25th May 2014

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The Morung Express

Dimapur VOL. IX ISSUE 141

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Amway launches global campaign against child malnutrition in Dmr [ PAGE 2]

[ PAGE 9]

reflections

By Sandemo Ngullie

You want to know the causes and consequences of global warming? Here read the book of Revelation.

The transformation of the Naga church in both theory and action is the foundation of change in Naga society?

Yes

no

Others

NSF calls for justice in Delhi assault case

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Dimapur, may 24 (mExN): The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has condemned the alleged assault and molestation of a Naga woman at Vishwavidyalaya metro station, Delhi on May 22, and also the assault on leaders of the Naga Students’ Union Delhi (NSUD) by a group of lawyers at Tiz Hazari Court on May 23 during the hearing of the aforementioned case. “It is quite disheartening and enraging to learn that none of the officials in the court intervened though the inhuman act is being perpetrated right in front of them,” stated NSF president Tongpang Ozukum and general secretary Esther Rhakho in a press statement. The NSF has condemned and questioned the “legality and integrity” of the Tiz Hazari Court. “Are they (Court) not supposed to protect and safeguard the people, no matter to which community, caste, religion of region they belong? Are they not supposed to deliver justice to the people of all section?”

The NSF has wondered why the Delhi police are always late when such incidents happen to the people of the North East. The NSF further asked whether the Government of India or the Government of Delhi has a “separate law” for the people of the North East. “The People of North East Region has suffered enough, therefore it is high time that the policy makers should enact stringent law against such perpetrators and strictly implement in letter and spirit,” asserted the NSF. The Federation has appealed to law enforcing agencies to punish the perpetrators and the lawyers involved in the assault incident as per the law. It also appealed to all the people of the North East, particularly the Naga people residing in Delhi, to participate in the protest on May 27 at Bar Council of India, Delhi to show solidarity and support for the cause “we have been fighting for.”

Rosberg takes pole position for Monaco GP

”

–Brad Henry

[ PAGE 12]

[ PAGE 8]

nagaland chief Minister lays down priorities • Expedite settlement of Indo-Naga issue • All-district development • State Investment Board • ‘Permanent peace’ • North East Regional Economic Forum • State Law Commission • Article 371-A Committee

The Governor of Nagaland, on the advice of the Chief Minster, is pleased to allocate the portfolios and the business of the Government amongst the Ministers under the provisions of Rule 5(1) of the Rules of Executive Business of the Government of Nagaland as follows:

The Governor with the out-going Chief Minister, the new Chief Minister and Cabinet Ministers at Durbar Hall, Raj Bhavan, Kohima on May 24, 2014. (DIPR Photo)

Kohima | May 24

Vote on www.morungexpress.com SMS your anSwer to 9862574165

Pakistan PM to attend Modi’s inauguration as prime minister

[ PAGE 11]

Chizokho Vero

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Sunday, May 25, 2014 12 pages Rs. 4

A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning

Karisma Kapoor and Sunjay Kapur to file for divorce

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Chief minister T.R. Zeliang today said that he will actively canvass with the new government at the Centre to expedite the settlement of the protracted Indo-Naga political problem.

With the new government at the centre, Zeliang said, “We can expect hard decisions (solution to the Naga issue) to be taken and we hope that we will be benefitted with such decisions.”

He said the stress of the Government would be to spread out development to all districts (of Nagaland State) and to remove imbalance between districts.

Nagaland is not Kohima and Dimapur alone, but there are nine other districts which also which need attention, said the chief minister while addressing a press conference here at the New Secretariat Conference Hall.

“My government will continue the good work of Neiphiu Rio in the spirit of continuity with improvement,” he said.

Stating that economic engagement is the need of the hour, he wanted the land

owners, village councils, district administration and the Government in Kohima to work in one voice, one pace and one vision so that investments and industries come to each district for generating district wise local employment for the youth.

Zeliang also stated that he is going to constitute a State Investment Board to focus on economic engagement.

He said that unless investment comes to the State, “we cannot expect youth to be employed.” He stressed on the creation of investmentconducive atmosphere in the State. He hoped that the new Government at the Centre will take steps which will benefit the people of the State and activate the Look East policy.

Noting that Nagaland is a resource-crunched state with 90% of the funding being done by the Central government, he said, “With the available resources of the state, we cannot move forward as we are always begging to the Central government. So let us try to mobilise our own resources and try to exploit our own mineral resources so that we can stand on our feet.”

On Article 371-A, he re-

quested the NLA speaker to activate the Article 371-A Committee so that periodically “we are benefited by each committee recommendation.”

The chief minister also stated that during the last 11 years, “we could maintain peaceful atmosphere in the State but permanent peace is yet to return.”

In this, he said the Government will try its level best to create permanent peace so that people can prosper and youth can be employed.

Zeliang notified that he will consider setting up of a North East Regional Economic Forum so that the state governments in the North East region are closely tied up for proper economic exchange and exploitation.

He said the Government will constitute a State Law Commission to continuously advise the Government and frame the entire legal framework of the State so as to “live ourselves up to the times we live in.”

“Outdated laws need to be weeded out and new laws that suit us must be framed,” he said. He also stated that the State’s budget session will take place in July this year.

Dimapur | May 24

A rush has ensued for a ticket to the Assembly seat of 11 Northern Angami-II Assembly Constituency (A/C) which was officially vacated by former chief minister Neiphiu Rio Friday following his win at the Lok Sabha MP election.

The “hot seat” of the moment, sources said as many as eleven aspirants are vying to contest for the 11 Northern Angami-II A/C seat on

an NPF party ticket. This could be one of the highest numbers of candidates in fray for a single Assembly seat in the history of the State.

Sources said among those desiring to contest the ‘coveted’ seat, preferably from an NPF ticket, are an Ex-MLA and one of Neiphiu Rio’s son-in-laws. With NPF in the act of forming a new government with a new chief minister in tow and the task of portfolio overhauls, decisions on nominating a candidate to represent the party,

Our Correspondent Kohima | May 24

T.R. Zeliang was sworn in today as the 10th chief minister of Nagaland at a swearing-in ceremony held here at Durbar Hall, Raj Bhavan.

Nagaland Governor Dr. Ashwani Kumar administered the oath of office to Zeliang and 11 cabinet ministers. Cabinet ministers who took the oath included Noke Wangnao, G. Kaito Aye, Kuzholuzo Nienu, Ki-

Dimapur | May 24

Fresh violence erupted in the disputed Dimapur-Karbi Anglong border claiming one more life and wounding at least four people, including police personnel. The violence comes in the backdrop of the Karbi and Naga civil society meeting in Dimapur on May 23 to discuss and bring an end to the ongoing border dispute.

According to reports from both sides of the disputed border land, the death and injuries were the fallout of a shootout between the Assam Police and unidentified armed assailants, which occurred beyond Dikoi during the day. The gunfire started around 9:00am and lasted for over five hours.

The Additional Superintendent of Police, Karbi Anglong, when contacted said that a team of Assam Police personnel came under fire while on patrol at Nag-

aon Bosti, under Dhansiri Police outpost. The shootout lasted till 2:30pm. Three Assam Police personnel sustained gunshot wounds, including an Assistant Sub-Inspector, the ASP said, adding that the perpetrators of the attack could not be ascertained.

Meanwhile, in Dikoi, stray bullets from the site of the encounter reportedly hit two men, killing one and injuring the other. Nagaon Bosti and Dikoi are located in close proximity to each other, reports stated. The deceased was identified as Velhuto Ringa (31) and the injured indentified only as Paisongdiu (35). The injured was hit on the abdomen and was admitted to a hospital in Dimapur.

The firing incident led to tension in the surrounding areas. Youths from Aoyimkum village enforced a roadblock from the morning of May 24, preventing movement of people towards Dikoi. Reasons for the roadblock could not be ascertained.

Banuo Z. Jamir, Cabinet Secretary

yanilie Peseyie, Yanthungo Patton, P. Longon, Kipili Sangtam, Nuklutoshi, Dr. Neikiesalie Nicky Kire, C.L. John and Dr. Benjongliba Aier.

Later, T.R. Zeliang said that induction of the parliamentary secretaries will be done within two or three days.

of Nagaland, T.R. Zeliang, on behalf of the Party. “We are hopeful that he will discharge the enormous responsibility entrusted upon him with diligence and sincerity,” stated the CLP leader in a press release today. “Our State has a lot of issues which need to be addressed and we hope that he will take up these issues and address CLP congratulates new CM them in the right direction,” noted Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Yepthomi. The CLP wished Zeliang leader, Tokheho Yepthomi, has con- the best in “all the endeavors he is gratulated the new Chief Minister about to undertake.”

CM meets senior state government officers Our Correspondent Kohima | May 24

Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang, along with the council of ministers, today held a meeting with senior officers of the Nagaland State Government here at the Nagaland Civil Secretariat and stressed on the need to work and walk “shoulder to shoulder” so that Nagaland attains “new name and fame” in India.

He said there should be close coordination between the political class and the bureaucracy so that public service is delivered to the targeted people on time and with quality.

In his discussion with the senior officers, the chief minister said bureaucracy must be alert and update itself with the fast developments taking place across the nation and reorient itself so that the best benefits are brought to Nagaland.

Stating that education is a continuous process, he said both politicians and bureaucrats must keep educating themselves so that the living standards of the common man are constantly improved.

The first and foremost need of public service is that every public servant, whether he is peon or a secretary must observe punctual-

ity, he said.

He also stated that every bureaucrat must observe the least minimum time frame for disposing of papers and files and for taking decision. “If delivery of public services is delayed, it will result in gross injustice to members of public,” he said.

He also told the officers that the most important thing in the future governance of the State is creating more investment and consequently more employment for the youth.

Further, T.R. Zeliang assured the officers that he would grant absolute freedom to take decisions in the larger interest of the public.

Men as Peacemakers

or date for the poll might have to wait awhile, sources from the party disclosed.

The Congress is also yet to convene a meeting to decide on their candidate to represent its party.

However, sources from the Congress camp confirmed it would definitely be fielding a candidate. One potential choice is former Congress candidate Kevise Sogotsu who lost to Rio from the 11 Northern Angami-II A/C in the last niketu Iralu addressing the gathering at Hotel Japfu, Kohima which was organized by nagaland Peace Café. election in 2013, a source added.

Vibi Yhokha Naga society today.

Citing the example of Kohima | May 24 Wilberforce, a pioneer in the “A society growing up needs abolition of slave trade in to first establish a founda- Britain, Iralu pointed out the At around 4:00pm, the roadblock tion of values. Looking at our two objectives Wilberforce resulted in a mêlée between the en- situation we need to estab- worked on were abolition of forcers of the blockade and a convoy lish values at this stage,” said slave trade and reformation of of vehicles headed for Dikoi. Reports Niketu Iralu, noted Peace Ac- British manners. “Social evils stated that the convoy, led by the tivist during the event ‘Men have become unmanageable president of the Western Chakhe- as Peacemakers’ organized and too much for us and that sang Hoho, was headed for Dikoi by the Nagaland Peace Café is equivalent to reformation of after hearing of the firing incident, which focused on men as role our manners,” said Iralu. when it encountered the blockade. models in fighting violence The event featured muAn ensuing scuffle resulted in the in- and building a safer commu- sic by Adukho Pucho, Kenen jury of the president. nity for women. The event was Mesen, Kevi Belho and ViSubsequent to the incident, a held on May 24 at Hotel Japfü toto Sakhrie. A discussion police complaint was lodged re- Kohima. The Nagaland Peace was held facilitated by lawyer sulting in the police detaining the Café is an educational proj- Joshua Sheqi. council chairman of Aoyimkum ect focusing on developing Speaking among a group and its three headmen for ques- awareness around social is- of change-makers in the Naga tioning, the Dimapur district ad- sues affecting the community. society, Iralu stated that out of ministration stated. They were deNiketu Iralu focused on such groups, individuals needs tained after the village council was the crisis in which the Naga to arise where change should unable to handover to the police society is trying to respond start from each individual’s life. the people responsible for the road- to changes and how to re-an- “We need to take time to see block and the assault on the convoy. swer the increase in violence where God needs to win in our The detention of the village elders against women. Iralu asserted lives. If we are to deal with sofurther angered the youth of the vil- that the failure to respond cor- cial evils in our society we need lage, who later gheraoed Dimapur rectly and adequately to prob- to find the time and say, ‘where West Police Station demanding the lems have led to accumulating am I preventing God to win in release of the detained. problems that are paralyzing my life?” he maintained, assert-

Border shooting results in one death Morung Express news

Finance, Personnel and Administrative Reforms and any other portfolio not allotted to any Minister Public Health Engineering Industries and Commerce Roads and Bridges, Parliamentary Affairs Social Security and Welfare Home Health and Family Welfare Power National Highways, Mechanical Engineering Forest, Environment and Wildlife Rural Development Agriculture

T. R. Zeliang sworn in as Nagaland chief minister

Rush begins for Rio’s vacant Assembly seat Morung Express news

TR Zeliang, Chief Minister Noke Wangnao G. Kaito Aye Kuzholuzo Neinu Kiyanilie Peseyie Yanthungo Patton P. Longon Kipili Sangtam Nuklutoshi Dr. N. Nicky Kire CL John Dr. Benjongliba Aier

ing the need to start from winning the trust of one’s partner or loved one.

Quoting a passage from Psalm 51, Iralu emphasized on the need for truthfulness in the inward or hidden part of each individual to solve the crisis in the society. If we do not have such kind of truthful foundation, we cannot address the problems in the society, he said.

We need to see what is wrong and create trust and hope.

“Selfishness is violence of human rights,” Iralu further stated and pointed out that there is a red line beyond which we cannot allow selfishness to penetrate our lives and the society will be shaken when we stop selfishness to move beyond that redline.

Because of the loss of imagination, mental and spiritual bankruptcy, Iralu asserted, there is so much violence in Naga society today. Taking the idea of Jesus’ teachings about giving bread to one’s children instead of snakes, Iralu said that this teaching is a model for building a just and fair society. Iralu also held the view that Christianity has to bring in the idea of Restitution and that restitution starts from small things like saying sorry or returning books to the rightful owner. “It comes out from small things in you and me.

Only then will we be able to address the bigger wrongs in our society,” concluded Iralu.

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The Morung Express 2 LocaL USGOU called to shoulder Amway launches global campaign responsibilities together against child malnutrition in Dmr Dimapur

Sunday

25 May 2014

KohIMA, MAY 24 (MExN): The United Sangtam Gazetted Officers Union (USGOU) held its 7th annual general conference at DUDA Guest House Kohima, with Imtilemba, MLA as the chief guest The MLA encouraged the gathering to shoulder responsibilities as officers and work together as one. He said, “We are at crossroads and we should show the way as the people have great expectations on us and that the face of the Sangtams are its officers.”

Thripongse Sangtam, IPS, IGP (INT), speaker of the occasion exhorted the officers to organize awareness programmes in various fields for the public and tour the rural areas to know the plight of the common people and to lift up the society.

USGOU felicitated and awarded Khumrila Thonger, 2nd topper HSSLC, Benjamin Sangtam, 31st topper HSLC, K Yanglikhumla, 45th topper HSLC and Murhiekiu Thonger, 50th topper HSLC with Meritorious Certificates and cash of

MLA Imtilemba addressing the USGOU 7th annual general conference held at DUDA Guest House Kohima.

Rs. 5000/- each.

USGOU President TC Sangtam, IAS, Commissioner & Secretary DUDA chaired the programme.

Rev Y Imtiba, Pastor, SBL, Kohima said invocation prayer and special song was presented by Sakhi 7 while vote of thanks was delivered by Vice President L Chopili Anar, Div. AO Chumukedima. The first session ended with mass prayer.

The second session started with the review of the last session resolutions followed by general secretary report, audit report and nominating committee report of the executive members. The Union then deliberated on the various issues pertaining to the Union. This was stated in a press release issued by USGOU Press and Information Secretary Selichum Thongtsar.

DIMAPUR, MAY 24 (MExN): With a mission to help people live better lives and achieve their potential, Amway has unveiled a global campaign named “Raise your hand, fight global child malnutrition” in Dimapur.

Under this initiative, Amway Opportunity Foundation (AOF) launched “Power of five”, an advocacy programme to create awareness on child malnutrition in Dimapur of Saturday (May 24).

India Amway launched the initiative here at Amway Office with employees and distributors of Amway India smearing their hands in colours and providing handprint in colour to support Amway’s mission to fight child malnutrition. Amid cheer and enthusiasm from of children from Ebenezer Orphanage Home, an NGO working for underprivileged children in Dimapur, director of Ebenezer Orphanage, Akum Amri, also stamped his coloured handprint on eco-friendly paper to pledge his support

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Children of Ebenezer Orphanage Home and employees of Amway India, Dimapur branch, at the unveiling of Amway’s global campaign against child malnutrition, Saturday. (Morung Photo)

to eradicate childhood malnutrition from India.

Amway business owners and employees who attended the programme also provided their handprints.

It was reported that Amway distributors and employees and NGO partners at 105 locations came forward to provide colourful handprints to a global mural.

For every colourful handprint, Amway will donate US 1 dollar summing up a total of 400,000 US dollars to CARE International towards the support of underprivileged children and by doing so, AOF attempts to break the 30,000 handprint Guiness World Record, stated a release issued by Amway.

It may be mentioned

Amway Opportunity Foundation (AOF) is a registered non-profit organization set up with the objective of making a “meaningful difference” to the teeming millions of underprivileged children around the world.

The activities of AOF aimed at such less privileged children are being undertaken under the banner of “One

by One-Campaign for children” where it aims to touch every single underprivileged child and work towards making a “meaningful, qualitative difference” to the lives of such children in an effort to a brighter tomorrow, “a tomorrow that will be shaped by today’s children”, the release stated.

Alo Wanth to release two new singles Competitions mark Biological Diversity Day C M Y K

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DIMAPUR, MAY 24 (MExN): Naga musician Alo Wanth, after spending months in the studio writ-

ing and recording new orig- youtube tonight at 7:30 PM. inal music is finally releasSince the hit of his muing two brand new singles sic video 'Beauty Queen', worldwide on indihut and Alo Wanth's music has tak-

en a fresh new direction.

The new singles 'Without Wings' and 'Beautiful You' reveals the amount of hard work the artist has put into creating two masterpieces defining Alo Wanth's maturity and excellent composition skills as a musician.

