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DIMAPUR • Vol. XI • Issue 228 • 12 PAGes • 5
www.morungexpress.com
SaturDaY • auGuSt 20 • 2016
T H e
ESTD. 2005
To rule is easy, to govern difficult Team from Japan engage in learning traditional Naga life
By Sandemo Ngullie
Don’t mention the word ‘government’. If you do the phone will die. It’ll also cause power failure, heavy rain and road blocks.
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T R u T H
Sindhu settles for historic silver at Rio Olympics
St. Joseph’s College Jakhama Graduation Day 2016 PaGE 02
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Kashmir hospital filled with Gun battle inside Myanmar rise to conflicting reports beating & shooting victims gives NSCN (K) says it SRINAGAR, AUGUST 19 (REUTERS): More than 40 days of clashes between protesters and security forces have overwhelmed the main hospital in Indian-administered Kashmir, where some patients with severe injuries said they had been beaten in their homes by troops. House-to-house searches continued on Friday, authorities said, for suspected ringleaders of street protests sparked by the killing on July 8 of a popular field commander of a Pakistan-based separatist group. At least 65 people have been killed and 6,000 injured in the ensuing clashes, many of them wounded by shotgun rounds fired by security forces enforcing a curfew across the Muslim-majority region. Pictures taken by a Reuters photographer at Srinagar’s main SMHS Hospital on Thursday showed men with weals across their backs and buttocks that they said had been caused by beatings. Another showed a crying boy, his head swathed in bandages, as he was comforted by his family, who said he had been wounded by shotgun pellets. Doctors at the hospital were exhausted, with one saying they had performed more eye operations in the past month than they had over the last three years. The Indian army has admitted to, and apologised for, the death of a college lecturer in one beating. A senior army officer said on Friday the forces were trying not to react to acts of provocation. “Militants are hiding behind the stone pelters and are trying to provoke security forces into firing on them, but we are exercising restraint to avoid civilian casualties,” Lieutenant General SK Dua told a news conference in Srinagar. “They want us to fire on them and we will not do it. We are exercising restraint to avoid collateral damage.”
‘repulsed’ offensive and inflicted casualties on para commandos; Indian army terms report as “not true” Morung Express News Dimapur | August 19
Parents comfort their son whom they say was injured by pellets shot by security forces in Srinagar following weeks of violence in Kashmir, August 18. (REUTERS)
UN deplores Kashmir deaths, offers to facilitate dialogue
NEw DElhI, AUGUST 19 (IANS): UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has deplored the deaths in the current unrest in Jammu and Kashmir and also offered his good offices to facilitate dialogue between India and Pakistan to “achieve a negotiated settlement” on all outstanding issues, including Kashmir. “I deplore the loss of life and hope that all efforts will be made to avoid further violence,” the UN Secretary-General said in his letter, obtained by IANS. “I appreciate the continued commitment of Pakistan to the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute for the sake of regional peace and security, as you reaffirmed in your letter,” Ban said in reference to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s letter. “The United Nations remains convinced that it is only through dialogue that the outstanding issues between Pakistan and India, including on Kashmir, can be addressed.” “I stand ready to offer my good offices, should it be requested
by both sides, to facilitate dialogue in order to achieve a negotiated settlement,” Ban wrote. In his letter earlier, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif apprised the UN chief about the “deteriorating” situation in Kashmir. Nearly 70 people have been killed and thousands more injured in the Kashmir Valley in clashes with security forces in the wake of the killing of a prominent Kashmiri separatist Burhan Wani, in a military operation on July 8. In his letter of August 5, Prime Minister Sharif called for efforts to end the “violation of human rights” of the Kashmiri people and also to “implement the decades old UN Security Council resolutions for the settlement of the Kashmir dispute through a plebiscite”. The UN Secretary-General said that he looked forward to meeting the Pakistani leader again during the upcoming 71st session of the UN General Assembly to “discuss matters of common interest”.
