24th January 2014

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www.morungexpress.com

Dimapur VOL. IX ISSUE 22

The Morung Express “

www.morungexpress.com

Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be

Village elders order gang-rape of woman [ PAGE 8]

reflections

By Sandemo Ngullie

Priyanka Chopra tagged “an Arab terrorist” by Americans

”

Friday, January 24, 2014 12 pages Rs. 4 –Grandma Moses

NERCU cautions on electrification works [ PAGE 2]

Syria peace talks stuck over Assad’s future

[ PAGE 11]

[ PAGE 9]

Wawrinka reaches maiden Australian Open final

subsistence cultivation has decreased in all districts except Mon, Longleng and Kiphire,” affirms Vangota Nakhro, a long time leader with the Nagaland Empowerment of People through Economic Development (NEPED), noting this to be a problem as “we find that there is no agricultural system that adapts better to climate change than shifting cultivation.”

In part, this has also been accepted by farmers as less labour is needed on

terrace fields as compared to a jhum field. Then, “men do not render enough labour required for jhum, concentrating instead on earning daily wages,” say women farmers from villages across Nagaland.

While State schemes might have opened up a way for the Naga rural populace to earn more, the policy seems to have led to “dwindling of the culture of work and toil,” notes Tsuhah, as “easy money” is available through schemes

and selling land to those who can plant large scale cash crops (giving rise to a growing section of landless people in Nagaland).

“Young people feel much more alienated from land today,” she says.

Women who held vast knowledge of soil types and agriculture techniques now find themselves completely marginalized.

Though many have indicated that they do not want any more new crop varieties pumped into their fields, they are not ones to decide what to plant or avoid— this decision is made by village authority, a stronghold of men. So while men work a lot less on the field, leading to the inadvertent “feminization” of agriculture in Nagaland, the latter is becoming a slave population with more strange crops being pumped into their fields without their consent. Of this they have limited knowledge or cultural affiliations and marketing is often a hassle.

Misinformation is galore too. “A government official once came and told us that millets are like mud,” reports a farmer from Noklak in Tuensang district, known to cultivate plenty of millets that are, in fact, far superior to rice in nutrients. Millets are said to facilitate bio diverse agriculture, allowing as many as 60 crops to grow along side it on a jhum field.

WTRC, however, depends heavily on timely rain and the only other things that

Newmai News Network

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), informed Newmai News Network today that the State Government of Manipur has consented to send its representatives to a ‘political level’.

The sources also said that the Centre has intimated the UNC regarding

the latest development to prepare for the 7th round of ‘tripartite talks’ involving the Government of Manipur, New Delhi and the Naga body on February 6 at Senapati district headquarters. The Government of India has requested the calling off of

Dimapur | January 23

KPLT imposes 96hour Karbi bandh • B andh from 5am Jan 24 to 5am Jan 28 • C ommuters will be provided police escort Morung Express News Dimapur | January 23

All Manipur and Nagaland bound vehicles including private, passenger and goods transportation will be affected for four days starting January 24 following the Karbi Anglong Autonomous District Council total bandh called by Karbi Peoples’ Liberation Tigers (KPLT), an armed outfit operating in Karbi Anglong, Assam. According to the Karbi organisation, the bandh, called to boycott Republic Day celebrations, will be in effect for 96 hours beginning from 5am on January 24 to 5am on January 28. KPLT has said the Republic Day should be viewed as a ‘black day’. The announcement has come even as the Journalists Forum of Assam asked people in the region to defy the ‘diktats’ of various militant organisations to boycott Republic Day. Following the announcement, transporters are making a hasty move to reach their destinations before the bandh comes into effect.

It has been informed, however, that armed police escort will be provided for vehicles in convoy plying NH 29 and 36 till the bandh concludes. The Additional Superintendent of Police, Karbi Anglong, Bolin Deori on Thursday evening said that for vehicles taking NH 29, police escort will be provided, starting from Khatkhati till the border with Golaghat district. For vehicles plying NH 36, police will escort vehicles in convoy from Dillai Sunday Bazaar till the district border with Nagaon. Stating that the Assam Police will remain alert, the ASP said that security personnel have already started conducting ‘area domination operations’ in sensitive locations and will continue to do so. Escort will be provided depending on the number of vehicles taking the two national highways at any given time during the day.

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January 25, 2014 is declared working day Kohima, January 23 (DiPr): On account of preparations for celebrations of Republic Day, Saturday, January 25, 2014 has been declared as a working day for all government offices all over Nagaland.

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50 years on, farmers pushed to the margin Morung Express News

No, too much Tv is not good.

By the way can’t find my ammunition boots seen them.

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65-year-old, widowed, with her children having left her, Honglin Khiamniungan from Thang village in Tuensang district has only her grains as security.

Still able to cultivate her field through jhum, she has 11 containers (1 container holds about 60 tins, or about 1200 kilograms) of Foxtail millets, and one small container of Proso millets. These are her life’s savings. Once she is too old to farm, Honglin expects to be looked after by youth from the village, as well as by her neighbours.

The generation after Honglin may not be as fortunate, if her condition can be termed so, because agriculture patterns and attached community ethics are rapidly changing in Nagaland. If taste, nutrition and durability decided what crops a Naga farmer would pick in the yesteryears, largeness and marketability are factors they have been asked to choose today.

“There has been a decrease in bio diverse farming, traditional to Naga cultivation, and increase in mono cropping with the advent of cash crops,” says Wekowe-ü Tsuhah, who works with Naga farmers

Honglin Khiamniungan (65) is seen here standing at the door of her granary in Tuensang, whose thatch roof was built with the help of other villagers.

on a regular basis through the North East Network in Nagaland. Cash crops (timber, rubber, cardamom, ginger, etc.) have been promoted on a wide scale by different departments of the Government of Nagaland to increase the cash economy of the people— to the extent that food and nutrition have been rapidly replaced by cash.

Ironically, in the past 50 years, poverty in Nagaland has risen more than in any other State in India, accord-

ing to the Planning Commission of India’s report in 2009-10. A territory that had survived for centuries without any State administration has become impoverished in the last five decades of governance.

Wet Terrace Rice Cultivation (WTRC) has also been pushed to cut down on the “environmental damage” supposedly caused by jhum (subsistence/shifting) cultivation, aka ‘collective work.’ “As per our study, area under

grow with paddy on such are small fish, snails and frog.

“Currently we are driven by the funds available from outside rather than the needs of the people,” explains Nakro, of the government set up. “Though farmers also need to gain purchasing power, our prime focus should be on food security and sovereignty. Keeping climate change in mind, monocropping could make our population highly vulnerable,” he suggests, adding, “In this, we have to revive highly climate change resilient crops like millets. Shifting cultivation needs to be revived, not abandoned.”

An official of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra suggests that various departments of the government, agriculture or horticulture, have been giving varied options to the farmers which involve the sowing of cash crops which fall at odds with the concept of food security leading to farmers being increasingly confused and opting for whichever crop whoever suggests will fetch them the best price for that year.

“Such practices need to be controlled and the government needs to have coherent plans on the same,” he suggests, a suggestion similar to Nakro’s: “departments with overlapping areas is alright as long as their policies and practices are synchronized.” Which, 50 years down the statehood lane, it is not.

all agitation programmes in view of the positive development. The intimation was reportedly sent

by S Saha, Deputy Secretary, MHA, New Delhi.

Meanwhile, the UNC will hold an emergency meeting on this development in Senapati on Friday.

Governor encourages plans GoI, GoM agree to 7th round of tripartite talks with UNC for Hill Agriculture 2050 Dimapur | January 23

Morung Express News Dimapur | January 23

Nagaland Governor, Dr. Ashwani Kumar, has expressed happiness that despite the economic slowdown in the country, the farm sector is expected to achieve a growth rate of nearly 4.8% this year.

“The happiest news is that North Eastern region also showed an upward growth in Agriculture.

Even the state of Nagaland seems to have done well.

Cereal productivity increased at the rate of 2.7% and pulses 2.56%. Furthermore, oilseed production in the state increased by 8.8%,” the governor said.

Kumar also said that Nagaland State witnessed a “spectacular growth” in horticulture and vegetable production and that the production of fruits almost doubled during the 11th Plan period. “These are positive indicators,” he added.

The governor was addressing the inaugural programme of the national seminar on ‘Emerging challenges and prospective strategies for Hill Agriculture in 2050’ organized by Indian Association of Hill Farming in collaboration with ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, here at ICAR Complex Jharnapani, on Thursday.

“Of course the challenges for still better quality seeds, processing, packaging and marketing facilities and location specific research have still to be overcome,” Kumar said.

On the second part of the theme ‘prospective strate-

gies,’ Kumar said agriculture scientists have to first identify the emerging challenges and then formulate the prospective strategy to overcome the challenges.

He said another option is to conceptualize a futuristic and inspirational vision of Hill Agriculture in 2050 and then formulate a strategy to reach that destination.

“2050 is still 37 years away. Therefore, we need to develop an all encompassing vision for that time period. One vision could be from the point of view of an agriculture expert. The other vision could be from the point of view of an ordinary farmer. As confessed earlier, I am not an agriculture scientist but I can visualize the concerns of a hill farmer,” the governor said.

With the world population expected to reach around 9.5 billion in 2050 and the demand for food to go up 60% than at present, the governor said as a hill farmer in 2050, his concern would be to produce maximum quantity of food and fodder and to make money by selling fruits, vegetables, cash crops, meat and milk to the people in the plains.

The hill farmer would also like to exploit the forests keeping in mind the concern for ecology and environment and, most importantly, water and its conservation. “I will wish all my agriculture land to be drip-irrigated so that there is no flooding and soil erosion,” the governor echoed the wish list of the hill farmer in the near future.

Kumar further said that the hill farmer of 2050

would want all modern technical infrastructure facilities in his farmland including good road connectivity, electricity, telecommunication, latest laboratories, food processing, packaging, storing and online marketing.

“Therefore, the demand of the hill farmers will be high yielding crops and cattle....we will continue to be organic not by default or neglect but by choice,” he added.

Earlier, on his arrival the governor also inaugurated the citrus processing unit and later released publications on the seminar and ICAR Nagaland Centre.

Former vice chancellor, YSPUH&F, Solan, Dr. KR Dhiman, who delivered the keynote address, said that more than 63% of agriculture land in the country comprises of rain fed or hill agro-ecosystem but which contributes less than 40% of the total food grain production. Dhiman said the challenge ahead was to make the raid fed and hill agro system speed up food production to feed the ever growing population.

Director, ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam, Dr. SV Ngachan, former director, NIRJAFT Kolkata, Dr. KK Satapathy and ex-DDG Horticulture, ICAR, New Delhi, Dr. SP Ghosh, also spoke on the occasion.

Joint director, ICARRC Nagaland Centre, Dr. Bidyut Deka, delivered welcome address and Dr. RK Singh, Pr. Scientist-cum-head, IICAR Umiam and secretary IAHF, proposed the vote of thanks.

The first ever ‘political level’ dialogue on ‘Alternative Arrangement’ demanded by the United Naga Council (UNC) is likely to be held on February 6. Sources, quoting the

For Justice: Kohima marched in protest Morung Express News Kohima | January 23

Six days after the barbaric assault of Kevilenuo Rio, thousands of women folk, both young and old from various villages and organizations responding to the call of the Chiechama Women Society (CWS), took to the streets of the State Capital in a silent protest march today.

The incident has sent ripples of shock through Kohima after a childbearing Kevilenuo was attacked and tortured by Nganuo Kelhoukreinuo Pienyü of Kohima Village accompanied by three boys from Nerhema Village, Ruokuokhozo Kiewhuo, Neikielhoulie Chatsu and Ruokuotuo Vimerha.

The protest march which started from the High School junction here converged at the Kohima District Jail and then went to the office of the Deputy Commissioner Kohima for submission of a memorandum. The memorandum stated that an FIR should be immediately registered against the culprit and the three boys from Nerhema for the “barbaric assault and attempted murder” of Kevilenuo. The memo also asked for a non-

A silent march was held in Kohima on January 23 to protest the attack on a woman by another woman and three men.

bailable warrant to be issued to all the persons involved in the crime, and any person attempting to bail out the accused criminals be treated as “partners conniving in the heinous crime.” The memorandum called upon the concerned authority to declare, without delay, the punishment to be awarded to Nganuo and her three cronies to the public through the local media while calling upon befitting punishment to the persons involved in the “barbaric act.”

Commotion broke out as the protestors reached the District Jail when they demanded to see the face of the culprits; the office of the DC also witnessed resentment from the crowd. However,

untoward incidents were averted due to the timely intervention of police personnel. CWS members cooled the situation down, appealing to the protestors to avoid anything that will overshadow the demands of the organization.

DC Kohima, Honje Konyak, assured that befitting punishment would be awarded to the culprits, adding that the administration, police and judicial administration will leave no stone unturned in giving punishment to the culprits as per the law. He sought co-operation from the public so that justice is delivered to the victim.

Members from CWO, AWO, NAPO, NAYO, NAWO,

KVWO and many others including men folks joined the protest rally. Various women spoke at short halts expressing anguish and resentment against Nganuo Kelhoukreinuo Pienyü stating that such an incident should never take place again, and that the culprits should be severely punished. The speakers called upon law enforcing agencies to deliver justice in time to the victim.

Meanwhile as news of the assault flashed through social networking sites, bloggers outside Nagaland voiced their disappointment. They expressed their support to the victim, demanding justice for her and befitting punishment to the culprits.

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Dimapur

LocaL

Friday 24 January 2014

trification works and providing service connection without test report. “This is against the ethic of the department’s principle,” the Union added.

The Executive Engineer, Dimapur has also issued an order to strictly restricting execution of electrification works by unauthorized party. The NERCU further passed a resolution as per the directive of the con-

Only government registered contractor allowed to undertake electrification work

cerned department that no party or individual shall be allowed to undertake electrification work in any private or government building except by the government registered contractor.

AG Women Ministry Conference concludes

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NERCU cautions on electrification works

Dimapur, January 23 (mExn): The Nagaland Electrical Registered Contractors’ Union (NERCU) Dimapur district today cautioned public to be aware while executing electrification works. NERCU Dimapur, contractor & convener Action Committee, Toishe Achumi has also cautioned in press note that many unauthorized person are carrying out internal elec-

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The Morung Express

Rev. Dr. Huldah Buntain speaking at the Assemblies of God Angami Council Women Ministry Conference.

Dimapur, January 23 (mExn): Assemblies of God Angami Council Women Ministry Conference was held from January 10 to 12 at Tenyeme AG Church and Bethesda Hr Sec School campus on the theme “Look at the harvest field”. The main speakers were Rev. Dr. Huldah Buntain, Esther Murry and Rev.

Khreizolie. The choirs were from Zhadi Basa and Bawe.

Around 12 churches attended the conference.

A press release received here said that Rev. Dr. Huldah Buntain encouraged the women through her life testimony, Rev. Moses Murry challenged the women that in the past women were such a great support

in the ministry even now if the women rise up they can be a great channel of blessing. Esther Murry spoke on 1King 17:7-24, to put God first in all you do, and He will meet your needs too.

Rev. Khriezolie encouraged the women to go forward with the power of God. Assemblies of God Wokha Section, Women Ministry had the Conference from January 17 to 19, at Bhandari Town. Total 22 Churches attended the Conference. The main speakers were Rev. Moses Murry, Rev. T. Nzio and Esther Murry. The main theme was “Women moving forward”.

The choirs from Lotha AG Dimapur, AG Church Wokha Town, AG Church Chukitong and AG Kohima sang beautifully. In every evening service, Ruth and Alvina performed gospel choreography. On Saturday, Esther Murry spoke on good Christian home, Longtsutlo on stewardship, Lucy on goal setting and vision and Rosalyn on fund rise and housekeeping.

During the general meeting on Saturday, the Women department challenged to sponsor missionary.

The NERCU further caution that casualty or any electrical hazards caused due to Short circuit in most cases is because of bad workmanship executed by untrained personnel.

Henceforth, the registered contractors will strictly monitor and undertake all electrification works in all private and government building so that installations are made safe and properly connected.

The NERCU appeal all the GBs, Council Chairman, Colony Leaders and Village Leaders in and around Dimapur District to strictly adhere the above rule. Fur-

thermore, no supervisor, electrician or worker will carry out any electrification work without the consent of registered contractor. In case of unauthorized group or individual taking up such work, make known to Toishe Achumi, Government Registered Electrical contractor and Convener, Action Committee Dimapur through contact at 9436609368, 8731010818, 9615687211.

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Imotemsu Ao said that under the leadership of the new Chancellor.

T.N. Mannen IAS (Retd), who had assumed the responsibility from the month of January 2014 and the new Vice Chancellor Dr. HN Dutta, who has been actively involved in the development of the University since assuming office in Nov 2013.

The University will vocationalise the existing careers of the young boys and girls by providing vocational training to all the participants from all districts of Nagaland in the areas of hospitality, tourism, paramedical sciences including medical laboratory technology radiology and imaging technology etc.

Dr. Imotemsu Ao further added that The Global Open Univer-

Kohima, January 23 (mExn): The State Child Protection Society Nagaland is organizing an orientation training on Child Rights and Protection for District Child Protection Officers (DCPOs), Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and Superintendent of Special Homes and Observation Homes Nagaland from January 28 to 29 at Circuit House Dimapur at 10:00 AM. This was stated in a release issued by Khehoto Sema, society director State Child Protection Society, Nagaland; Kohima.

Kohima, January 23 (mExn): The Poimi Nkwa Kohima and Poimi Students’ Union Kohima mourned the sudden demise of Late Ekobe Michui.

In a joint condolence message, it stated that Late Michui extended tireless service and contribution towards the positive network, adding that his good gesture will be always remembered. The PNK and PSUK further conveyed heartfelt condolence to the bereaved family members and prayed for the departed soul to rest in peace.

WoKha, January 23 (Dipr): The monthly district planning & development board cum annual get together was held on January 23 at ADC’s conference hall Bhandari. Minister for Forest & Border Affairs, Yanthungo Patton, chaired the meeting.

During the meeting DPO, DACPU Wokha presented on the recent scenario of HIV/AIDS and its challenges in the district.

Chief Medical Officer gave a power point presentation on ‘advocacy on iodine deficiency disease’.

The members also delib-

for stern action against those defaulting teachers.

Senior Medical Officer, Bhandari requested the Board to provide new ambulance to meet the need of 48 villages and sub-primary health centres under Bhandari, while APRO, Bhandari also requested for repair and renovation of staff quarter at Bhandari at the earliest.

Earlier, ADC Bhandari Orenthung Patton in his welcome address thanked the Minister, MLA and all head of offices in the district for attending the meeting.

Dimapur, January 23 (mExn): The Rotomi Welfare Dimapur Area (RWDA) is organizing a prayer fellowship programme on January 25 which will begin from 6:00 am at Sugarmill S.B.C Dimapur. RWDA General Secretary Hotopu Shohe in a press release has requested all the bonafide RWDA members to attend the said fellowship programme and be blessed.

State Child Protection Society Nagaland informs

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National Girl Child Day

Kohima, January 23 (Dipr): The State level function to commemorate the 4th National Voters Day on the theme ‘Ethical Voting’ on January 25 at 11 a.m. at Hotel Japfu. The Chief Information Commissioner, Nagaland, Lalhuma IAS (Rtd) will grace the function as chief guest. The programme is being organised by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer Nagaland.

ANSTA meeting on January 28

To avoid traffic snarls, work on the ongoing road repair project in Dimapur is taken up at night. Seen in the picture are labourers relaying the road at the Duncan Basti stretch at around 1:00 am on January 22. The working-hour for the labourers and project supervisors begin at 6:00 pm and continue till 6:00 am. Reckless driving at night however poses a threat to the safety of workers as one of the labourers was injured on the leg after getting hit by a speeding vehicle at the Duncan stretch. (Morung Photo)

1084 cases of assorted IMFL seized

Dimapur, January 23 (mExn): On January 18, the MVCP duty of the 29th Assam Rifles recovered 34 cases of assorted IMFL loaded in a Maruti Alto (NL-07 5002) at Burma camp, Dimapur. In this regard, two accused persons namely Babu Hussain and Akash Saha were arrested. In another major seizure of illegal liquor, the MVCP duty party of the 29th Assam Rifles recovered 1050 cases of assorted IMFL

loaded in a LP truck (NL-04 A 8121) at Purana Bazar, Dimapur. In this regard, three accused persons namely Narayan Sharma, Shyamal Das and James Bao. K.Y Sangtam, Superintendent of Excise and Prohibition, Dimapur in a press release said that all the accused were arrested and handed to the Excise Department. A case has been registered under the NLTP Act 1989 and further investigation is on.

property rights, peace studies, conflict resolution, alternative dispute resolution, bioinformatics, geoinformatics, medicinal plants, building constructions technologies, diplomacy, international relations, environmental sciences, disaster management, sustainable development etc are most unique and have been launched since 2006 for the first time in the Indian Subcontinent.

