7th January 2014

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www.morungexpress.com

The Morung Express

Dimapur VOL. IX ISSUE 5

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www.morungexpress.com

[ PAGE 8]

Inside Llewyn Davis Wins Big

Recent killings shock govt: Azo [ PAGE 2]

“Battling Begums” vie for power in Bangladesh

[ PAGE 11]

reflections

By Sandemo Ngullie

Morung Express News Dimapur/Bokajan | January 6

Obviously you`re not thinking clearly, I`m not the problem. Ok? Hic You...You’re the problem.

Nagaland Home Minister responds to NPCC Full text on page 5

Respect for human life must be upheld NMA express anguish over recent violence

KOHIMA, JANUARY 6 (MExN): The Naga Mothers Association today expressed anguish at the recent spate of violence in Nagaland and in neighbouring Karbi Anglong, Assam. The NMA, through a press note, appealed for people to co operate with the investigation agencies in apprehending the perpetrators of the crimes.

Condemning the killing of nine persons, whose decomposed bodies were recovered on January 3; the NMA urged the authorities to arrest, book and punish the culprits at the earliest. “With painful heart, we convey our sympathies to all the bereaved family members and pray the Almighty God to give you comforts in this time of grief,” it added.

While extending solidarity to the Rengma Nagas, who have been displaced following violence and unrest in Karbi Anglong; the NMA appealed for intervention of both the State Governments of Nagaland and Assam in restoring law and order and to ensure safety to the lives and properties of all concerned. It urged the authority to ensure that relief materials reach the affected and displaced people without any delay.

It further condemned the December 28 assault in Dimapur, which eventually led to the death of late Akivito A Sumi, a student of Christian Higher Secondary School Dimapur.

While lauding the law enforcing agency for their prompt action in arresting the prime accused behind the attack, it appealed that the accused should not be granted bail and that befitting punishment, as per the law, should be awarded.

Stating that the NMA abhors violence and killings, it urged every mother to be vigilant and stand together “to make our land free from all forms of evil activities.” It urged “our sons and brothers to stop inflicting shame and reproach and instead help us to live with honour and dignity.” The NMA asserted that the Nagaland state Government must ensure that “respect for precious human life is upheld” and that strong measures be taken to prevent any recurrence of such killing and violence.

[ PAGE 9]

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–Dean Inge

Unfair to blame Sehwag for Delhi’s ouster: Gambhir [ PAGE 12]

Karbi Anglong calm; security on alert Nearly 2000 displaced continue to stay in 9 relief camps

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Tuesday, January 7, 2014 12 pages Rs. 4

A good government remains the greatest of human blessings and no nation has ever enjoyed it Telangana: Deadlock continues

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Police on Monday could identify the rest of four unidentified dead bodies (of nine), recovered from Pachaspura, Chumukedima on January 3 last. Eight of the deceased are reported to be labourers, police said, while one was a student.

The mortal remains of the deceased were handed over to their relatives today.

With regard to the progress of investigation, head of the Special Investigation Team instituted to probe the case, DIG (Range/NAP), Kohima, Liremo Lotha said that it is too early to comment on the status of the case. Stating that the team is on the job, Lotha added that in the interest of investigation, the team cannot divulge anything at this stage.

The following people have been identified by the Nagaland Police (Dimapur), with the help of their families, as those whose bodies were found in a decomposed form on January 3 in a stream in Pachaspura, Chumukedima, Dimapur: 1. Harlongbi Ingti (21), s/o Suren Ingti, village Rongkangthir, Bokajan (Student) 2. Mongal Singh (24), s/o Longri Ingti, village Tokiram, Borpathar PS (Labour) 3. Sunil Rongphi (18), s/o Kania Rongphi, village Tokiram, Borpathar PS (Labour) 4. Dhoni Rongphi (24), s/o Muki Rongphi, village Tokiram, Borpathar PS (Labour) 5. Rajib Ingti (25), s/o Bora Ingti, village Rongto Ingti, Borpathar PS (Labour) 6. Dhoram Lekthe (16), s/o Chandra Lekthe, village Bheloghat Sarsing Tokbi, Samelangso PO, Dokmoka PS (Labour) 7. Hukur Singner (23), s/o Lakhiram Singner, village Bheloghat, Samelangso PO, Dokmoka PS (Labour) 8. Pratab Taro (29), s/o Biren Taro, village Rensing Rongpi, Hawraghat PS (Labour) 9. Thengtom Singnar (25), s/o Longsing Singner, Hawraghat PS (Labour)

1lakh ex gratia to family of nine deceased KOHIMA, JANUARY 6 (MExN): The Cabinet of the Government of Nagaland has decided to pay ex gratia of Rupees One lakh each to the family members of the nine deceased, whose bodies were recovered from the Pachaspura area of Dimapur. This decision, informed Cabinet Secretary, Alemtemshi Jamir, has been taken on “purely humanitarian grounds prejudice to the ongoing Police investigation into the crime.”

This was one among the decisions taken by the Cabinet at its meeting on Monday. The Cabinet has also endorsed the appointment of the High Power Enquiry

Nagaland Govt sets one month time frame for HPEC to complete report

Committee (HPEC) and the Special Investigation team. It has urged for the case to be pursued with “all urgency and earnestness in order to bring the culprits to book,” informed Jamir. In view of the urgency, the Cabinet has decided that a time frame of one month should be given to the HPEC to complete its report.

The Cabinet further appealed to the Karbi and Rengma people to “refrain from any

further violence and maintain peace and calm in the spirit of the age old fraternal relationship among the people of the two communities.”

Additionally, the Nagaland Cabinet also expressed deep regret on the “unfortunate incident at Mukalimi, Zunheboto District that occurred during the last week of December 2013 leading to the loss of precious lives.” It has expressed appreciation of the “appropriate actions of the Government under the directions of the Hon’ble Chief Minister and the Home Minister that prevented great loss of lives.”

Naga Hoho infuriated by killing; KAPF reiterates commitment to calls for Consultation on January 8 peace & restoration of normalcy

Security situation The civil society based in Karbi Anglong has maintained that the situation in the area is calm. The Assam Police, however, said that the situation in the affected areas is tense though no fresh incidents of violence have been reported. Security forces are on high alert in the affected areas as well as the two national highways connecting to Dimapur. The Assam Police told reporters from Nagaland that security personnel are patrolling the highway; the heightened state of tension has not deterred travellers from Nagaland from taking NH 29.

So far, ten persons, suspected of involvement in

arson, have been arrested, following a series of operations jointly launched by the Assam Police, the para-military and the army during the past few days, an Assam Police officer said. Four KPLT linkmen were also arrested during the operations. The officer said that one Single Barrel Muzzle Loading gun and gunpowder was recovered from the four. Further, six persons, alleged to be cadres of the Rengma Naga Hills Protection Force, were arrested on Saturday. Arms and ammunition were also reportedly confiscated from the arrested.

According to official figures, around 22-25 villages of both the Rengma and Karbi people have been affected by the violence. The displaced are sheltered in nine relief camps set up under Borpathar and Chokihola police stations where nearly 2000 people are taking shelter. 1186 displaced Rengmas, according to the official count, are housed in four camps. The count of Karbi people affected by the violence is put at 1681,

who are sheltered in five camps. Further, the number of Rengma villages, where cases of arson have been reported, is put at four with Khoaani village the most affected.

No media personnel have been able to gain access to the affected villages thus far owing to the volatile situation. Security personnel have also advised caution against visiting the affected villages citing safety concerns.

34 Karbis escorted from Kohima to Diphu Meanwhile, 34 Karbi people, who were working in Kohima, were escorted to Diphu on Monday. The Angami Youth Organisation, Angami Students’ Association and the Naga Students’ Federation in coordination with the Karbi Students’ Association took the initiative after some Karbi people sought help, it was informed. It was further informed that they were compelled to leave after they received calls from home to return.

KOHIMA, JANUARY 6 (MExN): The Naga Hoho has stated that it is “infuriated by the killing of nine Karbis and dumping of their bodies in the jungle at Pachaspura near Chumukedima ‘A’.” It said that “this hideous act, which is beyond human comprehension, has tarnished the hospitable image of the Nagas.”

Stating that the “Naga people will not tolerate the use of Nagaland as a killing field,” it urged all peace loving citizens to “act or utter with complete restrain and look at matters from a wider perspective for the benefit of everyone.” The Naga Hoho appealed to all Naga citizens to provide security to the Karbi people residing in Nagaland and at the same time urged the Karbis in Nagaland “not to create hysteria but to remain calm and vigilant for peaceful co-existence.”

It then urged the Nagaland state government to expedite the investigation into the kill-

SIbSAgAR, JANUARY 6 (MExN): The Ahom Royal Society (ARS), in expressing concern over the ongoing violence affecting lives of communities in Karbi Anglong, has offered its services and help to ensure that “Naga and Karbi sisters and brothers” can begin a dialogue for peace.

“It pains us to see that political machinations and cynical manipulation of emotions have led to death and displacement of innocent Naga and Karbi people,”

stated a press release from the secretary of the ARS, U.K. Baruah, and its central education secretary, Dr. Chandraditya Gogoi, on behalf of the ARS central committee.

The ARS is a ‘socio-economic cultural and educational organisation’ based in the Sibsagar district of Assam.

“We offer all our services and help to ensure that this dialogue can take place, either in Karbi Anglong, or Nagaland, or in any other part of the region,” the ARS asserted.

Reminding that the past is rich with stories of solidarity among the indigenous Karbi, Naga and Ahom peoples, the ARS noted that “Our concerns are even more heartfelt as both communities are dear to us and have lived in amity since the time of our ancestors.

We have eaten food cooked from the same hearth and lived in a landscape that forms part of our shared history.” It is the past, it said, that “reminds us of the respect that our ancestors had

for one another. It is a past that we have to revive, if we are to survive the relentless efforts to divide us in our modern times.”

The ARS has, thus, appealed to “Naga and Karbi sisters and brothers” to “lay down the spear and begin a dialogue for peace.”

Though it acknowledged the difficulty for the many broken and affected lives to think about peace at this juncture, the ARS prayed that “our wise sisters and brothers will try and do.”

ing of the nine persons.

It further informed that the Naga Hoho will hold a consultative meeting on January 8 at Naga Council Conference Hall, Dimapur at 11:00am.

Two representatives each from the ENPO, NSF, NMA, NBCC, NCD, DNSU and NPMHR have been requested to attend the meeting.

In a separate statement, the Naga Hoho expressed solidarity with the “displaced and distressed Naga brethren in Karbi Anglong district of Assam.”

It appealed to tribe hohos, individuals and well-wishers to contribute relief materials for the distressed Nagas in Karbi Anglong, who are taking refuge in different relief camps, both in Assam and Nagaland.

It informed that contributions can be made by contacting Naga Hoho General Secretary, Mutsikhoyo Yhobu and Information & Publicity Secretary, C Daipao at 09436438045 and 09402830729.

‘Opposed to any form of bandhs or blockades’ DIPHU, JANUARY 6 (MExN): The Karbi Anglong Peace Forum (KAPF), comprising 30 civil and student organizations of Karbi Anglong, has informed the public of Assam and Nagaland that it is committed to work for peace and restoration of normalcy at any cost. In that, the KAPF has declared that it is “opposed to any form of bandh or blockades in any form that may be called by any organizations or group from both the states. Bandhs or blockades at this critical juncture are unwanted and unjustified. Blockades and bandhs will affect in distribution of relief materials and is only an unnecessary harassment to the innocent public.”

The KAPF reiterated its commitment to work for permanent restoration of peace in the district of Karbi Anglong and in the region, and is closely in touch with all organizations in Nagaland which includes Naga Hoho, NPMHR, NSF, Naga Mothers Association, etc. at all times. Those seeking to contact the KAPF may do so through the following persons: (1) Paisong Lekthe: +91-98542-32583, (2) Nathan Ronghang : +91-96135-80203, (3) Watson :+91-90855-36911 and (4) Lipson Rongpi :+91-98594-38098.

Ahoms urge Karbi-Nagas to begin dialogue for peace Police caution against fraudsters

PAc appeals for peaceful atmosphere and restrain

KOHIMA, JANUARY 6 (MExN): The Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the Government of Nagaland has appealed to the public, at this time of unrest, to maintain a peaceful atmosphere by exercising restrain and bringing back fraternal relationships.

In its combined meeting held on Monday at the State Banquet Hall here, the PAC termed the recent incident in Zunheboto between the Sumi public and the NSCN (IM) as “unfortunate” and expressed regret over it. The PAC appealed to the public, particularly the Sumi Community, to “maintain peaceful atmosphere in the interest of the

Resolves to ensure safety of minorities in Nagaland Naga people.” A list of the resolutions adopted by the PAC at the meeting, signed by the co-convenor of the PAC, Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu, and the Secretary (Home) to the Government of Nagaland, Wepretso Mero, was made available to the press today.

The PAC appealed to the Naga Nationalist Groups to “refrain from any action that creates civil unrest and also appeal to them to heed to the voice of the people and come to-

gether for a final Political settlement.” In that, it also appealed to the Government of India to expedite the negotiation to its “logical conclusions.”

The Committee condemned the barbaric killing of nine persons whose bodies were discovered in Pachaspura area of Dimapur. It appreciated the “prompt action of the State Government in setting up of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) & High Power Enquiry Committee

(HPEC) to investigate the killings and appeal to one and all to remain calm and to allow the law enforcing agencies to take actions at the earliest to bring the culprits to book.” It was also resolved that the State Government shall take all “necessary measures to ensure the safety and lives of all communities especially the bonafide minorities living in the State, including the Karbis.”

In the interest of this, the PAC appealed to the Karbis and Rengma brothers to “exercise restrain and desist further escalating the situation and help bring back the age old fraternal relationship.”

WOKHA, JANUARY 6 (MExN): Wokha Police have issued a public cautionary notice informing of the increasing cases of fraud through internet and mobile phones. Superintendent of Police, Wokha, Limasunep Jamir, in the notification, cautioned the public against solicitating calls/messages/e-mail from unknown numbers/ e-mail IDs and informed that such matters should be reported to the police for verification.

The notice informed that many people have been duped into depositing huge amounts of money with false promise of winning lotteries. It added that some users have been tricked into disclosing their confidential ATM PIN numbers, passwords by fraudsters posing as Bank officials. The notice also informed of cases where some members of the public have opened numerous account numbers and then sold off the ATM cards to national and international based fraudsters. Cases of fraudsters/conman posing as religious workers/ Christian missionaries have also been reported and established, it added.

The notice then explained in detail, the modus operandi of the fraudsters. As per Wokha Police, random calls/appeals from call centers or e-mail from persons posing as agents

of renowned companies are sent to prospective clients, informing that they have won a lottery. In other cases e-mail or calls from persons posing as religious workers appealing for transfer of fund outside the country are also made.

Police informed that the fraudsters even go to the extent of furnishing, via email, fake documents like clearance certificate from Central Board of Excise and Customs, New Delh; Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Letter of Guarantee; Her Majesty’s (HM) Revenue & Customs

Cash Payment Receipt; Her Majesty’s (HM) Courts affidavit/ letter of approval; Certificate of Winning; Delivery diplomat passport scan for identification and security purpose, License for payment etc.

Prospective clients are then informed that diplomats/company agents will be arriving in the country to make the payment, and are directed to make arrangements for clearance of tax and other expenses. Clients are then made to give advance payments through local conduit agents Bank

Account Numbers on one pretext or the other “like for bailing out company foreigner agent stating that he has been arrested and under immigration custody and other excuses.”

The fraudsters then send fake license for payment from High Commission Office, Transfer slip from Credit Control and Wire Transfer Department and instruct the clients to make further payments as PIN activation fee, Tax clearance fee etc.

Fake ATM Cards packaged in greeting card, stating security reasons, are dispatched with direction for payment as activation/ processing fees through different local bank accounts numbers, the notice informed.

Wokha Police stated that in the course of investigation, based on mobile calls log, e-mail ID and Bank account numbers, the trail has lead mostly to fraudsters within the country.

However, police added that due to fictitious IDs, cases could not progress much, leaving the investigating agencies without much option. In view of this unprecedented rise in information technology/cyber related crimes, Wokha Police have cautioned the public not to solicit calls and mails from unknown /doubtful sources, and stay guarded against any attempt from such fraudsters.

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Tuesday 7 January 2014

Recent killings shock govt: Azo

The Morung Express C M Y K

“Govt would not hesitate to take firm action against the perpetrators of such evil crime”

Minister for Roads & Bridges (R&B), Kuzholuzo (Azo) Nienu seen addressing the inaugural function of the Western Chakhesang Youth Organization (WCYO) sports meet at Diezephe local ground on Monday.

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Diezephe, January 6 (Mexn): Minister for Roads & Bridges (R&B), Kuzholuzo (Azo) Nienu on Monday admitted that the Pachaspura killings in Dimapur district have shocked the state government.

Gracing the inaugural function of the Western Chakhesang Youth Organization (WCYO) sports meet at Diezephe village local ground, the minister while condemning the killings avowed that the government

would not hesitate to take firm action against the perpetrators of such evil crime.

Advocating the need to maintain peaceful relationship with all neighbouring states especially Assam, the minister reminded the gathering that Nagaland has been under the umbrella of Assam state before it was curved out as a new state. As such, we need to vigorously pursue unity and peace with our neighbours, he added.

He also urged the Chakhesang people living in Dimapur to uphold unity with other tribes and refrain from hurting others sentiments while protecting their own.

“We, Chakhesangs are still at crossroads even as other tribes are marching far ahead,” he said adding pointing out that there was need to be broad minded and united to march ahead.

The minister also appealed to the Chakhesang Naga people to desist in dividing themselves based on the dialect they speak.

“We need to see dialects as educational process and protect our unity to march ahead,” he challenged.

Meanwhile, addressing the sportspersons, the minister resented the causal and complacent attitude in sports. To be good sportsperson, one has to be disciplined and punctual. “There is also room for us to learn good qualities from others and do away with negative qualities – indulgence in intoxicants and use of drugs,” he pointed out. He urged all fifteen units to take part actively and showcase the best of their skills to the spectators and sports lovers.

Earlier, Chakhesang Public Organization (CPO) president, Sovenyi prayed that year 2014 would be a blessing to Chakhesang people in Dimapur. He also challenged Chakhesang community living in Dimapur to be role models and lead rest of the community.

A one-day jumble sale in aid of clock tower renovation was held on January 4 organised by social networking group of Facebook, The Tuensang voice. The group contributed second hand cloths from in and around Tuensang n Dimapur which were sold on the day. The members of the group have expressed gratitude to all who contributed for the event, buyers, salesperson and those people who come forward for donation through financially to the group for the good cause for our District. The group will be starting the renovation work of the clock tower from January 7.

St. Francis Xavier’s Church observe Solemnity of Advent

KiDiMa, January 6 (Mexn): St. Francis Xavier’s Church Kidima with the rest of the world observed Solemnity of Advent began on December 1, Novena from December 16 to 24, Christmas on December 25, Nativity of the Lord (Holy Innocent) on Saturday, Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph on December 29, 2013, Mary Mother of God on Wednesday January 1 and Epiphany of the Lord (Magi known the

three King from the east to witness the new born Jesus Christ in Bethlehem about 2000 years ago) on Sunday January 5, 2014 as the liturgical calendar of the Apostolic Church.

Holy Bible reading, prayer, priests sermon emphasized about born again of the Lord from each individual’s heart, singing of hymn, Eucharist celebration, gospel drama and skit followed by fellowship meal.

The celebration combined with social gathering on biblical, reflection for preparation for the second coming of the Messiah who is the Prince of Peace.

According to Episcopal the true meaning of Christmas was love, peace, joy through forgiveness. Faithful people from overseas and priest from abroad including and foreign tourists also joined during the sacred season of celebration.

DiMapur, January 6 (Mexn): The 67th Western Sumi Baptist Akukuhou Kuqhakulu Youth Conference will be held from January 10 to 12 at Hovukhu Baptist Church under the theme “Transformed in Christ.”

The speakers for this conference are Rev. S. Vitoshe Swu, Executive Secretary, WSBAK, Rev. Dr. Hevukhu Achumi, Senior Pastor, Thilixu Baptist Church, Rev. Ikuto Jimo, Secretary, Youth Department,

WSBAK and Abokali Jimomi, Entrepreneur Organic Nagaland. Hosheto Achumi, Commissioner, Transport Kohima, Nagaland and Khehovi Yeptho, Chairman, WSBAK Council will deliver exhortation.

Panel of judges for creative drama competition are Bokavi Swu, Dimapur Sumi Baptist Church, Skyli Achumi, Lecturer, Trinity Theological College and Bitoli Kiba, Lecturer, Discipleship Bible College. Panel of judges for stomp competi-

tion are Ahokhe Awomi, Regional Co-ordinator, AWANA, Kavikato Zhimo, lecturer, Trinity Theological College and Atozheli, lecturer, Servanthood Bible College.

All the office bearers and Youth Executives are requested to reach the host church on January 9, 2014 at 2: 00 PM and the delegates of the WSBAK churches on January 10. This was stated in a press release issued by Youth Department secretary Rev. Ikuto Jimo.

67th WSBAK youth conference from Jan 10

MEx File SUSU Golden Jubilee on January 8 and 9 DiMapur, January 6 (Mexn): Shamator Village Students’ Union (SUSU) will be celebrating its Golden Jubilee (1964-2014) on January 8 and 9. SUSU President B. Kiutsu in a press release has requested citizens of the village to reach the venue ahead positively.

