7th April 2014

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www.morungexpress.com

Dimapur VOL. IX ISSUE 94

The Morung Express

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www.morungexpress.com

AAP battles major financial crunch

Handel’s Messiah: Celebrating oneness in Christ

[ PAGE 8]

reflections

By Sandemo Ngullie

Life of a woman in rural Nagaland

[ PAGE 11]

nagaland newspaper outreach: a challenge

Vote on www.morungexpress.com SMS your answer to 9862574165 Are Naga institutions and churches doing enough to nurture value based leadership in the society?

Yes

no

Others

Do you support the nLA decision to set up nagaland Special Development Zones?

Yes

14% 71%

no Others

15%

Details on page 7

AKK to boycott Lok Sabha polls DIMAPUR, APRIL 6 (MExN): The Aghunaqa Kukami Kuqhakulu (GB’s union) has resolved to boycott the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in the State, in reiteration of its earlier resolution dated February 18, 2014. A press note from the union, which comprises of 38 villages under Niuland subdivision, stated that this decision was taken in a meeting held on April 5. It informed that the boycott has been called due to the non fulfillment of the union’s demands for shifting of existing polling station Nos. 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 of 4 Ghaspani-1 A/C at Kiyezu village to the Aghunaqa area.

Vehicles dispatched for election duty DIMAPUR, APRIL 6 (DIPR): In view of the ensuing Lok Sabha Election for the lone seat in Nagaland state, vehicles requisitioned by the district administration were dispatched for election duty from the DDSC stadium today. From the consignment of vehicles dispatched, 40 Sumos/Wingers and 10 buses were sent to Peren, 40 MMVs to Longleng and 28 LMVs to Pughobo.

CSU appeals to DoSE

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DIMAPUR, APRIL 6 (MExN): The Chumukedima Students’ Union (CSU) has informed that the Government Middle School, Block I, Chumukedima Town has not received a single text book for Class 8 students and that the text books received for Class A to 7 were not enough in number. It further stated that there are only 19 teachers for 715 students, “due to which teachers are not able to attend to all the students properly.” It informed that, as per government norms, the teacher students ratio should be 1:25. CSU appealed for the school education department to look into the said matter on a priority basis, as the first quarterly assessment needs to be completed

by April.

Villagers, including Village Guards, of a remote village in Tuensang district take a peek into the pages of a nagaland-based daily. (Morung File photo)

Ashikho Pfuzhe Dimapur | April 6

An eighty-year-old man in Tuensang district proudly displays an old newspaper kept in an old wooden trunk and points to a photo of a cultural troupe gracing the front page of a local daily. “See see, this young man with the spear and matching headgear. He is my grandson. He was part of the cultural dance troupe from our village which participated in the big Hornbill Festival last year. They brought me this paper for free all the way from Kohima!” said the illiterate old man who had never glanced at a paper before.

Photos of singers, Hollywood and Bollywood actresses from pages of newspapers can be seen adorning the walls of thatch or wooden houses in the interior parts of Eastern Nagaland.

Newspapers have come a long way here, as people of the four Eastern districts are actually getting to read news dailies the same day over late tea or early dinner. This

maybe a bit late, but couple of years back, the breakfast news enjoyed daily by readers in the State capital Kohima or Dimapur reached the Eastern districts only the next day, providing readers with stale news.

Time zones are not different, but the Nagalandbased dailies were then transported via NST night super buses. With the introduction of daily Tata Sumo taxi services from Dimapur to all Eastern districts, the dailies now reach the Eastern district headquarters the same afternoon or evening.

The papers are sold at Rs. 5 per copy in the district headquarters of Mon, Tuensang, Longleng and Kiphire.

“Yes, now we get to read the papers the same day, but we wish we could read the papers early in the morning with the smell of fresh print on them,” said a school teacher posted in a remote school in Tuensang district.

“If the road condition between Chantongya in Mokokchung district and Longleng is good, then the papers can reach by 2:00 pm. But right now, though

the Chantongya-Longleng stretch is only 34 km, it takes 3 hours to cover this stretch due to the deplorable road condition,” said Akai Angh, a craftsman based in Longleng town.

However, most of the interior villages in these four districts still do not have access to newspapers. The only way to get a glimpse of a newspaper for these villagers is whenever some government officials, journalists or relatives bring newspapers along with them during visits to their villages.

With the distance between Kohima or Dimapur and the Eastern districts not narrowing down due to “deplorable” road conditions, some people from the Eastern districts have suggested that the only way they can read the papers in the morning is for newspaper houses to arrange simultaneous publication in one of the Eastern district headquarters. Till such time, the ambitious ‘Foothill Road project’ seems the only solution for the Eastern Nagas to read news while still hot.

Monday, April 7, 2014 12 pages Rs. 4 –Eleanor Roosevelt

[ PAGE 2]

Aus bag hattrick of Women’s World T20

[ PAGE 9]

[ PAGE 10]

Afghan candidates promise to respect results

“Couldn’t move the buildings, lands but your cars are outside? You must be an actor. Anyway didn’t anybody tell you to declare your assets in writing?”

The Morung Express POLL QUESTIOn

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The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams

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Voting starts today from ne

NEw DELhI, APRIL 6 (IANS): India’s general election, to elect 543 members to the 16th Lok Sabha, or the House of People in the bicameral parliament, kicks off Monday, with balloting starting from two states in the northeast, Assam and Tripura.

The nine-phase voting, that will be done in 930,000 polling stations across the length and breadth of this huge nation with a staggering 814 million electorate, will be spread over 36 days from April 7 to May 12.

This election, many analysts say, is different in many ways different from the elections of the past two decades with more focus on individual leaders, wide use of social media and rise of the “aspirational class” and the large number of first-time voters.

Stakes are high for the participants with relatively young leaders leading the charge of Congress and BJP and regional parties, led by leaders nursing national ambitions, threatening to upset the applecart of the established players. Although campaigning has been surcharged, it has so far been peaceful.

The election also raises prospects of a leader born after Independence becoming the prime minister.

Bharatiya Janata Party has declared Narendra Modi, 63, as its prime ministerial candidate and Rahul Gandhi, 43, is seen as the de facto prime ministerial candidate of the Congress.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal, 45, whose one-and-a-halfyear-old party has created a buzz in the political arena on its strong anti-corruption plank, is also aiming for a role in government

2014 Lok Sabha Election - Facts Following are some facts about the nine-phase Lok Sabha elections that begin Monday • Total electorate - 81.4 million (814,591,184) • Male voters - 42.6 million (426,615,513), Female 38.7 million (387,911,330) and Others - 28,341 • First time voters - over 2.3 million (23,161,296) • Polling stations - 930,000 • 8 million civilians and 3 million security personnel deployed • NOTA (None Of The Above) option will be used for the first time in a parliamentary poll • India is the 12th country to use NOTA • A voter can get enrolled at one place only • One can contest from any constituency except autonomous districts of Assam, Lakshadweep and Sikkim formation as are a clutch regional players from West Bengal in the east to Tamil Nadu in the south.

Campaigning has been intense but the real battle will be fought for control of the Hindi-speaking heartland where two states, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, ironically among the least developed of Indian states, account for between them 120 (80 from UP and 40 from Bihar) MPs. Delhi goes to the polls on April 10 to elect 7 MPs. A study last year by Internet and Mobile Association of India and IRIS knowledge foundation had said that there were 160 Lok Sabha constituencies in which social media would be a critical tool to influence people’s voting choices. Almost 68 percent of the country’s 1.2 billion population is estimated to be below the age of 35.

Political parties are making special efforts to woo the youth by talking of issues of economic growth and jobs.

Successive opinion polls have forecast that BJP-led NDA would be the prime contender for power.

But despite a grim forecast

about its prospects, due to a stagnant economy and allegations of corruption during five years of United Progressive Alliance II, the Congress is making a determined bid to get another mandate from people.

The Congress is banking on its welfare initiatives including rights-based legislations to woo the poor and subaltern classes. Its leaders have also asserted that an unprecedented 14 million people have been brought out of poverty in the last 10 years.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the party’s campaign, has been targeting BJP and Modi over “divisive politics”. Gandhi is slated to address nearly 100 meetings over the next few weeks.

The BJP is riding on the perceived popularity of Modi, who is slated to address around 150 rallies across the country in over a month. Modi has been seeking to tap into the apparent discontent over UPA’s performance by promising a brighter future to the people with greater security and enhanced growth.

BJP vice president

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that real issues for the party were development, good governance, employment, and national security.

“We are fighting the election on economic issues. Congress is trying to communalise it,” Naqvi told IANS. Political analyst Rizwan Qaiser, who teaches at Jamia Millia Islamia University, said that the 2014 Lok Sabha election was “extraordinary” as stakes were very high for the political players.

“Stakes are particularly high for the BJP. The way candidature of Modi is being projected, one person has overshadowed the party, which was did not happen earlier,” Qaiser told IANS. He said stakes were also high for the Congress as Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the party’s campaign, has “not been able to capture imagination of people”.

“The regional parties are becoming assertive. I think these parties need to be watchedcarefully,”headded.

The number of voters has risen since the first election in 1951-52. It was about 173 million in 195152 and nearly 814 million in 2014.

A.S. Narang, a professor of political science at the Indira Gandhi National Open University, said the election was getting centred around an individual.

“It happened during Indira Gandhi years and then to some extent when Rajiv Gandhi was in the fray. Now it is being fought (by the BJP) in the name of an individual (Modi),” Narang said. He said youth participation is expected to be large and they were showing keen interest in election.

Ao Bible turns 50 The Big Fat Naga Wedding Morung Express news Dimapur | April 6

All praises were given by the Dimapur Ao community in celebration of the Ao Bible turning 50. A special Sunday service was held today at DABA Church, Dimapur led by the Ao Baptist Arogo Mundang (ABAM). The programme was held in connection to the yearlong celebration programme organised by ABAM to observe this occasion.

Apok Jamir, Secretary, Education & Literature ABAM stated that in North East, with such a huge mix of different communities, it is the Ao tribe that managed to translate and publish a complete edition of the Holy Bible in Ao dialect. Even now, many are still struggling to publish complete editions in their own dialects. We should consider ourselves blessed and fortunate, he reminded. He also said that this was possible because of the tireless efforts and personal sacrifices made by reviewers.

He also informed that numerous revisions and reprints have taken place in these 50 years. And it sells out very fast every single time. But Jamir also cautioned that the Bible should not just be carried around or sit in the mantelpiece at home; “What kind of believers are you if you do not read the Bible?”

Making a reference to “believers” who treat the Holy Bible as a “Magic Book,” he said, “The Bible is not a medicine

or a healer. It is not a quick fix to your health problems or your life problems either.” He added, “The Word of God is the biggest force that changed the world. Just by reading the Bible, our lives, relationships, work, home and community get better immediately and effectively.”

In resonance to the celebrations, the Secretary, Education & Literature ABAM also encouraged the Ao community to make a collective and personal pledge to strive towards “reading the Bible and follow the Word of God.” He stated that it could be a word, a verse or a chapter. “Today as we celebrate the Golden Jubilee, let us make this pledge,” he stated.

I Anungba Sanglir traced the history of the introduction of the Ao Holy Bible. Charting the various courses undertaken during the time of translation and review, he presented a chronological order of reviewers, ABAM, Pastors and literature experts.

He further informed that a team of 50 reviewers are currently revising a new edition which is tentatively set to be released by December 2014.

Dr. Tali Imsong, Art & Culture Planning Officer chaired the programme, while Rev. Tzudir led the congregation in prayer.

The grand finale celebrations will be held at Impur, where a commemorative souvenir book will be released remembering the persons who were responsible for successful translation of the Bible into Ao.

Vibi Yhokha Kohima | April 6

How much does a supposedly ‘usual’ wedding in Nagaland cost today? Approximately five lakhs and beyond! This excludes the miscellaneous costs such as the wedding gown, dresses for the bridesmaids and flower girls, suits for bridegroom and groomsmen. Photographers’ rates range from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 1,00,000. Wedding dresses costs Rs. 30,000 and above. For the highly extravagant, wedding costs can touch a Crore.

Today the Naga wedding is no different from the big fat Indian wedding. “The marriage culture that Nagas practice today is imported. We have been fed by the mass media and cultures outside our own,” says a concern Naga (who wished not to be named), who is of the view that while western society has moved on towards more sensible, frugal and environment-friendly weddings, Nagas are caught up in an old western culture. The concerned Naga is also of the view that what has been fed to the mass is akin to brainwashing.

“I think it is wrong to spend so extravagantly on weddings.

It’s not only you who suffers but the whole family suffers for that,” says Pastor Rachülie Vihienuo, from Union Baptist Church, who is of the view that peer pressure is also present among adults and not just teenagers.

Much like the elaborated af-

fairs of an Indian wedding, Nagas too are catching up with the fancy affairs of engagement parties, Bridal showers, Bachelors party, the Wedding after Party.

And very often, the real meaning of marriage gets lost in the ‘busyness’ of the preparations for the wedding. There is more tension for the wedding gown, decorations and food. “We are not focusing on what is important but on the miscellaneous. Of course,

who adds that many Nagas like to flaunt the excessive money they have on their weddings.

Weddings have become environmentally hazardous too, with the unnecessary use of plastic bottles, disposal cups and plates.

people can do whatever they want but it has an impact on the others. Also Nagas are so adaptive to materialism but when it comes to non-materialism we remain so rigid,” says another.

In the 500-1000 people that are invited, one would hardly know half of the invitees. “In some high profile weddings, the decorations alone cost five to six lakh,” says a Wedding Planner

sions,” says Asa Seyie, a recently married man who had a lowcost wedding. He is of the view that low-cost weddings are less stressful to the couple, families and the community helping out.

Vihienuo feels that the church must talk about it and educate their members to keep their weddings simple. The best would be to educate the young people on the challenge and dif-

Growing need for more sensible approach “The happy ending of a lowcost wedding is that you can settle down without any debt ten-

ficulties. Counseling is another important factor. While entering marriage, it is important for both the spouses to know their financial situations. It is very important for every church to prepare every couple for marriage.

“The problem with Naga society is that everyone feels the need to live up to one’s standards,” he says and further asserts that weddings in Nagaland have a western influence, which is not bad, but can be more economical if we can be more “ourselves”.

In a society where the upper strata of society have a huge influence over the rest, Vihienuo also views that privileged people can set the example.

People’s mentalities have to change because the influence we put on each other is demanding and pressurizing.

“We (Nagas) use other’s ideas. We do not innovate, we do not create ideas. We imitate ideas. And we are not able to differentiate between wants and needs,” says Wabang, a concerned Naga youth. He asserts that adopting traditional ideas such as going for traditional attires instead of the usual tuxedos and gowns are original, grand and cost less. Mass weddings needs to be encouraged.

However, at the end of the day, to have or not to have an expensive wedding is a matter of choice but in all the extravagant affairs, the beauty of marriagethe union of two people- needs to be upheld.

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Dimapur

Monday

LocaL

7 April 2014

Life of a woman in rural Nagaland

Are Naga women active economic agents?

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A woman returning from field after collecting firewood and fodder in a village in Nagaland (March 2014).

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Abokali Jimomi , Dimapur | April 6

efore dawn, when the village is shrouded in darkness with a somewhat eerie silence, sleeping under the silhouettes of tall bamboo groves and mountains in the background like endless shadows, Nivi wakes up—instinctively—as she does every morning. Without disturbing her three children and husband, she tiptoes to the kitchen of her one bedroom bamboo house to prepare for the day.

At 4:00 am, she splashes cold water on her face, freshens up and gets into an automaton mode: she makes fire, digging out the previous night’s firewood buried deep into the hearth that had survived till morning, but transformed to red hot coal.

By 4:30 am, with the fire raging and heating the large blackened ‘water-boiling’ pot, the mother of all utensils in most Naga kitchens, Nivi rushes off to fetch water from the village watering hole down the slope with a ‘Golchi’ in a basket strapped to her head and cisterns in hands.

Past 5:00 am, her 18 chickens are up and running amok. She feeds them and begins cooking for her family - a pot of rice, a vegetable or meat dish and another dish of greens. She simultaneously chops an assortment of leaves collected from the forest the previous day to mix with cooked maize for her pig.

By 5:30 am, the pig is fed, and the children are up flocking around the kitchen fire asking for tea. With the cooking almost done, it is time to assist her children to wash up, check their homework, feed and dress them for school, and tidy the house.

At 7:00 am, the husband is finally awake asking for tea. Her husband, a daily wage labourer, gets “work opportunities” once or twice a month; he takes care of the terraced rice field for their annual supply of rice.

Married at 21, Nivi did not have a church wedding due to many complications, besides not having enough resources to host a ceremony that would seem “socially fit.”

“I had to take a lot of ridicule in the early years, I thought it was better for me to just die… both my husband and I are school drop-outs… we had no income source, our relatives refused to speak to

us. It is said that a woman is the accomplice of the serpent, like Eve, and it is she who ensnares men to sin… I realize that it was my sin that caused so much grief and struggle, but God has been merciful,” the 33-year old mother of three says.

Nivi’s day, under the burden of the sermon, goes on. Her other tasks begin after sending off her children to school and her husband is fed. She goes off to the Jhum field, toiling for her family’s food supply. Throughout the year, she toggles between the rice field and the maize field, her husband’s lands, as she has no right to property and land inheritance.

Her children’s monthly school fee adds up to Rs. 1150. “Sometimes we cannot pay for 3-4 months… I have to work my field properly to sell some maize and rear the pig that will sell at least Rs. 1215,000 by the end of the year and I can save for my children’s admission fee of over Rs. 6000 and for the uniforms and books… I want my children to go to a good school,” she narrates.

Most times, by afternoon she completes the day’s farming and heads home with a basket load of firewood and vegetables. The morning chores are repeated in the evening with additional tasks – washing the husband’s and children’s clothes, collection of fodder and cooking for animals, attending church and visiting relatives. The routine continues day after day.

Responding to what her overall economic role is in the household, Nivi iterates, “I would say it is my husband who economically supports the family because he brings lump sum money and the land belongs to him; I don’t really earn anything substantial except for the animal sale once a year.”

Like Nivi, thousands of women in rural Nagaland, working from dawn to dusk every day, besides bearing the responsibility of childbirth among other roles, still do not see themselves as active economic agents of society. Bound by socially-conditioned biases, they themselves subscribe to the thought that all major decisions should be executed by men who do the “real work,” such as planning of village road construction to the watering hole, which mostly women use, decided inside the traditionally women-free Village Council Hall.

The Morung Express C

New Market Colony Jalukie expels one for rape attempt

JaluKiE, april 6 (mExN): Pouzendai residing at New Market Colony, Jalukie Town reportedly attempted rape on a woman while she was on her way to market in broad daylight at around 4:30 pm.

At the protest of the victim, the accused tried to escape from the scene, however, passerby caught him after a long chase.

While condemning the heinous crime committed by the accused “which has no place in the civilized society,” the New Market Colony, Jalukie Town has penalised and expelled Pouzendai as per the law of the soil (Jalukie Customary Law) for 3 years with

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immediate effect from the jurisdiction of Old Jalukie Village.

A press release from chairman, New Market Colony, Jalukie Town, Namgumbe cautioned that in the events of any breach of customary practices on the part of the accused and whoever shelter him, they will be fully held responsible for any untoward incidents if so happen.

