February 19th, 2016

C M Y K

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friDAY • februArY 19 • 2016

DIMAPUR • Vol. XI • Issue 47 • 12 PAGes • 5

T H e

ESTD. 2005

P o W e R

One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love ‘Make in India Week’ gets Rs.15 lakh crore investment commitment

reflections

By Sandemo Ngullie

Messi passes 300 Liga goals as Barcelona extend lead

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PAGE 12

silent procession in protest nagaland state: information as

YTC serves ‘Charter of Demands’ to Nagaland State Govt

transformation during conflict Morung Express News Dimapur | February 18

Dad, if you weren’t honest, too meek, too humble. I’d be working in some government office!!

Cong files SLP in Supreme Court challenging the Nagaland Speaker

KOhima, February 18 (pTi): The Congress has filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court challenging Speaker C. Sazo’s rejection of the disqualification petition against eight Congress MLAs, who had merged with the Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF) in November last year. “We have filed a petition in Supreme Court on February 9 challenging the order of the State Assembly Speaker allowing the merger of eight Congress MLAs with NPF, thereby, disposing the disqualification petition against the Congress MLAs,” Nagaland PCC ad hoc president K Therie told PTI here on Wednesday.

He said following the merger of the 8 MLAs on November 20 last year, the Speaker had disposed the September 4 petition filed by Congress in accordance with a 2014 ruling of Gauhati High Court. The Speaker had passed the order on November 21, 2015, saying the eight MLAs are protected against disqualification on defection ground.

Now a clash of petitions on JNU

C M Y K

New Delhi, February 18 (iaNS): The JNU row has gained traction at an online petition forum where people are actively debating various sides of the issue and putting forth their opinions. Two petitions that received the most number of signatures were started last Friday. They present both ends of the spectrum of the debate and carry statements of intellectuals, educators, artists and students in support of their arguments. A petition initiated by Prateek Kataria asked the ‘commission of inquiry’ to punish the students allegedly involved in anti-national sloganeering at an event held in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on February 9. About 5,800 people have signed it.

The petition criticises the event and terms the slogans a “threat to the unity, sovereignty and diversity of India”. A petition to counter this one calls for ‘No to police action in JNU’. Started

by Shuddabrata Sengupta it drew about 8,000 signatures. Noted personalities like Romila Thapar, Jeet Thayil, Sanjay Kak and Ashish Nandy gave their written support to it. “The only way to counter such incidents, when they occur, is through a deepening of dialogue, not through police action. The police has no business to enter places of learning and harass students when there had been no breach of peace,” the petition says.

T R u T H

— Sophocles

First Kohima District Childline Advisory Board meeting held

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The Yimchungrü people took out a silent procession from DC Court junction to the DC office, culminating in a Charter of Demands submitted to the Nagaland State Government on Thursday, February 18. (Morung Photo)

Morung Express News Dimapur | February 18

The Yimchungrü Tribal Council (YTC) has submitted a ‘Charter of Demands’ to the Nagaland State Government subsequent to the expiry of the 7-day deadline for the fulfilment of the earlier ultimatum served to the State Government on February 9. The Charter, addressed to the Nagaland Chief Secretary, was handed over to the Deputy Commissioner, Dimapur, following a rally by the Western Yimchunger Hoho (WYH) on February 18.

WYH president, PKF Tochu, today told the media that as endorsed by the YTC, the WYH carried out a silent procession in Dimapur from the DC court junction to the DC office today as the first phase of its agitation.

The procession culminated with the submission of the Charter and a public meeting thereafter at Showuba village. Tochu informed that as requested by the Dimapur district administration, the number of people taking part in the procession to the DC office was limited to a hundred.

According to Tochu, the peaceful procession was also symbolic of the Yimchungrü people expressing resentment against the February 6 killing of a couple in Shamator sub-divi-

sion and the violence that followed in Kiphire and Shamator, consequently displacing over a thousand people.

While expressing hope that the State Government would take notice and initiate the necessary proceedings in all fairness, Tochu held that the Yimchungrüs are being made the scapegoat and being blamed for the February 6 killing. “Without any evidence against us, we’re being blamed.”

President of the Yimchunger Students Conference (YSC), who also attended the meeting, echoed similar views. While condemning the killing and the violent fallout, he said, “We are being harassed. We are being accused merely based on suspicion.”

The ‘Charter of Demands’, while asserting that the demands made in the “principal ultimatum stands unchanged” called for immediate rehabilitation of displaced Yimchungrüs from Kiphire town, “special consideration” for students affected and transferring of Yimchungrü government employees posted in and around Kiphire town and Sangtam villages.

It demanded the termination of NAP (IR) personnel responsible for the firing at Shamator on February 9, covering the medical expenses of the firing victims and “Indemnity in

equal quantum” for the properties destroyed at Kiphire town from February 7-10.

