December 19

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The Morung Express 1

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SS” SUCCE MTESUECCTESS” Y IT EE M N Y OEROPTPOURTUNIT E OP“WPHER 1 “WHER Issue 2 Vol.

Editorial

Dimapur VOL. IX ISSUE 349

27,2014 February 21-

of the Week g Jamir Quote n ju A , ew cr s of the in for cab ing to the forest icult pasSky is the limit boys who teangseonemyofsisttheerfa- wesenhavgeresthewhodiffrefuklesesuptoplusits “Wwoharldt weis buaret adomirror reflectiondoftowhonate

ofessionals for Students, Pr Sharing Platform The Information

s & Entrepreneur

With launch sucess, India closes in on manned space flight mission

or just bei and fight- down and buc at am to ourselves an mous G.I JOES with my the turbulence. Wh typi- we are doing ts is no another.” ing sword figh ” saying is, there day for a s. ndhi boy l ma our nor neighb ― Mahatma Ga re its that cal or She also adm ion is cabin crew. In fact the e mis fess pro her current pro ident than is one thing I can ever hmore of an acc e never you - no two days areno 1 to dle, marking a birtstart s small burning can intentional. “I'v oming a the same. There is never Whether it is a fire consuming a forest, all fire or a e sing wild planned on bec I bumped 10 here, and you’r r day day, or a raging rk. And it can either be a bles . Either a il cabin crew, unt ent on- quite sure how you rt this from a little spa , big fire, it is still man-made sem into an adverti submitted will turn out! In sho t will curse. Small fire man’s wit or his negligence. sidered as of line one night, then one is a profession tha and manifestation st fire at Mount Japfü, con is also susllenge you ume and The recent fore ’s worst in recent history, of trekne's toe my res to the other and always cha on your toes. s l keep everyo g led one of the countrybeen caused by the carelessneslves warm. Based in Doha as a wil check. And one who is thin am today in Doha keep you ictability is the I pected to have have lit a fire to keep themse her, be- cabin crew with the Qatar on ntaneous ought to love here g as a cabin crew”, The unpred job, I feel”, she furt soul of this s into the kers, who might eventually spread much commu- ways, Ajung Jamir has spo bit of it”, she says. workin pse Air s. had ry That little fire of hundreds of volunteers and douse off ensively travelled the eve cribing her two she say she got into it, throws glim crew. ext Before a cabin re- Des yond the control o were trying their best to but has firmly her years’ journey with Qatar further recalls that life of ng Jamir would derld, wh wo ers mb she nity me te remark- profession to her was Aju self as a people ing mained grounded to qui sum as s con k, way e- Air a wee be her the fire. her, it is extrem s on to share this elabohad raged on for reports, pretty face, scri The forest fire flora and fauna. According to t the roots. For nt to know one’s able, she goe the privilege all about a smiling to person even as she peoorta d, ia tha “I love e had lot of along with it, a first time in the history of Ind the newly- ly imp and identity and she that, “I'v g some amazing looking goo s and doing rates by saying, h them, this is also the helicopters, none other than y utility- roots rly drawn valu- of meetin around the the passenger before take- ple,- working wit m, helpIndian Air Force Mi-17 V5 helicopter, a militarcombat the has clea ons from travel- people from about life, a bit of demo nion has talking with the being e less ablNgullie ucted RussianSandemo n globe, learn growth, off. But that opi lot since ing them- I just love ng being used to indBy ial machine are and s bei oss the globe eve da and-combat aer t tested in Nagaland. contained ling acr res that, “Trav- friendship bt I would clearly change n as she around people. Thi re are firs forest fire, also d news to have the raging fire end here. as she sha taught me about which I dou I been home she joined, eve o knew said, of course, the my While it’s goo issue of forest fire does not terms elling has respect- it have had, had people goes on to add, “wh ally times when I require st inion d in the and on the 7th day, make us think where we stan lly speak- humility to respect and just among le with.” about being profess , or se- "quiet space" (I’ll be is taught me how on board I am comfortab re- trained on first aid a sane without it), and this Rather, it should environment, which, technica ate and te and , she also y a cleaner of protecting our nt equall the CEO of my To this end of her pro- curing a certific is given the time I read, wri rece the in life. ity uld one one ers wo our v ore I ing, is members think.” ege, license bef ble loss of biodi eration as back from coll g the green card to fly? This When she is not flying, The unimagina ing the people of this gen con- company.” eth can in a company fessors t, ‘bein forest fire is somupon and think of how best wefrom hap- Working in crew from who told them tha us dis- job needs a lot of bra to she tries to achieve the bashould ponder such unfortunate incidents decades of almost 7000 she goes around people help and and will power. Brain sics first, such as catch on tribute to avert r future. What took years and n wildly all over the world, the first cover ourselves better with study and remember, the her sleep, do her laundry, bee pening in the nea servation in the area had how much on to say, “when r asks is I couldn’t agree more l- will power to take in ev- cook and sit for her famous con , of biodiversity a matter of days. Imagine sed by a question a strange ?", it him because I now rea as erything that is thrown at , dal and aloo fry dinrice cau from lved consumed in justtake us to rebuild the loss, "where are you nt to know ize how I have evo fes- you.” ch. Once these it re are ner or lun accomplished, this pro importa longer would .

Apparently, the call upon is very ls are ntity, a person and fire small spark of t the state government had to of the lack one's roots and ide or sion has also helped me no normal days for a cabin goa is out and about Doha, ls.’

The fact tha the fire is also reflection y. That to remain grounded, ht is un- she a movie spree, of hone my PR skil tain mit crew. “Each flig it on the Centre to conhanism to deal with such cala ed we are else we will be just one m Yet, when she was a dictable in its own way, be ng, reading a book of our own mec the question of how prepar hanisms the faces that serve the kid, nobody would have pre nks to the passengers. shoppi room or just catchas cabin to mec tha t us her gs - in her ” . men in y are working also brin strike. Putting govern re- chicken with rice k the imagined her to be as It won’t matter to the pas up with her friends. and not only The to travel and to save y s dut ster the ause, o- s profession w uld thin had the ing it is also when disa saving the One wo attendant is shoes today. Bec d, I was sengers if you just of the She would also abs re Thi n avenues of meeting cre e enough money to go ething else but ht in place is som ry citizen to play a part in ope chil -sav ak mo a flig kbre a “as rt age of s, bac hea our n home life say eve h glamour she y, mischievous and biggest or you just had lutely enc to join a people from diversehelp in back to their ow up their sponsibility of ths y ve role in one filled wit ght t environment. can especially play a proacti diversity, and style, and while that nau enturous. I don’t have centur iod because what- Naga you like hers even grounds but alsos own per- country and star law firm, ate v pri own Young people e, our ecosystem, our bio first of y be true to a certain adv ries of owning a your per y be, you "have profession across that achieving one' y mo had the ver studies/ , by ma heritag fession is any me or a dress, I was out ever it ma to your pas- while putting to travel and sonal dreams. I ng with a finance for higher open up a preserving our in creating more awareness ves. nd s l extent, the pro and lead the way s, careful and aware themse forest. And tainly not without chal- Barbie ut exploring the fa- to" atte Period. You will this job pay she further privilege of flyi o, a micro- specialization or t, all, being cautioua little spark to burn an entire certainly cer ges. “When I get ready and abo ak river near our sengers. ies crying non- not only tha to spend on lawyer from Cair ran and clinic.

2 Teh Mil len get Contd. on page It takes only in the right direction can kok- have bab biologist from clueless of mous iday adds, “you e step for duty, I am out of that ward/colony in Mothers, stop, hyper active hol of yourself, help out here and also a Doctor from South therefore, a littl ll what to expect unpre- chung with my bro bing makers wanting a refi - there if required and then Africa (to name a few). save the world. tim The day or flight. job is playing marbles, clim(fruit), beers and wines, first s get to save in your personthis ton dictability of llenging trees, stealing plum sses, ers trying all the but n al bank account too. what I find chasame time. breaking school gla little on the handset, and the the the to at re and Fun t giving a sca tha ion fess This is a pro

k That little spar

of fire

C M Y K

[ PAGE 08]

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Friday, December 19, 2014 12 pages Rs. 4 – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

KVSU 37th bi-annual general session

Stevie Wonder Welcomes Ninth Child

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Smith leads Australia’s reply to India’s 408 [ PAGE 12]

Practice the act of embracing, urges FNR

reflections

‘In a world of multiple unique identities and boundaries, the Naga boundary must be reflexive and permeable’

Centre Nagaland Job ing in Nagaland

tive,” it added.

In the reality of the “harsh contradiction” that the Naga people confront, the FNR stated that reconciliation is “a piece of jigsaw puzzle that each one of us holds to put together the Naga home.” As such, it called upon all conscientious people and the Naga political groups to be “honestly objective, rather than to limit our view with our colored lenses.” “We need sincere criticism coupled with critical-love,” it asserted. Stating that at present, the “average Nagas are reinterpreting the past imagination for the sake of the future, and with a renewed optimism, to move forward,” the FNR stressed on the need to “urgently advocate and apprehend realism and bury idealism that continues to weaken and divide us.”

Together, it asserted, the Naga people “need to wisely prepare the end of the beginning of a new Nagahood, whose identity is distinct and unique.”

While maintaining that “to have an identity implies a boundary,” the FNR however stated that “in a world of multiple unique identities and boundaries, the Naga boundary must be reflexive and permeable.” “It is absolutely essential for us to craft an identity and sense of belonging that is distinct but multiple, and discursive and integrative at the same time. Our self-under-

Job Open 150 for a piece of Pork?

(1 post) 1. Cook Are you sure it`s pork?

2 n 10+ (1 post) 2. Hostel Warde Or Graduate Look closely, it might n-Local) DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 18 (no ist t) ion ept ts (1 pos be something else,3.Rec12paslike s good in accoun (MExN): The Forum for Naga Pakistani student, Mohammad Baqair, who survived last Tuesday’s Taliban attack on a military-run school gold nugget. aland Job Centre/ please call Nag For more detail ce and was slightly injured, poses for a picture holding a photograph of his mother a victim of the attack, Reconciliation (FNR), while exoffi Wake into our k Midland, was a teacher at the school, at his home, in Peshawar, Pakistan, Thursday, December 18. The Taliban tending season’s greetings, toICICI Banwho Dimapur-Opp. -Old NST Kohima massacre that killed more than 140 people, mostly children, at a military-run school in northwestern Paki- day stated that the Naga people r resume you g brin se Plea stan left a scene of heart-wrenching devastation, pools of blood and young lives snuffed out as the nation “cannot force on ourselves that KOHIMA, DECEMBER mourned and mass funerals for the victims got underway. (AP Photo) AL practicing exclusion will lead to a PRinitIMiatiEveTUof GreTOenwoodRISchool 18 (MExN): The Chief EnAn bright light of political harmony.” on issi Adm gineer for the PWD (NH)AnnouncingCrashCouin+rseAdvance2014) LAND GA This “ritualization of politics,” the NA F O T today notified that the workForforAIPClassMTXII/JEEapp(Maearing+passedstudents EN GOVERNM USTRIES & COMMERCE FNR said, breeds more political D IN for widening to 2 lane of theSpecialfeatures: - Hostel for both boys and F O TE RA DIRECTO GALAND: KOHIMAthFebuary 2014 and social boundaries, thereby Longleng-ChangtongyaGirls - -StuLibdyrarymatfacierialityls 14 NA Dated Kohima, the lty ADV/35/2014 - First rate facu Test resulting in “a world of exclusion, road, Mon-Tamlu-Merang- DIMAPUR, NO.IND/EST/ NT ME - Weekly MockDECEMBER 18 surer of Chumoukedima Village which could endanger his innoADVERTISE 4 (Four) post of a world we keep creating bealand to fill up Commerce. ted on 1st March Nag duc of s kong road, Phek-Pfutsero • Aper(MExN): con be ant abit of Industries & formance test will secure 70% and above will h l indigenous inh Baptist Church and a Govt. Staff cent life and bring blame to him The Chumoukedima who from Naga loca blishment of the Directorateany recognized university wit 4 and students ount. hereby invited esta cause it is a lived reality, so deeply and Zunheboto-Chaka- 201beVillage Applications are Assistant (District) under the duate from any discipline from vgi en 50% fee disc 3rd March 2014. Students’ as member of Chumukedima Town as a spy group.” ll be gra (CVSU) Computer years of age shaUnion entrenched in our hearts by our bama road has been sanc- • Classcommencesontact: 8974425485/9435091424 LDAcum1.lomaTheincomminputimuermappqualicalifictionatio. n didate should not be less thanern21edyeabyrsexisandtingnotpolmoicyre thaof then 35state government Govt. Higher secondary School “The students 3 units of Chu- hurts, fears, and hate—we are condemned operation by can dip m age of aan limit will be gov information con by the head 2. The minimurelaxation of the upper age tioned by the Ministry of Forhas Sd/ate duly signed tific Cer nts. he on” T . lica / 9612973589 ecti ish “No Obj Assam dicapped appofuired tothe on 31.01.2014 unit without any prior information,” moukedima do not appreciate made to believe that exclusion is notiphysically Han req furn Government as employees and Government employees are Road Transport and High- a ‘suspected’ icy of the state 3. Serving name and official seal. shall be as pr the existing pol this unwise act and condemn the the solution; that hope lies in exRifles where the allegedly ed to the Di- informed a press release from ent with tslatter rd Tribes ress artm kwa add dep bac of of and ways and that the work has n of sea by the applicant 4. Reservatio artment. er duly signed R Dep ted in plain pap following documents:the president of the CVSU. operation which brought severe cluding others.” of fied by the P&Aelderly the s may be submit ompanied bycitizen tion lica been awarded to M/S May- picked up an App 5. The & Commerce, and acc et. ies with mark she According to a statement tension to the innocent family rector of Industr Cards of HSLC/P.U/Graduate the village. tas-Gayatri (JV). A press note A press note from the FNR • Admit ate hority. tific Competent Aut • Birth Cer ous Cerof tificate issued byDecember made by three units of the Chuand public leaders of the entire called upon the Nagas to “prac“Ontchthe 18th ST/Indigen ate. from the Chief Engineer 14 • 20 office of For ba AGE INCOME • ComputeratioCerntificCard of the employment exchange. the in ed v i shall be rece e for receivmukedima ing Students' Union, he society,” the statement noted. It tice the act of embracing,” and aLIFICATIOcivilian N Registr hs. Regd. applicationsNo. dat • vehicle however informed that the 2014, 5000/- TO ily rejected. The sword photograp uld 2: P.M. The last VACANCY QUA BELOW 26 RS. /- PER • 2 recent pas applications shall be summar office hours from 10:A.M to d date. The applications sho 10 TO .

S 20500 ce, during received after the specifie of Incomplete iesa ily rejectedwas allegedly taken away to the further stated that it “cannot ac- asserted that reconciliation is OR YEAR9860 mer with number TE6. mar Com DUA & TH sum GRA be North East Business Devel- A/S59MAL5C MON be LE ll ustr will FEMA it sha s E/ ch of Ind the Directorate ll be 24-04-2014.No application of the applicant without whi EQUIVALENT tions sha ber and Address applicasuspected New Chumoukedima Village cept the theme ‘Friends of the “not simply an event between to be opment Agency and “some 6 uniform men of Contact Num re) ails oKi det ietu tain run Sd/-(Er.Thek ies & Commerce S CONTACT con Unit, in a broad ustr area as a “suspect to a group of hill people’ to any uniform men if the individual and God;” but it FOR DETAILRiffles other agency/organization of Assam Directorate of Ind ’S HILL KOHIMA away Mase Kuot- arms dealing cell.” He was also such tension were to be brought has “political and social bearOFFICERtook have been issuing work or- daylight 62667159 e No.:8974998178 / 98 innocent veteran “taken to the sight to be a witness to the innocent people of Chu- ings.” “One without the other ders for executing the said su, anPhonelderly work.” It cautioned against who is none other than a Trea- of their Intelligence Operation moukedima in the near future.” would turn out to be ineffec“anyone dealing with such an agency/organization other than the state PWD (NH) for the said work.”

“Should there be any such, they are doing so at their own Morung Express News risk and neither the depart- Morung Express News initial aim of the mission being offered,” Tovihoto of literacy. was to train one person in said.

Presenting a gist of the ment nor Maytas-Gayatri Dimapur | December 18 Dimapur | December 18 every household in the age He said that the de- scheme, Enosh Kumar are responsible,” it added.

With the vision to em- group of 14-60 years and partment would extend all from the Ministry of Com- While revellers make merry, this festive power at least one person that about 6600 beneficia- kinds of assistance to make munication and IT said season, vehicle thieves are also making per household with cru- ries would be trained in Nagaland a top performing that the mission would de- hay. Several cases of vehicle thefts were cial digital literacy skills, the first phase in the dis- state in the country in the IT liver IT services to the rural reported during the past three nights in people. “Ten lakh people the vicinity of the ongoing Dimapur Night DIMAPUR, DECEMBER the National Digital Lit- tricts of Dimapur, Kohima sector. and Peren.

He said that the In his opening remarks, have been targeted in the Carnival. Two-wheelers appear to be the 18 (MExN): Dimapur Po- eracy Mission (NDLM) target as all of the vehicles reported stolen lice, on December 17, re- or IT Mass Literacy pro- department has conduct- K.D. Vizo, ITS, Commis- country in the first phase were motor-cycles. ed surveys in various vilsioner & Secretary, IT&C and after their course, covered the dead body of gramme was on Thursday According to the police, at least 8-9 an unidentified male, aged launched by Parliamen- lages of the three districts said digital literacy was people would appear on- reports of bike-lifting were received around 25 years on the road- tary Secretary for IT&C, and now it was ready for initially focused on digi- line examination follow- during the past three nights from in and side at the taxi stand near S cience&Te chnolog y, launching the IT-Mass lit- tal skills and stand-alone ing which they would be around the venue of the Dimapur Night Dimapur Railway Station. A Technical Education and eracy programme. computers but that the fo- awarded certificates if suc- Carnival. In one such instance, two perpress note from the PRO, Di- Taxes, Tovihoto Ayemi “This training will en- cus has now moved from cessful,” he said. sons were caught in the act on the night mapur Police informed that at the conference hall of able the beneficiaries to stand-alone to network The programme was of December 16 while trying to get away the body is that of a non local. Commissioner of Taxes, operate a computer, inter- devices. He said digital lit- chaired by Director, IT&C, on a stolen bike. The owner of the bike The body is being kept at the Dimapur. This is the first of net and other digital devic- eracy does not replace tra- Kevekha Kevin Zehol NCS caught hold of the one riding pillion but mortuary of the Dimapur its kind in the entire north- es and would help them to ditional forms of literacy and attended by VLEs, ben- the rider managed to escape. It occurred Civil Hospital for post moreffectively access the vari- but it builds upon the foun- eficiaries and a host of de- in the middle of the road running adjaeast. tem and identification. cent to the carnival venue.

Tovihoto said that the ous e-governance services dation of traditional forms partmental officials.

PWD (NH) notifies

CVSU condemns action of 6 men in uniform Job vacancy TH

standing as churches, villages, and tribes must go beyond cultural and geographic categories… if we are to survive and contribute as a people,” it added Calling for the Nagas to coexist with “other ethnic identities and 21st century boundaries of the world,” the FNR cautioned that “If we refuse this paradigm, we are simply excluding ourselves to the future and remain slaves of the past.”

“To rise to the occasion, we must pursue a realistic dream, yet also envision big, locally and globally,” the FNR asserted and stated that Nagas are “beautiful and are capable of being in par with others who are coming of age in people building and identity building.” “We must not let the past suffocate us or dictate our future; we need to creatively reinterpret the past narratives for the sake of a shared Naga future,” it urged.

Challenging the Naga people to “remain united and determined to build our peoplehood,” the FNR expressed hope that “our historical and political rights are here to be cherished, and to be proudly safeguarded, by moving ahead with time.”

While appealing for all to be “generous” and to “stretch our imagination,” the FNR wished the Naga family and common humanity a “season of peace and hope amongst us.”

Full text on Page 4

Digital Literacy Mission launched in Nagaland Vehicle thieves prowl carnival vicinity

Dimapur Police recover dead body

Employees of Khadi & Village industries unpaid for 5 months

C M Y K

DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 18 (MExN): Employees of the State Government’s Department for Khadi and Village Industries have not been receiving their salaries for five months now. Some employees of the department facing hardships due to the non payment of salaries informed The Morung Express that more than 200 employees of the Department, state wide, have not been paid their salaries for five months, nor pending arrears from the 6th Revision of Pay. Acknowledging the non-payment of salaries, Chairman of Nagaland’s Khadi and Village Industries Board, YM Yolow (MLA), informed that the file for release of pending salaries is currently with the Finance Department of the Government of Nagaland.

“We have been trying to get the salaries released before Christmas but most of the staff has left for holidays,” said Yolow. “The file is in the hand of the Finance Secretary and we are hoping that at least by next month all pending salaries will be released,” he maintained.

Unconfirmed reports stated that as many as 7 instances of bike theft were reported from in and around the venue on December 16 alone, while the police stated that 4 such cases were reported the same night.