TNCA new office bearers elected

Tening, January 6 (Dipr): The Tening Chakanmai Aruang Government Employees Association held its 7th annual meeting on January 4 at Council Hall Tening. The house unanimously resolved to strengthen the union by participating regularly in the meeting. The house also adopted many positive resolutions to support upcoming younger generation of Tening in general.

The TNCA new office bearers were also elected with Rutmakbo as President, Hujenglui- Vice President, Mazikam- General Secretary, ZinthaiJoint Secretary, Aninge- Finance Secretary and Adunne as Treasurer. Around 85 government employees of Tening attended the meeting. The union also decided to organise sales day in the form of fund rise in the month of September 2014 second week. The President also requested all the concern members to give their cooperation to achieve the vision.

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ASU golden jubilee celebration underway Statue of Unity: BJP ask villages in

Nagaland to contribute metal piece

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Women folk of Anatongre Village presenting song at the golden jubilee celebration on January 6. (Morung Photo) Our Correspondent Kiphire | January 6

The Anatongre Students’ Union (ASU) is observing its golden jubilee from January 6 to 10 with the theme ‘towards new challenges.’ Dr. Chuba Imchen, Joint Director of School Education who represented on

behalf of CM Chang Education Minister Nagaland (who was supposed to be the chief guest) said that education should accompany with wisdom. He said that students should use education to promote respect and to use education for the benefit of the society.

Greeting Anatongre Stu-

dents’ Union for attainting 50th years of its formation, Dr. Chuba appealed the students to have the responsibility spirit to shape the future. Moreover, he urged the students to put their effort and make it practice in the special ways.

Earlier, TT Kjeapong President delivered a presidential

address and welcome song by Theological Students. ST Longkhumse and his team presented Taekwondo Demonstration.

The cultural chief guest will be K Topan, President of Tikhir Tribal Council and Guest of Honour will be L Khumo MLA and Advisor NEPED Nagaland on January 8 and 10 respectively.

DiMapur, January 6 (Mexn): The BJP State has requested every member of the villages in Nagaland state to generously contribute at least 250 gms each of metal piece towards the construction of the tallest statue of unity as a show of solidarity along with the rest of the nation.

BJP State President Dr. M. Chuba Ao has requested them to submit their names along with the metals to the BJP district presidents before January 20 for forwarding to the BJP state office. The BJP District Presidents are requested to direct every mandal presidents and BLO agents to organize the collection from every villages and towns.

Party workers in every districts, towns and villages may cooperate in collecting the metals from donors as well as their names and have them deposited with their respective district presidents listed accordingly.

District BJP president name and their contact number are as follows: Dimapur-

Nikhevi, 9856311624; Kohima-Vidi Angami, 9402030389; Phek-Neinu, 8974038582; Peren-Max, 9402022353; Wokha-Tungoe, 8731949204; Mokokchung-Limawati, 9856771617; Zunheboto-Khuvise Zhimomi, 9436427675; Mon-Phowang Konyak, 9856481006; TuensangYangba Chang, 9862582910; Kiphire-Makhi Yimchunger, 8730941258; and LonglengAjoy Phom, 8974014478.

This was stated in a press release issued by BJP Nagaland Secretary, Jaangsillung Gonmei.

The world’s tallest Statue of Unity of Vallabhbhai Patel, then Union Home Minister under the premiership of Jawarharlal Nehru, who brought together more than 562 princely states to constitute modern republic India, is to be erected on the river island of Sadhu Bet of Narmada river, Gujarat. At 182 metres (597 ft) it is deemed to be twice the height of the Statue of Liberty on the New York harbour, USA. The meaningful

purpose of constructing this statue with the specific material of metal is to unite the country into one strong bond while commemorating the patriotic gigantic task of uniting the nation of the “iron man of India” or “Bismarck of India” as Patel is known.

For reasons as such, Narendra Modi, senior BJP leader and Prime Minister nominee, who proposed the project, entrusted the BJP National Kisan President to collect metal pieces particularly of used farming and working tools of at least 250 gms weight each from every citizen all over the country along with their names which would be inscribed on the statue. For reasons thereof, the metal donor has to submit his/her name along with the metals. More than 300 trucks had been deputed all over the country to collect the metals from the citizens. The collected metals have to be deposited with the construction engineers at Gujarat by the 31st January, 2014.

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VBS offers children with outreach, learning and fun

Morung Express New Dimapur | January 6

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The weeklong “Pandamania: where God is wild about you (Psalm 139)” Vacation Bible School commenced at Dimapur Ao Baptist Church Signal Fellowship on January 6, drawing more than 150 children for the six days of outreach, learning and fun.

The fellowship teacher incharge is coordinating the event with a team of 18 teachers and 18 volunteers.

The children, who ranged from pre-kindergarten to 10th class age, have a range of activities available to them throughout the week. This includes snack, craft making, Bible stories, games and singing.

The activities are centered on Bible story for that day, each session is for about 30 minutes, the stu-

Children attending the weeklong Vacation Bible School that commence on January 6, 2014 at Dimapur Ao Baptist Church Signal Fellowship. (Photo Courtesy/Aden Jamir)

dents are constantly doing something new, and different that kept them engaged The focus points of the VBS are to teach children the Bible lessons, educate them concerning the Church, the Bible and missions. It is expected that the education, which students receive during these

periods would make them knowledgeable about God’s word and Christianity.

Teach in such a way that the students are made to think about what they are taught.

VBS is a time for devotion that leads to a religious experience. On chosen theme, messages are developed.

The messages are given

to help students to have a personal experience with Christ and accept Him as their Saviour and Lord, on Christian growth, worship, witnessing and missions, Second Coming of the Lord, challenging the students to live a life of witness, expecting His glorious return.

VBS may be termed as

an extracurricular activity. Time and opportunity is given to the students for self-expression and creative activities. They are encouraged to keep the VBS premises clean and beautiful. In the afternoon, they are asked to make models that go with their lessons. If possible, both students and

teachers can come in the afternoon to their classes, to work on the models or it can be done at home.

Activities such as Activities such as “Care and share day”, “Dignity of labour day” and “combine lunch” are included to promote the teaching of love, the challenge of work, earn

and give to the cause of missions.

On the final day (Saturday), each class will give short presentation of what they have learnt in VBS classes. They get their workbooks, certificates and other awards to take home.

With this type of a holistic Christian education

programme, VBS ministries held students with education, experience and expression, give them knowledge of the Bible, help them to discover God’s love and God-given talents.

Opportunities are given to use their creative talents, to help the neighbours and the cause of missions.

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Regional

The Morung express

Tuesday

7 January 2014

Rs 40,000 Cr investment in Assam road sector Guwahati, January 6 (Pti): Assam may see an investment to the tune of Rs 40,000 crore in the next 20 years for enhancing its road connectivity, including construction of National and state highways and upgradation of existing ones.

"Connectivity is very important and we must have an integrated road network for overall development of the state. For

upgrading our entire network, we will require an investment of around Rs 40,000 crore in the next 20 years," PWD Commissioner (Assam) A C Bordoloi told reporters here.

There will not be any difficulty in getting this huge amount invested in the state with many of the planned projects already receiving the Central government's approval, he added.

itanaGar , January 6 (Pti): Failure to use basic knowhow provided by the Horticulture department to orange growers at Lohit district in Arunachal Pradesh has led to a decline in production of the fruit.

"We are getting feedback and closely observing the prime reason of decline in orange production and working out a plan to address the issue," the district's Horticulture Development Officer S Rehman said.

"It needs scientific approach right from pit digging, accurate spacing, maintaining proper sanitation and pruning, regular inspection, spraying of insecticide and fungicide to control trunk borer and bark eating caterpillars," he added.

The failure by farmers to use basic technical knowhow imparted from time to time were the reasons for the decline in citrus production, departmental officers said.

Altogether, 51 farmers with over 10 hectare orange orchards earning Rs 6

lakh annually in the district are bearing the brunt of declining orange production.

Patam Rangmang, a progressive farmer from Wakro circle said, "Our mainstay of economy is in threat. If production declines, our livelihood would be affected which needs immediate intervention by the horticulture department."

"The production as expected this year was disappointing and we earned a meagre Rs 19,000 instead of Rs 30,000-40,000," Ayansi Tindiya of Changliang village said.

The district horticulture department, however, cited scanty rainfall as the main cause of decline in orange production.

"The department has launched multi-disciplinary strategies to rejuvenate the orange orchards," District Horticulture Officer O Tabing said.

"The department's officials have been constantly liaising with progressive farmers to address the unprecedented symptoms discovered in citrus cultivation," he added.

Failure to use knowhow causing decline in orange output in AP

"The entire activity will be a mix of various developments. While we are aggressively expanding the NH network, work for upgradation of the state highways are also on full-swing," Bordoloi said, adding the department's work some time gets delayed due to problems in land acquisition.

Giving an idea, he said within the next 3-5 years, the state will have around 6,000 km of state high-

ways and over 3,000 km of NH network.

"In the next one year, we will have another 1,000 km of NH in addition to the already completed 1,600 km NH in Assam," said Bordoloi, who is also the Special Secretary (PWD) to the state government.

During this phase, the newly declared NH127(B) will be constructed between Srirampur on NH-31(C) and Phulbari

via Dhubri, including construction of a bridge over Brahmaputra.

Besides, an alternate NH is being proposed between Guwahati and Silchar in Barak valley to cut the travel time.

Also, work is going on to improve the NH-52 bypass in North Lakhimpur and NH-37 bypass in Gauhati University.

"Apart from new constructions, a big focus is

given on expansion of the the existing roads. We are converting the two-lane highways into four-lanes, while the single-lane state roads are being made twolanes," Bordoloi said.

On the rural front, he said the Centre has given special attention to improve the rural roads as allweather roads and projects are being implemented mainly under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana

Palatana eases Tripura’s power problem aGartaLa, January 6 (aGEnciES): Tripura is now the power surplus and load-shedding free state of the country, as the present demand and generation of power in the state, especially after the commercial operation of ONGC’s Tripura Palatana

ence of Kamtapur Liberation Organization(KLO) was most pronounced. Naturally the suspicion of intelligence had also gone to them only after the blast.

But, "KLO is not operating in isolated way. They have close link up with other extremists groups in NE Indian states like Assam or Nagaland. Most of the members of new KLO central committee are from NE states and already got trained in Myanmar," said a senior Intelligence official. "We also have information about the

REGION Briefs

Six bodies with injury marks recovered in Assam Guwahati, January 6 (Pti): Six bodies with injury marks have been recovered from a village in Udalguri district of Assam, police said on Monday. Five bodies, with injury marks caused by sharp weapons, were dug out from a place at Lailongpara village last evening. Another body was found near a road side ditch in Gosenpara area of the same district on Monday, the police said. The five persons, missing since January 3, were suspected to have been killed due to a land dispute and buried in a freshly dug pit. The bodies were identified as that of 60-year-old Furen Narzary, Sohan Gour, his wife Dinu, his relatives Jatin Gour and Deobari Gour. The Gours hailed from Fuloguri village, about 25km from the spot where the bodies were found. The body recovered on Monday has been identified as that Sunil Murmu and the cause of the killing was yet to be ascertained. A massive man hunt has been launched to nab the accused.

Cotton College teacher goes missing

Guwahati, January 6 (Pti): A senior faculty member of the premier Cotton College here went missing from the North East Book Fair two days ago. The police said today that Bhagaban Goswami, head of the History department of the college, was dropped by his son at the book fair in the city on January 4 evening. He was reported missing since then, the police said. "An investigation is going on," a police officer said.

'Arunachal should explore potential'

itanaGar, January 6 (Pti): The people of Arunchal Pradesh should explore the potential in tourism, horticulture, traditional handicrafts and seek opportunities in non-government sectors and self-employment, Governor Lt Gen (retd) Nirbhai Sharma said today.

"You have all that is required to reach on the top. Believe in yourself and think of the bright future lying ahead of you," Sharma said while participating in the Si Donyi festival of the Tagin tribe here. He said that the state government would hold district job melas in the district headquarters which would open potential avenues of employment for the youth. Sharma said "We can become one of the leading states in the country if all of us contribute to the best of our ability and capacity towards the achievements of the aim." He also called upon the youth and elders to preserve the age-old traditions and cultural heritage of the state.

3

NGT admits case on Lower Subansiri project

Guwahati, January 6 (Pti): National Green Tribunal (NGT) today admitted a case pertaining to the ecological issues related to the downstream of the Lower Subansiri Hydro Electric Project dam by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Limited.

Filed by NGO Assam Public Works and admitted by Justice Swatantar Kumar, who issued notices to NHPC, Ministry of Environment and Forest(MoEF), Power Ministry and governments of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, NHPC has to submit reply to the tribunal by January 29 next.

The petitioner has prayed for a suitable opening through the dam at a suitable level through which 'sustenance water' of 450 cusec, which is the average minimum of the lean water flow over a period, for survival of the Indian Gangetic Dolphins and other aquatic animals.

The petitioner also prayed for technologically sound embankments up to the confluence with Brahmaputra so that flushed sediments from the reservoir do not destroy the agricultural fields of the villages as A student glides on a rope to cross a river during a rock climbing and river crossing training session, as part of the activities organized by adventure orga- has happened in NEEPCO's Ranganadi project. nization Explorers in Guwahati, Assam on Sunday, January 5. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Power Company (OTPC) is balanced. TSEL’s chairman cum managing director (CMD) Shyamal Kumar Roy on Monday said, keeping in view some possible technical faults in transmission of additional power from Palatana project, TSECL officially did

not declare the state as a load-shedding free state.

The power production from the first unit of Palatana project has already reached above 320 MW through gas and steam turbines and after full-load operation of first unit of 363 MW capacity plant, Tripura

will get 98 MW of power from it. Roy added that now state’s own generation stands at 105 MW and Tripura gets 40 MW more power from Northeast grid.

From all sources Tripura’s power supply stands at 225 MW, which is 40 MW more than its demand.

Rebirth of militant organizations a major concern for Assam

SiLiGuri, January 6 (Et): Rebirth of Militant organizations and their establishments in inhospitable jungle covered terrain in Eastern Himalayan foothills region in West Bengal has become a major concern for the state administration.

Though it was in intelligence files since long, but came on surface through a bloodshed and loss of six lives in a bomb blast at Jalpaiguri. Among many organizations who remained active in the region time to time, pres-

(PMGSY) scheme.

Assam has a total of 14,301 km of completed rural roads and around 1,600 km are left to be completed under the PMGSY scheme, he added.

On the road bridges front, over 3,300 have been converted into RCC bridges under different state and central government schemes out of a total of 6,553 timber bridges across the state.

Dimapur

extremist's movements in these regions," said Mr. S Joshi, DG BSF. Not only Jalpaiguri blast, but many recent incidents have forced state Government to reopen the almost closed file of launching a new wing of state police to combat KLO. The Special operation group(SOG), consisting of senior and bold officers with experience of facing KLO during the era of its previous reign is likely to remain under command of an IPS officer of SP level. The SOG will have close

coordination capacity with different district police as well as beyond state border. But, "How far formation of another police group can handle KLO that needed full scale military assault 11 years back to go low key?" asked a senior administrative officer.

The question becomes more relevant when it is considered that operation of KLO is not only confined within the state or country but supported by forces in different countries. BSF had always been mentioning about Indian

militants hidden camps in Bangladesh. Camps in Bhutan, once destroyed through Operation Flash out in 2003, have also been taking rebirth. Myanmar soil is also being learnt to be hosting Indian militant forces hidden camps.

At this situation, "Not only combative assault, but political and social approach within the country diplomatic approach with the concerned neighbours are too important to bring back the situation under true control," opined political observers.

'Tripura will give jobs despite limitations'

aGartaLa, January 6 (ianS): The Left Front government in Tripura will continue to provide government jobs to the youths despite its limitations, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said.

"We would not stop providing government jobs to the unemployed youths despite the central government's various norms and provisions against providing fresh government jobs," Sarkar said while speaking at a function here Sunday night.

He said: "Tripura is a small state. It has limited resources. Despite the limitations, the state government continued to provide government jobs. The central government closed the door for fresh government employment."

Sarkar's statement came in the wake of widespread agitation across the state by a section of unemployed youths and various political parties, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party, against reported deprivation of government jobs.

Many offices of the Communist Party of IndiaMarxist were vandalised and some of its leaders assaulted during the past week after the state education department issued to 4,606 youths offers of appointment as government school teachers.

"Over 122,000 job seekers had applied for getting jobs of teachers in government primary schools, we have given jobs to 4,606

youths, considering the necessity and government's ability. How would the state government provide jobs to all," Sarkar said.

These offers have been made by Tripura for the first time in 17 years that too without conducting the teachers eligibility test (TET).

According to the guidelines of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, the TET is mandato-

ry for recruitment of government school teachers.

"We started the process of recruitment of 5,000 school teachers in 2002.

Due to various reasons, the process was stalled. The government took the decision to recruit 4,606 primary school teachers after studying all legal and administrative aspects," the chief minister added.

He said: "In near future we would provide necessary training to both the

government teachers and the educated youths who would seek jobs in teaching. We are setting up many schools. For these schools, where would we get huge number of trained teachers?"

Tripura youth Congress president Sushanta Chowdhury said the Left Front government was cheating the youths by providing teachers' jobs without following the provisions of the Right to Education Act.

KOHIMA BIBLE COLLEGE Associate Member of ATA, Affiliated to NATA & Approved by The Govt. of Nagaland P.O. Box – 482 Kohima: Nagaland

Born Again, certain of your call to the ministry, and have the commitment to serve the Lord; you are welcome to Kohima Bible College -The first established Bible College in Nagaland and God’s own ordained place in training men and women for the Global mission.

The College: - Is Bible-centered, Christ-centered and gives special emphasis on the anointing work of the Holy Spirit.

- Is committed for Spiritual quality with Academic excellence.

ADMISSION OPEN FOR THE FOLLOWING COURSES: Courses offered Eligibility Duration Master of Divinity (Regular & Extension) B.Th / B.A. / B. Sc 2 years Bachelor of Theology HS (+2) / PUC 3 years HSLC 4 years Certificate in Theology HSLC 3 years Graduate in Theology Under Matriculate 4 years • Limited Seats for New Admission to the Spring Session 2014 is still available.

New Admissions will be given on first cum first basis.

• The College will reopen on 9th January, 2014.

Applicants are invited for the following Vacant Post: New Testament : 1 (One) Systematic Theology : 1 (one) • Submit Bio-Data with all related documents For more information contact: Principal Vice-Principal (M)- 9436011961 (M)-8575733192

Lucky Draw Result of Siimai (Sarana Mai) All Saint Catholic Church

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Rengma Youth Organisation Dimapur expressed its deepest gratitude to the medical camp, organisations, NGOS for rendering their services and medical treatment to displace Western Rengma at relief camp, Shantipur under Chokihola Police Station, Karbi Anglong, Assam on 2nd day of January 2014, around 154 patients were treated. The following medical teams, NGOS, Organisation were: 1. Dr. Kavito 2. Br. Philip Kent 3. Dr. Kevisenuo Aba 4. Dr. Ayo Tankhul 5. People Livelihood Society 6. NACR Peace Channel Young’s Club 7. Borohpathar State Dispensary 8. Bokajan CHE 9. Balipathar MPHE. During this crucial time and even detained by the Karbis people the Medical teams, NGOS and Organisation have sacrifice their life and treated the patient. We the Rengma have nothing in return to acknowledgement for the kind deed to us but may the Lord Almighty God bless you all abundantly.

The Rengma Youth Organisation Dimapur also would like to thank the Youth, Police personnel for sacrificing their life and time for the 12 hours Karbi banned on 30th December 2013. The banned was peaceful without any untoward incident.

Rengma Youth Organisation Dimapur.

OFFICE OF THE STATE CHILD PROTECTION SOCIETY NAGALAND: KOHIMA No. SCPS/ADVT-01/106 Dated Kohima, the 06th Jan. 2014

NOTIFICATION

As per advertisement No. SCPS/ADVT-01/106 dated 26 March, 2013 of State Child Protection Society for the recruitment to the post of Superintendent, Counselor, Probation Officer, House father, House Mother and Paramedical, the interview will be conducted on 22nd Jan 2013 at 9:30 A.M. in the office of the State Child Protection Society, Near S.P. Office, Kohima.

Therefore all the candidates are hereby directed to be in the Office of the State Child Protection Society, Kohima. Further, the candidates are reminded to bring the Admit card alone with original document on the day of interview without which candidates will not be allowed for interview.

(KHEHOTO SEMA) Society Director State Child Protection Society Nagaland Kohima

ST. JOSEPH’S COLLEGE JAKHAMA

VACANCY Applications are invited for the following positions: 1. Asst. Prof. for Botany. (M.Sc. ) 2. Computer Data Entry Operator (Advanced Computer Skills) 3. Science Lab Assistant (Any graduate) Applications may be submitted in person or by email to stjosephc@gmail.com on or before January 20, 2014. For more info, contact 9436018442, 9436437544

C M Y K

4

businEss

Tuesday

Dimapur

7 January 2014

The Morung Express

India considers easing gold import curbs Audi launches RS7 Sportback in India

New DeLhI, JANUARY 6 (ReUteRS): Officials are in discussions to cut a record high import duty on gold and relax rules on exports, government sources said, after the measures helped narrow the country’s trade deficit and now threaten to encourage smuggling. india imposed the curbs last year when overseas gold purchases the country’s second most expensive import after oil pushed its current account deficit to a record and undermined the rupee currency.