Further, the residents of New Market Colony warned that any person(s) involved in “anti-social” activities shall be dealt with stern action to uphold the sanctity of the colony in particular and the denizens of Jalukie town in general.

ZBN cautions Peren people on land sale

Dimapur, april 6 (mExN): Zeliangrong Baudi Nagaland (ZBN) has informed the general populace of Peren district to be vigilant in matters relating to selling/ dealing of land/areas by any individual without the prior information and consent of the land owner and Baudi (Hoho). A press release issued by ZBN president Rangsam N Hau and secretary information & publicity Namrachang Hegui stated that Zeliangrong Baudi in its meeting premeditated on the subjects of land trade wherein, “every represented villages has agreed in Toto to restrain from vending land in the district to outsider.”

Zeliangrong Baudi Nagaland taking serious note of the matter has notified to all village authority con-

cerned to strictly adhere to the Rules & Regulation framed by the Committee on Land & Resources and further reiterated its stand to totally ban selling of land/area to others without the consent of land owner and the Committee. Baudi team will kick off its itinerary tour in the district to see that every village concerned is protecting and preserving their land and resources in their respective areas, the note added.

Further, it cautioned that any individual/group trying to buy land/area under Peren district shall be doing so at their own risk and “Zeliangrong Baudi shall in no way entertain and tackle the issue if found in the course of verification during its touring program.”

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World Health Day 2014 to focus on vector borne diseases

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Kohima, april 6 (mExN): World Health Day (WHD) is celebrated on April 7 every year to mark the anniversary of the founding of World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1948. Each year a theme is selected that highlights a priority area of public health. The day provides an opportunity for individuals in every community to get involved in activities that can lead to better health.

The topic for 2014 is Vector Borne Diseases, “Small Creatures, Big Threat” with the Goal: Better Protection

from Vector Borne Diseases (VBD).

A press note from National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), Directorate of Health and Family Welfare, Kohima stated that vectors are organisms that transmit pathogens and parasites from one infected person (or animal) to another.

Vector borne diseases are illness caused by these pathogens and parasites in human populations. They are most commonly found in tropical areas and places where access to safe drink-

ing water and sanitation is problematic.

The most deadly vector-borne disease, malaria, caused an estimated 6,60,000 deaths in 2010.

Most of these were African children. However, the world’s fastest growing vector borne disease is dengue, with a 30 fold increase in disease incidence over the last 50 years. Globalization of trade and travel and environmental challenges such as climate change and urbanization are having an impact on transmission of vector-borne diseases, and

causing their appearance in countries where they were previously unknown, it added.

World Health Day 2014 will spotlight some of the most commonly known vectors- such as mosquitoes, sand flies, bugs, ticks and snails- responsible for transmitting a wide range of parasites and pathogens that attack humans or animals. Mosquitoes, for example, not only transmit malaria and dengue, but also lymphatic filariasis, chickungunya, Japanese encephalitis and

yellow fever.

The campaign aims to raise awareness about the threat posed by vectors and vector- borne diseases and to stimulate families and communities to take action to protect themselves.

A core element of the campaign will be to provide communities with information. As vector-borne diseases begin to spread beyond their traditional boundaries, action needs to be expanded beyond the countries where these diseases currently thrive, the note stated.

Children take fun drive along Jotsoma road in Kohima district. (Morung photo/ Chizokho Vero)

USBLA expands mission towards youngsters

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15 year old boy missing Kohima, april 6 (mExN): A 15-year-old boy, named, Krielo AsarhŸ from Punanamai village has been missing since March 25, 2014 from Mao-Khuzama area.

A press release received here informed that the boy is fair complexioned and about 5 ft tall. In this connection, anybody with any information about the missing boy has been requested to contact 98566593025/8119881481.

All Nagaland Pre-Service B.ed Association informs Volunteers after the social work held at Archintre Multipurpose project at Tethuyo village on April 3.

KiphirE, april 6 (mExN): With a vision to have holistic approach on development issues and expand its mission, the United Sangtam Baptist Lithro Ashimukhong (USBLA) organized a social work at Archintre Multipurpose project at Tethuyo village in Kiphire district, which is few kilometers away from the district headquarter, on April 3. Volunteers from more than 7 villages extended help.

The objective of establishing the multipurpose project is to train youngsters for

EPIC to be distributed at Industrial Village Razhuphe today

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building up their potential in leadership and also to create a space for youngsters to come together, said USBLA Secretary Rev Tsangkhuchu. He added that scientific farming and gardening can also be done in this area and at the same time seminar and refresher courses can also be conducted in this place.

The secretary has expressed gratitude to Tethuyo villager for providing enough land to USBLA ministry and also thanked the volunteers who had come to help in cleaning up the jungle for activities to be taken up.

Dimapur, april 6 (mExN): It has been informed that as per information received from Booth Level Officers concerned of polling station no. 11 and 12 of 2 – Dimapur – 2 assembly constituency, Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) will be distributed to all voters within Industrial Village Razhuphe on April 7 from 9:00 am onwards at STP Office complex. Therefore, all voters under the above mentioned polling stations have been requested to go to the said With Love from Wokha! Enjoying simple things in life, like polling stations and collect the Wokha Gur (jaggery) with a cup of Pika Chai can become voter cards accordingly. the favourite memories. (Photo Courtesy: Betoka Swu)

Kohima, april 6 (mExN): The All Nagaland Pre-Service B.ed Association has convened an emergency meeting on April 11 at 1:00 PM at Music Garage, Kohima. All 94 B.ed petitioners have been asked to attend the meeting positively. The decision(s) taken by the house will be final and binding, a release received here said adding that attendance is compulsory and no leave of absence shall be entertained. For further details, contact, 8794821908, 9862827596, 8974572364.

DC Dimapur informs on election Dimapur, april 6 (mExN): Deputy commissioner & district election officer of Dimapur has informed all head of office/ institutions and chairmen of panchayat under Dimapur district to keep open the polling station buildings by April 8, 2014. Necessary furniture like tables and chairs should be made available at the polling stations. Hours of poll have been fixed from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm on April 9, the DC informed.

DC&DEO Tuensang informs TuENsaNg, april 6 (mExN): Deputy commissioner & district election officer, Tuensang has notified for strict compliance by all concerned that as per Section 126 of the Representation of the People’s Act 1951, the campaign for the parliamentary election to the 1- Nagaland parliamentary constituency will come to an end with effect from 4:00 pm on April 7. All political functionaries from outside the district are to leave the district immediately after the campaign period is over. Further, DC T Mhabemo Yanthan informed that no candidate/ political party shall convene or hold any public meetings after the campaign period is over.

DSE informs Kohima, april 6 (mExN): The Directorate of School Education has directed all District Education Officers (DEOs) to select 200 more teachers including Adhoc and contract appointees from each district and submit with forms and documents in triplicate for undergoing D.EL. ED training through NIOS at the earliest. This is for inclusion of contract/adhoc elementary teachers in distance mode training.

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REgional

The Morung Express

Monday

7 April 2014

EC allowing Brus to vote triggers bandh in Mizoram AiZAWL, ApriL 6 (NNN): Irked by the Election Commission of India's (ECI) green signal for Brus to vote, five influential civil society organisations in Mizoram have decided to go ahead with their boycott to the Lok Sabha elections in the state by imposing 72 hours state-wide bandh from tomorrow. Mizoram goes to the polls on April 9.

On Sunday, the Co-ordination Committee five organisations of Young Mizo Association (YMA), MUP, MHIP, Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) and Mizo Students Union (MSU) reiterated to go ahead with their agitation by

imposing the state-wide total bandh for 72 hour starting from 5 AM of April 7 and conclude on 5 AM of April 10. They are taking up this measure in protest against polling by Brus from transit camps in Tripura.

In the past few months, these organisations of Mizoram have been threatening to boycott the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the state if the ECI does not entertain their demand to disallow the Brus camped in Tripura from voting in Mizoram in the forthcoming Lok Sabha poll.

In January, MSU had lodged a complaint to Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde

regarding the troubles and obnoxious acts created by Bru community against the Mizos.

The MSU had also urged the ECI not to allow the Brus residing outside Mizoram to cast their votes in Mizoram. Also on January 23, MSU had re-submitted a petition to Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath requesting him to take immediate step to disallow those Bru voters who continue to live outside Mizoram deliberately to cast their votes in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in Mizoram.

It is worth mentioning here that the relationship between the Mizos and the Brus has not

been going well in the past 15 years. Hundreds of Brus had left Mizoram in 1997 and in 2009. The first case was triggered when Bru militants murdered two Mizo forest guards on October 21, 1997. The second case happened after a 17-yearold Mizo was killed by the Brus near Bungthuam village on November 13, 2009. When the Brus left Mizoram they had driven out some Mizos in villages of Sakhan Hill Range in Tripura like Sakhan Serhmun, Sakhan Tlangsang, Sakhan Tualsen, and Upper Dosda, which had kicked up much ruckus in Mizoram then.

Nagas are not communal: UNC TAhAMZAM, ApriL 6 (MExN): “Nagas are not communal and the relentless efforts to malign the articulations of the Nagas for their rights as communal and hate inciting must be countered with adequate response,” UNC has stated in a press release.

The press note from the Publicity Wing of the organisation informed that on March 28 at the Congress party rally held at Wangjing, Thoubal, where AICC Vice-President Rahul Gandhi and CM Ibobi blamed Nagas for the June 18, 2001, deaths of 18 rioters and arsonists. “Citing this and the people’s movement for political empowerment, Ibobi decreed that a Naga cannot be elected to the Parliament,” UNC informed. Further the note stated that Ibobi had made this statement in the presence of Rahul Gandhi, the general public, legislators and Ministers of the State Government. UNC alleging that Ibobi “made sure that no Naga was considered for the AICC ticket,” stat-

ed, “the communal despise and loath that Ibobi feels for Nagas and tribals is naked and blatant.”

Rio’s description of Ibobi “is not communal nor concocted but borne by facts,” UNC stated. UNC questioning where Ibobi would hide the fact that he did not allow Naga Negotiator, Muivah, to visit his native place, further stated instead, on May 6, 2010, “he killed two promising students at Mao gate and terrorised the Nagas and tribals by using his police commandos and IRBs all over the hill areas.” “It was his naked acts of hatred, where he abdicated his responsibilities as the Chief Minister of the entire state and acted as a Chief Minister of the dominant and communal elements that led to the declaration of the Naga people for the severance of ties with the Government of Manipur and demand an Alternative Arrangement outside the Government of Manipur,” UNC stated.

UNC further alleged that Ibobi

objected to the launching of Manipur unit of the Naga Peoples’ Front, a political party registered with the Election Commission of India under Peoples’ Representation Act and to the visit of Neiphiu Rio, Chief Minister of Nagaland, to attend the same. A legitimate and constitutional act was opposed

by Ibobi hurting the sentiments of the people, UNC stated. The press release further stated, “There are many more equally communal actions of Ibobi, which we have already brought into the public domain.”

Also appealing to the various armed groups to respect the wishes of the people to have a representative in the parliament to be the voice of our rights and aspirations, UNC stated, “It is our contention that the declaration of intent on this line was made after due process of consultation with the people and should be upheld and not undermined by narrow and sectarian considerations.”

Meanwhile, a couple of years ago, head count conducted by the MBDPF found that there had been 31,703 Brus in the relief camps belonging to 5,448 families who were bona fide residents of Mizoram. The repatriation of the 1997 batch of Bru refugees was underway until it stalled by the November 13 killing.

In the year 2011, conglomeration of major NGOs in Mizoram had submitted a joint memorandum to the then Union Home minister P Chidambaram to rehabilitate the displaced Mizos in Tripura and stall the ongoing repatriation of Brus from Tripura to Mizoram. The memorandum

was signed by representatives of four large NGOs in the state – Young Mizo Association (YMA), MZP, Mizoram Upa Pawl (MUP) or elders association, and Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl (MHIP) or women's federation, and four political parties.

The memorandum had mentioned that more than 80 Mizo families displaced from Tripura's Sakhan Hill range in 1998 after being threatened

by Bru militants should be adequately rehabilitated by the Centre, otherwise, the repatriation of Bru refugees from Tripura relief camps should not be allowed.

Dimapur

3

BJP manifesto blackout in NE areas voting Monday

NEW dELhi/KOLKATA, ApriL 6 (iANS): Electors in Assam and Tripura, voting in Monday's first phase of polling for the Lok Sabha, will cast their ballot unaware of the BJP's unified vision of development and prescription for economic revival, differences over which have reportedly delayed the party manifesto's release.

Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath told the media in Kolkata that while there was no link between the release of election manifesto and the polling date, the media could not carry details of the manifesto in those areas where campaigning has ended. "Election manifesto can release at any point of time. There is no relationship between manifesto and polling date.

However, telecast of manifesto in polling areas is prohibited. There is penal action for that," he said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party's manifesto is set to be launched Monday coinciding with the start of Lok Sabha elections in five seats of Assam and one in Tripura.

"Section 126, part 1b of the election rules prohibits any propaganda by parties in the 48 hours leading to the opening of the polls," a senior Election Commission official told IANS in Delhi. "There cannot, therefore, be any dissemiAn Indian paramilitary soldier stands guard as poll officials check an electronic voting ma- nation of a party's manifeschine at a polling material distribution center in Agartala, Tripura on Sunday, April 6. Parts of to by any media in areas goTripura and Assam will go to polls on April 7, on the first phase of national elections that will ing to vote in the first phase of polling," he added. last several weeks. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)

Northeast Briefs 'Illegal influx from B'desh must stop': AASU ZCNEI endorses ZB decision TAMENGLONG, ApriL 6 (NNN): The Zeme Council North East India (ZCNEI) endorses the decision of Zeliangrong Baudi (Manipur unit) where the latter has extended its support to the March 19 decision of the United Naga Council (UNC) in connection with the ensuing Lok Sabha poll. Raitu Elu, president of ZCNEI said this in a statement in Tamenglong today. He also said ZCNEI stands to uphold the unity and the integrity of the Nagas in Manipur and elsewhere in 'Nagalim'.

ZCNEI appealed to all the Naga public to work in coordination with the Naga organisations. ZCNEI further declared its support to Soso Lorho, the NPF candidate of Manipur Outer parliamentary constituency.

Over Rs 1 crore seized in Arunachal iTANAGAr, ApriL 6 (TNN): Yazali police seized over a crore from a vehicle in Arunachal's Lower Subansiri district on Saturday. It is suspected that the money was meant for distribution among voters. Election office sources here said police intercepted the vehicle after receiving specific inputs and seized Rs 18,400,000. However, the sources declined to reveal the name of the party or candidate from whose vehicle the money was recovered.

With Saturday's seizure, the Election Commission's flying squads and static surveillance teams in the state have seized cash amounting to Rs 4.16 crore and 69,503 litre of liquor worth Rs 1.22 crore, sources added.

Three Bangladeshis beaten to death AGArTALA, ApriL 6 (ThE hiNdu): Tension erupted at Khowai border in west Tripura after irate Indian villagers lynched three Bangladeshi cattle lifters on Sunday. The infiltration occurred even after the election and BSF officials announced the state's 856km border has been completely sealed ahead of election in west Tripura constituency in first phase of election slated for Monday. Police said residents of Gournagar under Khowai police station caught three Bangladeshis near border pillar 967 and lynched them to death. The villagers were on alert in view of spate of cattle lifting and thefts in the area. BSF troops were deployed in strength after Bangladeshis started crowding in Balla area of Bangladesh's Haviganj district to breach the border to avenge the incident. Border Guards, Bangladesh (BGB) officers later attended a flag meeting, but did not lodge protest with the BSF over the incident nor claimed bodies.

GuWAhATi, ApriL 6 (TNN): All Assam Students' Union (AASU) on Saturday appealed to the state's indigenous people to vote and prevent illegal immigrants from taking over the state.

Speaking to TOI, AASU adviser Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharyya said every indigenous person who is eligible to vote should do so to defeat the Congress-led

and the Centre have been deployed.

The security agencies have identified many districts in the state as critical and have decided to increase presence of forces by one to eight companies in each district compared to the last election in 2009.

Over three lakh litres of liquor and Rs 60 lakh cash have been seized in Assam so far by different agencies, the sources said, adding security agencies have also issued over 4,000 non-bailable arrest warrants since the poll notification. Assam will see three-phase polling starting with Monday when elections will be held in five constituencies. The second and third phases of elections will take place on April 12 and 24. In the first phase of polling in five constituencies voters will exercise their franchise in 8,588 booths,

added that people should vote for candidates who can speak up for the people of Assam and raise the issues faced by ethnic communities in Parliament. "Representation of indigenous people from all 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state must be ensured. It's our prime demand," Bhattacharyya said.

He alleged that due to the government's failure,

lakhs of illegal Bangladeshis would vote in the state in the coming election.

AASU also called for a permanent solution to the demand of six communities in the state for ST status. The student body, however, clarified that it was not in favour of further division of the state, where statehood movements have gained momentum after the creation of Telangana.

NPSC / UPSC (Prelim - 2014), SSC, Banking

Doctors protest at Guwahati ST. JOHN COLLEGE hospital, demand security Diphu Road, Dimapur – 797112: Nagaland

GuWAhATi, ApriL 6 (TNN): Doctors from various medical associations staged a protest at the Mohendra Mohan Choudhury (MMC) Hospital on Saturday, seeking action against those who had recently assaulted a paediatrician. They demanded better security for medical practitioners in view of the rising attacks on doctors. The doctor who was attacked might move the State Women's Commission and Assam Human Rights Commission.

On April 2, relatives of Minara Begum, whose newborn was declared dead, assaulted the paediatrician working at the governmentrun MMC Hospital. The doctor was on a round when Minara's family members attacked her. Not only she was slapped and beaten up, some even tried to tear off her clothes. Minara's family

Around 3,000 polling stations declared critical GuWAhATi, ApriL 6 (pTi): About 12 per cent of the 24,267 polling stations in Assam have been identified as 'critical', making it a challenge for the Election Commission to hold the three-phase elections in the state in a free and fair mode. Assam Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) S N Singh told PTI that 3000 polling stations have been identified as critical as per the Election Commission's guideline.

A polling station is identified 'critical' on the basis of its vulnerability to violence by insurgents or any other disturbing factor like rigging or threat to voters, affecting a free and fair election process, he said.

Official sources said in one of the most elaborate exercises in Assam over 235 companies of security forces from both the state

government at the Centre.

He said the UPA government had failed to provide 'constitutional safeguards' to Assam's indigenous people in the wake of illegal influx from Bangladesh.

"Our stand in the Lok Sabha polls is quite clear. We want a change at the Centre, but it is for the people to decide whom they want to elect," said Bhattacharyya. He

while the second phase for three seats will be conducted in 3,698 polling stations.

In the third phase elections will be held for six Lok Sabha seats in 11,981 election centres in Assam.

With 4.5 lakh first time voters, Assam will see a total of 1.87 crore electorate casting their ballots.

members accused the hospital authorities of swapping Minara's newborn with a dead baby. "I was not even involved in the case. When I saw the crowd and tried to reason with them. But they abused me. The patient's elder brother slapped me.

They were trying to tear off my clothes," said the doctor.