Alo Wanth is backed up the band comprising of Alem Jamir on the lead guitars, Noksang Jamir's drumming with vocals backed up by Tulu Lkr. Alo Wanth also experimented with an instrument 'Bamhum' that was created by Naga musicians Abiogenesis in the new single 'Beautiful You'.

Alo Wanth wishes to acknowledge those who support and encourage our original Naga musicians with an early bird offer where the two singles can be downloaded free from www.indihut.com from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm.

Trained in contemporary music from Dallas, TX, USA and School of Justice Graduate from University of the Nations, Hawaii, Kona, USA, Alo Wanth already has two albums 'Beautiful' and 'Life' to his credit.

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Section of the students attending the International Day of Biological Diversity held at Kiphire.

KIPhIRE, MAY 24 (MExN): The two days celebration of International Day of Biological Diversity culminated with prize distribution of different competitions held amongst school eco clubs from Kiphire area.

It was informed in a press release that this year, Nagaland Biodiversity Board and Wildlife Division decided to celebrate the Biodiversity Day in the remote district of Kiphire. Re-

sponding to the call, all eco clubs participated with 350 students from 15 schools.

Kiphire Wildlife Division organised different competitions in literary, stage, fine arts and sports category. Vithong of Trinity School won slogan-writing competition. Subodh and Vinashe of Cambridge School bagged the quiz competition gold. Tronglise from Good Shepherd School and Selingla from Cambridge School domi-

nated the debate competition in and against the motion on the topic, “It is a time to shift from shifting cultivation”. Tansushe from Saramati School secured gold by making an artistic and impactful poster on the theme “Many people, One forest”. Thrisela from Loyola School won the collage making competition and Asela of GHSS won Clay modeling competition.

Nagaland Pollution Control Board provided

T-Shirts with awareness message to all the 230 boys and girls participants in the Cross Country competition. Tsathrila, one of the youngest participants from GPS Medical outran all her competitors from high schools completing 6 KM track to bag the gold. Musumong from Cambridge School won the gold in boy’s category. Saramati View Modern School Eco Club won overall championship.

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Wangkhao Govt College bid farewell to outgoing principal

26TH - 28TH OF SEPTEMBER, 2014

COVENANT HALL, DIMAPUR.

• Clinic on Conducting specifically for music directors • Panel Discussion • Master class and Workshops on Composition and Indigenous music, Art of Accompaniment, and Voice Clinic.

• Choral Competition with a total prize money of 1 Lac to be won.

Additional prizes for best conductor and best costume.

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DR. VIVEE PESEYIE MS. KHYOCHANO TCK MR. JAMES SWU MR. RAZO VASA

+91 9862124636 +91 9856512548 +91 9436012449

1. Application Procedure:Interested groups are to submit the following: • A fully detailed Application form.

• 4 photocopy of the Competition song to be submitted to the Organisers in advance.

• A recent photograph (suitable for publicity purposes) of the choir and the Conductor.

• A short write-up of the choir.

• List of names and parts of each choir members.

2. Conditions of Participation:a. Closing date for receipt of completed application is on or before 10th August, 2014. b. Preliminary round will be conducted on 26th Sept, 2014. Time and Venue will be intimated by the Organizers. c. Participating groups can sing a song of their choice for the preliminary round. d. 8 groups will be selected for the final day of competition. e. Any choir that withdraws from the competition is not entitled to a refund of the registration fee. f. The festival accepts no responsibility for any expenses incurred by any participating group in the festival.

3. Regulations and general terms of the competition:a. Registration Fee: 2000 per Choir / Group b. Choir Strength: Minimum=20 Members, Maximum =40 Members c. For the 26th Clinic on Conducting, special focus is for Music Directors, but the event is open to any interested individuals d. For the 27th events, interested individuals not participating in the choir competition can participate by paying a registration fee of 50/- only 4. Repertoire:a. Choirs have to be ready with 2 songs- One common song, and the second song of one's own choice. b. Songs should have Christian /gospel text.

5. Accompaniment:a. Only piano instrument will be provided by the organizers. b. Acoustic instruments can be used. c. No playback/ soundtrack will be allowed.

6. Performance time:a. A total performance time of 5 minutes for each participating choir including the entrance and the exit. b. Singing time is to be strictly observed. Choirs that exceed the allotted time will be penalized.

7. Criterion for Judging: Technique: Intonation, diction, blending and balance of the voices, correct notes. Musicality: Interpretation, musical expression (dynamics), style. Difficulty level Overall performance: Entrance, exits, professionalism, time management.

8. Jury:a. A Jury of the highest trained Naga musicians will evaluate the competition. All decisions of the jury are final and cannot be contested.

9. Prizes:a. 1st prize = 50,000 b. 2nd prize = 30,000 c. 3rd prize = 20,000 10. Additional prizes for Best Conductor and Best Costume will be selected

YOU CAN ALSO ACCESS THE EVENT ONLINE FOR DETAILS AND UPDATES ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/HARMONICSURGE

Prof. Avikasit (right) receiving a farewell gift from the Principal, Wangkhao College Mon on May 21.

MoN, MAY 24 (MExN): A farewell programme in honour of KP Avikasit, Associate professor, English Department, was held at Wangkhao (Government) College, Mon on May 21.

Son of a successful Businessman, young Avikasit opted out himself of the family profession and tried his flair in Teaching.

He started his teaching career as a young lecturer at Dimapur College, then a private institution. Even after the college was taken over by Government in 1989, he continued teaching there till 2009. Later, he was transferred to Wangkhao Government College from where Avikasit retired as an Associate Professor.

The Principal and colleagues of Wangkhao College recalled the immense dedication and enthusiasm of Prof. K P Avikasit as

an excellent teacher and as a learned colleague. Many teachers in the farewell meeting expressed their profound appreciation of the man who rendered so much for the enlightenment of the youngsters and his services towards the welfare of the College.

Describing the personality and career journey of Prof. Avikasit, Temlie Konyak, Assistant Professor (Economics) resounded a proverb that says, “If a wise man is thrown into the water with his hands and legs bound, he will come out with a fish in his mouth”.

Akok Walling, Principal of the College said that the retiring teacher is a “walking databank”. Prof. Avikasit is not only a dedicated educationist but is also a well-known social worker, who will continue to serve and teach humanity.

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REgional

The Morung Express

Sunday

25 May 2014

Irom Sharmila's final hearing on June 4 IMPHAL, MAy 24 (NNN): The court has fixed June 4 as the day to announce verdict regarding the final hearing of the case against human rights crusader Irom Sharmila which was heard today.

Sharmila has been charged of attempting to commit suicide under section 309 of the Indian Penal Court.

For the final hearing, Irom Sharmila was produced in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Imphal East district today.

In case Sharmila clears

the case, what next? Definitely, Irom Sharmila will continue to agitate against the AFSPA 1958 in the street.

Meanwhile, Sharmila has expressed her appreciation to the Janata DalUnited which had said it will extend its support to Sharmila's effort to meet Prime Minister-Elect Narendra Modi in New Delhi when she goes there on May 27.

Earlier, Sharmila had lamented that the Manipur government did not permit her to appear before the court of the Metropolitan

Tripura CM to skip Modi's swearing-in AgArtALA, MAy 24 (IANS):TripuraChiefMinisterManik Sarkar will not attend the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi as India's next prime minister because he has pre-scheduled programme, an official said here Saturday. State PWD and Health Minister Badal Chowdhury will represent the Left Front governmentattheceremonyMay26."The chief minister due to his pre-scheduled programme will not be able to attend the ceremony," a top government official told IANS.

AssOcIATION OF ENGINEERs NAGALAND PWD, KOhIMA

Mailing Address;-Chief Engineer’s Office, PWD (Housing), Nagaland: Kohima.Pin-797001 No.AOE/PWD/NL/2014

Dated Kohima, the 22ndMay 2014

PRESS RELEASE

Magistrate, Patiala House Court, New Delhi because once in Delhi she will be exposed to the national and international media.

On the other hand, the state government had expressed some time back that fund crunch was the reason behind not allowing Sharmila to go to Delhi.

Sharmila will leave for Delhi on May 27, appear before the court on May 28, and return to Imphal on May 29. She will be accompanied by a doctor, two nurses, a police constable

and a jail staff.

A case is pending against her in the court there in connection with her agitation at Jantar Mantar, Delhi demanding the repeal of the AFSPA, 1958 some years ago.

Irom Sharmila is agitating by way of refusing to eat food (fast unto death) since the year 2000 demanding the repeal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958. The authority has arrested her and jailed her on the ground that her move amounts to an attempt

to committing suicide.

Since Sharmila has been nose-fed forcibly by the authorities, she needs constant medical atten-

ZION hOsPITAL & REsEARch cENTRE NEURO-PSYCHIATRIST FOR CONSULTATION Dr. PAKHA TESIA MD (NIMHANS) Bangalore will be available for consultation on 7th June 2014 (Saturday).

Patients requiring consultation may contact the reception for registration.

For Registration, please contact:

 03862-231864, 227337,224117

NAGALAND PUBLIc sERVIcE cOMMIssION KOhIMA

Dated, Kohima the 24 May, 2014 th

NOTIFICATION NO.NPSC/ADVT/NON-TECH/1/2010 :: In the interest of the aspiring candidates for NCS, NPS, NSS & Allied Services 2014, the Nagaland Public Service Commission is to inform all the aspiring candidates that the last date of online form submission is hereby extended to 27 May 2014 till 3:00 PM. Sd/- SARAH R. RITSE Secretary, Nagaland Public Service Commission, Kohima.

This is to inform all the members of the Association of Engineers, NPWD, Nagaland, that there will be a General Meeting of the Association on the 30th May 2014 at 11:00 am in the PWD Conference Hall, Kohima, to discuss some very important issues.

All members are requested to attend the meeting without fail.

Sd/(ER. KHUPI NATSO) President

CONGRATULATIONS

The NPF Dimapur Division congratulates the honourable Chief Minister Shri T.R. Zeliang and his new team of Cabinet Ministers.

It is worth mentioning that the present Chief Minister who is a man of great wisdom and understanding in the field of governance will lead the state and its citizens to a whole new level of all round development, and with a new team of committed and sincere Cabinet Ministers to assist the honourable Chief Minister, the people of Nagaland looks forward to a new beginning. The NPF Dimapur Division further wishes them success in all their visions and objectives.

(Obed Yimchunger) General Secretary Media Cell, Dimapur Division

CONGRATULATIONS The Tenyimi Elders' Forum, Dimapur District, conveys its heartiest congratulations to Mr. Neiphiu Rio for his grand victory in the recently concluded 16th Lok Sabha election, 2014. His decision to take up a bigger responsibility at the national level politics is highly appreciated. We sincerely believe that his strong determination, far vision and tall leadership will provide lasting peace and usher in social, political and economic development and progress not only in Nagaland but in the entire country.

We also convey our congratulations to Mr. T.R. Zeliang on becoming the 19th Chief Minister of Nagaland. Under his capable leadership, we hope to see all round development in the State.

We wish both Mr. Neiphiu Rio and Mr. T.R. Zeliang a grand success in their new positions and we shall be looking forward to seeing them scale more heights in the days to come.

(KHALO KAPFO) Executive Member, TEF

(W. MERO) Convener, TEF

tion and for that she has been lodged at the security ward of Jawarharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal.

JUBILEE MEMORIAL schOOL, MOKOKchUNG (Affiliated to CISCE, New Delhi)

Jubilee Memorial School Excels in Board Examinations.

1. In the ISC-XII Examinations 2014, J.M.School sent up 14 candidates and 6 students securing aggregates of over 80% and top honours went to. a) Imlimenla Longchar 91% b) L. Sungtina Jamir 88.4% c) Temjenrenla Tzudir 82.8% d) Rahul Sahani 82% e) Bendangsunep Jamir 80.4% f) Imnasenla Imchen 80% In the 2014 ISC-XII Examination other significant individual achievement: Sl. Name of Students Subject with Marks No 1 Imlimenla Longchar Eng-90%,EVS-88%,Lit in Eng-92%,History-97%, Eco-83%,Pol.Sc-88% 2 L. Sungtina Jamir Eng-86%,EVS-80%,Lit in Eng-88%,History-94%, Pol.Sc-94% 3 Temjenrenla Tzudir Eng-83%,Lit in Eng-83%,History-80%,Pol.Sc-92% 4 Rahul Sahani Lit in Eng-83%,History-83%,Pol.Sc-94% 5 Bendangsunep Jamir Eng-83%,Lit in English-86%, Pol.Sc-83% 6 Imnasenla Imchen Eng-83%,Lit in English-83%, Pol.Sc-88% ISC-XII Distinction Holders: English-11 Students, Political Sciences-10 Students, History- 4 Students, Lit. in English- 8 Students, EVS- 2 Students, Economics- 1 Student.

2. ISC- X Examination 2014 Examinations For the 15th consecutive years, the Jubilee Memorial School has been maintaining 100% result in ICSE-X Examination.

JMS sent up 30 pupils of ICSE-X 2014 Examinations and all candidates declared successful and overall class aggregate was 87.3% with Ningshikala Tzudir as topper, with Putusenla Pongen a close 2nd with 86.16% and 3rd position was obtained by Temsulong Lemdur with 79.5%.

In Class X Examination other individual achievement: a) Temsulong Lemdur English- 92%, History/Civics/Geo- 88% b) Ningshikala Tzudir Ao-Naga-97%,Science-86%,Comm.Appl- 92%, History/Civics/Geo- 88% c) Putusenla Pongen Maths- 83% d) L. Ayimjem Jamir Ao-Naga-97% ICSE- X Distinction Holders: English- 6 students, Ao-Naga- 24 students, History/Civics/Geo-5 students, Maths- 1 student, Comm. Appl- 2 students, Science- 1 student.

Our heartiest congratulations to the 6th batch of Class-XII and 15th batch of Class-X for the wonderful result in Indian School Certificate (ISC) result and Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) 2014 Examinations.

Sd/S.K.Maiti Principal J.M.School

Dimapur

3

Oriental Theological seminary of the Nagaland Baptist church council

2014-15 ADMISSIONS INFORMATION Master of Divinity (3 Year Program): This degree is the core program of the seminary and is designed for academic competency and professional ministry. It is tailored for students with a Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline from a recognized university.

Master in Ministry (2 Year Program): This degree is a professional course of studies for those who have already earned a Bachelor of Theology Degree from a recognized institution.

Master of Theology in Inter-Disciplinary Studies (2 Year Program): This degree is an advanced program with an M.Div/ B.D degree as its pre-requisite.

Last date for submission of application: June 10, 2014 Interview Date at OTS Campus: June 17, 2014 Contact: Oriental Theological Seminary Post Box – 64, Bade, Dimapur 797 112 Nagaland, India Phone: +91-9615851944/9615777986/9856329375 Website: www.otsnagaland.org Email: ots.nagaland@gmail.com

C M Y K

4

businEss

Sunday

Dimapur

24 May 2014

The Morung Express

SpiceJet to raise monthly salaries of senior pilots by Rs 80,000 from July New Delhi, May 24 (Fe): Kalanithi Maranpromoted SpiceJet will raise monthly salaries of it’s around 100 senior commanders by up to Rs 80,000 on average from July 1, in a move to counter increased attempts by new players such as Etihad, AirAsia and Tata-SIA to poach highlyskilled commanders from the incumbents, industry sources said.

This is part of a wage hike plan for across the carrier’s cabin crew and its approximately 400 pilots. The industry’s average monthly wage for senior commanders is Rs 5.3 lakh

but at SpiceJet it is lower, at about Rs 4.5 lakh. The wage increase will be a combination of fixed and variable pay, though the larger increase will be in the fixed pay component.

Sanjiv Kapoor, SpiceJet’s COO told FE, “The wage rate increase for pilots would be made up through improved productivity, better rostering, etc, and so it would be largely cost neutral. This will help us retain employees, and boost morales, as we work on turning around the business”.

He added, “Previous reports that SpiceJet is

planning major job cuts is incorrect. Cutting jobs, especially for non-pilot staff, will not be the major sources of savings for us. There are other cost areas that are quite high and need to be addressed.”

In FY14, SpiceJet's wage bill (employee benefits expense) as a percentage of net sales fell to 9.13% from 9.4% in the previous fiscal.

Absolute wages though rose 9.3% to R576 crore in FY14. SpiceJet posted a record net loss of Rs 1,003 crore in FY14 on the back of currency depreciation and high fuel costs, even as total income went up 11.5%

to Rs 6,356 crore.

SpiceJet shares closed 12.83% up at Rs 21.10 on Friday, on the back of a media report that Qatar Airways is likely to purchase SpiceJet's parking slots overseas.

SpiceJet, however, strongly denied any such development while clarifying to the BSE, “the Company denies having any discussion with Qatar Airways for the sale of overseas slots, as reported. We also confirm that there is no truth whatsoever in the scheduling of a meeting to discuss investment plans with Qatar Airways.”

Indian laborers sort sweet lemons at a fruit market in Hyderabad, India, Saturday, May 24. (AP Photo)

public diScouRSe

Mumbai as Good Destination for Higher Education

M

umbai is still stereotyped as commercial hub or Bollywood centre, and not as an educational destination. Many North-East people come to Mumbai in search of job in varied sector, while only a few arrived for higher studies. It is wrong to presume that there are no good educational institutions in Mumbai.

Mumbai has many good institutions for Graduation and Post Graduation studies (including Phd). According to ‘India’s best college – 2013’, Mumbai has few graduates colleges listed in top 20. St. Xavier College (3rd), SK Shri Narsee Monjee College (9th), Somaiya College (15th), Sophia College (20th). Some other notable ones are HR college of commerce & economics, Wilson College, Jai Hind College, etc.

Top Indian engineering institutions such as IITBombay, Sardar Patel, VJTI, DJ Sangvi, Vivekanand Institute of Technology, Bon Bosco Institute of Technology, Xavier institute of engineering, S K Somaiya, etc are in Mumbai. Top Management institutions like

SP Jain Institute of management, TISS- Mumbai, NITIE, Shailesh Mehta Management – IIT Bombay, KJ Somaiya Institute of Management, etc are also in Mumbai.

Apart from Arts, Science, Engineering and Management, Mumbai is also a good place for many other professional courses.

