30th March 2014

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The Morung Express

Dimapur VOL. IX ISSUE 86

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Modi slams Rahul, says proud of BJP ideology

Women called to assert their rights [ PAGE 2]

By Sandemo Ngullie

Putin promised no new moves in Ukraine: UN [ PAGE 9]

[ PAGE 11]

[ PAGE 8]

reflections

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Life is doubt, and faith without doubt is nothing but death

“I Love My Hospital” - echoes across Mon Bonnie Konyak Mon | March 29

My pocket is empty, ah never mind. Well, Do you believe in the saying “Live as if you`ll die today?”

Power failure in Kohima Kohima, march 29 (mExN): The State capital Kohima today witnessed power failure since morning which adversely affected normal life, in particular commercial activities.

Power was restored only at around 6: 00pm. Sources said the power failure resulted due to disruption of the main power line between Kohima and Dimapur.

NSSATA suspends agitation April 1-10 Kohima, march 29 (mExN): On account of the upcoming Lok Sabha election scheduled on April 9, the Nagaland SSA Teachers’ Association (NSSATA) has decided to suspend its ongoing agitation for a period of 10 days (April 1-April 10, 2014) in order to “pave way for the smooth conduct of the same, as most of the SSA teachers are appointed for election duty.” This was stated in a press release from NSSATA general secretary, Samina Meru, and president, Visechol Chaya.

The NSSATA has requested all SSA teachers who are involved in election duty to “perform their National duty whereas others are requested to attend their classes.” Further, the NSSATA stated that if the demands are not fulfilled even during this period, then the indefinite boycott of classes (2nd phase of agitation) will resume with effect from April 11.

Toll in Guinea ebola outbreak reaches 70

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coNaKry (guiNEa), march 29 (iaNS): Ten new cases of Ebola with seven deaths were reported Friday in Guinea, bringing the total number of cases to 112 and 70 deaths since the declaration of this deadly epidemic, a source from the health ministry said.

To develop a harmonised fight against the disease, the health ministry organised a forum bringing together all senior officials of health institutions, to provide them with necessary tools to report any relevant information in real time for a quick response, Xinhua reported Saturday. The head of disease prevention unit Sakoba Keita said a vast census operation had been launched targeting all those who had come in contact with any ebola patient in hospital or at home. The health authorities have equally decided to set up commissions in all communal health centres to examine the development of the situation with regard to the ebola virus. Keita urged families of those who had died from ebola to avoid taking part in the burial ceremonies.

The trumpet was sounded and with sticks and brooms in gloved hands, the battle cry was taken up across the hospital compound. This is a different kind of battle, just as tricky, but the anticipation of victory is visible in the enthusiasm of each warrior.

The ‘I Love My Hospital’ (ILMH) initiative was launched with a “Big Cleaning Day” by the Konyak Naga Group of Facebook in collaboration with MSF (Doctors Without Borders) at District Hospital, Mon. The response to the clarion call was big news here. For a society that has been in slumber, preoccupied with the myriad problems it faces every day just to survive, the huge response to the ILMH Initiative has astounded the Konyaks, especially the older generation. This sense of belonging, ownership, participatory effort is like none that we have ever witnessed before.

Almost four years ago, when the MSF were first doing the ground work for the Mon Hospital Project, the big question for them was “Why don’t people come to the Hospital?” and today as the MSF are preparing to leave, the biggest fear is “We don’t have sufficient doctors, nurses and other staff to take care of the number of people seeking healthcare every day.”

There is no doubt that revival of the District Hospital, Mon has been an enormous success of the MSF project with the perks of an exceptionally well trained staff inculcating a flawless work culture; however the greatest success is the increased level of health awareness amongst the people. It is what will sustain the hospital as well as the people of Mon long after the MSF leaves.

Young people from Mon district take part in the ‘I Love My Hospital’ initiative to clean up the district hospital.

With the intervention of the MSF into management aspects of the District Hospital Mon, it received the much needed direction the hospital had been lacking. Issues were taken up on priority basis and quality of healthcare was given as much importance as quantity. The MSF filled gaps in man power and resources that usually exist in government hospitals. The international organization lobbied continuously with the Government in Kohima and civil societies over the years to bridge the gap between “What is actually needed by us and what is given to us.” There was also a specific team working on the ground, solely concerned with Health Promotion among the people.

They studied the people’s perspective on issues, researched their response to different forms of media, created materials and messages for communication and carried out intensive campaigns for promoting health awareness among the people.

All these efforts of the MSF have resulted in people’s awareness of healthcare and its importance for us. Having had a glimpse of themselves at their best, there is a general air of determination in the people not to descend back to their former rugged selves. This feeling, akin to a revolution of sorts, has permeated into the consciousness of every level of the Konyak, from Legislators to civil societies, from Churches’ groups to student bodies, from bloggers to patients, giving birth to the “I Love My Hospital Initiative.”

There was optimism in the air as participants joined the historic launch of the ILMH Project with contributions in cash, as well as in kind, like old news papers for dustbins and brooms and other cleaning supplies; handmade bamboo dustbins in and around the hospital, monthly cleaning day, blood donations, Health Promotion drives etc. Students of different schools and higher secondary schools, Mon Theo-

logical college students, Bloggers, KSU members, Bands, government servants, adolescent club, police personnel, NGOs, medical staff and other individuals chipped in to clean their beloved hospital. The festive spirit began right from the formal programme that launched the ILMH Project; where the speeches, skits and songs (by Konyak Artist Moba Inggang), all talked about the Mon district hospital as something precious that should be cherished; till the end of prize distribution to the most enthusiastic group of volunteers—it was epic.

For those who have been closely associated with the District Hospital and the MSF project, thoughts of their exit spurs a mild episode of panic for the future of the hospital as well as the Department. We are well aware that the road ahead will not be easy; that sweat and blood will be required from us all, but on days like today, hope is renewed and victory is within grasp.

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Sunday, March 30, 2014 12 pages Rs. 4 –Miguel de Unamuno

Rooney double seals United win

[ PAGE 12]

Gun battle between naga groups erupt Morung Express News Mokokchung | March 29

Despite news of some Naga political groups coming together to form a Naga National Government, the air of hope was shaken today as cadres of the NSCN (K) and NSCN (IM) engaged in heavy gun battle at Akhoya village jurisdiction (some 60km from Mokokchung town) that lasted for nearly two hours Saturday morning. There are no reports of any casualties from either side.

Additional SP of Mokokchung, Yarenthung Ngullie, said the exchange of fire happened some 3km away from Akhoya village, which falls under Changtongya Police Station. The firing reportedly started from 6:30am and lasted till 8:30am. On hearing the gunfight, OC Changtongya PS, SDO (Civil) Changtongya and the public, numbering around 500, went near the site of the incident and “chased away the cadres to opposite sides,” said the Addl SP. He disclosed, as per reports, the NSCN (K) cadres were “passing through” the jungle and were halting in a place when the NSCN (IM) cadres got wind of their movement and attacked them. He suggested that the NSCN (K) cadres might be moving to the neighbouring districts.

The Addl SP said that the situation is under control. A company of Tripura State Rifles, who have been deployed for election duty, along with NAP (IR) and Changtongya PS personnel are maintaining strict vigil and conducting frisking and checking in the area, said the Addl SP. Ao Senden condemns Officials of the Ao Senden visited Akhoya village today and interacted with citizens regarding the gunfight in the

area. The Ao Senden officials were led by their president, Prof Sangyu Yaden.

While strongly condemning the gunfight, Prof Sangyu Yaden maintained that such “factional fights” are detrimental to the peace process and reconciliation efforts, especially at a time when all Naga people are crying for peace and reconciliation.

General Secretary, Ao Senden, Supong Longchar questioned why such “factional fights” have become frequent during election. Prof Sangyu, raising a similar query, asked why the factions remain “dormant” most of the year and become active during the Indian election process.

Both the Ao Senden President and General Secretary asserted that the Ao community is viewing such factional fights with all seriousness, and cautioned that such factional fights which create tensions will not be allowed in the Ao areas.

Meanwhile, the Ao Senden officials who returned after visiting Akhoya village expressed surprise that there were no security personnel in the vicinity of the area. “We didn’t meet a single police personnel or administrative official. That’s surprising because it’s a very sensitive matter, especially since this is election time. Even when there is a bus accident or a burning down of a house, there are police or administrative personnel around, but today, there were none,” said an Ao Senden official while hinting a lapse in the security arrangement before or after the gunfight. The Ao Senden officials also disclosed that the situation was under control in the area.

The officials of the apex Ao students’ organization, AKM, also visited the site. They could not be contacted for comments.

nerPf stitch alliance with nDA nagaland to host Women summit

Dimapur, march 29 (iaNS): Eleven major regional parties under the banner of North East Regional Parties Forum (NERPF) Saturday stitched an alliance with the BJP-led NDA for peace and development in the region.

“We (NERPF) have pledged our alliance with the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) to ensure peace and development in the northeastern states.

Everybody has witnessed the good work of the previous NDA government in terms of developing our backward region,” Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said. “We are hopeful the NDA will return to the seat of power and it would continue to restore all developmental projects initiated by (former prime minister) Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Congress party has failed to impress the people in our region in terms of all-round development. Instead, they (Congress) have betrayed people’s aspirations,” Rio told IANS at his private residence in Dimapur, the main commercial town of Nagaland.

Rio, the chief architect of bringing together major regional parties under the banner of NERPF, also lashed out at the outgoing Congress-led UPA government, saying it wanted to “isolate and starve” people in non-Congress ruled states by diverting developmental projects to other Congress-ruled states.

The eleven major regional parties forming the forum are: the Naga People’s Front, Asom Gana Parishad, Mizo National Front, Manipur People’s Party, Manipur State Congress Party, Manipur Democratic People’s Front, People’s Party of Arunachal, Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura, and Meghalaya’s United Democratic Party, National People’s Party, and the Hill State People’s Democratic Party. “Their (Congress) tendency is to suppress the people in non-Congress ruled states and their contribu-

tion in Nagaland was only imposition of President’s Rule and betraying the aspirations of the Naga people,” Rio said.

“Prime Minister Manmohan Singh failed to visit Nagaland even when our party (Naga People’s Front) extended support to his government. The Congress-led UPA betrayed our people by not implementing the Rs.1,500 crore special package announced by Vajpayee during his visit to Nagaland in 2003.”

“The centre cannot continue to ignore us, and if we are considered to be a part of the Indian Union, they have to give us the due share and give us a patient hearing. Nobody can ignore us,” he said. Moreover, Rio stressed the need for the regional parties in the northeast to come together and fight unitedly in parliament for the common cause of development of the region.

“Northeastern states, as individual governments and entities, are too small and insignificant to impact the balance of power. Therefore, I have initiated to bring all regional parties under NERPF to create power bloc to represent the whole of the northeast,” he said.

Allaying political fears about the BJP, Rio, who scripted history in Nagaland by becoming the chief minister three consecutive times, instead termed the Congress as a communal party shielding “certain communities”.

“I don’t know why certain people are against the BJP. They (BJP) have ruled the country before and they have not taken drastic steps against minorities when they were in power,” he said.

“In Goa, which is known as a Christian state, the BJP is in power and they have not passed any laws which are against minorities. Therefore, allegation against BJP of being Hindutva and communal by the Congress is to blackmail the minorities and play the vote-bank politics,” he added.

Dimapur, march 29 (mExN): The first ever Women Empowerment and Leadership Summit - North East Region (WELSNER), will be held in Kohima on April 25 and April 26, 2014.

Produced, hosted and managed by the Alaphra Group, the Summit aims to unite the most influential women leaders from “North East and beyond,” noted a press release from Alaphra Group’s Wapangla Imchen. This is the first such high level summit, it was stated, to be held in the North Eastern Region; it will focus on promoting leadership initiatives, enhancing skills to develop effective leadership

and decision-making by conducting meetings, sharing strategies and ideas, exploring business opportunities and build profitable professional relationships. The Summit will also provide a platform to discuss the present social issues in the region. WELSNER is focused, the press release stated, on promoting leadership initiatives and enhancing the skills of women leaders. The event is thus reserved for government authorities, chairpersons, heads of institutions and universities, student leaders, mother’s associations, regional Hohos, women entrepreneurs, research scholars, business-

women, NGOs etc.

The Summit will be officially opened by the Governor of Nagaland, Dr. Ashwani Kumar, on April 25, and feature speakers like Patricia Mukhim, Editor of The Shillong Times, Rosemary Dzüvichü, Advisor, Naga Mother’s Association, Tanushree Hazarika, Managing Editor of Eclectic Magazine, Dr. Ampareen Lyngdoh, Cabinet Minister, Government of Meghalaya, Dr. Monisha Behel, Executive Director, North East Network, among others. The Summit will be chaired by Sentila T Yanger (Padmashree). To know more about the event, one can visit www.welsner.com

Lenten Agreement a ‘new chapter’ nagaland observes in Naga reconciliation: Naga Hoho earth Hour 2014 Kohima, march 29 (mExN): The Naga Hoho has stated that signing of the Lenten Agreement by the NSCN (IM), GPRN/NSCN and NNC/FGN has “heralded a new chapter in the history of Naga reconciliation.” In a press release, Naga Hoho general secretary, Mutsikhoyo Yhobu termed the move “historic, long awaited and aspired by the common Nagas.”

“We urge all Nagas to positively contribute towards this process and further urge the entire Naga political groups to participate in the reconciliation process as envisaged and called for in the agreement,” the Naga Hoho stated. Further, it requested all the signatories of all the “Naga political groups” to uphold the agreement in letter and spirit.

The Naga Hoho noted that “The steadfast and unwavering position taken by the Forum for Naga Rec-

onciliation (FNR) in engaging the Naga political groups is laudable and praiseworthy,” also acknowledging that under the aegis of FNR, through “A journey of Common Hope,” multi level dialogues have taken place amongst the various “Naga national groups” to arrive at a “shared understanding and mutual respect” for the “common good of our people” for which “we are all indebted to the initiatives.” The Lenten Agreement, the Naga Hoho noted, has reiterated its pledge and commitment made in the Naga Concordant and formation of the Naga national government, and for which the FNR has been entrusted to expedite the process. The apex body also said that it continues to “pledge our support to Naga reconciliation process as was envisioned in the formation of the Naga Hoho for a one and united Nagas.”

Our Correspondent Kohima | March 29

Nagaland tonight observed Earth Hour 2014 by turning off the lights for an hour between 8:30pm and 9:30pm. Earth Hour is held on the last Saturday of every March - closely coinciding with the equinox to ensure most cities are in darkness as the Earth rotates - encouraging individuals, communities, households, and business establishments to turn off their nonessential lights for one hour as a symbol of their commitment to the planet and its well-being.

Nagaland State consumes about 120MW of electricity during peak hours, out which about 70% is from burning fossil fuels.

About 543kG of coal is required to generate 1MWH of energy which produces equivalent amount of about 500kg of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Considering local context, about 84MW (70%) comes from thermal based power stations, which is equivalent to emission of 43MT of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. By switching off lights for 1 hour, the State would be mitigating emission of GHGs by about 43000kgs, source said.

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Dimapur

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Sunday 30 March 2014

PhEK, march 29 (DiPr): A seminar on legal rights of women on merit, inheritance and health education-HIV/AIDs programme was held at Phek Town Hall on March 28. The programme was organised by Nagaland State Commission for Women in collaboration with National Commission for Women, New Delhi.

In the exhortation speech ADC Phek, Lovitoli expressed and gave her congratulatory note and gave thanks to the organisers for organising this kind of platform to sort out our rights and called upon the womenfolk to look at the provision of law which Indian Constitution provide us. She also stressed on the guarantee of equality before law, right to equality, non-discrimination against any citizen on the ground of religion, caste, race and sex and equality opportunity of all citizen of India. She also highlighted the importance of one’s right regarding legal rights of women and called upon the gathering to assert their rights.

In the introductory remark, Chairperson NSCW, Dr. Temsula Ao said that when we look back to the customary law, it has provided less privilege for which we need a change to improve our society and appealed upon the men folk to change their attitude and mindset so that we make the society a better place to live in.

The topic “marriage, divorce and inheritance” was discussed by various speakers including Kezungupe Tsuha, DPO Phek on behalf of Chakhesang Gazetted Officers Forum; Chevohu Lohe President DB’s Union Phek; Chinehu Khesoh and Sovenyi Sasu President CPO. Vote of thanks was proposed by Asangla Cholong Member NSCW. In the second session, the topic “Legal Right of Women on Health and HIV/ AIDs” was delivered by Meyielhi Kapfo where introductory remark was given by Chairperson NSCW, Dr. Temsula Ao and

vote of thanks was proposed by President CMA, Zaposhelu.

‘Remove imbalances in our customary laws’

mEluri, march 29 (mExN): Seminar on marriage, divorce and inheritance was organised at Meluri by Nagaland State Commission for Women (NSWC) on March 27. A press note received here stated that ADC Meluri, John Tsuliese Sangtam welcomed the commission and expresses gratitude for their pro-active works.

NSCW Chairperson Dr. Temsula Ao appealed to all the Pochury leaders present to come together and find a just solution to remove the imbalances in our customary laws and practices which are still stacked against the interests of girls and women because these girls and women are your own and living in the same society. “This is the chance to become the pioneers of an enlightened Naga society, where men and women can work and live together as equals in all respects,” she said.

“We know that this is a serious issue and will need many frank and open constitutions with all sections of society, with elders, intellectuals and also women’s groups in order to arrive at a mutually agreed way forward without compromising the sanctity of our traditional practices.

However, above all, such initiative must come from the men who will facilitate the dialogues and result in the desired amendments to the existing Customary Laws and Practices,” Dr. Temsula added.

Pochury Public Forum, President Ghachu, Pochury Gazetted Officers Union President Z. Myusietho Nyuthe, Pochury Students’ Union President Abel and Hd. DB Meluri Luorüsie, also spoke on the topic. In the second session of the seminar Dr. Chako, spoke on “Women HealthHIV/AIDS” .

Kohima, march 29 (mExN): The Department of Legal Metrology & Consumer Protection, Nagaland bid farewell to KT Sukhalu, IAS, Commissioner & Secretary to the Government of Nagaland, Department of Legal Metrology & Consumer Protection on March 28.

The function was held at the Directorate of Legal Metrology & Consumer Protection, Kohima. H. Lungalang, Addl. Secretary, Legal Metrology & Consumer Protection in his Chairman’s address, described KT Sukhalu, IAS as a sincere and able officer who began his career as an EAC in the year 1981 and served the Government in various capacities.

Imtila Imchen, Superintendent of Legal Metrology & Consumer Protection invoked God’s blessings. Haikambe congratulated the retiring officer on behalf of the Nagaland Legal Metrology & Consumer Protection Services Association for the completion of

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WoKha, march 29 (mExN): A total of 101 farmers from fifteen different villages of the Wokha district, KVK and ATMA officials attended the awareness cum training programme on protection of plant varieties and Farmers’ Right Act, 2001.

KVK Wokha, ICAR, Nagaland Centre conducted the programme at Satsuphen on March 28.

Dr. Moa who chaired the programme besides welcoming the gather-

DIPR feature | March 29

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Official and NGO’s Phek destroyed a total No. of 1303 bottle of assorted IMLF, 50 kgs of Gangas, 50 bottles of Elturex, 37 Capsule Spasmo proxyvon, 35 tabs of Alprazolum and 15 tablets of Diazepam on 28/03/2014 in the presence of destruction committee members Longtiba EAC Phek, Y. Nchumbemo Humtsoe PI Phek, Hansingh OC Phek, DB’s Phek and Phek Town Youth Club Officials. The destroyed articles were seized by Phek Police from January 2014 till date.

FAITH HARVEST CHURCH announces

Sunday Evening Worship Services (English) 4:30 pm - Red Cross Conference Hall Starting 9th march ……onwards

Inspiring Worship- Anointed messagesFaith Filled Atmosphere!

