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thursDAY • APrIL 28 • 2016
DIMAPUR • Vol. XI • Issue 115 • 12 PAGes • 5
T H e
ESTD. 2005
P o W e R
o F
T R u T H
What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well — Antoine de Saint-Exupery Sonia, Manmohan dare BJP over AgustaWestland deal
RSZ supports demand for creation of Tseminyu district
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reflections
By Sandemo Ngullie
Our son is not interested in Facebook, whatsapp, don’t care about cellphones. All he does is read books. Something’s not right with him.
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Union Minister Nihal Chand postpones visit to Nagaland dIMApUr, AprIl 27 (Mexn): Union Minister of State for Panchayat Raj, Nihal Chand has postponed his visit to Nagaland. The Union Minister was slated to visit the state on April 28 and 29, 2016. This information was issued by the State Protocol Officer, Home Department, Nusieta Rhakho, a DIPR report informed.
PR in Uttarakhand to continue, rules SC neW delhI, AprIl 27 (IAns): President’s Rule will continue in Uttarakhand, the Supreme Court said on Wednesday. It also cancelled the floor test in the state assembly scheduled for Friday. The next hearing in the apex court is scheduled on May 3. The Supreme Court had earlier kept in abeyance the Uttarakhand High Court’s order quashing President’s Rule in the state, restoring Congress leader Harish Rawat as chief minister.
32, 077 rapes reported in 2015 neW delhI, AprIl 27 (pTI): A total of 32, 077 rape cases were reported in 2015 across the country, government said in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. “As per the information provided by National Crime Records Bureau, a total of 32,077 cases of rape reported, out of which 1,706 were gang rapes during 2015,” minister of state for home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said. The minister said the central government has set up a victim compensation fund under the home ministry for assisting and supporting victim compensation schemes of states and Union Territories with an initial corpus of Rs 200 crore.
Man City hold Ronaldo-less Real to stay in hunt for final
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Drought raises trafficking JnNURM Housing Scheme: Out of hazards in Indian villages bounds for genuine beneficiaries?
MUMBAI, AprIl 27 (ThoMson reUTers FoUndATIon): The worst drought in decades across several states in India is forcing tens of thousands of people to migrate from rural areas in search of water, food and jobs, increasing the risk that they may be trafficked or exploited, activists said. About 330 million people, almost a quarter of the country’s population, are now affected by drought, the government estimates. Destitute women, children and older family members left behind in the villages are most at risk of exploitation. “People in the rural areas have always been vulnerable because they want better jobs, better lives,” said Mangala Daithankar at non-profit Social Action for Association and Development in Pune, in Maharashtra state. “The drought has aggravated the situation because they are so desperate now. They have absolutely nothing,” said Daithankar, who has worked in the state’s drought-hit Marathwada region for about two decades. Maharashtra is one of the worst affected states, with successive years of poor rainfall ravaging crops, killing livestock, drying up reservoirs and forcing farmers into indebtedness that has led to thousands of suicides. In the state’s Jalna district, scores of villages house only destitute women and children left in the care of older relatives who keep an eye on their homes and parched fields.
Morung Express News Kohima | April 27
Residents wait to fill their containers with water in a field in Latur, April 17, 2016. (REUTERS)
“There’s no water, so there are no jobs to be had on the fields and no food to feed their families,” said Vishwanath Todkar at nonprofit Paryay in Osmanabad district, which is helping build water management systems in some villages. “The women and children are particularly vulnerable, as there is no one looking out for them,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
MASSIVE DISTRESS
Men and their wives have moved to cities including Mumbai and Pune in search of jobs on construction sites and as day labourers, sleeping under flyovers and on pavements. Some have been reduced to begging on the streets, activists say. Others, with their
families, have been lured to work for little money in harsh conditions in one of the hundreds of brick kilns in the state. Many single women and widows have been trafficked into prostitution in the cities. “Disasters are the ground zero for trafficking,” said Dhananjay Tingal, executive director at Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childhood Movement), which says it has rescued more than 85,000 children from modern slavery in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged a nationwide drive to conserve water, but activists and economists have slammed the government’s lack of “compassion” on the issue. In an open letter to Modi, 170 activists, aca-
demics and economists said the drought had resulted in “massive distress movement of populations, causing broken childhoods, interrupted education, life in camps, city pavements or crowded shanties”. In Karnataka, the drought has hit an estimated 10 million people. “The crisis is by far the worst the region has seen in many years. There is no fodder, no water and no agriculture in the region as of now,” said Amlan Aditya Biswas, regional commissioner in Gulbarga in North Karnataka. “It all depends now on the rains,” said Daithankar. “People will come back to the villages if the rains are good. Otherwise there is nothing for them to come back to.”