SNDT University & Nirmala Niketan, provides many professional courses like, Food Science & Nutrition, Resource Management, Human Development, Textiles, Bachelor of Social Work Bachelor of Library & Information Science, Bachelor of Home Science etc. Most of the institutions in Mumbai also provide graduation and post graduation professional courses like Mass Media, Banking, Finance, Pharmacy, information technology, Accounting, Financial Market etc.

India’s top professional Premier institution like, Tata institute of Social Science (TISS) Mumbai, National Institute of Fashion Technology Mumbai (NIFT-M), Indian Institute of Technology – Bombay (IIT-B), International Institute of population stud-

ies (IIPS), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Homi Baba Institute of Education Science (HBIES), Indira Gandhi Institute of Development & Research (IGIDR), Institute of Forensic Science (IFS) etc. are in all located in Mumbai.

TISS Mumbai has some interesting unique PG courses, like Master in, Social Work, Mental Health, Children & Family, Tribal studies, Livelihood, Health Administration, Human Resource (MBA), MA in Social Entrepreneur, Media and Culture studies, Development Studies, Women Studies, Counseling & psychology, Regulatory Governance, Water policy and Governance, Climate Change, etc. It provides free education to students belonging to Schedule Tribes (ST).

IGIDR a premier institute for M.sc in economics (Established by RBI) also provides free education to ST plus stipend. IIPS, TIFT and HBIES provide monthly scholarship to students. IIT-B, NIFT and IFS also provide scholarship to deserving students.

Getting admission in good institution in Mum-

bai is not very difficult if one is a Christian and also a ST. All the institutions (including the premier) have reservation police as per Government of India, i.e. 7.5 % for ST. Also Christian institutions like St. Xavier, Bon Bosco, Sophia, Wilson, St. Andrew College, provides at least 70 % reservation for Christian and reserved categories. Maharashtra governments’ policy to provide quality and affordable education reduces the cost of education to a great extent. It hardly cost 5000/per year for BA or B.sc.

Even for the professional courses, the fees are very reasonable; it’s mostly below 25000/- per year. And again if one belongs to ST, you will have to pay much lesser amount than the usual amount charged.

Apart from good institution, easy admission and reasonable fees, Mumbai is known for good and cheap transportation, good weather; and most importantly good helping and friendly people. Commutation is easy and cheap as there is local train, bus and auto service. The weather of Mumbai is good, not extreme like those educa-

tion hubs in other states.

The local people are very friendly and helping, so one can anytime travel alone without any trouble.

Anyone will guide you and help you. Also they don’t discriminate North East people. Thus students face no problem of attending classes, travelling, visiting friends or studying.

Naga Student Union Mumbai (NSUM) will very much be willing and happy to help any Naga brethren looking for admission in Mumbai. NSUM executive contact list are provided in NSUM Facebook group (Naga Student Union Mumbai). Anyone can note the number(s) from there and call up NSUM executive or members for any help or queries. You can also post your queries in NSUM facebook group.

For those not in facebook, one can contact; Imti Matthew Jamir (Information Secretary) – 8898603669 Beltezzar Thong (Event Manager) – 7738409575 Chenithung (General Secretary) - 9769136620 Wungshok Khokyar (President) - 9702307673

World Bank Samsung may unveil appoints smartwatch in June New york, May 24 other basic functions. new VP But the proposed watch(reuters): Samsung washiNgtoN, May 24 (iaNs): World Bank President Jim Yong Kim Friday announced the appointment of Hiroshi Naka as vice president and auditor general of the bank.

Naka, a Japanese national, has more than 25 years of experience working with the Japanese ministry of finance and multilateral organisations, where he specialised in issues such as economic sanctions, anti-money laundering, and supervision of financial institutions, Xinhua quoted the bank as saying.

"Hiroshi's expertise will greatly benefit the World Bank Group, " Kim said. "He has a deep knowledge of controls and broad experience in policy coordination, foreign exchange control, supervision of international and Japanese banks, and managing complex relationships with multilateral organisations."

Naka will be responsible for providing leadership on evaluating and improving the effectiveness of the organisation's risk management, control, and governance processes. His appointment will be effective July 2014.

Electronics Co Ltd is developing a smartwatch that can make or receive calls without having to be tethered to a mobile phone, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

Samsung, the world's largest maker of smartphones,isindiscussionswith unidentified U.S., Korean and European telecommunications carriers about a socalled "watch-phone" that it hopes to unveil between June and July, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the company's plans.

The current crop of smartwatches, such as Samsung's own Galaxy Gear, have to be linked to a phone to receive and send messages and perform

phone, which will run on Samsung's Tizen operating software, can take photos and handle email independently and will come equipped with a heart monitor, the newspaper reported.

Samsung declined to comment.

Major technology companies such as Apple Inc, Google Inc and Samsung are expected to be in a race to market wearable computing devices, like watches, to consumers this year.

It is unclear how much demand there is for gadgets such as smart glasses or watches, but industry insiders consider them to be the next phase in an increasingly saturated mobile device market.

poETry Invisible God my Father, You are invincible for You are Love!

I love you Heavenly Daddy!

For You loved me first-even while I was a wretched sinner, You sent Your only begotten Son to die for my sins!

Thank You for your sacrificial Love!

There's none like my Loving Father!

lovisenla

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

_

LEISURE

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

SUDOKU Game Number # 2887

DAILY CROSS WORD

CROSSWORD # 2894

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 # 2886

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 Middle Earth

DWARVES EASTERLINGS ELROND ENTS FRODO GALADRIEL GAMLING GANDALF GOLLUM HALFLINGS HOBBITS LEGOLAS ORCS PIPPIN RANGERS RINGWRAITH SAMWISE SARUMAN SAURON SMEAGOL THEODEN TREEBEARD TROLLS URUKHAI WIZARDS WOLFRIDERS WORMTONGUE

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N R N E S I W M A S I R A R O R

MOKOKCHUNG:

M U L L O G T R O L L S N D T I

ACROSS 1. Brown ermine 6. 365 days 10. Foot digits 14. A fabric resembling velvet 15. Backside 16. Beige 17. Independent 19. Bobbin 20. Under the influence of narcotics 21. Explosive 22. Torture device 23. Lukewarm 25. Harangues 26. Not legs 30. Vinegary 32. Dais 35. Rejoinder 39. Pale 40. Shooting star 41. A canvas shoe 43. A cowboy movie 44. Benni 46. Initial wager 47. Persian potentates 50. Ballots 53. Grasped 54. Be unwell 55. Spunk

60. Countertenor 61. Maternity 63. Took flight 64. Margarine 65. Unit of capacitance 66. Ripped 67. Monarch 68. Shorthand

DOWN 1. Resorts 2. Tight 3. Savvy about 4. Nameless 5. Basic belief 6. Sweet potato 7. Arousing 8. Apart 9. A musical pause 10. Hard unglazed brownish-red earthenware 11. Sea 12. Construct 13. Broods 18. Lyric poem 24. Latin for “Peace” 25. Anagram of “Spire” 26. Vipers 27. A soft sheepskin leather 28. Man 29. The end of an Apollo flight

31. An indefinite period 33. Bicycles 34. Poems 36. Observed 37. Legal wrong 38. Sea eagle 42. A pasta dish 43. Damp 45. Unfrozen 47. A long rod or pole 48. Greetings 49. Change 51. An uncle 52. Feudal workers 54. Out of control 56. Not this 57. Ripped 58. Give temporarily 59. Cocoyam 62. Pig Ans to CrossWord 2893

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

TUENSANG: 03861-220256/101 (O) 8974322879 MON: 03869-290629/101 (O) 9856248962/ 9612805461 (OC)

Toll free No. 1098 childline

H

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

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

CHILD WELFARE COMMITTEE

W

FIRE STATIONS

STD CODE: 0369

Police Station 1: Police Station 2 :

2226241 2226214

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

2226216 2226263 2226373/2229343

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

222246 222491

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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 Australian Dollar Singapore Dollar Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen

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LOCAL

The Morung Express

Sunday 25 May 2014

50 yrs of Indo-Naga ceasefire; monolith dedicated Kohima, may 24 (mExN): The Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) today organized dedication programme of 50th year Indo-Naga ceasefire foundation monolith at Sakraba in Phek district.

FGN Tatar Hoho speaker Lhouvitsu announced that people have gathered to witness and dedicate the monolith in commemoration of the dawn of peace.

In “our” war torn land, he said, peace was made possible by successive meetings at Sakraba.

He recalled that mammoth gathering of a public meeting was held on May 23, 1964, rare of its kind, after a decade of turbulence, followed by the meeting of the Federal Government of Nagaland representatives and the Peace Mission Members on May 24, 1964.

From the meeting, the FGN

FGN Tatar Hoho speaker Lhouvitsu and others during the 50th year Indo-Naga ceasefire foundation monolith dedication programme at Sakraba village on May 24.

representatives agreed to the peace mission proposal for ceasefire in Nagaland, and it was signed on May 25, 1964.

He said the Nagaland

Baptist Church Council (NBCC) was deeply concerned about restoration of peace and normalcy in Nagaland. As such, the church leaders were determined to

take tremendous pain and risks to travel throughout the length and breadth of Nagaland and they successfully organised the third Nagaland Baptist Convention

at Wokha from January 31 to February 2, 1964.

He said the convention discussed about the urgent need for peace and normalcy and peaceful talks between leaders of Nagaland and India. “Thus to explore ways and means for restoration of peace in Nagaland was unanimously decided from that NBCC convention at Wokha,” he said.

Consequently, the church leaders obtained consent of Government of India to open avenues and also in availing the services of Jayaprakash Narayan, Shankar Dev, Bimala Prasad Chaliha and Rev. Michael Scott with the sole objective of exploring ways and means for the speedy restoration of peace and normalcy in Nagaland, he said, adding that they did successfully bring in an international ceasefire agree-

ment between Nagaland and India effective from September 6, 1964.

“Nagaland is peace loving country our leaders committed for peace in the midst of Indian aggression,” he said, adding “we” paid dearly but for peace and harmony. He also asserted that the Naga National Council and the Federal Government of Nagaland stand committed for peace, stating “we shall uphold the policy and endeavor to work with the hope that India realize its folly sooner than later and withdraw its armed forces from our land.”

Unveiling and dedicatory prayer was done by Rev. Narola from NBCC. Vezokho, pastor, Phola Baptist Church, read the Bible and prayed. The function concluded with a mass prayer.

TR Zeliang at helm after 4 decades in politics UNTABA selects new team of office bearers Kohima, may 24 (PTi): T R Zeliang, who was sworn in as chief minister of Nagaland today, has been involved in state politics for nearly four decades and served as a minister in various governments during the major part of the period.

Zeliang became the president of Youth Congress in his native Peren district while he was studying at Kohima College in 1976 and though he lost the first two assembly elections he contested in 1982 and 1987, he won in successive polls after that and never looked back.

62-year-old Zeliang, born in Mhaupungwa village of Peren district, had received his school education from Don Bosco School at Dibrugarh in Assam.

As a young man, he was also involved in various social activities and was the president of Zeliangrong Students Union from 197579, general secretary of Ze-

liangrong Action Committee and Zeliangrong Youth Organisation besides being the co-founder of Peren College.

He contested the state assembly polls for the first time in 1982 as an independent from Tening seat and on a Naga National Democratic Party ticket in 1987 from the same constituency but lost both the times.

He, however, did not give up and emerged successful the next time in 1989 on a Naga Peoples Council ticket from Tening. Zeliang, then 37 years old, was given the portfolio of Information and Public Relations, Tourism and Parliamentary Affairs.

He switched over to Congress and won the seat in 1993 and became the Minister for Relief and Rehabilitation. In the next two state assembly elections in 1998 and 2003, he fought the polls on Congress ticket and retained the seat. In 1998 he held

the portfolio of Forest, Environment and Wild Life but after the next polls resigned and defected to Naga Peoples Front (NPF).

He took a brief break from politics on being elected to Rajya Sabha in 2004 but returned after a little over four years to contest the 2008 state assemly polls on a NPF ticket.

He was elected from his old seat and was appointed Minister for Planning & Coordination, Evaluation, Veterinary & Animal Husbandry and Parliamentary Affairs.

Zeliang was re-elected from the same constituency to the present house last year and was appointed the Minister for Planning and Coordination, Evaluation, and Geology and Mining in the Neiphiu Rio government.

He was appointed as chief minister yesterday following the resignation of Neiphiu Rio, who won the lone Nagaland Lok Sabha seat.

ZB (AMN) calls TR Zeliang a reliable leader imPhal, may 24 (mExN): The Zeliangrong Baudi, Assam, Manipur & Nagaland (ZB(AMN)) has congratulated TR Zeliang for being sworn in as the new chief minister of Nagaland. In a press statement, ZB(AMN) general secretary Dr. Gairiangmei Maringmei termed TR Zeliang as one of the most reliable leaders of the Naga People's Front.

“It may be worthwhile to mention that he is responsible to bring about the creation of full-fledge district of Peren, Nagaland and the road links from Peren district to NC

Hills, Assam, and Tamenglong, Manipur,” said the statement.

“TR Zeliang is the first among the Zeliangrong community to attain the top post of Chief Ministership. He is the ‘Son of the Zeliangrong’s Soil’. His people are living in three states of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland which estimated population of 5 lakhs. They are represented by only 3 MLAs in Manipur, 2 MLAs in Nagaland and not even a single MLA in Assam,” it added.

Stating that today is a “historic and happiest moment” for the Zelian-

Zeme Council Nagaland lauds support shown to TR zeliang DimaPUR, may 24 (mExN): The Zeme Council Nagaland has acknowledged all the legislators of DAN government for “having faith and confidence” in TR Zeliang to shoulder the post of chief minister.

“In spite of the differences in members of representatives in the state assembly, the people of Nagaland have shown its integrity through their respective representatives, by way of bestowing to shoulder the post of Chief Ministership to TR Zeliang,” stated Zeme Council Nagaland president Raitu Elu in a release.

The Council opined that, as per majority and minority is concerned, the Zeliangs are nowhere in the state assembly, with only two representatives “all thanks to the then British Colonialist.” However, it said, “the oneness and the matured thinking and feelings of the DAN

III legislators in having faith in T.R Zeliang’s way of working has, but put the Zeliang people’s dream come true.”

It also thanked Neiphui Rio for his “self sacrifice” as chief minister of the state, paving way for TR Zeliang as his successor. To Dr. Surhozielie and all CWC members NPF Nagaland, the Zeme Council Nagaland extended gratitude for their “wise and sympathetic gesture towards the Zeliang people in expressing their integrity as a Naga, by way of dismissing majority and minority status in the state assembly.” The Zeme of Nagaland, as the note said, further lauded Noke Wangnao and all Eastern Nagaland legislators for their wise decision in maintaining the sanctity of the party, and paving the way to a unified NPF led DAN III government under the chief ministership of TR Zeliang.

grong people, ZB(AMN) expressed pride to see TR Zeliang in the top position in the Nagaland political affairs. “We are sure that under his able leadership there will be sea change in Naga Community in general and Zeliangrong community in particular.”

The Baudi further wished and prayed that God’s abundant blessing be with the new chief minister of Nagaland.

Morung Express News Dimapur | May 24

The nascent United Naga Tribes Association of Border Areas (UNTABA) formally selected a new team of office bearers for the tenure 2014-16 here at Naga Council Dimapur’s ‘Unity Hall’ on Saturday.

The team is led by Hukavi Yepthomi as chairman; Imsumongba and TP Yaeh Konyak (vice chairmen); Ejanthung Lotha (general secretary); Viputo Isuka, Y Akiu and Y Aliba Sangtam (joint secretaries); Sunep Jamir (finance secretary); K Shen Phom (asst. finance secretary); Thongo Konyak (publicity & information secretary) and NN Ngullie, IPS, as treasurer.

The selection of the office bearers was done by a search committee comprising of Aheto Sumi (convenor), Ntsemo Ngullie and Yanger Imchen (advisors) and Keoshu Yimchunger and Lempa Konyak (members).

Earlier in the programme, UNTABA legal advisor and former additional advocate general, P Pius, presided over “reaffirma-

Office bearers of United Naga Tribes Association of Border Areas (UNTABA) along with search committee members and others.

tion of UNTABA” and adoption of the association’s constitution and Aheto Sumi officiated installation of the office bearers. Pastor, Yimchunger Baptist Church Dimapur, Athsan Yimchunger, offered dedicatory prayer to the UNTABA and its office bearers.

UNTABA was formed on March 1 this year at a meeting held at Hotel Saramati, where “like minded indigenous educated Naga people residing in Nagaland, after a series of meetings and consultations on matters pertaining to the plight of landless Naga people in particular and Naga people inhabiting in the border areas adjoin-

ing Nagaland resolved to strongly unite and form an association to pursue the common interest of all the members.”

The preamble of UNTABA constitution reads: “We the Naga warrior tribes consisting of all indigenous tribes of the state of Nagaland with legitimate aspiration to claim areas of our occupation as per our traditional and customary practices do hereby come together for fostering unity and fraternity among us in achieving the common goal...”

Meanwhile, UNTABA has condemned the attack

by Assam Police on Nagas in the border area in which one Naga was killed on Saturday.

DMC books butcher selling meat at higher rate DimaPUR, may 24 (mExN): The Rate Control Cell of Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) today raided a butcher shop selling pork at Supply Colony junction. The butcher was found selling meat above the rate prescribed by the authority, informed DMC in a press release. DMC

seized the meat besides booking the butcher. DMC stated it would take stern against any defaulter.

According to the existing rate of DMC, retail pork sellers are making a profit of Rs. 40 per kg of pork. And despite a margin of Rs. 40, pork sellers are charging higher.

DMC has urged the public to

cooperate with the authority and report on butchers selling meat at high rate.

The raid was carried out on the instruction of DMC Administrator, Tarep Imchen to keep check on butchers selling meat at higher rate and basing on complaints lodged by public, said the note.

‘Rio is the most appropriate MP to represent Nagaland’ Kohima, may 24 (DiPR): Outgoing Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio was accorded a warm and befitting send-off with a dinner programme organized by the State Government at The Heritage on May 23.

The programme had State Chaplain, Rev. K. Luruo, saying the invocation prayer. Chief Secretary, Nagaland, Banuo Z. Jamir, addressed the event as a special and peculiar occasion as the rarest of circumstances had occurred when an incumbent Chief Minister demits his office to enter Parliament as a Member of Parliament and the State accords a sendoff rather than a farewell. On behalf of all the Government servants, she thanked Neiphiu Rio for his able and dynamic leadership and guidance and motivation in every sector of activity and wished him greater heights in his new assignment.