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Role play is an activity presenting a small spontaneous play which describes possible real life situations.

In this activity participants imitate someone else's characters involved. Role play allows students to enact situations before they meet those in real life. It also gives them an opportunity practice in the application of life skills that are important for themselves to protect them from risky situations. As an educational activity it provides opportunities to students for a truly experiential learning School education aims at allround development of the learners. It enables the students to acquire knowledge, develop concepts and inculcate attitudes, values and skills conducive to their intellectual development and also to their physical, psychological and social development. The achievement of these aims depends largely on the way the curriculum is transacted. And moreover adoption of appropriate instructional approaches for providing comprehensive learning experiences to pupils is required.

The instructional approaches for curriculum transaction are gener-

ally categorized as curricular and co-curricular. The curricular approach which is popularly used by teachers in schools, is mainly cognitive and helps learners acquire knowledge, and at best, devise their own methods of learning, organizing and applying the knowledge which they gather or discover.. These objectives may be achieved more effectively with the application of instructional strategies that provide opportunities to learners for going beyond the process of passive listening and receiving information to that of thinking, reasoning, feeling and doing. In fact, "doing and discovering has been the natural and normal course through which the humankind has been able to gather, gradually to this day, the vast fund of knowledge about, and control over, various facts and events. By following the same process as the teaching learning strategy it would be possible to make learning more absorbing, meaningful, experiential and stable.

Co-curricular activities belong to a category of transactional strategies that has abundant potential to influence the non-cognitive learning. These activities strengthen and clarify the content transacted through the curricular

acknowledged him for the re-instatement of the charge of Head of Department to the Joint Controller.

He also acknowledge Sukhalu for the progress the department had made in various areas under the guidance of the Commissioner & Secretary - such as the construction of 6 (six) Working Standard Laboratories and 5 (five) District Forum Offices at the districts under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) from the Govern-

procedures for registration. Registration forms were provided to all the farmers and the KVK and ATMA officials helped in filling up the forms.

The farmer’s response was very good and majority submitted the filled form on the training day itself. Some farmers took the forms with them who will be submitting the filled forms by April 4 to KVK office. The programme ended with vote of thanks proposed by Dr.Sanjay Kr. Ray

approach and provide a variety of learning experiences that help learners enrich themselves by not only acquiring knowledge but also developing better understanding, positive attitude and the life skills.

Co-curricular approach may prove effective especially in an innovative area like adolescence education. Since adolescence education is a new curricular area and has culturally very sensitive, integration in the school syllabi and textbooks will take a rather long time. But in view of the urgent needs, it is felt that the teaching of this curricular concern may not be postponed further. In order to initiate the teaching in this curricular concern forthwith, therefore, cocurricular activities can prove very handy. Moreover, even though the desired integration of adolescence education is actualized, all its concerns may not be covered through textbooks of the subjects presently being taught at the school stage.

Co-curricular activities will facilitate the coverage of entire content of adolescence education.

Co-curricular approach has a special significance for this curricular area. One of the main aims of adolescence education is the development of life skills relating to adolescent reproductive and sex-

PErEN, march 29 (DiPr): Election Observer Dr. Manjit Singh IAS visited Peren on 29th March 2014 and had an interaction with the Deputy Commissioner & ARO, Senior SP and other officials of Peren district at the DC’s office chamber. He was on a visit for monitoring election preparedness in the district, and to ensure that the ensuing 16th Lok Sabha election was free and fair.

He reviewed various stages of election pre-

paredness, including micro observer and central para military forces in the district and also visited four polling stations including two model polling stations with the DC and other officials. Earlier, Senior SP Peren briefed the Observer about the security scenario in the district which was reported to be peaceful and under control. The Observer can be contacted through mobile No. 8974503684 for any election related matters.

ual health concerns among learners, besides making them aware of and developing in them positive attitudes towards these concerns.

Co-curricular activities may be used as an effective pedagogical method to realize the objective of development of life skills among the learners. Appropriately designed co-curricular activities aimed at skill development may provide opportunities to learners to participate in learning experiences on an individual basis or in groups. Since these activities lay special emphasis on experiential learning, learners will be engaged in a dynamic teaching-learning process, which will lead them to an active acquisition, processing and structuring of experiences.

Under National Population Education Project, many cocurricular activities are being organized. Out of all co-curricular activities National Role Play Competition is an important one.

It is found that all States/UTs, teachers, parents and students have a great interest towards this activity at every level.

Interactive participation of student provides them opportunities for experiential learning for life skills development and also validating the strategies of the role

play for development of ability to apply life skills in peer group situations. It also helps to create enabling environment for effective transaction of Adolescence Education in Schools.

This activity will be organized at five levels i.e. Schools, Block, Districts, States, Regional Level and National Level. However the number of levels from schools to district may be decided by the concerned implementing agency, keeping the expenditure into consideration. In States and UTs where the number of schools are limited, it can be organized less than five levels. For every level, only one team will be selected for sending to the next level. For example from every school only one team will be sent at the block level and one team from block to the district level and from every district only one team will be sent at the State Level. Each State/ UTs will send only one selected team at the Regional Level. There will be four Regional Level Role Play Competitions for 30 States/ UTs. From each Regional Level, two teams will be selected to the National Level Role Play Competition. However from District' Level onwards three teams (First, Second and Third) may be selected for giving the prizes.

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Tuden’s single ‘About a Hat’ ranks fourth at VIMA Asia 2014

DC Zbto informs on requisition vehicle

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

ZuNhEboto, march 29 (DiPr): Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer, zunheboto, L. Akato Sema informed all the owners and drivers of vehicles requisitioned by the District Administration Zunheboto district that the reporting date has been preponed to 6th April 2014 at 9:00 a.m. which was earlier fixed on 7th April, therefore all Kohima, march 29 the vehicle owners are to report at Local Ground Zunheboto (mExN): Tuden Jamir made history by securing for Election Duty on the said date.

4th position at the Asian VIMA Music Awards 2014 for his hit single ‘About a Kohima, march 29 (DiPr): The Commissioning of Hat’ from his debut EP ‘The EVMs/Preparation of EVMs (Candidates set) will be taken Renaissance Man’.

The best musicians up on 31st March and 1st April 2014 from 9:00 a.m. onwards at DC’s Conference Hall, Kohima. Therefore, the rec- from Malaysia, Singapore, ognised Political Parties and contesting Candidates have Indonesia, Thailand, Philbeen requested to detail their representative to observe the ippines, Vietnam, Brunei preparation of EVMs process. If for unavoidable reason the and India competed for recognised Political Parties and Candidates are not able to the coveted VIMA Awards. detail representative, they have been requested to intimate From the hundreds of enthe Deputy Commissioner & District Election Officer, Ko- tries, only five artists from hima in written for not detailing the representatives. every country were then selected to compete at the Asia level out of which Tuden stood on top in the pop category from India.

At the Grand Finale, which was held on March 22 at Platinum Club - One City, Subang, Kuala-Lumpur, Malaysia, Tuden from Nagaland came out in the 4th position from among the final 20 nominees from all over South East Asia. Tuden Jamir and other nominees were invited by the CEO of VIMA ASIA to attend the award's grand finale at Malaysia.

VIMA Awards is Asia's 1st independent music award. There was also one more nomination from the North-East B.K &INA who secured 3rd in their category, “Genre Bender” with

Loving Children, Grand Children & Great Grand Children

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ing shared the objective of organizing the programme. The Project Director, ATMA, Dr. Monchan Shitiri was the chief guest who shared the importance of protecting the indigenous crop varieties and encouraged the farmers to register their varieties to avoid exploitation of the local varieties. The resource person was Bendangla Imsong who explained at length the benefits of registering the local varieties and the

Reaching…. the World Reviving…. the Church

Through this column, we the family members of Late KROZEL KIKHI, Viswema Village expresses our heartfelt gratitude and profound appreciation to each and everyone who shared our sorrow and has supported us physically, materially and financially during the sad demise of our beloved father on the 17th March 2014. He served for 37 years as GB and 5 years as Village Head(1912-2014) man of Viswema Village till Late KROZEL KIKHI he breathes his last.

Head GB & Village Headman We deeply regret our inViswema Village ability to thank each one of you individually, but it is our sincere prayer that the almighty God shower his blessing abundantly upon everyone.

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an illustrious career. Vikholie, Joint Secretary, LM & CP, on behalf of the Secretariat staff of the Department of LM & CP, stated that KT Sukhalu, IAS was a dedicated officer who contributed a lot for the welfare of the state.

Bizo M Kuotsu, Joint Controller & HoD of Legal Metrology & Consumer Protection congratulated the Commissioner & Secretary on behalf of the department for attaining superannuation in good health

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Training educates farmers of their right Election observer at Peren

Temjenkaba

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KTSukhalu, IAS, Commissioner & Secretary, Legal Metrology & CP delivering his farewell speech on March 28.

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ment of India. He stated that many deserving staffs were promoted since KT Sukhalu, IAS took over charge of the department, and described him as an administrator with exceptional qualities who always worked for the welfare of the department in particular and the State in general.

KT Sukhalu, IAS in his farewell speech said that he was entrusted with various tasks and responsibilities by the Chief Minister of Nagaland, some of which were very challenging, and he hoped that he had lived up to the expectations. He stated that the department was as equally important as any other department in the state, and exhorted the enforcement officers to be more diligent and sincere in their official duties. The programme ended with a vote of thanks from L. Nokcha, Deputy Controller of Legal Metrology & Consumer Protection Department.

National role play provides students experiential learning

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Women called to Department bids farewell to KT Sukhalu assert their rights

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The Morung Express

Contesting candidates informed

Tuden Jamir with others attend the Asian VIMA Music Awards 2014 at Kuala-Lumpur, Malaysia.

their song “Free”. According to Reverbnation, DJ Ina from Nagaland is currently ranked as the Number 1 EDM (Electronic Dance Music) producer in India.

Tuden Jamir is an artist and singer-songwriter whose music video ‘About a Hat’ has become one of the most watched pop mu-

sic videos from India on youtube. “It really doesn’t matter if we win or not, it’s just great to have an opportunity to interact with artists on an international platform,” says Tuden; “I made a lot of new acquaintances and exchanged our music and musical ideas with a lot of great people

while attending the VIMA.” You can check out his music at WWW.TUDENMUSIC. COM or you can follow him at twitter@TUDENJAMIR or at Facebook@TUDENMUSIC. Tuden’s debut EP ‘The Renaissance Man’ is available for download on Nagaland based e-Commerce website www.indihut.com.

C M Y K

REgional

The Morung Express

Sunday

30 March 2014

Dimapur

3

BJP doing divisive politics: PM in Assam Khumtai, march 29 (Pti): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday accused the BJP of doing divisive politics and said such a party could not bring development.

"I don't think that the party which indulges in politics that divides the country can bring development to the country," Singh told an election meeting here in Sibsagar district.

"India is a country with different cultures, religions and languages where the BJP is indulging in divisive politics," Singh said.

"Their politics is based on one person. They don't have any specific policies for the development of the country," Singh said at the meeting in support of sitting MP and former cabinet colleague Bijoy Krishna Handique for the prestigious Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency.

Speaking on the achievements of the UPA

government, the Prime Minister said, "Our government has been working for the welfare of the country and its people for the last ten years".

"UPA government was formed ten years ago and since then we have been working with utmost commitment and dedications for the country and the welfare of its people."

"I know that with your support we can continue with our economic reforms and social justice measures.

Because of your support we have been able to work for development of the common people and the country as a whole," he added.

Giving an account of the progress made by the country during UPA I and II governments, Singh said, "You saw the success of our UPA government during our first tenure and, therefore, again voted for us in 2009.”

"During this tenure also we tried our best to work for

Manmohan hits campaign trail -- for last time as PM SivaSagar, march 29 (iaNS): In his first campaign rally for this general election, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who steps down at the end of his 10-year tenure in May, Saturday criticised the BJP saying it has always played "a destructive role".

Manmohan Singh, 81, an economist who once headed the country's Reserve Bank and rose to be the prime minister, while addressing a rally for Congress' candidate from Khumtai in Assam, described the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a divided house without any direction.

"Their centre of attention is just one man," he said in a reference to BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. "While in opposition, they have always played a destructive role. How can a party the country and its people.

We have been successful in many aspects, but I feel still much more has to be done," Singh said.

"Of course in the last

which divides the society give a good government?" he asked.

A prime minister since May 2004, Manmohan Singh has already declared that he is not seeking a third term and will demit office after the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Though he received requests from various states to campaign for the Congress candidates, Manmohan Singh chose to go electioneering in Assam, a state he represents in the Rajya Sabha.

Addressing the public rally here, the prime minister said poverty declined three times faster under the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. "No other decade has recorded as much development as there has been in the last 10 years," he said in a reedy voice.

The prime minister also said special attention was given to the margin-

three years there has been some economic crisis, but we are trying our best to overcome it," he said.

Stating that the changes that came about in the

alised and underprivileged in the society during his two terms.

He also listed the achievements of his government in sectors like health, agriculture, education and infrastructure development.

Manmohan Singh said the UPA government had laid special emphasis on the youth and several steps were taken to provide them skill training.

He admitted the failure of his government to check price rise "as much as was expected" and dismissed the allegations of corruption during the UPA's tenure, and said that no government in the past had worked as much as his to check graft. "We have ensured that the guilty in all instances are punished. We want to bring more acts to tighten the noose, but the BJP has not been cooperating," he said.

last ten years were because of the efforts made by the Congress-led government, he said "The changes have led to India becoming a fast emerging economy. If this

continues India within a short time will be a fast rising nation in the world".

"Without economic development, eradication of poverty is not possible.

If there is no development youth will not get employment opportunities and common people will be deprived of progress," he said.

Singh spoke about two lakh km village roads being built and construction of infrastructure such as railway network expansion, airport development, metro railway, besides stress being given on welfare of education and health care facilities.

"We have been able to have good relations with many countries and India's position from the diplomatic point of view is commendable," Singh said.

"I am lucky that you all have selected me as the Prime Minister. Before coming into politics I was for 40 years in many posts where I served with commitment. Where ever I am I work for the people of India," he said.

Speaking about changes in Assam, which he represented in the Rajya Sabha

for the last 23 years, and the North East region, the Prime Minister said there was development of infrastructure during the last ten years.

"The Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology, Jorhat Medical College Hospital, a super speciality hospital, National Institute of Design in Jorhat constituency have come up during the tenure of the Congress government here," Singh said.

"Prior to Independence the tea community was with the Congress.

Now also we are doing a lot for them and assure to continue working for their welfare and progress," he promised.

Stating that India was declared a polio-free country by the WHO, the Prime Minister said the UPA government was giving special attention to children's health care and their education - from the primary to the higher education level.

Rio accuses Shambu Singh of ‘Peace accord with Meghalaya rebels after polls’ ANVC has scaled ‘constantly opposing’ Nagas down its demand Newmai News Network Tamenglong | March 29 Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio has accused Shambu Singh, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of constantly opposing the Nagas. "He is no doubt the Manipur cadre of IAS and today he has been constantly working against us in collaboration with Manipur chief minister O Ibobi Singh," alleged Rio. Addressing an election rally in Tamenglong district headquarters today, Rio alleged that Shambu Singh attempted to block his way to Tamenglong district today.

Yesterday, the chief minister office, Nagaland had alleged that Shambu Singh was trying to prevent Rio's chopper from landing in a helipad in Tamenglong town. Rio then narrated how Manipur chief minister Ibobi was trying to block him from attending the NPF programme in Senapati.

Meanwhile, Neiphiu Rio thanked

the Nagas for making him chief minister for the past 11 years. He said, so much things have been done during his tenure and there are many more yet to be done.

Neiphiu Rio became the chief minister of Nagaland in 2003 in the newly revived NPF after resigning from the Congress party.

Lauding the people of Tamenglong for coming to the election rally of Soso Lorho, the NPF candidate, Rio expressed that all the political parties in Nagaland support him in the ensuing Lok Sabha poll except the Congress.

Revealing the reason to the people of Tamenglong why he is contesting the Lok Sabha election, Rio said, "There is a larger responsibility in Delhi so I have taken this decision." He then appealed the gathering to vote for Soso Lorho on April 9.

Earlier in the day, Rio landed at Tamei town in Tamenglong district and addressed an election rally. Rio was accompanied by Nagaland Planning minister TR Zeliang and other NPF leaders.

for a separate Garoland state to the formation of an autonomous council

ShilloNg, march 29 (iaNS): The final peace accord with the A'chik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) in Meghalaya's Garo Hills is likely to be finalised after the formation of a new government at the centre, a home ministry official said Friday.

"The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh)

Assam fails to impress with few women candidates guWahati, march 29 (tNN): If women empowerment is the buzzword this election season, poll preparations in Assam do not reflect it. Of the state's 14 MPs, only two are women. Assam assembly fares no better, with only 15 women MLAs among its 126 members, of which 12 belong to the ruling Congress.

Apart from the sitting MP from Lakhimpur, Congress's Ranee Narah, BJP's Bijoya Chakraborty is the only other woman MP from Assam. Narah is also the Union minister of state for tribal affairs, while Chakraborty is the MP from Guwahati.

The number of women aspirants in the Lok Sabha polls is not encouraging either, with only four women among the 86 candidates vying for the Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Jorhat, Koliabor, Tezpur, Autonomous Districts, Karimganj and Silchar seats.

These constituencies go to polls in the first and second phase of elections.

Of the women candidates in the fray, Narah has filed her nomination from Lakhimpur again, while Congress' Sushmita Dev, daughter of former Union minister Santosh Mohan Dev, is contesting from Silchar. She is the sitting MLA from the same constituency.

CPI(ML)'s Pratima Engheepi will contest from the Autonomous Districts, while Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s Jinti Gogoi will fight it out with CM Tarun Gogoi's son, Gaurav, for the Koliabor Lok Sabha seat. Trinamool's Ribulaya Gogoi will contest from Jorhat against Congress' Bijoy Krishna Handique.

The third phase of polling will see sitting MP from Guwahati Bijoya Chakraborty battling it out against newcomer, Congress's Manash Bora, and senior Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) leader Birendra Prasad Baishya. AGP has given a ticket to ex-BJP member Mridula Borkakoty for Nagaon which goes to polls on April 24.

Militants hideout unearthed, arms seized in Manipur imPhal, march 29 (Pti): A joint team of police commandos and central paramilitary forces unearthed a militant hideout and seized a large number of sophisticated arms in interior Thoubal district of Manipur, police said on Saturday.

Commandos attached to Thoubal police station and personnel of 22nd battalion of Assam Rifles launched a massive search operation at Khoidum lake area in the district following reports of movement of militants.

They busted a hideout of militants in the area last evening, they said, adding that the militants fled before the forces reached the spot.

Sources said the forces seized one lethod gun, one

AK 56 rifle, one M 16 rifle, several explosive materials including about 100 detonators, over 10 magazines of different weapons, several rounds of ammunitions of different rifles and one radio set. Search was continuing in the area and attempts were being made to track down the militants. Meanwhile, commandos attached to Imphal West district police station yesterday arrested three militants of Kanglei Yawol Kann Lup (KYKL) Sagolband in the district. They were identified as Thangjam Basanta (46), Haobam Sunil (52) and Tongbram Gitkumar (44), they said, adding that they have been handed over to the police station for further interrogation.

Arunachal's smallest polling station has only two voters itaNagar, march 29 (Pti): Arunachal Pradesh has set up a polling station for only two voters at Malogaon under Hayuliang division in the newly created Anjaw district. Besides, there are eight polling stations for less than 10 voters, 20 for less than 20 voters and 105 for less than 50 electors in different areas of the largest northeastern state, election office sources said here.

Other women aspirants in the upcoming LS polls include Jonjonali Baruah, sitting MLA from Morigaon, who will fight from Nagaon on a Congress ticket. AAP candidate Namrata Sharma will contest from Mangaldoi.

