to protect civilians in conflict and provide more effective humanitarian assistance.. ORG’s research underlines how casualty recording can help the UN and other humanitarian actors to identify effective responses to conflict emergencies, and in the longer-term to act on new threats to civilians – in UNAMA HR’s case for example, the increased use of mortars in civilianpopulated areas, and the dangers of explosive remnants of war in old firing ranges. There remains a great deal of work to be done in the UN on this front: in the Central African Republic, for example, there is currently no credible casualty toll, and the UN is not attempting comprehensive and systematic documentation. This work, however, is vital. In Sri Lanka, a comprehensive record of casualties would have assisted the UN’s post-war humanitarian and relief programme planning. It also would have aided the state with any medical, social, or livelihood assistance that it might choose to give to those affected by the war. With no such documentation available, Sri Lanka’s Department of Census and Statistics has – following the recommendations of the national Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission - recently undertaken a household survey that aims to identify the scale of death, injury, and property damage from the entire civil war. The first results are due to be published within weeks – how these will impact on the aspects of post-war recovery identified here remains to be seen. Casualty recording and victim assistance In other contexts, casualty recording both during and after conflict has already been seen to be key to the provision of victim assistance and to accountability procedures, including trials for war crimes and human rights abuses. After decades of conflict, the Colombian government passed Law 1448 in 2013, known as the Victims and Land Restitution Law. This law provides for financial reparations and social services for victims, recognising their right to truth and justice, and allowing for the possible return of land lost during the conflict. Through this law, the Colombian government appears to have recognised that peace is not achieved simply by negotiating a peace treaty, but by ensuring that people’s claims for truth, justice and reparation are properly addressed. By providing victim’s names and other relevant data, casualty recording is the cornerstone of this process. As of 1 March 2014, the Register of the Colombian Victims’ Unit, charged with ensuring the implementation of Law 1448, had recorded over 6,000,000 victims of the conflict in Colombia since 1985. While the vast majority (over 5,000,000) are those displaced by the conflict (the country now tops the list of Internally Displaced Persons), 700,000 were victims of homicide. In instances where the direct victim of the conflict was killed, the law recognises spouses, long-term partners, and immediate family members as victims themselves. This approach reflects international developments around the concept of ‘victim’ that move away from a definition that considers exclusively the ‘direct’ victim of violence towards a more comprehensive approach that also includes families and communities. Having identified over 6,000,000 victims is in itself a laudable undertaking, but what will ensure the success of the initiative is the proper implementation of the law, requiring financial capacity, properly trained staff, and perhaps most importantly, political will. For while knowing the identity of people affected by conflict is an essential first step to assisting victims, how governments and the interna-
tional community respond to these facts is what truly has an impact. Despite Colombia’s impressive efforts to create an accurate accounting of conflict, victims, most states are less interested in transparency and often actively subvert efforts to gather accurate casualty data. In Sri Lanka, it is now evident that UN staff had a deeper understanding of the numbers of civilians being killed at the end of the war than they initially let on. The Petrie report analysing the UN’s failures to protect civilians points to “the [Sri Lankan] government's "stratagem of UN intimidation", including "control of visas to sanction staff critical of the state". UN officials have since confirmed that casualty records were not divulged at the time because “the organisation's staff felt bullied by the Sri Lankan government, and that there was a "genuine fear" for their safety”. Action on Armed Violence’s (AOAV) recent research into states’ practices to record casualties found similar dynamics occurring in southern Thailand. While protests in Bangkok make front-page news, very few speak out about the on-going conflict in the south where explosive weapons are used daily and over 14,000 people have been killed and injured since 2004. Although casualty figures are regularly published by local organisations that receive their data from daily reports provided by the army and police, experts interviewed by AOAV point to the fact that international journalists are forced to renew their visas every few months, drastically limiting their access to the region and their ability to report on the death toll. Consequently organisations reporting on casualties are almost entirely reliant on figures issued by state controlled forces. Considering the rather obscure criteria used by the police and army to determine whether a violent incident was the result of the insurgency or simply common crime, it becomes highly difficult for any external actor to use the data in order to understand the dynamics of the conflict or to inform their approach to address the violence. Casualty recording and post-conflict accountability One area where the international community has reacted strongly to evidence of casualties is in criminal tribunals and post-conflict accountability processes. Indeed, the use of casualty records to try individuals for war crimes is often a driving force behind a state’s reluctance to take a formal accounting of victims. In Guatemala, forensic evidence provided during the trial of the ex military leader José Efraín Ríos Montt ensured that he was convicted for genocide and crimes against humanity in May 2013, responsible for the massacre of indigenous people in 1982 and 1983. Although the Guatemalan Constitutional Court later overturned the ruling due to procedural issues, the casualty records that helped condemn Ríos Montt remain valid and are now being used to seek a ruling by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. In the case of Slobodan Milošević, evidence of mass casualties was used to dismantle the arguments used by his defence team. Using commissioned research on the patterns of death and migration in Kosovo, the Office of the Chief Prosecution found that the Yugoslav forces were indeed responsible for a systematic campaign of killings and expulsions, resulting in numerous deaths among the civilian population. It is clear that in Afghanistan, Colombia and Southern Thailand, just as in Sri Lanka, casualty recording is, and continues to be, a necessary and vital aspect of any serious effort to address conflict and support long-lasting peace. Yet the numbers alone will not be sufficient. How this information is used, whether to address the rights of victims, serve as evidence in criminal trials, or spur international action relies not only on the proven evidence but also on our collective political will to respond to conflict and atrocity, reinforce our commitment to protecting civilians in conflict and halt the spiralling victims of violence.
HIV: Violations or investments in women’s rights? alice Welbourn have just returned from an inspiring conference organised by the Swiss “aidsfocus” consortium in Bern, entitled “Addressing sexual violence and HIV”. These two issues are closely and reciprocally linked, yet to date, most AIDS NGOs have paid limited attention to this fact. The presenters described examples of these links in rural South Africa, where a young woman is more likely to be raped than to learn to read; from DRC where rape was used as a weapon of war; and from Switzerland where a woman accountant with HIV who survived mass rape in Cote d’Ivoire experienced more rape whilst escaping through Libya and Italy now seeks to rebuild her life. Globally the World Health Organization (WHO) states that 1/3 of women will experience physical or sexual violence by a partner or sexual violence by a non-partner during their lifetime. The European figure is 25%. Women and girls who have experienced intimate partner violence are on average 1.5 more likely to acquire HIV. Those who experience sexual violence are rarely able to protect themselves. They come from all stages and walks of life. Orphans aged 5 in Tanzania daren’t tell anyone they are being sexually abused for fear of being accused of lying, of being beaten and no longer being loved. Many of them acquire HIV through this sexual abuse. Rape is commonly reported by transgender women and 19% of all transgender women globally have HIV. Young lesbian women in South Africa are raped repeatedly to “cure” them. Young London women who escape gang culture say rape is the weapon of choice since it can’t be detected by police in “stop and search”. Sex workers with HIV get beaten by their clients in Senegal for refusing condomless sex. South African women ensure their daughters have hormonal contraceptives to ensure that when they are raped they won’t get pregnant. 42% of women living with men who inject drugs in Georgia have been physically abused by their partners. And many women who are unable to negotiate condom use with their partners, experience daily sexual violence of state-sanctioned “marital” rape. Yet this too is sexual violence, often offering the risk of unwanted pregnancy, STIs and/or HIV though hardly ever recognised as such. Why is the world so silent about sexual violence, from whatever quarter? Partly because it is so widespread that many take it as the norm, these encounters with violence result in continued fears, violations and resounding silences. This helps to explain why there has also been minimal awareness of the wide-
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spread links between sexual violence and HIV described above, beyond the specific horrors of conflicts in Rwanda or DRC. It was hard enough to start to talk publically about having HIV myself. It seems even harder to talk about sexual violence. Why is this? Getting attacked, being violated, physically or sexually abused: that fear can stalk every one of us as girls and women throughout our lives. It’s perhaps that constant fear that we might get “blamed” – and blame ourselves - for someone violating us, for “putting ourselves in danger”, that keeps us mute. And while the silence, fear and blame continue, sexual violence will continue to ensure that the threat of rape and/ or HIV for women is alive and kicking. Even compulsory HIV tests, especially if they result in violent consequences, are a form of violence. Sexual violence is closely linked to physical and psychological violence. All three entail making decisions over what happens to another’s body or mind. Although recent WHO Guidelines state in their preamble that all testing for HIV should be voluntary and confidential, this is not explicitly spelt out in the section on testing during pregnancy, when any woman is at her most vulnerable to violence anyway. Instead, in this section, WHO states: “Provider-initiated testing and counselling is recommended for women as a routine component of the package of care in all antenatal, childbirth, postpartum and paediatric care settings.” By contrast, every time medical male circumcision is mentioned throughout the whole document, it is prefixed with the word “voluntary” for emphasis. The absence of this critical word in the section on testing during pregnancy is therefore all the more marked. This lack of the word “voluntary” in this section is a major omission, since there have long been many widespread reports of healthworkers making HIV tests for pregnant women compulsory to access ante-natal services. When challenged on this by myself and colleagues, the WHO HIV Department emphasised that their Guidelines say testing should always be voluntary and confidential. However, one honest senior HIV doctor from Malawi stated in 2012 “we never thought to ask the women if they wanted to be tested or not.” But such glimpses of human rights awareness are however frighteningly rare in the world of HIV. For many women this compulsory test leading to an HIV diagnosis during pregnancy sets off an avalanche of human rights abuse. This diagnosis often starts or exacerbates violence for women, not just in healthcentres, but from partners, from