On papers, the listed beneficiaries for the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) housing scheme appears to fulfill the criteria required to avail the housing scheme and therefore deemed genuine. However, if one takes a stroll around the squalid section of the different wards and colonies in Kohima, a number of the ‘real’ genuine beneficiaries are not even aware that such affordable dwelling plan even exists. Vesalü, a sweeper, and mother of four-school going children reside in New Market area, Kohima. She is the sole bread earner in her family with a monthly income of around Rs 4000, which she earns by cleaning and sweeping commercial areas in Kohima town and through weaving. Apeni, who resides in a rented house sells edible frogs in Kohima town, which earns her a meager 3000 rupees per month. Apeni has two children both in college while her husband is a seasonal wage labourer. Both the family falls under the BPL category. They have not heard about the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) housing project for marginalized people like them. “We have no idea that such basic facilities exist for people like us. We weren’t even informed or approached by anyone about it,” the two families in a conversation told The
JnNURM housing at K Badze, Kohima. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express. The Municipal Affairs Cell under the Urban Development Department had given responsibility to the ward and colony leaders for selecting the beneficiaries for the housing scheme. The beneficiaries are required to pay Rs. 30,000 for availing the dwelling unit. One criterion is that a beneficiary should have a monthly income below Rs 5000. The housing also claim to come with provisions of all infrastructure amenities such a school buildings, community hall, water supply, electricity and sanitation. Further provisions for the housing scheme also maintain that the housing must be affordable- where the poor are linked to formal banks for credit at low interest rates that will allow them to repay loans in easy installments. Another component is that the dwellings must be close to the workplaces of the beneficiaries and within city limits and planned with in-house metered water connection, lifeline tariff with payments in easy installments. As is the
case of many government schemes, while the ‘deserving’ are unaware, countless of people ‘ineligible’ for availing the housing scheme have reportedly bought the dwelling units. In addition, most of the beneficiaries actually have no plan to reside there. “It cost just Rs 30,000. And after all it is a piece of property and therefore a future investment,” was the candid response from one of the beneficiaries who did not want to be named. According to the Nagaland Economic Survey 2015-16, Kohima has a total of 8505 BPL beneficiaries. However, the question remains as to how many of them are actually given opportunity to avail the housing scheme. The JnNURM housing scheme would be failing to serve its purpose if genuine beneficiaries - marginalized sections of the societycannot avail the scheme. For a start, bogus beneficiaries must be weeded out of the list and conditions prerequisite for the housing scheme strictly adhered with - instead of flouting it with impunity.
Rio responds to show cause notice HSLC & HSSLC results declaration on May 3
dIMApUr, AprIl 27 (Mexn): Lok Sabha MP from Nagaland State, Neiphiu Rio, has requested the Disciplinary Action Committee (DAC) of the Naga People’s Front (NPF) to withdraw the show cause notice issued to him in the “greater interest of understanding and unity of the NPF, and in the true spirit of reconciliation and oneness of the NPF party.” This was stated in a response - released to the press today - to a show cause notice issued to Rio by the DAC of the NPF dated April 13, which he said he received on April 18. He was also issued an earlier show cause notice on April 4 to which he had already replied on April 14. Rio asserted in his recent response that he was “always for reconciliation, party unity and oneness.” He thus denied the “false allegation of anti-party activism and harbouring of dissident movement,” terming them to be “completely untrue.” The MP also clarified that he does not have to enter State politics
“through backdoor,” thereby putting on record that he has “not spoken to any party leader or elected Member of any intention to return to State politics.” “Being one of the founding members of the NPF party,” Rio asserted that “I have always strived for party unity and desired true reconciliation in letter and spirit.” Reiterating the NPF party election manifestos of 2003, 2008 and 2013, Rio stated that he stands by the commitment made to the people that the leaders will “step down to pave way for an alternative arrangement in the event of a political settlement that is honourable and acceptable to the people.” The NPF leader also made known that he had supported TR Zeliang’s leadership when the latter had majority support. Likewise, “when the majority of NPF MLAs supported the leadership of Mr. Kaito and Mr. Noke, I extended support to the majority group within our party.” Related news on page 5