It further demanded that the role of Nagaland State Government officials at Kiphire be brought under the “strict scanner of Inquiry Commission….” As regard the MoU inked during the upgrading of Kiphire to district status, the YTC demanded that it be implemented “in letter and spirit as per the Cabinet approval.”

The YTC also sought clarification as regards the State Government’s response to the USLP ultimatum.

According to the YTC, the Government “responded swiftly to the ultimatum… instead of questioning its credibility.”

R. Yimchunger, WYH executive member maintained that the USLP, USSC and AST insisting to continue agitating if their ultimatum is not met are only aggravating the already fragile situation.

The YTC, through a press release, informed that in solidarity with the silent procession in Dimapur, separate rallies were held concurrently in Shamator town and Pungro town. Stating that the rallies in the two towns concluded peacefully, it added that the second phase of agitation will be decided soon.

When conflicts break out in Nagaland, information is the first casualty. Yet, the right information for people caught in conflicts could transform the ground situation and make space for peace.

Given the road connectivity in Nagaland State, it is difficult for journalists to reach peripheral areas and phones become the essential tool for gathering reliable information. On the other hand, Government machinery is often averse to sharing information from the ground, giving way to rumour mills that spread quick; even quicker these days through social media.

“There is a tendency here to look inwards. People feel that more information they give, worse the situation on the ground will get,” said a senior retired administrator. “We are fuelled by rumours with unmanageable consequences. We need to device an open, calibrated and objective mechanism to share information at times of conflict,” he noted.

While most Deputy Commissioners of districts do not like to share ground realities openly—though they are in the best position to—newspapers have to call second rung official sources to confirm news.

In most states, even in neighbouring Manipur, the State appoints a spokesperson to round up information for the day to be released to the media. If not, a robust Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) does the job, but Nagaland’s DIPR has its share of bureaucratic hurdles, reducing it to a Government notice board.

“We are supposed to do exactly this— make sure the right information is out there but government officials on the ground either lack trust or lack awareness on how the media functions,” informed a senior bureaucrat from DIPR, Nagaland.

Administrators on the ground do not want to “take the blame” on having shared information which “may get misreported” or may just be wrong.

Credibility, said the senior retired bureaucrat, is at stake here and government officials don’t want to come across as taking sides, which could jeopardise steps towards restoring normalcy. And this happens very often—every move by government officials has to be carefully cali-

brated lest one tribe thinks s/he is favouring the other.

To get round this situation, the district administration in Tuensang appointed a spokesperson during the conflict in 2015. The person’s duty was to compile information regarding steps taken by the government, administration or police, and reliable information emerging from the ground—about arson, killing, loot or peace measures—and give to the press (or the DIPR to disseminate to the press).

“This should be continued whenever any crisis breaks out. DIPR officials are placed in every district headquarters but we are also often unaware of what happens on the ground. We are not updated about daily reports sent out by the district administration. While DIPR cannot do investigative reports from the ground, we can definitely disseminate to the press what can be made available to us,” said the senior DIPR official.

Besides, the DIPR is now attempting to train new inductees of the Nagaland Public Services to “deal with the press.”

For the senior retired bureaucrat, though, the responsibility of conflict resolution should be shared.

“In multi-tribe districts, people’s organisations and individual leaders are best informed about the ground situation.

They are also main counsellors to the people. This should be harnessed. At the end of each day, during conflict situations, organisations of various tribes should meet along with government officials, share particular information and then disseminate relevant material to the public through reliable media channels,” noted the senior. “It is through information sharing that all entities can also be held accountable.”

While establishing this crucial link between the people and the State, journalists in Nagaland also need to roll up their sleeves for the conflict at hand. As the Editor of Eastern Mirror, Witoubou Newmai puts it, “arm chair journalism needs to stop in Nagaland. Media here is gagged by our own lethargy—we should get out there and get the stories, not wait for press releases to decide our pages.”

Put together, this could significantly transform a conflict situation from debilitating into the active involvement of all in peace building.

Decks cleared for revocation of PR in Arunachal ENNG criticizes NSCN (K) allegations

New Delhi, February 18 (iaNS): The Supreme Court on Thursday cleared the decks for the revocation of president’s rule in Arunachal Pradesh as it vacated its own order of status quo passed on Wednesday.

The central government on Wednesday held back its decision to revoke President’s Rule in the wake of the status quo order passed by the apex court. The revocation will allow formation of a new government likely to be headed by the rebel Congress leader Kalikho Pul. The apex court constitution bench, headed by

which reached the apex court.

“Having seen the original records we are not inclined to interfere with the interim order (passed by the Gauhati High Court on January 7, staying the disqualification of 14 MLAs),” the apex court said in its order. The high court’s January 7 interim order had come on the petition by the then deputy speaker T. Norbu Thongdok.

The court said that “any action (including the formation of new government) taken in the meantime would be subject to the outcome of the matter before the high court”.