She added that Rio is the most appropriate MP to represent Nagaland because of his coveted grassroot experience of having been a member and chairman of an Area Council and serving for more than 25 years as an elected representative of the people in the capacities

as Cabinet Minister and 11 years as Chief Minister.

She reminded the gathering of how Nagaland has seen progress in all sectors during his tenure. Some of them being the Hornbill festival through which the Naga textiles, design and cuisine are underway to becoming global, the redefinement of youth, entrepreneurship and capacity-building and creation of departments such as Women Resource Development and Department of Underdeveloped Areas, the re-orientation of the perspective of rural Nagaland by initiatives such as Agriexpo and the creation of the Mahila IR battalion which has shaken India’s perception of Naga women.

CM T.R. Zeliang lauding Rio's political acumen, mentioned that despite 52 out of the 60 legislators deciding against his going, Rio took the big plunge, because for him, one did not gain in politics without risk and one who refuses to take risk in politics is an opportunist. He also recalled how he was sent as an MP to Rajya Sabha under Rio's leadership and expressed high hopes that Rio will be

place in a better position at the parliament.

In addition to Banuo’s mention of Rio's developmental activities for the State, he mentioned how the Nagas in Myanmar today are recognized by the world and by their countrymen with 6 Naga MPs in their Parliament and the extension of NPF to Manipur with 4 MLAs in their Parliament and the establishing of the party in Arunachal Pradesh. He also referred to the slogan coined by Rio, “Peace for Development and Development for Peace” and expressed hope that with Rio going to Delhi on a new assignment, real peace will come, as his dynamic personality will ensure that Delhi and Naga people are brought closer.

ACS & Finance Commissioner, Toshi Aier, chaired the programme. He made a special mention of how the Special Central Assistance was constituted for Nagaland and later 10 other such resource strapped states by the Planning Commission at the pressure and effort of Neiphiu Rio 3-4 years ago, that provided the cushion for the salary com-

ponent at the introduction of the 6 ROP in the State.

MD of Music Task force, Gugs Chishi, spoke how through Neiphiu Rio’s effort, the Music task force was created in 2006 and opened avenues for young talented Naga musicians.

Neiphiu Rio meanwhile reminisced about his journey in public life and attributed those successful 40 years to the blessings of the Almighty, the support of the people and the cooperation from his party and colleagues. Further, he gave credit to the bureaucrats and technocrats for the successful implementation of all the new innovations and initiatives taken up under his tenure. He also expressed his regret that many visions were left unfulfilled because of resource constraints and tendered apology to the people for such lapses. He further wished CM-designate, T.R. Zeliang and team his best wishes in the State governance.

In the programme, a footage was presented by the IPR department, reminiscing the 40 years of political journey of the outgoing CM Neiphiu Rio and his developmental activities.

Dimapur

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ACAUT lauds Kohima police DimaPUR, may 24 (mExN): The Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) Nagaland has lauded the Kohima police for arresting Kumsu Aye alias Hokto alias Kumsuto, the person who “threatened the life” of an ACAUT Nagaland member on April 9 in Kohima.

In a press release issued by its media cell, the ACAUT Nagaland reiterated its position that “any cadre caught with arms should be booked under NSA, Kumsu being no exception.” It also reminded that the case of the accused is “more serious” as it was polling day and the Election Commission had pro-

hibited the carrying of even licensed guns.

The ACAUT Nagaland has appealed for “prompt and exemplary action should be taken against Kumsu, including filing charges under stringent sections of the law by the state or else the Naga people shall be wont to start taking law into their own hands and it will not bode well for our society.”

It has also appreciated the AYO, CYF and various organisations in Kohima for their “principled and courageous stand against NSCN-K in the form of non-cooperation against the latter” after the April 9 incident.

JFMC Old Jalukie village gets India Biodiversity Award JalUKiE, may 24 (mExN): The Joint Forest Management committee (JFMC) Old Jalukie village, on May 22 received the India Biodiversity Award 2014 under Comanagement category during the observance of International Day for Biological Diversity at Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The award included a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh, a certificate and a plaque plus all travel and stay expenses of the two participants - Rampaukai, Forest Ranger representing forest department and Izi, JFMC member representing community.

The programme was organized by the forest department and administra-

tion of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and the award was sponsored by the UNDP. The JFMC Old Jalukie in a release has thanked the Nagaland forest department, particularly DFO Peren Division for nominating its name, the panel of imminent juries and the UNDP “who have bestowed the privilege to carry forward the message of biodiversity conservation in the region.”

The Old Jalukie model of community biodiversity conservation is very successful and is considered to be one of the best approaches in situations where the community owns most of the lands and integrating it with other innovative livelihood options, stated the note.

MEx FILE ACAUT Nagaland to complete a year with a service DimaPUR, may 24 (mExN): In commemoration of completion of one year of the ‘ACAUT movement,’ a short service will be held at Hotel Saramati, Dimapur, on May 27 at 3:00pm. All presidents and executive members of mass-based organizations (both within and outside Dimapur), tribe hohos, women organisations, student and youth organisations, churches, pastors fellowship, business organisations, etc., have been requested by the ACAUT Nagaland’s media cell to partake in the programme. The highlight of the programme will be a short sermon and ACAUT activities thus far. No formal invites will be sent out by the ACAUT Nagaland, which has asked mentioned organizations to take note and attend the programme.

ANHTU urges release of salary & RoP TUENsaNg, may 24 (mExN): All Nagaland Hindi Teachers’ Union (ANHTU) 2012-13 batch of Tuensang unit has questioned the ANHTU HQ regarding delay of payment of salary and RoP. ANHTU Tuensang unit in a press statement appended by its president and general secretary said that ANHTU had already informed the Hindi teachers through daily papers dated April 20, 2014 that the government of India had already released the fund for RoP and salaries on February 28, 2014, but due to the absence of Finance Commission of Nagaland, the fund has not been released. “So he did not attend his office till date or what is the reason behind the non-payment?” questioned the ANHTU Tuensang unit. It further appealed to the authority responsible to release the pending salaries and RoP at the earliest.

Assam Rifles apprehends one GPRN/NSCN cadre moN, may 24 (mExN): 33 Assam Rifles on May 22 apprehended one GPRN/NSCN cadre from Yannyu village. The cadre has been identified as SS Cpl Panglem Konyak, 25, of Mon district, informed Assam Rifles in a press release. The Assam Rifles team recovered 101 live round of AK 56 rifles, one typewriter, Rs. 7000/and “incriminating documents” and found a temporary hideout which was destroyed in the presence of Yannyu village GB, police representative and civil administration. The individual was handed over to Police Station, Tizit.

BJP central leadership assures support to DAN govt.

NEw DElhi, may 24 (mExN): National vice president of BJP Scheduled Tribe Morcha, Johny G Rengma has congratulated TR Zeliang on being appointed as the chief minister of Nagaland while expressing hope that peace and development will be a priority under his leadership. Johny G Rengma further stated that the BJP central leadership assures full support to TR Zeliang led DAN government.

TIPS press conference on May 26 Kohima, may 24 (mExN): Tripura Institute of Paramedical Sciences (TIPS), a joint venture project with Government of Tripura and affiliated with Tripura University and Nursing Council of India, New Delhi, will be holding a press conference on May 26 at Japfü Hotel, Kohima at 5 pm regarding awareness of Paramedical Sciences and its future prospect in professional career for the students of Nagaland.

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.

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Sunday 25 May 2014

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EXPRESS

Review

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

In the Land of Nigeria’s Kidnapped Girls A journey to the village of Chibok, where insurgents hide in the bush as families mourn the loss of their daughters

O

Chika Oduah

n Monday morning, May 12, I sat in the backseat of a Toyota Corolla, headed to Chibok.

With a satin abaya draping my body in a sheath of black, and my hair curled underneath a black chiffon hijab, my careful effort to blend into northeastern Nigeria’s conservative, predominately Muslim society appeared to be working. The soldiers who peered into the backseat gave me casual glances, waving us past checkpoint after checkpoint.

“This is the heartland of Boko Haram,” said the governor of Borno State when I visited him in the state capital of Maiduguri along the way. A month earlier, insurgents from the Islamist militant group had seized a secondary school in Chibok and kidnapped almost 300 female students.

The town had quickly become an emblem of a region in crisis, where jihadists burn churches and kill children in their sleep while shouting “Allahu akbar.”

When I set out for Chibok—a three-day journey from the Nigerian capital of Abuja—I'd encountered children selling peanuts and sachets of water along the road.

Those who had nothing to sell simply held out their palms. “Allah ya kiyaye, Allah ya kiyaye,” they’d said, muttering prayers in the Hausa language for Allah to grant us a safe journey. I'd been warned about the dangers of the trip: Boko Haram hide in the bushes along the road to Chibok, waiting for lonely cars to pass by. They cross the street to get from one end of the surrounding fields to the other, and they shoot at cars as they go, before disappearing into the Sambisa Forest.

“From this point of the journey, everything from here is Sambisa,” explained one of my companions, Daniel Wadai, a lawyer and Chibok native I’d met in Abuja at one of the daily #BringBackOurGirls rallies. From the passenger’s seat, he gestured to the left, just above our driver’s head. I turned to look and saw small bushes stuck in the sand and a few scattered trees. I had expected to see a dense grove of trees.

“This is not a forest,” I said.

“No. It’s not the forest that the media is painting it to be,” Wadai replied.

Dogonyaro, acacia, and baobab trees flashed by in a blur, as the Sahelian landscape grew drier and flatter. Yellow flowers broke the monotony of the green and brown landscape. And then, suddenly, we were surrounded by cows making their way across the road. One of them stopped by my window. I looked into its big, moist eyes, admiring its shiny, reddish brown coat. Our driver continued on undaunted, carefully weaving the car through the horde. A battered blue station wagon drove up alongside us, and its driver said something to us in Hausa before speeding away.

“He told us we should never drive close to the cows,” Wadai explained. “He said that the spirit of Boko Haram can enter the cows. So we should always wait for the cow to cross the road.” He laughed.

I was puzzled. Wadai continued. “It’s a common belief here. They believe that Boko Haram sends its spirit inside the cows.”

For people here grappling with a palpable fear of fighters with no clear agenda and no set targets on their path of destruction, Boko Haram had taken on supernatural qualities. The group had completely wiped out villages like Bulabulin. There, weeds grew freely in farm plots. Cooking pots lay overturned in the dirt. On our way to Chibok, I counted three telecom masts, but I couldn’t pick up a network signal on my phone. Boko Haram had destroyed the area’s infrastructure, too. We

soon reached the town of Damboa, where a battalion headquarters stood next to the abandoned construction site of a housing development. At the checkpoint there, sunburned guys who appeared to be in their twenties—all civilians who had volunteered as vigilantes—clenched guns, machetes, and bows and arrows.

“Where are you going?” they asked.

“Where are you coming from?”

“Chibok, Maiduguri,” the driver answered.

“They are tired of Boko Haram coming to make trouble and now they are fighting back,” Wadai told me. “Enough is enough.”

Damboa had once been a hotspot for Boko Haram recruitment, explained a stringer for an international news agency who was traveling with us, and whom I’ll call “Dayo.” Now, many of the boys there, having renounced their membership in the militant group, were trying to rid the town of Boko Haram. Monday is market day in Damboa, and the town was bustling. Vegetable sellers congregated along the roadside. A butcher sliced meat on a wooden

were biking.

At 15 minutes before noon, the car stalled once more. The fuel pump was busted, Dayo and Wadai concluded. We let the engine cool down before starting it again, which worked—until it didn’t. When the car stopped for a third time, we headed back to Damboa and found a mechanic. Leaving the car with the driver, we hired someone who agreed to take us to Chibok. The going rate was 3,000 Nigerian naira ($18).

We arrived in Chibok covered head to toe in sand from one of the village’s fierce sandstorms. Amid the dust, a sign for the government-run secondary school marked the site of Boko Haram mass kidnapping. A guard let us through the school’s gate without much fuss, and we made our way across the rubble through a series of burned-out classrooms. Nearby, three people were sitting under a mango tree surrounded by charred debris: the school’s principal, Asabe Kwambura, and two administrators, who were waiting for a government delegation to arrive and investigate the incident.

Kwambura greeted me, lifting her purple

Boys pump water outside the village of Chibok. (Photo: Chika Oduah)

plank as women waited for his cuts. Lean dogs scurried about. Men stood languidly in line in the heat, as civilian fighters inspected the men’s fingers for trigger marks—signs of heavy gun usage that could out them as Boko Haram members.

We left Damboa, turning onto a potholeridden dirt path known as Chibok road.

Here, I came closer to Sambisa than I had ever been before. Now there were no checkpoints in sight. We had clearly embarked on the most dangerous leg of the journey. And then our car came to a halt.

The driver, a silent type, didn’t respond when I asked him what had happened. Instead, he pumped the accelerator. Nothing. Wadai asked, “Is it the fuel pump?”

The driver got out, lifted the hood, and peered into the belly of the car. Dayo looked nervously at the bushes on the left.

“This is still Sambisa right?”

“Yes, all of this is Sambisa,” Wadai answered. Both of them left the car and stood next to the driver. I stayed inside, watching the bushes vigilantly. Five long minutes passed, and we were still stuck.

Finally, the engine sputtered back to life and we drove on, deeper into a landscape devoid of villages and people. We rode silently, looking out the windows for any sign of danger. “Are those people running?” Dayo asked, alarmed. I saw the outlines of two people making their way along the edges of Sambisa.

“No,” Wadai said, pointing out that they

veil and wiping tears from her eyes. She projected confidence, though I sensed it was withering. “They are our girls,” she told me. I asked if the Nigerian military had been protecting the school on the night of the attack. Kwambura said no—the school had its own watchmen, and one had been guarding the main gate while the other was posted at the girls’ residence. I was stunned.

A government school in a state under emergency rule had been left with no government-authorized security. Young girls had been sleeping in their rooms without any

of mosques scattered around the village to pray for the girls to return. At night, Esther Yakubu—a mother of five, including 15-year-old Dorcas Yakubu, who was among the kidnapped students—crouches on her knees and clutches her Bible. “God is not dead. He is alive,” she told me, and then prayed: “God bring her back.”

Esther misses her daughter’s presence.

“I like her by my side always,” she said. “Anytime I think about her, I bust out crying. That’s all I do everyday.” Sitting with her husband in the family’s cozy living room, as daylight beamed through two narrow windows, Esther told me that she and Dorcas spoke either in person or on the phone every day, and that Dorcas had been planning to take a course on how to sew garments. Ten-yearold Marvelous was sitting on the floor as we spoke. I asked him about Dorcas, and he mumbled, “I am still crying and praying.”

Outside, on the patio, I met Dorcas’s younger sister, Happy, who was carrying pails of fresh rainwater. Happy was angry.

“I want to leave because they are not taking care of us,” she told me. Residents here cannot feel the impact of the federal government’s estimated $5 billion defense budget.

On my way to the home of Lawan Zanna— whose daughter, 18-year-old Aisha, had been kidnapped by Boko Haram—I met a gang of giggling girls jumping in shapes they had drawn in the sand. It looked like a game of hopscotch. Wadai told me it was called elgalagala. The girls jumped and twirled and laughed with glee. I stopped to take pictures and they posed like fashion models.

At Zanna’s home, I sat cross-legged on a red straw mat on the patio as he told me how he and the other parents had marched through Sambisa in a fruitless search for their daughters. Hawa, 19, showed me the bedroom she shared with Aisha. A large bed took up more than half of the room; plastic suitcases and laundry baskets were piled along the walls.

In a low voice, Hawa described Aisha.

“My junior sister has respect,” she said. “She is a very quiet girl.”

Back on the patio, Zanna, was on his knees, praying to Allah. I said my goodbyes, and left the family to mourn.

My last stop that day was at Lydia Pogu’s family compound. Lydia had managed to run away from her abductors after the attack in April. Sitting with Dayo and me on a wooden bench, she described how Boko Haram fighters had stormed the school asking for food and dragging the girls onto trucks. With a friend, Lydia had jumped out of her truck and landed on her stomach, before fleeing the scene. She told me she never wants to go to school again. She wants

to farm the land instead. By this point, our driver had returned from the mechanic’s shop in Damboa, and he drove us to Wadai’s family home in Chibok, where we’d be spending the night. I sunk onto a couch, weighed down by sadness. I thought about the principal and her gutted school; about Lydia and her harrowing escape; about Happy’s bitterness, Marvelous’s hope, and Esther’s continuous tears.

The next morning, we left Chibok, but not before stopping at the home of the oldest man in the village, Bitrus Dawa Kulaha Abugar Woshanta Umar Ibn Elkanemi, or Bitrus Dawa for short. He tells everyone he was born in 1910. We spoke about the first time he saw white people— Christian missionaries—in Chibok, in 1923; about the 1967-1970 Nigerian civil war, when he was working as a teacher; about how corrupt, unethical Nigerian leaders had degraded the country. Raindrops interrupted our conversation.

“That dirt road is impossible in the rain,” Wadai told me, urging me to wrap things up with Dawa. I ducked into the car, where Dayo was already waiting. The driver snaked through the mud until the car stalled—yet again. Dayo yelled in frustration and the driver silently opened his door. With his pants folded up to his knees, he began to walk around aimlessly. We stayed there for almost 10 minutes, until Wadai took the wheel and Dayo nudged the car out of the mud.

We came across a group of cars that were also stuck, and I recognized Lawan Zanna and Esther Yakubu’s husband, who burst into smiles when they saw me. They were transporting Lydia and four other girls who had escaped from Boko Haram to Maiduguri at the request of the government, in the hopes that the girls could identify abducted classmates who had appeared in a video released by the militant group. Some of the girls in the car had, like Lydia, jumped out of the trucks, while others had hidden in the bushes or clung to tree branches as the vehicles drove off. “We are not happy until our friends come back,” Lydia said.

We helped the other cars out of the mud and proceeded on the road together in a convoy. Eventually, we reached the first major checkpoint.

A soldier asked us where we were going, and where we were coming from.

“Maiduguri, Chibok.”

“Chibok! You people passed the night in Chibok?” He shook his head, incredulous.