The Additional Superintendent of Police, Dimapur stated that the same group of people, including the one, who was apprehended on December 16, “might be involved in the thefts reported.” In an advisory to the public, frequenting the carnival, the ASP appealed revellers to be careful with their vehicles. While stating that it is practically impossible to keep an eye on all vehicles, the ASP said that vehicles should be parked, preferably, in a place with sufficient lighting and visibility; and avoiding parking in isolated spots.

On four-wheelers, the ASP said that it would be of help if anti-theft mechanisms are in working order.

Congress censures CM calls for restructuring of NST ‘forced conversions’ Morung Express News

KOHIMA, DECEMBER 18 (MExN): Congress leader KV Pusa has taken strong exception to the alleged “forcible conversion” of Christians, Muslims and Dalits to Hinduism by the Bharatya Janata Party (BJP).

Chairman of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) and former President of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), KV Pusa cautioned that the country is heading towards disintegration due to the BJP’s “anti-people policy.”

He further questioned the silence of the Nagaland state unit of the BJP on this issue. “I want to ask the BJP in Nagaland to come out on BJP’s stand on secularism,” he added. Pusa added that “Hindu hard-line groups are flexing their muscles under the BJP government” and reminded that the Indian constitution “grants equal rights to citizens.” However, he lamented that “right-wing Hindu nationalist groups have become more assertive since the BJP came to power.”

The former congress president said the movement to forc-

ibly convert minorities to Hinduism, is being “spearheaded by offshoots of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) such as the Bajrang Dal and VHP, which have been implicated in some of the worst massacres of minorities in recent Indian history.”

Pusa also slammed the BJP government for “witchhunting of prominent women leaders in the country ,citing women political leaders like Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, J. Jayalalita and Congress President, Sonia Gandhi.

Meanwhile, reacting to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly Speaker’s rebuttal to Governor PB Acharya’s statement that politicians in power are corrupt, Pusa said that the Governor’s assertion cannot be fully rejected. To some extent, what the Governor said is right, he added. Pusa stated that the NLA Speaker should have taken note of the Governor’s statement, rather than refute it.

Dimapur | December 18

Nagaland state Chief Minister, TR Zeliang, today called for restructuring of the Nagaland State Transport (NST) department so that it becomes a “revenue earning” department and no longer a “liability.”

“I urge the NST to keep in mind that whilst providing the basic transport services to our people, they must strive towards being a commercially viable venture. In the face of increasing competition from private bus operators, the Department has no alternative but to improve their management and operation efficiency in order to survive”, the Chief Minister said.

Speaking at the celebratory programme to mark fifty years of service in public transport by the NST here at the general manager office premises, Zeliang said after 50 years, the department should no longer remain a liability but strive to be a revenue earning department.

He said the celebration should also be a time for retro-

Nagaland Chief Minister, TR Zeliang (5th right) along with his cabinet colleagues, NST officials and others after the CM unveiled the monolith to commemorate 50 years of the NST department.

spection and introspection of the valuable services provided

by NST in the past, where the department stands today and the future route to be taken.

He said the department should make efforts to plug loopholes and prevent leakages of revenue in order to be an asset to both the public and government. “I believe this can be done through adoption of latest technology and modern management practices, coupled with discipline and honesty on

the part of the department’s employees”, he said.

Zeliang also said that in the present age of economic liberalization, the NST can no longer expect to monopolise the bus services in the state, nor survive as a public transport provider without reducing commercial losses, which he added, “seems to be increasing year after year.”

On the occasion, the Chief Minister also presented citations to drivers, conductors and mechanics of the NST departments

for their work.

Parliamentary secretary for TPT and IPR, Paiwang Konyak, said the introduction of NST bus services has helped in accelerating the socio-economic growth of the people of Nagaland. Paiwang also said that as the primary transport provider in the state, the NST ought to extend its services even to remote and unprofitable routes.

The parliamentary secretary for Transport further informed that presently the NST has only 197 buses in its fleet though 350 buses were required.

General manager, NST, Senti Pongener, in his key note address highlighted the ups and downs of the department’s 50year journey and also the various awards received by the department in the course of serving the public.

Former general managers of NST including SR Chakraborty, P Angami and retired additional chief engineer (NST), W Kithan, also reminisced their past service in the NST. Commissioner and secretary, TPT, Neihu Thur, chaired the programme.

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Dimapur

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18 December 2014

METU (JYOTI) - A Ray illuminating Nagaland

Hand on demonstration of the appliances by the EA project team on December 16 at Thetsumi village.

Dimapur, December 17 (mexN): The Entrepreneurs Associates (EA) launched the METU (JY-

OTI) Project, a novel programme supported by Axis Bank Foundation (ABF), Mumbai on Tuesday, De-

cember 16 at Thetsumi village. This innovative venture is the first model in the country aimed at con-

serving the exotic forests of Nagaland by reducing usage of firewood for fuel by providing Smart Cooking Stoves that runs on wood chippings and twigs.

In addition to this, Solar Lamps that can perform the dual functions of reducing the use of wax candles and as an alternative lighting solution was provided as a combo package at an affordable rate. EA will also be providing the facility where beneficiaries may repay in interest free installments.

Senupelo Lasuh chaired the launching programme.

Neichute Doulo, EA-CEO, delivered the project overview while Shenoj Thomas, Program Manager, ABF introduced the project and highlighted the objectives of this novel undertaking.

Vibrant cultural folk tunes and dance were presented by the children from East-

ern Mission School Thetsumi and the Tenao Cido cultural youth group.

The event was graced by Naushad Alam, Circle Head of North East, Axis Banka a special guest who in his launching speech encouraged villagers to strive towards better development through hard work and better education for their children who will pave the paths for our collective future. Prodipta Guhthakurta, VP Cluster Head, Jorhat and Javed Iqbal CBM, Sales, accompanied him.

The programme closed with a hand on demonstration of the appliances by the EA project team. The first phase of this project will start with six villages with a bigger vision of covering the entire state and neighbouring sister states to switch to energy efficient fuel and solar lighting.

The Morung Express C

Old Ministers’ Hill Panchayat Kohima meeting resolves

Kohima, December 17 (mexN): The Old Ministers’ Hill Panchayat Kohima held its general meeting at Ungma Kiti here recently and adopted various resolutions.

The House unanimously approved not to issue residential certificate, no objection certificate and other certificate to the sanitation/membership fee defaulter(s). The House unanimously agreed to disallow pet dog (s) from wandering around in the streets of the colony with immediate effect. The con-

cerned owners have been asked to chain their pet dogs. This step has been taken up so as to prevent spread of disease from animals and also to maintain public hygiene. The House decided to restrict residents from emptying and releasing septic tanks at their convenience with immediate effect. The time has been fixed from 11:00 PM to 2:00 AM. All shops, hotels and business centres under the jurisdiction of Old Ministers’ Hill Colony shall remain closed by 8:00 PM

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positively with immediate effect. This is due to law and order problems and issues arising in the locality.

On receiving several complaints from the general public, the colony panchayat agreed to prohibit any person (s) from late partying/ gathering in the roadside/junction/ public parks etc after 8:00 PM under the jurisdiction of the colony with immediate effect. This was stated in a release issued by the panchayat chairman T. Temjenwati Jamir and general secretary Krodilo Kennao.

Combined annual training camp –II at SSP concludes

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puNglwa, December 17 (mexN): Nagaland (Independent) Sainik School Company NCC, at Sainik School, Punglwa, conducted NCC Combined Annual Training Camp – II at Sainik School, Punglwa from December 8 to 17. A total of 127 cadets of Junior as well as Senior Division from Sainik School attended the camp. The camp imparted collective training to cadets, provided them an opportunity to experience community living and educated and created awareness on recent challenging

issues and aspects, of contemporary social relevance.

It also aimed at inculcating leadership qualities, esprit de corps, camaraderie and sportsmanship amongst the Cadets.

The cadets appeared for the ‘A’ and ‘B’ Certificate Examinations of the NCC on 14 Dec 2014, which gains them additional avenues for employment in the Armed Forces and various Central Government Services, as also for pursuing higher education. Several Inter Company Training activities (on various subjects according

to the NCC Curriculum), firing and drill, Basketball, Volleyball, Cross Country , Tug of War, Tent Pitching and cultural competitions were held to help cadets expand their knowledge frontiers and develop their expressive skills. ‘C’ Company, Commanded by Henminlal, CTO, emerged as overall champion.

A team of experts led by Lichemse Sangtam, Company Commander, Home Guards, Dimapur conducted one day Disaster Management training at the camp on 11 Dec 2014.

The team of experts organised lectures cum demonstrations on fire fighting, rescue operations and first aid measures. The programme was organised under the initiative of LT Kanu Barman, ANO and support from Akhu Kath, Deputy Controller, Civil Defence and District Commandant, Home Guards, Dimapur. 37 Assam Rifles also exposed the cadets to a “Know Your Army” grand display of weaponry and equipment of the Armed Forces on December 16 at Medziphema.

37 Assam Rifles also pro-

vided logistic support.

All together, 50 cadets received certificates of merit in different competitions, held during the 10 days camp. The Camp also had the pleasure of the presence of Capt (IN) Kanchan Mukherjee, Principal, Sainik School Punglwa and the First Lady Sangeeta Mukherjee as Chief Guest in the camp fire cum cultural evening celebration.

Lt Col Jitendra Dogra, Officer Commanding, NL (I) Sainik School Coy NCC on December 17, delivered closing address of the camp.

District Level Vigilance and Monitoring Committee constituted

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A Christmas tree made of empty mineral water bottles at display at the Night Carnival, Dimapur. (Photo by Imojen Jamir)

Kohima, December 17 (Dipr): The Department of Health & Family Welfare, Nagaland in a notification No. NRHM/NL/15-22/201415/6670 dated Kohima, the 26th November 2014 that in pursuance to Government of India Order No Z-18015/3/2014-NRHMII dated 16th October 2014, the Governor of Nagaland has reconstituted the District Level Vigilance and Monitoring Committee (DLVC) to monitor the progress and implementation of Nagaland National Health Mission.

The committee comprising the following members: Neiphiu Rio Member of Parliament XVI Lok Sabha – Chairman; All MLAs of the concerned district – Member; Chairpersons /Chief Executive Officer/ Administrators – Member; Deputy Commissioners of all Districts – Member; District Welfare Officer of the concern District – Member; District Education Officer of the concerned District- Member; Project Director, Rural Development of the concerned District – Mem-

A section of the gathering attending the one day retreat ‘A call to restore’ sponsored by the Changkilari Telongjem Dimapur on December 17 at St. Stephen’s Hr. Sec School, Dimapur. The resource persons were Amenla Longkumer, Alongla Aier, Shilu Amri, Wabang Longchari, Akum Amri, Dr. Jamedi Longkumer and Dr Temjen Longchari. Students from class 3 to working and non-working youth attended the retreat. (Morung Photo)

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Christmas shopping spree at the ongoing Christmas Bazaar organized by Kohima Village Youth Organization (KVYO) at Kohima Local Ground. (Morung Photo/Chizokho Vero)

ber; and Chief Medical Officer of the concern District - Member Secretary & Convenor.

The terms and condition of the committee will be: To review the progress of implementation of the annual district health action plan under NHM and provide guidance, To review the release of funds by the Centre and States, utilization thereof and unspent balance.

To undertake regular monitoring visits to the fields, visit to the peripheral health facilities and assess their performance including drug availability.

To ensure that a fully functional management structure is in place and is properly utilized.

To ensure constructive en- Volunteers distribute food and clothes to needy people at Dimapur railway station organised gagement and particular of all by ‘Friends of the Poor Society’ as part of advent Christmas celebration on December 17. concerned Departments in (Photo by Caisii Mao) the District for multi-sectoral intervention.

To recommend corrective measures to ensure that the program objectives are Commemorating Fifty Years achieved and services delivered of Service in Public Transport in an effective as well as efficient manner.

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NAGALAND STATE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT

Date : 18th December 2014 Time : 12:00 Noon Venue : GM Office Premises, Dimapur Chief Guest : Shri. T.R. Zeliang The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Nagaland Guest of Honour : Shri. P. Paiwang Konyak The Hon’ble Parliamentary Secretary, TPT & IPR Comperes : Abeni Odyuo & Yhunilo Thong Chairman Invocation Welcome Address Key Note Address Reminiscence

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PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

: Shri. Neihu C. Thur, IAS, Commissioner & Secretary, TPT, ATI : Rev. Dr. Shiwoto Assumi : Chairman : Shri. Senti Pongener, General Manager, NST : Er. W. Kithan, Rtd. Addl. Chief Engineer & Ex-Parliamentary Secretary (Jails,Home Guards & Civil Defence, Fire & ES) : Shri. Pekrusetuo Angami, Rtd. General Manager, NST : Naga Orpheus 2014 : : Guest of Honour

Short Speech Special Number Recognition Speech Release of Souvenir and Address : Chief Guest Vote of Thanks : Er. N. Lotha, Addl. CE, NST Benediction : Pastor, DABA, Dimapur

Lunch

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REgional

The Morung Express

Ask CBI to probe chit fund companies, Tripura to PM

AGARTALA, DECEMBER 17 (IANS): Tripura has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct the CBI to probe the activities of chit fund companies and unauthorised collection of funds in the northeastern state, a minister said here Wednesday.

"The Tripura government has referred 37 cases to the department of personnel and training of the central government to be probed by the CBI, but the agency has taken up only five cases," Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said in a etter to Modi.

"A CBI probe into all the 37 cases is necessary as these cases involve chit fund companies having operations in many states," said Sarkar in the letter,

copies of which were released to the media here

by Revenue Minister Badal Choudhury.

Choudhury said Tripura's Left Front government is the first state government in India to ask the CBI to investigate the illegal activities of the unauthorised Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) or the chit fund companies.

"During the meeting of state finance ministers, convened by the then central finance minister in New Delhi in 2002, we demanded enactment of a uniform law to deal with these illegal NBFCs and chit fund companies," said Choudhury, who earlier held the finance portfolio.

He said he had met the RBI (Reserve Bank of

India) governors twice to curb the illegitimate activities of illegal NBFCs and chit fund companies.

"Our state government has formed an economic offence wing under the district police chiefs in all the eight districts to take appropriate action against illegal NBFCs and chit fund companies," the minister said.

He said the Assam and Odisha governments had also asked for the CBI to probe the activities of the chit funds in their states after Tripura's request.

Choudhury, however, said the central government did not respond positively to the state government's request for enacting a comprehensive central legislation to

regulate unauthorised chit funds. Therefore, the Tripura government got passed a law in 2011 to deal with these organisations, he said.

Unauthorised chit fund companies and NBFCs have mushroomed in the northeastern region in recent years. They lure depositors by promising exceptionally high rates of interest ranging from 25 percent to 30 percent. After collecting the money, they quietly shut down their operations and vanish.

The NBFCs or the chit fund companies, which are not recognised by the Reserve Bank of India, the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority or the Securities and Exchange Board of India,

Thursday

18 December 2014

Manipur produces about 8500 graduates every year. But the in-take capacity of post graduate students in this university is just 1240 students. Besides another 120 students are accommodated in the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University. The rest of the students have to elsewhere in the country for further studies.

It may be recalled that the Union Government had already approved setting up of the national sports university in Imphal.

Rs 100 crore had been sanctioned as the first installment. However the government is unable to acquire land for the construction of the university campus.

ITANAGAR DECEMBER 17 (PTI): The Indigenous Faith and Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh (IFCSAP) has urged the National Commission for Schedule Tribe (NCST) not to give double benefits to tribals in the state who have converted to minority communities.

Double benefits would promote mass conversion

cannot conduct any monetary business or take deposits from people.

Meanwhile, the opposition Congress has announced it would meet Prime Minister Modi to request him to direct the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) to probe the fraudulent activities of chit fund companies in Tripura.

"The Tripura government is not taking effective steps against illegal chit fund companies and NBFCs which have been collecting crores of rupees from the market," Opposition leader Sudip Roy Barman told reporters.

He also accused Sarkar of having attended many programmes organised by chit fund companies in the state.

AIZAWL, DECEMBER 17 (PTI): Mizoram Law Minister Lalsawta today said the newly-enacted Mizo Marriage, Divorce and Inheritance of Property Act, 2014 will soon be in force in the state and will be notified within a few days.

In a meeting held with the Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee (MKHC), a conglomerate of leaders of 14 major churches in the state, Lalsawta said after this meeting, the issue of notification will be sped up. He said the Act automatically gave official recognition to all church priests who were earlier authorised to issue marriage licences as licensed officers.

"While mar r iages solemnised before were exclusively church affairs, enforcement of the Mizo Marriage, Divorce and Inheritance of Property Act, 2014 will make marriages a joint affair of both the gov-

to the faiths classified as minorities and adversely impact the preservation and promotion of the indigenous faith, tradition and culture of the state, a press release by IFCSAP said today.

NCST Chairperson Dr Rameshwar Oraon along with his team members are currently visiting the state to know the status of the implementation

of various tribal welfare schemes and gauge the socio-economic condition of the tribal people.

The cultural society led by its President Dr Ligu Tacho also maintained that steps should be initiated by the state to issue minority certificates to the converts, who on their turn should surrender their ST certificates at the earliest, it said.

29 tourism projects sanctioned for NE in 2014 KFC gets hotter with Assam hot chillies NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 17 (IANS): nine projects in Nagaland, eight in Sikkim,

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 17 (IANS): KFC is now hotter and spicier!

After playing with various chillies, the quick service restaurant has now introduced an option with one of the hottest naturally grown chillies called Bhut Jolokia from Assam.

The new Flaming Crunch Chicken is the signature KFC crispy, juicy chicken with a unique new recipe prepared with Bhut Jolokia.

“We have seen a new trend emerging where our consumers prefer more intense, spicy experiences in their food. So, we went around scouting for some

of the most interesting chillies like bird’s eye, Serrano and finally found our best match in the ghost chilli popularly known as Bhut Jolokia,” Dhruv Kaul, chief marketing officer, KFC In-

dia, said in a statement.

“Taking our product innovation to the next level, we created KFC Flaming Crunch with a spicy new twist to the craveable KFC taste,” he added.

PRESEnTS DIMaPUR CHRISTMaS BOOK FaIR 8-20 DECEMBER 2014

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Phone: 03862-234555 Fax: 03862-234561 Date: 17.12.14

SHORT TENDER NOTICE INVITING QUOTATIONS Rate quotations are hereby invited from the authorised Dealers/ Firms for the following items mention below: 1. Installation of FIREWALL in NU-SET & SMS SYSTEMS as per the following specification mentioned below: Sl. No Recommended Brand FIREWALL Required Specification 1. i). SonicWall Application maintenance for a period of 1 (One) ii). Cyberoam year ICSA Certification, Bandwidth manageiii). Cisco ment; Configurable ports (Internal, WAN, DMZ); Console and USB ports; Complete UTM & VPN Unlimited authenticated users; Upgradable: 24x7 support.

Sealed Envelope containing the rate quotation for supply of the above mentioned item must be submitted to the Dean, Nagaland University (SET & SMS), Residential Campus & Administrative Office Building, Landmark Colony, Dimapur during office hours on or before 7th January 2015.

N.B: 1. An authorization Certificate from the Manufacturer to participate in the tender must be enclosed along with the rate quotation.

SD/(D.P.CHATURVEDI) Dean

The ministry of tourism has sanctioned 29 tourism projects for the northeastern states in 2014, Parliament was informed Wednesday.

Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Mahesh Sharma informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply that these included

five in Manipur, four in Arunachal Pradesh and three in Mizoram.

"The ministry has not sanctioned any amount to Tripura this year because the state has a utilisation certificate pendency of Rs.16.63 crore under various schemes of tourism ministry," said Sharma.

DEPARTMENT OF POSTS: INDIA

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF POSTAL SERVICES NAGALAND; KOHIMA-797001

No. A-1/GDS BPM/Vacancy/NL

Dated at Kohima the 16/12/2014

ADVERTISEMENT The Post of Gramin Dak Sewak Branch Postmaster(GDSBPM) in the under mentioned GDS BOs (in the pay scale 2745-50-4245) has fallen vacant and is due to be filled up.

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New Mizo marriage, divorce and inheritance of property law soon

Manipur to get 2 new universities Double benefits to “converted” IMPHAL, DECEMBER 17 (THE HIN- Existing colleges in and around Imphal will tribals should be stopped DU): Manipur will soon have two more be affiliated to this proposed university. universities and bills for setting them up will be introduced in the winter session of the Assembly beginning from December 18. Talking to reporters on Tuesday Minister Okendro Moirangthem, disclosed that the Cabinet had given approval to the introduction of bills for the two universities.

The first one, the Sangai National University, which will be located in Churachandpur district will be a private one.

The Dhanamanjuri University which will be located in Imphal will be managed by the government. The Ministry of Human Resource Development had already sanctioned Rs 55 crore as the first installment.

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2. Certificate on Basic computer knowledge(minimum 60 days) from recognized Computer Institute of Central/ state/ university etc. If a candidate has studied computer as a subject in matriculation or class XII or higher educational qualification, this would mean more than 60 days computer training and a separate certificate need not submit.

3. Age Limit:- Not below 18 years of age.

4. The candidate should specify the post applied for which village/Branch Office.

5. After selection the candidate should reside in the post village and be able to provide rent free accommodation within the village/colony in an area accessible to the prospective customers of the village/colony.