With three duty hikes last year to a record 10 percent and onerous restrictions tying purchases to exports, official arrivals shrank almost 90 percent in the six months to November, helping China displace india as the world’s top gold buyer. the decision to cut the import duty is likely to be taken anytime this

BIRTHDAY GREETINGS

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From Morung Family

to March 31, 2014, down at least $20 billion from earlier estimates, the second source said. Even the governor of india’s central bank, whose insistence that 20 percent of gold imports be exported as jewellery has hurt the most, has suggested there may come a time for change.

“Once we feel more comfortable with the current account deficit, once we have a sense the tapering, at least the threat of it, is behind us, we will certainly consider unwinding some of these distortionary actions,” raghuram rajan said last month. He had also said smuggling would rise if curbs on gold imports continued for too long. indians are smuggling in more bullion than ever as buyers seek alternative sources of the metal, which is often given as gifts at weddings and festivals in the

month, said one of the government sources, who has direct knowledge of the deliberations but did not want to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.

With the current account deficit much reduced and little impact seen on the rupee from the U.S. Federal reserve’s decision to cut back stimulus, the time may soon be right for authorities to make it easier for gold-hungry indians to buy. “Earlier, we had argued that we should wait for the Fed’s decision on tapering its monetary stimulus. after the Fed’s decision, we are not left with any strong argument,” said another source with direct knowledge of the deliberations. the Fed trimmed its monthly bond purchases at the end of 2013 with little impact on the rupee. india’s current account deficit is now likely to be less than $50 billion in the year

country. Between april and September, customs officials seized nearly double the amount of illegal gold taken in the whole of 2012. the World Gold Council estimates about 150 to 200 tonnes may be smuggled during 2013, on top of official demand of 900 tonnes.

India’s official imports were 21 tonnes in November, down from 2012’s monthly average of 72 tonnes and sharply below the record of 162 tonnes hit in May, according to thomson reuters GFMS.

SUPPLY CRUNCH, PREMIUMS SOAR the supply crunch helped drive indian gold premiums to a record high of $160 an ounce over London prices in early december, versus about $1.30 to $1.50 an ounce in Singapore. Jewellers, who estimate india’s monthly demand to be nearer 60

tonnes, have been asking for a duty cut to 8 percent and have the backing of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata party, which is leading in state polls ahead of national elections due this year.

A final decision lies with Finance Minister p.

Chidambaram, who has so far resisted a cut but shifted last week to say he was in favour of continuing “some restraint” on imports. N. r.

Bhanumurthy, an economist at delhi-based thinktank the National institute of public Finance and policy (NipFp), said: “We have unaccounted imports of gold that are much more damaging for the overall monetary system. it actually creates a huge problem for monetary policy.

“Now when they have come close to a comfort level on the current account deficit, there is definitely a need to review this import duty.”

MUMBAI, JANUARY 6 (BL): audi, the German luxury car manufacturer, has launched the rS 7 Sportback in india, with a price tag of rs 1.28 crore (ex-showroom, Mumbai). The five-door coupé, which boasts of being the most powerful audi in its existing range in india, is powered by a biturbo V8 engine.

“We started the year with the historic achievement of becoming the first-ever luxury car manufacturer to achieve sales of 10,000 units in a year, and now we follow it up with another momentous step - introduc-

New projects by private sector at historic low

MUMBAI, JANUARY 6 (BS): in case someone needed it, here is further proof that slowdown is likely to continue atleast till a working government is in place at the centre. private sector new project announcements are at historical lows in India. A report filed

by Citi research titled ‘india infrastructure insight #32’ collating projects data from CMiE (Centre for Monitoring indian Economy) says that new project announcements by the private sector has fallen by a whopping 54 per cent in the third quarter of Fy14 as compared to the same period last year and by 49 per cent over the previous quarter. New project announcements stood at rs 161 billion.

Citi says that historically any uptick in capex in india has been driven by the private sector, thus a sharp decline in their announcement paints a dismal picture of capex cycle for the country.

Even as new projects are not being announced, work on the existing ones have also slowed down. Completed projects fell by 61 per cent over the previous year and 33 per cent over the previous quarter. Even as the private sector has slowed down their activity, even government sponsored projects seem to have applied the brakes. Completed government projects fell by 56 per cent on a yoy basis and 31 per cent on a QoQ basis.

For all the lip service given by the prime Minister and Finance Minister, Citi says the various measures by the government have so far had very limited impact on the ground. Citi uses the quantum of stalled projects data to draw home the point. after remaining stable for nearly four quarters, quantum of under-implementation but stalled projects have increased by 10 per cent over the previous year and 9 per cent over the previous quarter. the only silver lining is the sharp increase in announcements of government projects. New projects announcements by government has shot up by 10 per cent on a yoy basis and 2.2 per cent as

compared to the previous quarter.

Mood in the private sector is so low that after 40 quarters, government projects are higher than those by the private sector for three consecutive quarters. a Goldman Sachs report highlighting the issue says that while 31 per cent of the projects addressed to it has been cleared by the CCi, real implementation of those will be key to re-start the capex cycle.

Citi feels that new project announcements are likely to fall further as private new projects are unlikely to pick-up before the general elections in mid-2014.

Worst, even government projects will come down as election dates are announced.

iBerry launches ‘Octa-core’ tablet in India

Bbi

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CheNNAI, JANUARY 6 (IANS): Technology firm iBerry has launched a Octa-core processor-based tablet, the first in india, and said it is the cheapest in the segment. the tablet is powered by Samsung’s Exynos 5 Octa-Core 28nm processor with tri-core GpU of powerVr SGX 544Mp and equipped with world’s first and one-of-its-kind switchable 3G module, iBerry said in a statement. it uses a switchable third generation (3G) module technology, so that a user can plug-in

or plug-out the SiM module chip anytime. the users thus have the option to decide if they want to use the device as a phone or just as a Wi-Fi tablet. For instance, if a user wants to use the device just as a WiFi tablet, then he/she can plug-out the SiM module from the device, thus making it a WiFi tablet and eventually gets the advantage of higher battery backup sans the SiM module chip. “in addition to it, auxus CoreX8 3G comes with 2GB ddriii raM on a 7.85 inch display of 720p resolution, 16 GB inbuilt

memory, android 4.2.2 which is upgradeable to higher versions of android in future via Ota,” the statement said. the company has also launched a new model in smartphone called “auxus Xenea X1”. the smartphone comes bundled with Optimised Jumbo Headset for thrilling and entertaining experience for music buffs. auxus CoreX8 3G is priced at rs.20,990, while the new smartphone will cost rs.9,990. Booking for the new products will start from January 10.

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LEISURE

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.”

1

SUDOKU Game Number # 2754

DAILY CROSS WORD

CROSSWORD # 2765

tion of the most powerful audi model from our product range - audi rS 7 Sportback in india,” said Joe King, Head, audi india. the audi rS 7 Sportback can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and provides a top speed of 305 km/h. With a hybrid aluminum design, it weighs roughly 15 per cent less than a comparable allsteel body.

Bollywood actor Salman Khan became the first customer of the car in India, after King handed over the keys at a press conference.

BlackBerry Q5 price slashed, now available at Rs 19,990

New DeLhI, JANUARY 6 (PtI): BlackBerry Ltd is going all out to boost its sales. the Canadian handset maker has now slashed the price of its Q5 smartphone by 20 per cent to rs 19,990. the device, powered by BB10 operating system and with a QWErty keypad, was earlier priced at rs 24,990. in a statement on Monday, the smartphone maker introduced a New year Bonanza offer for its popular Q5 smartphone, under which customers can purchase the device at rs 19,990. “the New year Bonanza aims at providing a powerful mobile device, with cutting edge BlackBerry 10 OS at an affordable price point to the consumers,” BlackBerry india director (distribution) Sameer Bhatia said. the offer is in line with BlackBerry’s commitment towards the indian market and will help the brand to reach out to more potential customers, he added.

Last month, BlackBerry had reduced the price of its Q10 handset by over 13 per cent to rs 38,990 under a similar offer (valid till January 26) while in September it cut the price of its Z10 smartphone by 31 per cent to rs 29,990. it also ran an offer for free and discounted apps for its BB10 operating system-run devices - Q5, Q10, Z10 and Z30 - in india. though the company does not disclose the number of its users, sources suggest 27-30 per cent of its sales in india is of devices powered by the BB10 platform. in india, the four BB10-powered devices are priced between rs 22,000 and rs 44,000.

The Canadian firm has been facing stiff competition from other smartphone makers like apple and Samsung, as sales have declined over the past few months globally.

Besides, it is also betting on apps, including taking its popular messaging service BBM to other operating systems, to rake in additional revenue in the coming months.

BlackBerry, in a filing, had disclosed that mounting inventory had cost the company about $1.6 billion in the third quarter and forced it to cancel the launch of two new devices. it said the pile up was mainly on account of unsold BlackBerry 10 devices, which was launched in January last year with much fanfare.

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 # 2753

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

G D U G T P A T E L L A X N O A H T O O

1. Merchandise that is shoddy 6. Cain’s brother 10. Actors in a show 14. A radioactive gaseous element 15. A measuring instrument 16. Leer at 17. Licoricelike flavor 18. Twin sister of Ares 19. Bearing 20. Resentment 22. Implored 23. Feline 24. Everglades bird 26. Exploit successfully 30. Wish granter 32. Provide 33. Magnitude 37. Parental sister 38. Enraged 39. A few 40. Recent arrival 42. Dishes out 43. Large black bird 44. Scholarly person 45. Large long-necked wading bird 47. Directed 48. Urarthritis

49. Authorized 56. Beige 57. Makes a mistake 58. Dromedary 59. Lion sound 60. Hissy fit 61. Operatic solos 62. Man 63. Collections 64. Rental agreement

DOWN 1. Blah 2. Hindu princess 3. Modify 4. Outlay 5. Patella 6. Go-between 7. Exposed 8. Auspices 9. Diminished 10. Compacted 11. Nimble 12. Mixture of rain and snow 13. Care for 21. Beam 25. Martini ingredient 26. Resound 27. Shade of blue 28. Litter’s littlest 29. Written material 30. Donated

31. Arab chieftain 33. 10 cent coin 34. Greek letter 35. Portent 36. Where a bird lives 38. Unloved 41. Tin 42. Physical examination 44. Animal companion 45. Hot chocolate 46. Not urban 47. Enumerates 48. Bacterium 50. Sea eagle 51. Fortitude 52. Filly’s mother 53. Dogfish 54. Orange pekoe 55. If not Ans to CrossWord 2764

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

TUENSANG: 03861-220256/101 (O) 8974322879

08974997923

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

Toll free No. 1098 childline

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Public SPace/lOcal

The Morung Express

Tuesday 7 January 2014

Dimapur

5

Nagaland Home Minister responds to NPCC E

ver since the unfortunate and highly despicable acts committed to the passengers including ladies of the Zunheboto-bound Tata Sumo near Zunheboto by the 3 cadres of the NSCN (IM) on December 21 last, the State Government had been making all out efforts to defuse the fast unwanted surging situation.

These despicable and inhuman acts committed to the Sumi ladies and their co-passengers on that fateful December 21 last by the cadres of the NSCN (IM) invited wide-spread angers from the Naga people particularly the Sumis in the Zunheboto district.

The NSCN (IM) also admitted that their 3 cadres had committed such heinous and shameful crimes.

Yet, the angry Sumis under the banner of the Sumi Hoho and other apex frontal organizations of the Sumis in the district, after a public protest rally at the Zunheboto district headquarters on December 22, 2013, the following 3-Point Ultimatum was served to

T

he so-called All India Karbi National Assembly (AIKNA)’s contention that RNPC’s Political Agenda put forth on 5th Jan’2014 is “Provocative” and “Highly offensive” is only adding fuel to the fire.

The fact of the matter is that a seemingly responsible organisation like AIKNA (judging from its nomenclature) does not find it provocative or offensive that thousands of Rengmas have been made refugees in their own homeland and women and children killed at the hands of KPLT militants and Karbi mobs is provocative enough. It is also strange

the NSCN (IM).

1.

The public at the rally resolved to urge upon the collective leadership of the NSCN (IM), to physically hand over the four NSCN (IM) cadres involved in the incident, to the district administration within three days from the date of publication of the resolution.

2. In the event of the NSCN (IM) failed to comply with the resolution (No. 1), the rally resolved that the Sumi community shall withdraw its cooperation and support to the NSCN (IM).

3.

The rally also resolved that no individual or organization shall initiate for release and extend support to the four cadres, while in custody of the district administration.

The resolution was jointly affirmed by president Sumi Hoho, Hovishe Arkha; president Sumi Totimi Hoho Kitoli Naje; vice president Sumi Kukami Hoho Vikuto Nurumi; president SKK Holuvi Chophy and SBAK women Secretary Kuholi.

In the meantime, the

that AIKNA does not find it offensive that Rengmas have been given ultimatums time and again to embrace Karbi identity or else leave the hills as it happened on 9th June, 2013. Why does the AIKNA not find it provocative that Karbi militants since the days of KNV in the early 1990’s to its present avatar, the KPLT, has been harassing and taxing Rengma Nagas even for fishing in their own rivers? Is it so provocative that NRHPF, a group formed only in December 2012 to protect Rengmas in Rengma Hills has been doing its job of protecting its own people- it

representatives of the NSCN (IM) came to Zunheboto and made a written commitment on December 25, 2013 saying that they would handover the cadres before 12 noon of December 26, 2013. However, the outfit failed to do so leading to inviting massive protest.

The Sumis and the Sumi frontal organizations in a letter on December 28 to the Chairman of the Cease-fire Monitoring Cell through DC Zunheboto said “as part of the non-cooperation to the outfit, the public resolved to flush out NSCN (IM) cadres” from Sumi inhabited area including the “Mukalimi designated camp.”

On the part of the State Government, it had been doing its best to defuse the situation arising out of the failure to honor the written commitment by the NSCN (IM) to hand over their cadres to the district administration. I, along with a group of Sumi legislators rushed to Zunheboto and met leaders of Sumi civil societies. Had the NSCN (IM) handed over their

cadres to the districts administration, things would not have exploded to such a proportion as seen afterwards at Mukalimi designated camp.

Sensing this unprecedented development that would cost innocent lives in case confrontations took place between the armed NSCN (IM) cadres and the Sumi youth at Mukalimi designated camp, a team of Sumi legislators and high ranking Government officials led by me rushed to Ghathashi some few kilometers away from the Mukalimi designated camp on December 29, 2013 and met leaders of the Sumi frontal organizations.

When we came to realize that there would be serious consequences in the event of confrontations between the cadres of the NSCN (IM) in the camp with the thousands of Sumi youth camping near their designated camp, the State Government had no option but to ask the NSCN (IM) to vacate their camp to avoid human tragedies. On the same day, that is December

29, 2013, the Government issued a “Press Communiqué” asking the NSCN (IM) cadres to vacate their camp in the interest of restoring peace and harmony in the State. This issue was taken up with the appropriate authorities, and the State, under any circumstances, would not allow any situation to go for more violence and bloodshed.

Throughout these ordeals, the State Government was not sleeping. It had requisitioned State forces from neighboring districts like Wokha, Mokokchung over and above the forces available in the district. Assam Rifles forces had been called in from various nearby posts. All these extra-ordinary steps were taken to make sure that the lives and properties of the civilians were protected under any circumstances, while also seriously working to see that the hard-earned peace process that has been going on with the Government of India for the last 16 years was salvaged.

Because the nature of situ-

ation had the potential to abrogating the ongoing ceasefire that would not auger well for the Nagas at this juncture.

One can simply imagine what would be the human tragedies had the State Government not asked the NSCN (IM) cadres to vacate their camp in Mukalimi.

Some sections of people had criticized the Government that it did not act on time but what the Government had been doing with whatever possibilities in their possession since the beginning of the unfortunate incident to the follow-up standoffs till the vacation of the camp by the NSCN (IM) cadres were not known by many including the Opposition Congress in the State.

It is very unfortunate that after almost a week of the unfortunate development, the Opposition Congress, in sections of local dailies, chose to criticize the Government particularly targeting me to “gracefully resign” as Home Minister for what they called “for incompe-

wasn’t founded to fight the state of Assam or the Union of India, whereas Karbi militants have been hacking to death women and children from Kuki, Dimasa, Adivasi and hindi-speaking communities apart from its regular clashes with the police and paramilitary forces with no visible condemnation from Karbi civil society? The RNPC would like to publicly declare to the people of Assam that not a single Karbi village has been burnt by Rengmas

but the Karbi people have very cunningly portrayed themselves as the victims by being the first to enroll themselves in relief camps in Chokihola area since conflict started on 26th December, 2013. How does the AIKNA justify this shameless act? How is it that the Assam government is being fooled at the cost of the state exchequer? Why is it that every conceivable section of Karbi society start talking about peace and normalcy as soon as their militant

groups commit carnage on other ethnic groups; it happened with the Kukis, the Dimasas, the Adivasis and now the Rengmas?

The 28 non-Karbi communities of Rengma Hills ask the Karbi civil society and politicians from acting the Wolf in Sheep’s clothing as this will only further aggravate the problems there.

Karbi civil society including the Church should not play the farcical game of blaming KPLT or NRHPF for the havoc being played out in

our land. Right thinking Karbi people should instead question the Karbi politicians and its leaders for having conspired at the highest level to chase out the indigenous land owners of Rengma Hills so that the Karbi dream of statehood is fulfilled. It is crystal clear to the people of Assam that Rengmas are the last hurdle in the Karbi people’s dream of statehood. This is the crux of the Rengma-Karbi problem and unless the bifurca-

Response to AIKNA by RNPC

tency as Home Minister.”

I would like to put some honest questions to the Opposition Congress that, where were the Congress MLAs from the Zunheboto district, when we were making all out efforts to contain the fast emerging unwanted situation? Is the Congress trying to describe me as “incompetent” when we could manage to defuse the situation or their intention was to meet their selfish ends at the expense of the lives of innocent civilians?

I don’t mind if they don’t want to acknowledge the Government’s efforts to salvage the situation but making such wild allegation even after fully realizing the whole situation was tactfully handled from exploding to an unimaginable situation is really unfortunate at this very juncture.

I also don’t agree to NPCC President Shri SI Jamir’s trying to paint my performance as R&B Minister as having poor track records. I am so amused as to how the Opposition Congress started having sud-

tion of Karbi Anglong into Rengma Hills and Mikir Hills/Hanrem Sub division is realized, no community in Rengma Hills is safe from the Karbi agenda of destruction and strife. The Karbi people are free to pursue their statehood dream, independent of Assam and no individual or entity can stop their pursuit but a future Karbi state can only encompass Hanrem Sub-division, not Rengma Hills. It is the desire of every community to live in peace with each other but the Rengmas of Assam can no longer live under Karbi hegemony.

den interest in it which, I honestly think, was looked after by me with my best effort without any political bias or otherwise, when I was in-charge of it.

I would like to remind the Opposition Congress that a good number of roads were sanctioned under various schemes namely NLCPR, PMGSY, SARDP, NEC, CRF, ISC, etc. when I was Roads and bridges Minister in the State apart from my judicious utilization of State Plan funds giving equal attention to every nook and corner of the State irrespective of political color or affiliations.

In a democratic society, the people are the best judge and my performance was reflective in the last State general election.

I would also like to caution the Opposition Congress that in such a fragile and sensitive situation such as the one that happened in Zunheboto district should not be politicized for their narrow political mileage as such attempt may lead to dangerous political ripple.

G Kaito Aye Home Minister, Nagaland

Henceforth, the Rengmas no longer recognise the KAAC. It is the desire of the Rengma people to live in peace with non-Karbi communities based on mutual respect and therefore, a new autonomous district council should be created for the fulfillment of our cherished dream.

The Rengmas along with the 27 non-Karbi communities shall pursue this political agenda of bifurcation of KAAC administered area till the end and this aspect is non-negotiable.

K. Solomon Rengma Gen. Secretary Rengma Naga Peoples’ Council

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.

RNSU-KA calls for an end to violence DipHu, January 6 (mExn): The Rengma Naga Students’ Union, Karbi Anglong has called for a stop to violence with immediate effect. A press note from the RNSU appealed to every individual and organization to work for peace and to tackle such anti social activities.

“There should not be any misunderstandings among the Tribes,” it added. The RNSU-KA appreciated the Karbi and Naga social orga-

nizations who are actively initiating for peace in this tense and turmoil situation.

Extending support for peace and reconciliation meetings in Karbi Anglong, the RNSU-KA hoped for KarbiRengma Naga talks, which will bring an amicable solution at the earliest. It strongly condemned the “massacre” of nine persons, whose decomposed bodies were recovered on January 3 and the January 4 Bokajan shooting,

which led to the death of one person. It also condemned “murder of the six Rengmas on December 27 and 28 and the burning down of more than hundred Rengma houses and their properties.” The RNSU-KA also expressed their deepest condolences to the bereaved family members and urged the authorities for a high level enquiry and to nab the culprits at all cost and punish them as per the law of the land.