Women parliamentarians are not new to Assam which has seen venerable Congresswomen Mofida Ahmed and Renuka Devi Barkataki win from Jorhat and Barpeta in 1957 and in 1962 respectively. Barkakati went on to become the Union minister of state for education, social welfare and culture in the Janata Party government led by the then PM Morarji Desai from 1977 to 1979 after being elected to the 6th Lok Sabha from Guwahati. However, the subsequent decrease in the number of women politicians is puzzling. With Congress having only three women candidates, AAP, two, and CPI (ML), TMC, AGP and BJP having one each, the balance is unlikely to be restored soon.

has approved the agreed text for settlement to be signed with the ANVC," J.P.N. Singh, director (Northeast) in the union home ministr y, told IANS. Singh, who was here for the Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) meeting with the ANVC and the Meghalaya government, said the new government will finalise the date for final signing of the peace accord with the ANVC. On the other hand, the JMG has decided to extend the ceasefire with the ANVC by another year until March 31, 2015, he said.

The ANVC, once a powerful rebel outfit in the five districts of Garo Hills in western Megha-

laya, has scaled down its demand for creation of a separate Garoland state to the formation of an autonomous council.

It signed the draft of the agreed settlement with the Meghalaya and union governments Jan 5, 2013.

"The contours of the final agreement to be signed with the ANVC have been approved. These relate to the political, organisational and development aspects," Singh said.

The outfit had demanded strengthened powers for the existing Garo Hills Autonomous District Council and increasing seats in the council from 30 to 40.

Of the 40 seats, the ANVC proposed that 35

Arunachal media complains Cong offers money to journalists itaNagar, march 29 (Pti): The media fraternity in Arunachal Pradesh has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against Congress accusing it of offering money to journalists. The Arunachal Press Club and the Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalist in their complaint yesterday alleged that Congress had offered cash to media persons during the release of party's manifesto at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan here on March 27 last.

According to the media persons who attended the function, cash was of-

OFFICE OF THE

fered in a sealed envelope.

When one journalist enquired about the content, it was found that those contained cash and they were returned immediately.

members should be directly elected, while those to the remaining five - reserved for two ANVC members, two Nokmas and one woman - should be nominated.

Under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, Meghalaya has three district councils - for the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo Hills - having powers on myriad issues such as forests, tax collection,

and so on.

Chief Minister Mukul Sangma earlier asked the central government to consider an "acceptable tripartite accord" with the ANVC for peace in the Garo Hills region.

ANVC spokesman Arist D. Sangma also said they want signing of the final tripartite peace accord "to be done as soon as possible" to ensure lasting peace in Garo Hills.

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Your Vote is your right Do not let your vote go in vain Kohima District Core Group (SVEEP Campaign) GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAND

NAGALAND FOOD & CIVIL SUPPLIES FIELD STAFF ASSOCIATION

DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER & TECHNICAL EDUCATION

(Govt.Approval No.U.O.No.1064, P&AR Branch)

NO. HE/7-1/2005 : Applications are invited from eligible candidates for filing up 2 posts of Principals for State Council of Teacher Education, Kohima and Mokokchung College of Teacher Education under the Department of Higher Education, Nagaland, Kohima in the Pay Band of Rs. 37400-67000 with Academic Grade Pay of Rs. 10000/-.

2. Essential Qualifications: i) Principal/Professor/Head for SCTE, Kohima. a) A Master’s Degree in Arts/Humanities/Science/Commerce and M.Ed each with a minimum of 55% marks ( or an equivalent grade in a point scale wherever grading system is followed), Or M.A ( Education) with 55% marks ( or an equivalent grade in a point scale wherever grading system is followed) and B.Ed each with a minimum of 55% marks (or an equivalent grade in a point scale wherever grading system is followed); b) Ph.D. in Education; and c) At least ten years of teaching experience in University department of education or College of Education of which a minimum of five years at the M.Ed level with published work in the area of his/her specialization. ii) Principal for MCTE, Mokokchung; a) A Master’s’ Degree in Arts/Humanities/Science/ Commerce and M.Ed each with a minimum of 55% marks ( or an equivalent grade in a point scale or wherever grading system is followed) b) Ph.D in Education and c) At least eight years of teaching experience in University, Department of Education or College of Education with a minimum of 3(three) years at the M.Ed level and has published work in the relevant area.

Or Associate Professor with a minimum of 3(three) years of service in the Associate Prof. Grade in a B.Ed College.

3. Retired Prof./ Principals: i) In the event of non-availability of eligible and suitable candidates, as per the eligibility criteria, retired Principal/Professor having the required qualification will also be considered on contract basis for a period not exceeding one year at a time till such time the candidates complete sixty five years of age. ii) The remuneration of the retired candidates shall be the last pay drawn less pension 4. Accommodation: Accommodation for the Principal is available in Mokokchung College of Teacher Education. The candidate for Prof./Head of SCTE, Kohima will have to make his/her own accommodation. However, admissible House Rent Allowance will be considered.

5. Transport: Attached vehicles will be provided to the selected candidates and admissible block year entitlement and POL re-imbursement provided.

6. TA/DA: TA/DA will be as admissible to the State Govt. employees.

7. Last date for submission of applications: Applications in plain paper addressed to Director, Higher Education, Nagaland, Kohima-797004 along with bio-data and other documents must be submitted latest by 21.04.2014. Applications received after the last date will not be entertained.

(F. P. SOLO) Commr. & Secretary to the Govt. of Nagaland

Directorate of Food & Civil Supplies Nagaland: Dimapur

FELICITATION

The Nagaland Food & Civil Supplies Field Staff Association would like to congratulate Smti. Lithrila Sangtam (Inspector) of this Department for getting through the recently declared result of the NPSC with flying colours ranking No.1 in the merit list to the post of EAC. The Association applauds for her achievement and further wish the best for her future endeavours.

(S.KAVITO AOMI) President, NFCSFSA

GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAND DIRECTORATE OF INDUSTRIES AND COMMERCE No.IND/HL/NHE/10/2000

Dated, Kohima, the 28th March 2014

Department of Industries and Commerce, Govt.of Nagaland is organizing National Handloom Expo at Super Market, Dimapur. It is proposed to organise seminar on ‘Dissemination of Govt.of India Scheme’ under D.C. (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India. All the Self Help Group (SHGs) assisted through Cluster Development in the state during the past few years are requested to attend the seminar in order to familiarise with the New Scheme under Handloom sector positively.

(Er.Kahoto Sema) Addl.Director (Handloom & Textiles)

NAGALAND : KOHIMA

NOTIFICATION

Dated Kohima, the 27th March, 2014.

C M Y K

4

Dimapur

local/BusinEss

Sunday 30 March 2014

2 more recalls push GM total to 4.8M in a month DETROIT, MARCH 29 (AP): General Motors announced two more recalls, bringing to 4.8 million the number of cars, trucks and SUVs the automaker has called back for repairs in the past month.

The string of recalls, topped by an ignition switch problem in compact cars now linked to 13 crash deaths, has embarrassed the company and sidetracked its new CEO, who started work just over two months ago. GM has admitted knowing about the switch problem a decade ago, yet it didn't recall any cars until February. The recall delay has brought two congressional investigations and probes by the Justice Department and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Late on Friday night, GM announced it would recall 490,000 late-model pickup trucks and SUVs because transmission oil cooling lines weren't secured properly in their fittings. Transmission oil can

leak from a fitting and hit hot surfaces, causing fires, the company said in a statement. GM said it knows of three fires and no injuries.

The recall affects Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500 pickup trucks from the 2014 model year, as well as 2015 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe SUVs and the GMC Yukon and Yukon XL SUVs. All have six-speed automatic transmissions.

The Silverado is GM's top-selling vehicle and an important profit center for the company. The GMC Sierra also is among GM's top sellers.

Dealers will inspect the transmission oil cooling line fittings and make sure they're securely seated, at no cost to owners.

Also on Friday night, GM announced the recall of 172,000 Chevrolet Cruze compact cars because the right front axle shaft can fracture and separate while being driven.

The recall affects cars from the 2013 and 2014

model years equipped with 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engines.

If a shaft fractures, the wheels would lose power without warning and the cars would coast to a stop.

GM says it has warranty reports of several dozen shaft fractures. It is not aware of any crashes or injuries.

Dealers will replace the shafts free of charge.

The recall allows dealers to resume selling affected Cruzes. GM issued a stop sale order on the cars Thursday night.

The recall also covers about 2,500 replacement shafts used to fix manual transmission Cruzes that were recalled last September.

In all, GM has recalled 4.8 million vehicles since last month, two million more than the company sold last year in the U.S. In addition to the recalls announced Friday night, they include: — 2.6 million small

cars because their ignition switches can move from the "run" to the "accessory" or "off" position, which causes the car to stall and disables the air bags and power steering. The recall includes the Chevrolet Cobalt, Chevrolet HHR, Pontiac G5, Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Ion and Saturn Sky from the 2003-2011 model years.

— 1.18 million SUVs because their side air bags, front center air bags and seat belt pretensioners might not deploy if drivers ignore an air bag warning light on their dashboard.

The recall includes the Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia (2008-2013); Chevrolet Traverse (2009-2013); and Saturn Outlook (20082010) — 303,000 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans (2009-2014) because the material on the instrument panel might not adequately protect unbelted passengers' heads in a crash.

— 63,900 Cadillac XTS

sedans (2013-2014) because a plug in the brake assembly can get dislodged and short, increasing the risk of an engine compartment fire.

GM also said Friday that it has found another death attributed to the ignition switch recalls, bringing the company's count to 13. The additional fatality happened in 2013 and involved a 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt in Quebec, Canada.

The company didn't give further details of the crash.

GM says dealers will start getting replacement ignition switches on April 7, but it will take until October to repair all of the vehicles. CEO Mary Barra says they are safe as long as drivers remove everything from their key rings. Weight on the rings can wear down the inside of the switches, causing them to slip out of the run position.

Trial lawyers, however say the cars should be parked because the ignitions can slip out of the run position on bumpy roads.

“Adventures of Lhüsaku and Other Stories” released KOHIMA, MARCH 29 (MExN): “Adventures of Lhüsaku and Other Stories”, written by poet and teacher educator, Agnes Tepa was launched today by Principal Director & Joint Secretary of School Education, Kesonyü Yhome, IAS, at Ozone Café. The book is a collection of short stories with Lhüsaku as the main character for the most part, and dwells on the pristine

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childhood of Lhüsaku, that is deeply entrenched in the Naga way of life, especially back in the 80s and 90s.

Speaking at the event, Agnes Tepa said that the book is based on real life incidents, and can be read by all age groups. Further pointing to the exhibits displayed at the venue, she said, some of those are belongings of the main character while the rest of the exhibits are representation of some significant incidents in the life of Lhüsaku.

She expressed hope that young readers would be able to enjoy the book as it is about childhood, while also hoping that the adult readers would be able to relate and relive their younger days when they read the book.

Kesonyü Yhome, who read the book beforehand, noted that Lhüsaku is a character that almost ev-

Agnes Tepa (left) with Principal Director of School Education, Kesonyü Yhome, IAS, releasing “Adventures of Lhüsaku & Other Stories.”

ery Naga can relate to and appreciated Agnes Tepa for keeping alive the cherished traits of “our” forefathers, which, he said, are simplicity, honesty and equality in their ways of life. He impressed upon that literature is a reflection of the society and hypothesis of life and in this regard,

stated optimism that local writers like Agnes and others would continue to promote “our” culture in this manner.

The author is a University Gold Medalist, a recipient of the Governor’s Gold Medal, and also the first recipient of the Mayangnokcha Award Trust North

_

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East Running Trophy. She co-authored “Echoes of Spring”, which was published in the year 2008, wherein a poem written by her, titled, “Beauty” is included in the school curriculum and being studied by students of class 6. Her short story, titled, “The story of a Naga Muslim” also appeared in the book, “Of voices and paper”, a collection of contemporary short stories from Nagaland.

“Adventures of Lhüsaku and other stories” is the second publication of PenThrill Publication House.

The first imprint, “Four Shades” was launched last November.

Highlights of the event included prayer by Rev. Dr. Niu Vihienuo and special song by “Upright”. Vishü Rita Krocha gave the publisher’s note while the programme was chaired by Theyiesinuo Keditsu.

The Morung Express

puBlic discoursE

THE WATCHMEN

Standing in the Gap . Ezekiel 22:30

MEMORANDUM

A

serious meeting initiated by "The Watchmen" of Christian Leaders and organizations consisting of the NCRC, Baptist, Assemblies of God, Catholics, Independent Churches, Bible colleges, mission Organizations and concerned citizens was held on the 27/03/2014 2014 at 4:00pm held at the Eastern Bible college Chapel Hall, bank colony to discuss about the social evils prevailing in our society.

The Concerned people in the meeting expressed their displeasure of the social evils such as sale and consumption of Liquor in places like pubs and discos, various shops and disreputable houses both by locals and non locals which is destroying our society especially the children , teenagers and youths; enticing young teenagers and underage children into prostitution and bringing in demonic and satanic activities; creating noise pollution from pubs and night discos whole night which is creating nuisance and Lawlessness in our society.

After a serious and lengthy discussion the following memorandum was drafted and approved to be submitted to the District Administration with the very concern and attitude having faith in the very able Administration to bring about changes and Transformation in our society.

This Memorandum is not intended to and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by a party against the Government, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

This Memorandum is submitted and forwarded for consideration with a view to see the Government of the day perform its bonded obligations to its Citizens.

1. To strongly implement the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition Act 1989 This NLTP Act 1989 was passed by the Nagaland Government in respect of the requests of Christians in Nagaland for the wellbeing of our society. Therefore the District Administration is urged to strongly implement NLTP Act of 1989.

2. Cancellation of Trade Licenses in places where Liquor is manufactured, stored, sold and consumed.

According to the NLTP Act 1989, no trade Licenses are to be issued to open, manufacture, store, sale and consume Liquor.

Therefore the District Administration and relevant authority is urged to cancel such trade Licenses and penalized.

3. Strict Monitoring and Raiding of such places where immoral activities are taking place in pubs, discotheques, Hotels, Shops, restaurants and other social activity place.

It has been generally accepted that it is dangerous to morals of our teenagers where strict monitoring is not in place.

Without proper and clever monitoring, the moral fiber opens the way to sins which rapidly destroys our society. This will help to strongly implement the NLTP Act of 1989.

4. Control of Noise pollution.

Many complaints are heard of whole night noise pollution from Night pubs and discotheques that runs throughout the

night to the early parts of the morning. It has been observed that Liquor are sold and consumed in these places. Few such places are opposite and beside the S.P. office namely—Pebbles, Spills, H2o and others like The Cube(Opposite popular bakery), shops near city tower junction, shop near Dhobinala Junction, shops near Marwari Patti... etc, 5. Public safety and proper Checking on Drunk Driving.

Even though the police and security personals are doing their part in checking anti-social dements, much more is needed and public safety remains the core in the hearts of the citizens. Therefore we urge upon the administration and the police to regularly enforce strict and ethical way to discipline in terms of drunk driving through "breathe analyzer". Many precious lives have been lost and threatens the safety of the citizens especially at night.

6. Creation of more jobs in the excise department so as to check and enforce the rule of law against the violators and Liquor barons.

The above mentioned points be carefully and meticulously implemented for Citizens to put their trust in the Government of the day.

Thanking you once again.

The WATCHMEN---Standing in the Gap for our Land. watchmannagaland@ gmails.com facebook -the watchman, Contact details-9612818923/ 8974645409/ 9856841919/ 9615554970/ 9701003717 On behalf of the Christian Leaders, organizations and concerned citizens.

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.

DAILY CROSS WORD

CROSSWORD # 2842

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 # 2833

KOHIMA

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

232224; Emergency229529, 229474 227930, 231081 228846 228254 231864, 224117, 227337 228400 232106 227607 232181 242555/ 242533 224041, 248011 230695/9402435652 131/228404 229366 282777 232032, 231031 248302, 09856006026

STD CODE: 0370

Northeast Shuttles

100/2244279 2222222 2222111 2222952 2222916 2243339 2224202

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DevelopmeNt ACCOMIDATION AINSWORTH ASSIMILATION CONVENTIONAL DEVELOPMENT EMBRYO ERIKSON FETUS FREUD HARLOW NATURE NEONATE NURTURE POSTCONVENTIONAL PRECONVENTIONAL PREOPERATIONAL REFLEX SCHEMA SENSORIMOTOR TEMPERAMENT TERATOGEN ZYGOTE

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E E A P A I O J W T D S C H E M A U M

S I A D S R A O L E R A N U R T U R E M

G I I B S E U S E S R A Y E T P S N M

E O N S A L I O N S O W O L R A H U E U

D S E I C N M P Y R E F L E X J T U O

U W N T P C E I E E E E S I B R E N R

A E O S E E E O O L R M A R E L C F D T

E R O R C A R M N A A B D U R C E A E

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I R M O E O Y N E G A E O O O H N E E

C K O O G E S G K E E O T I N N U Y U R

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G E T D Q N D F F I O O O R L R O E T

P O S T C O N V E N T I O N A L V Y

ACROSS 1. Oxygen and helium, for example 6. Sleeveless garment 10. Hairdo 14. Extreme 15. Reflected sound 16. Banner 17. Dens 18. Close 19. A dog wags one 20. Stubbornly unyielding 22. Sea eagle 23. Found on a finger 24. Exit 26. Exuviate 30. Nigerian tribesman 31. Decay 32. Smell 33. Weapons 35. Twangy, as a voice 39. Progressive 41. Grapple 43. Colonic 44. Type of sword 46. Labels 47. French for “Summer” 49. Ump 50. Historical periods 51. The first event in a series

54. Ear-related 56. Street 57. Starters 63. Countertenor 64. Any day now 65. Storehouse 66. Place 67. If not 68. Genus of heath 69. Male offspring 70. Marsh plant 71. Full of hardship or trials

DOWN 1. Mouthful 2. Wings 3. Blend 4. Makes a mistake 5. Indian antelope 6. Foyer 7. Troop formation 8. Cold-shoulder 9. Move unsteadily 10. A delayed flavor sensation 11. Emergency signal 12. Showers 13. Leers 21. Type of antelope 25. Departed 26. Infiltrator

27. Norse god 28. Part of the outer ear 29. Wonderful 34. Sugared 36. Sun 37. Aquatic plant 38. Not more 40. Be worthy of 42. Fit out again 45. Ask someone to marry you 48. Found at the end of a pencil 51. Not written exams 52. Infantile paralysis 53. Consumed 55. Made from apple juice 58. Barbershop emblem 59. Nil 60. Sweeping story 61. Stone 62. Remain

Ans to CrossWord 2841

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

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5 Public SPace/lOcal GROWING SOCIALLY: Images of the good, the bad, and the beautiful Sunday

The Morung Express

I

’m thinking of a league of extraordinary Naga gentlemen: one of the most respected Christian ministers, Rev. Dr. Wati Aier; one of the most revered elderly statesmen and social activists, Mr. Niketu Iralu; one of the most successful businessmen, Mr. Nibu Nagi; one of the most highly-regarded Christian social workers, Rev. Dr. Chingmak Kejong; and one of the most recognisable youth icons and social entrepreneurs, Mr. Theja Meru.

Question: What do all these people have in common?

Answer: They all have genuine humility, exceptional good manners, extraordinary interpersonal and social skills, and special social concern.

Sure, they will have their weaknesses. Who doesn’t? But I look up to them – for they do not look down on others. The word ‘society’ comes from the Latin term societas, which means ‘companionship and friendly association with others’. These people know what it means to be social and to be in society.

And that is why they are where they are.

You can also think of the people you greatly admire. I suspect the equa-

30 March 2014

tion will not be very different: growing personally depends greatly on growing socially.