“The idea is to produce more number of job givers rather than job seekers in the country by introducing subjects like rural and urban entrepreneurship in all its programmes, for ensuring the speedy implementation of programmes and projects initiated by the State Government relating to business and enterprise devel-

opment without polluting the environment and the fragile ecology of Nagaland,” said Dr. Ao. It may be mentioned that The Global Open University, Nagaland is headquartered at Dimapur with other main campuses at Kohima as well as Wokha. The University is in close contact with the State Government for preparing a master plan paradigm for giving a new dimension to the higher education scenario in the State of Nagaland through its catalytic efforts by making close contacts with the concern Ministries to the Government of India with the view to take advantage of any available facilities and assistance for the benefit of the University. It is the only self /externally funded State University in the State.

DIMUL staffs attend Professional Skills Development training

Kohima, January 23 (mExn): The All Nagaland School Teachers Association (ANSTA) will hold its meeting on January 28 at CANSSEA office Conference Hall, Sepfuzou Colony, High School Road Kohima at 11:00 AM. The office bearers of the district and sub divisional units have been requested to attend the meeting. The district representatives of SSA, Special Education and Hindi Teachers (who are not getting salary on regular basis) are also requested to attend the meeting along with the clear and latest report of their salaries (how many months salary pending) for thorough deliberation. This was stated in a release issued by ANSTA president Ponchulo Wanth and general secretary P. Vashum.

DDK to telecast prog on Hornbill festival

Kohima, January 23 (Dipr): Commemorating 50th years Statehood Celebrations, Doordarshan Kendra Kohima will telecast a special programme on ‘Hornbill the Festival of Festival’, a documentary feature in three (3) episodes on the following dates and timing: January 26- 6:30 p.m.; January 27- 6.00 p.m. and January 28- 6.00 p.m. To view the documentary viewers can tune in to DD Kohima local transmission channel on the specified dates. This was stated in a press release by Head of Programme DDK, Kohima S. Chongloi.

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Gov to host award ceremony

Kohima, January 23 (Dipr): The Governor of Nagaland Dr. Ashwani Kumar will be hosting ‘At Home’ and Governor’s Awards distribution ceremony on Republic Day at 12 noon at Durbar Hall, Raj Bhavan Kohima. The Governor’s Award would cover distinction in the fields of Art, Music and Literature. Print, electronic/visual and other private channels are requested to give wide coverage of the important occasion.

Mkg ex-servicemen informed

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moKoKchung, January 23 (Dipr): Zila Sainik Welfare Officer Mokokchung, Nagaland, Lt Col. RS Ahluwalia (Retd) has informed that Mokokchung ex-servicemen will be participating during the Republic day 2014 celebration. In this regard, all ex-servicemen of the District are requested to reach Public Ground by 7:30 on January 26.

NGHSSEA emergency meeting on Jan 28

Kohima, January 23 (mExn): The Nagaland Government Higher Secondary School Employees Association (NGHSSEA) will hold an emergency consultative meeting on January 28 at 12:00 noon at TM Government Higher Secondary School, Kohima. In this connection, all the executive members, senior officers from Directorate of School Education, all the Deputy District Education Officers, all the principals and vice principals of Government Higher Secondary Schools and all the junior education officers to attend the meeting without fail. This was stated in a release issued by NGHSSEA general secretary Chungngam Konyak.

NLCF first service for 2014

Kohima, January 23 (mExn): The first service for the year 2014 of the Nagaland Legislator’s Christian Fellowship will take place on February 2 at 10:00 AM at Banquet Hall, below CM’s official residence, Kohima. This was stated in a release issued by Rev. K. Luruo, state chaplain.

NSVDBA informs on membership

Wokha DPDB cum annual get together held erated on constriction of new ADC’s residence and Government Higher Secondary School building, Bhandari. Principal, Government Higher Secondary School, Bhandari requested the members for introduction of science stream in Bhandari.

MLA & Chairman, MARCOFED Mmhonlumo Kikon appreciated the Minister for initiating the DPDB Bhandari. Kikon also focused on issue of absentees and substitute teachers who are drawing salaries and asked the members to frame rules

Dimapur, January 23 (mExn): All heads of department of Dimapur district are informed that attendance at the Republic Day function is mandatory.

Attendance of all Departmental Officers and staffs of Dimapur will be taken at DDSC Stadium and submit report to Dr. Kadambari Bhagat, IAS, Sub-Divisional Officer (C) HQ right after the closing function. Therefore, all Heads of Department are requested to inform their officers and staffs to attend the function accordingly. Further, all markets and shops shall remain closed till 12:00 noon on the 26th January 2014. This was informed in a press release issued by N. Hushili Sema, IAS Deputy Commissioner Dimapur Nagaland.

4th National Voters Day

sity, Nagaland has envisaged to complete the campus infrastructure development work at the earliest so that the Phase - I of the new campus may be inaugurated on the World Environment Day on June 5, 2014, if not earlier. This will be one of the largest campuses in Nagaland with all facilities relating to ultra-modern library, computer centre, documentation and web-based on-line conferencing system, interactive classrooms, faculty residences, hostels for boys and girls besides international guesthouse and drugless therapy based treatment facilities, Dr. Ao further added.

The Bachelor’s and the Master’s Degrees offered by the University including new and emerging subjects like intellectual

RWDA prayer fellowship on Jan 25 PNK, PSUK mourns

Attendance mandatory on Republic Day

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Kohima, January 23 (Dipr): The Nagaland State Social Welfare Board (NSSWB) and the State Resource Centre for Women (SRCW), Nagaland, is organising a programme to observed the National Girl Child Day on January 24 under the theme ‘Cherishing our Girl Child’ at 11 a.m. at Nerhe Model Village Council Hall, Chiephobozou Block Kohima.

TGOUN announces more employment centric prog

Dimapur, January 23 (mExn): The Global Open University, Nagaland has decided to launch more employment centric vocational and job oriented certificate, diploma and degree level programmes during the Calendar Year 2014 The decision has been made with a view to solve the socioeconomic problems relating to unemployment, poverty, pollution, etc growing all over the country in general and in Nagaland in particular, stated a press release issued by Nchumthung Ovung, Asst. Public Relations Officer, TGOUN. Announcing the set of action plans for the coming ten years (2014-2024), the Registrar cum Director of the University, Dr.

MEx File

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Participants and officials at DIMUL during the Professional Skills Development training.

Dimapur, January 23 (mExn): YouthNet recently conducted a 2-day training that focused on motivation, developing a positive attitude, effective communication, time management and teamwork at DIMUL on January 21 and 22.

Team supervisors led by its CEO Dr. Mhasizokho attended Professional Skills Development. The CEO mentioned that after the training their staff felt very motivated, there was good positive energy and they were looking ahead to brainstorm and

add more value to what they could do more. It is also worth mentioning that Dimul indirectly provides jobs and livelihood opportunity to over 2000 stakeholders, is also in the Assam market and supplies various dairy products, with one of their best products being the DIMUL lassi which sells upto 20,000 cups of lassi.

A press release stated that NCDC Professional Skills Development training has now become a hot new trend amongst departments and organizations

who want to upgrade the professional skill of their employees and SMARTER functioning of their staff.

Till date, NCDC has trained over 300 professionals for various GoN departments through their Training Consultant, Talichila Imchen. This programme has been receiving tremendous feedback and high demand from interested departments. For more details on the training departments are welcome to call on 9612775573/ 8575957630.

Dimapur, January 23 (mExn): All the District VDB Association presidents are informed that as per Nagaland State VDB Association constitution under Article IV Clause (b), each member (each village VDB) should pay a membership of Rs 100 only to NSVDBA. In this connection, all the person concerned are requested to make it convenient and submit their concern district contribution and annual membership fee to the NSVDBA office during annual meeting of NSVDBA which is schedule to held on February 6 at Dimapur. This was informed in a press release issued

by NSVDBA, press secretary, Manthungo Kikon.

Mount View Colony meeting postponed

Dimapur, January 23 (mExn): The general meeting of the Mount View Colony scheduled on the January 25 has been postponed to February 1, 2014(Saturday). The meeting will be at 3:00pm at the residence of the Colony Chairman.

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3 Regional Cong begins candidate selection process in NE Tripura faces losses due to lack Friday

The Morung express

AgArtAlA/guwAhAti, JAnuAry 23 (iAnS): The Congress has begun the process of selecting candidates in the northeastern states for the upcoming parliamentary polls, party sources said Thursday. The Election Commission is all set to hold Lok Sabha elections starting mid-April and the polls are likely to be in five or six phases, lasting till early May. There are 25 Lok Sabha seats in the eight northeastern states. Assam alone has 14 seats, followed by Tripura, Meghalaya, Mani-

24 January 2014

pur and Arunachal Pradesh with two seats each and Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim one each.

"For 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam, in all 138 candidates have applied for party tickets. The party's state election committee would soon select the candidates and propose their names to central leaders for their approval," a Congress spokesman told reporters in Guwahati.

The aspirants for the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam include Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's

Volunteers gherao Manipur University

son Gourav Gogoi, central ministers Paban Singh Ghatowar, Ranee Narah, former union minister Santosh Mohan Deb's daughter Sushmita Deb and former chief minister Gopinath Bordoloi's son Robin Bordoloi.

Of the 14 seats, Congress secured seven in the last Lok Sabha polls in 2009 while the Bharatiya Janata Party got four seats. One seat each was bagged by Asom Gana Parishad, All India United Democratic Front and Bodo People's Front, all local parties.

All India Congress Committee observer Bhupen Bora held a series of meetings with the leaders of the Tripura Congress in Agartala Wednesday and Thursday to select the candidates for the two Lok Sabha seats in the Left-ruled state.

"Former vice-chancellor of Tripura University (Central) Arunadoy Saha, royal scion Pradyut Bikram Kishore Debbarman, Ashok Sinha, Laxmi Nag and Basana Debnath were short-listed for the Lok Sabha seats in Tripura," a Congress leader told IANS.

Congress leaders said that the party high command has directed the state units of the party in the northeastern states to select candidates in their respective states.

Congress is in power in Manipur, Mizoram, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya while the Communist Party of IndiaMarxist-led Left Front rules Tripura. The Naga People's Front (NPF)-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) is ruling in Nagaland and the Sikkim Democratic Front in Sikkim.

EU to drink 100% pure Darjeeling Tea

imPhAl, JAnuAry 23 (nnn): Volunteers of Manipur University Revival Demand Committee (MURDC), gheraoed the Manipur University’s A Block besides burning effigies of the Governor and the Vice-Chancellor demanding revival of Manipur Univesity Students’ Union (MUSU). A large number of police personnel arrived at the scene but were unable to control the agitating students.

The demand for revival of MUSU has been taking place inside the university campus since December 20, with committee members wearing black badges. In the continued protest since, the agitating students today gheraoed the A Block of the university, locking it from outside. The protesting students also burned effigies of MU ViceChancellor, Prof H Nandakumar Sarma, and Governor, VK Duggal.

Blaming the VC for the protest, MURDC stated that Dr Sarma had failed to meet the committee’s long-pending demand and further accused him of resorting to delay tactics over the issue. MURDC said in a statement that in the absence of an elected student body, performance of the institution in academic, cultural, and, sporting aspects had dampened, besides hampering maintenance of administrative transparency.

The erstwhile MUSU had been in existence since the establishment of the varsity on June 5, 1980.

KOlKAtA, JAnuAry 23 (Et): The year 2014 is expected to be a good one for the Darjeeling tea industry. EU is expected to pick up more tea from India as it has to offload its entire inventory of the so called 'Darjeeling tea' and start procuring 100% fresh Darjeeling tea to serve its customers. In 2011, European Commission has registered Darjeeling tea as a Protected Geographic Indication (PGI) product — the first commodity from India to get such a tag.

The status indicates that the tea produced only in Darjeeling can be sold as Darjeeling tea in the European Union countries. Along with this, a section of blenders selling the brew with a certain percentage of the commodity as Darjeeling tea was given a five-year time to shift to the new business. "Darjeeling tea has a shelf life of three years.

If EU has to sell pure Darjeeling tea from 2016, it will have to start buying tea from this year. EU blenders are expected to offload their inventory this year and start buying fresh stock," said Sheo Sankar Bagaria, chairman, Darjeeling Tea Association. Till date, some blenders in the EU countries generally mix 49% of any tea with 51% of Darjeeling tea and still sell it as Darjeeling tea.

The EU notification came into effect from November 10, 2011. However, the blenders were handed out a caveat in the sense that only those people whose products were in the market five years before October 14, 2009, could continue selling their blended product

as Darjeeling tea for the next five years. At present, EU imports nearly 3-4 million kg of Darjeeling tea, which accounts for nearly 60% of Darjeeling's tea export.

The 87-odd tea gardens in Darjeeling produce around 9 million kg of made tea annually.

The EU buying this year will come as a major respite for the Darjeeling tea industry as 2013 has not been a very good year for Darjeeling tea. While quality of teas suffered due to heavy rains, a number of export orders were cancelled due to the Gorkhaland Janmukti Morcha agitation in the hills.

Grenade found at doctor's residence

imPhAl, JAnuAry 23 (nnn): A Chinese hand grenade was found at the residence of a doctor, working with Shija Hospitals, at Kwakeithel Makha Thokchom Leikai, Imphal, early Thursday morning. Police believe the bomb was thrown by suspected militants Wednesday night to attack the residence of Dr Sachindra Laishram, a consultant at Shija Eye Care Foundation. The bomb was spotted by one of the family members while cleaning the courtyard at about 5:30 am. According to sources, the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) faction led by Nganba had, on December 16, served the doctor a demand note of Rs 5 lakh.

‘Skirt-Assam’ roads coming Transformation Crusade Theme: “Arise and Shine”… Isaiah 60:1 up in North East hill states guwAhAti, JAnuAry 23 (ht): People in the north-eastern states would rather travel through Bhutan and Bangladesh to reach other areas in India rather than cross violence and shutdown-prone Assam.

Years ago Arunachal Pradesh sought a highway corridor to India’s mainland via Bhutan, now other NE states are working on ‘hill drill’ or foothill road projects to avoid travel through Assam.

Earlier this year, Nagaland joined the club to build skirt-Assam roads. The Nagaland Foothill Road Coordination Committee was formed as a watchdog for a 300km road from eastern Nagaland’s Mokokchung town to Dimapur, its commercial hub. The road entails a new 70km alignment along the Assam-Nagaland border and connecting it to an existing road network.

“Avoiding Assam is the primary reason behind the Rs. 1,000crore road project. Earth cutting for a 10km stretch has been completed,” Sobu Jamir, convenor of the committee, said from Mokokchung.

Meghalaya had similarly undertaken a 264km highway project to connect state capital Shillong and Tura, headquarters of the Garo Hills in the west through Nongstoin town.

Estimated to cost Rs. 1,494crore, this road will be an alternative to the 323km route via Guwahati and a trouble-prone stretch of south-western Assam.

Assam has annually averaged more than 100 shutdowns and violenceinduced communication disruptions in the past few years. This had prompted former Arunachal CM Gegong Apang to seek a highway to Bengal through Bhutan.

“Since Indian agencies build roads in Bhutan, New Delhi should make a road that links us to the mainland without risking travel through Assam,” Apang had said in 2007.

The present regime is not averse to the idea with the Rs. 10,000crore, 1,811 km

Trans-Arunachal Highway project under way. It will connect Tawang in northwestern Arunachal to Kanubari at its south-eastern tip.

Tripura, the most landlocked of NE states, too considers travel through Bangladesh safer. “We readily agreed to the railway ministry’s alignment report (2011) for proposed rail connectivity with Bangladesh,” said Tripura’s chief minister Manik Sarkar.

Already buses ply from Tripura capital Agartala to Kolkata via Bangladesh capital Dhaka.

(15th – 26th January 2014)

Venue : Khuochiezie, Local Ground, Kohima Date : 24th Jan, 2014

Time: 4:30pm

Programme

Leader Praise & Worship Offertory prayer Speaker Prayer and Fasting Group (7:00am-12:00noon) Interaction Session (1:00pm-3:00pm)

: Shan Humtsoe : Koinonia BC Praise Team : Pastor, Ciekrosayi Merhulietsa, CRC : Pastor, Rukuolhoulie Solo Flames of Fire BC : Koinonia Baptist Church : Leader : Rovi Wetsah Resource person : Rev. Kenilievi Khate Topic : Importance of the Church & your Role

ALL ARE CORDIALLY INVITED

Come with faith and receive healing, deliverance from satanic bondage and redemption. *** Counseling is open every day starting from 12:00 noon

NAGALAND STATE e-GOVERNANCE SOCIETY (NSeGS) DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATION (Below New Secretariat) Thizama Road Nagaland: Kohima 797001 No. NSeGS/Composite Team/2010/

Dated 21st January 2014

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Applications are invited from suitable candidates for setting up the Composite Team to monitor and coordinate various technical activities for management of eGovernance infrastructure in the State i.e. State Data Centre, State Wide Area Network and State Service Delivery Gateways with the Department of Information Technology & Communication on contract for a period of 5 (five) years as per criteria mentioned below: Sl. No of Minimum Experience/ Team Salary Range no Vacancy Certification required 1 Electrical Specialist 1 B.E(Electrical)/B.Tech(Electrical) with Fixed Pay of `.37000/minimum 6 years experience in Data Cen- (yearly increment of tre operations and management `.2000/-) 2 Network & Security 1 B.Sc/B.E/B.Tech/MCA with certifica- Fixed Pay of `.35000/Specialist tion like CCNA/CCSP or equivalent with (yearly increment of atleast 3 years experience in security field `.2000/-) 3 Infrastructure Ex1 B.Sc/B.E/B.Tech/MCA with certifica- Fixed Pay of `.35000/pert tion like CDCP/CDCS or equivalent with (yearly increment of atleast 3 years experience in infrastruc- `.2000/-) ture management 4 Junior Infrastruc1 B.Sc/B.E/B.Tech/MCA with certifica- Fixed Pay of `.20000/ture Expert tion like CDCP/CDCS or equivalent with (yearly increment of atleast 2 years experience in infrastruc- `.1000/-) ture management 5 Junior Security Ex1 B.Sc/B.E/B.Tech/MCA with certifica- Fixed Pay of `.20000/pert tion like CCNA/CCSP or equivalent with (yearly increment of atleast 2 years experience in infrastruc- `.1000/-) ture management 6 Junior Electrical 1 B.E(Electrical)/B.Tech(Electrical) with Fixed Pay of `.20000/Specialist minimum 2 years experience in Data Cen- (yearly increment of tre operations and management `.1000/-) Interested candidates may submit application along with their resume on or before 1 PM, 7th February 2014 at the address given below: CEO, Nagaland State eGovernance Society (NSeGS) Directorate of Information Technology & Communication (Below New Secretariat) Thizama Road Nagaland: Kohima 797001 Contact: 0370 2271470 Website: www.itngl.nic.in Sd/- K.T Sukhalu, IAS CEO, NSeGS & Commissioner & Secretary to the Government of Nagaland

Dimapur

of power transmission network

AgArtAlA, JAnuAry 23 (Pti): Tripura, a power surplus state, is now facing a tough time to sell its power and incurring loss in the absence of power transmission network, power minister Manik Dey said today.

"After the successful commercial generation of the first unit of ONGC's gasfired thermal power project at Palatana in Gomati district recently Tripura became a power surplus state.

"But we are not able to sell the surplus power to the power starved states of the country due to lack of power transmission network and incurring heavy loss every day," Dey told reporters.

He said, the second unit of the 726 MW Palatana power project is suppose to start power generation

by June next and the state would face more problems in selling power unless the power transmission network could be built to connect with the national grid.

Tripura's own generation in peak hour is about 110 MW and receives additional 40 MW from North-East

grid and with the addition of 90 to 95 MW from Palatana project, the state's total surplus is about 95 MW. The state's transmission line was drawn up to Barnihat in Meghalaya by which it could be connected with the North-East grid, but it needs to be drawn up to Bongaigaon for connecting with the national grid.

After the generation of power from the second unit of Palatana, Tripura would get 196 MW which would almost remain surplus, a power department official said adding another 96 MW gas based power project at Monarchak in Sipahijala district is likely to be operational this year and then Tripura would incur huge loss if it cannot sell its power.

Managing Director of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation - Tripura Power Company (OTPC) S K Dubey recently expressed apprehension that transmission of the full load of power from his project would be a problem if the plant could not be connected to the national power grid at Bongaigaon.

Dubey said Palatana

power project is the most sought- after gas plant in the country as it can generate one unit of power at only Rs 3. From Palatana project, Assam will get the maximum share of 240 MW, followed by Tripura (196 MW), Meghalaya (79 MW), Manipur (42 MW), Nagaland (27 MW), Mizoram (22 MW) and Arunachal Pradesh (22 MW).

Boy killed in freak accident

imPhAl, JAnuAry 23 (nnn): In a freak accident, a 17-year-old boy died after he was accidentally hit by the trunk of a JCB excavator in Langol area of Imphal West district on Thursday.

Kamlemthang Vaiphei, son of Mangin of Langol Laimanai, died after being knocked down by the trunk of the excavator while excavating earth at Langol Tarung. The mishap occurred when the victim, seated beside the excavator driver, suddenly jumped down. He died instantly on the spot.