DipHu, January 6 (mExn): The Hill Youth Democratic Front (HYDF) has appealed to all to maintain “peace, harmony and brotherhood” while condemning the “murder of 9 youths whose decomposed bodies recovered in Dimapur” and the “act of murdering a youth in Kara Village in Karbi Anglong and injuring many on the January 4, 2014 by miscreants.”

A press note from the HYDF President, Longkiri Timung, has also extended

appreciation to the initiative of the Naga civil society “to promote peace and brotherhood and rendering immense help to distressed Karbis in Nagaland.”

The HYDF, while maintaining that it opposes blockades and activities which may strain the relationship between the Karbi and Naga, stated, “no civil society, be it Naga or Karbi want any kind of hatred or conflict among brothers. Activities which create trouble, confusion, suspicion, conflict, etc. are

never supported or endorsed by any civil society, including the economic blockade declared along the NH 36 and NH 39 to Nagaland.”

Additionally, the HYDF has expressed its “utter dismay over some section of the media in publishing items on opinion of individuals and organizations which are provocative in nature.” In that, it has requested the media fraternity to play a strong role in “promoting peace and brotherhood.”

Dimapur, January 6 (mExn): The Council of Rengma Baptist Churches (CRBC) has expressed shock to learn of the brutal murder of 9 men, whose dead bodies were recovered on January 3 at Pachaspura under Dima-

pur district. The council in a press release appended by its executive secretary Teanga Seb also expressed it was deeply disturbed at the assault of Akivito Sumi on December 28 and his subsequent death on Decem-

ber 30. The Council strongly condemned such “inhuman and barbaric act in a Christian dominated society." The Council further prayed for God’s grace and comfort on the family members of the deceased.

ZunHEBOTO, January 6 (mExn): The Mukalimi Village Council has issued a report informing of the loss and damage of cash and property belonging to Mukalimi village during the confrontation between the NSCN (IM) and members of the public recently.

A press note from the MVC Chairman, Kughavi Swu in-

formed loss of Rs 38,000 in cash; loss of properties valued at Rs 9,05,359; including Sumi Traditional Ornamental Necklace, one SBBL 12 Bore Gun and damage to properties amounting to Rs 73, 860. It further informed of “wanton destruction of poultry, dogs, pigs and cattle, besides firewood stockpiles

and fruit trees.” It cited the “psychological trauma and harassment caused to the innocent village public by the unruly mob.” However, MVC stated that the Mukalimi public “does not hold any grudge or ill feeling towards the volunteers, individually or in general since it was an act caused by mass social unrest.”

No civil society wants conflict: HYDF

CRBC condemns killings in Dimapur

MVC informs of loss & damage to property

Unrest should not spill into Nagaland: NCD

Dimapur, January 6 (mExn): Various organizations and tribal representatives under the aegis of the Naga Council Dimapur (NCD) have resolved that the ongoing violence and unrest in neighbouring Karbi Anglong district, Assam, should not spill into Nagaland.

Concerns of the KarbiRengma conflict spilling into Nagaland were raised after the discovery of nine decomposed bodies from a

Naga civil societies resolve to reach out to Karbi counterparts to forge better understanding

ditch at Pachaspura in Chumukedima area on the outskirts of Dimapur on January 3 last.

At an emergency meeting convened by the NCD here at the Council’s office on Monday, NCD members and various civil society representatives said the urgent task at hand is

and security to those affected by the ongoing violence.

Meanwhile, NCD general secretary, Ntsemo Ngullie, informed that the NCD delegation, which was supposed to hold a meeting with Karbi organizations and Karbi Anglong district administration today had postponed the visit as the Deputy Commissioner of Karbi Anglong was busy accompanying ministers from Assam visiting the violence-hit areas.

to broker peace between the Karbis and Rengmas in Karbi Anglong district.

The meeting resolved that Naga civil societies and NGOs led by NCD would very soon meet their Karbi counterparts in order to forge better understanding between the Karbi and Rengma brethren so that

peace and normalcy return in Karbi Anglong.

Stating that the “localized” conflict should not be allowed to engulf other areas or disturb peace along the border, members present in the meeting said it is the duty of the Assam government to contain the situation and ensure peace

Union Dimapur (TSUD) has strongly condemned the December 28 brutal assault of Akivito A Sumi, class X student of Christian Higher Secondary School, which led to his death on December 30.

TSUD in a press statement appended by its president Semra A Shishak has appealed the law enforcing agencies to award befitting punishment to the culprits to set an example to all criminals. Further, it expressed deepest condolences to the family and prayed that the Almighty grant them peace

Mao Students’ Union Dimapur (MSUD) has also appealed the law enforcing agencies to award befitting and prompt punishment to the people involved in the fatal assault of Akivito A Sumi.

Vehemently condemning the incident, MSUD in a press release stated that the heinous crime committed by the unruly boys upon the student is intolerable. The students’ union further offered its deepest condolences to the family members and prayed for their peace and solace of the departed soul.

AR build community hall at Yehimi

human race and civilization since time immemorial has come a long way with history and landmark, it said, no individual or group should try to destroy and distort the truth and virtue and incite communal violence. “Every issue, difference or conflict should be resolved in a peaceful manner through negotiation and dialogue in a civilized manner,” it asserted.

“Those individuals or groups responsible for present impasse have no place in the society.” The KU urged both the governments of Nagaland and Assam to decisively and rigorously investigate the case and award befitting punishment to the culprits as per the law of the land.

Dimapur, January 6 (mExn): The 21 Battalion Assam Rifles, under the aegis of Headquarters 7 Sector Assam Rifles and Inspector General Assam Rifles (North) constructed community hall at Yehimi village, Zunheboto district on January 5, 2014 under Assam Rifles Civic Action Project for the FY 2013-14.

A press release issued by the Assam Rifles informed that the construction of community hall at Yehimi village will immensely help the village community to gather in special and festive occasions.

A large number of population of the adjoining areas will also benefit from this project, it expressed.

According to the note, the local people thanked the 21 Assam Rifles for working towards the uplift of the village and providing basic amenities.

NBCC condemns violence; Unions condemn student’s death Clarification With regard to the January 6 and solace to the departed urges for utmost restraint Dimapur, news report under the (mExn): Tangkhul Students’ soul.

Dimapur, January 6 (mExn): The Nagaland Baptist Church Council has expressed shock and sadness over the recent recovery of nine dead bodies in Dimapur and the January 4 Bokajan, which led to the death of one person. “We join all peace loving people in expressing our condolences to the families and friends of the victims and express our outrage against such abhorrent ferocity committed in our land,” stated a press note from NBCC General Secretary, Rev. Dr. L Anjo Keikung. Stating the violence will only create further divide and alienation, NBCC iterated that the need of the hour is to “mend the fragmented fabric of our societies through cordial relationship amongst all groups of people and communities.” NBCC called upon all sections of people to maintain utmost restraint and take a courageous stand to usher in just peace for the sake of the entire people. It urged church bodies at the regional level, irrespective of denomination, to unite and make every effort to restore peace in the region. It further called upon all believers to maintain prayer vigils for peace.

Orgs appeal to shun ongoing violence Dimapur, January 6 (mExn): The Lotha Hoho Karbi Anglong (LHKA) in its general meeting held on January 5 condemned the killing of nine people, whose bodies were found at Pachaspura near Dimapur on January 3. Stating this in a press release issued by the Hoho secretary Nrisao Ngullie and chairman N James Murry, the Hoho expressed sympathy to the bereaved families. Further, the Hoho appealed the warring groups to shun violence and maintain peace, while reminding that Nagas and Karbis have been co - existing since time immemorial.

The Hoho also appealed

the intellectuals of both the communities to resolve this issue amicably so that the age old relationship is maintained. Meanwhile, the Hoho urged the law enforcing agencies to contain the ongoing violence that has affected many families.

WSTH: Strongly condemning the killing of nine persons, Western Sumi Totimi Hoho has expressed shock over the incident. It called the act most volatile and inhuman that has disturbed the minds of peace loving citizens. In a statement, WSTH president Ahimsa K. Zhimo and general secretary Jolly K. Aomi said violence has been downfall for even great nations and

any society cannot prosper with violence. Therefore, all have been urged to shun all forms of violence and work together to bring about lasting peace amongst the people. WSTH believed that investigating agencies would be able to apprehend the culprits at the earliest.

Konyak Union: The Konyak Union (KU) has also strongly condemned the same "brutal massacre". A press note appended by KU president S Manlip Konyak and joint secretary L Shahkai Konyak stated, “Such an act of barbarism and senseless mind is highly despicable and unwelcoming in a civilized society and modern time.” Describing every

caption ‘Woman gangraped, one held’, which appeared in the December 28, 2013 issue of The Morung Express, it is clarified that the place of occurrence, according to the First Information Report received by the police, was “near FCI Tata Parking” and not as appeared.

The error is regretted.

6

IN-FOCUS

The Power of Truth

The Morung Express TuEsDAy 7 JAnuAry 2014 vol. IX IssuE 5

Blessings for 2014

E

C O M M E N T A R Y

A Song of Hope Oodgeroo (Kath Walker) Look up, my people, The dawn is breaking The world is waking To a bright new day When none defame us No restriction tame us Nor colour shame us Nor sneer dismay.

So long we waited Bound and frustrated Till hate be hated And caste deposed Now light shall guide us No goal denied us And all doors open That long were closed.

See plain the promise Dark freedom-lover!

Night's nearly over And though long the climb New rights will greet us New mateship meet us And joy complete us In our new Dream Time.

To our fathers' fathers The pain, the sorrow; To our children's children The glad tomorrow.

May we all find healing, compassion, grace, forgiveness and the courage to embrace the human spirit in right relationship!

lEfT wiNg |

Uma Ramasubramanian Source: IANS

‘Money cannot buy me’

O

ne of Bollywood's favourite Khans, Aamir, claims to earn the "least compared to others", and says he "cannot compromise" with his emotions as "money cannot buy me".

"Till today, I have not worked for money and that is one of my biggest strengths," Aamir, who is currently on a roller-coaster thanks to the success of his latest release "Dhoom 3", told IANS in an interview here.

He has experimented with films, roles and genres galore in his over 25-year movie career. From loverboy to teacher to villager and now a villain, he has done it all, but it's vital for Aamir to connect emotionally with a project before he gives it a thumbs up.

"It's not that I don't need money. All of us need money and, according to me, I earn the least amount of money. I earn the least compared to others and yet I am very happy because I do what my heart says.

"I never work for money. Give me Rs.100 crore for a film and if I don't like it, I will not do it. I cannot compromise with my emotions, and money cannot buy me," added the 48-year-old actor, who started his full-fledged tryst with filmdom with the 1988 romance drama "Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak".

He cemented his spot in the movie business with projects like "Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin", "Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar", "Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke", "Raja Hindustani" and "Sarfarosh". The year 2001 turned out to be a turning point for Aamir, who featured in "Lagaan" and "Dil Chahta Hai" - films as different as chalk and cheese - and proved his versatility.

Thereafter, he went on to feature in films like "Rang De Basanti", "Fanaa", "Ghajini", "3 Idiots" and the critically acclaimed "Dhobi Ghat". He even acted in and directed the commercially and critically lauded 2007 film "Taare Zameen Par", which dealt with dyslexia.

No wonder Aamir is known to make films with a no-nonsense quality.

"It is difficult for me to go out of my sensibilities and work. I can do different kinds of genres, but if my sensibility doesn't match, I will not do it. If it disturbs my values, I can't do that film," he said.

"If I had a value judgment on 'Delhi Belly', I would not have produced it. It's an adult comedy, it has use of abusive language, but I feel that even that is a colour of life which I would like to enjoy.

"So, we applied for an 'A' certificate and I went out of my way to tell people that it's an adult film and that if you have any objection, don't come," he added.

That also makes Aamir, a father of three, a socially aware and conscious citizen. He has, of course, put that realm of himself to judicious use with his TV show "Satyamev Jayate", which gives out startling facts about society's issues.

But going beyond that capacity and joining politics to bring about change is not his cup of tea.

"I am not interested in politics. I feel whatever my strengths are, I want to make use of them. Why does a person join politics? Because they want to serve society. I feel wherever I am today, I can serve society in a better way.

"I don't have to join politics for that. I am doing 'Satyamev Jayate', which is only about that. I am contributing a lot from here," said the actor.

Ken Roth Foreign Policy

The Year 2013 in Human Rights

ven as we enter the New Year with a sense of uncertainty and doubt, there is an essential need to embrace 2014 in a spirit of renewed hope and optimism. At times words are unable to fully comprehend and appreciate human pain, disappointment, fear, feelings and yearnings.

In the midst of profound hurt, suspicion, differences, animosity and a difficult and contentious past, may the words of this poem encourage, inspire, strengthen and empower us all to wake up to a new day with a song of hope and blessings.

Now brood no more On the years behind you The hope assigned you Shall the past replace When a juster justice Grown wise and stronger Points the bone no longer At a darker race.

THE EDIT PAGE

For human rights advocates, 2013 brought many grim setbacks.

Yet there were still some important signs of progress

W

ith the slaughter of civilians in Syria still horribly unrestrained, it is easy to be discouraged about human rights.

There is, of course, every reason for outrage about Syria, and about the international community's narrow focus on peace talks, unlikely as they are to succeed anytime soon, without any comparable effort to stop the killing of civilians while the fighting continues. But there has been human rights progress in many areas in 2013. That is of obvious importance for the immediate beneficiaries, but it also should encourage efforts for progress on persistent abuses elsewhere. Here are a few of the human rights milestones of the past year: Abusive Rwandan-backed rebel group in Congo crumbles. The eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo has probably had more conflict-related deaths than anywhere else since World War II. A plethora of armed groups have killed and raped civilians with impunity. Among them is a succession of rebel groups sponsored by Rwanda, both to protect it from any resurgence of the forces that committed the 1994 genocide and to exploit the region's vast mineral resources.

The latest rebel incarnation, which emerged in May 2012, was the M23, led by, among others, Bosco Ntaganda, who was wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Rwanda got away with instigating these atrocities due in part to the lingering guilt among the international community for failing to stop the genocide. The killing in 1994 was halted only by an invasion of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, led by Paul Kagame, today Rwanda's president. Another factor has been the international admiration for Rwanda's impressive economic advances in the post-genocide period, albeit under the leadership of an autocratic government that brooks no dissent.

Things began to change in June 2012, when Human Rights Watch and a group of United Nations experts uncovered compelling evidence that Rwanda was providing military support to the M23. For the first time, powerful Western governments -- including Rwanda's most important backers, the United States and Britain -- began to criticize Rwanda and even to suspend assistance. Rwanda simply denied supporting the M23, undermining the government's credibility and reconfirming the importance of pressuring it to stop.

At first the pressure succeeded in forcing the M23 to pull back from Goma, the area's largest city, and it later contributed to Ntaganda's surrender to the ICC. Still, for over a year, it was not enough to stop the M23 from preying on the people of the region.

When the M23 opened an offensive in October 2013, however, Rwanda's role was all too clear. This time, United States Secretary of State John Kerry and British Foreign Secretary William Hague telephoned Kagame and told him to stop. He did. Deprived of the military support it needed to survive, and facing intensified pressure from a reinforced UN peacekeeping force, the M23 crumbled within days. For the first time in years, eastern Congo is apparently free of the predations of a Rwandan-backed armed group.

China abolishes "re-education through labor." Many falsely assume that China is immune to pressure on human rights. In reality, that is more a convenient excuse for governments seeking China's commercial favor than a realistic assessment. China's judicial system is notoriously compromised, formally under the direction of the Communist Party, but at least it offers the pretense of a trial before a court. However, China has also long maintained a parallel system of administrative detention in which the police, without any judicial intervention, can sentence people to up to four years of forced labor, often under harsh conditions. The most active part of this system was known as "re-education through labor." Those caught up in it ranged from minor criminal offenders to dissidents, religious minorities, Falun Gong practitioners, and petitioners seeking redress. As recently as January, 160,000 people were serving sentences under re-education through labor.

Human rights activists and Chinese lawyers have long campaigned against this huge loophole to any promise of a fair criminal-justice system. For many years, China had been making noises about "reforming" the system. Critics expressed skepticism, fearing that this would involve only cosmetic changes, such as adding a judge to the police panel that makes detention decisions. But in new President Xi Jinping's first reform move, the government announced that

it was abolishing re-education through labor (along with a slight loosening of the one-child policy). There are still other ways the police can detain people without trial -- drug users and sex workers will likely be the principal victims -- but this most common method now seems to be on the way out.

The "Responsibility to Protect" is still vibrant.

In 2005, the world's governments made an historic pledge that they would step in if a national government failed to stop mass atrocities. The R2P doctrine, as it is known, has since been invoked successfully, most notably in Kenya and the Côte d'Ivoire. Some, however, have begun to argue that R2P is unraveling. They cite its controversial use in Libya (as NATO moved from protecting civilians to regime change), as well as the world's failure to stop the slaughter of civilians in Syria.

But in 2013, the doctrine showed a renewed vitality. When mass slaughter on sectarian grounds broke out in the Central African Republic, France and the African Union (AU) sent troops to reinforce overwhelmed AU peacekeepers, the United States contributed more than $100 million, and, as the year drew to an end, the United Nations was preparing for its own peacekeeping mission. Much more remains to be done to pull the country back from the brink, but the international community's responsibility to act is well understood.

In late December, political conflict and ethnic slaughter also threatened neighboring South Sudan, which broke away from Sudan and emerged as an independent nation only two years ago. Within days, the UN Security Council approved an additional 5,500 peacekeepers for South Sudan, a swift response suggesting that, at least in the right circumstances, the R2P doctrine is still a force to be reckoned with.

The UN Human Rights Council begins to live up to its promise. The council was established in 2006 to replace the UN Human Rights Commission, which had lost credibility as repressive governments flocked to it in an effort to use their votes to avoid censure. The council had tighter membership standards, but for its first few years was little better than its predecessor. In recent years, however, the council has come into its own. A key factor has been the Obama administration's decision to join it after the Bush administration shunned it. Other governments have also played an important role, including Mexico, Switzerland, Chile, Botswana, Brazil, Argentina, Mauritius, Benin, Maldives, Costa Rica, and a number of European Union states. Together they made a successful effort to bridge the political divides and overcome the apathy that often stood in the way of effective action. Even traditionally more reluctant countries, such as Nigeria and Thailand, were persuaded to play productive roles.

The positive results are most visible in the case of Sri Lanka. In 2009, when some 40,000 civilians were killed in the waning months of the conflict with the Tamil Tigers, the council's initial reaction was to congratulate the government on its victory. But for the past two years, the council has pressured Sri Lanka to honor its pledge to investigate war crimes by both sides and bring those responsible to account.

Similarly, in March 2013, among other useful steps, the council established a commission of inquiry to collect evidence of North Korea's crimes against humanity -- the first step toward possible prosecution.

Two former African leaders face prosecution.

During his reign as president of Chad from 1982 to 1990, Hissène Habré is alleged to have committed systematic torture and thousands of political executions. Deposed, he fled to Senegal, where he lived in comfortable exile as the country's former president, Abdoulaye Wade, obstructed repeated efforts to prosecute him -- in Senegal, in Belgium, and via mandate of the African Union.

Yet Habré's victims, and activists working with them, persevered. Their fortunes began to change when Macky Sall assumed Senegal's presidency in 2012 and the International Court of Justice ordered Senegal to prosecute Habré "without further delay." In June 2013, Senegal arrested Habré, and he remains in custody for a trial anticipated in late 2014 or early 2015. Habre's trial would mark the first time in modern history that the courts of one country tried the leader of another for alleged grave crimes under international law.

Similarly, an internationally established tribunal in September 2013 affirmed the conviction of Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia, for planning and aiding and abetting atrocities by rebels in neighboring Sierra Leone, including by trading his arms for their diamonds. This sets a precedent that may come to haunt other leaders who assist atrocities in other countries by providing military support to abusive forces.

Exposing the National Security Agency's mass surveillance to public scrutiny. President Barack Obama is still trying to prosecute Edward Snowden, but he deserves a hero's welcome from everyone else for the tremendous service he did by exposing the NSA's massive surveillance ofelectronic communications and activities. If not for Snowden, we wouldn't know the extraordinary breadth of the NSA's data collection practices -- such as the fact that the agency

collects metadata about potentially all phone calls in the United States because, under woefully outdated rules, none of us has any legitimate expectation of privacy about this information on the grounds that we shared it with the phone company.

Snowden also helped to highlight the NSA policy that foreigners outside the United States don't even have a recognized right to the privacy of the contents of their communications. He revealed that the NSA doesn't believe it affects our privacy when it collects our communications, only when it examines them. That amounts to saying it would be okay for the government to collect a video stream from your bedroom and store it on a government computer so long as it wasn't watched until the government came up with some reason to do so.

And without Snowden we wouldn't realize how weak the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court has been in reviewing all of these transgressions -- though we shouldn't have been surprised given that its judges, all hand-picked by the conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, hear only from the government and lack technical expertise. None of this has been fixed, although recommendations from a reform panel that Obama established address some of the issues. But after Snowden's disclosures, it is hard to imagine the world simply moving on as if nothing has happened.

A treaty to protect domestic workers takes effect. The world's most vulnerable workers are probably the millions who labor in people's homes, most of them women and girls. Working in isolation, often far from their own countries, they are ripe for economic exploitation, physical and sexual abuse, and trafficking. Yet they historically have been excluded from the rights afforded most other workers under national labor laws, due to a reluctance to legislate working conditions in the home, often coupled with the myth that these workers are treated like members of the family.