6. After selection the candidate will have to execute security bond deposit of Rs.25,000/- pledged to the president of India, in the form of NSC/KVP/TD/SB deposit, which will be reimbursed at the time of retirement/resignation, along with incurring interest, provided the service provided by the GDSBPM is satisfactory and no Government money has been misappropriated by him/her.

7. The candidate should have adequate means of income for themselves which should be supported by income certificate from the Chairman of the village/ colony, revenue officer etc.

8. The prospective candidates can apply directly to the Director of Postal Services, Nagaland, Kohima-797001, by registered post/Speed Post enclosing their qualification, employment exchange card, date of birth certificate, etc.

Address for correspondence should be shown clearly in the application letter 9. Any incomplete/incorrect application is liable to be rejected.

10. The last date for accepting applications is 23/01/2015. The date of posting the application by registered/ speedpost will be considered as date of submission of application. Only applications received through registered/speed post will be accepted 11. If any recommendations, endorsements or chits are received from any person or persons the application will be promptly rejected. The candidates should send their own applications and the Department will make the selection as per the norms of the Department. Personal visits by candidates or any person on behalf of any candidate during the recruitment process will not be entertained.

The Department has its own appointing authority and recruitment rules and hence the village council may not interfere in the recruitment process. The village administration is requested to see that everyone is given a free and fair opportunity to apply for the post.

Sd(Som Kamei) Director of Postal Services Nagaland: Kohima-797001

ernment and the church," the minister said. Any marriage should be registered with the Marriage Registrar concerned within 30 days from the wedding, he said.

The minister was accompanied by Law Secretary P Singthanga and other top officials of the department while the MKHC was represented by its chairman Rev K Lalhmuchhuaka of the Presbyterian Church and Rev R Lalrinsanga of the United Pentecostal Church (North East India).

The Mizo Marriage, Divorce and Inheritance of Property Act, 2014, unanimously passed by the state legislature on November 12 was lauded by women bodies as an instrument to emancipate womenfolk reeling under the yoke of the Mizo Customary law.

Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl (MHIP) or Mizo Women's Federation and All Mizo Women Fed-

eration (AMWF) hailed the new legislation which they said would drastically decrease divorce rate and number of broken families.

They also said women who could never inherit properties in the event of divorce were now entitled to inherit properties up to 50% under the new law.

GHADC term extended

SHILLONG, DECEMBER 17 (PTI): The term of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) was extended by a month by the Meghalaya state government for the third time to complete the process of elections. "We have approved the proposal for extension of the term of the GHADC for another month," Chief Minister Mukul Sangma told reporters.

4 businEss Polarisation of Naga political culture: Where are we headed?

Dimapur

Thursday

The Morung Express

18 December 2014

P

tive dialogue. But the devils work best at times of confusion and while the nervousness of the nationalist leadership is palpable for this obvious reason, the academia and the political observers wait and watch in despair.

What is intrusively disturbing amidst this social metamorphosis is the dysfunctional presence of a small coterie of schismatic dissidents who attempt to “banalize” Naga nationalism into a dull project of development and governance issue within the state of geographical Nagaland by vivisecting the imagination of Nagaland away from the common consciousness of the term “Naga” as a “people” with history and right to self-determination.

The senseless repetition of the rhetoric of the terms “outsider” and “insider” within the narrow trivialisation of the term “Naga” as “fragmentable” concept which stems from the confusion of the personal with the political has done more harm than good. The danger with such regressive parochialism is that it tends to brutalize the term “Naga” by further deepening the perceived animus of tribal antagonism among the Nagas.

However, the gullible masses in times of resentment and frus-

olarisation of Naga political culture appears increasingly pandemic.

The voice of dissents and dissensions gets louder and bolder. Public disenchantment, disaffection, frustration and outrage against the perceived closed and insular system, cronyism, nepotism, egotism, greed, corruption and injustice are already out in the open streets. The traditional authority of the NSCNs and in particular the (I-M) has been put to open challenge for the first time and with it the smaller dissident groups and factions get more vociferous to lay a claim to legitimacy. The emerging assertive Naga public is determined to recast its sense of loyalty by fundamentally reinventing the notion of legitimacy and power in terms of popular will of the people as the repository of the ultimate political authority.

Now the public asserts its right to democratic participation in the negotiating process of the Indo-Naga peace dialogue. The emerging transformation appears decisive and dislodging.

For better, or for worst, the voice of dissents cannot be silenced in a free society. A strong nation can only be built on the edifice of free choice of opinion and construc-

tration are likely to flock even to such vagrant voices that openly challenge the existing authority sans political wisdom. For instance, an innocent villager confessed, “Harassment at the hands of our national workers has become unbearable and we even savoured the idea of Manipur Government’s recent attempt to permanently post IRBs and Commandos at Ukhrul town. It would be a relief if the IRBs and Commandos could arrest and lock them all up in jail.” The point is the perceived excesses of the nationalist workers have exposed the erstwhile patriotic Naga into such recalcitrant social behaviour to the extent of disowning the term “Naga” itself.

Alongside this challenge is the legalistic dialectics of ACAUT in articulating “One Government, One Tax” within the vocabulary of Indian legalism rather than Naga revolutionary jargon. It is true that there should be “One Government, One Tax”, but the narratives of articulating the issue within the narrow framework of Indian notion of “legality” and “illegality” as an end in itself rather than means to an end has the irreversible danger of domesticating the international Indo-Naga issue

into some redundant municipal dispute. However, for reasons of senseless self-gratification and indulgence for too long, the tax payers feel betrayed and disillusioned. Nevertheless, ACAUT in order to remain true to Naga national commitment, its emphasis should shift more towards the modalities of achieving “One Government, One Tax” rather than on the emotive confrontation of defining what constitutes “extortion”.

It is true that the evocative fighting spirit and heroic sacrifices of the past do not condone the present sense of nationalist lethargy, but it is equally true that this legacy alone is the whole inheritance of Naga nationhood and the same cannot be disavowed for the perceived default of one.

The point is before the Naga society takes all the patterns of a Hobbesian existence, where bitter strife, denial and killings become the order of the day, each sober Naga stakeholder must recognise the limits of the other by now.

The idea of “villain” and “hero” in the discourse of politics is a mere social construct which in itself is flawed and problematic. The demeaning practice of political mudslinging has no

place in a civilised political setup.

Politics must be rediscovered as an art of mediating the perceived differences without the necessity of appropriating the notion of truth to oneself. The adversarial political culture of projecting the other as the “villain” must give way to a more progressive political behaviour of constructive social and political dialogues.

In tandem with it, there is urgency for the nationalist organisations to exercise certain creative political imaginations to innovatively respond to the changing demands and perceptions of the people before the remnants of their organisational legitimacy evaporate into thin air in the eyes of the weary public. The public must at same time appreciate that it would be unrealistic on their part to expect total physical reconciliation of all the NPGs given the history of bitter factionalism and suffice would it be for the day if they could arrive at a principle-based emotional reconciliation in letter and spirit with a managing committee to steer ahead the Naga nation as one in different bodies.

Sira Kharay Advocate New Delhi

Is shame a potent force to correct evils in a Government?

T

he expression: “Don’t you feel ashamed?” is a serious form of Admonition universally common, to toe an erring Member to Mainstream Propriety in the Society. In many Societies, the zeal for personal private Self Interest and lack of Public Interest are sought correction through the good sense of SHAME. SHAME is a basic Human good Sense against Falsehood, Dishonorable Acts and all Improprieties in the Society. But like ‘Beauty’, Good Sense has no visible physical shapes and appearances of Hooves and Horns. What is Good Sense is verbally indescribable; it is only in the Consciousness of the person and the observer alone. A civilized People have Good Sense in the Consciousness of the Society.

Self Praise is not a cognizable criminal Offense; but Self-Aggrandizements, Self-Advertisement and Self-Proclamations are all universally considered Shameful.

Some Rongmei Naga Community Organizations of outside Nagaland seem never to tire of praising themselves of their own wisdom and knowledge of the Naga National Movement. None other outside the Rongmei Community is ever heard to say any word of acknowledgement of the role of the so-called Rongmei Naga Rani for the common Cause of all the Naga Communities but some Rongmei Organizations seem never to tire extolling their Rani’s Social Movement of her own Community as higher than the NNC Movement of all Nagas that took off from Nagaland before the British

voted in their Parliament to grant Dominion Status to India. Manipur does not appear to be too interested in the much glorification of the Rani, but her Organizations seem to be very fervent in the glorification in the State of Nagaland.

The Organizations have worked themselves up so fervent for their Rani that they advocate Colleges, Universities, Jails, Airports, Institutions, Libraries and Memorials be erected in other lands for their Rani.

Are not their excess glorifications in the wrong places become a little too tedious to others now? Do they realize this -very naked words but perhaps it is needed now.

They now audaciously feel free to rebuke even Nagaland’s Native core foundation Organization like NTC -Nagaland Tribes Council of Nagaland. They

do not seem to realize they are enjoying Nagaland’s goodwill Residence Privileges. Yes, they do participate in the economy of Nagaland with their industriousness but they also need to realize they need Nagaland more than Nagaland State needs them. Let them realize they need to live in Peace with the native of Nagaland and not meddle too much in the political and social matters of the State.

Christian Nagaland is not too anxious to entertain a Shaminstic Moon and Idol worshipping Sect in the State. Nagaland wants to preserve the Christian Character of Nagaland State. In the Christian world, the first Man and the first Woman -Adam and Eve- the moment they violated God’s Code, knew they were naked and felt ASHAMED! They felt sorry

for the wrong they did and they felt ashamed. To be ASHAMED of Impropriety is a highly honorable Trait in Man and Woman; lack of it is despicable.

Recently, the Governor of Nagaland publicly described all politicians of Nagaland seemed to be Corrupted. The overwhelming majority of the Naga Public have most of the politicians in low esteem but for a Governor to make a sweeping public stand that all the politicians are corrupted is perhaps a little inconsiderate and appears less than good taste.

There are many Politicians in Nagaland who have sincere and genuine care for the people, but they are Helpless in the present dispensation. Hope someday, something better will emerge.

The arrest of the Indian

Ambassador to the USA, M/s. Khobregade (correctly spelled?), the arrest of a sitting Minister of Nagaland a Week ago and the ‘Hand cuffed’ of Mammata Bennerjee’s RightHand Minister in Kolkata, are embarrassingly uneasy pictures; if some Government Officers ‘living beyond their Known sources of Income’ also come along in the days to come in Nagaland, it would be very embarrassing but it will introduce ventilation of good mountain Air to the Naga Society.

I wish the Naga Society resuscitates the Good SENSE OF SHAME so that Nagaland does not become: THE BEAST AND THE BEAUTY! Let us feel SHAMEFUL for our lack of SHAMELESSNESS. Thepfulhouvi Solo

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.

_

LEISURE

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 # 3087

Wastage of good meat

I

t is understandable if amateur hunters fail to have a clean kill or to even fail to follow the trail of the wounded game. But professional hunters equipped with high powered hunting rifles, failing to have a clean kill even with the help of the latest imported cross-hair piece is a shame. It is all the more a disgrace if those professional hunters fail to even follow the very fresh limping hoof track marks and the very prominent blood trail. Such wastage of good meat must be avoided. As it is, it is not everyday that you get a dazed animal under the bright glare of the Jeep headlights.

Benito Z Swu

A night at the Carnival (Dimapur)

O

n the sixteenth I decide to drop by the night market near the supermarket everyone was talking about. As I walked through the different stalls one thing I noticed was that prices were on the steeper side in stalls run by Nagas. While the stalls run by some nonlocals were selling cheaper goods at a faster rate. I am no economist but from what I saw I am sure the non-local vendors made more money than the Naga ones. I don’t know why we Nagas never learn the basics of doing any business is that pricing plays a very important factor in selling and making profits. There are other important factors like presentation, quality etc etc. but again pricing dictates how fast your wares are sold.

Anyway to get back to the carnival as I was browsing through the various stall I came upon one run by a cheery group of Nagas under the Banner “Survival Nagaland”.

This group was formed as far as my understanding goes to stem the tide of IBI’s flooding our State. And unlike groups formed in the past to confront a menace they did not take up arms but instead chose the route to educate the Nagas. They plan as far as I can see to inculcate the pride in working for ones living and bring back the term “Dignity of labor” as a fashionable concept amongst the youth and divert their obsession from landing Govt. jobs.

The logic behind this is very simple if there was no livelihood to be had here, as all the jobs were taken up by the Nagas, the floods of economic immigrants we see from elsewhere will have no incentive to come here. I heard that such an exercise was taken up in Mokokchung with a mostly successful outcome. No blood was shed and crimes along with unemployment are down. I am sure this is just a part of the larger strategy Survival Nagaland is employing to fight one of the greatest dangers we as a society are facing today.

Coming back to the carnival and the stall this band of people concerned for our collective future had set up I was surprised at the cost of the eatables they were selling. An egg-roll cost just twenty bucks and at the fastest Rate of service fresh from the pan. And I am not being biased when I say it tasted delicious. Thanks to Eno Akavi N Zimomi Naga a graduate who runs his own shop instead of hankering after Govt. jobs like most youngsters these days the quality and taste was great. To add to it the price and service were above par. So if you happen to drop by the Night carnival being held in the Supermarket complex I would urge everyone to go visit the stall not only to enjoy the egg roll but to learn more about “Survival Nagaland” an organization unique in the sense that it is practicing what it preaches.

Let us Nagas, as Mokokchung has shown, prove that we can stem the tide of illegal immigration by being self reliant and not having to depend on others to run our land. It’s not the skills we lack but the will. Unless we start taking these steps a day is not far when we will have to resort to uglier methods which no one in his/her right mind wants too. Starve the reason for economic immigrants to enter our lands and automatically the problem is solved and we are that much prouder as peoples.

KUKNALIM Aotemjen Jamir, Dimapur

DAILY CROSS WORD

CROSSWORD # 3095

Answer Number # 3086

DIMAPUR Civil Hospital:

STD CODE: 03862 232224; Emergency229529, 229474

Metro Hospital:

227930, 231081

Faith Hospital:

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

Nagaland Multispe- 248302, cialty Health & 09856006026 Research Centre

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PARK FOOD BLANKET ANT POTATOSALAD GRILL HOTDOGS BRATS HAMBURGERS WATERMELON GRASS BUGS SUNSHINE PAVILION TABLES LAWNCHAIR GAMES FUN FAMILY FRIENDS SWIMMING DESSERT CAR DRIVE BASKET BEVERAGES LEMONADE

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ACROSS 1. Taps 5. Hebrew unit of weight 10. A young deer 14. Monster 15. Lacquer ingredient 16. Wings 17. Principal 18. Judge 20. An important nutrient 22. Disgraced 23. Hotel 24. Smells 25. Junkets 32. Property claims 33. Master of ceremonies 34. Preserve of crushed fruit 37. Fluff 38. Wooden box 39. Kid 40. Female sib 41. Line dance 42. Leg bone 43. Having gone out of date 45. Trim 49. East Indian tree 50. Adolescent 53. A company that flies 57. Beside the point

59. False god 60. Spring 61. Slowly, in music 62. Skid row 63. Leg joint 64. Clothesline alternative 65. Female chickens

DOWN 1. Ceremonial splendor 2. Food thickener 3. Threesome 4. Aware 5. Third sign of the zodiac 6. Distinctive flair 7. Regulation (abbrev.)

8. Dogfish 9. Snake sound 10. Unit of capacitance 11. San Antonio fort 12. H2O 13. Requires 19. Not these 21. Terminates 25. L L L L 26. 13 in Roman numerals 27. Writing implements 28. Small slender gulls 29. Insect stage 30. In base 8 31. Born as

34. Agree (with) 35. Analogous 36. Food from animals 38. Ear of corn 39. Delicate 41. Reef material 42. Russian emperor 44. Anagram of “Rioted” 45. Adhere 46. Long-necked bird 47. Creepy 48. Anoint (archaic) 51. Neuter 52. Always 53. Initial wager 54. Doing nothing 55. Person, place or thing 56. Shade trees 58. One or more Ans to CrossWord 3094

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

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

CHUMUKEDIMA: 03862 282777/101 (O) 9856158740 (OC)

MOKOKCHUNG: 0369 2226225/ 101 (O) 9436012949 (OC) PHEK: 8414853765 (O) 9862130954(OC) ZUNHEBOTO: 03867 280304/ 101 (O) 9856156876 (OC)

MON: 03869 251222/ 101 (O) 9436208480 (OC) KipHire: 8414853767 (O) 8974304572 (OC)

Toll free No. 1098 childline

Police Station 1:

DIMAPUR: 03862 232201/ 101 (O) 9436017479 (OC)

TUENSANG: 8414853766 (O) 8414853519

CHILD WELFARE COMMITTEE

MOKOKCHUNG:

KOHIMA: 0370 2222952/ 101 (O) 9402003086 (OC)

WOKHA: 03860 242215/101 (O) 9862039399 (OC)

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

KOHIMA

FIRE STATIONS

STD CODE: 0369

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

222246 222491

BUY(Rs)

SELL(Rs)

62.55 98.07 8.05 51.36 47.55 53.92 52.69

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Euro

77.62

78.48

Danish Krone

10.42

10.56

Norwegian Krone New Zealand Dollar Swedish Krona

8.43

8.52

48.20

48.94

8.25

8.34

LOCAL

The Morung Express

MEx FILE NSCN (IM) urges to check ‘evil miscreant’ Dimapur, December 17 (mexN): Apropos to an item “A Caution to NSCN (IM)” which appeared in local dailies on December 16, the NSCN (IM) has condemned the act and the “hated words” used to “destroy the unity of Naga people.” In a press release, Secretary of Union Territory, NSCN (IM), Khekuto Jakhalu urged all peace loving citizens to check such “evil miscreant”. “When the Naga peoples are enjoying the peaceful atmosphere and hoping to bring a lasting solution from the government of India then from where such hated/ hatred words poster appear to destroy the dreams of all peace loving people’s sentiment?” it questioned. It further urged the “perpetrators” to retrospect their “evil design” being a human.

Duncan Winter Festival from Dec 27-29 Dimapur, December 17 (mexN): The Duncan Women Union is organizing a grand gala ‘The Duncan Winter Festival’ from December 27-29. The festival will be held at main Circular Road, Duncan Basti, Dimapur from 4pm-9pm daily. Interested people, who desire to rent stalls may contact the following numbers for application details and necessary information - 8974063801/ 9436831244/ 9862148431/ 9436012257, informed a press release from Duncan Women Union chairperson, Elizabeth Merry.

BJP condemns terror attack in Pakistan Dimapur, December 17 (mexN): The BJP Nagaland State Unit has condemned the “malicious terror attack” that killed more than 140 people, mostly children in a school in Pakistan on December 16. Extending solidarity to the kin of the deceased, the BJP stated that “such terrorist organisations should be completely eliminated from the society by the concern authority and the international community.” In a press statement, the BJP Nagaland asserted that “the innocent children have absolutely no part in any terrorists design and their agendas whatsoever,” and that “such murderous and evil inclination calls for joint action by the international community who are against terror in any parts of the world.” The BJP Unit also appealed to the Union government to extend all possible help to the neighbouring country Pakistan to overcome this tragic terror attack. The statement was appended by Nagaland BJP president, Dr Chuba Ao and general secretary, James Vizo.

Mkg police arrest two mokokchuNg, December 18 (mexN): Mokokchung police arrested two persons on December 13 who had waylaid a pickup truck bearing registration number ASO3AC-6465 bound for Longkhim on December 7 at around 10:30 pm. The two accused, namely Wapangtemjen (27) and Tesungjemba (26) forcibly took away two mobile phones, one tablet (Tata wind) along with a sum of Rs. 4700/-, said Sr. Superintendent of Police, Mokokchung in a press release. The two have been booked under Section 341/392/34 IPC vide Mokokchung Police Station II Case No. 21/14, the release added.

One arrested in motorcycle theft, one absconding Dimapur, December 17 (mexN): On December 16, around 8:30 pm, two “miscreants” lifted a motorcycle (Bajaj Pulsar 150 cc), registration no. NL07J5753 from Super Market area, near Hotel Saramati. Informing this in a press release, Addl. Superintendent of Police/ PRO Dimapur said that while fleeing with the motorcycle, the complainant and his friend caught hold of the pillion rider whereas the other “miscreant” managed to escape along with the motorcycle. The pillion rider has been identified as Obeto Awomi (28), while the absconding person has been identified as Vinato Zhimomi (25). The Officer-in-Charge of Dimapur East PS has registered a regular case against the arrested accused and further investigation is on, the release informed.

NPF Minority wing mourns Dimapur, December 17 (mexN): The Minority Wing of Naga People's Front has mourned the demise of Minist Jidung, a senior social and political leader from Dhanisiripar subdivision of Dimapur district and president of Kachari Tribal Council of Nagaland on December 17. “Late Jidung was a dedicated NPF Party worker, who served as vice-president (NPF) in Dimapur III Assembly constituency,” stated NPF Minority Wing secretary, Rakesh Girisa in a condolence message. “He was actively associated with social and community activities from his childhood in Dimapur District under various NGOs and he was popularly known for his justice and contribution for Kachhari community.” Bishnu Bhattacharjee, president of NPF Minority Wing (Central) has conveyed deepest condolences to the bereaved family members and prayed for the departed soul to rest in peace, the message added.