OnSaturday,theagitating doctors wore black badges to show their solidarity with the assaulted doctor. They demanded more awareness on the Assam Medical Service Persons and Medicare Services Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act, 2011, which makes assaults and attacks

on any medical practitioner a non-bailable and cognizable offence. On April 3, doctors and other staff of the hospital had boycotted work at the outpatient department. The doctors demanded installation of CCTV cameras inside the hospital and security for staff members.

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DECLARATION OF SUPPORT TO NEIPHIU RIO. In pertaining to the ensuring 16th Parliamentary Election schedule on 9th April 2014 for Nagaland, in the 19th Phek Constituency, the supporters of Er. Vekho Swuro former Independent candidate held its emergency general meeting on 5th March 2014 at Mutsalezho (Su Kumvo). After through deliberation the members anonymously resolve to support the DAN consensus Lok Sabha candidate Shri. Neiphiu Rio in order to strengthen him to take up Naga issue and North East development at the centre and also to further strengthening the hands of our leader Er. Vekho Swuro as the Independent Party is also partners in the DAN III Government.

However it is further clarify that in no way this support reflect us joining NPF in any manner.

K. SHEVOTSO RHAKHO

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4

local/BusinEss

Monday

Dimapur

7 April 2014

BMW to focus on high-end models for profitable growth in India

NEW DElhi, april 6 (pTi): In line with its strategy for sustainable profitable growth in India, German luxury carmaker BMW is pushing for more ultra high-end models. The company, which last week launched an all-new version of its M6 Gran Coupe, a fourdoor sports car priced at Rs 1.75 crore (ex-showroom Delhi), plans to bring the hybrid BMW i8 car as a completely built-up unit (CBU) by the end of 2014.

BMW Group India President Philipp von Sahr told PTI that although the company plans to introduce four models this year, the focus on ultra high-end models made sense, considering the tough market conditions.

“We are also concentrating really on the high-end cars...It is important in difficult economic situation to focus on such cars and invest on the marketing of

such cars because there you can get some money and for that we are here,” he said. Explaining the rationale, von Sahr added: “It doesn’t make sense if you are number one in sales and then have no money to invest. That doesn’t help.”

On plans for the Indian market, he said: “We were focusing for the past few years on volume growth and now we have a certain size and now we are looking to be really profitable in this emerging market which has some economic problems but here we have to focus on our own strength.”

He added that the company has not set any target for volume growth in 2014 and the plan is to be ready when market conditions become better.

“In such an economic situation, we have to focus on profitable growth and invest, like we did

on the training centre, so that after the election, if the market goes up, then we have to be prepared.

It would not be good if we are not prepared,” Sahr said.

The company invested Rs 16 crore on a centre in Gurgaon to train its sales representatives, dealers and associates. Terming last year as “not an easy year,” Sahr said market conditions would hopefully improve in the second half of 2014.

“This year, we are all focusing on elections. I would say 2014 has two half-years -- the first half-year is waiting for the election and the second half-year hoping that the economic situation recovers,” Sahr said. The company, which slipped behind German rivals Audi and Mercedes in the Indian market last year, is looking to recover ground by investing behind the brand and new launches.

ATMA Dimapur Kuhuboto Block conducts training

Dimapur, april 6 (mExN): ATMA Dimapur Kuhuboto Block conducted a training cum demonstration on ‘package and practices of soyabean’ and ‘collection and testing on soil sampling’ at Lukuto village on March 15. Toivi Swu, AO & BTT Convenor (ATMA), Kuhuboto Block and TI Toshi, JSCO & AES Member (ATMA) Kuhuboto Block were the resource persons.

Block Technology Manager Akavi Holo in a press release said that Toivi gave an introduction on varieties of soyabean. Soyabean has been widely grown for its edible oil and is a rich source of protein. Soyabeans are considered a complete protein as it contains all the essential amino acids that must be provided to the human body because of the body’s inability to synthesize them, he stated.

Various soyabean food productsareusedforhumanconsump-

Battle Of Kohima Account Of Events 4th - 7th April 1944

70 yEARS AGO on the 4th April 1944, the Japanese attacked GPT (General Purpose Transport) Ridge at Kohima. Major Reginald Lowe was commanding the whole of the Jail Hill - Transport Ridge Sector of the battlefield (presently PHQ – Japfu Ashok – AIR Kohima – Jail Colony and Old Minister Hill area).

The disposition of troops were as follows: Jail Hill (PHQ) : One company of 5 Burma Regiment, Garrison Company of Burma Regiment, One platoon Assam Regiment. GPT Ridge (Japfu Ashok, Jail Colony and upper area) : Gurkha Reinforcement Company, Composite Company of Indian and State infantry, Transport Platoon, and Assam Regiment Infantry Platoon.

According to various history books written about Kohima, GPT Ridge was lost on the 5th April (Today Japfu Ashok, Jail Colony and upper area). Although the Assam War Diary relates that Capt Douglas Frew Commanding the Gurkha Reinforcement Company, withdrew with his men on the 6th April. The War Diaries relate that the Japanese put in a number of heavy attacks on the GPT position throughout the 5th April 1944.

Throughout the 5th April the Japanese also attacked the positions

on Jail Hill (today PHQ). On the 6th April Jail Hill was heavily shelled and eventually at 3 PM on the 7th April the position was abandoned.

Casualties on GPT Ridge and Jail Hill were: British Officers: Killed 2 plus 1 who died of his wounds, wounded 4, Other Ranks: Killed 40 to 55, Wounded 70 to 80. On the 4th April several State and mixed troops amounting to almost 120 men plus an officer and a Mortar Detachment absconded during the night. Major Reginald Lowe withdrew with his men to the HQ of the Assam Regiment on Garrison Hill (Raj Bhavan area) where he was wounded and as far as we know, he remained until the Relief of the Kohima Garrison.

He was evacuated to Hospital in Dimapur on the 19th April 1944.

“When you go home Tell them of us and say For your tomorrow We gave our today”

good economic return, high nutrition to the consumers and also all parts of the crop can be used for food and non-food products. Altogether 40 participants attended the training. Composite Dimapur, april 6 (mExN): Agricultural maize seeds were distributed to all the farmers.

Technology Management Agency (ATMA) of Dhansiripar Block, Dimapur conducted training programme on March 31 at Singrijan Village. According to a press release, the training was conducted in order to bring awareness on formation of CIGs and FIGs and for promotion Dimapur, april 6 (mExN): The Altrura Society has completed one year of service to the of composite maize.

Tsipongse Anar, Inspector of Cooperation public since it officially launched free ambuand BTT member spoke on the topic “Forma- lance services and other social activities in 2013. tion of Cooperative Society”. The resource per- An event was held to commemorate the first son explained that the main objective of the Foundation Day with Helie Kruse, Chairman, department is to render service to the weaker SMC Tenyiphe-1 village as the speaker at Altrura sections rather than making profit. Cooperative Society HQs office, Chumukedima on March 31.

According to a press note, Kruse urged the societies are easy to form and have a stable life, he stated. He gave detailed information on for- society members to come forward with positive mation of cooperative society, condition of reg- mindset in giving services to the community. He istration and advantages of cooperative society. also challenged the members to take active part He further encouraged the participants for self- in any activity(s) with unity to explore and work help instead of dependence and advised them towards the betterment of the society, while encouraging them to set good examples through to take the advantages from the government.

The resource person for “Promotion of Com- their works and deeds for the future as well as posite Maize” was Ronchamo, A.O & BTT Con- present generation. Meanwhile, asserting that venor. He gave detailed explanation on package everything is possible through God, the speaker and practices of maize cultivation and encour- reminded the members to have the fear of God aged the farmers for maize cultivation as it gives in everything they do.

Altrura Society celebrates Foundation Day

Rajeev Dong Wing Commander Deputy Director Directorate of Ex – servicemen Welfare Nagaland

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.

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

SUDOKU Game Number # 2841

substitute staple food for the Nagas as they can be grown even during erratic weather condition. Benthunglo Murry, ATM spoke on the concept of farm school. Earlier, the programme was chaired by Tsienomo, BTT convenor and Renboni proposed vote of thanks. 27 farm school students attended the programme. Bendangla gave away farm school kits and logistic support to the students.

Training on formation of cooperative society held

-- Major Richard Lowe 6th Queen Elizabeth’s Own Gurkha Rifles

LEISURE

propagate coarse grains in an extensive manner as well as its consumption as an alternative to rice due to their health benefits. He cited the example of Tuensang where rural people consume coarse grains as a regular diet.

In the technical session, Bendangla Imsong, SMS, KVK spoke on the importance of coarse grains and said that coarse grains may become a

BirThday grEETings

tion, including fermented soya, soya beverage, tofu, soya flour etc.

It is a popular food for the majority people of Nagaland and utilized as a pulse crop and fermented products. He also emphasized on the selectionofsoilsuchassandyloam and clay soil. He concluded elaborating on the control of disease and pest management.

TI Toshi illustrated to the participants the analysis of a soil sample that determine nutrient and contaminated content, composition and other characteristics such as the acidity or pH level. A soil test also determines fertility and is used to mimic the function of roots to assimilate Hello...my dear Babe. minerals. He concluded by givWishing you a very ing a live demonstration on the basic steps for collection of soil warm happy birthday.I exsample and how to differentiate tremely thank our almighty a good nutrient soil from the bad God that he has given me a ones. Altogether 35 farmers parwonderful gift in my life and ticipated in the programme.

puBlic discoursE ATMA Wokha advocates consumption of coarse grains Wokha, april 6 (mExN): A farm school on coarse grains was opened at Airfield colony, Wokha on April 1 by ATMA, Wokha. Dr. Mhonchan Shitiri, Project Director, while speaking on the occasion, said that coarse grains like millets, jowar, oats were grown since time immemorial by Nagas, but has been neglected of late.

A press release informed that he emphasized on the need to

The Morung Express

DAILY CROSS WORD

CROSSWORD # 2850

Today, as we share the most delicious cake at the office to celebrate, we hope you will equally enjoy the day with your family. We pray that the year be fruitful for you, and struggles give way to cheer. We wish you a Witty, Most Delightful and Happy Birthday!

The Morung Express family

i pray God to lead you with full of happiness as you are start another new life.I love you very very much babe.!

Always your forever , Beeee.....!

poETry

Remind me lord When I sail through dark stormy seas Remind me lord that there is a calm shore awaiting, and ease the doubt of my heart by your soothing presence nearby. slow down my life when in haste, provide new moments to share with a close friend.

Remind me lord that each passing day is not returning so that may I not waste tomorrow.

Remind me when alone or in speed the art of remembering: an evening stroll with an old man, to cease and smile at small things and to share a good book, to respect animals.

Remind me of the poets, of nature and the sky and of caring my dear ones that I may well understand that there is a better life than wasting in daily haste.

Let me understand and look forward to the highest of towers that once had a start from bottom O that! Remind me to the last!

Sunep Longkumer

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 # 2840

Dear Sir Along,

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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ACROSS 1. Somersault 5. Fruity-smelling compound 10. Strip of wood 14. Murres 15. Leaf opening 16. Hairdo 17. Clairvoyant 18. The state of being clean 20. More difficult 22. Set aside 23. Many millennia 24. Cornered 25. Visual aspect 32. Overweight 33. Pertaining to the moon 34. Female pronoun 37. Thorny flower 38. Moon of Saturn 39. Faux pas 40. Explosive 41. Mortise and _____ joint 42. Filched 43. Unfortunate 45. Aqualung 49. Paddle 50. Otalgia 53. Hairdresser 57. Blue blood

59. Bright thought 60. Anagram of “Note” 61. Vibrate 62. Standard 63. Sleigh 64. Laser printer powder 65. Delight

DOWN 1. Iron oxide 2. Chocolate cookie 3. Place 4. Generous gifts 5. Ancient ascetic 6. Sun 7. 2,000 pounds 8. Arab chieftain 9. Be worthy of 10. Not earlier 11. All excited 12. Cache 13. Sharpened 19. Daisylike bloom 21. Expect and wish 25. Harbor 26. Black, in poetry 27. A musical pause 28. Adhere 29. Coach 30. Absurd 31. Delivery vehicle

34. Untidy one 35. Small mountain 36. Type of sword 38. T 39. Mynah 41. Plot of land 42. Remain 44. Move unsteadily 45. Chairs 46. Christmas song 47. Pee 48. Established 51. Party thrower 52. Reflected sound 53. Rice beer 54. False god 55. Arid 56. Docile 58. Dashed Ans to CrossWord 2849

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

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

Toll free No. 1098 childline

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DIMAPUR: 03862-232201/101 (O) 9436601225 (OC)

TUENSANG: 03861-220256/101 (O) 8974322879

CHILD WELFARE COMMITTEE

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

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

08974997923

MOKOKCHUNG:

FIRE STATIONS

STD CODE: 0369

Police Station 1: Police Station 2 :

2226241 2226214

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

2226216 2226263 2226373/2229343

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

222246 222491

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The Morung Express

NPCC reiterates corruption charges against NPF leaders

DIMAPUR, APRIL 6 (MExN): The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee has called upon the Nagaland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio to “apologize to the Nagas for miserably failing to do anything in the past 11 years as Chief Minister and for hobnobbing with communal forces of BJP-RSS that threatens to impose alien culture on the Naga’s.”

A press note from the NPCC stated that the NPF “are solely responsible and accountable for perpetrating a state of total misgovernance.”

NPCC further stated that Planning Minister TR Zeliang’s statement terming the NPCC booklet as full of lies “will never find any takers since his misdeeds as minister for Veterinary & AH during DAN-II has seen the worst corruption and embezzlement in the V&AH department.” It said that though

the minister says that funds are still awaited for setting up of Veterinary college at Jalukie, “an amount of 12.25 crores was released for civil works from 2008 till 2012 with the infrastructure on ground telling another story.”

NPCC further informed that from 2009-2012, an amount of 13 crores was sanctioned for implementation of Mithun Project, “which was severely plagued by selection of beneficiary villages without proper feasibility studies, irregularities in disbursement of assistance to beneficiary villages and payment made for fictitious works supposed to have been undertaken by M/s Hi Tech Constructions for 69 works amounting to 1.51 crores that was never executed on ground.”

NPCC claimed that the reaction of NPF leaders has justified the former’s booklet titled “11 years of NPF Misrule.” It remind-

ed that the NPCC has enough documentary evidence collected through RTI filings and challenged the NPF leaders for open discussion on any public forum.

Had the contents been false allegations, the NPF could have taken a legal recourse instead of merely deriding the contents of the booklet, it added.

On the BJP, it stated that the former is fighting the parliamentary elections without Manifesto. This, it said, exposes that “the party which is bereft of any agenda or vision for the nation other than its communal and divisive agenda that stands no chance of propelling them to power.”

Slamming Rio for aligning with the BJP, NPCC stated that the NPF “has no agenda after 11 years of empty promise that has ruined the state and destroyed the aspirations of the people.”

“The NPF which has sub-

mitted to the High Command of the communal BJP in Delhi and the divisive RSS in Nagpur has lost all moral rights to speak on behalf of the Nagas since the ideology and agenda of these communal forces represents the very antithesis of what the Nagas have been fighting and struggling for decades to preserve our unique culture and identity,” it asserted.

It further iterated that the Congress led UPA’s “inclusive policies have benefited large sections of the people especially in rural areas across the country.” It called upon the people of Nagaland not to “repeat the mistake of electing Rio.” It stated that the CM “has no chance of speaking for the Nagas as an MP in parliament, when he failed miserably to voice out for the people as Chief Minister in 11 years of uninterrupted rule.”

Monday 7 April 2014

Dimapur

5

Shurhozelie responds to Congress’ communal charges

KohIMA, APRIL 6 (MExN): Responding to Congress’ repeated communal charges against DAN government on ground of the latter’s association with BJP, NPF president and DAN chairman, Shurhozelie Liezietsu has stated that DAN is a conglomeration of BJP, JD (U) and all non-congress political parties in Nagaland. BJP has been a constituent partner of DAN since 2003.

In a press statement, the DAN chairman alleged that Congress leaders in Nagaland are all the time angry with NPF “because of their crushing defeat in the last general election, not realizing that they themselves have destroyed their own house to a great extent for infighting.” During the last tenure, Shurhozelie said, he had directed the two MPs from Nagaland to give issue based support to UPA at the Centre.

“But, I find that UPA leaders were most ungrateful creatures because they have, in spite of thanking us, mistreated us badly by way of even cutting down the Plan money for Nagaland at the behest of the Nagaland Congress leaders.” He declared it was high time for the Congress to realize that Naga people have rejected them.

Stating that DAN cannot isolate any political party, he said all non-congress political parties in Nagaland will continue to work together as a team. “Every day, we welcome even the congress leaders who come over to us to make the regional base stronger.”

Further, Shurhozelie expressed it was “touched when congress leaders have shown their concern for the safety and security of the Christians in Nagaland. It is our sincere wish that this state, of their mind may continue to remain

even after election.” As for “us”, he stated, “our conscience is clear because our association with BJP as an important constituent unit of DAN for the last 11 years have shown that there was not a single instance of threat meted out to any section of the people in any manner which the people themselves have seen.” Nagaland, being a Christian dominated State has been enjoying complete freedom of worship where members of DAN also have been participating in all activities with the Church, he added.

The DAN chairman affirmed that UPA government will continue to remain in office for little more than a month from now “as lame dog’ and after that the era will come to an end. “They have failed to take up the Naga political issue. They have failed to give Nagaland its due share in economic development.”

PDCC questions NPF-BJP alliance Campaign for NPF in Peren district Dimapur DC urges

PhEK, APRIL 6 (MExN): In the run up to the Lok Sabha polls slated on April 9, the Phek District Congress Committee (PDCC) has fervently solicited the attention of the “sensible citizens and communities” of the State to the “contentious and confronting” issues. “A single member elected may not create any deep impact for or against the formation of a preferred government, but the valuable vote cast will definitely testify the true principle and culture of the Nagas as a distinct race in the midst of giant counterparts,” stated a press release issued by PDCC general secretary Pfuche Koza and its president Mikha Kenye.

The statement alleged that regional NPF is “ceremoniously wedded to communal BJP and the former is hysterically excited that the RSS-backed BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Modi, who is looked upon as the political messiah of Hindu politics has, at last arrived to snatch away the power from the evil hands of the

Congress.” The dominant NPF in the State, the PDCC said, “attacks the Congress on the ground that the latter stands for Indian nationalism, yet willingly embracing the communalism of BJP without least realization or remorse that Christians too, like other minority communities had severely suffered and died in hundred and thousand in the good hands of the Hindu fanatics like the RSS-VHPBajrang Dal in BJP ruled states like Gujarat, Karnataka and allied state like Orissa.”

It further questioned why of all the states should the state of “Nagaland for Christ” ally with “communal BJP” and “most importantly when the church had protested in the past why is the church silent today.” The pointing difference between BJP and NPF, the PDCC asserted, is that “BJP intends to use government for one-nation one-religion whereas NPF intends to sacrifice the one and main religion to remain in government.”

Meanwhile, the PDCC ex-

pressed utter shock to see the press statement of the outgoing CM (Nagaland Post 6/4/14) under the headline “Those who are against NPF are against Nagas”. “Considering the predominant Christian population in the state and the marriage between so called Naga-NPF and communal-BJP, the CM statement implies that those who support NPF must support Hindu politics of the BJP and those who go against NPF are against Hindunization of the Nagas.”