OFFICE OF THE

Planning Board, Platinum Jubilee SUMI KIPHIMI KUQHAKULU (SKK) H.Q. Zunheboto : Nagaland skkplatinumjubilee@gmail.com

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Planning Board, Platinum Jubilee of Sumi Kiphimi Kuqhakulu (SKK) expresses gratitude to under-mentioned officials and personalities for making their presence in the year-long Jubilee launching programme held at Imulomi Village on January 15, 2014.

1. Justice H.K Sema, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India, 6th President of SKK (1965-66) for unveiling the monolith 2. Ino. Khetovi Chishi, Rtd. Asst. Director for reading out the greeting message of Ino. Yeshito Chishi, Ex. Minister & 7th President SKK (1966-67) 3. Rev. Dr. Khehovi Shohe, Director, Sumi Baptist Convention for offering dedicatory prayer for the monolith 4. Rev. Yevito Sumi, E.S SBAK Nito Mount for praying for the Sumis to maintain closeness with God and receive His blessings. He also prayed for all the pioneers of SKK. Rev. Dr. Joshua Rochill, E.S SBAK Aizuto who prayed for the leaders to lead the generation in the right perspective, to usher peace in our land and throughout Nagaland.

Rev. Hotokhu Zhimomi, E.S SABAK Pughoboto who prayed for good health of the Jubilee Planning Board members, success of jubilee activities and projects and for the generation of Imulomi.

Rev. S. Vitoshe Swu, E.S WSBAK Akuvuto who prayed God’s guidance to the Sumi legislators, bureaucrats, government servants, national workers, politicians etc to enable them to work in unity.

Rev. Yetoho Sumi, Pastor, NCRC Atoizu Town. He thanked God for the abandoned blessings in the launching program and making it a grand success. He also invoked God’s guidance and care throughout the year-long celebration.

5. SUMI SHESHU for presenting the jubilee theme song.

6. Imulomi Village Sukomi Village Yesholuto Village and Litsami Village all for presenting cultural items 7. Imulo-to Students’ Union for hosting the programme 8. Dignitaries from:Sumi Hoho Sumi Kukami Hoho Sumi Totimi Hoho Sumi Officers’ Union, Zunheboto Sumi Literature Board Former leaders of SKK and all the delegates from different villages.

9. Media partners:Nagaland Post The Morung Express and Sumi Zumulhu Sd/(AHETO V. YEPUTHOMI) Convenor, Program Committee

(S. ZHEVIHE SUMI) Secretary, Planning Board

The Joint meeting of Planning Board, Platinum Jubilee, Sumi mass based Organisations and senior leaders was held at Sumi Hoho Ki Zunheboto on January 16, 2014. The meeting resolved to constitute the Local Organising Committee (LOC) with the following members: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

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12.

13.

14.

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Ino. Kiyelu Awomi, Ex. General Secretary Ino. Khuketo Sumi, Vice President SKK Ino. Hukheto Chishi, Ex. Org. Secretary SKK Ino. Kiyelho Yeputho, Chairman CCF Zbto Ino. Inaho Sumi, President ZRSU Inoli. Tokhuli Aye, President STH, Zbto Ino. Vikaho Zhimo, Vice Chairman DSC Zbto Ino. Shikahoto Khujumi, President CC&I Zbto Ino. Zhekheto Awomi, President SOU Zbto Ino. Vishiho Zhimomi, President ZDVDBA Ino. Tokavi Swu, President ANAPSA Zbto Ino. Uketo Yeputho, President ZASA Ino. Bokaho Zhimo, Ex Org. Secretary SKK Ino. Khehoshe Yeptho, Ex. Chairman ZTC Ino. Inato Sumi, Ex. Finance Secretary SKK Ino. Shihokhe Zhimo, Ex. President SKK Ino. Hutovi Awomi, Ex President SKK Ino. Hekato Zhimo, Ex. President ZRSU Ino. Zhekugha, Principal Step by Step School Inoli. Hekali Aye, Ex. W/Co-ordinator SKK Ili. Abokali Zhimomi, MD Organic Nagaland Ino. Nikheto Zhimo Ili. Khenotoli, Ex. W/Co-ordinator SKK Dr. Awoto Yepthoi, President ZTYO Ino. Zhehoto Murru, President GB Asso Zbto Er. Mughalu Achumi, SDO PWD Er. V. Mughalu Awomi, JE Zhehoto Murru GB Association Zunheboto Deacon Board Chairmen of all Sumi Local Churches.

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

Convenor Co-convenor Secretary Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member

The meeting also endorsed the LOC to expand and create the sub-committees.

The LOC is also subjected to co-ordinate with the Planning Board while executing the activities and projects.

Sd/(KITOHO S. ROTOKHA) Chairman PBPJ Issued by, Media & Publicity Committee Platinum Jubilee SKK

(S.ZHEVIHE SUMI) Secretary PBPJ

C M Y K

4

Dimapur

businEss

Friday 24 January 2014

The Morung Express

Toyota’s Tundra pickup updated for 2014 Ann M. Job

For The Associated Press

In Its fIrst major update since 2007, the fullsize toyota tundra pickup truck is redesigned with a bold, American-style exterior, a refined, quieter interior and standard backup camera and Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity.

What’s not changed are the engines — a V-6 and pair of V-8s, all gasoline-powered — as well as the tundra’s two-year/25,000-mile (40,230-kilometer) free scheduled maintenance.

Also unchanged: Consumer reports lists the tundra as a recommended buy, with reliability that has been above average. starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price, including destination charge, for ‘s largest pickup is $27,195 for a base, 2014 tundra sr 4X2 regular Cab with 270-horsepower V-6 and five-speed automatic transmission. the lowest starting retail price for a 2014 tundra with Double Cab is $28,085 for an sr 4X2 with standard bed and V-6. the lowest starting retail price for a 2014 tundra with four-wheel drive is $32,180, and this is the base

In this Thursday, February 7, 2013, file photo, the redesigned 2014 Toyota Tundra is unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show, 2013, in Chicago. In its first major update since 2007, the full-size Toyota Tundra pickup truck is redesigned with a bold, American-style exterior, a refined, quieter interior and standard backup camera and Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity. (AP File Photo)

sr Double Cab model with 4.6-liter V-8.

Meantime, the lowest starting MsrP, including destination charge, for a 2014 tundra sr5 4X2 CrewMax, which has four regular-size doors and an especially spacious back seat, is $35,455 with V-6. Built at a san Antonio, texas, assembly plant, the tundra competes with America’s topselling, full-size pickups.

America’s no. 1 seller,

the ford f-150, has a starting retail price, including destination charge, of $25,640 for an XL 4X2 regular Cab with 302-horsepower V-6 and six-speed automatic. note that the base f-150 does not include power windows, power outside mirrors and power door locks, which come standard on every tundra. these items are part of an option package on the base f-150 that pushes

the price to $27,000, according to pricing on ford’s consumer website.

Meanwhile, the 2014 Chevrolet silverado fullsize pickup carries a starting MsrP, including destination charge, of $26,670 for a 1500 4X2 regular Cab model in 1Wt trim with 285-horsepower V-6 and six-speed automatic. Adding a rearview camera to the base silverado boosts the starting retail price to

$27,505, which is $310 more than a base, 2014 tundra that has a standard backup camera. the U.s. full-size truck market, inhabited by loyal truck brand buyers, is a difficult segment to crack. tundra sales last calendar year grew 11 percent, to 112,732. But this was far below the 763,402 ford fseries truck sales.

Part of the problem is the limited tundra product

line. Unlike competitors, doesn’t sell heavy-duty versions of the tundra and doesn’t offer a diesel engine or hybrid.

But buyers who don’t want or need complicated order forms for their new trucks can find Tundra line to be streamlined and easy to understand. Another plus: toyota’s reputation for durable and reliable vehicles tends to rate highly among tundra buyers.

J.D. Power and Associates last year named the top mainstream car brand in dependability. for sure, the 2014 tundra 4X2 Limited Crewmax test truck had ‘s standout fit-and-finish, where body gaps between pieces of exterior sheet metal were precisely lined up and where trim pieces inside and out were solidly attached. riding on a rugged truck platform, the tundra had some bounciness to the ride off road and on some pavement surfaces.

But it was not exaggerated up-and-down movement, and in contrast to some other trucks, there was not a jittery feel to the ride. the test tundra, with trD offroad package that added Bilstein shock absorbers for a firmer ride, kept the ride from feeling floaty.

Indeed, the tester performed capably and confidently, even though the rackand-pinion, hydraulic power steering felt a bit numb. the tundra Crewmax is a long vehicle, stretching 19 feet (5.8 meters) in length, so a driver has to be mindful of its size or risk cutting corners too tightly.

Passengers in the new tundra look out onto a hood that is higher than its predecessor’s. It’s akin to the feeling of sitting at the wheel of a ford pickup with powerdome hood.

Everyone has good views out because seats are up high. running boards on the test tundra were essential for convenient entry and exit but didn’t interfere with ground clearance of some 10 inches. the tundra’s interior upgrades that include new, more comfortable seats give a quality feel.

Especially helpful is the fact the center stack — the middle part of the dashboard where radio, heating and cooling controls, etc. are located — has been pulled 2.6 inches(6.6 centimeters) closer to the driver and front passenger. this makes it easier to reach the controls.

Unfortunately, the fullsize pickup truck segment is one place where toyota’s

reputation for fuel economy doesn’t come into play. the best fuel mileage rating by the federal government for the 2014 tundra is 16 miles per gallon(6.8 kilometers per liter) in city driving and 20 mpg(8.5 kpl) on the highway with the V-6 and twowheel drive. the 2014 ram 1500 HfE and 2014 ford f-150, both with gasoline V-6s, rate considerably higher.

And the test tundra, with toyota’s well-regarded 5.7-liter, double overhead cam V-8 putting out 381 horsepower and 401-footpounds of torque at 3,600 rpm, averaged just under 15 mpg(6.38 kpl) in combined city/highway travel. It’s rated by the federal government at 13 mpg(5.53 kpl) in the city and 18 mpg(7.65 kpl) on the highway. the test truck’s power plant, however, delivered strong performance through the six-speed automatic transmission.

Even on steep mountain roads, the V-8 responded eagerly, and on flat pavement, the 0-to-60-milesper-hour(96 kph) time is a commendable estimated 6.7 seconds. Maximum towing capacity for the 2014 tundra is 10,400 pounds(4,717 kilograms).

Apple’s ‘Mac’ turns 30 in changing computer world AirAsia promises ‘dramatically’ SAn FrAncIScO, JAnuAry randy Wigginton told AfP. “We old when he stepped on stage to un- drive to keep the Mac price within low fares in India 23 (AFP): Decades before chang- didn’t invent everything, but we did veil the Mac, then-chief executive reach of consumers in a market

ing the world with iPhones and iPads, Apple transformed home computing with the Macintosh. the friendly desktop machine referred to as the “Mac” and, importantly, the ability to control it by clicking on icons with a “mouse,” opened computing to non-geeks in much the way that touchscreens later allowed almost anyone get instantly comfortable with smartphones or tablets. the Macintosh computer, introduced 30 years ago friday, was at the core of a legendary rivalry between late Apple co-founder steve Jobs and Microsoft mastermind Bill Gates. thousands of Apple faithful are expected for a birthday party this weekend in a performing arts center in silicon Valley, not far from the company’s headquarters in the city of Cupertino.

“The Mac was a quantum leap forward,” early Apple employee

make everything very accessible and smooth,” he continued. “It was the first computer people would play with and say: ‘that’s cool.’”

Prior to the January 24, 1984 unveiling of the Mac with its “graphical user interface,” computers were workplace machines commanded with text typed in what seemed like a foreign language to those were not software programmers. Credit for inventing the computer mouse in the 1960s went to stanford research Institute’s Doug Engelbart, who died last year at 88. “the Mac’s impact was to bring the graphical user interface to ‘the rest of us,’ as Apple used to say,” Dag Spicer, chief content officer of the Computer History Museum in silicon Valley, told AfP. “the Mac GUI was picked up by Microsoft, who named it Windows.” the man remembered today as a marketing magician was a terrified 27-year-

John sculley said of Jobs in a post at the tech news website CnEt. “He rehearsed over and over every gesture, word, and facial expression,” Sculley said. “Yet, when he was out there on stage, he made it all look so spontaneous.” Apple spotlighted the arrival of the Mac with a television commercial portraying a bold blow struck against an Orwellian computer culture. the “1984” commercial directed by ridley scott aired in an expensive time slot during a Us super Bowl football championship in a “huge shot” at IBM, Daniel Kottke of the original Mac team told AfP. “In the Apple board room, there were strong feelings that it was not appropriate; there was a big battle,” Kottke said. “fortunately, steve Jobs and his reality distortion field won the day and it left a strong memory for everyone who saw it.” there was a

_

LEISURE

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

SUDOKU Game Number # 2771

where computers costing $10,000 or more were typical. While clicking an on-screen icon to open a file appeared simple, memory and processing demands were huge for the computing power of that time.

“Every time you move that mouse, you are re-drawing the screen,” Kottke said. “It is almost like video.” the original vision of launching a Macintosh with 64 kilobytes of rAM and a $1,000 price gave way to introducing one with 128 kilobytes of rAM at $2,500. “steve really was crazy about details,” Wigginton said. “He wanted everything to be just right. Compared to the IBM PC of those days, it is just gorgeous.”

Macintosh also arrived with a new feature called “drop-down menus.” “the Macintosh brought a new level of accessibility for personal computing to a much wider market in the same way the iPad did 25 years later,” Kottke said.

DAVOS, JAnuAry 23 (PTI): Hopeful of launching flights in India in next 2 to 3 months, Air Asia chief tony fernandes says that the airline would introduce ‘dramatically’ low fares in the country, which would be cheapest in the market and take air travel to masses. fernandes, who is here for World Economic forum (WEf) annual meeting, said that AirAsia India is fully prepared from its side for the launch and is waiting for final government approvals that should come soon and help it begin flights by MarchApril this year. “I think we are coming very close and March-April should be time when we should begin the India operations,” the Malaysia-based airline major AirAsia’s chief executive officer told PTI in an interview here.

AirAsia has partnered with tata group and Arun Bhatia-led telstra tradeplace for AirAsia India, which is looking to run lowcost passenger airline service in the country. fernandes said that all preparatory work has been completed by the company for launch of its flights and it is just waiting

DAILY CROSS WORD

CROSSWORD # 2782

to “open the sale” of the tickets.

Known to have revolutionized the airline market in Malaysia and some other Asian countries through low-cost airfares, AirAsia chief said that the strategy for India would be to offer “cheapest” possible tickets.

“We have to be the cheapest and stimulate the market. We have to allow the common man to fly. That is my message to the Indian government and the state governments that flying is not only for the rich,” he said.

“What I want to say is that flying is a great economic driver and to get more people flying, we have to reduce the costs. this may be hard for the state governments, because aviation fuel tax is a good cash cow, but if you see in medium to long term, the benefits of flying are huge. You can see the success in Malaysia, thailand, Indonesia and many other places and we can do the same in India as well,” fernandes said. High taxes and other costs have been a major reason for AirAsia thinking to start its domestic flights in India with Chennai as a hub and not the bigger centres like Delhi and Mumbai.

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 # 2770

KOHIMA

Police Control Room: North Police Station: South Police Station: Fire Brigade: Naga Hospital: Oking Hospital: Bethel Nursing Home:

232224; emergency229529, 229474 227930, 231081 228846 228254 231864, 224117, 227337 228400 232106 227607 232181 242555/ 242533 224041, 248011 230695/9402435652 131/228404 229366 282777 232032, 231031 248302, 09856006026

STD CODE: 0370

Northeast Shuttles

100/2244279 2222222 2222111 2222952 2222916 2243339 2224202

O

R

HospitAls

Appointment AssistAnt Assessment oBservAtion Blood BAnk operAting room CAfeteriA oxygen CAst pAtient ChArts physiCAl emergenCy therApy room presCription gloves proCedure gown reCovery room hAndwAshing respirAtory illness therApist instruCtions sCApel interCom sCruBs iv fluids seCurity Jello speeCh lAB results therApist lABorAtory sponge BAth mediCAtion stretCher no smoking surgery nurse vitAl signs nurses stAtion wAiting room nursing wheel ChAir

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

D P H E E W H E T W A I T I N G R O O M N A M

S G E A E E H J C G O W N I V E T N E I T A P T

G E R N N E R O O O B S N G I S L A T I V S E

X C T P O E W V L X L U T Y E G O I A N I D M

E T H S H I L S E E Y O A E V I G I P O P L P E

N T A Y T C N R A G O D R Y T T P I A S N F R

A H S S A H O Y I E D E C Y T O T R T T O E G

A T E S I V A I R E N B R O U I A E E N R I O E

S R E C R I T O S E A J M N T H L S P E T P N

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

S P S L S T U M U L K M S Y A C E O E C C R Y

R S I M T B J R P N L E E R B U S A L U H I A R

A S E H O T T N A N S O R R C S T S I E D T O

G T N E B T S T T R T E I R G K B I T R E I O

C N I T R T C N N U A S T I L C A P G T Q M N M

I R E A A A I N R U Y P O I V F L U I D S G J

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

H R L E Y E G P T E I E L D S C R U B S O D O L

U L T I I S S P O S P R O C E D U R E Y B O L

N A U E E N I N B R S P O N G E B A T H W M O

B V E R L A B O R A T O R Y X R S U R G E R Y

ACROSS

I L L N E S S H A N D W A S H I N G E N D N A

1. Muse of love poetry 6. Something that bulges out 10. Maize 14. Eyeshade 15. Brother of Jacob 16. Region 17. Hindrance 19. Tears 20. Not greater 21. Not thin 22. Red vegetable 23. Refute 25. Foolishness 26. Box 30. Any unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon 32. Math 35. Fickle 39. A small hairpiece 40. What’s left behind 41. Continuing forever 43. Spoke 44. Cream-filled pastry 46. A hemispherical roof 47. Gash 50. A nine-piece musical group 53. Unadulterated 54. Deity

55. Frittered away 60. Computer symbol 61. Nutritious 63. At one time (archaic) 64. Connects two points 65. Street urchin 66. Dregs 67. Again 68. Overweight

DOWN 1. Wicked 2. Frost 3. Vipers 4. Foot digits 5. Law and _____ 6. Skirt’s edge 7. Beneficial 8. Sea cow 9. Short golf shot 10. Fizzy 11. Bay window 12. Fend off 13. Spiteful 18. Fury 24. Type of snake 25. Not last 26. Satisfy 27. Conspiracy 28. Chills and fever 29. Acts as an agent 31. Fuss

33. Pew 34. Genuine 36. Tropical tuber 37. Bit of gossip 38. Formally surrender 42. Ointment ingredient 43. A large vase 45. A type of tincture 47. Patter 48. Ill-gotten gains 49. Got up 51. Female sheep 52. A type of dance 54. Big party 56. Knife 57. Docile 58. Twin sister of Ares 59. Unit of force 62. Kitten’s cry

Ans to CrossWord 2781

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

TUENSANG: 03861-220256/101 (O) 8974322879

08974997923

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

Toll free No. 1098 childline

W

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

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

CHILD WELFARE COMMITTEE

MOKOKCHUNG:

FIRE STATIONS

STD CODE: 0369

Police Station 1: Police Station 2 :

2226241 2226214

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

2226216 2226263 2226373/2229343

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

222246 222491

CHEVROLET CARS PRICE FOR JAnuARy ‘2014 CAR MODELS

STARTING PRICE

spArk 1.0 mCe

3,38,705/-

BeAt 1.2 (petrol)

3,91,493/-

BeAt 1.0 (diesel)

4,77,441/-

sAil u-vA 1.2 (petrol)

4,23,265/-

sAil u-vA 1.3 (diesel)

5,33,999/-

sAil 1.2 (petrol)

5,03,799/-

sAil 1.3 (diesel)

6,34,665/-

enJoy 1.4 (petrol)

5,53,163/-

enJoy 1.3 (diesel)

6,73,963/-

CruZe 2.0 lt

13,96,498/-

CAptivA 2.2 lt

22,66,213/-

* Condition Apply *3 yeArs / 100,000 kms wArrAnty * for petrol *CAshless ownership mAintenAnCe offer

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

61.1 99.53 7.86

61.53 100.65 7.95

Australian Dollar

53.59

54.35

Singapore Dollar Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen

47.91 55.71 58.38

48.48 56.38 59.08

Euro

82.95

83.88

5 3 star hotel opens in Dmp

LOCAL/REGIONAL

The Morung Express

MEx FILE

Dimapur | January 23

CCRCYF general session at Dzulha village Kohima, January 23 (mExn): The Chakhesang Christian Revival Church Youth Fellowship (CCRCYF) will hold its 41st general session at Dzulha village coinciding with Dzulha Village Christian Revival Church silver jubilee from January 24 to 26. The jubilee will be dedicated by Rev. Poswunyi Nyekha, while Rev. Dr. N. Paphino, President, NCRC, and Rev. Vevozo Khamo, Executive Secretary, CCCRC, will be the speakers for the occasion. According to Veshe Chizo, finance secretary CCRCYF, there will be sessions for competition viz., solo, quartet, octet and group song. Praise and worship would be led by Hope Ministry, Youth Choir from Chakhesang CRC Upper PWD Kohima, CRC Khezhakeno village upper, Baptist Church Dzulha village and CRC Sodzulhou village. CCRCYF requested all its affiliated churches and well wishers to attend the session.

