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The Morung Express
Dimapur VOL. IX ISSUE 145
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www.morungexpress.com
Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God Controversy rages on Smriti’s educational qualifications
‘I’m famous because I’m ugly’
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Thursday, May 29, 2014 12 pages Rs. 4 –Maya Angelou’s final tweet
Toyota ‘Etios Cross’ launched in Dimapur [ PAGE 2]
Williams sisters out of French Open
[ PAGE 9]
[ PAGE 10]
Obama seeks to recast postwar foreign policy
[ PAGE 11]
[ PAGE 8]
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nagaland state’s Disabled Disability
reflections
By Sandemo Ngullie
Arya Lakshmi Dimapur | May 28
They`re threatening to replace us with an App!
DAN to induct new parliamentary secretaries today kOhIMa, May 28 (MexN): The induction of parliamentary secretaries to the new DAN-III ministry is scheduled to take place on May 29 here at the CM’s Banquet Hall. Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang will administer oath to them in the swearing-in ceremony at 11:00am. All legislators, presidents and general secretaries of political parties consisting DAN, AHODs, HODs, leaders of civil societies and NGOs have been invited to attend the function as per a press release issued by Lalthara, advisor and senior principal secretary to Chief Minister. Source said new faces among the parliamentary secretaries, expected to be numerous, will have DAN partner legislators from NCP and Independents. It may be recalled that five parliamentary secretaries in the earlier DAN government were elevated as cabinet ministers, namely, C. L. John, Kipili Sangtam, Dr. Neikiesalie Kire, Dr. Benjongliba Aier and Nuklutoshi. There were 21 parliamentary secretaries in Neiphiu Rio’s ministry.
NSCN (K) Chakhesang region apologizes, commits to cooperation
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Phek, May 28 (MexN): The NSCN (K) has committed to cooperation and appealed the people to “put into rectification to resettle amicably” the recent “heated out emotion” by the ACAUT, Phek Town. While admitting to apologize for “whatever mischievous act” done by “some persons,” the NSCN (K) committed to “remain faithful ever after for the greater cause of our nation,” stated a press release from secretary of MIP, NSCN (K), Chakhesang Region. Understanding the economic burden on the people of Nagaland, it also acknowledged the “heavy taxation in various forms, demands and extortions by some factions” that irritate people and make them go against “loyal national workers.” The NSCN (K) expressed awareness of the “legitimate” public gesture, and noted that it tried their “level best to cooperate with you and all for better interests.” It reiterated that “The public are our sole parents that we dependently need your supports, guidance and helps in over all our needs. Without public mandate and supports, no one can volunteer for the cause of the nation.” It appealed to the public to “justify judiciously to whatever it was happened at Phek Town be review and not to repeat any more allegations.”
A protester displays how his rights were violated during an anti-coup demonstration at the Victory Monument in Bangkok, Thailand Wednesday, May 28. Thailand’s new military junta aired videos Wednesday on television stations nationwide showing some of the prominent political figures it has detained as part of an effort to convince the public that detainees in army custody are being treated well. (AP Photo)
row over Article 370 escalates SRINaGaR/NeW DeLhI, May 28 (PTI): The row over Article 370 escalated on Wednesday with J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah asking the Centre to make known the “stakeholders” it was talking to for repealing special status to Jammu & Kashmir and RSS saying no one should take any offence to a call for a debate. Omar also made it clear that Article 370 cannot be abrogated till the Constituent Assembly, which approved J&K’s accession to India, is recalled, a day after the MoS in the PMO Jitendra Singh stirred a controversy by declaring that the new government has started the process for repealing the provision. Jitendra Singh has since said he has been “misquoted”. The core group of the
ruling Ruling National Conference also met in Srinagar and condemned Singh’s remarks, saying it has hurt the people of J&K and amounts to endangering the security and the integrity of the country. Contending that it was impossible for BJP government to abrogate Article 370, Omar said confusion was being deliberately created on the issue which would further alienate the people of the state. “They (BJP government at the Centre) cannot abrogate Article 370 till the Constituent Assembly is recalled. The Constituent Assembly approved accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India. If you want to raise the question once again, then you need to bring the Constituent Assembly and then we will
talk,” Omar told reporters in Srinagar. Omar said Singh had stated that talks with stakeholders had been started and sought to know who they were. “I want to know with whom they have started talking. You said you are talking to stake holders. I am one of the stakeholders by being the chief minister of the state. I am an elected representative of the people. Nobody from my party talked to you. I have not heard from any political party that talks had been held with them. Then which stake holder you have talked to?”, he said. Reacting to Omar’s remarks that either J&K won’t be part of India or Article 370 that grants special status to the state will still exist, senior RSS leader Ram Madhav
said the state will always be an integral part of India with or without the provision. Madhav also asked whether the chief minister thought the state was his “parental estate” and said no one should take any offence to any “open-ended debate” on Article 370. PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should reassure people of J&K that Article 370 will not be tinkered with, warning that Singh’s remarks will disrupt peace. Congress cautioned against any “trigger happy reactions”. “Art.370 (3) read with Art 370 (2) clarifies 370 cannot be repealed without consent of constituent assembly which does not exist. No brainer,” Congress leader Manish Tewari tweeted.
