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The Morung Express
Dimapur VOL. VIII ISSUE 270
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www.morungexpress.com
Wednesday, October 2, 2013 12 pages Rs. 4
Modern Foolishness is not ignorance. Modern Foolishness is the absence of doubt about convention MBBS scam: Cong MP Rasheed sentenced to 4 yrs
Actor Sanjay Dutt gets 14-day break from prison
International Day of Older Persons observed [ PAGE 02]
US heads into govt shutdown over ‘Obamacare’
[ PAGE 11]
[ PAGE 08]
[ PAGE 09]
By Sandemo Ngullie
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Naga Hoho stands by May 3 resolution DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 1 (MExN): The Naga Hoho has stood by its May 3, 2013 resolution that “the formation of such a body (Nagaland Tribe Council) is premature” and that “it is not appropriate for Naga society at this juncture when the Nagas are struggling for social and political fraternity.” A press note from the President and Assistant General Secretary of the Naga Hoho asserted that if at all it is necessary to form the NTC, then “it should be thoroughly discussed and initiated by the tribe Hohos and not from any individual imposing their will and interest upon the mandated tribe Hohos.” This resolution was upheld in a consultative meeting of the Naga Hoho at Hotel Vivor, Kohima where all tribe Hohos from Nagaland – Ao, Angami, Chakhesang, Kyong, Sumi, Pochury and Zeliangrong attended with “adequate representatives.”
NFHRCC survey of Western Sumi & Rengma sectors today
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DIMAPUR , OC TOBER 1 (MExN): The Nagaland Foothills Road Co ordination Committee along with the PWD (R&B) is scheduled to conduct physical land survey of Niuland area under Western Sumi and Rengma Sectors on October 2. A press note from the NFHRCC has informed all committee members and requested all leaders of Rengma Hoho to accompany the committee along with the department officials to assemble at 6:30 am at the NFHRCC Treasurer, Yashitsungba Aier’s residence in Kher Mohul. The team is then scheduled to proceed at 7:00 am towards Governor’s camp, Doyang River.
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–Gustave Flaubert
Djokovic, Serena advance at China Open [ PAGE 10 ]
india urged to repeal AfsPA
reflections
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Jung Ha-yoon, 2, appears to be stuck inside a ceramic container while playing with other children at the traditional sports square during the “Taste Korea! Korean Royal Cuisine Festival” held at Unhyeon Palace, also known as Unhyeongung Royal Residence, in Seoul, South Korea on Oct. 1. (AP Photo)
72 sitting MPs could go if convicted
NEw DELHI, OCTOBER 1 (IANs): As many as 72 sitting MPs face criminal charges and could be disqualified if convicted for over two years, watchdog Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) said Tuesday. According to a study by the NGO, of these MPs, 18 are from the Bharatiya Janata Party while the Congress has 14, Samajwadi Party (eight), Bahujan Samaj Party (six), AIADMK (four),
Janata Dal-United (three) and Communist Party of IndiaMarxist (two). The remaining 17 belong to smaller parties. One reason for the low rate of conviction is the excruciatingly slow pace at which hearings of cases proceed in courts, said the NGO working for transparency in politics. ADR said that an analysis of the elections (including 2009 Lok Sabha and assembly polls since 2008) of the
4,807 elected members (MPs and state legislators), 1,460 (30 percent) have declared criminal cases against them. Of these, 688 (14 percent) face serious criminal cases. It further said not all convictions lead to disqualification of sitting MPs or state legislators but only those related to the cases registered under violations mentioned in section 8(1), 8(2) and 8(3) as per the July 10 Supreme Court judgment.