“Someone like you is not supposed to pass there.”

“Why not?” said Wadai. “It’s my village.”

(Chika Oduah is a freelance journalist based in Abuja.

Source: The Atlantic)

“The spirit of Boko Haram can enter the cows. So we should always wait for the cow to cross the road.” solid assurance of safety. Two matrons led us to the girls’ residence, where I saw bare bed frames and shards of glass on the floor.

Standing in the bedrooms, I imagined the girls’ screams as they were snatched away. I pictured them disappearing with their kidnappers into the night.

In Chibok, I found a close-knit community in mourning—families gathering together at dawn and then heading Members of an anti-Boko Haram civilian militia on the road from Maiduguri to Chibok. Some of to a dozen or so churches and a handful these vigilantes are former members of the insurgency. (Photo: Chika Oduah)

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.

FAITH LEAF

SunDAY

THE MORUNG EXPRESS 25 May 2014

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7

INSPIRATIONAL STORIES, MESSAGES, POEMS & SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES

Commitment Who is the Shepherd? Inspiring Realities of Isaac Kario

I

t was Election time and it was not clean. The Pastor of the church saw it. His conscience educated in the Word of God couldn’t stand the dirty game. A prayerful Saturday became devotional Sunday; his bodacious faith took him to the pulpit to speak. He spoke against corruption, dirty money, and foul play in Election. He admonished his flocks not to get too enthusiastic in support leading to violence and chaos. The believers who has the truth at heart nodded in concur. They grinned and squinted at other believers on pews after every truth statement of the Pastor. In pride they chanted, “The truth was spoken, today.” They inspected, introspected, retrospect, and did every other necessary ‘speck.’ They left the church corrected and edified. The truth set them free.

Yet, the truth hurt some mendaciously corrupted swindlers in the pews. They connived and conspired to ruin the Pastor who just nearly devastated them with the truth. They hit their jackpot when they realized the GB of the village was on their side. The GB was the head of anything and everything in the village and that included the church. Without any hesitance, the GB fired the Pastor. The lucky Youth Pastor became the main Pastor overnight.One, Two, Three, Four, Five things surprised me in this story.

First, the dictatorial GB’s voice was the finalone even in the church. Second, the truthful Pastor has no authority or ground whatsoever. Third, the timorous believers consented to the decision of the GB. Fourth, the selfish Youth Pastor agreed to take over the church upon such injustice. Five, the almighty Association of that church knew the Pastor was fired.

This appalled me the most. At other times the know-it-all Association takes every major decision for the church. But in this, they pathetically bowed to the GB’s decision. They covertly appointed another job for the fired Pastor. I won’t want to call this Sixth, but I am confused now why that Pastor took the other job. Anyway, I guess he is more humble than me.

To me, the only right thing in this story is the preaching of the truth and all other things went wrong. Who the heck is this GB to take decision in the church? He is the head of the village and that’s about it.

Why insert his filthy hands in the church?

How can the Pastor lead the church with no spiritual and ecclesiastical author-

Mezhiisevi Mark Ziitso

My nous on Nagas and the Bible

The writer is currently doing his Master of Theology (Th.m) majoring in Biblical Theology in Asian Christian Academy and also works with Christ in Youth Team, Kohima.

ity? What else would he preach or teach if not the truth? How can he preach on love when evil foul play is clearer than noonday light? What on God’s green earth were the believers doing when the GB fired the Pastor? I expect a little more even from fraidy-cats. What the jungle?

This foxy Youth Pastor decided to depose his mentor and Shepherd. All my disgust for the church Association, they shy away. Pharisaic is all they are in this.

I know this incident didn’t happen in your church. It happened in one of our Naga Church. Why then do I whine over the spilt milk? It is simply because in subtle ways this reflects many Naga churches.

You may have a GB controlling your church or maybe not. The question here is who is controlling the church? In biblical terms, who is the Shepherd in your church?

Who is Shepherding your church? In many churches,Mr. Director of that department is wiser than the Pastor. His voice resonate the Wisdom of Solomon just because he has the social reputation. With the speed of light, his desires for the Church are taken into consideration. The Pastor toils in prayer for a project and it takes the Church years to complete it. Mr. Contractor, a deacon, came up with a project which apparently is of lesser value than that of the Pastor but it is done in days. In church official meetings, only the voices of the Deaconboard, the managing board, that Businessman, this Officer or Secretary, that Contractor are heard. The Pastor is kept at bay.

Whom do you allow to Shepherd your church? The other beautiful day, my

friend commented on the how about of his church. Of all his whining, I remember this one clearly, “I am not allowed to preach in the church because I don’t own a car and my house is not two storied.”

This friend of mine has a Master of Divinity along with that he has what it takes to be a preacher. Implicit in his statement was that only the reputed and the rich are heard in the church. This is more real in the villages. The richer you are the louder your voice. And we know the Pastors are typically poor in many places. The Chairman and GB are usually better-off. I have seen Pastors kept for the sake of keeping and to fill in the Sunday preaching slot.

Who should be the Shepherd? Majorly, we are Congregationalist in church government. We have the Pastor as the leader of the church or a bishop. The term pastor, elder and bishop in New Testament usages seem synonymous.

The word “Pastor” in Greek “poimen” literally means shepherd. This word is use as a metaphor for leader in the New Testament. The New Testament imagery comes from a Palestinian background where the shepherd who tended a flock of sheep held a responsible position.

Great flocks had to be moved from place to place, and it was necessary that they be guarded from wild animals and robbers. Because of the fundamental role of shepherding in the ancient world, the word “shepherd” became a common term for a ruler. Rulers and leaders of the people are often referred to as shepherds (Nm 27:17; 1 Kgs 22:17; Jer 10:21).

God himself undertakes to provide for his flock (Jer 23:3; 31:10; Ez 34:11–22) and promises to provide faithful shepherds who are concerned for his people (Jer 3:15; 23:4). Jesus refers to himself as the promised Messianic Shepherd (Mt 10:16; 25:32; Mk 14:27; Jn 10:1–30; cf. Heb 13:20; 1 Pt 2:25). Ephesians 4:11 speaks of leaders of the church as shepherds or pastors, and this usage continued in the early church and down until the present day. Paul says they are special people given to the church by God to care “for God’s people as a shepherd does his sheep, leading and teaching them in the ways of God.”(Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible).

I have very less interest in given Pastoral theology or guidelines here. I am just making a point with the meaning of the word per se. Pastor is the shepherd of the Church. He preaches and teaches to feed the flocks. He decides the spiritual activities and happenings of the church. Pastor as a good shepherd should know his sheep and his sheep should follow him (Jn 10: 27).

It is the responsibility of the Pastor to build up the church by watching over the congregation (Acts 20:28; Heb 13:7) and countering false teaching (Acts 20:29, 30).

It is wrong in Naga Churches for the Deacon-Board, Managing Board or whatever Board to decide the spiritual happenings of the church. It is incongruous even for Church Council or Associations to decide what the Pastor should do with his congregation. It is flatly wrong for socially reputed Officers, Contractors, and Businessman to control or have a special voice in the church. The Pastor is the Shepherd, anointed by God to lead the Church.

It doesn’t matter whether his house is thatch made or a palace. He may be driving a Duster or Maruti 800 or maybe he owns none. But none of this should decide the weight of hisvoice, preaching or teaching at church. The Pastor should lead the church and the others should follow suit.

He knows better than the zillion strategies suggested by the Church Council or Associationregarding his congregation because he knows them personally. He can teach his congregation better than John Piper, Joseph Prince or anybody for that matter because he knows the need of his flocks.

Simply to say, the Pastor is the Shepherd. He should lead the Church and nobody else. Pastors should know this and should live up to it. Every other being should know and follow suit.

Dr. Ben Carson on ‘One Nation,’ Political Correctness, & Criticizing Conservatives Michael Gryboski eurosurgeon and philanthropist Dr. Ben Carson seeks to unite Americans with the advice from his newest book. In One Nation: What We Can All Do To Save America's Future, the man who made headlines for his 2013 National Prayer Breakfast speech hopes to unite the country under common principles.

In an interview with The Christian Post, Carson explained that with One Nation, released Tuesday, he hopes to "wake people up to the fact that we are being manipulated by people who want to divide us."

"If you look at the neo-Marxist literature one of the ways they say to bring the United States down is divide and conquer," said Carson. "And here you see all these wars, race wars, income wars, gender wars. You know, virtually any kind of thing you think of we have a war on it."

Carson added that he wanted "the people to recognize that we the American people are not each other's enemies and the enemies are those people who are attempting to divide us up." "And I go through great pain to make sure that they know who those people are," said Carson.

Carson talked with CP on Monday about his book and the issues it touched upon, as well as contemporary events in America. Below are excerpts from the interview.

CP: What led you to write the book? The impression was that this was sort of a continuation of your speech at the National Prayer Breakfast.

Carson: I wrote it because I think the time is so short for turning the direction of our country. And I wanted it to come out several months before the November [2014] election so that the people will have a very good impression of what we're fighting for. Understanding that either we're going to have a country that is for, of, and by the people or one that is for, of, and by the government.

These are critical decisions that we're making right now.

Carson: Certainly they can because if you look at all the principles that I've laid out they're really more common sense than they are Republican or Democrat.

And I think common sense ought to be common. It shouldn't reside in one party or the other and we need to be looking at those things that threaten the viability of

anything else we don't want anything to do with you, and we don't want you to even disseminate what you believe to anyone else," does that even begin to sound like America? Of course not.

CP: You are critical not just of liberals but conservatives in the book. How hard is it to criticize on the record individuals who are ideological peers?

Carson: I think you have to tell the truth. No matter where it lies. And, for instance, if you look at conservatives, who love to ply litmus tests to candidates. And if they don't conform in every circumstance, wash your hands of them. Want nothing to do to with them. Well that's a very short-sighted view, because basically if you say "I'm taking my marbles and going home," you empower the other side. That's exactly what they want you to do."

You have to recognize that somebody who agrees with you 90 percent of the time is going to be much easier to work with than somebody who's diametrically opposed to you 100 percent of the time.

N

I

t began with two devastating words: “tumor” and “incurable.” If they are not words you have ever heard, they are probably words heard by someone near you, someone you love or loved.

They were words David McDonald heard as well.

McDonald had pastored for just about twenty years and by 2011 had decided to begin a new work. He and his family would leave Canberra, Australia, and move thousands of kilometers north to Darwin, a remote but needy city. They were going there to found a new church. They secured support, made the journey a couple of times, found a place to live, made all the necessary preparations, packed the truck, and sent it off. They were all ready to begin the next twenty years of ministry.

And then, just days before the big move, there was shortness of breath, numbness in the limbs. Something was wrong. Really wrong. There was a visit to the specialist and the terrible diagnosis: lung cancer. Incurable. Stage 4.

Ben Carson

CP: In your book, you did talk about the solutions you have for our country and the direction it is going. the free American way of life.

Things like having a more tithe-based taxation system.

Personal responsibility, innovation, faith, all those You mentioned some of the efforts you were putting in things that made us into a great nation are still readily to getting this to become reality. Would you like to exavailable and not controlled by someone else. plain further?

CP: In the book, you talked about the controversy over Carson: The main thing we have to do is begin the disyour speaking at the Johns Hopkins University gradu- cussion about the fact that our taxation system is the ation ceremony. This year, much has been made about most complex piece probably in the world. Even the Afnumerous individuals finding their commencement fordable Care Act pales in significance in terms of cominvitations being canceled because of remarks they plexity to our tax code. have made or positions taken. Do you believe this is a I mentioned of course, in the [2013 National Prayer rising trend?

Breakfast], the whole concept of proportionality. If it Carson: It's just showing how our society is going com- was good enough for God, it should be good enough pletely off the rail with political correctness and how for us. You know, if you make a great deal of money, you incredibly destructive it is. When you have a universi- pay a great deal of money. You make very little money, ty, which is supposed to be the epitome of free think- you pay very little money. And yet you all get the same ing, trying to constrain all the thinking, and trying to rights. That to me seems like the fairest possible system.

What we have to do is to start thinking about things impose their will, and telling students that "we are for free speech as long as you agree with us, but if you think that are logical and that make sense.

Hope Beyond Cure Tim Challies Best-case scenario: he might live to see next Christmas.

In all the difficulty and in all the devastation, he needed to find hope. With the fatal diagnosis and with the best of modern medicine unable to offer the promise of health, he knew he had to look for hope beyond cure.

Hope Beyond Cure describes his search for hope. Yes, he was a pastor.

Yes, he had walked with others through devastating and even terminal illness.

But now it was him and now he was the one whose faith had been rocked and whose dreams had been shattered. He wasn’t ever tempted to throw away his Christian faith. Not at all. But he did realize the importance of deep and deeply satisfying answers.

Faith and reason have shaped this

book. Together they have given me hope. I don’t know everything there is to know about cancer or God. I’ve studied them both, but my understanding is partial and limited. My ignorance outweighs my knowledge, even though I’m learning more day by day. But this knowledge of cancer and of God isn’t simply in my head—it’s deeply personal. I don’t just know about them—they are part of my life and my experience. I know cancer and I know God. And it’s because I know God that I believe there is real hope for those who have cancer, for those who are struggling, for those who have lost hope—for everyone.

The hope he describes is the best and truest hope because it is founded upon the best and truest reality—that God is real and that he has sent his Son

into this world to redeem sinners. McDonald goes to the gospel, but he does it in such a faith-stirring and helpful way. These aren’t easy answers. These aren’t trite solutions to deep problems.

These are truths drawn carefully and consistently from the Bible, and all the while combined with the strength of human experience.

Each of us knows someone who will suffer from cancer. Many who read these words will some day be diagnosed. Hope Beyond Cure is a book to read if you, like McDonald, are a Christian and suffering and need to be reminded of what is true. It is an appropriate book to hand to an unbeliever as well; it is written in a gentle and humble style that is not the least bit offensive.

As Christians, we have nothing better to offer than what the Bible tells us and no better hope than the hope it describes— a hope beyond cure. Here is a book that offers deep answers to deep questions, all the while tempered by deep wells of experience. It is powerful, it is helpful, and it comes highly recommended.

Kuolachalie Seyie Seven secret steps of success 1. Fight with broken arm: Isaac Kario, the champion of Super Fight League (SFL) India registered international victory in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) on 8th February 2014, at Queen Casino-Cage Sport Battle in Washington, USA. In the fight, though his right arm was broken by his opponent, he managed to fight through “two more rounds”, punching a couple of deadly hammer fists and kicks and finally won through Technical Knock Out (TKO). The professional MMA record for Isaac Kario stands at ‘3’ wins and ‘0’ losses against professional level fighters.

2. “I am strict to self ”: The fight, despite the broken arm is historic and glorifying with nothing to regret. It speaks of the strong commitment of the Nagas, in mind, body, spirit, originality and identity. Isaac said “I am used to being very strict to myself”. Yes, he is strict in his regular training and exercise, diet, time management, healthcare, maintaining integrity, purity and self-discipline. His self respect and ability to say no to all indulgences is the key to his physical, spiritual strength and success in life. This character is also contagious as any other diseases are, we can imbibe these inspiring realities. God created all of us in His own image with some of his characteristics, power, glory, majesty, wisdom and potentialities. However, we need discipline and commitment for the application of the latent God given talents and gifts. Without trustworthiness and commitment, our talents are in vain.

3. Ultimate leader of men: Our usual practice today is, doing something just as instructed or when people are watching. We can all do that without much effort of commitment or integrity. This is not the hard work which bears good fruits. Hard work and hard work first, consistency in hard work is the purpose and direction of God “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground” (Gen 3: 19). Our need of the day to become the ‘Ultimate Leader of Men’ in any profession is trustworthiness and being true to self. Isaac is just one of us, he is not of a different species. But a fraction of higher commitment and accountability to God in a person makes such a vast difference in life as seen from his experiences.

4. “Dream… and live it”: “A man who dares to waste an hour of time has not discovered the value of life” – Charles Darwin. The National Football League (NFL) renowned champion, USA Ray Lewis said “I have taken only two breaks in my life. But those two breaks were only for the surgeries I have had”.

Our forefathers worked all day and night in moonlight almost on empty stomach, only to give as many as eighteen different categories of feasts to the entire village during their time, celebrating their achievement. This deep rooted tradition of patriotism is our originality and identity. Isaac Kario has beautifully depicted this patriotism in his MMA profession and says “Dream and live it.” It means whatever may be your goal, pursue it with utmost commitment and integrity, go, do it with conviction, courage and it will be achieved.

This is the secret of success in life. Also Henry Ford said, “The harder you work, the luckier you get”.

We are not created by God accidentally, but created in God’s likeliness, so, we are all lucky, sons of the Most High, King of Kings. We only need to recognize what we have and strive towards our goals.

5. “Your true strength is from your heart”: “It is not the size of the dog, but the size of the fight in the dog that matters”. This is an adage from ancient China. Isaac is only 5’7” feet tall and not a huge man either, but the size of the fight in his heart is big enough since he has the concern for the Naga identity with commitment and courage. The declaration of Isaac as “your true strength is from your heart” means that the strength is not outward, but inward. The biggest problem in our life today is our casualness, low self esteem, indulgences of all kinds and not lack of talent and resource. According to my uncle Thinozelhou Seyie, anyone who is irresponsible in small matters such as Morung community firewood collection can’t succeed in his career in spite of all opportunities.

6. “One step at a time”: Isaac Kario said “ Go with one step at a time.” Not to be the jack of all trades and master of none. He meant us to define and commit ourselves to our goals, ability to say no to all wrongs and temptations, big or small. Build up our self- esteem, self- discipline, train and plan in all the details, take prompt and sincere practical action and go step by step with the principle of one step at a time to meet our goals. Brian Tracy in this connection said, “Your goal in life should be to enjoy the highest level of health and energy possible. This requires that you eat the right food and fewer of them.

It requires you to get regular exercise and move every joint of your body daily. To enjoy superb health, you must get lots of rest and recreation. Above all you maintain a positive mental attitude, looking for the good in very situation and remain determined to be a completely positive person.”

7. Know yourself: A life not examined is not worth living. So, let’s examine ourselves, know ourselves and come out with statements as that of Isaac as “I am strict to myself”. For “self respect is the root of discipline; the sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to self”- Abraham Joshua Hesche.

