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www.morungexpress.com
TuesDAY • December 22 • 2015
DIMAPUR • Vol. X • Issue 348 • 12 PAGes • 4
T H e
ESTD. 2005
P o W e R
Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it’s Christmas Cow is Yahoo India’s ‘Personality of the year’
NSTCB Ltd sensitizes on saving and investments
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o F
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T R u T H
— Dale Evans
FIFA takes the whip to Blatter and Platini
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to Preserve and Protect
reflections
By Sandemo Ngullie
Community conservation project at Sendenyu making strides towards protection & preservation of wildlife our Correspondent Kohima | December 21
After deducting some for my daughter’s wedding,Here’s your salary or...hehe... what’s left of it !!
The Morung Express Poll QuEsTion
Vote on www.morungexpress.com SMS your anSwer to 9862574165 This Christmas, should the Church be doing more to uplift the underprivileged and living in poverty? Why? Yes
no
others
NSDMA issues advisory KOHIMA, DECEMBER 21 (MExN): The Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) today issued a weather advisory asking all picnickers and trekkers to douse camp fires completely to avoid spreading of jungle fires during the dry season. Owing to extreme cold weather conditions, the public is warned not to venture out into frozen lakes or other freezing water bodies, it informed. The NSDMA also informed the public to contact the State Emergency Operation Centre through the toll free no 1070 and landline no 0370 2291122 in the event of any emergencies.
Fire destroys house in Kohima KOHIMA, DECEMBER 21 (MExN): A house belonging to Lazami Catholic Women Association and located near Leprosy colony, Kohima was razed to the ground by a fire on December 21 at around 4:36pm. Although there was no report of casualties, properties belonging to three families, who were staying on rent were completely destroyed, sources from the Fire department said. The bamboowooden house is suspected to have caught fire while one of the households was cooking rice on firewood.
neilangunuo sanchu, winner of the 8th Angels Mega Model Hunt 2015 (middle) with 1st Runners up, Azho Kalpana (left) and 2nd runners up, Alen Phom (right) at the 8th Angels Mega Model Hunt 2015 held at Bamboo Hall Kisama on December 21. The event was managed by Get Gorgeous society nagaland and powered by nagaland Contractors & suppliers union. (Morung Photo)
Parliament passes bill to prevent Israel's Vice Premier resigns atrocities against SCs and STs NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 21 (PTI): Parliament on Monday passed a crucial bill that provides for stringent action against those involved in crimes against scheduled castes and tribes, wrongfully occupying their land or dedicating such women as a 'devadasi'. The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill also provides for establishing special courts to try such offences and the rehabilitation of victims and aimed at prohibiting the commission of offences against members of the SC and ST communities. Assaulting or sexually exploiting an SC or ST woman is an offence under the bill which states that any intentional touching of an SC or ST woman in a sexual manner without her consent, using words, acts or gestures of a sexual nature, dedicating an SC or ST women as a devadasi to a temple, or any similar practice will be considered an offence. Wrongfully occupying land belonging to SCs or STs is an of-
fence under the bill, which was passed by the Lok Sabha in August. It also declares as an offence garlanding with footwear, compelling to dispose or carry human or animal carcasses, or do manual scavenging, abusing SCs or STs by caste name in public, attempting to promote feelings of ill-will against SCs or STs or disrespecting any deceased person held in high esteem and imposing or threatening a social or economic boycott. The Bill specifies that a nonSC or ST public servant who neglects his duties relating to SCs or STs shall be punishable with imprisonment for six months to one year. The measure, which seeks to amend the 1989 Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, also has certain new categories of actions to be treated as offences like forcing an SC or ST individual to vote or not vote for a particular candidate in an illegal manner.
