December 3rd 2014

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www.morungexpress.com

Dimapur VOL. IX ISSUE 333

The Morung Express “

www.morungexpress.com

Taiwan and Hong Kong a challenge for Xi

NTFTF appeals for allocation and enhancement of wagons

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[ PAGE 09]

[ PAGE 06]

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Syria and Ebola failures highlight UN shortcomings

Petrol, diesel excise duty hiked; prices unchanged

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–George Bernard Shaw

Delhi Dynamos, Atletico de Kolkata play out goalless draw [ PAGE 12]

ACAUT: Close the chapter of conflict, death, alienation and militarisation

If our government cares so wonderfully for us why are we out here trying to thaw our frozen butts?

mONrOVIA, DEcEmbEr 2 (AP): The international response to Ebola is still too slow and piecemeal, Doctors Without Borders warned Tuesday, as officials said the disease is crippling crippled the economies of the three West African countries hardest hit. Ebola has infected nearly 17,000 people, of which about 6,000 have died, according to the World Health Organization.

The vast majority of infections are in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, poor countries that have been left to handle the crisis without sufficient help, said the medical aid group. “Foreign governments have focused primarily on financing or building Ebola case management structures, leaving staffing them up to national authorities, local health care staff and NGOs (nongovernment organizations) which do not have the expertise required to do so,” said the group, which is a primary provider of treatment in the outbreak, said in a statement Tuesday. It reiterated its call for countries with biologicaldisaster response teams to deploy them.

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In Bhopal, two women spark hope for disaster’s disabled children

By Sandemo Ngullie

Doctors Without Borders: Ebola response too slow

Wednesday, December 3, 2014 12 pages Rs. 4

Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance

reflections

NEW DELHI, DEcEmbEr 2 (PTI): Government on Tuesday raised excise duty on petrol and diesel

by Rs 2.25 and Rs 1 a litre respectively, but consumers will be spared of price hike.

The move, which comes amid declining prices of crude oil in the international market, will boost government revenue and help it contain the fiscal deficit.

The revised excise duty on petrol and diesel came into effect from Tuesday, official sources said. The move will have no impact on retail prices of petrol and diesel, they said. This is the second hike in excise duty in three weeks. In view of the declining prices of crude, oil marketing companies had on Monday cut petrol price by 91 paise a litre, the seventh reduction since August, and diesel by 84 paise per litre, the third straight cut. The hike in excise duty is expected to yield an additional Rs 4,000 core in the remaining part of the current fiscal.

The addition from the earlier increase is expected to be Rs 6,000 crore. The hike in excise duty will help government mop taxes as it was facing challenges on the indirect tax front on account of slowdown in economic activities.

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A woman cries standing beside the burnt doors of St. Sebastian’s Church after a fire destroyed the church on Monday, in New Delhi, Tuesday, December 2. While the cause of the fire is not known, the Delhi Catholic Archdiocese said Tuesday that “mischief” was suspected. Christians account for about 2.5 percent of the country’s 1.2 billion people and largely coexist peacefully. However, the issue of conversions by Christian missionaries has sporadically provoked violence by Hindus. (AP Photo)

Govt agrees to meet Editors DImAPur, DEcEmbEr 2 (mExN): Editors of the six Nagaland based newspapers have welcomed the Government of Nagaland’s decision to meet in relation to the memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister of Nagaland.

In response to the Government’s decision, the six Editors and Newspapers will keep in ‘abeyance’ their decision to withhold all Government news and advertisements. This ‘abeyance,’ stated a press release from the Editors today, comes into ‘full effect’ from December 3.

Taking into account that the Government circular, which was received on the evening of December 2, the Editors have suggested that “the date, time and place for the proposed meeting be mutually decided by the Secretary (IPR) and the Editors of the six newspapers at the convenience of all concerned.”

The Editors maintained that “We reserve the right to take a final decision based on the outcome of the meeting with the Government of Nagaland.”

DImAPur, DEcEmbEr 2 (mExN): The ACAUT Nagaland has urged the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, to bring about a “true and permanent” settlement to the protracted Indo-Naga political issue, and to resolve the 67 years old conflict “once and for all.”

In a memorandum to the PM, ACAUT Nagaland has asked him to consider the “consequences of any settlement minus ‘One Government One Tax.’” “In the absence of unity amongst the Naga Political Groups (NPGs), however well-meaning the Government of India (GoI) may be, it would counterproductively perpetuate another round of Civil War within Nagaland, with all the sidelined Factions predictably refusing to endorse GoI’s agreement with only one Faction,” stated the memorandum signed by various representatives of ACAUT Nagaland.

The body placed the “onus of salvaging a unity amongst the NPGs before seeking a solution” on the NSCN (IM).

It also stated that the PM should “take into confidence all the stake holders whose lives will invariably be affected by whatever settlement arrived at.”

Thus, ACAUT Nagaland noted as “pertinent” that the views of Naga civil society represented by the Village Councils are sought so that “conclusion of any settlement does not spawn a post-settlement conflict.”

“The Naga villages have since time immemorial wielded real authority and it is imperative that the opinions of Naga Village

• Urges PM for ‘true and permanent’ settlement to Indo-Naga issue • Says unabated taxation is the cause of factionalism and factionalism the cause of unabated taxation • Asserts that ‘as long as the armed groups do not reconcile, there shall be no permanent solution’

Councils and Chiefs are sought and accommodated for any well-meaning settlement.”

Highlighting that “Over the decades successive Indian governments have failed to resolve this most protracted issue either due to lack of consensus, political will or simply insincerity,” the memorandum stated that the Naga people have “borne the consequences of this inability on the part of the Indian Government to resolve the issue in one form or the other, the latest being the burning issue of unabated taxation being levied by all the 8 existing factions.”

ACAUT Nagaland contended that almost two decades of ceasefire between the GoI and the NPGs have only “worsened the situation” in Naga society in terms of “random unabated taxations, worsening law and order situation, increased corruption, factional animosity leading to frequent infightings and killings and absence of infrastructural development.”

Unabated taxation is the cause of factionalism and factionalism the cause of unabated taxation, it stated.

Under the circumstances, in 2008, the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) initiated the cry for Unity and Reconciliation among the warring factions. However, after 6 years of ‘tireless effort’

by the FNR, “the NPGs seem to have abandoned the idea of reconciliation,” following which, the ‘One Government One Tax’ slogan was adopted by the ACAUT. “As long as the armed groups do not reconcile, there shall be no permanent solution to the decades old Naga problem.

And as long as there is no solution, there will be no peace in the land,” stated the memorandum.

Moreover, the ACAUT Nagaland raised the issue of rampant corruption in the State of Nagaland. “It is the stand of ACAUT Nagaland that the Central Government should strictly monitor the utilisation of funds given by the Centre in the form of economic packages and developmental projects.”

Stating that “siphoning of funds has been the rule these past several decades keeping the State of Nagaland in perpetual backwardness,” the memorandum appealed to the GoI to “direct and influence the Government of Nagaland to institute a Lok Ayukta forthwith.”

“This is the only possible relief that the people of Nagaland can look forward to as an answer to their crippled lives.”

Noting development issues, ACAUT Nagaland pointed out that since the formation of Nagaland State, the GoI undertook

one of the “most ambitious and people oriented” development project of constructing two laning roads to connect four district and important towns of Nagaland under Special Accelerated Road Development Programme on North-East (SADP-NE) connecting 1. Longleng-Changtonya 2.Mon-Tamulu-Merangkong 3.Phek-Pfutsero 4.

Zunheboto-Chekhabama with the total sanctioned amount of Rs. 1296 crores.

An RTI has revealed that only 20.18% of the work has been completed that was to be done by February 2014.

A revised estimate of the project was escalated by 200%. “On the basis of all the evidences and discrepancies ACAUT demands that since the project is being implemented and monitored by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways through NH and not by the state government the Government of India should immediately institute a CBI inquiry to go into the depth of whole scam,” stated the memorandum.

In conclusion, ACAUT Nagaland urged the Prime Minister of India to “close the chapter of conflict, death, alienation and militarisation in this part of India by concretising a permanent settlement with the Naga people.”

“A new chapter of peace, prosperity and development should be ushered in and it will come from the mineral, human resources and bio-diversity rich North-East with trade access to South and East Asian countries turning India into the world’s foremost power,” it stated.

‘Modi has done his homework well’ Cong dismayed by Modi’s Nagaland reacts to Prime Minister’s speech on Dec 1 Morung Express News Dimapur | December 2

“Come, let us together build a new, resurgent, stronger and more prosperous India, as well as our Nagaland,” cooed Narendra Modi on his maiden visit to Nagaland. Cleverly manoeuvring around complex political issues, and making a detour from the practice of announcing economic packages followed by his predecessors, this Prime Minister seemed to have done his homework well before embarking on his North East tour.

Refraining from uttering a single political message, he cajoled the Nagas by carefully highlighting their strengths and showing his concern.

Giving his reaction to the Modi’s speech, veteran peace activist Niketu Iralu stated, “Modi has done his homework well. He studied the problem of previous governments well and made a careful assessment. He was sensitive to the issues because he knows our weaknesses well instead of only us knowing our weaknesses.

His message clearly seems to be, I want to meet your needs.”

“We must learn to appreciate what we have achieved instead of blaming whatever we have failed to achieve,” Iralu added K. Yingphe Konyak, a lawyer with the United Nations Development Programme, echoed the observation. “An update on Indo-Naga political dialogue would have been good, but it seems little unreal for him to conclude or commit, lest he end

up with no outcome after talking so much.”

According to Dr. Rosemary Dzuvichu, advisor to Naga Mothers’ Association and faculty at Nagaland University, “He is probably our first State guest who hasn’t fallen for the feather dances and the songs but wants the State to revisit its achievements and failures which is encouraging.”

As for the ongoing peace talks, “I think he expects mass based organisations to have their say too which is important for women, and gender justice, in any political solution,” she said.

Personally I felt he avoided mentioning the political issue because as an outsider, he did not want to interfere in a ‘family feud’ and polarise the issue, maintained Yanpvuo Kikon, youth activist and founder of The Naga Blog. “We have to get our house in order first.”

However, some argue his message had enough political connotation tacitly covered in euphemism. “The political issue is there but cunningly disguised.

By not mentioning it, he made a statement that the Naga political issue is not a threat to national security at the moment,” argued Tiainla Medem, Assistant Professor of English at Delhi University. The more worrying threat is the promise of incorporation and inclusion of our youth into the police or armed forces, she added posing, “Are we good only to police or be policed?”

Neingulo Krome, Secretary General of the Naga Peoples’ Movements for Human Rights

(NPMHR), said, “He was smart and must be well informed about the political issue, and probably didn’t want to create unnecessary speculation by announcing something grandiose.”

Reacting to his economic initiative, Neichute Doulo, CEO of Entrepreneurs Associates, said, “The visit of the PM has set the right tone for future dialogue and charted the path of economic opportunities. The PM’s sharing on the inherent and innate potentials through Natural Economic Zones reiterates the reality that our future lies in our backyard and not in the corridors of Delhi.”

Lack of a political statement from him, noted Doulo, reflected his conviction that it is better to take concrete and deliverable decisions rather than give flashing statements on a vexed and complex issue.

Seriously, what were we expecting? wondered Tiainla. “The nation knows Modi’s position on corruption and he is not a fool to give Nagas another chance at it.

His pat on the back of chief minister of Tripura as ‘the most honest CM in India’ shows him leaving aside ideological differences.”

Dr. Asangba Tzudir, while lauding the challenge made by Modi to tap natural resources towards economic resurgence, argued that it should not come at the exploitation and infringement of the inalienable rights of the Nagas. Nagas need long term clear-cut plans or policies and “not some hand to mouth short term policy.”

Targeting common development, and not individual, was the smartest decision because he is targeting mass development and upliftment, said K. Yingphe Konyak. Nagaland’s potential was seen by a first timer, then why is it overlooked by local leaders, asked Konyak.

There were misses too. “He was ill informed on women’s issues going by his public speech on gender equality of the Nagas.

A misconception created by the State to outsiders,” maintained Dr. Dzuvichu. The reality, however, is gender based violence, discrimination, economic disparity and poverty, and little visibility of women in decision making, she added. “Was he making such a serious conclusion based on visibility of well dressed women participants of the festival?”

Overall, his announcement was about “capacity building,” said Yanpvuo Kikon, giving a clear message to the Nagas that you have to stand on your own feet, concluded Kikon.

Generally, however, his message was well received.

Complimenting Nagas on good command over English and to enhance it further to our advantages was a clear departure from his earlier rhetoric (on Hindi), noted Iralu.

Again, his utterance of Kuknalim thrice holds great significance, concluded Iralu, implying that New Delhi is telling Naga political groups that they will directly interact with the people. That, “My people will bring Kuknalim to you.”

‘silence on peace process’ KOHImA, DEcEmbEr 2 (mExN): The Nagaland Congress has expressed disappointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the Naga peace process during his two-day visit to the State. In a statement, Congress Lok Sabha candidate and former president of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), K V Pusa questioned the motive of Modi’s silence, stating it was in “total disregard” to the protracted Naga political issue. The Congress leader asserted it was the desire of Naga people to have an early solution to the problem, but “the silence of Prime Minister has reflected the actual motive of the BJP led NDA government at the centre.”

“At a time when Naga people are expecting something from the visiting Prime Minister on resolution of Naga political issue, the way Modi had remained silent speaks volumes of the attitude of the BJP led NDA government,” Pusa said.

He demanded that an ‘acceptable and honourable’ solution be hammered out at the earliest for all sections of people, stressing that 17 years of negotiation was too long.

The former Congress president was also dismayed as Prime Minister Modi had not met Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah- leaders of National Socialist Council of Nagalim- despite their request to meet him. He said refusing to meet Naga leaders would

be taken as “take no notice of Naga political issue.” He questioned why Modi does not want to meet the two Naga leaders when successive Prime Ministers have met them several times. He underlined it was imperative to meet and resolve, understand each other, and give impetus to the peace process. “He should not belittle our political issues.”

Pusa further said the Naga political issue was on top of the people’s expectation, but Modi had “deliberately ignored” the issue. He maintained there was ‘no sincerity and commitment’

by BJP to resolve the issue.

Pusa also regretted that Modi did not announce any special package for the State when “people are longing for progress and development.”

Stating that Nagaland needs special attention “as it was born out of a political agreement,” he added that Nagaland should not be equated with other States in the region.

He noted that the Prime Minister’s development package for the North East was nothing new, but already programmed by the UPA government.

Meanwhile, the Congress leader urged the Centre to bring those responsible for setting fire to a Church in Delhi on December 1. He asked the Centre to arrest the accused to show secular credentials of the BJP led NDA government.

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NTFTF appeals for allocation and enhancement of wagons

Dimapur, December 2 (mexN): Drawing the attention of the Ministry of Forest-(GoN) and the Department concerned, the Nagaland Tree Farmers' & Traders' Forum (NTFTF) representing the local tree farmers and traders from every level under the aegis of its Management Board has put up some of entreaty for consideration and enactment.

NTFTF Secretary Omega G. Naga stated in a press statement that in the matter of allocation of wagons, allotment of wagons for both the teak timber and molding beats to one single party or individual has been in practice since long time back where those parties enjoy the benefits of both. In the process, many genuine local entrepreneurs and contractors have been denied.

In this regard, the Forum opines that a systematic procedure can be arranged in the interest of all by way of adopting the pattern of separate segment while allotting wagons. It suggested that those who have been allotted molding beats wagon(s) will not be allotted teak timber wagon(s) and vis versa so that everyone who is genuinely into tree farming and trade is accommodate in allotment of the same.

The Forum also make a fervent appeal to enhance the number of wagons as many genuine local entrepreneurs are taking up tree farming and healthy timber trade for self sustenance and economic growth. The present number of allotment of wagons to facilitate the beneficiaries since the year 2002 under the constitutional right

for the Nagas and for the Nagaland as a state is too limited to accommodate even the half section of timber professionals and entrepreneurs.

In the matter of restriction in supplies of molding beats, the Forum solicit that restriction(s) in this regard be done away with as molding beats are finished goods and as long as there is stock, relaxation of the same be permitted by the authority in concern. Since restriction in supplies of molding beats is not practiced in other states of Northeast, the Forum appealed for applying the same yardstick even for state Nagaland.

All though, this matter is in pursue by the Forum with the S.I.TCentral Empowerment Committee(CEC), Government of India, the Fo-

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rum anticipated that the authority in concern out here will contemplate on this matter with all seriousness and take up some corrective measure(s) from its end to redress the grievances, added the press statement.

The Forum also notified the department that NTFTF believes in healthy tree farming and trading while bestowing utmost respect to nature's conservation and environmental balance. In its quest for trading, it shall never go against the law of nature and the law of the land. It assures to extend all possible help and co-operation to the department in all fields for the overall smooth positive functioning as well as for the conservation of nature in line Grains of rice turned golden showing that it is ready for harvesting at a paddy field in Bamunpukhri, in the outskirts of Diwith its principle ''Deriv- mapur. About 60 percent of Indians work in the agriculture sector that contributes 16 to 20 percent of the nation's gross ing & Delivering.'' domestic product. (Morung Photo)

Seminar on Christian Planning and Management held Day of prayer and sanctification

for Mao community observed

‘Qualities of Naga image rooted in Christian teachings and Naga culture’

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New Delhi, December 2 (mexN): The Delhi Ao Baptist Church Youth Ministry organized seminar on the topic of “Christian Planning and Management” on November 29 at the Centenary Methodist Church Lodhi Road Delhi for the young professionals residing in Delhi.

Rev. Dr. Wati Longchar was the resource person and he provided critical insights into the need for the projection of a Naga brand/ image beyond the stereotypes and misconceptions held by non-Nagas. A positive collective identity as well as individual branding was greatly emphasized.

Participants with the resource person during the seminar on “Christian Planning and Management” organised by Delhi Ao Baptist Church Youth Ministry on November 29.

He highlighted four qualities crucial to the creation of a Naga brand vis-à-vis hard work, honesty, commitment, dignity of labour.

These four qualities were also found to be rooted in Christian teachings as well as the Naga culture.

Thereafter, he emphasised to look beyond traditional approaches towards work

kohima, December 2 (mexN): Kohima, December 2 (MExN): The New Ministers’ Hill Panchayat (NMHP), Kohima launched its own ‘Sanitation truck’. The Panchayat with the contribution from within the colony residents purchased the vehicle.

Panchayat Secretary, Lima Imsong highlighting that the vehicle was purchased considering the difficulty of the KMC provided vehicle in reaching to the colony on a daily basis. He said that New Ministers Hill comes under Ward No. 16 of KMA, which also includes other three colonies – Lerie, Lerie Chazou and Dairy Farm.

Therefore, the Panchayat approached the denizens of the colony for financial support towards maintaining cleanliness by collecting the garbage on a daily basis exclusively for New Ministers’ Hill. Panchayat Chairman Neibo-o Kire acknowledged the contribution of the denizens and asserted that Sanitation vehicle would reach every sector of the colony while also appealing the colony residents avail the facility. Associate Pastor of Sema Baptist A young boy hangs from a pushing cart laden with carton boxes along the National Church Kohima, Dr. Hokheto Chophy ofHighway - 29 at Purana Bazaar in Dimapur. Child Labour?? (Morung Photo) fered the dedicatory prayer.

Born on 25.04.1935

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rected to the resource person. Towards the end of the seminar, the participants were divided into three groups and assigned a topic each to be discussed in the respective groups.

Earlier in the day, the Youth Director Matsung Longkumer welcomed the participant and gave a keynote address in which he

said that this seminar was an outcome of various discussion and deliberation on the context in which young professionals who are living in Delhi. Christian should be able to plan well and manage themselves to be salt to the society. The Evangelist Supong Longkumer delivered vote of thanks.

and denominations gathered to observe the day of Prayer and Sanctification.

Athilu Khrasi, General Secretary, MHD, in his keynote address briefly explained the meaning of the traditional day of Prayer and Sanctification in the days of yore where all adult folk purify themselves before entering into any significant event such as new month or year. He further pointed out that it is with outmost significance Mao people set aside the day as the day of purification from all sins and seek God’s blessing for the coming year.

The first session was prayers of confession, thanksgiving, seeking of blessing for the community led by A. Nenio, Pastor, MBC Kuda. K. Pfokrehrii, Deacon, L.

Hepuni George, Catechist, A.H. John Missionary, S. Puni, Deacon. Rev. A Pfokrelo, pastor MBC Chumukedima shared the Words of God on the theme. The sharing was centered around a life to live and foster honesty and sincerity with dignity and integrity as its people were known for and not to patronize any cheap living and money.

A resolution adoption committee was also appointed to observe and carry it forward. Resource persons of the second session were Rev. Fr. Dr. Salew Peter. K. Ela, Dili Solomon.

Athia Hepuni John, Adahe Neli moderated the sessions and K. Lokho, President, MHD, proposed the vote of thanks, all together 950 participated the Prayer and Sanctification Day.

NMHP Kohima launches ‘Sanitation truck’

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

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and employment. His delivery was one marked by a conversational style and intelligent humor, which engaged the participants to three thought provoking sessions.