in-laws and from states also. Tales of lack of confidentiality also abound. Healthworkers often abuse women with HIV further, once they are diagnosed. A recent study of 750 women with HIV in the AsiaPacific learnt that 1/3 of them had been encouraged by healthworkers to consider sterilisation and over 10% of them had been told they had no option. This is another violation of these women’s sexual and reproductive rights. There is no other health condition – inheritable or otherwise - than HIV for which sterilisation is so routinely encouraged so widely imposed on women. If men with HIV were being sterilised, there would be outrage, and rightly so. Yet such routine state-sanctioned abuses, where women with HIV are forcibly sterilised, are widely ignored. Moreover, it is now possible, if women receive the right care, support and medication during pregnancy, for children to be born 98% HIVfree, through normal vaginal delivery. Why is there so little recognition of sexual and other violence against women in global HIV policies? In part because there is still insufficient formal “evidence base” for its widespread practice in healthcare settings as well as from partners. The formal “medical evidence base” is lagging behind widespread “anecdotal” narratives of abuse. Yet, “absence of evidence” of such rights violations still does not mean “evidence of absence.” And in part because we are still facing the global legacy of patriarchal forms of healthcare, where it is still assumed that healthstaff have the right to tell anyone in their “care” what to do. Yet there is a chink of hope. New Guidelines from another WHO Department, entitled: “Ensuring human rights in the provision of contraceptive services and information” recognises publically at last the limitations of the current formal research process to address the complex non-linear, socio-economic and political determinants which shape the lives of most of us: and which most certainly fuel and fan this HIV pandemic for women. These new Guidelines on contraception state: “Given that the realization of human rights within contraceptive information and services is not a research area that lends itself to randomized controlled trials or comparative observational studies, much of the evidence available for the priority topics could not be readily synthesized using the GRADE approach [which grades the strength of evidence].” Acknowledging these limitations, human rights considerations were nonetheless incorporated into these Guidelines, even into the title. At last we have a break-
through: a recognition that the formal evidence base alone – which was historically created by male scientists to conduct scientific experiments in laboratories - is not fit-for-purpose to safeguard women’s rights. Just as human rights lawyer Helena Kennedy has argued that we need a feminist approach to overhaul our patriarchal legal systems, so we also need a feminist approach to overhaul our patriarchal healthcare systems. Hippocrates understood this over 2,000 years ago when he stated: “It is more important to know what sort of person has a disease than to know what sort of disease a person has”. We all need global policy makers and healthstaff alike to return to grassroots, to listen to and ensure the human rights of those most affected by HIV, to learn from them about how to create workable solutions. Change can happen. A village headman in Malawi, who had acknowledged abusing his wife after an intervention to stop vioence stated: “I stopped the abuse and changed after members of the Coalition of Women living with HIV and AIDS (COWLHA) came to my house and counselled me that what I was doing was violence.” He and his wife now support all their community to overcome violence too. Change happened when the Malawi doctor described above honestly declared his ignorance of human rights. And change has happened in the title of the new WHO Contraceptive Guidelines. Change was happening in the Swiss conference, when all those present agreed to ensure that their own NGOs draw up clear guidelines to respond to sexual violence when experienced by staff or the communities they serve. And change must now happen across all global HIV policy documents also. Anand Grover, UN Special Rapporteur for Health, has said: “Are positive people there as tokens or are they effectively making decisions? Are affected persons involved from A to Z? Democratic and inclusive processes are essential to achieving human rights, and are at the core of better governance and better health outcomes.” The UN should listen to its special rapporteur. We need massive investment in programmes and policies, shaped and led by principles of women’s rights, which overcome sexual violence and the men’s shame which drives it. This shame is often generated through inequality, exclusion, oppression and anomie. We need to make the world a safer, happier place for us all. I trust that sexual violence will one day become as outrageous as the thought of forced sterilisation – or forced vasectomy too, for that matter.
Tim sullivan
O
Associated press
n Everest, everybody knows that the Khumbu Icefall is dangerous. They've known it for generations, since the first great Everest mountaineer, George Mallory, turned away from the Icefall in 1921, insisting it was impossible to pass. It is a river of ice, a kilometer (half mile) or so of constantly shifting glacier punctuated by deep crevasses and overhanging immensities of ice that can be as large as 10-story buildings. It can move two meters (six feet) in just one day. Crossing it can take 12 hours. In the Khumbu Icefall, crevasses can open — or close — in less than a day. Ropes can be snapped by the moving ice, ladders broken. Looming glaciers — on the Icefall itself or on the Western ridge of Everest — can break off in a moment, setting off avalanches that send thousands of tons of ice down the mountain. That is what happened last week when a piece of glacier sheared away from the mountain, setting off an avalanche of ice that killed 16 Sherpa guides as they ferried clients' equipment up the mountain. It was the deadliest disaster in Everest climbing history. "It's always something we fear," said Adrian Ballinger, a high-altitude mountaineering guide who has climbed Everest six times, and who is taking clients up the mountain again this year through the Icefall. "This didn't surprise those of us who spend a lot of time on Everest," he said. "We've been living on borrowed time." But climbers keep going there. Because if you want to get to the summit of Mount Everest, you probably need to go through the Khumbu Icefall. The mountain's geography means the Icefall is the only way to reach the comparatively easy South Col route up Everest, making it impossible to resist for plenty of people. "Everest is an enormous draw," said Stuart Macdonald, an international mountain guide and avalanche expert. "It pulls people in." Hundreds of people now pass through the Icefall every year, pushed along by a mountaineering machine designed to take wealthy amateurs to the summit, with climbing trips costing upwards of $75,000 per person. "If it wasn't the tallest mountain in the world, you would never put yourself on a glacier this active," said Ballinger. Safety in the Khumbu — at least relative safety — comes only with speed. "We look up at these chunks of ice blocks, pray and then try to get out of the area as fast as we can," said Nima Sherpa, 34, an experienced Everest guide from the tiny Himalayan community that has become famous for its high-altitude skills and endurance. Nima Sherpa did not climb this season, and with the deaths of his friends and colleagues — the bodies of 13 guides have been found since the Friday avalanche, and three more are missing and presumed dead — he now says he'll give up high-altitude climbing completely. "It is not just the Sherpas, but the foreign climbers are also scared," he said. But not so scared they won't go. And the more people there are, the slower the route through the Icefall, as the line of climbers backs up. While top guides can cross the most dangerous sections of the Icefall in less than a half hour, beginners could take a few hours to go the same distance. That means more time standing on shifting ground, and more time exposed to the seracs, the huge chunks of ice that can tumble down on climbers from above. Most climbers have to make multiple passes through the Icefall, moving up and down the mountain as they acclimatize and prepare for their summit attempt. Sherpas can go more than two dozen times, carrying supplies and helping clients negotiate the maze of ice. In terms of distance, it isn't much at all, even following the back-and-forth climbing route up the glacier. "We're only talking about a couple of kilometers maximum," said Macdonald. "As the crow flies, it's just not far." But it is a trip that can terrify even hardened mountaineers. Jon Krakauer, a climber and writer, has described each pass through the Khumbu as "a little like playing a round of Russian roulette." Special teams of Sherpas, known as Icefall Doctors, fix ropes through what they hope to be the safest paths, and use aluminum ladders to bridge crevasses. But the Khumbu shifts so much that they need to go out every morning, before the climbers, to repair sections that have broken overnight and move the climbing route if need be. But Icefall Doctors, fixed ropes and experienced guides don't mean it is safe. Almost 30 climbers have died on the Icefall since 1963, most killed in avalanches or when they were crushed by falling seracs. Occasionally, things are so dangerous the guides turn away completely. In 2012, one of the best-known Everest guiding operations, Himalayan Experience, canceled its climb midway through the season, saying the Icefall was simply too dangerous. Ballinger and Macdonald are both part of a new wave of Everest guiding, with teams planning approaches to reduce the time spent on the Icefall. For up to eight weeks before Ballinger's clients even arrive in Nepal, they sleep in enclosed "hypoxic tents," simulating life at high altitudes by limiting their oxygen. Then, once they get to Nepal, they acclimatize further on mountains other than Everest, to avoid the Khumbu. In the end, he says, his clients will make only two passes through the Icefall — once up to the summit and once down — and the team's Sherpas will go between five and eight times. That is about one-third the number of trips that Sherpas make on normal climbs. It's all about exposure. "How long will the Sherpas be exposed, how long will the guides be exposed, how long will the clients be exposed," he said. But, he warns everyone on his team, the risk is still there. "Every person has to make their own choice," he said.
8
Dimapur
NATIONAL
Thursday 24 April 2014
The Morung Express
Money, liquor & drug trail in these elections
new Delhi, april 23 (ianS): Money and liquor seems to be lining the electoral trail this election, if the latest figures of the Election Commission are anything to go by. A staggering Rs.240 crore ($39 million) in unaccounted cash has been seized by the poll panel so far. The amount is much more than was seized in the assembly elections to 23 states since 2010. Less than half of the Lok Sabha election is over and four more phases are due till May 12. Of the money seized, Andhra Pradesh tops the list with Rs.102 crore. A mind-boggling 1.32 crore (13 million) litres of liquor, mostly moonshine, was seized, pointing to the intention of political parties to lure voters with Bacchus. In a worrying find, 104 kg heroin was also seized by officials of the poll panel. The data did not indicate the states where the drugs or liquor was seized from. After Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu was the other state from where a large amount of cash was seized at Rs.39 crore, followed by Karnataka with Rs.20.53 crore, according to official data released Wednesday. Around Rs.215 crore was seized altogether since the 2010 assembly election in Bihar, which was followed by elections and by-elections in 23 states, including West Bengal, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat , Karnataka and Delhi, according to the Election Commission. In its effort to curb the use of black money and illegal funds in the elections, the Election Commission has deployed hundreds of officials in all the Lok Sabha constituencies and assembly seats where polling is being held. The monitoring mechanism includes flying squads, quick response teams and surveillance teams headed by executive magistrates to track down illegal cash transactions or distribution of liquor or any other items used to bribe and influence voters.
EC empowers citizens to check blackmoney, hate speech in polls
new Delhi, april 23 (pTi): In a major technology leap undertaken by the Election Commission (EC) to check electoral malpractices, a common man can now upload a video or audio clip of an inflammatory speech, illegal cash or liquor distribution to the poll body’s website which will automatically authenticate the credentials of the media post. The EC, for the first time, has developed and deployed a unique Android-based software which is able to automatically generate the geographical location, coordinates, date and time of a clip uploaded onto it which is an attempt by the poll body to weed out instances of fake videos and footage being circulated to confuse the voters and also to mislead election officials. “All that a common man needs to do A polling official, right, hands over electronic voting machines to his colleague at a distribution center now is to use an Android phone for recordahead of the sixth phase of voting of the Indian parliamentary elections in Mumbai, on Wednesday, April ing a political meeting or an instance of il23. (AP Photo)
legal distribution of cash or liquor or any other electoral malpractice in his or her area. The software will automatically find out the coordinates of the area and time and date, thereby reducing instances of fake videos going viral during election time,” a senior official told PTI. Sources said that the EC wanted to get such a software for a long time as a number of instances of inflammatory speeches and videos emerge during the polls and it is essential to differentiate between the authentic and the fake ones. Also, once such an technical authentication is available for a video or an audio, the EC can take action against the guilty under the Representation of the People Act. The official said the new facility has now been provided to the offices of all the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) across the country.