JERUSALEM, DECEMBER 21 (REUTERS): Israeli Vice Premier Silvan Shalom, a veteran politician in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party, resigned on Sunday following allegations that he had sexually harassed several women during his career. The decision to step down by Shalom, who also served as the country's interior minister and once held the post of foreign minister, was not expected to affect the stability of Netanyahu's government. Israeli media have reported in recent days that several women have complained that Shalom harassed them. Israel's attorney general on Sunday instructed the police to investigate the allegations. "I have decided to resign my position as minister and member of the Knesset (Israel's parliament)," Shalom said in a statement, adding he was worried about the toll that recent events might take on his family. Shalom is not the first high-level Israeli politician to be forced from office in a scandal regarding allegations of sexual misconduct. Former Israeli president Moshe Katsav left office in 2007 and was later sentenced to seven years in prison after being convicted of twice raping an aide when he was a cabinet minister in the late 1990s, and sexually assaulting two other women who worked for him while he was president. Katsav denied any wrongdoing.
Noticing the threat posed to the flora and fauna in their area, the community at Sendenyu, under Tseminyu Sub Division of Kohima District have responded by taking up initiatives of their own to preserve and protect the biological diversity in their area. The story of the project, called the Sendenyu Community Biodiversity & Wildlife Conservation (SCBWCC) was briefed to Nagaland state Governor, PB Acharya during his recent visit to Sendenyu village in connection with the Rengma Students’ Union (RSU) conference. The community project consists of Sendenyu village and its offshoot villages – Sedenyu New and Thongsiinyu. The Sendenyu community conservation works began with the Sendenyu Village Council Biodiversity & Wildlife Conservation Act, 2001, wherein various rules and regulations for conservation were framed and enforced. Also as part of the conservation effort, an area of about 20 square kilometers of village land has been demarcated as Village Community Biological and Wildlife Protected Area, with a vision to preserve and protect the rich and diverse natural heritage. All denizens of the Sendenyu community are directly the stakeholders of SCBWCC. The area has been home to various birds that are normally found in ev-
ergreen sub-tropical wet climatic conditions. However, most of the animals have become extinct due to excessive hunting, lack of their natural food due to encroachment of their habitat by humans. Following enforcement of conservation in the Protected Area (PA) and other village community lands, today, many animals have returned – such as wild boars, barking deer, sambar, hog badgers, several packs of Indian wild dogs, bears, leopards, macaques, flying fox, flying squirrel, civet, slow loris, otter etc. The area also has a host of amphibians and reptiles. A variety of bird species such as barbets, different woodpeckers, partridges and quails, pheasants, doves, pigeons, owls, cuckoos, bulbuls, flycatchers, bush-robins etc are found in the area. As part of a long term strategy for sustainability of conservation, initially, farmers have been advised to do away with jhum cultivation (slash and burn) and to adopt more scientific, productive and ecofriendly farming such as horticulture and wet terrace cultivation. As a result, more green coverage is maintained; thereby facilitating increase in organic soil carbon content and other nutrients in the soil, increase in moisture, retention, reduction in soil erosion etc. Micro-check dams and water harvesting ponds have also been dug in the PA to recharge underground water and also to
provide drinking water for wild animals. Initially, the conservation works began with contributions from members and well wishers. The Nagaland State Government has also contributed to the success of the conservation project by providing LPG connections to the families whose land falls within the PA, contributed funds for construction of watch towers, part fencing of the PA, and honorarium pay for three forest guards. Fines imposed by the village council on violation of conservation rules such as poaching, trapping, illegal collection of medicinal herbs range from Rs. 2000 to Rs. 50,000. In an effort to document the rich biological diversity heritage, all the major landscapes, rivulets, lakes and ponds, natural spring sources, flora and fauna including wild edible fruits, medicinal plants, timber of commercial value, different species of bamboos, etc found within the land have been listed and are in the process of documentation. The Sendenyu Community Biodiversity & Wildlife Conservation Committee believes that the sustainability of community conservation will depend on improving the economic livelihood of the community. “Therefore, it is pertinent to promote eco-tourism, shift from primitive method to modern, scientific, ecofriendly farming and green village approach,” the Committee stated.