PDCC stated it is not against BJP as a political party or the alliance of NDA as such, however, it will not remain a silent spectator to the “unholy nexus” of the RSS & BJP and their communal politics against the spirit and reality of secularism in a free democratic country of India. “Nor will it keep silent on the inevitable fallout of the communal politics of BJP and its full endorsement by the NPF and the surprising silence of the church organization.”

DAN winds up campaign in Dimapur

DIMAPUR, APRIL 6 (MExN): DAN coalition comprising of NPF, BJP and JD (U) with support from NCP and Independents has wound up campaign in Dimapur for its consensus candidate Neiphiu Rio for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. The last rally was held at Clock Tower junction on Sunday evening.

A press release informed that Parliamentary Secretary Tovihoto Ayemi at the programme said there was no confusion among the public regarding who would win the lone Lok Sabha seat as all political parties except Congress were united.

He added that 8 (Congress Legislators) was a weak number in contrast to 52 (DAN Legislators) in the 60-seat NLA. He likened the current position of the DAN government to a magnet which continues to attract more metals and that it has the capacity to come together in one form even when others try to destruct it

into pieces. He appealed the leaders present to go back to their own areas and sensitize the people to come out and exercise their franchise in favour of Neiphiu Rio. Parliamentary Secretary Zhaleo Rio said the Congress booklet on ‘11 years of NPF misrule,’ contained white lies and described it as “misleading.” He accused the UPA government of insincerity towards resolving the Naga issue and said Neiphiu Rio was committed to taking up the Naga cause. He appealed the electors not to have second thought in voting in favour of DAN consensus candidate and create a recordbreaking victory in favour of Neiphiu Rio. JD (U) president, Mhonjan Lotha described Neiphiu Rio as a “political genius” and said whatever decision Rio was taking today, the advantages would be realized by the people 20 years later.

Other BJP and NPF leaders also spoke during the meeting.

PEREN, APRIL 6 (MExN): Convenor of DAN election coordination committee for Peren district, Namri Nchang, MLA, undertook an intensive election campaign in his home district Peren to garner support for DAN consensus candidate and chief minister, Neiphiu Rio. From March 31 to April 5, Namri, who is also chairman, Nagaland Handloom & Handicraft Corporation, accompanied by president NPF Peren division, Dennis Zeliang and party workers, addressed election rallies and NPF party meetings at Athibung, Nkialwa, Tening, Nsong, Peren town, Ngalwa and Jalukie town.

According to a press release issued by Publicity & Information, NPF-Peren Division, the election rallies have driven the hearts of the people to support the candidature of Rio in the state’s lone Lok Sabha seat.

“The rally has covered 8 Ranges/ areas in Peren District where the surrounding people could centrally assemble. The public responses during the rally were overwhelming and ready to support the indisput-

able leadership of Neiphiu Rio,” the release stated. “Reasons for such an unflagging ready support was his undeniable action shown in the development of Peren District from the creation of the District to the present reality of development seen in different infrastructural set ups.”

The release also stated that since the creation of Nagaland statehood 50 years ago till date, “there has not been witnessed or experienced such a dramatic development and changes actualized during the span of ten years time of DAN Government.”

Other political parties’ leaders and publics also participated in the Rally. The release also mentioned that certain villages expressed their absolute will to cast votes for Neiphiu Rio, the DAN consensus candidate.

The NPF Peren has appealed to the general public to support the candidature of Neiphiu Rio as the leader of the Nagas to represent in the parliament of India and to exercise the rights and interest of the state in particular and the north easterners in general.

ElEction info for Kohima District Allocation of booths to polling displayed in the Reserve List parties need not report for duty unless they are called by Control All polling personnel of KoRoom or any authorized ofhima district are informed that ficial performing polling perallocation of polling booths sonnel related duty. will be displayed on April 7 at DC’s Office Complex. All poll- SVEEP audio mobile van to ing parties have been directed visit Sechu Zubza to check their polling booth The SVEEP audio mobile allocations within their allo- van will culminate its camcated assembly constituen- paign at Sechu Zubza on April cies without fail. Further, it has 7, 2014 where a programme been informed that the polling on SVEEP awareness will be groups whose group number is held at DBs Court at 11:00 am. reflected in their appointment SDO(C), Sechu Zubza, Moorder with a combination of hammad Ali, IAS, will give a letter C falls under ‘Reserve speech on SVEEP awareness Group’, hence they will not get while Information Assistant their booth allocation but will Jakhama, Metevizo Sothu report to DC’s Office on April will elaborate on SVEEP in 8 & 9. The individual reserve local dialect. Vote of thanks personnel whose names are will be given by APRO, IPR

Department, Nongozo Rikha while the programme will be chaired by Information Assistant, IPR Department, Akummeren Jamir. Besides distribution of pamphlets etc, there will be screening of SVEEP ‘My Vote is Precious’ and ‘My Vote Makes My Future’.

Final briefing for micro observers/ videographers/ photographers All the micro observers and videographers/ photographers appointed for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections for Kohima district have been informed to attend the final briefing on April 7, 2014 at 11:00 am at DC’s conference hall, Kohima.

(DIPR News)

voters to come out

DIMAPUR, APRIL 6 (MExN): The Dimapur Deputy Commissioner has urged voters to exercise their franchise without fail for the upcoming LS polls in the state on April 9. A press note from the DC voiced out against the use of money or other considerations to influence people’s votes.

Jotsoma villagers conduct mass social work

KohIMA, APRIL 6 (MExN): The villagers of Jotsoma conducted a mass social work on April 5 in view of the forthcoming visit of Brigadier GK Bibby, CBE, Commander 15 (North East) Brigade, in connection with the inaugural function of the monument built in tribute to Major Gen John ML Grover, ML, General Officer Commanding 2nd Division 33 Corps and his officers and soldiers during World War II. The programme will take place on April 16 from 9:00 AM onwards. Release of souvenir, traditional gun salute, display of World War II antiques will also mark the occasion. Keneido Peseyie and Neingulie Nakhro will compere the function.

Travellers robbed between Kohima and Kiphire

KohIMA, APRIL 6 (MExN): On April 2, around 1:30 am, four unknown armed miscreants robbed people travelling from Kohima to Kiphire. The robbers took all “valuable things” away from the victims, including cash amounting to Rs 27, 500, and three mobile phones. The vehicle was later released after “severe mischief.” Recounting this incident, the victims - Yankiu, joint secretary, NPF Nagaland; Rolen, former speaker of YAA; and driver of the vehicle have drawn attention towards the increasing number of robberies “everyday” upon travelers between Kohima and Kiphire. In a press statement, the victims said the route is not safe to travel by bus or private vehicle during late hours.

There is no police station nearby the area, i.e, three kilometers away from Chakabama in Phek district, the release added.

In this regard, the victims have requested the authority concerned to look into the matter and take proper action at the earliest. It appealed for police patrolling to be set up in the area during night time, adding, that would build some confidence among the common people.

Impact of social media while our elections & politics groping in the dark

L

iterally, every person on the street has Facebook Account. In other countries and even in major Indian cities, whether cobbler or rickshaw puller or barber or vegetable vender, they mostly have social media accounts, particularly Facebook. Almost every restaurant – whether small or big – has free Internet facilities through Wi-Fi. Everyone coming to the restaurants is normally seen enjoying free Internet facilities through the Wi-Fi services, while enjoying various cuisines. The whole world is virtually at their fingertips.

Over 80% of the world leaders now have their own social media accounts, particularly Facebook. Starting from mere local politicians to Prime Ministers and Presidents, they all have owned their own social media sites. Many Queens and Kings also have joined social media. Most of them used Facebook extensively to promote their missions and charitable works, while those politicians would do their best to propagate their political and social agendas. Millions of Facebook users will also systematically use the social media sites (Facebook) to promote their commercial ventures. Various pro-

fessionals will use Facebook to promote their professional programs. To a great extent, their purposes are served.

Since the advent of Facebook, the communities of the world are more connected than ever before. The boundaries have virtually disappeared and the world communities become one family. The people don’t wait any important information of any candidates these days; they can easily get it through their Facebook sites.

Besides this, the general publics can directly put their questions in their social media sites and even join debates in it.

We have seen how the last American Presidential elections were fought through various social media sites. Barack Obama and his Republican rivals Senator John McCain and later with Mitt Romney virtually had their presidential campaigns organized in the Facebook and it had largely worked to capture the mood of the voters who were also users of Facebook and other social media sites.

The last American Presidential elections had shown to the world that no one could any longer fight without Facebook and other Social media machines. After the American

elections were over, numbers of Facebook and other social media users were seen a quantum jump and it still keeps surging.

Every Prime Minister or President of the world would have their Facebook with millions following them. They virtually pitted against each other for their political and electoral battles. They could systematically advance to many areas.

Every activity of any Prime Minister or the main Opposition Leader will be instantly uploaded in their Facebook before it goes to any other online publications, forget about Print Media that will come next day only.

In India, we have now witnessed unprecedented use of Facebook and Twitter, etc. during this time’s upcoming 16th Indian Lok Sabha elections by contending candidates and their political parties. They have been constantly uploading news of election campaigns in their respective social media sites. According to report, the social media, particularly Facebook will play a major role in 2014 elections. It said out of 534 constituencies, 160 were identified as High impact zones, 67 were identified as Medium impact zones while the rest were classified as Low impact zones.

It further disclosed that they were categorized on the basis of internet and Facebook users in that particular constituency.

On basis of data collected from past year and equating it with current stats, it concluded that the High impact zones will be the major game changer in 2014 elections.

Nadrendra Modi, the BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate has millions of Facebook and Twitter followers. His electioneering news is constantly uploaded in his and his BJP’s Facebook and Twitter sites. Congress Star Campaigner Rahul Gandhi also equally uses the services of the Facebook and Twitter for propagating his electioneering campaigns, while Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh too can’t help but depending on social media like Facebook to put his political agendas and developments, etc.

Though he projected himself very simple, Arvind Kejriwal, former Delhi Chief Minister and leader of AAP, couldn’t progress without depending on social media. He had to convey his thought, ideas and election campaigns through social media in many cases. In fact, the social media plays integral, both to the candidates and the public.

In India, every political

party has their social media sites today. They too have used benefits of the sites to the fullest possible manner to advance their political agendas. Massive political propaganda has been created through Facebook and Twitter by every political party and their leader to project that they are the savior of the country. If closely monitored, it appears that they are unlikely to play politics without the services of Facebook and Twitter.

What a revolution indeed.

Even in the Region, State Units of various National Political Parties like the BJP, Congress, etc. have opened their own social media sites and played their own games to only strengthen their propaganda machine.

Every media house does have their own various social media sites, so do all the media persons. In fact, some of the national media houses constantly upload every new development in their news portals as well as their Facebook and Twitter.

These have happened, over and above their print editions.

Even the electronic media like TV Channels, in spite of their live telecast of each and every development, do constantly upload their news in their Facebook and Twitter.

In Nagaland too, number of social media users are seen increasing leaps and bound. There are heated debates taking place on various issues facing them in their social media sites. Facebook has given space for each and every person to share their thoughts, ideas and plights, etc.

Hundreds of users throw their questions in the Facebook daily or hourly with regard to the current Lok Sabha elections as well as Naga political issue. It is interesting to note that while AICC Vice President Rahul Gandhi was addressing a mammoth election rally at Kohima Local Ground on March 27, news of his address was being uploaded in Facebook and Twitter simultaneously. How advance the Social Media of today is? In fact, immediate political debates generated when he raised the controversial points with regard to Naga political issue where he said, “I will not give any promise as your Chief Minister who said he would bring solution to the Naga issue within three months if he was voted to power.”

Before NPF formally lodged its complaint, the actual debates were over within few hours as soon as it was uploaded in the Facebook and Twitter.

It went viral.

It is regretted that NPF and NPCC have just opened their Facebook accounts with hardly any following them. Hardly election campaign news is seen uploading in their sites. They should engage their media personnel to work for their social media sites. Nagaland BJP Unit has, however, been maintaining their Facebook site well.

NPF candidate Neiphiu Rio, who is also DAN consensus candidate, has nearly 500 followers, while Congress Candidate KV Pusa’s seemed to have just been opened recently with less than 100 followers. Some of their party functionaries, of course, have their social media accounts opened. This development clearly shows that they are yet to know the value of social media.

Looking at the present scenario, Nagaland political activities are yet to catch up the social media importance. They are still in the dark while others are busy uploading their activities, yet they do not know what is happening in Facebook with their stories. Here is a wakeup call for our political leaders to join the Facebook or else they will be left out.

Oken Jeet Sandham

The Morung Express is introducing “Public Space” as part of our intention to provide deliberate space for the opinions of the people to be expressed and heard through this newspaper. Nonetheless, The Morung Express points out that the opinions expressed in the contents published in the “Public Space” do not reflect the views and position of the newspaper or the editor.

6

IN-FOCUS

The Power of Truth

The Morung Express MonDAy 7 APrIl 2014 voluME IX IssuE 94

Along Longkumer Consulting Editor

Election & Malaria

I

n this time of election season many of us will probably forget about World Health Day on April 7 i.e. today. And in all likelihood, none of the candidates in fray for the Lok Sabha elections here in Nagaland would have talked about things like people’s health and access to proper medical care. Yes, the Naga political issue, development such as roads, job creation and even peace, these are significant, especially if you want to win an election. However sometimes we often tend to forget or diminish the equally important things that matter to ordinary people such as health care, water or sanitation. Let us therefore be reminded of these politically small, yet big concerns for our humanity. This World Health Day – 7 April – the World Health Organization (WHO) is highlighting the serious and increasing threat of vector-borne diseases, with the slogan “Small bite, big threat”.

According to the WHO, more than half the world’s population is at risk from diseases such as malaria, dengue, leishmaniasis, Lyme disease, schistosomiasis, and yellow fever, carried by mosquitoes, flies, ticks, water snails and other vectors. The WHO goes on to state that every year, more than one billion people are infected and more than one million die from vector-borne diseases. Nevertheless, the organization also emphasizes that these diseases are entirely preventable. Newly published “A global brief on vector-borne diseases” outlines steps that governments, community groups and families can all take to protect people from infection.

Now for those of us in Nagaland, we are quite familiar with malaria given that the region we inhabit is quite prone to the mosquito since time immemorial. In fact, we even have a District Malaria Officer (DMO) posted across the State. Further, we are getting assistance under the National Vector Borne Disease Control Program (NVBDCP). How well has the concerned department done, when it comes to delivering on this front? If we go by official statistics, the number of malaria cases and deaths in the last four years has come down. This is well and good but certainly not enough to contain vector borne diseases.

As far as the government’s response goes, more can still be done. For instance, anti-malaria month is usually held every year during the month of June. We all know that the peak season for malaria is between the months of March and July. Perhaps the concern department can have a longer programme extending to at least three months like April to June.

Loss of precious lives can be averted. Also there needs to be an increase in the awareness programmes including on Indoor Residual Spray (IRS). The recent advertisements in the local dailies about the use of IRS should be increased and given more prominence. They should have also included contact numbers so as to ensure greater access to information and services available. More mass awareness has to be created about how we can control and prevent malaria. Besides media, the platform of educational institutions and the Church can be better used to reach out to the masses.

The threat posed by malaria should not be underestimated. We certainly cannot claim to be ‘malaria free’ as we have succeeded in the case of polio. As Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General rightly states, “no one in the 21st century should die from the bite of a mosquito…” The sad truth is that as we vote for our next representative to Parliament, perhaps the health agenda, increase funding to save lives or the political commitment to address it will be far from everyone’s mind when in fact even something politically insignificant as malaria merits attention. As the World Health Day 2014 theme underlines even a ‘small bite can be a big threat’.

(Feedback can be send to consultingeditormex@gmail.com)

lEfT wiNg |

Nury Vittachi IANS

10 jobs which involve no actual work

M

usic lovers paid a small fortune to a rock singer Ted Nugent NOT to sing at their local festival the other day. Officials booked the screaming rocker but Texas residents paid $16,200 for him to shut up and stay away.

Perhaps if everyone in the world chips in, we can get Mr. Nugent to spend the rest of his days in monkish silence on the new dwarf planet found recently beyond Pluto?

Being paid to not do stuff is the hot new thing.

A Washington Post survey in 2006 showed US farmers were paid $1.3 billion for not farming. The TV station NBC paid Conan O'Brien $30 million and Jay Leno $15 million to not to host the Tonight Show.

In parts of India, thousands of people signed up for a scheme offering them cash to not have babies. But officials warned authorities trying to replicate the scheme that you need a lot of terms and conditions, since everyone in the world spends most of their time not having babies, if you think about it (women in the Philippines excepted).

Applicants: "I am Ajit and this is my friend Nirmala. We've never had children and demand a huge chunk of taxpayers' money as a reward." Official: "But you're kids/gay people/ cross-dressers/household pets." Applicants: "Discrimination!"

The actress Hillary Duff was reportedly paid $100,000 not to be in a movie. They could have saved $10,000: I would have not been in it for $90,000. Indeed, since the movie has now been made and neither you nor I are in it, dear reader, let's just all send in our invoices.

And let's also write to fashion retailer Abercrombie and Fitch, which offered cash to the badly behaved cast of TV show "Jersey Shore" to not wear its clothes. Just write this: "Dear Mr. A.A. Fitch, I am planning to behave extremely badly this year and will do it wearing none of your clothes for a small fee. I will wear the clothing of your rivals for a larger one."

In India's Tamil Nadu in 2010, officials paid people to go to the toilet, creating a useful supply of fresh fertilizer while gently training residents to stop pooping in unsuitable places such as the queue at McDonald's, the hospital lobby and the like.

This writer has only once been paid a huge salary for not working, by a censorship-mad newspaper editor who was too scared to sack me because everyone would know that he was a censorship-mad newspaper editor. I took the money for three months and then resigned, which was verbally tricky: "I'm outta here! I can't not work for you any longer!" My colleagues wished me luck: "Bye! We hope you find a new job not to do!"

Feeling left out? No need. There are at least 10 "careers" which sound like real jobs but have been scientifically proved to involve no actual recognisable work. 10) Movie critic. 9) Timpani player. 8) Tenured university professor. 7) Film extra. 6) Food critic. 5) Pool lifeguard for the Olympics.

4) Orchestral conductor. 3) Police station security guard. 2) Triangle player. 1) Newspaper columnist.

Regarding the last one, hands off, I got here first.

C O M M E N T A R Y

THE EDIT PAGE

Andrew Wallis

Genocide and justice: where now?

Two decades after the Rwanda genocide, the promised hopes of international accountability for such crimes is in trouble.

Andrew Wallis examines the ingredients of a crisis that is both legal and political

T

wenty years after the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, it can seem that the momentum behind international justice is at last increasing towards lift-off. In London, five suspects are back in court, facing a renewed attempt to extradite them to Kigali, Rwanda's capital; in France and Germany, the first trials have delivered guilty verdicts against high-profile genocide suspects; in Kigali itself, the trials of two men transferred from the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha are underway, while the ICTR continues to issue appeal-judgements as it seeks to conclude its often troubled mission.