Polls in India cost more than Rs 1,50,000 crore in past five years new Delhi, april 23 (agencieS): : As ongoing Lok Sabha polls reach the sixth phase, a new study has found that the total money spent on all elections in last five years has crossed Rs 1,50,000 crore and over half of these funds have come from “unaccounted sources”. The study, conducted by think-tank CMS, comes at a time when various political parties are accusing each other of using alleged black money in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, which began on April 7 and will continue
till May 12. So far, voting has taken place in 232 Lok Sabha seats across five phases, while a further 311 constituencies will go to polls in the remaining 4 phases. There have already been many cases where the Election Commission has confiscated bundles of cash and other items across the country and it is keeping a close tab on any possible use of unaccounted cash and other incentives to lure voters during elections, which have traditionally been very expensive
affairs in India. According to the CMS study, more than Rs 1,50,000 crore has been spent across various elections held in India over the past five years. “This is a conservative estimate. Out of this huge amount, more than half is black money. The black money funding for polls is the mother of all corruption in our nation,” CMS Chairman N Bhaskara Rao told PTI. Of this Rs 1.5 lakh crore, one-fifth or Rs 30,000 crore is on account of the current Lok Sabha election. One-third
of this total amount, or Rs 45,000-50,000 crore, has been spent on state assembly elections, CMS found. About Rs 30,000 crore has been spent on panchayat polls, Rs 20,000 crore for mandals, Rs 15,000 crore for municipal elections and a further Rs 10,000 crore for zilla parishads, it added. “In a typical Lok Sabha poll, media campaigns (25%) and pre-poll expenditure by parties in power (20-25%) account for a big pie of the spending. “In smaller elections, things are different.
Media spending is much lower and in the mandals and panchayats, rally expenses are virtually non-existent,” says Rao, who is tracking election spending since 1996. Elaborating further, he said that the expenditure by political parties is less than 10% in local elections compared to 20% in a Lok Sabha election. “On the other hand, the funds spent by candidates to get nomination is much higher than in case of Lok Sabha,” he claimed. On corporate funding, CMS is of the
view that spending by companies pick up significant pace where winning electors can influence legislation. “The huge requirement of funds from parties to candidates and finally the way these expenses are dealt with shows that the party system has crumbled. When outside candidates fight polls from a place they are not aware of, note-for-vote happens in a big way. Unless election expenses are properly accounted for, there is no way to ensure good governance,” Rao said.
AAP leader Somnath Bharti beaten up in Varanasi Arrest warrant issued against Giriraj Singh
VaranaSi, april 23 (pTi): AAP leader Somnath Bharti was on Wednesday assaulted allegedly by BJP workers at the Assi ghat here when he went there to participate in an elec-
tion-related programme. “Somnath Bharti went to Assi ghat for an election-related programme arranged by a channel where BJP supporters took objections to the statements made by him. “Although AAP volunteers tried to pacify BJP workers, they assaulted Bharti who suffered minor injuries. They also used abusive language. Two AAP volunteers were also hurt in the melee,” claimed AAP’s Varanasi coordinator Ramanand Rai. After getting first aid, Bharti, former law minister of Delhi, went to Bhelupur police station to register a complaint. Bharti, a former minister in Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP’s 49-day government in Delhi, is in Varanasi to campaign for his party from
where Kejriwal is taking on BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. Kejriwal filed his nomination papers on Wednesday. Modi is expected to file his nomination papers on Thurday. This is not the first time when AAP and BJP workers clashed in Varanasi. Last week, AAP activists had an altercation with volunteers of BJP when the Kejriwal’s car was allegedly stopped by BJP workers. As the election battle hots up, volunteers of both the parties have started gathering in Varanasi to campaign for their respective parties. In the coming days, the temple town may see many such incidents as the supporters keep flooding the temple town, making the atmosphere more volatile.
SC forms panel over government advertisements
new Delhi, april 23 (ianS): The Supreme Court Wednesday constituted a three-member committee to frame guidelines to regulate issuance of advertisements by the government and its departments with an obvious political message. The bench of Chief Justice P. Sathasivam, Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice N.V. Ramana said “the existing DAVP policy/guidelines do not govern the issues raised” by the NGO Common Cause and the CPIL as the guidelines “do not lay down any criteria for the advertisements to qualify for ‘public purpose’ as opposed to partisan ends and political mileage....” The court said “there is a need for substantive guidelines to be issued by this court until the legislature enacts a law in this regard”. Chief Justice Sathasivam said there was no policy or guideline to regulate the content of government advertisements “and to exclude the possibility of any mala fide use or misuse of public funds on advertisements in order to gain
political mileage by the political establishment”. The three-member committee would comprise N.R. Madhavan Menon, founder director of Bangalore’s National Law School of India University; T.K. Vishwanathan, former Lok Sabha secretary general; and counsel Ranjit Kumar. The court said the information and broadcasting ministry secretary would be member secretary, who would be coordinating and rendering assistance to the committee. The committee will submit its first report to the apex court in three months time. Pointing to the limited time available to the court to frame guidelines on the subject which was “sensational and significant”, the bench said: “We deem it proper to constitute a committee to undertake the task of suggesting guidelines to this court after an intricate study of all the best practices in public advertisements in different jurisdictions and to submit the same before this court.”
Accepting the government position that it was only through such advertisements that it communicates its policies, decisions, programmes and initiatives to the people, the court said the plea by the NGOs Common Cause and CPIL was “also not entirely misconceived”. “Since the primary cause of government advertisements is to use public funds to inform the public of their rights, obligations, and entitlements as well as to explain government policies, programmes, services and initiatives, however, when these requisites are not fulfilled in a government advertisement, then the whole purpose would be frustrated,” it said. Pointing out that the boundary line between the government advertisements to inform the people and those having political overtones can get blurred, the court said, “we need to distinguish between the advertisements that are part of government messaging and daily business and advertisements that are politically motivated”.
Bone marrow can cure blood disorders
Bangalore, april 23 (ianS): A leading specialty hospital has demonstrated that bone marrow stem cells can cure blood disorders like leukemia, thalassemia and aplastic anemia, a bone marrow failure. “Bone marrow transplant has emerged as an effective cure for cancerous and genetic blood diseases through transfusion of its stem cells from a healthy donor to an affected patient,” Narayana Health City consultant hematologist Sharat Damodar told reporters here Tuesday. The corporate hospital in the city’s southern suburb claims to have performed about 300 bone marrow transplants with over 80 percent success rate. Bone marrow can be collected from a related donor (siblings), matched unrelated donor (non-family members) and haploidentical donor (father or mother). “As it is a challenge to find donors in India, there is need for greater awareness to donate bone marrow to needy patients,” said Damodar. A person suffers from leukemia when the bone marrow starts producing abnormal white blood cells. “Though leukemia can be treated with radiation and chemotherapy, in case of re-
lapse, the option is a bone marrow transplant,” he added. In case of thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder which makes less hemoglobin, the treatment option is regular blood transfusion or bone marrow transplant. “We are partnering with Cure Thalassemia, an Italian organisation, which pioneered bone marrow transplant for thalaseemia patients,” Damador said. Aplastic anemia (bone marrow failure) occurs when the quantity of each of the three blood cell types is much lower than normal. “Its symptoms are unexplained infections (due to fewer white blood cells), unexpected bleeding (due to fewer platelets) and fatigue (due to fewer red blood cells). Treatment includes blood transfusion, blood and marrow stem cell transplants,” he said. With the largest bone marrow transplant facility, Narayana gets about 30 percent of overseas patients for treating blood disorders. Founded by renowned cardiologist Devi Shetty, Narayana has 26 hospitals in 16 cities with 6,900 beds across the country. The group’s flagship hospital here has also largest dialysis unit with tertiary care expertise in liver, kidney and heart transplants.
Observing that the issue raised by the NGOs might be new to India, governments in other countries have faced such a situation in the past and they resolved it by framing advertising guidelines. While Australia took steps to depoliticise public advertising and preventing conflict of interest so that no person or group exploits public advertising funds for individual or political gains, Canada also enforced guidelines for preventing conflict of interest by promoting transparency, accountability and separation of authority so that public advertisements could not be used for individual, financial or political gains. The petitioner NGOs have proposed guidelines which are in fact verbatim adoption of the Australian guidelines. The court noted this and said: “We do not think it will be appropriate for this court to adopt the guidelines of another country without application of mind and appreciation of situation in our country.”
ranchi, april 23 (ianS): A Bokaro court Wednesday issued an arrest warrant against Bihar BJP leader Giriraj Singh for making a provocative speech. “An arrest warrant has been issued against Giriraj Singh by the court of Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate Amit Shekhar. Police had moved a petition Tuesday in court seeking his arrest,” a lawyer told IANS over the telephone. Two FIRs have been lodged against the Bharatiya Janata Party leader in Jharkhand. The first was lodged in Bokaro and the second in Deoghar district. Giriraj Singh had said that “those opposing (BJP’s prime ministerial candidate) Narendra Modi as the prime minister of India are supporters of Pakistan”. A police team has been constituted that will approach its Bihar counterpart to arrest Giriraj Singh.
India successfully test fires Akash missile BhuBaneSwar, april 23 (ianS): India Wednesday test fired its Akash surface-to-air missile from a defence base in Odisha, an official said. The indigenously developed missile, with a 27-km range and an effective ceiling of 15 km, was test fired from the Integrated Test Range of Chandipur in the coastal district of Balasore, 230 km from here. “It was a trial by the Indian Air Force,” test range director M.V.K.V. Prasad told IANS. The 700-kg all-weather missile can carry a 60-kg warhead at speeds of up to Mach 2.5. It can operate autonomously and simultaneously engage and neutralise different aerial targets. It can be launched from static or mobile platforms, enabling flexible deployment by the armed forces. Developed by DRDO, Akash is being produced by Bharat Dynamics Limited as the nodal production agency with the involvement of Bharat Electronics Limited and a large number of other industries.