That should begin to change with the new Domestic Workers Convention, which took effect in September. It entitles domestic workers to most of the same rights that laborers outside the home have long enjoyed, including such basics as a weekly day off, limits on hours of work, and a minimum wage. In the two years since the convention was adopted, dozens of countries have strengthened labor-rights protection for domestic workers including comprehensive reforms in the Philippines and Argentina and new protections in Brazil's constitution. There is still a long way to go, but increasingly domestic workers' second-tier status under national labor laws is coming to an end.

Burma releases most of its political prisoners. The reformist government of Burma's President Thein Sein is at best a work in progress. The military still dominates the government and shows no willingness to change the constitution to, for example, permit Aung San Suu Kyi to run for president. War crimes committed in the ethnic conflicts in Burma's border regions remain unprosecuted. New violence has erupted against Muslims, particularly the Rohingya minority, led by Buddhist extremists and often tolerated by the security forces, with muted criticism from key national figures such as Aung San Suu Kyi. But there is important good news. Independent organizations, while still subject to constraints, are flourishing more than at any time in the past 25 years. The media, while still embattled, are more outspoken. And hundreds of political prisoners -- the vast majority -- have been released.

Some new people have been charged on political grounds -- a trend that needs to be stopped -- but there is no question that political detention has decreased dramatically in the last year.

Marriage equality is on a roll. It has been legalized in not only 18 U.S. states (and the District of Columbia), which the U.S. government must now recognize, but also in 16 countries, plus parts of Mexico.

Governments joining the trend in 2013 were Brazil, France, Uruguay, New Zealand, and Britain (though it has yet to take effect in the latter).

A step forward for the right to health. Because of the narrow focus of the U.S. Constitution, most Americans do not realize that international human rights law includes not only civil and political rights but also economic, social, and cultural rights. An example is the right to the highest attainable standard of health.

Obamacare might have been much less controversial if more Americans treated access to medical care as a basic human right. But one area where progress was made globally on the right to health involved the danger of mercury poisoning. Much of the world's artisanal gold mining uses mercury to separate gold from ore. Mercury is toxic, and particularly harmful to children. Exposure can cause life-long physical and mental disability. A treaty adopted in October requires governments to eliminate the most dangerous uses of mercury in mining and promote alternative forms of gold processing that do not require mercury.

An official assessment of Bush's torture policies seems nearer. On his second day in office, Obama pledged to end the Bush administration's "enhanced interrogation techniques" -- the U.S. government's preferred euphemism for torture. But shamefully, Obama has refused to prosecute those who planned and ordered the torture, encouraging future presidents to treat it as a policy option rather than the crime that it is. What's more, Obama has even fought efforts to investigate the torture, and cited the need to preserve state secrets to block victims' civil lawsuits.

That has not stopped the Senate Intelligence Committee from conducting an extensive investigation and producing a 6,000-page report. While still classified, it reportedly rejects the CIA's claim that the "enhanced interrogation techniques" yielded key information for the capture of Osama bin Laden or any other information of value, and finds that the CIA lied to Congress, the White House, and the Justice Department about the effectiveness of the program. The CIA (meaning the Obama administration) has been fighting tooth and nail to block publication, even as its own unpublished internal report is said to have reached similar conclusions. But as the year came to a close, this obstructionism seems increasingly to be failing.

Senator Dianne Feinstein, the chair of the committee, has said she intends to seek declassification of a 300-page executive summary -- the only accounting for Bush-era torture that we're likely to see anytime soon.

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.

PERSPECTIVE

7 Hope amid despair in South Sudan Small Is Really Beautiful

TuEsday

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

7 January 2014

NEWS ANALYSIS, FEATURE AND DISCOURSE

Vandana shiva

Emily Wax-Thibodeaux

W

ith his soulful songs about injustice, his work as an activist and his penchant for wrap-around sunglasses, Lam Tungwar is South Sudan’s homespun blend of Bono and Bob Marley.

Tungwar was a child soldier before he became a hip-hop star, and his lyrics chronicle the despair of his country’s decades of violence but also the determination of South Sudan’s triumphant birth 21 / 2 years ago, when the largely Christian and African South split from the Muslim and Arab North, ending Africa’s longest civil war.

In “Call the President,” he urges young South Sudanese to embrace the possibilities of their new nation: “One day, you can be the new president. Show all the youth what our future can represent.”

Though he could have fled to an easier life in the United States or Europe, Tungwar committed himself to the gritty and deeply impoverished capital of Juba, opening a community center for artists and launching a televised talent competition in the style of “American Idol.” The show promoted the idea that talent, merit and hard work were what it took to build a new life in the new country — that it was no longer a place where religion, tribe or inherited privilege determined success or failure. Thousands of young people came to try out, often traveling for days from rural villages, sometimes causing stampedes — all for a brief shot at something more.

But those ideals have been upended, even for the hopelessly hopeful Tungwar. His three brothers were killed last month in the renewed violence that is threatening the future of South Sudan. According to the United Nations, more than 1,000 lives have been taken, and 180,000 villagers have been forced to flee their homes.

Tungwar, who in my mind symbolized everything that was promising about South Sudan, has been emotionally gutted — both by his personal losses and by the prospect of his country coming apart.

“How are we back here again? We are a generation that grew up with independence and hope in our hearts,” Tungwar told me over a scratchy Skype line this past week. “Now we are all messed up again. We feel a government we had really trusted has just betrayed us. And it’s worse than Khartoum because it’s our own people.”

His devastation won’t quickly dissipate, even if ongoing peace talks in Ethiopia yield an agreement between President Salva Kiir and his ousted vice president, Riek Machar, whom Kiir accused of attempting a coup. Their rivalry has touched off widespread fighting between their supporters, largely divided along ethnic lines. Kiir is from the majority Dinka group. Machar is Nuer.

I first met Tungwar and his cousin Emmanuel Jal when I was based in Nairobi, and they were among the coolest people in Kenya. Part of East Africa’s growing hip-hop scene, they often played at clubs and at the sprawling Kakuma Refugee Camp, home to thousands of “lost boys” and other young South Sudanese who had escaped by walking for days, arriving barely alive, just as Tungwar and Jal had.

“Voices in my brain of friends that were slain,” Jal raps on his album “War Child.” “Left home at the age of 7. One year later live with an AK-47. . . . When the rest of the children were learning how to read and write, I was learning how to fight.”

The cousins’ work became popular with DJs spinning in London and Paris, and one of their songs — “Baai,” meaning “my home” — was featured in the film “Blood Diamond.”

When Jal performed for classrooms at Kakuma, some of the young students cried — huge tears that started slowly and turned into bawling as they listened to his poetry in the form of rap.

After an interview in Nairobi once, Jal gave me a copy of his CD and a bright yellow T-shirt with a slogan writ-

A

I

Source: Washington Post

s head of the South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre, Ravi Nair has first-hand knowledge of the Indian government’s oppressive behaviour towards human rights organizations critical of the state. Given the phenomenal increase and importance of foreign funds to support thousands of NGOs in India, the Foreign Contribution Relation Act (FCRA) is the first tool the Indian government uses to stifle dissent and monitor NGO activity.

Examining foreign funding flows to all Indian voluntary organizations, I found that funding is channelled to certain types of organizations only for certain types of issues. A large number of associations are not eligible because of their activities, political or otherwise.

Registration or prior permission can be denied for any of at least 23 reasons. This precludes most organizations that engage in any form of political activity from registering for the FCRA - even writing an op-ed piece critical of government policy can be grounds for punishment.

These prohibitions have a chilling effect on the rights of groups to engage in collective political and social action; social movement organizations, particularly the more politicized ones, do not register for foreign contributions and those that do cannot engage in any political activity. Minority groups such as Muslims and lower castes (Dalits) in particular encounter greater scrutiny due to their large size and history of contentious political relations with the majority Hindus, making it easy for the state to designate much of the activity they engage in as ‘political’ and ‘disturbing’ social harmony (one criteria for denying registration), and thus ineligible for state or foreign funding. With the rise of terrorism associated with Islamic extremism, Indian Muslim groups seeking foreign funding are likely to receive greater scrutiny than Christian groups.

In addition, voluntary organizations

In this photo taken on Thursday, January 2, 2014, displaced people walk to find an unoccupied patch of ground where they can rest after arriving by river barge from Bor, some of the thousands who fled the recent fighting between government and rebel forces in Bor by boat across the White Nile, in the town of Awerial, South Sudan. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

ten in magic marker: “Somebody ♥’s me in new Sudan.”

I thanked him and said I would add it to my collection of ironic African T-shirts of conflict. I also had a Chadian dictator shirt and another from Liberia with childlike drawings of guns and grenades and the endearing misspelling: “the Librators.” Jal laughed. We both knew how much pain was behind those shirts. But they were signs of coping. The people who created them seemed to be saying: We know things are bad, but it will be okay.

Humor was one way I tried to cope with the painful and seemingly intractable realities around me.

The truth was, despite my idealistic nature, I wasn’t sure how hopeful to be on a continent where a ceasefire was often just a chance to rearm, as my husband once observed during a reporting trip to cover Ivory Coast’s on-again, off-again civil war.

Certainly it was often difficult to find signs of hope during the nearly 20 reporting trips I made to Sudan.

In South Sudanese culture — a macho, cattleraising society where it’s highly taboo for men to cry — female mourners are called in to articulate pain through singing, wailing, fainting and guttural sounds. They were there during that steaming summer of 2005 when South Sudanese leader John Garang, one of Africa’s most revered icons, was killed in a helicopter crash. “Oh my people, oh my country,” they sang for hours, with such anguish that nearly a decade later I still think about it often.

I was covering Garang’s funeral and asked the women afterward if they were hopeful without their leader.

They were tough farming women, without much education. But they knew. They listed all the problems that exist today: oil money that would inevitably spark corruption and greed in a destitute country, aging rebel leaders more concerned with getting rich than with being public servants, and politicians willing to exploit underlying tribal tensions for their own power.

I heard similar warnings from Jal when he came to Washington for the opening of South Sudan’s Embassy in 2011. He looked skeptical, his eyes sad, his body language suggesting that he was hesitant to join in the revelry at a huge party at a five-star Washington hotel. Kiir was there, in his signature cowboy hat, as were civilsociety leaders, who danced for hours. In a cab on the way to a second round of parties, I asked Jal if he was okay. “It could all fall apart if oil resources aren’t shared, if there’s no real development,” he told me .

There were warnings from Americans immersed in the complexities of Sudan’s conflict, too.

A group of South Sudan advocates accused Juba security forces of conducting “a campaign of violence against civilians simply because they belonged to a different ethnic group or they are viewed as opponents of the current government ” in a July 2013 letter signed by Roger Winter, a former U.S. State Department special envoy; Sudan expert Eric Reeves ; Enough Project co-founder John Prendergast; and Ted Dagne, who had been the lead Africa analyst with the Congressional Research Service before serving for a time as an adviser to Kiir.

Dagne also pointed out widespread graft in a recent memo to the Sudanese president obtained by The Washington Post.

“Over the years, your patience to abuses by some in the leadership has been taken as weakness, and may have opened the door to undermine your leadership by the same people who were appointed to govern,” Dagne wrote. “Unless this trend is reversed quickly, these people will likely succeed in creating a state of chaos in the country.”

Dagne recommended a restructuring and reshuffle that was not rushed or political but designed to lay the foundation for the next generation, root out corruption and make the cabinet more effective and reform-minded.

“There are a lot of people in South Sudan and in the government who are committed to seeing their country strong, united, democratic and prosperous,” Dagne told me. “Unfortunately, these leaders have been sidelined or ignored by the same obstructionists who are determined to die in office for the sake of power and money.

The Mobutus of South Sudan do not understand or wish to learn what it means to be a public servant.”

When I asked Tungwar this past week how much hope he has left, Jal jumped on the phone and offered a haunting answer.

“When a baby is born, they have diseases and are very sick, and their mother thinks they are going to die,” he said. “But somehow they make it.”

His ability to assume there is sickness and suffering, but still be hopeful no matter what, is why, despite it all, I am still optimistic about South Sudan.

Emily Wax-Thibodeaux is a reporter for The Post and served as the paper’s Africa bureau chief from 2002 to 2006.

Building a domestic human rights constituency in India Rita Jalali

located in states that are declared ‘sensitive’ for security reasons also find it difficult to receive aid from abroad, as Nair has found in his organization’s investigative work on the rape in a Kashmiri village. These states not only include the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir but also the eastern states of Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Tripura.

More recently, as Nair also notes, the government has not allowed Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF), a network of more than 700 NGOs from receiving foreign funds because “they criticized Indian policies.”

However, India is not alone in using restrictive legislation to control civil society. According to the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL), “over the past year, nineteen countries have introduced restrictive legislation aimed at weakening civil society. These countries join the more than 30 with existing laws, policies, and practices that stifle the work of civil society organizations (CSOs).’’ These include not only authoritarian states but also democratically elected governments (such as Bangladesh and more recently Israel) that invoke national security concerns to justify restrictions imposed on transnational ties of civil society actors. It is also useful to remember that even the US government prohibits foreign-funded organizations from funding political activity, particularly elections; in the 2010 November elections, the Democratic party accused the US Chamber of Commerce of using foreign membership dues to finance political

advertisements in favor of Republicans.

As Nair points out, there is limited domestic funding available to civil society groups that challenge the Indian state.

Rich Indians are not only reluctant to support human rights issues due to worries about punitive state actions but they also prefer to donate to religious causes.

In 2001-02 of the top 25 Indian associations that received foreign contributions under the FCRA, five were Hindu religious organizations. Indians abroad and in India prefer to give to religious organizations.

While acknowledging the importance of foreign funding in such an environment, the question is whether the domestic fight for human right issues is possible only with outside aid? Given the fickleness of foreign aid, it may be a more prudent strategy in the long term to raise funds from domestic sources as Nair points out many in the human rights community already do – from ordinary citizens. It protects domestic groups from being falsely accused by the state as foreign stooges.

Also, groups that are nurtured with domestic support are more difficult for governments to control and suppress, as they have gained the legitimacy of the wider public. Otherwise, as Amy Hawthorne found, pro-democracy groups in the Arab world “have to fight the stigma that democracy and human rights are foreign - particularly western - concepts”. Indian human rights groups face a similar dilemma when they struggle to gain public support for the fight against bonded labor, police torture, illegal detentions, caste and gen-

der discrimination, or the army’s mistreatment of citizens in border states – issues which to the privileged appear either irrelevant or nonexistent.

Building a domestic constituency and donor base for human rights is of course a monumental task. It requires convincing the Indian public that when human rights organizations support the right of minorities and the underprivileged they are also fighting for civil liberties for all of us. But more than anywhere else, in the land of Mahatma Gandhi to build public support for human rights issues may be less of a challenge, especially if the young are targeted in schools and colleges through human-rights education as Monisha Bajaj found. While this route can be frustrating and time-consuming, it will ultimately be more effective. Otherwise, as Nair himself acknowledges, the recipients of international funding will forever be perceived as agents of foreign powers and not taken seriously.

In the long run, human rights organization such as the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) that rely on membership fees may survive longer and be more successful than Indian Social Action Forum (an important voice for variety of human rights issues) nearly 90 per cent of whose funds are raised from abroad. The PUCL’s success in winning the case at the Supreme Court (PUCL v Union of India) on behalf of India’s poor and hungry is evidence of this model of independence. The National Food Security Bill was recently passed by the Indian Parliament and PUCL can take a large measure of credit for its decade long fight against hunger and starvation.

A foreign funded organization would not and could not have achieved this milestone, which has had such a far-reaching impact on the lives of the poor and hungry. In the long run, financial ties with foreigners cannot substitute for the development of a strong domestic following.

Common Dreams

n an age of obsession with everything big, we live under the illusion that bigger is better.

We tend to believe that we need big farms, big dams, big corporations to meet our needs for food and water. Giant corporations have grown bigger with five companies globally controlling the seed supply, food supply and water supply. Among these corporations are Monsanto, Cargill, Nestle, Suez and Wal-Mart. We assume that farms must grow bigger and bigger for food security.

But the reality is that “small is big” — ecologically, economically and politically. The future of food security in India and worldwide lies in protecting and promoting small farmers.

At the ecological level, we know that in a small seed lies the potential for producing thousands and millions of seed. And in each of those seeds lies the potential for thousand and million more such seeds.

This is abundance. While the small farmer sows seeds, he prays, “May this seed be exhaustless”.

Yet, when seed is patented or biologically terminated by giant corporations, it cannot multiply or be reproduced. It produces zero seeds. The motto seems to be: “May this seed get exhausted so that our profits never exhaust.”

Small biodiverse farms produce more than large farms. In fact, output and income can be doubled by conserving seeds and intensifying biodiversity. The fact that small is big in agriculture has been known all along, yet big has been privileged as the basis of food security.

India’s former Prime Minister Charan Singh, who was an agricultural economist, had said that small farms are more productive than large farms. “Agriculture being a life process, in actual practice, under given conditions, yields per acre decline as the size of farm increases (in other words, as the application of human labour and supervision per acre decreases). The above results are well nigh universal: output per acre of investments is higher on small farms than on large farms. Thus, if a crowded, capital-scarce country like India has a choice between a single 100- acre farm and forty 2.5- acre farms, the capital cost to the national economy will be less if the country chooses the small farms”.

Small farms produce more food than large industrial farms because small farmers give more care to the soil, to plants and animals, and they intensify biodiversity, not external chemical inputs.

As farms increase in size, they replace labour with fossil fuels for farm machinery and toxic chemicals.

The caring work of farmers is replaced by harsh and careless technologies. Thus, food production per acre goes down.

Yes, a social tragedy and ecological catastrophe morphs into “myth of more”. And this myth of more is being sold to the world as a solution to hunger.

The trick is to not measure total output of a farm, but just the “yield” of a monoculture commodity. Essentially, productivity is manipulated in two ways to project large farms as more productive.

First, the only input that counts is labour, not chemicals, land, water or fossil fuels. So the more small farmers and family farmers are displaced and replaced by chemicals and machines, the false calculus says productivity has increased.

When natural resources are taken into account, industrial agriculture is, in fact, an inefficient agriculture, using 10 calories of input to produce one calorie of food.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, in spite of all subsidies going to large farms, in spite of all policies promoting industrial agriculture, even today 72 per cent food comes from small farms. If we add kitchen gardens and urban gardens, the majority of food people eat is grown on a small scale.

What is growing on large farms is not food; it is commodities. Only 10 per cent of the corn and soya taking over world agriculture is eaten. Ninety per cent goes to drive cars as biofuel or to animals in factory farms as feed. Small farms feed the world.

Big farms spread poisons and hunger.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) 2013 Trade and Environment Report states that monoculture and industrial farming methods are not providing sufficient affordable food where it is needed, while causing mounting and unsustainable environmental damage.

An International Labour Organisation’s report — “Working towards sustainable development: Opportunities for decent work and social inclusion in a green economy” — shows that small-scale agriculture is the solution to the ecological crisis, the food crisis and the crisis of work and employment.

The report cites examples of how small farms in Africa have increased food production through ecological agriculture.

In a project involving 1,000 farmers in South Nyanza, Kenya, who are cultivating two hectares each on average, crop yields rose by 2-4 tonnes per hectare after an initial conversion to organic farming. In yet another case, the incomes of some 30,000 smallholders in Thika, Kenya, rose by 50 per cent within three years.

The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science, Technology for Development has also confirmed that small ecological farms are a more effective solution to world hunger than the Green Revolution or genetic engineering.

The living economies of the small need to join hands with the living democracies of the small to create peace and harmony, abundance and well-being.

Gandhi responded to the bigness of the British Empire by pulling out the spinning wheel. As he said, “Anything that millions can do together becomes charged with unique power… The wheel as such is lifeless, but when I invest it with symbolism, it becomes a living thing for me.”

The seed is small, but the powerhouse of life and freedom. Each of us can be savers of seed and growers of food. In Rumi’s words… …in this earth in this earth in this immaculate field we shall not plant any seeds except for compassion except for love

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

Tuesday 7 January 2014

TelanGana: Deadlock continues

hyDerabaD, JaNuary 6 (iaNs): The logjam in the Andhra Pradesh assembly over the debate on the bill for formation of separate Telangana state continued Monday with the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) failing to resolve it. For the third consecutive day, the house was adjourned without any debate on the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2013 sent by President Pranab Mukherjee to know the legislature’s view.

There was no consensus among political parties at the three-hour meeting of the BAC chaired by Speaker N. Manohar.

The panel decided to meet again in the afternoon. As soon as the house met at 9 a.m., legislators from Seemandhra region (Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra) surrounded the speaker’s podium, demanding that the state be kept united. The lawmakers from Telangana were also on their feet to demand an immediate debate on the bill.

Amid the pandemonium, the speaker adjourned the house and convened the BAC meeting. Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and leader of opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu stayed away from the meeting, which failed to break the deadlock. The assembly, which re-assembled after the BAC meeting at 1 p.m., was adjourned within two minutes. Amid ruckus created by the legislators from both the regions, the speaker adjourned the house till Tuesday. The speaker asked the members to submit their

The Morung Express

Sexual harassment case: Justice Ganguly quits as WBHRC chief

Ganguly has denied the allegations of the law intern..