“I once met a physically challenged bank officer, known and respected by everyone in his office in Delhi. He was married and the sole earner of his family. As father of a physically challenged boy, I wished my son could also lead a life on his own like the officer,” said David Sha, a Poumai church leader. The population of physically or intellectually disabled persons in Nagaland has been sidelined by the Government. Though organizations like Special Olympics Nagaland (SON) have trained and groomed many disabled youth, several from the rural interiors of Nagaland remain unacknowledged. The Government of Nagaland’s poor outreach towards people with disabilities has left them, and their families, helpless. David Sha added, “My son studied a few courses in Delhi and won prizes in Basketball and painting at state level competitions. We have spent a lot on him—his hard work and achievements have made us proud but even after all this, he is unemployed. There is no separate office or information centre, where we could get some information about facilities. I go from one office to another, only to be referred to another. At the end of the day, all that was of no use.” In 50 years of its statehood, Nagaland has been unable to create a scheme or a fund pool for disabled students. Zaveyi Nyekha, Director School Education, Nagaland, noted, “As of now, we have been unsuccessful in identifying students with disabilities at a district level. We have around fourteen disability schools in Kohima, and sometimes we have pro-
vided them with Rs. 1 lakh to provide special training to teachers in such schools. The idea of dealing with disabled students in Nagaland is still very vague and our efforts have been insignificant. We too are helpless as there is no special financial assistance for them.” Organisations like SON have a similar story. Even when they find efficient students and train them in sports and athletics, they run out of funds to sponsor them. “We expect some government aid for the students to compete at international levels. We have had many winners from Nagaland at many international competitions but now it is getting difficult for us to raise funds or sponsor them. They come with huge expectations and to leave them without anything is disheartening,” said Victor from SON. Compared with neighbouring states like Assam or Manipur, the Government of Nagaland has not created employment opportunities for disabled persons. Heling Eeliang, an agitated father said, “My daughter is deaf and mute but she studies in a normal school with no special teachers to train her. The Government of Nagaland has never come to assist people with disabilities. There is no separate cell and no separate allotment for our children in the State. I want my daughter to be an employed woman in Dimapur as I am too scared to send her out, but the State has given us very poor response. Hence, we have lost our hopes.” A year back, Nagaland State realized the need for a special disability commis-
Mizo truce plan mulled for Nagaland
Proposal by central interlocutors being fine-tuned to be submitted to PM and HM: IB official Sekhar Datta The Telegraph
Nagaland is likely to go the Mizoram way, 17 years after peace talks began with the NSCN (Isak-Muivah) in 1997. As part of the formula, NSCN (Isak-Muivah) chairman Isak Chishi Swu — and not general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah — will become the chief minister of Nagaland, taking along some of his close followers in the council of ministers, and will face fresh elections within six months. A senior Intelligence Bureau (IB) official said the proposal by central interlocutors was being fine-tuned after which it would be submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Rajnath Singh. “All this is in an embryonic stage and the formula will have to be approved by the new political dispensation in which Neiphiu Rio will play an important role,” he added. Rio, who resigned as the chief minister of Nagaland in the second year of his third term in office, has already been
Naga issue not in line with Mizo Accord Newmai News Network Dimapur | May 28
A prominent functionary of the NSCN (IM) has dismissed a national newspaper report that the Naga political issue will be settled in line with the 1986 Mizo Accord. Yesterday’s edition of The Telegraph, quoting a senior Intelligence Bureau (IB) official, stated that after the said ‘accord’ is signed, NSCN (IM) chairman Isak Chisi Swu will become the chief minister of Nagaland. “This is complete non-sense and the report attempts to create confusion among the people,” stated the NSCN (IM) leader. He requested not to be named saying an official clarification will be elected to the Lok Sabha. He is likely to be included in the Union council of ministers in the next reshuffle of the NDA government. It is believed that his chosen successor T.R. Zeliang will resign to pave the way for assumption of power by the NSCN (I-M) leaders. The official said Rio, an influential Angami Naga leader, had all along been a votary of peaceful settlement to Nagaland’s insurgency problem. He had been upset with former chief minister S.C. Jamir’s attempts at scuttling the peace talks and had also resigned from the Congress in 2002. He floated the Naga People’s Front (NPF) and with other regional parties and the BJP, formed the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland,
issued later. NSCN (IM) general secretary Th. Muivah has previously said that the Naga political settlement should be based on the ‘unique history of the Nagas’, and that it should be ‘honourable and acceptable to the Nagas’. Th. Muivah has also said often that without ‘Naga integration’ there cannot be final settlement of the Naga issue. Given this background, the top NSCN (IM) functionary today said that formal talks are likely to resume soon, possibly next month, with the Narendra Modi led NDA government. “We are more comfortable with the NDA government,” admitted the NSCN (IM) functionary, adding that the Naga outfit is elated and has full of optimism that the issue will be settled soon.