Thursday 18 December 2014

Stage set for Methaneilie in Kohima Our Correspondent Kohima | December 17

Come December 20, thousands of people will be flocking to Kohima Local Ground to witness a 2-hour long mega concert "Methaneilie Jütakhrie- the Minstrel 'Old Flames of Local Music," starting from 5:00 pm. More than 5000 fans are expected to turn up at the concert, according to event organizers Tsütuonuomia Youth Organization (TYO), Kohima Village.

The renowned Methaneilie Jütakhrie will be accompanied by Aren Imsong (Guitar), John Jamir (Bass guitar), Kekhrie (Drums) and Neiu Zumvü (Keyboard).

Briefing media persons here this evening at WTF Hotel, the event organisers informed that the concert is an initiative to promote Methaneilie's songs and to promote him as a person.

Through this concert, the singer envisions to encourage the differently abled persons to take up life's challenges and to reach for their goals.

It was also informed that the proceeds from the concert will be used for charity purpose. Concert

TYO president Ruokuophrelie Belho and others addressing press conference in Kohima on December 17. (Morung Photo)

manager Boulie Whuorie said Methaneilie will perform hit songs, Hindi songs, Christmas songs including some new numbers. The show will also feature rapper LC Sekhose as special appearance who will perform few songs of Methaneilie.

Born on July 27, 1955, 59-year-old Methaneilie is the youngest among 8 siblings and studied upto standard VI. At the age of 12, he formed his first band called "Methaneilie Jütakhrie" and in 1982 released his first album with his second band members.

Methaneilie has toured extensively locally and nationally mostly for charity and now has 25 albums

and 178 songs to his credit.

Methaneilie also plans to release a new album consisting of both old and new songs by February next.

Meanwhile, a Lucky Draw will be held in the midst of the concert in which the selected winner will be awarded with the legend's own special guitar, CDs of 25 albums of the singer and a book containing the lyrics of the songs.

All the said prizes will be autographed by the singer.

TYO advisor Kezhazer Whuorie informed that to be eligible to take part in the lucky draw, one has to be an official member of the "Methaneilie Jütakhrie Fans Club" page, information and details of which

Another Burmese Python added to NZP Dimapur, December 17 (mexN): One adult Burmese Python measuring about 14 feet and weighing about 30 kg was donated to the Nagaland Zoological Park (NZP) on December 16 by Forest Minister Dr. Nicky Kire. “This is the biggest python received in the park till today,” said Obed Bohovi Swu, The Burmese Python before being released Officer-in-Charge NZP in a press release. The park has two more to its cage.

Burmese pythons, however, the new member is by far the biggest, he added.

The release mentioned that NZP Director Sentichuba Aier has conveyed his appreciation to the Forest Minister for taking the lead in conservation of wildlife resources. He also lauded all who have been actively helping in conserving and protecting “our” wildlife resources.

CSTD fellowship cum advance Christmas Dimapur, December 17 (mexN): All members of Chimonger Suro Thsingmüjang, Dimapur (CSTD) have been informed that the CSTD fellowship cum advance Christmas celebration will be held on December 20 at TS Mern, Kashiram, Dimapur at 10:00 am. CSTD secretary general Imlikumzuk Sangtam has requested all the members to attend the event positively. The CSTD in-laws have also been invited to the event.

DLYF to celebrate pre-Christmas Dimapur, December 17 (mexN): The Dimapur Longsa Youth Forum (DLYF) is celebrating pre-Christmas on December 20 at Fun Bowling, Duncan colony here from 4 pm onwards. Lochumi Ezung will be the speaker of the program, informed DLYF president, M Zachamo Ezung in a press release. The event will comprise of formal program, Christmas carol, Christmas play, gift exchange, DLYF Award 2014, felicitation, constitution adoption, XMas feast etc, the release added. All the youth members and in-laws of DLYF residing in and around Dimapur have been requested to attend the program. Parents have also been requested to send their children with a gift worth Rs 100 and above for the gift exchange. For more information, call 8732862171 - W Rhontsuthung Ezung, Secretary DLYF. Meanwhile, DLFY also extended its warmest Christmas greetings to all the Longsai and prayed for a joyous season of love and happiness.

5

BDO, Aghunaqa Block clarifies Dimapur, December 17 (mexN): The Block Development Officer of Rural Development, Aghunaqa Block under Niuland Sub-Division, Phoishe Sema has clarified to a news item that appeared in local dailies on December 16, 2014.

In a statement, the BDO said that he had never mentioned that the remaining 98 days MGNREGA wages of 2014-2015 meant for poor rural populace were kept aside for VIPs adjustment as stated in a statement issued by Aghunaqa Kukami Kuqhakulu president, Mughavi Awomi and general secretary, Hetoi Katty.

Further refuting the news item, Phoishe Sema, who took over as BDO Aghunaqa Block in April

2014 asserted he had never asked the VDB secretaries to sign in a blank APR (actual payment receipt) since the implementation of the scheme in the State.

He said that whatever fund sanctioned by the government has been duly released to the villagers and not manipulated in any manner whatsoever.

He further maintained that the two individuals, “without an iota of truth, are trying to tarnish the reputation of the concerned officer in contrast with the conscience of the concerned officer to serve the public with sincerity and dedication.” He has urged the AKK officials “not to mislead the people and the government with false and concocted statement.”

Medziphema Echoes venture beyond Facebook meDziphema, December 17 (mexN): ‘Medziphema Echoes', a Facebook group is moving beyond the virtual space and organizing a sanitation drive in the morning and ‘free entry’ open-air concert in the evening in Medziphema Town on December 19. The concert will be held at 4:30 pm in local ground.

A press release from the group informed that 'Medziphema Echoes' is an exclusive platform for the bonafide people of Medziphema area, “to aid foster our spirit of 'oneness' in truth and unity.” It aspires to “amplify our mutual concern and strengthen bonds in the quest for higher ground," it added.

At 971 members, it is perhaps the largest intertribal Facebook group in Medziphema area, the release stated. “As a precursor of its visionary movement into the society for good, it has taken to the musical arena as its first ever venture, together with a sanitation drive to be conducted simultaneously.”

The concert stage, entirely to expose and promote local talents, will feature artists and bands like Sedevino Dolie, Merenyangla Jamir, Keneiseno Terhüja, Odyuo Kids, Blank Cheque, Simple Mind, Echo and Frost Bite.

The Medziphema Echoes has invited everyone to come, witness and encourage the local talents.

RALH appeals for bilateral decision Er. Kropol urges officers to rededicate Writes open letter to chief secretary & chief minister Wokha, December 17 (mexN): The Ralan Area Lotha Hoho (RALH) today lamented that any programme or policy that has been implemented so far in the Disturbed Area Belt (DAB) has always been to the disadvantage of the people of Ralan area as “decision are mostly taken unilaterally by the Assam government.” In an open letter to the chief secretary and chief minister of Nagaland, the Hoho gave the latest instance of SSB deployment in the DAB under Ralan area after the

recent conflict between the Lotha landowners and adivasi tenants. “Such unilateral one sided decision are in fact the genesis of many untold hardships and sufferings faced by the public living in DAB,” stated the letter appended by RALH chairman, Hayithung Kikon and secretary, CS Ovung.

In light of the above, the RALH has appealed that any policy adopted or decision taken regarding any issue/ matter in the DAB henceforth be “bilateral, agreeable by both the peo-

ple of the states so as to provide equal opportunities/ benefits to every Indian citizens living in the DAB.” The RALH further cautioned that failure to rectify the present system of “wilfully” allowing Assam government to take unilateral decision in matters relating to “our” land and resources will only invite “more complicated and serious problems and in the event of any such repeated mistakes/ failure on the part of the authorities concerned, our government should be held responsible for any consequences.”

Angami Public Organization meet

State Entrance Examination for medical course kohima, December 17 (Dipr): The Department of Higher & Technical Education has notified that the State will conduct its own State Entrance Examination for selection of students for Medical and allied degree courses for 2015-16 against all State quota in accordance with the decision taken by the Common Selection Board during its meeting held on July 17, 2014. The examination will be called as “Nagaland State Entrance Examination” (NSEE).

can be traced from Facebook where the page is actively operated.

Ticket for the show is now available at the Western Book Depot, Charry Store (Old NST), Sporstworld (Taxi Stand), Love Pharmacy (Phoolbari), WTF Hotel (near Catholic Cathedral), Popular Bakery (P.R. Hill), Plaza Bakery (Razhü Point), Car Liner (New Sectt.), Solo Enterprise & Phrenuo Hotel (High School Junction) and the Gardens (Super Market, Dimapur). Ticket can also avail on the spot.

The concert tickets have been classified as general ticket Rs. 100 (Admit one) and donor- Rs. 2000 (Admit Two).

Dimapur

Newly elected officials of Angami Public Organization taking oath on December 17.

Morung Express News emphasizing on the com- their ancestors have passed Kohima | December 17

The Angami Public Organization (APO), the apex organization of the Angamis held its general meeting on December 17 at APO building Kohima. Besides the induction of the newly elected members, solidarity messages were delivered by the Angami legislators and APO Frontal organizations. Parliamentary Secretary Zhaleo Rio stated that Angamis are pioneers and possess a lot of good values and practices, however, today, selfishness and materialism has crept into the tribe. Referring the community as a sleeping giant, Rio asserted that Angamis has misused their blessings and values. “Let’s do good things for Nagas through politics,” he stated hoping that it will be the vision of the Angamis, while also

munity to be more politically conscious.

The Angamimiapfü Mechü Krotho (AMK) President, Ruokuoheü Miachieo focused on the need for the community to move forward in education where each family needs to the effort. He also admitted that a lot of men have failed to play their role in families. Miachieo further questioned disappearance of all the values of integrity, proactiveness and truth of Angami culture today and urged the delegates to maximize the potentials of the community and contribute positive change to Naga society.

Ketoho Lüho, Angami Gazetted Officer Krothho (AGOK) President held the view that Angamis are known and respected for their personal integrity and therefore urged the community not to lose what

down to them. Further, focusing on mobilization and prioritization of an organisation’s vision and ideals, Lüho appealed to the delegates to work towards truth.

The newly elected executive members of the APO are Dr. Vilhousa Seleyi (President), K.T Vilie Theünuo (Vice President), Pfükhrilie Peseyie (VicePresident), Keviselie Lhousa (General Secretary), Salhoutuonuo Kruse (Asst.

General Secretary), Kevisokho Khro (Property Secretary), Mhalelie Vimhera (Jt. Property Secretary), Neisakholie Ziephrü (Secy.

Info and Publicity), Khriekhotuo Mor (Jt. Secy. Info and Publicity), Neikhrietuo Kense (Finance Secretary), Vizopale Sale (Jt. Finance Secretary), Puzashe Loho (Treasurer), Rovilhou Secü (Vice Treasurer) and Neingunyü Sekhose (Advisor).

Our Correspondent

Kohima | December 17

Bringing cheers to the employees of the Directorate of Printing & Stationery, Kohima, parliamentary secretary for printing & stationery and art & culture Er. Kropol Vitsu today formally inaugurated the Phase III office building of the directorate here this morning at Lower Chandmari.

Expressing happiness over the completion of Phase III office building, Vitsu called upon the officers and staff to renew their minds and concentrate on office works. He urged them to give their best effort and output which would eventually benefit the public. He also asked them to respect their table and chair to earn respect from the public in return.

“From today onward, you have to be sincere in attending office so that other will respect you,” he said while also expressing dismay that some government servants do not go to office and draw their salary every month, which he said is not justified. In this, he called upon the staff to rededicate themselves and give better output to gain respect from the public and the government.

Stating that the directorate of printing and stationery has currently spread its establishment to only three districts- Kohima, Dimapur and Mokokchung, he stressed on the need to further spread its wing to other districts to give equal treatment to all

YTC clarifies TueNsaNg, December 17 (mexN): The Yimchungrü Tribal Council (YTC), with regard to its press releases issued in connection with recent incidents in Tuensang, has corrected that “the incidents of "Tsundang village" should be read as "C Saddle" and not as reported.” The error committed is regretted, stated YTC press & information secretary, Akiu A in a press note.

Parliamentary secretary Er. Kropol Vistu and others during the inauguration of phase III office building of the directorate of printing & stationery in Kohima on December 17. (Morung Photo)

the districts.

Referring to the desire of the directorate for dismantling of the old building to facilitate parking lot and to serve other purposes, Vitsu said they can do so by giving proper proposal to the government. He also assured to pursue the matter on his own level.

Briefing the account of the construction of the new building, Er. Kelhoupu Rio, EE central division, NPWD said the construction of Printing and Stationery office building in Kohima was done in phase manner - Phase I, II and III. The work for phase I and II was awarded to Pfudilhu Angami during 2001 and

the work was completed in July 2003 for an estimated cost of Rs. 101.72 lakhs. The total plinth area is 27,396 sq.ft (I’e phase- I= 13,886 sq.ft, phase- II=13500 sf.ft.

The work for construction of government printing press office (phase III) in Kohima was awarded to Avituo Angami. The building consists of office rooms for director and staffs.

The type of building is RCC (G+1) with a plinth area of 16,019 sq.ft with a total cost project of Rs.472.00 lakhs. Date of allotment of site is February 8, 2010, date of commencement of work-February 15, 2010 and date of completion of work is January 18, 2012.

BIRThDAY GREETINGs

Happy 1st Birthday Alemren!

You won’t remember much about this day down the road, but you can rest assured the day was AWESOME! You are a gift from God and this day only reminds us even more how grateful we all are to have you in our family. On your first birthday, we celebrate the miracle of your birth.

With prayers, All your loved ones

6

IN-FOCUS

The Power of Truth

The Morung Express THursDAy 18 DEcEmbEr 2014 volumE IX IssuE 348

by Aheli moitra

A

Starlight

mega red star with a mega snow flake in between. A tiny star smiling out of the pages of a notebook. A medium star with a long tail. Stars with perforated bodies.

The universe sheds a lot of starlight on earth but this is the time of year when we see the beauty of it in Nagaland.

With star lights, come strings of fairy lights adorned in creative patterns on the side of roads, across buildings. Lamps crafted out of bamboo, paper plates, any material. Nagaland is decorated with creativity made visible from the joy of celebration. Every public and private space exudes confidence in light.

Suddenly, the missing night is alive. A blind old man is guided by a young boy through the Dimapur night carnival.

The grim line between the Naga and non Naga, local and non local, those across borders comes to a delightful end. Masks and blinking head bands give new form—the rich and the poor have the same face walking down the same stalls, eating from the Christian, Muslim, Hindu or secular kitchen.

The shopping arcades are choker-blocked. Through the narrow filth-ridden alleys, we shop. Through the claustrophobia of Hong Kong market, we shop. With or without a budget, we shop. Despite the complaints of a poor economy, markets flourish. Capitalism is happy, so is the child of a socialist.

Why does only the end of year give us reason to share the joy of life?

The people of Nagaland seek happiness like any other habitant of the planet. There is no money either at the start of the year, or towards its end to buy luxury (for the majority at least). But a possible way to create happiness is also to celebrate spring and summer. While community specific festivals do happen round the year, little night carnivals with innovative themes to beat the heat of drudgery are surely possible. A mela, secular as it is, could be touring through the State through the year. Stalls for local people to collate their produce in these could be a year long activity. The Naga dream, of all those who inhabit this space, need not start and end with December.

If one were to look at a world calendar, a number of days and weeks give us the opportunity to celebrate. If not celebrate, to remember the execution of wrongs, or to mark the greatness of, say, a non violent struggle for rights. Each of these days and weeks, in almost every month of the year, give us reason to forward our lives as human beings. As a species that has no desire for extinction, we should continue to give each other reasons to live—by seeing the starlight, spreading it to each other, throughout the year; instead of meeting at the negative point, meet at the positive. Be starlight ourselves.

More light may be shed through moitramail@gmail.com

lEfT wiNg |

Jenny Barchfield Associated Press

Brazil’s Truth Commission

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razil took its most significant step yet to address the human rights violations of its military dictatorship on December 10, releasing an exhaustive report that documents nearly two decades of government-approved political killings and torture.

After 30 years of impunity for crimes of the state, the National Truth Commission report names 377 people allegedly responsible for 434 deaths and disappearances, and thousands of acts of torture. The list includes top regime figures who instituted policies of persecution, and lowly soldiers who carried them out.

The nearly 2,000-page report describes crimes against humanity in excruciating detail, and calls for the perpetrators to be prosecuted.

But while the commission's work has renewed debate on how Brazil has handled its dirty-war legacy, there's little political will for overturning a 1979 amnesty law that has protected both military figures and leftists ever since the 1964-1985 dictatorship. Only 46 percent of Brazilians said they want to scrap the amnesty, while 37 percent supported it and another 17 percent said they were unsure in a survey published in March by the respected Datafolha polling group.

Even President Dilma Rousseff, a former Marxist guerrilla who was savagely tortured in the 1970s, seems unwilling to push for prosecutions. "Truth doesn't mean vengeance. Truth mustn't be the source of hatred or score-settling," Rousseff said in an emotional ceremony as the report was made public. "Truth frees us all from that which went unsaid. It frees us from what remained hidden." "We, who believe in the truth, hope that this report contributes to make it so that ghosts from the sad and painful past are no longer able to find shelter in silence and omission," she said, pausing several times to stave off tears as the audience in the capital of Brasilia rose in a standing ovation.

Created by Congress in 2011, the seven-member commission researched government and corporate archives and hospital and morgue records. Commissioners conducted more than 1,200 interviews with victims, their families and their alleged perpetrators. The panel consulted with religious leaders, and visited the military installations where "subversives" including students, labor unionists, factory workers, farm workers, indigenous tribespeople, gays and others were tortured and killed.

In all, the report documents 224 killings and 210 disappearances. These were not rare exceptions, but rather the result of a "systematic practice" by the military, it said.

"Repression and the elimination of political opposition became the policy of the state," the report said. The commission "therefore totally rejects the explanation offered up till today that the serious violations of human rights constituted a few isolated acts or excesses resulting from the zeal of a few soldiers."

The report does not examine crimes committed by leftists during Brazil's dictatorship era. This nearly three-year effort is the most thorough accounting to date of the crimes of the military regime, and provides a new official death toll, but its authors said continuing resistance from the military left an unknown number of victims unaccounted for. "These numbers certainly don't correspond to the total of deaths and disappearances," the report cautioned, "but only to cases it was possible to prove."

Rousseff, who was one of the leaders of an armed militant group but has denied participating in any violence before her arrest at age 22, was among those interviewed, a rarity for a politician who has generally avoided talking about her experience.

In the report, Rousseff details torture she underwent in detention, including taking such hard punches to the face that many of her teeth were knocked out, causing her jaw problems to this day. She also was subjected to electrical shocks, beatings and long hours in the "macaw's perch" stress position, which kept her hanging upside down, her arms and legs strapped to a wooden pole. "None of us can explain the lasting damages — we'll just always be different," said Rousseff. "I was held for three years. The stress was fierce. ... I faced death and loneliness," she said. "There is something to it that will mark us for life. The scars of torture are part of me."

THE EDIT PAGE

C O M M E N T A R Y

Desmond Tutu

‘Forgiveness Is Liberating’

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here have been those who have been vociferous in asserting that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), far from promoting reconciliation, has in fact done the opposite. It has engendered resentment and anger. It has opened old wounds and fostered alienation. I have challenged those who have made these assertions to provide us with the evidence that would support their claims, because our experience has been the direct opposite.

In many ways it has been unbelievable. It has been almost breathtaking—this willingness to forgive, this magnanimity, this nobility of spirit.

In Port Elizabeth at the Mtimkulu hearing, police officers testified to doing some terrible things: drugging the coffee of their charges, shooting one behind the ear and then burning his corpse. And while this cremation was going on they were having a braai—turning over two sets of meat.

One of the officers confessed to lying to the Supreme Court to get an interdict that prevented the mother of one of the victims from testifying at a TRC hearing, and we had our work cut out for us to calm the people because Mrs. Mtimkulu couldn't speak.

But they did not go out on an orgy of revenge; they did not attack those police officers who came on succeeding days to testify in New Brighton.

No, this process has made a contribution to reconciliation, to healing, as the 1995 Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act says. The TRC is NOT required to achieve unity and reconcile our nation—it is required to promote it, to contribute to it.

Let us look at some instances. In Bisho, some former Ciskei Defense Force officers testified about the Bisho massacre. One of them alienated the people with his insensitive tirade. Then another confessed his part and asked for forgiveness. In the audience were people who had been wounded in that incident, people who had lost loved ones; but when that white army officer asked for forgiveness, they did not rush to strangle or assault him. Unbelievably, they applauded.

Yes, this is a crazy country. I said at that point, let us keep silent, because we were in the presence of something special, of something holy. Many times I have felt we should take our shoes off because we were standing on holy ground.

At the first amnesty hearing in Rustenburg, the community there, including the children of the man who had been murdered, said they supported the [amnesty] application of the murderers, because it was crucial to have them back to advance reconciliation.

This is a crazy country. If miracles had to happen anywhere, then it’s here that they would have to happen. No other country has been prayed for as much as this one. You remember the white woman victim of the attack on the golf course? She was so badly injured, her children had to teach her to do things we take for granted. She still can’t go through the security checkpoints at airports because she has shrapnel in her body.