This appearance of progress, however, belies a much more troubling reality. There is a growing question over whether international justice can ever live up to its much-heralded mandate to end impunity. Such apparent current action by the international community only casts further doubt over political interference, as the argument gains currency that international justice is but a convenient tool promoted by western leaders to suit their own agendas. So now, with the twentieth commemoration of the genocide nearing on 7 April 2014, previously apathetic and even hostile states are suddenly rushing to gain credit from putting alleged genocide perpetrators in the dock. It is an argument used by the defence at the recent high-profile trial in Paris and it has some element of truth in it.

Several factors have ensured that the international community has poorly served justice for genocide survivors. They include a real lack of political will; a damaging political interference in judicial matters; complex and highly subjective legal interpretations; financial restraints and occasional moral considerations. Moreover, these too often pull in differing directions. Survivor groups such as IBUKA have consistently asked how states that agreed to "prevent and punish" genocide and related acts in the genocide convention of 1948 have seemingly shelved their obligations. To take but one example related to the Rwanda genocide of 1994: how can Europe and the west still be home to hundreds of alleged genocide suspects, when the principle of universal jurisdiction allows punishment of certain horrendous crimes beyond the country where these took place?

The ICTR allegations The most evident immediate failures of international justice are threefold. First, the ICTR has foundered. It was set up in late 1994 following a wave of guilt (mostly American) at the global failure to halt the genocide, but has been plagued by a host of less than flattering allegations throughout its life: of financial mismanagement, political interference, indifference to witnesses, and evident failures by the prosecution to provide coherent indictments and trial strategy, to name but a few. In addition, several of its appeal-bench rulings since 2008, which have overturned hefty trial sentences to acquit the accused, have caused intense controversy.

In a growing number of cases, critics accuse the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of failing to complete even basic tasks. The appeal-bench has declared initial indictments to be "in error" in numerous judgments - reflecting accusations that the indictments are being put together not by the highly paid prosecution lawyers but by unpaid interns with little experience. The recent Ndindiliyimana/military II judgment was yet another highly embarrassing setback for the OTP; it was found to have made fundamental mistakes with the indictment, legal procedure and disclosure, which allowed the defence to demolish what should have been airtight cases. How, survivors and UN taxpayers are entitled to ask, after tens of millions of dollars spent by the OTP, can such fundamental errors be made, time and time again?

The Meron enigma Second, a particular judge wields a powerful mandate which he has delivered in an extraordinary manner that critics allege casts doubts not just on particular judgments but also on the very authenticity of the courts and their proceedures. This is Theodore Meron, the president of the appeal chamber, and residual mechanism (MICT) charged with the all-important legacy of the ICTR and also of the International Court for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague. Meron's reports to the United Nations Security Council continue to promote the work of the two courts and the role of international justice. However, critics argue that this 83 year-old legal academic is responsible for diminishing the legacy he speaks so eloquently about - and indeed, for assisting the promotion of impunity.

A growing number of leading military and political leaders, found guilty at original trials in The Hague and Arusha, have walked free after Meron’s appeal bench has overturned (often on a split vote) the initial verdicts. The result has been a real sense of confusion within the courts and among survivors who have made long and frequently dangerous journeys (from Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Rwanda) to give evidence.

At the ICTY, Meron has presided over an appeal bench that dismissed long trial sentences against two senior Croatian generals (a split three-two decision) and the Serbian commander Momčilo Perišić.These judgments were used as precedents to later free two Serbian secret-police chiefs accused of war crimes.

In his dissenting opinion, after another split decision in this latter case, Judge Picard noted: "If we cannot find that the Accused aided and abetted those crimes, I would say we have come to a dark place in international law indeed." He condemned the Perišić precedent-setting interpretation of aiding and abetting as "overly restrictive" - raising the bar for proof so high that a guilty verdict was virtually unobtainable.

In January 2014, the ICTY's appeal chamber released an 800-page judgment that affirmed guilty verdicts (albeit with reduced sentences) on Serbian commanders for crimes in Kosovo. But in doing so they decided that the appeal-judgement in 2013 leading to Perišić's release was in error. It explained that "under customary international law, the actus reus of aiding and abetting consists of practical as-

Young Rwandan girls react to the camera as they wait for a torch ceremony where hundreds gathered for the arrival of a small flame of remembrance and to listen to genocide memories, at the Petit Seminaire school in Ndera, east of the capital Kigali, in Rwanda on Thursday, April 3, 2014. The country will commemorate on April 7, 2014 the 20th anniversary of the genocide when ethnic Hutu extremists killed neighbors, friends and family during a three-month rampage of violence aimed at ethnic Tutsis and some moderate Hutus, leaving a death toll that Rwanda puts at 1,000,050. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

sistance, encouragement, or moral support which has a substantial effect on the perpetration of the crime.” In effect, the two appeal chambers are now in disagreement over legal interpretation. As a result of this decision, the ICTY prosecutor took the quite extraordinary step in February 2014 of appealing Meron’s appeal-chamber decision that acquitted Perišić, for it claimed that the bench had "erred" in its interpretation of aiding and abetting.

As the judges at the ICTY descended into an undignified and bewildering internal wrangle over legal interpretation, the prosecution team at the ICTR was sitting in shock as Meron’s appeal-bench overturned three more trial verdicts in February 2014.

Members of the OTP later expressed despair that, given the way cases were now being decided by the appeal-judges, the dozen or so remaining appellants at the ICTR could all reasonably expect to be freed.

First among them could well be General Augustin Bizimungu, head of the Rwandan military during the genocide, and originally sentenced at his trial to serve thirty years for genocide.

As damaging as the legal wrangling and case decisions have been, a greater controversy brewed in 2013 as a fellow appeal-bench judge questioned Meron’s impartiality. A leaked email from the Danish judge, Frederik Harhoff, in May 2013 accused Meron of following an American/Israeli agenda that meant decisions were "watered down" when they impinged on the highly debatable legal interpretation around "command responsibility" - thus precluding any future legal action against United States or Israeli senior officers or politicians as a result of military action in, say, Afghanistan or Gaza. Harhoff argued that Meron’s interpretation made it almost impossible for any political or military leader to ever be held accountable unless they were at the crime scene giving the orders as the butchery took place. Harhoff was subsequently sacked from the ICTY appeal-bench.

Meron’s supporters are vocal in his defence. They note he is just interpreting existing international laws - and if states want their leaders to be answerable for serious crimes, it is these legal devices that need to be tightened. Eric Gordy, an expert on the tribunal, says: "People in international law are divided...over how much oversight international law ought to have over military activity." Whatever the rights or wrongs of Meron’s interpretation and his motivation, the end result is clear - bringing further confusion, controversy and disrepute to the international judicial system. The guilt or innocence of the accused has seemingly become of secondary importance to legal interpretation and realpolitik.

The rash of acquittals by the ICTR appeal-chamber have created a new, unexpected problem. The former detainees cannot find countries willing to grant them visas, which they seek especially from Belgium and France, where most have families. so they are now living, at further UN expense, in "safe houses" in Arusha.

When the ICTR was set up, it was expected that due process would mean such individuals would be sent to prison for a substantial period. The decisions of Meron’s appeal-bench are responsible for a situation where these former detainees are in limbo, and the UN and MICT seem uninterested or unable to resolve it.

The ICTR has found these politicians and military personnel to be "not guilty" of specific charges against them, or has released them after shortened sentences; but western nations clearly do not consider them to be innocent and want nothing to do with them. The ICTR has no power to force states to take such individuals, so they are marooned in Arusha: free but unwanted. An international court has given its verdict on them, though western states seem to have made up their own mind. All of which continues to undermine the ICTR. The state dimension Third, efforts by individual states to bring belated justice to those accused of the genocide have also run into difficulties. The stalling of two prominent cases the ICTR transferred back to France in 2007, for example, is an area of grave concern. A priest, Wenceslas Munyeshyaka, and a former prefect, Laurent Bucyibaruta have been "under investigation" since they arrived in France shortly after the genocide. They were subject to a long wrangle between the ICTR and France over where they should stand trial, with the former accusing Paris of delay in processing the cases.

In 2007 it was agreed that France would indeed prosecute the cases, so the ICTR handed over the completed files. Since then nothing has happened. But the ICTR took a political decision not to recall the suspects to stand trial in Arusha, which would have brought it into conflict with France. The result is a clear breach of international justice, with two men accused of the gravest crimes being allowed to continue living in impunity before the law. These cases have enormously harmed the standing of the ICTR and France.

In another case, the UK's crown prosecution service, acting for the Rwandan government, is seeking to get a positive verdict to extradite five suspects (includ-

ing a doctor and three former mayors) accused of genocide. Such cases - and there are many in the pipeline throw up a host of issues. They include the political and financial will for the cases to go ahead, when each trial or hearing can last months or years and be very costly; this requires politicians to explain why huge sums need to be spent on proceedings for foreign nationals accused of crimes committed in far-off lands.

The recent proceedings in London, Paris and Frankfurt also show the inherent practical difficulties of putting on such complex extradition hearings or trials. Witnesses, many needing protection or added security, need to be flown in or to give evidence by video-link. Both prosecution and defence lawyers must travel to the crime scene to carry out their own investigations. "Expert" witnesses use the dock as a means to express their own political views of the current situation in the country or to engage in genocide denial, rather than offer assistance to judges and juries. Court staff struggle over locating crime scenes on maps and argue about specific customs and cultural norms alien to western life. The experience of seeing court officials in London trying to understand complex Kinyarwandan phrases, and arguing over travel-routes gives the proceedings a somewhat surreal atmosphere.

The trial of former intelligence director Pascal Simbikangwa in Paris in early 2014 caused a degree of media interest, at least in France. However, the interest was less to do with the man in the dock than the remarkable fact that - close to the twentieth commemoration of the genocide - this was the very first trial to take place in France. It is hardly surprising that France has become the preferred home to dozens, if not hundreds, of suspected genocidaire.

In late February 2014, in the middle of the sixweek Simbikangwa case, the French court of cassation refused to extradite three Rwandan suspects.

The grounds for their ruling were not that the suspects would not get a fair trial (the UN, the European Court of Human Rights and other western countries now recognise the capability of a transformed judicial Rwandan system). Instead, the court used a technicality: since Rwanda did not have the crime of genocide on its statute books in 1994, these suspects could not be sent back to face a crime that did not exist when they allegedly committed it. Survivors are left clinging to the hope that if, for political reasons, France refuses to extradite suspects to Rwanda, it will be prepared to host and fund prosecutions of those on its territory who may have sought to escape justice over crimes committed elsewhere.

The prospect International justice has reached a crossroads. At present it too finds itself in the dock as much as those high ranking alleged genocidal masterminds and assorted killers it asserts it has the mandate, will and legal wherewithal to try. The controversies caused by Meron and his appeal-bench, by palpable prosecution failings and legal disagreements have undercut confidence that justice is being done - and seen to be done.

As member-states of the UN Security Council have become involved in global conflicts during the past two decades, they are acutely aware of the need to protect their own leaders from any later fallout over crimes committed. The knock-on effect is their failure to support the tightening of legal interpretation against war crimes, even when civil conflict has led to appalling global violations. At the ICTR especially, the "forgotten" international court, there is a growing sense that the prosecution has given up and are going through the motions, albeit on excellent salaries, in the face of Meron’s appeal-bench onslaught and their own inadequacies and apathy (which the situation has fostered).

Victims and survivors are at the very root of international justice - yet they are also forgotten amid all the legal and political disputes. How to explain to them why a politician or military chief who gave orders for their village or family to be destroyed is guilty according to one judge but then released by another; or that for political reasons there can be no extradition, nor will the accused face justice in their new "home" state for financial or political reasons? States that back the concept of international justice but not its implementation cannot be surprised when they are accused of wholesale hypocrisy.

Meron himself, in one of his very few media interviews accepted that international justice was indeed "selective" in a situation where justice was "imposed on the weak [states] but never applied to the strong."

The appeal bench president noted that achieving a few prosecutions was better than none at all, which would be the case if the courts did not exist.

The difficulty is that such "selective" prosecutions - together with "selective" decisions inside the courts, based on highly controversial legal interpretations - make the prospects for an end to impunity for war crimes and genocide seem a long, long way off. While much is made of the "never again" mantra when it comes to genocide, perhaps more should be made of "never again" when it comes to failures to bring those responsible to justice.

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

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

7 PERSPECTIVE Will technology transform Missing the Word by a Whisker the human rights movement?

Monday

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

7 April 2014

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NEWS ANALYSIS, FEATURE AND DISCOURSE

hile skeptics attempt to degrade the gospel account of Jesus’ birth and subsequent life, death and resurrection, none can deny the phenomenal impact of this man on all history. A child born to a poor family from an obscure village who suffered an ignoble death at the hands of the Romans became the centerpiece of civilization, with the very calendar readjusted in acknowledgement of his arrival.

Jesus remains the most talked about, debated, contested, loved, loathed and feared figure the world has ever seen, with more written about him in sacred and secular literature than any other historical person. The influence of this Nazarene carpenter was unprecedented, and his high social and ethical ideals continue to inspire and challenge us. And the message of peace, reconciliation, hope and joy for all people that accompanied his birth is one which seems as relevant today as in that little village of Bethlehem two thousand years ago.

Yes, ever since the gospel of Jesus Christ was introduced into the world some 2000 years ago, this message of love, peace, truth and salvation has gone on to touch the hearts and minds of millions of people all over the world. Many around the world believed and continue to believe that Jesus Christ is God and that he was exactly who he claimed to be.

But even if Jesus Christ was a fraud or a person who was not who he claimed to be, still then we cannot deny the impact he had had on the world. Even if Jesus Christ was a fraud or a liar, it still makes him the most successful liar or fraud in human history. This is so because many have died believing in Christ.

Many are still dying believing and preaching his gospel around the world.

Believers say that Jesus Christ was fully man as well as fully God. And when we say this we do not mean that He was 50 % man and 50 % God… but that he was 100 % man as well as 100 % God. Yes, I believe that separating the man and god in Jesus has been a very real issue. This is so because almost all will agree and admit that Jesus Christ is undoubtedly the most unprecedented and influential historical personality the world has ever seen and perhaps will ever see. All will also agree that the teachings of Jesus have a fundamental and universal appeal that can touch, heal and change the hearts of any man irrespective of race, culture and historical affinity.

But when it comes to the matter of Jesus as God incarnate, we have a different story to tell because many are unwilling to see Jesus Christ as someone divine. And here lies the demarcating line because according to the gospel, all these acknowledgements will come to nothing as long as one does not accept Christ as God incarnate and that He is the only true God that ever was, is and will be who has power even over man’s ultimate foe ‘death’. Likewise it would also be wrong to assume that Jesus was a godly man because Jesus was not a godly man - He is God. Whenever Christmas, Good Friday or Easter Sunday comes, the President and the Prime Minister of India always greet the Christian community without fail. They say that Christmas signifies the coming of peace, love and hope, Good Friday signifies the supreme sacrifice of God on the cross for the atonement of human sin and that Easter Sunday signifies the victory of good over evil.

We cannot say that these are wrong comments. But more often than not, it seems like

Khrietuonyü Noudi

I

Straight From The Heart History, Politics, Culture… the President and the Prime Minister greet the people not because they believe in Christ but rather because India is a secular country and they have to show their solidarity to the Christian community during these important occasions in the Christian calendar.

From these observations, it becomes clear that Jesus Christ and his gospel message are no longer strangers to even people in nonChristian countries like India. However, the Bible says that simply knowing about Jesus and his gospel will not save us unless we believe. And here lies that separating line.

It is said that even Mahatma Gandhi was greatly influenced and inspired by the teachings of Jesus Christ especially the ‘Sermon on the Mount’. It is also said that Mahatma Gandhi was the one prominent personality of the 20th century who resembled Christ the most even though Gandhi himself was never a Christian. Once Gandhi also said to the western missionaries working in India, “I like your Christ…but I don’t like you Christians”. Gandhi was also totally against the conversion efforts of the western missionaries. He said that “all religions are true… but all religions have some errors in them”. Yes, Gandhi was someone who would willingly speak of Jesus as a great man, a great teacher and an iconic personality. But Gandhi would never speak of Jesus as God or as someone divine…and there lies the separating line. In other words, Gandhi did not deny the life and teachings of Jesus. He also probably would not deny that Jesus was crucified on a Roman cross and that Christ died on a Roman cross. But someone like Gandhi certainly would never accept that Christ rose from the death. What a pity that one of the most iconic personalities of all times could not decipher the divinity and supreme authority of Christ Jesus!

For Mahatma Gandhi, Jesus was a great teacher and a great philosopher who practiced what he preached, the first and the most influential exponent of non-violence, the founder of the Christian religion and a man who had had an unprecedented impact in the history of the world. But in all his study, analysis and appreciation of Christ, Gandhi could never accept Christ as divine or as God. And for a believer in Christ, this was really like missing something astounding by a whisker.

While I was in Delhi pursuing my post-graduate study, I had a friend from Bihar. His name was Nishant Mandilvar. During the course of

Iain Levine n recent times, human rights activists have been made very aware of technology’s downside. The recent NSA surveillance scandal and the revelations of the vacuuming up of metadata around the world show how technological developments have outpaced the capacity of the legal system to protect our privacy.

Technology is also allowing scientists and military experts to consider creating ‘killer robots’, weapons like drones or combat vehicles that operate autonomously and can kill without any human giving an order to do so. And the use of unmanned drones for targeted killings without effective transparency, accountability or clear legal constraints raises important and, as yet, unanswered questions about human rights protection.

Yet technology also offers human rights organizations and activists tremendous opportunities. Human Rights Watch (HRW) increasingly recognizes its value in two critical pillars of its work: gathering information about human rights violations; and projecting that information into the public domain to influence the media and decision-makers in governments and international organizations.

Technology helps in gathering new and different kinds of information to document human rights violations, especially from areas that are insecure and inaccessible. In doing so, it allows NGOs to tell stories that might otherwise not have been told.

HRW has used satellite imagery to document the massive destruction of civilian infrastructure in Syria, attacks against Moslem communities in Burma, and forced resettlement in Tibet. In the Central African Republic, HRW researchers confronted Seleka commanders with satellite images showing dozens of villages burned down by their forces, making it clear to them they were being watched and might be held accountable one day for their crimes. Amnesty International has published satellite images showing North Korea’s prison camps, and proving their continued expansion.

Video forensics – the detailed, frameby-frame analysis of videos and other images – can also be used to catalogue violations. In Syria, HRW used this technique, as well as satellite imagery and eyewitness testimonies, to document in great detail the government’s use of chemical weapons in Ghoutta in August 2013, without setting foot on the ground.

Regarding dissemination, much has been written about the ways that human rights activists have used social media to advance and draw attention to their causes. Twitter, Facebook and other social media have become essential tools for activists, allowing them to bring timely, relevant information to the attention of journalists, policy-makers, fellow activists and others who can help generate pressure on perpetrators of human rights violations – and on those whose actions or inactions aid and abet those violations.