BANgALORE, OCTOBER 1 fenders, have stated that the AF- is my message. I love my life very (MExN): Taking a step in the di- SPA must be repealed. much and want to have the freerection to have the Armed ForcThe Second Administra- dom to meet people and struges (Special Powers) Act, 1958 tive Reforms Commission, the gle for issues close to my heart.” (AFSPA) repealed, Amnesty In- Jeevan Reddy Committee to re“Irom Sharmila’s hunger ternational India said today that view the AFSPA and the Prime strike is a protest against human the detention of Irom Sharmila Minister’s Working Group on rights violations, and is different Chanu, an activist from Manipur Confidence-Building Measures from self-starvation as a way to state, for close to thirteen years in Jammu and Kashmir has also commit suicide,” said Shashifor her prolonged hunger strike urged the repeal of the law. kumar Velath. “India has a long is a continuing reminder of InIrom Sharmila was arrested history of activists undertaking dia’s intolerance to dissent. by the Manipur police shortly af- hunger strikes for noble causes. “Irom Sharmila is a Prisoner ter she began her hunger strike Authorities must consider the of Conscience, who is being held and charged with attempting to validity of Irom Sharmila’s desolely for her peaceful exmands, not demean her pression of her beliefs,” protest by charging her Calls for immediate release of said Shashikumar Velath, with attempting to comIrom Sharmila, who is termed a mit suicide,” said ShashiProgrammes Director of Amnesty International ‘Prisoner of Conscience’ by the kumar Velath. India. “Authorities must The British Medical drop all charges against international human rights group Association, in a briefing her, and release her imto the World Medical Asmediately and unconditionally.” commit suicide – a criminal of- sociation, has clarified that “A Irom Sharmila began her fence under Indian law. hunger strike is not equivalent hunger strike after the killing She is being detained in the to suicide. Individuals who emof 10 people in Manipur by the security ward of a hospital in bark on hunger strikes aim to Assam Rifles in Malom, Imphal Imphal, where she is force-fed a achieve goals important to them in November 2000. She has de- diet of liquids through her nose. but generally hope and intend to manded the removal of the AF- Anyone wishing to meet her, in- survive.” This position is embodSPA from Manipur. cluding her family and friends, ied by the World Medical AssoAmnesty International and have to go through a lengthy ciation in its Malta Declaration several other rights organiza- process of obtaining permission on Hunger Strikers. tions continue to demand the from the Manipur government. In February 2012, the Surepeal of the AFSPA. Several UN She has pleaded not guilty preme Court of India observed bodies and experts, including the to the charges of attempting to in its ruling in the Ram Lila MaidSpecial Rapporteur on violence commit suicide, and has said she an Incident versus Home Secreagainst women, its causes and is holding a non-violent protest. tary, Union of India and Others consequences, the Special RapSpeaking to Amnesty Inter- case that a hunger strike is “a porteur on extrajudicial, sum- national India, Irom Sharmila, form of protest which has been mary or arbitrary executions who says she is inspired by Ma- accepted, both historically and and the Special Rapporteur on hatma Gandhi’s philosophy of legally in our constitutional juthe situation of human rights de- non-violence, said, “My struggle risprudence.”
RPF arrests one with Spasmo Welfare of people is top priority: Governor
DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 1 (MExN): Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel on Tuesday, October 1 seized 20, 000 capsules of restricted Spasmo proxyvon at the Dimapur railway station. The contraband was seized from one man hailing from Manipur. He was identified as PH Faruk (23 years), hailing from Lilong Haoribe, Thoubal, Manipur. According to the officerin-charge of the RPF, Dimapur railway station, Faruk had procured the consignment from Patna, Bihar. Faruk, who is reportedly a courier revealed during interrogation that he was handed the consignment by one Tas in Patna to transport it to Imphal in return for Rs.
BJP Nagaland apprises Governor on state issues
RPF personnel led OC, Rokonicha Pucho display to the media the accused along with the seized contraband on October 1.
20, 000 in cash, the OC said. He had boarded the BP Mail en route to Imphal and got down in Dimapur at around 1:30 am, Tuesday. On arrival, RPF personnel led by ASI James and constable Adarhü got suspi-
cious of his movement and intercepted him. The contraband, said to be worth Rs. two lakh in the illicit drug market, was found packed in polythene packs inside a rucksack carried by Faruk.
KOHIMA, OCTOBER 1 (MExN): A three member delegation from the Nagaland State BJP unit met Nagaland Governor, Dr Ashwani Kumar on September 30 at Raj Bhavan, Kohima and apprised him on the IndoNaga political issue, the Assam- Nagaland border issue, Article 371(A) and financial issues related to the State. A press note from the General Secretary and Spokesman for BJP Nagaland informed that the Governor had communicated that his top priority is the welfare of the people and upholding the
Constitution of India. He further stated that education, employment and infrastructure building such as Roads-under BRO & NH, Railways, and Communication - BSNL should improve in their performance. The Governor further assured that he would take the matter to appropriate authorities at the Centre. The note cited that the Governor during his visit to some Government schools had witnessed that there are 105 students with only one teacher and in some cases there are insufficient class rooms or teachers. He stated, “We are cheating ourselves when we say we are giving education”. He further shared his personal views on reforms in Naga-
land’s education. He also suggested that students pursue professional courses after 10th Standard. The note informed that as per the 2011 census, out of 19.81 lakh population there are 1,14,600 people employed in State Government departments. “Therefore, students need to take up more vocational courses to be self employed,” it added. On Oil exploration, the Governor suggested that the people of Nagaland must visit Barmer, Rajasthan and study the tripartite model, whereby 12% royalty in the form of revenue is paid to the State Government, which amounts to 600 crore per year and 24 % is paid to the people and the rest goes to
the Companies. He called for studies to explore whether a similar model would be viable in Nagaland as well. He also emphasized on the need for peace and political stability and asserted that the 16 point agreement & Article 371(A) should be honored and cannot be compromised. The Party also sought clarification on transfer and posting files being delayed at the Governor’s table. He clarified that all files are cleared in due time and that no files are kept pending. The BJP State team included Dr M. Chuba Ao, State President; Vihoshe James, General Secretary (Adm) and K.James Vizo, General Secretary and Spokesman.