A reported shootout between the NSCN (K) and Indian Army soldiers along the Indo-Myanmar border gave rise to conflicting reports today. According to a police report from Mon, a 3-hour long gun battle took place in the wee hours of August 19 when Para Commandos of the Indian Army reportedly attacked an NSCN (K) camp on the Myanmar side of the international border. The gun battle, as per the report, occurred between Chenmoho village in Mon district and Thorloi, which is in Myanmar. The place of the shootout was stated to be approximately 2 km from Border Pillar 151 at Chenmoho, the police report said, while adding that there was no report of casualty till late evening. Meanwhile, the NSCN (K) stated the shootout was the result of a targeted offensive by the 12 Para Commandos. The MIP of the NSCN (K) in a statement to the media claimed that the attack was “thwarted and repulsed” and in the course of the shootout, the commandos suffered 5-6 casualties. It said that the advancing commandos were “pinned down helplessly and the rest ran” and tried to regroup for a counter-attack but were pursued and forced to retreat. As per the statement, the exchange of gunfire took place “one and half hour walking distance into Naga Myanmar area after crossing Thorloi the first border village well inside Naga Myanmar.” It started around 3:30 am and lasted till 6:00 am. Meanwhile, Army sources when contacted denied the involvement of Para Commandos in the reported gun battle. While not denying the occurrence of the exchange of fire, the
Hospital as ambulances whose father was being treat- told a regional court that more brought them in from rural ed for pellet wounds suffered than 100 people had been areas. Paramedics and am- in the clashes. partly or completely blinded bulance drivers said governAnother doctor said pa- by shotgun pellets. ment forces attacked them on tients have been brought in Kashmir is at the centre the way. The curfew restricts with abdominal injuries from of a decades-old rivalry bemovement, severely disrupt- rifle bullets. “Our operating tween India and Pakistan, ing daily life. theatres are working non- which rules a northwestern “India and Pakistan are stop,” the doctor told Reuters. section of the divided region, fighting over my homeland The Central Reserve Po- and backed an insurgency in HOSPITAL DIMAPUR, AUGUST 19 OVERWHELMED but in the end it’s is only our lice Force (CRPF), which de- the late 1980s and 1990s that (MExN): The North EastDozens of volunteers re- blood that they manage to ploys a large contingent of Indian security forces largely ern Development Finance ceived the injured at SMHS secure,” said Faizal Wani, 24, paramilitaries in Kashmir, crushed. Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) in collaboration with the Ministry of DoNER, is setting up the North East Venture Fund (NEVF), a dedicated venture capital fund for the North Eastern Region. A press note from the apples. Duolo also informed that Morung Express News NEDFi Dimapur informed for past two days, they have been that the size of the fund will Dimapur | August 19 selling the apples in and around be Rs 100 crores which will Dimapur and will continue until be contributed by M-Do- Coming across vendors selling Saturday. NER (Rs 45 Cr.) and NED- apples grown in Nagaland is a rare Another batch of 400 kilos was Fi (Rs 30Cr.). The balance sight. However, such encounters also sent for sale to Kohima on Friamount of Rs.25 Cr. will be have been made possible in reday and Saturday. “So far we sold in raised from other financial cent times with the emergence of weekly markets in 4th and 6th-mile Thanamir as a premier apple proinstitution(s). bazaar and plan to open a stall in In this connection, ducing village in Nagaland. Chumukedima Bazaar on SaturThis year’s first batch of the apple NEDFi has already set up day,” he added. two wholly owned subsid- harvest from Thanamir is now being In main town area of Dimaiary companies viz., NED- sold in and around Dimapur. The pur, the apples were seen driven Fi Trustee Ltd and NEDFi marketing, an initiative of the Divine around in a pick-up truck and sold Venture Capital Ltd to op- Prayer Counseling & Healing Minat the rate of Rs. 150 per kilo. erationalise the Venture istry (DPCHM), was undertaken to A truck load of apples from Thanamir being sold in Dimapur on August The sales were not encouraging Fund which is expected to encourage the cultivators. as by afternoon only around 20-30 Shielded under the mighty 19. (Morung Photo) be launched by October, 2016, after the same is reg- Mount Saramati, Thanamir is a Saramati, the highest peak in Na- Movement (NMM) missionary kilos were sold. Duolo attributed istered with SEBI. The in- Yimchunger Naga village in Pun- galand thus started to spread to based at Pungro Town, Tangit the relatively modest sale to lack of vestment focus of the Ven- gro Sub-Division, and located other people and nearby villages. Longkumer, which later germinat- familiarity with the product. When ture Fund will be in early near the Indo-Myanmar border in