Contrast such people, for example, with a top Naga politician. Some years back, I had flown into Dimapur airport in the flight he was also travelling in. After we landed, we were all waiting for our baggage at the conveyor belt, and I was standing next to this politician who was there with some of his aides. As the suitcases rolled in, one box somehow fell off the belt just a few feet away from the mighty politician. But when one of his assistants instinctively bent down to pick the suitcase up and put it back on the belt, the politician asked him: ‘Itu moilaka ase neki?’ His aide responded: ‘Nahoi, sir.’ At which the politician barked: ‘Toh kile othai ase!’

I don’t like this politician.

Another small experience that has left a deep negative impression on me has to do with a very respected evangelical Christian leader from Asia. He is a leading Christian public intellectual who has authored a number of highquality books and is on great demand as a speaker. He is also on the leadership of a very big Christian organization. His intellectual ability is renowned;

his evangelical credentials are unquestionable; his integrity is impeccable. I myself greatly admired and respected him.

Sometime back, someone told me that this Christian leader had been trying to get in touch with me.

(We do know each other – I know him and his works; he knows I exist, at least.)

Elated that such a big guy should apparently be interested in getting in touch with me, I sent him a very polite and humble email – with all the proper ‘Dear Dr. X’, ‘Kind regards’, etc. – asking him why it was that he was trying to get in touch with me, and how I could be of any service to him. A couple of days later, he sent me a very terse and rather rude single-line email which simply said: ‘I don’t know who told you that I wanted to get in touch with you and I don’t know what this is all about!’

I didn’t reply. I don’t admire or respect him anymore.

Contrast these two men, again, with another set of truly worldrenowned personalities.

(I’m afraid I’m going to be doing some name-dropping here; please bear with me.) In 2005, I got the wonderful privilege and high honour of being a part of the praise and worship team at a very big interna-

Kethoser (Aniu) Kevichusa tional conference. One of the conference speakers was the former President of USA, President Jimmy Carter.

On the evening that President Carter spoke, I was sitting along with the praise and worship team on stage, facing the whole audience. What struck me and impressed me most about the occasion was this: During the prayer time, like a naughty boy, I half-opened my eyes and took a peek at President Carter. He was sitting in the first row with all the other top Christian leaders. He was, by far, the most highprofile personality in that conference. But his head was bowed the lowest, almost between his thighs.

This may be simply a matter of a body-posture, but this one image of the former President of America, bowing before God, lowering himself more than all the other thousands present, has always remained with me. What is more, although I do not remember most of what President Carter said on that occasion, I remember him saying that he and his wife – both in their 70s or 80s then – continued to teach the Sunday school kids at their small local church.

Talk about humility.

Talk about making a difference.

There is another image of another man. This man is the Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at the University of Oxford. The Regius Professor Chair at Oxford is one of the highest professorial chairs in the world, appointment to which is made directly by the Queen of England.

This professor is also one of the world’s leading theologians and academics, whom students and other academics hold in high regard.

During my time in Oxford, one evening, from a distance, I saw this professor walking in town. What impressed me so much about this great theologian and ethicist was a simple thing that he did: There was an empty drink can that was some distance from where he was.

But the professor made it a point to walk up to where the can was, pick it up and put it in the garbage bin. There were hundreds of other people walking around in town. But it was this one top professor who noticed what no one else noticed, and did what no one else did.

Talk about social responsibility. Talk about social ethics.

In another Christian conference, I observed another simple act by another great, perhaps the ‘greatest’, Christian leader in the world today – Pastor Rick Warren. Rick Warren was the speaker at the event.

Before the meeting began, Rick Warren came in early and was mingling with everyone else. As people were coming into the conference hall, there was an elderly lady who was struggling a bit to walk up the steps that led to the seating area. Rick Warren promptly got out of his seat, walked up this lady, extended his hand, and helped her to her seat.

Of all the others, it had to be Rick Warren who did this.

I’ve no doubt that others too would have done the same. But it was Rick Warren who made the move, and made it first. That is why Rick Warren is who he is and the rest of us are who we are.

Talk about chivalry.

Talk about good manners.

Another image: Last year, during a gathering of our organization’s staff members at Singapore, one of my colleagues from India had a rough fall in the bathroom and bruised his hip quite badly. This colleague of ours was telling us about his fall and all of us were going, ‘Ooh!’ ‘Ah!’ ‘Oh no!’ ‘I’m so sorry’ – the usual, banal, concern-

phrases.

But when our team leader and president, Ravi Zacharias, heard of our colleague, he quickly and quietly went to his room and brought our colleague a palliative balm. This colleague of mine was deeply touched by this simple gesture of this great man.

Talk about people care.

Talk about social action.

Two final images from closer to home: the first, my father-in-law. He is probably the most disciplined and routine-following person I know. There is, however, often a complaint at home that the things my father-in-law buys and brings home are usually no good. The vegetables are rotting or rotten; the wooden chutney grinders are unnecessary (How many grinders does a household need, after all?); and so on. Does he not know?

He does. But what the others don’t know is why he buys these things. Usually, when he is coming out of his medical clinic at the end of the day, he would encounter these poor local vendors who are eager to return to their village homes, but are also desperate to sell the remaining stuff that customers reject. So he buys their stuff.

Eccentric? Yes. But talk about neighbour care.

Dimapur

The other image comes from my dad. For many years, there were two things that my dad did early in the morning everyday. After his morning prayers and morning exercise, he would go out of our compound every day and sweep the public street in our area. He did not do this to impress people – for it was too early for people, except a few, to see him doing that. He also never once mentioned to us or anybody else what he did.

But we saw. After sweeping the street, he would come back, take a bowlful of rice and scatter them around for the sparrows in our vicinity. Jesus said that our Heavenly Father cares for and feeds the birds of the air. I fancy that during those years, in our compound at least, the Heavenly Father did it through my earthly father.

Watch people carefully. Watch great people especially. Watch them not just in the great things, but in the little things, they do around them. Watch how they relate with people and their surroundings.

And having seen . . . imitate them.

(This article was originally published in the PowerComm. Magazine, ‘Uplink’. Republished with permission.)

ACAUT advocates ‘one govt one tax’ in Wokha Kohima police cracks down on crime LEED and LEEK appeals Wokha, March 29 (MExN): The ongoing tour of the ACAUT team reached Wokha today. After self introduction of the ACAUT team members, Joel Nilo briefed to the gathering the experiences of the meetings that were held in the other districts.

A press release informed that Khekiye Sema, IAS retired, the main speaker of the function started his speech highlighting a

brief history of the Nagas.

“The Nagas first chose to be a free people from the time of Simon Commission in 1929 saying ‘we will not pay tax to anyone’ and so should our determination be today,” he stated. “Many of us don’t even know that we are free people, when we don’t know that we don’t know what else can we do?” As Nagas started the struggle to live as a free people in unison, Khekiye

declared, “it is our demand and determination today that we have got to be one people and one government.”

According to the note, the common decision arrived at the meeting with a clear conviction was “Nagas shall have only one government and there shall be only one tax”. Earlier, Rev. Sulumo, pastor of Wokha Town Baptist Church invoked God’s blessings.

Unidentified dead body found DiMapur, March 29 (MExN): Dead body of an unidentified man was found near the Dimapur railway station parking lot on March 29. The deceased, believed to be around 40 years of age and 5.5” feet in height, was wearing a

pair of brown pants, a dark green T – shirt and a pair of slippers. The deceased bore a surgical mark on the abdomen, stated a press release from the Additional Superintendent of Police, Dimapur. The unclaimed body was taken to the dis-

trict hospital morgue after the preliminary inquest for post mortem and identification, while a case was registered. The press release quoted residents of the area as stating that the deceased begged for alms at the railway station.

kohiMa, March 29 (MExN): Personnel from South Police station on March 24 while conducting raid at Agri Farm colony, seized 147 litres of assorted IMFL which was found concealed at the house of one Binod Kumar (23). SDPO Kohima Shouka Kakheto informed in a press release that a case has been registered in South PS for investigation.

In a separate incident on March 25, two persons namely Neisalie (35), SS Captain and Kughavi (20), SS Corporal, of Lazami village, both belonging to GPRN/NSCN were apprehended by police personnel manning Peducha Police Check Post for extorting money from vehicles along the Highway. The press note informed that a case has been registered in Sechu Zubza PS for investigation.

Meanwhile, one person, namely Zakir Hussain (30) from Karimganj, Assam was also arrested for possessing 36 litres of IMFL from a Manipur bound bus bearing registration number MN042186. A case has been registered for investigation at Sechu Zubza PS in this regard.

Police personnel manning Peducha Police Check Post also recovered 170 Kgs of Ganja from a vehicle Scorpio (Black) bearing R/No. NL07-6907 on March 28, around 6: 30 pm after chasing the vehicle till Medziphema town. However, the SDPO informed that the driver managed to escape leaving behind the vehicle and the contraband. A case has been registered at Sechu Zubza PS for investigation.

Further, on March 28, police personnel manning Phesama Police Check Post at around 2:30 pm re-

covered 60 Kgs of Ganja from one person identified as Raheshwar Singh (23) from a Dimapur bound Bus with registration number MN06-B 0008. And at around 2:40 pm the same day, another 20 Kg of Ganja was recovered from a Dimapur bound Bus bearing registration number AS12-B 6136 which was unclaimed. Two separate cases at South PS have been registered respectively for investigation.

Meanwhile, 19th Assam Rifles personnel arrested one person, identified as Mhasibeituo (20), a resident of L Khel, Kohima on March 23. He was arrested from T Khel Market, Kohima for extorting money in the name of NSCN (K) by issuing non local slips. In this connection, a case has been registered in South PS and investigation taken up.

DiMapur, March 29 (MExN): The Lotha Eloe Ekhung Dimapur (LEED) and Lotha Eloe Ekhung Karbi Anglong (LEEK) highlighting the “factual realities” of the alleged rape incident which happened on January 12 have stated that the incident was reported to the police on January 13 evening. The victim had gone to the Women Cell (Police), Dimapur with her family members to complain about the incident against three accused persons, “one among them happened to be her boyfriend.”

LEED and LEEK in a press statement appended by the respective presidents added that “much has been publicized about the incident in the press and various alle-

gations have been made against the women police which has been blown out of proportion.” Furthermore, “it is learned that women police who were on duty on the day of reporting the incident have been placed under suspension for some reason or the other.”

In light of this, the two women unions while “unequivocally” condemning the “barbaric” rape incident and expressing sympathy to the victim and her family have appealed to the authority concerned for a “fair and impartial approach in dealing with the issue and re-evaluate the circumstances to safeguard the dignity of the victim and that the women police on duty are not victimized.”

Dimapur student’s NPF lodges complaint with CEC Sensitization on role of public service broadcaster kohiMa, March 29 (MExN): Gandhi should be “further punished poem published The Naga People’s Front (NPF) cen- for burying the history of failures of Our Correspondent

DiMapur, March 29 (MExN): A poem written by a student of Pranab Vidyapith Higher Secondary School, Dimapur, Monu Bhagat has been published in Aatish, an international anthology of poems and photographs on different issues prevailing in the world.

A press release informed that Monu Bhagat has dedicated the poem to Prodigal’s Home, an NGO in Dimapur for their hard work and contribution to the society. To grab a copy of Aatish, contact 9089869452.

Monu Bhagat started writing when he was 13 years. According to the press release, his writings have been published in many international and state anthologies, magazines, leaflets and newspapers. He has also won the tag of 'Youngest Poet at International Level 2013’. He has also won many medals and certificates for writing and drawings. He is passionate towards acting and hopes to do something in this field soon, the release added.

The young poet is also the founder and managing director of Moons Movement, an online social community in Nagaland which tries to bring awareness on various social issues through many ways and mediums like Newspapers, Magazines, Leaflets, Short Films, etc. Besides awareness, it is also a creative movement which tries to promote all types of artists of every field.

The movement is also looking for interested volunteers and members.

For free membership, send your name to: +91 9089869452 (Monu Bhagat).

One can also join on facebook @ www. facebook.com/moonsmovement.

The movement’s first project was “Raise Voice against Crime in Nagaland”. For the next project, it aims to focus on promoting all sorts of talents of the state. Monu also plans to publish an anthology, where writers as well as non-writers of the state and the country can contribute.

tral office has written to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), V.S. Sampath, to “save the honour of all the Nagas who stand humiliated” by Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on the Naga peace process by imposing an “interim embargo” on Gandhi “pending a probe” into his remarks.

The official complaint, filed by secretary general of NPF, K.G. Kenye, alleged that Gandhi, chief campaigner of the Congress Party, “openly and unabashedly lied” at his public rally in Kohima on March 27 that the chief minister of Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio, had “promised to solve the Naga Political Problem within 3 months of coming to power in 2003” and also asked Rio to “deliver on his promise.” The NPF maintained that such a commitment is “baseless and unfounded in the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) at any time.” It noted that under the Constitution of India, the resolution of the “Naga Political problem rests with the Union Government and not with the State Government.”

Asserting that the Naga political problem is a “sensitive issue affecting every Naga,” the NPF registered that “any misleading statement…would have serious security, social and electoral ramifications thereby destroying the very fundamentals of free, fair and objective elections.”

In that, the regional party urged the CEC to ascertain whether “a lie on a very sensitive issue was deliberately uttered” by Gandhi; whether “such a lie needs to be retracted by him in public in a similar rally”; whether “any severe punishment including an embargo on his movement in the election campaigning for breaching ethics and probity in electioneering, is to be imposed” on Gandhi; whether

the Congress Party in betraying the Nagas and the Naga cause in not solving on time the Indo-Naga Political Problem despite all the 60 Legislators’ Forum urged the GOI to solve the issue before the last Assembly Election”; and whether “the Congress Party should be debarred from contesting elections in the North Eastern States” since Gandhi’s remarks have “jeopardized peace and security in the fragile North Eastern Region?”

Meanwhile, a press note from the NPF Press and Media Bureau alleged that Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was “brainwashed by the Nagaland Congress” on the Naga political issue.

Attacking the Congress for the decline in growth of India’s economy when the UPA was in power, it questioned “If the national growth rate is in reverse gear, how does Rahul Gandhi expect the States of the Indian union to be any better.” The NPF maintained that Nagaland, on the other hand, had performed “exceptionally well” in the past ten years.

The NPF then went on to question that “Nagaland has not even been sanctioned its due share of plan funds and where is the question of sanctioning 300 crores for roads.” It clarified that “the special package announced by the Centre for the ENPO districts to the tune of 300 crores has never materialised.” It also alleged that the Congress led UPA “denied” the Naga people the Prime Minister's package in 2003 announced by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. “The PM's announcement of four lanning of the national highway between Kohima and Dimapur was rejected by the Congress and till today the commitment of the prime Minister of India has been denied to the Naga people,” it maintained.

Kohima | March 29

A workshop programme on “Sensitization on role of public service broadcaster in election coverage” was held here today at Hotel Japfu with Sentiyanger Imchen, IAS, Chief Electoral Officer Nagaland as the chief guest and Manikant Thakur, AD, DAVP, New Delhi & former editor-incharge, New Services Division, New Delhi as resource person.

Speaking on the occasion, CEO Nagaland said that it is very essential that the media and particularly the public broadcasters like All India Radio (AIR) and DDK play a very unbiased role.

In this, he called upon

Sentiyanger Imchen, Chief Electoral Officer, Nagaland addressing the workshop in Kohima. (Morung Photo)

the AIR and DDK to use their network to provide correct information to the public.

Stating that the Election Commission of India is undertaking Systematic Voters’ Education And Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme to educate the people on elections and to encour-

age the people to come to vote, he requested AIR and DDK to provide maximum coverage in this area.

Imchem also called upon the media to ensure that the information they provide is correct, adding that wrong report would amount to damaging certain people.

He also stated that during election time, it is important for all of us to be unbiased and the reports should not favour any party or person.

Narayan Bahadur, PTI Correspondent acted as moderator. Vote of thanks was proposed by S. Buragohain, editor, AIR Kohima.

NPP+ organizes advocacy program on Vihaan care and support Our Correspondent Kohima | March 29

Network of Naga People Living with HIV/AIDS (NNP+) organized a one day advocacy programme on Vihaan care and support with the Kohima Chambers of Commerce & Industries (KCCI) and other NGOs here at LCS Building.

Highlighting Vihaan care and support, state programme manager Bendang said under round 4 RCC Phase II, implementing partners are National AIDS Control Organiza-

tion (NACO) and India HIV/AIDS Alliance as the principal recipient, under its title “Scaling up care, support and treatment services for the People Living with HIV and with its goal to improve the survival and quality of life of People Living with HIV.” The programme started on April 1, 2013 to continue till March 31, 2016.

To ensure access to care and support services through 350 care and support centres (CSC) in India, Vihaan started with 225 CSC to be increased to 250 CSC. By second year, it will

be increased to 350 CSC across the states of India.

The overall objective of the Vihaan care and support is to strengthen care and support services and improve drug adherence, he said.

In Nagaland, Kohima, Dimapur and Tuensang have been selected for CSC while Wokha, Peren, Zunheboto, Kiphire, Phek and Mokokchung were selected as help desks. Altogether, 9 districts have been accessing the Vihaan CSC services under the National Programme on extended care and

support for PLHIV which is supported by GFATM Round –IV Phase II (Global Fund).

NNP+ president Naomi Semy said despite the effort to reduce the prevalence rate of HIV&AIDS, the state still remain as high as 0.88 %. She stated stigma and discrimination, disclosure to the near and close ones, income, self-stigma, access to service and denial are still there.

KCCI vice president Zhabu Sekhose also shared the activities of KCCI while Ella Mary compered the function.

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.

Sunday 30 March 2014

6

www.morungexpress.com

EXPRESS

Review

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

From the discomfort zone: Salt, sugar, pepper politics On returning to India, I find pepper, salt and sugar have a totally different aspect at the social level Shombit Sengupta

M

y friend Jean Michel, whom I consider among the world’s best French chefs, always tells me that the balance of salt and pepper is the most critical part of a savoury dish to capture the guest’s taste buds. He says he disrupts a sweet dish with a pinch of salt to raise the its savoury undertone. All this is quite understandable in Western models of Cartesian dualism, the philosophy of mind and body distinction developed by René Descartes.

Hi-funda pepper and salt: Let me now recount other tasty pepper and salt effects. As a guest lecturer in an MBA school in Europe, after a general introduction, the first question I threw at a global group of senior management attendees was, “What’s the difference between salt and pepper?” I expected a quick answer, but it swelled into a big subject — perhaps

because the almost 100 participants in the class were from different countries. I’d allocated 20 minutes for them to write and explain salt and pepper, but five-six people at every table were keen to narrate with examples. The result was fascinating. Technocrats, scientists, managers of different subjects equated the result, or turned the subject around in their mouths towards gravitation, density, weight, analysis of its nature connect and so on. In sum, they were happy weighing the subject as heavy substance. I gave them full liberty of expression, without interrupting their serious case, but I could never imagine it would occupy my whole session. In those pre-PowerPoint days, this first slide in my OHP presentation was so well thrashed that I did not need to open the 19 other slides I had prepared. My session was enthusiastic and far-reaching.

When I put my “thank you” slide saying salt makes savoury products tasty, and pepper adds a spicy zing to the tongue, everybody was thrilled: “The best of marketing action is simplicity,” they concluded.

level. When I take a Caucasian friend to a coffee shop or restaurant and invite them to have nimbu paani (fresh lime water) or lassi (Indian milk shake), my conversation in placing the order flummoxes them. Should it be salty, sugary or both; I confidently answer the waiter’s queries on more salt, rock salt or black salt and sometimes less sugar, leaving my friend quite curious about the meaning. Europeans take it as perversion and want to taste such a concoction, but very few seem to like the taste. This is the way that I can clearly express how different India is. The typical South Indian curd rice plays more with the salt and spices effect to enhance taste, but my 83-year-old Bengali mother will put a touch of sugar in it, and that’s my cultural education — the taste I have grown up with is what my tongue will accept.