US seeks arrest of Congress MP Ramachandra Rao on bribery new Delhi, april 23 (pTi): The US has requested India for “provisional arrest” of Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member KVP Ramachandra Rao after he was indicted by an American court in an alleged international racketeering conspiracy involving bribes of $18.5 million for allowing mining of Titanium minerals in Andhra Pradesh. In a letter sent by National Crime Bureau of the US through Interpol to CBI, the US authorities have said Rao should be put under provisional arrest till all the documents were handed over to India through diplomatic channels, official sources said. The sources said CBI sent the letter to the Andhra Pradesh Police asking them to take action against Rao, who was a close aide to late Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy. The US also informed CBI that Interpol had already been approached for issuance of Red Corner Notice against Rao, who was charged in the US in an alleged international racketeering conspiracy involving bribes worth $18.5 million to state and central government officials in India to allow the mining of Titanium minerals in Andhra Pradesh. A US federal five-count indictment, returned under seal in June 2013 and unsealed in Chicago on April three, charges 65-year-old Rao and five others with one count each of racketeering conspiracy and money laundering and two counts of interstate travel in aid of racketeering. Rao was not immediately available for comments.
Dalit, minority kids pushed out of schools: HRW new Delhi, april 23 (ianS): School authorities in India have persistently discriminated against children from Dalit, minority and other marginalised communities, pushing them out of education, a report by Human Rights Watch said Tuesday. According to the report “They Say We’re Dirty: Denying an Education to India’s Marginalised”, the discrimination ranges from differentiation in serving mid-day meals, and not being allowed to go to toilets, to making them clean toilets and classrooms. “Under the Right to Education Act, the state government and the relevant local authorities are expected to ensure that no child is segregated or discriminated against in the classroom, during mid-day meals, in playgrounds, in the use of common drinking water and toilets, and in performing tasks such as cleaning toilets or classrooms,” said the 77-page report. The report was compiled by
conducting research in Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Delhi, interviewing more than 160 people, including children, parents, teachers, education experts and officials, rights activists and local authorities. All these states have a large population of low-caste poor, indigenous tribals and Muslims. Highlighting the discrimination in serving mid-day meals, Satyendra Kumar, Bihar director for New Delhi-based Centre for Social Equity and Inclusion, said: “If you see which children in school bring plates from home, it’s always the Dalit children.” “When we ask teachers why they are not given plates in school, the teachers say the other children won’t eat from the plates Dalit children eat from,” he said. As per a case study in the report, in 2010, 22 Dalit children of the Musahar community from a hamlet in Pindra in Uttar Pradesh stopped going to school after vari-
ous acts of discrimination and physical violence against them by the principal and teachers. Vijay, 14, told Human Rights Watch he dropped out after being beaten “The teacher didn’t let us go to the toilet. One day, I asked her for permission to go to the toilet but she said, ‘Sit down, go later’. So I urinated outside the window and she hit me so hard with a stick that my hand broke. I went to the hospital to get my hand bandaged. I had my hand in bandage for 10 days. Even now when I am working, I feel a lot of pain,” said VIjay. In Kamtachak in Patna district, Dalit children complained that children from other castes call them by their caste name in a derogatory manner, and do not mingle with them or include them when they are playing. Naresh, a 12 year-old boy, said he and other Dalit students have also been forced to massage a teacher’s legs and clean the teach-
ers’ toilet. “We were asked to massage a teacher’s legs. If we refused, he used to beat us. There was a toilet for teachers, which is the one we had to clean,” said Naresh. According to the report, in elementary school, dropout rates for children from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes were 51 percent and 58 percent, respectively, much higher than the 37 percent rate for non-Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe children. “India’s immense project to educate all its children risks falling victim to deeply rooted discrimination by teachers and other school staff against the poor and marginalised,” said Jayshree Bajoria, India researcher and author of the report. “Instead of encouraging children from at-risk communities who are often the first in their families to ever step inside a classroom, teachers often neglect or even mistreat them,” she said.
InternatIonal
the Morung express
Thursday 24 April 2014
Dimapur
9
‘Piles & piles’ of bodies in S.Sudan slaughter
NAIROBI, ApRIl 23 (Ap): The townsfolk believed the mosque was safe. They crammed inside as rebel forces in South Sudan took control of the town from government troops. But it wasn’t safe. Robbers grabbed their cash and mobile phones. Then gunmen came and opened fire on everyone, young and old. The U.N. says hundreds of civilians were killed in the massacre last week in Bentiu, the capital of South Sudan’s oil-producing Unity state, a tragic reflection of longstanding ethnic hostilities in the world’s newest country. “Piles and piles” of bodies were left behind after the shootings, said Toby Lanzer, the top U.N. aid official in South Sudan. Many were in the mosque. Others were in the hospital. Still more littered the streets. The violence appears to have been incited in part by calls on the radio for revenge attacks, including rapes. The attack, which targeted members of certain ethnic groups, was a disturbing echo of what happened two decades ago in another country in eastern Africa. Rwanda is marking the 20th anniversary this month of a genocide that killed an estimated 1 million people and also saw orders to kill broadcast over the radio. Thousands of people have been killed in violence in South Sudan since December, when presidential guards splintered and fought along ethnic lines.
In this image taken from video people travel on the road near Bentiu South Sudan on Sunday April 20. U.N.’s top humanitarian official in south Sudan Toby Lanzer told The Associated Press in a phone interview Tuesday April 23, 2014, that the ethnically targeted killings are “quite possibly a game-changer” for a conflict that has been raging since mid-December and that has exposed longstanding ethnic hostilities. There was also a disturbing echo of Rwanda, which is marking the 20th anniversary this month of its genocide that killed 1 million people. “It’s the first time we’re aware of that a local radio station was broadcasting hate messages encouraging people to engage in atrocities,” said Lanzer, who was in Bentiu on Sunday and Monday. “And that really accelerates South Sudan’s descent into an even more difficult situation from which it needs to extract itself.” (AP Photo)
The violence later spread across the country as soldiers loyal to President Salva Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, tried to put down a rebellion led by Riek Machar, the former vice president and an ethnic Nuer. But Lanzer told The Associated Press in a phone interview Tuesday that the April 15-16 mass killings, carried out by Nuers, are “quite possibly a gamechanger” in the conflict. “It’s the first time we’re aware of that a local radio
station was broadcasting hate messages encouraging people to engage in atrocities,” said Lanzer, who was in Bentiu on Sunday and Monday. “And that really accelerates South Sudan’s descent into an even more difficult situation from which it needs to extract itself.” Lanzer said thousands of civilians from several ethnic groups are streaming to the U.N. peacekeeping base in Bentiu because many believe more violence is com-
ing. The base now holds 22,000 people — up from 4,500 at the start of April — but can supply only one liter of water per person per day. Some 350 people must share one toilet. “The risk of a public health crisis inside our base is enormous,” he said. Raphael Gorgeu, the head of Doctors Without Borders in South Sudan, said people will die inside the U.N. base in the coming days because of the water and sanitation situation.
Thai court gives PM more time in abuse of power case
BANGKOK, ApRIl 23 (ReUTeRs): Thailand’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday gave Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra until early May to defend herself against charges of abuse of power, delaying a verdict that could see her removed from office. The charges relate to the transfer of National Security Council chief Thawil Pliensri in 2011, which opponents say was designed to benefit her Puea Thai Party. If found guilty, Yingluck could be forced to step down and some legal experts say the whole government would have to go with her. Yingluck, who heads a caretaker government with limited powers, has been undermined by six months of street protests as well as various legal challenges against her, which have intensified since February. Thawil was reinstated to his post in March but the Constitutional Court accepted a case brought against Yingluck by a group of 27 senators who petitioned it to rule that her removal of the security chief violated the constitution. “The prime minister will be given until May 2 to present her defence and gather further evidence,” Somrit Chaiwong, a Constitutional Court spokes-
man, told Reuters. Any judgment that removes Yingluck will escalate tension between her supporters and the antigovernment protesters. Some fear an increase in violence that could prompt intervention by the coup-prone military. A long-running crisis broadly pits the mostly poorer supporters of Yingluck and her brother, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, against the Bangkok-based middle class and the conservative establishment. Thaksin was ousted by the army in 2006 and has chosen exile rather than accept a jail term handed down in 2008 for abuse of power. The protesters want to end Thaksin’s political influence and set in motion broad political reforms that would prevent parties loyal to him from running for office again. A Feb. 2 election was disrupted by the protesters, who stopped candidates from registering and blocked polling stations and the delivery of ballot papers. As a result, a court last month ruled the election void and the Election Commission has yet to set a new date.
central bank to cut its economic growth forecast for this year to 2.7 percent. In January, it was expecting 3 percent and last October, before the protests flared up, it had forecast 4.8 percent. The Bank of Thailand’s monetary policy committee meets on Wednesday but, despite the economic gloom, is expected to leave interest rates unchanged after quarter-point cuts in November and March that took the policy rate down to 2.0 percent. Despite occupying key government ministries for weeks at a time and bringing parts of the capital, Bangkok, to a halt until retreating to a city park in March, the protesters have failed to achieve their aim of bringing down the government. They are now looking to the Constitutional Court and the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to remove Yingluck. Her supporters believe the courts and other state bodies are biased against her and Thaksin. Amongst the charges she faces is one of dereliction of duty. She is the nominal head of a state rice-buying scheme that critics say is riddled with corruption and has run up huge losses. The NACC, which ECONOMIC GLOOM The latest turmoil has dent- brought that charge against ed tourism and depressed busi- her, is expected to deliver its ness confidence, causing the ruling in May.
