August 24th, 2015 by The Morung Express

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www.morungexpress.com

monDAY • August 24 • 2015

DIMAPUR • Vol. X • Issue 230 • 12 PAGes • 4

T H e

ESTD. 2005

P o W e R

Rules are just helpful guidelines for stupid people who can’t make up their own minds One woman’s journey to document dying Konyak tattoos

Amidst fears of war, Koreas resume talks PAgE 9

PAgE 2

reflections

By Sandemo Ngullie

Siddle sends Clarke into sunset with win in Ashes finale PAGE 12

naga shopping Arcade: A venture gone awry? Dimapur | August 23

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Dimapur’s Naga Shopping Arcade can be counted as among the few government infrastructure projects, which has seen the light of day. Standing on prime real estate covering over 30 acres, it can also be considered among the few government properties, which has so far remained unaffected by encroachment. Conceptualised in the 1970’s, it was an ambitious venture of the government, which sought to kindle business enterprise by targeting the youth. Its primary objective was to provide alternative business avenue to the educated Tons of pure bronze? unemployed at minimal costs. The idea Good...i will inform the loha was to allot rooms, preferably to youths, tinna guy. at minimal costs, where businesses can be run for a sustainable living. While the structure stands as a tesThe Morung Express timony to the State government’s perPoll QuEsTion ceived endeavour to stimulate trade Vote on www.morungexpress.com and commerce, it has by any measure sMs your answer to 9862574165 failed to generate the desired result initially envisioned. The business comDo you agree with the National Crime Records plex boasts of 500 rooms-for-rental, in Bureau (NCRB) that theory, strictly meant for business. Nagaland is the safest Socio-political unrest, subletting, state for women? government officials grabbing allotments and conversion of shops into Yes no others residential quarters were among the Do you believe there can several contributing factors, which be a sustainable solution evidently put a plug on its conceptual to the Naga conflict commitment. without addressing the issue of sovereignty? While it may be construed as a largely general perception, a firsthand Yes 17% account would give a clearer idea of 70% no what it was like in the early years of the 13% others Naga Shopping Arcade. Details on page 7 Khondao Ngullie was among the

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Press releases will be accepted only till 8:00 pm Editor, The Morung Express

How Facebook decides what’s trending

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NEw YoRk, AUGUST 23 (IANS): Ever wondered how Facebook determines what you see in your news feed every time you log in? The social networking site has actually devised different algorithms for it. Apart from things like where you live and the pages you follow, it primarily looks for two broader signals -- Topics that are being mentioned a lot and topics that suddenly seen an increase in mentions, Re/ Code reported. For example, singer Justin Bieber is mentioned often on Facebook. So the total volume of mentions is always high and is not a good indicator of whether or not he is part of a trending topic. So, Facebook would look for a hike in mentions relative to the normal prattle around Bieber. “This means that things that trend are not just the most highly mentioned people or topics, they have to be tied to some kind of relevant event,” the report said. Once a topic is identified as trending, it is approved by a human controller, who also writes a short description for the story. These people don’t get to pick what Facebook adds to the trending section. “That’s done automatically by the algorithm. They just get to pick the headline,” the report added.

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— Seth Hoffman

imkong Walling

o F

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A section of the Naga Shopping Arcade, which houses a government office in the midst of small business units and residential quarters. Photo by Caisii Mao

first batch of allottees to set up shop at the complex. Ngullie, then in his twenties, recollects how his tryst with business at the Naga Shopping Arcade turned into losing venture. According to Ngullie, he ran a shop at the complex from 1985-87. An educated unemployed youth at the time, Ngullie said that he applied for an allotment through a newspaper ad. He was selected alongwith other youths, who were all allotted rooms. There were around 35 of them, he recalled. He said that he invested around Rs. 2 lakh in the venture opening a leatherwear shop selling a range of items from shoes to belts and bags. The others opened fast food joints, grocery, electronics and stationery stores. Initially, he was able to pay the rent

but it became tough. “There was hardly any business,” he said. “Those days there were hardly any shoppers who ventured that side of the town. Customers were limited to curious passers-by who dropped in to check out the goods.” As the months went by, the goods gathered dust, while he could no longer afford to pay the rent of Rs. 1.5 per square feet. He could barely sell half of the shoes he brought from Kolkata. “The shoes in particular went out of fashion,” he said. He eventually had to dispose (burn) the unsold goods and shut shop. His allotment also got cancelled. As business showed no sign of growth in the ensuing months, the allottees started subletting to third parties, while converting the allotted business

units into residential quarters. According to Ngullie, people started setting up home at the complex by the mid-80’s. Now, 58 and wiser, Ngullie said that a lack of entrepreneurial skill was partly to be blamed for the failed venture. Admitting he had no business knowhow, he said that he took it up as he was doing nothing at the time. According to him, the government overlooked the importance of imparting entrepreneurial skills to the youths, who were selected. The location of the complex was also another factor. He said that in the 80’s, the area was quite isolated with the population concentrated on the western side of the rail track. The only road link was the old flyover. Then there was government interference. The very idea of inducing business

enterprise among the youth was diluted as government officials grabbed portions of the allotments originally meant for the educated unemployed. On a more introspective note, he said, “Actually, can’t blame the government totally. It was a failure on our part too. We didn’t have the patience.” Today, three decades since the first phase of the complex was let out in the early 80’s, government offices occupy a considerable portion of the complex. Some of the rooms, which were originally allotted for business purpose, became residential quarters, while illicit business units (liquor joints) share space with legitimate businesses. For the government agency (Development Authority of Nagaland - DAN) responsible for the upkeep of the complex, refurbishing and reviving is on its priority list. It however pins on fund availability. According to DAN secretary, Chenithung Lotha, a proposal to turn the place into an attractive city centre is in the pipeline. The proposed city centre, if it takes shape, would be a multifaceted structure. It would have room for a shopping mall, a hotel, conference hall of various capacities, art galleries, food courts and a permanent exhibition centre. It would also have space for other business establishments such as banks and offices. To make way for the city cente, Lotha said that a section of the Naga Shopping Arcade would be demolished. “We’re putting in effort to change the negative impression of the people on the Naga Shopping Arcade,” said Lotha. “With a little push from the government we’re positive of going forward.”

KYO, SAK condemn NPCC accuses BJP of creating Civilians shot by cop, Assam Rifles raids disharmony amongst Nagas 1 succumbs to injury

DIMAPUR, AUGUST 23 (MExN): The Kiruphema Youth Organization (KYO) and the Service Association Kiruphema (SAK) have condemned raids allegedly conducted by Assam Rifles (AR) personnel at houses belonging to two members of the organisations. The houses reportedly belonged to former SAK President, Keviyanei Suohumvü, who works as a primary teacher and is also a BLO in the area; and Rokosakho Suohumvü, Drawing Teacher, GMS, Kiruphema. A press note from the KYO President, Viketuokho Yavio and General Secretary, Thegosevi Shoshahie informed that the raids were conducted on the wee hours of August 18. “The Assam Rifles in full combat raided the houses without any reason and has created fear psychosis amongst the peace loving citizens of Kiruphema village,” the KYO said. “The two citizens, whose house were raided are government servants and law abiding citizens and more so the Assam Rifles in gun totting , in the guise of searching of people in midnight has created lots of physical and mental

trauma to their wives and children and even the entire village,” it added. The KYO questioned that when the houses of government servants are raided on mere suspicion, “how come the security and safety of civilians will be maintained?” It further expressed concern that the AR “are taking advantage of the AFSPA and DAA in the state and merely on suspect raiding houses.” “At a time when the Naga people and the Indian, recently signed the framework agreement between Government of India and NSCN(IM) and with ceasefire of some Naga political groups, the Assam Rifles need not take advantage to vitiate the peaceful environment of Kiruphema village,” the KYO demanded. Meanwhile, a press note from the SAK President, Rokovikho Hesielie termed the raids as “highly condemnable” and stated that the AR are “harassing innocent citizens” based on “wrong information obtained from their intelligence.” It demanded that the AR verify information/reports thoroughly before taking any action.

DIMAPUR, AUGUST 23 (MExN): The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) today accused the BJP government of attempting to create “communal disharmony among the Nagas.” A press note from the NPCC media cell said that since the BJP came to power at the centre in 2014, “it has been on a relentless pursuit to eulogize Gaidinliu and her Heraka faith to gain foothold in Nagaland.” It further lamented that the Nagaland state government headed by Chief Minister TR Zeliang “in its lust for power and money is more than happy to oblige.” While clarifying that the NPCC has no objection to the centenary celebrations of Rani Gaidinliu’s birth anniversary, it however expressed concern at the attempt to project her as the “spiritual leader of the Nagas.” “This projection which is carefully orchestrated by the BJPs ideological mentor RSS is totally misleading with an attempt to create communal disharmony among the Nagas,” it alleged. It further stated that the BJP government by hail-

ing her as a pro India Naga icon for her opposition to Naga national movement “has insulted the memory of thousands of Nagas who have laid down their lives and many more who have suffered the brunt of atrocities during the Indo-Naga armed conflict.” It further said that the “doublespeak of the BJP government is plainly evident in this whole episode.” “On one hand it signs an Accord with the NSCN (IM) by acknowledging and recognizing the uniqueness of Naga history, while on the other hand it props up a leader of a particular faith who was the anti thesis of Naga nationalism,” the NPCC lamented. The NPCC also expressed concern that barring the exception of the NNC/FGN, “other Naga political groups who are never at loss to give lengthy discourse on Naga nationalism to justify their ‘taxation activities’ have remained silent so far for reasons best known to them.” It condemned the activities being carried out by the state Chief Minister to “please his communal BJP masters and the zealous-

Landslides continue to wreck havoc at Phesama A bus (left) and an excavator (right) which were taken down due to massive landslides at the national Highway29 near Phesame. incessant rains have caused more mudslides to occur in the area, making recovery operations difficult. About 30 households have been affected since saturday night with residents of the affected area evacuated. Phesama Village Council secretary, Rovise Khale has meanwhile appealed to the state government to provide relief funds.

ness by the present occupant of ‘Raj Bhavan’ who is unable to shed his past upbringing as RSS Pracharak.” The NPCC, it asserted, “will not tolerate the attempt of the BJP-RSS combine to replicate its deadly cocktail of politics laced with religious color to polarize the people of Nagaland and distort the history of Nagas.” It further cautioned that the BJP along with the DAN government in the state “will be held solely responsible for any outcome that may arise from this issue that has far reaching ramifications for the Naga society in the days to come.” The NPCC said that posterity would “never forgive the present leaders in the DAN government who are unable to speak up or take a stand when communal forces are silently subverting our identity and history to impose their own thinking and way of life on our people.” It asserted that time has come for Naga intellectuals and leaders of civil societies to “educate our people on the evil designs of the communal forces who are now at our doorstep before it is too late.”

Erring policeman arrested, departmental inquiry ordered Morung Express news Dimapur | August 23

In an incident that would put a big question mark on public safety, one civilian was killed and another grievously wounded after a security personnel opened fire during routine patrol in Dimapur. The incident happened on the night of August 22 at Rail Bazaar. As far as preliminary reports go, the shooting was unprovoked, while the police maintained that it was a “case of stray incident involving a personnel who acted beyond the standard operating procedure…” The victims, identified as Dipanker Dey and Mitlesh Sahu, were in an autorickshaw when they were fired upon by a policeman on foot patrol. Dey later succumbed to bullet injury at the district hospital, while Sahu was wounded on the shoulder. The personnel, whose identity was disclosed by the police as ‘Hav’ Samzai Zeliang, was commanding a section of the 13th NAP (IR). According to the police, “the section was moving towards Rail Bazaar during which time, the section commander halted one unregistered autorickshaw approaching their direction.” It was around 10:30 pm. But before the autorickshaw could come to a halt, the section commander opened fire from his service rifle (an AK 47). The bullet went through the windshield hitting Sahu, the driver, on the shoulder. The bullet exited Sahu’s body and hit Dey on the chest, who was at the passenger seat. There were two other pas-

sengers alongwith Dey, who were unhurt. As per the police report, Dey sustained splinter wounds on the shoulder and neck as well. He was a resident of Kuda village and hailed from Assam. The injured Sahu hails from Samastipur, Bihar. “The erring personnel was immediately arrested and his service weapon seized”, the police said, while a criminal case was registered at Sub-urban Police Station. The Dimapur police terming the incident as unfortunate described the action of the personnel as “uncalled for” and assured “appropriate action against those found erring.” Meanwhile, the Director General of Police, LL Doungel informed that a departmental inquiry has been ordered. “The jawan has been placed under suspension and is in custody,” the DGP said, while adding that the commanding officer of the 13th NAP (IR) was ordered to conduct preliminary inquiry and submit its report at the earliest. Meanwhile, a press note from the Dimapur Bengali Hindu Community while condemning the incident, informed that the funeral procession of late Dipankar Dey will begin from Kuda Village ‘C’ Khel (half Nagarjan) at 9:00am on August 24, and pass through old SP office, Nyamo Lotha Road, GS Road and culminate at Railway Hindu Cremation Ground at 12:00 noon for the final rites of the deceased. Members of Hindu community have been requested to keep their shops voluntarily closed during the funeral procession and extend their solidarity to the victim. The Dimapur Bengali Hindu Community has also asked the state government to provide adequate compensation to the victim’s family.

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monDAY 24•08•2015

NAGALAND

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

One woman’s journey to document dying Konyak tattoos

‘The Last of the Tattooed Headhunters: The Konyaks’ expected to be released by early 2016 Morung Express Exclusive Dimapur | August 23

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Tattooing - a tradition passed on from generation to generation among the Konyak people is under threat and on the brink of being completely lost. With only a few remaining tattooed men and women in the traditional way, Phejin Konyak has undertaken the journey to document this dying art. In her book “The Last of the Tattooed Headhunters: The Konyaks”, Phejin documents the tattooing tradition of the Konyak tribe – a practice that faded after the ban of headhunting and the conversion to Christianity. Konyak tattoos were strongly tied to headhunting; after taking a head, a warrior was rewarded with facial tattoo. The art was also done as a form of beautification and distinction between different clans. For men, tattooing was also a rite of passage from boyhood to manhood. For the women, it reflected cycle of life events like marriage, bearing first child etc. Phejin hopes that her story inspires youths to realise the importance of the rich Naga cultural heritage – to take time to sit down with the elders and interact with them and note down their stories and experiences. “Many traditional arts and practices are declining as we speak, and it is very crucial to document these,” Phejin rues. The author shares about the book and her experiences in an e-mail interview with The Morung Express. Give us a little introduction about the book that you are working on.

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My research work to document the vanishing tattoo tradition of my tribe, Konyak, will be leading to 3 publications: First book in English for international readers of a premium quality. Second book will be in the local Konyak language for the local people, which will be in a cheaper version for easy affordability and access for the general public. Third book will be an illustrated story book for children, both in English and Konyak.

Phejin Konyak presents paper on her research work on the vanishing Konyak tattoo tradition at the 8th International Conference of the Inclusive Museum held from August 7-9 in New Delhi.

story. Previously, one has only read or known from what others have written about us from their angle. And I want the world to What inspired you to write know our story from the perspective of our angle the book? Since childhood I had this time for a change. always come across photos of the iconic tattooed face of You and your photograthe Konyak warrior in maga- pher have travelled a lot in zines, TV, advertisements, the course of the research etc. That built up my curios- – walking on foot for days ity inside. And also when we together to several of the were in school, other mates villages. Tell us a little used to poke fun at me teas- about the experience. Yes, I and Peter Bos, ing that my grandpa with his tattooed face of a headhunt- who is my friend and phoer looked dangerous. But tographer (www.subexit never made me feel bad posure.com) from The because I had always been Netherlands have walked proud of my ethnicity and and travelled extensively background. Because the within the Konyak areas Konyak tattoo art is a unique in Mon District. I am very tradition that makes us dis- fortunate and glad to get tinct from the rest of the to work with such a talother Naga tribes and other ented photographer, who societies around the world. is above all very respectful of the Konyak culture and When you took to writing genuinely interested to inthis book, you rejected teract with the people and the idea of scholarships get to know them. We have from organisations and walked on jungle footpaths from village under the rains universities. Why? Because making deals and humidity, taken puband proposals with such lic shared transportations, organisations or universi- hired private vehicles to ties will keep me binded to reach every nook and cortheir norms, datelines or ner to get all the tattoo rules, and regulations. For patterns and design variame, it is very important to tions right. We are also very have my own freedom and grateful to the people we say in this research work on met during this period who the Konyak tattoo tradition helped us immensely to get because this is my personal the stories and photos right

with pure dedication. Most of the fully tattooed men and women are over 80s and 90s and there are only a few of them surviving. What is the general perception among these tattooed folks on their descendants not following the tradition? Also how many survivors are there with the complete set of tattoos? That's the question I have been asking the last few remaining old men and women during my interactions with them as they reminisce about those days of headhunting and tattoo. See, tattooing is an integral part of the headhunting practice. When headhunting was stopped, the art of tattooing dwindled along with it. When I asked the old men and women if they wished that the present generation of Konyak men and women still practiced or revived the art of tattooing they replied that at their time, tattoo was compulsory and there was no way of escaping from it. For tattooing marks ensure safe passage into the life as per the Konyak belief. During the journey of a person from the physical world into the other world, the dead person would be recognised by his/her ancestors through their different markings that distinguish between a

warrior and clans. Also, tattooing process was very painful and that is why the old people replied that they wouldn't want anyone to go through that immense pain like they did at that time. There are only about a few hundred persons still alive with the tattoo marks. But with the full complete set of tattoos there is just about 10-15 persons remaining in the whole tribe. What would you say has been the biggest factor contributing to the decline of the culture of tattooing? Please give reasons. See, I wouldn't be putting a direct link to anything for the decline of tattooing amongst the Konyaks. As you know, we had remained isolated pretty much for centuries due to the practice of headhunting and outsiders wouldn't dare venture into our territory. But in the first half of the 1900's after the arrival of the first British expeditions conducted by ethnographers and administrative officers, the Konyak territory became open to the outside world. And there were changes going on all over the world due to the material evolution and just as any other society, the Konyak society too

A nurse examines a patient during the health mela held at Tuli CHC on August 21.

moKoKchuNg, august 23 (mExN): District Health Society, Mokokchung organised a health mela at Tuli Community Health Centre (CHC) on August 21. A team of doctors, nurses and DPMU staff from IMDH Mokokchung and nearby health units led by Dr. SS Akaba Longchar, CMO Mokokchung conducted the health mela. A total of 286 patients of Tuli town and nearby villages were examined and given free medicines. A press release from Meren Aier, Media Officer, CHC Tuli informed that im-

munization, focus group discussion, interpersonal communications were held on the day on topics like immunization, ANC, HIV/ AIDS, family planning, malaria, maternal and child health, adolescent health. MPC cards were also issued to the pregnant mothers and children. Dr. Atemla and Dr. Nuomenuo, gynaecologists conducted 44 lap ST and three IUCD insertions. Dental procedures and eye examinations were also conducted along with the examination of general patients.

Don Bosco College to be Ministerial staff of Dimapur informed august 23 (mExN): All meeting without fail. The meeting will deinaugurated on Aug 31 Dimapur, the District Ministerial Staff of Dimapur liberate on important issues pertaining to have been informed that there will be employees’ welfare and its representation.