Grafting is done in June-July and ed into the first edition of the ‘Apple asked whether the price was too and growth stage invest- Kiphire District. People here have the new graft plants start to bear Festival’ organized at Thanamir high, he said given the transportation and other cost involved, the ments mostly in the fields been growing apples in their back- fruit in two years. Flowering takes village on 2010. place in March-April and the harThe festival is now an annual price was reasonable. of IT & ITES, Food process- yards since the early eighties. Despite declaring the village While different versions exist, vesting in August and September. fixture. ing, Healthcare, Tourism, A state government report said The apples from Thanamir are as “vegetable village” by the GovRetail and Aggregation the history of apples in the village of Services. It further in- dates back to the early 1980s, when that the village council of Thanamir purely organic with several health ernment of Nagaland in 2013 for its formed that the NEVF will a Nepali soldier in the Assam Rifles also resolved to make it mandatory benefits. This is the first batch of rich agriculture potential and bioinvest in areas such as de- posted in the area gifted three ap- that every household should have the season and the yield for this diversity, lack of alternative marvelopment of new products ple plants to J Youngphukhiung, a 1000 apple trees by 2014. The De- year is good, DPCHM Executive keting facilities either through the and services, technological GB, and a village guard as a gesture partment of Horticulture also gives Chairman, V Duolo informed The government or other avenues has proven to be an obstacle. up gradation, expansion of friendship in a gift exchange. He technical & financial support to Morung Express. He along with other members The sale of this year’s first apple or diversification, process later planted the same and later encourage its cultivation. However, the introduction of of the ministry and volunteers batch will continue on August 19 improvement and quality learnt the art of grafting and disthe “Saramati Apple” to outside were selling the local variety of ap- in Dimapur and Kohima. People improvement with the pur- tributed grafts to fellow villagers. The cultivation of the apple world is attributed to tireless ef- ples by assisting the local produc- can 8014770034 for further inforpose of creating value for all —“Saramati”— named after Mt forts of the Nagaland Missions ers and spreading word about the mation. stake holders.
NEDFi sets up venture fund for NE
o F
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
PaGE 05
reflections
P o W e R
Myanmar asked to take action against North East insurgents
PASIGhAT, AUGUST 19 (PTI): India has requested Myanmar to take action against the insurgent groups taking shelter in that country, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said today. “There are reports of some leaders of insurgent outfits from the north east taking shelter in Myanmar and we are in constant talks with the government of that country requesting them to take action against them,” Rijiju told reporters after inaugurating the advanced landing ground (ALG) here. The minister made the remarks after his attention was drawn to the law and order situation in neighbouring Assam where outlawed ULFA activists and NDFB rebels carried out attacks prompting Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to ask the Centre for more forces to tackle the situation. Claiming that the situation in Assam was under control, Rijiju said the Unified Command Structure has been continuing its operations against NDFB militants since the carnage on December 23, 2014. “We were of the impression that after the massacre of December 2014 the activities of the NDFB have been controlled. “But the recent killing at Kokrajhar early this month and the continuous violence triggered by ULFA in Upper Assam have been seriously viewed by the Home Ministry,” he said. “Additional forces will be deployed to tackle the situation,” he added. sources termed the reports as “not true” and stated that inquiry was on to verify the reports. A unit of the 9 Bihar Regiment stationed at Chenmoho was also reported to have been unaware of the parties involved in the shootout. Police sources from Mon further said that the Army unit denied the involvement of its soldiers.
Naga Hoho: 33% women’s is ‘pre-mature’ First batch of this year’s Thanamir apples now available reservation DIMAPUR, AUGUST 19 (MExN): The Naga Hoho
Grab yourself an apple!
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today once again expressed its opposition to the 33% women’s reservation in Urban Local Bodies, and stated that “it is still pre-mature to introduce 33% women reservation in Naga society.” A press note from the Naga Hoho stated that this was affirmed in its Presidential Council meeting with the Nagaland state units held at Hotel Japfu on August 19. “The house resolved to advocate women empowerment by creating various opportunities,” the Naga Hoho added.