Among the country’s biggest snacking consumption is chaat. It now seems to have become a kind of luxurious snack too because 5-star hotels have a special counter to make chaat. On one side the chefs handle chaat, on its opposite side is Japanese sushi. You can imagine the contrast of chaat vs sushi. Chaat is definitely a more disruptive cultural phenomPepper, salt, sugar disruptive enon as it has salt, pepper, sugar and a fourth social phenomenon: element — the sour aspect with tamarind as On returning to India, I find pepper, salt and the base. Now I observe that this disruption sugar have a totally different aspect at the social has been extended to Indian politics as well.

Pepper, salt, sugar politics: On a daily basis, different political party members use umpteen types of pepper to create hot topics. Aside from peppering up Parliament, they have spicy, fiery street protests that pull out historical perspectives and legendary politicians of yesteryear to justify their authenticity. The idea is to scorch with peppery subjects. From time to time the media acts as a catalyst by adding some sweet syrup and the debate rolls on to gather weight and speed along with it. The public laps up this disruptive situation, the mudslinging debate is the taste we have become habituated to.

Then suddenly another political drama puts salt on all the wounds that have opened up — corruption, minority issues and regional racism among others. Salt, pepper and sugar can be flung from any direction; this is exactly the way we enjoy our political debate each day. In this kind of unstructured form you will find some disruptive catalyst political party playing with the death of farmers; another political party will count in which state what number of farmers committed suicide. When the debate veers towards the corruption topic, it again flogs the salt, sugar, pepper imbalance; who did more, who did less. Similarly when pol-

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he run up to the impending elections is heating up, but it's not just rampant slander and political potshots that are newsworthy. 2014 can also be touted as the year of fashionable politics.

This is due to more than one reason alone firstly a handful of glamourous faces are making a run at politics to salvage their waning celebrity status; secondly, veteran politicians who are partial to a particular styles are brandishing their fashion favourites; and, last but not the least, popular candidates with their promise to infuse a renewed energy in their politics and political agendas are making a show of this with their style statement as well.

While on the one hand I agree there are a number of names who are part of the so called "style" line-up (calling them "fashionable" would be rather farfetched), however, I also grudgingly acknowledge that none of these desi political personalities can even think of joining the ranks of international political fashion icons. When we think of women that are celebrated for fashion in the political realm, monarchy or governance, its icons like Kate Middleton - The Duchess of Cambridge, Michelle Obama, Queen Rania, Jaqueline Kennedy, Sheikha Moza or even Carla Bruni Sarkozy.

While female Indian politicians are nowhere in the running, I find that the men are also no better and pale in comparison to fashionable names like David Cameron, Barack Obama, Enrique Pena Nieto- President of Mexico or John Kennedy.

With all the campaigning and canvass-

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o single party has won a majority in India's parliament since 1989 and governments since then have been formed with the support of smaller, regional parties.

Observers say the country's 16th general election - to be held in nine phases in April and May - will be no different.

There has been a welcome and sometimes chaotic - deepening of democracy in the six decades since Independence.

There were an average of 4.67 candidates per constituency in India's first elections in 1952; in 2009, the number had risen to over 10. In the 1952 polls, the difference between the winning party (Congress) and its closest rival (Communists) was 348 seats. In 2009, the difference (between Congress and the BJP) had shrunk to 90 seats. The current parliament has 39 parties.

Yet, the 2014 election is being spun as a vote against the beleaguered ruling Congress party and for Narendra Modi, the controversial leader and prime ministerial candidate of

ing that is doing the rounds nowadays, there are a few desi names that have garnered the spotlight for their sartorial fashion choices.

At the top of my head these political celebs make the cut for better or worse.

scarf around his head became the butt of many jokes during the winter session, may we suggest that he brings a spring to his step and maybe his governance with some colour this time around.

SONIA GANDHI Her fashion statement is timeless and elegant, and over the years she has been celebrated for her classic style. Sonia Gandhi is quite easily the first lady of fashion when it comes to Indian politics. While, she now dresses simply in handwoven sarees and traditional textiles, back in the day she was a leading fashionista in her floor grazing skirts, chic trousers and shirts, statement bob and in vogue dresses. Currently, her fashion choices mirror her politics and in turn they are understated, traditional, mature and stately.

RAHUL GANDHI It's back to basics for the Gandhi scion, and to demonstrate this, his choice is simple khadi kurta-pyajama. While the innocence of his politics is expressed with signature white shirts and ensembles, the single minded approach to his politics is demonstrated with strong monotones.

GUL PANAG With her fashionable take on the AAP, this youthful and energetic politician in the making is definitely garnering enough eyeballs. Her stylish twist to the Kejriwal scarf is much needNARENDRA MODI ed. She has ditched the body hugging dresses Power talk and power dressing go hand- and glamourous style for a simple kurti, denin-hand when it comes to the BJP's Prime ims, a pair of shades and a Gandhian cap. She Ministerial candidate. Modi has done away does get our vote in the style run up. with the lounge style kurtapyjama associated with lazy politicians in exchange for structure RAKHI SAWANT and well cut silhouettes that match his ambiWhile it's hard to believe, rest assured tious agenda. The iconic half-sleeved 'Modi there have been things far worse and more Kurta' is quite in vogue, and he gains a few shocking in political history than just Rapoints for accessorising as well. While a shawl khi Sawant joining the ranks. To contest thrown over one shoulder is quite the safe op- elections they starlet has turned turtle and tion, he does take risks when it comes to wear- backtracked from her previous stand of less ing different caps, head gears and turbans. is more. Rakhi it seems is covering up and that too from head to toeit's a kurta pyajaARVIND KEJRIWAL ma teamed with a Nehru waistcoat for this Proudly flaunting blue collar politics aspiring politician. However, her all green is Arvind Kejriwal with his Gandhian cap, ensembles complete with a scarf might be spectacles and checked shirts. While the stretching the role-play a tad too far.

Why India's election could be close Soutik Biswas the main opposition Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Observers say a slowing economy, high inflation, a string of high-profile corruption scandals, and a jaded government are likely to sink the Congress party at the polls; opinion polls predict a debacle with the party winning fewer than 100 seats (it currently has 206).

Many say the two-term government, which has been responsible for some landmark entitlements-based legislation rights to information, food and education, for example - frittered away its goodwill because of the mishandling of the economy and corruption scandals.

Under the leadership of Manmohan Singh, whose authority seems to have eroded

rapidly, the Congress government has often resembled a rudderless ship. Rahul Gandhi's elevation as the man to lead the campaign also appears to have come a bit late in the day.

On the other hand, the BJP, under Mr Modi, appears to be in the ascendant. In recent elections, the BJP swept to power in three of the five states and emerged as the single largest party in Delhi.

With his muscular nationalism and promises to replicate the high rates of economic growth Gujarat has enjoyed under his rule, Mr Modi appears to be the favourite of a large number of young voters. Yet, in a twist of irony, Mr Modi could turn out to be both an asset and a liability for the BJP. An observer says the 2014

elections could have been a "slam dunk" for the BJP - but for a polarising prime ministerial candidate like Mr Modi.

Though his supporters credit him with being a canny and efficient leader, his critics - and there are many - say he did not do enough to stop India's worst anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat in 2002. Muslims, who comprise 13% of India's population, are not likely to vote for Mr Modi.

The new anti-corruption Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which made a spectacular debut in Delhi polls, could also play a spoiler in some seats.

That could mean a very closely fought contest, in which the BJP may have to reach out to, yes, the smaller, regional parties to cobble together a winning alliance and form a government.

Whether the regional parties - mostly run by popular, mass leaders - would accept Mr Modi as a prime minister will possibly depend on how many seats the BJP can mop up on its own.

That could make it one of the most exciting elections India has seen for years.

Uniqueness of Indian politics: Undoubtedly, no country in the world has this disruptive taste legacy of combining pepper, salt and sugar the way it is specific to Indian culture. This multi-dimensional taste belongs to Indians and extends into our social tolerance levels. So who will win the forthcoming parliamentary elections is totally dependent on how the trio-taste of salt, pepper and sugar pans out in electioneering.

In the meantime, to tide over the 24 days left to know the outcome, all political parties and media have become fantastic shakers, shaking up the salt-pepper-sugar of political antics to find or destroy the right balance. But who knows the right balance? Perhaps the end taste will be sour like tamarind, a very India-centric disrupting taste that’s succulently sour. This is our political drama that connects hugely to the taste of our 1.2 billion people.

Let’s enjoy our salt, sugar, pepper politics, perhaps along with tamarind.

Shombit Sengupta is an international creative business strategy consultant to top management.

Poll stars

ALL THE RAGE: The year of fashionable politics Tanya Banon

itics-talk hits the riots, it’s who killed how many people where. As of now, no political party has found a great solution to balance pepper, salt, sugar and sour the way we get them in our chaat, nimbu paani or lassi.

It is the media-made celebrity who is most visible in these elections.

E

S V Srinivas

ver since N.T. Rama Rao (NTR) became chief minister of Andhra Pradesh in 1983, the number of film stars in politics has risen dramatically. Today, this trend is not confined to AP, where the Congress roped in film stars in the 1984 general election to counter NTR’s star appeal, or to Tamil Nadu, where every single chief minister since 1967 has been an actor or scriptwriter. This is now a truly national phenomenon.

But why do political parties need stars? One explanation, often heard, is that the electorate is growing younger and prefers relatively young candidates with “clean” records. We are also told that in the age of TV debates and live coverage, well turned out politicians are in high demand. These explanations do not quite account for the fielding of middleaged and retired actors. Neither do they factor in the incapacity of several celebrities, including Telugu megastar Chiranjeevi, to make a good impression at election rallies and on television.

Two related features distinguish the new crop of star-politicians from their legendary counterparts — M.G. Ramachandran (MGR), NTR and J. Jayalalithaa. First, very few stars in the batch of 2014 continue to have film careers. They are either retired or have never really had much of a screen career. Hema Malini and Gul Panag, representing the BJP and AAP respectively, exemplify the two types of today’s star-politician. Second, stars are jostling for the limelight with a variety of other famous people, including mediapersons, scions of erstwhile ruling families and sportspersons.

Star-politicians do not occupy the pride of place that they once did. The difference between MGR and NTR, and their present day counterparts, may lie in the gap between what film scholar M. Madhava Prasad terms “star value” and “star power”. Star value, he argues, can be monetised. An actor with star value delivers box office hits and advertisements featuring him are capable of pushing products. More recently, actors’ star values have been enhanced by their presence in domains that are not directly related to the cinema (ownership of cricket teams, for example).

Star power is an altogether different thing. It can’t be created by hype or promotion. It is a position that a star is entrusted with by the viewers. Significantly, actors with star power emerge as representatives of entire populations, such as linguistic communities. This capacity of a star to represent a population is independent of the political process. Star power is, therefore, a rare and infinitely more precious attribute than star value.

It is not stardom to which we should

turn for clues to understand the present scenario, but the manufacture of celebrities by the mass media. Film stars are, no doubt, celebrities. However, in the age of satellite television, it is possible for a relatively minor actor to become a celebrity. India’s political establishment has turned to celebrities, and celebrities to politics, in an attempt to harness star value. The operative logic is that of rent: all concerned hope that the celebrity’s face will earn rent in the form of votes.

In this scheme of things, someone like Rakhi Sawant, who has a demonstrable capacity to stay in the news, would be a reasonably good choice as a contestant. The point is not whether she wins the election: the biggest stars have delivered expensive duds at the box office, no less a politician than Indira Gandhi lost an election. The beauty of the model is that the celebrity is fungible — you can replace an entire set with a new one in five years — and rarely has the political clout to make demands on the party.

All things considered, 2014 promises to be a watershed election for celebrity politicians. Foremost on the minds of observers and party bosses is the question of the political worth of film stars and other celebrities. I have four actors on my watch-list for assessing the impact of star politicians in our time. Nagma, standing from Meerut on a Congress ticket, reportedly chose to act in Bhojpuri films, after her career in Hindi as well as Telugu and Tamil cinema was over, in preparation for a crossover into full-time politics.

The second is Gul Panag, the AAP’s candidate in Chandigarh. She augmented her unremarkable acting career with charitable activities and by participating in the India Against Corruption campaign. The third is Pawan Kalyan, Chiranjeevi’s youngest brother.

He established the Jana Sena Party, declaring his intention to play kingmaker by aligning with other anti-Congress forces. It is not clear if his party will contest in 2014, let alone win a single seat. Finally, there is Vijayashanthi, who entered politics after her role as a Dalit woman from Telangana made her a superstar in the region. She was elected to Parliament from Medak on a TRS ticket in 2009, but joined the Congress after the passage of the Telangana bill.

She is likely to be pitted against her former party colleague and Telangana’s biggest politician, K. Chandrasekhar Rao of the TRS. Even if a last-minute electoral alliance is forged between the Congress and TRS, Vijayashanthi will continue to be the most charismatic Congress politician of Telangana. Better still, she is unlikely to face any challenge as the only Telugu film star after NTR to be a serious contender for chief ministership.

The writer is senior fellow at the Centre for the Study of Culture and Society and visiting professor at the Centre for Contemporary Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He is the author of ‘Megastar’ and ‘Politics as Performance’

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 30 March 2014

www.morungexpress.com

Divided, We are Falling I My nous f Naga Christianity is a turbulent voyage, division in Naga churches is sheer shipwreck. This read intends to show how ridiculously we vouch for division in the church.

Denominational Drama The Baptists reckons CRCs are disorganized, Pentecostals are extreme, Roman Catholics are traditional, and Independent churches are wannabes. The CRCs reckons Baptists are prayer-less, the Pentecostals are ascetic, Roman Catholics are powerless, and Independent churches are improper. The Pentecostals reckons Baptists are lukewarm, CRCs are unsuitable, Roman Catholics are cultic, and Independent churches are juvenile. The Roman Catholics reckons Baptists are stingy, CRCs are illiterate, Pentecostals are misguided, and Independent churches are self-seeking. The Independent churches reckon Baptists are dry, CRCs are outdated, Pentecostals are monotonous, and Roman Catholics are customary.

Hold for a second. Do the others know the Baptist can administrate as the duck takes to waters? They have zillions of strategies to keep a church straight. Do the others know the CRC can fast and pray with no hint of grump?No kidding, it is their piece of cake,their expertise. Hungry man is no longer an angry man, mind it.

Do the others know the Pentecostals can be as holy as the St. Mary of the Roman Catholic?They know how to dress white and keep their lives white. We are not talking of white washed tombs here. Do the others know the Roman Catholics are born with their hands coming out first? Living is giving. Their lungs may forget to breath but their hands won’t forget to give. There is no difference between ‘love’ and ‘charity’ in their dictionary. Both are one and the same. Do the others know the independent churches are descendants of Martin Luther? They breathe reformation and transformation. They think their missing rib is change. They rightly sense the stench of the unwashed socks worn in traditional churches.

For a change, how about the Baptists reckoning we lack in prayer many times and we are lukewarm because of that. We don’t give enough and many of our churches are spiritually dry. The CRCs, Pentecostals, Roman Catholic, Independent churches can follow suit in realizing their loopholes. How about our churches shying from critiquing learn to administrate like the Baptist, pray and fast like the CRC, live as holy as the Pentecostal, educate and give charitably like the Roman Catholics, be as dynamic and ambitious as the Independent churches. Wishful thinking may be. Worth the thought though.

Church Chaos The Pastor reckons the deacons are demagogic, fathers are irregular, mothers are whining, youths are immature, and the Sunday schools are playful. The deacons reckon pastor is inexperience, fathers are irregular, mothers are disturbing, youths are immoral, and the Sunday schools are inattentive. The fathers reckon pastor is hasty, the deacons are commanding, mothers are ignorant, youths are rebellious, and the Sunday schools just want candy. The mothers reckon pastor is partial, deacons are arrogant, fathers are irregular, youths are crazy, and the Sunday schools are disobedient. The youths reckon the pastor is traditional, the deacons are demonic, the fathers are still irregular, the mothers are overreacting, and the Sunday Schools are nuisance. The Sunday Schools reckon the Pastor is a relative of Jesus, the deacons are descen-

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he social evil has been referred to as an ancient evil. It is deeply entrenched in modern Naga society. It has many aspects and its roots extend into the economic, recreative, social and criminal phases of society. The weakness of efforts in the past in reference to reform has been the attack upon simply some isolated part of the whole problem -and consequently there has been much of failure.

Many believe the social evil in Nagaland is so deeply intrenched that it cannot be overcome ; these need to be taught some of the simpler forms of approach to the insidious yet attackable and immediately remedial features of the problem.

Some believe that only the vicious are involved ; these need to learn how the pressure of economic necessity, the lure of luxury/ an unfavorable social environment and misplaced confidence, are the causes of the downfall of many innocent girls and boys.

Today, we have the evil of social drinking. I can understand wanting to get away from the hustle and bustle of life, to unwind and relax, to lose a few inhibitions, to have a good time, maybe meet someone nice, etc. I don't have a problem with that - I think that for many people (but not necessarily everyone) it's a sensible thing to do. Drink weakens the moral fiber and opens the way to sins which rapidly change from the occasional to the regular. It has become generally accepted that it is dangerous to morals for liquor of any sort to be sold in pubs and discotheques where public dances are permitted, without careful supervision. Now coming back---It is one things to socialize with those who have not yet fully comprehended the truth, but quite another to habitually socialize with those who openly reject the truth. By socializing in pubs you do not bring people up to your level, they bring you down to their level . It is interesting to note that in Dimapur most liquor is sold by the Non-Christians and bought and consumed by the Christians. Alcohol is the cause of, or at least is blamed for, most unwanted sexual advances. Date-rape drugs are easily dissolved in drink— even cola and are hard to detect.

The use of drugs and liquor among

Mezhiisevi Mark Ziitso

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. dants of Abraham, fathers are still irregular, mothers are confusing, and the youths are angry at Jesus.

Apparently, the church wants a 30 year old cool Pastor with 25 years of ministry experience. They want a married Pastor who spends no time with his wife and children but works 24 × 7 for the church.

They want him to be a Ph.D. holder satisfied with 6000 salary. They want him to lead but only after the deacon board approves it. Hear, Hear! I’ve got one candidate. Superman surrendered but Shaktimaan is interested. I gave him the job description and the qualification. He has seven avatars so he said he can manage. On one condition, keep some Parle-G biscuit for him always.

Now the church wants decent and delightful deacons;who will disciple but not discipline; serve but not speak; administer but not admonish. Gangadar is ready if you want. The church wants fathers to be regular. I do think so. Fathers should come to church regularly (*me grins and chuckles*). Talking of mothers, learn the art called “longsuffering.” Bear them, there is no way out.Want the youths to come to church? Start with buying a good sound system.

You will get access to their system then. What about the Sunday school? Let them continue singing, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

Do not let them know just yet that the church actually like the disciples stops them to come to Jesus because of their chaos.

For a change, let us listen to Apostle Paul writing to the church, “14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body…. 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.19 If they were all one part, where would the body be?20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”…. 25… there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices

with it.27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (1Co 12:14-27 NIV).

Need one say more on how one should be in church?Paul nailed it and that’s all about it. The church has diverse members united as one body. If there were three prohibitions in church administration they will be; First, no division; second, no division; third, no division.

He Sees Marie Williams

Feeling as if her heart would break, Stinging words, they had lashed out.

The tears she held, so deep within, Revealed her anguish and doubt.

They cut as if a two-edged sword.

She fought the emotions within.

But, in the recesses of her mind, Words echoed time and again.

In the stillness of the night, She knelt to voice her plea.

Within her soul, she plainly heard, "Fear not, because He sees."

He knows your deepest heartaches.

Unnoticed? Not even one.

He's interceding for you, For, you see, He's God's own Son. There's nothing that could be hidden.

All things lay before Him bare.

Toss your burdens on the Lord.

He loves you and He cares.

Choose to walk in love and joy.

Let your heart be filled with peace.

All your pain will soon recede, Just remember that He sees.