Morung Express News

Nagaland Governor, Dr. Ashwani Kumar, along with agriculture scientists lighting a lamp at the inaugural programme of the national seminar on ‘Emerging challenges and prospective strategies for Hill Agriculture in 2050’ at ICAR Complex, Jharnapani, Thursday. (Morung Photo)

ARTC&S Dimapur launches Dolong Nature Club

The hospitality sector in Dimapur got a boost as another hotel, which promises to cater three star services entered the scene.

Christened Theja Fort, the 40-room hotel is housed in a five storied complex at Station Road, Burma Camp, near Public College of Commerce.

The hotel’s management – Vikram Singh Pappu & partners, described Theja Fort as a deemed three star hotel. The management has applied for three star certification from the Nagaland Tourism department, stated the man behind Theja Fort, Vikram Singh Pappu during the launch of the hotel on January 23. It was added that the hotel will get the certification soon.

Parliamentary Secretary, Urban Development, Zhaleo Rio, inaugurated the

Dimapur, January 23 (mExn): Showing that they share a responsibility towards nature, security forces have launched a nature club in their bid to bridge the gap between humans and nature. The club launched at Assam Rifles Training Centre and School, Dimapur, and was christened Dolong (meaning ‘bridge’) Nature Club on January 19.

After the inauguration,

a tour comprising trekking, bird watching, photography and written quiz competition was flagged off from 3rd Mile, Dimapur for Sukhovi Forest by Brig. K Narayanan, Commandant, Assam Rifles Training Centre and School. 84 students along with 8 teachers of Assam Rifles High School and 25 personnel of Assam Rifles took part in the tour.

The tour concluded with a written quiz competition

and prizes were awarded to top three winners.

The club will function as a bridge between the nature and families of the Assam Rifles, and plans to conduct various activities for the children of Assam Rifles personnel to develop an interest towards wild life studies and bird watching. The club is also looking forward to expand the area of visit in the next tour and with expert’s guidance.

The Government of India in 2008, declared January 24 of every year, as “National Girl Child Day” with the objective to raise consciousness of the society towards the Girl Child, so that she can be valued and respected. The National Mission for Empowerment of Women (NMEW) and its nodal Ministry of Women and Child Development has been taking a multi pronged approach to address and reverse the trend of declining sex ratio. The objective of all these initiatives is to work towards ensuring that girls are born, loved, nurtured and grow up to become empowered citizens with equal rights.

The Convention on Rights of the Child, drafted by the UN Commission on Human Rights came into force as an International law on 2nd September, 1990. It gives children the: 1. Right to Survival 2. Right to Protection 3. Right to Development 4. Right to Participation It also includes: Right to Health & Nutrition(undernourished girls also grow up to become undernourished mothers), Right to Freedom from Exploitation in all forms, Abuses, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Neglect, Special Protection during War, Emergency, Disaster and Armed Conflicts.The Constitution and Directive Principles of State Policy of India recognizes, protects and acknowledges children as “supremely important national assets” and directs the State to ensure that all children are provided with services and opportunities to grow and develop in a safe and secure environment.

Hence, the country accords priority to their development, education, nutrition and aims to provide conducive atmosphere to give them opportunities and facilities to develop healthy manners in freedom and dignity and ensure that they are protected from all forms of exploitation, moral and material abandonment. It aims for a holistic development of children.

In spite of the above stated provisions, it is unfortunate that the Girl Child is growing increasingly susceptible to abuse, violence and exploitation both inside and outside her home. Her life is a constant fight for survival, growth and development from the time she is conceived till she attains 18 years.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development set up the Working Group on Development for Children for the Eleventh Five Year Plan. The table below is a result of the findings of this working group, which depicts the life chart of a girl child and highlights the many life threatening problems she faces.

TamEnglong, January 23 (nnn): The Manipur unit of the Naga People's Front (NPF) held its district level political conference on Wednesday at Indoor Stadium, Tamenglong, as part of its campaign to the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Soso Lorho, President, NPF Manipur State, addressing a packed stadium, attacked Manipur chief minister O Ibobi Singh saying that development funds are only 'poured' in Thoubal and Imphal's Khwairamband bazar and nowhere else.

Saying that most of the development funds are concentrated in Thoubal district, Lorho faulted Ibobi for not taking up enough developmental projects in the hill districts, and added that NPF would bridge the gap between the rich and the poor.

Also addressing the gathering, NPF Manipur

State Vice-President and former MLA from Tamei, N Awangbow, lamented the public’s tendency of being attracted towards national parties, which according to him was not a positive trend, saying, "We will enjoy more freedom in the regional parties than in the national parties."

Awangbow further stated that the state government of Manipur has been treating Tamenglong district as a 'human museum' for a long time. "The state government would often go to Delhi and ask funds citing Tamenglong district's extreme bavkwardness but when the funds are granted they are used in elsewhere," Awangbow stated.

NPF leaders from the districts of Senapati, Churachandpur, Chandel, Ukhrul and also from Nagaland participated the event.

TuEnsang, January 23 (mExn): In a joint operation on 16 Jan 2014 troops of 23 and 33 Assam Rifles apprehended two cadres of NSCN (K)

along with one .22 Pistol.

In a statement issued by the Assam Rifles, it informed that one of the apprehended cadres is from Arunachal Pradesh and believed to have

returned after receiving training in Myanmar, while the other was stated to be a resident of Tuensang. The apprehended cadres were handed over to the police at Tuensang.

Kohima, January 23 (mExn): The Transformation Crusade entered its ninth day with Rev. Vevozo Khamo, the main speaker for the evening, challenging the congregation and asking them of their eternity. Telling the congregation that everything has its own time, the reverend urged the gathering to be sober minded and watchful unto prayer (1 Peter 4:7).

Rev. Khamo also lamented on Churches being bounded by rules, saying “instead of looking for the one lost sheep they are only taking care of the ninety nine sheep.” The ongoing Transformation Crusade, he said, has been organised because the vision was given and God send people to organise it, and added that we have to change in many ways and we can only change by the power of the Holy Spirit.

He further informed that people from all walks of life needs to be transformed during such crusade saying “One thing we are not aware is that the end is near and this is the time of the Holy Spirit or the Grace period and once this period is over there will be a rapture which will happen in the blink of an eye” (‘Pray

without ceasing’ - 1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Sharing on the authority of God, Rev. Vevozo alerted the congregation not to take revenge but to leave it to God (Hebrew 10:30), not to judge others (Matthew 7:1), and glory and honour belongs to God, (Isaiah 42:8). He further encouraged that one should go to local churches where we will get more spiritual feedings, to be faithful in tithe, prayer and to read the bible more as he added, sinners will not go to the kingdom of God, they need to transform their lives first. Referring to the scripture, he said to receive the Holy Spirit one should open their hearts and let go of the evil ways and follow Christ, (Romans 8:9) and

“Do not rejoice because the spirits are subjected to you but rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven”,( Luke 10:20).

Wapang Longchari, Sinai Ministry, Dimapur, led the service while Avi Zao said the offertory prayer.

Sinai Ministry praise team led the congregation in praise and worship before the service began.

A person having epilepsy has been healed while more than hundreds suffering from different problems were healed. Thousands of people old and young had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Till the eight day of the ongoing crusade altogether sixty four (64) has been delivered from satanic worshipper.

NF&CSFSA offers condolences

Dimapur, January 23 (mExn): The Nagaland Food & Civil Supplies Field Staff Association has expressed sadness at the untimely demise of J. Talitemjen Jamir, Jt. Director, Food & Civil Supplies. “Our thoughts and prayers are with bereaved family during this tragic time” stated the condolence note from the president of the association, Kavito Aomi.

Friday

24 January 2014

hotel. Zhaleo in his speech, while describing the hotel as a home away from home for travellers, expressed his wish that it will live up to people’s expectation. Stating that the opening of the hotel has unlocked another chapter in the growth of Dimapur, Zhaleo said that any constructive endeavour, either private or government undertaking, will ultimately serve the purpose of the people of Nagaland.

The hotel’s interior, alongwith the rooms, comes complete with a spacious 500-seater banquet-cumconference hall. The ground floor was created to act as the parking area, providing room for 50 cars. According to Pappu, the kitchen, manned by three star certified chefs, will exclusively cater Indian and Chinese cuisines; while professionally trained staffers will attend to guests. The in-house restaurant will remain open from

Dimapur

Parliamentary Secretary, Urban Development, Zhaleo Rio, seen inaugurating Theja Fort in Dimapur on January 23.

8:00 am to 9:00 pm. It also has three exclusive suites.

Swimming pool and lift are under construction and nearing completion, Pappu said. For the convenience of guests, Pappu added that the hotel is located 4 kilometers from the airport, while the railway station and the nearest bust stop are located in close proximity.

NPF Manipur Unit Holds Public SPace Celebrating National Girl Child Day 2014 District Level Conference

Years

        1 to 11 years (this includes  specific problems faced by  age groups 1-5 years and  6-11 years)        

Birth to 1 year

   11 to 18 years (Adoles cents)       

Problems faced Foeticide and Infanticide Infant mortality Discrimination in breast feeding and infant food Neglect of health (immunization) Discrimination in access to food and health care Malnutrition and anaemia Health problems like Polio and diarrhoea Iodine and Vitamin A and Micro nutrient deficiency Low school enrolment and School drop outs Vulnerable to trafficking, child labour, child marriage Abuse, exploitation and violence Employment as domestic help Looking after siblings Restriction on mobility and play Discrimination in overall treatment and parental care Poor health Low literacy level Restriction on mobility and play Frequent illness due to Malnutrition, Anaemia and micro nutrient deficiency Early Child bearing morbidity and mortality Poor access/ Denial to information and services Early and frequent pregnancy coupled with abortions Marital and domestic violence Child Marriage Desertion, polygamy, divorce Child labour, trafficking STDs and HIV/AIDs Heavy domestic work including commuting long distances to collect fire wood/ drinking water Unpaid and unrecognised work and drudgery No voice either in home or society

Besides the daily struggles of life that the Girl Child faces, as indicated in the table above, we are also witnessing the rising trend in rapes, violence against women and rapid brutalization in Naga society. These are due to certain factors in our society.

Studies have shown that the girls are three times more likely to be victims of abuse as compared to boys. In India, girls have been found to be the most vulnerable section of the society; the child sex ratio shows that for every 1000 male children, there are only 944 female children. Employing children, especially girl children as domestic helper deprives them of their childhood, the right to life and liberty. There is also literacy gap between the genders, with the male literacy rate at 82.8% and that of the female literacy rate at 76.1%. All these information reveal that the girl child is placed in a most vulnerable condition in society. They also prove to us that we need to be equipped with proper information in order to protect/guard/defend our girl child.

As we meet National Girl Child Day 2014, there is a need for intense introspection and reflection. Do we, as a society truly value the sanctity of the life of the Girl Child? Is it possible that her basic Human Rights are sometimes compromised because of her gender? It is pertinent to contemplate these questions in a candid manner without being defensive, as we human beings are often prone to become. Let us all come together to protect our girl child. In doing so, we protect our society and its conscience.

Published by: Nagaland State Resource Centre for Women (Nodal Agency: Nagaland State Social Welfare Board) National Mission for Empowerment of Women Ministry of Women & Child Development

Children who were received polio drops are seen here with parents, vaccinators and other officials in one of the 75 polio booths in Longleng on January 19. The target children, between the ages of 0 and 5 in the district, is 7083.

Keishing not a contender for RS imphal, January 23 (nnn): Sitting Rajya Sabha MP from Manipur and former chief minister Rishang Keishing said today that he is not a contender for the Rajya Sabha election.

Taking to Newmai News Network this evening over phone, Keishing said, "I have no such plan to contest the Rajya Sabha poll." The veteran Congress leader who has been the sitting Rajya Sabha MP for the last two consecutive terms also said that he

AR apprehend two NSCN (K) cadres

had not applied to contest the poll saying "I'm not interested to continue now."

Today's comment from Rishang Keishing comes on the back of media speculations that the Congress 'high command' had agreed on re-nominating him. Two day's ago a section of media had reported that Manipur chief minister O Ibobi Singh and deputy chief minister Gaikhangam had apprised the Congress 'high command' to re-nominate the sitting Rajya Sabha

MP. Keishing dismissed the media report as just 'speculation' saying he was totally in the dark on this before adding that he was ‘not interested’ in being re-nominated.

It may be noted that the poll to the lone Rajya Sabha member of Manipur will be on February 7.

Nomination papers be delivered by 3 pm of January 28 and the scrutiny would be conducted on January 29 while the deadline to withdraw names by candidates is 3 pm of January 31.

Transformation Crusade enters ninth day

The Morung Express is introducing “Public Space” as part of our intention to provide deliberate space for the opinions of the people to be expressed and heard through this newspaper.

Nonetheless, The Morung Express points out that the opinions expressed in the contents published in the “Public Space” do not reflect the views and position of the newspaper or the editor.

6

IN-FOCUS

The Power of Truth

The Morung Express FrIDAy 24 JAnuAry 2014 vol. IX IssuE 22

Along Longkumer Consulting Editor

Age Old Wisdom

I

f you notice the behavior of people belonging to the modern developed countries especially in Western Europe and America, they seem lost and frustrated with what life has to offer even though the world talk of the great strides made in the field of science, technology, economy and the material gain.

As a result more and more people from the west have started to look to a more humble and simple kind of living, one that is close to nature and tradition of the past. So what is the lesson for us in a place like Nagaland? If we look around us we should start acknowledging the fact that God has been very good to us.

We have been blessed with good land, plentiful resources, salubrious climate, vibrancy of our culture and the age old wisdom of our tradition. But we often forget about the blessings and instead of making the best use of what we have, we clamor for more of material gain and the consumption lifestyle of the west, especially the rich and famous.

When the industrialized countries are looking to learn from the values of the older, traditional cultures, it is strange that the reverse is happening here. The unsustainable, power-worshiping, consumption-oriented values of western society are so strongly propagandized by television, films and advertising that they sweep aside the wisdom of older societies. Today, Naga society seems to be adopting values, fashions, and standards of behavior presented by the mass media of western society. It is unfortunate that we are blindly aping the west.

We need to reverse this negative trend taking place. It is not just about the unhealthy lifestyle of the west but we are also being influenced by such ideology that might is right as witnessed in the endless violence, wars etc.; the inequality and the growing gap between the haves and the have-nots. The recent happenings in our State and around the world whether it is corruption, violence, social upheaval etc. is a worrying sign for our common future. It is also indicative of the fact that we as human beings devoid of ethics have become grossly materialistic and our only aim in life seems to accumulate more and more wealth and power leading to spiritual bankruptcy. This malaise is not confined to our politicians’ alone but has even affected our social and religious organizations. As Wordsworth aptly lamented this state of affairs by saying that the modern man is daily going farther away from the sacred and his desire is to accumulate maximum material gain. And with this aim, like a machine we are busy day in and day out in our power struggles.

Instead of being public servants or their leader we have become mere mercenary and have forgotten our God given responsibility. Being a Christian State we have failed to live accordingly. The Bible teaches us that Man does not live by bread alone. Accumulation of wealth is not the sole aim of human life.

A balance has to be there because a life given to too much emphasis on securing material gain is its very negation. According to John Ruskin, the greatest wealth of a nation is the happiness of its people. But going by the wealth of a few, a majority of people are surely unhappy and this is not a good sign. Corrupt money certainly cannot bring prosperity and happiness to society. Hegemony cannot foster fraternity or the equal respect for one’s rights. Indeed democracy, another western import, has failed to bring happiness and the good life to the majority of people. Its credibility is in doubt because it has not solved the problems of the people—peace, security, roads, electricity etc.

We need to therefore become less obsessed with everything western and start to look at our indigenous wisdom and knowledge which has the answers to many of the ills we are faced with in this western induced existence.

lEfT wiNg |

M.R. Narayan Swamy IANS

EC should make poll duty pleasant

T

he November-December election in five states produced some fascinating results. But they also caused tremendous hardships to central and Delhi government employees on what turned out to be a long and tough polling day in Delhi - without necessary transport arrangements, food and more.

The Election Commission is now in the process of initiating action against some employees who it feels did not rise to the occasion. Letters demanding explanations have gone out to allegedly errant employees. How was the Dec 4 balloting conducted in Delhi? Election duty was divided into nine districts. Most people were assigned work in their own districts.

But those from Laxmi Bai Nagar in south Delhi found themselves sent miles away to Laxmi Nagar in east Delhi because of an obvious clerical error. Everyone was told to report at their polling booths positively by 5.30 a.m. on their own or reach the previous night and spend the night in the polling centre.

No transport arrangement was made for the employees although DTC and Metro services began early that day. Those who took private cabs - and had receipts to show -- were told they would get only "the basic fare". Everyone was called for duty irrespective of age and health. A senior employee on leave preparatory to retirement was forced to come. So were those who had genuine personal reasons not to work that day.

A disabled man's desperate pleas to spare him were ignored.

Each polling booth had a Presiding Officer and three or four Polling Officers. A Sectoral Officer was in charge of a school building housing three or four polling booths. But employees' ranks were blissfully ignored while assigning work.

Thus, in what turned to be bureaucratic embarrassment, an Under Secretary from the central government ended up reporting to a junior officer from the Delhi administration. This was not the only such case. The Multi Tasking Staff or MTS earlier called peons - were mostly to be assigned the task of applying indelible ink on voters. In some cases, this duty was given away to senior government officers and the MTS staff was told to do work beyond their capability.

Ironically, while government employees were given snacks during the days of their training, which itself was most chaotic, no arrangement for food was made on the day it was most needed - Dec 4 -- despite the fact that several employees were diabetic.

There was no provision for medical help though many of those called to work were in their 50s and 60s, some not in good health.

There was heavy, non-stop polling on Dec 4. In most polling booths, officials struggled to cope with the rush. In some cases, voting continued beyond 8 p.m. The later procedure for depositing the sealed ballot boxes was so elaborate that it led to long queues outside the relevant centres. Scores of employees who had reported for work by 5.30 a.m. stood in serpentine queues till late at night, hungry and tired. At Akshardam, this led to slogan shouting against the Election Commission, forcing the poll panel to suddenly tweak what were supposed to be inviolable rules.

Employees - none was ready to be quoted by name as they work for the government - complain that the honorarium paid by the Election Commission differed: Rs.1,350 in some districts and Rs.1,100 in others. While Sectoral Officers had official transport, the Presiding and Polling Officers were even barred from bringing their own vehicles. To most people this made no sense. Those who were involved in election work are proud of their contribution but unanimous that the Election Commission has to be a little humane. "We don't mind doing this again but it will be best if the Election Commission learns from all that has gone wrong and makes amends," one central government officer says. "The Commission should not lord over us just because it becomes the supreme authority during elections. Those called to work should enjoy what they are doing and not feel it is a torture. Is this asking for too much?"

THE EDIT PAGE

C O M M E N T A R Y

Tom Engelhardt

The golden age of journalism?

It took the arrival of the twenty-first century to turn the journalistic world of the 1950s upside down and point it toward the trash heap of history.

So when was the golden age?

I

t was 1949. My mother - known in the gossip columns of that era as “New York’s girl caricaturist” - was freelancing theatrical sketches to a number of New York’s newspapers and magazines, including the Brooklyn Eagle.

That paper, then more than a century old, had just a few years of life left in it.

From 1846 to 1848, its editor had been the poet Walt Whitman. In later years, my mother used to enjoy telling a story about the Eagle editor she dealt with who, on learning that I was being sent to Walt Whitman kindergarten, responded in the classically gruff newspaper manner memorialized in movies like His Girl Friday: “Are they still naming things after that old bastard?”

In my childhood, New York City was, you might say, papered with newspapers. The Daily News, the Daily Mirror, the Herald Tribune, the Wall Street Journal... there were perhaps nine or 10 significant ones on newsstands every day and, though that might bring to mind some golden age of journalism, it’s worth remembering that a number of them were already amalgams. The Journal-American, for instance, had once been the Evening Journal and the American, just as the World-Telegram & Sun had been a threesome, the World, the Evening Telegram, and the Sun. In my own household, we got the New York Times (disappointingly comicstrip-less), the New York Post (then a liberal, not a right-wing, rag that ran Pogo and Herblock’s political cartoons) and sometimes the Journal-American (Believe It or Not and The Phantom).