At the end of each session, the moderators opened the floor for interaction, allowing questions and comments to be di-

Dimapur, December 2 (mexN): ‘Our strength is the Lord God Almighty maker of heaven and earth, the beginning and the end. Come what may, from the north, south, east or west our stronghold is our Lord our God. All the righteous blessings flow from Him and all our people shall follow His precepts.’ These lines were the proclamation of Mao Community in Dimapur on the day of “Mothu Koso Chithu” held on November 30 at Mao Baptist Church, Chumukedima.

A press note on the event received here stated that the gathering was a unique and first of its kind in the history of the Mao Community where 18 years of age and above from different churches

Died on 27.11.2014 The family of Late Shri. L. Meyilemba Ao, Mopungchuket village, resident of Lower Chandmari, Kohima whose soul departed on the 27.11.2014 would like to express our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to all those who have stood with us through prayers as well as physically and financially during the entire period of papa’s illness till he breathed his last. It is our sincere prayer that our good Lord will bless each and every one of you abundantly.

Loving wife, children, grandchildren and family members

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Graduating students of Preschool and Kindergarten of Rainbow Academy seen along with parents, administrator and staff during Rainbow Academy Annual Day cum Graduation day 2014 at Resource Centre Dimapur on December 2. (Photo Courtesy/Mireuyi Herie)

‘Self Help Group for Mission’ members with children during their visit to the Neighborhood Children Home Midland Dimapur held on December 2.

Residential theatre workshop in Mangkolemba concludes

maNgkolemba, December 2 (mexN): The 30 days residential theatre workshop organized and sponsored by National School of Drama, New Delhi in collaboration with the Mangkolemba Ao Youth Organization (MALT) concluded on December 1 by staging “MORUSA” an Angami headhunting folk play at the Zero Point, Mangkolemba in front of a strong 400 plus crowd, some coming from the nearby villages.

Mangkolemba Ao Lanur Telongjem President Imjong Longkumer stated in a press release that the distinctiveness of the play was that, “it was the first headhunting theatre production in the country.” The performance was packed with various scenes of warfare and killings with impeccable performance from the artists leaving the audience speechless and providing them a peek into the bygone eras of Naga history.

The drama was directed by Pabitra Rabha, an NSDian and

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Participants of the 30 days residential theatre workshop staging “MORUSA” an Angami headhunting folk play at the Zero Point, Mangkolemba on December 1.

a recipient of Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Purushkar for Theatre Direction and the Reliance Foundation’s “Real Heroes Award” in 2012. The concept and design was done by

Bendang Walling, an alumni of NSD and awardees of NEZCC “Young Talented Artist Award” for the year 2009-10 in the field of Theatre.

At the beginning of the

programme, the trainees were awarded certificates on behalf of NSD by Jadumani Singh, a prominent theatre personality known all over the world hailing from Manipur.

Inspirational and strategic ministry seminar concludes

Dimapur, December 2 (mexN): Three-day inspirational and strategic ministry seminar was organized by Millennium International University, USA, in collaboration with Eastern Bible College, Dimapur from November25 to 28.

Speaking on various topics, Associate Professor Rev. Dr. Stephen Tee delivered the keynote on inspiring and strategic preaching. He explained on how to Focus: Inspiring and effective preaching and Intention: to give right principle and methodology. Rev. Dr Jason Loh, spoke on Strategic methodology in Christian ethics, Strategic Principle for Success, Prosperity, Plan and Purpose. Dr. Tony Foo spoke on a Topic: "strategic to building a disciplined body". Rev. Darroll Mullary spoke on a Topic: "Building Strategic Churches".

Elder Peter Ng spoke on length about "Effective strategic spiritual welfare".

During the evening, an open air Gospel and Healing Meeting was held and many lives was touched, healed and blessed. The main speaker for the Gospel meeting was Rev. Darroll Mullany, Sr Pastor of Sound City Church, Australia.

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The Morung Express

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‘Ask Bangladesh for better access to ports’

AgArtAlA, December 2 (IANS): Tripura has urged the prime minister to pursue Bangladesh so that it allows access to its water and land routes that could be used to transport material to the northeartern states, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said.

After meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi here Monday night, Sarkar told reporters that access to Chittagong international port and Ashuganj river port in Bangladesh is crucial for ferrying men and material from the other parts of India and abroad to the north-

eastern states.

"A multi-modal transportation system using Bangladeshi ports is crucial for the northeastern states as the region is mountainous and having rough terrain," he said. "If necessary, after talking with the Bangladesh government, India can invest in developing the infrastructure of the two ports," he said. "India must pursue the Bangladesh government for regular use of Chittagong and Ashuganj ports to carry food grains, essentials, heavy machineries and other goods for northeastern states."

Chittagong sea port is around 70 km from Tripura and Ashuganj port over the Meghna river in eastern Bangladesh is around 40 km from Tripura.

Sarkar said besides the ports, India's access to land and air routes and connectivity between India and Bangladesh are vital for the region's development.

After visiting Assam, Nagaland and Manipur, Modi was in the Left-ruled state Monday.

He inaugurated the second unit (363 MW) of the 726 MW capacity power plant in southern Tripura's palatana, 60 km south of here. The gas-based power

project was commissioned by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) at a cost of Rs.10,000 crore.

Sarkar said that to improve the telecommunications network of the northeastern region, an alternate telecom routing through Bangladesh is vital and urged Modi to pursue the matter with Dhaka. "Following our demand, the FCI (Food Corporation of India) has taken steps to ferry another 35,000 tonnes of rice for Tripura via Bangladesh as train services in the northeastern states have been stopped till March

2016 due to gauge conversion," Sarkar added.

The FCI recently ferried 10,000 tonnes of rice for Tripura in two phases from Visakhapatnam port in Andhra Pradesh via Bangladesh. The transportation via Bangladesh is much easier as road connectivity is a big factor for the mountainous northeastern states which share boundaries with Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan and China. There is only a narrow land corridor to the northeastern region from India through Assam and West Bengal but this route passes through hilly terrain with steep

gradients and multiple hairpin bends, making plying of vehicles, especially loaded trucks, very difficult. For instance, Agartala via Guwahati is 1,650 km from Kolkata by road and 2,637 km from New Delhi, while the distance between Agartala and Kolkata via Bangladesh is just about 350 km.

The Tripura government has also urged the prime minister to set up a Central Agricultural University, and an institute each of the Indian Institute of Management and the Indian Institute of Technology to make the northeastern state an educational hub. Sarkar said: "We

have asked the prime minister to step up the works for setting up the proposed fertiliser plant in Tripura by ONGC. A petrochemical complex using the natural gas, found abundantly in Tripura, must be set up in Tripura. Both projects would also resolve the unemployment problems of northeast India."

The ONGC in association with Rajasthan-based private-sector fertiliser company Chambal Fertilisers and Chemicals Limited (CFCL) and the Tripura government would set up the Rs.5,000 crore plant in northern Tripura.

BSF told to stop cow smuggling New DelhI, December 2 (DhNS): With the Sangh Parivar keen on stopping illegal transport of cows across the border for slaughtering, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday asked the Border Security Force (BSF) to end the activity along the Indo-Bangladesh border.

Addressing the 49th Raising Day function and launching of Golden Jubilee celebrations, Singh said the BSF “has to work” on many areas ranging from stopping infiltration and illegal migration from Bangladesh to dealing with narcotics and fake currency notes.

“I also want to tell BSF personnel and officers that you should stop the

smuggling of cows on the Indo-Bangladesh border at any cost. If you are doing that already, I compliment you for that,” Singh said. There were several complaints against the BSF that some of its personnel were facilitating cow smuggling for slaughtering in Bangladesh after taking money and the Sangh Parivar led by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh had raised the issue earlier.

The BSF guards the 4,096 km Indo-Bangla border and there is a large patch of area which is yet to be fenced. Of the 3,326.14 km which was to be fenced, only 2,827.92 km is complete as on March 31, 2014. The

Home Ministry has said delay in land acquisition by West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram governments, public protest, delay in forest clearances, difficult terrain and prolonged monsoon are the reasons for non-completion of fencing.

On the sidelines of the function, he told reporters that the security forces had devised "plans" to stop and check terrorist activities and these measures were also discussed during the recently held conference of the top police brass of the country in Guwahati. Singh also ruled out further arrests in connection with the Islamic State issue.

Two killed by suspected NDFB (S) in Baksa

The Indigenous Women Forum for North East India (IWFNEI) organised a workshop on Peace-building and Promotion and Protection of Indigenous Women's rights at Halflong town, N C Hills, Assam from November 26 to 28. The workshop was sponguwAhAtI, Decemsored by International Indigenous Women Forum (IIWF-FIMI). The workshop focused on the non-discrimination treaties, rights and provisions of women in the national, international and state level. Peace-building with special emphasis on the grassroots ber 2 (PtI): Two persons were kidnapped and was another highlight of the workshop which was attended by women from Dimasa, Khasi and Zeliangrong communities.

Northeast to get airfreight service soon guwAhAtI, December 2 (AgeNcIeS): The landlocked Northeast region (NER) of the country is likely to get a dedicated air cargo service soon, to cater to the business community's wants for fast movement of goods to and fro.

Mumbai-based Sovika Aviation Services said on Sunday it would launch a dedicated cargo airline service to cater to all major airports of the northeastern states from February 2015.

Although there was huge movement of goods to and from the Northeast at present, there is no dedicated cargo airline service for the region, said Hemant Anand, vice-president of the company. Anand said that "Most likely by mid-February next year, we will be starting this cargo and freight service. We are very serious about this business and have done our homework well.”

The company plans to use an ATR-72 aircraft, which can carry eight tonnes of cargo, and fly to all major airports of the region such as Guwahati, Agartala, Imphal, Aizawl and Dimapur. Anand said since aviation engineering facilities are available in Kolkata, the service would be based out of here. "I have visited several cities in the region in recent days to gauge the demand. The traders and businessmen I have spoken to are very enthusiastic on having a dedicated cargo airline service. We hope to carry at least 10 tonnes of cargo to and from the Northeast every day,” he said.

At present, cargo from

the region is carried by passenger aircraft carry, which handle about 20 tonnes of cargo every day.

Anand said quite often, traders are forced to delay the movement of their cargo due to unavailability of space in passenger air-

craft. He said he had spoken to the chief ministers of Assam and Meghalaya and have sought the state governments' support for the launch of the dedicated cargo airline service.

Speaking at the conference, Bhupesh Joshi, man-

aging director, Clubone Air, said until and unless the centre and state governments ease norms and licensing policies for the region, it would not be commercially viable for airlines to operate passenger aircraft on short routes in Northeast.

shot dead by suspected NDFB(S) terrorists in Baksa district under Bodoland Territorial Area Districts today, a senior official said.

"We received information this morning that two persons were kidnapped and then killed in Labdanguri area. Preliminary reports say there are bullet marks but we will be able to confirm it only after post-mortem," Baksa Deputy Commissioner

Vinod Seshan told PTI. Although it is not confirmed yet, this seemed to be the handiwork of banned terrorist group NDFB (S), he added.

The identity of the two people are yet to be established. A senior police official from the spot said the two persons were shot

Gram: Agricomplex Medziphema

from point blank range as their injuries were in the neck. Four armed men kidnapped the two persons this morning from Mainamatha Pathar village and then killed them.

Their bodies were recovered from a place between Hilasiguri and I Love You Market, the of-

ficial said.

Earlier in May this year, 46 persons were killed in Baksa and Kokrajhar of Bodoland Territorial Area Districts. While 39 were killed in Narayanguri, Khagrabari and Narsingbari villages of Baksa district, seven died in Kokrajhar, sources said.

ICAR RESEARCH COMPLEX FOR NEH REGION

Phone: 247241/247250 Fax: 03862-247241

(Indian Council of Agricultural Research) NAGALAND CENTER, JHARNAPANI MEDZIPHEMA, NAGALAND-797106

No.RCN/MD/Pt.1/2010/3347

Dated 26th November, 2014

WALK- IN –INTERVIEW GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

Phone : 0361-2228547, 2264841 Fax : 0361-2260101 email : rpo.guwahati@mea.gov.in

MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

Rani Bagan, Basistha Road 3rd Bye Lane, Guwahati-781 028 Date 24/11/2014

REGIONAL PASSPORT OFFICE

PRESS RELEASE

PASSPORT SEVA CAMP IN KOHIMA

1. In order to expand the outreach of Passport Services, under aegis of Ministry of External Affairs, Regional Passport Office, Guwahati has decided to organize Passport Seva Camp at. Kohima on 5th & 6th of December, 2014.

2. Passport Seva Camp will start at 9:30 A.M. Applicants from all districts of Nagaland will be allowed to appear in the camp.

3. In the camp, only ordinary passport applications will be accepted.Tatkal, Re-issue, PCC, Hold or Pending cases will not be entertained in the Passport Seva Camp.

4. Details of venue, appointment and date of Passport Seva Camp are as under: SL. Date of Passport No. Seva Camp 1. 05.12.2014 2

06.12.2014

Date for release of appointment for Passport Seva Camp Police Conference 01-12-2014 Hall At PHQ,Kohima 11:00 AM "Do" 02-12-2014 11:00 AM Venue

Total appointment to be released for Passport Seva Camp 150 120

5. Applicants may visit to the website www.passportindia.gov.in for online registration. Applicants have to submit online fee, book appointment and come to the venue on the date of appointment with original documents and a set of zerox copies of all the documents. It is compulsory for the applicants to come with 7 (seven) photographs of passport size with light background.

6. Applicants may contact over telephone no. 0361-2228547, 2264841 for any queries/assistance regarding the camp.

Regional Passport Officer Guwahati

Eligible candidates are invited to attend a Walk- in- Interview for recruitment of Meteorological Observer on contractual basis under the IMD sponsored project on "Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewak (GKMS)" at ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Nagaland Centre, Jharnapani, Medziphema on 11th December at 11.00 A.M. The post is co-terminus with the project.

Pay Scale Essential qualification PB-1: Rs. 5200-20200 & 12th Pass in any discipline with basic knowledge of Grade Pay of Rs. 2000/computer applications Interested candidates are requested to bring all the relevant documents, certificates, mark sheets etc. in original along with an application with full biodata addressed to the Joint Director, ICAR Nagaland Centre while appearing for the interview.

(Bidyut C. Deka) Joint Director

INDIAN AIR FORCE CORRIGENDUM RECRUITMENT RALLY FOR GROUP 'Y' {lAR(S)} TRADE AT 11 AIRMEN SELECTION CENTRE, BORJHAR, GUWAHATI (ASSAM) FROM 16 DECEMBER 2014 TO 22 DECEMBER 2014 1. REFER ADVERTISEMENT NUMBER DAVP/10801/11/0053/1415 PUBLISHED BETWEEN 12 NOVEMBER 2014 AND 13 NOVEMBER 2014 FOR THE ABOVE SAID RECRUITMENT RALLY. 2. THE SUBJECT RECRUITMENT RALLY HAS BEEN CANCELLED (REPEAT) CANCELLED. THE RALLY SHALL BE RE-SCHEDULED IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF YEAR 2015.

3. ALL CONCERNED MAY LOOK OUT FOR FRESH ADVERTISEMENT LATER WITH RESPECT TO RESCHEDULED DATES AND VENUE. Davp: 10801/11/0062/1415

NOTIFICATION THIS IS TO INFORM ALL THE MEMBER INVESTORS OF THE ORGANIZATION UNDER KOHIMA BRANCH OFFICE THAT, THE BRANCH OFFICE OF KOHIMA SHALL REMAIN CLOSE WITH EFFECT FROM THE 13 DAY OF DECEMBER 2014 TILL FURTHER NOTICE AND ALL THE OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS AND PROTOCOL OF THE BRANCH OFFICE SHALL BE ADMINISTERED AND SUPERVISED BY THE CENTRAL ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE DIMAPUR. THE MANAGEMENT IS IMMENSELY PLEASED AND OBLIGED TO ALL THE MEMBER INVESTORS FOR ALL THE RELENTLESS SUPPORT AND CO-OPERATION IN ANALYZING AND UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEMS OF THE MANAGEMENT AND FOR PROVIDING GENEROUS TIME TO CARRY FORWARD THE RUNNING PROJECTS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ENVISIONED PROGRAMMES OF THE ORGANIZATION AND ALSO LOOK FORWARD FOR YOUR STEADFAST SUPPORT. SD/(ARON .K. QUINKER) CHAIRMAN & CEO QUEENSBERRY FOUNDATION DIMAPUR : NAGALAND.

4 businEss RBI policy review: Raghuram Rajan maintains status quo on key rate Dimapur

Wednesday

The Morung Express

3 December 2014

mumbAi, December 2 (reuterS): Home and auto loans will not become cheaper as the Governor Raghuram Rajan-led Reserve Bank of India (RBI) kept the policy rate unchanged for the fifth time in a row today, but hinted at softening of stance “early next year” if inflation continues to abate and there is an improvement in fiscal health.

The decision to keep the short term lending (repo) rate unchanged at 8% disappointed the industry which said RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan in his fifth bi-monthly policy statement could had been more accommodating to help prop up the sagging economy.

“A change in the mon-

etary policy stance at the current juncture is premature. However, if the current inflation momentum and changes in inflationary expectations continue, and fiscal developments are encouraging, a change in the monetary policy stance is likely early next year, including outside the policy review cycle,” he said.

The repo rate continues to be at 8 per cent while the cash reserve ratio has also been retained at 4%.

Following the policy announcement, most of the bankers said that there will be no change in lending and deposit rates for now.

United Bank of India Executive Director Deepak Narang said the margins of banks are already under pressure due to high level

of non-performing assets (NPAs) or bad loans. “So, I don’t see a cut in the interest rate at the moment,” he added.

Following the RBI stance, the BSE’s 30-share index Sensex closed at 28,444, down 115.61 points or 0.40%. On the inflation trajectory, Rajan said he expects it to ease further and average at the 6%.

“Over the next 12-month period, inflation is expected to retain some momentum and hover around 6%, except for seasonal movements, as the disinflation momentum works through,” he said in the bi-monthly review of the monetary policy.

Driven largely by a base-effect, the consumer price inflation for October had come in at 5.52%, the

fifth consecutive month that it declined.

Under its glide path, the RBI is targeting to get the CPI inflation at 8% as of January 2015 and take it down to 6% by January 2016. While the 2015 target is achievable, Rajan had in the last policy sounded concerned about the “upside risks” to the 2016 target.

Calls for a rate cut had been growing in the run up to the policy announcement, with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also pitching for lowering the cost of capital to boost growth.

However, the surprising rebound displayed with a 6.3% growth in the core sector yesterday – indicating an uptick in factory output – had kept everybody guessing about the stance which Rajan adopts.

The ChrisTmas season Grandma’s Song*

Grandma’s song is heard no more; Grandma’s song is heed no more.

NeopuPa-ngao

sweet little angles

A poem dedicated to differently abled children Among Aier The Sun was still young and the dews were still celebrating the morning.

Sweet little angles Dad had not returned home after the call This is the day to adore and honor you! from the Chief at dawn.

So unique and so special; working on Cod’s plan; But I was about to cross the Village with Every person who has known you, my mom to the fields.

Sees a fight within your soul.

Then ‘Strange Birds’* from beyond the Blue Mountains flocked in the “Chukho”*.

You are the shooting starI heard only orphic chirping sound; meloMore precious than the silver moon! dious to the ear though.

With eyes like shinning pearl; The magnificent feathers’ radiance sparYou are like a City among thorns, kled as diamonds.

You are no doubt a darting to all The many bangle pinged; and the ear-ring rung.

Squeezing away the sorrows, Everything of them was credibly adorable.

Making the onlookers forget their pain, I dare not look at my very own old “ToutYou have a special role to play! sinii”*.

You are so wonderful; who gives a reason to five, My dithering curiosity took the better hold With love and rays of hope. of me.

I stared and stared again as though that’s my duty.

My mother implored me, “Child, hold your spade and accompany me to the field”.

Still I stared at the Strange Birds as though that’s my duty.

Mine heart refused to feel her heart; Mine mind refused to think honest; Mine eyes refused to turn to ‘Reality’.

I was lost in the thin air of ‘make-believereality.

I gave mom an irk look that can stir a fight between ego-filled men.

With teary eyes, mother rested the basket on her bent back.

She sighed but said not a word: the fields must have been lonesome that day.

Death sweeps everything away; It yields to no one; But your innocent smiles daresEven death is forced to fiord back So, shine on my Sweet little angles I thank Him for these angels And pray, to always keep a watchful eye; A hand to protect them from this wicked- world, I pray to thee, for my sweet, little angels God bless and protect these Sweet little angles.

_

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 # 3073

New Delhi, December 2 (iANS): A day after petrol and diesel prices were cut by nearly a rupee, the government Tuesday raised the excise duty on transport fuels respectively by Rs.2.25 and Re.1 a litre, with immediate effect.

Consumers, however, will be spared the burden of the excise hike and there will be no change to retail prices, a petroleum ministry source told IANS. The government last hiked the excise duty on petrol and diesel

by Rs.1.50 per litre on Nov 12, which was similarly not passed on to consumers.

The move, according to finance ministry officials, could fetch around Rs.4,000 crore in the remaining part of the current fiscal. The addition from the earlier in-

crease is expected to be Rs.6,000 crore and both these will be shared by the central government and the states as per the prescribed formula.