Indian policemen protect themselves with shields as student throw stones at them during a protest in Hyderabad, on Monday, January 6. A group of pro-Telangana students Monday clashed with police at the Osmania University after they were prevented from taking out a rally towards the Andhra Pradesh state assembly. The students demanded that the Telangana bill should be taken up for discussion in the ongoing session of the assembly. (AP Photo)

amendments to the bill by Jan 10.

At the BAC meeting, political parties remained divided along regional lines. The YSR Congress reiterated that the bill be taken up for debate only after passing a resolution to keep the state united. Seemandhra legislators of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) also opposed the debate on the bill without a

comprehensive debate. The newly appointed Legislative Affairs Minister S. Sailajanth urged Seemandhra legislators to cooperate in the debate on the bill but in vain.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Telangana legislators of TDP demanded that Seemandhra legislators stalling the house be suspended to facilitate a debate on

the bill. President Mukherjee, who referred the bill to the assembly on Dec 12, has given time till Jan 23 to send it back with its views. The bill was tabled in the house Dec 16 but no debate could be taken up. On Dec 19, the house was adjourned till Jan 3. The second phase of the winter session will continue till Jan 23 with Sankranti holidays from Jan 10-16.

New Delhi, JaNuary 6 (ageNcies): Former judge A K Ganguly, who is facing allegation of sexual harassment of a law intern, resigned as the Chairman of West Bengal Human Rights Commission, TV reports said. Justice Ganguly has denied the allegations of the law intern and blamed “powerful interests” of trying to tarnish his image due to certain judgements delivered by him.

In a letter of Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam last month, Justice Ganguly had said he had neither harassed the law intern nor made any unwelcome advances towards her or any other female intern. Earlier today, the Supreme Court dismissed a PIL that sought to restrain the government from taking steps to remove Ganguly as chairperson of the rights panel.

A bench led by Chief Justice P Sathasivam also trashed a separate PIL, which demanded a full-fledged inquiry into a court-mandated committee into the sexual harassment accusations of a lawyer against Ganguly. The bench said that it will let the law take its own course and will not hence interfere in the matter at this stage at the instance of the PIL petitioners.

It also said that it was not obligated to convince everybody about the constitution of the previous three judge committee. This committee, set up by an administrative order, had indicted Ganguly of prima facie unwelcome conduct of sexual in nature. Justice Ganguly had been under intense pressure from all corners to step down as WBHRC chief following the alle-

gations of sexual harassment slapped by a law intern against him.

The petition, filed by a Delhi-based doctor M Padma Narayan Singh, had also sought quashing of the report in which a three-member panel of Supreme Court judges indicted Justice Ganguly for unwelcome behaviour against the woman law intern. The petitioner, who is a senior citizen, had alleged that Ganguly has become a victim of a conspiracy as he, as an arbitrator, had decided a matter between a prominent football club of Kolkata and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in which the intern had also participated.

However, Justice Ganguly on Sunday distanced from the petition saying he had nothing to do with it. Ganguly’s comments came at a time when he is said to be contemplating to resign as WBHRC head. “Justice Ganguly spoke to me over telephone and said that he is thinking of resigning (as WBHRC chief),” former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee said on Sunday.

A three-judge Supreme Court panel had indicted Justice Ganguly by holding that the statement of the intern, both written and oral, had prima facie disclosed “an act of unwelcome behaviour (unwelcome verbal/non-verbal conduct of sexual nature)” by the judge with her in the Le Meridien hotel room on December 24 last year.

Justice Ganguly has denied the allegations of the law intern and blamed “powerful interests” of trying to tarnish his image due to certain judgments delivered by him. In a letter of Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam last month, Justice Ganguly said he had never harassed the law intern nor made any unwelcome advances towrds her or any other female intern.

AAP says will fight Lok Sabha polls from Set up environment regulator by March 31: SC tells Delhi, JaNuary 6 tion (3) of Section 3 of the Envi“What is required is a regulator has taken a view that it confers a 20 states, contest all 80 seats in uP New (iaNs): The Supreme Court Mon- ronment (Protection) Act, 1986 as at the national level having its of- power coupled with duty to appoint

lucKNOw, JaNuary 6 (PTi): After tasting electoral success in Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party on Monday said it would contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls from 20 states, including Uttar Pradesh, where it would field candidates on all 80 seats. “The national executive of AAP has decided to contest Lok Sabha polls in 20 states including UP, where we would contest on all 80 Lok Sabha seats,” AAP national spokesman Sanjay Singh told reporters here.

He said Kumar Vishwas was likely to contest against Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, while candidates against prominent leaders like Sonia Gandhi and Mulayam Singh Yadav would be decided soon. “We will try to finalise names of candidates by February 15 and all those desiring to contest Lok Sabha polls can apply by January 15.

However, those applying would have to be recommended by at least 100 persons each from all the assembly constituencies

in his or her area,” he said.

The applications would be scrutinized by district and state-level monitoring committees before finalization of names, Singh said. The party, besides declaring its national manifesto, would also make public its manifesto at local levels covering issues pertaining to that area, he said.

Replying to a question, Singh alleged that leaders like Mulayam Singh Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan, Farooq Abdullah, Mamata Banerjee, Mayawati and others called themselves secular despite the fact that they were with BJP in the past. “Now, they are with Congress and labelling themselves as secular,” he said.

He said AAP was in favour of diverting development funds of MPs and legislators to mohalla and gram sabhas so that people could decide where public money is to be spent. On January 12, the party would hold ‘Jan Vishwas’ rally in Amethi.

day directed the central government to set up, by March 31, the national environment regulator with its offices in all the states to oversee the implementation of the various projects having environmental implications. Passing the order, the green bench of Justice A.K. Patnaik, Justice S.S. Nijjar and Justice Fakkir Mohamed Ibrahim Kalifulla rejected the central government’s contention that under Section 2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, the government alone is the regulator and no one else can be appointed so as directed in the case of Lafarge Umiam Mining Pvt Ltd. Holding that the court did not find any force in the submission, Justice Patnaik, pronouncing the order, said: “We, therefore, direct the Union of India to appoint a regulator with offices in as many states as possible under sub-sec-

directed in the order in the case of Lafarge Umiam Mining Pvt Ltd....”

The government was also asked to file an affidavit along with the notification appointing the regulator in compliance of the court direction by March 31.

The court said that henceforth the task of processing, appraisals and approval of the projects for environmental clearance under the Sep 14, 2006, Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification would be done by the regulator as it could carry out independent, objective and transparent appraisal and also monitor the implementations of the conditions. The court pointed out that the existing mechanism under the EIA notification with regard to “processing, appraisals and approval of the projects for environmental clearance is deficient in many respects”.

fices in all the states which can carry out an independent, objective and transparent appraisal and approval of the projects for environmental clearances and which can also monitor the implementation of the conditions laid down in the environmental clearances,” it said.

Rejecting the government’s contention that the apex court in its July 6, 2011, order had only suggested setting up of a regulator and there was no direction to that effect, the order said it is “therefore, not right in arguing that in the case of Lafarge Umiam Mining Pvt Ltd, this court has merely suggested that a national regulator should be appointed and has not issued any mandamus to appoint a national regulator”.

The court said the July 6 order made it clear “that this court on an interpretation of Section 3(3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986

an appropriate authority in the form of a regulator at the state and at the central level for appraising projects, enforcing environmental conditions for approvals and to impose penalties on polluters....”

Accordingly the central government was directed to appoint a national regulator under the provision concerned of the act, it said. As a caution, the court said the regulator would only operate within the area entrusted to it under the Environment Protection Act and would scrupulously refrain from exercising the powers in the domain of the central government under Section 2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. However, “while exercising such powers under the Environment Protection Act, it will ensure that the National Forest Policy, 1988 is duly implemented,” the court said.

Meanwhile, a doctor, who could not be unidentified, also put the blame on the hospital supervisor who was the in-charge.

According to reports, the bereaved family has lodged an FIR at the Janakpuri Police Station and the local police has begun its investigation into the case. Ironically, Satyendra Jain, the newly-appointed DelhiHealthMinisterintheArvind Kejriwal led AAP government, today shocked reporters by saying, “The hospital in question is a private hospital hence the state government can not directly intervene in the matter.” However, when contacted by the Zee Media team, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal assured that he has sought details of the incident and will take appropriate action in this regard.

New Delhi, JaNuary 6 (The hiNDu): Disproportionate credit disbursement and weak bank credit linkages remain a persistent challenge for several States including Bihar, Jharkhand and Gujarat. Taking note of this, the Government has stepped in and is taking several steps to improve bank linkages of Self Help Groups (SHGs) across the country. This lopsided focus reportedly is mostly due to credit disbursement remaining confined to the ‘usual gang of four States’ - Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala of this (SHG) credit.

As per the figures presented in NABARD’s report, “Status of Microfinance in India 2012-13”, over 35 lakh SHGS were saving linked and 68 per cent were credit linked

in the Southern States. Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana has been restructured as the National Rural Livelihoods (NRLM). NRLM, through a dedicated implementation mechanism under the State Rural Livelihood Missions (SRLM) is focusing on improving the quality of SHGs. Further, 177 districts and 1157 blocks have been selected as “intensive areas” by respective SRLM’s. Additionally, dedicated support staff has been recruited to facilitate SHG- Bank linkage in the intensive blocks across the country.

The RBI too released a circular on NRLM as “Priority Sector Lending-Restructuring of SGSY as National Rural Livelihood Mission – Aajeevika” which spells out various steps required to de-bottleneck the credit flow to the SHGs.”

omar abdullah says DeLhi hosPitaL throws new-born Central government to referendum not needed girL’s boDy into garbage DumP enhance flow of credit to SHGs

New Delhi, JaNuary 6 (iaNs): AAP leader Prashant Bhushan’s reported call for a referendum on Army deployment in Kashmir created a storm on Monday, with Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal quickly distancing his party from the purported statement. Bhushan, a senior Supreme Court lawyer, himself clarified that his views had been twisted and that any reference to a referendum should not be construed as a plebiscite on Jammu and Kashmir’s merger with India.

“The AAP ( Aam Aadmi Party) is of the view that Kashmir is an integral part of India. Needless to say I share this view,” he said in a statement here. “Any reference to referendum shouldn’t be misconstrued to mean plebiscite on Kashmir’s relationship with India,” he added. As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) mounted a fierce attack on Bhushan and the Congress and CPM too made critical comments, Kejriwal said the AAP did not agree with the referendum call.

“Deployment of army (in the Kashmir Valley) is a matter of internal security. There is no question of having a referendum on it.”

Kejriwal, however, added: “The feelings of the local people should be taken into account, otherwise it will be a threat to democracy. But our party is not in favour of any referendum.” The Congress, which props up the AAP government, earlier asked the new party to clear the air.

Harsh Vardhan, who heads the BJP in the Delhi assembly, dubbed Bhushan’s views as “anti-national”.

“How can anyone have the guts to say all this on Kashmir?” The most serious attack on Bhushan came from BJP’s Arun Jaitley, who utilized the opportunity to blame Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, for “mismanagement” of the Kashmir issue. “The suggestion that the issue of army presence in Kashmir be decided by a referendum of the people in the valley must be opposed,” he said.

“Issues relating to Jammu and Kashmir were substantially decided by Nehru. The effects of his mismanagement of Jammu and Kashmir continue to leave their impact even today,” he said in his blog. Without naming Bhushan, Jaitley said: “The same leader had two years ago suggested a plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir where people must be free to decide whether they wish to stay with India or otherwise.

“The issues of national security cannot be decided by populism or referendum. They can only be decided on security considerations,” he said. Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah added that governments don’t “need to conduct a referendum (on) every tricky situation”. The CPM said army deployment must be decided by the government and cannot be an issue of public debate.

“These decisions are taken by those in power, these are not matters of public debate,” CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury said. Under attack, Bhushan earlier today said that Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India.

But he said that the deployment of armed forces in large numbers in the state must be done with people’s wishes.

New Delhi, JaNuary 6 (zeeNews): In yet another shocking case of negligence by a leading private hospital in Delhi, the body of a new-born girl child was thrown into the garbage dump after she died of some infection in the early hours of Monday. According to reports, the shameful incident took place at the Chanan Devi Hospital in Janakpuri where the newly-born baby girl was admitted yesterday for treatment after she developed some infection.

As per reports, the baby girl died late last night and then the hospital authorities informed her parents and asked them to complete certain formalities in order to claim her dead body.

Also, during the entire course of

the girl’s treatment, her family was kept in the dark as to what kind of treatment was been given to the child.

Already unable to come to terms with the child’s death, what came as another big shock for the family when they found that her dead body was not kept in the mortuary but dumped in the backyard of the hospital along with biological wastes.

Even when the family protested over the alleged mistreatment by the hospital authorities, no senior doctor came to their rescue.

It was only after the team of Zee Media reached the hospital to report the incident, the director of the hospital, M Lal admitted the gross negligence committed by the hospital staff.

Pray the corrupt go to heaven soon: Dalai Lama

baNgalOre, JaNuary 6 (TNN): Terming corruption as the cancer of modern world, the Dalai Lama on Sunday said Indians should pray that the corrupts are taken to heaven sooner than later. “...Indians are generally oriented towards religion and pray in their homes. I think they should pray that the corrupt be taken to heaven so the country is clean,” the Tibetan spiritual leader said, speaking at a conference at the Bishop Cottons Boys School.

He said this after quoting a Cuban refugee in the US, who had once told him that he prays Fidel Castro be taken to heaven soon.

Stating that he has seen a lot of poor people in rural India suffer, he said: “Corruption prevents such people from receiving resources the government may want to provide.” The Dalai Lama said that he has spoken to

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama poses for photographs with the students of Christ college after delivering his lecture on “Bounds of Ethics in a Globalized World” at Christ University in Bangalore, on Monday, January 6. (AP Photo)

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about this issue. “We have discussed this issue, though not too seriously.

But there’s not much that has been done,” he said.

Dalai urged providers of modern day education to rethink about what’s being taught to the new generation and how. “I think modern education is very

materialistic, which will give rise to unhappiness and anger within people.

So, while you teach them what they need to survive in today’s world, you need

to constantly teach them about inner peace. It need not be linked to any religion, but it’s necessary to teach people to be content, love and not to develop a self-centric attitude which breeds hatred,” he said.

Stating that good education is an indispensable first step towards creating more success stories like his, UIDAI chairman Nandan Nilekani said: “... but this depends on how well we can provide equal opportunities to people. I always feel that my school (Bishop Cottons) and college played a great role in my achievements, and it’s important that everybody gets an equal opportunity to access good education.”

Today, people from all strata of society have similar aspirations, and as a society we must collectively work towards helping each other meet those aspira-

tions, he said. “We may not be able to guarantee equal success, but we should be able guarantee equal opportunity,” he said, adding that schools and colleges must encourage teachers to innovate.

No conversion please Praising the work Christian missionaries have done in the field of education and health, the Lama said: “I don’t think other traditions are as active as the Christian brothers and sisters who go to remote places and provide education worldwide. But you also try to convert people, which isn’t something we should do.” “...We should be able to respect the believer and the non-believer alike. I want a Buddhist country to remain Buddhist, a Christian nation be Christian.

We should all hold on to our traditions and respect other traditions,” he added.

International

The Morung Express

Tuesday 7 January 2014

Dimapur

9

“Battling Begums” vie for power in Bangladesh DHAKA, JAnuAry 6 (AP): For two decades, the “Battling Begums” have been at the forefront of this South Asian nation’s politics, vying for power and trading insults in a poisonous rivalry.

Now the longstanding enmity between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition leader Khaleda Zia, both of whom earn the honorific “begum” for Muslim women of rank, is once again at the heart of the country’s latest political crisis.

On Monday, Hasina’s ruling Awami League party won one of the most violent elections in the country’s history, marred by street fighting, low turnout and a boycott by the opposition that made the results a foregone conclusion.

The political gridlock plunges Bangladesh deeper into turmoil and economic stagnation, and could lead to more violence in a deeply impoverished country of 160 million.

Some observers say the rivalry is standing in the way of progress and compromise.

“The economy is declining, democracy is being weakened and Bangladesh’s march toward

In this Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014, photo, Bangladeshi opposition party activists beat a ruling Awami League party activist during a clash near a polling station in Rajshahi, northwest of Dhaka. Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s ruling party on Monday won one of the most violent elections in the country’s history, marred by street fighting, low turnout and a boycott by the opposition that made the results a foregone conclusion. (AP Photo)

development is faltering,” said Hassan Shahriar, a political analyst in Bangladesh. “The latest election and the opposition violence linked to it shows how they could not care less about the people they say they want to serve.”

The Awami League won 232 of the 300 elected seats, the Election Commission said, far more than the

151 required to form a government. Because of the opposition boycott, about half the seats were uncontested, allowing the ruling party to rack up many victories.

Sunday’s vote was bloody: At least 18 people were killed as police fired at protesters, and opposition activists torched more than 100 polling stations.

Three more people were killed Monday in lingering pockets of unrest.

Political violence has convulsed the country in recent months as opposition activists staged attacks, strikes and transportation blockades to press their demands. Nearly 300 people have been killed since last February.

“We are passing our

ultimate goal of which is to make the paper’s reports more authentic and objective, thus rebuilding its credibility and influence”.

Last Monday, Chen said at an event in the southern Chinese boom town of Shenzhen that he planned to travel to the US “to go discuss the acquisition” of the paper, a remark that many dismissed as the wealthy entrepreneur’s latest play for attention.

Four days later, Chen was spotted by a Chinese Business News reporter at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport. A New York Times spokeswoman told a reporter for the newspaper last week that the company had “no information” about any negotiations with Chen.

Chen built his fortune, estimated at five billion yuan ($825 million) by Chinese wealth publisher the Hurun Report, on the recycling company Huangpu Renewable Resources Utilisation Group. But he has been derided by critics as a publicity hound who will go to great lengths for attention.

In the past, he has sold “canned fresh air” to residents of smog-ridden Beijing and also recently posed in front of a wall made out of thousands of “bricks” made of banknotes. In his op-ed, Chen said he first had the idea of purchasing the newspaper when he placed an advertisement in it in December 2012 asserting Chinese sovereignty over a disputed island group called the Diaoyus by China and the Senkakus by Japan.

BeIJInG, JAnuAry 6 (AFP): Fourteen people, some of them children, were killed and 10 injured in a stampede during a gathering at a mosque in China’s Ningxia region, state media reported Monday.

The stampede occurred at lunchtime on Sunday while traditional food was being handed out to people attending an event to commemorate a late religious leader, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing the local government. The injured were hospitalised, with four in critical condition, the brief report said.

One photo posted online by Chinese news outlets showed six bodies laid out side-by-side inside a building, with several children in colourful outfits among the dead. “Those poor children,” wrote one poster.

Another said: “Are Chinese people so poor, for all this to happen over a piece of pastry?” Some Internet users displayed images of red candles online to commem-

Chinese tycoon wants to ‘rebuild’ New York Times

BeIJInG, JAnuAry 6 (AFP): A Chinese tycoon said Monday he is serious about buying the New York Times and wants to work on “rebuilding its credibility and influence” by reforming its award-winning coverage of China. Chen Guangbiao, listed as one of China’s 400 richest people and a man known as much for his publicity stunts as his charitable giving, penned an op-ed in the state-run Global Times newspaper headlined: “I intend to buy The New York Times, please don’t take it as a joke”.

“The tradition and style of The New York Times make it very difficult to have objective coverage of China,” Chen wrote.

“If we could purchase it, its tone might turn around. Therefore I have been involved in discussing acquisition-related matters with like-minded investors.”

The New York Times has published several award-winning reports on China, including a 2012 investigation into the family wealth of then-premier Wen Jiabao that was awarded a Pulitzer Prize. The paper’s website has been blocked ever since in China, the world’s second-biggest economy, and several of its reporters have had difficulty obtaining visas.

Chinese state media and officials often interpret overseas criticism of the ruling Communist Party as an attack on the country itself. Chen added that if he succeeds he “will conduct some necessary reforms, the

days in fear and anxiety,” said Abdur Rahman, an accountant and resident of the capital, Dhaka, where soldiers patrolled the streets Monday. “These two major parties don’t care about anything. Only Allah knows what is in store now for us.”

The opposition had demanded that Hasina’s government resign so a neutral

In this photo taken on Sunday, January 5, 2014 and supplied by Sea Shepherd Australia on Monday, January 6, three dead minke whales lie on the deck of the Japanese whaling vessel Nisshin Maru, in the Southern Ocean. Anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd said it caught up with all five of Japan’s whaling vessels on Monday and found evidence of whale kills on one. Japan is allowed to hunt the animals for scientific purposes under an exception to a 1986 ban on whaling. But opponents argue the scientific program is a cover for commercial whaling because whale meat not used for study is sold as food in Japan. (AP Photo)

of international law”.

The commercial hunting of whales is prohibited in the sanctuary, which was designated by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 1994, but Japan catches the animals there under a “scientific research” loophole in the moratorium on whaling.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully denied whaling was taking place within his country’s maritime jurisdiction, saying the site was considered

international waters, as he condemned the “pointless and offensive” practice.

“The New Zealand government has repeatedly called on Japan to end its whaling programme. We reiterate this message today,” he said. Japan’s fisheries agency said its programme was being conducted “in line with a research plan submitted to the IWC”.