And she said, “I would like to meet the perpetrator in a spirit of forgiveness.”

That’s wonderful. She goes on, “I would like to forgive him,” and then, quite incredibl,y she adds, “and I hope he will forgive me.” Crazy.

Or the Afrikaner father whose toddler son was killed in the African National Congress’ Amanzimtoti Wimpy Bar bomb attack. He said he believed his son had contributed to the coming of the new dispensation.

Or the Afrikaner woman in Klerksdorp, who testified about the abduction of her husband by liberation army operatives, who spoke about how her grief and loss were just a drop in the ocean in comparison to what other people have suffered in this beautiful, traumatized land.

Or the daughter of [a member of the] Cradock Four, after hearing all the gruesome details of how her father had been killed, who said in a hushed East London City Hall, “We would like to forgive; we just want to know whom to forgive.” Incredible.

Who would doubt that a significant contribution was being made to healing, to reconciliation?

After the first hearing in East London, Matthew Goniwe’s brother came to me and said, “We have told our story many, many times already. But this is the first time that, after telling it, it is as if a huge

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n my career as a medical doctor and global health policy maker, I have been in the middle of monumental struggles, including fights to make treatment accessible in the developing world for those living with H.I.V./AIDS as well as multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. But the Ebola epidemic is the worst I’ve ever seen.

More than 11 months into the crisis, thousands of people are dead and more than 17,000 have been infected.

The virus kills quickly, spreads fear even faster, alters human relationships, devastates economies and threatens to cruelly extinguish hope in three fragile countries that were on the rebound after years of misery. No other modern epidemic has been so destructive so fast.

Recently, the regional response to the Ebola epidemic has been extremely effective in slowing its spread.

Presidents Alpha Condé of Guinea, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone have shown strong resolve and determined political will in battling the virus. I recently spent two days in those countries and saw first-hand that the situation today is far better than it was a month ago because of national and international efforts.

But we are not yet on the path to end the epidemic. These three countries and the world must now shift the focus of their strategy with one goal in mind: zero Ebola cases. While each country faces different challenges in reaching

Desmond Tutu weight has been lifted from our shoulders.”

Now we will know what happened to the Cradock Four, the Pepco Three, Siphiwo Mtimkulu, Steve Biko, and others. Despite inquests and inquiries, all these truths had remained concealed. The TRC process has helped to expose the real truth, and this surely is helping to heal. Ignorance and lies exacerbate the anguish of the survivors or the victims.

And then we had an extraordinary thing happen when four former National Party Cabinet Ministers testified in the State Security Council hearing. We could say they did not tell us who gave the orders to kill, but that would really be to split hairs.

Just note what they did say. They said apartheid had no moral basis. It was an immoral policy. They said they accepted political and moral responsibility. That is a great deal more than anyone has said so far and they did not evacuate their apology by letting it die the death of a thousand qualifications. They said they apologized unreservedly.

It has happened nowhere else in the world that former government ministers should appear before such a commission and give such an account of themselves. They deserve to be commended. My friends, it is never easy to say “I am sorry, forgive me, I was wrong.” As human beings, we are forever trying to rationalize, to excuse the wrong we have done.

Adam blamed Eve, and she blamed the snake.

These ministers have said they are sorry, and for that they should be warmly commended. They have contributed hugely to the process of healing and reconciliation because they have accepted moral and political responsibility. They have been accountable.

This is what the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has helped to happen and is continuing to do. What have our detractors done to contribute to reconciliation? Absolutely nothing. They have spent their time bemoaning nostalgically the passing of the old dispensation when they were the top dogs. They wield considerable influence in their communities.

They ought to use that influence to persuade their friends to embrace the new dispensation enthusiastically. The old is not going to return, when they walked roughshod over the rights and dignity of others. Five top judges on behalf of the judiciary past and present declare that apartheid, which these people supported enthusiastically, was in itself a gross violation of human rights.

I am in very good company when I have said apartheid was intrinsically evil, immoral, and unChristian. That is not a bias—it is stating a fact now endorsed by the top legal people in our country.

We are singularly fortunate, indeed blessed, in this country. We could so easily have gone the way of Angola, the Sudan, Bosnia, Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka, the Middle East, which have found peace so devastatingly elusive. We have been fortunate that Mr. de Klerk was so brave in 1990 and that he had to deal with the extraordinary Madiba, so magnanimous, so forgiving.

I used to say to whites, “I am as committed to white liberation as I am to black liberation.” I said whites won't be free until we are free, and they thought I was spewing irresponsible slogans: “We are being nice to you—join the winning side.” And we won a victory for everyone black and white.

Now we have all been liberated. Freedom is indivisible. Come share in the process of healing, in the process of reconciliation. If this commission fails, you may not be around to describe it. Reconciliation is a national project. We should all be involved. Those others are not doing their people a favor. Get out of your ghetto of self-pity, of not acknowledging how lucky we all are.

Blacks could easily have been browned off.

They still get up from their shanty informal settlements. They go to work for white people in affluent suburbs, and at night they return to the squalor of their homes, their unlit streets, no running water, no clinics, no schools, no decent homes. They actually go back to all that and they don’t say “to hell with it,” and go on a rampage in the largely white pockets of comfort and affluence.

And all some whites do is moan about this and that, really about their loss of power.

We are going to succeed. Why? Because God wants us to succeed for the sake of God’s world.

We will succeed despite ourselves, because we are such an unlikely bunch. Who could have thought we would ever be an example, except of awfulness; who could ever have thought we would be held up as a model to the rest of the world?

God wants to say to the world, to Bosnia, to Northern Ireland, etc.: Look at them. They had a nightmare called apartheid. It has ended. Your nightmare too will end. They had what was called an intractable problem. They are solving it. No one anywhere can any longer say their problem is intractable.

We are a beacon of hope for God’s world and we will succeed.

Desmond Tutu is a human rights activist and former archbishop from South Africa. He is a Nobel Prize winner and is wellknown for his fight against apartheid. This speech was originally published in Peace Makers, the Fall 1998 issue of YES! Magazine.

The Path to Zero Ebola Cases Jim yong Kim NYT this destination, there are common activity must be on the intensity, qualprinciples that can guide them. Here ity and reach of tracking activities deep are five steps the world must take to- into the community. The communities gether. need to be engaged, empowered and First, we must find the resources true partners in the drive to zero. It will required, no matter the cost, to get to also begin these countries’ recovery zero cases as soon as possible. Any de- process by providing work for potenlay will dramatically increase the price tially thousands of local people, and in terms of both lives and money. For teach skills that are much needed to Senegal, the cost to treat one patient build effective community health care and track all of his contacts was more systems. than $1 million. For Nigeria, one inThird, response coordination and fected person led to 19 other cases, support mechanisms must move down and more than 19,000 contacts traced to the district level, with teams capable by over 800 health care of collecting and anaworkers at a cost of lyzing data to further more than $13 million. drive the intervention, In Guinea, Liberia and as well as to scale up Sierra Leone, there are diagnostics and triage not one or 10 active transmission lines, capabilities. We must especially focus but hundreds. Defeating Ebola now on one particular piece of data: The will cost billions — but it will spare the percentage of new cases not on previrest of the world from the spread of the ous contact lists. In other words, did virus, save lives in the countries, save trackers previously identify the people money over the long term, and help who are newly infected as contacts of the countries rebuild their economies. other cases, or do the new cases repreSecond, it is time to multiply the sent unidentified transmission lines? number of trained people to hunt This will tell us whether we’re winning down the virus. Responders must track or losing. Right now, in all three couneach contact of an infected person. tries, we have only partial data on this Done right, this strategy will eventually particular indicator.

Fourth, national response stratextinguish all transmission lines, ending the epidemic. The focus of this vital egies must be nimble and adapt

wRiTE-wiNg

to local conditions, rather than be bound by prior commitments. Liberia, for instance, has had the most recent success in the fight against the virus and has seen a dramatic drop in reported cases. When I was in Liberia, they counted 150 active cases — the lowest number in several months. Now there is an opportunity to aggressively set in motion a contact tracing program to stop the lines of transmission, one by one until it’s over.

Finally, we must empower the strong leaders in the region who head the response to extinguish the virus wherever it exists. On the ground, there are talented national staff who have been tested on the frontline. There are also international partners: the United States and the United Kingdom, other countries, the United Nations, and international nongovernmental organizations, which have deployed massive resources in support of national efforts. Together, they have stood fast and slowed down this horrific epidemic. We must now give them the freedom and resources to end it.

We have no choice but to beat Ebola. I return from West Africa admiring the leaders and the international responders. But we must also acknowledge that we have underestimated Ebola in the past and it’s possible we could do so again. We must not forget we have one goal only: zero cases.

Jim Yong Kim, a physician, anthropologist and former president of Dartmouth College, is president of the World Bank Group.

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PERSPECTIVE

Thursday

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

18 December 2014

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7 Restorative Justice NEWS ANALYSIS, FEATURE AND DISCOURSE

urying her son and walking away from his grave were the hardest things Thomas Ann Hines had ever done. Meeting her son's killer 13 years later was the second hardest.

In 1985, Paul Hines, Thomas Ann's only child, was a student at University of Texas in Austin when he was murdered three months before his graduation. He was 21 years old. A 17-year-old stranger had approached Paul in a video arcade and asked him for ride.

Once inside Paul's Camaro, the young man demanded the keys to the car. When Paul refused, the would-be thief shot him once in the chest and fled. Paul was found dead later that evening, slumped over in his Camaro, the car still running.

Thomas Ann was devastated. She wanted the death penalty, but due to the offender's age, he was given a 40year sentence instead.

“I was filled with rage, anger, fear, and pain,” says Thomas Ann, who lives just north of Dallas, Texas. “Every six months, without fail, I went to the parole board and asked, ‘Is he dead yet? Does he have AIDS? Has someone killed him?' I was so angry at the system. My son was executed without warning. Yet this person could sit in prison and watch television or play basketball, things my son enjoyed.”

She vented her grief through letter-writing. Mother's Day, her son's birthday, her own birthday, and the anniversary of Paul's death all became opportunities to express her anger and loss. The letters fattened the offender's file, adding testimony upon testimony against the occasion of his possible parole.

“Everyone says ‘seek closure,' as if you're supposed to fix it,” says Hines. “But it never goes away. You close the coffin, and it never goes away.”

Yet 13 years later, this past June 9th, at the Alfred D. Hughes Correctional Institute in Gatesville, Texas, Thomas Ann sat across from “Charles,” her son's murderer, now a 30-year-old man. “I wanted him to look in the eyes of the mother of the boy he had killed,” says Hines. “I wanted him to know there is love in the world.”

Hines met with Charles under the auspices of the Victim Offender Mediation/Dialogue program operated by the Texas Department of Victims' Services. She had decided to participate in the program in 1995, and it took Hines three years of mental and emotional preparation, both on her own and in consultation with people from the Mediation/Dialogue program, before she felt ready to meet Charles. The result, for both parties, was profound.

“The intensity and depth of emotion ran the whole gamut – from hopelessness and sheer despair to hope and a sense of faith,” says Dave Doerfler, who mediated the session. “Charles was locked in his pain, saying there was nothing he could do to bring back Paul's life.

But Thomas Ann was relentless – she broke through – and insisted while Charles couldn't do anything about her son's life, he could do something about his own.”

At the close of their emotional six-hour session, Thomas Ann and Charles reached an agreement whereby Charles would indeed do something about his life. He agreed to work on his GED and pursue vocational training. Additionally, with Thomas Ann's support, Charles listed personal and spiritual goals that might strengthen him as he prepared for his eventual release from prison.

Up to that point, Charles had amassed 148 disciplinary violations, losing up to 10 years of possible “good time.” But he now had something he did not have before: hope and the knowledge that someone loved him.

“You can't take away the sense of hope,” says Doerfler, who manages the Mediation/Dialogue program, which currently has a waiting list of 250 victims and survivors who wish to meet their offenders. “It's not just one thing, but a combination that makes the difference in these dialogues. They provide a real release for the victim from the bondage and obsession of the past. And the offender gains a sense of emotional and personal accountability, a sense of empathy that is often lacking in the repeat offender.

“Additionally, a ripple effect is created that starts with the personal and extends to an examination of the social, political, and economic realities that under-

Tag Evers

When her son was murdered in a hold-up attempt, all Thomas Ann Hines could think about was revenge. But a faceto-face meeting with her son's killer changed both of their lives gird our violent society,” continues Doerfler. “In other notion that crime constitutes a violation of one person words, these dialogues are about peacebuilding in the by another, resulting in harm that cannot be healed by the mere imposition of punishment. most fundamental of ways.”

Restorative justice recognizes the need for a threedimensional response that includes victims, offenders, From punishment to healing The Victim Offender Mediation/Dialogue program and communities. The victim in the restorative justice in Texas is one of 300 such projects in the United States, framework becomes an active participant in defining according to the Center for Restorative Justice and Me- the harm caused by the crime. This often involves a diation at the University of Minnesota. Additionally, face-to-face encounter – a mediated dialogue between there are over 700 victim-offender mediation programs the victim and the offender.

It's not an easy process for offenders to go through. operating in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

Victim-offender mediation was pioneered in On- When Charles walked into the room with Hines, she tario, Canada, in the mid-1970s by Mennonites in- saw “the pain in his eyes.” After explaining how difficult fluenced by biblical concepts of justice. The model it was to finally meet the man who killed her son, she is part of the growing “restorative justice” movement said, “But I will not be unkind to you in any way.”

Charles began crying, a flow of tears that continued which defines criminal offenses in terms of the harm done to victims and victimized communities and not for nearly the entire session. Victims often have questions for which they need answers. “Why did you pick merely as crimes against the state.

Interest in restorative justice in the United States has me?” is a common line of inquiry. Hines, as a victim grown considerably since the early 1990s. The Ameri- survivor, wanted to know how her son died.

“Charles,” she said, “you were last person to see my can Bar Association endorsed the practice of victim-offender mediation in 1994, and in 1996, the US Depart- son alive. Tell me what happened that night.” At that ment of Justice convened its first national conference point, Hines relates, “It wasn't about me anymore, it was about Charles.” on restorative justice.

Charles recounted the details of the fateful evening Historically, rehabilitating prisoners was central to the philosophy of the “corrections” system. Such ideals as they both cried and took turns wiping away each othhave suffered mightily as politicians and judges have ers tears. “I thought you'd holler and scream at me,” said ratcheted up the level of get-tough-on-crime rhetoric Charles. “I thought you'd want me dead.”

“Yes, I did. I once wanted you dead,” said Hines. “But with every election cycle.

The result is massive overcrowding of prison facili- you never had a chance, Charles.” In her preparation ties and the punitive warehousing of America's inmate for the dialogue, Hines learned how Charles had been population. Nationwide, an estimated 1.73 million peo- put out on the streets at the age of 13, how he had taken ple are now behind bars. Typically, expenditures on up a life of crime and drug-dealing to survive. “My little corrections are the fastest growing component of state boy went to bed every night,” said Hines, “tucked in by a budgets, and in several states, including California, to- mother who adored him. You never had that, Charles.” tal expenditures on corrections eclipses that spent on Broken pieces of humanity higher education.

In the prevailing “retributive” model of criminal There were two major turning points in Hines' long, justice, the role of the state is to prosecute offenders on painful journey leading up to her meeting with Charles. behalf of injured parties. The injured parties, the actual The first, she relates, occurred four years after Paul's victims, and their communities are typically relegated murder, when she began to reach out to other parents to a passive role. Lost in the adversarial process is the of murdered children.

“When you're talking about restorative justice,” she says, “it began for me when I started reaching out to others and helping them through their pain, because I didn't have anyone to help me when I was there.”

The second turning point took place in 1994, when Raven Kazen, director of the Texas Department of Victims Services, asked Hines to participate in a victims' panel at a maximum security prison in Huntsville.

“Oh my gosh, I went with the intention of giving them a piece of my mind,” says Hines. Instead, when she took her place on the panel, before an audience of 200 prisoners, all she could see “was a sea of broken pieces of humanity.” It overwhelmed her, she claims: “I looked at them, and all of a sudden, I became a mother again.”

After her presentation, one inmate stood up and asked her why she bothered to come to the prison.

“The question hit me right smack between the eyes,” recalls Hines. “I looked at him and said: ‘If my son was sitting in this room, I'd want someone to reach out a hand and lift him up.'”

Hines says the experience helped her take her anger and transform it into something positive, both within her and in the lives of prisoners. She has become somewhat of a prisoner's advocate and speaks several times a week at prisons all over the state of Texas. Each time she goes with a mother's love.

“The criminal justice system operates on the principle that if someone is down, you kick 'em,” says Hines.

“Until we start looking at the roots of crime instead of the results, it's not going to change.”

Prisons or peace?

Restorative justice offers a powerful critique of our flawed criminal justice system. More severe penalties and longer sentences associated with high-cost prisonbuilding sprees are diverting much needed funds from programs that could prevent crime from occurring in the first place.

By addressing the harm done to victims and developing accountability and competency in the offender, restorative justice efforts such as Texas' Mediation/Dialogue program are on the cutting edge of the growing peacebuilding ethos taking root in contemporary society.

Already, new restorative-justice models that incorporate greater community involvement, such as the sentencing circles used by the First Nations in Canada, are being explored. In New Zealand, for example, a family-group conferencing model based on native Maori traditions has helped produce an 80 percent reduction in that country's juvenile caseload. These approaches welcome input from family members of both victim and offender, as well as community residents, as their respective needs are addressed in a holistic context with the aim of reintegrating the offender into the community.

“Hope is the foundation,” reiterates Doerfler, “but it's just the foundation. We can't expect too much of the process, nor can we be overly simplistic, but if we build on hope, emphasizing education, self-esteem, and a social and spiritual support system for both the offender and the victim, good things can happen.”

Just ask Thomas Ann Hines. “At the close of our session, I said to Charles: ‘I had a choice – I could spend the rest of my life hating you. But I don't hate you. I just want you to move forward with your life.'

“As we parted, Charles reached out and wrapped his arms around me. I've had lots of hugs in my life, but besides Paul, I can't think of a person in the world I'd rather have hug me.”

It is time to examine our choices. According to the Minnesota Office of Drug Policy, failure in school is statistically more closely linked with criminal activity than smoking is with cancer. We can live in a society that spends more on managing its criminal population than it does to educate its citizens – a society that has little to invest in low-income youth but plenty to spend on punishing them.

Or we can choose the opposite, funding prevention programs, such as family education and support initiatives that deal with child abuse and neglect. Prison building or peace building: the choice is simple.

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Towards a peaceful global village

Peace-oriented Initiatives Art and culture, in their mellowed form and in their quietude can be harbingers of peace. Throughout the year 2014, there were reports from various parts of the world, about peace efforts, which were developed and encouraged. Many major or minor art and culture related events or people throughout the year (or a mix), which or who have caused rejoicing and harmony within any part of the entire global village, for whatever period of time, therefore, deserve mention and should be applauded.

The field of art, music, cinema, cartoons, and even simple peace forums, conferences, turned into grounds where several enterprises continued their ongoing efforts.

Many people associated with these ventures were artists, authors, writers, poets, musicians, calligraphers, cartoonists, filmmakers, organizers, or anyone (even a community tailored group)—who tried to make a difference by encouraging nonviolence and serenity within the world and also brought focus on peace related issues.

Even individual world-cinematic ventures or pieces of art, craft, music or dance that were made or anything creative or culturally inclined had peace as its core message.

In the following passages are mentioned three peace initiatives from 2014. They are representative of every other genuine effort from 2014, made toward spreading peace in the world. One of them is a US-based film festival—because films and documentaries have the ability to reach out to everyone. The second is an organisation dedicated to cartoons and their ability to express the futility of wars with subtlety. The third is a musical endeav-

create a tremendous rippling peace-effect.

Global peace film festival 2014, Florida The executive director of the film festival, Nina Streich, shares her thoughts and information from the festival with us. “The Global Peace Film Festival (GPFF) was founded in mid-2003. The first festival was held in December 2003. It was the idea of the initial founder who wanted to have a film festival dedicated to peace in response to the Iraq War. I wanted to make sure it was not a film festival about or against war (or more specifically the Iraq War) but presented a positive vision of the many aspects of peace, from personal and family to community, environmental and global.

The original mission statement for the GPFF is very simple: to use the power of the motion picture to further the goal of peace on earth. The name is meant to draw attention to the importance of civic engagement for a more peaceful world, using film and creative media as a vehicle for this discussion. One of the goals of the GPFF is to encourage active engagement from the audience. We program films that inspire the audience to do something positive regarding the issue(s) in the film that they see.

One can see descriptions of all the films in the 2014 festival in the program book for the entire festival. Films from over 23 countries were included in the festival. Something that all the films have in common is the commitment of the filmmakers to tell stories about important issues that are both entertaining and educational. The entire 2014 program was well received.