Dimapur, February 18 (mexN): The Eastern Naga National Government (ENNG) has condemned the statement of Col. Isak Sumi from NSCN (K) criticising the formation of ENNG. It stated that President of NSCN (K), SS Khaplang, was “manipulated by Indian NES, NPGs and other ethnic groups by their wrong political philosophy.”

The ENNG stated in a press note today that when Manipur was attacked on June 4, 2015, Khaplang was in Rangoon on medi-

HRLN finds Kohima College public apology ‘questionable’

KOhima, February 18 (mexN): Governor of Nagaland State and Assam, PB Acharya, has directed Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar and Home Commissioner Neihu C. Thur to take immediate action about the alleged issuing of Birth Certificates by Nagaland State officials to people not from the State.

OSD to the Governor today informed in a press note that during the meeting, the Chief Secretary observed that they have received directions from the Supreme Court to follow strictly the legal guidelines in issuing Birth Certificates, in connection with National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The Governor, the OSD stated, expressed his “serious concern” on the issue and “cautioned” the State Government authorities. He also directed to take “immediate action” against the “officials who

KOhima, February 18 (mexN): The Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) Nagaland Unit has found the ‘public apology’ issued recently by the Principal of Kohima College “highly questionable” and “not tenable.”

Clarifying on the Statement of Apology released by Principal of Kohima College, Dr. Watijungshi, the HRLN Nagaland Unity noted that as per RTI documents available, the Kohima College Authority had issued the BA Honours Pol. Science Certificate to Neiphiu Rio in 2012, “without any application from the student concerned on record in violation of educational practices and rules.”

This “Fake Certificate,”

Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, vacated the status quo order after examining the original records relating to the proceedings leading to the disqualification of 14 rebel Congress lawmakers and finding that the notice informing them about their intended disqualification was neither served on them nor pasted on their premises.

Vacating its status quo order, the court asked the Gauhati High Court to hear the plea, pending before it, against the disqualification of 14 rebel Congress lawmakers. The court had summoned the original records on Wednesday

stated the HRLN Nagaland Unit Co-ordinator in a press release today, was “used by the said student, two years later, to file the affidavit for the Lok Sabha Election in 2014.” Further, the Network informed, as per RTI replies, a verbal request was made in October 2015 for a Corrigendum Certificate.

“The Kohima College Principal Dr. Watijungshi issued the Corrigendum Certificate dated 9.10.15.

However, this Corrigendum certificate was not accepted by the Returning Officer, as all official documents filed in the earlier affidavit had been sent to the Chief Election Commission, Delhi as the Lok

Sabha elections were over,” stated the HRLN. Moreover, the public apology from the renowned institution and administrative Head of Kohima College, “who is well aware of the rules that govern the principles of the institution is shocking and questionable, because the apology makes no sense as ignorance of law is no excuse.”

The Network’s Nagaland Unit informed that the matter is now under investigation with the police and will come up before the court, hence, the public apology from the Principal, Kohima College is “highly questionable at this point in time, and not tenable.”

cal treatment and “nobody knows how he was appointed as a President of UNLFSWA and his Organization forced into bandh for the period of 5 years.”

This, the ENNG stated, has resulted in the “failure of entire Naga National politics and loss of many of the Naga youth without any authentic reason and price.”

As per information collected by the ENNG about the NSCN (K) “factionaries” around the world and within the Eastern Nagaland states, “there is no development” nor any “Ex-

ternal Affairs nor internal Affairs activities are seen so far during the last 50 (fifty) years of Naga revolution.”

The experience of Naga national solidarity, the ENNG maintained, had been “destroyed beyond imagination” for the “general public of Eastern Nagaland,” apart from strangulating the economy of the Naga people through “forceful collection of taxes and extortions.”

The ENNG stated that the people of Eastern Nagaland are “perishing under the pressure” of “opium ad-

diction and drugs trafficking and lack of quality education and technology skills.”

While asking Col. Isak Sumi if the entire NSCN (K) armies are “against the ENNG,” the ENNG said that it is not “demanding independence from NSCN (K) or from you.” Finding “extremely annoying” the allegations made against them, the ENNG maintained that Nagas should “seriously observe” the “nature and behaviour” of the national workers to see if that they are working to bring peace and “not for their selfish interest.”

Nagaland Gov wants ‘immediate action’ on Birth Certificate issue

Governor of Nagaland and Assam, PB Acharya, met with Chief Secretary, Pankaj Kumar, and Home Commissioner, Neihu C. Thur, of Nagaland State asking them to take ‘immediate action’ on issuance of Birth Certificates in Nagaland to people from other States. (DIPR Photo)

are responsible for issuing such Doubtful Birth Certificates to those who are not from Nagaland.”

The Governor also observed, the statement noted, that this will “affect the National Security of the North Eastern region, where Bangladeshis and other foreign nationals are reported to have entered in large numbers without proper Visa or necessary records.”