Kohima, august 23 (Dipr): Minister for Forest, Environment & Wildlife, Dr. Neikiesalie (Nicky) Kire will grace the inaugural function of Don Bosco College, Kohima as the chief guest on August 31 at Don Bosco Higher Secondary School Auditorium. Rev. Fr. Nestor Guria

SDB, Provincial, Salesian Province of Dimapur will be the Chief Host while Bishop of Diocese, Kohima, Rt. Rev. James Thoppil DD, Pro Vice Chancellor NU, Prof. A. Lanunungsang Ao and Parliamentary Secretary YRS, Khriehu Liezietsu will be the Guests of Honour.

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went through a transition ally and nationally. I just in order to adapt with the gave a paper presentation of my research work on the changing times. vanishing tattoo tradition You’ve made presenta- of the Konyaks at the 8th tions at International con- International Conference ferences and you are set to of the Inclusive Museum at make a presentation at an Delhi held from August 7-9. I have an upcoming lecexhibition cum workshop at the Indian Museum, ture to deliver at the Indian Kolkata. How satisfying is Museum, Kolkata (6-13 it to see something you’ve September, 2105) and will sweated and worked so be accompanied by photos hard being presented be- exhibition by Peter Bos, the fore an International audi- photographer of my book. ence – including experts? And a tattoo workshop on Yes, it is a great honour traditional Konyak tattoo to get my efforts being rec- designs will be done by Mo ognised both internation- Naga of Headhunter's Ink

Studio, Dimapur. And I will also be participating in a two-day seminar on "Cultural Heritage of Nagaland" which will be at the Kohima Science College on September 29-30, 2105 organised by IGRMS Bhopal.

The Nungying Eloe Hopoe Yanpia Eyi Khumshum Kohima (NEHYEKK) takes immense pride and would like to extend our heartiest congratulation to Dr. SUBENO KITHAN, Assistant Professor TATA Institute of Social Sciences Guwahati Campus, D/O Mrs. Abeni and Mr. Nlongtsii Kithan Kohima on being conferred Doctor of Philosophy (Ph-D) in Anthropology by the university of Hyderabad for her Doctoral Thesis on “An Anthropological Study of religion Among the Gujjars of Jammu and Kashmir.” We Praise our Almighty God for her accomplishment and wish her success even in the near future. NEHYEK KOHIMA

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For more info, log into www.tattooedheadhunters.com or www.subexposure.com

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Rengma Baptist Church Kohima performs at the 3rd edition of choral competition organized by Kohima Baptist Youth Fellowship (KBYF) on August 22. (Morung Photo) Our Correspondent Kohima | August 23

The Rengma Baptist Church Kohima (RBCK) won the 3rd edition of choral competition organized by Kohima Baptist

Youth Fellowship (KBYF). The event took place at Sumi Baptist Church Daklane Kohima on Saturday. As the winner, RBCK was awarded with a brand new mixer, running trophy and certificate.

Chakhesang Baptist Church Ministers’ Hill Kohima stood runner-up and was awarded with a drum set, while third place winner Ao Baptist Church Kohima got an electric guitar.

SAYO on landslide at Phesama

Further, the office of All Nagaland District Ministerial Service Association- Dimapur Unit requested the department concerned Kohima, august 23 to bring the Welfare Fund of Rs 300 per (mExN): In the wake of employee as notified by the Central office. the landslide on NH-29 along Phesama village, the Southern Angami Youth Organization (SAYO) has requested heavy vehicle users to abstain from plying along Chakhabama to Kidima village road till further notice. Stating that the clearance and free passage will take time, SAYO requested the general public not to ply heavy vehicles on the route of Sakhabama via Kigwema, Viswema, Kidima. “Because that’s the only lifeline left for the commuter to reach their personal/ official duty and also Manipur state can use in times of emergency,” said SAYO general secretary Neiba Bio, adding heavy loaded vehicles are not totally allowed. Meanwhile, SAYO thanked Kohima DC, PWD chief engineer, police officials, SDO (C) Jakhama for inspecting the landslide area at Phesama and assisting the Phesama Village A salesgirl waits for customer at a local handloom shop in Dimapur, Nagaland. Photo by Caisii Mao Council and youth organi-

a meeting on September 5, 11:00 am at Hotel Acacia’s conference hall, Dimapur (Opp. East Police station). All the district ministerial employees of every department have been requested to attend the

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How soon can we expect to lay our hands on the book? I expect the books to be out by the beginning of 2016.

286 patients examined at health mela in Tuli Rengma church wins KBYF choral competition

A tattooed Konyak man. Photo: Peter Bos (www.subexposure.com)

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St. Joseph’s College Jakhama students help travelers.

zation to clear the road. SAYO also extended gratitude to New Reserve Youth Organization and St. Joseph’s College Jakhama for helping the travelers in

carrying their luggage from Phesama via Kisama above national highway. It also thanked BRO for their effort to clear the road at the earliest.

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MonDAY 24•08•2015

NORTH-EAST

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Assam flood toll hits 13, CM undertakes aerial visit Guwahati, auGust 23 (iaNs): The flood situation across Assam continued to be grim as the toll rose to 13 on Sunday and 18 districts still remain inundated, officials said. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Sunday undertook an aerial survey of the worst affected districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Bongaigaon, Goalpara and Dhubri. A total of 1,291 villages have been submerged so far, affecting 6.16 lakh people. The district administrations have opened 260 relief camps, housing 1.79 lakh people. Gogoi asked the concerned departments to expedite rescue and relief operations in all the flood-hit areas. He praised the National Disaster Response Force and the army for their efforts in rescuing marooned people, and said ministers and officials have fanned out to the affected areas and were monitoring the relief operation.

The chief minister said the first priority of his government was providing relief to the flood-hit people. He said he has instructed the deputy commissioners of the affected districts to leave no stone unturned to extend all possible help to the affected people, especially children and women. "Restoration of surface communication and repair of breached embankments have also been accorded priorities," he said. Gogoi slammed the BJP-led central government, saying it was yet to release a sizeable chunk of funds sought by the state for infrastructure damage caused by floods last year. "The Centre has only released Rs.380 crore so far. We submitted memoranda to the central government including the prime minister and the home minister, but we have not received the funds sought by us for huge infrastructure damage caused by floods last year," he said. Gogoi said there are no funds

constraints in providing relief to the affected people. "We have funds for relief work. What we require from the central government is sufficient funds for building infrastructure such as roads, bridges, school buildings, health centres, houses and embankments damaged by floods last year and proper rehabilitation of the flood-hit people," Gogoi said. In a memorandum to Home Minister Rajnath Singh in October last year, Gogoi sought Rs.2,010 crore for damaged infrastructure. The state also demanded Rs.660 crore for rescue and relief operations. Besides, Rs.6,700 crore was sought as special assistance, which included Rs.3,500 crore for raising and strengthening of embankments and Rs.1,000 crore for mitigating flood problems in Guwahati city. Gogoi said the state government would prepare an assessment report highlighting the damage only after the flood waters recede.

Arunachal CM faces CBI graft case Guwahati, auGust 23 (the asiaN aGe): In a significant development, the Gauhati high court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to register a case under prevention of corruption act against Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Nabam Tuki. The court has passed this order after hearing a PIL accusing Tuki of granting contracts to his kith and kin, including a company owned by his wife, without inviting tenders. The division bench comprising acting chief justice K. Sreedhar Rao and Justice P.K. Saikia, in its order which was published on Saturday, has also directed the CBI to file an FIR and final report after the investigation before the jurisdiction of the Special Court at Guwahati under the prevention of corruption act 1988. Pointing out that trial judiciary in Arunachal

MVS Field station in KA handed to WTI Diphu, auGust 23 (MexN): Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) authority formally handed over the newly built MVS Field Station to Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) at a function in Diphu, Karbi Anglong on August 22. Pradip Signar, the Executive Member (Forest) of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) handed over the facility in presence of Dr. Abhijit Rabha, Additional PCCF of Karbi Anglong Forest Department. Signar expressed hope that the rescue and rehabilitation center will bear fruit in building the bridge between people and wildlife in the hill district of Assam. While welcoming the august gathering at the inauguration of the MVS field station, Dr Abhijit Rabha, Additional PCCF –Karbi Anglong told that the partnership of

KAAC and WTI has been historic so far and has resulted in many conservation milestones for Karbi Anglong hills. The handing over ceremony was organized jointly by Karbi Anglong Forest Department, KAAC and WTI at 8 kilo, on DiphuLumding road near Morat Longri Wildlife Sanctuary. Senior officials of both

forest and civil authorities of the council were present at the function. Divisional Forest Officers of West Karbi Anglong Division and Working Plan Division along with Village Headmen, frontline staff and local people of the area attended the event. Commissioned in 2005, the jointly run MVS Satellite

facility of Karbi Anglong has been operated from Diphu from a temporary shelter as a joint project of KAAC, Karbi Anglong Forest Department and WTI. The facility now has a permanent office. This unit was started at a temporary shelter area for holding small animals and birds provided by the forest department. In the last ten

years of its operation, this facility has handled around 300 rescue cases out of which 41% were release back to the wild. The prime wildlife cases attended by the Karbi Anglong MVS team are Asian Elephant, Clouded Leopard, Eastern Hoolock Gibbon, slow Loris which are mostly the endangered species of the landscape.

Pradesh is at a nascent stage, the division bench observed that the complicated case of this nature and importance can’t be handled by the trial court in Arunachal Pradesh. Initially, one Nabam Tagam had moved the high court with these allegations against Tuki and others by filing a Public Interest Litigation. Later, when he sought to withdraw the PIL the high court registered it afresh as a suo motu writ petition. Tagam in his PIL stated that Rs 3.06 crore contract for construction of low cost housing for conservancy workers and people living below poverty line at Itanagar was awarded to N.E. Agency owned by Tuki’s wife Nabam Yani. Tuki as PWD minister of state awarded contracts worth several lakhs of rupees to the firms owned by Tuki’s sisters-in-law,

Nabam Aka and Nabam Mery. The advocate general of Arunachal Pradesh, while defending the chief minister, said that people of Arunachal Pradesh are not very much educated, if tender process is initiated, it would be difficult for the people to follow and to generate employment for local youths contracts works are given without tender. The court in its observations stated that there is allegation that first phase of the contract for the guesthouse at Nirjuli for Rs 38.66 lakh out of total Rs 128.86 lakh is awarded to M/S Durga Motors, owned by Taba Laj, who is the younger brother of the sister-in-law of the chief minister. The contract was awarded as usual without calling the tender. The office of Arunachal Pradesh when contacted for reaction said that they are yet to get the copy of the order.

ISI imparting training to ULFA-I cadres, says Assam DGP Guwahati, auGust 23 (iBt): The United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) has been in constant touch with Pakistan's InterService Intelligence (ISI), Assam director general of police Khagen Sarma told a daily. "ULFA(I) is in touch with ISI and it has a strong influence on the militant group. The ISI is still imparting training to members of ULFA(I). But instead of being trained in Pakistan, the militants are trained in different countries," The Assam Tribune quoted DGP Sarma as saying. The DGP's statement comes days after the state was put under high alert fearing a terror attack on or around the 69th Independence Day. Though

no untoward incident took place, the state police chief remains assured about the ULFA-I's link with the ISI. "Leaders of ULFA(I) are very much familiar with the operatives of ISI and the latter is providing assistance to the militant outfit in different forms," the DGP said. Earlier this month, intelligence reports had suggested that Assam faced a major terror attack threat and Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi also declared a red alert in the state after the attack in Punjab in July. Apart from ULFAI, intelligence reports also suggested that Assam has threat from the dreaded Islamic State (Isis) outfit.

Govt planning more Doordarshan channels for NE New DeLhi, auGust 23 (pti): With the government zooming in on development and progress of the North-East region, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry is planning to increase the number of Doordarshan channels in the region. Ministry officials said at present there is only one 24X7 channel for the region and a proposal for its trifurcation is under consideration. As per the proposal, there can be three 24X7 Doordarshan channels for the North-East: DD Arunprabha for Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim; one for Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland; and a third channel for Assam and Meghalaya. The officials said that since a single channel cannot meet the requirements of the rich and diverse cultures of the North-East, the need to increase the number of channels for this region has been long felt. "It, however, is not an easy exercise since the diversity in the North-East is amazing. A single state like Manipur has several languages which are spoken there. It is felt that there should be a single channel for every state. "But launching a new channel also bring with it questions related to availability of manpower, viability, content," a senior official said. According a report tabled in Parliament recently, the Standing Committee on Information Technology was informed by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry about the proposal to trifurcate the existing North East channel. The Ministry also informed the Committee that starting three channels will also be a software intensive exercise as content will be required to be customised as per requirement of a particular state.

Arunachal Pradesh to sign MoUs Expert committee divided on Subansiri project for boosting bamboo sector Guwahati, auGust 23 (pti): Cracks have appeared in an expert Committee formed by the power ministry to study safety issues of the beleaguered 2,000 MW Subansiri hydro project, with one faction likely to submit the final report within this month. The eight-member Committee, which includes four members from Assam and four from outside the state, was set up by the Ministry in December 2014 to review all aspects of NHPC's Subansiri Lower Hydro Electric Project. Construction work of the project has been stalled for over three and half years due to protests. According to sources in the power ministry, there has been

itaNaGar, auGust 23 (pti): Arunachal Pradesh will soon ink Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) with Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) and Hindustan Paper Corporation to help potential bamboo growers in the state. Arunachal Pradesh Bamboo Resource Development Agency (APBRDA) Vice-chairman Yora Tagung informed that the agency on behalf of the state government would sign an

MoU with NRL soon for exporting three lakh tonnes of bamboo from the state. "The MoU will immensely help both farmers as well as unemployed youths of the state," he said. He informed that another MoU would also be signed between the state government and the Hindustan Paper Corporation for exporting one lakh tonne of bamboo for paper manufacturing. "This is just a beginning. We are looking for more

17 held for protests against TV channel

Art of extortion: Meghalaya rebels serve pictorial demand notes

Guwahati, auGust 23 (pti): A group of people protesting against a report on girls wearing shorts telecast by an Assamese news channel were picked up by police for not obtaining "necessary prior permission". "The protesters assembled at Guwahati Club area this afternoon to march to the office of Pratidin Time channel against the news report," a police officer said. "They did not have necessary prior permission. So we took them to the police station. The 17 agitators were later allowed to go on personal bond," he added. Massive protests have erupted on social media after Pratidin Time had telecast a news showing girls, whose faces were not blurred, wearing shorts and skirts and compared them with monkeys while the chartbuster song 'Kaanta Laga' was being played on the background. Reacting to the backfire, Pratidin Time issued an apology on its Facebook page saying "unnecessary controversy is being created by a section of people in the social media over the news telecast one and half months earlier".

Guwahati, auGust 23 (ht): Extortion is an art, word-weary militants in Meghalaya seem to convey. Suspected rebels in state’s Garo Hills have been serving pictorial demand notes to individuals and organisations. A religious institution got one last week; it had a gun drawn alongside a calligraphic R30 lakh and a taped unused bullet. It was a departure from the days when extremist groups in the northeast used long formal letters to seek, sometimes apologetically, ‘revolution fund’ for sustaining their fight against ‘colonial India’. Last Thursday, unidentified men handed over the pictorial note to Ramakrishna Mission School and Orphanage at Kuralbanga in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district. The mission authorities informed the local police after interpreting the drawing as a payup-or-pay-with-your-life message. A senior district police officer said details about the extortionists were sketchy, but patrolling in the area had been intensi-

companies with whom we can sign MoUs for the benefit of bamboo growers and unemployed youths and enrich the state's coffer," Yora said. If properly tapped , bamboo sector could be a money spinner for the state with a varieties of species abundantly available, Yora said adding that the Board was planning to set up small scale bamboo industries in every district where toothpicks, incense sticks, besides other usable items would be produced.

fied to nab them. A few weeks ago, miscreants had used similar drawings to extract money from a retired Don Bosco schoolteacher in Garo Hills. He was abducted after failing to ‘read’ the message. He was released later on payment of ransom. Extortion and abduction are rampant in Meghalaya despite half a dozen rebel outfits such as Garo National Liberation Army being on truce mode. According to Meghalaya police records, 175 people were abducted between June 2013 and June 2014 – an abduction every two days. “The situation in the Garo Hills part is grave,” the state’s chief secretary PBO Warjri said, attributing the rise of militancy there to social backwardness. The problem has been compounded by criminals trying to cash in on the names of rebel outfits or floating obscure groups. One such group is A'chik National Co-operative Army that was formed earlier this year. These outfits, while tak-

ing a leaf out of the extortion book of older outfits in the northeast, have introduced their own styles such as doodling demand notes. Rebel groups in the region have various ways of extorting or imposing ‘taxes’. In Nagaland, various factions of National Socialist Council of Nagaland collect land, property and sales tax annually or monthly through village headmen or urban locality chiefs. Like their counterparts in Manipur, they also ensure employees of government departments and private companies contribute up to 24% of their salaries to their ‘governments’. These are usually collected through an accountant or cashier. Less than a decade ago, Manipur militants took a fancy to ‘gifting’ a grenade with their demand notes. The United National Front of Asom was among the first group to go digital and email their demand notes. It also offered EMIs as payment option to “ease the burden” on the people during the recession phase in the late 2000s.

a divided opinion between the groups from Assam and outside. "While members from Assam are of the view that the entire structure should be reviewed with focus on more safety measures, the group from outside the state looks satisfied with the existing steps," a source told PTI on the condition of anonymity. Power Ministry officials have confirmed that the group from Assam has submitted an interim report in May this year. When contacted, a member of the Committee, B P Duarah from Assam said: "We are preparing the final report now. We hope to submit it to the Ministry by the end of this month."

Asked specifically if the final report is being prepared independently by the four members from Assam, Duarah replied in the affirmative. In December last year, the Union Power Ministry decided to form an eight-member Committee after a two-day consultation with experts and agitating groups to end the stalemate in completing the project. The Committee was supposed to submit its report to the ministry within next three months, but failed to do so due to differences among the members. All the members were selected in consultation with the agitating groups like Krishak Mukti San-

gram Samiti (KMSS), All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chhatra Parishad (AJYCP). Construction work of the ambitious project at Gerukamukh along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border on Subansiri river has been stalled since December 2011 following protests by locals and many groups fearing safety and downstream impact. The Subansiri project is the biggest hydro-electric project undertaken in India so far and is a run-ofriver scheme on Subansiri. In October last year, Minister of State for Home, Kiren Rijiju, said NHPC lost Rs 7,000 crore due to delay in completion of Subansiri dam.

GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAN D NAGALAND STATE TRANSPORT DRIVERS' TRAINING INSTITUTE VIRAZOUMA VILLAGE, (7TH MILE) DIMAPUR: NAGALAND NO: NST/DTI/TRG-5/2015-16/2249-52

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MonDAY 24•08•2015

BUSINESS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

to bring back Maggi by Experts give Windows 10 the thumbs up Trying end of this year: Nestle India

New Delhi, August 23 (iANs): So, almost a month after its launch, how have the experts and users responded to the muchhyped Windows 10 operating system from Microsoft? For the large part, the reviews and tests have given it the thumbs up. Redmond-based Microsoft would be happy with the response so far, as it has been betting big on the new version of Windows. It was losing its pre-eminent position with the launch of Windows 8 and 8.1, which some critics had panned. But the new Windows got a decent reception. Geoffrey A Fowler of the Wall Street Journal, wrote:” I’ve been testing Windows 10 for three months on these computers and even on my everyday work laptop. It’s the best experience I’ve had since Windows XP. The reason for this, he wrote, was that “it’s familiar. The Start menu is back, and

all your apps launch in your standard desktop view. Basically, if you know how to use Windows XP, you’ll have no problems with Windows 10. But even though it’s familiar, it’s also fresh. With Windows 10, your PC is actually useful again.” Tom Warren of The Verge --a tech website-- was more effusive. “Windows

10 is hugely exciting. I rarely touch my MacBook Air any more as I find the combination of some good hardware (like the Dell XPS 13) and Windows 10 is a joy to use. I like the direction Microsoft is taking with Windows 10, accepting feedback and ideas from its customers along the way,” he said. Microsoft was obvious-

ly tickled by the initial response. On its official blog it wrote: “We’re humbled and grateful to see the response to Windows 10. We have seen unprecedented demand for Windows 10, with reviews and customer feedback overwhelmingly positive around the globe.” The problem with the last version of the operat-

ing system was that Microsoft had taken a huge risk by thinking that the world was moving to touch-based form factors or devices soon and thus brought to the table the Windows 8. The company was quick to realise this mistake and unified the touchbased OS with the traditional one into Windows 10. However, some reviewers, although happy with the direction the new operating system had taken, were dissatisfied with bugs in the system. Walt Mossberg of Recode said, “The near-final build I’ve been testing proved surprisingly buggy. In particular, I had trouble with Windows 10’s sexiest new feature, the voice-controlled Cortana intelligent assistant - Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s Siri - which has migrated from Windows Phones to the PC”. But David Pogue of Yahoo Tech was ecstatic. “You really are going to love

Windows 10. You’ll almost certainly want to upgrade your computers to it, especially since it’s free, he said, cautioning though that you should not go for it immediately. “I’d suggest you wait six weeks. By then, Microsoft will have swatted most of the bugs, and many of your favourite software companies will have released Windows 10-compatible versions,” he added. In addition, Brian Chen of the New York Times said that Windows 10 had some way to go before becoming a solid all-round upgrade. “Combine the early bugs with the spottiness of Cortana and the fact that third-party app developers are still updating their Windows apps for Windows 10, the operating system still has a little way to go. But the improvements to security, along with the familiar user interface, should be reasons to grab this upgrade sooner than later,” he said.

India, Nepal to ink petroleum Derivatives expiry to drive volatility in Indian equities Analysts cautioned that the slide in globally will dictate the moves on the August 23 (iANs): pipeline deal on Monday MuMbAi, The upcoming expiry of derivatives, the rupee value, which saw it close Fri- bourses in the coming week, Vineeta KAthMANDu, August 23 (iANs): The much awaited Nepal-India petroleum pipeline project is set to take-off with the signing here on Monday of an MoU for construction of the 41-km Amlekhgunj-Raxaul petroleum pipeline with Indian assistance. Nepal’s Minister for Commerce and Supplies Sunil Bahadur Thapa and Indian Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan will sign the framework agreement in this regard. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to be signed between the two neighbouring countries, is about constructing a petroleum products pipeline from Raxaul (India) to Amlekhgunj (Nepal) and re-engineering of Amlekhgunj Depot and allied facilities. Pradhan arrived here on Sunday for the signing of the MoU. Nepal’s ministry of commerce and supplies said the MoU would promote bilateral cooperation in the oil and gas sector and secure long-term supply of petroleum products to Nepal. “It will further help to promote existing close and friendly relations between the two countries and their people. It would help save transportation cost, reduce leakage, and unhindered supply of petroleum products,” it said. The MoU will promote bilateral cooperation in the oil and gas sector and secure long-term supply of petroleum products to Nepal. It would help preserve the environment along the route and decongest the international border at Raxaul, the Indian embassy here said in a release. Nepal had requested India during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the country on August 3-4, last year, for construction of this petroleum products pipeline. On behalf of the Indian government, the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has been entrusted with the job to construct the pipeline and for re-engineering of the Amlekhgunj Depot and allied facilities.

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

SUDOKU Game Number # 3324

KiNDS Of JObS COOK FISHERMAN TEACHER HAIRDRESSER PAINTER NURSE FARMER CARPENTER PILOT BAKER BARBER DOCTOR POSTMAN SALESCLERK SECRETARY FIREFIGHTER DENTIST SOCCERPLAYER SINGER OFFICEBOY MAID HOUSEWIFE FISHERMAN

U V F I S H E R M A N F F K N

E F I W E S U O H U C F R R P

Mahnot, equity research analyst with Hem Securities, told IANS. “Movement of commodity prices globally will dictate the trend on the bourses. However, buying at a lower level may trigger some gains for the indices,” Mahnot explained. Commodity prices dictating the movement of equities are quite evident as gold prices rose steeply from sub-$1,080 an ounce levels to $1,165 in just a fortnight. Simultaneously, the gradual fall of crude oil from $55 to a barrel to sub-$40 in West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Brent indices underscored the trend. On the bright side, announcements on interest rate cuts, given the further fall in prices, small finance banks and new norms for minimum alternate tax (MAT) are expected to buoy the markets. “The extended slide in oil prices has cast doubts on the chances of a Fed rate hike. This gives the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) a rope for pushing rates lower,” James said. According to James, apart from the announcements over the issue of small finance bank licences, the markets will also be geared up for the government’s position on the new MAT norms. This is expected to impact the margins of foreign funds and might impact the inflows from the FPIs to the Indian stock markets.

DAILY CROSS WORD

CROSSWORD # 3337

Answer Number # 3323

R I K V L E R E B R A B E E S

day at Rs.65.83/$ - a two-year low and breaching of the Rs.66 mark in futures markets - has unnerved investors. The major catalyst for the slide has been the devaluation of yuan, intended to boost Chinese exports. China’s central bank had devalued the yuan by two percent on Aug 11. This was the biggest devaluation of the Chinese currency since 1994. It again fell by another two percent on Aug 12 panicking the world economy. The yuan has fallen by 4.6 percent till now since Aug 11. This has strengthened the dollar, which has negatively impacted major world currencies, including the rupee. The upcoming global macro data from the US, Germany and Britain, besides the already out Caixin (China manufacturing purchasing managers’ index) figures for August which showed a slowdown, will also have an imprint on Indian markets, Rahul Dholam, senior analyst with Angel Broking, told IANS. “We expect volatility ahead led by the global macro data to be released next week. The US will announce its quarterly GDP, new home sales and consumer confidence data,” Dhomal added. “Germany and Britain are also set to release their GDP figures next week.” Trends in commodity prices

LEISURE

the movement of the rupee and polls in Greece - coupled with Chinese currency and stock positions - are expected to trigger volatility in the Indian equity markets in the coming week. “In the near term, the expiry of derivatives’ contracts could set the pattern for volatility in the Indian markets,” Anand James, co-head, technical research, Geojit BNP Paribas, told IANS. In addition, investors could be spooked by the uncertain results from the snap polls called in Greece, James added. “With the Greek prime minister having resigned and called snap polls, the Eurozone may be the epicentre of volatility,” he said. At the same time, the rupee’s movement can “make or break” fragile investor confidence, Devendra Nevgi, chief executive of ZyFin Advisors, said. “Next week, the sentiment will be driven by the rupee and the dollar. The outflows from EM (emerging markets) have been on the rise as global investors are worried about China,” Nevgi elaborated to IANS. “How will the US Fed react to China and global risks is also important. The risks of global central bank’s resorting to currency wars are also real,” Nevgi maintained.

D S R E P C G A P I L O T S O

E H E D Y R J Y A R R V H S C

N E L I R E K O O C O P G E C

T R C B Z T L B W V O Z I R E

I M S A I A D E P W G D F D R

S A E K K R O C A N M I E R P

T N L E T Y C I I D N A R I L

Y I A R K G T F N Z U M I A A

C C S G O V O F T I R G F H Y

F A R M E R C A R P E N T E R

S I N G E R E N A M T S O P P

‘Financial inclusion to prevent fleecing of people’ KolKAtA, August 23 (iANs): Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday said the central government’s financial inclusion programme will prevent people from getting fleeced by “unreliable” financial institutions. “Our banks have traditionally been brick and mortar branches that cannot reach every village. But now the system has moved beyond that. Banks have taken over the initiative of having private individuals as banking correspondents who visit every home in order to bring people into the structured banking network,” Jaitley said at an event here. “It is the expansion of this segment -- which will help keep people away from investing in otherwise unreliable agencies -- which has created problems in many states like West Bengal,” said Jaitley. The finance minister’s remarks come in the backdrop of several deposit-seeking firms, including the Saradha group, going bust, and in turn ruining lakhs of investors - mostly from rural areas - across states like Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand and Assam. Jaitley also said that the Narendra Modi government’s ‘Jan Dhan Yojana’ and the recently launched social security schemes have linked a large section of the so far unbanked people to the banking network. DIMAPUR Civil Hospital:

STD CODE: 03862 232224; Emergency229529, 229474

Metro Hospital: Faith Hospital:

227930, 231081 228846

Shamrock Hospital

228254

Zion Hospital:

231864, 224117, 227337

Police Control Room

228400

Police Traffic Control

232106

East Police Station West Police Station

227607 232181

CIHSR (Referral Hospital)

242555/ 242533

Dimapur hospital

224041, 248011

Apollo Hospital Info Centre:

230695/ 9402435652

Railway:

131/228404

Indian Airlines

229366

ACROSS

1. Tortilla chip 6. Balcony section 10. Cushions or mats 14. Perpendicular to the keel 15. Nameless 16. Found in some lotions 17. Look closely 18. Russian emperor 19. Swing around 20. A moderately quick tempo 22. Informed 23. Emanation 24. Wiggle room 26. L L L L 30. Henpeck 31. Chemist’s workplace 32. Violent disturbance 33. Delight 35. Noise 39. Bad-mouth 41. Cardigan 43. Cubic meter 44. Information 46. Unusual 47. S 49. Disencumber 50. Sailing ship

DOWN

1. Nil 2. Cain’s brother 3. Mobile phone 4. Possess 5. Alpha’s opposite 6. Passed sideways 7. Performing 8. Satyr 9. Enlist 10. Composition board 11. Permit 12. Birthing coach 13. Squalid 21. Steps of a ladder 25. Alleviate

26. Historical periods 27. Enumerate 28. Easy gait 29. Mental representation 34. Guesses 36. Salt Lake state 37. Roman emperor 38. Sketched 40. A musical pause 42. Gulleys 45. High-spirited horse 48. Worn 51. Filched 52. Female horses 53. Keyboard instrument 55. Cravat 58. Filly’s mother 59. Winglike 60. Water barrier 61. Portent 62. Cleave Ans to CrossWord 3336

KOHIMA: 0370 2222952/ 101 (O) 9402003086 (OC) DIMAPUR: 03862 232201/ 101 (O) 9436017479 (OC)

CHUMUKEDIMA: 03862 282777/101 (O) 9856158740 (OC) WOKHA: 03860 242215/101 (O) 9862039399 (OC)

MOKOKCHUNG: 0369 2226225/ 101 (O) 9436012949 (OC)

Nagaland Multispe- 248302, cialty Health & 09856006026 Research Centre

PHEK: 8414853765 (O) 9862130954(OC)

KOHIMA

ZUNHEBOTO: 03867 280304/ 101 (O) 9856156876 (OC)

STD CODE: 0370 100/2244279 2222222 2222111 2222952 2222916 2243339 2224202 08974997923

TUENSANG: 8414853766 (O) 8414853519 MON: 03869 251222/ 101 (O) 9436208480 (OC)

CHILD WELFARE COMMITTEE 51. Polished 54. Dogfish 56. Sourish 57. A diplomat of the highest rank 63. Unrestrained revelry 64. Entice 65. Climate 66. Jump 67. Scottish hillside 68. Made of oak wood 69. Feudal worker 70. Cravings 71. Inclination

FIRE STATIONS

Chumukedima Fire 282777 Brigade Nikos Hospital and 232032, 231031 Research Centre

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

T E A C H E R O E H S D C P E

New Delhi, August 23 (Pti): Asked whether the company would change the ingredients, the MD replied saying, “What has worked for 30 years” must work in future too.” Bolstered by the Bombay High Court order overturning ban on Maggi, Nestle India plans to bring back the popular instant noodles back in the market by end of this year subject to certain clearances. The company, which has taken a hit of Rs. 450 crore, including destroying over 30,000 tonnes of the instant noodles since June when it was banned because of alleged excessive lead content, says it will continue with the existing formula of the product and not change the ingredients. “We will try and target something that is better than that. My desire is to do it before that but let’s see,” Nestle India Managing Director Suresh Narayanan told PTI in an interaction when asked whether Maggi noodles could be back in the market by start of the next year. He said as per court directives, this quarter it would go in for testing of Maggi samples at three independent laboratories in Punjab, Hyderabad and Jaipur which are accredited with National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). “By the time we get everything done (all clearances), it will be middle of September. I can tell you this quarter no, unlikely. Subsequent quarter, we will try (to bring back Maggi),” Mr. Narayanan said. He said the company has to test the Maggi samples within six weeks and after that it would start manufacturing and then the noodles would be tested again.

Toll free No. 1098 childline

KipHire: 8414853767 (O) 8974304572 (OC)

WE4WOMEN HELPLINE 08822911011

MOKOKCHUNG:

STD CODE: 0369

Police Station 1:

2226241

Police Station 2 :

2226214

Civil Hospital: Woodland Nursing Home:

2226216 2226263

Hotel Metsüpen (Tourist Lodge):

2226373/2229343

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

CURRENCY NOTES

222246 222491

BUY(Rs)

SELL(Rs)

US Dollars Sterling Pound Hong Kong Dollar Australian Dollar Singapore Dollar Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen

63.71 99.63 7.95 46.92 45.16 48.56 50.95

66.60 104.48 8.86 49.24 47.40 50.96 53.83

Euro

70.58

74.01

Thai Baht Korean Won New Zealand Dollar Chinese Yuan

1.75

1.94

0.0521

0.0581

41.59

43.64

9.58

10.67

monDAY 24•08•2015

NAGALAND

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

AASU seeks justice from school education director

Dimapur, august 23 (mExN): The Aghünaqa Area Students’ Union (AASU) today sought justice from the director of school education, Nagaland with regard to transfer of a teacher from the lone Government High School in the area in the face of insufficient teachers. In an open letter to the director, AASU highlighted that Aghünaqa area comprising 39 villages under Niuland sub-division has only one Government High School, which is manned by only seven teachers, including one Hindi teacher and another who is on B.Ed study leave. Despite repeated ap-

peals for sufficient teachers in the school, the department could not provide the required numbers of teachers which led to nil result in HSLC exam 2014-15, the union stated. Meanwhile, it pointed out that one teacher was transferred with post through the education department’s order no. ED/ EL/NL/5/T/2013 dated 5th March 2015 without any recommendation from the School Managing Committee (SMC) of the school thereby bypassing all procedural conduct of the Communitisation Act. In this light, the frontal students’ body of the area had planned to picket the

office of the District Education Officer (DEO) Dimapur to demand justice, but due to intervention of the concerned DEO and administrative officer of Niuland, the proposed agitation was postponed. Instead, the students’ body had served an ultimatum to the office of the school education director dated 8th June 2015 for prompt revocation of said transfer order, which was obliged by the authority and the order was finally revoked through govt. vide order No. ED/EL/NL/5-T/2013 dated 16th June 2015. “However, to our surprise and shock, the said teacher was again retained

to his new posting school through order No. ED/EL/ NL/5/T/2013 dated 16th July 2015 within a month even before he joined our school with reason best known to you,” AASU said in the letter. Therefore, in the interest of the school and students, AASU has appealed to the director to seriously view their grievances and deliver justice without any delay by revoking the retaining order of the teacher. The union cautioned that it may be compelled to take up its own course of action till their demand is met. It warned that the director will be solely responsible for the action taken.

BJYM gets new president Dimapur, august 23 (mExN): Nagaland BJP president Dr. M. Chuba Ao has appointed Anthony Sumi as President of BJYM, Nagaland unit. The presidential post had remained vacant following the demise of Lt. Kahoto Chishi, former president, BJYM, a press release from the State BJP informed.

SDEO Dimapur informs Dimapur, august 23 (mExN): All the teachers under the establishment of SDEO Dimapur have been informed to furnish the Aadhaar number and e-mail ID of their respective EBRC Block co-ordinator on or before September 10. A press release from SubDivisional Education Officer (SDEO), Dimapur S Atomi Swu informed teachers who have not obtained the Aadhaar number to apply the same at DC office and submit immediately.

GPP to organise Balindan Diwas Candidates of the Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Exam (Preliminary) are seen coming out of the exam centre at Kohima College, Kohima. About 4.65 Lakh UPSC aspirants appeared for the preliminary exam which was held in over 21,000 venues all over India on Sunday.

KOHima, august 23 (mExN): The Gorkha Public Panchayat, Kohima is organising Balidan Diwas in association with all Gorkha NGOs in memory of Veer Saheed Maj. Durga Malla and Veer Saheed Capt. Neikezhakuo Kenguruse including other martyrs at Capt. Neikezhakuo Kenguruse Memorial, Pheza Village under Kohima district on August 25 at 9 a.m. The Program will be attended among others by the parents and family members of Capt. Kenguruse. In this regard, a press release from the Gorkha Public Panchayat has invited everyone to join in paying tribute to the Martyrs.

Gaidinliu Memorial Hall finds opposition Gaidinliu acted against the Naga people: NNC Angami Region

Establishment of Memorial in Kohima unacceptable: KVC

Dimapur, august 23 (mExN): The Angami Regional Council NNC has stated that it is totally opposed to the proposed construction of Gaidinliu Memorial Hall in Kohima. A press release from Ako Angami, Angami Regional Council, NNC, explained that it opposes the construction because of Gaidinliu’s “anti-Naga and cult activity in the past.” “Late Gaidinliu never did anything good for the Naga people rather acted against the Naga people interest and tried to spread haraka cult but failed,” Ako stated. Ako accused the BJP Government in Delhi of trying to spread Hinduism in the Naga Homeland through Heraka and counter Christianity. “The more the BJP Government try to do against Christianity in the Region and at large, they will be hurt more as they go against the living God our Lord Jesus Christ,” he stated before adding, “May they realize sooner than later.” Ako challenged the BJP Government in Delhi to construct a Memorial Hall in honour of Angami people who really fought against British Raj at that time if it really wanted to construct a Memorial Hall.

KOHima, august 23 (mExN): The Kohima Village Council has written a memorandum to the Angami Public Organization opposing the proposed Gaidinliu Memorial Hall in Kohima. The memorandum made available to the media was signed by Chairman Neivor Rutsa and was copied to the Nagaland Chief Secretary, Angami Youth Organization President, Angami Student Union President and NAPO President. “The Kohima Village takes the establishment of the Memorial in the State of Nagaland, particularly in the Members of the Kerala Club Kohima led by its president AK Prem Kumar marked Independence Day by visiting Eden capital City of Kohima, unacceptable,” the memo stated. Garden Orphanage Khuzama on August 15. The team distributed sweets and essential items to the inmates. KVC reasoned that the erection of statues or portrayal of portraits in Schools and Institutions are alien to Naga Culture. Further branding Rani Gaidiliu “anti Naga,” KVC stated Rani Gaidiliu had records of opposing the Naga aspiration and has even spilled the blood of many Nagas of Nagaland. KVC further urged the APO to urgently appraise the Government of Nagaland not to raise any memorial in Nagaland.