Christian sentenced to death for blasphemy in Pakistan

Family Frenzy On Sunday morning, the mother reckons the father is irregular,the children (adult) are depraved, and the kids are sleepy. The father reckons mother is not submissive, children (adult) are adamant, and the kids are innocent. The children (adult) reckon father is irregular, mother is spiritually annoying, and the kids are irritating. The kids reckon father is irregular as always, mother is very close to Jesus, and elder brothers and sisters are probably going to hell.

Hello kid, for a change, tell mommy to pray and not pester, care and not curse. Force daddy to go to church this Sunday. Tell him Jesus is coming soon. Tell your brothers and sisters Jesus loves them this you know for the Bible tells you so. Tell them, clothes doesn’t matter, Jesus loves them just the way they are. Remind them, Uncle Paul exhorts wives to submit, husbands to love and children to obey.Dad is the head; he should lead the family to church. Wives in submission and children A demonstrator burns a cross during a protest in the Badami in obedience should follow Dad. Also sing for them, ¶ Bagh area of Lahore, March 9, 2013. Another Christian was Jesus in the family, happy happy all ¶ sentenced to death for blasphemy on Thursday. (Reuters Photo) Unity A friend of mine after reading the above paragraphs asked me, “Whom are you blaming?” With the speed of light I replied, “I am blaming I, me, you, us, they and everyone. Everyone is to be blame. Everyone vouches for division in their own ways.” He grinned and shrugged his shoulders and went out from my world of chaos. He went to the land of no concern. I, for one, can’t do that.

Of recent, my fingers can gallop on the plains of my keyboard faster than my tongue can touch my palate for words. Hence, here we are, reading our ridiculousness.

All to say, divided we are falling. United let us stand.

Social evils and some methods of treatment Robert kikon young teenagers and youths is so common that alcohol has become the indispensable vehicle of the business The best is to divorce totally the sale of liquor from Pubs, discotheques, restaurants, hotels, ghumti shops and any disreputable house without compromise. Young teenagers and school children are the worst affected and that which is slowly becoming an addiction in every social gatherings, school functions and even birthday celebrations not forgetting the various traditional festivals.

Most of the Church leaders, student bodies and the Government have adopted the policy of “Laissez faire." It is well known that vice spreads in many new and startling forms of iniquity and disease, when anything approaching this condition is tolerated.

Many agree that we have a very weak Government in Nagaland that is always ready to compromise rather than to watch and punish those who violate moral laws as to prevent evil acts. The principal of Compromise is evident everywhere from the roads to the “Madu” house Many Police officers will mention regarding the difficulty of obtaining evidence which will stand in law against these houses of poison(Read liquor dens). With the rules of evidence so strict, with the knowledge that many cases will be thrown out in court, coupled with the fact that money is offered by solicitors on the street, by violators of houses of ill repute to protect themselves against complaints of citizens, raiding, etc., and by persons who traffic in girls, it is easily seen that the work of the police is difficult and unsatisfactory at the best.

The time has come for Church leaders and Christians alike who are strong in morality to carry on a sane, courageous campaign against such anti so-

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INSPIRATIONAL STORIES, MESSAGES, POEMS & SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES

cial elements. A careful study of the law in our state might be made by a group of Christian lawyers. Good citizens should be as familiar with state laws and city ordinances as are those who violate them.

Number of principals and teachers in the government schools and public schools also share the many problems they are faced with and the degree of lawlessness. A school counselor is a must to understand the growing problems the young minds are faced with coupled with modernization. Sex education needs to be done early these days, the holiness or un holiness of sex relationships together with scientific knowledge of reproductive parts.

Church youth leaders and Bible college students should focus their ministry in schools and educational centers.

The home is undoubtedly the best place for such instruction. It can be given most wisely to children as they grow in knowledge and curiosity, but the instruction of parents in sex education is a very slow process due to our culture of “no discussion” and absentee parents. This also makes us wonder if parent-child relationship is sustained and maintained, we would have less of the youths fall to these social evils. We must be honest with this generation, and what is more, we must be real. They want more than communication—they want connection. Listen to your teen and we will be amazed how much closer it will make us!

Many Churches are experiencing decline of young people attending the Sunday services. Teenagers and young adults are absent in church but present online daily. We need to change our old style of functioning while dealing with the techno savvy teens and to give time to listen to them. Online counseling page and groups needs to come in an age where

depression, family problems and suicidal tendencies are rampant amongst our young people. Recreational halls for the youths with fun filled and friendly atmosphere where young people can hang out with friends and just enjoy music needs to come out in our churches. One hour of service in one week is not enough to satisfy the energetic, talented teenagers.

Church leaders need to hang out with the youths and try to listen to them . Having fun is no sin. I love to dance once in a while too---Minus the drink, sex and cigars. For Many of our young teenagers, they are confused whether being a Christian is an end to having fun. We need to give them reasons to believe that we love them and want them to enjoy life to the fullest.

Lastly, for too long our society still treats woman as a second grade beings. We place the burden of the blame for lapses from chastity upon the narrow shoulders of the woman who bears in her body the marks of the sin. Society has been built up on the conception that the man was weak and the girl bad. Excuses have been multiplied for the man but the girl is "ruined," "beyond the pale," "fallen."

The time has come to recognize that man is the aggressor, that behind every girl who has gone wrong is a man with low ideals, persuasive flattery, lying tongue or unrestrained desire who has put her there. Shift the burden from the woman and lay it heavily upon the man who persists and insists until the ignorant or weak-willed girl consents. Time has come for a man to be a man and to protect the princesses and daughters of God. All in all time has come for the Christians both inside the church and outside the different sectors like Government, educators, local NGO’s, police and policy makers to move out from our comfort zone and make a difference for such a time as this and fight against the various social evils prevailing in our land. Else one day God forbid we will walk in empty church buildings that will be shopping malls and discotheques and prostitution centers. I can't imagine a sadder way to die than knowing I never showed up on earth as who I really am. And that is what I believe we are feel deep inside.

A

Pakistani judge has sentenced a Christian to death for blasphemy, lawyers said on Thursday, in the latest of a rising tide of such legal cases. Judge Lahore Ghulam Murtaza Chaudhry sentenced Sawan Masih to hang after a Muslim said he had insulted the Prophet Muhammad in the eastern city of Lahore a year ago. The accusation against Masih sparked a riot in which Muslims burned more than 100 Christian homes.

"Today (the judge) announced his verdict that says that Sawan must be hanged and fined," said Nameem Shakir, a lawyer for the accused. Masih planned to appeal, he said.

At least 16 people are on death row in Pakistan for blasphemy and at least 20 others are serving life sentences. Pakistan has not yet executed anyone for blasphemy. Members of religious minorities say they are often threatened with such accusations. The law does not require evidence to be presented in court and there are no penalties for false allegations. Courts often hesitate to hear evidence, fearful that reproducing it will also be considered blasphemous. Activists who want to reform the law say it is often abused by those seeking to grab money or property from the accused. Often the accused do not even make it to court. At least 52 people accused of blasphemy have been lynched since 1990, according to a 2012 report from the Islamabad-based think tank the Center for Research and Security Studies.

"The severe penalties for Pakistan's blasphemy law make it one of the most repressive laws in the world," said a report released this month by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a government advisory panel. "Blasphemy charges commonly are used to intimidate members of religious minorities or others with whom the accusers disagree or have business or other conflicts." Judges have been attacked for acquitting blasphemy defendants, the report said.

Interesting facts about the women of the Bible • Antiochis, the concubine of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, was given the towns of Tarsus and Mallus by her lover, leading to a revolt by those communities.

• Susanna, daughter of Hilkiah, was trapped by two local judges who lusted after her. Daniel rescued her from the men's false charges.

• The Slave Girl of Philippi made a lot of money for her masters divining the future until the Apostle Paul cast a demon out of her.

• Rahab was known as the “Harlot of Jericho.”

• Ruth, the Moabitess daughter-in-law of Naomi, married Boaz when he was eighty and she was forty, and subsequently had a child.

• Sarah, the wife of Abraham, did not have a child until she was ninety.

• The wife of the great Old Testament prophet Isaiah was also a prophet.

• The Women of Joppa were placed on pleasure boats to drown with their children.

• Junia was called “notable among the apostles” by the Apostle Paul, suggesting to some modern scholars that she (and perhaps other women) may have actually served as apostles.

• Rachel was deeply loved by Jacob, who worked for seven years to pay her bride price. He believed he was marrying her, but discovered too late that through the trickery of her father, he had just married her sister, Leah.

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 30 March 2014

The Morung Express

Rahul’s Saharanpur rally postponed; Imran Masood sent to judicial custody

Saharanpur, March 29 (agencieS): Congress Lok Sabha candidate Imran Masood was on Saturday arrested for his hate speech in which he allegedly threatened to “chop” Narendra Modi “into pieces”, remarks that sparked an outrage and prompted an angry reaction from the BJP which took up the matter with the EC.

Masood, 40, who was arrested in the wee hours by police from his residence in Saharanpur, was produced before Deoband Judicial Magistrate Archana Rani who rejected his bail plea and sent him to judicial custody for 14 days.

The Congress candidate said he has no remorse for making the remark even as the BJP filed an official complaint with the EC against Congress for “repeatedly” violating the model code of conduct.

“It is all BJP’s plotting.

I don’t have any remorse as I did no wrong. I will not apologise either to Narendra Modi or to the BJP,” Masood, who had yesterday expressed regret for his remarks, told reporters.

Soon after his arrest,

I am stumbling block for Modi: Nitish Kumar paTna, March 29 (ianS): Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday said he is “a stumbling block” for BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. “Modi thinks that I am a stumbling block for him,” he told media persons minutes before leaving on his election campaign. Nitish Kumar was speaking in reference to Modi who hit out against him at rallies in Sasaram and Gaya two days ago, and in earlier rallies in the state and outside.

Modi accused the Nitish Kumar-led government for going soft on terrorists and said that Bihar remained steeped in darkness. He accused the Nitish Kumar government of not doing enough to combat terror. Nitish Kumar dumped the BJP last year and ended the alliance of his Janata Dal-United with the BJP over Modi’s rise.

Modi is eyeing Bihar after Uttar Pradesh to get as much of 40 Lok Sabha seats. The BJP has joined hands with the Lok Janshakti Party of Ram Vilas Paswan, a dalit leader, and the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party of Upendra Kushwaha, a backward caste leader.

‘Minorities will always have apprehensions about Modi’ panaJi, March 29 (ianS): BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi continues to be a cause of apprehension for the minority community, the party’s Goa leader Francis D’Souza said Saturday. “Minorities will have an apprehension. It will always be there,” D’Souza, the deputy chief minister, said in response to queries if minority communities would accept Modi, who in the past has been accused of hard-line right wing politics. Incidentally, D’Souza, one of the earliest minority leaders who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in Goa more than a decade ago, was one of the few party leaders who had expressed apprehension after Modi’s nomination as the party’s campaign chief during the national executive held in Goa last year.

“That apprehension is still there,” D’Souza said, adding that a debate on the very same apprehension was present in the mass media. D’Souza also suggested that the influential Roman Catholic Church in Goa could be responsible for re-igniting a debate on ‘secularism versus communalism’ debate in Goa. “This may be a fact,” he said to a query if a recent communication from Church authorities imploring its flock to vote for secular candidates and not fall prey to personality cults and fake “good governance” models, could have diverted the popular electoral discourse from development to communalism.

However, he questioned the “communal” label for his party. “There are six Catholic MLAs (legislators) in the BJP. Why should we be called communal?” D’Souza said. The Goa Church is a significant player in Goa’s socio-political space with its Catholic population pegged at nearly 27 percent. nmGoa, which goes to polls on April 12 sends two representatives to the Lok Sabha.

Modi slams Rahul, says proud of BJP ideology BaghpaT, March 29 (pTi): Narendra Modi on Saturday hit back at Rahul Gandhi for attacking him on his links with RSS, saying he was “proud” of the ideology and the principles based on the “altar of sacrifice and service”. “I am proud of the fact that I was born from an ideology. Yes, we have an ideology...Our ideology is society is above family...Mother India is everything for us. Our ideology is that we will live and die for the country,” he said addressing a public meeting.

“And that is why, you (Congress) cannot fight this ideology. Your entire family has never been able to fight with this ideology. This ideology is based on the altar of sacrifice and service,” he said. At the Congress manifesto release on Wednesday, Rahul had attacked Modi saying, “It is not about an individual, but he (Modi) represents a ideology and that ideology is exclusionary ideology.”

The Congress vice-president had also said that it is the ideology that makes people fight with each other and and it will bring harm to the country and every Congressman will fight to defeat that ideology. Taking a dig at Ajit Singh, the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate said the son of Chaudhary Charan Singh, who fought for the benefit of farmers, has “discarded” his father’s path for power. m“We respect Chaudhary Charan Singh who fought against Congress policies so that farmers could benefit. It’s the dream of a child to fulfill his parent’s dream. But his son has left his father’s path. In society as well, if a son discards the path of his father, the society too does not accept him,” Modi said.

“For the sake of power, those who discard their father’s principles and even go to the party which troubled his own father, do you trust such a person? Bagpat needs a grassroot leader,” he said. Uttar Pradesh will only benefit when people of the state get rid of dynastic politics, he said, adding this time there is a need for one slogan, removing SP, BSP and Congress.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi cancelled his scheduled rally in Saharanpur on Saturday. “Rahul Gandhi’s rally is being postponed. The next date for it will be decided later on,” CLP leader Pradeep Mathur said.

A video footage of the election rally in Saharanpur, showing Masood attacking the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate, had gone viral on the web.

SSP Saharanpur Manoj Kumar said, “We received a video footage of Masood.

Based on its review a case was registered in Deoband Police Station against him”.

“Cases have been registered against him under section 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious

feelings or any class by insulting religion or religious beliefs), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC, Section 125 (promoting enmity between classes in connection with election) of Representation of People Act, and 310 SC/ST Act,” he said.

Necessary probe is being carried out and legal proceedings will be held, Kumar said.

The Congress candidate was seen in the video as saying that “If Modi tries to make Uttar Pradesh into Gujarat, then we will chop him into tiny pieces...I am not scared of getting killed or attacking someone. I will fight against Modi. He thinks UP is Gujarat. Only 4

per cent Muslims are there in Gujarat while there are 42 per cent Muslims in UP.” A BJP delegation including party vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, general secretary J P Nadda and spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman met the EC and drew its attention to the inflammatory speech made

by Masood.

“This is not the first time Congress is indulging in such practises violating model code of conduct.

There are more than two dozens violations committed by the Congress,” Naqvi said after meeting the EC Saharanpur.

Accusing Congress of “Taliban mentality”, he said, “the inflammatory speech at Saharanpur by Masood has vitiated atmosphere not

Ostracism a bad health strategy in modern world

waShingTon, March 29 (ianS): Stigmatisation or ostracism may have once served to protect early humans from infectious diseases but that strategy may do more harm than good for modern humans, according to researchers.

“The things that made stigmas a more functional strategy thousands of years ago rarely exist. Now, it would not promote positive health behaviour and, in many cases, it could actually make the situation worse,” explained Rachel Smith, an associate professor of communication arts and sciences and human development and family studies at Pennsylvania State University.

For early humans, a person who was stigmatised by the group typically suffered

a quick death, often from a lack of food or from falling prey to a predator.

Groups did not mix on a regular basis so another group was unlikely to adopt an ostracised person. Infectious disease stigmas may have evolved as a social defense for group-living species, and had adaptive functions when early humans had these interaction patterns, the researchers added.

“However, modern society is much larger, more mobile and safer from predators, eliminating the effectiveness of this strategy,” said David Hughes, assistant professor of entomology and biology.

Stigmatisation could actually make infectious disease management worse. mThe threat of ostracization may make people less likely to seek out

medical treatment.

“If people refuse to seek treatment and go about their daily routines, they may cause the disease to spread farther and faster,” according to the researchers. m“People are very sensitive to rejection and humans worry about being ostracized,” Smith said.

These worries and experiences with rejection can cause problematic levels of stress and, unfortunately, stress can compromise the immune system’s ability to fight off an infection, accelerating disease progression, she added.

Once applied, a stigma is difficult to remove, even when there are obvious signs that the person was never infected or is cured, Smith noted in a paper that appeared in the current issue of Communication Studies.

And what about us, men ask political parties

Lucknow, March 29 (ianS): An organisation working for men’s rights and issues has prepared a “men-i-festo” and said that if political parties do not accede to their demands, they will exercise the None of the Above (NOTA) option on the ballot papers.

Their credo - No Men’s Right, No Votes.

These men have decided that if political parties do not commit on their demands, they will exercise the NOTA option.

The 10-point charter of demands has among others sought a ministry for men, a Men’s Commission, and enacting of laws against harassment of men across the social spectrum.

Formed a decade back as Save Family Foundation, the umbrella group now known as ‘National Coalition of Men’, with 50 nongovernment organisations, is working across 25 states

and 50 cities.

It has now decided to give “political teeth” to their long-pending demands and says that they have already sent their 10-point charter men-i-festo to the Congress and the BJP. The local and regional chapters have been assigned the task of delivering it to regional parties.

While admitting that the demands have so far been met with lukewarm response, Amit Gupta, general secretary of the coalition, told IANS this time the men would go for the NOTA option in such an eventuality.

“We have been extremely vocal in expressing our concern towards gender equality and highlighting men’s rights and issues and we now want to take it to the rightful direction by petitioning political parties in the election season to look into and support our

demands,” he said.

Also appended with the men-i-festo, being sent to politicians, is a presentation which “details the ugly side of the life of men viz a viz sexual abuse, harassment at office and other gender equality issues”.

Lucknow chapter head Indu Subhash points out that while most politicians are empathetic to their demands, “woman sympathisers far outnumber them”.

There are as many as 49-women specific laws in the country but none for us and it is high time the political parties concede that crime and criminality is gender neutral, said an activist.

Claiming a data of 25 lakh such families across the country, office bearers of the group told IANS that the data base they have of “suffering men” could spell trouble for political parties in case they decide to use the NOTA option.

only in UP but in the entire country. This is a sign of Taliban mentality and frustration of the Congress.”

However, Congress leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi defended Masood, saying “His statement is not about elections....Also newspaper reports say the statement is six months old. The person standing next to him (in the video) has also passed away. Now what was said in some other time, I don’t know how certified it is.

“It is a legal matter.

What has been registered against him, what is the truth in it will be seen by the party high command which will decide the future course of action. I don’t think any ticket will be changed now,” she said.

A white tigress Sameera walks in an enclosure followed by her six-month-old tiger cubs at Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad, India on March 29. The three white tiger cubs along with their mother were released for public display Friday. (AP Photo)

Maoists’ attempt to boycott polls instill fear; experts predict disruption new DeLhi, March 29 (ani): As the 2014 General elections are nearing, there seems to be an increase in Maoist activities in affected areas. One easily comes across cases of violence caused by these rebel forces in media reports.

Be it blasting a cell phone tower during Narendra Modi’s rally in Bihar or injuring security personnel in Jharkhand, Maoists are spreading panic among voters so as to reduce the percentage of voter turnout in as many areas as possible.

Maoist expert Dhirendra Vidyarthi from Lohardaga District in Jharkhand expressed concern over the increasing violence, and said that the state experiences an annual killing of between 200 to 250 people normally.

Adding to it, he said that the main problem behind the failure to curb Maoism is poor communication.

“The common people could easily be threatened with even a small violent attack, and they are so panic stricken that the villagers are not even ready to talk about it. Therefore, without any conversation it becomes difficult to understand their problem. One can take any recent incident be it of an abduction, or attack during a political meeting. As the elections are nearing Maoists are also preparing themselves

as recently also many landmines and explosives have been recovered from the Maoist affected areas.

Now it depends upon the police as to what they are doing to prevent any such attack or what measures is the constitution taking. As just speaking will not help, a serious strategy needs to be planned then only this problem will be solved. But it could definitely be assured that this time also the Maoists will plan out something to disrupt or boycott polls,” said Vidyarthi.