The above challenging insights and inspirations is what we want to inculcate in ourselves for survival. The miracle we desire in these areas is not to fly in the air or to walk on water but to walk straight in righteousness on this very earth, so that we may not rise up from bed each morning exhausted between a desire to lead a quality life and a desire just to enjoy the world. Stay absolutely true to ourselves, never let any temptation distract us from our goals and never invest any energy in negative and perverted agendas. We must recognize what we have in hand and be firm in our God given mission even though that may be the opposite of what everyone is doing, as it is guided by the profound meaning of life. The spiritual areas which, sadly, we often neglect is the ‘storehouse’ that will take care of our myriad problems of body, mind, social, economic, political, education, and even infrastructural needs. “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.” (Mat. 6: 33).

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

Sunday 25 May 2014

The Morung Express

Pak PM to attend Modi’s inauguration as PM

IsLaMaBaD, May 24 (REutERs): Pakistan has accepted an invitation to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to attend the inauguration of Indian Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi, an official said on Saturday. The Pakistani premier’s attendance will be a first in the history of the nuclear-armed rivals, which have fought three wars since independence in 1947.

“There will be a bilateral meeting on the sidelines between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Mr. Modi,” Mohyuddin Wani, the joint secretary of the Prime Minister’s office, told Reuters. “Mr. Sharif will also be calling on the Indian president.” Ties have been particularly tense since the 2008 attacks on Mumbai blamed by India on Pakistan-based militants.

Sharif came to power last year promising to rebuild

relations with India but has been under pressure to toughen his stance from hardliners at home, particularly within the army. The top source of friction is his aim to boost trade with India. Many army officers say India must vacate its part of the disputed territory of Kashmir before ties can improve.

In India too, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s efforts to rebuild economic and diplomatic ties fell apart when deadly skirmishes broke out along the border in Kashmir last year. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party has long advocated a tough stance on Pakistan, a view reflected in his election campaign that produced a parliamentary majority.

The new Indian leader is seen as a hardliner on issues of national security.

But officials in Pakistan are also hopeful that Modi

BJP ‘delighted’ as Sharif confirms

In this April 30, Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif waves as he arrives for a meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron at 10 Downing Street in London. A spokesman for India's next prime minister Narendra Modi says he plans to invite the leader of rival Pakistan to his inauguration along with other South Asian leaders. (AP File Photo)

nomic agenda will require India to open markets and normalise trade with neighbours. He may find Sharif, a proponent of free markets with a history of Opening Markets, Nor- conciliatory gestures towards New Delhi, a worthy malising Trade Modi’s ambitious eco- ally. The relationship improved the last time the BJP took power, in 1998, under Prime Minister Atal Bihari PM has accepted invite, be watching closely,” he Vajpayee, who rode a bus to shows that he can prevail said. The chief minister Lahore during Sharif’s preover forces inimical to also opined that the Mo- vious stint in power to sign good relations with India,” di-Sharif handshake will a peace accord.

Three months later, the Omar wrote on micro- overshadow the presence blogging site twitter.com. of other foreign dignitaries Pakistan army torpedoed Abdullah said the people attending Modi’s swearing Sharif’s attempts to improve of Jammu and Kashmir in ceremony on Monday. ties by secretly sending solwill be closely watching “Can’t help feel sorry for diers disguised as militants the developments. others taking oath or at- to capture Indian outposts “I hope that this will tending because the only in the heights of Kargil, in mark a new beginning in photo op that will matter the north of Indian Kashties between our two coun- now will be the Modi-Shar- mir. Lasting India-Pakistan peace would help smooth tries. The people of J&K will if handshake,” he said. a perilous transition in Afwill seize an opportunity to rebuild ties, because he is much less vulnerable to the charges of weakness that plagued Singh.

‘Hope Sharif’s nod will mark new start in ties’

sRINaGaR, May 24 (PtI): Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said he was glad that Pakistan premier Nawaz Sharif has accepted the invitation to attend Narendra Modi’s oath-taking ceremony as Prime Minister and hoped that this would mark a new beginning in IndiaPakistan relations.

“Very glad to hear Pak

ghanistan as most NATO combat forces prepare to leave by the end of this year.

“We still have to gauge what Modi’s government’s stand is on the many issues that remain unresolved between Pakistan and India,” an information ministry official said, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to comment on the issue.

“The inaugural speech will hopefully set the tone of relations and we can take it from there.” Former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf was the last Pakistani head of state to visit India in 2005. Last year, former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declined Sharif’s invitation to attend his oath taking ceremony after Pakistan’s general election.

NEW DELHI, May 24 (PtI): The BJP on Saturday expressed “delight” at the decision of Nawaz Sharif to attend the oathtaking ceremony of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister while Congress asked the new government to raise issues such as crossborder terrorism, slow pace of trial of 26/11 attackers and handing over of Dawood Ibrahim with the Pakistan premier.

“This is a delightful piece of news that Pakistan Prime Minister has accepted Narendra Modi’s invitation ... this is the beginning of a new relationship. It is good news,” BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar

said here. He said Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar are India’s neighbours.

“And neighbours cannot be changed,” he said.

But Congress reacted cautiously to the development. Outgoing Union minister Manish Tewari reminded that BJP has all along maintained that terror and talks cannot go together. He hoped that after assuming office, the BJP government would raise the issue of slow pace of trail of 26/11 attacks — an issue “which had been troubling them.”

He also said the issue of people like Hafiz Saeed should also be raised.

n“They have also periodically been raising the issue of the return of Dawood Ibrahim, who allegedly is being sheltered by the establishment in Pakistan. So, we hope that BJP remains true to the position it has taken over the past ten years and raises these issues with the Prime Minister of Pakistan when he comes to India,” Tewari said.

Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed said photo opportunities are okay but in the euphoria of coronation, Modi should not compromise national interest. “According to BJP, terror modules and Dawood are still active in Pakistan,” he said.

Sharif’s decision augurs well for Indo-Pak ties: Lord Paul

LONDON, May 24 (PtI): Welcoming Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s decision to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi, Lord Swraj Paul on Saturday said it augurs well for good neigbourly relations and peace in the subcontinent.

All Indians and Pakistanis everywhere as well as their well-wishers are delighted that Sharif will be present on this delight-

ful occasion. Modi took a bold step in inviting Sharif whose response also is an excellent gesture, said Paul. Hopefully the two leaders will establish a good rapport and build on that to resolve bilateral issues, the chairman of the London-based Caparo Group said.

Prime Minister Sharif will travel to India on Monday to attend the swearingin ceremony of Modi. Modi has invited all the leaders

of member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to the ceremony.

Other key SAARC leaders, Sri Lankan President President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom have confirmed that they will attend the ceremony.

India wants ‘zero Sonia calls for drawing lessons from poll setback Shazia Ilmi quits AAP, Congress Parless than 15 percent. The tolerance’ for terrorism Re-elected BJP won 282 seats. She said liamentary Party leader uNItED NatIONs, May 24 (PtI): India has said it will not support any resolution adopted after an ongoing review of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy that dilutes efforts to combat the menace of terrorism, for which there should be zero tolerance.

Participating in informal consultations on the outcomeof the 4th biennial review of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (GCTS), India strongly condemned the “cowardly terrorist attack” on its consulate in Herat province, saying the attack once again underscores that the main objective of terrorism in Afghanistan is to “prevent its reconstruction and development.” The attack was “valiantly repelled” by the “brave security forces of Afghanistan”.India also strongly condemned the May 22 terrorist attack in Urumqi in China when attackers threw explosive devices into a market in the capital of the northwestern region of Xinjiang province, killing nearly 40 people and wounding 90 others.

“These two terrorist attacks illustrate the need for us to emphasize in the general assembly resolution that no cause or grievance can justify terrorism, which has to be countered, prosecuted and penalized,” the Indian delegation said during the intervention made at the informal consultations. The concluding session of the fourth review of the Strategy will be held on June 12-13 here at the end of which the UNGA will adopt a resolution.

India stressed that it “would not support any formulation of the resolution which would in any way dilute our efforts to combat the menace of terrorism. This would be our strong contribution from the international community to the people and countries which are victims of the terrorist acts.” India called for the adoption of a “holistic approach and balanced implementation” of four pillars of UN Counter-Terrorism strategy keeping in mind the overall objective of zero tolerance of terrorism, which is endorsed by the UN. “We urge all delegations to agree that this resolution should clearly state that we have zero tolerance of terrorism,” the Indian delegation added. Adopted by the general assembly in September 2006, the GCTS is based on four pillars of tackling the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, preventing and combating terrorism, building States’ capacity to prevent and combat terrorism and to strengthen the role of the UN system in that regard and ensuring respect for human rights for all and the rule of law as the fundamental basis for the fight against terrorism.

India was the chair of the counter terror committee of the UNSC during its period on the council till 2012 end.

India had introduced and got adopted the “zero tolerance” approach to terror in the council on the subject.

NEW DELHI, May 24 (IaNs): Congress president Sonia Gandhi Saturday called for drawing “appropriate lessons from unprecedented setback” to the party in the Lok Sabha election and said the party will work with like-minded parties in the opposition. Addressing the first meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) after the general election, Gandhi also disapproved of party leaders venting in public their feelings about the party’s loss in the polls.

Gandhi, who was unanimously re-elected CPP chairperson at the meeting, said she was asked by the Congress Working Committee (CWC) to take all steps necessary to revamp the organisation at all levels. “Your inputs, your experience and your assessment of our strengths and weaknesses, rather than public acrimony, will be critical to the exercise,” she said.

Party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi told reporters later that Gandhi would nominate leaders of the party in the two houses of parliament and also other office bearers of the CPP. The Congress was reduced to its worst tally in the Lok Sabha election and could win only 44 seats. It did not win a single seat in some states. In an apparent message to party parliamentarians, including her own son and party vice president Rahul Gandhi, So-

India’s Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi addresses a meeting of Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) in New Delhi, India on May 24. This was the first meeting of the CPP after the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party won the parliamentary elections sweeping the long-dominant Congress party from power. (AP Photo)

nia Gandhi said that being in the opposition means regular attendance, more hours inside the house and more study of subjects. “It means asking more questions, raising more issues, initiating more debates, always being the vigilant watchdog and defending principles of Congress.”

Rahul Gandhi, who led the party’s campaign in the general election, was among the bottom 40 percent parliamentarians across all parties when it came to attendance in the 15th Lok Sabha, according to data compiled by PRS legislative research, a think tank that tracks the work of parliament. He also participated in a few debates and did not raise a single question, according to data compiled till Feb 21.

Sonia Gandhi congratulated the newly-elected Lok Sabha members and said that although victorious, she was pained about

the larger defeat of the party. “We have to individually and collectively draw appropriate lessons from this unprecedented setback,” she said. “That there was widespread anger against us which we failed to adequately gauge is now obvious. We must understand why this was so and take necessary corrective measures,” she said.n She said the CWC meeting earlier this week was only a beginning in the process of introspection and the party needs to reflect more.

“Your role in that exercise will be crucial and I invite you to participate in it in the days ahead,” she said. Seeking to boost the morale of party workers, Gandhi said the Congress secured 10.69 crore votes compared to 17.16 crore received by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

She said though the party got almost 62 percent votes compared to that of the BJP, its tally was

people who voted for the Congress believed in “our idea of India and fundamental values of our party parliamentary democracy, secularism, inclusive development and social justice”. “We have to work hard to recapture the larger support base that the Congress traditionally enjoyed.”

She said party workers carried the Congress flag throughout the country and worked tirelessly during the election. Gandhi slammed the BJP and some other parties and said they opposed some legislations due to “cussedness and outright political opportunism”.

“You will recall that the BJP propounded the infamous theory that obstructing parliament is a legitimate parliamentary device.”

Gandhi said the party will “see what will be the attitude” of the new government to pending legislations of the UPA government and noted that the results should not be allowed to negate the “very far reaching and enduring achievements” of the Congress-led government over the past decade. She said the Congress may have a small strength in the Lok Sabha but it was the largest party in the Rajya Sabha. n“Together, the CPP can function as a formidable opposition. And we can and will work together with like-minded parties to strengthen the watchful role of parliamentary opposition.”

Twitter to take India election innovations global

NEW DELHI, May 24 (REutERs): U.S. social networking company Twitter is planning to replicate parts of its India election strategy across countries that go to polls this year, after it emerged as a key tool for politicians and media companies during the world’s largest democratic exercise.

In India, Twitter Inc worked closely with politicians including the victor Narendra Modi who used the platform for election campaigning, and also partnered with mobile and media firms to distribute tweets online and offline.

Now, with polling due in countries such as Brazil, Indonesia and the United States later this year, the San Francisco-based company plans to take its India

lessons abroad to expand its foothold in the political arena and increase its user base.

“The election more than any other moment provides a nice microcosm of the value Twitter can add ... we are sharing widely the lessons of this Indian election around the world,” said Rishi Jaitly, India market director at Twitter.

Last week, the company sent its top political strategist to Brazil to explain the potential of the social network to senators, who are likely to use Twitter’s six-second video app Vine for campaigning after it was used by Indian politicians, the company said.

For the U.S. election, the company has started looking for partners to replicate their “Tweet To Re-

member” feature used in India, which enables users to add the voting date automatically to their mobile calendar using a tweet.

Twitter widely emerged as a political tool first during the 2012 U.S. presidential elections, and then during the Arab Spring uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East. Today, U.S. President Barack Obama has more than 43 million Twitter followers.

In India, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) embraced the technology ahead of rivals, collaborating with thousands of volunteers to spread the Hindu nationalist leader’s message and counter criticism on the web.

It was the country’s first major Twitter election, and the novelty of the technol-

ogy gave an advantage to the politicians who adopted first - especially the BJP, said Milan Vaishnav of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

“The Indian experience will serve as a model for other developing countries ... In the U.S., the saturation of the social media space by all parties may have a cancelling out effect,” Vaishnav said.

Tech-savvy Modi, who now has 4.3 million Twitter followers, used the platform relentlessly. He recently tweeted “selfies” and pictures with his mother. On May 16 he set a Twitter India record with his victory acknowledgement tweet.

His rivals lagged. A few years before India’s mammoth election, Congress

leader Shashi Tharoor asked Rahul Gandhi, the lead campaign manager of the now ousted party, to join Twitter. Gandhi declined.

With about two-thirds of India’s population under 35, Modi targetted the young and smart by topping up campaigning with social media, holograms and recorded voice calls.

The potential was, and still is, huge: India has the world’s third largest internet user base of 239 million and more than 900 million mobile connections.

Many access web on their phones.

Twitter’s reach was not restricted to its estimated 35 million India users, as nearly 400 multilingual news channels that closely tracked politicians on

the website reached 153 million households, data from TAM Media Research showed.

Modi, who is due to be sworn in on Monday, has not let up his Twitter onslaught since the election and like other global leaders will make the service a central part of his communications arsenal.

Tharoor, for now, has again advised his top leadership to adapt to social media platforms as a part of their renewed strategy to improve communication.

“There is no reason why we should cede that space to the BJP. This is an area in which we can be just as good,” said Tharoor, who has over 2 million Twitter followers and was among the first Indian politicians to join the platform.

attacks Kejriwal

NEW DELHI, May 24 (IaNs): Accusing the AAP of being run by a “crony clique” who take “impulsive decisions”, journalist-turned-politician Shazia Ilmi Saturday quit the party citing lack of “inner-party democracy”.

Criticising Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal, Ilmi said at a press conference here: “I have decided to give up my membership of the AAP and resign from all positions within the party.”

“This is a difficult decision for me but it is triggered by the lack of inner-party democracy, specially from a party that constantly talks of Swaraj,” she added.

In a scathing attack on Kejriwal, Ilmi said he had “shot the messenger”.

“Arvind has shot the messenger. For the last four years, I fought like an obedient soldier. However, now I have been systematically marginalised because I offered a voice of dissent and constructive criticism,” she said.

Ilmi further said Kejriwal failed to follow the concept of Swaraj personally, and accused the party of being run by a “crony clique” though she refused to take any names.

“We fight against cronyism but we have a crony clique who run the party and take impulsive decisions which we learn about later. We cannot follow the principles of Swaraj within our own party,” she said.

“When a brilliant person like Arvind who espoused the concept of Swaraj, of collective decision making, is unable to follow it personally within the party, then doesn’t it become incumbent to point out the same?”

She also criticised Kejriwal’s decision to go to jail and refusing to pay the bail amount in a defamation case.

“Instead of wasting our collective energy in this jail-bail imbroglio, Arvind should actually be spending time with cadres, candidates, volunteers, critics etc.”

“I am not for jail bharo politics. There is a need to reinvent the AAP, go beyond agitation. Sen-

sationalism may have helped us make our point initially, but to continue to use it as a norm defeats the exercise of trust reposed in us by public,” she said.

Ilmi, however, quickly added that she had the “greatest respect” for Kejriwal and the selfless volunteers who were the “backbone of the party”.

She also clarified that her resignation from the party was not due to the fact that she was asked to contest the Lok Sabha election from Ghaziabad, from where she lost.

“I deny whisper campaigns that my resignation has to do with being fielded from Ghaziabad,” she said.

AAP leader Yogendra Yadav said the party was saddened by the news and the fact that they could not convince Ilmi to change her mind.

“From the time I came to know she wanted to organise a press conference, I spoke to her and asked her to think over the decision. We also told her that Arvind is in jail and not to take such a decision. We are sad we could not convince her,” he said.

“We will surely introspect as we also feel the party has done certain mistakes. It is time for the AAP to learn from its mistakes,” he added.

The Bharatiya Janata party termed the development a result of “arrogance” of Kejriwal and his close associates.

“This had to happen.

This party is being run by three-four people who are arrogant just like their leader (Kejriwal).

I agree with Ilmi-ji that there is no democracy in the party,” Delhi BJP leader Jagdish Mukhi told IANS. “This is the beginning of the breaking up of the party,” he added.

The Congress also took a pot shot at Kejriwal and called the AAP a “private limited firm” of the leader.

“The allegation levelled by Shazia Ilmi adds credence to the allegation of the Congress against the party. The allegation has come true now,” Delhi Congress spokesperson Mukesh Sharma told IANS.