NSCN (R) Chaplee Ministry informs

Model Higher Secondary School, Kohima, conducted Literary Meet Cum Talent Exposure on August 13 and 14. Students from Classes A to 12 were given opportunities to expose their skills and talents in various literary contests. The principal of the school, Pradosha Kumar Swain, exhorted the young minds on the importance of literature. Students competed in various events, namely Quiz, Spelling Bee, Debate, Story-writing, Poetry writing, Extempore, Painting, Elocution, and Singing. Tumchobeni, the winner of Gospel Voice of Nagaland 2015 and also a student of the School, enthralled the students with a beautiful number

Dimapur, august 23 (mExN): NSCN (R) Deputy Kilonser Chaplee in-charge of Kohima and Mon, Yato Konyak, has informed all ministries, HODs, commercial places, contractors and suppliers, transporters and all other business establishment to contact Maj. Abei Anghjeang, contact no. 7085473279 and Maj. Neibu Angami, contact no. 8259846679 for any financial transaction and dealings in Kohima. Capt. Kaiyong Konyak will be the in-charge for all financial transaction and dealings in Mon districts. A press release from the MIP NSCN (R) stating this informed all concerned authorities and individuals that, the NSCN (Reformation) will not entertain or acknowledge any such transaction with any person/persons not authorized by it. “Anybody involving himself/herself in financial transaction apart from the assignee will be doing so in his/her own risk,” the MIP statement warned. However, Angami region caretaker Maj. Khreivo Angami of the NSCN (R) has been asked to deal with all district level departments from Kohima district, the release stated.

Mooters along with Professor-in-Charge, Bar Council of India Practical Training Papers Kezhokhoto Savi during the conduct of Kohima Law College Moot Court in Kohima on August 22. The Moot Court saw strong argument on both sides regarding introduction of Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) and Disturbed Area Act (DAA) in Nagaland, according to a press release.

Leo Club of Dimapur celebrated Kawar Yatra at Rangapahar on August 16 and distributed food and fruits items along with mineral water to people who came there to worship God.

Christian Hr Sec School Dimapur alumni meet Dimapur, august 23 (mExN): Christian Higher Secondary School, Dimapur (formerly Christian English School) had a get together with the alumni at school campus on August 22. The meeting focused on the forthcoming Golden Jubilee of the school. A press release informed that Principal S Moatemsu Walling welcomed and exhorted the alumni and Vice Principal Gebu Haralu encouraged the members present with his suggestions. Altogether 37 members attended the meeting, which centred its discussion on strengthening the alumni association. They also discussed various matters relating to 2017 Golden Jubilee. The next meeting will be held on September 12, the release added. For more details, contact Zeneikhotso Iralu and Razouno at 9436060171 and 9436065922.

Integrated Pest Management, Farmers Field School training was conducted at Hekheshe village by a team of officers from Directorate and DAO Dimapur led by Imtitemjen, Joint Director of Agriculture on August 20.

Farmers discouraged to used insecticides, pesticides ZuNHEbOtO, august 23 (mExN): With an objective to encourage less use of insecticides and pesticides, the Department of Agriculture, Zunheboto conducted one day training on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) on August 17 at Lizu New Village. Assistant Plant Protection Officer (APPO), Toivi Swu, the resource person, explained about the insects that are natural enemies of pests (defenders) and enemies of farmers through visual aid. He encouraged the farmers to control the enemy pests through cultural and biological methods without using insecticides and pesticides as they are harmful for human and defenders. Agro Ecological System of Analysis (AESA) was performed with identification of defenders and enemies, a press release informed. IPM kits and rodenticide were given to all the 35 A community hall was constructed for the people of Wanch- participatns, the release added. Caption: Participants ing Yongmaoh village in Mon by 33 Assam Rifles under As- of the one day Integrated Pest Management training held on August 17 at Lizu New Village. sam Rifles Civic Action Programme

Know thy roots: KROS College holds cultural day KOHima, august 23 (mExN): KROS College, Leirie held its cultural day on August 22 under the theme “Know thy roots” with Kevisiezolie Suohu, chairman, KROS Education Society as the speaker. Suohu spoke on the script, migration and principles of leading successful life of the ancestor. Maintaining that Nagas in the olden days had a script, he said the ancestor recorded their stories on the skin of animals. “It so happened that the recorded stories were eaten by dog that is why Nagas have lost the script,” he said. He also highlighted the Naga ancestors lived in harmony, observing certain guiding principles based on

truth which are: honestly, integrity and truthfulness; Bravery; Being conscious of what is forbidden or sinful; Being conscious of what is considered shameful or disgraceful socially; Diligence or industriousness; Com-

petitive spirit; Respect for elders; Hospitality; Courtesy; Social concern. He concluded by reminding that from the ancient time ‘our roots’ were deeply rooted on the above mentioned 10 qualities. Competitions on

traditional folk song, fashion show of ancient and modern of three groups- Celtics, Chicago Bulls and Pistons were held during the programme, which ended with vote of thanks by Zenle, cultural secretary, KCSC.

MonDAY 24•08•2015

IN FOCUS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

The Power of Truth

The Morung Express X issue 230X issue 185 Thursday 9volume July 2015 volume By Chingya luithui

Stepping towards just peace

uch analysis has gone into assessing the potential success or failure of the recently signed “framework agreement” between the GOI and NSCN (IM). A common thread has been the “lack of transparency” in not making known the contents of the agreement to the public, particularly the Naga people who are the real stakeholders. Speculations are rife, and rightly so: whatever the contents of the agreement and its success or failure, the simple fact is that it will have a permanent and lasting future impact on the daily life of every single Naga. The framework agreement is a result of political negotiations that will hopefully result in a positive political outcome. So far, much of the focus of the peace-talks have been on the political assertion of the Nagas. However, the concerns of the Naga people are not just political; it encompasses cultural, social, and economic needs. The indications are that these have to be further fleshed out. It may take more time but this is not a bad thing; it could provide space for other voices and concerns, aside from those of the negotiating parties, to be accommodated. How this is done—the process—would be crucial to the end result of the agreement. Currently the NSCN (IM) is holding a series of consultations with the people and this is encouraging. However, they have to take the next step of broadening the consultation: it has to reach the grassroots. In other words, the consultation process must also be democratic. If this is achieved, it in itself would allay the apprehensions of some who feel they are being excluded, one of the main reasons why questions hae been raised against the agreement. Secondly, consultations must enhance the technical capacity of the negotiators which would only strengthen the negotiation process. Perhaps, working groups comprising of technical experts tasked with studying specific themes and issues (governance; land and natural resources, taxation, education etc) could be set up. The advantage of such working groups is that it reduces the burden on the primary negotiators and allows wider interaction with, and participation, of the grassroots in the negotiation process. An outcome, if expected to be meaningful, must gradually move away from a political group centric approach toward a people’s movement. A peace process is only as great and sustainable as the people who participate in it. In concurrence with all these, there is an urgent need to strengthen civil society institutions. This requires providing enough space and the maturity to listen to alternative voices. Dissent from popular opinion is not necessarily a bad thing; a mature society needs it to introspect and reflect upon. At the moment, most Naga civil society organisations have been either subsumed or coopted in some way or the other by Naga political groups and parties. Critical independent analysis and voices have been largely, if not totally, muted. This has to change, and Naga civil society organisations have to take the responsibility of being the conscience of the Naga people if the political legitimacy and credibility of the peace process is to survive. There have been many instances in the world where so called peace accords or agreements have resulted in unjust or less peaceful outcomes. For the Nagas, to avoid such a tragedy any agreement has to be underpinned by the values of justice and rights, and boosted by the democratic principles of equality, fairness, inclusiveness, transparency and accountability. Only then can we expect lasting just peace. (For feedbacks, suggestions and comments the writer can be reached at chinxwrites@gmail.com)

lEfT wiNg |

Lisa Rapaport Reuters Health

Military kids may be more apt to smoke, drink and carry guns

eens with parents or caregivers in the military may be more likely to drink, smoke, and carry weapons than other kids, a U.S. study suggests. Researchers also found that adolescents with close ties to the military were more apt to be victims of physical violence and harassment. “We believe this is partly due to ongoing stressors related to war, deployments, frequent moves, being bullied, and being involved in risky peer groups,” lead study author Kathrine Sullivan, a researcher in social work at the University of Southern California, said by email. More than one million school-aged children currently have parents in the military, Sullivan and colleagues note in JAMA Pediatrics. Including families of veterans, there are four million U.S. children whose parents have served at some point since 2001. For the current study, Sullivan’s team analyzed survey data collected in 2013 from nearly 690,000 California public school students in grades 7 through 11. About 8 percent of the children surveyed had parents or caregivers in the military. Overall, slightly more than half were Latino, another 21 percent were white, and the group included roughly the same number of girls and boys. Overall, more than half of the students reported experiencing violence or harassment, and approximately one in ten kids said they had brought a weapon to school. Military kids, however, were more than twice as likely to carry guns on campus and 81 percent more likely to take knives to school. They also had higher odds of being threatened with a weapon. Children with close ties to service members were also more likely to say they lived in fear of being beat up, and they reported higher exposure to harassment and cyber-bullying, the study found. The picture for substance use also looked worse for military kids, who were 45 to 73 percent more likely than other children to use cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana, as well as abuse prescription drugs. One shortcoming of the study is its lack of detail on socioeconomic status, which makes it difficult to know the extent to which poverty, family structure or other factors might have influenced students’ survey responses, the researchers acknowledge. “Socioeconomic status is a major factor, and I think children from low-income, single parent households are in more need of extra support than other kids, whether or not they have a parent in the military,” Dr. Robert Frenck, a retired Navy pediatrician who currently practices at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and wasn’t involved in the study, said by email. For military children in particular, deployment of a parent and living arrangements during this period may be one of the biggest factors influencing whether they engage in unhealthy behaviors, said Stephan Arndt, director of a research group on substance abuse at the University of Iowa. “Children who can stay close to family members are still affected but seem to do better than those children who are living outside the family,” Arndt, who wasn’t involved in the study, said by email. Deployment can strain families through separation, leading to mental health problems and economic stress as well as impaired parenting skills that can put teens at greater risk, noted Suzannah Creech, a research psychologist with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and a professor at Brown University. “We need to ask about military service across all levels of the education and healthcare systems to better identify families and teens who may be at risk and in need of intervention,” Creech, who wasn’t involved in the study, said by email. “We also need to convey to parents that the health of the family environment is just as important as physical health.”

C O M M E N T A R Y

Lauren Wolfe Foreign Policy

The UN Is Not Serious About Its Peacekeeper Rape Problem

Despite investigations into crimes in the Central African Republic, impunity still reigns

t was a raid gone horribly wrong. In the early morning hours of Sunday, Aug. 2, U.N. peacekeeping troops in the Central African Republic entered a Muslim enclave known as PK5 in the capital city of Bangui. They were after a man named Haroun Gaye, a suspect in a number of violent acts allegedly carried out on behalf of the Muslim community, in a country that has been torn apart by war between the mainly Christian “anti-balaka” groups and Muslim-majority Seleka rebels. The operation quickly spiraled into chaos. A bloody gunfight broke out between the joint Rwandan and Cameroonian peacekeeping force and locals, killing one peacekeeper and injuring eight other peacekeepers, according to the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic, or MINUSCA, the U.N.’s peacekeeping operation in CAR. During a second raid on Aug. 3, four other civilians, including a 16-year-old boy and his father, were killed, according to Amnesty International. A source who asked not to be named said that, according to MINUSCA, one more civilian was killed and 61 people in total were injured, including seven children — numbers, the blue-helmet mission said in an Aug. 13 interview, that it was “not in a position to confirm.” (Amnesty first learned of the attacks the same day of the first firefight — Aug. 2 — but didn’t release the news publicly until Aug. 11.) In the mayhem of the attacks, according to Amnesty, one of the peacekeepers allegedly violently raped a 12-year-old girl. The organization’s press release relays the alleged attack in detail: “The girl had been hiding in a bathroom during a house search at approximately 2am on 2 August. A man allegedly wearing the blue helmet and vest of the UN peacekeeping forces took her outside and raped her behind a truck. ‘When I cried, he slapped me hard and put his hand over my mouth,’ the girl told Amnesty International.” Within 60 hours of the alleged assault — well within the 96-hour recommended window in which to collect usable biological evidence — the girl was brought to a clinic. There, a nurse found “medical evidence consistent with sexual assault,” Amnesty reported. The group also saw her torn underwear. So now the investigation begins — and along with it, a wave of skepticism about whether a rape even occurred. The investigation will be conducted by the U.N. Peacekeeping’s Conduct and Discipline Unit, MINUSCA spokesman Hamadoun Touré told me in a phone interview. He also said that, in his personal opinion, the allegation of rape is not credible. “When peacekeepers arrived at the site to arrest [Haroun Gaye], they were attacked immediately with heavy, heavy weapons,” he said. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think someone would think of raping someone at this time. I think they will think of how to escape. He will think, ‘I’m a human being before I’m a man.’ When you’re under fire, I think you think of saving your life. Really, really, really in this situation you don’t think of a girl.” During our conversation, a little over a week after the alleged rape, Touré said the office of Conduct and Discipline had just requested more information as it began its investigation, a request he attributes to the supposed unfathomability of the alleged crime. “Maybe that’s why they [Conduct and Discipline] say they needed more substance in this case,” he said. “I don’t know how this kind of thing can happen in a hostile environment.” The first step for investigators is assembling a timeline of the events on Aug. 2 — which is easier said than done. According to Amnesty’s Joanne Mariner, a senior crisis response advisor, the violence escalated gradually. “When the raid happened, the peacekeepers separated men and women — the women were all brought into a room,” Mariner said. While this frightening scene unfolded, the 12-year-old girl ran to hide in a bathroom. “She was just scared,” Mariner said. “Her family was all herded into one room. In the chaos, they didn’t know she was missing.” It took time for the community to grasp what was happening — that it was under attack — and be-

gin firing back at the peacekeepers, Mariner said. In other words, the alleged rape could have easily taken place in the early stage of events before the all-out gunfight erupted. Touré’s dismissiveness won’t help advocates get to the bottom of what happened. And it’s just this sort of attitude that has those who monitor sexual abuse in conflict areas outraged. There has been an epidemic of sexualized violence cases accompanying U.N. peacekeeping missions around the world, particularly in CAR, which has seen accusations against at least 14 peacekeepers during the country’s nearly three-year crisis. In total, according to an Aug. 12 statement by Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the U.N. secretary-general, there have been 57 allegations of possible misconduct in CAR since the beginning of the mission in April 2014, including 11 cases of “possible sexual abuse.” First documented in Bosnia and Kosovo in the early 1990s, followed by Mozambique, Cambodia, East Timor, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Haiti, among other nations, sexual abuse and exploitation by peacekeepers has wracked vulnerable environments. Along with that has come a shocking degree of impunity for those who perpetrate it. But dramatic change has begun. On Aug. 12, in an unusual step, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Kimoon announced that he had accepted the resignation of the head of CAR’s peacekeeping mission, Babacar Gaye, who also serves as the U.N.’s special envoy to the country. Could this signal a new era in accountability? Many advocates who have long worked on this issue have doubts. To a large degree, a denial of justice in peacekeeper sexual abuse is baked into the system. Roméo Dallaire, head of the U.N. peacekeeping force in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide, told Canada’s Globe and Mail in May that there is a “culture of silence” and near-impunity for peacekeepers in missions abroad. Peacekeepers who commit crimes fall under the jurisdiction of their home countries, which frequently do nothing to hold them accountable legally. The U.N., for its part, has done little to put pressure on these countries to carry out justice, advocates say. “The U.N. sees its job as trying to attract peacekeepers,” said Mariner. “They don’t want to do anything to provide a disincentive for countries to provide troops.” Touré told me that in July, MINUSCA “sent home” six peacekeepers, after one of two people they had detained (for reasons unclear) died under detention — in other words, MINUSCA sent them home during an ongoing investigation into their alleged crime. Touré added that something similar may happen with the peacekeepers under investigation for the alleged Bangui rape, if the girl’s account can be substantiated. Karen Naimer, director of Physicians for Human Rights’ program on sexual violence in conflict zones, agreed that the U.N. is in what she calls a “particularly sensitive position.” A hard-line attitude pushing for prosecution of peacekeepers in their home countries would make it “entirely foreseeable that those countries will not contribute to further prosecuting missions,” she said. But she added, “Frankly, there’s a role here for the United Nations, whether it’s the Department of Peacekeeping or the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, to put a lot of pressure on troopcontributing countries to hold them accountable for their behavior.” There are other theories as to why the scourge of rape by peacekeepers goes largely unpunished. Among the most vehement is one held by Paula Donovan, co-founder and co-director of AIDS-Free World, an advocacy group looking at what fuels the global AIDS pandemic. In May, the organization launched a campaign to “end immunity for sexual exploitation and abuse by U.N. peacekeeping personnel” called Code Blue. Donovan said she finds it “absolutely shocking” that the international community would assume that MINUSCA was doing its job in CAR, of all places, a mere four months after accusations surfaced that French peacekeepers had sexually abused homeless, starving boys in Bangui. With the world’s attention so focused on CAR since the revelations of abuse, it should be made clear that those who commit sexualized violence know they’re being watched and will be prosecuted, she told me on Aug. 11. But “somehow this is not getting across.” In March, Donovan leaked a U.N.-commissioned, independent report from November 2013 outlining multiple factors exacerbating the issue of impunity. It calls sexual exploitation and abuse “the most significant risk to U.N. peacekeeping operations,” and

lists shoddy troop training, a deficiency in enforcing the U.N.’s “zero tolerance” policy, and underreporting of abuse among the many problems surrounding peacekeeper sexual violations. Donovan pointed to a kind of smokescreen she said the U.N. has thrown up to shield itself from an even bigger mess: rape by civilian U.N. workers in peacekeeping missions, which, in 2014, constituted about 70 percent of reported cases, according to U.N. sources assembled by Code Blue. In these situations, employees of peacekeeping missions, including civilian police — like those who participated in the raid of the 12-year-old girl’s house in Bangui on Aug. 2 — receive “functional immunity,” which can be waived by the U.N. secretary-general to assist the flow of justice. “Without immunity, these individuals should be prosecuted for grave criminal offenses in the country in which the crime took place or by their home country,” Naimer said. The U.N., she said, should also actively refer these cases to a competent criminal justice system with jurisdiction “to ensure [they] are adequately investigated and prosecuted.” Yet before immunity can be waived, the U.N. sends its investigators to decide if a crime really took place — to “substantiate it,” explained Donovan, who has worked in international development and women’s rights for nearly 30 years, much of it at UNICEF and UNIFEM, a precursor to U.N. Women. “No employer gets to do that. You are not judge, jury, district attorney, and police investigator all rolled up into one.” This pre-investigation and assignation of guilt (or not) “makes no sense to thinking people,” she said. “It’s based on the impunity of the U.N.: ‘We’ll do what we want. If we feel like prosecuting, we will.’” But it does explain why MINUSCA’s Touré kept using the word “substantiate” in the conversation I had with him about the alleged rape in Bangui. He said if there was wrongdoing, the offending policeman would be sent back to his home country. But first, the alleged crime “needs to be substantiated.” He also said that substantiation requires medical evidence, an interview with the alleged victim, and witness testimony — the last of which is no longer required for rape investigations according to international standards, said PHR’s Naimer. Having witnesses corroborate rape stories “went out of fashion about 25 years ago with shield laws,” she said. It behooves the U.N. to make it seem like it’s only military personnel engaging in sexualized violence. That way, it can pass the buck to the troops’ home countries and absolve itself of responsibility from the very beginning, said Donovan, therefore avoiding the sticky confusion of whether to waive immunity, and so on. After that, the average person would assume that it’s always the military carrying out rapes in peacekeeping missions. “The U.N. is very pleased with that,” she added. All this confusion — intentionally obfuscating or otherwise — leads to “an enormous protection gap which absolutely must be addressed,” Madeleine Rees, secretarygeneral of the nonprofit Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, wrote in 2013. “Law, particularly criminal law, should reflect the nature of the harm done,” Rees wrote. “In the context of peacekeeping the law has become ridiculously and needlessly disorientated as questions of jurisdiction, immunity, nature of service and the respective roles of international organisations vis a vis the State are thrown together.” Yet right now there may be an opportunity to force the U.N. — where the buck, many argue, should ultimately stop when it comes to peacekeeper crimes — to change how it deals with cases of sexual abuse and exploitation. This newest alleged rape comes as an independent, 10-week external panel continues an investigation ordered by Ban Ki-moon in June in response to the revelation that the U.N. had failed to respond to accusations against peacekeepers in CAR in 2014. Former Canadian Supreme Court Justice Marie Deschamps, who has investigated sexual assault in the Canadian military, is heading it up. Another panelist is Yasmin Sooka, the highly lauded executive director of the Foundation for Human Rights in South Africa. Several advocates I spoke with described her as a potentially strong voice on U.N. failures in regard to peacekeeping and sexualized violence. Mariner sees hope in the effort. “Pressure is building for reform. Obviously, it’s been years of failure,” she said. “There’s been the rhetoric of zero tolerance. I think now the gap between the rhetoric and the practice is so glaring that this panel will make some strong recommendations — although it will require continued pressure on the U.N. to get them to actually implement them.” Donovan is more cynical. With the pronouncement of recommendations, “the U.N. will send in a team and create another policy,” she said. “The U.N. has plenty of policies.” In the meantime, amid all the legal and political wrangling that must come before determining culpability, there’s a 12-year-old girl in Bangui who is traumatized. The first time an Amnesty researcher visited her house following the attack, Mariner said, she was “trying to be invisible,” curled up on her bed. The researcher had been in the room with her mother, deep in conversation, before he even realized the girl was in there, too. She has been vomiting and crying, Mariner said. Like six children who came forward in CAR last year to speak of being sexually abused, the girl has not been offered any kind of protection. Neither MINUSCA nor the U.N. has commented on her wellbeing. Now, apparently, she has a long wait to see if anyone will take responsibility for the crime she says was committed against her. For now, it seems, she is caught in a system that cares more about protecting its own than the people it is meant to defend.