Nagaland Govt for effective enforcement of Coal Policy DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 21 (MExN): Directorate of Geology and Mining, Nagaland State has issued a general information to all public, licensees, village councils and stake holders for effective enforcement of the Nagaland Coal Policy (first amendment) 2014. The circular from the directorate informed on Monday that the coal challans bearing CC-ML/14 for coal season 2014-15 has
been invalidated and new coal challans bearing series CC-ML/15 is being used for transportation of coal. Observing that unscrupulous element may approach licensees for utilizing Nagaland coal challans to carry coal extracted from neighboring States due to restriction imposed by National Green Tribunal (NGT), the circular put word of caution not to en-
tertain any such request or misuse Nagaland coal challans or counterfeit, fake, duplicate the original challan using the name of the licensees. This being a serious offence is punishable under the law, it added. The circular also informed that Nagaland coal challans is valid only to carry Nagaland coal by the valid licensees of Nagaland and shall not be used
or sold out to any outsider agency/party to carry any other coal other than Nagaland coal. Further, the police and the administration has been requested to cross check the coal challans and also assist concerned district-in-charges for curbing illegal transportation of coal and seize and book the culprit as per the provision of law, whenever such offence is detected.
Meluri hosts first ever hair trimming festival Morung Express news
Barbers gone on vacation, local youths volunteer with scissors Dimapur | December 21 and razors for a trim, shave or a haircut to the town’s populaceEating Naga King Chillies and making it the most unique indigenous festival for the year 2015
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climbing greased bamboo poles are passé. Meluri, a small town in Phek district, has shown the way towards putting context to celebration. On December 19, its local ground hosted a ‘Hair Trimming’ Festival. In this month of opulent and ritual marriages, jubilees, anniversaries, and festivals including the so-called ‘festival of festivals’ –the Hornbill—and the upcoming Christmas and New Year, the Hair Trimming Festival stood out for its unique conceptualization and noble intention. Perhaps the first of its kind, the Festival, in its humble demeanour, elicited both delight and relief from citizens. Organized by Tizü Club (consisted of working professionals and citizens from the Meluri area spread across the State), the Festival was a much needed initiative as the two barbers of the Town, who are from Bihar, had departed for holidays in early December and will be back only in January 2016,
left: The oldest citizen of Meluri, sousatho, taking part in the recent Hair Trimming Festival organized by Tizü Club. Right: The youngest participant, Arhutsia Phoji (6 year old).
leaving the Town devoid of a barber for the whole month. In Meluri “we have limited barbers and they have left for vacation, therefore we invited local youth to come forward to take up the initiative,” said Souvitho Nyusou, President of Tizü Club, while speaking to The Morung Express on the intent of organising this unique event. Responding to the call, initially 21 people from the area volunteered for the job. However, as the
day progressed, “we lost track as many more joined in,” he said. The citizens (customers) were a bit apprehensive at first given the singular nature of the Festival but later joined in bulk as initial hesitancy gave way to enthusiasm, adding festive fervour to the event. Around 120-130 people came for hair cut and shaving, ranging from a 6 years old Arhutsia Phoji to the oldest citizen of Meluri, Sousatho, aged around 95 years,
the Club President informed. “Even Naga Style cutting and shaving was done to cater to diverse need of the people.” Formed about two months ago, the Tizü Club’s immediate focus is on social service especially among the youth, though nothing definitive is in place as of now, said Nyusou. While the event was free, the ‘customers’ voluntarily started giving free-will donation from which the Club provided refreshments to the barbers. “Shopkeepers provided refreshment and paanwalas chipped in with betel nuts and other products. It was reminiscent of a gala with numerous onlookers watching the process.” For the Tizü Club, it was also a way of initiating young local barbers to the public so that they do not hesitate to open up their own establishment, the president informed. He added that many of them were formally uneducated. Seeing the good initiative, the citizens further encouraged them to organise such events frequently and also help young people establish their own shops, he said.
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