KohIMA, AprIl 27 (Mexn): Declaration date for the results of the HSLC & HSSLC Examinations 2016 conducted by the NBSE, Kohima have been fixed on May 3, 2016. Informing this in a press release, Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE) chairperson, Asano Sekhose said the results shall be made available in the follow-
ing modes: Website: www. nbsenagaland.com; www. indiaresults.com; www.exam results.net; www.exametc. com; www.schools9.com; SMS/IVRS: and at the office premises. However, details of SMS/IVRS service will be provided later, the press release informed. From HSSLC Examination 2016, the rank and division of successful candidates will be
decided on basis of best 5 (five) subjects. This is subject to having passed the compulsory subjects as per the Scheme of Studies for each stream respectively. School-wise statistics showing the number of students securing 80% and above in aggregate at the HSSLC Examination will be shown in the Result Gazette. The Board will also be con-
‘Focus on the solution, not the problem’
Demand in Lok Sabha: Repeal draconian AFSPA in North East
neW delhI, AprIl 27 (pTI): A demand was made in the Lok Sabha today for repeal of the “draconian” Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the North East, with a few members saying it was the biggest deterrent in integrating the youth of the region with India. Participating in a discussion on the Demands for Grants of the Ministry of North East Development, members in the House made a case for bringing in change of strategy and political will for progress of North Eastern Region. “For 50 years we have clamped AFSPA on the region. Armed forces have killed 50,000 plus civilians in North East. AFSPA has been the
biggest deterrent of integrating NE youth with India... Remove AFSPA without any conditionality,” said BJD member Tathagata Satpathy. Thokchom Meinya (Congress) demanded immediate repeal of AFSPA from Manipur, saying the Act has been “draconian and black law”. He said many agencies have said AFSPA should be repealed and the Centre should immediately repeal it. Satpathy said the government at the Centre would have to change its strategy to integrate the North Eastern people with the Indian culture. “It is a change in political will that is needed. It is not the BSF, armed forces who are at fault, it is politicians who are at fault,” he said.
ducting Compartmental Examination for students who appeared the HSLC Examination 2016 and failed in 3 (three) or less subjects. Successful candidates of the compartmental examination can join the higher secondary level this year itself, thus, saving a year. It has also informed the heads of institutions to collect the Mark sheets/Certificates on or before May 7, 2016.
DC Dimapur, Kesonyu Yhome addressing workshop on ‘Counselling Therapies’ in Dimapur.
NEISSR workshop on Counselling Therapies underway dIMApUr, AprIl 27 (Mexn): Deputy Commissioner, Dimapur, Kesonyu Yhome on Wednesday said Nagas should focus more on the solution rather than mull over the problem. “Every one of us has the tendency of discussing the problems and issues that plague our daily lives instead of focussing on the solution to the issue,” Yhome said while
addressing the four-day workshop on ‘Counselling Therapies’ organized by the North East Institute of Social Science and Research (NEISSR)-Master of Social Work Institute, Dimapur. He observed that this current trend of blaming or putting the focus on the issues rather than looking for a solution is in itself the biggest problem. The Deputy Commissioner also dwelt on the race for wealth, name and fame, which he pointed out, is eroding the very fabric of our society while creating more problems at in-
dividual level, in the community level and even in the international level at large. “This is the challenge we need to overcome,” he urged. He also espoused hope that the skills acquired from the workshop would help in reaching out to others who are suffering from issues and problems caused by the “advancement of lifestyles.” ”Every skill that we acquire should help us to become ethical and not the other way,” he added. Earlier, in the welcome address, Dr. (Father) CP Anto,
Principal, NEISSR said the workshop on counselling-a long felt desire of the institutewas necessitated by the increase of issues and problems that affected the lives of individuals in the present society. Dr. Joan Chunkapura, Principal, TRADA, College of Health & Social Sciences, Kerala spoke on the basics of counselling and how it helps an individual. The participants were also given role-play and group activities to learn the process of counselling. Dr. Joan also highlighted the different types of parenting and how it affects an individual’s mental health. Complementing the inputs given by Dr. Joan, Dr. (Father) Mathew Thuniampral, Director, Shalom Rehabilitation Centre discussed on how values, attitudes, feelings and behaviours form an individual or the perception of the individual. The workshop was attended by trainees of master of social work programme from NEISSR; teachers, NGOs professionals and parents from Dimapur. The workshop will continue up to April 30, 2016.