As rebel forces entered Bentiu last week, residents were led to believe that by entering the mosque they would be safe, Lanzer said, citing accounts from survivors. But once inside they were robbed of money and mobile phones and a short while later gunmen began killing, both inside the mosque and inside the city hospital. The U.N. hasn’t spelled out clearly who exactly the victims were, but it is likely that ethnic Dinkas were
among the dead. If you were not Nuer, then nothing could save you. And even Nuers who refused to take part in the attacks were killed, according to the U.N., as were former residents of the Darfur region of Sudan. The gunmen killed wantonly, including children and the elderly, Lanzer said. U.N. officials began helping to clear the bodies from the streets and city buildings after the bloodshed. Lanzer arrived in Ben-
tiu on the third day of that operation but still counted 150 bodies. He said the U.N. is documenting the killings and will soon have “a pretty good grasp” on the precise number killed. At U.N. headquarters in New York, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Tuesday that many bodies remain by the side of the main road between Bentiu and Rubkona, another town in Unity state, and that the Rubkona market continues to be looted. Gorgeu said his team members in Bentiu — including 12 international staff — have treated more than 200 people wounded in the violence, including many gunshot victims. British Ambassador Ian Hughes said Tuesday that the killings are a clear violation of international law. He said those behind the atrocities and those inciting them will be held to account. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney in a statement late Tuesday called the violence “an abomination” and said the perpetrators on both sides must be brought to justice. “They are a betrayal of the trust the South Sudanese people have put in their leaders,” the statement reads. “This is exactly the violence and suffering the South Sudanese people fought for decades to escape. “ The violence is only one part of a dual crisis in South Sudan, a landlocked country that gained its independence from Sudan in 2011.
Because of the fighting, more than 1 million people have fled their homes, and few residents are tending crops. Lanzer cited a severe risk of famine in the months ahead. The U.N. has been warning of mounting evidence of ethnically targeted killings as both government troops and rebel forces lose and gain territories in back-and-forth clashes. A cease-fire signed earlier this year has done little to quell violence. Though thousands of people are cramming into the U.N. base in Bentiu, they may not even be safe there. Dujarric said four rockets were fired at the base Thursday, including two that exploded within the compound and one just outside, wounding two people who had sought refuge,. Also last week, an angry mob attacked a U.N. base in Bor, a town in Jonglei state, killing about 60 people. In that case, ethnic Nuers sheltering inside bore the brunt of the attack. Dujarric said the U.N. mission in South Sudan reports that the situation in Bor remains “tense.” Asked how the United Nations could protect the 22,000 people at the base in Bentiu, given what happened in Bor, Dujarric said there are 500 U.N. peacekeepers in Bentiu. He reminded South Sudan’s government that it has a responsibility to protect civilians and that all armed groups have a responsibility to avoid civilian casualties.
Kagame: Lessons learned from genocide MeDFORD, ApRIl 23 (Ap): Rwanda President Paul Kagame told a U.S. audience Tuesday that the horrific slaughter of more than 800,000 people in his country two decades ago has taught people in the small East African nation that they “must ultimately be responsible for their own fate.” “If you wait for help to come, you will just perish,” Kagame told students, faculty and others at Tufts University who came to hear him speak as Rwanda marks 20 years since the atrocity. Kagame’s rebel Rwanda Patriotic Front ended the genocide by overthrowing the extremist government of the majority Hutus that orchestrated the slaughter of the ethnic Tutsis and Hutu moderates. “Twenty is not a magic number. But the milestone has helped to refocus Rwanda and the world’s attention on the causes and consequences of the genocide,” he said. The slaugh-
ter was committed “with shocking efficiency” by an extremist government that hid “behind the excuse of a spontaneous outpouring of violent anger,” he said. “To mask their responsibility and make justice impossible, they made millions of Rwandan civilians complicit in their crime, by inciting them to kill their neighbors and countrymen.” Kagame said the actions and inaction of the international community made the situation worse. Out of that twisted reality, Rwandans learned a painful lesson on justice that gave rise to ad hoc courts like the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and later the International Criminal Court. But Kagame said punitive justice is only half the solution and must be balanced with reconciliation. “The ultimate goal is to repair a devastated social fabric in order for a nation to heal and begin to rebuild,” he said. “This
Rwandan President Paul Kagame addresses an audience while taking a question during a panel discussion on the campus of Tufts University, on April 22, in Medford, Mass. (AP Photo)
is true for Rwanda after 1994, as it is for other nations recovering from major conflict.” Kagame expressed hope that his country’s young demographic may help Rwanda move past its recent history.
Flight MH370: Australia plans to use system that found Titanic
peRTH, ApRIl 23 (pTI): Australia is mulling deploying a more powerful system that tracked the Titanic 29 years ago to locate the wreckage of the crashed Malaysian airliner as a robotic mini-submarine scouring the Indian Ocean seabed has not achieved any breakthrough in its underwater mission. Australia was also consulting Malaysia, China and the US on the next phase of the search for the plane, that mysteriously disappeared on March 8 with 239 people on board, including
five Indians. More powerful towed sidescan commercial sonar equipment would probably be deployed, similar to the system that found the Titanic 3,800 m under the Atlantic Ocean in 1985 and the Australian second world war wreck HMAS Sydney in the Indian Ocean, north of the current search area, in 2008, the Associated Press quoted Australia’s defence minister David Johnston as saying. “The next phase, I think, is that we step up with potentially a more powerful, more capable side-scan so-
nar to do deeper water,” he said. Australian PM Tony Abbott said the plane’s probable impact zone was a swath of sea floor 700 kms long and 80 kms wide. He told reporters that a new search strategy would be adopted if nothing was found in the current search zone. Up to 10 military aircraft and 12 ships will assist in today’s search for the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, a day after planned air search activities were suspended due to poor weather conditions in the search area due to Tropical Cyclone Jack. Autonomous underwater vehi-
cle Bluefin-21, a US Navy probe equipped with side-scan sonar, “has now completed more than 80% of the focused underwater search area,” Perth-based Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) said in a statement. “No contacts of interest have been found to date,” it said on the 47th day of the search for the ill-fated Beijing- bound plane, that veered off from its course after take-off from Kuala Lumpur. “Bluefin-21 AUV is currently completing mission 10 in the underwater search area,” the statement said.
Sherpas leave Mt. Everest; some expeditions nix climbs
In this May 18, 2003 file photo, mountaineers pass through the treacherous Khumbu Icefall on their way to Mount Everest near Everest Base camp, Nepal. The Khumbu Icefall is a river of ice, a kilometer or so of constantly shifting glacier punctuated by deep crevasses and overhanging immensities of ice that can be as large as 10-story buildings and can move six feet in just one day. Crossing it can take 12 hours. (AP File Photo)
KATMANDU, ApRIl 23 (Ap): Sherpa guides packed up their tents and left Mount Everest’s base camp Wednesday in an unprecedented walkout to honor 16 of their colleagues who were killed last week in the deadliest avalanche ever recorded on the mountain, climbers said. The boycott throws Nepal’s lucrative climbing season into disarray. Most attempts to reach Everest’s summit are made in mid-May, when weather is most favorable, but expedition companies already have started canceling their climbs for the season following Friday’s tragedy. Thirteen bodies were recovered after the avalanche and three Sherpas still missing are presumed dead. Without Sherpa help, it would be nearly impossible for climbers to scale
the mountain anyway. Many climbers will have to forfeit most or all of the money they have spent to go up Everest — at a cost of $75,000 or more. “It is just impossible for many of us to continue climbing while there are three of our friends buried in the snow,” said Dorje Sherpa, an experienced Everest guide from the tiny Himalayan community that has become famous for its high-altitude skills and endurance. “I can’t imagine stepping over them,” he said of the three Sherpa guides who remain buried in ice and snow. American climber Ed Marzec, 67, said by phone from the base camp that Sherpas were loading their equipment onto a helicopter that had landed at the camp. “There are a lot of Sherpas leaving this morning, and in the next two days there will be a huge
number that will follow,” Marzec, 67, of San Diego, said by phone from the base camp. Marzec said he had already decided to abandon his climb. But he said some smaller companies were hoping to go ahead with their climbs, and it was not clear whether all of the approximately 400 Sherpas on the mountain would join the boycott. Tusli Gurung, a guide who was at the base camp on Wednesday, estimated that nearly half the Sherpas had already left. Seattle-based Alpine Ascents International announced it was calling off its expedition. “We have all agreed the best thing is to not continue this season’s climb, so that all can mourn the loss of family, friends and comrades in this unprecedented tragedy,” the company said on its website. New Zealand-based Adventure Consultants
also said it was canceling its expedition this season. Friday’s avalanche was triggered when a massive piece of glacier sheared away from the mountain along a section of constantly shifting ice and crevasses known as the Khumbu Icefall — a treacherous area where overhanging immensities of ice as large as 10-story buildings hang over the main route up the mountain. The disaster has reignited debate over the disproportionate risks the Sherpas take on Everest. Special teams of Sherpas, known as Icefall Doctors, fix ropes through what they hope to be the safest paths, and use aluminum ladders to bridge crevasses. But the Khumbu shifts so much that they need to go out every morning — as they were doing when disaster struck Friday — to repair sections that have broken
overnight and move the climbing route if needed. Immediately after the avalanche, the government said it would pay the families of each Sherpa who died 40,000 rupees, or about $415. But the Sherpas said they deserved far more — including more insurance money, more financial aid for the victims’ families and new regulations to ensure climbers’ rights. Nepal’s government appeared to agree Tuesday to some of the demands, such as setting up a relief fund for Sherpas who are killed or injured in climbing accidents, but the funding falls far short of the demands. The government’s offers include a relief fund to help Sherpas injured in mountaineering accidents and the families of those killed, and to pay for rescue during accidents on the mountain. The govern-
ment said it would stock the fund annually with 5 percent of its earnings from Everest climbing fees — well below the 30 percent the Sherpas are demanding. Nepal earns about $3.5 million annually in Everest climbing fees. The insurance payout for those killed on the mountain will also be doubled to $15,620 (2 million rupees), the Ministry of Tourism said — far short of the Sherpas’ demand for $20,800. Nearly 30 climbers have died on the Icefall since 1963, most killed in avalanches or when they were crushed by huge chunks of ice. More than 4,000 climbers have reached the top of the world’s highest mountain since 1953, when it was first conquered by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay. Hundreds of people have died trying.