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.

monDAY 24•08•2015

PERSPECTIVE

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Unemployment In Nagaland The Morung Express Conceptual Overview Unemployment statistics are usually presented as 3 different measures in NSSO surveys.The surveys conducted by the NSSO are sample surveys as opposed to censuses. In the latter the entire population is surveyed and therefore too costly to administer. Sample surveys are conducted on a subset of the population. The answers provided by respondents who have been sampled on the basis of time tested statistical principles are used to extrapolate to the entire population. In employment unemployment sample surveys individuals are surveyed for the purpose of determining the employment status in the country. They may either be working or looking for work. If they are in neither of the two categories they are deemed to be out of the labour force. The 3 unemployment measuresdiffer from each other based on the period under consideration. The measure that looks at the activity status of the individual interviewed during the year preceding the date of the survey is known as usual status (US) employment. Depending on how many days the respondent worked during the past year, the respondent’s activity status can be either principal or subsidiary. The Usual Status (adjusted) takes into account both the principal and the subsidiary status of economic activity. The NSSO Surveys also talk about the current weekly status (CWS) and current daily status (CDS) referring to the activity status of the surveyed individuals during the week and all the days of the week to previous to the day of survey. Regional Unemployment Data Figure 1: Unemployment Rates (per 1000) in the North-east All-india

Tripura Sikkim CDS

Nagaland

CWS

Mizoram

US(ADJ)

Meghalaya

US (PS)

Manipur Assam Arunachal Pradesh 0

100

150

200

250

300

Figure1 shows the different measures of unemployment in our region. Nagaland and Tripura have uniformly higher rates of unemployment than the other states in the region. Our rates vary from 17.7% to 25.6%. In the 66th round of the NSSO surveys conducted our rates varied between 10.3% and 16.2% depending on the specific measure considered. For comparative purposes the all-India figures range between 2.2% and 5.6%. Employment Elasticity: Link Between Economic Growth And Employment One way of reducing the unemployment rates seen in the economy is to focus on improving economic growth in our state. However, increased economic growth does not perforce translate into increased employment. The link between employment and economic growth is provided by the concept of

policy

papers

By Vyasan R

employment elasticity. If we think of unemployment rates as measuring a stock variable then employment elasticity will measure the manner of change of this stock variable over time. Employment elasticity refers to the percentage increase in employment consequent to one percentage increase in domestic product. A highlevel of employment elasticity implies that increase in growth will lead to an increase in employment in the economy. The opposite scenario where the elasticity is low is manifests as jobless growth which has been baffling experts and has been one of the main worries of the growth sprout in the country since 1991 economic reforms. Studies by the erstwhile Planning Commission of India had placed the employment elasticity for the entire country from 1993-94 to 1999-2000 at 0.15 and at 0.50 for the period from 1999-2000 to 2004-05. Researchers at the Reserve Bank of India have estimated the long run employment elasticity from 1993-94 to 2011-12 at 0.18. These are the years when the 50th and the 68th Round of the NSSO Surveys were conducted. The latter figure implies that between the years 1993-94 and 2011-12 for every percentage increase in GDP there was an increase in employment (measured as Usual Principal Status) of 0.18%. This less than proportionate increase in employment is reflective of the philosophy that economic growth alone will not suffice for economic progress. If economic growth does not lead to creation of jobs in the economy then this can lead to inequality in society and its many consequences including undermining of the future growth. Here I look at the employment elasticity for Nagaland but I take a much shorter term perspective looking at the following years 2004-05 (60th Round), 2009-10 (66th Round) and 2011-12 (68th Round). Since there are 3 years of reference I present 3 different elasticities. As has been the approach in this column I have compared the employment elasticities to other states in the region.

Negative Employment Elasticity In Nagaland As seen in Fig 2, in the North east, the worrisome fact is that Nagaland has experienced negative employment elasticity in all the reference years. Only Assam with an employment elasticity of -0.14 between the years 2009-10 and 2011-12 and Arunachal Pradesh with an employment elasticity of -0.09 between the years 2004-05 and 2009-10 had negative employment elasticities. The figures ranged from a low of -0.80 to a high of -0.50. If we are to interpret these figures they mean that over the years there has been a reduction in employment in the state. The employed (Usual Principal and Subsidiary status) in Nagaland fell from over 10.32 lakhs in 2004-05 to 7.28 lakhs in 2011-12. Before interpreting these figures I would like to present a word of caution. The NSSO figures are quite robust for All-India levels, but because of issues in sampling the NSSO themselves caution researchers from using absolute figures for purposes of interpretation. The reasons for this phenomenon of negative employment elasticity should be an interesting topic for future research. If I were to speculate the reason for negative employment elasticities, the biggest clue to the conundrumcould come from the composition of economic growth. Since the main driver of economic growth in the state has been the services sector and the public administration sub-sector to generate employment in the state could be quite limited.Unlike other states in the region the near absence of a robust industry sector may also be hampering the employment potential of economic growth. It is generally known that industry led growth in spite of the issues related to frictional unemployment has an overall positive impact on employment in countries.

Policy Options This presents a policy dilemma of sorts. Economic progress pushes our state in to a more service sector oriented economy. However, the current composition of the growth process does not ensure that enough jobs are being created. The message from the numbers is that there has to be a shift in focus from the current drivers of economic growth in the economy to different sectors that has the potential of generating more employment in our state. Our state has a rich and varied climate with vast untapped potential in the agricultural sector. The agricultural sector employs more than 4.4 lakhs in our state. This figure can increase if we focus on adding value to the agricultural crops produced in the state. With the inFigure 2: Employment Elasticities in the North-east frastructural bottlenecks that plague our state we need to think about agri-development parks in the lines of software parks and also strengthen the already existing Tripura APMCs in the districts. Our state should aim to market our valuable products in a manner that can garner Sikkim more revenue and also provide more income earning Nagaland opportunities to our farmers. Apart from the agricultural sector it is also imperative that our state tap the posMizoram 2009-10 to 2011-12 sibilities inherent in skill intensive sectors like informa2004-05 to 2009-10 tion technology and also invest in enhancing the soft Meghalya skills of our young work force. The XIIth Plan’s empha2004-05 to 2011-12 Manipur sis on skill development should be tapped by our state so that our youth can acquire the skills and reclaim the Assam status our state deserves in the country. Arunchal Pradesh -1.00

-0.50

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Vyasan R is an Indian Administrative Service Officer borne of the Nagaland cadre. He is currently doing a Masters in Public Administration/International Development at the Harvard Kennedy School. His column will be featured every Monday. Feedback can be emailed to vyasan_r@yahoo.com

ast year, critics and journalists christened 2014 "The Year of the Bible Movie" — the year that Bible films like Noah, Left Behind, Exodus, and God’s Not Dead played a significant part in the annual box office numbers. Frankly, it was an exciting and tiresome time for those invested in Christianity in the media. If 2014 was the year of the Bible movie, 2015’s Christian film market has had a very peculiar trend as well: Christian war movies. First came Little Boy, a WWII-era drama directed by Bella’s Alejandro Monteverde. Three months later, over the July 4 weekend, Christian film distributor Pure Flix released its Vietnam War faith film Faith of Our Fathers in honor of America’s birthday. While unrelated in plot and text, the two films do share a unique approach when it comes to the historical wars presented in the films. Little Boy: The Miraculous Bomb? Little Boy tells the story of Pepper Flynt Busbee, an eight-year old boy known by his friends as "Little Boy". Pepper loves his father and would do anything for him. However, when the military begins recruit-

70%

17%

YES

13%

OTHERS

Some of those who voted YES had this to say: • Yes, any solution is possible as long as Nagas are united. The key point is for the Naga factions and public to be united. If the Nagas are united and unanimous any solution is possible. However, even if one faction brings sovereignty but if there is no unity, there cannot be a sustainable solution. This is the reality. • Yes if the people are willing. This is an issue that the factions cannot decide for the Nagas. The public have the final say on this matter. • Yes, With Christ nothing is impossible • Sovereignty not feasible and all the undergrounds know that but still they drag this issue as it give them the licence to collect tax at the same time get money from the central government.. • Naga Unity is the need of the hour. When people are united everything and anything is possible. But when people are divided no solution is possible. • Yes. For most Nagas sovereignty means the Indian army leaving our land and for the people to have complete ownership over their traditional lands. Why is this so difficult for India to fulfill?

Faith of Our Fathers: Whitewashing of Vietnam Faith of Our Fathers focuses on the story of two 30-something sons who go on a roadtrip across America to find out what happened to their fathers during the Vietnam War. The film intertwines the two men’s stories with scenes of their fathers fighting in Vietnam, developing a relationship, and one eventually sharing the Gospel with the other. The film tries to be a buddy comedy, with road antics and celebrity comedy. While the film’s focus is clearly on remembering those who died in Vietnam, the film takes a very clean approach to the war. We never hear the soldiers mention Vietnam or the Viet Cong during the flashbacks, and we certainly don’t learn why the U.S. army is there. The creators seem to assume that the audience already understands the conflict, and that they can move past the details of the war in order to focus on the Gospel’s presence on the battlefield. But this decision to focus just on the Christian relationships in the war takes away from the complex and morally grey issues surrounding the Vietnam War. As a younger viewer, I left the film with a series of questions: did the directors think the U.S. intervention in Vietnam was justified? Should we have left at an earlier time? How do we deal with the ethical atrocities that were committed by U.S. forces, such as the use of napalm? By ignoring these questions, Faith of Our Fathers presents this bland image of war that honors the men who fought without realizing what or why they fought, or even if it was worthy of honoring. Never Forget While Little Boy and Faith of Our Fathers are films made by different teams and creators with different interests, they both reflect an intrinsic tendency in the Christian film industry to "clean things up." Both films ignore the darker moral implications of the symbols they choose. While the filmmakers clearly want to remember the people who fought in these wars, their attempts at cleaning up history so that it’s family friendly doesn’t do the veterans the justice they deserve.

Some of those who voted OTHERS had this to say: • I believe the sovereignty of Nagaland is in the hands of Lord Jesus Christ. • For Naga politics solution is not first priority but all faction should be united first. This is Indian tactic to bring civil war among us. Let all thinkers know this.

father. That miracle comes through the atomic bomb known as "Little Boy," which ends the war and eventually brings the father back. In other words, the film makes it seem like God used the nuclear bomb — a device that killed tens of thousands within a few seconds — just to bring back one boy’s father. This juxtaposition inspired Variety’s Justin Chang to argue that this peculiar set of events are "enough to make you wonder exactly what kind of God — or rather, what kind of filmmaker — would consider it righteous or edifying to wipe out an entire city for the sake of mollifying some saucer-eyed little moppet." Nathaniel Booth of Filmwell does note this may be a bit of an exaggeration, since the film is written in a way that seems to present the event through memories. However, when the film attempts to address the events through a dream sequence, Pepper’s lack of response to the events takes away from the horrors and pains that the bomb caused.

ing troops at the start of World War II, Pepper’s dad is assigned to the Pacific theatre, where he has to fight the Japanese army. This is distressing for Pepper, who is worried about his father’s safety. At this time, Pepper learns about the power of prayer and how "faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains." However, a priest tells Pepper that if he wants to use his faith to bring his father back, he has to perform a series of selfless acts to build up his faith — which includes becoming friends with an older Japanese fellow from the neighborhood, helping his neighbors, and standing up to his bully. The story is reminiscent of films like The Ultimate Gift or Pay It Forward, where an individual has to perform a certain number of selfless acts in order to reach a particular goal. What complicates the film’s simple plot is its use of miracles and its connection to the atomic bomb. As Pepper begins to perform these selfless acts in his neighborhood, his acts seem to cause miracles, which inspire the town and create local interest in the boy. But as the climax approaches, the film goes too far in its use of miracles. (Spoilers ahead.) During the film, Pepper’s father is captured by Japanese forces, and the army tells Pepper’s mom that he is MIA. Pepper isn’t willing to accept that fact, so he begins praying and asking for a miracle to return his

Do you believe there can be a sustainable solution to the Naga conflict without addressing the issue of sovereignty?

Some of those who voted NO had this to say: • No, the Naga struggle began with the issue of our freedom and sovereign rights; and so the Indo-Naga problem cannot be resolved without addressing the issue of sovereignty. India must realise that sovereignty is at the heart of the Naga movement. • No. Sovereignty is the main issue demanded by Naga. Without it no solution. • No Never. Sovereignty cannot be compromised. • Why is a strong and powerful country like India afraid to talk about sovereignty with the Nagas. Dont they think it is better to resolve the Naga issue once and for all rather than having a thorn in their flesh. Only by talking about Naga sovereignty can a solution be found. • No, we should not compromise with our identity • NO, WE ARE NOT INDIANS. SIMPLE! • Without political sovereignty, we will always end up being treated as second class citizens under the Indian Constitution. Is this what we want to end up with in exchange for an economic package a "peace accord'? • No, Nagas were never part of the Indian Union. So it is not a question of India granting sovereignty to the Nagas. It is for India to leave the Nagas just like the British left the Indians. • No, never. Some Naga intellectuals, NGOs and Church leaders are trying to convince the people that Naga sovereignty is not possible. But how can they forget that for the past 60 years the Nagas have fought against the mighty Indians. Is it not for sovereignty? There cannot be a solution unless sovereignty is achieved. • No...solution without Sovereignty and integration is like someone took away your shirt and you are living without it.. • In the recent historic Naga Peace Accord signed by GoI and NSCN-IM, they said that they will be shared sovereignty but when there is the AFSPA and the Indian soldiers continue to patrol Nagaland, how can there be a solution.

What ‘Little Boy’ and ‘Faith of Our Fathers’ Ignore About War

Christopher Hutton Sojourners

poll reSultS

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.

MonDAY 24•08•2015

INDIA

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

India-Pakistan deadlock sours relations

NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD, AUGUST 23 (REUTERS): The collapse of planned peace talks between India and Pakistanhours before they were to start on Sunday has raised questions about the arch-rivals' willingness to overcome mutual mistrust, built since their separation almost seven decades ago. This is the second time the nuclear-armed neighbours have cancelled talks since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in May last year, with both sides choosing to engage in a war of words ahead of the planned two-day meeting of their top security advisers. Since Modi and his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, agreed on the talks in Russia last month, ceasefire violations across the countries' border have increased. Analysts fear they may escalate. "(What it means is more) mutual accusations, acrimony, more provocations," said Siddharth Varadarajan, a political analyst and former editor of the Hindu newspaper in India. "In other words, contribution of the pattern we have seen in the past few weeks." India and Pakistan have fought three wars since becoming independent nations in 1947, two of them over the Himalayan region of Kashmir, which both claim in full but rule in part. New Delhi has for years accused Pakistan of backing separatist Muslim rebels in India's part

of Kashmir. Pakistan denies the allegations and blames India for fomenting unrest inside Pakistan. In the now-cancelled talks, India wanted to only discuss terrorismrelated issues and objected to Pakistan's intentions of meeting separatists from Kashmir. Pakistan wanted a wider agenda. Pakistani National Defence University professor Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema told the country's Express Tribune newspaper calling off the talks was not good for regional peace, and that Kashmir will always be on the agenda of any India-Pakistan talks. Aakar Patel, a long-time Modi observer and the new head of Amnesty International in India, said New Delhi's position had been weakened. "How will not talking solve this?" he wrote in the Times of India. "If we are serious about getting something out of them, we have to engage with them." Pakistan's decision to pull out followed Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj's ultimatum to stick to a terrorism-related agenda. India called Pakistan's decision "unfortunate". Swaraj said on Saturday Sharif was under domestic pressure to pull out. In August last year, India called off planned meetings between the countries' foreign secretaries as Pakistan wanted to meet with Kashmiri leaders - as has been the practice that is now opposed by the Indian government.

India, Pak must talk in neutral country: Farooq JAMMU, AUGUST 23 (IANS): India and Pakistan must hold their dialogue in a neutral country, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah said on Sunday after the collapse of the NSA-level talks. "I think the way forward is they can't talk in this country or in Pakistan. They have to find another third neutral country where they can talk," the National Conference leader told the media. "Otherwise I don't see there is going to be ever any breakthrough between these two countries," he said. The former chief minister also said Pakistan needed to realise how terrorism was affecting it. He said everybody was hoping that something better would come out of the NSA talks in New Delhi and bombing on the Kashmir border would stop. "I think Pakistan does not realise that how terrorism is eating its own land. "Every day they also have incidents where lots of people die. If they do not want to stop terrorism, India cannot help," Abdullah added.

Cancellation of NSA talks unfortunate: Rajnath Singh LUCKNOW, AUGUST 23 (PTI): Cancellation of NSA talks by Pakistan is “unfortunate”, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said here today and made it clear that the possibility of any future dialogue will depend on the neighbour. He underlined that India stands for dialogue and cordial relationship with Pakistan, a day after the talks between NSA Ajit Doval and his

counterpart Sartaj Aziz were called off. “The cancellation of NSA-level talks between India and Pakistan is unfortunate. India is in favour of dialogue,” Singh said on the sidelines of a function at Sanskrit Vidyapeeth here. On Pakistan blaming India for cancellation of talks, the Home Minister said, “It is Pakistan which has cancelled the talks and not India.”