Recently in Bihar’s Jamui District, rebels belonging to the Communist Party of India (Maoists) tried to threaten villagers by putting up posters and distributing pamphlets, asking them to boycott polls or else face dire consequences.

Reacting to this incident Vidyarthi expressed the need to build up an apt strategy so as to prevent any mishap during the elections, and said that such incidents clearly indicate that Maoists would definitely try to affect the general elections.

“Although right now it’s difficult to say that what percentage of elections will be affected, but it will definitely have some effect on them because where there is fear and panic among the local people the question will definitely be raised there. And the Model Code

of Conduct which has been imposed by the election commission towards the political parties, media or others that is different. But the main threat is more amongst the villagers and people living in other interior areas than the ones in cities. The villagers often complain that they don’t get to see any police official or politician coming to their area to listen to their woes.

The politicians take help of their sources to spread their voice in the villages because they are themselves scared of the Maoists. There are many Maoist groups who have successfully established a foothold in their respective areas, therefore, it is true that they will definitely affect the elections in the rural areas,” Vidyarthi added.

Although the authorities are taking measures to avoid any sort of trouble during the elections, but nothing could be assured.

“The poll boycott attempts by the Maoists by distributing pamphlets or staging demonstrations is not a new thing they do it in every election but the authorities are ready to face the situation and our strategy would be to make elections successful in the mostly affected areas and we are trying our level best to assure maximum number of voter turnout,” said M.S. Bhatiya, IG, Ranchi Domain.

‘Won’t withdraw nomination from Barmer’ JaiSaLMer, March 29 (pTi): BJP leader Jaswant Singh, who filed his nomination as an independent candidate from Barmer in Rajasthan after his party of three decades did not let him contest from the constituency of his choice today ruled out reconsidering his decision.

“No senior leader of

the BJP has contacted me on this issue (withdrawal of nomination). I am not going to withdraw,” Mr Singh told reporters in Jaisalmer today.

The BJP decided to field new joinee and former Congress leader Sonaram Chaudhary from the seat after Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje reportedly pitched for the Jat

leader as a candidate who is more likely to win.

However, there was speculation that the BJP was in touch with Mr Singh him to convince him to withdraw from the race.

Today is the last date for withdrawal of nomination in the constituency which is going to polls on April 17.

Unanswered questions of MH370 haunt Pune family

pune, March 29 (ianS): The Pune-based family of a woman passenger on the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 is distraught, and her husband has shot off an email to the airlines and the Malaysian government, demanding answers to various issues.

“First and foremost, why did the Malaysian government and its airlines take seven to eight hours to declare that its flight MH370 was missing? Why emergency alarms were not raised across the region and across the world when the Boeing 777 with 239 passengers and crew suddenly disappeared from its radars?” an agitated Prahlad Shirsath, whose wife Kranti (44) was on the flight, said to IANS here Saturday.

“If the plane was supposed to be received by Vietnam radar and they did not receive it, why did they not raise emergency alarm? When it was expect-

ed at Beijing airport at 6.30 a.m. (March 8) and prior to that it should have been flying for hours over Chinese territory, so why did China not raise the emergency alarm?” Shirsath said in his Friday evening’s email.

Deeply concerned for his wife’s fate, he has gone to the extent of accusing the Malaysian government of “hiding something from us” or all these governments “trying to cover each other”. “It is said in social media that the flight landed in Diego Garcia. Have you checked the US military base? Or, you are just following what US says?” Shirsath demanded to know.

Lamenting that the Malaysian government and airline have sent out one more letter without any specifics, Shirsath said: “This is absolutely ridiculous... When your plane with 239 passengers, including my wife, is missing and you have been sleeping in the initial important

hours, just waiting for others to raise the issue.”

He blasted the Malaysian authorities and airline for telling the same story of “searching and searching” though it is 21 days since the mysterious disappearance of the Boeing 777-200ER. Shirsath said his children, and thousands of other relatives of all other passengers are just dying day-by-day -- “Yet, you have failed to give us any solid information about the plane and passengers.”

“I am getting the impression that you have failed to lead this search and rescue operation... If you have no means and no information, why should you lead it? Why international professionals should not take a lead and report the progress in press conference?” he demanded.

“What I want is my wife back at home and I am sure, relatives of other passengers want the same -- but not your baseless stories. It

is very hard to believe that the most safe Boeing 777 is missing without any traces... in this modern world with 24 hours of surveillance around our planet,” Shirsath concluded.

Shirsath’s email was in response to a communication sent to him by Malaysian Airlines group CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya Thursday, giving a status report (situation update) on the flight MH370 search operations.

“There are few words to express our sorrow and concern as to how you and your family are coping during this very trying and difficult time. Like you, each day, we hope to find answers for our many questions,” Yahya said.

Shirsath said the Malaysian authorities have revealed about the ongoing search operations based on satellite images of the debris.

“Once the debris is found, collected and anal-

ysed by the Australian government as belonging to MH370, the next steps will be to narrow down the possible location of the recovery site,” Yahya said.

After that the Malaysian Airlines would make arrangements to bring the families to the recovery area even as the Family Support Centre would continue to engage with the families on a daily basis.

Yahya also regretted the delay in breaking the devastating news to a large number of families around the world within a short time “before the announcement by the Prime Minister (Najib Razak)”.

Shirsath said that he is unable to digest whatever the Malaysian authorities have been claiming about the missing aircraft and is hopeful that the aircraft would be found.

“I keep calling up my wife daily on her (Idea Cellular) number, and I get a response ‘it is out of cover-

age area’ from her mobile.

The cellular operator says that this is owing to the last status of the mobile when it was switched on, but are not able to throw further light on the same,” Shirsath rued.

He said that according to media reports, some families have claimed that their missing relatives’ mobile numbers were still ringing days after the March 8 tragedy which befell the Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight.

Shirsath also wondered why is the US-based Freescale Semiconductors, which is connected to defence and has lost 20 of its senior staffers who were aboard MH-370, keeping quiet on the issue.

“There were reportedly 12 Malaysians and eight Chinese employees of that company... Why can’t they raise the matter with the US government or Malaysian government? I find all this very fishy,” he said.

international/entertainment

the morung express

‘The Sociology of Miley Cyrus’ & Other Useless College Courses

S

tudents at Skidmore College can now study ‘The Sociology of Miley Cyrus’, but is that the most useless of these ridiculous college courses We’ve all heard the phrase ‘Mickey Mouse’ degree, used to describe a useless higher education degree. Well, now you can actually take a Mickey Mouse Degree!

Sort of. Skidmore College in New York is offering a course called ‘The Sociology of Miley Cyrus’, which gives students the opportunity to explore the journey of the Hannah Montana star, beginning with her days on the Disney show and culminating with whatever the hell she is these days.

There’s a slightly more academic edge to the course than just flicking through pictures of Miley’s transformation, students are invited to evaluate the notions of identity, media, entertainment and fame. Miley is just the hyperactive, peroxide lens through which they do this. If you think studying Miley Cyrus at college sounds pretty stupid, these other courses will totally blow your mind.

Columbia College offers the opportunity to study ‘Zombies in Popular Media’, allowing students to study representations and their significance of zombies throughout history. Using critical theory and source material (including comics if you doubted the credibility of the module) students reflect and comment on the zombie figure. Sounds dead silly to us.

Lucky Tupac fans at the University of Washington can sign up to study ‘The Textual Appeal of Tupac Shakur’, a module which relates the writings of Tupac to various literature. We imagine future conversations to go like this “Who did you read at university?” “Oh you know, Jane Austin, Maya Angelou, Tupac Shakur”

“Say what?”.

If you’ve managed to get into a university you’re probably more than capable of watching television without running into too much difficulty, although Montclair university offers support for those that do. ‘How To Watch Television’ is a module on offer at the college, and educates students in analyzing television and the extent it should be, and needs to be, understood by its audience.

Students are encouraged to assess the impact that television has on their lives. Between 18 years old and 21, the ages most people go on to higher education, it’s probably going to be quite a lot. No one wants to miss HIMYM, after all.

We kid you not, Staffordshire University in the UK offered a course in David Beckham studies. Sure, he’s potentially the greatest football player of all time, as well as an all-round nice guy, but seriously? We’re not entirely sure what the course entails, although it sounds pretty self-explanatory. We wonder if Becks would be able to pass the end of year exam?

It can be a little bit of light relief when studying a weighty subject to pass some time with a less serious module, although we just hope that when you finally do graduate and start looking for jobs, future employers don’t ask why you chose to study something so totally ridiculous.

5.1 earthquake shakes Los Angeles LOS ANGELES, MArch 29 (AP): A magnitude-5.1 earthquake was widely felt in the Los Angeles area and surrounding counties Friday evening, but authorities said there were no immediate reports of significant damages or injuries. mThe U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck at about 9:09 p.m. and was centered near Brea in Orange County — about 20 miles (32 kilometers) southeast of downtown Los Angeles. It was felt as far south as San Diego and as far north as Ventura County, according to citizen responses collected online by the USGS. Broken glass, gas leaks, water main breaks and a rockslide were reported near the epicenter, according to Twitter updates from local authorities. Eyewitness photos and videos show bottles and packages strewn on supermarket floors. At least five aftershocks ranging from magnitudes 2.7 to 3.6 were recorded, according to the USGS. Earlier in the evening, two foreshocks registering at magnitude-3.6 and magnitude-2.1 hit nearby in the city of La Habra.

Public safety officials said crews were inspecting bridges, dams and other infrastructure systems for signs

of damage. The Brea police department said the rock slide occurred in the Carbon Canyon area. Callers to KNX-AM reported seeing a brick wall collapse, water sloshing in a swimming pool and wires and trees swaying back and forth. One caller said he was in a movie theater lobby in Brea when the quake struck.

“A lot of the glass in the place shook like crazy,” he said. “It started like a roll and then it started shaking like crazy. Everybody ran outside, hugging each other in the streets.” A helicopter news reporter from KNBC-TV reported from above that rides at Disneyland in Anaheim — several miles from the epicenter — were stopped as a precaution. Tom Connolly, a Boeing employee who lives in La Mirada, the next town over from La Habra, said the 5.1 quake lasted about 30 seconds.

“We felt a really good jolt. It was a long rumble and it just didn’t feel like it would end,” he told The Associated Press by phone. “Right in the beginning it shook really hard, so it was a little unnerving. People got quiet and started bracing themselves by holding on to each other.

It was a little scary.”

Dimapur

9

Protestors march in Thai capital against government

Thai anti-government protesters sit and rest on the lawn inside the compound of prime minister's office of government house during a rally in Bangkok, Thailand on March 29. (AP Photo) BANGKOK, MArch 29 (AP): Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters marched through the streets of Thailand’s capital Saturday, reviving their whistle-blowing, traffic-blocking campaign to try to force the resignation of the country’s prime minister. The protest came after a lull in antigovernment rallies and amid growing concern of violence between opponents and supporters of embattled Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. It also came a day before a key vote to elect a new Senate.

Yingluck’s opponents have tried a variety of tactics for the past four months to force her ouster. They have blocked Bangkok’s major intersections, stormed government offices and most recently transformed the city’s sprawling Lumpini Park into a messy protest headquarters overrun with tents and sleeping bags. mSaturday’s crowds marched from Lumpini Park, in the central business district, to the city’s historic quarter to press demands that the government yield power to an interim appointed council to oversee reforms before new elections. Protesters say Yingluck is a proxy for her brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup after being accused of corruption and abuse of power.

“We march today to call for an end to the Thaksin regime, and show that the power truly belongs to the people,” said a protest leader, Thaworn Senniem. mA group of several hundred protesters forced their way into the prime minister’s office compound, Government House, in a symbolic show of defiance. The compound has been largely deserted by officials since the protests started.

The march was the first major rally since Thailand’s Constitutional Court ruled March 21 to nullify last month’s general election, a ruling cheered by protesters and criticized by Yingluck’s supporters as the latest sign of judicial bias against her. m“The fact that the election has been nullified means that our campaign is successful,” Thaworn

8 reasons to worry about global warming

YOKOhAMA, MArch 29(AP): If you have already read “12 Pieces of Practical Advice from Housecats,” now you can move on to “8 Reasons to Worry about Global Warming.” A United Nations panel of scientists is joining the list craze with what they call eight “key risks” that are part of broader “reasons for concern” about climate change. It’s part of a massive report on how global warming is affecting humans and the planet and how the future will be worse unless something is done about it.

The report is being finalized at a meeting this weekend by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

They assembled the list to “make it understandable and to illustrate the issues that have the greatest potential to cause real harm,” the report’s chief author, Chris Field of the

Sunday 30 March 2014

Carnegie Institution of Science in California, said in an in- 5. Crazy weather, like storms, can make life miserable, terview. mBut a draft of the list called by the acronym RFCs damaging some of the things we take for granted, like includes science-heavy language, caveats and uses lowerelectricity, running water and emergency services. case Roman numerals, for example using iv instead of 4. A 6. Some fish and other marine animals could be in trouble, boiled-down version of what the scientists say the warmedwhich will probably hurt fishing communities. up future holds for Earth if climate change continues: 7. Some land animals won’t do much better and that’s not good for people who depend on them.

1. Coastal flooding will kill people and cause destruction. 8. Heat waves, especially in cities, will kill the elderly and 2. Some people will go hungry because of warming, very young. drought and severe downpours.

3. Big cites will be damaged by inland flooding.

So far, the scientists haven’t come up with the next step, 4. Water shortages will make the poor even poorer in rural common on Facebook pages: The interactive quiz to deterareas. mine which global warming problem you most resemble.

said. “Now we must finish the job with reforms.”

Yingluck has refused to resign and had called the Feb. 2 early elections to receive a fresh mandate. Her ruling Pheu Thai party and its predecessors have easily won every national election since 2001. It had been expected to win again in February, especially because the opposition Democrat Party boycotted the election. mElection officials say it will take at least three months for a new vote to be held, prolonging Thailand’s political paralysis.

Yingluck’s supporters, known as the Red Shirts, have generally kept a low profile during the anti-government protests.

However, as Yingluck’s government comes under greater threat of legal action that might force it from office, they have said they are prepared to respond with force. mOn Monday, Yingluck is due to submit her defense to the National AntiCorruption Commission for a case her supporters call politically motivated that could lead to her impeachment.

If the commission decides to indict Yingluck and forward the case to the Senate for an impeachment vote, government supporters have vowed to rise up in her defense. The case accuses Yingluck of dereliction of duty over the government’s flagship rice subsidy program, which has run up huge losses. mThe current Senate is pro-Thaksin, but that could change in Sunday’s election to fill 77 seats in the 150-seat Senate. The remaining seats are appointed, and a government attempt to make the Senate a fully elected body was one of the triggers for the unrest that started in November.

Yingluck’s Red Shirt supporters have vowed to stage their own mass rally next Saturday, though they have not yet said whether it will be held in the capital, which many fear could lead to clashes between the two sides. The sporadic violence over the past four months has left at least 23 people dead and hundreds hurt. mThailand has seen political conflict since 2006, when Thaksin was ousted by a military coup. Thaksin’s supporters and opponents have since taken to the streets for extended periods in a power struggle.

Nun’s song beats Gangnam Style as fastestgrowing YouTube hit with 32 m hits

Putin promised no new moves in Ukraine: UN

Ukrainian servicemen hold Ukrainian flags as they load their things onto a truck leaving the Belbek airbase near Sevastopol, Crimea on March 28. Ukraine started withdrawing its troops and weapons from Crimea, now controlled by Russia. (AP Photo) UNITED NATIONS, MArch 29 (AP): SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon said Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin assured him he had no intention of making another military move into Ukraine following the annexation of Crimea. Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin echoed the U.N. chief, saying Putin made clear in a March 18 statement that there was not going to be any new Russian move into Ukraine. He accused unnamed countries of “trying to artificially whip up the atmosphere of international crisis.”

The new Ukrainian government and the West have voiced concerns about a possible invasion into pro-Russian eastern and southern Ukraine following Moscow’s buildup of its troops near the border. Ban and Churkin spoke to reporters after the secretary-general briefed the Security Council behind closed doors on his recent talks

with Putin in Moscow and Ukraine’s leaders in Kiev.

“Some parties were trying to whip up tension — Russian aggression is imminent, or something like that, throwing wild assessments of the presence of our troops allegedly on the border with Ukraine,” Churkin said. “Our forces in Russia are undergoing their usual routine, staying in their barracks or doing some training,” he said. “But there is no worry of any Russian initiative against Ukraine.”

Churkin said there have been four inspections along the Russia-Ukraine border by about a dozen countries this month — including one by the United States, Germany and Ukraine — “and none of them told us they saw anything particularly disconcerting.” He said Putin told Russia’s defense minister on Friday to return Ukraine’s military hardware from Crimea, adding “this is not something you do if you plan anything dramatic against this country.”

Ban said during his visits to Moscow and Kiev on March 20-21 “emotions were running high ... and tensions have been very highly charged.” He said he urged leaders in both countries to de-escalate the situation and engage in direct talks, and called on Ukraine’s leaders to address domestic concerns that Russia has. But the secretary-general said “President Putin ... told me that he had no intention to make any military move.”

Churkin said the effort to whip up an international crisis “is not helpful at all.” What all parties need to do is help the Ukrainians get out of the crisis in the country, he said.

Churkin said Russia has spelled out its views of what needs to be done to “our international colleagues” and the Ukrainians. “The armed groups must be disarmed. The radicals must be reined in, and most importantly there must be (a) constitutional process ... and the results of a constitutional assembly must be put to a referendum,” Churkin said. Then, there will be a new constitution “where all the regions of the country will be comfortable about where they are, about their rights, and about where their country is going.”

Russia has pushed strongly for federalizing Ukraine — giving its regions more autonomy — but Ukraine’s interim authorities in Kiev have rejected such a move. mChurkin said the Ukrainians and their Western supporters only want to talk about a presidential election on May 25, which he said would take place “in a situation of political chaos in the country.” m“There is no political leader in sight who might be able to unite the country,” he said. “All the politicians one can hear about are extremely divisive for the Ukrainian society.”

Churkin said Russia is being urged to engage in dialogue and is ready to talk if there’s a response to its views of what must be done.m The Ukrainians say they can’t hold a constitutional assembly now because there’s no one to organize it, so Churkin proposed that the international community help. And he reiterated Russia’s call for the establishment of an international contact group that could take on this role.

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new video of a singing nun has got 30 million hits in just seven days and has broken YouTube records.

In the video, the 25-year-old nun, sister Cristina Sciuccia, is seen singing Alicia Keys` hit ` No One ` from the Italian version of The Voice.

The clip has been re-tweeted by fans including Alicia Keys and Sister Act star Whoopi Goldberg, and has beaten Gangnam Style by Korean pop star Psy as the fastestgrowing YouTube hit.

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SPORTS

Sunday 30 March 2014

The Morung Express

Lewis takes pole position at Malaysian GP

Malaysian, March 29 (agencies): Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton took pole position for the Malaysian Grand Prix on Saturday to tie the record for most qualifying wins by a British driver in Formula One. Tropical rains delayed the start of qualifying for 50 minutes, but even the wet track at the Sepang International Circuit could not prevent Mercedes continuing the dominance it had shown all weekend as Hamilton made it back-to-back poles to start the new season.

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel came close, but the four-time defending champion finished five hundredths of a second behind Hamilton and just in front of Mercedes' Nico Rosberg, who qualified third.

Hamilton's pole was the 33rd of his career, bringing him level with former world champion Jim Clark for the most by any British driver, and also level with Alain

Prost. It also puts him in an ideal position to make up for his early retirement from the season opener in Australia due to an engine misfire.

"I'm really happy with how well we've done over the weekend, but today was incredible - how heavy was the rain?" Hamilton said. "It was tricky out there for everyone because at the end it was almost impossible to see. I couldn't see where the track went, where the corners were, where to break. I had to bail out of my final fast lap, so it was very close."