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SPORTS
The Morung Express
6th State Inter Government School Tournament starts MON, ApriL 23 (Dipr): The 6th State Level Inter Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS) and Government High School (GHS) Tournament 2014 started today at Local ground, Mon, with Zaveyi Nyekha, Director, School Education, Nagaland, as Chief Guest. Angau I Thou, IAS, DC Mon, was the guest of honour. Speaking at the inauguration function, the chief guest said that students of today are expected to have progressive thinking and visions for the people and country as it is often said that the students are the leaders of tomorrow. He said that education gives longer life, its gives good health, wealth and above all education is good for everything. He encouraged the students to study hard and secure
FILE - In this Monday, March 31, 2014 file photo Manchester United's manager David Moyes, right, stands alongside Ryan Giggs as the team trains at Carrington training ground in Manchester. Manchester United says manager David Moyes has left the Premier League club after less than a year in charge, amid heavy speculation he was about to be fired. United released a brief statement in its website Tuesday, saying the club "would like to place on record its thanks for the hard work, honesty and integrity he brought to the role." Giggs has been tipped to takeover on an interim basis. (AP Photo)
ManU must move fast with vital window looming LONDON, ApriL 23 (reuters): con of hope in a depressing season. Manchester United must move quickly to appoint a new manager and give him HIGHLY INCONSISTENT The highly inconsistent Ashley maximum time to operate in what will be a critical transfer window for the club. Young and Nani must also be moved A season of abject failure under on, though pacy and disciplined right David Moyes brought a swift end to winger Antonio Valencia may have a the former Everton manager's reign at future at Old Trafford. Perhaps Moyes's Old Trafford and United will have to best achievement at United was peract equally decisively to install the right suading England striker Wayne Rooney to stay and his form has been consisman to try to revive their fortunes. Netherlands manager Louis van tently good in a difficult season. The same cannot be said of Robin Gaal is the favourite and he has the necessary experience and record of suc- van Persie, whose 26 league goals fired cess. Carlo Ancelotti of Real Madrid and United to the title 12 months ago in Borussia Dortmund's Juergen Klopp Ferguson's last season in charge. The have also been linked with the job, al- Dutch striker has been a peripheral figthough the German appeared to rule ure under Moyes, plagued by the injuhimself out of contention on Tuesday. ries which afflicted him at former club But bringing in at least four top- Arsenal and clearly unhappy at playing quality internationals and moving out several ageing players and serial underperformers will not be an easy task. The United defence needs a complete overhaul. Centre backs Rio Ferdinand MANCHester, ApriL 23 (Ap): Marginand Nemanja Vidic were key alized on and off the pitch in the fateful David players in United's success Moyes era, Ryan Giggs had almost become the under Alex Ferguson but Vid- forgotten man at Old Trafford this season. ic is joining Inter Milan and That's all about to change. In the most turFerdinand, 35, is also long bulent period at Manchester United in a genpast his sell-by date. eration, the club is turning to one of its greatest French left back Patrice players to bring some order. Giggs was appointEvra has given sterling ser- ed as United's temporary coach on Tuesday vice in eight years at the club following the firing of Moyes after a woeful 10 but he too should be allowed months in charge. to leave along with firebrand The Welshman is still in United's playing Brazilian right back Rafael, a squad at the age of 40 — he is into the 23rd seatalented attacking player but son of a remarkable career at the club — but defensive liability. Then there was a member of Moyes' coaching staff and is the midfield, for so long a has had aspirations for a while of being a manmajor strength of United sides ager. Now he'll get his chance. With four league under Ferguson with the likes games remaining, Giggs is likely to be in charge of Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, until the end of the season — starting with SatDavid Beckham and Ryan urday's home match against Norwich. The task? Giggs contributing so much To lift some of the gloom surrounding the club and aim for 12 points that could earn United a in their contrasting styles. Moyes had to rely on the place in next season's Europa League, a crumb experienced but one-paced of comfort from a sobering year. "I definitely think Ryan will be a manager," Michael Carrick as his central linchpin and the acquisi- former United captain Bryan Robson said on tion of the skilful and creative Tuesday. "Whether he gets it full-time at a club Juan Mata failed to address like Manchester United is a big ask." A person United's glaring issue in the with knowledge of the situation at United said centre of the pitch - a lack of Giggs was not being considered for the full-time speed. Darren Fletcher is a position and that the club would be seeking an disciplined player and a solid experienced manager to replace Moyes on a pershielder of the defence but manent basis. It was not guaranteed that Giggs or his lack of creativity will al- Phil Neville would even be part of the new manways be exposed at the high- ager's coaching staff. The person spoke on conest level while Tom Cleverley dition of anonymity because the club was yet to has failed to show the neces- announce the moves. Four straight wins to end the season may just make United's board think sary quality. The signing of Marouane again, however. Especially if his team plays with Fellaini from Moyes's for- the vim, heart and adventure that has charactermer club Everton, a panic ized Giggs' distinguished playing career. "For me, buy for 27 million pounds I think in the last four games, there will be more ($45.4 million) at the end of togetherness and playing a brand of football that the pre-season transfer win- is more eye-catching," said Dwight Yorke, who played alongside Giggs in United's famous tredow, will go down in history ble-winning team in the 1998-99 season. as a microcosm of the manager's doomed stay at the club. The lanky long-haired midfielder has in a losing team. England forward Danny Welbeck looked like a fish out of water at United, failing to score a goal and frequently has shown flashes of his ability but the lumbering ineffectively around the Manchester-born 23-year-old hinted last week that he was unhappy at Old centre of the pitch. He must also be moved on along Trafford and he could also leave. One with Japanese playmaker Shinji Kaga- plus has been the reliability of young wa who has had limited opportunities Spanish goalkeeper David De Gea and to prove his worth but looks too simi- he will stay at United, a player along lar to Mata to be accommodated in the with Rooney, Januzaj, Mata and young same team. Moyes rarely played with defenders Phil Jones and Jonny Evans two wingers, a cornerstone of Fergu- for the new manager to build a team son's success, but the emergence of around. United have been linked with 19-year-old Adnan Januzaj was a bea- some of the best players in the world.
Giggs returns to center stage
good degree and bring quality education to the society. He added that the fruit of education lies in the hands of the educated youth people. He also said that students are the future leaders and representatives of the
CHALLENGER CUP 2014 10TH MEN & 6TH WOMEN OPEN BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
state and that they’ll be the one flying the state’s banner in the years to come and therefore they should dedicate themselves by being disciplined and determined to constantly improve and excel both academically and in games
and sports. Encouraging the participants to uphold sportsmanship he said that one should not forget the sporting spirit or sportsmanship. It is the very foundation of games and sports and also the most important attri-
bute of true sportsmen. He said that in every match or sport, there is bound to be a loser and a winner because there cannot be a winner in a game unless there is a loser and added that winning and losing are the integral parts of any game or sport and has to be taken in a sporting spirit. It may be mentioned that teams from all 11 (eleven) district will be participating. The closing function of this Tournament is scheduled on April 25. Earlier the programme was chaired by T. Lipok Jamir, Assistant Director, School Education. Invocation was pronounced by Nahngom, Pastor, Konyak Baptist Church, Mon. Welcome address was delivered by Rongsenlila, District Education Officer, Mon, and special song by David (Nagamese singer).
Wizards beat Bulls to take 2-0 lead
DAY 3 RESULTS *Taurus defeated Cretan Bulls 32-24 *Amplified defeated Ravens 39-26 *Mystic Ballers defeated Kohima Chief 32-28 *Sky Hooks held draw with Drifters 35-35 DAY 4 (APRIL 24) FIXTURE 12:00 Noon: Untroddens Vs Venture Wing Society Jakhama 1:00 PM: Sky Hooks Vs Taurus 2:00 PM: Peligans Vs Ravens 3:00 PM: Amplified vs Kohima Chief 4:00 PM: Air Hogs Vs Drifters
CHIZAMI CUP 2014 Organized by Life Sports Nagaland DAY 2 RESULTS *Artworks B beat BTC FC 4-1 *Falcon FC beat Hill Boys FC 3-2 *Wings FC defeated Zanübou FC 10-1 TILL DAY 2 HIGHLIGHTS Total goal scored: 30 Yellow cards: 6 Hat-tricks: 2 Highest scorer: Meyosing of Wings FC (4 goals)
Washington Wizards guard John Wall shoots between Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson (22) and Mike Dunleavy (34) as D.J. Augustin (14) and Trevor Booker (35) watch during the second half of Game 2 in an opening-round NBA basketball playoff series Tuesday, April 22, in Chicago. The Wizards won 101-99. (AP Photo)
QUARTER FINALS (APRIL 24) Ist QF (8:00 AM): Artworks Chizami Town vs Falcon FC 2nd QF (10:00 AM): Halcyon United Pfutsro vs 5 Sector Assam CHiCAGO, ApriL 23 seconds left. Jimmy Butler 91-85 when Beal, quiet in the Rifles, Tsiesema (Ap): Bradley Beal came got the rebound and Chi- second half, shot the Wizards 3rd QF(1:00 PM): Kohima Komets vs Tsüpfüme Youth Club on strong late in regulation cago called time. Hinrich, back into the game. 4th QF (3:00 PM): Artworks B vs Wings FC Chizami Town
Malinga appointed SL T20I skipper till 2015
COLOMbO, ApriL 23 (AGeNCies): Sri Lanka's selectors have decided to appoint Lasith Malinga as the T20I captain until 2015 while they have named Angelo Mathews to lead the ODI squad until the 2015 World Cup. In a selection meeting held on Wednesday, the selectors decided to appoint Lahiru Thirimanne as the vice-captain in both ODIs and T20s for the period specified. Malinga's captaincy during the World T20 in Bangladesh in March helped Sri Lanka win their first ICC trophy since 1996. Angelo Mathews, who has been full-time captain for Sri Lanka since March 2013, has had a modest record as SL captain. In 32 matches, he has won 18, lost 12 and two matches have ben no results. However, in the recently concluded series against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka did not lose a single match across all three formats.
to finish with 26 points, Nene scored six of his 17 in overtime and the Washington Wizards beat the Chicago Bulls 101-99 Tuesday to take a 2-0 lead in their firstround series. Washington rallied from 10 down in the fourth quarter after blowing a 17-point first-quarter lead. Nene scored the first six points in overtime after being held in check by Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah in regulation, and the Wizards hung on after Kirk Hinrich failed to convert at the foul line in the closing seconds. Noah had just hit two free throws when Beal missed a jumper with 18
a 76-percent free throw shooter this season, had a chance to tie it after getting fouled by Nene on a drive with 2.4 seconds left. But his first attempt hit the rim. He deliberately missed the second, and Trevor Ariza grabbed the rebound to seal the win for Washington. D.J. Augustin led Chicago with25points.TajGibsonhad 22 points and 10 rebounds. Noah added 20 points and 12 boards, but the Bulls will have to dig themselves out of a huge hole after dropping two at home. John Wall had 16 points and seven assists for Washington. The Bulls appeared to be in good shape up 87-77 five minutes into the fourth and were still leading
He nailed a 3-pointer that made it 91-88 and added a floater to make it a one-point game. Then, with a chance to put Washington ahead, he hit 1 of 2 free throws with 52.9 seconds left to tie it at 91. Both teams had opportunities to win it in the closing seconds but couldn't convert. Augustin threw up an air ball, setting off a scramble that led to a jump ball between Gibson and Nene. Beal controlled the tip, but after a timeout, he missed an 18-footer along the baseline as time expired. The Bulls were trailing 64-61 with just under six minutes left in the third when they went on an 8-1 run for their first lead of the game.