He said that India has always been of the view of maintaining good and cordial relationship with the nighbours and its efforts would continue. “But Pakistan should not have deviated from the agenda decided during the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (in Ufa in July),” he said. On Pakistan’s criticism

Kashmir was the main agenda, the Home Minister said, “then why was it not decided earlier that when it would be part of NSA level talks? It was never an issue on agenda.” India has maintained that terror was the only agenda on the talks between the two NSAs. Asked about possibility of any dialogue in future, Singh said, “go and ask Pakistan, how can I reply to it.”

of India’s objections to Aziz’s meeting with Kashmiri separatist leaders, Singh said, “the thing was that there will be no third party in NSA-level talks. It was only NSA level talk. There was nothing like that others too will hold talks before, later or in between.” The Union Minister said Pakistan should have held talks as per pre-decided agenda. On Pakistan’s claim that

About 4.65 Lakh BJP to unleash ministers on ‘Centre’s denial to renew MBBS Appear in Civil Services Congress, Left constituencies seats causing doctor shortage’ Prelims Exam: UPSC NEW DELHI, AUGUST 23 for the purpose. ka, BJP has deputed union min- NEW DELHI, AUGUST 23 said that the total intake capac-

NEW DELHI, AUGUST 23 (PTI): About 4.65 lakh candidates today appeared for civil services preliminary examination across the country. "There were no untoward incidents reported from any of the centre in the country," Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Secretary Ashim Khurana told PTI. A total of 4,65,882 candidates took the civil services preliminary examination this year as compared to 4,51,602 examinees last year, an increase by 14,280, he said. As against a record number of 9,45,908 candidates who have applied for the exam, 6,81,549 of them had downloaded their e-admit card, Khurana said. Out of these candidates, 4,65,882 candidates took the examination, which is about 49 per cent of the total candidates who had applied, he said. The civil services examination is conducted by the UPSC annually in three stages-- preliminary, main and interview --to select candidates for prestigious Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) among others. The preliminary examination consists of two papers-Paper I and Paper II of two hours duration each. The first paper began at 9:30 AM and second started at 2:30 PM. There were 2,186 venues in 71 centres (or cities) across the country. "At Delhi centre, 70,642 candidates took the examination as against 1,17,312 who have registered for Delhi as their centre," said Khurana, a 1983 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre. In order to facilitate the visually impaired candidates, the Commission has increased the number of venues (cities) to 72 in 71 centres as compared to eight venues in seven cities in 2014, he said. There were 2,137 venues in 59 centres for 2014 prelims exam.

(IANS): Acting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's directions, the BJP has finalized the union ministers to tour parliamentary constituencies of Congress and Left MPs to highlight their "disruptive" practice in parliament. Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani and Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjeet Singh have been deputed to Amethi and Rai Bareli, the bastion of Gandhi family. The maximum five ministers have been deputed in West Bengal, where the assembly elections are due next year with BJP also sending three of its ministers in Kerala to take on the Left and Congress MPs. On the last day of a wasted monsoon session that began on July 21, the ruling National Democratic Alliance had decided to hold public rallies in parliamentary constituencies of Congress and Left MPs to highlight their "disruptive" practice. According to the list, a copy of which is in possession with IANS, BJP's campaign in Amethi and Rai Bareily will be headed by Irani and Singh, and four MPs Nagendra Singh, Laxmi Narayan Yadav, Priti Pathak and Jyoti Dhruve - have also been deputed

Around two dozen ministers and 98 MPs have been asked to campaign agaist the Congress and Left MPs from August 20 to August 30 and asked to tell the people of the selected constituencies that their representatives have disrupted the monsoon session, due to which important bills like Goods and Service Tax (GST) Bill could not be passed. In West Bengal, party's campaign will be led by union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Jayant Sinha, Nirmala Sitaraman and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and they will be assisted by 11 MPs. They have been assigned to take on Mausam Noor, Abhijit Mukherjee and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury of the Congress and Mohammad Salim and Badruddoza Khan of the Left. In Kerala, ruled by the Congress-led United Democratic Front, the party has deputed P. Radhakrishnan, Bandaru Dattatreya and Gen. V.K. Singh (retd.). They will be assisted by 27 MPs including Rajya Sabha member Vijay Goel and Lok Sabha MPs Kirit Somaiya, Poonam Mahajan, Jagdambika Pal and Shobha Karandlaje among others. For Congress-ruled Karnata-

sters Shripad Yesso Naik, Santosh Gangwar and Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti and 13 MPs, who will campaign against Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge as well as and senior party leaders M. Veerappa Moily and K.H. Muniyappa among others. Union ministers Jitendra Singh, Sarbanand Sonowal and Mahesh Sharma have been deputed in Assam where Congress has three MPs including Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's son Gourav Gogoi and Sushmita Dev, daughter of veteral Congress leader Santosh Mohan Dev. Union minister Prakash Javadekar will lead the party's campaign in Madhya Pradesh's Guna constituency, represented by Congress chief whip in Lok Sabha, Jyotiraditya Scindhia. Similarly union minister Piyush Goel has been assigned to campaign against former union minister and senior most Lok Sabha Congress MP Kamal Nath in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara. The Amritsar constituency, represented of Congress deputy leader in Lok Sabha and former Punjab chief minister Capt. Amrinder Singh, has been assigned to union minsters Vijay Sampla and Ram Shankar Katheriya.

(PTI): The Centre’s disapproval to renew permission to establish new medical colleges or to increase their intake capacity have caused loss of opportunities to the students as well as lesser number of doctors, the Supreme Court has said. A bench of justices A R Dave, Vikramajit Sen and U U Lalit, disposing of petitions challenging the Centre’s denial of permission, said that its affidavit showed that disapproval to renewal has resulted in loss of MBBS seats available in academic year 2014-15. “It not only causes loss of opportunity to the student community but at the same time causes loss to society in terms of less number of doctors being available. The MCI and the central government must, therefore, show due diligence right from the day when applications are received,” it said. Issuing a slew of directions to be followed on receipt of applications seeking renewal, the bench asked the Medical Council of India (MCI) and the central government to show “due diligence right from the day when the applications are received.” In its affidavit, the Centre

ity of MBBS seats in the country increased from 51,598 in 20132014 to 54,348 in 2014-2015. “However, renewal of seats was not permitted in case of 3,920 seats in 2014-2015 and as such there was a net loss of 1,170 MBBS seats in 2014-2015,” it had said. The affidavit further said that the MCI had recommended for disapproval of renewal in case of 8,667 seats but renewal permission in case of 4,747 MBBS seats in 73 government medical colleges was granted by the Centre on the last day i.e. July 15, 2014, by relying on the undertaking given by respective state governments. “The central government issued disapproval letters to 46 medical colleges including 41 private medical colleges with 3,685 MBBS seats and five government medical colleges with 235 seats for the year 20142015,” it said. The apex court verdict came on a bunch of petitions arising out of the Centre’s decision to recommend disapproval of applications preferred in respect of medical colleges of the applicants for the academic year 2014-2015.

Need to break away from Master plans approved for fifty solar cities Further, in-principle approvals have DELHI, AUGUST 23 (IANS): sanctions have been issued for 50 cities obsolete policies: Jaitley NEW The government has approved a pro- that include New Delhi, Agra, Chandigarh, been given to five cities - Thiruvanan-

KOLKATA, AUGUST 23 (IANS): Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday said that political differences will not come in way of developing West Bengal and promised full cooperation to state. Speaking at the launch of the Bandhan Bank here, Jaitley said breaking away from obsolete policies was imperative for the growth of the eastern region to lead to the development of the entire country. "A great institution is being born in West Bengal. What is most important is the birth of a Bengal entrepreneur, which is of utmost importance for the revival and growth of the fundamentals of Bengal," said Jaitley. "During the global business summit here (January), I categorically stated that the party to which I belong and the party which rules the state are strongly opposed and that probably will continue. "But in terms of development

of the country and the state, the political difference will not matter, and we will fully cooperate in the development and growth of West Bengal," said the BJP leader. "I do not have the least doubts that with the cooperation between the centre and the state, we will work together towards the advance growth rate which eventually enables us to bring prosperity." Jaitley also took a dig at the erstwhile Left Front government which ran the state from 1977 to 2011. "For me personally, when I came to this great city yesterday, I saw a very pleasant change. With broad words 'Bandhan Bank' written on it, the whole city had been almost painted blue. "I recollect my days from the younger years when I used to see this city painted red. And when it was painted red, of course new institutions were not being born. "The existing ones were shift-

ing out and West Bengal, which was known not for producing many entrepreneurs but certainly known for producing intellectuals, even (Bandhan bank chairman) Ashok Lahiri and (state finance minister) Amit Mitra had shifted out. "I do hope (it is) this change of colour that has brought back both of them," the minister said. Reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call that the development of the eastern region was a must, Jaitley conceded the country's western part was far more developed. He said eastern Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha and northeast region needed more growth, economic activities and employment. The minister also said agriculture had a great prospect in Bengal as the state was blessed with lot of water. Jaitley stressed the need to create more academic institutions of repute and restoring the older ones back to their excellence. "Odisha and Bengal have lot of mineral resource, natural wealth, north east has oil and gas and therefore for the growth of this region you have the fundamentals which are present here. It is a break from some of the obsolete policies of the past and realization of potential of the area which are of extreme importance," he said.

posed master plan to develop 50 solar cities, for which master plans have been prepared for 46, an official statement said on Sunday. Three of these cities under the programme are planned to be set up in the national capital region, the ministry of new and renewable energy said in a status note. "At least one city in each state to a maximum of five cities in a state may be supported by the ministry," it said. Out of the proposed 60 solar cities,

Gurgaon, Faridabad, Amritsar, New Town (Kolkata), Howrah, Madhyamgram, Kochi and Bhopal. Master plans have been prepared for 46, including Agra, Gandhinagar, Rajkot, Surat, Thane, Shirdi, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Imphal, Chandigarh, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Bilaspur, Raipur, Agartala, Guwahati, Jorhat, Mysore, Shimla, Hamirpur, Jodhpur, Vijayawada, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Dehradun, Panaji and New Delhi (NDMC area), the report said.

thapuram, Jaipur, Indore, Leh and Mahabubnagar - it added. Eight cities are to be developed as "Model Solar Cities", the ministry said, adding Nagpur, Chandigarh, Gandhinagar and Mysuru have so far been selected for this. Fifteen cities will be developed as "Pilot Solar Cities" of which 13 including Agartala, Coimbatore, Rajkot, Shimla, Faridabad, Thane, Raipur, Shirdi, Leh, Aizawl, Puducherry, Vijaywada and Amritsar have been named.

US lament red tapism in Indian bureaucracy WASHINGTON, AUGUST 23 (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made "remarkable" progress in his first 15 months in office by rolling out a red carpet for foreign companies, but the infamous red tapism of Indian bureaucracy continues to pose hurdles to investments, the White House has said. "You can say that," Peter R Lavoy, Special Assistant to US President and Senior Director for South Asian Affairs at the National Security Council said when asked if his assessment of the Modi government means that both red carpet welcome and red tapism are running parallel to each other. "I have never seen any Indian government made such quick progress on so many is-

sues, in such a short time. So it is truly remarkable," Lavoy told PTI. "That said your bureaucracy has a certain worldwide reputation. I think, it has its own standards that are really unparallelled worldwide. Even though India continues to make this progress, we are confident that as the entirety the whole of government recognises their opportunities to move much more quickly to achieve the potential and the vision of the Prime Minister," he said replying to questions on new government's policies. India-US relationship now - after May 2014 when Modi assumed the post of the Prime Minister ? is in an excellent position, he said. "This is

by far the strongest the relationship has ever been. Not only that, it?s our leaders President (Barack) Obama and everyone else, Prime Minister Modi and his cabinet look at the future ? both sides here see a very very bright future where we see a deep opening and expansion of bilateral cooperation and working together to solve regional problems and international problems. We think the relationship is excellent," he said. Lavoy, who joined the National Security Council early this year, is the White House?s point person for entire of South Asia, including Afghanistan and Pakistan. The wide ranging interview, on various issues of India-US ties, policies of the

NDA Government and India's role in the region and the world was held in the historic War Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House. Du r i n g t h e i nt e rview, Lavoy praised Modi Government?s outreach to its neighbours to resolve outstanding bilateral and border issues and in particular mentioned the recent resolution of the border dispute with Bangladesh. "We still have a situation where we have unresolved border disputes between India and few of its neighbours. Fortunately India has resolved its dispute with Bangladesh that was a very positive and a very sudden development...," he said.

MonDAY 24•08•2015

WORLD

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Amidst fears of war, Koreas resume talks PYONGYANG, AUGUST 23 (AP): For the moment, North and South Korea have pulled back from the brink and on Sunday resumed a second round of talks that temporarily pushed aside vows of imminent war on the peninsula. The first round of marathon talks on Saturday came to nothing, and South Korea’s military reported Sunday that it detected unusual troop and submarine movements in North Korea that indicated Pyongyang was strengthening its capability for a possible strike. Still, even the decision for senior officials from countries that have spent recent days vowing to destroy each other to simply sit down at a table in Panmunjom, the border enclave where the 1953 armistice ending fighting in the Korean War was agreed to, is something of a victory. The length of the first round of talks — nearly 10 hours — and the lack of immediate progress are not unusual. While the Koreas often have difficulty agreeing to talks, once they do, overlong sessions are often the rule. After decades of animosity and bloodshed, however, finding common ground is much harder. South Korean presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook did not disclose details about the first round of talks, which ad-

A South Korean amy soldier walks as his colleague soldiers stand guard on Unification Bridge, which leads to the demilitarized zone, near the border village of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea on Sunday, August 23. The first high-level talks in nearly a year between South Korea and North Korea were adjourned after stretching into the early hours of Sunday, as the rivals looked to defuse mounting tensions that have pushed them to the brink of a possible military confrontation. (AP Photo)

journed just before dawn Sunday. The talks began shortly after a deadline set by North Korea for the South to dismantle loudspeakers broadcasting anti-Pyongyang propaganda at their border. North Korea had declared that its frontline troops were in full war readiness and prepared to go to battle if Seoul did not back down. An official from Seoul’s

Defense Ministry said about 70 percent of the North’s more than 70 submarines and undersea vehicles had left their bases and were undetectable by the South Korean military as of Saturday. The official, who didn’t want to be named because of office rules, also said the North had doubled the strength of its front-line artillery forces since the start

of the talks early Saturday evening. “It seems that the North is pursuing dialogue on one side and preparing for battle on another side,” he said. The standoff is the result of a series of events that started with the explosions of land mines on the southern side of the Demilitarized Zone between the Koreas that Seoul says were planted by North Korea.

The explosions maimed two South Korean soldiers on a routine patrol. In response, the South resumed anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts for the first time in 11 years, infuriating the North, which is extremely sensitive to any criticism of its authoritarian system. There was shock and worry Thursday, when South Korea’s military fired

dozens of artillery rounds across the border in response to what Seoul said were North Korean artillery strikes meant to back up an earlier threat to attack the loudspeakers. The North denies it was behind the land mines and the shelling, claims that Seoul calls nonsense. The Defense Ministry official said the South continued the anti-Pyongyang broadcasts even after the start of the talks on Saturday and also after the start of the second session on Sunday. He said Seoul would decide after the talks whether to halt the broadcasts. While the meeting offered a way for the rivals to avoid an immediate collision, analysts in Seoul wondered whether the countries were standing too far apart to expect a quick agreement. South Korea probably can’t afford to walk away with a weak agreement after it had openly vowed to stem a “vicious cycle” of North Korean provocations amid public anger over the land mines, said Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea expert at Seoul’s Dongguk University. It was highly unlikely that the North would accept the South’s expected demand for Pyongyang to take responsibility for the land mine explosions and apologize, he added. However, Koh said the meeting might open the door

Ukraine leader urges unity to El Salvador prison gang violence kills 14 20th century. SALVAdOR, AUGUST confrontation,” said Chicas. combat Russian “aggressor” SAN Criminal gangs have been The Directorate General of 23 (AFP): At least 14 inmates KIeV, AUGUST 23 (ReUTeRS): Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called on all political forces in the country on Sunday to rally behind his plans for constitutional change aimed at ending a separatist conflict in the east and defeating what he termed the “Russian aggressor”. Poroshenko used a flagraising ceremony in Kiev on the eve of Independence Day to make a clear pitch to his coalition allies to overcome their doubts and vote in favour of amendments to the constitution that will allot special status to separatist-minded parts of eastern Ukraine. The proposed changes, which will go to a first vote in parliament on Aug. 31, have split the pro-Western coalition and it is touch-and-go as to whether the government will muster the necessary 226 votes to go through to a second reading. Several coalition allies are under pressure particularly from militant paramilitary groups opposed to giving any ground to Russianbacked separatists who have seized swathes of land in the east. Referring to Ukrainian blood spilt in the east at the hands of the “Russian aggressor”, he said: “My direct call to all political forces, in the first instance to those who are together in the parliamentary co-

alition, is to come together now for the sake of Ukraine.” Allowing for “decentralisation” to give the regions more say in managing their own affairs was among Ukraine’s undertakings made in February in peace talks in Minsk, Belarus, involving Ukraine, Russia,Germany and France, which resulted in a ceasefire agreement. Poroshenko is likely to give an account of what he has done to honour the Minsk agreement, which includes holding local elections in the east, when he meets German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande in Berlin on Monday. Ukrainian authorities have mobilised huge numbers of police and interior ministry troops to reinforce security for the weekend and Independence Day itself on Monday when there will be a march in Kiev of soldiers serving on the front line. More than 6,500 people, including hundreds of civilians, have been killed in the conflict. ProRussian rebels took up arms in the east after Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014 in response to the overthrow of a pro-Moscow president in Kiev by street protests a month earlier.

were killed in an El Salvador jail on Saturday when violence erupted between two factions of a notorious gang, an official said. The killings at Quezaltepeque prison, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the capital San Salvador, were linked to an internal dispute involving the feared Barrio 18 gang, a spokesman for the presidency told AFP. The prison was placed on lockdown and security ramped up, as about 50 people with relatives in the jail descended on the facility, some weeping and others demanding to know the identities of the dead. A state of emergency was declared for 72 hours at the jail and authorities insisted that they were in full control of the situation. Prison officials were alerted when some members of the “Revolutionaries” faction of the gang failed to return to their cells, said Eugenio Chicas, the communications secretary for the presidency. Security agents and riot police found their bodies among some garbage bins, added Chicas, labeling it “a purge.” “There has been an internal

Prisons, on Twitter, said it was “presumed to be an act of purification among gang members.” The deaths underline how gang violence has made El Salvador one of the most dangerous countries in the world. On Wednesday, police said there were at least 125 murders in just three days in the country, a staggering toll even by El Salvador’s standards. “These are worrisome numbers. These are Salvadorans who are dying. Regardless of who is a gang member or not,” National Police chief Mauricio Ramirez told reporters. There were 3,332 murders between January and June, up from 2,191 a year earlier, government data show. The Mara Salvatrucha (MS13) and Barrio 18 (M-18) gangs have an estimated 70,000 members in El Salvador, 10,000 of whom are behind bars. The gangs emerged in the 1980s in Latino neighborhoods in Los Angeles. They arrived in Central America when the United States deported thousands of immigrants who had fled there to escape civil wars that had gripped the region in the late

pressuring the government to include them in a commission examining ways to stem endemic urban violence for which these same groups are, to a large extent, responsible. Since taking office last year, President Salvador Sanchez Ceren has tried to crack down on crime and refused to negotiate with the gangs. Last month, Barrio 18 ordered a bus strike and seven bus drivers were killed after they defied the gang. By seeking to shut down public transport, the gang hoped to strong-arm the government to the negotiating table. The ongoing violence underscores the breakdown in a truce the gangs declared in March 2012, brokered by the Catholic Church with behindthe-scenes help from then president Mauricio Funes. In response to the new wave of violence, Sanchez Ceren has reversed a key concession of the controversial truce, ordering more than 50 jailed gang leaders who were being held in “flexible” detention centers transferred back to maximumsecurity prisons.