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso recovered from a crash that broke his front suspension in the second session of qualifying and will start from fourth on the grid. His teammate Kimi Raikkonen qualified sixth, behind Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo.

Force India's Nico Hulkenberg, McLaren rookie Kevin Magnussen, Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain, center, Red Bull Racing driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany, right, and Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany pose for photos after after qualifying for the Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit in Sepang, Malaysia, Saturday, March 29. Hamilton took pole position for the Malaysian Grand Prix on Saturday to tie the record for most qualifying wins by a British driver in Formula One. (AP Photo)

Vergne and McLaren's formance was impressive quick in dry or wet condi- pole he quipped to HamJenson Button rounded given Mercedes had been tions. When he saw how ilton "you're kidding" as out the top 10. Vettel's per- expected to be far too narrowly he missed out on they met in the pits, then

NBA: Thunder edge past Kings

OKlahOMa ciTy, March 29 (aP): Kevin Durant displayed his usual dominance as a scorer, and the Thunder supported him with one of their best defensive performances of the season. Durant scored 29 points to help Oklahoma City beat the Sacramento Kings 94-81 on Friday night.

Durant's high-scoring ways have been wasted at times by the Thunder, who lost 128-119 at Dallas on Tuesday despite 43 points by the NBA's leading scorer.

This time, the Thunder held Sacramento to 51 points and 30 percent shooting through the first three quarters. Durant could have done more damage, but he sat for good with 1:25 left in the third and the Thunder firmly in control.

"Lately, we've been much better defensively and offensively," he said.

"So, tonight was a good game. We put both sides of the floor together pretty well." Durant has scored at least 25 points in 37 consecutive games, the longest streak since Michael Jordan's 40-game run for the Chicago Bulls during the 1986-87 season.

Russell Westbrook had 18 points and six assists and Jeremy Lamb added

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, right, goes up for a dunk in front of Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) and Thunder's Kevin Durant (35) during the third quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Friday, March 28, 2014. (AP Photo)

13 points for the Thunder, who have won five of six.

The Thunder have held their opponent to 96 or fewer points in four of the five wins. "We put ourselves in position, if we defend, to win every game," Westbrook said.

Ben McLemore scored 18 points and Travis Outlaw added 17 for the Kings.

DeMarcus Cousins, who entered the game ranked

10th in the league in scoring, finished with four points on 2-for-8 shooting while dealing with foul trouble. Rudy Gay, who averages 20 points per game, finished with seven on 3-for11 shooting. "Not one guy could take credit for stopping Gay or Cousins, so we just try to do it together and rely on each other, and we did a good job," Durant said.

Sacramento point

Dhoni offers to quit CSK captaincy new Delhi, March 29 (agencies): Indian captain MS Dhoni has offered to step down as the skipper of the Indian Premier League`s (IPL) Chennai franchise – Chennai Super Kings (CSK) – after being allegedly involved in the IPL fixing case. According to media reports, two days back Dhoni had expressed his disappointment and annoyance over his name being dragged into the Indian Premier League spot-fixing controversy.

Dhoni has been leading the Chennai franchise since the inception of the IPL and under his captaincy the team lifted two backto-back titles.

CSK and Rajasthan Royals (RR) are the two teams under scrutiny. On top of it, senior counsel Harish Salve on Thursday accused Dhoni of being "guilty of corrupt practice" by lying before the Mudgal Committee on the role of the BCCI president`s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan in Chennai Super Kings. Appearing before bench of Justices AK Patnaik and FMI Kalifulla, Salve raised questions on the conduct of captain of the CSK team, Dhoni, who is also the vice president of India Cements.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Friday handed over the reins of BCCI to former player Sunil

Gavaskar during IPL 7 and did not bar Srinivasan-promoted Chennai Superkings and Rajasthan Royals from participating in the tournament.

Taking the cricket board out of incumbent Srinivasan`s hands, the Court directed that the senior most vice president of the Board, Shivlal Yadav, will be looking after the affairs of BCCI. A bench of Justices AK Patnaik and FM Ibrahim Kalifulla, however, had refused to pass order in this regard allowing them to play the matches along with six other teams in the tournament beginning April 16 in Dubai.

Nadal-Djokovic in Miami final after two semi-final walkovers

MiaMi, March 29 (aFP): World number one Rafael Nadal and number two Novak Djokovic advanced to the final of the Miami ATP Masters after both Kei Nishikori and Tomas Berdych pulled out of Friday`s semi-finals.

The ATP Tour and Sony Open tournament officials said on their Twitter feeds that seventh-seeded Czech Berdych had withdrawn from his scheduled evening clash with top-seeded Nadal "due to gastroenteritis."

Nishikori had earlier pulled out of his final-four meeting with Djokovic because of a groin injury. It was a bizarre

turn of events that wiped out the day`s singles action but nevertheless produced a predictable pair of finalists in the tournament`s top two seeds. Berdych was at a loss to explain how he became so ill. "Last night was basically the same as every other night. I ended up in the same restaurant, everything was fine," he said in comments the tournament posted on Twitter. "I woke up at 7:30 in the morning with pain in my stomach. I am disappointed about not getting a chance to play," he added.

Nishikori withdrew after attempting to warm up for his early match against

Djokovic, saying the left groin injury hindered his movement too much to allow him to play. The injury ended Nishikori`s sparkling run at the hardcourt tournament -- where he saved four match points en route to a fourth-round victory over world number five David Ferrer and then vanquished Swiss great Roger Federer in the quarter-finals. "For me it was my biggest tournament in a couple of years, to reach a semi-final of a Masters," a dejected Nishikori said in a hastily convened press conference. "It`s really sad.

I was really playing well."

guard Isaiah Thomas missed his second straight game with a right quad contusion. In two games against the Thunder this season, he averaged 31 points and 4.5 assists while shooting 56 percent from the field. Thomas scored a career-high 38 points against Oklahoma City on Jan. 19. Without him, the Kings shot 37 percent from the field in one of their

worst offensive performances of the season.

"The toughest position to lose is your point guard, just because he runs your team, and there were times tonight where obviously, we didn't look like an organized basketball team," Kings coach Michael Malone said. Oklahoma City bolted to a 32-15 lead at the end of the first quarter after holding the Kings to 26 percent shooting, and the Thunder led 54-38 at halftime. Durant scored 16 points in the first half on just six shot attempts.

Sacramento's starters shot 7 for 28 from the field before the break. Cousins had two points on 1-for3 shooting in the first half in just seven minutes because of foul trouble. Durant surpassed 25 points on a 3-pointer in the third quarter, and then his lob to Westbrook for a dunk on Oklahoma City's next possession gave the Thunder a 77-51 lead. Oklahoma City led 82-51 at the end of the quarter.

"We did a good job of focusing in," Westbrook said.

"We did a great job of just focusing on us and focusing on our team and trying not to worry about them so much."

jokingly tried to nudge Hamilton off the official weighing scales.

It was a good recovery by the Red Bull team after the car had a problem with its energy store electronics during the first session of qualifying, and left the German in bullish mood about being able to take on the Mercedes cars on Sunday, having also retired early in Australia.

"They are the most competitive package, it is difficult to beat them on the day, but not impossible," Vettel said. "I'm keen to find out where we are and where I am - I haven't done a race since Brazil last year."

Rosberg, who won the season opener in Australia, had been fastest in practice on Friday and Saturday and again in Q1, but was not able to match his teammate as the conditions deteriorated.

"I was a little bit less comfortable on the full wets, especially into brak-

ing, but third is still a decent place to be," Rosberg said. "Who knows what the weather is going to do tomorrow?"

There was standing water on the track from a pre-qualifying downpour, and lighter rain continued throughout the sessions to make things difficult for all drivers, who switched back and forth between the intermediate and full-wet tires as they tried to find the right setup for the conditions.

The first session of qualifying ended when Caterham's Marcus Ericsson went off the track, into a wall, through a brake marker and back onto the track where he was almost hit by Sauber's Esteban Gutierrez. There was also a red flag in the second qualifying session, when Toro Rosso rookie Daniil Kvyat tried to pass Alonso on the inside of a corner but collided with the Ferrari, leaving debris on the track.

Heat finds winning touch against Pistons

aUBUrn hills, March 29 (aP): He finally got it. After coming close several times this season, LeBron James recorded his first triple-double in more than a year Friday as the Heat routed the Detroit Pistons 110-78 at The Palace of Auburn Hills . James put together 17 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in 30 minutes before sitting out the entire fourth quarter of Miami’s biggest blowout this season despite playing with a makeshift lineup.

“It’s been very elusive this season and it’s always great to do it in a win,” said James, who was one rebound away with two minutes left in the third quarter.

“For us to come out and play the way we did and for me to get that in a victory was special.” It was the 37th triple-double of his career, first among active players and seventh all-time. He had not posted one since March 20, 2013 and came up two assists or rebounds shy of it eight times this season.

Miami (49-22) played without a huge chunk of its roster, including Dwyane Wade. They started littleused reserves Udonis Haslem, James Jones and Toney Douglas alongside regulars James and Chris Bosh. It was Miami’s 19th different lineup

Miami Heat forwards Rashard Lewis (9) and Chris Andersen (11) battle for a loose ball with Detroit Pistons forward Josh Smith (6) during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Friday, March 28, 2014, in Auburn Hills, Mich. The Heat defeated the Pistons 110-78. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

combination in 71 games.

Wade was sidelined by a hamstring injury he suffered two days earlier at Indiana and is uncertain for tonight’s game at Milwaukee. Mario Chalmers is day-to-day because of a bruised quad mus-

cle, also from Wednesday, and Greg Oden is questionable with back spasms. The Heat also has missed top sub Ray Allen, who has been in Miami throughout this road trip fighting through a stomach virus.

MMA brain injury risk higher than boxing Michael Virtanen Associated Press

About one-third of professional mixed martial arts matches end in knockout or technical knockout, indicating a higher incidence of brain trauma than boxing or other martial arts, according to a new study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.

University of Toronto researchers examined records and videos from 844 Ultimate Fighting Championship bouts from 2006 to 2012 for the study published this month. They found that 108 matches, or nearly 13 percent, ended in knockouts. Another 179 matches, or 21 percent, ended in technical knockouts, usually after a combatant was hit in the head five to 10 times in the last 10 seconds before the fight was stopped.

"We're taking the premise with this that what you see on TV is one thing, but to kind of add scientific rigor to document it objectively," said Michael Hutchison, co-author and director of the concussion program at the university's MacIntosh Sports Medicine Clinic.

With the technical knockouts, or TKOs, they reviewed videos and found "an increasing number of repetitive strikes to the head" during the last 30 seconds of a match, he said.

Professional mixed martial arts includes elements of wrestling, judo,

FILE - In this April 20, 2013, file photo, Josh Thomson, top, punches Nate Diaz during the second round of a UFC lightweight mixed martial arts fight in San Jose, Calif. A new study says about a third of professional mixed martial arts matches end in knockout or technical knockout, indicating a higher incidence of brain trauma than boxing or other martial arts.

(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

boxing and kickboxing inside an enclosure with fighters wearing small, fingerless gloves and no headgear.

Officials from UFC, the sport's major brand, seeking approval to stage bouts in New York have argued that mixed martial arts has evolved over 20 years with many safety regulations to protect fighters, including mandatory suspensions after concussions. They say it's safer than boxing, with no history of deaths or traumatic brain injuries sustained in the ring.

Lawrence Epstein, chief operating officer of UFC,

called the Toronto study "somewhat flawed" and said a forthcoming study by researchers who have enrolled nearly 400 active and retired fighters will provide better insight.

"By partnering with the Cleveland Clinic, one of the world's leading medical research institutions, on advanced studies aimed at not only preventing long-term brain injuries, but also identifying those predisposed to them, the UFC demonstrates true commitment to the safety of all professional athletes," Epstein said.

Preliminary results

from the Cleveland studies found athletes with higher exposure to head trauma — based on a formula including number of fights, years fighting and fights per year — were likelier to score lower on cognitive testing.

Researchers conducting the free, ongoing assessments of fighters' brain health are examining factors like genetics, lifestyle or head trauma exposure and susceptibility to injury.

The Toronto researchers, who examined UFC matches, found the time from a knockout blow — often a punch to the jaw —

until matches were stopped averaged 3.5 seconds, with losers on average getting hit 2.6 more times to the head.

With TKOs, they found that in the last 30 seconds before a match was stopped, the loser was hit on average 18.5 times, 92 percent of those to the head.

Hutchison acknowledged that unlike the knockouts, which meet the criteria for brain concussions, they can't definitively identify the particular injury from a TKO. Professional rules say that happens when a referee stops a fight because one competitor can no longer defend himself. "We can accurately suggest ... this can't be good for their health," he said.

Citing data from other research, the study said the mixed martial arts head trauma rate also outpaces American football and hockey. The researchers proposed introducing rules like in boxing where a fighter gets a 10-second count and is evaluated after a knockdown. They also proposed more training to help referees identify fighters who are defenseless or have lost consciousness so they can stop fights more quickly.

Most U.S. states have legalized and regulated professional mixed martial arts, although some are silent on the matter. New York is the only state that prohibits such fights and longstanding efforts to get it legalized recently stalled again.

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Rooney double seals United win Wayne Rooney scores two goals, including a penalty, as Man U come from behind to defeat Aston Villa 4-1 at home.

Julia Lipnitskaia of Russia performs during women's free skating finals of the World figure skating championships in Saitama near Tokyo, Saturday, March 29. (AP Photo)

World T20: New Zealand beat Netherlands by 6 wkts

chiTTaGONG, March 29 (rEuTErS): Captain Brendon McCullum's 65 powered New Zealand to a six-wicket win against the Netherlands and kept their hopes alive for a semifinal spot from Group One in the World Twenty20.

The Kiwis reached their 152-run target with an over to spare to bring up their second victory in three matches in the super 10 stage. McCullum, the most prolific run-scorer in the shortest format of the game, hit four boundaries

and three sixes during his 45-ball knock, also bringing up his 13th half century in T20 internationals.

The 32-year-old, who became the first batsman to cross 2,000 international runs in the format, stitched together meaty stands with Kane Williamson (29), Ross Taylor (18) and Corey Anderson (20 not out) to make it a comfortable chase for his side. Paceman Timm van der Gugten took three wickets for 30 runs for the Netherlands. Earlier, captain Peter Borren compiled

his highest T20 score of 49 to anchor the Dutch innings and take them to 151 for four wickets after being put in to bat. The 30-year-old hit seven fours and a six during his 35-ball knock and added 60 for the fourth wicket with Tom Cooper (40 not out) to give the Netherlands some momentum after a slow start. Cooper hit four boundaries and two sixes during his 23-ball unbeaten stay at the wicket but New Zealand pulled things back with some miserly bowling in the death overs.

The winners of the different categories are seen here with the tournament Director Asa Khate and others at Chavino Peseyie Indoor Stadium, Kuda village on Saturday.

LONDON, March 29 (aGENciES): Manchester United ended a week of frustration on and off the pitch in fine fashion by beating Aston Villa 4-1 on Saturday.

Much of the game's build-up had been dominated by a planned protest against David Moyes' management of the struggling champions, with a plane trailing the message 'Wrong One - Moyes Out' flown above Old Trafford during the contest.

A midweek defeat to local rivals Manchester City was the latest of United's setbacks in a tough season, tipping some fans over the edge. And the turbulent atmosphere around the champions was heightened further as Ashley Westwood's second goal of the season gave Paul Lambert's side a shock lead.

H o w e v e r, Wa y n e Rooney - so often the bright light in United's faltering campaign - dragged the hosts in front with a double before half-time, taking his tally to six goals from his last six league games.

Any home jitters were put to rest 12 minutes into the second half as Juan Mata scored his first United goal, with the home fans responding with rousing renditions of pro-Moyes chants, before substitute Chicarito rounded matters off late on with a typical poacher's finish after good work from Adnan Januzaj.

The win keeps United within reach of the top six and also serves as a perfect tonic ahead of Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg against holders Bayern Munich.

Moyes was warmly applauded onto the pitch by the Old Trafford faithful, as those inside the stadium aired their backing of the manager, and the planned fly-over passed with little incident two minutes into the game.

However, the home fans' patience was put under strain 12 minutes in as Westwood curled a superb free kick home and past David de Gea's despairing

Aston Villa's Ashley Westwood, left, scores from a free kick against Manchester United during their English Premier League soccer match at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, England, Saturday March 29. (AP Photo)

dive. Villa kept the pressure on as Ciaran Clark sent a free header over the crossbar. But United equalised on the counter-attack, a totally unmarked Rooney nodding Kagawa's cross past Brad Guzan.

That goal kicked United into gear, and they went ahead just before the interval as Leandro Bacuna's clumsy lunge on Mata resulted in a penalty that Rooney lashed past Guzan.

Christian Benteke wasted two big chances to equalise for Villa in the opening minutes of the

second half and those misses came back to haunt the Belgian as Mata gave United breathing space.

Marouane Fellaini's presence in the penalty area played havoc for the Villa defence, and Mata stole in to open his United account with a low rightfooted effort.

Rooney went close to a hat-trick, working space with a sensational first touch from a long ball only for Guzan to deny him, with the striker withdrawn soon after as Moyes turned focus to Tuesday's clash with

Bayern.

Chicharito then got on the end of Januzaj's excellent cross in stoppage time to seal the impressive win

and give Moyes renewed vigour ahead of arguably his toughest test since taking over from Sir Alex Ferguson.

India firm favourites against struggling Aussies

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Mirpur, March 29 (pTi): On a roll after completing a hat-trick of victories, title contenders India would look to continue with their winning ways in the ongoing ICC World T20 when they meet a struggling Australian team in their last group league encounter here on Sunday.

Having registered comprehensive wins against Pakistan, West Indies and Bangladesh in three successive matches to qualify for the semi-finals, the confidence of the team is at an all-time high as they face George Bailey`s Australia which has not done justice to their immense potential.

With back-to-back defeats against Pakistan and West Indies, the Australian team are all but out of the competition with a faint mathematical possibility that has kept them afloat and interested.

But for that to happen, George Bailey and his team first need to beat India by a comprehensive margin which looks a distant reality considering the current form of the two teams. While India`s campaign has gone from strength to strength with a solid all-round show in all the matches, Australia have struggled to maintain the

March 30 15:00 March 30 19:00

Bangladesh Vs Pakistan Australia Vs India

India's Yuvraj Singh, right, laughs as he leaves after attending a training session in the nets ahead of their ICC Twenty20 Cricket World Cup match against Australia in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Saturday, March 29. (AP Photo)

momentum during the key stages of the game which is all the more important in a short format like the Twenty20. For India, the key has been their spinners, who have done a tremendous job. While left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja has been a bit on the expensive

side despite taking wickets, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and leg-spinner Amit Mishra have been pictures of consistency so far in the tournament.

Ashwin should be lauded for the manner in which he has bowled in the Powerplay overs of-

ten seizing the initiative for his team while Mishra has been fantastic for India at the back end with his clever variations. They have been assigned different roles by their captain and both have so far stood tall to the expectations of their leader.

I want another shot at Indian batsmen in WT20: Saeed Ajmal

Karachi, March 29 (pTi): Pakistan off-spinner, Saeed Ajmal wants another shot at the Indian batsmen in the ongoing World Twenty20 in Bangladesh. "We have two more group matches to play in this tournament and they are must win matches for us if we want to qualify for the semifinals," Ajmal said from Dhaka.

"Right now my focus is just to win these two important games. But yes I would love to have another duel with the Indian batsmen in this event," he added.

The off-spinner, who is a leading bowler in the ICC rankings in different formats, said if Pakistan were able to qualify for the semi finals he would not rule out another match with India in the tournament.

Pakistan lost to India in the group match in an one-sided encounter with Ajmal also not firing on all cylinders. But the off spinner made it clear he always enjoyed his duels with the Indian batsmen. "Bowling in T20 format is a big challenge for a bowler anyway and against India it gets more challenging.

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