Juventus seeks 1st European title since scandal It is the first time the two clubs have met in European competition, and Sevilla will be confident as it has not lost at home against Valencia for nearly a decade. Here are five things to know about the Europa League semifinals:
TEVEZ'S 5-YEAR DROUGHT: Juventus forward Carlos Tevez's goal-scoring drought in Europe has passed the five-year mark. The Argentine's last European goal was way back on April 7, 2009 for Manchester United when he came off the bench and scored against Porto in the Champions League quarterfinals. Tevez is among the Serie A leaders with 18 goals this season but has been bothered by an inflamed thigh muscle lately and has not played a full 90 minutes yet this month. Still, he is expected to team with FerJuventus midfielder Paul Pogba, of France, celebrates with nando Llorente up front on teammate Sebastian Giovinco, right, after scoring during a Thursday. Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Bologna at the Juventus stadium, in Turin, Italy on April 19. (AP Photo)
rOMe, ApriL 23 (Ap): When Juventus visits Benfica in the first leg of the Europa League semifinals Thursday, it will mark the first appearance for the once dominant Turin club in the final four of a European competition since finishing runner-up in the 2003 Champions League. After the 2006 Italian match-fixing scandal and the subsequent relegation to Serie B, it's been a long
road back to continental prominence for Juventus, which is also striding toward its third successive Serie A title. While Juve holds an eight-point lead in Serie A with four matches to play, it faces a Benfica squad that clinched the Portuguese title last weekend. In the other semifinal, Sevilla coach Unai Emery will face his former side Valencia in an all-Spanish matchup.
BENFICA'S GHOSTS: Benfica clinched the Portuguese title last weekend with two rounds left to play, helping to banish some of last season's demons. The Lisbon club fell at the final hurdles in three competitions last season, including the domestic title race, and ended up with no silverware. It conceded late goals in the Europa League final, when it lost 2-1 to Chelsea, and in the Portuguese Cup against
Guimaraes. Now, apart from reaching the Europa League semifinals, Benfica is also into the final of the Portuguese Cup and the semifinals of the Portuguese League Cup. As it pursues its 10th European final and two other trophies, its packed game schedule is taking a toll on the squad. Argentine winger Salvio (fractured forearm) and Portuguese defender Silvio (broken shin) will miss both the Juventus matches.
EMERY'S REVENGE: Sevilla coach Unai Emery may relish the chance of eliminating Valencia, where the Spanish coach enjoyed four successful seasons before being released. Emery led Valencia to three straight third-place finishes and, subsequently, into the Champions Leagues between 2008 and '12 before leaving for Spartak Moscow. The club has not qualified for Europe's top-tier event since. Emery has steered Sevilla to nine victories in its past 10 Spanish league games to put the club on the cusp of qualifying for next season's Champions League, with Sunday's match against fourth-place Athletic Bilbao likely to be the decider. "We feel good about our chances, very confident," defender Federico Fazio said. "There's little season left and now is
when everything is decided." Sevilla is on the verge of returning to the final for the first time since winning a second straight UEFA Cup in 2007.
EUROPEAN HOPES: Valencia likely needs to win the Europa League to qualify for continental football next season because it is currently eighth in the Spanish league and unlikely to qualify domestically. An overdue victory at the Sanchez Pizjuan will aid that cause, though Los Che did come back from a 3-0 firstleg loss at Basel to beat the Swiss 5-3 on aggregate in the quarterfinals. "Playing in Europe is a whole other matter," Valencia midfielder Sofiane Feghouli said. "It's a different style of play." Valencia hasn't won at Sevilla's ground since it last won the league, in 2004. 70 MILLION EUROS: That's the transfer price Juventus could set for prized 21-year-old midfielder Paul Pogba once this season ends. With Paris Saint-German, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich all reportedly interested in the rapidly developing France international, it's tough to imagine Juventus turning down such an offer. Pogba reminded everyone of his value Saturday when he scored in a laborious 1-0 win over Bologna to virtually seal the Serie A title.
Entertainment
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he made a name for herself with her punk rock inspired pop hits such as Complicated and Sk8er Boi. But for her latest music video Hello Kitty Avril Lavigne has taken a dramatic turn, transforming herself into a techno goddess. The 29-year-old displays rainbow coloured
hair and a side shave as she sings in both Japanese and English to a driving techno beat and dub step breakdown in the short film. Wearing a leather bodice with a plunging neckline, the blonde singer dons a series of pearl necklaces. With leather gloves adorning her hands, Avril leads a pack of harajuku girls in a
choreographed dance routine. Displaying her lithe legs, the star wears pink stockings underneath a frilly cupcake adorned
skirt. Her backup performers all wear matching outfits with bright pink tights and blue hot pants. Their auburn locks are all identically cut with fringes as they sport dancer's flats and collared shirts with suspenders. R o m p i n g a ro u n d multi-coloured sets with candied backdrops, Avril strums a guitar as she mugs for the camera. She then takes to the streets where she snaps pictures of her dancers as they strike various poses.
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What led Adi to suddenly marry Rani in Italy?
Avril Lavigne
unveils new Japanese techno inspired video
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away, with the blessings of both their parents. On Friday night, the Mukerjis and the Chopras decided that the venue would be Italy. On Saturday night, Krishna, Ram and Raja Mukerji took a flight as did Pam and Uday Chopra. Karan Johar also flew the same night. A priest accompanied the families and the wedding took place accord-
nally opposite her own Theosophical Colony home, for years now. Also, Adi has been attending the annual Ganpati Puja at Rani's residence for the last few years; he was even spotted walking hand-in-hand with the light-eyed actress (seems like an improbability because he is so phantomlike) in her compound.
wife Payal took three years. It also took that much time for Yash and Pam Chopra to warm up to their second bahu-to-be. So, what triggered their sudden decision to marry? Well, three weeks ago, Rani's father Ram Mukerji, who is fitted with a pacemaker, collapsed and was immediately hospitalised. He kept repeating, "The only thing I want before anything untoward happens to me is to see my daughter married". And, in what can only be described as true filmi style, standing by his bedside, Adi promised the senior Mukerji that the dilwala would take his dulhaniya
ing to Bengali tradition. An insider says, "We knew that the marriage was taking place this weekend. Pam cancelled the usual Saturday film screening that she holds at Yash Raj Films (YRF) for the khandaan. No friends or relatives other than the immediate family were alerted about the wedding." Of course, everyone knew that this would be the final outcome. After all, Rani is addressed as 'malkin' (mistress/owner) by all and sundry at YRF. She had been reportedly living in with Adi at his Vikas Park residence, which is diago-
The couple holidayed in London every year. And, it was Rani who sat in the puja with Adi, when they performed a havan to mark Yash Chopra's first death anniversary. Rani's family, as we have often reported in Bombay Times, is more important than that of the Pope's at Yash Raj. Her brother Raja has bagged a job at YRF. Her mother Krishna, nattily dressed in kurtis and skirts, is the one looking after Pam at the weekly film screenings. And, domestic help flies in and out of the screenings looking after Rani's niece (her brother Raja and bhabhi Jyothi's child).
hey have cried wolf so many times that when Rani Mukerji finally married Aditya Chopra — with whom she was in a serious relationship for close to a decade — in an unassuming ceremony on April 21 in Italy, it took a little time for the industry to digest the fact. Using a retro camera, The proceedings for Avril soon produces a Adi's divorce from his first Polaroid of the matching girls, which she gives to them with a smile. Hello Kitty is the third single off of the Canadian pop princess self-titled fifth album. `Hello Kitty` was co-written by Lavigne with her husband Chad Kroeger. The single serves as the follow-up to `Here`s to Never Growing Up`, `Rock N Roll` and Kroeger-assisted `Let Me Go`, which all charted on Billboard Hot 100.
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Make 'Bhootnath Returns' tax free, poll panel urged
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mitabh Bachchan-starrer Bhootnath Returns -- a movie that emphasises the importance of voting -- should be made tax free so that its message reaches a wider audience, the Election Commission has been urged. In a petition to the commission, a media organisation here said that tax free status for the film, which is doing well at the box office, would only be appropriate as the country is in the middle of a general election. The state governments should support the strong social message that emanates from the film. Granting tax-free status to this film would make people aware about their rights as voters like making voter ID cards or not treating polling day as holiday, the petition by U4U Voice said. In the film, a ghost (played by Bachchan) gets friendly with a child and then contests elections against an evil and greedy politician. Declaring the film tax-free at this stage would only mean that more people can watch it and, thus, help spread the message across, the petition noted. The film details how the duo - the ghost and the child - realise the depth of issues like corruption rooted in the country and how the slum kid coerces Bhoothnath to fight an election.
Hugh Jackman to appear on wrestling show
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Hawaii Officials Proclaim Bruno Mars Day for Second Time
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overnment officials in Bruno Mars' native Hawaii have honoured the singer with his own day for a second time. In 2010, the Treasure hitmaker returned to his home state for the first time after hitting it big, and Hawaiian officials announced 19 December would be Bruno Mars Day, and now, four years later, locals celebrated again on 21 April (14), as Mars capped off a three-night, sold-out gig in Honolulu. Unlike the first honour, Monday's celebration is a one-off occasion, and not meant to be celebrated every year, like singer's December festivities. The 2014 proclamation reads Bruno Mars’ talent for combining catchy pop melodies, hiphop beats and feel-good
lyrics has helped him emerge as one of Hawaii's most popular artists. We ask all citizens of the
Aloha State to join us in celebrating the achievements of Bruno Mars in representing Hawaii well in America and around the world with his exceptional talent and performances.