National Register of Cit-

izens (NRC), which is being prepared in Assam for undertaking and updating the national register, the Assam State Coordinator for NRC Prateek Hajela, in his submission to the Supreme Court, has submitted the constraints and difficulties to prepare the NRC within the time limit and to verify all the applicants, he mentioned the authenticity of the proof, like birth certificates, will take time because they were issued

from various States.

It was earlier reported that districts like Nagaon, Barpeta, Morigaon and Karimganj of Assam have many applicants with birth certificates from Nagaland.

The Governor has directed the Chief Secretary to take this matter on “war-footing” and to take “serious note” of this and take “immediate action against such officers without any reservation, considering the National Security of the country.”

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friDAY 19•02•2016

NAGALAND

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

First Kohima District Childline Advisory Board meeting held

Children hold placards with health awareness messages during the Special Awareness Campaign on Mother and Child Health and Mission Indradhanush held at Longthonger village and Kiphire village. The programme was organised by Directorate of field publicity, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Nagaland, Manipur. (Morung Photo)

Orientation for Nagaland Dobashis’ held

mon, February 18 (DiPr): The Deputy Commissioner Mon, W. Honje Konyak, NCS graced the second session of the Nagaland Dobashis’ Association Conference as the guest of honour at Council hall, Mon on February 17. In his address, the Deputy Commissioner gave an orientation to the DBs and briefly highlighted the genesis of Dobashis and its institution in Nagaland.

Stating that the DBs play a key role in maintaining law and order situation in an area, as they are considered to be the eye and ears of the District Administration, Honje said that the DBs should be reliable and well informed on confidential matters and should be capable of conducting fair investigation/ verification. In the absence of administrative officers due to regular transfer and posting the DBs are expected to provide continuity

• • • • •

DBs should be reliable and well informed DBs court is not the customary court DBs advised to maintain case records Need of ideal DBs in the state highlighted Appointment of DBs should be done through proper interview

and stability to bridge the gap, he added.

He also clarified that DBs court is not the customary court as people generally believe rather it is a subordinate court to the Deputy Commissioner. However, in absence of customary court, the judgment of the DBs court is honored by the higher court, including high court and Supreme Court.

Briefing on the court proceedings, he advised the DBs to maintain case records like receipt, parties involved, nature of the case, date of hearing statement and date of the judgment,

and proper examination and investigation of evidences to ascertain the facts to deliver justice to the people.

Stressing on the urgency of having ideal DBs in the state, Honje lamented that most of the DBs in Nagaland do not qualify to be an ideal DB as they indulge in substance abuse, irregularities in the composition such as underage, doubtful character, indiscipline, unreliable and insincere.

Therefore he questioned whether with such composition, the unique institution of DBs will stand the test of time.

He suggested that ap-

pointment of DBs should be done through proper interview only and avoid political/backdoor appointment with equal representation of range/village should be maintained. He also encouraged the DBs to fight with the government to streamline the recruitment system and bring out DBs service rules.

In his short speech PA to DC Wokha, Y.M. Odyuo appealed to the DBs to have a sense of duty and responsibility. He lamented that some DBs do not know their roles and responsibilities while others do not even know the name of their respective administrative officer.

The highlights of the programme included traditional song by Tseminyu DBs. The programme was chaired

by Along, General Secretary NDBA. The conference concluded with the re-nomination of the old office bearers for another term.

Kohima, February 18 (DiPr): The first Kohima District Childline Advisory Board meeting was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Kohima Rovilatuo Mor, IAS who is also the Chairperson of the Kohima District Childline Advisory Board at DC’s Conference Hall on February 18.

The Kohima District Childline Advisory Board has been constituted with Deputy Commissioner Kohima, Rovilatuo Mor, IAS as Chairperson and the following persons as members: SP, Kohima; Administrator KMC; Chief Medical Officer, Kohima; District Education Officer, Kohima; Assistant Commissioner of Labour, Kohima; District Child Protection, Kohima; Divisional Engineer, BSNL Kohima; District Public Relations Officer, Kohima; Chairman Child Welfare Committee, Kohima and CHILDLINE, Kohima.

In the meeting, the Centre Co-ordinator for CHILDLINE Kohima, Dr. Vezo Kapu gave a PowerPoint presentation on the introduction of the CHILDLINE 1098 toll free, which is a nation 24-hours free, phone emergency outreach service for children in need of care and protection.

The CHILDLINE is supported by the Union Minister of Woman and Child Development and links State Government,

DC Kohima & Chairperson of Kohima District Childline Advisory Board, Rovilatuo Mor, IAS chairing the 1st Kohima District Childline Advisory Board Meeting held at DC’s Conference Hall on February 18. (DIPR Photo)

NGOs, Allied System and Cooperate Sector. Dr, Vezo informed that the CHILDLINE 1098 (Night & Day) Centre have been set all over the North Eastern State with one centre each in Kohima and Dimapur districts in Nagaland State.

He said, one may dial 1098 or call 08119019419 whenever a child is seen in distress, missing, abused, runaway, needing medical assistance, child labour, street children, and Differently-abled children or for all kinds of children in need of care and protection.