which won Assembly elections thrice in 2003, 2008 and 2013. Before the 2013 Assembly elections, Rio had said all 60 members of the Nagaland Assembly had offered to quit to pave the way for a settlement. “He resigned as chief minister and contested the Lok Sabha polls only to help the process of peace,” the official said. He said the tripartite Mizoram Peace Accord was signed by then Union home secretary R.D. Pradhan, late Mizo National Front (MNF) leader Laldenga and then Mizoram chief secretary Lalkhama on June 30, 1986. Following the accord and as per a tacit understanding, Mizoram chief minister Lal Thanhawla, who headed a Congress
government, resigned, paving the way for assumption of power by Laldenga and his colleagues, who were required to face Assembly polls within six months. Laldenga won the Assembly polls held in February 1987. That had put an end to the two-decade-old insurgency in Mizoram and peace still prevails in the state. “The Mizoram Peace Accord formula is now being thought of as the most effective solution, specially in view of NSCN bosses Swu and Muivah’s adamant stand on Nagalim, which will set a larger part of the Northeast, specially Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, on fire. They are being persuaded to scale down their demand for Nagalim (greater
Nagaland) by incorporating the Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh,” the official said. He pointed out that making Swu the chief minister would be easy because he belongs to Sema group, a mainstream Naga clan predominant in Zunheboto district of Nagaland. Besides, Swu had led more than 300 Naga nationalist guerrillas on a hardy trek to Chin as “political officer” in 1969 with commander Mou Angami. “Muivah has a similar halo as he had led the first large group of Naga guerrillas as political officer along with commander Thino Selie to China in 1966. He was accorded the status of ambassador of a friendly country by the government of China,” the official said. But, he pointed out, Muivah hails from the peripheral Tangkhul Naga community of Manipur and his elevation to the post of chief minister in Nagaland might not be acceptable to all. However, the main worry of the government interlocutors and the NSCN top brass is keeping the dissident NSCN factions, led by S.S. Khaplang and Khole-Kitovi, on board before making a final announcement and a serious effort is continuing in this direction. This news report was published on the May 28, 2014 issue of The Telegraph
sioner. Dr. Atha Vizol, State Disability Commissioner said, “It has only been a year since I joined the office as a Disability Commissioner but I don’t have any staff till date. The scholarships allotted to students and other people with disability are not very clear till date as the department (sic) is in its initial stage. I have had meetings with a number NGOs and requested them to help and train people with disabilities.” On May 9 this year, Don Bosco Tech’s certification courses included four physically challenged students. They were given domain specific training in hospitality, industrial sewing machine operation, beauty and spa, electrical welding etc. Brother Sunny of Don Bosco said, “This is a first of its kind initiative in Nagaland. Most of our students are placed but the corporate are reluctant to take the physically challenged students. So we look forward to local companies who can employ them and help them to earn a living.” Sangtemjungshi Longkumer, a police officer said, “My son, Maongkaba, is fortunate to undergo this type of a training. Now I am slightly confident about his future but I feel the Government should come forward to help people with disabilities. It is disheartening to see our children suffer due to their disability while others like them in the neighboring states are government employed.” Arya Lakshmi studies journalism at the Madras Christian College, and is currently an intern at The Morung Express
Maya Angelou dies at 86
Maya Angelou. (AP File Photo)
NeW yORk, May 28 (aP): Maya Angelou, who rose from poverty, segregation and the harshest of childhoods to become a force on stage, screen, the printed page and the inaugural dais, has died. She was 86. Angelou died Wednesday morning at her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, her son, Guy B. Johnson, said in a statement. The 86-year-old had been a professor of American studies at Wake Forest University since 1982. “She lived a life as a teacher, activist, artist and human being. She was a warrior for equality, tolerance and peace,” Johnson said. Tall and regal, with a deep, majestic voice, Angelou defied all probability and category, becoming one of the first black women to enjoy mainstream success as an author and thriving in virtually every artistic medium. The young single mother who performed at strip clubs to earn a living later wrote and recited the most popular presidential inaugural poem in history. The childhood victim of rape wrote a million-selling memoir, befriended Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela and the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., and performed on stages around the world.
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