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Defensive Chelsea holds Atletico to draw
Japanese champion Shinsuke Yamanaka, left, hits his left on the face of Belgian challenger Stephane Jamoye in the seventh round in their WBC bantamweight boxing title bout in Osaka, western Japan, Wednesday, April 23. Yamanaka defended his title with a technical knockout in the ninth round. (AP Photo)
Sachin greater than Bradman, claims book with "evidence" NEw DElHI, ApRIl 23 (pTI): The jury is still out on whether Sachin Tendulkar retired a greater batsman than late Australian legend Don Bradman but a Chennai-based author claims to have found the "forensic evidence" to prove that the Indian maestro was indeed the better of the two icons. On the eve of Tendulkar`s 41st birthday, his first after retiring from international cricket, Rudolph Lambert Fernandez has come up with a book `Greater Than Bradman`, which aims to prove that the Little Master is the greatest batsman of all time. "It is not another biography of Sachin or Bradman. It is not another compilation of interviews, match anecdotes and expert essays. It is not an autobiography. It is an analysis. It is a forensic study that aims to set the record straight," the author claims about the book. "This is the first and only book that challenges Bradman`s rank as a batsman," he says. Fernandez wishes to present a copy of the book to Tendulkar`s brother Ajit, his
wife Anjali and his formative coach Ramakant Achrekar. "I am eager to present a paperback of the book to the three As, who were in many ways responsible for Sachin realising his greatness -- Ajit his brother, Achrekar his coach, and Anjali his wife. This book is a celebration of Tendulkar`s greatness and what he stood for on the cricket field -- there is no higher tribute," said Fernandez. Fernandez says the book uses illustrations from "science and martial arts" to prove Tendulkar`s greatness. "It questions traditional measures of greatness that revolve around statistics. It offers a more honest approach that respects a batsman`s figures but places them against the backdrop of his playing environment", he says. "The 21st century cricket readers need a closer look at Bradman. They appear all too familiar with Sachin, having seen his every shot dissected a 100 times. They have seen his ducks, his run-outs, his many failures," said Fernandez. Fernandez said his book offers a whole new
perspective on Tendulkar`s cricketing career. "This book is not about Sachin being the greatest batsman in 1998 or in 2010. It is about him as the greatest batsman in cricket history," he said. "While the point of this book is to demonstrate Sachin`s superiority over Bradman, it would be a pity if this were to be read as scorning the similarities between them -- their desire to dominate, their eagerness to excel, their genius. Thankfully these have been celebrated already by other writers," he said. Tendulkar`s 198 Test appearances yielded 15,837 runs at an average of 53.86, a feat so huge in magnitude that no contemporary or even a talented successor of his, looks capable of overhauling it in the near or distant future. At the end of his ODI journey, the 40-year-old right-hander had, under his belt, a whopping 18,426 in 463 matches at an average of 44.83. The righthander retired as only batsman to score 100 international centuries -- 51 in Tests and 49 in ODIs.
I remain grateful to Ferguson: Moyes
MANCHESTER, ApRIl 23 (AFp): David Moyes spoke out Wednesday for the first time since his sacking as Manchester United manager, saying he understood fans' frustration after his ill-fated 10-month spell in charge at Old Trafford. "During this period of transition, performances and results have not been what Manchester United and its fans are used to or expect, and I both understand and share their frustration," the 50-yearold Scot said in a statement. "I have always believed that a manager never stops learning during his career, and I know I will take invaluable experience from my time as United's manager.
"I remain proud to have led the team to the quarterfinals of this year's Champions League and I remain grateful to Sir Alex Ferguson for believing in my ability and giving me the chance to manage Manchester United." Moyes moved from Everton to succeed Ferguson at the Old Trafford helm last July, but the season quickly became a nightmare as the team slumped to a series of embarrassing defeats. He was fired on Tuesday, with United slumping to seventh place in the Premier League and being eliminated from both domestic cup competitions and the Champions League.
Atletico's Diego Costa, right, is closed down by Chelsea's Gary Cahill, left, and John Obi Mikel during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Chelsea at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, April 22. (AP Photo)
MADRID, ApRIl 23 (Ap): Chelsea's defensive game plan worked perfectly as it held Atletico Madrid to a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal on Tuesday. Jose Mourinho's ultradefensive tactics succeeded at the Vicente Calderon Stadium despite the exit of goalkeeper Petr Cech to injury in the 18th minute. Mark Schwarzer came on, with Cech's long-term replacement — Thibaut Courtois — playing in the opposite goal, on loan from Chelsea. Atletico nearly broke through in the final 15 minutes as Raul Garcia and substitute Arda Turan sent headers wide, while Gabi Fernandez and Diego Costa forced Schwarzer into saves. But Chelsea looked too strong at the back, despite also losing captain John Terry to an injury that will sideline him for the remainder of the Premier League season. The result will leave the English side feeling upbeat about its chances of returning to the final, two years after beating Bayern Munich on penalties. Atletico, which is top of the Spanish league and hasn't been this far in Europe's top competition since 1974, needs a plan for breaking open a Chelsea defense that will be handicapped by injuries and suspensions in the return leg. "We're not happy with the draw since we wanted to win at all costs. We're left with a bad taste in our mouth even if the series is still open," Gabi said. "We knew they didn't want to
Cech, Terry out with long-term injuries
MADRID, ApRIl 23 (Ap): Chelsea will be without goalkeeper Petr Cech and captain John Terry for the rest of the Premier League season, prompting manager Jose Mourinho to make the Champions League his team's priority. The Chelsea veterans were injured during separate incidents in Tuesday's 0-0 draw at Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal. "Petr Cech's season is over. Don't ask me to explain it technically, but it's over," Mourinho said. "With John, we'll have to play in the final for him to play with us again." Cech injured his left arm in the 15th minute with media reports suggesting the Czech goalkeeper dislocated his shoulder. Terry came off after landing awkwardly on his foot in the 73rd. The Premier League season ends on May 11, while the Champions League final is in Lisbon on May 24. Chelsea was already without injured forwards Eden Hazard and Samuel Eto'o at Atletico, and now goes into Sunday's match at Premier League leader Liverpool with more injury problems. With three matches left in the season, Chelsea trails Liverpool by five points. The Portuguese concede, but we tried to score through our best attacking football." The second leg is at Stamford Bridge on April 30 with the winner playing either Bayern or Real Madrid in the May 24 final at Lisbon. Chelsea striker Fernando Torres started on his first return to his boyhood club — but made little impact like much of his side's attack — as Oscar and Andre Schuerrle were left on the substitutes'
Chelsea's John Terry is placed on a stretcher after taking a knock during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Chelsea at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid, Spain on April 22. (AP Photo)
manager said those players he needs for the return leg against Atletico on April 30 may not play against Liverpool on Sunday. Frank Lampard and John Obi Mikel could be available at Anfield since they are booked for the Atletico match. "My priority is the Champions League," said Mourinho. "(But) I
bench. Eden Hazard and Samuel Eto'o were out due to injury. "We had to be safe, don't concede and score in the chances you create," Mourinho said. "If you score a goal in one of those situations the result would be very good. We didn't, but this result means everything will be decided at Stamford Bridge." Mourinho's game plan was not pretty, but certainly proved effective as
can't decide by myself, that's a decision where I have to listen to the club. I'm just a piece, the manager and no more than that." Mourinho praised his squad's ability to adapt to the circumstances of the evening against the Spanish league leader, which he described as a "a very tough, very physical team."
the Blues stifled Atletico, whose best opportunity of the first half forced Cech out with an injured shoulder as he tipped Koke's wicked in-swinging corner kick over the bar. Schwarzer came on to chants of "Courtois" as Atletico supporters mocked Chelsea's decision to loan out the Belgian goalkeeper. Chelsea should have been ahead moments later when Gary Cahill headed Frank Lampard's cor-
ner kick wide from inside the area, shortly before Ramires broke through — only for the Chelsea midfielder to fire wide. Schwarzer was busy gathering failed crosses and long balls as the home side attempted to break through without success, while Chelsea's defenders did well to contain Diego Costa and block a series of shots, including the Spain striker's 41st-minute volley from inside the area.
F1 boss Ecclestone goes on trial in bribery case C M Y K
MUNICH, ApRIl 23 (Ap): Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone goes on trial in Munich on Thursday on bribery charges that could lead to a prison term of up to 10 years if he is convicted. The trial could spell the end of the 83-year-old Ecclestone's career running F1, which he turned into a billion dollar business.
Here are five things to know about the trial: THE CHARGES: Ecclestone is charged with bribery and incitement to breach of trust "in an especially grave case" over a $44 million payment to a German banker, Gerhard Gribkowsky, that prosecutors allege was meant to facilitate the sale of the Formula One Group to a buyer of Ecclestone's liking. Gribkowsky has already been found guilty of corruption, tax evasion and breach of trust and is serving an 8 1/2-year prison sentence. Ecclestone acknowledged as a witness during Gribkowsky's trial that he made the payment to avoid being reported by the banker to authorities over his tax affairs but has denied any wrongdoing. THE JUDGE: Peter Noll
was the judge who tried and convicted Gribkowsky and he is also the presiding judge in Ecclestone's case. Ecclestone testified during Gribkowsky's trial in 2011, and Gribkowsky is expected to be the main witness during Ecclestone's trial, which is scheduled to last until Sept. 16. In Germany, cases are considered by a panel of judges rather than by a jury. PRESENT OR NOT? Ecclestone is obliged to appear at every trial session, unless he has a doctor's excuse. He himself has said he intends to clear himself before the court and does not want a deal. THE CONNECTION: Gribkowsky was in charge of selling Munich-based bank BayernLB's 47 percent stake in F1 in 2005, and the prosecution accuses Ecclestone
of bribing Gribkowsky to make sure the shares went to the investment group CVC Capital Partners favored by Ecclestone. Ecclestone recouped most of the money through a consultancy fee paid by the bank. Munich prosecutors say Ecclestone was afraid of losing control of the racing series and that's why he allegedly bribed Gribkowsky. Ecclestone has insisted that he did "nothing illegal" and his lawyers have questioned Gribkowsky's credibility. WHO'S IN CHARGE? Ecclestone has stepped down temporarily as a member of F1's holding company board of directors pending the outcome of the trial but continues to run the series. It would be difficult for him to carry on if convicted, even if he escapes with a fine.
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