Then there were always the magazines: in our house, Life, the Saturday Evening Post, Look, the New Yorker my mother worked for some of them, too - and who knows what else in a roiling mass of print. It was a paper universe all the way to the horizon, though change and competition were in the air. After all, the screen (the TV screen, that is) was entering the American home like gangbusters. Mine arrived in 1953 when the Post assigned my mother to draw the Army-McCarthy hearings, which - something new under the sun - were to be televised live by ABC. Still, at least in my hometown, it seemed distinctly like a golden age of print news, if not of journalism. Some might reserve that label for the shakeup, breakdown era of the 1960s, that moment when the New Journalism arose, an alternative press burst onto the scene, and for a brief moment in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the old journalism put its mind to uncovering massacres, revealing the worst of American war, reporting on Washington-style scandal, and taking down a president. In the meantime, magazines like Esquire and Harper’s came to specialize in the sort of chip-on-the-shoulder, stylish voicey-ness that would, one day, become the hallmark of the online world and the age of the Internet. (I still remember the thrill of first reading Tom Wolfe’s “The Kandy-Kolored TangerineFlake Streamline Baby” on the world of custom cars. It put the vrrrooom into writing in a dazzling way.)

However, it took the arrival of the twenty-first century to turn the journalistic world of the 1950s upside down and point it toward the trash heap of history. I’m talking about the years that shrank the screen, and put it first on your desk, then in your hand, next in your pocket, and one day soon on your eyeglasses, made it the way you connected with everyone on Earth and they - whether as friends, enemies, the curious, voyeurs, corporate sellers and buyers, or the NSA - with you. Only then did it became apparent that, throughout the print era, all those years of paper running off presses and newsboys and newsstands, from Walt Whitman to Woodward and Bernstein, the newspaper had been misnamed.

Journalism’s amour propre had overridden a clear-eyed assessment of what exactly the paper really was.

Only then would it be fully apparent that it always should have been called the “adpaper.” When the corporation

and the “Mad Men” who worked for it spied the Internet and saw how conveniently it gathered audiences and what you could learn about their lives, preferences, and most intimate buying habits, the ways you could slice and dice demographics and sidle up to potential customers just behind the ever-present screen, the ad began to flee print for the online world. It was then, of course, that papers (as well as magazines) - left with overworked, ever-smaller staffs, evaporating funding, and the ad-less news - began to shudder, shrink, and in some cases collapse (as they might not have done if the news had been what fled).

New York still has four dailies (Murdoch’s Post, the Daily News, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal). However, in recent years, many two-paper towns like Denver and Seattle morphed into far shakier one-paper towns as papers like the Rocky Mountain News and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer passed out of existence (or into only digital existence). Meanwhile, the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press went over to a three-day-a-week home delivery print edition, and the Times Picayune of New Orleans went down to a three-day-a-week schedule (before returning as a four-day Picayune and a three-day-a-week tabloid in 2013). The Christian Science Monitor stopped publishing a weekday paper altogether. And so it went. In those years, newspaper advertising took a terrible hit, circulation declined, sometimes precipitously, and bankruptcies were the order of the day.

The least self-supporting sections like book reviews simply evaporated and in the one place of significance that a book review remained, the New York Times, shrank. Sunday magazines shriveled up. Billionaires began to buy papers at bargain-basement prices as, in essence, vanity projects. Jobs and staffs were radically cut (as were the TV versions of the same so that, for example, if you tune in to NBC’s Nightly News with Brian Williams, you often have the feeling that the estimable Richard Engel, with the job title of chief foreign correspondent, is the only “foreign correspondent” still on the job, flown eternally from hot spot to hot spot around the globe).

No question about it, if you were an established reporter of a certain age or anyone who worked in a newsroom, this was proving to be the aluminum age of journalism. Your job might be in jeopardy, along with maybe your pension, too. In these years, stunned by what was suddenly happening to them, the management of papers stood for a time frozen in place like the proverbial deer in the headlights as the voiceyness of the Internet broke over them, turning their op-ed pages into the grey sisters of the reading world. Then, in a blinding rush to save what could be saved, recapture the missing ad, or find any other path to a new model of profitability from digital advertising (disappointing) to pay walls (a mixed bag), papers rushed online. In the process, they doubled the work of the remaining journalists and editors, who were now to service both the new newspaper and the old.

The worst of times, the best of times In so many ways, it’s been, and continues to be, a sad, even horrific, tale of loss. (A similar tale of woe involves the printed book. It’s only advantage: there were no ads to flee the premises, but it suffered nonetheless - already largely crowded out of the newspaper as a non-revenue producer and out of consciousness by a blitz of new ways of reading and being entertained. And I say that as someone who has spent most of his life as an editor of print books.) The keening and mourning about the fall of print journalism has gone on for years. It’s a development that represents - depending on who's telling the story - the end of an age, the fall of all standards, or the loss of civic spirit and the sort of investigative cov-

erage that might keep a few more politicians and corporate heads honest, and so forth and so on.

Let’s admit that the sins of the Internet are legion and well-known: the massive programs of government surveillance it enables; the corporate surveillance it ensures; the loss of privacy it encourages; the flamers and trolls it births; the conspiracy theorists, angry men, and strange characters to whom it gives a seemingly endless moment in the sun; and the way, among other things, it tends to sort like and like together in a self-reinforcing loop of opinion. Yes, yes, it’s all true, all unnerving, all terrible.

As the editor of TomDispatch.com, I’ve spent the last decade-plus plunged into just that world, often with people half my age or younger. I don’t tweet. I don’t have a Kindle or the equivalent. I don’t even have a smart phone or a tablet of any sort. When something - anything - goes wrong with my computer I feel like a doomed figure in an alien universe, wish for the last machine I understood (a typewriter), and then throw myself on the mercy of my daughter.

I’ve been overwhelmed, especially at the height of the Bush years, by cookie-cutter hate email - sometimes scores or hundreds of them at a time - of a sort that would make your skin crawl. I’ve been threatened. I’ve repeatedly received “critical” (and abusive) emails, blasts of red hot anger that would startle anyone, because the Internet, so my experience tells me, loosens inhibitions, wipes out taboos, and encourages a sense of anonymity that in the older world of print, letters, or face-to-face meetings would have been far less likely to take center stage. I’ve seen plenty that’s disturbed me. So you’d think, given my age, my background, and my present life, that I, too, might be in mourning for everything that’s going, going, gone, everything we’ve lost.

But I have to admit it: I have another feeling that, at a purely personal level, outweighs all of the above. In terms of journalism, of expression, of voice, of fine reporting and superb writing, of a range of news, thoughts, views, perspectives, and opinions about places, worlds, and phenomena that I wouldn’t otherwise have known about, there has never been an experimental moment like this. I’m in awe. Despite everything, despite every malign purpose to which the Internet is being put, I consider it a wonder of our age. Yes, perhaps it is the age from hell for traditional reporters (and editors) working double-time, online and off, for newspapers that are crumbling, but for readers, can there be any doubt that now, not the 1840s or the 1930s or the 1960s, is the golden age of journalism?

Think of it as the upbeat twin of NSA surveillance. Just as the NSA can reach anyone, so in a different sense can you. Which also means, if you’re a website, anyone can, at least theoretically, find and read you. (And in my experience, I’m often amazed at who can and does!) And you, the reader, have in remarkable profusion the finest writing on the planet at your fingertips.

You can read around the world almost without limit, follow your favorite writers to the ends of the Earth.

The problem of this moment isn’t too little. It’s not a collapsing world.

It’s way too much. These days, in a way that was never previously imaginable, it’s possible to drown in provocative and illuminating writing and reporting, framing and opining. In fact, I challenge you in 2014, whatever the subject and whatever your expertise, simply to keep up.

The rise of the reader In the “golden age of journalism,” here’s what I could once do. In the 1960s and early 1970s, I read the New York Times (as I still do in print daily), various magazines ranging from the New Yorker and Ramparts to “underground” papers like the Great Speckled Bird when they happened to fall into my hands, and I.F. Stone’s Weekly (to

which I subscribed), as well as James Ridgeway and Andrew Kopkind’s Hard Times, among other publications of the moment. Somewhere in those years or thereafter, I also subscribed to a oncea-week paper that had the best of the Guardian, the Washington Post, and Le Monde in it. For the time, that covered a fair amount of ground.

Still, the limits of that “golden” moment couldn’t be more obvious now.

Today, after all, if I care to, I can read online every word of the Guardian, the Washington Post, and Le Monde (though my French is way too rusty to tackle it). And that’s every single day and that, in turn, is nothing.

It’s all out there for you. Most of the major dailies and magazines of the globe, trade publications, propaganda outfits, Pentagon handouts, the voiciest of blogs, specialist websites, the websites of individual experts with a great deal to say, websites, in fact, for just about anyone from historians, theologians, and philosophers to techies, book lovers, and yes, those fascinated with journalism. You can read your way through the American press and the world press. You can read whole papers as their editors put them together or - at least in your mind - you can become the editor of your own oped page every day of the week, three times, six times a day if you like (and odds are that it will be more interesting to you, and perhaps others, than the op-ed offerings of any specific paper you might care to mention).

You can essentially curate your own newspaper (or magazine) once a day, twice a day, six times a day. Or - a particular blessing in the present ocean of words - you can rely on a new set of people out there who have superb collection and curating abilities, as well as fascinating editorial eyes. I'm talking about teams of people at what I like to call “riot sites” - for the wild profusion of headlines they sport - like Antiwar. com (where no story worth reading about conflict on our planet seems to go unnoticed) or Real Clear Politics (Real Clear World/Technology/Energy/etc., etc., etc.). You can subscribe to an almost endless range of curated online newsletters targeted to specific subjects, like the “morning brief” that comes to me every weekday filled with recommended pieces on cyberwar, terrorism, surveillance, and the like from the Center on National Security at Fordham Law School. And I’m not even mentioning the online versions of your favorite print magazine, or purely online magazines like Salon.com, or the many websites I visit like Truthout, Alternet, Commondreams, and Truthdig with their own pieces and picks.

And in mentioning all of this, I’m barely scratching the surface of the world of writing that interests me.

There has, in fact, never been a DIY moment like this when it comes to journalism and coverage of the world. Period. For the first time in history, you and I have been put in the position of the newspaper editor. We’re no longer simply passive readers at the mercy of someone else’s idea of how to “cover” or organize this planet and its many moving parts. To one degree or another, to the extent that any of us have the time, curiosity, or energy, all of us can have a hand in shaping, reimagining, and understanding our world in new ways.

Yes, it is a journalistic universe from hell, a genuine nightmare; and yet, for a reader, it’s also an experimental world, something thrillingly, unexpectedly new under the sun. For that reader, a strangely democratic and egalitarian Era of the Word has emerged. It’s chaotic; it’s too much; and make no mistake, it’s also an unstable brew likely to morph into god knows what. Still, perhaps someday, amid its inanities and horrors, it will also be remembered, at least for a brief historical moment, as a golden age of the reader, a time when all the words you could ever have needed were freely offered up for you to curate as you wish. Don’t dismiss it.

Don’t forget it.

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

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

PERSPECTIVE

7 Myanmar's minorities face multi-faced jeopardy Friday

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

24 January 2014

NEWS ANALYSIS, FEATURE AND DISCOURSE

Tim Heinemann

T

asia Times Online

he international community, whose Western representatives so readily flock to Myanmar in both good will and selfish interest, is often an unwitting contributor to the country's persistent instability. This will likely lead not to intended peace but to more unwanted war until certain facts are fully faced.

Today Myanmar is essentially a massive Land Rush, the likes of which the world has not seen since America's Sooners swept across the state of Oklahoma grabbing up the ancestral lands of native American Indians who were in the way of "progress". Myanmar's "last frontier markets" have become cash cows for various Western governments, businesses and aid agencies, a cause celebre to promote their causes, agendas and budgets.

For all of President Thein Sein's reformist professions and gestures that leverage international favor for immunity from close scrutiny, the facts about real reform in this troubled but promising land are ominous and enduring. The pressure to deliver on reforms will mount ahead of national elections in 2015, the assumption of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation's (ASEAN) chair this year, and the balancing act of leveraging Western economic alliances to counter China's expansionism.

After decades of debilitating military rule, base survivalism, not enlightened reform, is on the march today in Thein Sein's Myanmar. While the face of reform may appear confident, there are cracks just below the cosmetic surface. Nowhere is that more evident than with ongoing ethnic tensions, including but not confined to the armed conflict in Kachin State. Ethnic armies have confounded Burman generals and foot soldiers on the battlefield for decades.

Aside from their demographic dominance of half of Myanmar's landmass and effective control of national borders and international trade routes, and natural resource and hydro-power wealth, there are other sources of ethnic minority group's power in adversity. Malcolm Gladwell, in his most recent book David and Goliath, reminds us of the dangerous, if not decisive advantage of "men who have nothing to lose". The bright international hopes and dreams for Myanmar are dangerously on the cusp of not heeding this danger.

Ethnic minority groups now face an octagonal jeopardy that is being aided and aggravated by the interJames Akazili & Charlotte Soulary

F

Le Monde diplomatique

ive billion people across the world do not have proper social protection.

In developing countries, more and more of them are calling for universal health coverage (UHC). That would allow the poorest peoples to cross the money divide to get treated, and encourage the modernisation of health infrastructures. Some governments in the South, such as Senegal, have already adopted UHC but that is not yet the case in most states In an unequal 21st-century world, access to healthcare is key to fighting poverty and ensuring social cohesion. Every year, 150 million people worldwide spend more than 40% of their income on health. Universal health coverage (UHC) would allow millions to receive healthcare without falling into poverty.

There is a growing focus on UHC in health systems. The 2010 World Health Report and associated declaration of the World Health Organization (WHO) general assembly urged member states to “aim for affordable universal coverage and access for all citizens on the basis of equity and solidarity.” In December 2012 the United Nations General Assembly adopted a landmark resolution on UHC. Last May, the World Bank president Jim Yong Kim made a commitment towards UCH at the World Health Assembly. Governments are taking action: China, Thailand, South Africa and Mexico are some of the first emerging economies scaling up public investment in health, and many low-income countries, especially in Africa, have introduced free healthcare policies as a first step towards universal coverage.

Moving towards UHC requires progress on three fronts: the range of services, the proportion of the costs of the services covered and the population covered. Home-grown financ-

national community's good and ill intentions. This, as we shall see, is an eight-sided ambush from which minority groups alone cannot extract themselves.

With streams of unprecedented aid, development and business interests pouring into the country, most are overlooking as inconvenient decades-old ethnic struggles for autonomy and control of their own political and economic destinies. If ethnic groups did not have unambiguous armed capacity that has killed Burmese infantry in staggering numbers, then so-called "ethnic matters" might be easily relegated to the fringes. That, however, is not the case. As impolitic it is to talk about "armed might" in Myanmar's reformist circles, deadly capacity still determines who wields ultimate power in many ethnic areas. Naypyidaw's new bid to consolidate power vis-a-vis ethnics, a new drive with both tacit and overt international backing, could push many of them through a complex jeopardy to the point of final desperation.

The first of the eight sides to jeopardy is that ethnic leaders have so far been forced to negotiate with Thein Sein and his aides, who have no real power to make meaningful concessions. Experts estimate that Thein Sein remains accountable only to his military masters and their associated business cronies who pull strings from behind the scenes. This essentially means that any agreements reached with ethnic groups will not be enforceable without military agreement. Ethnic leaders know this interface with Thein Sein and his delegates is a farce but the international community believes in it. Ethnics thus fall prey to Burman negotiators' stalling tactics. This buys precious time that contributes to the Myanmar government's longevity and perceived legitimacy. Ethnics can do little about it as the clock ticks down to national elections in 2015.

Second, by using Thein Sein as their buffer, ethnic Burman generals enjoy a zone of separation from direct confrontation by ethnics and the rest of the world on the hard facts about toughest issues. This provides essential sanctuary that gives generals freedom of action in the shadows to continue to amass and wield real power. This power has been historically based on profits from stolen ethnic ancestral lands rich in natural resources. Nothing has changed here, as Burman generals have shown no intention of relinquishing these lucrative lands.

Burman elites now in power have essentially become unassailable by ethnics, who would other-

ing mechanisms are key to ensuring funds are raised equitably and redistributing resources. UHC is not a one-size-fits-all affair: governments develop approaches to fit the social, economic and political contexts of their countries. UHC requires pooling arrangements that redistribute resources to the individuals with the greatest health needs.

The debate continues: what is the best mix of financing mechanisms, especially to protect people outside the formal employment sector? What financing mechanisms to use for access to care? Several countries, such as India and South Africa, have developed proposals for the health system to be financed in line with the ability to pay, and benefits received according to need.

Free care The WHO maintains that user fees are “the most inequitable method for financing healthcare services”.

A number of low-income countries have abolished user fees for some or all of their citizens as a first step towards UHC. In Mali, the government has introduced policies to provide selected services free of charge, including caesarean sections. Between 2005 and 2009, caesarean rates in Mali doubled and facility deliveries increased from 53% to 64%. Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Niger, Benin and Senegal have introduced similar initiatives for priority groups. Just 12 months after Sierra Leone ended user fees for pregnant women and children, use of medical care by children had increased by 214% and maternal mortality had declined by 61%. The number of children treated for malaria tripled over the same period. A 2005 study estimated that by removing user fees in 20 African countries, 233,000 deaths of underfives could be prevented every year.

In Zambia all user fees have been abolished for primary healthcare.

Attention has been paid to the equity of public service access, but

wise look like "spoilers" to progress in the eyes of the international community if they protested too much.

These two pillars are, therefore, the foundation of Burman exclusion from accountability which feed into the other aspects of ethnics' octagonal jeopardy.

The third component of this jeopardy comes in the form of peace talks and ceasefires fronted by Burmans as good-will gestures of intended reform. Facts get in the way of this assertion, however. Ethnics are forced to put on a happy face for the world, while being quietly coerced into peace negotiations that are corrupted from behind the scenes.

In parallel, the Myanmar Army continues to expand its forward basing, hardens its outposts, installs attack helicopter landing sites and conducts aggressive intelligence and reconnaissance operations to pinpoint ethnic resistance nodes.

It also openly continues attacks against the ethnic Kachin, a fact that astounds ethnic leaders who are totally confounded by the international community's lack of outrage at the unfolding humanitarian crisis and credible evidence of state-sponsored war crimes.

International wedge The fourth factor comes in the form of international aid, development and business being manipulated and leveraged by Burman power elites for extraordinary advantage over ethnics. Burmans' insistence on control of these resources results in deftly wielded "soft power".

International funds have thus been used as a wedge to penetrate ethnic regions and accomplish the dominance that Burmans themselves have been incapable of until now.

The penetration comes in the form of land confiscation, population control, installation of Burmese bureaucracies, mandated use of the Burmese language and the creation of ethnic villagers' dependencies on foreign resources brokered by Burman elites. This is effectively international support for Burman-led counter-insurgency operations. Internationally hand-cuffed ethnics can only watch it all play out before their eyes.

The growing profit logic of the international community comprises the fifth aspect of jeopardy. This community, in the main, has abandoned consideration of accountability for Burman crimes against humanity and oppression perpetrated by previous military regimes against ethnic minorities for decades. This is because Myanmar is a treasure trove of untapped resources and markets, and assures nongovernmental organizations

and aid agencies rich funding for years to come. These international interveners need Myanmar's many dire symptoms to thrive but without having to fully delve into root causes and associated issues.

Decades of systemic oppression by past Burman-led repressive regimes have degraded ethnic groups' bureaucratic capacity and exposed them to the sixth side of jeopardy.

The Myanmar government, which harbors and hides many of the same old Burman power brokers from the previous regime, now uses this diminished ethnic status to promote itself as the only worthy authority for the international community to engage. This begs the issue that Burman governance has somehow ascended from its dark and not very distant past.

It also ignores the obligation to now heavily weight capacity building in order for ethnics to "catch up". If international aid, however, is compelled by Burmans to be routed through them to ethnics, as is presently the case, then that effectively puts the fox in charge of the henhouse. This is maddening to ethnics who did most of the dying by facing down the Burmese Army on the battlefield in league with the prodemocracy movement. It smacks of international betrayal that pushes many ethnics toward an emotional tipping point.

The seventh aspect of ethnic groups' octagonal jeopardy is "The Gap". The tragedy of ethnics providing at gunpoint the natural resources that have made the Burmans elites of today powerful and rich is still unfolding. Ethnics are now at an extraordinary disadvantage with atrophied human, organizational, economic and military capacities.

Even if they were treated with equal resources by the international community, they would still remain heavily disadvantaged.

The capacity gap widens with each international interloper who is compelled to channel resources through Burmans-in-charge. The lack of fundamental fairness to ethnics after all these years perplexes elders who were faithful allies to the Free World during World War II. In tribal societies that defer to elders, this lack of respect and honor from the international community is no small matter.

The eighth aspect is viewed by many ethnics as the final insult.

Those who were compelled to take up arms by virtue of oppressive rule both during and since World War II are now effectively being punished for protecting their people an internationally recognized right.