An official source in the finance ministry explained the economics behind hiking the excise duty, a major portion of which goes to the states, particularly in the wake of a fall in the global crude oil prices to a five-year low.

The official said since the over-recovery, or profit, that state-run oil marketing companies have now been making on these fuels had gone up, the government has taken a credit of a portion of the same. As a consequence, he added, consumers will feel no impact of Thursday’s excise hike.

Indian internet users should guard against spam mails

mumbAi, December 2 (bl): India has the dubious distinction of being the world’s sixth largest source of spam or unwanted emails, a new study by Kaspersky Lab has suggested.

Apple’s iPhone 6 launch along with the Ice Bucket Challenge initia-

tive were two main topics used by spammers to promote junk mailings in the quarter ended September 30, 2014.

“Internet users in India should start taking their digital security seriously.

With the number of threat vectors increasing alarm-

It was noon when the familiar heavy sigh echoed my ear again.

This time, I did turn around for curiosity’s sake.

My old man was there. “Yo! What’s the big deal”? I said.

He stood still and silent in serious look.

But mine heart refused to feel his heart; Mine mind refused to think honest; Mine eyes refused to turn to reality.

He broke the silence and sniveled, “You aren’t them, but simply like them. The world may end but you will still be Blood of my Blood”.

I still refused to give my old man’s words a meaning.

With teary eyes, he sighed, gently dangled his old shawl upon his shoulder and said, “I am your Father my Son”.

I began to dissolve myself as dust in the rain.

I began to absorb everything of them; As though a cotton thrown into the vast salty ocean.

Those Strange Birds cajoled, “Come, rhyme with us to the rhythm” And I shook my hip as though I’m on the top of the world.

My moves must have been funny but I really didn’t care.

I heard a heavy familiar sigh; seldom have I cared.

I still rhymed to the rhythm of the Strange Birds.

I was more than thrilled; the whole world unleashed is to me, I felt.

I flung my “toutsini” exposing my dignity Grandma’s song is heard no more; to the known world.

Grandma’s song is heed no more.

I dressed as the Birds of the distant land; It was in the evening then; and the village beyond the Blue Mountains.

I chirped like them, I danced like them. I folks were returning home from the fields.

A soft little voice inside me chivvied me to drank like them, I ate like them.

More, I liked like them like them liked rewind my sense to reality.

Right then I saw four teary eyes staring them.

But ne’er I realised I would seldom become still, gosh! Why are they still here?

Mother said, “Child, come home, your kin them; for better or for the worst (!)

My body ne’er was acquainted to their fan- are waiting for you,” cy pricey costumes.

“Come home Child, I’ll tell you tales of My Naga stomach got irked at their food. your identity” my old man dared.

Still I tried to be like them; a ‘trying spider’ “This is home”, I resentfully retorted.

“Child, there are no hearts here. Home is without a principle rope.

Peers admired me but a cryptic being I am where hearts are”, they choired the pleading in unison. to the youngs.

Women folks pitied me and the men folks “We can’t go home without you, Child; we will teach you Grandma’s song”, they provexed by me; But the Wise knew my blunder - the true posed. me is enslaved by the Pseudo-New-Me. “Grandma’s song” jabbed me of my whole being; Grandma’s song is heard no more; And good heaven breezed my mind with a wave of nostalgia.

Grandma’s song is heed no more.

Grandma’s song is heard no more; Grandma’s song is heed no more.

You might not be like us, But you are a gem-one in million!

You cannot dwelt like us, But you are the heir to the throne of Heaven.

Heaven smiles upon you my sweet little angels.

Additionally, the auto companies also reported an over 10% growth in sales for November, after a dip in the preceding month, indicating a revival in the manufacturing sector. Among the eight core sectors, coal and power have done exceedingly well during the month.

The lobby calling for a rate cut had also been pointing to a continuous decline in global crude prices, which have come to a 5-year low of around USD 68 a barrel, which has the potential to reduce inflation in an oil-importing nation like India.

However, some experts also warn of uncertainty continuing over oil pricing, saying that any geo-political tension will send the prices up again.

india hikes excise on petrol, diesel

DAILY CROSS WORD

CROSSWORD # 3081

Answer Number # 3072

ingly along with the rise of cybercriminal activities, it is imperative that Internet users in India protect themselves with genuine Internet Security or AntiVirus,” Altaf Halde, Managing Director, Kaspersky Lab – South Asia said in a press statement.

Grandma told me once upon a morning, “Ne’er forget my Song else you will lose yourself”.

Grandma’s song was the best; none did disdain it; for it makes what they are.

The real ‘Me’ began to dawn.

I headed home with mom and dad – hearts won the heart.

I have wasted the day’s works in the field trying to become what I am not.

By now, the burning sun is diminishing, nearing the horizon.

The sky turns red in twilight: My Father said, “The weather will be fine tomorrow”.

I can hear parents calling their children home from their play with peers.

I can hear the wild fowls in the nearby woods singing their evening choruses.

I can hear my heart beats, beating to the sound of Tati* the women folk are playing.

Grandma’s song will be heard again.

Grandma’s song will be heed again.

NeopuPa-ngao Yonah * Grandma’s Song: Here, “Grandma’s song” represents the tradition and culture of the tribal people. * Strange Birds: Everything that is alien to the culture of the tribals. Mostly the so called bigger culture that invade and conquest other smaller culture. * Chukho: A resting place, traditionally built in public place by piling large stones one on top of the other, where people had conversation. They are usually seen in a circular manner. *Toutsinii: A traditional wrap-around, worn by the menfolk casually embroidered with shells along the hemline and the seam. Here, it represents all the cultural attires of the tribal people. * Tati: A traditional one musical instrument use by the Nagas.

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

W

O Christmas TREE ORNAMENT CAROLING GIFTS COOKIES LIGHTS DECORATIONS NATIVITY BIRTHDAY CARDS GARLANDS MANGER STAR BETHLEHEM HOLLY SNOWMAN ANGELS WREATHS CANDYCANES BELLS CANDLES FRUITCAKE FAMILYTIME MAGI REINDEER POINSETTIA

R

D

C G O P G F P S I B P J I K F L P E I N

V J O N V Z T A G I Z I D O C H F Q R F

S

E L G L X H R B O V I J J J I A H I X T

D E A N G E L S L G D Z K N M T R S I Y

E

I A M I T L N Y A D H T R I B N A D M X

B E L L S U W M B E T H L E H E M X S R

G A F J B O N P U P E Y L N R M Z J Y O

L W F E D Y L Y O E T R C A A A S T Y X

A

P U V H P G P F S I H A T T O N O S C P

Y R P S T F I G M I N S E I Q R I N O T

Y L Z G Q Y R E N D A S Z V K O G O O O

R

R V L R D D O U Y I D Q E I N Q K W K Y

Z W G O V N O C I N L Q P T G O R M I S

C

I N D K H E A A A T D O N Y T Q X A E H

K D F F U N F L D E C O R A T I O N S T

T Z C A E V R R E G N A M A A B A F U A

H

K I K S C A N D L E S N K W C Z Q U Y E

O H P R G X F J G A I B R E E D N I E R

G C N H J K S A S U Y K Z J B U A B X W

V R P R X V A P D X J G J R I A Y W N L

ACROSS 1. Catholic church service 5. Annoy 10. A Maori club 14. French for “State” 15. Wheel shafts 16. “Oh my!”

17. Roman robe 18. The same backward as forward 20. Filling material 22. Cowhide 23. Direction 24. Russian emperors 25. Unpleasant tasting 32. Decants 33. Assumed name 34. Chart 37. Soil 38. Beside 39. Hindu princess 40. Mineral rock 41. Arrogant 42. Cantaloupe for example 43. Gardening 45. Markedly masculine 49. A wise bird 50. Spiny anteater 53. Melodious 57. Conversion

59. Concern 60. Break in friendly relations 61. Dot 62. Church alcove 63. Poems 64. Peaky 65. Search

DOWN 1. Anagram of “Meat” 2. “Smallest” particle 3. Epic 4. Stouthearted 5. Melon tree 6. Test 7. L 8. Head covering 9. Feudal worker 10. Pieces 11. Hello or goodbye 12. Sometimes, works with lions 13. Utilizers 19. Days of the month 21. Not guys 25. Style of hairdo 26. French for “Black” 27. Unadulterated 28. Claw 29. Not silently

30. Ties 31. Delay 34. Timbuktu country 35. Nameless 36. Engine knock 38. Genus of macaws 39. Imitations 41. Trudges 42. Mouths 44. Administrative district 45. Parisian subway 46. Bitter 47. Rub 48. Suggestions 51. Bites 52. At the peak of 53. A religious figure 54. Superhero accessory 55. Backside 56. Scallion 58. 3 in Roman numerals Ans to CrossWord 3080

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

222246 222491

BUY(Rs)

SELL(Rs)

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

61.58 96.25 7.92 52.52 47.10 54.35 52.00

62.02 97.34 8.01 53.28 47.66 55.01 52.64

Euro

76.23

77.04

Danish Krone

10.23

10.36

Norwegian Krone New Zealand Dollar Swedish Krona

9.03

9.13

47.82

48.55

8.25

8.34

LOCAL

The Morung Express

Wednesday 3 December 2014

‘Release payment for civil works’ lJP regrets injudicious use of national flagship programmes

Kiphire, December 2 (mexN): The Village/ Town Education Committee of Kiphire District has requested the release of payment against civil works done for 2010, 2011 and 2012 from the (Nagaland) State Mission Authority.

Chairman of the Town Education Committee, GPS Longya, Kiphire, in a

letter to the State Mission Director (SSA), stated today that the Village/Town Education Committee has “lost patience due to non payment of bills” for the said years. “Till today only 60% of fun was released and 40% still pending,” the letter informed.

In a chart produced by the Committee, it indicated “how sincere” the

Department has been “by way of making payment in this mode.” In that, “what magic does the Department authority expect from Education Committee through Communitization Act-2002 speaks clearly,” it stated. The authority concerned has been appealed to be “sincere” and “make payment at the earliest.”

C-Edge college faculty prepares for CBCP

Faculty of C-Edge College with resource person Lindsay Graham Longkumer on December 2.

Dimapur, December 2 (mexN): With a view to start Choice Based Credit Paper (CBCP) on English Communication skills in C-Edge College from the year 2015 in Se-

mester VI, the faculty of the college had an interactive session on December 2 with Lindsay Graham Longkumer as resource person. She covered topics on the objectives, do-

ESDP launched in Ahthibung pereN, December 2 (mexN): Entrepreneurship Skill Development Programme (ESDP) on PC maintenance for 300 hours in Ahthibung Town, Peren district was launched on December 2 at Town Hall, Ahthibung. The pro-

gramme, sponsored by Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) is conducted by the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (Guwahati) in collaboration with Alpha Club, Samziuram Village, Peren district.

mains of communication skills, and learning styles.

The resource person also had a talk on “Gender Equality in Higher Education” with the students and faculty.

Dimapur, December 2 (mexN): The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), Nagaland has expressed regret that the national flagship programmes in the State are not judiciously utilized, thus making the State lack far behind. Observing the party National Foundation Day on November 28 in Dimapur, Nagaland LJP leaders discussed many relevant and vital issues pertaining to various problems faced by the people of the State, informed a press release issued by Nagaland LJP working president & chairman, vigilance cell, S Richard Humtsoe.

The party has also invited all like-minded people to come and strengthen the LJP in order to “fight corruption and injustice that is prevailing in the State today so that Nagas could have a peaceful and prosperous future.”

Lok Janshakti Party is headed by Ram Vilas Paswan, the National President and Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food

and Public Distribution.

The party, which is an ally of the BJP led NDA government in the Centre, has six Lok Sabha MPs. The release stated that LJP is committed to the rapid economic development of the country, but feels that economic development itself cannot solve all the problems. “In fact the fruits of economic development should reach the common man and this can happen only when the budgetary allocations reflect the needs and aspiration of the poor, unemployed, underprivileged and under nourished people of India.” While continuing the process of economic reforms, the Party, according to the release, resolved to develop the national economy on the basis of national consensus.

The Party will take all such steps necessary for implementation of programmes of national interest expeditiously, it added.

Keeping in view the conditions and needs of the

country, the liberalization policies will be modified in such a way as to ensure all round development of national economy, financial system and services sector, LJP working president said.

The release also highlighted that LJP has special programmes for the unemployed North-Eastern youths, who are involved in various “anti-social” activities. “The Party favour faceto-face dialogue with them; their grievances would be adequately addressed and they would be allowed to chalk out their own action plan for their development.

Besides, favour formulation and immediate implementation of special programs for the North-Eastern States.”

Interested “like-minded” leaders willing to strengthen the leadership of LJP National President may call State President, RL Nelson or S. Richard Humtsoe, Working President at 9436007352/ 8974007487 and meet them, the release informed.

MACCIA delegation in Nagaland

Rejoinder to ACAUT

Dimapur, December 2 (mexN): The District Industries Centre (DIC), Dimapur has responded to the news item published in this daily under the headline, “ACAUT defends its stand in DIC issue” on December 1.

With regard to the ACAUT’s statement, “At no point of time did the ACAUT Nagaland claim that the DIC had deducted the salaries of its employees but it strongly objected to the threat meted out to the employees which is not acceptable under any circumstances,” Kavito Zhimomi, Functional Manager (Adm.), DIC Dimapur has stated that a letter received on June 26, 2014 from ACAUT Nagaland about deduction of salaries and returning it to the employees is “self explanatory.” Meanwhile, the DIC Dimapur also set the record straight and asserted that its officer(s) has in no occasion threatened its employees for deduction of 24 %.

Members of Dimapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry welcome MACCIA delegation at Dimapur Airport.

Dimapur, December 2 (mexN): The Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (MACCIA) has arrived in Nagaland with a delegation of 11 members. The delegation comprises of companies from sectors of food processing, commercial affairs including import, export

and investment activities, interior and product designing, supply chain, manufacturer of plastic and rubber moulded components, infrastructure, banking and finance, manufacturers and suppliers of security products etc, informed a press release from Hokivi Chishi, DCCI president.

The Dimapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) received the delegation at Dimapur Airport.

The MACCIA’s maiden visit is initiated by Governor of Nagaland, PB Acahrya, with a vision that people to people contact will help promote business opportunity between the two

states, the release said.

DCCI hoped that MACCIA’s visit will give them a firsthand experience of business opportunities and potential which will mutually benefit business community of both the states and help promote more understanding between the people of two states.

Dimapur

5

Nagaland Post attains 24 years; NPA lauds Dimapur, December 2 (mexN): The Nagaland Press Association (NPA) has congratulated the Editor-inChief of Nagaland Post, Geoffrey Yaden and all his staff on the newspaper attaining 24 years on December 3, 2014. “As the ‘first and the foremost News daily’ of Nagaland, the newspaper under the able leadership of Yaden has continued to provide the much needed platform for all the citizens in the State to come together and deliberate on issues of concern faced by us,” stated K Temjen Jamir, President NPA in a press release. “Through Nagaland Post we are in a position to share our aspirations, needs, difficulties and also the ideals to become a better society.” The NPA complimented the Editor-in-Chief and his team for their “untiring public service” and wished them continued success in their noble endeavours.

13th World Disabled Day in Dimapur Dimapur, December 2 (mexN): School for the Visually Impaired, Dimapur is celebrating 13th World Disabled Day on December 3, 11:00 am at its complex.

NNC (N-A) affirms support to president Kohima, December 2 (mexN): The Naga National Council (Non-Accordist) has reaffirmed “unflinching support” to its president, Kiumukam Yinchunger “without any reservation or doubt” as “he is dedicated, senior most and one of the founder members of the organisation.” The NNC made this declaration amidst the present controversy of NNC leadership “created by tiny and few vested members.” A press release from V Angami, Deputy Kilonser, Chaplee Affairs, In-charge of Angami Region, NNC (N-A) stated that because of his (Kiumukam Yinchunger) dedicated and patriotic life experience, the NNC is functioning, progressing, and rising up. In this context, the release appealed to the general public not to be swayed by the “cheap propaganda” of few, but whole heartedly support the “undisputed” leader and sole NNC president, Kiumukam Yinchunger for the “betterment of the majority of the general public.”

GB associations asked to submit customary law booklet Dimapur, December 2 (mexN): Founder and first president of Nagaland GB Federation, TL Angami has asked each and every Naga tribal GB association to send a set of their own customary laws for compilation.

In a letter to the presidents of Naga tribal GB associations, TL Angami expressed that the new Naga generation are slowly forgetting their tribal customary laws and practices. For which, it has been felt necessary to compile a book of all Naga customary laws for future generations, he added. The GB associations have been asked to each submit their own customary law booklet to TL Angami on or before March 31, 2014.

WASU 4th presidential meeting Kohima, December 2 (mexN): The 4th presidential meeting of the Western Angami Students’ Union (WASU for the tenure 2013-2015 will be held on December 6 at LCS Building Kohima. All WASU executives, units (Village) presidents and general secretaries, senior student leaders, representatives to Angami Students’ Union and Naga Students’ Federation have been requested to attend the said meeting positively. The main agenda of the meeting will be for the 41st general conference of WASU to be held on January 13 at Khonoma village.

Public SPace

Awareness on Cross Cultural Communication Do you remember us only on World Disability Day?

W

hat actually is a Cross Cultural Communication? And what it has to do with us (Human). Every Countries, Cities, State, Tribes, Communities etc, has their own Customs and Cultures, ways of communicating, both Verbal and Non-Verbal etc. and these are what binds them together, helps them live in harmony with each other. If any individual, be it from their own tribe or from another Tribe, Countries, state, etc. try to alter their Culture or Custom, that individual will face the wrath of his own tribe or the tribe. Cross Cultural Communication is about adapting and practicing the Culture and Custom of those Countries or Cities or Tribe, that you are associated with, so that you can win the trust of the your fellow students, if you are studying or colleagues, if you are working and also the people, thus live peacefully and in harmony with the citizen of those Cities, town, village, Countries, etc. you are living in. it is not easy to fully practice and unknown Culture and Custom, but it’s possible, and you must adapt their Culture and Custom, especially if you are planning to be in that City or Country for a good number of years peacefully without being discriminated, ridiculed, despise, etc.

We cannot change the Culture and the Custom of another tribe, but it can be adapted. When the American Missionary came to Nagaland for the first time, they did not teach us “The Nagas”, to abandon our Culture and Custom and adapt their own; instead they allowed us to practice our own Culture and Custom. In fact, they too started to learn our Culture and Customs and that is how they won the trust of the people, which is how Christianity as a religion was spread and flourished in Nagaland. What will have happen, if we were forced to abandon our Culture and Custom and adapt theirs?

They might have been killed! And we might still be uncivilized, prac-

ticing the same old religion of our Fore-Fathers. Fortunately the missionaries were well educated and they know and knew from history the consequences, if ever they forced to adapt a foreign Culture and Custom. Yes it’s a fact that in the course of time when Nagas accepted Christianity, the missionaries did encouraged the converts to stop practicing certain customary Practices, as it was totally against their new found faith. The result was, some of our customary practices became extinct but 90% of our Culture and Custom remained intact, which we even practice today! The Missionaries were exceptionally well verse with Cross Cultural Communication, and because of that they fulfill the vision to Christianized the Nagas.

Recently we are hearing numbers of disturbing news from the capital of India, about crime committed against the northeast people. Crimes committed are mostly racially motivated and partly hate crimes and rape. The question that I ask myself is, ‘is it entirely their fault or partially their fault’? And can it be stopped, if not, can it be avoided? In my opinion it can’t be stopped, but can be avoided to a certain extend, if we have knowledge about Cross Cultural Communication and put it into practice. Unfortunately the Northeast people have little or no Knowledge about Cross Cultural Communication.

I have spent most of my productive years, studying and working in some of the metropolitan Cities of India. During my stay I have come across lots of students and job holders of both sexes from the Northeast. The ways they live in the Cities are similar to that of their own homeland. They live like as if they are living in their own court yard back home, without giving a thought about the Culture and Custom of the local people of the cities they are studying or living in. especially The girls, unlike the local girls who dress modestly, the Northeast girls, they dress expos-

ing portion of their body, which definitely is like inviting trouble, because the local guys used to tease them and the local people don’t approved such dressing. The NE boys, they have this superiority complex, live and breathe the same. This kind of life style is uncalled for, for the local feels like their culture and custom are being invaded, and this provoked them to the extent of not just discrimination but killing and raping. If we dig deeper into this persisting crime committed against the Northeast people, it is not 100% their fault, we too contribute to this kind of crime, because of our life style, our attitude, our lack of knowledge and our lack of sensitivity towards their Culture and Custom.

The only way to avoid and stopped such crimes committed, ridicule, discrimination, etc. towards the Northeast people is to organize awareness programmed in “Cross Cultural Communication”, and also educate them on the importance of CCC. It must be initiated by the Govt. of Nagaland or

by NGOs in colleges, before they Graduate, so that after Graduation if they decided to study or work in the Cities, Then they will have nothing much to be worried about, because they are aware of what and how they need to live, so that they can study or work peacefully and live in harmony with the citizen of those cities they live in.