Some of the films that received the best responses were “1971”, a film about eight ordinary Americans who broke into an FBI field office and stole hundreds of files. It has great relevance today regarding privacy issues, and the attendance of Bonnie Raines, one of the subjects of the film was extremely well received. The opening night film was “CinemAbility,” a comprehensive and entertaining look at how disability has been portrayed in American cinema and television. “Beyond the Divide” is a moving film

he world needs peace, harmony, and non-violence. Irrespective of race, creed, religion and other aspects of life, the world could hypothetically and ideally be treated as a global village, where peace and harmony should reign supreme, not otherwise; where neighbors should live with each other, with understanding and compassion. Although there may be certain dissimilarities or differences within the communities living in this global village, but peace should be the ultimate goal pursued by everyone. Peace has many forms, but it all flows back to the center—a center of understanding and resolution.

Trisha Bhattacharya

cartoonists have portrayed their sentiments on wars, bloodshed and violence. Some of these expositions were given names, to depict the themes of peace the creations aimed to quietly convey, such as, “What a damned foolishness war is!” and “Every State of War”.

The events organized by the association also allowed editorial cartoonists to come together under one roof and gave cartoonists worldwide, freedom to subtly inform audiences of calmer possibilities and of the repercussions of war, and therefore, perpetuate peace through cartoons. It is this particular effort from the affiliation that is worth lauding, where they stress on how terrible war can be. The organization also has other functions intended at together a Vietnam veteran and a peace ac- empowering cartoonists and their journalistic work. Any other aspects, those related to satire tivist to find common ground.

“Every Three Seconds” introduces the and political viewpoints of the group would suit audience to five ordinary people who are a different page altogether though. doing extraordinary things to alleviate suf- Shanti, a Journey of Peace, 2014 fering and extreme poverty around the “Shanti explores the meaning and mesworld. And the Academy Award nominated sage of peace through multi-layered choral short documentary “Prison Terminal: The music with a multi-ethnic choir—with a ‘new Last Days of Private Jack Hall”, takes the au- soundscape’ that of raga-based Indian mudience behind the walls of one of America’s sic complemented with a traditional western oldest maximum security prisons to tell the choral sound. I started writing work for comstory of the final months of a terminally ill bined choruses and building such groups prisoner and the hospice volunteers, them- back in 1996. Shanti premiered in 2004 with selves prisoners, who care for him. a 120 member choir. I founded the first IndiThe 2015 Global Peace Film Festival will an American choir in the US in Cincinnati in take place in Orlando and Winter Park, FL, 1994. Since then I have founded many such from September 29th - October 4th. There is Indian diaspora choirs in cities across North also an online part of the festival so people America, and now the latest in Holland. anywhere in the world can watch a selection The idea of these choirs is to create choral of films.” —Nina Streich, Executive Director music based on the raga traditions of India, and Creator, Global Peace Film Festival building a community choir using the talents of the Indian American Diaspora; creating a Cartooning for Peace, 2014 Cartooning for Peace 2014 - This orga- stage where ancient Indian musical and other nization was set up in 2006 by the famous traditions interact with classical western art; French Editorial Cartoonist Plantu and the bringing communities together through world then Secretary General of the UN, and No- music; pivoting the idea of Universal Peace— bel Peace Prize winner Mr. Kofi Annan. The and creating awareness about ancient Indian organization was created to establish the ideas of peace and interconnectedness. freedom of the press and to facilitate the creIn 2014, we performed our flagship proative expression of cartoonists from around gram Shanti - a Journey of peace—celebrating the world. The group has carried out several its 10th anniversary in Cincinnati with a cast of exhibitions in parts of France, Switzerland 250 and an audience of 2000 in a spectacular and other parts of the world in 2014 and performance. We built a new choir in Atlanta

Peace is not merely the absence of war, but the lessening of human suffering and the domination of love and compassion

and an audience of about 1000. We also performed 'Chitram - A Portrait of India’ showcasing the philosophy behind the diversity seen in India—in Houston, to an audience of 1200.

I also wrote a brand new work 'Sangam To Silicon Valley’ in 2014—in Tamil—built a new choir in Chicago—and performed this at the annual convention of the Tamil Nadu Foundation to an audience of over 1000. Created 'Ragas in Symphony’ and performed it in the Netherlands—this was a collaboration between the newly founded Surinamese choir (2013) and the Dario Fo choir and the Residentie Orkest in a very prestigious venue in Hague.

I also mentored the Tampa Indian choir that I founded in 2009 and performed 'Sharad' in Tampa—celebrating the message of ‘detachment’ or ‘letting go’ as seen by the mature leaves in the autumn season. The audience response was phenomenal. Each of these shows had nonstop standing ovations. The orchestration included: Indian and Western choir. Western classical orchestra had: Strings (violins, viola, cello, bass, woodwinds, and percussion), also, sitar, tabla, veena, mridangam and others.

Each of these performances was choreographed to dances from around India.

My projects facilitate the interaction of diverse international groups through music— by making the theme of universal peace central to all productions—they also celebrate threads of commonality across culture. We get to see that we have more in common than we think we do! There has been interest in recreating the Shanti experience in Texas and DC. I will be conducting workshops for children culminating in such choral concerts in Atlanta and DC.” —Kanniks Kannikeswaran, Composer and Conductor, Cincinnati Conclusion Several other such harmonious organizations tried to foster tolerance and acceptance throughout the world in the year 2014.

Their work is of immense value, irrespective of scale, for the relief and support they bring to those in need of a peaceful existence, especially those living in unhealthy and disharmonious conditions or to those in need. As the focus is brought to serenity and a more tolerant world is encouraged, a gradual but definite growth in peace can be hoped for, in the com-

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NATIONAL

Thursday 18 December 2014

The Morung Express

‘Terror incidents call for world to come together’ New Delhi, December 17 (iANS): The Sydney cafe hostage crisis and the Peshawar school horror are a call to the world to stand up and counter terror together, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj Wednesday said.

Making a statement on the two terror attacks in both houses of parliament, Sushma Swaraj said though both the incidents are seemingly “disparate” in nature, they are a call to join hands to “comprehensively and decisively defeat terrorism”.

The Pakistani Taliban slaughtered 141 people, 132 of them children, in a brazen terror attack on an army-run school in Pakistan’s Peshawar city Tuesday. In Australia, a 16hour hostage crisis ended early Tuesday after police stormed a cafe in the heart of Sydney where an Iranborn cleric had taken 17 people, including two Indians, hostage.

The minister said: “The events of the last two days were on two different continents, in different hemispheres, on our two opposite flanks. While seemingly disparate, both are manifestations of the darkening shadow of terrorism”.

“Both these developments, taken together, are a clarion call for all those who believe in humanity to join hands to decisively and comprehensively defeat terrorism. On our part, India stands ready to play its role in this global endeavour,” she added.

“Once again, terrorism raised its ugly head Dec 15, 2014, when an armed

person held 17 people hostage in Sydney, Australia. At about 0945 hrs local time, in Lindt Cafe in Martin Place, a busy part of Sydney’s Central Business District, a hostage drama unfolded.

The hostages included Mr. Pushpendu Ghosh and Mr. Viswakanta Ankireddy, both young IT professionals from Infosys working on an assignment with Westpac Bank located close to the Cafe. While Mr Ghosh is an Indian citizen, Mr. Ankireddy is an Australian national of Indian origin,” she informed the two houses.

The minister added that the government maintained close contact with Australian security agencies to monitor the security of Ghosh and Ankireddy.

“The prime minister himself was constantly monitoring the whole situation,” she said adding that both were rescued safely. “Even before the reverberations from the terrorist attack in Sydney to our East ended, one of the most horrific killings in recent times were perpetrated on our west, in Peshawar. The enormity of this crime, the cowardly nature of the massacre, the barbaric brutality of the killing of 132 innocent school children and 9 others, yesterday (Tuesday), have evoked revulsion all around,” said the minister.

“The prime minister has informed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that the people of India shared the heart-rending pain and sorrow of the bereaved families and the people of Pakistan and stood with them in solidarity,” Sushma Swaraj added.

Beef up security at schools, public places, states told

India schoolgirls offer prayers for victims killed in a Taliban attack on a military-run school in Peshawar, in Mumbai on Wednesday, December 17. Pakistan is mourning as the nation prepares for mass funerals for more than 141 people, most of them children, a day after seven Taliban gunmen, explosives strapped to their bodies, stormed the army public school. (AP Photo)

New Delhi, December 17 (iANS): The central government has asked states to beef up security, especially in educational institutions, following the terror attack at an army-run school in Pakistan, union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said Wednesday.

“I just want to say that all state governments have been issued an advisory by the home ministry,” he told reporters outside parliament on being asked whether steps have been taken by the government to secure educational institutions. The advisory, issued late Tuesday night, said in view of terror attack on the Pakistani school, a terror incident in Sydney and “heightened possibility of terrorist attack” in India in the light of upcoming visit of the US president, all states and other authorities concerned have been asked to remain alert.

“The law enforcement agencies should take all measures towards target hardening of vulnerable places and installations. This includes public places with high footfalls, public transport, including railways, and schools in particular,” the advisory said.

In the light of the attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar in which over 140 people, mostly children, were killed, the advisory said: “There appears to be an immediate requirement to scale up security around schools and other educational institution which are considered more valuable due to a variety of factors.”

Schools across India observe two-minute silence

New Delhi, December 17 (Pti): Schools across the country observed a two-minute silence on Wednesday in a show of solidarity with Pakistan following an appeal from Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the dastardly terror attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar.

Special prayers were also held in some schools with children sporting black bands, many of them carrying placards in memory of the children who lost their lives. Candles were also lit as children reflected on the tragedy in silence. “Save the Globe from cruelty, the world is one,” read one placard carried by students of a school in Kanpur.

As many as 132 children were among the 141 people who were massacred yesterday when seven heavily armed Taliban suicide bombers stormed a Pakistan army-run school in Peshawar firing indiscriminately.

“In the wake of dastardly attack in Pakistan, I appeal to schools across India to observe 2 mins of silence tomorrow as a mark of solidarity.,” Modi tweeted last night after he spoke to his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif offering his “deepest condolences” on the attack. Modi also said that India stands firmly with Pakistan in the fight against terrorists. Some students also penned poems condemning the

Peshawar carnage.

“We had a special morning assembly during which we observed two minutes silence paying homage to victims of terrorism. Some of our students had penned poems decrying the grusome incident. We held a poetry reading session too,” said Ameeta Mulla Wattal, Principal of Springdales School in Delhi.

Students of Sadhu Vaswani School in Shanti Niketan formed a human chain condemning the ghastly attack. Some students also held placards–“Save the world from terrorism, we are one”, “Ideas are bulletproof” and “bullets won’t deter us from learning”, “Let humanity prevail

over barbarism.”

A special prayer meeting after observance of 2 minute silence was held at the Air Force School in Delhi Cantonment.

“We also held a mock security drill to check emergency response situation,” said Deepika T Singh, Principal of the school.

Students at Tagore International school organized a signature campaign to show solidarity with Pakistan.

In Srinagar, funeral prayers were held in absentia in memory of the victims at the Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area.

The prayers were organised by chairman of moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz

Umar Farooq.

Hundreds of people joined the special prayers which were followed by a peaceful protest led by the Mirwaiz.

The protestors held black banners with messages of solidarity with the bereaved families who lost their dear ones.

Addressing the protestors, the Mirwaiz said the barbaric killing of innocent children was against the teachings of Islam.

“There is no place for terrorism in Islam. This act of cowardice has nothing to do with either Islam or Jihad. The people involved in this act are bringing disrepute to religion of Islam,” he said.

India making progress Bill in RS to provide for Govt plans campaign to allay death penalty for hijackers fears over mobile tower radiation in halting TB incidences New Delhi, December 17 (Pti): A bill seeking stringent punishment including death penalty for hijackers and giving right to security forces to shoot down an aircraft which may be used as a missile, was introduced in the Rajya Sabha today.

The Anti-Hijacking (Amendment) Bill 2014 was introduced

by Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju after he withdrew a similar bill of 2010 amid din over demand for reply by PM to debate on rising incidents of communal violence.

The new legislation to amend the anti-hijack law has been brought to incorporate latest global treaties like the Beijing Protocol, 2010 of the UN body International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which have been signed and ratified by India.

The protocol, which provides for stringent measures to deal with civilian aircraft being used as a weapon of mass destruction by terrorists, was brought about after incidents like the hijack of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 in 1999 and the September 11, 2001 terror

strikes in the United States.

The earlier bill did not contain such stringent measures to deal with hijacking as the Beijing Protocol and other global agreements came later. The Anti-Hijacking Act 1982, which is now sought to be amended, provides for imprisonment for life and fine for the offence of hijacking. The erstwhile UPA government had last year decided to withdraw the 2010 bill and incorporate the fresh changes and bring a new legislation to amend the 1982 law.

Besides death penalty for hijackers, the proposed law would give teeth to concerned agencies and security forces to immobilise an aircraft and allow the Indian Air Force to scramble its fighters to intercept a hijacked aircraft and force it to land.

A hostile plane could also be shot down if there is evidence that it could be used as a missile to hit a vital installation. The legislation provides that anyone, alone or in concert with others, who commit acts like seizure or control of an aircraft by force or any form of intimidation would be deemed to have committed the offence of hijacking.

Kochi, December 17 (iANS): Following a high court order, the Department of Telecom (DoT) has asked its technical monitoring wing to spread awareness among the public and remove “undue apprehensions” in their minds over the adverse impact of radiation from mobile phone towers on their health.

“Telecom Enforcement Resource and Monitoring (TERM) units are requested to take necessary action to spread public awareness to allay undue apprehensions in respect of possible health effects from electro-magnetic field radiations,” a letter to DoT’s technical arm said.

The direction, a copy of which is available with IANS, follows a recent Gujarat High Court verdict that base stations for wireless data and mobile communications pose no threat to health if prescribed norms are followed.

The 25-page order of a bench of Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J.B. Pardiwala said the authorities concerned must educate the people that they had no reason to fear for their health due to radio frequency emissions from base stations in their vicinity.

The order came on an appeal by some residents of an Ahmedabad neighbourhood who wanted a direction to the authorities to disallow Reliance Jio, which is seeking to extend pan-India 4G services, from using a mobile base station in their neighbourhood.

The petitioners had feared that since the base station in question was just outside the garden of their residential premises, they would be exposed to constant radiation, which could cause severe health hazards - a premise that was dismissed by the court. The letter from the telecom department said the technical wing’s Ahmedabad unit has already taken various steps like coordinating workshops and interacting with print and electronic media to allay fear among general public on radiation.

Debates are also underway among various stakeholders of the industry on whether the radiation is at all harmful for the human health, but experts always advice that some precautionary measures are good to adopt.

“Though the radiation from mobile towers is non-ionising and cannot break the DNA, it is always better to adopt precaution-

ary measures,” Rajesh Dixit, an expert on the subject who works at the epidemiology department of Tata Memorial Centre, told IANS. Earlier the government has repeatedly mentioned the specified limit of mobile radiation is a 10th of International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) norms, which is adopted by 90 percent of the member countries.

“We have to take a balanced view in this matter. We have to remove the fear from the minds of the people,” said R.K. Arnold, a member with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), at a seminar organised by the Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI. “We need to start an awareness campaign to achieve that. We have conducted various studies and the TRAI have concluded recently that so far there is no such proof of health hazard from EMF radiation or otherwise.”

This apart, the World Health Organisation is also reviewing this aspect. This global body intends to come out with a report by mid-21015 that will indicate how the situation looks like.

PUNe, December 17 (tNN): India accounts for onefifth of the global incidence of tuberculosis (TB), but India has made progress in halting its prevalence. Treatment success rates have remained steady at 86-87 per cent over the last five years and prevalence of TB has steadily declined the UNDP has stated.

The Indian government in its answer presented in Lok Sabha has stated that report on Tuberculosis Research Funding Trends, 2005-2013 published in 2014 by Treatment Action Group (TAG), an activist organization, shows annual research and development (R&D) spending by pharmaceutical companies for TB of $99.6 million by this sector in 2013 has fallen below the $99.9 million industry spent on TB research in 2009.

The budgetary allocation on TB research has gone up in the last three years, from Rs 3837 lakh in 2011-12 to Rs 4571 lakh in 2012-13 to Rs 5103 lakh in year 2013-14 for National Institute for Research on Tuberculosis (NIRT), Chennai.

Similarly, budgetary releases by RNTCP for Operational Research has gone up from Rs 43.32 lakh in 201112 to Rs 63.80 lakh in 2012-13 to Rs 215.82 lakh in the year 2013-14. Information regarding Private Sector spending on TB research is not available with The Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP).

As per ICMR, Research work on TB by the government has not declined in India. In addition to the two ICMR disease specific research institutes, NIRT, Chennai and National JALMA Institute for Leprosy and Other Mycobacterial Diseases (NJIL&OMD), Agra, ICMR’s six permanent Regional Medical Research Centers (RMRC’s) have also started supporting Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) in Drug susceptibility testing (DST) activities and are actively involved in TB research.

India criticises UN Security Council Opposition targets govt over Christmas holiday for disregarding members’ opinions

UNiteD NAtioNS, December 17 (iANS): India has criticised the decisionmaking process of the Security Council, saying it disregards the voices of non-members while acting on matters important to them.

Speaking at the Council Tuesday on UN-African Union (AU) partnership in peacekeeping operations, India’s Acting Permanent Representative Bhagwant S. Bishnoi regretted that “it may be infructuous for us to express our views” if the Council acts “before opening the floor to non-members”. He was referring to a statement adopted by the Council on cooperation between the UN and AU even before the nations that were deeply invested in peacekeeping in Africa got a chance to speak in the open debate on the issue.

He noted that India is the largest overall contributor to UN peacekeeping operations having sent more than 170,000 Indian troops to 43 of the 69 of the UN peace-keeping opera-

tions so far. “We have considerable experience in this field,” he said. “We, therefore, feel we are well placed to comment on the subject at hand.”

As of November, India had 8,141 personnel under the UN’s blue flag, 7,077 of them troops, 62 military experts and 1,002 police and most of them serve in African operations.

Security Council decisions on peace-keeping in Africa would impact the Indian contingents serving there.

Bishnoi referred to a recommendation made by a panel on UN-AU cooperation that was headed by former Italian prime minister Romano Pardi that proposed that the UN fund AU peacekeeping operations for six months and with the approval of the Council and the General Assembly bring the AU missions under UN management within six months.

He said India’s recommendation to the Council would be to ask Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to draw up roadmap for implementing Pardi Panel

recommendations.

While regional arrangements can help the UN in peace-keeping, the world body should continue to have the primary role, he said. The regional organization’s role “must be to reinforce rather than to replace that of the UN”.

With the “regionalisation and subregionalisation of peacekeeping” he said, “We need to also start worrying if the impartiality of the UN forces is called into question.”

India has criticised the working of the Security Council which decides on vital international issues like peacekeeping operations for its lack of transparency and accountability, and for not being open to ideas from other UN members.

There is a universal demand for reforming the Security Council, which has 15 members, five of them permanent with veto powers and the rest elected, to ensure wider global representation.

New Delhi, December 17 (iANS): The issue of schools being asked to remain open on Christmas to mark “good governance day” was again raised in the Lok Sabha Wednesday, with the opposition parties staging a walkout over the issue.

The Congress also threatened to move a privilege motion against Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu and Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani for “misleading” the house. The issue was raised during zero hour by the Congress’s K.C. Venugopal, who said he had raised the issue in the last 2 days but the government’s response has been misleading.

“Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu has informed the house that there is no circular. This is totally misleading,” he said, adding that Naidu should apologise for misleading the country. “Schools have been asked to send videos to show that students observed ‘good governance day’. How can they send videos of the function without opening the school?” he asked.

Venugopal alleged that “the HRD ministry was running the

agenda of the Sangh Parivar”.

Responding to his remarks, Naidu said it was the Congress whose agenda was run according to one ‘parivar’ (family).

“People should not allow politicisation of this issue. This is a sensitive issue. Let us not mislead the country,” he said.

“There is no disrespect for Christmas. Let us not try to create unnecessary tension in the country,” Naidu added. At this point, the opposition parties, including the Congress, staged a walkout from the house. The Congress also threatened to move a privilege motion against Naidu and Irani, alleging that they misled the house over circulars issued to schools for events Dec 25.

Congress parliamentarian Jyotiraditya Scindia told the media outside parliament that the HRD ministry issued three circulars to the CBSE and Navodaya schools and universities, contrary to the government’s claim that no circular to celebrate Dec 25 as ‘good governance day’ was issued to Navodaya schools. He said if the ministers were found to be “misleading”, his party would

use “all options”, including a privilege motion.

“The government has several times said in parliament and outside that no circular was issued. Today, we have received three circulars,” he said.

He also asked the government to come clean and give an explanation on the issue. “We asked the parliamentary affairs minister and human resource development minister to clari-

fy whether such circulars were issued or not, because both the ministers have told the house that no such circular was issued by the government.”

“If it is found that the ministers have said a wrong thing or have tried to mislead the house, then there should be action against it. The government is trying to mislead parliament on the issue, which is why we staged a walkout,” Scindia said.