4 months after Nepal quake: Migration issues impact recovery KAThmANdU, AUGUST 23 (IANS): Four months after the devastating April 25 earthquake, the delayed return of migrant family members, coupled with low levels of disaster-preparedness, has become a major concern for Nepal’s households with external migrants. Standing next to a precariously propped-up makeshift tent and their damaged stone houses, Lalita Koirala and Kalpana Koirala of east Nepal’s Dhading district have some things in common - they survived the quake, their husbands work abroad and the two are desperately waiting for them to return to start rebuilding. Lalita’s husband works in the Gulf while Malaysia is the destination country for Kalpana’s spouse: both regions being hot-spots for Nepal residents, mostly youth. While Kalpana manages her six-member family, including two young children, Lalita looks after three older members and a 13-year-old son - all with the help of their husband’s remittances in makeshift shelters. Tremendous community support complements the resilience of these women. Now that four months have gone since the quake, they are past the trauma

and contemplating building stronger structures. “I want my husband to return soon so that we can start building a better house. He has sent a little money and I have been able to talk to him only twice in the last four months, We were not prepared for anything so big... but now we will build better,” Kalpana, who was cutting grass beside her three-storey house when disaster struck on April 25, told this visiting IANS correspondent. Bandita Sijapati, an expert on the subject, says issues relating to migration are not only important in the context of natural disasters but are also likely to have considerable impact on the recovery and rehabilitation process. Further, referring to a recent study, she said low levels of disaster preparedness amongst migrant households (as well as non-migrant households) are an indication that simply having an inflow of cash is not sufficient. Sijapati, Research Director at the Centre for the Study of Labour and Mobility (CESLAM), noted that the condition of “migrant households is as precarious, if not more” than the average household post the temblor. The Centre undertook a quick

assessment a month after the quake in four of the 14 severely affected districts: Sindhupalchowk, Kavrepalanchowk, Dhading and Kathmandu. Of 166 households surveyed, 115 were migrant households (including both internal and external) and 51 were non-migrant. The findings showed that most families asked their migrant members not to return and instead continue to provide support during rehabilitation by remitting additional funds. But then, 73 percent of the households with external migrants reported that their absence had a negative impact on the household’s post-earthquake coping mechanisms. Lalita, who refuses to sleep inside any building except her makeshift shelter, admitted that the presence of a male member would have been significantly helpful to salvage their belongings. “We couldn’t even salvage our foodgrain stock from inside our old house because my husband was not there and my father-inlaw is ageing. Neighbours have been helping us out from the start,” Lalita lamented, adding the family continues to deal with aftershocks. There have been 376

aftershocks since April 25. According to the 2011 census, the total absentee population in the severely-affected districts was 300,435, which represents around six percent of the total population of the 14 districts. Of these, 80 percent were males and 20 percent females. Despite the government’s efforts to support the return of migrant workers whose families were affected by quake, many were unable to. This was because many were either unaware of government arrangements to facilitate their return or because they were unable to take time off from their employers, Sijapati explained. And to top it all, both Lalita and Kalpana felt the government support of Nepali Rs.15,000 ($145) is inadequate. For them, remittance has become a key player to get things going. But the return of their spouses outweighs monetary concerns. “There is greater need for other information that focusses on raising awareness, information dissemination about seismic resistant standards, access to disaster preparedness programmes and financial literacy on better management of remittances to fulfill the immediate recovery

needs as well as sustainable rehabilitation,” Sijapati stressed. In addition to financial literacy, attention has also been drawn to tapping the internal and external job markets for livelihood recovery post the quake. This has been suggested in the recently released ‘Strategic Framework for Resilient Livelihoods in Earthquake-Affected Areas of Nepal’ report prepared by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) together with the Nepalese government’s National Planning Commission. “Tap the potential of internal and external job markets by providing targeted skill building trainings and support the financial literacy of migrant households in earthquake-affected areas and utilize the skills and remittances of the Nepali diaspora,” the report states. In fiscal 2013-14 alone, approximately half a million Nepalis, mainly young men and women, took up foreign employment. The official remittance received during the first nine months of 2013-2014 was almost Nepali Rs.400 billion ($4 billion), or close to 30 percent of the country’s total GDP.

to more talks between the rivals to discuss a variety of issues. At the meeting, South Korea’s presidential national security director, Kim Kwan-jin, and Unification Minister Hong Yongpyo sat down with Hwang Pyong So, the top political officer for the Korean People’s Army, and Kim Yang Gon, a senior North Korean official responsible for South Korean affairs. Hwang is considered by outside analysts to be North Korea’s second most important official after supreme leader Kim Jong Un. South Korea had been using 11 loudspeaker systems along the border for the broadcasts, which included the latest news around the Korean Peninsula and the world, South Korean popular music and programs praising the South’s democracy and economic affluence over the North’s oppressive government, said a senior military official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Each loudspeaker system has broadcast for more than 10 hours a day, the official said. If North Korea attacks the loudspeakers, the South is ready to strike back at the North Korean units responsible, he said. North Korea, which has also restarted its own propaganda broadcasts, is extremely sensitive to any criticism of its govern-

ment. Analysts in Seoul also believe the North fears that the South’s broadcasts could demoralize its frontline troops and inspire them to defect. In Pyongyang, North Korean state media reported that more than 1 million young people have volunteered to join or rejoin the military to defend their country should a conflict break out. Despite such highly charged rhetoric, which is not particularly unusual, activity in the capital remained calm on Sunday, with people going about their daily routines. Truckloads of soldiers singing martial songs could occasionally be seen driving around the city, and a single minivan with camouflage netting was parked near the main train station as the talks with the South went on. Throughout the day, large crowds of people were mobilized to practice mass activities for the Oct. 10 anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers Party 70 years ago. As night fell, instead of anxiously awaiting the outcome of the talks, many Pyongyang residents were riveted to TVs in public places to watch the debut of the “Boy General” cartoon show, which has been revamped for the first time in five years at the order of Kim Jong Un.

Malaysia finds mass graves of 24 suspected human trafficking victims KUALA LUmPUR, AUGUST 23 (ReUTeRS): Malaysian authorities have found mass graves containing the remains of more than 20 people believed to be human trafficking victims near the border with Thailand, police said on Sunday. The heavily forested Thai-Malay border has been a transit point for smugglers bringing people to Southeast Asia by boat from Myanmar and Bangladesh. The migrants are often held for ransom in squalid detention camps and according to some accounts face torture and starvation. Police uncovered 24 bodies on Saturday in the Bukit Wang Burma area near the Malaysian border with Thailand, close to where authorities in May had found hundreds of bodies in illegal detention camps. “Following on from the operation in which we found ... bodies of illegal immigrants, 24 more bodies have been found and dug up,” police said in a statement, adding that the remains had been handed over to medical experts. It was not immediately clear if the bodies discovered were those of Rohingya, a minority ethnic group in Myanmar, whose members have fled widespread persecution in that country. A crackdown by Thai authorities in May drove traffickers to abandon thousands of migrants on rickety, overcrowded boats in Southeast Asian waters, triggering a regional humanitarian crisis that saw them land in Malaysia and Indonesia after being rescued by fishermen.

How & where neighbourhood conflicts emerge New YORK, AUGUST 23 (IANS): Most neighbourhood conflicts occur in the areas sandwiched between two homogenous communities where the boundaries between different ethnic and racial groups are not clearly defined, a new study finds. The New York University (NYU) study used data from 311 complaints to track when and where New Yorkers complain about their neighbours making noise, blocking driveways, or drinking in public. “Neighbourhood conflict arises not from mere separation or mixing of diverse populations, but as a result of these ‘fuzzy’ boundaries between homogenous neighbourhoods,” said Joscha Legewie, an assistant professor of education and sociology at NYU. “These area may be particularly prone to conflict because they may threaten surrounding homogenous community life and foster ambiguities about group turf,” Legewie added. The current findings move away from the idea that diversity has negative consequences. “It’s not diversity in general that has this effect on neighbourhood conflict; it is only these particular areas between homogenous communities,” Legewie stressed. To define neighbourhood boundaries, the researchers adopted edge-detection algorithms used in science and engineering, including computer vision and image processing. “The 311 service requests give us a unique perspective on everyday forms of conflict, and indicate that tensions are not being resolved in a neighbourly way, such as knocking on someone’s door,” Legewie explained. Less conflict was found in areas without boundaries (those surrounded by neighbourhoods of similar ethnic and racial composition) and areas where boundaries between homogenous communities are clearly defined. Legewie was scheduled to present his research at the 110th annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in Chicago.

MonDAY 24•08•2015

SPORTS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Novak Djokovic, Federer advance to Cincinnati final

CinCinnati, august 23 (REutERs): Top seed Novak Djokovic and defending champion Roger Federer advanced to the Western & Southern Open final in contrasting fashion on Saturday to set up a rematch of their title-deciding Wimbledon clash. Serb Djokovic, who beat Federer in the Wimbledon final for a second consecutive year last month, rallied to beat Ukrainian qualifier Alexandr Dolgopolov 4-6 7-6(5) 6-2 while the Swiss second seed beat third seed Andy Murray 6-4 7-6(6). Djokovic, who needs a win on Sunday to become the first player to claim all nine ATP Masters titles, lost the first set but escaped a nervy second-set tiebreak in Cincinnati that took the wind out of his 66thranked opponent's sails. In the tiebreak, Djokovic was two points from defeat at 4-5 but dug deep and found a way to escape the jam, ultimately taking the set with a cross-court forehand winner. "(Djokovic) just plays more carefully on the big points. You have to beat him and go for the risk," said Dolgopolov. "I really believed I could win and my game was enough to beat him. It was just the situation. You know, those few points decided everything."

Djokovic had squandered a chance to level the match in the ninth game of the second set when he was broken to love before the players each held serve over the next three games to force the tiebreak which the Serb won to ensure a third set. Djokovic then broke a disheartened Dolgopolov twice en route to ending the match in two hours, 20 minutes and improving his all-time record versus the Ukrainian to 5-0. Completing the set of ATP Masters titles will be no easy feat for Djokovic with six-times Cincinnati champion Federer standing in his way. The Swiss got off to a fast start against Murray, earning a break in the third game of the match en route to capturing the first set in 38 minutes with a forehand winner down the line. The players rode their serves to a tiebreak in the second set, where Federer went on to convert on his second match point. The victory sets up the latest instalment of the FedererDjokovic rivalry, knotted at 20 wins apiece. The match will be their fifth meeting in 2015, with Federer winning on the hard courts of Dubai and Djokovic emerging victorious at Indian Wells, Rome and Wimbledon.

KDVA VB clinic from today

Kohima, august 23 (mExn): The Kohima District Volleyball Association (KDVA) has informed all the trainees for the Kohima district volleyball referee clinic to report to IGS, Kohima on Monday, August 24 before 2:00pm without fail. The next KDVA general meeting will be held on August 26 at 4:00 PM at KDCC office, Congress Bhavan, Kohima. All the office bearers, executive committee members, KDVA members and well wishers of KDVA have been requested to attend the said meeting positively.

Throttle Thrust 2015 in Sept Morung Express News Mokokchung| August 22

The Spearhead Motorsport Initiative (SMI) in commemoration of the 125 years of Mokokchung Town today announced the official date for the event “Throttle Thrust 2015”to take place on the 11 and 12 September 2015. The two day event “Throttle Thrust 2015” will be held at Imkongmeren Sports Complex, Mokokchung. Throttle Thrust 2015 will be a first of its kind event organized by the SMI and hopes to be a yearly event starting from this year. The event will include Motocross, Autocross and Jeepcross event. SMI will also organize a car expo and other motorsport related activities, which is a first of its kind in Mokokchung, along with the race events. The various categories will include: Autocross class ISUV, Class II- Above 1000, Class III- Below 1000, Motocross: Class I – Open category, Class –II- North-East Open, Jeepcross: Class I – Local Jeeps only. The Jeepcross category will showcase the trustworthy grand old jeeps of Mokokchung. A cash prize of upto 3 lakhs has been set for the first edi-

The Chronicles Band perform at Cosmos Hall, Mokokchung at the "Concert for Nepal" organized by Rock Reign and Gorkha Community Mokokchung. Artists and Bands which included Tali and friends, Yapangtula and the band, Rapture, Prophetic Ark, Tune Up Channel and The Chronicles Band performed for free. the proceeds of the concert will be send to Nepal for the Nepal Earthquake victims, 2015.

tion of Throttle Thrust 2015. Registrations are open and forms can be collected from 23rd August from Imprint and Car Parlor (Mokokchung), Trap (Kohima) and Café Destination (Dimapur). The last date for submission of forms will be on 9th of September. Outstation participants will be pro-

vided with accommodation by SMI. For further information on the event contact 9862050755, 9862471127 (Mokokchung), 9402679386 (Dimapur) and 9436418853 (Kohima) or login to the SMI official facebook page:www. facebook.com/spearheadmotorsport. It is to be noted that

the SMI had organized a drive by road trip awareness on the 125 years celebration of Mokokchung Town on 3rd August 2015 by handling out car stickers in and around the town. Throttle Thrust 2015 will mark SMI’s celebration to commemorate the quasquicentennial year of Mo-

kokchung Town. SMI has successfully organized a motorsport event “Endurance Challenge I” 2014 in Mokokchung District and it is the only event in the state that runs special stage rally (Extreme) and SMI plans to make “Endurance Challenge” and “Throttle Thrust” a yearly event.

Unconvincing Atletico make winning La Liga start Nagaland shines at 1st Lyngwiar Auto Cross 2015

maDRiD, august 23 (REutERs): Atletico Madrid got their La Liga campaign up and running in less than convincing fashion when Antoine Griezmann’s deflected free kick secured an edgy 1-0 win at home to promoted Las Palmas on Saturday. Valencia, who like Atletico are hoping to challenge heavyweights Barcelona and Real Madrid for the title, also failed to shine in their opening game of the season and were held to a 0-0 draw at Rayo Vallecano. Griezmann’s strike clipped the Las Palmas wall on its way into the net in the 17th minute at the Calderon but Atletico struggled to create further chances and the visitors, back in Spain’s top flight for the first time in 13 years, made them sweat in the second half. Las Palmas defender David Si-

mon was left unmarked at the far post and headed against the crossbar and Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak had to make an excellent save when the ball ricocheted towards goal at a corner 18 minutes from time. Colombia striker Jackson Martinez, making his La Liga debut after joining from Porto in the close season, had a quiet night before making way for Fernando Torres midway through the second period. "We played a good first half and controlled the match," Atletico fullback Filipe Luis told Spanish television. "But obviously the scoreline was precarious because if Las Palmas had scored it looked like it would have been difficult for us to get another," added the Brazil international, who has returned to Madrid after a year at English

champions Chelsea. "But we controlled the match at all times and were very solid in defence so I think it was a deserved victory. "It’s always challenging in the opening game after a tough pre-season and we just need to keep improving."

SULTRY NIGHT Valencia, who play the second leg of their Champions League playoff at Monaco on Tuesday having won Wednesday’s first leg 3-1, appeared sluggish on a sultry night at Rayo's stadium in the Madrid suburbs. Nuno's side were missing several key players, including captain Dani Parejo, due to suspensions carried over from last season and were lucky to come away with a point as Rayo dominated in the second half and squandered sev-

eral openings. Alvaro Negredo came close to snatching a win for the visitors in the 91st minute but his fierce shot was brilliantly saved by Rayo goalkeeper Tono. Valencia will need to up their game if they are to hold off Monaco and secure a lucrative berth in the group stage of Europe's elite club competition. Espanyol joined Atletico, champions in 2014, on three points at the top when they won 1-0 at home to Getafe, while David Moyes' Real Sociedad side were held to a 0-0 draw at Deportivo La Coruna. Champions Barca begin their bid for a sixth La Liga title in eight years when they travel to Athletic Bilbao on Sunday (1630 GMT) before Real play at promoted Sporting Gijon (1830).

Carp & Carp Angling Competition held

DimapuR, august 23 (mExn): The Carp & Carp Angling Competition 2015 organized by Carp & Carp Angling Club was held on August 22 at Zani village with 88 anglers taking part in the event. The one-day competition registered participants from Kolkata, Assam, and districts of Mokokchung, Wokha, Phek and Kohima besides Dimapur. Competition favorite H. Lawrence of Medziphema made a total haul of 12.4 kilos to score an easy win of the main event (Total Weight Category). As overall champion, Lawrence walked away with a cash prize of Rs. 20,000 along with certificate. Zuchamo Lotha with a total catch of 5.61 kilos bagged 1st runner-up to claim a cash prize of Rs. 10,000 along with certificate. Cash prize of 1st runner-up was sponsored

Winners of SUV category Our Correspondent

The event was orga- NAC, Nagaland) nized by East Jaintia Ad- 3rd Larry Mukhim Kohima | August 23 venture Motorsport Asso- (Meghalaya) Riders from Nagaland un- ciation (EJAMSA). der the banner of Nagaland Car category Adventure Club (NAC) had RESULT 1st Larry a good outing at the 1st Lyn- SUV category Mukhim(meghalaya) gwiar Auto Cross 2015 held 1st Anguzo Sekhose (Team 2nd Anguzo Sekhose from August 21 to 22 at East NAC, Nagaland) (Team NAC, Nagaland) Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya. 2nd Lima Jamir (Team 3rd Simon Sympli (Meghalaya)

French winger Malouda joins ISL side Delhi Dynamos

nEw DELhi, august 23 (ians): Indian Super League (ISL) franchise Delhi Dynamos FC on Sunday announced the signing of former Chelsea and French winger Florent Malouda for the second season starting from October 3. Malouda, who scored nine goals in 80 matches for the French football team, announced his decision during the prematch show of the English Premier League (EPL) encounter between West Bromwich Albion and Chelsea in England. "I am extremely excited for my new innings and to join forces with Roberto Carlos. India has great football talent and a league like ISL will bring the certain A view of the competition that was held at Zani village on Saturday. amount of interest and will help develop by Bloom Mobiles. Katolu a cash award of Rs. 5,000 Single Biggest Catch cat- (Talapia) Special catego- Indian football," Malouda said in a stateAssumi with a total weight along with certificate. egory while M. John made ry. Both the winners were ment. "I look forward to give my best to the of 4.49 kilos finished 2nd Khekaho Chishi landed the most catch with a total awarded Rs. 5,000 each league and make the Delhi fans proud." The 35-year-old played for Ligue 2 side runner-up fetching him the biggest catch to win the of 2.59 kilos to win Kawai along with certificate.

FC Metz in 2014-15 season. Dynamos marquee player-manager Carlos said: "Malouda is a classic player and brings with him years of world class experience. I am sure both the Indian and international players will learn a lot from him. "His presence will not only strengthen the team but will also create high excitement levels among the ISL fans." Malouda had stints with French sides Chateauroux and Guingamp before joining Lyon where he played from 2003-2007 and won four consecutive Ligue 1 titles. Then he moved to London and scored 45 goals in 228 matches between 2007-13 for Chelsea, who also won the 2011-12 European Champions League title. They also won the 2009-10 EPL title. For the 2013-14 season, he moved to Turkish club Trabzonspor before joining Metz. He played in the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups.