As tourist will be visiting Nagaland to witness the Horn Bill festival, therefore it is our duty to make them comfortable. Most of them have no knowledge about our Culture and Custom, so if when try to follow our custom but in the process if they commit some silly mistake we must not laugh and embarrassed them, just let them try, there is no harm in that. That is exactly the way, how another individual learned the Culture and Custom of the Country, State, Cities, Tribes, etc. he or she is living.

Toshi Jamir Middle PWD Kohima

F

irst of all, pardon me for shooting a very direct question for all the readers. Honestly speaking that’s the first thing that came to my mind when some NGO workers and I were discussing on the topic of World Disability Day. However, the question goes to all and sundry; be it politicians, church leaders, state administrators, rich people, poor people and so forth.

YES! Today the 3rd December is World Disability Day, if you have never heard of it. This special day is observed every year to create an awareness and understanding on disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of people with disabilities (PwDs). So as to make sure they partake in every social, political, economic and cultural aspects of life. In short, to make our society an INCLUSIVE one by not EXCLUDING the PwDs. Kindly allow me to say some more things, before going to the topic of INCLUSIVENESS. To those who have never seen my name or heard of me; I am a person with a disability, but not handicapped. In fact, people with disabilities are neither ‘handicapped’ nor ‘disabled’. One should understand that those two words are offensive. PwDs are also abled –people just like you are. We are capable of different things in certain ways though incapable of all the things you can do. So, kindly label us as PERSONS/PEOPLE with DISABILITIES (PwDs); not handicapped or disabled. Coming back to my disability; YES, I am also a person with a disability. I lost my left fore arm after a tragic accident one fateful night a couple of years back. Just the left forearm. So, mine is not a severe disability. I live normally just like how normal people do. What pains my heart the most is coming across people with severe/multiple disabilities who needs assistance every now and then or for some case all the time. One does not simply understand how much barriers they have to face in their everyday life.

Do we care to think about that sometimes? If your answer is negative, close your eyes for few minutes and imagine yourself without your legs or eyesight or any kind of severe disability..... it’s painful, yes? It’s even more pain-

ful when you exclude us every day in some way or the other.

I am certain many of you must have read different write-ups related to disability awareness before also. It’s not the first time appearing in print media.

I just wonder how many people have changed their mindset on this issue because I still see lots of educated people quite prejudiced towards people with disabilities. You encourage and motivate us with strong words, give different types of donations, financial assistance etc. But what about creating a friendly environment for us? Have you ever wondered how much accessible are we to public buildings, hospitals, churches, schools, parks, public toilets, transportation and so forth? It is because of this inaccessibility that many of us remain in-doors almost all the time. I am very sure it will not cost you much to construct a ramp for wheelchairs in your buildings, churches, schools, surrounding and public places.

Before I elaborate further, let me share some articles of the UN Conventions on the Rights of People With Disabilities (UNCRPD), which India has also ratified in October 2007.

Article 8: Making everyone aware that people with disabilities have the same rights as everyone else.

Article 9: Accessibility. Making sure People with Disabilities have better access to things in all areas of life.

Article 12: Being equally treated by the law Article 17: Treating people with disabilities as people first. People with disabilities should be treated like anyone else, with the same respect and rights as others.

There are still more Article/Rights given to us by UNCRPD but the above mentioned are still denied to us in certain ways, especially Article 9. As such, feeling of inferiority complex arises when we are denied our basic rights. We are not different species of human beings to be discriminated this way. In the words of Diethono Nakhro (Ex-Editor, Eastern Mirror), “People with disability are not ’objects’ of charity, medical treatment and social protection but ‘subjects’ with Rights, able to make decisions

for their own lives based on their free and informal consent and be active member of society”. These words should serve every one well. Give us our ‘Rights’ instead of ‘donations’. Do not let us beg for our rights.

Besides the above rights, what about the government schemes, disability pension, disability scholarship, job card, BPL card...? Some are getting and some are not. Why is that so? Don’t you know everyone is equal? Of course, quite a good number of PwDs in urban areas get access to these schemes because all the concerned departments are not far from their reach and obviously their parents are educated. But what about the PwDs in rural areas?

Are all the NGO workers and government employees dedicated enough to reach out to them?

In my observance and experience for the past few years, I have seen just a handful people (both government employees and NGO workers) executing their works sincerely though they face lots of challenges. My request to the rest i ; please work not only for salary and commission, but for the upliftment of the voiceless people. Another request to all the educated people who are reading this; please share whatever you have learned from this simple write-up to your friends, colleagues, family members, neighbours, villagers and all your loved ones so that a little bit of awareness on disability will be spread through you. Be a social worker in a little way, you don’t necessarily need a degree or Ph. D for that. Your deed counts.

I do not write much, so let me take some few more space this time to thank some people. To every person who has helped people with disabilities in some way or the other not out of duty but out of love, thank you. To every Good Samaritan who has stopped along the way to help a person with disability, thank you. To every single person who has tried to make this world a little better through what they do, thank you.

Thank you so much for bringing a little piece of Heaven to Earth.

God Bless!!

Kezhaleto Zecho President Nagaland State Disability Forum (NSDF)

The Morung Express is introducing “Public Space” as part of our intention to provide deliberate space for the opinions of the people to be expressed and heard through this newspaper.

Nonetheless, The Morung Express points out that the opinions expressed in the contents published in the “Public Space” do not reflect the views and position of the newspaper or the editor.

6

IN-FOCUS

The Power of Truth

The Morung Express WEDnEsDAy 3 DEcEmbEr 2014 volumE IX IssuE 333

Guest editorial A Thorn behind the rose

Traffic Woes during Christmas Season Chekrovei Cho-o

C

hristmas is a time of joy, but much of our joy is stolen away by traffic woes in Dimapur at times. While many people anticipate a happy hectic shopping for Christmas in the only city in Nagaland, at the back of many people’s mind there is also an anticipation of traffic jams that will delay both their shopping and their return journey, that also, after losing their temper on the road. Everyone is in hurry especially during festive seasons, and this hurry adds to our worry. If we use a single lane road like a four lane road from one direction, how can we expect the flow of traffic to be smooth? There are many who do not use common to figure out that, when the road is covered by several cars from one direction, the others cars from the opposite direction cannot move. Should we call it “selfish,” “foolish,” “lack of civic sense,” “ego manifestation,” or “uncultured”?

The problem of traffic congestion is caused by several factors such as narrow roads, less alternative roads, lack of flyovers, enormous increasing number of cars, etc., but the main problem is LACK OF DISCIPLINE among the people on wheels. Autowallas and taxiwallas are the champions of traffic rule breaking. They do not know the difference between left and right when it comes to overtaking. Of course there are other score of people who have learnt from these people too. Unless the drivers are disciplined no amount of roads regardless of size and quality will bring change.

There are many benevolent organizations that have brought changes in one aspect or the other in Dimapur. Why not some of these organizations initiate change in traffic system in Dimapur? With the initiative of the Kohima village youth the traffic system in Kohima is pretty much better than a couple of years ago. The same initiative can be undertaken by some concerned organizations or unions. There’s nothing that we cannot achieve if we join hands together for a just cause. The broken walls and gates of Jerusalem were rebuilt in just 52 days when the people unanimously said, “Let us rise and build.” Traffic police are doing their best for which they deserve everyone’s utmost appreciation, but these hardworking traffic personnel are often made helpless by untamable crowd (drivers) who need to be disciplined. Practically, it is difficult for a few individual traffic police to control hundreds of cars from all four corners.

Somebody needs to lend a helping hand. To this end, please allow me to pen down a few lines of suggestions: First, the O.C. of traffic police, DMC, and the Administration can coordinate for curtailing traffic woes in Dimapur.

Second, let these three offices work out the traffic rules to be followed and determine the modalities to implement.

Third, strong volunteers can be hired to assist the traffic police for the smooth movement of cars by these three offices.

Fourth, penalize the defaulters by imposing reasonable fine for first offence. Cancel the driving License in consultation with the issuing authority at second offence.

Fifth, pay the volunteers out of the money generated from penalty fines. (Because the defaulters will be in huge number, the income will not be ordinary). Besides, this amount, the mentioned offices be responsible for chipping in some funds to pay the volunteers because anybody who works deserve the wage.

Sixth, well wishers may contribute towards this noble cause through a transparent means. In this regard, success in controlling the traffic congestion, can attract multiple contributors.

Seventh, this system need not be continued for ever because, once the insane behavior of the drivers are suppressed and reoriented by the said initiative, the transformed system can take care of the situation. At this point, the traffic personnel can comfortably handle the challenges faced on the road.

In this way, every citizen of the city and every commuter in the city from outside will be benefited. If benefit is what our society aspires, concerned authority must act now, because “a stitch on time saves nine.” Unless something is done now, the herculean task will turn into impossible task leading to total chaos. Make a difference this Christmas by easing traffic congestion for the people of Nagaland to enjoy peaceful Christmas shopping and a joyous commuting.* (*Although Christmas is not necessarily about shopping, it’s a part of the preparation for a meaningful Christmas.)

lEfT WING |

Tamara Gil IANS/EFE

'Petitioners Village'

M

ore than two hours away from the centre of Beijing is the "petitioners village", a group of huts that belong to citizens demanding justice in China and who are unable to find work or decent housing as they have been blacklisted by the regime.

Wang, 60, lives on a plot of six square metres along with her husband and hides a small latrine under the mattress for emergencies. Her options are limited: go the open fields to relieve herself or walk for 20 minutes to the nearest public washroom.

"I step out to get vegetables, but only when it gets dark. I'm embarrassed to be seen," Wang tells Efe news agency, sobbing.

Wang was the chief economist of a big company who ended up being demoted and fired with an extremely low compensation package. "They want to set someone up. I tried to claim through all means and the only thing I got was the torture of the camps (extrajudicial prisons) and social exclusion," says Wang.

Wang, as well the other people gathered in her hut, are victims of the same problem: the rampant corruption in their localities and the lack of an independent judiciary that could provide them a way out. In such a situation, they have no option but to turn to the government in Beijing to intervene, but all they have been met with is repression.

In most of the cases, the authorities locked them up in the recently abolished prison camps or gulags for four years without a trial. All this, just for asking for justice.

Once released, they are "tarnished" forever. "My identity card says that I am mentally sick so no one employs me," explained Wang, as she shows Efe the more than 1,000 letters she has sent to the Bureau of Letters addressed to Chinese President Xi Jinping asking him for help, all without receiving any response.

Jia, 55, also marked, says that she gets nervious every time a guard comes close. "They stop us every now and then so at the time of the (recent Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) leaders summit I hid in the mountains," she says quiveringly, giving details about how they were beaten with electric rods in the "camps". "The petitioners are like wandering ghosts. Once thay have been marked in the national system, many of their rights are denied, if not all, including the option of staying in a guesthouse, get a job or even use the subway in Beijing," explains Wendy Lin, Hong Kong coordinator for the China Human Rights Defenders non-governmental organisation.

Hence, they end up in a place they call "petitioners village" where almost everyone has undergone some sort of tragedy or the other and experienced firsthand the human rights violations that are committed in the world's second largest economy.

THE EDIT PAGE

C O M M E N T A R Y

Edith M. Lederer Associated Press

syria and ebola failures highlight uN shortcomings T

he Ebola epidemic and the war in Syria have cast a spotlight on the inadequacies of the United Nations as it tries to operate in a globalized world with a power structure that hasn't changed since 1945.

To many who know the U.N. well, the organization has grown bloated with age and lack of change, is underfunded for the tasks it faces, and shows few signs of righting itself. That was evident when a recent internal report by the U.N. health agency revealed that cronyism and incompetence in its leadership may have been factors in the spread of Ebola.

Since the U.N. was born from the ashes of World War II, it has grown from 51 members to 193. As it approaches its 70th anniversary next year, the world body is hobbled by bureaucracy, politics and an inability among its five most powerful members to agree on many things — including how to bring peace to Syria.

"If you can imagine any big multinational corporation keeping its structures the same as in 1945, it would have been destroyed by now in the marketplace," said Patricia Lewis, a nuclear physicist who led the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research.

The paralysis shows in the debate over what the U.N. itself should be. Nearly every nation agrees that the 15-member Security Council — the U.N.'s most powerful body — must adapt to address threats to international peace and security. Almost 60 countries called for more transparency at a council meeting in October on its working methods.

Yet every Security Council reform proposal over several decades has been rejected, as national interests and regional rivalries trump the common good.

"Those who wield the power don't want to lose the power and they don't want to share it," said Lewis, who is now research director on international security at the Chatham House think tank in London.

The five permanent members of the council who can cast vetoes — the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France — ultimately call the shots. The U.S. and Russia use their vetoes most often, blocking each other especially on decisions about Mideast conflicts.

One result is that Russia, a close ally of Syria, has been able to block all Western resolutions that would pressure President Bashar Assad to end the conflict there. Despite intensive efforts, the U.N. has also failed to get negotiations started on a peace deal and to bring significant amounts of aid to oppositioncontrolled areas without the Syrian government's consent. It did unite and pressure Syria to get rid of its chemical weapons, but questions remain about possible hidden caches.

Certainly the U.N. has had some success in its primary mission "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war." It has helped prevent and end some conflicts, and a record 130,000 U.N. peacekeepers are currently deployed in 16 hotspots.

The U.N. is often indispensable in helping people caught in conflict and trapped in poverty. It provided food to 80 million people in 75 countries in 2013. It is responding to an unprecedented four simultaneous, top-level humanitarian crises: Iraq, Syria, Central African Republic and South Sudan. It supplied vaccines to reach at least 38 percent of the world's children last year. Its development goals adopted in 2000 have significantly reduced global poverty, it has led the campaign for action to combat climate change, and the organization is a major employer in Gaza.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the secretarygeneral, argues that the U.N. has adapted since its founding in such diverse areas as collective security, international transport, health and human rights.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon "has been very

I

t has been praised the world over as a model for uplifting disadvantaged youth by connecting them with classical music.

But a new book about Venezuela's network of youth orchestras known as El Sistema, or The System, portrays it as a "model of tyranny" where brutal, marathon practice sessions mirror the apparently unlimited power and topdown style of its magnetic founder, Jose Antonio Abreu.

"El Sistema: Orchestrating Venezuela's Youth" is the first in-depth study to question the institution whose motto of social action through music has brought together aging, conservative devotees of classical music and Venezuela's socialist government, which has bankrolled El Sistema's expansion over the past 15 years.

United Kingdom-based musicologist and arts educator Geoffrey Baker said he embarked on his research after attending a heart-stirring 2007 concert at the Proms of London by the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra under the direction of El Sistema's best-known alum: Gustavo Dudamel, the 33-yearold wunderkind musical director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

The author of several books on Latin American music, Baker said his goal was to provide a rigorous study of the intellectual and organizational underpinnings of the musical marvel. But once in Venezuela he said he was overwhelmed by tales from current and former musicians of top-level corruption, favoritism and improper sexual relations between teachers and pupils.

"Like any big institution, problems exist but to suggest there is a widespread virus is absolutely false," Eduardo Mendez, El Sistema's executive

much focused on working with member states to make the system more flexible and even more responsive to those needs," he said.

But inefficiency, inaction and sometimes paralysis extend through a sprawling U.N. system that includes 15 autonomous agencies such as the World Health Organization and the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; 11 other funds such as UNICEF and the World Food Program; and numerous commissions and bodies. In many U.N. forums, decisions are hard to reach because they must be unanimous, and decisions that are reached are often watered down.

The U.N. General Assembly is a truly global body with all countries represented, but its resolutions are not legally binding. Only the Security Council can authorize military action and impose sanctions, and its resolutions are binding. The secretary-general is the U.N.'s chief administrative officer, elected by the assembly with approval from the Security Council, which means the five permanent members have a veto.

The result: Secretary-generals may have an outsized role on the world's stage, but behind the curtain, they have little independent power and 193 bosses.

"The secretary-general has not been a general for a long time," former U.N. official Lewis told The Associated Press. "They're not marshalling troops. They don't have the freedom to act. Everything has to go through member states."

The members often fall short in funding the U.N. and owed the world body about $3.5 billion in early November for regular operations and peacekeeping.

WHO, the U.N. agency addressing the Ebola crisis, has not been spared: Countries slashed its budget by nearly $600 million in 2011, and the U.S., its biggest contributor, has dropped its donation by at least 25 percent since then.

Such faults, along with bureaucracy, became painfully evident as the Ebola virus spread across West Africa and beyond. The WHO's botched initial response was blamed on a shortage of funds, overstretched staff and a dysfunctional structure where the Africa office, not Geneva headquarters, was in charge.

A draft internal document obtained by AP in October describes how WHO country offices in Africa are led by "politically motivated appointments."

Secretary-General Ban stepped in and mounted a campaign to halt Ebola in West Africa. The WHO announced Monday that two of the three hardesthit countries, Liberia and Guinea, have met a Dec. 1 target for isolating 70 percent of people infected with Ebola and safely burying 70 percent of those who die — but not Sierra Leone.

In general, the five permanent council members claim top jobs in the U.N. Secretariat and leadership of some U.N. agencies. Behind the scenes, many deals are made over which countries should get key posts.

Meanwhile, U.N. peacekeeping operations have grown dramatically, but peacekeepers have been criticized for not doing enough to protect civilians from attacks, and accusations of sexual abuse by troops persist.

Perhaps the highest-profile blunder in recent years was the likely introduction of cholera into Haiti by peacekeepers, an outbreak that killed more than 8,500 people and led to several lawsuits.

The U.N. does not have a standing army and relies on member states to provide peacekeepers.

Its far-flung operations, mainly in Africa and the Mideast, are getting their first thorough review in a decade and a half.

Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous recently said that his department is under the most severe strain

since the U.N. was founded, pointing to the deaths of more than 100 peacekeepers this year, dozens taken captive, and a spate of targeted attacks.

The agency's human rights operation also faces problems: Although it is one of the U.N.'s three socalled pillars, along with development and peace and security, it gets only 3 percent of the regular budget.

"A stool with one leg so vastly shorter than the others cannot possibly bear the weight of dramatically increasing global expectations," said the new high commissioner for human rights, Zeid Raad al-Hussein, in his first speech at the U.N. General Assembly.

The only way the U.N. can take decisive action today is to go to the one place it is strong — the Security Council.

As a result, everything is declared a threat to international peace and security, and "that's the wrong lens really to look at diseases and many other global ills," Columbia University Professor Michael Doyle, a former U.N. special adviser for policy planning, told AP. The U.N. is also regularly criticized for being an organization of words, not action.

"I get to live a daily talkathon up in New York," U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power recently told the Center for American Progress in Washington. "If you imagine aggregating government habits across 193 governments, imagine what you end up with, right? I mean, that is not ideal."

But she said that if the United Nations didn't exist, "you would definitely build it, because you want a venue to come together. And even those countries with whom we are estranged or not cooperating in visible ways, it's a channel for communication so you don't have misunderstanding. It's a way of pooling resources."

The question now is whether the U.N. can change.

The U.N.'s founders "built in a veto on future change," Doyle said, by requiring Charter amendments to be approved by two-thirds of the General Assembly and ratified by two-thirds of the states, including the five permanent members.

The U.N. overhauled its machinery to fight corruption after revelations in 2005 that more than 2,200 companies from some 40 countries had colluded with Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's regime to bilk $1.8 billion from a U.N.-administered oil-for-food program that helped Iraqis cope with U.N. sanctions.

A U.N. anti-corruption task force established in 2006 uncovered more than $600 million in internal corruption schemes around the world. But the U.N. shut it down in 2008 due to opposition from some countries and diverted its work to the Office of Internal Oversight, the organization's internal watchdog. A review of reports submitted by the office to the General Assembly through August shows that no major corruption cases have been completed since.

Real reform will always be a struggle because so many governments see the U.N. as a "spoils system" offering plum posts for their politically connected citizens, said Stewart Patrick, who directs the Council on Foreign Relations program on international institutions and global governance.

"One of the things we know from history is that institutional reform is extraordinarily difficult in the absence of a major crisis, a major policy failure," Patrick told AP. "It may take something along the lines of an existential crisis or something as horrific as nuclear use or dramatic deterioration in the world's climate, with potentially catastrophic cascading effects."

Edith M. Lederer has covered international affairs for The Associated Press for 32 years and has been AP's chief correspondent at the United Nations since September 1998. Associated Press reporters Cara Anna at the United Nations, Maria Cheng in London and John Heilprin in Geneva contributed to this report.

Venezuelan classical music system under fire Joshua Goodman Associated Press director, said by telephone from Gothenburg, Sweden, as one of its ensembles wrapped up a European tour.

Abuses alleged in Baker's book run the gamut from shouting during rehearsals to reports of the trading of sexual favors and an orgy involving students and teachers at a retreat.

Baker says he was unable to verify the claims and declined a request by The Associated Press to provide access to his confidential sources — ammunition for El Sistema's backers who reject his charges.

He also said he never intended to probe how pervasive abuse or disgruntlement is among the roughly 600,000 children studying in neighborhood music centers nationwide. Rather, he wanted to provide a counterweight to the hype he believes has skewed public opinion and fueled a global franchising of El Sistema's teaching model to 60 countries.

"Every story has two sides but so far only one side of El Sistema has been told," he said.