He also informed that one will get connected to a CHILDLINE Centre after dialling 1098 (Night &

Day) where the CHILDLINE Team will rush to the child within 60 minutes and provide rehabilitation or attend to the child’s requirement and transferred the child to a district based partner.

Dr. Vezo also highlighted on the agenda and future expectation of Childline, proactive action taken by the State Government in constituting Advisory Board in State and District level, Childline Major Achievements and its graphical representation of Data from April to December 2015 and the activities carried out during the Childline Dosti Campaign held last year.

In this regard, The DC appreciated the District CHILDLINE Team for their activities and services being carried out so far and expressed his concerned to create awareness on the activities, responsibility and involvement of each member in this Board. On the requirement of recovery van for CHILDLINE Centre Kohima raised by the Centre Co-ordinator and supported by the Chairman CWC, the DC noted the matter to take up and meanwhile advised the team to contact the Administration or the Police whenever it requires before the procurement of the vehicle.

Art and crafts Exhibition in Kohima concludes LLIN distributed free of cost Authorities and councils cautioned not to go for any collection from public

Morung Express News Kohima | February 18

To promote young skilled talented artists and to pave a way for employment opportunities, the Incessant Welfare Society Nagaland (IWSN) has been organizing a three days art and craft exhibition cum sales at State Academy Hall, Kohima from February 16 to 18 where 14 young artists were able to showcase their artworks.

The name of the artists are as follows, Khiem (19 years), Thejasezo Rame (19years), Vekhotso Puro (19 years), Khwütolü (22 years), Liza Yeptho (25 years), Shovezo Keyho (23 years), Muzung Yimchungrü (27 years), Cynthia Kolakhe, Alangpong Imchen (26 years), R. Avonuo Angami (25 years), Lipokmanen (20 years), Vinoto Yeptho, B. Thetong Buchem (33 years).

Except for a few professionals, most of the art-

ists are self-taught artists in painting, craftmaking and designing.

Azungla Imsong, President of the ISWN mentioned the importance of exhibitions which are crucial in putting youngsters to display their talents as well as giving the opportunity for the rest to witness.

ISWN is currently involved in imparting trainings for women and girls in apparel designing and cutting and tailoring in Dimapur.

DimaPur, February 18 (mexn): The public has been informed that the Government of India has issued LLIN (Long Lasting Insecticidal Net) for the State of Nagaland. This LLIN is being distributed free of cost to the public through National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), Health & Family Welfare Department, Nagaland.

The distribution is according to number of malaria cases reported from a specific locality throughout the year. Therefore, the distribution is not cent per cent coverage of the population, only those areas which fulfill the criteria i.e. API-1 and

above will be entitled to receive the LLINs. The LLIN is issued free of cost by the Department, therefore, the community should also come forward and help in reaching the nets to the needy people without realizing any charge from the public. It is being learnt that the public are being charge some amount for the nets, therefore, the responsible authority/councils of wards and villages are requested not to go for any collection from the public in this regard and the nets are distributed as per the Guidelines instructed to the ASHAs. A press release issued

by Dr M A Wati, Chief Medical Officer, Dimapur and Dr Moa, DPO (NVBDCP) Dimapur has requested all concerned to cooperate with the District Health Authority.

A theological book entitled ‘Re-visiting Ecumenical Theological Education in India: With a Special Reference to the Senate of Serampore College’ written by Rev. Dr. Woba James, Associate Professor in the department of History of Christianity was released on February 17 by Professor Akheto Sema, Principal of the College.

Seen in the picture are, Rev. Dr. Woba James (middle) flanked by Professor Narola Imchen, Vice Principal of the College and Professor Akheto Sema, on the right and Toshila Longchar, Senior Librarian of the College and Sudhanshu Kanda, Senior Editor of the CWI Publications, on the left.

SAMETI organises trainers training 2nd Phase of IPPI on Feb 21

DimaPur, February 18 (mexn): The State Agricultural Management and Extension Training Institute (SAMETI) Nagaland conducted three days training programme on “Conservation Agriculture for Sustainability” for ATMA functionaries from February 16 to 18 at SAMETI hall Medziphema where 22 participants attended the meeting.

The resource persons, Dr. Lanunola Tzudir, Assistant Professor Department of Agronomy SASRD NU, Dr. Debika N, Assistant Professor and Dr. L. Tongpang, Associate Professor & Head, Department of Agronomy imparted training to the trainees on the

topic dealing with crop residue management, soil management and sustainable agriculture, resource conservation respectively.

Nguzonyi Wetsah, Director SAMETI addressed the valedictory function. The Director encouraged the trainers to impart same topic of the training to the farmer community at district and block level as they go back.