Indians living in a shanty area by a railroad track gather by a public tap to ready themselves for the day in New Delhi on Wednesday, December 17. A 2013 census report with India’s first complete count of its vast slum population says one in six people in Indian cities live in some 100,000 sprawling slums with conditions “unfit for human habitation.” (AP Photo)

InternatIonal

the Morung express

Thursday 18 December 2014

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Aussie PM: System failed to track siege gunman

Thousands of people line up at a temporary memorial site to leave flower tributes after a siege at the Lindt cafe in the central business district of Sydney, Australia on December 17. The siege ended early Tuesday with a barrage of gunfire that left two hostages and the Iranian-born gunman dead, and a nation that has long prided itself on its peace rocked to its core. (AP Photo)

SYDNEY, DEcEmbEr 17 (AP): Australia’s prime minister acknowledged Wednesday that the nation’s security system failed to keep track of a gunman responsible for a deadly siege at a Sydney cafe, and promised a transparent investigation into why the man was not on any terror watch list despite having a long criminal history.

Man Haron Monis, a 50-year-old Iranian-born, self-styled cleric described

by Prime Minister Tony Abbott as deeply disturbed, took 17 people hostage inside a downtown Sydney cafe on Monday. Sixteen hours later, the siege ended in a barrage of gunfire when police rushed in to

free the captives. Two hostages were killed along with Monis.

“The system did not adequately deal with this individual,” Abbott conceded on Wednesday. “Two very decent people are dead, others are injured, others are traumatized because of a madman who was roaming our streets.”

Monis was convicted and sentenced last year to 300 hours of community service for sending what a judge called “grossly offensive” letters to families of soldiers killed in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2009. He later was charged with being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife.

Earlier this year, he was

Extra vitamin E can protect against pneumonia NEw York, DEcEmbEr 17 (IANS): A little extra intake of vitamin E can help regulate an ageing immune system, protecting the body from a bacterial infection that commonly causes pneumonia, a research has found.

Sunflower seeds, tomatoes, mangoes, and kiwis are rich sources of vitamin E, among other foods. “A growing body of research suggests vitamin E could make up for the loss of immune response caused by aging,” said co-senior author Simin Nikbin Meydani from Tufts University, US. People, aged over 65, are at a high risk for developing pneumonia, an inflammation of the lungs typically caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. The research team studied older male mice before and after they were infected with the pneumonia-causing bacteria.

The experimental group of mice was fed extra amount of vitamin E, equivalent to about 200 IU (international unit)/day consumed by humans -about 10 times the recommended daily allowance but below the upper limit.

Compared to the mice that had normal amount of vitamin E in their diet, the mice fed extra vitamin E had 1,000 times fewer bacteria in their lungs. They also had two times fewer the number of white blood cells (neutrophils) The reduced number of bacteria and white blood cells resulted in less lung damage in the older mice who received extra vitamin E. These mice were able to control the infection as efficiently as young mice.

“Whether vitamin E can help protect people against this type of pneumonia affecting older adults requires more research,” Meydani added.

Average-looking people are more trustworthy NEw York, DEcEmbEr 17 (IANS): People may not find average-looking faces most attractive but they are considered to be the most trustworthy, researchers say.

During an experiment, they found that typically average-looking faces are considered more trustworthy than attractive ones.

“Face typicality likely indicates familiarity and cultural affiliation. These findings have important implications for understanding social perception, including cross-cultural perceptions and interactions,” explained lead researcher Carmel Sofer from Princeton University in New Jersey and Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands.

Sofer and colleagues wondered whether typicality might be more directly tied to perceptions of trustworthiness. In one experiment, they created a “typical” face by digitally averaging 92 female faces and also created an “attractive” face by averaging the 12 most attractive faces from another set of faces.

They then combined both faces into one and created nine variations that had differing levels of at-

tractiveness and typicality.

The final result was a continuum of 11 faces which ranged from least attractive to most attractive, with the most typical face occupying the midpoint.

Female participants viewed these face variations and used a nine-point scale to rate them on either trustworthiness or attractiveness; over the course of the study, the participants saw and rated each face three times.

The researchers only included female participants so as to eliminate potential cross-gender differences in how people perceive and evaluate faces.

The resulting ratings revealed a sort of U-shaped relationship between face typicality and trustworthiness: The closer a face was to the most typical face, the more trustworthy it was considered to be.

“By showing the influence of face typicality on perceived trustworthiness, our findings cast a new light on how face typicality influences social perception,” the researchers wrote.

The study was published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

charged with the 2002 sexual assault of a woman. He had been out on bail on all the charges.

Just three days before Monis began his deadly rampage, Australia’s highest court refused to hear his appeal against his convictions for sending the letters.

High Court documents show that Chief Justice Robert French and Justice Chief Stephen Gageler ruled at 9:50 a.m. on Friday that the full bench of their court would not hear Monis’s constitutional challenge to his convictions. At 9:44 a.m. the next business day, a shotgun-wielding Monis walked into the cafe, just a short stroll from the courtroom where the rul-

ing was delivered.

Abbott said the government would publish a report on how the siege unfolded, why Monis was not on the nation’s terrorism watch list, and how he managed to obtain a shotgun in a country with strict gun ownership laws.

The prime minister acknowledged it was impossible for security agencies to monitor everyone, forcing them to make judgment calls about who posed the greatest risk for committing violence against innocent people.

“We want to know why he wasn’t being monitored given his history of violence, his history of mental instability and his history

of infatuation with extremism,” Abbott said.

New South Wales state police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said police had asked that Monis not be granted bail, but the court ruled otherwise. “We were concerned that this man got bail from the very beginning,” Scipione said.

Asked why Monis was not on any national security watch list, Scipione noted that the charges Monis faced were not politically motivated. “Can we, should we, would we?

Clearly, we work on a priority-based system so if somebody is on a national security watch list, then we pay particular attention to them,” he said. “But on this occasion, this particular individual was not.”

The siege began when Monis walked into the Lindt Chocolat Cafe during Monday morning rush hour, trapping 17 customers and staffers inside. He had some of the hostages record videos of themselves reciting his demands: to be delivered a flag of the Islamic State group and to speak directly with Abbott. He forced some to hold a flag with an Islamic declaration of faith above the shop window’s festive inscription of “Merry Christmas.”

Some of the hostages had managed to escape from the cafe earlier in the day. Among the first group to flee was 83-year-old John O’Brien, who told reporters he had originally stopped

into the cafe for a quick cup of coffee after finishing up an appointment with his eye doctor.

“I have never felt such a relief as I did when I turned that corner and saw the armed police waiting,” he said, declining to go into any specifics of what happened in the cafe because he was still talking to police.

Thousands of tearful Australians continued to pour into Martin Place on Wednesday, a plaza in the heart of Sydney’s financial and shopping district where the Lindt cafe is located. A makeshift memorial had grown into a mountain of flowers left to honor the hostages killed: Katrina Dawson, a 38-yearold lawyer and mother of three, and Tori Johnson, the cafe’s 34-year-old manager.

Officials have not said if the two died in crossfire as police stormed in or were shot by their captor.

Small boxes of Lindt chocolates had been left among the candles, flowers and cards, and a steady stream of mourners signed memory books for the victims. A wooden cross with the words “I’ll ride with you!” lay nearby, referring to the hashtag #IllRideWithYou which was tweeted tens of thousands of times by Australians offering to accompany people dressed in Muslim clothes who were afraid of a backlash.

Bouquets were also attached to the police barricades that surround the

cafe, along with an Australian flag emblazoned with the words, “Vale Tori Johnson” and “Hero,” a nod to reports that Johnson brought the standoff to an end by grabbing Monis’ shotgun, saving the lives of most of his fellow hostages.

“Apparently seeing an opportunity, Tori grabbed the gun,” Sydney’s Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher said at a memorial service on Tuesday. “Tragically, it went off, killing him. But it triggered the response of police and eventual freedom for most of the hostages.”

Monis grew up in Iran as Mohammad Hassan Manteghi. In 1996, he established a travel agency, but took his clients’ money and fled, Iran’s police chief, Gen. Ismail Ahmadi Moghaddam, told the country’s official IRNA news agency Tuesday.

Australia accepted him as a refugee around that time.

The police chief said Iran tried to have Monis extradited from Australia in 2000, but that it didn’t happen because Iran and Australia don’t have an extradition agreement.

New South Wales courts have become more likely to release defendants awaiting trial on bail rather than hold them in custody in part to reduce prisoner numbers in Australia’s most populous state.

“There is a real problem with overcrowding of prisons and there is a real need to manage rates of incar-

ceration,” said Greg Barton, a global terrorism expert at Monash University in Melbourne.

The standoff ended at around 2 a.m. Tuesday when heavily armed police stormed into the cafe.

Channel Seven cameraman Greg Parker witnessed the siege from the network’s studios, which are located opposite to the cafe. The network broadcast live footage from the scene until police asked that they cut the feed. The cameraman said in an interview with the network on Wednesday that a police sniper soon joined him, as he had the perfect vantage point to see through the cafe’s windows.

As the siege dragged into the night, Parker said Monis grew visibly agitated, shoving the hostages and positioning them between himself and the windows. When a gunshot rang out just after 2 a.m., the sniper said, “Window two, hostage down,” prompting police to storm the cafe.

“If they hadn’t have moved when they moved this could have been much, much worse,” said Scipione, the police commissioner.

Four people were injured, including three women who were hospitalized in stable condition after being treated for gunshot wounds, and a police officer who was released from the hospital after being treated for shotgun pellet wounds.

Myanmar: Magazine must go with the river’s flow

YANGoN, DEcEmbEr 17 (AP): It was easy for Myanmar’s former military government to change the name of the country’s mightiest river, but a magazine ordered to make the same change is putting up a fight.

State-run newspapers published an Information Ministry announcement Tuesday telling the Irrawaddy Publishing Group that it must change the names of its two pub-

lications named after the Irrawaddy River to use the spelling “Ayeyawady.”

That’s what the former ruling junta renamed the river in 1989, when it also changed the country’s name from Burma to Myanmar and the then-capital from Rangoon to Yangon.

The announcement said use of the old spellings contravenes the “Adaptation of Expression” law.

Aung Zaw, the publish-

ing group’s founding editor-in-chief and recent recipient of an International Press Freedom award from the Committee to Protect Journalists, called the order “an attempt to stifle independent media” and said it was not the first time the publication has been pressured by the government.

“We felt that it was blatant interference in our mission and we couldn’t accept it. We will continue to use

the ‘Irrawaddy,’” Aung Zaw told The Associated Press.

The group publishes The Irrawaddy, an English-language news magazine, and the Myanmar-language Irrawaddy Weekly Journal.

Myanmar’s elected but army-dominated government, which came to power in 2011 after almost five decades of military rule, has been reining in freedoms granted to the media after initial loosening

of censorship and other moves promoting freedom of speech, amid fears that the country’s transition to democracy is slowing.

The Irrawaddy, which also has a news website, has faced harassment since opening an office in the country. It continues to keep its main offices in Chiang Mai in neighboring Thailand, where Myanmar opposition groups and free media were based during

the years of military rule.

Visas held by non-Myanmar staff members have in recent months been issued for shorter periods, and editors have been told to tone down reporting on the government and military.

“There are many other important issues, but focusing on names and spellings shouldn’t be a matter in this transition period. It only creates confusion among people,” Aung Zaw said.

After Pakistan school massacre, watch for the gloves to come off

A Pakistani student weeps as she attends a special ceremony for the victims of Tuesday's school attack in Peshawar, at a school in Lahore, Pakistan on December 17.

Pakistan is mourning as the nation prepares for mass funerals for 141 people, most of them children, killed in a Taliban attack on a military-run school in the country's northwest. A three-day official mourning period started Wednesday, a day after seven Taliban gunmen, explosives strapped to their bodies, stormed the army public school in the city of Peshawar. (AP Photo)

ISLAmAbAD, DEcEmbEr 17 (rEutErS): The massacre of more than 130 Pakistani school children

by Taliban gunmen was a chilling reminder of Hillary Clinton’s warning to Islamabad in 2011 that “you can’t keep snakes in your backyard and expect them only to bite your neighbours”.

Now, as Pakistan reels in horror at the bloodshed in a military-run high school in Peshawar city on Tuesday, pressure will mount on politicians and generals who have long been tolerant of militants they counted as strategic assets in their rivalry with India and jostle for influence in Afghanistan.

“There have been national leaders who been apologetic about the Taliban,” said Sherry Rehman, a former envoy to Washington and prominent opposition politician. “People will have to stop equivocating and come together in the face of national tragedy.”

Outrage over the killing of so many children is likely to seriously erode

sympathy for militants in a country where many people have long been suspicious of the U.S.-led “war on terror”, and spur the army to intensify an offensive it launched this year on havens in mountains along the Afghan border.

Army chief Raheel Sharif has already signalled that retaliation would follow.

On Wednesday, Mubasher Lucman, a prominent host on the ARY news channel, Tweeted: “Enough time already. Tell Air Chief to initiate carpet bombing”.

“The Taliban may be trying to slacken the resolve of the military by suggesting that there could be a tremendous human costs to the military offensive and create public pressure on the military to back off from this offensive,” said Vali Nasr, dean of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. “But it may actually ricochet on them,” said Nasr, formerly a State Department adviser on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Pakistan’s Taliban, whose nominal unity has

frayed this year with the emergence of competing factions, are distinct from the Afghan Taliban. But the groups are linked, and share the goals of toppling their respective governments and setting up a strict Islamist state across the region.

PRESSURE ON GOVERNMENT Widening the offensive against the Pakistan Taliban could include “hot pursuit” by the military across the porous border into Afghanistan, where many Pakistani militants hide. That could put at risk a recent rapprochement between Islamabad and Kabul.

Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper quoted a source as saying that the school attackers were acting on orders from handlers in Afghanistan. “They have been asking the Afghan government to do something about this for a very long time ... Pakistan may be left with no other option – the brutality of the attack demands a response,” said Saifullah Mehsud, head of

the FATA Research Center in Islamabad, referring to the Peshawar carnage.

Despite the risks, public outrage means the army now has a freer hand to go after the Taliban, entrenching its dominance over a government that pursued fruitless peace talks with the militants and offered only half-hearted support for a military offensive.

The civilian government is already on a backfoot, weakened by months of street demonstrations led by opposition leaders calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Now, it will come under pressure to fall in line with the military.

“Pakistan’s political leadership needs to make a clear choice to fight the Taliban decisively, not with half measures,” said Bruce Riedel, a former senior CIA and White House counter-terrorism official, now the Brookings Institution think-tank. “The burden is on Prime Minister Sharif to show he can unite the country to defend its children,” he said.

Pakistan has for years nurtured militants in the belief they could be valuable fighters in the event of war with a much bigger Indian army. But some factions turned on government forces after Islamabad signed up to the U.S.-led campaign against militancy following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Even if the army and government close ranks on the need to hit back and tighten security in the country’s cities, however, the military and its powerful intelligence arm are likely to cling to the notion of “good” Taliban.

An Indian official, who has dealt for years with New Delhi’s policies in the region, said that with NATO troops leaving Afghanistan, the Pakistani military would leave unhindered the Haqqani network that strikes inside Afghanistan from Pakistan and the Lashkar-e-Taiba group that fights Indian rule in Kashmir.

“The Pakistan army has

adhered to its longstanding doctrine of distinguishing between terrorist groups that are engaged in hostilities with it and those who are willing to act as its proxies whether in Afghanistan and India,” said Vivek Katju, a former Indian ambassador to Afghanistan.

“Pakistan ... cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hound,” he wrote in India’s Economic Times.

PM lifts moratorium on the death penalty ISLAmAbAD, DEcEmbEr 17 (rEutErS): The Pakistani prime minister lifted a moratorium on the death penalty on Wednesday, a day after Taliban gunmen attacked a school, killing 132 students and nine teachers, a government spokesman said. Pakistan began three days of mourning on Wednesday for the 141 people killed in the attack on the school in the northwestern city of Peshawar.

The bloodshed has shocked the nation and put pressure on the government to do more to tackle the Pakistani Taliban insurgency. Many people have called in the media for the death penalty to be restored.

“It was decided that this moratorium should be lifted. The prime minister approved,” said government spokesman Mohiuddin Wan, referring to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s approval of the decision by a ministerial committee. “Black warrants will be issued within a day or two,” he said, referring to execution orders. He did not give any details about who might be executed under such orders.

A moratorium on the death penalty was imposed in 2008 and only one execution has taken place since then. There are believed to be more than 8,000 prisoners on death row in Pakistan, about 10 percent convicted of offences labelled “terrorism”, said Justice Project Pakistan, a legal aid group. “Terrorism” has a very broad definition under Pakistani law. About 17,000 cases of “terrorism” are pending in special courts.

Justice Project Pakistan released a report on Wednesday saying that those convicted of terrorism were often tortured into confessions or denied lawyers, and that recent crackdowns had not stopped militant attacks. “Swathes of defendants whose crimes bear no relation to terrorism have been sentenced to death following extremely unfair trials – whilst terrorist attacks continue unabated,” the group said.

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SPORTS

Thursday 18 December 2014

The Morung Express

Real coasts into Club World Cup final MARRAKECH, DECEMbER 17 (AP): Goals from Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale helped Real Madrid coast to a 4-0 victory over Cruz Azul of Mexico on Tuesday and a place in the final of the Club World Cup. Sergio Ramos and Benzema made it 2-0 at halftime, with further strikes from Bale and Francisco "Isco" Alarcon putting the result beyond doubt after the break.

Madrid's opponents in Saturday's final will be either South American champion San Lorenzo of Argentina or Auckland City, a New Zealand team of amateurs and semi-pros that is the Oceania champion. They play the second semifinal on Wednesday, also in the Grand Stade de Marrakech.

Cruz Azul, the CONCACAF champion, proved no match for the pace and penetration that Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema and Bale provided for Madrid up front. Daniel Carvajal also was exceptional, marauding with Bale down the right.

Cruz Azul captain Gerardo Torrado missed a chance to make the score more respectable when Iker Casillas saved his firsthalf penalty that lacked conviction.

A win on Saturday would secure Madrid its first Club World Cup and cap an exceptional year

Real Madrid’s Isco, third left, scores during the semifinal soccer match between Real Madrid and Cruz Azul at the Club World Cup soccer tournament in Marrakech, Morocco, Tuesday, December 16. (AP Photo)

when it also won the Champions League and Copa del Rey, while Ronaldo collected his second world player of the year award.

"Only a match away from a new opportunity, we'll be ready 100 percent," Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. "I think the team deserves this title."

Ronaldo did not add to

his total of 56 goals in 2014 for Madrid, including 32 this season. But the match was so comfortable for Madrid that its star player allowed himself a showboat second-half shot so cheeky that Ancelotti's assistants were laughing behind him on the bench.

Ronaldo tried flicking in Bale's cross from the left

by wrapping his right foot around his left ankle to connect with the ball. Cruz Azul goalkeeper Jose Corona easily scooped up the attempt that would have been another fine addition to Ronaldo's highlight reel had it gone in.

"I've never seen a shot like this, but from Ronaldo we have to expect every-

thing," Ancelotti said.

Conceding that Madrid was "highly superior," Cruz Azul manager Luis Fernando Tena had no complaints.

"It's been a joy to play such a skillful team, individually and collectively," he said.

Down Madrid's right, Bale and Carvajal gave a

torrid lesson in speed, guile and mobility to Fausto Pinto, the Cruz Azul left-back at fault for three of the goals.

Pinto's first-half bodycheck on Carvajal, who winced and rolled away convincingly enough to get referee Enrique Osses to blow his whistle, gifted Madrid a free kick that Toni Kroos curved in with

venom. Ramos decisively headed it past Corona, who was made to work hard all night, for Madrid's opener.

Pinto was then guilty of ball-watching as Carvajal wriggled past him and sent in a looping short cross for Benzema. The striker hared onto the ball and poked it home with an outstretched

tip of his right foot after 36 minutes.

Five minutes into the second half, Pinto left Bale too much space and time to head in Ronaldo's cross from the left.

After tormenting his markers with multiple step-overs, Ronaldo fed the ball to Isco, who dribbled through the defense to complete the scoring on 72 minutes.

This was Madrid's 21st consecutive victory in all matches, a record run that has seen it score 79 goals to just 10 in reply. Ancelotti's men have not lost since Sept.

13, a 2-1 defeat by Atletico on day three of La Liga.

Saturday's final will be Madrid's last competitive match of 2014. And what a year: Madrid ended its 12-year wait for a 10th European Cup title, beating Atletico 4-1 in the Champions League final, and lifted its 19th Copa del Rey with a 2-1 win over Barcelona.

In January, Ronaldo broke down in tears when he picked up the world player of the year award for 2013. In the crowd of 34,862 in Marrakech, some held up signs saying he should retain the Ballon d'Or again this year against Lionel Messi and Manuel Neuer, the other finalists.

After a Dec. 30 friendly against AC Milan, the La Liga leader picks up its domestic campaign again on Jan. 4 against Valencia.

Bayern Munich eases past Freiburg Ferrari wield axe in structural shake-up

Bayern's Arjen Robben from the Netherlands, right, celebrates with teammate Franck Ribery from France after scoring his side's opening goal during the German first division Bundesliga soccer match between FC Bayern and SC Freiburg in the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, on Tuesday, December 16. (AP Photo)

FRANKFuRt, DECEMbER 17 (AP): Arjen Robben scored his 100th goal for Bayern Munich in a 2-0 victory over Freiburg on Tuesday that stretched his team's unbeaten run to 20 matches in the Bundesliga.

Thomas Mueller added another goal after the break as coach Pep Guardiola celebrated his 50th match in charge with another vic-

tory. Since he took over as coach last season, Guardiola has six draws and two defeats to go with 42 wins in the Bundesliga.