This is a twisted logic that so called

Countries of the South battle on

In this Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013 photo, a Myanmar ethnic Kachin mother sends her son to school, at Wine Maw Refugee Camp in Kachin state, about 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) north of Yangon, Myanmar. An Appleton, Wis., alderman is drawing the ire of other city officials for his resolution critiquing the region's preparation for 75 refugees from Congo, Iraq and Myanmar. Post-Crescent Media reports alderman Jeff Jirschele authored a resolution with tough language aimed at World Relief Fox Valley, the Oshkosh-based group shepherding the resettlement. He says the group hadn't "been vetted" and called for a suspension of all city efforts in the relocation until a group could identify the refugees' impact. (AP Photo)

"hard-liner" ethnics cannot fathom.

Their insistence today to continue to bear arms against Myanmar Army aggression is a moral stance that causes them to be mischaracterized as "bad boys" or "incorrigibles".

The illogic of this is further compounded by the world's acceptance of certain corrupted ethnic leaders as legitimate. These have been bought off, cowed and are now taking an obedient seat at Burman-set peace negotiation tables. At the same time, international deference to the Myanmar's rights-abusing military is beyond many principled ethnic leaders' reasonable comprehension.

It should then come as no surprise when things do not turn out well for international diplomats, businessman and NGO representatives. The failure to recognize the widening and deepening chasm of discontent among ethnics is nearly universal in the international community. Ethnic civilizations that hark back thousands of years are being forced step by step to accept the final fate of systemic disempow-

or expenditure, and vice versa for richer households.

Ghana’s national health insurance scheme (NHIS) was introduced in 2004, promising to deliver UHC. Yet after nearly 10 years of implementation, it covers just 36% of Ghanaians since many cannot afford the contributions. The remaining 64% still make out-of-pocket payments to access healthcare. For members, the NHIS covers the direct costs of health services and medicines for most common diseases. The scheme is financed by a 2.5% levy on VAT (70%), payroll deductions from formal sector workers (22%) and annual premium contributions from informal sector workers (5%). The annual contributions payable by informal sector workers only provide 5% of what is needed to finance the scheme, but are high enough to exclude most people.

Zambia and Uganda are exploring this strategy. Zambia is holding multi-stakeholder provincial consultative meetings to discuss a Social Health Insurance draft bill that must go to parliament for enactment. This is one of the financing tools the government hopes to use.

But countries that have taken this A Pakistani health worker, left gives a polio vaccine to a child, who was displaced approach have struggled to expand with his family from Pakistan's tribal areas due to fighting between the Taliban coverage beyond the formal sector. and the army, in a poor neighborhood that hosts people displaced from tribal areas and Afghan refugees, on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Innovative financing Jan. 22, 2014. Militants oppose vaccination against polio and consider such camThere are other financing mechapaigns a cover for spying and also claim the vaccine is intended to make Muslim nisms for covering the informal secboys sterile. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen) tor that are not regressive, notably far less to different ways of financ- ing mechanism. The 2010 “World VAT payments in Tanzania and Ghana, ing services. Working towards UHC, Health Report” states: “It is impos- and direct taxes. Finding the most eqthe main debate is on the relative sible to achieve universal coverage uitable and efficient way of providing merits of financing mechanisms: tax through insurance schemes when financial protection for those outside financing, social health insurance, enrolment is voluntary.” Research the formal sector is one of the most community-based insurance and shows that community health in- important issues facing low-income out-of-pocket payments. surance is regressive, and raises countries. Tax financing makes it posconcerns over its use as the first sible to create a national-level risk Voluntary work step towards universal coverage. In pool and provide a broader potential Among these mechanisms, vol- Ghana and Tanzania, contributions revenue base, especially in countries untary community-based health in- to community health insurance by with high levels of informal employsurance is being widely promoted. people outside the formal sector are ment. It also removes the need for But no country has achieved any- regressive: the share of healthcare expensive insurance administration thing close to UHC using voluntary payments by poorer households is systems, and has proved the most insurance as its primary financ- greater than their share of income equitable system for raising and dis-

erment that will "Burmanize" them once and for all. This has long been the enduring intent of Burman power elites who fundamentally fear the prospect of empowered ethnics strategically placed on trade routes, border regions and atop massive natural resource wealth.

Myanmar's ethnics, faced with this eight-sided dilemma, have everything to lose if they do not take bold action. The survival instincts of ethnic freedom fighters have historically defended their lands and people against Burmese infantry by killing them by some estimates at upwards of 100:1 ratios. These fighters - not their compromised and co-opted elders in corrupted peace talks - will inevitably have the final word on the future of their lands and destinies.

Tim Heinemann is a retired US Army Special Forces officer, who is a contract trainer for the US Department of Defense in the fields of Conflict Resolution, Counter-insurgency and Counter-terrorism.

tributing health resources most fairly across the whole population. A number of countries are exploring innovative financing mechanisms such as small levies on financial transactions or levies on large and profitable companies. Gabon raised $30m for health in 2009, using a 1.5% levy on the posttax profits of companies that handle remittances and a 10% tax on mobile phone operators.

But UHC also requires significant development assistance, at least in the short-to-medium term. According to the WHO, only eight low-income countries will be in a position to fully finance UHC from domestic resources in 2015. More long-term and predictable aid is vital, to help build effective public health systems and also to improve public financial management and taxation systems so that countries can become self-sufficient.

The Busan Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation says aid must be delivered in a way that supports democratic country ownership, empowering developing country governments and their citizens.

Government-to-government aid via sector or general budget support is probably the best way of helping countries advance towards UHC. In Ethiopia, directing development aid through government funding channels has led to significant health gains. Nine international partners finance Ethiopia’s MDG Performance Fund, which fills critical gaps in the national health sector plan, both in infrastructure and human resources.

African countries can take immediate steps to move towards UHC, and will reap the rewards. The question is how governments, donors and civil society will work together to develop national health financing strategies for UHC that are universal and equitable, if they are aligned with country health plans and include all sources of financing for health. The next decades will tell what room is given to unproven, risky policies that threaten to derail progress.

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

8

Dimapur

NATIONAL

Friday 24 January 2014

The Morung Express

Village elders order gang-rape of woman

KolKata, January 23 (aFP): Indian police said Thursday they have arrested 13 people after a 20-year-old village woman was allegedly gang-raped on orders from tribal elders who objected to her relationship with a man.

The attack again highlighted India’s dismal record on preventing sexual violence, after the fatal gang-rape of a student in New Delhi in December 2012 sparked protests and unleashed seething public anger. Politicians denounced the latest attack as “outrageous”, while women’s groups said it showed how little things have changed for women since 2012 in a deeply patriarchal nation.

The incident took place Tuesday in a remote village in West Bengal state, where the unmarried woman from the Santhal tribal group was suspected of a relationship with a Muslim man from another village. The elders, who comprise the informal village council, initially fined her family 25,000 rupees (400 dollars) but they were too poor to pay, district police superintendent C. Sudhakar told AFP. “The girl was gang-raped for having an affair with a youth of another community and failing to pay the fine which was imposed by the village council,” he said. “All 13 men, including the chief of the village council, who were named in the complaint before the police, were arrested,” Sudhakar said.

The woman, her head wrapped in a scarf, confirmed the attack when confronted by television crews, saying softly: “They raped me ... all of them were my father’s age.” Tribal or caste-based village councils composed of male elders exert enormous influence over rural life, particularly in northern India. They often issuing diktats and punishments for moral and other perceived offences.

This incident happened in the

village of Subalpur, 240 kilometres (149 miles) west of the state capital Kolkata, after the couple were found together. “The head of the village council held an urgent meeting in the village square on Tuesday when the girl and her lover were called,” Sudhakar said.

“The girl and her lover were tied to two separate trees and fined 25,000 rupees each for having an affair,” he said. “As the parents of the girl, who were also present at the meeting, expressed their inability to pay the fine, the head of the village council ordered that she should be raped by the villagers as punishment.”

The man was freed after he agreed to pay the fine within a week, but the woman was taken to a shed where the attack was carried out, he said. The woman, who was recovering in a local hospital in Birbhum district, identified to police all 13 attackers. They were all denied bail on Thursday after appearing in court in the nearby town of Bolpur.

Lawmakers from all sides of politics branded the incident “inhuman and completely outrageous,” while some called for the men to be swiftly prosecuted and sentenced to death. “In a democratic country, based upon the rule of law, no vigilantism can be permitted,” Information Minister Manish Tewari told reporters.

But the incident shows the level of control that unelected male councils, known as “khap panchayats”, still have over women in India’s deeply patriarchal society, women’s groups said.

“This West Bengal case shows the yawning gap between our constitution and our society,” Kavita Krishnan, secretary of the All India Progressive Women’s Association, told AFP. “It is not only in remote rural areas, such mentality exists in metros like Delhi.

The seeds are embedded deeply in our society and our caste.”

13 attackers arrested; denied bail

Bengal gang rape: NCW to send team, calls Mamata irresponsible

KolKata, January 23 (Ians): The National Commission for Women which Thursday took suo motu cognizance of a tribal woman’s gang rape allegedly at the behest of a kangaroo court in West Bengal’s Birbhum, will send a team to the state to probe the incident.

Chairperson Mamta Sharma, who held a meeting during the day, said the panel will also seek a report from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee about the gory incident.

“Taking cognizance of the inhuman incident, we have decided to send a team to West Bengal next week, which will probe not only this incident but all such incidents of crime against women which have recently occurred in West Bengal,” Sharma told IANS. She also called Banerjee “irresponsible” for her failure to send action taken reports (ATR) sought by the NCW regarding several instances of gang rape in the state.

“We will seek an ATR from the CM

in this matter as well. But what to expect from her, she has been so irresponsible that she has not bothered to send a single report that has been sought by us,” Sharma added.

The national panel earlier ordered a probe into the alleged gang rape and murder of a minor in Madhyamgram in North 24-Parganas district.

The latest incident happened Monday night in Subalpur village in Birbhum, some 180 km from Kolkata. The 20-yearold tribal woman was allegedly raped by more than a dozen men on the orders of a kangaroo court which found her “guilty of having an affair with a man outside her community”.

The state women’s panel too has ordered a probe into the incident that has sent shock waves across and attracted severe condemnation from all quarters. Thirteen people, including the village headman who ordered the barbarism, have been arrested and sent to 14 days’ judicial custody.

KolKata, January 23 (Ians): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday ordered the removal of Birbhum district Superintendent of Police C. Sudhakar, after police did not seek custody of the 13 accused of gangraping a tribal woman in the district.

On a visit to north Bengal, a visibly anguished Banerjee ordered Sudhakar’s removal, after learning about the development.

Inspector General of Police (Western Zone) Siddh Nath Gupta will hold charge in Sudhakar’s place.

“I have ordered Sudhakar be replaced,” Banerjee said in Kurseong.

Following Sudhakar’s removal, police said they will now approach the court as soon as possible to seek custody of the 13 accused who were sent to 14 days judicial custody by a court.

“We will approach the court as soon as possible seeking the custody

of the accused,” Gupta said.

The 13 accused who were presented before a local court earlier in the day were remanded in judicial custody after police did not seek custody nor did any public prosecutor appear.

“Neither any public prosecutor appeared nor police sought custody of the accused. So the court of sub-divisional judicial magistrate, Bolpur, Pijush Ghosh sent them to 14 days jail custody,” victim’s counsel Dilip Ghosh said.

While the opposition parties accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of harbouring and patronising criminals, the legal fraternity expressed dismay over police’s refusal to take the accused in custody considering the gravity of the offence.

The rape allegedly took place Monday night in Subalpur village in Birbhum district, some 180 km from Kolkata.

Mamata removes top police officer

Thirteen men arrested in the Monday night gang rape of a woman are produced at a court in Bolpur, West Bengal state, India Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014. A 20-year-old Indian woman said she was gang-raped on the orders of a village council because she fell in love with a man from a different religion, police said Thursday. The incident occurred at Subalpur village, about 180 kilometers (110 miles) north of Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal. (AP Photo)

Will consider PM post if party Arbitrary arrests common in Tibet: HRW Prez extends deadline Janu- systematically suppresses ered to celebrate the birthday MPs select me after polls: Rahul Dharamsala, ary 23 (Ians): China sys- Tibetan political, cultural, re- of Tibetan spiritual leader the for Telangana bill debate amEthI, January 23 (PtI): Amidst clamour among Congress

workers that he should be named the prime ministerial candidate, Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said he would definitely consider it if the party comes to power and the elected representatives select him for the post.

“In Congress, elected MPs select the PM. After elections if our party comes to power and the MPs select me then I will definitely consider it,” Rahul told reporters on the second and last day of his two-day tour to his parliamentary constituency Amethi. He was asked whether he would be ready to bear the responsibility of the top post.

Rahul said even Manmohan Singh was selected by the elected representatives as in Congress there is no system of selecting the PM candidate before polls. “To select a PM is the right of the MPs and it should stay with them. Selecting a PM nominee before polls is not a democratic system, but part of personality cult,” he said. At the CWC meeting held recently, party chief Sonia Gandhi rejected demands by leaders from various states to anoint Rahul the PM candidate before elections, saying there has been no such tradition in the party.

tematically suppresses the rights of Tibetans in the name of combating what it sees as separatist sentiment and arbitrary arrest, torture and illtreatment in detention is common, Human Rights Watch said in its annual report.

“Arbitrary arrest and imprisonment remains common and torture and ill-treatment in detention is endemic. Fair trials are precluded by politicised judiciary overtly tasked with suppressing separatism,” said the report.

The Chinese government

ligious and socio-economic rights in the name of combating what it sees as separatist sentiment, the Central Tibetan Administration Thursday quoted the HRW report as saying.

The report released Tuesday said China carries out involuntary population relocation and re-housing on a massive scale and enforces highly repressive policies in ethnic minority areas in Tibet, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia.

The HRW report condemned the Chinese police firing on unarmed Tibetans gath-

nEw DElhI, January 23 (IbnlIvE): Senior priest of the Dwarka Shradha Peeth Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati is caught in a controversy after he slapped a media person. The senior priest was caught on camera slapping the journalist angry over a question regarding Bharatiya Janata Party Prime Ministerial nominee Narendra Modi’s candidature.

Swaroopanand Saraswati had been vocally critical of the BJP’s decision to project a PM candidate. He had said in Jabalpur that the Prime Minister should be elected by MPs. “I slapped the journalist because he kept on asking about Narendra Modi. An effort is being made to keep Modi in the news, whether it be by getting people to praise him or insult him,” Swaroopanand Saraswati said.

Questioning Modi, he said, “I have no problem with Modi being PM, but he must come clear on how he managed to grow to this stature.” He had clarified that he won’t take political questions and when he was repeatedly asked about Modi, he lost his cool and slapped the reporter.

mumbaI, January 23 (Ians): Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray Thursday led a pledge to “grab power” along with the National Democratic Alliance in the 2014 elections and said the country’s next prime minister will be from its ally, the BJP. “This is the last time that a Congress prime minister will speak from the Red Fort on Republic Day,” Thackeray said, making a factual error since the prime minister addresses the nation on Independence Day, and not Republic Day. At the Somaiya Grounds in eastern Mumbai, Thackeray

pledged to the gathering that the NDA will “grab power” in both the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra assembly elections. Alleging that Manmohan Singh “is the weakest prime minister ever”, Thackeray urged Shiv Sainiks “to throw out the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party” alliance from power in the Maharashtra elections scheduled for 2014-end.

Thursday was also the 88th birth anniversary of late Shiv Sena founder-patriarch Bal Thackeray, which was celebrated as “Pledge Day” by the party. Uddhav Thackeray announced the day will be cele-

Senior priest slaps journalist on being asked about Modi

asked Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran to examine all these aspects and submit detailed suggestions.

The court in its order said: “MoEF (ministry of environment and forest) and railways will examine all these aspects and submit their detailed suggestions and steps they are going to take so that such untoward incidents would not happen in future and wildlife could be protected.” The court’s order came in the course of the hearing of a petition by Shakti Prasad Nayak seeking direction for taking appropriate steps to prevent killings of elephants hit by fastmoving trains passing through their habitats and also by electrocution.

Nayak has also sought the framing of guidelines including strategies to protect elephants from being victims of such incidents. The court reiterated its Dec 10 order asking the railways

nEw DElhI, January 23 (Ians): President Pranab Mukherjee has extended, till Jan 30, the deadline for Andhra Pradesh legislature to debate Telangana bill and send its opinion. Legislature Secretary Raja Sadaram read out in the Andhra assembly the letter of the president, allowing another week to debate Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2013.

The deadline for the legislature to send back the bill to the president with its opinion was ending Thursday and the state government had sought time till Feb 20. Andhra Chief Secretary P. K. Mohanty had last week sent a letter to union home ministry, seeking extension of the time by four weeks on the ground that the time given till Jan 23 was not sufficient to complete the debate. The ministry had also summoned Mohanty and other officials to the national capital to know about the status of the debate. The president is believed to have given extension of a week on the recommendation of the ministry. The president on Dec 12 had referred to the legislature the bill under article 3 of the constitution for its opinion.

Shiv Sena pledges to ‘grab power’ in 2014 polls

Examine ways to protect wild elephants from trains, govt told

nEw DElhI, January 23 (Ians): Turning down the railways’ plea seeking modification of directions on movement of trains in West Bengal, the Supreme Court has asked it and the environment ministry to examine steps taken by Karnataka and suggestions by other states to protect wild elephants from falling prey to fast-moving trains and electrocution.

The railways wanted the court to modify its Dec 10, 2013 direction to divert fast-moving and night trains on Siliguri-Falakata section, as well as take steps to discontinue the movement of goods trains at night between Siliguri and Alipurduar in the state.

Taking note of the various steps taken by the Karnataka government that resulted in zero casualty of elephants last year, an apex court bench of Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan and Justice Vikramajit Sen Tuesday

Dalai Lama July 6 in Nyitso in Dawu region. Two people reportedly died and many were injured in the firing.

It also said “the (Chinese) government censors the press, internet, print publications and academic research and justifies human rights abuses as necessary to preserve social stability”.

The Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959. The Tibetan administration-in-exile is based in the hill town of Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh.

to reduce the speed limit of the trains passing through dense forests. In case, speed limits are not followed, then action should be taken against the erring drivers, it said. “You will have to reduce the speed limit,” it told the railways.

While telling the court that it had “substantially” complied with the direction to apply brakes and reduce speeds, the railways urged the court to re-look its other two directions.

“Both the upper line (Siligurti to Alipurduar) and lower line (via Falakata) are absolutely vital for the economy of the entire northeastern region since the goods train moving on this section carry all essential commodities like foodgrains, vegetables, fertilizers, and also essential petroleum products.”

“Diversions of fast moving and night trains to Siliguri-Falakata route will not be possible without cancellation of trains

running on lower line as this line is already choked beyond 100 percent capacity. “Cancellation of trains on this lower line would mean reduction of trains to vital northeastern states,” the railways said in its application.

It further said that the upper line has been serving vital strategic defence establishments like Hasimara and Binaguri since long and any proposal for reduction or cancellation of trains on this route is bound to compromise their strategic importance. The railways also said that more than 10,500 people travel by trains on these lines every day.

Counsel Sanjeeb Panigarhi, appearing for petitioner Nayak, however, opposed the railways’ plea, saying speed of trains passing through dense forests should be reduced to 25 km as recommended by the environment ministry and not 50 km as being sought by the railways.

brated in future too. The pledge was in the form of a speech by Bal Thackeray a few years ago in which he expressed his dream to see the party’s saffron flag unfurled over Mantralaya, the administrative headquarters of the state government, and wanted the party to return to power after it led a government in 1995.

A party helpline for the public, a woman’s safety mobile application, a Marathi mobile dictionary, an application of famous speeches

by Bal Thackeray, a women’s self-help group and the Shriman Balasaheb Thackeray IAS

Academy were also launched on the occasion. The Shiv Sena rally was held exactly a month after its ally BJP’s rally Dec 22.

Since the Shiv Sena was not invited for the Dec 22 rally, the party also kept its ally from from its show Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Congress and NCP pounced on Uddhav Thackeray’s factual error, saying the Shiv Sena chief was committing such blunders under the influence of BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. State Congress president Manikrao Thakre and NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik issued sepa-

rate statements pointing out the mistake.

Thakre said the Shiv Sena was bereft of any political agenda and has been pushed to the fourth position under Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership. At the event, Uddhav Thackeray also revived the party’s Hindutva agenda by saying he was proud to be a Hindu. “Is it a crime to say that there are Hindus in Hindustan?” he asked. Criticising Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Thackeray said his rule was akin to “the operation being successful and the patient dying”.

A female leopard moves inside a snow covered enclosure at Dachigam Wildlife Sanctuary, outskirts of Srinagar, India, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014. Wildlife authorities in Indian Kashmir are making special efforts to provide food to the endangered stags known as ‘hangul,’ as they face difficulty in finding vegetation following heavy snowfall, wildlife officials said. (AP Photo)

International

The Morung Express

Friday 24 January 2014

Dimapur

9

Syria peace talks stuck over Assad’s future MONTREUX, JaNUaRy 23 (aP): Furiously divided from the start, representatives of Syrian President Bashar Assad and the rebellion against him threatened Wednesday to collapse a peace conference intended to lead them out of civil war.