The programme was chaired by Tiajungla Longchar, DPD and vote of thanks was pronounced by Sentinaro Longchar, DPD. The training programme was concluded by awarding of certificates to the trainees by the Director SAMETI

Kohima, February 18 (mexn): Chief Medical Officer, Kohima, Dr. Avino Metha has informed that the 2nd Phase of Intensive Pulse Polio Immunization (IPPI) for all children upto 5 years will be held on February 21 and followed by house to house visit on February 22 and 23. All parents, community leaders, women representative, youth representative, church leaders of all villages and colonies under Kohima district are to mobilize children to avail polio vaccine at the nearest polio booth.

Meanwhile, Dimapur Chief Medical Officer, Dr. MA Wati has also informed that the second round of ‘IPPI’ Polio Sunday will be held on February 21 in Dimapur District. All parents are request to bring their Children aged 0-5 years to the nearest Polio Booth in their locality for Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) starting from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The Department would also appeal to all concerned citizens to mobilize children to avail the Polio Drops. The department also acknowledged the constant support and co-operation from your esteemed daily and appeals once again for your full co-operation and support for successful implementation of the programme.

Department of Commerce, Unity College, Dimapur organised an Industrial Exposure Trip to the Cement Corporation of India (CCI) Bokajan, Assam on February 17. Altogether 40 Students of B.Com VI Semester, accompanied by faculty members Dr. Tabassum Khan HoD (Commerce) and Vandana Ladha, Asst. Prof. (Commerce) visited the Plant. The Students and teachers were taken around the cement factory and explained the processes by Rahman, Production executive, CCI. Apart from the technical and other details Rahman also motivated the Students to engage in co-curricular activities in order to develop a wholesome personality.

FriDAY 19•02•2016

NORTH-EAST

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

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New train service to link southern BJP imposing RSS ideology in educational institutions: Gogoi Assam to Tripura and Manipur AgArtAlA, FebruAry 18 (IANS): A goods train service that gets flagged off on Saturday will link southern Assam with other north-eastern states, meeting an old demand of the people, the officials said.

"Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu will flag off the service from southern Assam's Badarpur station to Jirania in Tripura and Jiribam in Manipur on February 20," Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) spokesman Pranav Jyoti Sharma told IANS. Jirania is 12 km from here and about 215 km from Badarpur. Jiribam is in Imphal East district of Manipur and about 75 km from Badarpur.

A colourful function will be held at Silchar in Assam to mark the launch of the new goods train service which will subsequently be studied by the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS).

If the CRS clears it, a regular passenger train service would be launched on the newly laid broad gauge tracks up to Agartala in Tripura and Jiribam in Manipur, Sharma said.

The CRS clearance might come as soon as March 31 after which a

regular passenger train service could start, said Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha who last month received the first broadgauge trial train on the newly laid Badarpur-Agartala railway line at a function here.

The 437-km Lumding-Silchar and Badarpur-Agartala gauge conversion work was sanctioned in 1996. It was declared a national project in 2004, thereby ensuring uninterrupted funding from the central government's general budget. The project was hit by insurgency from 2006 to 2009 and works could only gain speed after that turbulent period.

Lumding is an important railway junction in Assam and falls under Guwahati-Dibrugarh broad-gauge section. In the first phase, the 210-km Lumding-Silchar gauge conversion project was completed early last year.

In the second phase, the 227km Badarpur-Agartala gauge conversion was undertaken. It was scheduled to be completed in March but was completed three months earlier.

With the completion of gauge conversion work right up to Agar-

tala, the Tripura capital was connected with the country's railway network through Guwahati with a distance of about 600 km.

The Lumding-Silchar metre-guage track was in operation from 1899, while Tripura came on the Indian Railway map in 1964 through metre-gauge track. The Lumding-Silchar line is lifeline for southern Assam, known as Barak Valley and the mountainous states of Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram.

These states are heavily dependent on this railway line for supply of food grain, fertilisers, petroleum products, construction materials and other commodities.

After gauge conversion of Guwahati-Lumding line in 1994, the trans-shipment point got shifted from Guwahati to Lumding.

Southern Assam's Barak Valley was brought on the broad-gauge rail map on November 21 last year, with Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu flagging off a regular passenger train.

NFR general manager H.K. Jaggi said Rs.7,751 crore was spent to lay the broad gauge track in the Badarpur-Agartala sector.

The Badarpur-Agartala line has

five tunnels and 461 major and minor bridges. While the longest tunnel is about two km long, there are a record 161 curvings in the line.

Sharma said that the NFR is working to lay new broad gauge railway track on the 111-km Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal section.

"The NFR is now executing ambitious projects for achieving connectivity to all northeastern state capitals by 2020. It has already completed 15 new line projects and 18 gauge-conversion projects besides other projects," he added.

Of 11 national projects, the 505km Rangiya-Rangapara-North Lakhimpur-Murkongselek line in Assam has already been completed and 10 are progressing smoothly, he said. "There are 25 other projects in various states. Once these projects are completed, more than 1,000 km of new lines will be added and more than 560 km of lines will be doubled."