Lewandowski's last-gasp winner delights Bayern BERLin, august 23 (REutERs): Bayern Munich recovered from conceding a recordequalling goal after nine seconds as substitute Robert Lewandowski's last-minute strike secured a 2-1 Bundesliga victory at Hoffenheim on Saturday. Champions Bayern had also been reduced to 10 men following the secondhalf dismissal of defender Jerome Boateng. Bayern were in command throughout and hit the woodwork twice but they needed the speed of winger Douglas Costa and the scoring prowess of Lewandowski to grab the three points. The Poland striker tapped the ball into the net following a superb run and cut-back from Brazilian Costa after the hosts had missed a 74th-minute penalty. Bayern, who had defender Me-

hdi Benatia injured in the first half, were stunned straight from the kick off when David Alaba's bad back pass to Jerome Boateng was intercepted by Kevin Volland and the Hoffenheim forward netted. Volland's strike matched the previous fastest Bundesliga goal scored by Bayer Leverkusen's Karim Bellarabi against Borussia Dortmund last season. Bayern, who have never lost to Hoffenheim in 15 matches, gradually upped the tempo and Costa floated in a low cross after a dizzying run down the left, keeper Oliver Baumann cleared but Thomas Mueller scored on the rebound to level four minutes before the break. Chile international Arturo Vidal rattled the crossbar with a longrange effort in the 66th minute and Baumann denied Lewandowski's point-blank effort as Bayern re-

mained fully in control without runners-up, needed a late equaliser making their dominance count. from Nicklas Bendtner to draw 1-1 at Cologne who had taken a 30thTOO PASSIVE minute lead through Simon Zoller. Boateng was booked twice in Attacking midfielder Kevin De two minutes, the second time for Bruyne, a transfer target for Mana handling offence which led to a chester City, was lacklustre but the penalty that Eugen Polanski pow- Wolves still made it four points from ered against the post. two matches. Schalke 04 came from Hoffenheim then started being a goal down to draw 1-1 against protoo passive and Bayern went agonis- moted Darmstadt 98, Germany iningly close in the 88th minute when ternational Julian Draxler scoring Baumann denied a double effort his first goal in 10 months to equalfrom Lewandowski before a Thom- ise right after the restart. as Mueller header scraped the post. Hamburg SV struck twice in Lewandowski, however, was the final six minutes through subnot done yet and he notched the stitute Pierre-Michel Lasogga and winner after good work from the Johan Djourou to rally from 2-1 quickfire Costa inside the box. down and beat VfB Stuttgart 3-2, Bayern have six points from two their first win of the season. matches, the same as Leverkusen Stuttgart went down to 10 men who beat Hanover 96 1-0 courtesy when Florian Klein was sent off folof Hakan Calhanoglu's superb free lowing two bookings early in the kick. VfL Wolfsburg, last season's second half.

Monday 24•08•2015

Achunbo Chawang mesmerizes fans with new collection

Our Correspondent Kohima | August 23 Upcoming fashion designer Achunbo Chawang mesmerized the fans with his new collection at an extravaganza fashion show billed as “Runway Show” on Saturday in Kohima. Models walked the ramp

wearing creations by Achunbo in two rounds of street wears and evening gowns. Achunbo, a self taught designer has established his place in the Nagaland fashion world. He became even more visible post the costumes he designed for Purple Fusion’s vocalist Lamtsala H Sangtam in their

“Hoy Hey! You Came Along” official video. This talented young lad started sketching and designing when still in school for friends and family. His USP (Unique Selling Points) are clean cut and chic. The unisex designer gives his first preference to ready-to-wear gar-

ments. He also enjoys working on wedding and evening gowns, short dresses, skirts, street wears, to name a few. Tagging “Hanger” as trademark, Achunbo is all set to open his boutique in Dimapur soon. His clothes are unisex and for all ages. Achunbo also plans to grip

another runway show at Dimapur, according to media coordinator Maningbiliu Pamai. Celebrated fashion designers Theja Sekhose and Cyinthia Kolakhe were also present at the show. Thunglamo Ngullie enthralled the show with a special number.

Harbhajan Singh to marry Geeta Basra in October Chris Brown names new album after his daughter V

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eteran Team India spinner Harbhajan Singh is set for a new innings with long-time actress-girlfriend Geeta Basra. The grapevine is abuzz with reports of a wedding ceremony in October. A Hindustan Times report quotes a family member as revealing that the marriage has been fixed on October 29 at a high-end hotel in Phagwara, around 20 km from Jalandhar. However, the source also added that the dates might change if Harbhajan were to be picked for upcoming South Africa series at home slated for the month of October. The report also quotes a senior official from Club Cabana as saying, "'We have been booked for an event. We cannot disclose anything as we have been asked to maintain confidentiality." The cricketer is currently playing the Test series in Sri Lanka and has been figuring in the national side after being sidelined for a considerable period

of time. The wedding may be deferred if he is picked to play the home series against South Africa - starting October 2. Sources revealed that marriage invitations and

other preparations would be finalised after he comes back from Sri Lanka. Several film stars and cricketers are expected to attend Harbhajan's marriage. Geeta Basra, who has

featured in films such as Mr Joe B. Carvalho, Mr Joe B. Carvalho, Bhaiyyaji Superhit and The Train, was last seen in Second Hand Husband which released in July this year.

hris Brown announced the official title of his next studio installment. The R&B singer took it to Twitter to reveal that the new album would be named after his 15-month-old daughter. "My new album will be named 'Royalty' " he informed his online followers. Breezy is currently traveling the country on a tour with Kid Ink, Omarion, Fetty Wap, andTeyana Taylor. He has released at least one new song called "Liquor" so far, but he has lent his voice to other artists' singles including Rita Ora's "Body on Me". Royalty is Chris' daughter with former model, Nia Guzman. He has been entangled in a custody battle with his baby mama. He recently accused her of using the toddler as a "meal ticket" after she demanded a raise from $2,500 to $15,000 a month on child support.

Madonna to Star in her own TV Show The Queen of Pop may soon become the queen of reality television with a Kardashians-style documentary series. Madonna has comfortably conquered the world of music, and now she's reportedly setting her sights on becoming a prime-time ratings hit with a reality TV show just like Kim Kardashian. The pop icon is rumoured to be in talks with production company Bunim Murray, makers of 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians', having been impressed with how successful Kim and husband Kanye West have made their famous TV show, reports The Mirror. An insider revealed: "Nobody would ever have expected a star as huge as Madonna to ever star in a reality show but it just shows how much times are changing that she's even humouring talks. "She is friends with Kim Kardashian through Kanye West and Madonna has noticed how Kim and her family have made reality TV very cool and current - it's not just for Z-listers anymore." The 57-year-old's life at home, in the studio and on tour would certainly give producers plenty of juicy content for a documentary series, and provide fans with a rare look at Madonna's relationship with her children - Lourdes, 18, Rocco, 15, and David and Mercy, both nine. The source told The Sun, "She's not made any decision, she loves giving fans an insight into her life, especially when touring.

George Miller to direct Man of Steel 2

ilmmaker George Miller is reportedly being eyed to direct the sequel to Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel Superman reboot. The film is delayed due to the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. According to Jon Schnepp, who directed the documentary of Tim Burton’s cancelled movie Superman Lives, Miller is expected to direct the sequel, reports aceshowbiz.com. “George is doing Man of Steel 2. I don’t feel weird about breaking it,” Schnepp told website Collider.

Priyanka writes heartfelt message to dad

ike most women, Priyanka Chopra has always been a ‘daddy’s girl’. On the occassion of her father, Dr Ashok Chopra’s birthday, the actress shared a collage of childhood pictures and wrote a heartfelt message, “Happy birthday papa. Want to wake u up at mid night by jumping on the bed n scaring u with cake n whistles.. Miss u” Priyanka’s father was suffering from cancer since 2008. When he was first diagnosed with cancer, the family was shattered. She used to break down if one ever broached the subject of her father’s health. But she took it upon herself to give her dad the best treatment she could.

Vir Das to launch clothing line

e will launch a range of unisex quirky Tshirts and boxer shorts, which he has conceptualised himself. “I am happy to launch the collection, I have conceptualised each design in a quirky way. According to me, your clothes reflect your personality, let them speak for you,” Vir said in a statement. Each design will reflect his style of zaniness, The Chronicles Band perform at Cosmos Hall, Mokokchung at the "Concert for Nepal" organized by Rock Reign and and will cater to young Gorkha Community Mokokchung. Artists and Bands which included Tali and friends, Yapangtula and the band, Rapture, and humour-loving men Prophetic Ark, Tune Up Channel and The Chronicles Band performed for free. The proceeds of the concert will be sent and women. to Nepal for the Nepal Earthquake victims, 2015.

monDAY 24•08•2015

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Peter Siddle sends Clarke into Hamilton cruises to dream win in Belgium Russian Grand sunset with win in Ashes finale

Alastair Cook and his England team celebrate winning the ashes at The Kia Oval on August 23 in London. Getty Image

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London, August 23 (AFP): Australia sent captain Michael Clarke into international retirement with an innings and 46-run victory in the fifth and final Ashes Test at The Oval on Sunday. Even so England, who had already regained the Ashes, won the series 3-2 with Clarke the first Australian in more than a century to be on the losing side in four successive Ashes series in Britain. When impressive paceman Peter Siddle had Moeen Ali (35) caught behind, England, followingon, had been dismissed for 286 in their second innings. Siddle, only playing after Josh Hazlewood was injured, bowled with both pace and control on his way to innings figures of four for 35 in 24.4 overs -- including 12 maidens. His return made the experienced 30-year-old seamer's omission from the previous four Tests all the more surprising. Australia's victory on Sunday meant none of the Tests in this Ashes had gone to a fifth day -- a testament to the general lack of batting resilience in both sides. "This game sums up the series," Clarke told BBC Radio's Test Match Special. "Both teams have had a

rollercoaster ride. The boys did as I asked, it was a test of our character and we came through it." This series equalled the fewest days in a Test series of five or more matches of five or more scheduled days each of 18 that took place when England faced the West Indies in 2000. Australia, after losing the toss at The Oval, piled up 481. This included captain-elect Steven Smith's 143 -- an innings which saw the eventual man-ofthe-match become the first Australian to score more than 500 runs in an Ashes series in England since Matthew Elliott in 1997. At The Oval, several England batsmen contributed to their own dismissal with poor strokes as the recalled pair of Siddle and Mitchell Marsh both took wickets in a meagre total of 149 all out. Play resumed Sunday beneath grey skies and it was not long before the floodlights were switched on. England started Sunday on 203 for six, still 129 runs behind, having suffered the blow of losing captain Alastair Cook late on Saturday for 85 after his marathon innings of more than five-and-a-half hours was ended when the left-hand-

ed opener fell to part-time leg-spinner Smith. Jos Buttler was 33 not out and nightwatchman Mark Wood nought not out. Australia took the new ball and soon had a breakthrough when Siddle, playing his first match of this series, had Wood lbw for six. England's 221 for seven was soon transformed into 223 for eight after Buttler, on 42, tamely chipped all-rounder Marsh low to Mitchell Starc at mid-off. The wicket-keeper batted for just short of twoand-a-half hours, facing 107 balls with four fours for his highest score of a poor series with the bat. Rain halted play for more than two hours but merely delayed Australia's victory. Five minutes after play re-started, Siddle bowled Broad (11) and then dismissed Ali to ensure Australia opener Chris Rogers, also retiring after this match, ended his Test career on a winning note as well. Rogers was named Australia's man-of-the-series after scoring 480 runs at an average of 60, with England batsman Joe Root (460 runs at 57.50 including two hundreds) winning the Compton-Miller medal as the overall player of the series.

sPA, August 23 (REutERs): Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton won the Belgian Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday to stretch his lead over Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg to 28 points with eight races remaining. Rosberg finished 2.0 seconds behind the Briton, in a dry race despite teams anxiously studying weather maps for approaching rain in the final stages, to complete Mercedes' seventh one-two in 11 races. "Today was a dream and the car was fantastic all weekend," declared Hamilton, who controlled the race from the opening lap -- after an aborted first start -- and never looked threatened by his German rival. "I was never in a position where I felt nervous, I had great pace in the car. There was no real need to push more than I had to," he added. The two collided at Spa last year, with Hamilton having to retire, but the risk of that happening again receded when Rosberg made a slow getaway off the front row. "I just completely messed up the start," said the German, who had hoped to capitalise on changed starting procedures that leave more to the driver and prevent engineers from helping remotely. "Lewis did a great job, he deserved to win." France's Romain Gros-

Prix could become night race in 2017

Mercedes Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain (L) celebrates his victory in the Belgian F1 Grand Prix in Spa-Francorchamps August 23, 2015. (REUTERS)

jean took an emotional third place for Lotus after Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, in his 150th race and the team's 900th, suffered a right rear tyre blowout on the penultimate lap. "It was probably one of my best races ever," said the Frenchman, back on the podium for the first time since 2013 in a boost for a financially-troubled team who arrived in Spa with the threat of having their cars impounded hanging over them. "Being here today is special for us, it has the price of a race win." Hamilton has now won six races this season, and 39 in his Formula One career. The double champion has 227 points to Ros-

berg's 199 and Sunday was also his 80th podium appearance, equalling the achievement of boyhood hero and late triple world champion Ayrton Senna. Russian Daniil Kvyat finished fourth for Red Bull after a late charge through the field with Mexican Sergio Perez, who had stormed into second place at the start, finishing fifth for Force India. Brazilian Felipe Massa was sixth for Williams, with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen seventh after starting in 16th place, and 17-year-old Belgian-born Dutchman Max Verstappen eighth for Toro Rosso. Finland's Valtteri Bottas was ninth for Williams,

after an embarrassing team error that saw him leave the pits with three soft tyres and one medium fitted, and Sweden's Marcus Ericsson took the final point for Sauber. Germany's Nico Hulkenberg caused the aborted start, and reduction of the race to 43 laps instead of 44, when he reported a loss of power and raised his hands. The German returned to the Force India garage and retired. The McLaren pair of Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button, who started last after picking up a meaningless combined grid drop of 105 places -- despite there being only 20 in total -- finished 13th and 14th.

sPA-FRAnCoRCHAMPs, August 23 (REutERs): The Russian Grand Prix could become a night race as early as 2017, according to Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone and organisers. The race in Sochi has a contract to 2020 but Alexander Saurin, vice-governor of the Krasnodar region, and Russian GP chief executive Sergey Vorobyev said an extension was already being discussed. "We are assessing the idea (of a night race) from a commercial perspective and now we are calculating the cost of that," Saurin, speaking through Vorobyev, told reporters after meeting Ecclestone. "But we are working towards having a night race some time in the future. Not earlier than 2017," he added. Last year's race in the Black Sea resort was Russia's debut on the calendar but it is set to move from an October slot to May 1 next year at the organisers' request to fit in with Russia's major holiday period. The Russian Grand Prix was held up as a legacy of the breathtakingly expensive 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and the track snakes around the park that housed some of the venues.

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Sangakkara makes 18 in final knock, India sense win

Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara hits a boundary during the fourth day of their second test cricket match against India in Colombo August 23, 2015. Sangakkara will resign from test cricket after second test cricket match with India. (REUTERS)

CoLoMBo, August 23 (REutERs): Sri Lankan batting great Kumar Sangakkara made 18 in his final test innings as India dominated fourth day's play in the second test on Sunday to stand eight wickets away from a series-levelling victory. For the fourth successive innings in the series, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed the 37-year-old left-hander to send groans across the P Sara Oval. Sangakkara walked out to a guard-of-honour by the Indians and the umpires and nearly ran himself out soon after a mix-up with opener Dimuth Karunaratne. The southpaw unleashed the trademark flick and straight drive but could not convert the start, edging Ashwin to gully. India rode Ajinkya Rahane's 126 to reach 325-8 before declaring to set Sri Lanka, who lead the threetest series 1-0, a difficult 413-run victory target.

Ashwin dismissed Kaushal Silva and Sangakkara to peg back Sri Lanka who were 72-2 at close, still 341 runs behind the target. Skipper Angelo Mathews (23) and Karunaratne (25) will return to continue Sri Lanka's resistance on the final day of the test on Monday. Earlier, having taken an 87-run first innings lead, India resumed on 70-1 and scored freely. Rahane was characteristically composed while Murali Vijay (82) displayed aggression by hitting both paceman Dushmantha Chameera

and off-spinner Tharindu Kaushal (4-118) for six. Kaushal had the last laugh as he ended the 140run stand trapping Vijay leg before after the batsman went for a sweep shot and missed the line. Rahane showed the temperament that prompted his promotion to number three in the batting order but was not afraid to attempt an occasional cheeky shot, like the reverse-sweep for four off Kaushal that brought up his 50. He added 85 runs with Rohit Sharma (34) to consolidate India's position before Kaushal dismissed both.

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Bolt retains 100m title Chelsea secure first win of season

Usain Bolt of Jamaica celebrates after winning the men's 100 metres final during the 15th IAAF World Championships at the National Stadium in Beijing, China, August 23. (REUTERS) C M Y K

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BEijing, August 23 (iAns): Jamaican Usain Bolt, whose appearance in Beijing was in doubt barely months before the World Athletics Championships, stormed to defend his 100 metres title in 9.79 seconds on Sunday at the iconic Bird's Nest stadium where he turned into an athletics phenomenon seven years ago. Although the time was a far cry from his 9.58 seconds world record as injury in the past two years took a toll on the multi-world and Olympic champion, the capacity stadium gave the 29-year-old a standing ovation for the Jamaican who hogged the limelight in the 2008 Olympics with two world-record wins in the 100 metres and 200 metres as well as a gold medal from the 4x100 metres, reports Xinhua. China's Su Bingtian created history for the host country when he became the first Chinese to run the blue-ribbon sprint event final at the outdoor world championships. Former world and Olympic champion Justin Gatlin came here with this year's leading time of 9.74 seconds but had to settle for the silver in 9.80 seconds. Bolt's participation in Beijing looked in doubt until two 9.87-second runs at a cold and rainy IAAF Diamond League meeting in London on July 25. His title run also had seemed a hard one as 33-year-old in-form Gatlin has been in a brilliant form, not yet losing once since the 2013 Worlds, winning all 22 races.

London, August 23 (REutERs): Pedro scored a debut goal as champions Chelsea got their stuttering Premier League campaign off the ground with an entertaining 3-2 victory against West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns on Sunday. Chelsea, who had taken one point from their opening two matches, were indebted to Thibaut Courtois who saved James Morrison's early penalty before Pedro, signed this week from Barcelona, poked home in the 20th minute. Diego Costa converted Pedro's shot in the 30th minute, Morrison atoned for his earlier penalty miss to pull a goal back five minutes later before Cesar Azpilicueta restored Chelsea's two-goal cushion in the 42nd minute. John Terry, who was substituted for the first time ever under Jose Mourinho during last week's loss to Manchester City, was dismissed for bringing down Salomon Rondon and though Morrison added his second, Chelsea held on to register their first victory of the season. Following their poor start to the season Chelsea started nervously and seemed destined to fall behind when Nemanja Matic

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brought down Callum McManaman. But Morrison's penalty, straight down the middle, was saved by the returning Courtois. Pedro was the architect of the second with his angled shot turned in by Costa 10 minutes later. Morrison fired home through a melee of bodies to halt Chelsea's momentum before Azpilicu-

eta netted his first Premier League goal three minutes before halftime. After the break Chelsea captain Terry ended a forgettable week with a red card after he brought down the Baggies' record signing Rondon as he surged clear. Thereafter the hosts laid siege to Chelsea's goal but the champions held firm.

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