“We are not aware of the existence of a whaling sanctuary so we don’t want to comment on their argu-

worked together in the past, joining forces to oust a military regime in 1990.

But they became rivals in the following year’s elections and the relationship has become deeply bitter and caustic ever since.

Hasina suspects Zia helped plot the military coup that toppled her father in 1975 that also saw the killing of most of his family members. Hasina was forced to stay in exile in India when Zia’s husband was in power.

He was killed in another military coup in 1981 months after Hasina’s return home from exile — and Zia suspects Hasina was involved in her husband’s ouster and assassination.

Another thorn between the two women is Zia’s alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami, the country’s largest Islamic political party. Hasina has put top Jamaat leaders on trial on war crimes charges stemming from Bangladesh’s war of independence against Pakistan in 1971.

Asked Monday about her rivalry with Zia, Hasina said it was not personal but “absolutely ideological.”

“They have failed to stop the election. The election has been fair. I’m satis-

fied,” she told reporters.

Voter turnout was only 22 percent, according to election officials who asked that their names not be used because the election is so politically sensitive. In the last election, in 2008, turnout was 87 percent.

The election raises pressure on Hasina’s government to hold talks with the opposition. An extended impasse will almost certainly continue to batter the economy as Bangladesh tries to emerge from suffocating poverty and reinvigorate its $20 billion garment industry.

Dhaka’s Daily Star newspaper described the polls as the deadliest in the country’s history, and said in an editorial that the Awami League won “a predictable and hollow victory, which gives it neither a mandate nor an ethical standing to govern effectively.”

It also was critical of the opposition’s role in fueling violence.

“Political parties have the right to boycott elections. They also have the right to motivate people to side with their position,” it said. “But what is unacceptable is using violence and intimidation to thwart an election.”

‘14 killed in China mosque stampede’

In this Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014 photo provided China’s official Xinhnua News Agency, an injured woman receives medical treatment at a hospital in Xiji Town of Guyuan, northwest China’s Ningxia region. China’s Xinhua News Agency said Monday, Jan. 6, 14 people were killed in a stampede at a mosque in the country’s north and 10 other people were injured in the incident in Guyuan. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Li Ran) NO SALESa

orate those who died.

Other pictures posted online showed a large crowd, most of them men and many wearing white Islamic caps, standing out-

Sea Shepherd catches Japanese fleet

SyDney, JAnuAry 6 (AFP): Militant anti-whaling activists Sea Shepherd said they had zeroed in on a Japanese fleet Monday and captured evidence that four whales had been slaughtered, alleging the ships were found inside a Southern Ocean sanctuary.

Sea Shepherd said it had located all five Japanese vessels and was now in pursuit, forcing the harpooners to cut short their operation and retreat. The group released footage and photographs showing three minke whales dead on the deck of the factory ship Nisshin Maru and said a fourth, also believed to be a minke, was being slaughtered when Sea Shepherd’s helicopter flew overhead.

“There’s three carcasses on the ship, a fourth carcass has been cut up.

There’s blood all over the place, meat being carted around on this factory ship deck, offal and innards being dumped in the ocean,” said Sea Shepherd Australia chairman Bob Brown.

“That’s just a gruesome, bloody, medieval scene which has no place in this modern world.” When the Nisshin Maru was first spotted from the air Brown said it was in Antarctica’s Ross Dependency, within New Zealand’s territorial waters and the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, which he described as a “gross breach

administration could oversee the polls, saying Hasina might rig the election if she stayed in office — which she denied.

The opposition, led by Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party, boycotted the election after Hasina refused to step aside. It was the culmination of months of squabbling between the two leaders, who spoke for the first time in years in October in an acrimonious telephone call.

“I called you around noon. You didn’t pick up,” said Hasina, according to a transcript published in The Dhaka Tribune newspaper.

Zia snapped back, “You have to listen to me first.”

The country has been ruled by either of these women — both from powerful political families — for nearly 22 years. Their power is more a reflection of South Asia’s penchant for political dynasties than of the role of women in this Muslim nation.

Hasina is the daughter of Bangladesh’s founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was assassinated in 1975. And Zia is the widow of another assassinated leader, military ruler Ziaur Rahman, who was killed in 1981.

The women have

ments,” an agency spokesman said of Brown’s claims.

The Japanese foreign ministry said research whaling was “not a violation or an abuse of a loophole in the international convention”.

“Quite the contrary, this is a legitimate right of the contracting party under Article VIII of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling,” it said.

Brown described “massive violence” against the whales, using grenadetipped harpoons to catch

them, and said Sea Shepherd would do “all it peaceably can to prevent this grotesque and cruel destruction”, also urging Australia and New Zealand to take action.

“There is nothing scientific about this, it is butchery,” Brown said. “The one thing that’s missing here is gumption -- a bit of spine in Canberra and in Wellington to put an end to it.”

Australia has taken Japan to the International Court of Justice seeking to have its research whaling programme declared illegal, with a ruling due this year.

Peter Hammarstedt, captain of the Sea Shepherd ship Bob Barker, said Japan had shown “flagrant disregard for international law by continuing their illegal whale hunt while the world patiently awaits a decision from the International Court of Justice”.

Sea Shepherd left Australia for their 10th annual harassment campaign of the Japanese fleet last month, sending three ships to tail and run interference against the harpooners. High-seas clashes between the two groups are common, resulting in the 2010 sinking of the Sea Shepherd vessel Ady Gil. Australia will be monitoring confrontations between the pair from a government jet which is due to fly surveillance missions over the Southern Ocean between January and March.

side the green mosque, apparently after the incident.

Clothes and shoes were scattered on the ground, along with what appeared to be a collapsed section of

scaffolding. An inquiry was under way into the cause of the stampede at the mosque in Xiji, around 280 kilometres (174 miles) south of the regional capital Yinchuan.

“The investigation is still underway. We have nothing to reveal,” a man at the Xiji county police surnamed Wang told AFP. Ningxia, in northern China, is home to the Chinesespeaking Hui minority, who are mostly Muslim but distinct from the Uighurs of Xinjiang. According to government statistics, the semi-desert region’s six million Hui make up about 36 percent of its population, with Xiji one of the major Hui population centres.

Ningxia, on the upper reaches of the Yellow river, was the scene of a Muslim rebellion in the 19th century but has no recent history of ethnic tensions or other strife between the Hui and China’s Han majority. In contrast, restive Xinjiang, several hundred kilometres to the west, has seen several deadly clashes between Uighurs and security forces in recent months which authorities have blamed on separatist “terrorists”.

Most Spaniards want king to abdicate

MADrID, JAnuAry 6 (reuterS): Almost two thirds of Spaniards want their king to abdicate and hand the crown to his son, according to a poll released on Sunday, the monarch’s birthday, that also showed his popularity slumping to a record low.

King Juan Carlos, who has been on the throne for 38 years, was once one of the world’s best-loved sovereigns, respected for his common touch and for helping guide Spain to democracy in the 1970s after the death of dictator Francisco Franco.

But Spaniards have become increasingly frustrated by a long-running corruption investigation into the king’s daughter, Princess Cristina, and her husband Inaki Urdangarin - particularly at a time of economic crisis and widespread unemployment.

Urdangarin has been charged with embezzling 6 million euros in public funds, though both deny any wrong-doing. The king’s approval rating also took a big hit in April 2012 when he fell and

broke his hip during an elephant-hunting safari in Botswana - a lavish privately funded trip that was secret until his accident and came at a time of particularly harsh public spending cuts.

Sixty-two percent of those polled said they thought the king should step down, compared with 44.7% a year ago, according to the Sigma Dos poll published in El Mundo newspaper. Only 41.3% of those polled had a good or very good opinion of the king, down from more than 76% two years ago. Prince Felipe, 45, held on to a positive rating of 66%, and most of those polled said the monarchy could recover its prestige if he took the throne. A series of hip and back operations and other health problems have fuelled speculation the king, 76, might abdicate, but in his annual Christmas Eve speech, he reiterated that he was not contemplating such a move.

The telephone poll of 1,000 adults was carried out between December 28-31.

WaNT To Be fiT? Swap unhealthy food with healthy diet

new yorK, JAnuAry 6 (IAnS): Everyone wants to stay in the pink of health and it all starts from watching your diet. Grab a fruit instead of juice, replace soda with water and see how things work in your body’s favour.

Here are some simple food swaps that can be incorporated into your everyday routine to help you lead a healthier life, reports huffingtonpost.com: * Choose whole fruit instead of juice: Juice tends to be high in sugar and low in fiber. Fresh fruit, on the

other hand, contains more fiber than the juice and has a higher water content, both are excellent for weight loss. * Eat whole grains instead of refined grains: Grains and starches are not bad but it’s the kind of grain that matters. Whole grains are the best choice as they are full of nutrients and fiber.

Include brown rice and oatmeal instead of white bread, white rice and white pasta. * Drink water instead of soda: Soda contains pure sugar and has lots of calories.

Swapping soda for water can

save you hundreds of calories. For flavour, add a bit of lemon, orange or cucumber. * Start your meal with a vegetable salad instead of a fried appetizer: Starting your meal with a fresh salad is a great way to include vegetables into your diet. Salad and vegetables are high in vitamins and minerals, full of fiber and low in calories. * Choose a low fat soup instead of a cream-based soup: Soup is perfect for winter season. The key is to eat a vegetable based soup and to skip the cream.

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Dimapur

Tuesday 7 January 2014

AnAtomy of An Ashes AnnihilAtion Sydney, January 6 (aFP): The body language told the story but the statistics make the starkest reading after Australia handed old enemy England their heaviest ever Ashes series defeat. As Australia partied long and loud at the Sydney Cricket Ground and England sloped off to face a barrage of criticism, the numbers revealed the sheer scale of the hosts' superiority.

Their dominance was not only underlined but increased on Sunday, when they swept to a humiliating 281-run victory with two days left to complete only England's third 5-0 Ashes whitewash in more than 130 years.

England, accused of throwing in the towel and slammed in all quarters by the media, succumbed meekly to the task of chasing an improbable 448 runs to be routed for 166 in just 31.4 overs.

It was statistically England's worst 5-0 series thrashing by Australia. The tourists lost 100 wickets for 2,030 runs at an average of 20.30, compared to 1920/21 (2,779 runs/98 wickets) and the previous whitewash in 2006/07 (2,530/96). The series marked a stunning turnaround for Australia just months after losing 3-0 in England, and was a crowning achievement for the meticulous preparation of coach Darren Lehmann along with Michael skipper Clarke. Clarke gave an insight into the detailed planning for the series, which was executed with clinical effect. "We spoke at the

start of the series and we had set plans for individual batters," the captain said.

"The moment numbers eight, nine 10, 11 walked in, we knew we were going to hit them as hard as we could with short stuff. We planned that before a ball was bowled in this series.

"But it's easy to have plans but it takes skill and courage to execute it. I said to the boys at the start of the series that I thought they were the best attack in the world and I think they?ve shown that in five Test matches."

Alastair Cook's men were ambushed by man-ofthe-series Mitchell Johnson in the first Brisbane Test to roll over by 381 runs, and it was downhill from there: Adelaide (218 runs), Perth (150 runs), Melbourne (eight wickets) and finally Sydney, probably the worst defeat of all.

Lethal left-armer Johnson edged veteran wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin for man-of-the-series honours with 37 wickets, the best by an Australian bowler in a five-Test series in Australia. Only three Australian bowlers have taken 40 wickets or more in an Ashes series -- Terry Alderman (twice), Rodney Hogg and Shane Warne.

Australia smashed 10 centuries to England's one, scored by Ben Stokes 120 in Perth, and home batsmen were the top six scorers ahead of England's Kevin Pietersen with just 294 at 29.40. Johnson, and Sydney man-of-the-match Ryan Harris (22), were the

top two series wicket-takers ahead of England's Stuart Broad (21).

England had six innings totals below 200 and only twice scored above 300, while Australia scored 350 or more four times.

Haddin proved England's lower-order batting nemesis, often rescuing his side after top-order collapses to finish the series with 493 runs, second only to David Warner's 523.

In doing so, the 36-yearold became the highestscoring Australian wicketkeeper in a Test series, eclipsing the previous best of 473 by Adam Gilchrist against South Africa in 2001-02. While some may demur over the historical strength of this Australian team of rejects and recycled players, little can be taken away by the sheer impact and discipline of the pace attack of Johnson, Harris and Peter Siddle.

Collectively they cornered three-quarters (75) of the wickets and neutralised England's star batsmen.

Australia climbed to number three on the ICC Test rankings, supplanting England, and now have their sights set on the number one rated team South Africa in a three-Test series in the republic later this month. "Playing away from home seems to be the hardest to get results," Clarke said. "We're not going to win in South Africa and suddenly think we're the best team in the world. It's about consistency home and away over a long period of time."

dIMaPur, January 6 (Mexn): Sports Meet 2014 organised by the Western Chakhesang Youth Organization, Dimapur District, is underway at Diezephe Village.

The meet was inaugurated by Kuzholuzo (Azo) Nienu, Minister, Roads & Bridges and Parliamentary Affairs.

Speaking on the occasion as chief guest, Nienu sought to highlight the importance of discipline in sports. Making an example of Japan, he asked the gathering to learn from the small nation which has, because of their discipline, catapulted into one of the most advanced nations.

The meet will culminate on January 11 and the events include football, volleyball, and athletics. Around a thousand sportsperson both men and women from 15 units in and around Dimapur and Peren took part in the meet, informed a press note. In football, at the first day of the meet, Toulazou beat Diphupar by two goals; 7th Mile beat East Dimapur by 4 goals to 2; Sodzuhlhou drew one all with Naga united. In volleyball, Bade beat Diphupar B; Jalukie Zandi beat chumukedima and7th Mile beat Sugar mill.

dIMaPur, January 6 (Mexn): The Tenyiphe 1 Youth Organisation kicked off its 39th Annual Sports meet today at the village play ground with Rusovil John, Member Secretary, Nagaland Pollution Control Board as the Chief Guest. A press note informed that the first event on the opening ceremony day was Naga Wrestling, where the subjunior, junior and senior categories participated.

Other events to be followed over the next days

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The Morung Express

Australian captain Michael Clarke, second from right, celebrates making the last catch for victory over England as teammates Brad Haddin, left, Nathan Lyon and Steve Smith run in on day 3 of their Ashes cricket test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, Sunday, Jan. 5. Australia won the match by 281 runs and the Ashes series 5-0. (AP Photo)

End of an era as England ponder future

Sydney, January 6 (reuterS): Just how an England team which arrived in Perth last October confident of winning a fourth straight Ashes series ended up capitulating 5-0 will be subject of much soulsearching over the next few months. The dispiriting defeat at the hands of an Australia team which even their most ardent supporters would not describe as among the greatest to have worn the baggy green marked the distinct end of an era of success for England.

Coach Andy Flower and captain Alastair Cook both want to, and have been told they will be allowed to, keep their positions but there can be few of the other 17 players used in the five tests who feel secure af-

ter such a humiliation.

Spinner Graeme Swann has already decided to retire while batsman Jonathan Trott's stress-related illness makes him an unlikely tourist in the future.

The other two spinners, Monty Panesar and Scott Borthwick, as well as paceman Boyd Rankin, who took his first wicket with his final ball on debut, may also have played their last test cricket.

Flower on Monday declined even to confirm Kevin Pietersen - England's fourth highest run scorer of all time and their second highest in the series was safe. "This was a bad loss for the England cricket team and as part of our review, we'll be looking at playing personnel and sup-

are athletics and games both for men and women and on the final day exhibition match will be between the Youth Organization verses the Council members.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Guest stated that sport and games is a very important activity in a youth’s life, whereby it improves ones physical health, self-esteem, disciplines and mental state.

Instead of participating in all the events, He encouraged the youth to take up

a specific event and pursue a professional career.

The Opening Ceremony was chaired by Neibulie Punuii, while the invocation prayer was led by Pastor Keneile-o Neikha followed by a welcome address by TVC Chairman, Khriebulie Peseyie.

The Oath taking was administered by Ruokuobelie Kire while Folk dance and Special number were presented by Tenyiphe-1 Melophita Kro and The Awesome Trio respectively.

WCyo sports meet underway tyo kicks off 39th Annual sports meet

port staff and making sure we have the right people in place," he told reporters.

"But this will be a new start, and so it should be. It does feel like the end of some type of era. "We might have to take a little more pain before we have sustained success again. And we might have to ask for a little patience in that regard over the coming months." England's successes in recent years have included two of the most difficult achievements in test cricket - a series win in India in 2012 and the 3-1 Ashes triumph in Australia in 2010-11.

That latter triumph would have seemed aeons away on Sunday when England, having won the toss and sent Australia in to bat, crumpled to a 281-run de-

feat inside three days at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

"We're not proud of that result. We're not proud of the test series result, of course," Flower added. "It's quite a bitter pill to swallow but that's what it is and we have to face up to that reality. "We've been totally outplayed. We've got to review what's happened, we've made mistakes and the sooner we get going with that the better."

The nine week trip has been a reminder of just how tough it is to tour Australia - the blinding light, the rock hard pitches and the hostility of the local media even before they are offered fuel like the leaked 82-page "dossier" on England's dietary requirements. "When you come to

Australia, it's always difficult to win," a rueful Cook said after the Sydney test.

"A lot of sides have found it hard and I think that puts our achievement in 201011 right up there as players, that why it was such a cherished thing to do."

With five months until England's next test series at home against Sri Lanka, Flower said there was plenty of time to get the test side right and he picked out several youngsters he thought would a play a part. Ben Stokes, who scored England's only century of the series and picked up a sixwicket haul, batsmen Gary Ballance and Joe Root as well as paceman Steve Finn, the only squad member not to play a test, were all part of England's future, he said.

nuggets trounce slumping lakers

Alexis nets 3 as Barca beats elche

FC Barcelona's Pedro Rodrigez, right, scores against Elche´s goalkeeper Tono Martinez during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Jan 5. (AP Photo)

BarCeLOna, January 6 (aP): Alexis Sanchez netted his first hat trick for Barcelona to spark its 4-0 win over Elche at Camp Nou on Sunday, setting up a highly anticipated showdown with Atletico Madrid next week between the top two teams in the Spanish league. With Lionel Messi watching from the stands and Neymar wait-

ing in the dugout, Barcelona turned to Alexis and its core of Spain internationals for a second straight victory without its star forwards on either side of the twoweek winter break.

Alexis opened the scoring in the seventh minute and struck twice more in the 63rd and 69th after Pedro Rodriguez had doubled the advantage and Xavi

Hernandez had missed a penalty kick. "The holidays were good for me," said Alexis, who also credited first-year coach Gerardo Martino for improving his scoring rate. "I think Martino gave me the confidence I needed as a player," Alexis told GOL TV. Barcelona's victory was its ninth in as many league games at home this season,

and it remained tied on points with Atletico atop the standings. The pressure is now on Real Madrid come Monday when it hosts Celta Vigo trailing the pacesetting pair by eight points. Alexis and Pedro lead the team with 11 goals each in league play, tying them as the league's fourth-highest scorers this campaign.

Both players were given ovations when substituted late, with Neymar coming on for the final minutes.

Martino said he was as impressed by Alexis' treble as anyone else, especially with his last goal from a free kick.

"Alexis takes free kicks well in practice," Martino said.

"When Leo, Xavi, Cesc or Neymar are playing, they almost never let him take one. One time he sent a free kick into the wall and we all thought it was his last. I told the bench that as a joke before he took today's kick and he ended up scoring it."

Elsewhere, Real Sociedad downed Athletic Bilbao 2-0 in an entertaining Basque Country derby to close to just one point of its rivals in fourth place and Spain's last Champions League spot. Carlos Bacca scored one goal and set up two more to help Sevilla beat Getafe 3-0 at home, provisionally lifting the club into sixth place behind Sociedad with its fifth victory in a six-game unbeaten streak in the league. Osasuna edged Espanyol 1-0 in Pamplona thanks to Alvaro Cejudo's 33rd-minute goal to escape the relegation zone. Espanyol coach Javier Aguirre was expelled from the dugout in the second half, apparently for arguing with the referee.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Jodie Meeks, left, lays up a shot against Denver Nuggets center Timofey Mozgov, right, of Russia during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 5 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo)

LOS anGeLeS, January 6 (aP): Nate Robinson knew he would get a technical foul for hanging on the rim long after his dunk. He stayed up there to underline a point. After a miserable month, the Denver Nuggets are having fun again — this time at the expense of the struggling Los Angeles Lakers.

Ty Lawson had 20 points and 12 assists, Timofey Mozgov added 20 points and seven rebounds, and the Nuggets beat Los Angeles 137-115 Sunday night for their second straight win after an eightgame skid.

Robinson scored 21 points, while Wilson Chandler and Kenneth Faried added 17 apiece as the Nuggets dropped 77 points on the Lakers in the second half. Robinson defiantly rubbed it in with 2:37 to play, clinging to the rim after his dunk put the Nuggets up by 24 points.

"We just found our niche

and found our energy," said Robinson, who scored 12 during the Nuggets' 44-point fourth quarter. "We had a tough month, you could say.

It's just that time to turn a new leaf, and just continue to play like we did tonight, and hopefully we can have a snowball effect and we can go streaking again."