In the Central African Republic, HRW faced the challenge of trying to draw attention to a very neglected crisis. Livetweeting from the country by HRW staff and others, including humanitarian workers of the horrific violence, under the hashtag #CARcrisis, drew media attention and, ultimately, action from dip-

one of our conversations, he once told me how he used to be overcome with emotions and awe whenever he saw a statue of Christ hanging on the cross. He told me that this statue was situated at the entrance of a catholic church in Patna where he grew up. Even today, whenever I remember this utterance of Nishant, I am compelled to think that even the posture in which Christ was crucified on the cross is a message in itself which is so touching, so unique, divine, extraordinary, unprecedented, unimaginable and awe-inspiring.

Coming closer home, an issue that has come to plague the Naga churches is the mentality which says ‘my church is the best’. The Baptists think that their church is the best since it is the first and original church in Nagaland.

The Revivals consider the Baptist church as a church lacking enthusiasm. Similarly, many Christians always tend to point fingers at the Catholic Church for its many so-called ceremonial rituals and its complicated hierarchical order. However, as long as we continue to have this mentality we are only victimizing ourselves in the name of Christianity as a religion and its many denominations. This is so because Religion is not going to save anybody.

What really matters is that we follow a church (no matter what the denomination) that is truly based and rooted in the Bible. And what ultimately matters will be how close our walk with Christ is. Therefore, when we fight or ague over these matters, we are only making a fool of ourselves as we fight over non- issues only that will have no ultimate bearing whatsoever.

Yes, we are now living in the 21st century where information from one end of the world can reach the other end in a matter of seconds. And for the last many centuries, many inspired missionaries from different countries have also taken the gospel of Christ to the remotest parts of the earth. Moreover, due to the advancements made in the field of science and technology, human beings are now equipped with all sophisticated and efficient equipments by means of which we can communicate any thought and idea instantly to as many people as we want. As a result of all these, the name and gospel of Christ is no longer something strange or alien to any of us. But simply knowing this message would not be enough unless we believe… knowing the gospel of Christ but not believing has become a matter of life and death and would be like missing the word by a whisker……

The Morung Express

lomats and humanitarian agencies.

Technological advances may even have the potential to transform the human rights movement, allowing local activists armed with nothing more than a smartphone, a twitter account and a YouTube channel to become global distributors of information and images about human rights violations. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights – a small NGO based in the UK – has become the most-cited organization for casualty figures in the Syrian conflict, a situation unimaginable even five years ago.

But there are many reasons to be cautious - very cautious. Technology is not, and never will be, a panacea for resolving human rights issues. Even where it has been most effective – as with satellite imagery of destroyed villages – it cannot tell who burnt down the homes nor why, nor who gave the instructions. Only corroborating testimony from victims and other sources, including social media sources, can provide the context that allow those responsible to be identified. Further, there is little if any evidence that satellite imagery or other uses of technology can prevent human rights violations, rather than simply document them.

And there are clear risks. Mark Twain said that a lie could travel half way around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes. In the digital age, that lie can shape the understanding of events around the globe in just minutes. In such a context, verifying and corroborating information becomes even more difficult. In the aftermath of the Boston marathon bombing in 2013, misinformed speculation and analysis led to a digital witch-hunt that caused massive harm to innocent people.

Crowdsourcing may be a way to gather important information about human rights violations, and it has demonstrated some success in identifying humanitarian need. But human rights groups need to remain very cautious. Crowdsourcing without verification, particularly in politically charged situations, is extremely vulnerable to manipulation, bias and inaccuracy.

Moreover, fulfilling ethical and security obligations to victims of - and witnesses to - human rights abuses is a critical responsibility for human rights fact-finders.

Free and informed consent should be obtained from those interviewed, and steps taken to protect their security and the security of the information that they provide. In contexts where information is obtained via video forensics or crowdsourcing or satellite imagery, those obligations remain no less relevant. But they might be more difficult to fulfill since the relationships with the victims and witnesses is more remote and indirect.

We are still in the earliest days of understanding the power of technology for the human rights movement. The potential is enormous. But it is vital that activists take a ‘do no harm’ approach, characterised by rigorous, cautious and transparent approaches to the use of new technology. If there is doubt as to its safety, reliability or the ethical implications of its use, it should not be used. And we must promote reasonable expectations about the potential application and capabilities of new technology, ensuring that we don’t oversell its value.

Iain Levine is deputy executive director, programme, at Human Rights Watch

POLL rESULTS

Do you support the NLA DecisioN to set up NAgALAND speciAL DeveLopmeNt ZoNes? where the NSDZ is likely to come up. still parasitic. High time we stretch our hands lonSome of those who voted YES had this to say: ger and work hard with for economic independence • Yes. Development for all districts is mandatory. • No..dont need to victimize. Where is all those spebefore political independence. Even if we were But Special Package for the undeveloped areas in cial development package. Is that only in the papers or already siphon in granted special development each district is a good policy. their pocket by mla's and zone, it will only make the • Yes its needed as politician tends to serve the peoministers. rich richer at the cost of the ple but the misuse their power and bring no develpoor people. The poor and opment but bring only corruption. So there should • no. i dont trust this old politicians who are corrupted to the marginalized will never be a strict rule for the better and prosperous Nagathe core. nothing will mafeel its ripple effect without land and its people. political connection or pa• Yes....but the govt. should first scout for potential terelize from this special tronage relationship. Let all investors who in my wildest dreams will be willing zone..but only those minisNagas once again work hard to invest in Nagaland, if any...not letting them know ters and their croonies gets like our forefathers without that we are abundantly rich in our ever growing richer from such projects. any funds. neo-man made resources such as factions, extor- • No. Before this they should first elaborate extensively • Its all a lie, never there tionists, corrupt officials, bribes, percentages, adwas any development tojustments, land ownership system (the flesh and on the new Land Acquisition Bill 2013 so that landday nor there will be tomorbone purchase) and our food insecurity and insufowners are not deprived row...If this NPF govt rules ficiency. and exploited.

NAGALAND...Its just anoth• No, more corruption will er scheme to fool the foolSome of those who voted no had this to say: ish people of Nagaland and • No. We dont need NSDZ for development. If they come, more sickness like they will vote them to power really mean business, they can develop without the aid hiv will come from outside and destroy our peoagain.... Where are the detag of NSDZ velopments...? That they • No, Its just another scheme to divert money to their ple. have been talking about for own causes.. Frankly Nagaland should be brim- • Not at all. By setting up the past over 10years.,? Just ming over with prosperity if all that is recorded in SDZ will not in anyway help our people, if our fill pity for the Nagas...! NApaper was actually implemented. At this point, miGALAND SPECIAL DEVELnus one or two areas of a couple of districts, every elected members are so concerned for our welfare OPMENT ZONE for their part of Nagaland, need an overhaul... pockets....!

• Definitely No. We the public should not be fooled by go to Jharkhand, Chattisthe politicians. The only reason our politicians want garh, Orissa etc. And see • No. Because, if our leadto create Nagaland Special Development Zones is how the tribals have beers are sincere and honest because they have already purchased 1000 acres come landless because of enough then without forming in the Foothills at throw away price from the local this so called SDZ. The rich Nagaland Special Developvillagers. The other interest reasons is once the dewill become richer and the ment Zones we can have a velopment process start, they want to take the conpoor the poorer so don’t better development in our tract which will be worth 1000 of crores. So let us impose on us because the land. not be carried away by the word ‘development.’ It idea appeals to you. We • No. To me whole of the YES no OTHERS is an exclusive development for the few rich politidon’t want development state needs extra attention cians of our state. If anyone disagree with my opinthat will ruin our future. rather than special. We need ion then I request you to first go and check for your- • NO, 50 years of statehood is old enough to give out all round development everywhere in our state. selves who owned how much land in the Foothills and help others. But Naga mentality and attitude is • SDZ has the potential to undermine Art 371A, ILP,

71%

14%

15%

etc., and allow central laws to override NLA. Ironically isn't this what NPF has always been harping against? Now why this u- turn. Something is not right. Under the present circumstances, SDZ is an absolute no.

Some of those who voted OTHERS had this to say: • Unless there is stringent mechanism such as CBI, ID and Lokayukta being firmly installed to plugging the prevalent loopholes of brazen corruption culminating in all the acute malaise of socio-economic inequality. My advice to the so-called best Naga brains and policy makers of the day that no matter now bright and innovative your ideas may be for the state and its people: with my indepth hindsight of the 50 years, I can feel it in my bone with my crystal clear foresight that the status quo will not be that perceptible difference even the decades from now.

• If it will really work "Yes" or else if it is going to be the same, a strong "NO" • Provide proper infrastructure first to the existing machinery in the state. Dont wanna see another Tuli paper mill, sugar mill and four lane etc etc.. episode • special dev. zone 4 wht?

• The government need to give second thought taking DUDA as an example- whether this department has uplifted the Eastern Nagas in any way or only some mlas and officials.

• NSDZ is not a novel concept and not at all necessary. Crores have been squandered already under DPF which only added fuel to the flame of corruption and greed of the mlas and officers at the district level. So is the case with the Department for Under-developed Area which has not benefited the targeted groups in any way. The NSDZ at best can be made a component of DPF so that the government may not have to ask for special fund to get another national or international award for excellent paper works.

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

Monday 7 April 2014

The Morung Express

AAP battles major financial crunch

New Delhi, April 6 (iANS): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the country’s youngest political formation, is battling a severe financial crunch even as it contests its first parliamentary election.

AAP leaders and activists frankly admit that they are feeling cash-strapped after having already fielded 444 candidates all over the country in staggered elections beginning Monday.

AAP, founded in November 2012, had spent some Rs.20 crore on contesting the Delhi assembly polls in which it won a staggering 28 seats and formed a minority government that lasted 49 days.

But the party now realizes that the Lok Sabha election is a vastly different game.

“Yes, we are facing a severe money crunch,” party leader and Delhi’s former transport minister Saurabh Bharadwaj told IANS. “So much so that we are struggling on the financial front.”

The Election Commission’s decision to raise the cap on expenditure by every candidate to Rs.70 lakh in a Lok Sabha election is viewed as a joke in AAP -- because its candidates can’t spend even half the amount. For instance, AAP’s New Delhi candidate, Ashish Khetan, has so far spent only around Rs.15 lakh on campaigning. Campaigning in Delhi will end Tuesday evening.

This, party leaders say, is in sharp contrast to the money lavishly spent by

AAP is the only solution to an unjust system: Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi, April 6 (pti): As campaign for Lok Sabha polls in Delhi enters last lap, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal today hit out at BJP and Congress accusing the two parties of having a “setting” and wondered why he was always the target of ink and egg attacks unlike his adversaries. Claiming that his party was the only solution to an unjust system, Kejriwal said he showed the “true meaning of sacrifice” when he quit the Chief Minister’s post in February this year.

“How will the people A sand sculpture urging citizens to vote stands on the beach in Puri, India, Saturday, April 5, 2014. India will hold national elections from April 7 to May 12, kicking off a vote that many observers see as the most important election in more than 30 years in the world’s largest democracy. (AP Photo

the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress.

And unlike in the case of the BJP and the Congress, AAP is finding it difficult to put up even stray large hoardings in a city which is its hub and where it has thousands of supporters.

In the process, barring rare exceptions, the Lok Sabha candidates across the country have been left to fend for themselves.

Since Dec 12, when AAP began raising money for the impending Lok Sabha battle, it has raised nearly Rs.22 crore from donations, small and big, from within

the country and abroad.

AAP leaders, including former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, the party’s best known face, have held fund raising dinners. In desperation, the party has said it is willing to go to people’s houses to collect donation.

Whatever money is collected, in cash or online, is meticulously accounted for -- making the cash crunch all the more visible. Despite having ruled Delhi for 49 days, AAP advertisements are not seen in print and electronic media. There are no hoardings on the streets or in Delhi Metro trains.

The party is banking on Kejriwal’s charisma, house-to-house visits as well as cheaply produced pamphlets which are distributed on the streets to reach out to voters. While Kejriwal and other leaders occasionally take flights to travel long distances, the train is the preferred mode of travel in AAP. With no central funding for candidates, each contestant is expected to take care of his or her campaign expenditure. They have to pay for the party’s trademark white caps with its election symbol ‘broom’

printed on them.

“Some of our supporters just don’t have any money.

So others spend on them during campaign,” a candidate told IANS. “After all, it is only fair that volunteers who spend so much time and energy on us should be fed and taken care of.”

In Mumbai, AAP has reached out to small and medium enterprises for funds -- and met with some success. “But despite the financial crunch, good and honest people all over the country continue to reach out to us,” Bharadwaj said.

“This is the silver lining.”

BJP leader Amit Shah booked Will come down heavily in cases of partiality or inaction: CEC for ‘revenge’ comment KolKAtA, April 6 (iANS): In a strict warning lucKNow, April 6 (iANS): BJP ter and a CD of Shah’s statement has general secretary Amit Shah was Sun- been sent to the poll panel headquarday booked for an alleged inflamma- ters in New Delhi. “The EC is seized of the matter and soon a decision would be taken on action against Shah if he is found guilty of violating the model code of conduct,” a poll panel official told IANS. Earlier at a rally in Muzaffarnagar, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav threatened action against people trying to vitiate the atmosphere in the state. Mulayam Singh told IANS that the state government will not hesitate in taking action against anyone trying to disturb peace and harmony and said this tory speech a few days back, when he “included people like Amit Shah”.

“Why only Amit Shah, action will allegedly spoke of taking revenge for the Muzaffarnagar riots, officials said. be taken against anyone who is out to A case against Shah, a close aide of destroy the social fabric of the state,” Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime minis- he added. Mulayam Singh also reterial candidate Narendra Modi, has ferred to the statement given by party been slapped with charges under general secretary and Rajya Sabha sections 153(a) and 125 of the Repre- member Ram Gopal Yadav, who sentation of the People Act by the Bi- warned BJP leaders to rein in Shah or jnor administration. The action was face legal action.

Shah has been accused of speaktaken after a go-ahead from the government, a home department official ing of “revenge” for the Muzaffarnagar riots during his meeting with told IANS. The Election Commission has Jat leaders in Bijnor in western Uttar also launched a probe into the mat- Pradesh Thursday.

to officials, Chief Election Commissioner V.S. Sampath Sunday said it will “come down heavily” on them in cases of “partiality”, “ partisan conduct” or “inaction. Addressing the media after the full bench of the commission held a series of meetings with the political parties, bureaucrats, police officers and income tax officials in West Bengal, Sampath said officials have been asked to take serious view of breach of the Model Code of Conduct in force for the polls.

“The commission made it very clear it will come down heavily on any official at any level if there are cases of partiality, partisan contact or inaction,” he said. Sampath’s warnings followed repeated allegations from the opposition parties

who roam around in cavalcades and speak only on well decorated podiums, know the true value of sacrifice? In the current times, when even a chowkidar (watchman) does not leave his job, I left the chair of power. “That requires courage. Our party is the only solution to an unjust system,” Kejriwal said during road shows at a number of areas in New Delhi constituency.

The former Delhi Chief Minister said he was undeterred by the attacks and would continue his fight till

the “last breadth” and that “no evil force” can stop his party. “I was hit with eggs, ink. My car was smashed with iron rod. Why Narendra Modi and Sonia Gandhi are not hit? They have a setting among themselves and we are the ones to be threatened. “We will fight till the last breadth. No evil force can stop us,” he said.

Kejriwal has been attacked with eggs, ink and was even punched in the last few weeks during a number of his roadshows in Varanasi, Haryana and in the national capital.

AAP does worry us, says BJP

AgrA, April 6 (iANS): They don’t have the potential to win in this region. But BJP strategists are worried over the damage the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) can cause to BJP candidates in the Lok Sabha contest.

The AAP has fielded candidates from Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Firozabad, Mathura, Aligarh and Mainpuri in this part of Uttar Pradesh.

Some of them are respected but none seems to have the strength to win. Yet, the Bharatiya Janata Party is worried.

A BJP strategist here told IANS that AAP candidates were “the biggest threat” to his party. Said a known Hindutva leader, Premendra Jain: “The AAP’s appeal among first-time voters, the young and the urban elite is a matter of concern for (Narendra) Modi campaigners.

“If the AAP candidates manage to make a dent, get even a few thousand votes, there can be serious trouble ahead for the BJP,” he added. For instance, BJP’s

outgoing MP from Agra city, Ram Shankar Katheria, won by just 9,000 votes in 2009.

“This is not a decisive margin,” Jain said. “The AAP can easily manage to get 15-20,000 votes and create problems for the BJP.” In Mainpuri, the AAP candidate, Hardev Singh, has a formidable reputation as an upright former government officer.

He may not win against Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav but can definitely queer the pitch for BJP candidates in and around Mainpuri, political observers say. Said a former socialist leader, Vinay Paliwal: “The meetings of AAP candidates are drawing curious crowds, some of them passionately committed to (AAP leader) Arvind Kejriwal’s style of politics.”

An Agra resident, however, said that while there was definitely support for the AAP, he was not sure if people attending its meetings would vote for it.

Rs.12,500 in one, two, five and 10 rupee coins.

Pramod Natekar, who heads the small Bahujan Swarajya Mahasangh party, deposited the money, weighing a few kilograms, in plastic bags.

There were 2,500 coins of Re. 1 (Rs.2,500); 2,500 coins of Rs. 2 (Rs.5,000); 908 coins of Rs.5 (Rs.4,540) and 46 coins of Rs.10 (Rs.460) - totalling Rs.12,500. Candidates have to pay Rs.25,000 as security deposit while filing nominations. The amount is 50%t for those fighting in seats reserved for Dalits and tribals. It took the Election Commission officials three hours to count the deposit money. “There is no rule which says that small change can’t be given as security deposit,” an aide to Natekar said. The deposit money is forfeited if the candidate does not get a minimum number of NAShiK, April 6 (iANS): A Lok Sabha can- votes. Natekar is a street vendor, selling odd items, didate from Nashik in Maharashtra left officials and the security money was collected from other speechless when he paid his security deposit of vendors and pavement dwellers, his aide said.

that the administrative and police officials in various districts were “partisan” and catering to the dictates of the ruling Trinamool Congress.

The opposition parties have also accused the state chief electoral officer Sunil Gupta and his department of “inaction” in dealing with their complaints. “Complaints regarding violations of the model code of conduct should be viewed seriously, and attended promptly. Within the quickest possible time results should be shown. That would have a deterrence effect,” Sampath said.

Nashik candidate heaps coins as security deposit

CBI may file charge sheet against Devyani Khobragade in Adarsh scam

New Delhi, April 6 (pti): CBI is likely to file charge sheet against diplomat Devyani Khobragade and her father Uttam Khobragade in the Adarsh Housing scam for allegedly acquiring a flat on the basis of false affidavit.

Sources said the agency has got evidence which show that the flat was allegedly purchased by her using false declaration and by hiding information about the flat alloted to her under government quota and the land possessed by them.

Her father Uttam Khobragade, a Maharashtra cadre IAS officer, is a former CEO of Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA). As part of its investigation, CBI is probing alleged illegal beneficiaries and benami property

holders in the housing scam.

Controversial diplomat Devyani, India’s then deputy consul general in New York, was arrested by the United States authorities in December last year over alleged visa fraud which triggered a diplomatic row between the two countries. She was transferred back and is now posted in India.

Under the CBI scanner are nearly 25 alleged illegal beneficiaries who were allotted flats in the Adarsh Housing Society which was said to be constructed in violation of norms.

Retired High Court Judge J A Patil’s report on the alleged scam has opened a can of worms bringing out alleged irregularities in the allotment.