1 in 8 people around ‘Senior citizens are preservers of oral history’ the world go hungry Morung Express news Dimapur | October 1
MILAN, OCTOBER 1 (REUTERs): One in eight people around the world is chronically undernourished, the United Nations’ food agencies said on Tuesday, warning world leaders that some regions would fail in halving the number of hungry by 2015. In their latest report on food insecurity, the U.N. agencies estimated that 842 million people were suffering chronic hunger in 2011-13, or 12 percent of the world’s population, down 17 percent from 1990-92. The new figure was lower than the last estimate of 868 million in 2010-12 and 1.02 billion in 2009, but the report said progress in meeting the Millennium Development Goal to halve the prevalence of hunger in the world by 2015 was uneven. Many countries were unlikely to meet the goal adopted by world leaders at the United Nations in 2000, said the Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). “Those (countries) that have experienced conflict during the past two decades are more likely to have seen significant setbacks in reducing hunger,” the report said. “Landlocked countries face persistent challenges in accessing world markets, while countries with poor infrastructure and weak institutions face additional constraints.” FAO, WFP and IFAD define undernourishment, or hunger, in the State of Food Insecurity in the World 2013 report as “not having enough food for an active and healthy life” and an inability to “meet dietary energy requirements”. Policies aimed at boosting agricultural productivity and food availability were crucial in reducing hunger even
where poverty was widespread, the agencies said. “When they are combined with social protection and other measures that increase the incomes of poor families to buy food, they can have an even more positive (effect) and spur rural development,” they said. Remittances, three times larger than official development assistance, have had a significant impact on food security by leading to better diets and reduced hunger, they said. The vast majority of people suffering hunger, or 827 million, live in developing countries, where the prevalence of undernourishment is estimated at 14.3 percent, the report found. Africa remains the region with the highest prevalence of undernourishment, with more than one in five people estimated to be undernourished, while most of the undernourished people are in southern Asia.
“Senior citizens are the preservers of our oral history and tradition and we should tap these resources from them while they are still with us,” said Parliamentary Secretary for IT&C, Science & Technology, Technical Education and Taxes on Tuesday on the occasion of International Day of Older Persons observed at DC’s conference hall, Dimapur. He opined that the elderly are an important group in Naga society, which has predominantly followed oral history and tradition; the stories of which have been told from generation to generations through word of mouth. “And the older persons who have seen and experienced different stages of life are the main source of our stories,” he added. According to Tovihoto, senior citizens are rich resources of Naga stories. He asserted that respect and care for the elderly should be a daily habit for everybody. “By giving them good care and attention, we are
Parliamentary Secretary, Tovihoto Ayemi (first row right) along with the awardees and other officials while observing the International Day of Older Persons at DC’s conference hall, Dimapur. (Morung Photo)
not only preserving precious persons but also inviting blessings from God and the aged,” he said. He maintained that the responsible authorities should enquire whether the government’s welfare initiatives are meeting the needs of senior citizens.
The Parliamentary Secretary said that authorities should deliver whatever is due to senior citizens. Pointing out the need to give extra care to the ageing population, Tovihoto stated that provision for adequate healthcare for aged persons should not
compromised at any cost. He also stressed on finding ways for inclusion of senior citizens into the workforce, as per their own capacity and health condition. He added that responsible authorities could also engage in creative activities to promote older persons. He advocated for avenues through which the young and old can come together and focus on common issues such as environment, community service etc. Later, the Parliamentary Secretary and his family distributed gifts to the senior citizens. Two senior citizens, Dr. C. Tarep Ao (83) and Khrilenuo Terhuja (80) were presented awards for their contributions to society. DC Dimapur, Hushili Sema chaired the programme while DPO Dimapur, Chubainla Jamir spoke on the theme of International Day of Older Persons 2013 – ‘The future we want; what elders are saying.’ After the programme, the senior citizens were provided with a free medical camp organized by Rotary Club.
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