Assad’s future in the country devastated by three years of bloodshed was at the heart of the sparring, which took place against a pristine Alpine backdrop as Syrian forces and rebel fighters clashed across a wide area from Aleppo and Idlib in the north to Daraa in the south.

U.S. and U.N. officials said merely getting the two sides in the same room was something of a victory, but U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon’s claim that the discussions were “harmonious and constructive” was at odds with the testy exchange when he tried to get the podium from Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem.

With little common ground, the two sides were to meet separately Thursday with a U.N. negotiator, Lakhdar Brahimi, who said he still did not know if they were ready to sit at the same table when talks begin in earnest Friday. But, Brahimi said, both sides had shown some willingness to bend on local cease-fires and delivery of humanitarian aid, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said they were also working on possible terms for a prisoner exchange.

The Western-backed opposition said Assad’s departure was their starting point, echoing the position laid out

by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.

“The resolution cannot be about one man’s — or one family’s — insistence on clinging to power,” Kerry said.

The response from the government delegation was firm and blunt. “There will be no transfer of power, and President Bashar Assad is staying,” Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi told reporters.

The two sides seemed impossibly far apart in opening statements in the Swiss city of Montreux, famed for its stunning mountain views and mellow jazz festival. The waterfront road was barricaded by roadblocks and hundreds of security forces, with boats patrolling the shores of Lake Geneva day and night.

Syria opponents together at last but still so far apart

A member of movement Oxford Committee for Famine Relief, “Oxfam”, puts a white rose on symbolic gravestones, on the opening day of the Geneva II peace talks on Syria, in Montreux, Switzerland, on January 22. Representatives of Syrian President Bashar Assad, a divided opposition, world powers and regional bodies started the peace conference. (AP Photo)

The small-town venue was chosen in haste when a watchmakers’ convention left Geneva hotels booked. That made for some potentially awkward encounters — some of the opposition were staying in the same hotel as the Syrian government delegates, as were the Americans.

Complicating matters, Assad’s delegates and the Western-backed opposition Syrian National Coalition both claimed to speak for the Syrian people.

But the coalition has little sway with rebel brigades, who largely oppose talks with the government. And the government, Kerry said, has no legitimacy or loyalty among people devastated by war.

Overshadowing the conference was Ban’s last-minute decision to invite — and then disinvite — Iran, which has funneled billions of dollars and Shiite fighters to Assad. Syria’s civil war has become a proxy battle for regional dominance between Iran and

Pope: Internet is a ‘gift from God’ for dialogue

VaTICaN CITy, JaNUaRy 23 (aP): The Internet is a “gift from God” that facilitates communication, Pope Francis said in a statement released Thursday, but he warns that the obsessive desire to stay connected can actually isolate people from their friends and family.

Francis made the observations in a message about Catholic Church communications, meditating on the marvels and perils of the digital era and what that means for the faithful going out into the world and interacting with people of different faiths and backgrounds.

In comments that will likely rile the more conservative wing of the church, Francis suggested that in engaging in that dialogue, Catholics shouldn’t be arrogant in insisting that they alone possess the truth.

“To (have a) dialogue means to believe that the ‘other’ has something worthwhile to say, and to entertain his or her point of view and perspective,” Francis wrote. “Engaging in dialogue does not mean renouncing our own ideas and traditions, but the pretense that they alone are valid and absolute.”

According to church teaching distilled by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the Catholic Church holds the “fullness of the means of salvation” — a message that has long been taken to mean that

only Catholics can find salvation. Church teaching also holds that those who don’t know about Jesus but seek God can also attain eternal salvation.

Pope Benedict XVI was a strong proponent of engaging in interreligious dialogue, but Francis has offered a softer approach in his sermons and gestures. In one famous off-the-cuff homily, he suggested that even atheists can find salvation. He also riled some conservatives when he washed the feet of two Muslims during the Holy Thursday re-enactment of Christ washing the feet of his apostles.

Archbishop Claudio Mario Celli, the head of the Vatican’s social communications office, said he didn’t think Francis was making an official policy statement on interreligious dialogue, noting that the message was merely a reflection, “not a conciliar or dogmatic text.” But he acknowledged that Francis is shaking things up in much the same “providential” way Pope John XXIII shook up the church in launching the Second Vatican Council.

In his message Thursday, Francis said the Internet offers “immense possibilities” to encounter people from different cultural and traditional backgrounds and show solidarity with them. “This is something truly good, a gift from God,” he wrote.

Saudi Arabia, which funds many of the Islamist rebel movements and which Assad accuses of supporting al-Qaidainspired militants streaming into Syria.

“Those who are behind the acts of terrorism in Syria should choose between being an arsonist or a fireman.

They cannot be both at the same time,” said Syrian U.N. Ambassador Bashar Jaafari. He said Syria’s government had offered a cease-fire in Aleppo, although he did not spell out the terms, and rebel commanders say the government has used past truces to buy time.

Following Jaafari’s hour-long speech, the opposition refused to make final remarks, minutes after sending out a tweet about their preparations.

Kerry suggested that as negotiations continued, the U.S. and its allies would step up their support for the opposition and look for different ways to wring concessions from Assad’s government. But the Obama administration may be hampered by its unwilling-

ness to act decisively in Syria so far.

Assad’s forces have gained ground in recent months, and the Syrian leader’s agreement to end his chemical weapons program turned out to be something of a diplomatic coup for him and his Russian supporters.

“The balance of power on the ground suggests he is going to stay,” said Joshua Landis, the director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. “Unless Kerry has got something up his sleeve, this might be a rhetorical flourish rather than a real commitment to the Syrian opposition.”

Ban tried to put the best face on a difficult day and said the hardest work was yet to come. “We did not expect instant breakthroughs. ... No one underestimated the difficulties,” Ban said at the end of the day. “The Syrian people are looking desperately for relief from the nightmare in which they are trapped.”

MONTREUX, JaNUaRy 23 (aFP): Avoiding eye contact and definitely not shaking hands, Syria’s bitter opponents had never been so close, as they traded barbs just metres apart Wednesday at a peace conference in Switzerland.

Sitting at either end of a large table, with representatives of the United Nations, opposition supporter the United States and regime-backer Russia between them, the two delegations avoided all contact during their historic first meeting since bloody civil war began nearly three years ago.

The meeting in the idyllic town of Montreux kicked off on a relaxed and friendly note, with UN chief Ban Ki-moon walking around the hall overlooking Lake Geneva, shimmering in the sunlight, greeting the Syrians and delegates from some 40 other nations. But the deep divisions were quickly apparent, as the opposition continued to stress its sole aim of toppling President Bashar al-Assad -- something the regime has insisted is out of the question.

The smiles faded when a stony-faced Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem launched into a rambling address attacking the opposition. “If you want to speak in the name of the Syrian people, you should not be traitors to the Syrian people, agents in the pay of enemies of the Syrian people,” he spat out, looking at the opposition delegation with disgust.

Muallem’s speech went on well beyond the 10 minutes he had been allotted, as he waved aside Ban’s repeated attempts to rein him in. “You live in New York and I live in Syria... I have the right to give the Syrian version here in this forum,” he defiantly told Ban, pointing out that the UN leader had spoken for 25 minutes.

This response drew laughs from his delegation, as well as from some of

Argentine president ends long public silence

BUENOs aIREs, JaNUaRy 23 (aP): President Cristina Fernandez spoke publicly for the first time in more than 40 days Wednesday, ending a long silence that had Argentines speculating about her health following head surgery.

In a nationally televised address, an energetic Fernandez announced the creation of a program to encourage young, unemployed Argentines to attend public school with an $80 subsidy. She also criticized those who speculated about her condition during her absence. “It’s true that I’ve had some difficulties, but I’d like to see how others would fare if they had to deal with the things that I’ve gone through. I’d like to see them running this country,” Fernandez told hundreds of supporters who filled the main patio at the Pink House presidential palace.

The 60-year-old president underwent surgery to remove a blood clot Oct. 8.

She returned to work Nov.

Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez waves to supporters after a ceremony at the government house in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on January 22. Fernandez spoke in public for the first time Wednesday since Dec. 10. (AP Photo)

18. The normally loquacious leader with a love of Twitter last spoke publicly on Dec. 10 and last tweeted on Dec. 13.

The uncharacteristic silence fed speculation in Argentina about her health, and some opponents even questioned who was really running the country.

Fernandez’s Cabinet members have repeatedly said she is fully in com-

mand. But neither they nor Fernandez on Wednesday explained the reason behind the public silence at a time when Argentina is grappling with doubledigit inflation, lower economic growth and a fall in foreign currency reserves.

Underscoring Argentina’s economic issues, the peso plunged 3.5 percent against the U.S. dollar Wednesday,

and the Central Bank didn’t even try to spend more of its precious reserves to slow the devaluation.

Economic analysts expect inflation to hit 30 percent this year, heating up what already has been the second highest rate in Latin America after Venezuela. Questions of who was governing are pertinent in Argentina, where Fernandez has the power to rule by decree over many areas of Argentina’s economic and social life.

She nationalized private pension funds, renationalized the country’s flagship airline and led Argentina’s uncompensated seizure of the Spanish company Repsol’s controlling, $10 billion stake in the state YPF oil company. These measures have been popular with many Argentines who blame the privatizations of the 1990s and other free-market policies for the country’s economic crisis and debt default in 2001-2002.

Along with her late husband and predecessor Nestor Kirchner, she is cred-

Ukraine faces more violence as ultimatum nears end

Protesters use a large slingshot to hurl rocks at police in central Kiev, Ukraine, on Thursday, January 23. Thick black smoke from burning tires engulfed the downtown Ukrainian capital as an ultimatum issued by the opposition to the president to call early election or face street rage was set to expire with no sign of a compromise. (AP Photo)

KIEV, JaNUaRy 23 (aP): Protesters in Ukraine’s capital extinguished burning barricades shielding them from the police on Thursday, enforcing a tenuous peace as an ultimatum issued by the opposition to the president was set to expire with no

the around 1,000 journalists covering the event via videolink at a nearby press centre.

After going on for more than 30 minutes, Muallem responded to another objection promising to wrap up with a final sentence.

Ban allowed him to go ahead, but said he hoped he would keep his promise. “Syria always keeps its promises,” Muallem said. Ban was not amused, lamenting that Muallem had broken the “constructive” atmosphere he had hoped for and urging a grinning Ahmad Jarba, the head of the opposition Syrian National Coalition, to show more restraint.

Ban’s spokesman Martin Nesirky later downplayed the UN leader’s irritation at Muallem.

“Let’s not make a Swiss mountain out of a mole hill,” he told journalists at the nearby press centre, flanked by snow-dusted Alps.

Jarba was less abrasive than his opponent, keeping his eyes glued to his manuscript, but still hammered home that the opposition expected the peace conference to be “the preamble to Bashar al-Assad’s resignation and his trial alongside all the criminals of his regime”.

During a break in the meeting, Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zohbi, seemingly inadvertantly, wandered into the heart of the press centre, and was immediately mobbed by camera and note-book wielding reporters.

Flustered by the crush, he turned on his heels but stressed as he left that “Assad will not go,” and accused the opposition of backing radical Islamist militants.

Asked what it was like spending a day in the same room as the opposition, Assad advisor Boutaina Chaabane told AFP she had felt “sadness”, since “some of the parties present have nothing to do with the Syrian people”.

sign of compromise.

The fragile truce came after three main opposition leaders urged protesters late Wednesday to refrain from violence for 24 hours until their ultimatum to President Viktor Yanukovych expired. They de-

manded that he dismiss the government, call early elections, and scrap harsh antiprotest legislation that triggered violence at a demonstration on Sunday.

Opposition leader Vitali Klitschko dove behind the wall of black smoke engulfing much of downtown Kiev on Thursday, pleading with both police and protesters to uphold the peace until the ultimatum expires Thursday evening. At Klitschko’s request, protesters extinguished the burning tires that sent thick clouds of putrid smoke toward police lines.

Klitshcko said that Yanukovych should start by releasing protesters who were detained. “We are demonstrating our willingness to find a compromise, but the government needs to make its step in turn,” he said, according to Interfax. On Wednesday, riot police beat and shot at protesters, volunteer medics and journalists, resulting in the deaths of two demonstrators — the first casualties of the clashes. The opposition contended that as many as five people died.

The Interior Ministry said Thursday that 73 people have been detained, 52 of them being investigated for “mass riots” — a recently created criminal charge that carries a prison sentence of up to eight years.

Allegations that activists have been abducted and even tortured by police have spread.

The largely peaceful protests against

Yanukovych’s decision to shun the European Union and turn toward Moscow in November descended into violence on Sunday when demonstrators, angered by last week’s passage of repressive laws intended to stifle protests, marched on official buildings. For days protesters hurled fire bombs and stones at police, who retaliated with stun grenades, tear gas and rubber bullets.

The United States has responded by revoking the visas of Ukrainian officials linked to violence and threatened more sanctions. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said her nation doesn’t think this is the time to consider sanctions against the Ukrainian government, adding that the current priority is “ensuring that channels of communication are opened up and that the Ukrainian government complies with its obligations to secure fundamental democratic rights.”

“We are extremely concerned — not just concerned, appalled — about the way in which laws have been pushed through that raise questions over these fundamental freedoms,” Merkel said. EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said that if the situation in Ukraine does not stabilize, the EU “would assess possible consequences in its relationship,” according to spokesman Olivier Bailly. Russia in turn has accused the West of meddling in Ukraine’s affairs.

ited for restoring the presidential power in a country where it had been gravely weakened by the 2001 economic collapse that drove a series of presidents from office. Her silence was a striking contrast to her past.

The first years of Fernandez’s presidency were like a reality TV show with near daily television speeches, and later she became known for her constant tweets on topics ranging from politics to pictures with Pope Francis or her dogs. Sometimes she recounted casual conversations she had with Argentines on the road, the birth of her grandson and even her musings on the “Game of Thrones,” her favorite TV show.

Fernandez, whose terms ends in 2015, accused opponents and the media of trying “to create the sensation that I had reached the end.”

On Wednesday, she confirmed that she will travel to Cuba for a meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States that begins Monday.

Alzheimer’s drugs fail, but lessons are learned

WashINgTON, JaNUaRy 23 (aFP): After the failure of two novel drugs using antibodies to fight the buildup of brain plaque in Alzheimer’s patients, scientists said Wednesday they have learned lessons for the future.

The biologic drugs solanezumab, by pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, and bapineuzumab, by Johnson and Johnson, made it to phase III trials and were taken by thousands of patients, according to a full report on the research published in the New England Journal of Medicine. However, neither succeeded in improving the cognitive function of patients in the study when compared to a sugar pill.

News of the drugs’ failure first broke in 2012, stunning the research community and dashing the hopes of millions worldwide whose relatives suffer from the incurable form of dementia. “The biggest disappointment from this trial was that if we had shown benefit with a drug like bapi, it would give people hope that Alzheimer’s is a treatable disease, that we can slow it down,” said lead researcher Stephen Salloway, professor of neurology and psychiatry at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School.

Looking back at the data, researchers learned that as many as 25 percent of the people they were studying likely did not have Alzheimer’s disease but some other form of dementia, since they did not have a significant amount of amyloid plaque buildup in their brains. Future trials should enroll only patients who are confirmed to have Alzheimer’s with a PET scan and spinal fluid testing, Salloway said. Getting the medication to patients earlier in the progression of their disease could also produce more tangible effects, he said.

10 Lionel Messi sets up Barca's win at Levante Dimapur

SPORTS

Friday

24 January 2014

BarceLona, January 23 (aP): Lionel Messi marked his 400th game for Barcelona with a master class of passing by setting up four goals to give Cristian Tello a hat trick in a 4-1 win at Levante in Wednesday's first leg of their Copa del Rey quarterfinal.

Denied by the hosts in the first half, Messi withdrew into midfield to turn playmaker and place four precise passes behind the defense that led to an own goal in the 53rd minute and Tello's treble in the 60th, 81st and 86th. Levante had held Barcelona to a 1-1 draw at Ciutat de Valencia Stadium just four days earlier in the Spanish league, and it was on course toward a similar feat after Nabil El Zhar netted in the 31st. But Messi again showed that he is much more than Barcelona's all-time scorer with 331 goals since his debut in 2004 by exploiting Tello's speed down the left flank with well-timed assists. "It's spectacular to have a player like Messi on your side," said Tello. "All four goals came from his boots."

Elsewhere, Real Sociedad defender Mikel Gonzalez scored twice to help earn a 3-1 victory at home over third-division Racing Santander in their opening leg. Levante found Barcelona's weak spot in defending set pieces when Carles Puyol's clearance of a free kick fell for El Zhar to score at the second attempt after goalkeeper Jose Pinto had blocked his powerful first shot.

Barcelona was more inspired after the break and

Messi's first pass to Tello led to the equalizer. Goalie Javier Jimenez got down to block Tello's shot, but Loukas Vyntra struck the loose ball off teammate Juanfran Garcia and into the net. Messi again floated back to the center of the pitch to draw the defense with him before threading another pass to meet Tello's run, and this time the forward fired the ball beyond Jimenez to give Barcelona the lead.

The Argentina star fended off a tackle and slid a diagonal ball for Tello to score his second before Messi picked him out with a pass over the top for his third goal. "Our first half worried me, but we have players that don't need 45 minutes to turn the match around," Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino said. "(Messi) can change this and any other game. He can undo any type of defense. The tiredness of our rivals played its part and the spaces opened up as they wore down. Leo took great advantage of them."

Puyol had to be replaced

by Javier Mascherano in the 57th due to an apparent leg injury. The 35-year-old Puyol has been plagued by a series of injuries for the past two seasons. Martino, however, said that Puyol's injury was "only a leg knock." Sociedad forward Gonzalo "Chory" Castro crossed twice for Gonzalez to score his goals, the first coming in the third minute followed by another in the 34th — just two minutes after Racing's Andreu Guerao had hit the crossbar.

NWA executive meeting

KohiMa, January 23 (Mexn): The Nagaland Wrestling Association (NWA) will hold its executive meeting on January 27 at Hotel Japfu, Kohima at 2:30 PM. The meeting will discuss issues for the forthcoming 24th Nagaland wrestling tournament, likely to be held in the first week of March 2014. All the affiliated units, ASA, CWA and ZWA have been requested to submit names of management officials for Naga style wrestling on the day of the meeting. Referee- one from each unit, judges - 2 from each unit, recorders - 2 from each units and announcer, time keeper and runner- one from each unit. Informing this in a release, NWA publicity secretary Medozhase Sale requested all the executive office bearers of NWA and the president/secretary of all the affiliated units to attend the said meeting positively.

The Morung Express

Li to meet Cibulkova in Aussie Open final MeLBourne, January 23 (aP): When Li Na talks about not tripping up as being the key to converting her third Australian Open final appearance into a major title, she means it literally. No. 4-seeded Li advanced to her third final in four years at Melbourne Park with a 6-2, 6-4 win over 19-year-old Canadian Eugenie Bouchard on Thursday. No. 20-seeded Cibulkova later trounced 2012 Wimbledon finalist Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1, 6-2 to reach her first Grand Slam final.

Li twisted her ankle and fell over twice before losing the 2013 Australian Open final to Victoria Azarenka. She tumbled to the court after twisting her left ankle in the second set and twisted the ankle again in the third, falling and hitting her head twice on the court. Obviously, it put her off her game.

"I think is the third time, so pretty close to the trophy," said Li, who also lost the 2011 final here to Kim Clijsters before rebounding five months later to claim her one and only major at the French Open. "Yeah, at least I try to not fall down this time, because last year in the final I think I played well but I only can say I was unlucky.

At least I'll try to enjoy and stay healthy."

Li was the only major winner remaining in the semis after Serena Williams lost in the fourth round — where Cibulkova also upset Maria Sharapo-

Dominika Cibulkova.

(AP Photo)

Stanislas Wawrinka reaches maiden Australian Open final

Li Na. (AP Photo)

va in three sets — and Azarenka's 18-match winning streak at Melbourne Park ended in a quarterfinal loss to Radwanska.

The 31-year-old Chinese star considered quitting the tour after the French Open last year, when she was beaten in the second round. But she decided to play on, and reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals and the U.S. Open semifinals.

After saving a match point in the third round against Lucie Safarova, she is the favorite to finally win an Australian title. In a women's tournament full

of surprising results, Cibulkova's run has been the most dramatic. The diminutive Slovakian has won all but one of her matches in straight sets, including three in one hour or less.

But even Cibulkova was stunned that her first win in a Grand Slam semifinal took only 1 hour and 10 minutes. After Radwanska held in the third game, Cibulkova won the next eight in a dominating roll. Radwanska won two games back-to-back, but then lost two more to surrender meekly only 24 hours after an impressive win over No. 2-ranked Azarenka.

MELBOURNE, JaNUaRy 23 (REUTERS): Stanislas Wawrinka will bid to break the 'Big Four' strangle-hold on Grand Slam silverware after edging Tomas Berdych 6-3, 6-7(1), 7-6(3), 7-6(4) in a serving war on Thursday to reach the Australian Open final.