The agency sources said they have got documents showing that

Devyani had allegedly been allotted a flat in another government housing society in Oshiwara in 2005. The sources said according to the rules of Defence Estate, members cannot get flats in two housing societies which get land on concessional rates.

Patil report had termed 25 out of 102 members of the housing society as ineligible. Meanwhile, Uttam Khobragade refuted CBI’s charge saying Devyani was not responsible for making the declaration and it was done by him. “I had made the declaration and not Devyani. She was not even aware of what I said in the declaration. So how can Devyani be responsible for any wrongdoing?” he said.

“The declaration where I have said that Devyani is not an owner of

any flat in Mumbai is dated July 29, 2004 and at that time Devyani did not own any flat in Mumbai. So, there was no falsehood in the declaration,” Khobragade said, adding the possession of a flat in Meera Co-operative Housing Society was given to them only in May 2005.

He said when Devyani had applied for a flat in Adarsh,the Society was told categorically that she was just a member of Meera Housing Society and not a flat-owner and that she would resign from the Society when allotted a flat in Adarsh. Khobragade said the flat in Meera Society was sold as soon as Adarsh accepted Devyani’s membership and the proceeds were used to pay for the apartment in Adarsh.

The good, the ugly and the absurd of the political discourse

New Delhi, April 6 (iANS): They haven’t yet come down to expletives, but in this make or break battle to win the parliamentary election and govern India, the country’s politicians have been unsparing in personal attacks and stooping to new lows in political discourse.

One candidate was even arrested for his hate speech. There are also some who have praised their political opponents - much to the surprise of their rivals.

A lowdown on the choicest of barbs, invectives and, even, some approbation: * Narendra Modi: BJP’s prime ministerial candidate has lashed out at Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and at the Congress at various rallies. Here’s a sample: “Sonia Gandhi should answer the people on who helped the two Italian marines get safe passage from India...Just because they are from Italy, they cannot be subjected to different treatment.” The remark was on Sonia Gandhi’s Italian lineage.

“Sonia Gandhi has told Rahul that power is poison. Who has been in power for most

of the time during the last 60 years? In whose stomach has this poison gone? Who is spewing this poison? Who is harvesting the poison? They (Congress) are the ones who sow the seeds of poison.”

“The shahzada (Rahul) and his matashree (Sonia) are just concerned about being in power. When they can forget you, why will you remember them?

How long will you remember them?”

Taking a dig at Rahul in Kurukshetra (Haryana), Modi said “Shehzade” has been talking about the need for all countrymen to act as “chowkidars” (guards) over its resources and asked if his brother-in-law (Robert Vadra) would also be one of those keeping guard. “Shehzada, people want to know what goes on in your house.” * Sonia Gandhi: The Congress chief has not named Modi directly but has described him as a “liar”.

“They say they will change everything in one day with a magic wand. Will the country chose as the prime minister a person who is a big liar?”

“I firmly believe that you (the

people of northern Karnataka) (Narendra) Modi to make Kumar Vishwas said: “The will not allow those who sow the Gujarat out of UP”. He then almessage has reached villagseeds of poison, who don’t belegedly threatened “to chop es. Now whether Irani comes, lieve in secular credentials and Modi into pieces”, adding 42 Pakistani comes, Italian or who play the politics of instigatpercent of the population in American... But Amethi has ing violence to succeed.”

Uttar Pradesh was Muslim as already taken a decision.” * Varun Gandhi: The BJP compared to the four percent Reacting to the jibe, Smriti candidate from Sultanpur in Gujarat. He was arrested Irani said: “As far as Vishwas praised his cousin Rahul on March 29. is concerned, I do not expect Gandhi for implementing * Sharad Pawar: A day after an iota of respect from him, various programmes to help Modi criticized the agriculespecially being a woman. the small-scale industry in ture minister over the state of He has a history of being disAmethi. the hailstorm-hit farmers in respectful towards women.”

“I want to usher in a new Maharashtra, Pawar hit back, * P. Chidambaram: Hitting form of politics. We need smallsaying Modi needed to be back at BJP charges against his scale industries for developtreated in a mental hospital tenure in the finance ministry, ment, the kind of good work for talking rubbish.

Chidambaram said: “There self-help groups set up by Ra- * Salman Khurshid: The exare deep flaws in his (Modi’s) hulji have done in Amethi, ternal affairs minister didn’t character. He cannot resist though I have not seen the work mince words in attacking from making such provocapersonally.”

Modi. “We don’t accuse you tive and derogatory remarks”. * Heeralal Regar: Varun Gan(Modi) of killing people... Ha- * S.M. Krishna: Praise for dhi’s fellow leader, BJP legismara aarop hai ki tum ‘napthe Rashtriya Swayamselator Heeralal Regar, howevunsak’ (impotent) ho. (Our vak Sangh (RSS) came from er, threatened to strip Sonia accusation is that you are imunexpected quarters when Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. potent). You couldn’t stop the senior Congress leader and “Sonia and Rahul Gandhi killers,” he added. former union minister S.M. should be stripped off their * Smriti Irani & Kumar VishKrishna said that everyone in clothes and sent back to Itawas: As actor-turned-politithe RSS talked in one voice. ly.” He subsequently apolocian Smriti Irani entered the “Everyone in the RSS speaks gised for the remarks. fray as a BJP candidate in Am- in one voice and we can learn * Imran Masood: The Conethi, a war of words broke out from them. RSS themselves take gress Lok Sabha candidate between her and Aam Aadmi their candidate to the polling from Saharanpur said at a Party (AAP) contender Ku- booth, Congress doesn’t,” Krishpublic rally he “will not allow mar Vishwas. na reportedly said.

A Muslim woman walks past an election poster of India’s ruling Congress party with photographs of party president Sonia Gandhi, left, and her son and vice president Rahul Gandhi during an election campaign in Mumbai, on Sunday, April 6. India will hold national elections from April 7 to May 12, kicking off a vote that many observers see as the most important election in more than 30 years in the world’s largest democracy. (AP Photo)

Monday

InternatIonal

the Morung express

7 April 2014

Dimapur

9

Afghan candidates promise to respect results KABUL, ApriL 6 (Ap): Trucks and donkeys loaded with ballot boxes made their way to counting centers on Sunday as Afghans and the international community sighed with relief that national elections were held without major violence despite a Taliban threat.

Millions of Afghans crowded into mosques and schools to vote Saturday for a new president and provincial councils. President Hamid Karzai is on his way out, constitutionally barred from a third team after leading the country since after the Taliban were ousted in 2001.

The international community praised the vote and high turnout despite complaints about a shortage of ballots and reports of fraud.

The U.N. Security Council issued a statement saying it applauded the Afghan-led preparations for the vote and commended the performance of the Afghan security forces who fanned out to protect polling stations. Scattered violence including bombings, rocket attacks and gunbattles were reported to have killed at least 20 people on Saturday, but no major attacks occurred.

Electoral officials urged patience, saying complaints were still being logged and ballots tallied.

They said partial results could come as early as Sunday, but it is likely to be at least a week before a complete picture emerges.

Thijs Berman, the head of the European Union’s election assessment team in Kabul, said it was too soon to draw firm conclusions, but he hailed the courage of Afghan voters.

“This in itself is a victory over violence and a victory over all those who wanted to deter democracy by threats and violence,” he said in a telephone interview.

Experts, meanwhile, looked for signs of dealmaking among the eight candidates as it was widely expected that none would get the majority needed to win outright and avoid a runoff vote.

“We need and seek a political compromise because many candidates represent the interest of specific ethnic groups,” said Haroon Mir, an Afghan political analyst. “It’s for the good of the Afghan people and the country that if we could reach a political compromise in the runoff between the top two contenders that will be a better outcome.”

The three front-runners in a field of eight candidates expressed confidence that they could win, or at least advance to a second round, but all promised to respect the findings of the Inde-

Afghan workers of the election commission office unload ballot boxes from a truck after votes in Jalalabad, east of Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, April 6, 2014. Across Afghanistan, voters turned out in droves Saturday to cast ballots in a crucial presidential election. The vote will decide who will replace President Hamid Karzai, who is barred constitutionally from seeking a third term. Partial results are expected as soon as Sunday. (AP photo)

pendent Election Commission assuming they were “credible.”

Zalmai Rassoul, a former foreign minister who critics said was Karzai’s choice, denied he had any help from the government.

“If the election goes to the second round we are ready to go to the second round, and if we go to the second round I am confi-

dent that we will win,” he told reporters on Sunday.

Fears of fraud such as ballot box stuffing and government interference were high after the last presidential elections in 2009 were marred by widespread voterigging. This time, most of the candidates had deployed thousands of observers to monitor polling centers.

“We have received

complaints from our campaigns throughout the country and we have registered our complaints,” one leading contender Abdullah Abdullah said late Saturday at a press conference.

“We have processed those complaints and referred them to the relevant commission, which is the independent Election Complains Commission, and

hopefully those complaints will be dealt with.”

Abdullah was Karzai’s main rival in 2009, but he dropped out before a runoff vote because he said he did not believe it would be fair.

Another front-runner, Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, said his campaign had received complaints ranging from ballot box stuffing to preventing people from

casting their own ballots.

But he refused to point a finger at any rivals and said he would wait for the findings of electoral officials.

With combat forces from the U.S.-led coalition winding down a 13-year presence and the mercurial Karzai stepping aside, the country’s new leader will find an altered landscape as he replaces the only president Afghans have known since the Taliban were ousted in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.

But for some progress, particularly with women’s rights, the country’s situation is inauspicious, especially with its poor security and battered economy.

A security agreement with the United States would allow thousands of foreign troops to remain in the country to continue training security forces after 2014. Karzai — perhaps trying to shake off his image as a creation of the Americans — has refused to sign it, but all eight presidential candidates said they will.

In congratulating Afghanistan on the election, U.S. President Barack Obama said it represented “another important milestone in Afghans taking full responsibility for their country as the United States and our partners draw down our forces.”

“These elections are critical to securing Af-

ghanistan’s democratic future, as well as continued international support, and we look to the Afghan electoral bodies to carry out their duties in the coming weeks,” Obama said in a statement.

The runup to the election was troubling: the Islamic radicals of the Taliban, reviled by many but still popular in some areas, view the entire enterprise as the work of outsiders and infidels, and they vowed to disrupt it by targeting polling centers and election workers.

To drive home the threat, insurgents in recent weeks stepped up shootings and bombings in the heart of Kabul to show they are capable of striking even in highly secured areas. A restaurant popular with foreigners and one of the capital’s main hotels were hit, killing many. Suicide bombers struck relentlessly.

On Friday, veteran Associated Press photographer Anja Niedringhaus was killed and AP reporter Kathy Gannon was wounded when a local policeman opened fire as they sat in their car on the outskirts of Khost, in eastern Afghanistan. The two were at a security forces base, waiting to move in a convoy of election workers delivering ballots — apparent victims of an “insider attack” in which the very people tasked with protection turn out to be insurgents.

Bill Gates wants China to encourage Israel Warns Palestinians but Leaves Way Open for Talks wealthy Chinese to be more giving

ChinA, ApriL 6 (reUTerS): China should do more to encourage wealthy Chinese to donate to charitable causes and to make philanthropy a common practice in the world’s most populous country, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said on Sunday.

Gates, who runs the $38 billion Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, said he thought people in China would take cues from central leadership on donations and worthy causes.

“When you have something like a disaster (in China) you see the basic generosity, but if you look at systemic things like giving to health causes, giving to universities to do research, giving to handicapped people, it’s not there yet,” Gates told Reuters in Singapore.

Governments should consider introducing policies that would encourage potential donors, such as making charity donations

tax deductible, he said.

According to the World Bank, the average income per capita in China was $6,091 in 2012. But the country’s rapid economic growth has mainly benefited those in cities, with people in many rural areas living on annual incomes below $1000 and struggling with access to adequate healthcare.

Despite the huge wealth creation seen in Asia over the past decade, philanthropy has not taken off. Charitable activities focus mostly on local causes.

Gates, along with fellow billionaire Warren Buffett made headlines in 2010 when they asked 50 of China’s richest people to a philanthropy dinner and a third turned the invitation down, reportedly due to fears they would be pressed to donate money.

Donations by China’s top 100 philanthropists in 2013 fell to $890 million, a 44 per-

cent drop from 2012, according to the Hurun Report. The previous year donations fell by 55 percent.

Among the possible reasons cited for the sharp decline in donations was a number of scandals involving charities in China that led to concern over possible misuse of funds.

The World Giving Index, compiled by the Charities Aid Foundation, ranked China 133 out of 135 countries surveyed when it ranked the percentage of people who give money to charity, volunteer or have helped a stranger.

Gates and Buffett are encouraging billionaires to give away at least half their wealth during their lifetime through their “Giving Pledge”. Fewer than ten Asian billionaires have added their name to the list so far.

There are now 444 billionaires in Asia, according to Forbes magazine.

JerUSALeM, ApriL 6 (nYT): Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened Sunday that Israel would take its own “unilateral steps” in response to the Palestinians’ move last week to join international conventions and reiterated that a Palestinian state could be created “only through direct negotiations, not through empty statements and not by unilateral moves.”

The Palestinians say they took the contentious step only because Israel failed to release a promised group of long-serving prisoners by the end of March, breaking its own commitment as part of the negotiations.

It was Netanyahu’s first public statement about the peace process since last week’s crisis, which left the American-brokered negotiations on the brink of collapse, and came as the lead Israeli and Palestinian negotiators were expected to meet Sunday with Martin Indyk, the Obama administration’s special envoy for the talks.

While the prime minister was clearly trying to lay blame for the possible collapse on his counterpart, President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, he, like other leaders who spoke over the past several days, left open a window for salvaging the talks before their current April 29 expiration

date. Netanyahu did not specify what “unilateral steps” Israel might employ, though local news outlets have reported that the country is preparing to block a mobile-phone company from entering the Gaza Strip and providing 3G service in the West Bank, and to cancel plans for some development projects in the West Bank.

“We are ready to continue the talks, but not at any price,” Netanyahu said at the start of Israel’s weekly cabinet meeting. “The Palestinians substantially violated in a significant way the understandings that were reached with American involvement. The Palestinian threats to appeal to the U.N. will not affect us — the Palestinians have much to lose from this unilateral move.”

Israeli leaders attribute the crisis to Abbas’s signing Tuesday night of documents seeking membership in 15 international treaties and conventions, something he had promised not to do during the nine-month term of the talks Secretary of State John Kerry started last summer.

But the Palestinians say their move, which leveraged the nonmember observer-state status they won at the United Nations in 2012, only because the prisoner release did not occur on time.

“The release of prisoners is

Analysts Predict Gazprom’s 80% Gas Price Hike In Ukraine Will Backfire Kiev, ApriL 6 (reUTerS): Russia’s top natural gas producer, Gazprom, will eventually lose more than it gains from raising the gas price for Ukraine by 80 percent, analysts said Friday, predicting Kiev would cut purchases and fail to pay in full.

Gazprom on Thursday announced a price rise for Ukraine to $485 per 1,000 cubic meters, the second increase in three days.

The $485 price is the highest of any Gazprom customer and compares with about $370 on average for clients in the European Union.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk said the increase, two weeks after Moscow annexed Ukraine’s Crimea region, was unacceptable and warned he expected Russia to step up pressure by limiting supplies to Ukraine.

“Even if the price is legally justified, it would hurt Gazprom’s image, will hit capitalization and, indirectly, the whole Russian stock market,” Valery Nesterov from Sberbank CIB said.

Analysts including Nesterov estimated that Gazprom could lose about $2 billion this year from the move. Previous pricing spats have prompted Russia to halt supplies of gas to Ukraine, with consequent cuts in gas flows to Europe, where Russia meets 30 percent of demand.

Analysts said Gazprom may turn the taps off again, although immediate cuts are unlikely because of lower gas demand now that winter has ended. About half

People shout slogans during a rally in the Independence Square in Kiev, Sunday, April 6. Thousands have gathered every Sunday on Independence Square, which served as the focus of protests that led to the toppling of President Viktor Yanukovych in February, to demand that the interim government live up to its promises. (AP Photo)

the Russian gas delivered to Europe goes through Ukraine, which ships it to Europe from storage sites in the west of the country.

“Ukraine is unable to fill up its gas storage facilities at this price.

Without Ukrainian storage gas, Gazprom is unable to fulfill its European export contracts,” Mikhail Korchemkin at East European Gas Analysis said.

The two price rises ratchet up pressure on the former Soviet republic following the ouster of Pres-

ident Viktor Yanukovych, who had won a price cut from Russia after aborting plans to sign political and trade pacts with the EU in November.

Gazprom said it would raise the gas price from $268.50 starting this month after Kiev failed to pay its gas debt of about $2.2 billion on time and after the Russian government introduced an export fee of about $100 per 1,000 cubic meters.

“With a price like this, Ukraine is likely to continue importing gas

and increase its debt. This will go on until they decide whether to go to an arbitration or until Russia decides to cut gas supplies to Ukraine,” said Valentin Zemlyansky, a former spokesman for Ukrainian state energy company Naftogaz who says he is an independent analyst.

Analysts said the jump in the gas price is detrimental to the fragile economy in Ukraine, which would swiftly run into problems paying.

“The price looks unrealistic for the long term,” Nesterov said.

Last year, Gazprom sold 25.8 bcm of gas to Ukraine worth $12 billion, down from 33 bcm in 2012.

Russia now meets about half of Ukraine’s gas needs.

Nesterov said that Ukraine is likely to buy less than the 25 to 27 bcm previously expected for this year. He estimated that Gazprom would lose $2 billion this year from the price hike and introduction of an export duty, while its production would decline by up to 5 percent.

Alexei Kokin, of UralSib Capital, also expected Gazprom to lose about $2 billion this year as a result of the price hike for Ukraine, which he predicted would cut gas purchases from Russia to 20 bcm this year and to 15 bcm in 2015.

Analysts said the crisis could drag on until winter — the season when Gazprom has cut gas supplies to Ukraine in past pricing rows.“I think a gas conflict will happen in the winter,” Kokin said.

part of an agreement, and no compromise can be accepted,” Yasser Abed Rabbo, a close aide to Abbas and officer of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s executive committee, said Sunday on the Voice of Palestine radio station. “This is a basic issue for us. Israel continues with its practices withdrawing all agreement, and at the same time it does not want to commit to any agreed-about standards.”

Such finger-pointing also broke out within Israel’s cabinet, where there are deep divisions on the Palestinian question.

Tzipi Livni, the justice minister, who has been leading the negotiations for the Israelis, accused the housing minister, Uri Ariel, of deliberately sabotaging the process by publishing tenders for 700 new apartments in Gilo, a Jewish area of East Jerusalem, on Tuesday, even as Mr. Netanyahu was preparing to convene the cabinet to discuss a new deal to extend negotiations. Palestinians say the Gilo announcement contributed to Abbas’s decision to sign the documents joining international conventions.

“The entire Jewish Home and Uri Ariel, first and foremost, have only been waiting for an opportunity to continue to build, to make more statements, to bring the world down on our heads and pre-

vent us from reaching an arrangement,” Livni said, referring to Ariel’s right-wing faction, in an Israeli television interview broadcast Saturday night.