Currently 36 projects were being constructed by NFR -- 13 are in Assam, three in Tripura, two each in Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Nagaland, one each in Mizoram, Manipur and Sikkim, said Sharma.

Manipur emerging as Register indigenous labourers, JCILP tells Mnp govt backpackers' paradise ImphAl, FebruAry 18 (IANS): Backpackers on a shoe-string budget who want to mingle with nature and see rare flora and fauna not found anywhere in the world and those who have emotional attachment or want to learn more about the battles between the Japanese and Allied forces during World War-II have been flocking to Manipur in northeast India like never before.

Imphal has daily flights from Guwahati or can be reached from Guwahati and Silchar through the mountainous NHs 2 and 37. There are cheap hotels for backpackers or three-star luxury hotels for those with expense accounts or rich travellers.

Those who want to watch the brow-antlered deer, which is found only in Manipur, head to the Loktak lake where the Keibul Lamjao national park, its natural habitat, is located, about 60 km from Imphal.

The tourism department ha constructed huts at the Sendra hillock on the shore of the lake, but most of the tourists prefer the private hovels constructed on the floating bio-mass in the lake or in the thatched inns that have been constructed in the recent past.

Also available are water sports and canoe riding in the Loktak lake, the largest fresh water lake in eastern India. Thousands of fishermen and their families have been staying in the floating huts constructed on the bio-mass. There are no toilets and the tourists are supposed to answer the call of nature or take bath while on the country canoes, like the fishermen.

Apart from the deer, tourists can watch hundreds of varieties of migratory birds coming from several countries. Many backpackers said that they had experienced one-of-a-kind pleasure of mingling with nature once in the lifetime.

Other tourists go to the

Ukhrul district to study the Shiroy lily which cannot be grown anywhere except high up on the Shiroy moutnain. Attempts to transplant the Shiroy lily in the foothills of the mountain have not been successful. Despite warnings, domestic and foreign tourists clandestinely carry away some saplings in the hope of growing them in their homes.

It was at Moirang in Manipur where the flag of India's independence was first hoisted by the INA forces and it is here that the Indian National Army museum is located, displaying the many objects the soldiers had used, including their personal effects.

ImphAl, FebruAry 18 (ptI): Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) has urged the Manipur government to take immediate measures to register indigenous labourers for identification of illegal immigrants in the state.

The JCILPS said workers who do not possess work permits, will be handed over to the police so that they are deported outside the state.

Co-Covenor of JCILPS, Md Shah Moijingmayum told PTI that the umbrella body will intensify its democratic agitation in the form of poster campaign and launch awareness drive.

Earlier, the JCILPS had announced its intention to resume its agitation from February 17 for implemen-

demand for implementation of ILP is to protect the indigenous population from the massive influx of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal.

He clarified that it was not directed towards the tribal population of the state as alleged by tribal bodies.

He also appealed that the ILP issue should not be politicized.

Tarun Gogoi

they want to impose RSS ideology, which is a fascist ideology," he said.

Gogoi, however, said the appreciation by Prime Minister Modi that the 12th South Asian Games 2016 was the best so far came as encouraging news for the organisers who worked hard to make the event a resounding success. "Assam pulled out all the stops to make the Games a grand success. Right from day one, our officials worked day in and day out and left no

(A Full Fledged Science Higher Secondary School affiliated to Nagaland Board of School Education) MISSION COMPOUND, KOHIMA

VACANCY

Applications are invited for the Post of Chemistry Teacher in Higher Secondary Level. Applicant should possess a Post Graduate Degree in Chemistry.

Application along with photocopy of Mark Sheets from Class 10 to Post Graduation should be submitted to the school office latest by the 1st of March 2016 during office hours or can be emailed to baptisthigh@gmail.com Date: 18/02/2016 Kohima

Principal Baptist High, Kohima

“Arise and Shine…”

HQ 137 Works Engineers, C/O 99 APO on behalf of President of India invites electronic bids form MES enlisted Contractor /un-enlisted Contractors for following works :"SPL REPAIRS TO SEWAGE SYSTEM MH 'A' MESS AND TCP-I AT RMS" estimated cost of the work as per contract is Rs. 24.00 Lakhs (8442/E8).

For details refer www.eprocuremes.gov.in. The prospective/likely contractors are requested to look up the website www.eprocuremes.gov.in. These tenders are being received based on e-Tendering system, manual offers/bid for these tenders will not be accepted in any circumstances, only electronic offer/bids shall be accepted. Tender information is also available in www.mes.gov.in call : 03862-249225 davp: 10102/11/4498/1516

GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAND

OFFICE OF THE ENGINEER- IN- CHIEF NPWD NAGALAND: KOHIMA

No.NPWD/E-in-C/PAB/Meeting/2014-15

Dt. Kohima, 18th Feb, 2016

CIRCULAR

The NPWD Officers Meet shall be held on 22nd February 2016 from 9:00 AM onwards in the Capital Convention Centre, Kohima. The Hon’ble Chief Minister, Nagaland shall grace the occasion as the Chief Guest. All officers from Junior Engineer level (including the officers of the Engineering Wings) are requested to attend the Meet without fail.