InternatIonal

the Morung express

Sunday 25 May 2014

Dimapur

9

Former Thai PM, protest leaders held ‘to think’ Account of how coup unfolded

A Thai demonstrator shows a banner that reads "No coup" in front of line of soldiers during a protest against the coup outside a shopping complex in Bangkok, Thailand on May 24. Thailand's coup leaders said Saturday they will keep former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Cabinet members and anti-government protest leaders detained for up to a week to give them "time to think" and to keep the country calm. They also summoned outspoken academics to report to the junta. (AP Photo)

BANGKOK, MAy 24 (AP): Thailand’s coup leaders said Saturday they will keep former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Cabinet members and antigovernment protest leaders detained for up to a week to give them “time to think” and to keep the country calm. They also summoned outspoken academics to report to the junta.

The moves appear aimed at preventing any political leaders or other high-profile figures from rallying opposition to the military, which seized power Thursday after months of sometimes violent street protests and deadlock between the elected government and protesters supported by Thailand’s elite establishment.

For a second day, hundreds of anti-coup protesters defied the military’s ban on large gatherings and shouted slogans and waved signs outside a Bangkok cinema. Dozens

of soldiers with riot shields stood nearby but so far did not move in to stop them.

Deputy army spokesman Col. Weerachon Sukondhapatipak said that all the detained politicians were being well-treated and that the aim of the military was to achieve a political compromise. “This is in a bid for everybody who is involved in the conflict to calm down and have time to think,” Weerachon said.

“We don’t intend to limit their freedom but it is to relieve the pressure.”

The country’s military leaders also summoned an additional 35 people including more politicians, political activists and, for the first time, outspoken academics, to “maintain peace and order.” It was not immediately clear whether they would be detained.

One of those on the list, Kyoto University professor of Southeast Asian studies Pavin Chachavalpongpun, said by telephone from

Japan he would not turn himself in. He said that the summons meant that the junta felt insecure.

“The military claiming to be a mediator in the Thai conflict, that is all just nonsense,” he said. “This is not about paving the way for reform and democratization.

We are really going back to the crudest form of authoritarianism,” he said.

Thailand’s key ally, the United States, on Friday suspended $3.5 million in military aid and State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said that Washington was reviewing a further $7 million in direct U.S. assistance. The U.S. also recommended Americans reconsider any non-essential travel to Thailand Thailand’s powerful military says it launched the coup to prevent more turmoil after two days of peace talks in which neither political faction would agree to step aside in their demands. The anti-govern-

ment protesters have in recent months blocked streets in Bangkok demanding that the government step down over allegations of corruption and ties to Yingluck’s brother, exiled ex-leader Thaksin Shinawatra, who was himself deposed in a 2006 military coup.

Populist parties affiliated with the Shinawatras have won every election since 2001 in Thailand.

Thaksin still wields enormous influence over Thailand’s political affairs and remains at the heart of the ongoing crisis.

It was unclear Saturday exactly how many political leaders were being detained by the army. Among the officials who showed up at an army compound in Bangkok on Friday were Yingluck, who was removed from office by a court earlier this month on nepotism charges, and her temporary replacement, Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan, according to Yin-

BANGKOK, MAy 24 (AP): Thailand’s all-powerful army chief started the extraordinary meeting by asking participants to give a progress report on their “homework.”

The participants were the country’s most important political rivals, plus four Cabinet ministers from the embattled government, election commissioners and senators.

The homework: solving a crisis so complex it has split the Southeast Asian nation for nearly a decade, fueling repeated spasms of bloodshed and upheaval.

They didn’t know it then, but they only had about two hours to figure it all out. Just after 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, the conference room would be sealed by soldiers, and the man who called the meeting, Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, would become Thailand’s new ruler.

Accounts of those pivotal moments at a military complex in Bangkok known as the Army Club, relayed by two lawmakers who were present and Thai media, indicate that Prayuth had no intention of engaging in the kind of protracted negotiation necessary to mediate a conflict that reignited last year when protesters took to the streets.

The sequence of events

raises questions about whether the meeting was a ruse to neutralize anyone who might oppose the coup. The fact it happened so swiftly suggests that Prayuth was already planning to do what demonstrators had pushed for all along: overthrow the government, if the two sides could not reach a compromise. There was never much hope they would.

When Prayuth declared martial law on Tuesday, the 60-year-old officer insisted he was only trying to restore stability and force all sides to talk. The next day, he summoned rival factions and Cabinet officials who had little choice but to show up.

After that initial twohour meeting, everyone was told to come back with proposals to end the crisis, said a lawmaker who attended and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. Could rival protest groups call off their demonstrations? Could an interim government be agreed upon? Should political reform (demanded by protesters) or new elections (demanded by the government) come first?

Could the country hold a referendum on its fate?

When talks resumed

Thursday, the atmosphere was much different. Participants were ordered to leave their cellphones outside, more soldiers were on guard and they were heavily armed. Prayuth opened the meeting, saying his aim was to bring peace.

“What I’m doing today is in the interest of security,” he said, in a video released by the military’s TV station. “If this steps over anyone, then I have to apologize. I insist that I will honor every side, always.” An hour later, there was, predictably, no agreement, the lawmaker said.

The talks kept returning to a single point: how would the government go?

Former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the Cabinet could sacrifice for the nation and resign.

Somebody else suggested that the civilian administration might just “take leave.” Others said ministers could step down one by one, or en masse.

The government officials said “they couldn’t do it, claiming they were brought to power by the people and therefore could not step down,” said Sirichoke Sopha, a former member of Parliament from the opposition Democrat Party who was present at the talks. “We pleaded for them to step back,

asking them to sacrifice to save democracy, because we looked at the situation and it didn’t look good.”

Anti-government protester leader Suthep Thaugsuban, whose movement claims the government used its electoral majority to subvert democratic institutions, then held a private meeting with rival pro-Thaksin leader Jatuporn Prompan.

They spoke, accompanied by aides, for 45 minutes.

Afterward, both leaders whispered with Prayuth in a corner for a brief minute.

When the meeting resumed, Prayuth asked Justice Minister Chaikasem Nitisiri if the government was still insisting it would not step down. “We will not,” Chaikasem replied, according to the lawmaker.

Prayuth then told a representative from the Election Commission not to bother planning a vote anytime soon because it would be a “long time” before a ballot could take place. He told representatives of the Senate not to bother with trying to invoke a constitutional clause they had been pressing for to appoint an interim prime minister.

And then, Prayuth stood up and addressed the room. “Sorry. I’m taking power” from this moment on, he said calmly, according to Sirichoke.

gluck’s aide Wim Rungwattanachinda.

Several Cabinet members as well as leaders of the anti-government protests have been held since Thursday’s coup. Education Minister Chaturon Chaisang, an outspoken critic of the military’s in-

tervention in politics, remained in hiding. Chaturon said in a Facebook post that the coup would only worsen the country’s political atmosphere. He vowed not to turn himself in, but said he would not resist arrest.

Human rights groups,

including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, criticized the detentions of political leaders.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay urged Thailand to “ensure respect for human rights and a prompt restoration of the rule of law in

the country.” “The regime must immediately clarify a legal basis for this move and where they are. No one should be detained on the basis for their peaceful political opinions or affiliations,” said Richard Bennett, Asia-Pacific director for Amnesty.

Red carpet activism at Cannes K

Karisma and Sunjay to file for divorce

W

hen Salma Hayek walked the Cannes Film Festival red carpet holding up the sign “Bring Back Our Girls,” the cast of “The Expendables” followed suit the next night — even if some of them didn’t know what the slogan was about.

“I remember Victor (Ortiz) was like, ‘What were those signs?’ and I had to fill him in,’” actor Kellan Lutz of his co-star.

Ortiz, Hayek and others helped spread the message, a plea for the return of

nearly 300 girls kidnapped in Nigeria by the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, by using one of the most famous media events in the world. The “Bring Back Our Girls” campaign has become a hashtag on Twitter and championed by luminaries including U.S. first lady Michelle Obama.

Still, it wasn’t the only social message at Cannes this year. The actors and director of the Turkish film “Winter Sleep” held up signs reading “Soma,” referring to the recent Turk-

ish mining tragedy that killed 301 miners.

In an interview with The Associated Press this week, Angelina Jolie, known for her activism, worried that stars promoting the “Bring Back Our Girls” campaign could backfire. “We need to not turn the Boko Haram into superstars that get more attention for doing something so horrible,” she said. “We need to go after them, arrest and they need to face justice.

“Because at the end of the day, the bigger picture

Iran billionaire executed over $2.6B fraud

TEHRAN, MAy 24 (AP): A billionaire businessman at the heart of a $2.6 billion state bank scam, the largest fraud case since the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, was executed Saturday, state television reported.

Authorities put Mahafarid Amir Khosravi, also known as Amir Mansour Aria, to death at Evin prison, just north of the capital, Tehran, the station reported. The report said the execution came after Iran’s Supreme Court upheld his death sentence. Khosravi’s lawyer, Gholam Ali Riahi, was quoted by news website khabaronline.ir as saying that his client was put to death without any notice. “I had not been informed about execution of my client,” Riahi said. “All the assets of my client are at

the disposal of the prosecutor’s office.”

State officials did not immediately comment on Riahi’s claim. The fraud in-

“I had not been informed about execution of my client” volved using forged documents to get credit at one of Iran’s top financial institutions, Bank Saderat, to purchase assets including state-owned companies like major steel producer Khuzestan Steel Co. Khosravi’s business empire included more than 35 companies from mineral water production to a football club and meat imports from Brazil. According to Iranian media reports, the

bank fraud began in 2007.

A total of 39 defendants were convicted in the case.

Four received death sentences, two got life sentences and the rest received sentences of up to 25 years in prison. The trials raised questions about corruption at senior levels in Iran’s tightly controlled economy during the administration of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Mahmoud Reza Khavari, a former head of Bank Melli, another major Iranian bank, escaped to Canada in 2011 after he resigned over the case. He faces charges over the case in Iran and remains on the Islamic Republic’s wanted list. Khavari previously admitted that his bank partially was involved in the fraud, but has maintained his innocence.

is this kind of horror happens around the world.

Women are facing this kind of abuse, so are men and boys. And the answer cannot be simply one situation and that will solve it.”

“I would beg the media, for all of us, to not treat things one at a time,” she added.

Other stars were supportive of using the Cannes stage to promote something more serious than films. “It’s a great place.

Wherever you can let people know that’s wrong, you can’t do that,” said actor Chris Tucker.

Actor Viggo Mortensen, who held up a flag of his soccer team at his Cannes photo call for the movie “Jauja,” had no problem with other celebrities doing the same for something weightier. “I have no problem speaking out when it seems appropriate or

called for — I’ve done it before,” he said.

Hayek held up the sign as she walked the red carpet for her animated film “The Prophet.” She said it was not out of character.

“I was always involved in women’s rights before I was a celebrity,” she said. “But of course (the premiere) was a good opportunity to use it to continue to put pressure on the governments so that they bring back our girls.”

Lutz said the “Expendables” cast were handed the signs before they walked the carpet but he was already supportive of the campaign. “To do it on one of the most watched locations and spots where people in the films are just walking up, and it’s just such an iconic location ... it impacts so much,” he said.

arisma Kapoor and her husband, Delhibased industrialist Sunjay Kapur, have decided to file for a legal separation by mutual consent.

The actress was spotted in Bandra Family Court yesterday morning. The hearing went on for over three hours in Principal Judge Laxmi Rao’s court following which the actress and her estranged husband agreed to settle their differences amicably, including the custody of their children Samaira and Kiaan Raj Kapoor.

Mirror has learnt that Karisma has allowed Sunjay `controlled access’ to their children. A friend of the couple told Mirror that the divorce was filed sometime ago, but they kept the news under wraps. “Fortunately, the two realised that

there is no point in fighting anymore and decided to separate on good terms,” added realise the friend.

Lawyers Mahesh Jethmalani and Kranti Sathe, who are representing Karisma, are tightlipped about the details of the case. Sunjay’s lawyers, Jalaja Nambiar, Narayan Suvarna and Radhika Mehta, who also filed the earlier custody petition on behalf of the businessman, were also not forthcoming.

Rumours about Karis-

ma tumultuous relationship with Sunjay have been doing the rounds for some time now.

Matters came to a head after he decided to move court for the custody of their kids (Mirror, May 19).

The actress married Sunjay on September 29, 2003. Their first child, Samaira, was born on March 11, 2005 and the couple welcomed Kiaan on March 12, 2010.

Soon after the birth of their son, Karisma moved back to Mumbai with her children and has lived with her mother Babita since then. Meanwhile, the Delhi social circuit continues to be rife with rumours about Sunjay’s proximity with hotelier Vikram Chatwal’s exwife Priya Sachdev.

Karisma and Sunjay that remained unavailable for comment.

10

Dimapur

SPORTS

Sunday 25 May 2014

The Morung Express

Energetic Luiz Stopping Serena won't be simple: Rivals offers versatility & an eye for goal PARIS, MAy 24 (AFP): Maria Sharapova hopes sweet Paris macarons might help, Li Na looks to a savvy coach, and Alize Cornet wants some backing from her home crowd if they are to halt the steamroller that is Serena Williams in the French Open.

The American at 32 may be well into the veteran ranks in Paris, but she believes that like a good wine she is getting better with age. Last year's domination of the women's game when she won her second title in Paris and her 17th Grand Slam crown in New York has been followed by a patchy 2014.

Titles in Brisbane and Miami have been offset by a an early exit at the Australian Open and a succession of injuries and a loss of form that have left her short of match practice.

It was all looking ominous for the most powerful player in the women's game coming into Paris until last week in Rome when she blasted her way to the title for the loss of just one set. Suddenly she is once again installed as the overChelsea's David Luiz, left, gestures to his teammates as he waits by the oat for a corner kick to be whelming favourite to win taken during the Champions League semifinal second leg soccer match between Chelsea and an 18th Grand Slam title, Atletico Madrid at Stamford Bridge stadium in London, Wednesday, April 30. (AP Photo)

LONDON, MAy 24 (ReUteRS): Even in the cosmopolitan world of European football, with players of a dozen nationalities on the books of a single club, coaches can see advantages in pairing compatriots which is why Chelsea have decided to sell David Luiz.

The Premier league club's manager Jose Mourinho is happy to stick with English centre-backs John Terry and Gary Cahill and allow Luiz to link up with fellow Brazil international Thiago Silva in the Paris Saint-Germain defence. The clubs announced on Friday that they had agreed a fee for Luiz which British media estimated was between 40 and 50 million pounds ($67.37 and $84.30 million) - a world record for a defender, beating the 36 million PSG paid for Silva in 2012 - in a deal that suits all parties.

Chelsea, moving closer towards breaking even, will be able to give their Portuguese coach Mourinho funds towards the new striker he covets and French champions PSG have recruited one of the potential stand-out players at next month's World Cup. Luiz, 27, is expected to play alongside Silva at the finals in Brazil, although he is equally capable of filling the role of a defensive midfielder. Indeed, some pundits feel he is better suited to that position. Rafael Benitez played him in front of the back four during his brief spell as Chelsea coach, and Mourinho contradicted an earlier promise by sometimes doing the same.

Playing further forward minimises the danger of conceding a goal from Luiz's occasional rushes of blood to the head, as well as offering more opportuni-

Chelsea defender Luiz set for Paris St Germain move

LONDON, MAy 24 (ReUteRS): French champions Paris St Germain have agreed terms with Chelsea to sign Brazil defender David Luiz, the clubs said on Friday. "The move is now subject to David Luiz agreeing personal terms with PSG and passing a medical examination," Premier League club Chelsea said on their website (www.chelseafc.com).

British media reported that the versatile 27-yearold would command a world record fee for a defender of between 40 million ($67.37 million) and 50 million pounds ($84.21 million). That would surpass the 36 million pounds Qatari-backed PSG paid for Luiz's Brazil team mate Thiago Silva in 2012 although neither club disclosed the financial terms of their agreement.

The easily recognisible Luiz, with his long and shaggy hair, joined Chelsea in January, 2011 from Benfica for about 21 million pounds and helped the west London side win the Champions League for the first time the following year. Strong, energetic and armed with a powerful shot, Luiz likes to venture forward but can be somewhat erratic and prone to the odd defensive lapse. He has made 143 appearances for Chelsea in 3-1/2 seasons at Stamford Bridge, scoring 12 goals.

PSG said in a statement that they hoped to reach a quick agreement with Luiz, who can also play as a defensive midfielder and is part of Brazil's World Cup squad for the finals which start next month.

"In accordance with the player's wish to prepare for and play in the World Cup in his home country and in the best possible conditions, both clubs and David Luiz wished to reach an agreement as soon as possible between, on the one hand, Paris St Germain and Chelsea, and on the other, between the Parisian club and the player in order to formalise the transfer as soon as the transfer window opens (on June 10)," the club said. ties to utilise his formidable shooting power. Chelsea supporters still recall one stunning goal from more than 30 metres against their west London neighbours Fulham in April 2013.

Even when playing in defence Luiz has always loved to burst forward on the ball, often risking being caught out of position.

WELL-TRODDEN PATH The shaggy-haired player, full name David Luiz Moreira Marinho, was a midfielder in his younger days in Sao Paulo before being converted to defence as a teenager with Vitoria.

He was still only 19 when following the welltrodden path from Brazil to Portugal in 2007, joining Benfica on loan and then permanently.

Portuguese League Player of the Year in 2009-10, he was rewarded with a step up from Brazil's Under-20 side to the senior squad under Mano Menezes. In January 2011 he joined Chelsea for a reported fee of 25 million euros ($34.08 million) plus midfielder Nemanja Matic.

Among his final matches for the London side were the two Champions League quarter-final ties against PSG last month.

Serena Williams of the U.S., returns the ball while her coach Patrick Mouratoglou, right, looks on during a training session for the French Open tennis tournament, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris on May 24. The French Open tennis tournament starts Sunday. (AP Photo)

which would put her level with legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova on the all-time Open-era singles list just four shy of Steffi Graf's top mark of 22.

On the face of it Sharapova, the only women in world sport who earns more than Williams, is fac-

ing a near impossible task.

She has a long losing record to the American, including a 6-4, 6-4 pounding in last year's final when she was the defending champion. Asked what were her favourite things to do in Paris ahead of the French Open she replied: "I eat

some macarons. Beside La Duree, there are a couple of others I like to go to.

But, yeah, just eat. Eat some more." Li, the 2011 French Open winner and reigning Australian Open champion said that her coach Carlos Rodriguez, who master-minded Justine

Henin's four French Open triumphs, was her sounding board.