Much of the author's criticism focuses on Abreu, a former Cabinet minister in the government the late Hugo Chavez tried to overthrow in 1992 who

founded El Sistema four decades ago.

He has been collecting international praise and comparisons with Pope John Paul II and Nelson Mandela ever since.

But "El Maestro," as he's universally known, is as much feared as loved, says Baker. He's managed to adapt El Sistema to the new revolutionary times with an iron grip and political machinations that obscure any serious analysis of whether it is delivering on its social mission. The author also faults El Sistema for being out of step with a trend toward greater transparency and more innovative teaching techniques used in similarly influential European organizations.

Hanging out outside El Sistema's imposing concrete headquarters in Caracas, dozens of musicians belonging to the Simon Bolivar ensemble said they considered the book's claims outrageous. While acknowledging that the demands of the ensemble are weighty, they vigorously defended Abreu's vision, which they credit for building one of the few enduring institutions in Venezuela. None said they had witnessed cases of sexual abuse.

WRITE-WING

"It's like American football — to be on a team, you have to have extreme discipline. The coach doesn't say please and thank you," said upright bass player Abraham Maduro, who has been a member of the symphony system for 20 years.

While Baker's public reproach, first aired in a column in the Guardian newspaper, has fueled a firestorm, it's not clear what, if any, long-term impact it will have on El Sistema's reputation or its busy international touring schedule.

For now, El Sistema is showing no signs of slowing down. On Tuesday, Abreu appeared alongside President Nicolas Maduro on state TV celebrating the European tour and reviewing blueprints for the government-funded "Dudamel Hall" designed by L.A.based architect Frank Gehry.

Arts educator Marshall Marcus witnessed up close El Sistema's birth as a young musician living in Venezuela during the late 1970s oil boom.

In 2012, he established the Sistema Europe, a network of youth ensembles from 25 countries inspired by the Venezuelan model.

He acknowledged that the organization hasn't evolved as quickly as its track record for musical excellence.

But he rejected Baker's lack of quantitative data and emotionally charged language comparing El Sistema to the mafia and slavery, saying it may only serve to incense critics who accuse Abreu and Dudamel of being too cozy with the government on which El Sistema's survival depends.

"It may be an autocracy but it's one that has allowed thousands of people to flourish," said Marcus. "If that's a tyranny, it sure doesn't feel like one."

Letters to the Editor should be sent to: The morung Express, House No. 4, Duncan Bosti, Dimapur - 797112, Or –email: morung@gmail.com All letters (including those via email) should have the full name and Postal address of the sender.

Readers may please note that the contents of the articles, letters and opinions published do not reflect the outlook of this paper nor of the Editor in any form.

PERSPECTIVE

7 Re-imagining higher education WEdnEsday

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

3 December 2014

S

ituated within the same walls that once housed St. Mary’s Residential Missionary School, Red Crow Community College lies in the Blackfoot First Nations Reserve of southern Alberta. Up until the 1970s, First Nations children across Canada were removed from their families and taught the European culture of the settler-newcomers in these schools as part of a policy of assimilation that aimed to destroy indigenous ways of life.

Many of the staff working at the College had been forced to attend St. Mary’s as children. But by re-taking control of their own education, they’ve been able to create a “Kainai Studies” program to reclaim their culture.

“Kainai” (or “Blood” as it’s more commonly known) is one of the four bands of the Blackfoot Confederacy.

The Kainai Studies program is teaching a new generation of Blackfoot and non-Blackfoot students the language, knowledge and life practices that have sustained people in this region for thousands of years.

In the process, the philosophy and practice of higher education are also being challenged and transformed.

The aim is not just to learn indigenous knowledge. Kainai Studies goes much deeper than that.

The goal is to encourage students to engage directly with the world outside of the classroom, and to build relationships with the land and the community that were destroyed by traditional schooling.

Narcisse Blood, a Blackfoot Elder and co-founder of the Kainai Studies program, explains further: “The basis of our relationship with the newcomers was fear. The fear was in the form of the forts and those big walls that they put around themselves, to keep them safe from the Natives and thus the environment. That metaphor of a fort, for me, is really played out with universities. Universities think they know everything. They are afraid to go out of those walls, especially here in North America. Hey, there's knowledge out there [too]!”

By contrast, in the Kanai/Blackfoot worldview education is a life-long process of “becoming fully human… to learn how to adapt ourselves to our ecological surroundings, not the other way around,” as Ryan Heavyhead put it to us, another co-founder of the program.

Students spend time sitting in a particular place on the land, two hours a day, three days a week, right throughout the year, to learn the nuances of the seasons.

Little by little, this enables them to relearn everything about the place and all of the plants and animals that live there—most importantly, to build relationships with the land and “let the land learn who we are again.”

Red Crow Community College is one of many experiments around the world that are actively re-imagining higher education to meet the social, economic and ecological crises of today. Many of them have emerged from social and ecological movements, and indigenous communities. They represent something of a ‘silent revolution’—silent because they’re ignored

NEWS ANALYSIS, FEATURE AND DISCOURSE

Kelly Teamey and Udi Mandel

Learning takes place in the heart, the hands and the home, not just in the head.

What does that mean for the universities of the future? by the mainstream of education and the media.

That’s important because the inability of societies to deal with the multiple crises they face is closely linked to education systems that stultify the imagination and encourage narrow thinking. The solution is not simply to expand access to education (the dominant policy narrative), but to transform it and broaden the kinds of knowledge that are considered useful and legitimate.

“It is difficult to imagine a future that is humane, decent and sustainable,” says Professor David Orr, “without marked changes in the substance and process of education at all levels, beginning with the university” But those working in higher education are experiencing the opposite reality: increasingly bureaucratic, non-democratic and managerialist leadership as these institutions become part of the ‘global knowledge economy.’ Fees, debt, and competition for places are increasing, while prospects for employment are in decline. This has lead a growing number of young people to question the purpose and viability of a university education, especially one that purports to know the world from a distant and abstracted position severed from our relationships to each other and the world around us.

We’ve both spent a long time in this kind of academic system, and have felt increasingly constrained and frustrated. So in September of 2012 we left our jobs to head out on a self-funded learning journey designed to document innovative approaches to knowledge and self-discovery.

Over the past 12 months we’ve travelled to North, Central and South America, Australasia, South East Asia, and South Asia, visiting places along the way like Red Crow; Brazil’s Popular School of Critical Communication in Rio de Janeiro’s largest favela; the Latin American hub of Gaia University in Chile; Australia’s Aboriginal Mulka Project; the Adivasi Academy and Swaraj University in India; and Mexico’s Unitierra in Oaxaca (the “University of the Earth”). We’re making a series of films along the way.

At Unitierra, learning is an activity that takes place between friends, meaning it’s conducted in a non-hierarchical way that’s deeply rooted in place, as well as in the historical and contemporary challenges faced by urban and indigenous communities in Mexico. Thinking and doing are intimately con-

Dhaka Boundary Settlement: Narendra Modi bites the Bullet

I

C Raja Mohan

n telling the BJP workers in Assam that India will go ahead with the ratification of the land boundary agreement with Bangladesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has put the imperatives of national interest above the regional populism of his own party.

The land boundary agreement signed in Dhaka by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in September 2011 involves rationalisation of the messy boundary that India inherited from the partition of the Subcontinent. Since it involves the ‘exchange’ of territories, the agreement required an amendment to the Constitution.

The 119th amendment bill was placed in the Rajya Sabha late last year amidst vociferous opposition from the Trinamool Congress of Bengal and the Asom Gana Parishad in Assam. While the national leadership of the BJP did not oppose the tabling of the bill, it signalled ambivalence given the opposition from the party unit in Assam.

Much of the debate in Bengal and Assam about the agreement has been ill-informed. The agreement deals with tiny enclaves owned by one country but left inside the territory of the other at the time of Partition. This led to the tragedy of many people being left state-less and unable to access the benefits of development from either state. These enclaves have also become major sources of criminal activity.

Delhi and Dhaka rightly decided to exchange these enclaves after a survey of opinion in these enclaves–India would ‘cede’ 111 enclaves amounting to about 17,160 acres and ‘gain’ 57 enclaves spread over 7110 acres from the other.

The loss and gain of territory here is entirely notional for neither side was in control of these enclaves that they owned in theory since 1947. The overwhelming sentiment among people trapped in these enclaves is to stay put where they are rather than move to the other country.

While the Congress government in Assam supported the agreement, the Trinamool, AGP and the BJP played political football by raising concerns about ‘loss’ of territory.

Modi affirmed that the territorial swap with Bangladesh is in the interests of the nation. He also promised the people of Assam that Delhi will address their concerns on illegal immigration from Bangladesh. By framing an argument that limits the tension between ‘national’ and ‘regional’ interests, Modi has set the stage for the parliament’s approval of the 119th Constitution Amendment Bill.

The standing committee on external affairs had recently cleared the bill and the government is expected to seek approval of the two houses. India’s ratification of this agreement will mark a comprehensive territorial settlement of its longest land border. At 4060 km, India’s boundary with Bangladesh is longer than those with China and Pakistan.

Having a settled boundary will now allow Delhi and Dhaka to consider effective management the border– through more intensive cooperation on countering terrorism and extremism, facilitating trade across this long frontier, building trans-border industrial corridors and preventing illegal movement of people.

Constructing a border of cooperation with Bangladesh should liberate India from one of major geopolitical constraints imposed on it by the Partition of Bengal. When he travels to Dhaka in the near future, Modi is in a position to unveil a genuine strategic partnership with Bangladesh.

The writer is a distinguished fellow at the Observer Research Foundation and a contributing editor for The Indian Express

nected, and one of the key goals is to re-weave the social fabric of the region by nurturing people’s collective autonomy and creativity, so learning activities are directed by people’s needs.

During our two week visit to Unitierra, we attended two workshops on urban tree and fruit propagation and another on how to build a compostable eco-toilet (following a critical discussion about the sacredness of water). But we also participated in theoretical discussions about gender that involved more than 30 people from across Spain and Latin America via teleconference; planning sessions on the production of local media; and a seminar on ‘What is Zapatismo today?’ in response to the nineteenth anniversary of the emergence of the Zapatista movement in Chiapas.

During an interview for our film, Gustavo Esteva, a writer, ‘de-professionalised intellectual’ and founder of Unitierra, told us that: “It is not an exaggeration to say that Unitierra is one very small space, a component of a very general attempt in Mexico and other places to create a new society, in the womb of the old society. The old system is destroying everything, the environment, mother earth, culture, society, everything. A new society is being born and we are part of these kinds of initiatives trying to do experiments that can produce this new society”.

Although vastly different in their ecology, history, culture and place in the political landscape, each of the places we’ve visited emphasizes transformative learning that prioritizes connections to ourselves, our relationships to each other and the environment.

Learning takes place in the heart, the hands and the home, not just in the head.

Self-directed learning, social and ecological entrepreneurship, indigenous ways of knowing and artistic expression, permaculture, local media production and alternative energy and sanitation technologies all have a role in pedagogy. Most importantly, these practices are a part of daily life for the people who are learning in these places. We were constantly inspired by their self confidence, compassion and hospitality toward us and each other, and how they spoke of their own experiences of transformation and healing.

Within this silent revolution, knowledge is not pursued for profit, or just for training students for jobs in the marketplace. Instead, real wisdom is being nurtured—the potential for people to transform themselves and their communities. Learning in these places is alive, because it is linked to what’s most important to each person. The multiple crises facing communities are being met head on, with creative solutions that inspire the confidence to learn and live in ways that are meaningful and empowering. This enables and encourages people to become “more fully human” as Ryan and Narcisse taught us when we visited them among the fading grasslands of the Blackfoot Reservation.

Justice … not ‘Just Us’ Rev. dr. Guy nave

I

Sojourners

am a professor of religion at a small liberal arts college in Decorah, Iowa. For the last two weeks in my Religion 239: Clamoring for Change course, students and I have been reading the book Occupy Religion: Theology of the Multitude. We have been discussing the issue of “justice,” and we have been playing with an image of God as one who works from the bottom-up on behalf of many rather than one who works from the top-down on behalf of a few.

A fundamental principle within this “bottomup” theology is the idea of God taking sides (a view quite common in most of the “liberative” theologies). Many people, however, are often uncomfortable with the idea of God taking sides. They often assert that such an image contradicts the idea of an impartial and all-loving God who cares equally for all people.

A bottom-up theology of God asserts that God is a God who exists in relationship with all of creation at the same time every created thing is in relationship with every other created thing. While the relationships that involve human beings may be governed by several principles, I believe one principle that governs all human relationships is the principle of “justice.”

The term “justice” often means different things to different people. A common understanding of justice in the United States is the notion of “punitive justice,” which focuses on inflicting punishment for breaking laws. The obsession with punitive justice in the United States is reflected by the fact that the United States has the highest incarceration rate of all industrialized nations. With only 5 percent of the world population, the United States has 25 percent of the world’s prison population.

While punitive justice might be one way of thinking about justice, it’s not the dominant or prevailing understanding of justice promoted within most religious tradition of the world.

The authors of Occupy Religion write: “God’s justice is about a struggle against injustice, which requires addressing the imbalance of power that leads to injustice rather than covering it up” (98). They go on to write, “In situations of grave imbalances of power, a wellmeaning effort to mediate is not enough; taking sides with those who do not benefit from the imbalance of power is the only way to change and to make things right” (99).

A common understanding of “justice” within many religious traditions focuses on correcting imbalances. Many of these imbalances result in various forms of social inequalities, and these social inequalities can only be fixed by taking sides. To not take sides is in fact taking the side of those benefiting from the imbalance.

One example of an imbalance resulting in social inequality is the fact that the top 1 percent of Americans (about 400 people) possesses more wealth than 60 percent of all Americans.

In recent debates over increasing the minimum wage, arguments have been made that if companies like Wal-Mart are forced to give employees a

minimum wage of $15 an hour, it will force such stores to raise prices, making it difficult for “the poor people” whom they serve to afford their products. Very few (if any) of these arguments, however, mention the fact that six Wal-Mart heirs hold more wealth than 42 percent of Americans combined.

This type of gross inequality is not the product of some people working harder than others. It is the product of an exploitative relationship.

Our lives are constituted by relationships. The question is, “what is the nature of these relationships?” As debates regarding minimum wage reveal, and as the authors of Occupy Religion assert, “People are ‘less fortunate’ not by accident but because others benefit from their misfortune, and they have little choice but to work for lower wages and fewer benefits” (65).

Exploitative relationships result in situations of “just us” rather than justice.

When, over a 28-year period of time, income grows by 275 percent for the wealthiest 1 percent of American households, and only 37 percent for the middle 60 percent, and 18 percent for the poorest 20 percent, the wealthiest 1 percent represent the “just us” advantaged by this imbalance.

When the rate of drug use for blacks and whites in the state of Iowa is essentially identical, but the state arrests blacks at a rate eight times higher than whites for marijuana possession, black people represent the “just us” disproportionately disadvantaged.

When 1 out of every 4 homeless men in America has served in the U.S. military, veterans end up representing a “just us” disproportionately disadvantaged. When nearly 6 in 10 poor adults are women, and nearly 6 in 10 poor children live in families headed by women, women become a “just us” disproportionately disadvantaged.

When one child or teen dies or is injured from guns every 30 minutes, and when more children and teens die from guns every three days than died in the Newtown massacre, and when the number of children under the age of 5 killed by guns in 2010 was higher than the number of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty that same year, it should be obvious that children are a “just us” disadvantaged by irresponsible gun laws, practices, and policies in America.

When imbalances result in certain groups (i.e., “just us”) being grossly advantaged or disadvantaged over other groups, then there is a lack of justice.

Justice is about removing the root causes of gross imbalances and fostering relationships that are mutually beneficial for all and not for “just us.”

It seems that much of the world’s injustice is a result of focusing on “just us” rather than justice.

I’m grateful for the opportunity this semester to reflect, wrestle, contemplate, and struggle with my students as we think about the differences between a top-down and a bottom-up theology. I’m also inspired because while uniformity of views is rarely attained or promoted in my class, it seems most of us agree it’s time to “take sides” and to advance justice rather than situations of “just us.”

Rev. Dr. Guy Nave is professor of religion at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, focusing on the topics of Christianity, the New Testament, and race. He received his Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, and his Ph.D. in New Testament studies from Yale University.

The Newspaper with an Opinion The Morung Express

“One time while travelling back home, a co-passenger asked me my profession. When I told him that I am a teacher he did not lose any time in asking me next, “private or government?” After that I received a sympathetic expression, along with the last question which is an advice really, “Why don’t you try competitive exams?"

– Food for thought on how society perceives teachers today

What about our teachers?

Kim Judy, Head of department of Education

T

his article is based on my experience as an educator or a teacher. Teaching for me is an honest profession and it is not possible for everyone to become a successful teacher. It requires much more than degrees and qualifications.In fact, it demands innumerable qualities such as sincerity, accountability, patience, empathy, etc. to name a few. I’m proud of myself recollecting the successes of my students in terms of result and career. It has helped mebuild and work on my weaknesses and encourages meeveryday to do better. Even as a teacher we do learn lots of new things from our students which contributes to making one a better and understanding teacher.

As for some of us, teaching is not just a job but a passion and so we give our all not just to produce good results but alsoresponsible citizen. Here, I would like to share my own story; having parents who loved education, I was sent to one of the best private institutions with the best teachers who taught me almost everything and my due appreciation goes to them. The question is how was I taught? The strongest tool to make me learn and mug up everything despite my average memory was punishment.

It was not psychological teaching where the focus should be on the student’s capabilities and interests. Learning was never exciting as we were not taught about its utilities and relevant examples were absent. Teachers nowadays are well qualified and teach not just the subject but use all the sophisticated educational technologies for effective learning. Teachers are expected to evaluate the students continuously for remedial teaching and also present their topics with relevant practical examples to make learning useful and applicable for the learners. Being a teacher, we do influence the life of students directly or indirectly and so a teacher has a huge role to play. Besides doing our bit in educating the child, it happens that parents sometimes expect too much from the teacher not realizing it’s not just difficult but alsoquite impossible. As a result, the student’s entire success depends on the teachers’ effort which is not always the same with each individual student/children.

Having mentioned about what teaching is and the importance of teachers, let’s get to the most important part of this write-up, which is, “Does the society appreciate my hard work and effort?” Being in this profession I always get the sympathy of others but not their respect and appreciation.

Our society does recognize all types of government employees, except the honest efforts and contributions of educators. In my five years of teaching profession, there are only a handful of parents and students who actually appreciated me for my work as a teacher and I have also seen my fellow colleagues being given the same. Having had our last parents-teachers meeting in September where I personally met around forty parents and guardians, not more than five actually appreciated the forgotten effort. Our society has to change for the better by showing respect and gratitude to these teachers for educating our children. In my present work place we don’t teach just the subject but punctuality, sincerity, respect for individuality, team work, integrity, hard work, etc. and many more, which is true education. It is high time we should recognize and appreciate our teachers and not just blame them for the failure of our children. As it is famously pointed out, "Teachers are the maker of society”.

Here’s my experience; one time while travelling back home, a co-passenger asked my profession, not knowing and least expecting what I was about to tell him. When I told him that I am a teacher he did not lose any time asking me, 'private or government?’ After that I got the sympathetic expression along with the last question which is an advice really, “why don’t you try competitive exams?" You can imagine how I felt at that moment. First of all,my co-passenger, did not realize the extent of the contributions of a teacher. Secondly, the incident goes to show how easy it is to break or make a teacher's conviction knowingly or unknowingly. Of course,I don't blame my co-passenger for that. It is a testament as to how teachers are perceived by the society. For that matter, perceptions ought to change. Respect and appreciation should not be based on how much money one makes in a month or in a year but it should be earned based on one’s contribution to the society. It is said that on an average, even spiritual gurus save much more than a teacher. In my profession we don’t expect awards and cash prizes from the society but a little respect from society and a small gesture of "Thank you” from parents and students will go a long way. It will help us shape better leaders in the future. It’s time to realize that teachers can do a better job if motivated and appreciated by parents and society, therefore understanding the fact that we all love to be appreciated, be it for a small achievement or a big one. Our development in all fields depends on the kind of teacher and the appreciation we show. “degree of Thought is a weekly community column initiated by Tetso College in partnership with The Morung Express. degree of Thought will delve into the social, cultural, political and educational issues around us. The views expressed here do not reflect the opinion of the institution. Tetso College is a naaC accredited UGC recognised Commerce and arts College.

For feedback or comments please email: admin@tetsocollege.org”.

8

Dimapur

NATIONAL

Wednesday 3 December 2014

‘Maoists forcing induction of children’

New Delhi, December 2 (PTi) : Government on Tuesday said it had got intelligence reports that Maoists are forcing induction of at least one child from each family in certain villages and districts of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.

“As per the intelligence reports, in the current year, incidents of Maoists forcing at least one child from each family to join the outfit has been reported from areas under police stations Senha (district Lohardaga), Bishnupur (district Gumla) in Jharkhand and police station Ambabeda (district Kanker) in Chhattisgarh,” Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

The left wing extremist groups, the Minister said, particularly the CPI (Maoist) recruit minors, both boys and girls from the tribal belt of LWE affected areas in the states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Odisha.