“That is the price of the presence of having Uri Ariel and the Jewish Home in the government,” she added. “I didn’t want them there, and they’re permanent damage.” Ariel called Livni “insolent” in a radio interview Sunday morning, and said the tenders were unconnected to the negotiations and meant to help ease Israel’s housing crisis. “The joke is on Minister Livni, who received unlimited credit to make peace,” Ariel said, “and failed completely.

Now she’s looking for someone to blame other than herself.”

Netanyahu, in his cabinet remarks, echoed Livni’s statements that Israel had been about to approve a deal for extending the talks into 2015 when Abbas acted. The deal was to include Israel’s release of the prisoners originally promised by the end of March plus 400 others and “restraint” on West Bank settlement construction, in exchange for the Obama administration’s freeing Jonathan J. Pollard, the former Navy intelligence officer convicted of spying for Israel, and a continued Palestinian commitment not to pursue membership in United Nations bodies.

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Dimapur

SPORTS

Monday 7 April 2014

The Morung Express

Atletico, Barcelona Hamilton beats Nico Rosberg to maintain top 2 spots victory as F1 2014 comes alive BARCELONA, APRIL 6 (AP): Atletico Madrid sweated out a 1-0 victory over Villarreal without leading scorer Diego Costa to stay top of the Spanish league on Saturday, while Lionel Messi scored two goals in Barcelona's 3-1 win over Real Betis to stay one point behind.

Gareth Bale's longrange goal helped make sure Real Madrid didn't miss star Cristiano Ronaldo as it cruised to a 4-0 victory at Real Sociedad, staying within three points of the pacesetters in third place.

Messi converted a 14thminute penalty and followed up a second spot kick that was blocked by goalkeeper Adan Garrido to seal the victory in the 86th.

Messi recorded his 24th and 25th league goals of the season — pulling him level with Diego Costa as the league's second-leading scorers behind Ronaldo's 28 — but Barcelona again showed problems in defense that last-placed Betis failed to fully exploit.

Earlier, Atletico's Raul Garcia scored in the 14th and Diego Simeone's side held out to deny Villarreal in the second half as it stayed undefeated at its

Vicente Calderon stadium through 17 league games this season. "We didn't have the strength and energy that we have had on other days," said Simeone.

"But my team played smart, and when you play smart you make up for the lack of energy to pull out the win."

Atletico hopes Diego Costa will recover from a right thigh injury for Wednesday's Champions League quarterfinal with Barcelona after they drew 1-1 in the first leg.

Atletico then has six games left as it tries to claim its first league title since 1996. While David Villa was ineffective before being substituted with half an hour to play, Garcia again proved his value to Atletico as a versatile attacking midfielder by pushing aside his marker to head in Jorge "Koke" Resurreccion's corner kick. Also, Rayo Vallecano won 3-0 at home over Celta Vigo to get its fifth win in seven rounds and move six points from the relegation zone. Barcelona unfurled a banner in the Camp Nou stands before the match that read "Hands Off La Masia," referring to FIFA's one-year transfer ban after football's governing body found the Catalan club guilty

of breaching regulations in signing youth players for its renowned training academy. Barcelona club president Josep Bartomeu also said that he had a "friendly and cordial conversation" with FIFA president Joseph Blatter about the ban.

"We are going through some tough times, but we have managed to isolate ourselves and concentrate on the matches," Barcelona forward Pedro Rodriguez said. Messi put Barcelona in charge after Alexis Sanchez was fouled by defender Jordi Figueras in the area.

Barcelona started to show the same drop in energy that had affected Atletico after Xavi Hernandez's free kick grazed the crossbar. But just when Betis was playing its best, Figueras gifted Barcelona a goal by knocking Adriano's pass into his own net in the 67th.

A minute later substitute Ruben Castro scored for Betis with Barcelona disorganized at the back, using a feint to make two defenders slide to the turf before he poked the ball beyond goalkeeper Jose Pinto. Messi finally calmed the nervous crowd after Antonio Amaya handled Neymar's cross in the box.

Hamilton claims conseuctive wins after several wheel-to-wheel dices with teammate; Perez claims Force India's secondever podium; Gutierrez's Sauber flipped over after big clash with Pastor Maldonado

BAHRAIN, APRIL 6 (AGENCIES): Lewis Hamilton emerged on top in a compelling race-long duel with teammate Nico Rosberg in an epic Bahrain GP to claim back-toback wins as the gloves came off for the first time between the two 2014 championship favourites.

After a build-up to the race dominated by debates and arguments by some of F1's most influential figures over F1's controversial new era of quieter engines and fuel efficiency, the thrilling action served up over the course over the 57 laps of racing around a floodlit Sakhir suggested that perhaps not too much is wrong with the sport's 'rules reset' after all.

In a race characterised by wheel-to-wheel duels between team-mates, Hamilton seized the lead from polesitter Rosberg into the first corner and then just about held on to the chequered flag despite several sustained periods of pressure

from the sister Mercedes.

Despite coming close on several occasions to making contact, the two W05s just about kept clear of contact and Hamilton eventually took the chequered flag by for his first consecutive wins since 2010.

It wasn't only the battling Mercedes pair who caused their team some angst on the pitwall as Force India, enjoying their strongest race since their only previous podium finish way back in 2009, finally returned to the rostrum with Sergio Perez. For much of the race the Mexican had been in a direct duel with team-mate Nico Hulkenberg, but Perez overtook the German following a late-race Safety Car. Daniel Ricciardo also took Hulkenberg late on to secure fourth place after passing his own team-mate, World Champion Sebastian Vettel, into the closing stages as the German grappled with straight-line speed problems.

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany, left, second place, sprays rose water to the winner teammate Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain on the podium after the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Sunday, April 6. (AP Photo)

Aus bag hat-trick of Women's World T20

DHAKA, APRIL 6 (TNN): The Australian women's side, led by Meg Lanning, achieved what their male counterparts, led by George Bailey had set out to do. The Southern Stars, as they are popularly called, crushed arch-rivals England to win their third World T20 crown in a row with a clinical six wicket win at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, here, on a muggy Sunday afternoon.

Medium-pacer Sarah Coyte was awarded the player of the match for her spell of 3-16, which included the wickets of England openers Sarah Taylor, lbw for 18 and skipper Charlotte Edwards for 13 as Edwards tried to break the shackles. She came in the second spell to castle Tasmin Beaumont.

England were strangled China’s Wang Shixian poses with the trophy after defeating and could not hit a single compatriot Li Xuerui the women’s singles final at the Yonex six throughout the match.

Sunrise India open badminton tournament in New Delhi, In- In fact, they just couldn't hit a six right through the dia, Sunday, April 6, 2014. (AP Photo)

Australian players and support staff pose for a group photo while celebrating with the winners trophy after their win over England in the ICC Women's Twenty20 Cricket World Cup final match in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sunday, April 6. Australia women won the match by six wickets. (AP Photo)

tournament.

Edwards admitted later on that the greater physical strength of the Australian players proved to be decisive factor. "It's something that we need to look

at," she stressed. England have had a great summer where they won the Ashes and Edwards admitted that this win was a disappointing end to a great summer.

With the bat, the Aus-

tralians appeared to be a in a hurry as they slammed four sixes. Skipper Lanning slammed 44 in 30 balls with two sixes and four fours.

Her partnership of 60 for the third wicket with all-

rounder Elise Perry 31 not out (32 balls, 3x4, 1x6) did the business for the threetime champs. Perry, who has also represented Australia in the football World Cup, hit the winning runs

and storm to the dug out as the players ran to the pitch to sing the team anthem.

Lanning, the leader of a young team stressed that despite the team being young in age, the players are all experienced. "The bowlers won it for us. And while batting, even though we were chasing a small target, we wanted to be positive."

About being stronger physically than her English counterparts, Manning said, "We do train a lot actually."

Coyte, 23, who has a tattoo on her left arm in Arabic which reads, "God gives the greatest strength to its strongest soldiers," says playing cricket with her brothers, Scott (29) and twin Adam, in Camden, New South Wales, toughened her up. "To get the wickets of Taylor and Edwards who are world class so early was great. I've been working on discipline and that has worked," she stressed.

Bulls beat Wizards 96-78 Everton thrashes Arsenal

WASHINGTON, APRIL 6 (AP): D.J. Augustin scored 25 points Saturday night, Joakim Noah had 21 points and 12 rebounds, and the Chicago Bulls turned a possible first-round playoff preview into a rout, never trailing in a 96-78 win over the Washington Wizards.

Augustin made 6 of 11 3-pointers and Carlos Boozer added 16 points for the Bulls, who have won five straight and are battling the Toronto Raptors for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. Augustin has averaged 19.8 points during the winning streak.

John Wall scored 20 points, and Marcin Gortat had 19 for the Wizards, who sit in sixth place in the East.

If they hold that spot, they would face the third-seeded team.

The Bulls clamped down on the Wizards early, taking advantage of turnovers and a rebounding advantage to build the lead.

Trailing by 12 at the end of the period, the Wizards were then completely undone by a 10-point second quarter. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Augustin made the score 36-18, and a free throw by Jimmy Butler in the final minute of the first half gave the Bulls a 28-point lead.

The Wizards made a run in the third quarter, scoring more points (35) in the period than they had in the entire first half (26).

Wall's 30-foot bounce pass to Trevor Booker on a fast

Washington Wizards forward Trevor Booker (35) dunks over Chicago Bulls' Joakim Noah, left, and D.J. Augustin (14) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, April 5 in Washington. The Bulls won 96-78. (AP Photo)

break led to a dunk pulled But Noah took over and Washington within 11 and quickly squashed the rally. brought the crowd to its His three-point play startfeet. ed a 12-0 run early in the

fourth quarter that put the game away.

At Auburn Hills, Michigan, Rodney Stuckey came off the bench to score 26 points and help the Detroit Pistons rally for a 115-111 win over the Boston Celtics.

The Pistons trailed by as many as 19 points in third quarter and were down 9585 at the start of the fourth before going on a 15-4 run that gave them their first lead since early in the game. The teams traded the lead several times before Stuckey made a pair of free throws with 57 seconds left to break a 111-all tie.

Jerryd Bayless tried for a go-ahead shot in the final seconds but his 3-point try rimmed out.

Jefferson scored 24 points, including seven in overtime, and the Charlotte Bobcats clinched a playoff spot with a 96-94 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Charlotte is in the postseason for the second time in its 10-year history and the first time since 2010.

Kyrie Irving scored a career-high 44 points for Cleveland. The Cavaliers (31-47) trail eighth-place Atlanta by 3½ games for the final playoff spot in the East.

Also Saturday, the Orlando Magic had a 100-92 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Brooklyn Nets beat the Philadelphia 76ers 105-101 and DeMar DeRozan scored 23 points as the Toronto Raptors beat the Milwaukee Bucks 102-98.

LIVERPOOL, APRIL 6 (AP): Everton continued its superb attacking form to thrash a poor Arsenal side 3-0 in the Premier League and cut its deficit to the Gunners to one point in the race for the final Champions League spot.

Everton, which has scored 12 goals in its last four games, dominated from the start and made the Gunners pay for their poor defending with strikes from Steven Naismith and Romelu Lukaku as well as an own goal from Mikel Arteta. Everton claimed a sixth consecutive league win while Arsenal has secured only two points from its last four matches. The London club remained in fourth place in the standings, one point above Everton but has played one more game than Roberto Martinez's side.

"It would mean everything," Naismith said about his team's possible top-four finish. "But we have believed from the start of the season and we have shown that in these recent performances." The defeat piled pressure on Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who is chasing a first trophy with the Gunners since 2005 and has guided them to Champions League football in each of his 16 full seasons in charge.

Everton had beaten Arsenal just once in their last 15 league meetings but looked the superior team on Sunday. Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey started on the bench, returning to the squad for the first time since Boxing Day after recovering from a thigh injury while Everton made two changes from last weekend's 3-1 win at Fulham, with Naismith and Kevin Mirallas in the starting lineup as a reward for their fine display in South London.

Naismith was decisive again as he opened the scoring in the 14th minute from inside the box after Leighton Baines picked Romelu Lukaku with a

Everton's Romelu Lukaku, centre, keeps the ball from Arsenal's Mikel Arteta, right, as Mathieu Flamini, left, looks on during their English Premier League soccer match at Goodison Park Stadium, Liverpool, England, Sunday, April 6. (AP Photo)

low ball. The Belgium international forced Wojciech Szczesny into a save but the Arsenal keeper could not hold the ball and Naismith fired home the rebound. The Gunners struggled to create chances, and when they did they squandered them. Olivier Giroud was among the culprits, sending his effort just wide in the 21st from Bacary Sagna's accurate cross.

Arsenal's defense buckled again with Lukaku hardly challenged when he doubled the Merseyside team's lead in the 34th minute following a good collective move. The powerful forward collected a through ball from Mirallas then cut inside and fired a low shot past Szczesny.

Wenger's team improved after the interval, enjoying more possession

but things went from bad to worse for the Gunners when Sagna lost the ball to allow Mirallas to launch a quick counterattack. The Belgin slipped the ball to Naismith who could not round Szczesny but the loose ball came into Mirallas' path before rebounding into the net following a challenge from Arteta. Arsenal made a double change with Ramsey and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain coming on for Lukas Podolski and Mathieu Flamini but the move had no effect on Everton's tactics, with the home side remaining a threat on the break until the final whistle.

Oxlade-Chamberlain announced himself with four minutes remaining but his powerful strike was diverted

by Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard onto the bar.

The Morung Express C M Y K

Entertainment

Monday 7 April 2014

Dimapur

11

Handel’s Messiah: Celebrating oneness in Christ

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On April 5, various church choirs of Nagaland, professional musicians from Nagaland, Singapore and Kolkata came together at Dimapur Ao Baptist Church (DABA) to celebrate “Oneness in Christ” through music. ‘Handel’s Messiah’ as it was called, was the first western classical music concert in Nagaland played by a full sized orchestra. The Morung Express presents vivid images of the concert.

Photos by Benjamin Sugathan

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World Health Day 7th April 2014

Theme : Vector Borne Diseases “Small Creatures : Big Threat”.

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Photos by Manen Aier

raYT/Iya vaO@Tr jainat raoga inayaM~Na kaya-Ëma

NVBDCP

For more information, contact National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) Directorate of Health & Family Welfare, Nagaland.

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Sri Lanka clinch maiden T20 World Cup Mathews pitched it on length and the opener played on to his stumps trying an ambitious pull.

Kohli entered the crease twirling his bat as Vivian Richards used to do during his playing days.

He clipped Kulasekara’s in-swinging half volley through the deep mid-wicket region for a boundary. Rohit got his first boundary when Senanayeke couldn’t pitch the carrom ball properly as he

pulled it towards square leg for a one bounce boundary.

Malinga’s first was the last of the Powerplay overs as Rohit got his second boundary, smashing an over-pitched delivery from Malinga back past him.

GOOD AND BEST LUCK TO LOK SABHA ELECTION

FROM: MEDICAL CELL NPF NAGALAND JOINS THE COUNTRY IN THE FRAY OF MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT IN THE LOK SABHA. Sri Lankan players and support staff celebrate with the winners trophy after their win over India in the ICC Twenty20 Cricket World Cup final match in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sunday, April 6. Sri Lanka won the match by six wickets. (AP Photo)

Mirpur, April 6 (pTi): India’s quest for a historic treble ended in heartbreak as a gutsy Sri Lanka produced a clinical display to win their maiden ICC World T20 trophy with a convincing six-wicket victory on Sunday. Sri Lanka thus became third time lucky in the World T20 summit clash while Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s dream to win a record third World title lay in tatters as his team faltered when it mattered the most.

Despite Virat Kohli’s belligerent 77, Yuvraj Singh’s excruciatingly slow innings of 11 off 21 balls left India with a very modest score 130 for four in 20 overs. Kohli’s brilliance went down the drain due to Yuvraj’s struggle.

Sri Lanka faced a few anxious moments in the

early stages of the chase but eventually overhauled the target with 13 balls to spare.

It turned out to be a ‘fitting finale’ for the two retiring legends of Sri Lankan cricket as Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara certainly made it a ‘farewell to remember’ as the champions ended their T20 careers with a memorable triumph.

Mahela’s 24 was a sweet little innings which set the tempo while Sangakkara anchored it to perfection with an unbeaten 52. He again proved to be a thorn in the flesh for the Indians as he chose the final of the tournament to claw his way back to form after indifferent first five matches.

The match decisively swung in Sri Lanka’s favour in the 15th over in which Thisara Perera (17

no) chanced his arms to hit Amit Mishra over long-on while Sangakkara swept him fine to get a boundary.

15 runs came off that over and the match was as good as over by then.

In Mishra’s next over, Sangakkara hit him over extra cover for a boundary while Thisara again hit the portly leggie for a six.

Mishra went for 32 from four overs and would like to forget his last two matches after a good start.

Earlier, Virat Kohli continued his stupendous form with a classy 77 but India managed a belowpar 130 for four against Sri Lanka who bowled brilliantly in the death overs in the final of the ICC World T20 here on Sunday.

Kohli struck his fourth half century of the tournament with yet another su-

perb effort but the Lankan bowlers applied the brakes on a struggling Yuvraj Singh, which certainly hampered the scoring rate to a large extent.

Kohli struck five fours and four sixes in his 58-ball knock as Yuvraj turned out to be a complete disaster as he looked completely out of sorts, which frustrated even the in-form batsman at the other end. The last four overs produced only 19 runs due to Yuvraj’s failure to get big hits.

While Kohli peppered all parts of the field with his blazing blade, Yuvraj found it difficult to even pick up Sachithra Senanayeke’s ‘doosra’ and Lasith Malinga’s blockhole deliveries.

His struggle became so apparent that even Kohli’s anger was palpable at the other end as the hero of India’s

2007 triumph consumed delivery after delivery.

Rangana Herath (1/23) and Angelo Mathews (1/25) gave away only 48 runs in eight overs as it became a Kohli versus Sri Lanka duel. Even Nuwan Kulasekara (1/29) had a decent day in office despite 16 coming off his one over.

When Yuvraj was finally out for 11 off 21 balls as he holed out in the deep, the loudest cheer came from the Indian fans, who were relieved to see him back in the dugout. Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni came in with only 11 deliveries left and found it difficult to accelerate the pace of scoring as Malinga and Kulasekara bowled pinpoint yorkers.

Ajinkya Rahane (3) looked completely shaky during his eight-ball stay at the crease. Angelo

YOUR REASONABILITY FOR THE STATE IS HIGHLY ESTEEMED. ON YOU ALONE DEPENDS THE VOICE OF NAGALAND. EXPERIENCE, ACUMEN, LEADERSHIP AND DETERMINED GRIT TO LEAD THE STATE TO A HIGHER PLATFORM. A HUGE SACRIFICE TO CONTEST AND BE AN ELECTED LEADER AT THE NATIONAL SEAT OF BUSINESS. NEVER WAS AN MP CONTEST SO PRECIOUSLY EYED AND COMPETING. CHARISMATIC AND BOLD. OUR PRAYERS FOR YOU. FDI? YES NDI.THIS IS “NAGA DIRECT INVESTMENT” INTO THE COULDRON OF THE PARLIAMENT HOUSE NEW DELHI.A WELL TIMED WARRIOR FOR NAGALAND STATE.

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