In a slow-burning contest that occasionally roared to life, the Swiss eighth seed stepped up on big points on a tense night at Rod Laver Arena, reaching his first major final where he will meet either Rafael Nadal or compatriot Roger Federer. With only a single break of serve in the entire match, Wawrinka upped the ante in the decisive tiebreak, earning three match points when his opponent pushed a serve long. Wawrinka closed out the match with a monster 214 kph (132 mph) serve that whistled into Berdych's body, sparking a huge roar from the centre court crowd.

"I don't know what to say. I'm speechless. It's amazing," Wawrinka said in a courtside interview after throwing a triumphant stare at his player's box and pointing to his head.

"I'm working every day to try to win matches, I didn't expect to make a final in a Grand Slam so I'm just really happy.

"I played really aggressive. It's impor-

tant against him to take the advantage as soon as you can to take the rallies."

The win continued Wawrinka's fairytale run at Melbourne Park, having sensationally ended Novak Djokovic's three-year reign in a five-set quarterfinal classic. Wawrinka faced Berdych with queries over his fitness but was switched on from the start, and struck the first blow by breaking the seventh seed in the eighth game.

His first serve deserting him briefly, the Czech notched a string of unforced errors to proffer a break point, then pushed an overhead smash wide of the tramlines to hand the Swiss the initiative. Door ajar, Wawrinka barged through with a huge serve to clinch a set point then angled a devilish second serve into Berdych's body to take the early lead. With neither player giving any quarter on serve, the next set went to a tiebreak, where Berdych, having been largely outplayed in the rallies, played brilliantly. Crunching a succession of huge baseline winners, Berdych raised five set points in a flash.

Flummoxed, Wawrinka found himself bunting a second serve into the net on the first of them and walked back to his chair with his lead wiped out in a few dizzying minutes.

Sunderland oust ManU from League Cup WASA 52nd wrestling meet 2014 underway

Manchester, January 23 (aFP): Manchester United's desperate season met with fresh degradation on Wednesday as they sensationally lost on penalties to Sunderland in the League Cup semi-finals at Old Trafford. Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, United levelled the tie through Jonny Evans's 37th-minute header, only for Phil Bardsley to net a dramatic equaliser late in extra time with a low shot that squirmed past David de Gea. Improbably, United promptly went straight up to the other end and equalised through Javier Hernandez, for a 3-3 aggregate scoreline that sent the tie to penalties, but it was to prove a false dawn. An appalling shoot-out saw only three of the 10 penalty-takers score, but United fullback Rafael da Silva proved the fall guy, with Vito Mannone saving his spot-kick to give Sunderland a 2-1 win.

Having already seen his side beaten by Swansea City in the FA Cup and relegated to 14 points below leaders Arsenal in the league this month, it was another night of misery for United's beleaguered manager David Moyes.

"We did not play well enough," Moyes said. "We had the chances to put it to bed, but didn't. Sunderland played well and they deserve credit, but overall we looked like we would get there until the last minute.

"I was disappointed, but we did not play well enough in the end. That's football.

We'll get on with it, pick ourselves up, and go again."

Sunderland, second from bottom in the Premier League, can now look forward to a clash with Manchester City in the final on March 2, in what will be their first major fi-

Our Correspondent

Sechü Zubza | January 23

Sunderland's goalkeeper Vito Mannone, centre left, celebrates with teammates including Craig Gardner, centre right, after his team's penalty win against Manchester United during their English League Cup semifinal second leg soccer match at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, England on Jan. 22. (AP Photo)

nal since 1992. "The feelings are for the fans," said manager Gus Poyet. "It's been a difficult season, nothing to enjoy, but they deserve this. The lads were immense. In the cups you never know what will happen. I will enjoy being underdogs (at Wembley)."

United's fans arrived at Old Trafford to reports that their side have made a club-record bid for Chelsea midfielder Juan Mata, and the continued absence of Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie due to injury underlined the need for reinforcements. There was an early chance for Hernandez, whose downward header from Adnan Januzaj's free-kick was parried by visiting goalkeeper Mannone, but the hosts initially struggled to make inroads.

Nine thousand Sunderland fans travelled from the northeast and the hordes of away supporters almost had a memorable goal to

cheer when Fabio Borini chested down a raking pass from Adam Johnson and drilled a half-volley inches over the bar from 25 yards.

Moyes reacted by bringing Shinji Kagawa into the centre and moments later the Japan midfielder created the chance that led to the opening goal.

His cross was volleyed against the post by Darren Fletcher, with Mannone blocking Hernandez's follow-up, and from the ensuing corner Januzaj's cross was flicked goalwards by Danny Welbeck and headed in by Evans. As Sunderland grew bolder in the second half, Moyes introduced Antonio Valencia in place of Kagawa and the Ecuadorian quickly created a chance for Januzaj, only for the teenager to slice wide.

It was Sunderland who continued to force the issue, though. Only a flying block from Alexander Buttner thwarted John-

son, while Marcos Alonso almost found the net with an audacious volley that zipped just past the post.

Chris Smalling, meanwhile, was fortunate to avoid punishment when he dragged Sunderland striker Steven Fletcher down after misjudging a bouncing ball.

United sustained a blow early in extra time when Michael Carrick had to go off after twisting his ankle, and they wasted a chance to increase their lead when Hernandez shot wide after Januzaj put him clean through.

The game appeared up for Moyes's men when goalkeeper De Gea somehow allowed a low daisy-cutter from former United player Bardsley to squirm through his grasp and into the net in the 119th minute. United were stunned, and although Januzaj then crossed for Hernandez to slam home an even more dramatic goal, the night would belong to Sunderland.

The 52nd wrestling meet 2014 of the Western Angami Sports Association (WASA) got underway here this morning at WAPO Ground.

A number of wrestlers from Mezoma, Khonoma, Jotsoma, Sechüma, Sechü Zubza, Kiruphema, Mengujuma and Thekrejuma joined the Naga style wrestling.

Gracing the inaugural function as the chief guest, Minister for Social Welfare Kiyanilie Peseyie urged upon the participants to maintain sporting spirit and display fair play to enhance the quality of the game as well to bring delight to the spectators.

Stating that the winners along with other selected players will represent WASA at the forthcoming Angami Sports Association (ASA) wrestling meet, he urged them to prepare well and bring laurel and good name to themselves, family and the community as a whole.

Stating that peace is pre-requisite for all round development, he called upon the people to uphold the spirit of oneness and mutual understanding and make society a better place to live in.

Announcing that the Nagaland state government is paying due attention towards promotion of games and sports in the state, he challenged sports lovers to come forward and get themselves connected to the various opportunities being created by the government.

Earlier, the inaugural function was chaired by WASA president Kevilesie Senotsu while administration of oath to the wrestlers was done by WASA wrestling secretary Nikerütuo Rino.

The prize sponsors for 52nd edition of WASA wrestling meet included; Khrielesie Nagi, class- I contractor Nagaland, Zasevizo Lhousa, section officer, NEZCC Dimapur, Kevisekho Chücha, secretary Khonoma Village Council and Thepfükuolie Viya, executive engineer PWD (R&B) Peren Division.

Neivikuolie Khatsü is officiating the meet as match commissioner.

Judges included Pfükolie Vikhrie, Akrulie Chüsi, Megosekho Punyü, Kekolhukho Meyase, Sedesielie Nagi, Zhasalie Rino, Zhabu Mor and Teiso

Sechü. Referees (Naga style)- Mhiesilhoukho Kitshü, Megosezo Khate, Neingulie Nagi and Visakuolie Rhatsu.

Referees (National free style): Rokosielie Khawakhrie, Rovingulie Vakha, Khrietuo Neisa and Desielie Miasalhou.

National free style, scheduled for January 24, will be conducted in the following category: (Men) –55kg and below, 55-60kg, 60-66 kg, 66-74 kg, 74-84 kg, 84-96 kg, 96-120 kg. Women 48kg and below, 48-51 kg, 51-55 kg, 55-59 kg, 59-69 kg, 63-67 kg and 67-72 kg. There will also be cadet event for both boys and girls.

Kovi Meyase, ADC Naginimora will be the guest of honour at the closing ceremony scheduled on January

24 at 2: 00 PM. The function will be chaired by WASA vice president Thekrulhousie Mor. Vote of thanks will be proposed

by WADSA president Neivi Sechü.

Meanwhile, 12 wrestlers will participate in the individual round Naga style on January 24, starting at 8:30 AM. They are Zasivikho Meyatsu (Group A), Kepekhoto Miasalhou (Group A), Megosier Khate (Group B), Rovilhoulie Pier (Group B), Rokozelie Punyii (Group B), Japuvito Savino (Group B), Kolierie Kuotsu (Group B), Megolhobi Peseyie (Group C), Neivolie Senotsu (Group C), Seketoukho Nipu (Group D), Megokhozo Nipu (Group D), Megovizo Visienyii (Group D).

Entertainment 11 Mandela memorial sculptors 'Charlize is a keeper!'

Friday

The Morung Express C M Y K

24 January 2014

Sean Penn confirms Theron relationship

They haven't exactly been shy about their new relationship, putting on a very public show of affection at a charity auction last month. And it seems the romance between Sean Penn and Charlize Theron is hotting up, with sources hinting the couple may even be planning to move in together, according to a report in Us Weekly. 'They stay with each other all the time,' the inside told the publication.

'They may move in together.'

The Oscar-winning ac-

tor is also close to Charlize's two-year-old son Jackson.

'Sean just loves him - he's big into kids,' the source said. 'She's obviously his type, a blonde powerful woman. Their relationship is intense.' Sean even confirmed the romance to Piers Morgan at his Help Haiti Home gala back in January. The CNN host recounted in his recent MailOnline column: 'At 2am Sean came over, and bearhugged me. '"Congrats on a great night," I said. "And congrats on Charlize too."

Priyanka Chopra

He laughed. "She's a keeper, that's for sure...well, I'll do my best to keep her anyway!"'

Earlier, Charlize had also been happy to talk about her feelings. Piers recalled: 'I walked over to Sean's table, where he was sitting with new girlfriend Charlize Theron. "'I'm so glad you two have got together," I said, "Sean's a great guy.'" '"I know," she smiled, putting her hand round his shoulder.' An onlooker recently told E! News that Charlize had her

arm wrapped around the actor's neck as they sat together at a table while Penn responded by kissing her neck. They then shared a tender kiss on the lips.

'They are spending night after night together and moving very fast,' a source told E! 'It seems like it's getting serious and that they can't get enough of each other.' Sean also paid tribute to South-Africanborn Charlize in a speech he made before auctioning off a Jeff Koons sculpture made out of 67 guns he previously owned.

'I'm a self-proclaimed Alpha male who owns 67 firearms,' he told the starstudded audience. 'But I've had my mind changed about guns by a strong woman, a beautiful South African woman. 'I don't need these cowardly instruments of violence and destruction, none of us do.'

Piers writes in his column that Charlize has been against guns since 'her mother shot her drunken abusive father dead, after he came home firing his own gun and threatening to kill them' when she was just 15-years-old. The couple who both won Best Lead Actor and Actor Oscars in 2004, were first linked last month when they holidayed in Hawaii together.

Dimapur

included RABBIT inside his ear

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30ft sculpture of Nelson Mandela has angered South African officials as the sculptors left a ‘signature’ on the artwork – a sculpted rabbit tucked inside one of the bronze ears. The bronze memorial, which was unveiled outside the government complex in Pretoria, after Mandela’s funeral on December 16, is billed as the largest statue of the South African leader in the world. Officials demand that the miniature rabbit is to be removed from the statue, claiming it mocks Mandela and his life’s work.

The department of arts and culture said it didn't know the two sculptors, Andre Prinsloo and Ruhan Janse van Vuuren, had added a rabbit, said to be a

discreet signature on their work. The bronze rabbit, sitting on its haunches with one floppy ear, is about half the height of the ear canal.

‘It doesn't belong there,’ said Mogomotsi Mogodiri, a department spokesman.

‘The statue represents what everyone in South Africa is proud of.’ His department said in a statement that there are discussions on ‘how best to retain the integrity of the sculpture without causing any damage or disfigurement.’

The giant work stands with arms outstretched, symbolizing Mandela's devotion to inclusiveness, outside the Union Buildings, where the his body rests.

Earlier this week, South Africa's Beeld newspaper quoted the artists as say-

Meet the wheelchair-bound star of

ing they added the rabbit as a ‘trademark’ after officials would not allow them to engrave their signatures on the statue's trousers. They also said the rabbit represented the pressure of finishing the sculpture on time because ‘haas’ - the word for rabbit in the Dutch-based Afrikaans language - also means ‘haste.’

Paul Mashatile, arts and culture minister, said the sculptors have apologized for any offense to those who felt the rabbit was disrespectful toward the legacy of Mandela. The government had appointed Koketso Growth, a heritage development company, to manage the statue project.

CEO Dali Tambo, son of anti-apartheid figure Oliver Tambo, said he was furious

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when he heard about the rabbit, and said it must go.

‘That statue isn't just a statue of a man, it's the statue of a struggle, and one of the most noble in human history,’ Tambo said. ‘So it's belittling, in my opinion, if you then take it in a jocular way and start adding rabbits in the ear.’ It would be, he said, like depicting U.S. President Barack Obama with a mouse in his nose.

Tambo said the artists, who belong to South Africa's white Afrikaner minority, were selected for their talent but also in part because the project was a multi-racial effort in keeping with Mandela's principle of reconciliation. He said their signatures could be added on the statue in a discreet place, perhaps on Mandela's heel.

“an DIesel's new campaign Arab D terrorist”

by Americans C M Y K

iesel’s artistic director Nicola Formichetti has cast a wheelchair-bound fashion editor and blogger in its spring 2014 campaign. Jillian Mercado - a 26-yearold New Yorker who suffers from Muscular Dystrophy - stars in the label’s 'We Are Connected' campaign. The campaign sees her posed alongside visual artist James Astronaut in a denim dress, bright red lipstick and her signature platinum blonde hair, making it clear how Mr Formichetti consciously decided to feature, rather than hide her electric wheelchair in the photo.

She told MailOnline that she hopes the ad ‘gives hope to people who are maybe saying, “My life is over” because they are disabled. You can totally do it, nothing should be stopping you.’ The campaign - photographed by the acclaimed duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin - will run in the March issues of magazines including Vogue and Interview, and will also be displayed on the walls of every single Diesel store worldwide.

Miss Mercado first met Mr Formichetti through a shoot produced by We The Urban magazine, where she works as the executive editorial director. A few months later, she saw that his assistant put out a casting call for young, cultural-

ly-representative models to join Diesel as a campaign ambassador. Miss Mercado and her friends decided to enter the lot as a ‘joke’ she said. But then, ‘a few weeks later I got an email from the casting agency that said “Hey can you send us more pictures? We are kind of interested in having you in the campaign.”’

Out of disbelief, Miss Mercado responded with an assortment of Facebook and Instagram photos. Following a few days of deliberation, she was chosen to star in the campaign among 23 tastemakers hailing from her own generation. 'You don’t have to be a conventional model type to represent a brand' Miss Mercado was not aware when the campaign would become public and on Tuesday morning woke up to see that Mr Formichetti had ‘tagged’ her in a photo on Instagram, signaling the campaign’s surprise release.

In an interview with Women’s Wear Daily, Mr Formichetti indicated that Miss Mercado was his favorite cast member of the campaign’s total 23 participants, who were picked to represent different sects of youth culture (including Japanese Internet stars and tattooed models). ‘It’s never easy for her to move from point A to point B, but she’s totally fearless and has really been an inspira-

Cover girl: Jillian Mercado (right), a 26-year-old fashion editor, stars in Diesel's new spring campaign.

tion to me,’ he told the paper. ‘You don’t have to be a conventional model type to represent a brand.’

Miss Mercado admitted that she ‘always gets scared [of the public’s reaction to her disability]. You never know, there are a lot of people who hate, or a lot of people who are not comfortable with the situation.

‘I always have it in the back of my mind “Don’t be surprised if someone hates on the photo.”’ But when Mr Formichetti released her image on his Instagram feed yesterday morning, the overall response ‘was completely amazing,’ she told us.

Miss Mercado thinks that Mr Formichetti’s decision to use her in the campaign represents something ‘so much bigger than

just an ad. ‘ Drawing on her own experiences, Miss Mercado said ‘I know some people look at me and say “Oh wow, I can’t believe you’re doing this” and in my head I think, “Why don’t you believe me?” I went to college, I did what everyone else did to follow their dreams.’

In fact, Miss Mercado did that ten-fold. This writer attended college with Miss Mercado at the Fashion Institute of Technology and for 4 years watched her commute to the school’s downtown Manhattan campus via a grueling series of multiple bus and subway transfers, as the city’s mass-transit system is not fully wheelchair accessible. Rather than appearing discouraged or frustrated, one could say

Kim Kardashian 'not classy' enough for Palace of Versailles wedding

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n a recent interview to The Wall Street Journal, Bollywood`s leading actress Priyanka Chopra has revealed that she faced racist attacks and was even tagged as “an Arab terrorist” by fans of a football league in America sometime back. The actress was left in a state of complete shock after being called a `terrorist` and believed that one shouldn’t be passing such remarks on the basis of one’s skin colour.

Chopra, who was crowned as Miss World way back in 2000, said that she has been in the limelight for long and knows how to deal with both brickbats and bouquets. She has also been subjected to racial slurs in her childhood and has learnt how to deal with it.

Priyanka believes in moving forward by ignoring such haters and concentrating on the work that she is doing.

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im Kardashian and Kanye West were reportedly ''not classy'' enough to get married at the Palace of Versailles.The reality TV star, 33, and her rapper fiancé, 36 - who got engaged in October - were keen to hold their wedding at the royal château in France, but their request was firmly declined because officials believed the couple were too glitzy for the French landmark.

However, despite having their multi-millionpound offer rejected, the pair - who have sevenmonth-old daughter North together - still paid a visit to the luxury venue dur-

ing a break to Paris over the weekend in the hope of winning the approval of directors while face-to-face.

A source told the Daily

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Star newspaper ''Kim and Kanye really wanted to get married at Versailles and were hoping to persuade officials during their visit.

''But ultimately it backfired. It was still a firm non.

They will now be scouting private estates and chateaux in the region.''

A number of rooms within the mansion can be hired for up to 600 people and was once used by the former French president Nicolas Sarkozy for his marriage to Carla Bruni, as well as by Syrian billionaire Wafic Said, who paid a staggering £84,000 to hold his daughter's nuptials at the venue in 2012. However, it was suggested earlier this week that officials refused Kim and Kanye's request to wed there because they were concerned about the disruption the nuptials could cause.

that Miss Mercado came off as decidedly more cheerful, driven, and pleasant than the school’s average student.

During her time in college, Miss Mercado completed internships at Veranda magazine, Allure, and with the society photographer Patrick McMullan – establishments that all embraced her disability. Miss Mercado says that there is no reason for people in similar physical situations not to pursue their dreams. ‘Maybe their family doesn’t want them to pursue something because they don’t want them to get hurt, and yeah, you will get hurt, I won’t lie to you. It just depends on how badly you want it.’

Diesel's spring advertisements mark Mr Formi-

chetti’s second commercial outing for the brand.

He was appointed as the struggling label’s artistic director last year after holding a similar position within the French house of Thierry Mugler. Mr Formichetti has aptly named his outlook for Diesel as a ‘reboot’, and is working to target denim-loving millennials through a series of tactful marketing schemes – much of which has relied on his strong social media presence.

Miss Mercado thinks that her feature in this new campaign is effective in how it shows that ‘anyone can wear Diesel – You don’t have to be a supermodel, you don’t have to be a millionaire, you can wear it no matter who you are and what you look like.’

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i'm tired of my characters dying in films, says Keira Knightly

eira Knightly has admitted that she is tired of her characters dying in movies and she has now decided to take a "fun" part in ` Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit `. She said that she got to the end of ` Anna Karenina` and realized that she had either been dying in every film or something horrific was happening to her character, the Mirror reported.

The `Never Let Me Go` star insisted that she wanted to do something where that didn`t happen. Knightly added that her upcoming film is wonderful and a totally pure Hollywood entertainment, which she fancied, and that her `Can A Song Save Your Life` `Laggies` are incredibly positive and fun.

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Dr. Manmohan Singh

Smt. Sonia Gandhi

Prime Minister

Chairperson, UPA

RIGHT TO INFORMATION HAS GIVEN EVERY CITIZEN THE RIGHT TO MAKE

GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABLE

• Crores of applicants provided information through Right to Information Act, 2005 by Central and State Governments • Lokpal enacted for accountable and transparent governance

• Whistle Blowers Protection Bill and Delivery of Services Bill introduced in Parliament

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REACHING PEOPLE, CHANGING LIVES. Published, Printed and Edited by Aküm Longchari on behalf of Morung for Indigenous Affairs and JustPeace from House No. 4, Duncan Bosti, Dimapur at Themba Printers and Telecommunications, Padum Pukhuri Village, Dimapur, Nagaland.

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

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

davp 22111/13/0215/1314

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PO Reg No. NE/RN-722