“The idea behind recruiting tribal children is to wean them away from their rich traditional cultural moorings and indoctrinate them into Maoist ideology.

Such children are asked to perform multifarious tasks such as acting as informers, fighting with non-lethal weapons like sticks etc,” he said. In a separate reply, Chaudhary said a large number of Maoist cadres, 327, have surrendered in Bastar region in the current year.

71% polling in Kashmir, 65% in Jharkhand

New Delhi, December 2 (iANS): Jammu and Kashmir recorded a voter turnout of 71% while Jharkhand recorded 65% in the second of the five-phase assembly elections held in the two states Tuesday.

In Jammu and Kashmir the polling percentage saw an increase from the 68.79% recorded in the 2008 assembly polls. During the recent general elections, the state recorded 61.04 percent voting, Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi told the media here.

Eighteen constituencies in five districts of Jammu and Kashmir went to the polls in the second phase Tuesday, of which Reasi and Udhampur districts recorded the maximum turnout of 80 percent and 76 percent, respectively, Zutshi said. “Polling was peaceful with no untoward incident reported from anywhere,” he added.

In Jharkhand, the polling percentage of 64.99% was higher than the 58.26% recorded in the 2009 assembly elections. During the Lok Sabha polls, the state recorded 63.82% turnout, Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha said. Twenty assembly constituencies in seven districts of Jharkhand went to the polls in the second phase.

Meanwhile, Election Commission officials said that in Jharkhand, Rs.1.1 crore in cash was seized during the polls while the amount seized was Rs.67 lakh in Jammu and Kashmir. Sixteen cases of paid news were reported from Jharkhand, while the figure was five in Jammu and Kashmir.

An Indian Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) soldier is helped by a hospital staff member outside a hospital in Chhatisgarh state on Tuesday, December 2. At least 13 paramilitary troops were killed in an attack by Maoist rebels in central India on Monday, police said. (AP Photo)

The Morung Express

Christians protest church blaze in Delhi Police forms Special Investigation Team

New Delhi, December 2 (iANS): Thousands of Christians Tuesday protested outside the Delhi Police headquarters demanding security for churches and immediate probe into a mysterious fire that gutted a Catholic church in the city. The Delhi Police Crime Branch has set up a special team to investigate the matter.

Over 5,000 people, including Catholics, Protestants, Baptists and Methodists, gathered in front of the police headquarters at the busy ITO crossing in central Delhi around 10 a.m. They raised slogans and asked for an immediate high-level inquiry into the Monday morning fire at the Saint Sebastian’s Church in east Delhi’s Dilshad Garden area.

The case has been transferred to the Delhi Police Crime Branch, which has set up a Special Investigation Team to probe the incident, said a police official. The caretakers of the church have alleged the involvement of some unidentified attackers.

“We want a judicial probe into the matter, and demand that security be given to every church, and the accused be arrested,” Father Mathew Koyickal told IANS. The protesters, including wom-

An elderly Indian Christian holds high a crucifix during a protest after a fire destroyed a church on Monday, outside Delhi police headquarters in New Delhi on Tuesday, December 2. While the cause of the fire is not known, the Delhi Catholic Archdiocese said Tuesday that “mischief” was suspected. Christians account for about 2.5 percent of the country’s 1.2 billion people and largely coexist peacefully. However, the issue of conversions by Christian missionaries has sporadically provoked violence by Hindus. (AP Photo)

en and children, raised slogans of “We want justice” and held up placards with messages like “Pray and let others pray”.

Delhi diocese Archbishop Anil Couto has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi de-

manding a judicial inquiry into the fire. He said Home Minister Rajnath Singh has given him time Wednesday for a meeting. “We will put our demands before the home minister. Hope he fulfills them,” he told IANS.

The protesters, who also demanded security for Delhi’s churches, were reportedly assured by police that their demands would be met. Special Commissioner of Police Deepak Mishra, accompanied by other

senior officials, assured the protesters that a proper inquiry will be conducted.

He assured the people of deployment of police at every Delhi church function. The protest, which lasted two hours, led police to stop traffic outside the police headquarters, leading to traffic snarls on arterial roads nearby.

The protesters also tried to enter the police headquarters to meet Commissioner of Police B.S. Bassi, but were prevented.

Later, a delegation met the police chief, who assured them of a speedy probe.

Alleging police inaction, Anita Benjamin, spokesperson of the Rastriya Isai Mahasangh, told IANS that police wasted a lot of time in gathering evidence.

She said the Christian community was scared and they wanted a quick probe into the incident.

“The Delhi Police officials who reached the church to assess the situation, without even initial investigation, said the fire appeared to be a case of electrical short-circuit,” she said. Prominent community leaders, including former Church of North India (CNI) bishop Karam Masih and civil rights activist John Dayal, participated in the protest.

Vajpayee’s birthday will be ‘Good Governance Day’ Opposition wants minister

New Delhi, December 2 (iANS): Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birthday Dec 25 will be observed as “Good Governance Day”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Tuesday.

The prime minister also told BJP MPs not to undertake any activity “for the purpose of display or show.

It should be a genuine act”.

Briefing the media on the Bharatiya Janata Party parliamentary board’s meeting, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy said all party MPs will devote an hour for sanitation Dec 25.

He said Modi will be in Varanasi Dec 25 and take part in a sanitation drive.

Modi told the parliamentarians to monitor the progress of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana and

asked them about their interest in sports. BJP president Amit Shah, who also addressed the meeting, asked the parliamentarians to step up efforts to recruit at least 10 crore members in the party. “The target is 10 crore from the existing four crore,” Rudy said.

Rudy said a victory for the BJP was “most important” in Delhi and added that it will hold 2,000 “small, big public meetings” by the third week of December. The meetings will be addressed by almost all the 325 BJP MPs in the two house of parliament.

He said the party’s online membership had crossed one crore.

Rudy said each Rajya Sabha member had been asked to adopt at least one Lok Sabha seat which the BJP

had never won and nurture it. Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu complimented Modi for his “successful” visits to Australia and Nepal. A booklet was released on Modi’s visits.

On the Good Governance Day, a core committee had been formed with Rudy and party leader Ananth Kumar as members to work on the various suggestions. Rudy said the parliamentarians will have meetings with the core committee over the next three days to give their ideas on good governance.

Asked about complaints by opposition MPs about the absence of the prime minister from the Rajya Sabha, Rudy said Modi keeps track of parliament. “I don’t think that is an issue.”

CBI files first charge sheet in Odisha’s chit fund scam

Abduction of women rising in India; UP at the top

bhubANeSwAr, December 2 (iANS): The CBI Tuesday filed in court the first charge sheet on the multi-crore chit fund scam in Odisha.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a 188-page charge sheet in the Special CBI Court here against Green India Private Limited, a chit fund company which has duped people of around Rs.30 crore in the state.

“It was a preliminary charge sheet against the company. We will file a comprehensive charge sheet later after the investigation process is over,” a CBI source said.

The charge sheet has named three top executives of the company under various sections of the IPC and under Section 456 of the Prize Chit and Money Circulation (Banning) Scheme Act, 1978.

The charge sheet names nearly 300 people as witnesses in the case, sources said. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Pradeep Singh and directors Sunil Panda and Jitendra Mishra were formally charged for their involvement in the scam, said sources.

New Delhi, December 2 (iANS): Cases of kidnapping of women and girls are on the rise in India, with Uttar Pradesh registering the maximum number of cases, parliament was informed Tuesday. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said 2,085 cases of abduction were reported in Delhi in 2011, while the figure rose to 2,160 in 2012 and 3,609 in 2013.

A total of 141 people were convicted in 2011, and while the figure rose to 190 in 2012, it fell to 154 in 2013 despite the sharp rise in the number of cases. Overall, the union territories reported 51,881 cases of abduction in 2013, up from 38,262 in 2012 and 35,565 in 2011.

UP registered the maximum number of kidnappings of women and girls at 9,737 in 2013. A total of 2,215 people were convicted for the crimes. In 2012, the state reported 7,910 cases and 2,155 people were convicted, while in 2011, 7,525 people were kidnapped and 3,911 convictions took place. The states too showed an upward graph in the total number of cases. Meanwhile, the least number of cases among states was reported from Mizoram.

sacked over remark

New Delhi, December 2 (iANS): Noisy protests enveloped the Rajya Sabha Tuesday as the opposition sought the sacking of minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti for using abusive language at a rally here, forcing her to express regret. As soon as the house met, opposition members were on their feet against Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Sadhvi Jyoti.

Both the zero hour and question hour were lost to the protests. The house finally adjourned till 2 p.m. Some members slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not coming to parliament. “The minister has abused the people of India,” thundered Congress leader Ashwani Kumar.

At a rally here Sunday, the minister reportedly said: “Aapko tay karna hai ki Dilli mein sarkar Ramzadon ki banegi ya haramzadon ki.” (You have to decide if you want a government in Delhi to be led by the children of Lord Ram or illegitimate children.) BSP chief Mayawati said what the minister had stated was against the spirit of the constitution.

“The minister called the people of India children of Lord Ram. This is against the secular spirit of our constitution. The minister must resign,” Mayawati said. Government members defended the beleaguered minister. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Congress ministers too

had used foul language in the past.

“We do not justify the use of such language but Congress ministers have also done this many times,” Naqvi said. The house was adjourned for 10 minutes by Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien, before Sadhvi Jyoti expressed regret for her comments. Under all round attack, she said: “I regret if my words hurt anyone’s feelings... I am ready to apologize if the members want.”

But the opposition was not satisfied. “This has become a regular feature. Every day someone speaks against the constitution. The minister has admitted her crime in the house,” Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav said. Members from the Congress, Samajwadi Party, BahujanSamajParty(BSP)andthe Left united against the minister, forcing another adjournment for 10 minutes.

Finance Minister and house leader Arun Jaitley appealed for calm. “The minister made a statement yesterday (Monday) which is not acceptable,” he said, distancing the government from the minister’s comments. “She has expressed regret and even apologized. As far as the proceedings are concerned, when the offence is made outside the house, law will take its course.

“Anything happening outside is not the business of this house,” Jaitley said. But the opposition insisted that minister Sadhvi Jyoti be sacked.

In Bhopal, two women spark hope for disaster’s disabled children

bhOPAl, December 2 (ThOmSON reuTerS FOuNDATiON): Along the corridor of a rudimentary rehabilitation centre, women in saris and burkhas sit cross-legged on a red and white tiled floor, rocking children with twisted limbs and clawed fingers in their laps.

The children - ranging from 2 to 12 years old and dressed in grey, white and red checked uniforms - look up wide-eyed, moaning and grunting, unable to speak or move due to illnesses such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and Down’s syndrome.

“I’ve been coming here for the last six months. I want my son to be cured and to be able to walk and run like other boys,” said Lakshmi, 40, cradling her 7-year-old son, Vikas, who suffers from muscular dystrophy and speech impairments.

Vikas and hundreds of children like him are part of a legacy left by one of the world’s worst industrial disasters, activists say, neglected by the state but given hope by a charity set up by two women survivors of the manmade calamity.

In the early hours of Dec. 3, 1984, a pesticide factory owned by U.S. multinational Union Carbide Corp accidentally leaked toxic cyanide gas in the city of Bhopal, killing thousands and leaving many more with serious illnesses.

As survivors of the disaster gather to hold candlelight vigils and protests in a bid to galvanise support for victims on the disaster’s 30th anniversary, the city’s second and third generations of disabled

children stand out in their demands.

“The government and Union Carbide have done little to recognise these children as part of the disaster, so we felt we had to do something,” said Rashida Bee, one of the women who founded the Chingari Rehabilitation Centre.

BLARING SIRENS, BURNING EYES Bee, 57, met Champa Devi Shukla, 60, through a government-run employment scheme for women survivors in the months following the disaster. They slowly became friends, she said, sharing the suffering of their families and memories of that fateful winter night when the factory’s siren blared as they slept in their homes in slum colonies surrounding the factory site.

“We woke up with our eyes and throats burning. My young son was screaming, ‘Who has burned so many chillies?’ He was gasping and choking at the same time,” said Bee. “We had no idea what had happened until our neighbour came and told us to leave because of the gas leak,” she said, noting that she lost six family members to illnesses such as cancer in years after the tragedy.

Shukla told a similar story, adding that her family fled their home to get a bus out of the city - but there were so many people running and screaming, and no transport available. “My husband, who had fallen and hurt himself in the stampede, couldn’t move quickly enough. He told me to take the children and run, but I said, ‘If we are going to

die, we will die together,’” Shukla said.

They survived the immediate disaster, but like Bee, in the years that followed, Shukla lost her husband and three children to cancer. Her granddaughter was born with a cleft palette and mental disorders. The two women said they felt a sense of injustice over the lack of rehabilitation given to victims of the disaster, and began a campaign for better support for those suffering the aftermath of the gas leak.

In the beginning, they mobilised about 100 women and walked 730 km to Delhi to protest the lack of livelihood opportunities for women like themselves who had to become breadwinners for their impoverished families after their husbands became ill. Over the years, their attention turned to second- and third-generation children with congenitaldeformities,borntosurvivorsexposed to the gas and to women who have been drinking water contaminated by undisposed toxic waste around the factory.

However, there has been no longterm epidemiological research to prove conclusively that the birth defects of these children are directly linked to the tragedy three decades ago.

SPARKING HOPE In 2004, the two women won the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize for their activism and donated their $125,000 award to set up the Chingari Rehabilitation Centre, whose name means “spark” in Hindi. The cen-

tre cares for 700 children - 200 of whom regularly attend physiotherapy, occupational and speech therapy sessions.

Located on the ground floor of a run-down apartment block just 500 metres from the now abandoned factory, children roam the bright greenwalled corridor of the centre, and stare out of the hall’s barred windows onto a playground with swings. In tiny rooms, physiotherapists kneel over children lying on floor mats, slowly bending and stretching their frail, stick-like limbs, as mothers hovering nearby provide soothing words of encouragement.

“The children have many problems and it is difficult for families to look after these children as most are poor and get little support,” said physiotherapist Sanjay Gour. “Here, we at least try to improve their lives and give hope to these children. Many children, such as those with muscular dystrophy, have started walking again after the therapy.”

U.S. company Dow Chemical, which now owns Union Carbide, has long denied liability, saying it bought the company a decade after Union Carbide had settled its liabilities to the Indian government in 1989 by paying $470 million. The government of Madhya Pradesh state, where Bhopal is located, denies these children are linked to the disaster, adding that the Supreme Court decides who are the real beneficiaries for compensation and free health care.

Act against Carbide and Dow, Modi told bhOPAl, Dec 2 (iANS): Five activist groups Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make Union Carbide and Dow Chemical bow to Indian courts over the Bhopal gas disaster.

“We hope you and your government will be as enthusiastic in making the US corporations obey Indian laws as you are (in) welcoming them to invest in our country,” the groups said in an open letter to Modi. “We write (in) the hope that you and your government are aware that Bhopal was the original ‘Make in India’ in the profoundest sense of the phrase.”

The appeal comes on the 30th anniversary of the Dec 2-3, 1984 disaster when a poison gas leak from a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal left thousands dead. Dow Chemical now owns Carbide.

The joint letter has been written by leaders of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha, Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pensionbhogi Sangharsh Morcha, Bhopal Group for Information and Action, and Children Against Dow Carbide.

The letter blamed Union Carbide and Dow Chemical for the gas disaster and the environmental contamination due to reckless dumping of hazardous waste.

“In the last 30 years, the government of India has been dragging its feet over taking effective action against the two US corporations (fearing) that (seeking) justice in Bhopal would jeopardize the investment climate. “Union Carbide and now Dow Chemical have taken full advantage of this hesitation on the part of the Indian government and both continue to break Indian laws and dare Indian courts,” the letter said.

The letter said Union Carbide had evaded Indian courts for 22 long years and “Dow Chemical has refused to appear in the Bhopal district court disregarding the court’s summons to appear on Nov 12, 2014”.

“We write this with the hope that your government will make Union Carbide and Dow Chemical obey the directions of Indian courts.” The activists also urged Modi to pay special attention to the issue of medical care and economic and social rehabilitation of the survivors.

InternatIonal

the Morung express

Wednesday 3 December 2014

Dimapur

9

Taiwan and Hong Kong a challenge for Xi

PIC 1: Chinese President Xi Jinping . (AP File Photo) PIC 2: Police officers beat up protesters as they try to disperse them outside government headquarters in Hong Kong on December 1. Pro-democracy protesters clashed with police as they tried to surround Hong Kong government headquarters late Sunday, stepping up their movement for genuine democratic reforms after camping out on the city’s streets for more than two months. (AP Photo)

TAIPEI, DEcEmbEr 2 (AP): An electoral pummeling for Taiwan’s proBeijing ruling party and a new spike in pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong have delivered a reality check to Chinese President Xi Jinping just when he was riding a wave of high-profile diplomacy.

Xi’s message of a better economic future by joining forces with Beijing rather than aligning against it doesn’t seem to be working with the electorate in Taiwan, where voters turned out in droves over the weekend to support the chief opposition Democratic Progressive Party in local elections.

The DPP advocates more distance between Taiwan and China and taps into concerns many

Taiwanese have over any eventual unification with authoritarian Beijing.

Likewise, Xi’s message is not working with the Hong Kong protesters, who clashed with police early Monday as they tried to surround government headquarters to revitalize their flagging movement in the face of Beijing’s intransigence on democratic reforms. The Hong Kong protests reminded Taiwanese voters of what Taiwan could become in the event of unification with China, said Kweibo Huang, associate professor of diplomacy at National Chengchi University in Taipei.

“Hong Kong consolidated Taiwan voter worries about relations with mainland China,” Huang said.

The DPP won seven of

nine races for mayors and county chiefs, delivering a major setback to the ruling Nationalist Party, which advocates greater economic integration across the Taiwan Strait.

That poses a complex challenge for Beijing, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to take control of the island by force if necessary. The poll results build on months of opposition among the young and middle class to Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou’s steps to further reduce economic barriers between the sides and propel them toward talks on political unification.

Concerns in Hong Kong that the economic rise of mainland China marginalizes the former British colony also are high among the pro-

democracy protesters there.

Likewise in Taiwan, many residents fear the island’s economy could be swallowed up by China, flooding its labor market to keep wages low as living costs rise.

“Ma Ying-jeou’s policies don’t seem to be producing a trickle-down effect. Voters had the feeling that, today Hong Kong, tomorrow Taiwan,” said Joseph Cheng, an expert on Chinese politics at City university of Hong Kong.

Beijing has limited room to adjust to changes in Taiwan and Hong Kong, given its fears of stoking pro-democracy sentiment at home and its long-established positions on the two territories.

It has long pushed for Taiwan to accept the “one country, two systems” pol-

icy it negotiated for Hong Kong when it was returned

by Britain in 1997, which allows the city some autonomy and a separate economic and judicial system, but places it firmly under Beijing’s ultimate authority.

Xi has continued to push the “one country, two systems” approach with Taiwan despite broad opposition among the island’s 23 million people.

He also has made it clear that he won’t be backing down from his insistence that candidates for Hong Kong’s chief executive in 2017 inaugural elections first be vetted and approved by a Beijingappointed panel.

Xi’s unwavering line stands in contrast to his soft power push in foreign policy that seeks to portray

the world’s second-largest economy as strong and confident, while assuaging fears over how China plans to use that newfound strength.

In recent weeks, Xi has hosted the annual summit of the 21-member AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation forum in Beijing, attended the G-20 meeting in Australia and visited Fiji to boost China’s contacts with the Pacific islands.

He’s put forward proposals for a regional free trade area and an Asian lending institution that could rival the World Bank, casting Beijing in the global leadership role it has craved but long shied from.

Appearing relaxed and in control, the president followed up with a major foreign policy address on Saturday, speaking both of

China’s growing integration with the international community and its firm resolve to not compromise on its territorial claims.

“China must have its own style of large country foreign relations,” Xi said.

“Travel the road of peaceful development, but at the same time, never abandon our legitimate rights, and definitely do not sacrifice our national core interests.”

While received with maximum fanfare abroad, Xi may have a harder time convincing public opinion in Taiwan and Hong Kong, both of which lie far closer and feel greatly more threatened by China’s rise.

A former Japanese colony, Taiwan split from the Chinese mainland amid civil war in 1949, and its government is regarded by Beijing as the illegitimate administration of a renegade province.

Since 2008, Taiwan and China have signed 21 trade, transit and investment agreements, but protesters in March occupied parliament in Taipei to stop ratification of a China trade liberalization deal. The demonstrators’ ranks grew into the tens of thousands.

When Hong Kong reverted to Chinese rule, Beijing said it would allow universal suffrage in the 2017 election for chief executive. However, Beijing’s demand that candidates be endorsed by a pro-Beijing panel have dented expectations of full democracy as promised.

Repeating scenes that have become familiar since their movement began in late September, Hong Kong protesters carrying umbrellas battled police armed with pepper spray,

batons and riot shields early Monday. The protesters, many wearing surgical masks, hard hats and safety goggles, chanted “I want true democracy.”

Although the Hong Kong protests were not a leading campaign issue in Taiwan, analysts said voters considered their own government’s growing ties with China when ousting the Nationalists from nine mayoral and county magistrate jobs, a steeper-than-expected loss for the ruling party. Two of those positions were won by independents.