Elsewhere, 10-man Stuttgart held on for a 1-0 victory at fellow struggler Hamburger SV, Hannover beat Augsburg 2-0 and Mainz drew 0-0 in Cologne.

Stuttgart's second away victory under new coach

Huub Stevens lifted the team from the bottom of the table, at least until the 16th round is completed on Wednesday.

Robben scored in the 41st after Xavi Alonso sent a long ball to Franck Ribery. The Frenchman nodded the ball down for Robben and the winger headed home from close range.

Mueller completed the

win in the 48th, with another close-range header after an effort by Juan Bernat had crashed off the crossbar.

"We could have scored a few more goals but it's good to win, no matter what the result is," Mueller said. "They defended with five, six men in their area and they defended well.

How many goals we score is not important, we did what we set out to do and that was to win."

Bayern outshot Freiburg 30-2.

"They were so dominant, we couldn't do anything," Freiburg's Julian Schuster said.

In Hamburg, Florian Klein capitalized on an error by Rafael van der Vaart to score the winning goal shortly before halftime and Stuttgart protected the victory despite losing Georg Niedermeier to a red card in the 53rd. Van der Vaart, the Hamburg captain, fired against the crossbar from the ensuing free kick.

Stuttgart rose to 15th, just behind Hamburg.

Barca routs Huesca to advance in Copa bARCELONA, DECEMbER 17 (AP): Pedro Rodriguez netted a first-half hat trick as Barcelona crushed third-tier Huesca 8-1 in the Copa del Rey, while Valencia joined the Catalans in the round of 16 after an eight-goal thriller with Rayo Vallecano on Tuesday.

Celta Vigo and Almeria also advanced from a highscoring night that saw 24 goals in just four matches.

Despite resting Lionel Messi, Neymar and several other starters, Barcelona proved way too much for Huesca to handle at Camp Nou and had no remorse about piling on the agony after winning the first leg 4-0.

Pedro headed in his first goal in the 20th and added a second six minutes later.

Sergi Roberto volleyed in Barcelona's third in the 29th, Andres Iniesta struck in the 39th, and Pedro got his hat trick two minutes before halftime. Adriano and Sandro Ramirez then scored either side of youngster Adama Traore's first goal for Barcelona's first team in the 78th.

Carlos David scored Huesca's goal following a corner four minutes from time, steering the ball past goalkeeper Jordi Masip on his debut for Barcelona. "It

Barcelona forward Pedro scores the opening goal in the 21st minute with a looping header.

is difficult for me to imagine a better game than this," Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said.

Barcelona will next play Elche or Valladolid. Valencia twice came back from a two-goal deficit to draw 4-4 with Rayo and secure a 6-5 victory on aggregate. Spain striker Paco Alcacer opened the scoring at Mestalla Stadium by finishing off a shot that hit the post in the eight.

Rayo, which had lost 2-1 at home in the first leg, roared back with three goals from Jozabed Sanchez, Alejandro Pozuelo and Jonathan Pereira by the 38th.

Valencia coach Nuno Espirito Santo made three changes at halftime. The payoff quickly arrived when substitute Pablo Piatti's shot seconds after the break was turned into his own net by Rayo defender Jorge Morcillo to narrow the deficit. Adrian Embarba put Rayo 4-2 ahead in the 61st, but Alcacer scored again by slotting home a rebound that had come off the upright in the 65th before Rodrigo Moreno completed the comeback five minutes later.

Moreno then received a straight red card for kicking an opponent in the

82nd, and Valencia managed to hang on in the final minutes. "We have earned the right to believe in ourselves," Espirito Santo said.

Emotions also ran high in Celta's 3-1 win over Las Palmas, where the hosts needed Fabian Orellana to curl in a strike in stoppage time to secure a 4-3 aggregate victory. Almeria added to the action when Jonathan Zongo netted with a strike from near the halfway line in a 2-1 win over Real Betis.

Almeria advanced 6-4 on aggregate in coach Juan Ignacio Martinez's first game in charge.

ROME, DECEMbER 17 (REutERs): Ferrari have parted company with chief designer Nikolas Tombazis and engineering director Pat Fry, two of the men responsible for designing this year's car as the team endured their first season without a win since 1993.

"Nikolas Tombazis and Pat Fry will be leaving the Scuderia," the Formula One outfit said in a statement

on Tuesday while handing structural control to technical director James Allison.

"James Allison ... will be responsible for all technical aspects of delivering drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel, as well as newly appointed test driver and third driver Esteban Gutierrez, with the most competitive Formula One car possible."

It has been a period

of upheaval at Ferrari after Marco Mattiacci's brief reign as principal ended at the end of November.

The troubled Fiat-owned outfit replaced him with Maurizio Arrivabene, the team's third boss in nine months.

The glamour team ended the season in Abu Dhabi without a single race win and the conclusion of the campaign also saw

the departure of double world champion Fernando Alonso. Germany's fourtimes champion Vettel has been signed from Red Bull as the Spaniard's replacement. Long-serving president Luca Di Montezemolo, a link with the team's late founder Enzo, also left Ferrari last month. He has been replaced by Fiat Chrysler chief executive Sergio Marchionne.

Southampton cut down by Blades as Chelsea march on LONDON, DECEMbER 17 (REutERs): Southampton suffered an embarrassing 1-0 League Cup quarter-final defeat at third tier Sheffield United on Tuesday while Chelsea powered through with a 3-1 win at Derby County.

The sparkling earlyseason form shown by Southampton now seems but a distant memory after a second-half goal from Mark McNulty inflicted a fifth straight defeat on the Premier League club who were reduced to 10 men late on when Florin Gardos was sent off.

It was a much more relaxed evening for league leaders Chelsea who went 2-0 up with a goal from Eden Hazard and a stunning free kick by Filipe Luis before second tier Derby pulled one back through Craig Bryson.

A late charge was curtailed, however, when the home side's Jake Buxton was sent off for a professional foul on Loic Remy and Andre Schuerrle ensured there were no late jitters when he slammed home a Chelsea rebound from close range in the 82nd minute.

The confidence seems to have drained from Southampton whose early surge up the league on the back of some favourable fixtures has turned into a widely predicted slump.

United, managed by former Liverpool forward Nigel Clough, were not going to prove accommodating opponents for the Saints to regain some much-needed confidence.

While boasting the usual battling traits of a lowerleague side when facing top-flight opposition, the

Chelsea's Kurt Zouma, center, is injured as goalkeeper Petr Cech clears the ball from Derby's Richard Keogh during the quarterfinal of the English League Cup soccer match between Derby County and Chelsea at the iPro Stadium, Derby, England, Tuesday, December 16. (AP Photo)

club known as The Blades also came with an impressive cup pedigree.

United had lost only two of their previous 17 cup clashes and had ousted three Premier League teams from knockout competitions in the last two seasons.

They did their best to unsettle Southampton from the start and shaded the first half chances before finding a breakthrough after halftime.

When Southampton keeper Fraser Forster fumbled a free kick, McNulty was there to force the ball over the line.

Strong Side Chelsea have suffered some quarter-final blues of their own in recent times but fielded a strong side in an effort to avoid a repeat of last year's surprise lasteight defeat at Sunderland.

The manner of their victory was one of ruthless professionalism, typified

by Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas who continues to catch his manager's eye.

"Cesc is playing so well for us," Jose Mourinho told Sky Sports television.

"What I like is as a person he is a professional.

"He is a world champion, he comes here to play in the Capital One Cup and plays like that. That is the character I like."

Four-times winners Chelsea never looked in much danger and went ahead after 23 minutes when Hazard made the most of a defensive mishap.

Derby defender Richard Keogh was robbed of possession on the edge of the penalty area and Fabregas swiftly fed the Belgian who kept his composure

before drilling the ball low into the net.

The hosts had plenty of possession but could not lay a glove on Chelsea whose only real worry in the first half came when defender Kurt Zouma had to be stretchered off following lengthy treatment after a clash of heads with keeper Petr Cech.

Will Hughes had a Derby effort pushed away by Cech before Filipe Luis took aim with a free kick from distance and smashed the ball high into the top corner in the 56th minute.

Chelsea did not have it all their own way and conceded with 19 minutes remaining as Bryson curled home from the edge of the box. But Buxton's red card and Schuerrle's late effort guaranteed there was no unexpected drama.

The Morung Express

Thursday

Entertainment

18 December 2014

Coffee for a Cause

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Coffee for a Cause, a charity event to help raise funds for sponsoring children’s education was held today at the Niathu Resort Auditorium here in Dimapur.

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On December 16, renowned Naga artiste Methaneilie Jutakhrie performed a live concert at Jalukie Town in aid of Jalukie Students’ Union (JSU) Golden Jubilee. Seen in picture is Methaneilie Jutakhrie while performing in the live concert. (Photo by Heutinggumbe)

Craig Wayne Boyd is The Voice

Blake Shelton wins for the fourth time as Coach

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he Boys ‘Round Here hitmaker became the biggest winning coach in the history of the series, as his country singer protegee Craig Wayne Boyd won the coveted recording contract and the $100,000 (£62,500) cash prize.

Boyd beat out the three other finalists, who were all mentored by veteran coach Adam Levine, and prior to Tuesday’s season finale, Shelton acknowledged that winning would be a long shot, but if he did manage to beat the odds, he wouldn’t be afraid to rub it in his pal Levine’s face.

Shelton told E! News, “Mathematically, he should win this thing. It should be cakewalk for him... If he manages to screw this up... I hope it’s on the cover of, like, USA Today and Time and Rolling Stone, with a picture of him looking confused and with a tear... with an egg smeared across his face. To kick him while he was down, sometimes I feel like that’s why I was born.”

Shelton previously won three times in a row with singers Danielle Bradbery, Cassadee Pope and Jermaine Paul, while the Maroon 5 frontman has claimed victory twice, with Javier Colon and Tessanne Chin.

The finale was a star-studded event, featuring performances from the likes of Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson, Ed Sheeran, Jessie J, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Meghan Trainor, Jennifer Hudson, Hozier, and Fall Out Boy, as well as a special set from coaches Shelton, Levine, Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams, who teamed up to sing holiday classic Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

ain nearly played spoilsport as the Coffee for a cause event – planned outdoors at the Niathu Resort Swimming Pool – had to be shifted inside an auditorium at the resort. And then 18 of the best artists in the State took centre stage. The 18 had come together for the event which was aimed at helping raise funds for sponsoring the education of children from Bright Morningstar Children Home, Kohima. The event was also aimed at contributing books for a small library in Life Foundation School, Chumukedima, through book donation.

The event, an initiative of young entrepreneurs, students and artists, was held with the objective to promote the idea of educational philanthropy, and to promote the culture of reading in Nagaland schools.

Eminent artists such as Alobo Naga, Moanungsang, Obed Kath (Divine Connection), Tetseo Sisters, Kevi Pucho (We the Giants), Temjen Jamir (Polar Lights), Colored Keys, Alo Wanth, DJ Sumika, Girls Excess, Diethozo and Vizho Thakhro, Tali Angh and Yanfo Kikon performed on the occasion. Children from the Bright Morningstar Children Home also performed during the event.

The proceeds from the event went towards the two goals of the event. Organisers hoped that the event will serve as a platform for likeminded people wanting to make a difference in the field of education to meet and interact.

Muletolu Vero, speaking on behalf of the organisers, shared the aims and objectives of the ‘Coffee for a Cause’ event. Quoting Nelson Mandela, she said, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use,” and expressed excitement that the response would help in the cause of “better education for all.”

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Jacqueline Fernandez named Peta India’s Woman of the Year

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ollywood star Jacqueline Fernandez has been named Woman of the Year by the Indian branch of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta).

The actress has been honoured for using her fame to help animal rights causes, including a recent campaign to protect horses which pull carriages and rabbits used in cosmetic testing.

Peta UK Director Mimi Bekhechi says, “Fernandez (is a role model who upholds) this mandate for kindness to animals through the actions (she takes), as we all should.”

Past recipients of Peta India’s Person of the Year Award include Bollywood actress Hema Malini and actor/producer R. Madhavan.

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Vijay ton puts India in driver's seat Sarita Devi banned briSbANe, December 17 (AP): Murali Vijay scored 144 and shared a century stand with Ajinkya Rahane as India's batsmen dictated terms to an Australian attack that fell short of expectations Wednesday on the opening day of the second test.

Four days after losing eight wickets in the final session of a 48-run defeat in Adelaide, India dominated on day one in Brisbane to reach 311-4 at stumps.

Rahane, who shared a run-a-minute 124-run fourth-wicket stand with Vijay, was unbeaten on 75 and Rohit Sharma was not out 26.

Australia's pace attack had been expected to exploit the extra bounce and pace that are characteristic of pitches at the Gabba, where Australia hasn't lost since 1988, but the newlook bowling lineup didn't get its length right and the fielding was sub-standard.

Vijay was dropped twice, on 36 and 102, both times by Shaun Marsh off Mitchell Johnson's bowling.

He made the most of his reprieves, equaling Sourav Ganguly's 144 in 2003 as the highest score by an Indian batsman at the Gabba.

His fifth test hundred followed two half centuries in Adelaide.

Shikhar Dhawan (24), Cheteshwar Pujara (18) and Virat Kohli (19) all made starts but could not produce any big partnerships alongside Vijay.

The complexion of the innings changed after tea, when Vijay and Rahane accelerated the scoring rate against a bowling attack showing signs of fatigue in hot and humid conditions and missing allrounder Mitchell Marsh, who left

for one year and fined

India's Murali Vijay,, right watches his shot as Australia's Chris Rogers moves to to field the ball during the second cricket test match in Brisbane, Australia on Wednesday, December 17. (AP Photo)

the field with a hamstring injury two overs into the second session.

They moved the total from 137-3 to 261 before Vijay stepped down the pitch to take on off-spinner Nathan Lyon and got a feint edge to give wicketkeeper Brad Haddin his fourth catch of the innings. Vijay's 213-ball innings contained 22 boundaries, and helped India become the first foreign team in more than 50 years to post 300-plus on day one of a test at the Gabba.

Both teams changed captains after last week's series-opener, with Mahendra Singh Dhoni returning from a thumb injury for In-

dia and Steve Smith elevated to lead Australia in the absence of Michael Clarke, who underwent surgery for a hamstring injury.

Dhoni got the upper hand early when he won the toss, elected to bat and India put on 89 for the loss of one wicket in the first session.

Mitch Marsh took his first test wicket, in his fourth test, to end the opening stand when he had Dhawan caught behind slashing at a wider ball in the 14th over.

His older brother, Shaun, put down a chance low and to his left at third slip in the next over from Johnson, giving Vijay and

India a big reprieve.

Vijay continued with Pujara in a 44-run stand until Josh Hazlewood, making his test debut, snared his first wicket with a contentious dismissal which highlighted India's trenchant opposition to the Decision Review System.

Pujara was given out, caught behind, to a short ball that deflected off his helmet and didn't appear to clip bat or glove as he tried to fend it away.

Hazlewood was undeterred, following that up with the important wicket of Kohli, who scored centuries in each innings of the first test.

The 23-year-old Austra-

lian paceman gave Rahane a torrid welcome, beating him between bat and pad and then narrowing failing to grasp a return chance from a leading edge, but had to leave the field two balls into his 16th over with an injury.

Hazlewood, drafted in to replace injured veteran Ryan Harris, produced some decent pace and bounce and Johnson had chances go down off his bowling, but Mitchell Starc was ineffective after being picked in favor of Peter Siddle and Lyon leaked runs. Storms predicted for late Wednesday didn't hit before stumps, although rain was again on the forecast was for day two.

Dimapur | December 17

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The 19th “Inter Khel Football Trophy” tournament organized by Diphupar Naga Youth Organization (DNYO) kicked off Wednesday at Diphupar village local ground with Parliamentary Secretary for Youth Resources & Sports, NRE and Music Task Force, Khriehu Leizietsu, as the chief guest in the opening ceremony.

The chief guest in his address said sports participation encourages team building, social interaction and the bonding of all those involved and also motivate people from different social backgrounds to come together for a common purpose.

“It (sports) has always been an integral part of community and countries, uniting and encouraging people to work together and achieve great things. Regular involvement in sports and physical activities are fundamental to good health and wellness at all stages of life”, Khriehu said.

He also said games and sports provide an important environment for the education and socialization of all citizens as well as valuable opportunities for personal enjoyment, social contacts and integration.

“Therefore, the availability of quality sporting facilities is critical for sports to contribute to the well-being of individuals, communities and the sporting community. With this in mind, the Government of Nagaland is also working on modalities for the promotion of sports and sports infrastructure in the state”, the parliamentary secretary said.

Exhorting the players, Khriehu said fair play is an

provided that all fines have been paid and no additional DC rulings have been rendered against her," an AIBA statement said.

Speculation was rife that the apex body of world boxing will impose a life-ban on the former world champion. The Indian government had earnestly appealed for consideration of her humble background and controversy-free image to spare her a career-ending ban.

The ban will run till October 1, 2015, providing her an opportunity to represent the country in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

Expressing her views on the verdict, Sarita Devi said in a release: "I am hugely relieved and would like to thank the boxing fraternity and Boxing India for helping me sail through these difficult times."

"I will now be able to participate in the Games and will work harder to bring laurels to the nation."

In Incheon, a day after she lost the 60-kg category semi-final bout to host challenger Jina Park despite dominating the bout, an inconsolable Sarita refused to accept the bronze medal and later handed it

over to Park, who left the medal on the podium before making her exit at the Seonhak Gymnasium.

Expressing his opinion on the AIBA verdict, Boxing India (BI) president Sandeep Jajodia said: “AIBA's verdict on Sarita Devi comes as a relief to Boxing India, the boxing fraternity, Sarita's fans and boxing enthusiasts around the world."

"The one-year ban ending October 2015 can further be reduced on the basis of her good demeanour and hard work. We will, in the meanwhile, continue to correspond with AIBA to reduce the punishment, thus enabling and motivating Sarita to prepare for her qualifications for Olympics.” Jojodia also said that Sarita, mother of two, will now be relieved of the mental trauma and can focus on boxing wholeheartedly.

Jajodia added: “I wish for Sarita to recover from her wrist injury in this interim period, and advise her to focus on further sharpening her boxing skills and on her fitness to be able to participate in the international events to happen after her suspension gets over."

Kolkata trump Goa on penalties to enter final

PANAji, December 17 (AGeNcieS): There was penalty heartbreak on Wednesday night in which Atletico de Kolkata pipped FC Goa 4-2 in the penalty shootout to book their place in the finals of the Indian Super League.

Wednesday's semi-final at the second leg between FC Goa and Atletico de Kolkata at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium ended goalless and the draw had to be setattitude that manifests it- tled through penalties after self in behaviour and that both the teams played each “whenever we act is the other out after 210 minutes spirit of fair play, we contribute to building a peaceful and better world.”

“Playing fair also has to do with making choices. As we interact with each other in sports, we must consider what we think is right and what is not. Sports engage us in a collective effort to pursue human excellence”, he added. Chairman, Diphupar Village Council, I Vitoshe Kinimi, also exhorted the players. President DNYO, Vekre Puro, delivered the welcome address and DNYO games & sports secretary, Zaseta Luruo, officiated the oath taking.

A total of 12 teams Parliamentary secretary for Youth Resources & Sports, Khriehu Leizietsu, being introduced (khels) from Diphupar vilto the players in the opening match of the 19th “Inter Khel Football Trophy” organized by lage are taking part in the tournament.

Diphupar Naga Youth Organization.

19th Inter Khel football trophy kicks off Morung Express News

New Delhi, December 17 (iANS): Ending months of speculation regarding her career, troubled Indian female boxer L. Sarita Devi was Wednesday banned for one year and fined Swiss francs 1,000 by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) for refusing to accept her 2014 Asian Games bronze medal.

The world boxing body also handed down twoyear bans, ending Oct 1, 2016 to the 29-year-old boxer's husband Thoiba Singh and coach B.I. Fernandez, and barred her coach Lenin Meitei for one year ending Oct 1, 2015.

Fernandez was also fined Swiss francs 2,000 and Meitei Swiss francs 1,000.

The AIBA, however, relieved Indian boxing chief coach G.S. Sandhu from all charges of misdemeanour.

"The Disciplinary Commission Chair rules that Laishram Sarita Devi is suspended from any activity at the National, Confederation and International levels for a period of one year starting from the 2014 Asian Games medal ceremony (Oct 1). Devi shall pay a fine of Swiss francs 1,000. Devi's suspension shall end on Oct 1, 2015,

of football. Kolkata will now take on Kerala Blasters in the final which is set to be played on 20th December in Mumbai.

Andres Santos and Amiri missed the penalties for Goa -- while Santos smashed his one over the bar, Amiri hit the post much to the frustration of home fans who were simply fantastic for full 120 minutes in supporting their team. For ATK, Josemi, Mohammed Rafi, Jofre and Borja all took their respective penalties to send

them to the inaugural final.

The home team had more fire in their belly in the opening quarter of the match as ATK defence was caught napping way too often but Goa kept giving away possession in the final third.

Both sides sat deep – not taking too much of a risk and was content with the match going in to extra time. Not much was created and both teams were happy to take this tie into penalties.

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