"I think he's pretty smart," said the Chinese icon, who at 32 is the same age as Williams. "He always like to change. "Of course you cannot do exactly the same like 2011. Every year is different." Cornet, who has become the French number one since the sudden retirement last year of Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli, said that playing on home turf was "very special, very different". "The French crowd is expecting us a lot. Sometimes they are kind of judging us," she added.

"It's tough to handle the pressure because you know that if you do bad you know they are going to be tough with you; but on the other hand, you need to charm them because they are pretty tough to charm," she said. "But when you have them in your pocket they are just behind you 100% and they can give you wings.

"That's my goal. Trying to have wings with them on the court and fly over my matches. That would be the best scenario possible."

Indian coaches need more freedom to NAC’s Drag groom doubles pairs, says Gopichand Race Result

New DeLhI, MAy 24 (IANS): Not having a formidable second doubles pair after Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa essentially cost India a place in the Uber Cup final and chief national badminton coach Pullela Gopichand admits that a "lot of work needs to done" in the area.

Though India performed beyond expectations to reach the semi-finals of the World Women’s Team Championship to secure their historic and maiden bronze medal, they lost the last four clash to Japan 2-3 despite being 2-0 up.

"There is a lot of work which needs to be done on the doubles front. We can only develop players once they come to a certain level.

In India, we don’t have the same amount of freedom the foreign

coaches have," said Gopichand.

The former All-England champion said Indian coaches don’t have the same kind of authority foreign coaches have which is essential for grooming doubles shuttlers.

"We can produce singles players individually but in doubles you need a lot of grooming and for that you need a lot of freedom as a coach. In terms of forming combinations, taking one or moving the other player among other things which is not there.

Also, till the age of 19 there is no specialisation,” said the Padma Bhushan awardee. "We need tougher laws so if someone is selected for doubles he/she can only play doubles and if you are selected for singles, you will only play singles. But that kind of au-

thority is not there. We are too democratic in a way."

The lack of a challenging second doubles pair led the team management to do away with the regular combine of Pradnya Gadre and N. Siki Reddy to put Saina and Sindhu in a scratch combination, which failed to make an impact. But Gopichand having been a successful singles player, would it be fair to say that his energies as a coach are largely concentrated towards singles? “We have two Indonesian doubles coaches. We have two coaches in Madhumita Bisht and Vijay Deep Singh. It wouldn’t be fair to say that I distinguish between singles and doubles but yes I would love to have a lot more time for each of them,” concluded the Dronacharya awardee.

KOhIMA, MAy 24 (MexN): In a first of its kind in Nagaland, the Nagaland Adventure Club organised a drag race at Secretariart Road, Kohima. A press release from NAC Secretary Akum Longkumer informing the results stated.

In the two wheeler category (<230cc), Ruokuobeituo Kense and Keneingutsei Sokha emerged as winner and runner-up respectively, while in the 230cc-500cc class, Kepezelhou Semou and Mezhuvolie came first and second respectively. In the open class, Anu Suohu emerged winner while Thejakilie Zuyie emerged runner-up.

In the Four wheeler category (<1000cc), V Yeshika Yeptho and Aviu Rutsa emerged as champion and runner-up, while Toshi Aier and Ruokuobeituo Kense emerged champion and runner-up respectively in the below 1600cc class. In the open class, Neikeso Zumu and Ruokuobeituo Kense came first and second respectively.

Hamilton enthralled by Monaco madness

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, of Britain, arrives at pits prior to the start of the first free practice session at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, Thursday, May 22, 2014. The Monaco Formula One Grand Prix will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo)

MONACO, MAy 24 (ReUteRS): Insane, ridiculous, terrifying, incredible - a lap of the Monaco Grand Prix circuit is all that and more for Lewis Hamilton and he cannot get enough of it.

The Formula One championship leader is an old hand at mastering the most glamorous and historic street circuit in motorsport but he still finds it as awesome, and stomach-

churning, as when he first arrived as a rookie in 2007.

Asked ahead of Sunday's race which part of the layout most made his hair stand on end, the Mercedes driver - a winner in the Mediterranean principality on his way to the 2008 title with McLaren - smiled.

"There’s not a single part that doesn’t," replied the Briton, who will be chasing his fifth successive win of the season. "It’s the whole track. "I wish you could feel what we feel when we go round," he added. "It’s like when you go on the scariest roller coaster ride, and when they drop off the cliff and you go down and that first bit...

"That fear factor, the initial part that lasts for just a split second - here it’s the whole lap. It’s scary but it’s cool. It’s all these different emotions in one. It’s just the most incredible roller

coaster ride."

Three rookies will be racing a Formula One car around Monaco for the first time, with Toro Rosso's Russian Daniil Kvyat standing out as the only one never to have competed there previously in any of the junior series. Hamilton grinned at the thought: "It’s going to be like being in the room with Freddy Krueger," he said, referring to the fictional serial killer of horror movie fame.

Hamilton's boyhood hero, the late triple champion Ayrton Senna, was the master of Monaco with five wins. One qualifying lap in 1988 was so sensationally quick it seemed almost superhuman.

SO FAST The Briton has only admiration for such an achievement, knowing only too well how hard the metalfenced layout can bite the unwary - and how fast it feels

even if the average speed is the slowest of any race.

"It’s a circuit that you really have to walk very slowly before you can run.

You’re not running before you get to Sunday probably," he said. "It’s so fast.

You go up that hill (to Casino Square) at almost 200 miles an hour, you get up there and you can’t even see the corner at the top as it drops down. "You’re just looking at the sky and all of a sudden the corner arrives and you can’t see around it.

Oh man, I’m just getting excited thinking about it."

One mistake, the slightest clip of the crash barriers, can end in carnage.

Brake a fraction too late, in the new V6 turbo hybrid cars that are far more prone to skipping out of line, and the wall awaits. "That’s why it’s the best track because there’s no room for error," said Hamilton.

Ronaldo hopes Brazil can deliver home triumph SAO PAULO, MAy 24 (ReUteRS): Embarrassed about his country’s inability to complete the promised infrastructure ahead of next month’s World Cup, Brazil great Ronaldo believes the hosts will get it right on the pitch and win the tournament for a record sixth time. Brazil will stage the World Cup in June and July for the first time since 1950 and are favourites to lift the trophy at the Maracana stadium on July 13.

The hosts have struggled to build stadiums on time andmany of the promised infrastructure projects such as airports, bus lanes, and metro lines have been either cancelled or scaled down.

Ronaldo, who as a member of the Local Organising Committee is one of the most visible backers of soccer's world governing body FIFA and the Brazilian government, said Brazil has always faced problems of “corruption, embezzlement, overcharging” and he lamented the late deliv-

ery of stadiums, three of which are still not ready.

“In 2007 when they decided that the World Cup would be inBrazil, President Lula signed everything and agreed to everything and then they get here and there’s this bureaucracy, total confusion and lateness,” Ronaldo told Reuters in an interview on Friday at his office in Sao Paulo.

“It’s a shame. I am embarrassed, this is my country and I love it and we shouldn’t be transmitting this image abroad,” he added. "But we mustn’t forget that Brazil wasn’t perfect before the World Cup. It was the same or worse.” The former Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan striker isbetting on Brazil to win the competition, with Germany his second favourites, followed closely by Argentina and Spain.

Brazil are on a rich run of form and have won 13 of their last 14 encounters, including the five games that won them theConfederations Cup last year.

PRESSURE SITUATION However, no side has ever won the World Cup a year after lifting the Confederations trophy and there is also the little matter of pressure. Local fans are desperate for a home win and yet only six players in Luiz Felipe Scolari’s 23-man squad have been to a World Cup before.

Ronaldo, 37, said the players were experienced enough for the big occasion and will be well prepared by Scolari – the man who led Brazil to their last title triumph in 2002, with the help of two goals from Ronaldo in the final. The first match against Croatia on June 12 could setthe tone for the tournament, he said.

“The first game in the World Cup, in Brazil, the first match for many players, it is going to be very important and it could determine the team’s future,” he said. “We see players that are 20 years old who’veplayed with big clubs or with the national team for a year or two

so I don’t think the lack of experience will determine the final result.

"It could be important at some moments of the match but I don’t think it will determine the result.”

FAIR WEATHER Ronaldo also dismissed concerns that South American teams will cope better with the tropical climes and noted that while humidity could be high in coastal and jungle cities, temperatures in some venues could drop to almost freezing in the southern hemisphere’s winter.

“In Europe they play in higher temperatures than here,” Ronaldo said. “The games that could be controversial, for example 1 pm kick offs in Manaus, have been moved. "I was in Manaus in the summer and at game time it could get to 35 degrees; in the winter it’s 28, 29. That’s a nice temperature to play in. "In Brazil it’s another controversy that makes no sense.

No one is worried about the cold

in Porto Alegre. Why does no one speak about that?” “If I could have manipulated the draw, I’d have sent theEuropeans to the north and the Africans to the south,” he said with a laugh.

Ronaldo went to four World Cups and took home winners medalsin 1994 and 2002. While he holds the record for mostgoals scored in World Cups, German Miroslav Klose could surpass him if he gets two goals this year. Ronaldo joked he would spend only a little time willing Klose to fall short of his 15-goal tally, then acknowledged that if the big Lazio forward does equal or break his record then he will deserve all the plaudits that come his way.

“If he scores more goals than me then all credit to him,”Ronaldo said. “So I am not going to be cheering against him.

Therecord itself, it was made to be broken, someone will break it, I am under no illusions that it will remain forever."

Ronaldo, Brazil's former soccer player speaks during the launch event of the Football for Hope Festival 2014 at the Caju slum complex, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, May 20. The festival also known as the Social World Cup, brings together 32 teams of young leaders from FIFA-supported social community projects from Brazil and around the world for an intercultural exchange and a tournament. (AP Photo)

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Rosberg takes pole position for Monaco GP

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany, center, is flanked by his teammate Lewis Hamilton of Britain, left, and Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo of Australia after the qualifying session at the Monaco racetrack, in Monaco, Saturday, May 24. At left is his teammate Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain . Nico Rosberg has taken pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix ahead of his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo. The Monaco Formula One Grand Prix will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo)

MonaCo, May 24 (aP): Nico Rosberg took pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix in controversial circumstances Saturday, ahead of his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo. The Mercedes pair went out for one final lap with less than a minute remaining. Rosberg lost control coming out of the Mirabeau turn and slid down an escape road. A yel-

Stewards investigating Rosberg's maneuver

low flag came up, meaning that Hamilton could not improve on his time.

Stewards later said they are investigating Rosberg's maneuver on turn 5. It's the second pole of the season for Rosberg. Hamilton has the other four.

Hamilton has won the past four races and leads the overall standings by three points from Rosberg, who won the season opener in Australia, where Hamilton retired with engine failure. Four-time defending champion Sebastian

Vettel of Germany finished fourth, while Fernando Alonso of Ferrari was fifth.

While Rosberg was smiling, Hamilton looked stern-faced at the postqualifying news conference and gave short, evasive answers. He would only say "not really much" and "I was on target, yeah" when asked what he thought about the incident.

"Of course I'm sorry for

Lewis, I didn't know where he was," Rosberg said. "Of course, yeah it's not great."

Asked to respond to Rosberg's apology, Hamilton shrugged his shoulders and mumbled: "I don't have an answer to it."

Rosberg looked jubilant, as if he had proved a point, clenching his fists victoriously as he stepped out of his Mercedes, with Hamilton standing close by.

Hamilton, the 2008 F1 champion, recently questioned his teammate's hunger to win at the highest level and referring to what he considered Rosberg's easier upbringing in the luxurious surrounds of Monaco compared to his own, sleeping on his father's couch in Stevenage, England. Given that nine out of the past 10 Monaco GP's have all been won from pole position, Rosberg has a great chance to reclaim the lead from Hamilton. Rosberg won from pole position here last year for his maiden win. Ricciardo Canadian Eugenie Bouchard hold the trophy after defeating Czech Karolina Pliskova at the again outperformed Vettel WTA final in Nuremberg, Germany on May 24. Bouchard won 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. (AP Photo) in qualifying, and has now qualified higher than him in four from six races. "It's nice to fight at the front of the field," the Australian said.

MS Dhoni, du Plessis help CSK thrash RCB Brazil's weak mobile services make WC tweets unlikely

rIo de JaneIro, May 24 (aP): Ecstatic football fans unable to celebrate a World Cup win with realtime Tweets, or post “selfies” of themselves from inside stadiums. Or worse, emergency calls blocked by jammed cellphone towers unable to handle the volume. Those are among the fears as hundreds of thousands of mobile phonewielding fans get ready to attend soccer’s premier event in Brazil. Experts say World Cup visitors will discover that Brazil’s mobile communications services are severely lacking, mostly because the government and telephone companies are ill-prepared for the monthlong tournament. Some even worry about possible mobile network blackouts.

Even under the best conditions, voice calls often drop and accessing the Internet on a smartphone is mind-numbingly slow.

As last year’s protests during the Confederations Cup demonstrated, it can be impossible to use mobile services in a big crowd

25-May 25-May

In this May 11, 2014 photo, soccer fans take a selfie during the Brazilian league soccer match between Fluminense and Flamengo, at the Maracana stadium, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Ecstatic football fans unable to celebrate a World Cup win with real-time Tweets, or post “selfies” of themselves from inside stadiums. Or worse, emergency calls blocked by jammed cellphone towers unable to handle the volume. Those are among the fears as hundreds of thousands of mobile phone-wielding fans get ready to attend soccer’s premier event in Brazil: The World Cup. (AP Photo) Bangalore, May 24 (IanS): Chen-

in a packed soccer stadium.

Government investment was supposed to remedy the problem before the World Cup. Leaders promised blazing-fast 4G mobile networks in the 12 cities hosting the matches, but that didn’t happen.

“We’ve learned from the Confederations Cup, and put specific trucks outside the stadium to enhance the connectivity,” said Thierry Weil, FIFA’s marketing director. “But at the end of the day, to be honest, having 70,000 in a

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Members of China’s team celebrate with their trophy after defeating Japan in the final match of the Uber Cup Badminton championships in New Delhi on May 24. (AP Photo)

neW delHI, May 24 (aFP): Favourites China swamped Japan 3-1 on Saturday to maintain a stranglehold on the women's Uber Cup badminton team championships by winning their eighth final in the last nine editions.

The Chinese, who boast of the world's top three singles players, showed off their prowess in front of a handful of spectators at the Siri Fort complex in New Delhi. World number one Li Xuerui gave the cham-

TODAY's MATCHES

Kings XI Punjab vs Delhi Daredevils Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals

Mohali Mumbai

MS Dhoni captain of The Chennai Super Kings plays a delivery late during match 53 of the Pepsi Indian Premier League Season 2014 between the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Chennai Superkings held at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore on May 24.

Photo by BCCI

stadium, where everybody wants to make a phone call at halftime, well, I’d say you better talk to your boyfriend or girlfriend ahead of the game.” In a worst-case scenario, the mobile communications systems could be so overloaded that people

may not be able to call first responders in an emergency, said Christopher Gaffney, a visiting professor at Rio’s Federal Fluminense University whose research focuses on Brazil’s preparations for the World Cup and Olympics.

the Chinese men's team by Japan in Friday's semifinal served as an extra motivation for her.

"Yes, I was more motivated because of that," Wang said, speaking through a translator. "It happened to us in 2010 when we lost to South Korea in the Uber Cup final and gained revenge two years later. "There is so much talk when we lose, but that is because we do not lose much." Li Xuerui said it had been important for her to win the first match because a good start helped the team.

"I was very focused on my game," she said. "There were no special instructions from the coach."

Li was delighted to be named the woman player of 2013 by the Badminton World Federation even though she had lost the world crown to Thai teenager Ratchanok Intanon.

She said the secret of China's success was the confidence they took on court. That was evident when she fought back from 6-10 down in the first game against Mitani to reel off 12 points in a row. "We believe in ourselves," she said. "And the award was very important for me. It is

a huge recognition for the way I have played in recent months despite losing the world title."

China, who first won the Uber Cup title in 1984, has now won the championships 13 times, including eight in nine outings since 1998.

China beat Japan to retain Uber Cup

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pions the lead with a 2115, 21-5 win over the 12thranked Minatsu Mitani in a one-sided match that lasted just 36 minutes.

Japan drew level through their doubles pair of Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi, who stunned Bao Yixin and Tang Jinhua 21-18, 21-9.

It was the only point the Chinese dropped in the championships after cruising through unscathed in three preliminary league ties, the quarterfinal and

the semifinal.

World number two Wang Shixian put China ahead once again by beating Sayaka Takahashi 2116, 21-12, before Zhao Yunlei and Wang Xiaoli sealed the tie in the second doubles match.

The Chinese duo beat Miyuki Maeda and Reika Kakiiwa 21-13, 21-6 amidst loud celebrations in the Chinese enclosure that included men's world champion Lin Dan. Wang Shixian said the shock defeat of

nai Super Kings returned to winning ways with a convincing seven-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here Saturday.

Coming into the match, Super Kings were on a three-match losing streak and in danger of relinquishing their second spot to Kolkata Knight Riders, who play later in the day. However, an unbeaten 75-run partnership between captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (49 not out) and Faf du Plessis (54 not out) helped Super Kings overhaul Royal Challengers score of 154 for six with more than two overs to spare.

Chennai scored 160 for two in 17.4 overs and the win took them to 18 points, two behind league leaders Kings XI Punjab.

West Indies' Dwayne Smith started the carnage smashing 34 runs off just 17 balls. Smith and du Plessis shared a 57run opening partnership off 26 balls to set

Chennai on their way.

Suresh Raina (18) played well but was coaxed into playing an ambitious shot off the bowling of India teammate Yuvraj Singh. Dhoni and du Plessis took over, and from then on it was a one-way traffic as Bangalore seemed short of ideas. Dhoni smashed four boundaries and three sixes in his 28-ball stay while his South African partner was just as clinical plundering three fours and as many sixes. Earlier, a captain's knock by Virat Kohli (73) helped Royal Challengers Bangalore reach a fighting score. Put into bat, the Bangalore top order once again failed to fire putting the onus on the middle-order.

A 55-run partnership between Yuvraj Singh (25) and Kohli was one of the bright spots for the hosts.

Former India pacer Ashish Nehra picked up three wickets while Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with a wicket apiece.

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