Following Saturday’s defeat, Premier Jiang Yihuah and his Cabinet members tendered their formal resignations but remained on as a caretaker government. The electoral battering puts the Nationalist Party on the defensive ahead of a 2016 presidential election that Ma is barred from contesting due to term limits.

In both Hong Kong and Taiwan, the business and political elite generally back closer ties with China, while young people see their future prospects threatened by mainland competition. There are also wide fears that civil rights, such as a free press and independent political organizations, will be eroded by politicians and businessmen seeking to ingratiate themselves with Beijing.

Given those feelings, China needs more than just strong business ties to win over a democratic electorate, said Hsu Yung-ming, a political scientist with Soochow University in Taipei.

“Whether getting too close to China will be dangerous, that was a big issue,” Hsu said.

‘HIV virus losing virility’ Hong Kong protest leaders to surrender to police Bulgarian as 1st

LONDON, DEcEmbEr 2 (IANS): A study involving more than 2,000 women in Africa has found that the rapid evolution of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and widespread access to antiretroviral therapy are slowing down the virus’s ability to cause AIDS. “Factors that influence the virulence of HIV are of direct relevance to ongoing efforts to contain, and ultimately eradicate, the HIV epidemic,” researchers from University of Oxford said. The research was carried out in Botswana and South Africa, two countries that have been worst affected by the HIV epidemic.

Across those countries, researchers enrolled over 2,000 women with chronic HIV infection to take part in the study. The researchers looked at whether the interaction between the body’s natural immune response

and HIV leads to the virus becoming less virulent. The team’s data show that the cost of the body’s adaptation to HIV is that its ability to replicate is significantly reduced, therefore making the virus less virulent.

Viral adaptation to protective gene variants, such as HLA-B*57, is driving down the virulence of transmitted HIV and is thereby contributing to HIV elimination, the findings showed. The authors also examined the impact of ART on HIV virulence. They developed a mathematical model, which concluded that selective treatment could weaken the virulence of the virus over time.

“Anything we can do to increase the pressure on HIV in this way may allow scientists to reduce the destructive power of HIV over time,” said lead scientist professor Phillip Goulder from University of Oxford.

HONG KONG, DEcEmbEr 2 (AP): Three of the founders of Hong Kong’s protest movement called Tuesday for an end to street demonstrations to prevent further violence and to take the campaign for democratic reforms to a new stage.

It wasn’t clear whether student protesters, who make up the bulk of the activists, would heed the call.

Professors Benny Tai Yiu-ting and Chan Kin-man and Pastor Chu Yiu-ming said they plan to surrender to police on Wednesday to take responsibility for protests that have shut down parts of the Asian financial center for more than two months. Instead of street protests, the three hope to continue the campaign through networking among civic groups, community organizing and education in democracy and human rights.

The three are founders of the Occupy Central movement to force China’s central government to scrap its requirement that candidates for the semiautonomous region’s chief executive be approved by a panel chosen by Beijing. However, they

represent only one faction of demonstrators, most of whom are students.

Joshua Wong, a prominent student leader, said Monday he and two other members of his group would go on an indefinite hunger strike to press their demands.

“We admit that it’s difficult in the future to have an escalated action, so besides suffering from batons and tear gas, we would like to use our bodies to direct public attention to the issue,” he said Tuesday. “We are not sure if the hunger strike can put pressure on the government, but we hope that when the public realizes the student hunger strike, they will ask themselves what they can do next.”

In the early, dark hours of Monday, police armed with pepper spray, batons and riot shields clashed with activists carrying umbrellas as authorities moved to clear them out an area in front of the government complex where activist had been camped out. The compound was forced to shut temporarily and the city’s Beijing-backed

leader said public patience was wearing thin, adding that police would “continue to take decisive action to enforce the law.”

In a statement read to reporters, Tai, Chan and Chu said their surrender also would serve as a “silent denunciation of a heartless government.” “Tomorrow’s battleground is expansive and now is the time to transform the people’s strength into a sustainable civil society movement, to sow the spirit of democracy deep into the community,” they said in the statement.

Tai said it wasn’t clear whether police would simply send them home, or detain them for inciting the protests, which the Hong Kong and Chinese governments have denounced as illegal. While the trio’s call to end the protests threatened to fracture the movement, Tai denied they were abandoning the demonstrators. “We just urge the occupiers to consider the importance to understand that the fight for democracy is a long battle,” he said.

Climate change impacts heat up UN talks in Lima LImA, DEcEmbEr 2 (AP): With 2014 on track to become the warmest year on record and time running short, more than 190 nations began talks on a new worldwide deal to limit greenhouse gas emissions and keep global warming from causing irreversible damage.

New targets for fossil fuel use were announced ahead of the climate conference by the U.S., the European Union and China, the first Asian nation to make such a pledge. This has injected optimism into negotiations that are supposed to climax in Paris next year with the adoption of a longawaited climate pact.

But India, Russia, Japan and Australia have yet to commit to new limits; and scientists say much sharper emissions cuts are needed in coming decades to keep global warming within 2ºC (3.6ºF) of preindustrial times, the overall goal of the U.N. talks. Global temperatures have already risen about 0.8ºC (1.3ºF), and more heat-trapping gases are emitted every year.

Every degree of warming can cause long-lasting impacts, from melting ice caps and rising sea levels to the loss of species.

“Human influence on the climate system is clear,” Rajendra Pachauri, who leads the U.N.’s panel of climate-change experts,

Artists perform during the inauguration of Climate Change Conference in Lima, Peru, Monday, December 1. Delegates from more than 190 countries will meet in Lima for two weeks to work on drafts for a global climate deal that is supposed to be adopted next year in Paris.

(AP Photo)

told delegates at the opening session in Lima on Monday.

To have a decent chance of reversing the warming trend before the planet hits the 2-degree mark, the world needs to slash emissions by 40% to 70% by 2050 and to near-zero by the end of the century, according to the panel’s assessments. Scientists are practically united in warning that there’s no way to meet this goal by continuing business as usual.

It would require a sustained, permanent, worldwide shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy

sources to power homes, cars and industries. And even then, the transition might not happen fast enough without a large-scale deployment of new technologies to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

“We call on the world to ensure the opportunity does not slip away,” said Nauru’s Marlene Moses, representing a group of Pacific island nations threatened by rising seas.

The biggest challenge for the U.N.-sponsored talks is dividing responsibilities between rich

Western countries and emerging economies such as China and India. The poorest and most vulnerable nations also need help to develop their economies without aggravating global warming, and to adapt to climate changes that are already causing more violent weather, prolonged droughts and intense flooding.

Among them is host country Peru, whose glaciers are melting ever-faster, threatening water supplies on the coastal desert where 70% of its citizens live and threatening the nation’s hydropower and food security.

The negotiators in Lima are focusing on a draft agreement that can be refined before the Paris meeting a year from now. A key issue is what data each government should provide so that formal emissions targets can be compared. Developing countries also want rich nations to make good on promises of financing to reduce emissions and mitigate climate change impacts, which range from the spread of diseases to coastal flooding to major disruptions to agriculture.

There’s no common agreement on how that money should be used; for example, The Associated Press found that Japan has spent $1 billion of its climate financing on new power plants in

Indonesia that burn coal — the top source of man-made emissions. Japan says it improves the environment because the new plans burn cleaner, but critics said coal has no place in climate financing. The U.N.’s weather agency is expected to present temperature data showing 2014 could be the hottest year on record.

Peru is among the countries most affected. The Andean nation has 70% of the world’s tropical glaciers, which have lost more than a fifth of their mass in just three decades, putting 300,000 highlanders under severe stress as pastures and croplands dry up, the planting cycle becomes more erratic and cold snaps more severe. Lima is the world’s secondlargest desert capital after Cairo, Egypt, and its 10 million inhabitants depend on glacial runoff for hydropower and to irrigate crops.

Latin America and the Caribbean cause less than 10% of global emissions, and yet its people are already shouldering and oversized burden. Climate change is blamed for the extinction of plants and animals in Andean cloud forests and for damaging offshore fisheries. Even if warmer weather benefits industrial agriculture in some places, more people are expected to go hungry as subsistence farming suffers.

woman UN chief?

In this November 2, 2014 photo, Irina Bokova, the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) listens to a question during a press conference at the Iraqi National Museum in Baghdad, Iraq. (AP File Photo)

PArIS, DEcEmbEr 2 (AP): She’s already the first female and eastern European to head UNESCO. Now Irina Bokova is a contender become the first female and eastern European United Nations secretary-general.

Bokova, the 62-year-old Bulgarian chief of the U.N. cultural agency, has been nominated by the Bulgarian government to succeed Ban Ki-Moon as U.N. secretarygeneral, after his second mandate expires in 2016.

Though she has not declared she is going for the job, Bokova is certainly not putting rumors at rest. She has recently waded into geopolitics, visiting Iraqi conflict zones and preparing to mediate in the Syrian conflict. Now, for the first time, she has said in an Associated Press interview that Ban’s successor must be female.

“It’s time for a woman to become secretary-general.

Definitely,” Bokova told The AP from UNESCO’s Paris headquarters, her eyes lighting up. Bokova has a strong track record of fighting for women’s equality — and argues that equality drive should extend to the U.N. itself. “I think it’s an understanding by governments and NGO’s” to have a woman U.N. chief, she said, falling short of revealing who she thinks that woman should be. “I don’t see any obstacle.”

There certainly is momentum for naming the first female secretary-general in the U.N.’s nearly 70-year history. In November, groups including Amnesty International and Global Policy Forum wrote to all U.N. member states to call for a fairer, more transparent selection process, stressing that “to date, no woman has ever held the post or been seriously considered for it.”

There is also the question of which region will be chosen.

Though the U.N. Charter says nothing about regional selection of the secretary-general, there’s been a tradition of rotating regions after the first two chiefs were both from western Europe. The third was Asian, followed by a west European, a Latin American, two Africans, and an Asian. By this pattern, Europe should be in line to choose the next secretary-general. And eastern Europe has never held the U.N.’s top job.

Another contender who has been mentioned is New Zealand’s former prime minister Helen Clark, now the head of the U.N. Development Program. “It’s two years away, but it’s not too early to talk candidates as a lot of well-informed speculation is already going on,” said Edward Mortimer, who was former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan’s speechwriter.

A candidate must not only have broad backing from the 193 U.N. member states, but he or she must be acceptable to the five council members with veto power: the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France. If the candidate is indeed east European, she or he must be acceptable especially to Russia, and also its close council ally, China.

10

Dimapur

SPORTS

Wednesday 3 December 2014

The Morung Express

Leonard leads Spurs Mourners converge on Macksville to farewell Hughes over 76ers 109-103

San Antonio Spurs' Kawhi Leonard goes up for a shot during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers on December 1, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo)

PHILADELPHIA, DEcEmbEr 2 (AP): Kawhi Leonard scored a gamehigh 26 points and had a crucial three-point play in the final minute to help the San Antonio Spurs defeat the winless 76ers 109-103, extending Philadelphia's club-worst losing streak to start the season to 0-17.

The Spurs (13-4) played without stars Tim Duncan (rest) and Tony Parker (shoulder). Even without the duo's more than 31 points out of the lineup, San Antonio had little trouble dispatching Philadelphia. Aron Baynes scored 15 points and Manu Ginobili and Cory Joseph each added 14 for San Antonio, which won its eighth straight. Leonard also had 10 rebounds while tying a career-high in points. Michael Carter-Williams had 24 points and 11 rebounds and Alexey Shved chipped in 19 points for Philadelphia.

Philadelphia became just the fourth team in league history to open a season with 17 losses, join-

ing the 1998-99 Clippers (0-17), 1988-89 Heat (0-17) and the 2009-10 Nets (018). The 76ers can tie the Nets for the worst start in NBA history on Wednesday at Minnesota with a potential chance to break the record at home on Friday against Oklahoma City.

Denver's Ty Lawson had 15 points and made a double-pump jumper to beat the shot clock with 29.6 seconds left to boost the Nuggets over the Utah Jazz 103-101. The game heated up after Arron Afflalo was ejected and the Jazz stormed back from a 22-point deficit to tie the game in the final minutes.

Lawson, who also had 12 assists, made the game-winner from the left wing between two Jazz defenders. Hayward scored 25 points, Burks had 22 and Burke chipped in 18, but Utah's losing streak hit six games — the longest skid since March 10-19 last season.

At Washington, John Wall had 18 points and 13 assists as the Wizards made

Veteran Football Tourney from Dec 5 DImAPUr, DEcEmbEr 2 (mExn): Dimapur District Veteran Football Association (DDVFA) is organising a Veteran Football Tournament on December 5 at DDSC Stadium, Dimapur. A press release from the President informed that registrations will be accepted till December 4. Those interested may contact the DDVFA President Joseph Sumi at 8730844926.

Swansea would only sell Bony for ‘astronomical fee’ LOnDOn, DEcEmbEr 2 (rEUTErS): It would take an "astronomical fee" for Swansea City to part with inform Ivory Coast forward Wilfried Bony, manager Gary Monk said on Monday. The 25-year-old has scored 18 Premier League goals in 2014, two more than his nearest rival Sergio Aguero, and has helped the Welsh team climb to eighth in the table with six goals in his last seven appearances. According to media reports, Bony was a target for Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur during the close-season but he remained at the Liberty Stadium and last month signed a one-year contract extension that ties him to the club until 2018.

"It would take an astronomical fee for him to go anywhere," Monk told reporters ahead of Tuesday's league visit of Queens Park Rangers. "We are not a selling club, we don't need to sell. We are very much committed with our players and they are committed to us. It shows the work that we are doing with him is paying off. He works very hard on his finishing and his fitness so all credit to him and long may it continue."

Swansea are likely to be without former Vitesse Arnhem striker Bony, who has scored 11 goals in 32 games for Ivory Coast, during the African Nations Cup next month and Monk said he might be forced to bolster his attacking options. "With Wilfried being away for...a six or sevengame period we'll obviously be looking to bring in cover in that position," the manager explained.

their first seven 3-pointers to beat the Miami Heat 107-86. The Wizard held the Heat to 2 for 22 from beyond the arc for the game.

Rasual Butler scored 23, and Marcin Gortat added 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Wizards, who never trailed and led by 21 in the first half and 25 in the second. Chris Bosh led Miami with 21 points, and Dwayne Wade had 20 in his second game back from an injured right hamstring.

The Los Angeles Clippers downed the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-101 in the most successful road trip in club history after Blake Griffin and J.J. Redick each scored 23 points before sitting out the fourth quarter. DeAndre Jordan had 13 rebounds and 11 points for the Clippers, who won their fifth in a row following their 6-1 trip and beat Minnesota for the 10th straight time. Shabazz Muhammad had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Timberwolves.

mAcKSVILLE, DE cEmbEr 2 (AP): Mourners, led by Australia captain Michael Clarke, are converging on the small rural town of Macksville ahead of Wednesday's funeral service for Phillip Hughes, as the test cricketer's birthplace becomes the focus of a nation's attention.

Clarke arrived by helicopter Monday and will act as a pallbearer at the funeral, which will be attended by past and present cricketers from throughout the world, as well as by politicians and other dignitaries, and televised live throughout Australia.

Hughes' former Australia test teammates will be present to pay their last respects and to further express the grief that has wracked the team since the 25-year-old batsman died Thursday, two days after being hit behind the left ear by a short-pitch delivery during a domestic match at the SCG. More than 5,000 mourners are expected at the service in Macksville, which has a population of less than 3,000 people.

They will include many of the greats of Australian and world cricket. There will be three former Australian captains and greats Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, Sir Richard Hadlee from New Zealand, India's stand-in captain Virat Kohli, team director Ravi Shastri and coach Duncan Fletcher.

Geographically and emotionally, the Australian players will be far removed from the Adelaide Oval where the first match of a rescheduled four-test series against India is due to begin Dec. 9.

The series was to start as Brisbane's Gabba ground on Thursday, but was deferred and the scheduled second test at Adelaide was brought forward as Cricket Australia and the Board of Control for Cricket in India shuffled the schedule to give players time to mourn.

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said it was "out of the question" that the players should be expected to play a test match a day after the funeral of a respected teammate and treasured friend.

Sutherland said CA would understand if, for some players, emotions were still too raw next Tuesday to face the challenge of test cricket and any player who felt unready for that match could withdraw without recrimination.

"Any player that is not comfortable or doesn't feel right, or there is medical advice to suggest they're

A tribute banner is attached on a fence of an auto dealership in the hometown of Australian cricket player Phillip Hughes in Macksville, Australia, Tuesday, December 2. Hughes died Thursday, two days after being hit in the head by a short-pitched 'bouncer' delivery during a domestic match at the SCG. (AP Photo)

Australia-India first Test moved to Adelaide

SyDnEy, DEcEmbEr 2 (rEUTErS): The first cricket test between Australia and India will now take place in Adelaide as part of a major reshuffling of the series following the death last week of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes.

The first Test was supposed to start in Brisbane on Thursday but has been delayed until next week and switched to Adelaide to give grief-stricken players more time to recover with Hughes' funeral taking place on Wednesday. "Nobody should underestimate just what these players are going through right now," Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive James Sutherland said in a statement on Monday. "These are difficult days and we need to support them in dealing with their grief. not quite right, then we will obviously understand that," he said. "I'm sure the broader public will understand that as well," he said.

Veteran fast bowler Ryan Harris became the first player to publicly express misgivings about playing a test match so soon after the tragic death of a teammate, saying he hadn't yet decided whether he would take part.

Harris said Wednesday's service at Macksville — where the Australian sporting colors of green and gold and large banners and other tributes are adorning

It's very clear that playing a Test right now is just too soon and we are reacting accordingly."

The Australian and Indian cricket boards met with the players' union (ACA) and other key stakeholders, including broadcasters and commercial partners, before agreeing on a new schedule for the lucrative Border-Gavaskar series.

The dates for three of the four tests were changed and the entire series squeezed into 33 days, despite fears of player burnout before the World Cup, which will be held in Australia and New Zealand early next year. "Based on our discussions with the players and with support of health experts, we believed the first test in Brisbane was still too early for them to return to the field, and

stores and public buildings around the town — would be an emotional trial for the Australian players and only after that could they address their thoughts to the test match. "Let's get through that first. It's going to be pretty bloody hard," Harris told reporters in Brisbane.

"It might be a bit of closure or it might take longer."

Harris said players would "probably like a little bit longer" to reconcile their emotions before facing a test preparation.

"But that is reality," he said.

"There's a test series on and there are games to be

that the Adelaide test presents more time for them to grieve and mentally prepare," ACA chief executive Alistair Nicholson said.

Adelaide Oval, which was due to host the second test from Dec. 12-16, will now host the series opener from Dec. 9-13, in what is sure to be a highly emotional occasion. Brisbane will now host the second test from Dec. 17-21 while the third test will proceed as planned from Dec. 26-30 in Melbourne. The fourth and final test will still take place in Sydney in the New Year, but will start on Jan. 6, three days later than originally scheduled.

Some changes were expected after CA postponed the start of the first test and the Indian team, currently in Adelaide, cancelled their flight to Brisbane on Monday.

played, that's what we have to prepare for."

In the week since Hughes' passing, Clarke has become a lightning rod for the emotions of his team and his nation. The 33-year-old Clarke may not have been a universally popular figure in the past and his relationship with Cricket Australia had been strained by his unorthodox efforts to prove his fitness for the first test after a hamstring injury. But all of those issues and impressions have been swept aside by the manner in which Clarke has conduct-

ed himself since the death of a teammate he described as "like a brother to me."

In articulately and unashamedly expressing his own grief, he made it possible for his teammates and compatriots to grieve.

Clarke will draw from the same well of emotion when he addresses Wednesday's funeral service at the recreation hall of the Macksville High School, close to the banana plantation on which Hughes was raised.

The Hughes family has invited the whole town to share a celebration of the 26-test veteran's life.

'Hope to continue good run next year' Balotelli apologises HyDErAbAD, DEcEmbEr 2 (PTI): Expressing happiness over defending the Macau Open, ace shuttler PV Sindhu on Tuesday hoped to keep the momentum going and continue the successful run in the new year. "I am happy for having won the Macau Open, at the end of the year.

Overall, I have done well (this year).

I hope I will get more victories in the coming year," Sindhu told reporters on her return home.

Sindhu expressed delight for having done well in the World Championship and Asian Games this year.

As for not being able to clinch a Super Series title, she said it is not always the same every time. "It is not the same game every time. It depends on that day. I wish I will get that (Super Series Title) one day," she said. Sindhu

underlined that she would need to put in hard work to take on tough players in the increasingly competitive international circuit, noting that several

shuttlers from Japan and South Korea, besides China, are doing very well.

Sindhu said she would play in the Syed Modi Tournament and other important events next year, which will also be the Olympics qualifying year.

To a question, she said shuttlers, including Saina Nehwal, had different styles of playing against top-ranked shuttlers from China and other countries. Meanwhile, chief national coach P Gopichand was also happy that Sindhu was able to round off the year with a win.

Noting that different countries are trying hard to do well in international competition, he said Indians cannot afford to relax and warned against complacency.

"Many young (Indian) players are playing well. Several countries are trying hard. If we relax, we don't win next year," Gopichand said.