With an overwhelming second-half performance, Denver earned a win for coach Brian Shaw in his first game back at Staples Center to face the Lakers as a head coach. The longtime Lakers guard and assistant coach was passed over for the top job in Los Angeles after Phil Jackson's departure.

Shaw believes the last few days have been cathartic for the Nuggets, who frayed at the seams during their skid. They played their third straight game without point guard Andre Miller, who is on personal leave until Monday after clashing with Shaw on the bench Wednesday night.

"Stress, grieving, whatever it is, if you hold it in, it will eat you up from the inside," Shaw said. "I thought we aired out a lot of things, and that clarified for everyone where they stood. ... Two-game win streak, but it's night and day from what it was prior to those last two games."

Seven Nuggets scored in double figures in their fifth consecutive win over Los Angeles, scoring the most points by any Lakers opponent this season.

Denver easily took control with a 17-2 run early in the fourth quarter, remaining unbeaten against the Lakers since November 2012.

The Nuggets outrebounded Los Angeles 5838 and hit 12 three-pointers, while the Lakers went 3-for21 on long-distance shots.

Pau Gasol had 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists amid another round of trade rumors with the injury-battered Lakers, who have lost seven of eight.

Entertainment

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Tuesday 7 January 2014

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M&S staging first ever men's fashion show LocaL officiaLs cLear TayLor swifT's sea waLL renovaTions M arks & Spencer join Burberry, Tom Ford and Alexander McQueen today as they present their first designer menswear range on the catwalk at London Collections: Men. Their Best of British AW14 collection preview show, held at the Hospital Club in London, marks a shift for the High Street retailer, who are hoping to rival Savile Row with their sophisticated range. After a Christmas slump, M&S have suffered nine straight quarters of declining sales in clothing and homeware, so much rides on their foray into luxury menswear. Inspired by M&S's rich heritage, the Best of British range celebrates the best in British design and manufacture. Tony O'Connor, head of menswear design, said he has drawn inspiration from stylish British icons such as the late Sir David Frost and former 007 Sir Roger Moore. He has updated their 1970s looks for the modern M&S gent. 'These are classic pieces mixed in a more contemporary way,' he tells the Sunday Times. He says his Best of British catwalk collection is full of 'that British-style swagger and suaveness. I wouldn't say it's a dandification, because dandy implies someone trying too hard. 'It's that underlying confidence in dressing well which has come back.' The designer says men's tastes are influenced by stylish modern men like Gary Barlow, who wore an M&S Best of British suit on The X Factor, and Sir Bradley Wiggins, who 'has swagger'.

He says Best of British model

Oliver Cheshire is 'the boy'. 'He captures that London elegance.'

For AW14, the firm say their design team has referenced archive collections for inspiration, creating timeless pieces which reference classic sartorial periods - but with today's gentleman at the forefront. Every piece in the collection is carefully created with premium fabrics and hand finishes, emphasising British craftsmanship and quality. A luxurious, contemporary palette runs throughout, combining warm tones of chocolate brown, camel and taupe. For the first time, eveningwear has been introduced into the collection. Debonair velvet tuxedo jackets and trousers in black and brown are cut in single and double breasted shapes. Outwear sees the addition of leather and suede jackets into the range alongside impeccably cut pieces from classic Crombie coats to double breasted styles with sheepskin collar detail. Tailored suits cut a dashing silhouette in stripe and Prince of Wales check and were paired with coordinating ties. Formal jackets in bold weaves featured suede shoulder and elbow details while luxurious silk bow ties were paired with silk squares in graphic prints that were mixed and matched across the collection.

Knitwear is simple yet refined as shawl neck collared cable knits are created in the softest cashmere yarns - the ultimate in contemporary casualwear.

Graphic knits nod to retro styles whilst soft knit polo necks create a simple, understated look with jackets or suits.

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Inside Llewyn Davis Wins Big

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eryl Streep and Julia Roberts were among the A-listers honoured for their film achievements at the Palm Springs International Film Festival gala on Saturday.

Streep graced the stage at the 25th annual film event in California to accept the second ever Icon Award in recognition of her outstanding movie career. She told the crowd, "I feel like I'm an example now in my dotage that you can't put those old gals out to pasture - we've got a lot to say". She follows the award's first winner Michael Douglas, who was presented with the prize in 2011. Roberts, who plays Streep's daughter in the Oscar-tipped movie, was handed the Spotlight Award, and she thanked the actors and crews she has worked with over the years for helping boost her performances.

She said, "I learned in high school ... It is a scientific fact that all birds fly finer and faster in formation than any bird that flies alone".

The Pretty Woman actress also presented the Chairman's Award to Tom Hanks. Other recipients included Sandra Bullock, who won the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress for her performance in

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who plays the title character, was named Best Actor, and Bruno Delbonnel picked up a trophy for his cinematography. American Hustle and 12 Years a Slave placed second and third in the voting

for Best Film, while Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) and Robert Redford (All Is Lost) were runners-up in the Best Actor.

Cate Blanchett boosted her Oscar chances of taking home a Best Actress prize by claiming the award at the gala for her acclaimed role in Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine. She beat out Adele Exarchopoulous (Blue Is the Warmest Color) and Julie Delpy (Before Midnight) for the top trophy.Winners also included James Franco (Best Supporting Actor for his role in Spring Breakers), Jennifer Lawrence (Best Supporting Actress for American Hustle), Richard Linklater, Delpy and Ethan Hawke (Best Screenplay for Before Midnight), and Blue Is the Warmest Color (Best Foreign-Language Film).

cott Disick's father has died, less than three months after the reality TV star’s mother passed away.

The 30-year-old star's dad Jeffrey, a real estate developer, died last week according to RadarOnline.

The cause of death has not been revealed. Scott is the only child of Jeffrey and his wife Bonnie, who tragically passed away on October 28 following a long illness.

Both of Scott's parents were 63 at the time of their deaths. Although usually a prolific tweeter, Scott has not mentioned either of his parents’ deaths on the social networking site. He has not

posted to any of his social media accounts since December 31. Scott was raised in Eastport, Long Island but when he started dating Kourtney Kardashian he moved to Los Angeles.

He currently resides in Calabasas with Kourtney and their children, son Mason, three, and daughter Penelope, one. Bonnie and Jeffrey appeared in a 2011 episode of Kourtney & Kim Take New York. The scene took place when Scott, Kourtney and her sister Khloe drove to the Hamptons to let Mason see his grandparents. It was previously claimed that the couple were uncomfortable

with the Kardashians’ fame and preferred not to appear on their numerous reality TV shows. A source told Star magazine: 'They’re [Jeffrey and Bonnie] completely removed from the Beverly Hills scene and look like fish out of water when they’re with Kris and her glamorous girls.'

in the lead. Aamir also said, "If Junaid wishes to act he must. As of now Junaid is still figuring out what he wants to do. Once he makes up his mind and if we come across a script that will suit him, I will be more than happy to back him.” The actor has also opened up about his insecurities in his life, though being one of the most successful actors in the Hindi film industry.

He said, "I have many insecurities in life. I am called captain caution by family members. I am constantly worrying about safety etc.

My biggest insecurity is losing people I love. I have insecurity relating to work that at some point I will lose it...my creative instincts will go away completely and I will be the last one to know about it.” "Hence I take criticism seriously. When I hear something about my work I look at it again, I don't want to take it lightly. I give it lot of value," he added. But losing

the superstar status doesn’t fall under this insecurity criterion as he said, "No I don't fear that...that is going to

happen for sure but I don't think or fear about it. I worry about losing people...that is my biggest fear."

rothers Joel and Ethan Coen and their film Inside Llewyn Davis were the toast of National Society of Film Critics on Saturday (04Jan14) after scooping a handful of the U.S.

organisation's awards. The film, which chronicles a New York folk singer's struggles in the early 1960s, received four awards, including Best Film and Best Director for the siblings. Oscar Isaac,

space thriller Gravity, and Bruce Dern, who walked away with male equivalent of the same prize for his turn in father-andson movie Nebraska. 12 Years a Slave director Steve McQueen was honoured with the director of the year award, while Mandela Long Walk to Freedom stars Idris Elba and Naomie Harris presented rockers U2 with the Sonny Bono Visionary Award for their "unparalleled humanitarian work against extreme poverty, disease, and social injustice".

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also goes by the name Scottie. If the couple's marriage is legit, that makes Brett Charlie’s fourth wife.

Such a union would be all the more remarkable as it only emerged the pair were dating in November.

The 48-year-old was first married to Donna Peele, between 1995 and 1996, then Denise Richards, whom he married in 2002 and split from in 2006, followed by Brooke Mueller, who was wed to Charlie from 2008 to 2011. Earlier that day, Charlie paid another romantic tribute to his 'wife', uploading a picture of her sniffing a rose, and writing: 'Jus wen ya thot the "idea" of a perfect rose was bred by an ordained magistracy of all things groovy

SHE arrived. (sic).' Charlie is a father to five children - daughters Sam, nine, and Lola, eight, with Denise, four-year-old twins Bob

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Aamir Khan still considers ex-wife Reena Dutta as a part of his family

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ollywood’s Mr. Perfectionist Aamir Khan has reportedly revealed that he is in continuous touch with his former wife Reena Dutta and he still feels that she is an integral part of his family. Though the couple divorced in 2002 mutually, Reena is still quite visible at Aamir’s family functions.

Aamir, who married Reena in 1986 and has two children together, said, "Reena is extremely important and is very much a part of the family and she will always be. Our relationship has undergone a change. From legal point of view we are divorced. But I think the bond that we share is not going to break with a piece of paper. There is lot of love and regard for her in my heart.” Aamir and Reena’s elder son Junaid has also stepped into filmmaking by assisting Raj Kumar Hiand Max with Brooke, and rani in his upcoming film 30-year-old Cassandra Es- P.K., which features Aamir tevez, whom he fathered with former high school girlfriend Paula Profit.

Charlie Sheen reveals surprise wedding to Brett Rossi during Icelandic vacation

harlie Sheen has sent the rumour mill into overdrive after claiming that he has got married.

The Anger Management star announced on Sunday that he wed his porn star girlfriend Brett Rossi while on their recent trip to Iceland. He posted a picture of the pair together outside the former French consulate building in Reykjavík, where a 1986 Cold War summit was held between then US president Ronald Reagan and USSR leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Charlie wrote on his Twitter page: 'This is the house ware M Gorbachev R Reagan did some epic. it's also where S and I GOT MARRIED! c #RumorMilUhPede. (sic).' 'S' is a nickname used for 24-year-old Brett, who

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fficials in Rhode Island are supporting Taylor Swift's sea defence wall renovation at her Watch Hill estate amid some residents' fears the singer is - without the proper permits - removing a famous local landmark. In Fact, permits were issued to Swift on 6 November (13) for the repair work, which included "landscaping 128 feet of new retaining wall", and one Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council executive visited the site to make sure everything the singer was planning was above board. According to the Westerly Sun, the permit Swift was granted allows for the replacement of unsafe rocks. A spokesperson for the RICRMC has revealed the sea wall was damaged by Hurricane Sandy, and she confirms that what the Love Story Singer is doing is "a permitted activity, adding, "All is OK. Everything is on the level".

Superstars Descend on Palm Springs Prizegiving Tragedy for Scott Disick

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Struggling Thunder Manchester United, West hammer Celtics

Ham humbled in FA Cup

Boston Celtics forward Kris Humphries, left, and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) reach for a rebound in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Sunday, Jan. 5. (AP Photo)

OKLAHOMA CITy, JANuARy 6 (AP): The Oklahoma City Thunder had been struggling on their own court, losing two straight and three out of their last four at home. Kevin Durant made sure that trend didn’t continue Sunday night. Durant overcame a slow start to finish with 21 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, Reggie Jackson scored a career-high 27 points, and the Thunder rolled to a 11996 win over the Boston Celtics. Serge Ibaka added 17 points and 11 rebounds for Oklahoma City, which had struggled at home after starting the season 13-0 at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The Thunder (27-7) have the best record in the Western Conference.

Oklahoma City is 4-2 since All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook had arthroscopic knee surgery on Dec. 27. A day after the Thunder narrowly avoided a three-game losing streak — rallying from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to win at Minnesota behind Durant’s seasonhigh 48-point effort — they seized control early against the Celtics, going on a 10-0 run in the first quarter and never trailing again. ‘‘We just want to come in here and focus every time, es-

pecially after an emotional win last night,’’ Durant said. ‘‘On the back-to-back, it might have been easy for us to relax, but I think we did a good job of playing hard.’’

Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said the emphasis wasn’t so much on winning at home, but instead eliminating the ingame lapses that led to the Thunder’s recent home losses to Toronto, Portland and Brooklyn. ‘‘It’s just important that we just play a 48-minute game,’’ Brooks said. ‘‘I thought we had good moments on the games that we lost, but it wasn’t consistent throughout the game and the other teams got hot down the stretch and we couldn’t stop it. ‘‘But we didn’t go into the game and say, ‘Guys, we've got to win tonight because we've lost three out of our last four at home.’ We went into the game, ‘Guys, we want to keep playing our style of basketball.'’’

Jeff Green and Avery Bradley scored 19 points apiece for Boston, which has lost four straight games and seven of its last eight.

Oklahoma City matched its season high for points in a half and led 66-56 at the break. The Thunder scored the first six points of the

second half and the Celtics came no closer than 11 the rest of the way. ‘‘I thought our ball movement in the first half was really good,’’ Boston coach Brad Stevens said. ‘‘That dried up in the second, and we didn’t help each other on defense very often. One of the things we've got to do as a group is when things don’t go well, we've got to collect ourselves quicker and make things go in our favor again.

When things are going well, we’re not bad, but when things don’t go well, we haven’t responded well lately.’’ Durant didn’t record his first field goal until 5½ minutes into the second quarter, but still had 17 points by halftime thanks to 9-of-10 free throw shooting. He sat out the fourth quarter with the game in hand.

Jackson hit six of his first seven shots and was 3 of 3 from 3-point range while scoring 19 in the first half. He surpassed his previous career high of 23 points with 2:57 left in the third quarter, taking a pass from Durant and rising for a one-handed dunk.

Jackson, who finished 9 of 12 from the field, said he doesn’t feel extra pressure while subbing in the Thunder’s starting lineup for Westbrook.

MANCHESTER, JANuARy 6 (AP): Manchester United and West Ham paid a big price for fielding heavily weakened teams in the FA Cup when they were knocked out in the third round on Sunday, while Chelsea and Liverpool advanced relatively comfortably. Swansea capitalized on the 80th-minute sending-off of substitute Fabio Da Silva by scoring in the last minute through Wilfried Bony in a 2-1 win at United, the latest setback for David Moyes in his turbulent first season with the English champions.

United has lost four of its last six games at Old Trafford in all competitions and failed to reach the fourth round for only the second time in 30 years.

"We had another big game in 48 hours' time so we have to keep that in mind (but) no excuse," said Moyes, referring to the first leg of a League Cup semifinal against Sunderland on Tuesday. "We had a strong team out. Nearly every player out there was an international."

Like United, West Ham used a lineup full of reserves ahead of its League Cup semifinal against Manchester City on Wednesday, and the gamble backfired.

The injury-hit Premier League struggler was crushed 5-0 at second-tier Nottingham Forest in the third round's biggest shock.

"We had a huge amount of problems in terms of the available members of the squad so I've got to keep

Manchester United's Javier Hernandez, centre, is brought down for a free kick by Swansea City's Chico, bottom right, as Neil Taylor, left, also challenges for the ball during their English FA Cup third round soccer match at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, England, Sunday Jan. 5. (AP Photo)

them intact, that's a major priority," said West Ham manager Sam Allardyce, who was already under pressure with his team next to last in the league.

"Many, many managers have changed the team in all divisions, but my chang-

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tion for winning the Ranji Trophy," Gambhir told PTI in an interview here. "While Viru didn`t exactly have a great season but then it can happen in sport. That`s the beauty of the game. It was Mithun (Manhas) and my responsibility to carry the team forward.

Actually what cost us is one bad innings (first innings) against Punjab when we didn`t get a big lead. Just to blame Viru for Delhi`s failure to qualify for knock-outs is not right," the seasoned opener explained. Gambhir also defended his decision to blood young Haryana

last season's surprise defeat to third-tier Oldham in this competition by winning 2-0 at Anfield thanks to Iago Aspas' first goal for the club and an own goal

by James Tarkowski. That game also saw Liverpool manager Brendan Rodg-

ers go up against his own son, Anton, who plays for Oldham and came on as a second-half substitute.

"I've seen Anton's life from when he was a young footballer and to see him run out there was a bit surreal really," Rodgers said.

Premier League club Liverpool announce India tie-up LONDON, JANuARy 6 (AFP): India's growing importance to the English Premier League was emphasised when leading club Liverpool announced on Monday their first marketing deal with an Indian company.

The Reds have signed a threeyear agreement with smart mobile firm XOLO which will allow supporters in India to enjoy tailored content on their phones, buy merchandise and have the chance to meet leading Liverpool players.

Although India is best-known in sporting terms for its mass enthusiasm for cricket, the globally popular football Premier League has started to make inroads in recent years into the lucrative Indian market.

Liverpool, currently fourth in the table, have also set up an 'International Academy' in the western Indian town of Pune.

"Through this partnership we will deliver exclusive LFC content and exciting opportunities for fans to visit our home, Anfield," said Liv-

Unfair to blame Sehwag for Delhi's ouster: Gambhir

NEw DELHI, JANuARy 6 (PTI): Putting his weight behind the embattled Virender Sehwag, senior opener and Delhi captain Gautam Gambhir said it is unfair to solely blame the swashbuckler`s poor form for the team`s early ouster from the Ranji Trophy.

Sehwag`s wretched form with the bat has been a talking point this Ranji season in which he has scored 234 runs at an average of less than 20 in 13 innings. "Look, had each and everyone of us were performing at the same time, then Delhi would have been in conten-

es had to be severe. I didn't want it to be but it had to be." Chelsea and Liverpool played stronger lineups — and it showed. Secondhalf goals by John Obi Mikel and Oscar earned Chelsea a 2-0 victory at Derby, while Liverpool avenged

boy Navdeep Saini in Ranji Trophy as he believes that while selecting a squad of XI, a player`s domicile is of little significance if the particular cricketer is talented.

"Those who have questioned my decision to play Navdeep should check how many players in the past have played for Delhi not belonging to the state," Gambhir said on the criticism he faced for selecting a non-Delhi boy like Saini.

"I don`t wish to comment about what some individuals had to say.

For me, it is important whether the player is valuable for the team or

erpool chief commercial officer Billy Hogan on Monday.

"We have millions of fans in India and we are committed to bringing the Club closer to them. Teaming up with XOLO and launching our very first International Academy in Pune represent the start of our journey in India to make fans feel like their club is right on their doorstep." Liverpool's aim is for the academy to be a "world class purpose-built residential complex", featuring

full-size pitches, practice areas, classrooms, changing rooms, a gym, canteen, lecture theatre, residential and medical facilities.

In September English champions Manchester United, Liverpool's arch-rivals, announced they had signed a three-year regional sponsorship agreement with Indian tyre film Apollo. In another sign of football's growing popularity in India, it will host the Under-17 football World Cup in 2017.

not," he added.

Former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi had led the chorus against the selection of Navdeep, who got a total of five wickets in two low-scoring Ranji Trophy matches, by signing a protest letter to erstwhile DDCA president Arun Jaitley.

"I don`t know what Bishan paaji had said and would rather not get into it. I only know that I saw the kid (Navdeep), who till two years back used to play tennis-ball cricket, bowling well at the nets", he said.

Wozniacki, Kerber advance in Sydney SyDNEy, JANuARy 6 (AP): Only days after her New Year's Eve engagement to golfer Rory McIlroy, Caroline Wozniacki opened her 2014 season on Monday with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 win over Julia Goerges of Germany in the first round of the Sydney International.

Wozniacki withdrew from the Brisbane International last week after hurting her right shoulder in practice and struggled early against Goerges, who was replacing the injured Sloane Stephens in the draw. Another former No. 1, Jelena Jankovic, lost 6-4, 6-2 to Ekaterina MaCaroline Wozniacki of Denmark hits a return to Julia Goerges karova of Russia in the first of Germany during their women's singles match at the Syd- round earlier Monday. Fifthney International tennis tournament in Sydney, Australia, seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany beat Dominika Monday, Jan. 6. (AP Photo)

Cibulkova of Slovakia 7-6 (5), 7-5 to move into the second round at the Sydney International, one of the last warmup tournaments for the Australian Open.

Kerber will next play Kaia Kanepi of Estonia, who beat American qualifier Victoria Duval 6-1, 6-3.

In other first-round matches, Lucie Safarova beat 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 6-4 and Bethanie Mattek-Sands defeated Eugenie Bouchard 6-4, 6-3.

Also advancing was Lauren Davis, Varvara Lepchenko and Tsvetana Pironkova. On the comeback from a long layoff with a knee injury, MattekSands had a first-round loss

in Brisbane last week and went through three rounds of qualifying for Sydney.

She next faces defending champion and No. 1-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska.

"She reads the ball so early so it's going to be a great battle," Mattek-Sands said of her second-round match. "But I'm looking forward to it. This is why you train - it's to play the best players in the world. So why not play the No. 1 seed?"

The Hobart International had another injury setback Monday when fifth-seeded Flavia Pennetta withdrew citing a wrist injury, a day after Venus Williams pulled out following her run to the final at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand.

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