Chelsea aim to make it another Bridge of sighs for Spurs

LOnDOn, DEcEmbEr 2 (rEUTErS): Chelsea will look to stretch one of the longest unbeaten sequences in the top flight when the runaway leaders entertain arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.

There has been little love lost between the fans of both sides since Spurs beat Chelsea 2-1 at Wembley in the first all-London FA Cup final in 1967.

The Stamford Bridge club, however, can boast

a proud 24-year unbeaten home streak against the team from White Hart Lane, stretching back to 1990 when Gary Lineker scored one of the goals as the visitors triumphed 2-1 in the old First Division.

Chelsea have yet to taste defeat in 20 matches in all competitions this season and, after dropping two points in a 0-0 draw at lowly Sunderland on Saturday, Jose Mourinho's men will be keen to instantly get back to winning ways. "I wouldn't

say we are happy with a point but one is better than no points," Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois told the club website (www. chelseafc.com) on Monday.

"If you score early then you know the opposition have to come at you and there will be more space but we couldn't do that and it was a difficult match."

Chelsea are six points ahead of second-placed Manchester City after 13 Premier League games and Courtois is hungry to keep

churning out victories. "We don't have to focus on clean sheets, the most important thing is to win games," he said. "Obviously it's nice to keep a clean sheet but I'd rather win a match 2-1. It's good that we haven't lost a match but we want to win rather than draw."

Spurs are in seventh place, 13 points adrift of Chelsea, and will go to Stamford Bridge buoyed by their 2-1 comeback victory at home to Everton on Sunday.

for social media post

LOnDOn, DEcEmbEr 2 (rEUTErS): Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli apologised on Tuesday for his social media post which appeared to contain potentially racist and antiSemitic references. Balotelli, who made the post on his Instagram page on Monday, will be investigated by the Football Association (FA), according to British media reports. The 24-year-old Italian later deleted the post. "I apologize if I've offended anyone," Balotelli said on Twitter. "The post was meant to be anti-racist with humour. I now understand that out of context it may have the opposite effect."

Liverpool said they will speak to the striker who signed from AC Milan in August. "We are aware of the posting which has since been promptly deleted by the player," a Liverpool spokesman told the BBC. "We will be speaking to the player about the issue." Former FA executive Simon Johnson, who is the chief executive of the Jewish Leadership Council, said Balotelli should be punished.

"We abhor all forms of racism, wherever it is found," he told The Daily Telegraph newspaper. "We call upon the FA to investigate this offensive social media post and to take action if appropriate if we are to succeed in kicking racism out of football."

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Entertainment

The Morung Express C M Y K

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Magnificat Fiesta

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fter recently visiting Australian shores for a special performance on The X Factor, Taylor Swift has announced her the official dates for her next tour Down Under. The 24-year-old singer made the announcement via her Facebook page on Monday, with four shows in her 1989 World Tour set to take place in Australia late next year. This is the third Australian tour for Taylor, who will be joined by local musician Vance Joy as the key supporting act. Taylor will be kicking off the onstage extravaganza on November 28 at Sydney's ANZ Stadium. She will then head north to Brisbane, performing at Suncorp Stadium on December 5 before hitting the stage at Adelaide's Entertainment Centre on December 7 and then finally at Melbourne's AAMI Park on December 11.

Pre-sale for her Australian tour dates opens later this week on Thursday December 4 before general tickets go on sale on December 12. Taylor was in Australia in December C M Y K

2013 for her Red Tour, performing popular hits including We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together and 22. She also appeared at the ARIA Awards the previous year, strutting the red carpet before delivering a captivating performance of dramatic hit I Knew You Were Trouble. In 2009 she hit the stage across Australian capital cities for her Fearless tour. Her most recent visit Down Under was in October, promoting her album 1989. She also shimmied her way onto the stage at the X Factor Australia grand finale, belting out the high notes to catchy hit Shake It Off. Taylor is not the only big international act to bring their tour to Australian shores next year, with British boy band One Direction also set to jet Down Under. The group, who

caused nothing short of mass hysteria when last in the country, will perform concerts in all the major capital cities starting in Sydney's Allianz stadium on February 7.

Earlier this year in May, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Liam Payne sat down to record a video message announcing the news to their adoring supporters. 'We are very excited to announce we will be back in Australia!' said Liam in the YouTube clip posted to their Twitter account. Also touring next year will be local band 5 Seconds Of Summer, with band members Luke Hemmings, Ashton Irwin, Michael Clifford and Calum Hood all excited for the upcoming shows.

The four Western Sydney boys who have gone on to claim international fame have not forgotten where they came from and will be performing in their home city on June 20. They will then perform in Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and finally Perth.

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and Carrie Underwood also performed at the concert on World AIDS Day. 'This year is a World Aids Day like no other,' Bono, who was hurt in New York last month, said from Dublin in a statement on the group's website. 'Today, 13 million people have access to life-saving treatment, up from 300,000 just over 10 years ago. Americans don't know the role they've played in this fight. Tonight's event is to inform them and thank them,' the 54-year-old rocker added.

A report released on Monday showed the evolution of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS has slowed and could be a factor contributing to a turning point in the pandemic that began more than 30 years ago. United Nations data show that in 2013, 35 million people were living with HIV, 2.1 million people were newly infected with the virus and some 1.5 million people died of AIDS. Bono, who

Justin BieBer J Dating Hailey Baldwin?

ustin Bieber is reportedly dating Hailey Baldwin. The 'Boyfriend' hitmaker is said to be growing close to Hailey in the wake of his split from on again-off again girlfriend Selena Gomez and believes the 18-year-old model is "different" to any other girl's he's dated before. A source told HollywoodLife.com: "Justin has a new muse and it's Hailey. "She's different from the other girls Justin has been with. She's really fun, feisty, and could care less about Justin's fame and fortune." The 20-year-old singer even treated Hailey to an extravagant shopping trip to celebrate her recent birthday and is described as being on "the rebound" from brunette beauty Selena.

VENUE: AMPHITHEATRE NEZCC

About Magnificat Fiesta:

tional in tune with the mission of The Coming International Ambassador for Osiris International. The elected International Ambassador Magnificat Fiesta is an annual Pre Christ- Generation-Leading the Lead. of Osiris will get the exposure and opportunimas Extravaganza organised by The Coming Generation-Leading the Lead, a registered Magnificat Fiesta International Partners: ty to perform in many youth events/festivals 1. Osiris International- a youth based cor- across Asia Pacific and Europe. society under society registration Act 1860 To add colour to the joyful atmosphere of as amended vide societies registration (Na- porate led by vibrant young leaders. Osiris galand third amendment) Act, 2008, regd. International has been conferring and assist- Christmas season Magnificat Fiesta has preNo.SRC/HOME/RNW/75/2014. The society ing youth events in Hong Kong, Philippines, pared a blissful setting to carol the congregaworks with young people in the endeavour of Indonesia, Thailand, China and Malaysia. tion with melodious songs, nimble steps and Osiris International is based at Kuala-Lum- delightful refreshment by the local Innopreinnovation, education and learning for life.

The Objective Magnificat Fiesta is to pro- pur, Malaysia and is led by Dr. DK Tan and Mr. neurs. Magnificat Fiesta shall twinkle to be one of the most evocative attractions in the mote a culture of TOGETHERNESS for a fair Mr. Chaskar.

2. KPD FOUNDATION -Nurturing the rhythm of Supernova the Star from the East and tolerant society we all want to be a part of through the chime of Carols singing in the Future- a New Zealand based organization during the Christmas Season. which provides services to charitable orgaMagnificat Fiesta is here to Celebrate life sweetest melodious tune.

We had celebrated many Christmas yes- nization to make significance in the Gover- with the Purpose and this celebration will ter-years with friends and families. But Mag- nance of Civil Society. continue through many experiences we go Our International partners will be sup- through each day. nificat Fiesta is celebrated with the primary focus to make a journey of fellowship with the porting the Magnificat Fiesta and the best perCome as a Magi and experience the ECpurpose between cultures inter and intra na- forming artist of the Fiesta will be elected as the STASY of Magnificat Fiesta!!

Chris Martin and Bruce Springsteen fill in for Bono at World AIDS Day concert

ruce Springsteen and Coldplay's Chris Martin filled in for Bono at World AIDS Day on Monday in New York's Time Square. U2's injured lead singer Bono could not make the performance as he is still recovering from a recent cycling accident. But fans got a chance to see something quite special as the two rock stars joined the other members of the Irish band - Adam Clayton, The Edge and Larry Mullen Jr - to perform U2 songs. Rapper Kanye West

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014 AT 05:30 PM

Contact: +91 8730 0572 20/+91 8730 0299 02

has lobbied for a variety of causes including debt relief, world poverty and AIDS, was hurt when he tried to avoid another cyclist in New York's Central Park. He sustained injuries to his face, shoulder blade and arm, which required hours of surgery. Three metal plates and 18 screws were needed to repair the bone in his upper arm, which was shattered in six places. He will have intensive therapy but is expected to make a full recovery.

The source added: "Hailey's birthday was on November 22 so when she got to New York, Justin made sure to spoil her and treat her like a princess. He totally took care of her and took her shopping. He's definitely on the rebound from Selena."

Despite Justin's advances, Hailey - who is the daughter of Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin - is said to be being "cautious" about her blossoming romance with the star. An insider said: "Justin usually gets what he wants and he's trying to seal the deal with Hailey. But she's being a bit cautious. Hailey doesn't want to just be another girl on Justin's list. Right now, she's treating this relationship as a friendship."

Brian Viner reviews The hobbiT

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t long last JRR Tolkien can rest in peace. Peter Jackson has finally stopped adapting The Hobbit, having eked out those 300-odd pages into three monumental films. Let us all devoutly hope that, unlike the Star Wars brigade, Jackson does not decide in years to come to milk his mighty cash cow again. It’s hard to see how he might, but nobody should ever wager a neat conclusion, with all loose ends tied up, against the film industry’s desire for more box-office dollars.

Greed, not inappropriately, is one of the major themes in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.

The dwarf prince Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) has had his shaggy head turned by the vast piles of gold under Lonely Mountain, and resolves to defend his treasure at all costs, even if it means war with advancing battalions of elves and Orcs. But before all this, there is a dragon to slay. The third film begins precisely where the second ended, with the monstrous Smaug unleashed, and intent on laying waste to Lake-town. It is a thunderous opening. Not many

directors can put on a show like Jackson, and here he gives full vent to his most flamboyant instincts, as Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch) attacks the town again and again from the air. Happily, that most alpha of alpha-males, Bard the Bowman (Luke Evans), is on hand to shin up a bell tower and fell the beast. It’s genuinely exhilarating stuff.

Indeed, this is film-making at its most spectacular, with more wizardry wrought by the visual effects department than even

by Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen). You don’t need to know your elves from your Bilbo to find it thoroughly impressive. However, it is in parts also decidedly scary. Children may by now have become inured to those terrifying Orcs, but be warned, there is one scene, in which the princess Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) actually appears to be possessed, that really wouldn’t be out of place in a horror film. Otherwise, there are fewer comic flourishes than before, but a lovely cameo from Billy Connolly, who as Thorin’s dwarf cousin Dain Ironfoot ar-

rives riding a wild boar. With all the mayhem, there isn’t much opportunity for Jackson to develop individual storylines. He stirs into the mix a dose of love between elf Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) and dwarf Kili (Aidan Turner), spicing it further it with hints of a love triangle involving Legolas (Orlando Bloom). But he has assembled lots of huge stars, doubtless on commensurately huge wages, and one is left with the sense that it was something of a headache for him to find enough screen time for them all. As for Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), fans of Tolkien’s novel might justifiably want to remind Jackson of its title.

This is supposed to be the story of a simple hobbit, yet the big-screen trilogy has turned it into so much more than that. Still, this picture at least concludes with Bilbo making it safely back to Bag-End, and with Freeman metamorphosing into Ian Holm as the elderly Bilbo. Which means that after three films of The Lord of the Rings and three more of The Hobbit, we really have just seen Jackson’s last hurrah. Or have we?

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ISL: Delhi Dynamos, Atletico de Kolkata play out goalless draw

new DeLhi, DeceMber 2 (PTi): Atletico de Kolkata inched closer towards clinching a semi-final berth as they played out a goalless draw with Delhi Dynamos in the Indian Super League, here today.

The draw didn't harm the Kolkata outfit much as they now clawed back to second position in the league table with 18 points from 12 games. For Dynamos, Souvik Chakraborty's miss hurt them badly as 14 points from 12 games kept them in fifth position and even two wins might not be enough to make the final-four cut.

With an eye on the semi-final spot, ATK coach Antonio Lopez Habas employed an ultra defensive technique trying to hit the opponent with sporadic counter-attacks. With Ethiopian striker Fikru Tefera continuing his bad run, ATK's best player -- left winger Jakub Podany cut a lonely figure during attack with Indian recruit Baljit Sahni not measuring up.

Habas' decision not to increase numbers upfront Henrique Dinis Oliveira Dias of Delhi Dynamos FC gets airborne while attempting to control possession as Baljit Sahni of worked in a way as they cut Atletico de Kolkata challenges during match 47 of the Hero Indian Super League between The Delhi Dynamos FC and Atletico a lot of Dynamos attack in de Kolkata FC held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi, India on the 2nd December 2014.

Racing driver Lewis Hamilton and singer Nicole Scherzinger pose for photographers upon the middle third with Span- ing ATK goalie Edel Bete. way in the 16th minute spelt danger for Delhi de- the time in the world, shot arrival at The British Fashion Awards 2014, in London, Monday, December 1. (AP Photo) ish mideo Borja Fernandes At the start, it was ATK when Souvik Chakraborty fence as ATK tried hitting off-target. and Ofentse Nato foiling that made the first move in failed to beat ATK custodi- on the counter in the 18th Podany couldn't hide the moves. the 7th minute with their left an Bete from handshaking minute. He raced down his frustration when he In the 57th minute, winger Podany racing down distance on the wide left left to keep a perfect pull again raced down only to Dynamos' Brazilian play- left flank cutting past Adil of the top box after Mads back for Fikru, who sold a find Baljit not in position maker Gustavo dos Santos Khan and Mudler but his Junker freed him with a dummy to catch Dynamos' to have a crack at goal. He cut in from the left flank cross was an ill-directed one. splitting assist. defenders Houben and An- tried despite narrow anThe easiest chance in Czech winger Podany's war on wrong foot. To their gle but Anwar intercepted SAo PAuLo, DeceM- difficulties while receiving ney after the other was re- and took a left footed crack ber 2 (AFP): Brazilian antibiotics intravenously. moved following compli- which was saved by a div- the first half came Delhi's mobility down wide left horror Baljit Sahni, with all well. soccer legend Pele is out of The clinic suspended renal cations from a rib injury intensive care and is able to assistance on Sunday, six he suffered while playing walk around as he recovers days after the three-time for the New York Cosmos from a kidney problem, the world champion was ad- in the 1970s, his agent Jose "Pepito" Fornos told AFP Mokokchung, DeceMber 2 Sao Paulo hospital treating mitted.

First tests showed that over the weekend.

(Mexn): Mokokchung District Sports him said on Tuesday.

Pele underwent sur- Council and Mokokchung District Foot"The patient ... is do- Pele, widely regarded as ing well without medical the greatest player of all gery for kidney stones at ball Association accorded a grand civic complications. He is able time, was suffering from a the same hospital on No- reception to the victorious Mokokcto walk around his room. urinary infection requiring vember 13. Named ath- hung football team on their return from Following clinical analyses administration of intrave- lete of the 20th century by Dimapur after lifting the Dr. T. Ao Interthe International Olympic District Football Trophy. resuming renal assistance nous antibiotics.

Last Thursday, the hos- Committee in 1999, Pele Speaking at the reception, the Presiwas not necessary," the Alpital said the man nick- was born in October, 1940 dent of MDFA, Moasangba Jamir, conbert Einstein clinic said.

The clinic added that named 'O Rei' (the king) in the southeastern state of gratulated the players and the team management, on behalf of the people 74-year-old Edson Aran- had been placed in inten- Minas Gerais.

He made his name with of Mokokchung, for winning the most tes do Nascimento, better sive care after his condiknown worldwide as Pele, tion became "clinically Santos and helped Bra- coveted football title in the state. He is now receiving "semi-in- unstable," causing wide- zil to World Cup titles in called on the players to remain discitensive" care but remains in spread alarm. But Friday, 1958, 1962 and 1970. He plined athletes and look to participate the same bed as previously. the clinic said he was re- achieved the first of those in higher levels.

The 19th Inter-District Dr. T. Ao Foot"A further evaluation of sponding to antibiotics triumphs at the age of 17, kidney function will be un- while the star insisted via scoring twice in the final ball Tournament was recently hosted at dertaken early tomorrow," social media he had sim- win over hosts Sweden. Dimapur by DDFA in which defending the hospital said, adding ply been moved to another Pele scored 77 goals in 91 champions Team Mokokchung retained games for Brazil and scored the Championship trophy defeating Kothat Pele was "lucid and eat- room for more privacy.

Pele has only one kid- 1,281 goals in his career. hima 3-0 in the final. ing well" without breathing

Pele out of intensive care: Brazilian hospital

Victorious Mokokchung team accorded grand reception

Ronaldo? Messi? Yawn. Neuer is Ballon d'Or John Leicester

AP Sports Columnist

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Ronaldo, Messi, Messi, Messi, Messi, Ronaldo.

Yawn. Time for a new winner of the Ballon d'Or. Why? Because football is not and must not become solely about forwards. Because even its two best forwards aren't one-man shows and depend on the teams behind them. And because it would cheapen the sport's most coveted individual prize to reward them again — for a seventh consecutive time — in this year of a World Cup that neither won.

Manuel Neuer — the other player-of-the-year finalist with those superstars who need no first-name introductions — should get the gong not only to snap football out of monochromatic Messi-Ronaldo tunnel vision but because the Germany and Bayern Munich goalkeeper deserves it on his own merits.

At a World Cup where goalkeepers often stole the show, Neuer was still heads and shoulders above the rest. Germany wouldn't have been world champions in Brazil without his Golden Glove-winning play. 'Play' being the proper word for the 'keeper who does so much more than just keep goals out.

Supremely quick and agile, self-confident and

brave, Neuer is making cool a position that kids, in their own matches, fill with the slowest and least athletic.

Neuer's skills on the ball, his sliding tackles as good as those of any defender and his prescient read of the game belie the notion that goalkeepers aren't really footballers.

Germany and Bayern can play with greater confidence higher up the pitch, harassing, dispossessing and hurting opponents in their own half, because Neuer provides comfort behind them, guarding not just his goalmouth but a 25yard swath of turf in front and to either side of it.

His exhilarating forward rushes to kick, punch, even head away danger before it gets close, and his cool ball-retention and passes from the back with both feet to put teammates into play, make him more than a mere safe pair of

hands. Neuer's teammates, noted Germany coach Joachim Loew, "give the ball to him almost like he is another defender."

This "sweeper-keeper" role is too risky for those without Neuer's speed of feet and thought and supreme confidence. The safer alternative would be staying closer to goal, rarely venturing out, and so avoiding missed tackles that can leave a slowfooted 'keeper in no-man's land, opening the route to goal and embarrassment.

Neuer makes that plain vanilla look as outmoded as the mullet.

It was Neuer, rushing from his box to smother Algeria's counter-attacks, who plugged holes in Germany's high-pressing, Swiss-cheese defense in the exhilarating 2-1 extratime win for a World Cup quarterfinal place against France.

In that 1-0 victory, Neuer again shone, palming away shots and earning praise — "a very, very good goalkeeper," he said — from French striker Karim Benzema.

The unnerving sight of 28-year-old Neuer — 92 kilograms (203 pounds); size 47 (US/UK size 12) shoes; 1.93 meters (6-foot-3) tall — tearing forward can take an attacker's mind off goal. It will be a while before Gonzalo Higuain forgets the Neuer-ing he suffered in the World Cup final. Leaping up, knee forward, the Germany 'keeper flattened the Argentina striker as they competed for a high ball.

"The man's a beast," said former Motherwell, Rangers and Dundee United goalkeeper Ally Maxwell, speaking in an Associated Press phone interview.

"There's probably no striker that will want to get anywhere near Manuel Neuer

on a 50-50 (ball) ... When you see a guy that quick, that tall, that physically strong bearing down on you, yeah, I think probably he's going to win most 50-50s." "Neuer is the benchmark," he said.

"The best in the world right now, by a long way."

With Germany and at Bayern, Neuer is, of course, fortunate to be protected by formidable defenders and teammates higher up field drilled by Loew and Pep Guardiola to quickly win back the ball when they lose it. But when they switch off, Neuer's powers of concentration keep him switched on.

"He will make a save in the last minute of the game as brilliantly as he'll make a save in the first minute of the game," Maxwell said.

Given that Ronaldo won the Champions League this year with Real Madrid, scoring a singleseason record 17 goals in the process, he would be entitled to pout if he's not player of the year again.

Less so Messi, after last season's failure to win a major trophy with Barcelona and a World Cup of brilliance only in fits and starts with Argentina.

Still, a Ballon d'Or change would be refreshing.

Football already has enough kids who want to be Ronaldo or Messi. Give them Neuer instead.

C M Y K

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