(Er. LONGZOCHANG), Deputy Chief Engineer NPWD Office of the Engineer-in-Chief NPWD Nagaland: Kohima

KOHIMA

Dated, Kohima, the 18th February, 2016

NOTIFICATION

With reference to the Commission’s Advertisement No. NPSC3/2015 dated 29.07.2015, this is to inform all concerned that the Admission Certificate for NCS, NPS, NSS & Allied Services (Main) Examination, 2015 can be downloaded by submitting the Transaction ID of their online application form at www. ncsmains.npsc.co.in from 19th February, 2016 onwards.

Candidates requiring assistance can call up NPSC helpdesk number +919402988506 on working days from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Sd/- SARAH R. RITSE, Secretary,Nagaland Public Service Commission, Kohima

stone unturned to make the Games a great success. Security, accommodation, transportation, food and other logistic support were arranged for the players and delegates.

"Credit for the success also goes to the people of Assam, the sports organisations and hundreds of volunteers and their families," he said. "The successful conduct of the mega sports event has proved that Assam has the technical expertise and resources at its disposal. Like the 33rd National Games in 2007, the South Asian Games have brought laurels to the state and the country as a whole.

The appreciation from the prime minister is an acknowledgement of this," he said.

Gogoi, meanwhile, pleaded with the prime minister for a special package of Rs.1,000 crore for development of rural sports infrastructure in all the 219 development blocks in the state.

BAPTIST HIGH

MILITARY ENGINEER SERVICES e-PROCUREMENT TENDER FOR MUKHYALAYA 137 NIRMAN ABHIYANTHA HEADQUARTERS 137 WORKS ENGINEERS, C/O 99 APO

NAGALAND PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION NO.NPSC/CS/MIS-2015

tation of the Inner line permit system.

The agitation had been muted for the last four months due to religious festivals and the devastating January 4 earthquake that hit the state, the coconvenor said.

Condoling the death of nine persons which occurred after the violent agitation of September 1 in Churachandpur district, Md Shah said the people's

guwAhAtI, FebruAry 18 (IANS): The BJPled central government was trying to impose RSS ideology in educational institutions in the country, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said on Thursday.

"They are trying to impart RSS ideology in educational institutions and universities. Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani is doing whatever the RSS says," Gogoi said at a press conference, adding that it was "a very dangerous trend".

Expressing concern over the deterioration of law and order in the national capital, Gogoi said it was "condemnable" that "BJP-backed advocates" attacked journalists inside the Patiala House Court.

"Is it not violation of basic principles of the Constitution? No one can say anything against (Narendra) Modi. They (BJP and RSS) are trying to destroy democracy in India. This trend is dangerous where

Neikha

4

FriDAY 19•02•2016

Business

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Six lakh hits per second lead to ‘Freedom 251’ website crash

Admission to LPU Engineering prog only through ‘LPUNEST-2016’ Jalandhar, February 18 (agencies): In the year 2016, admission to all B Tech programmes of Lovely Professional University will only be through its prestigious entrance test ‘LPUNEST-2016’. Previously, LPU considered JEE Main and other central and state government tests also for admissions.

From this year onward, LPU is set to conduct its own entrance test so that students do not have to go for many other tests.

Moreover, LPU is adopting the US pattern flexibility for students to book their slot of entrance test as per their preferred place and time. This test, only in online mode, is scheduled from 15th April to 30th April 2016 in 113 cities across India. Thereafter, from 4th May 2016, there will be online counseling and seat allocation.

The scores in the test will be considered as eligibility for admission to LPU B.Tech Programmes and for scholarship up to Rs 7.5 Lakh per student. Only Indian nationals are eligible to apply for the test. Applicants can apply online

Freedom 251 bookings open Buyers unable to place orders M u M b a i , F e b r ua ry 1 8 (agencies): The much-awaited sale of Freedom 251, touted as world’s cheapest phone, began today morning and with that has started the booking woes for consumers.

The Rs. 251 smartphone, which was on Wednesday evening unveiled by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar as a Make in India initiative, was open for booking since 6 in the morning today.

However, the website has not been able to take any booking requests.

People took to social media slamming the company Ringing Bells that is manufacturing the phone with assistance from the Indian government, new delhi, February 18 (ians): A mad rush to book world’s cheapest “Make in India” smartphone caused the firm’s website to crash within hours of opening up for pre-order at 6 a.m. on Thursday.

The Noida-based startup received nearly six lakh hits per second to buy the Rs.251 (less than $4) device, the company said in a statement.

“Dear friends, we are very grateful for your enormous response and your kind patronage and

would submit that as of now we receive approx 6 lakh hits per second, as a result of which due to your kind overwhelming response servers are overloaded,” Ringing Bells Pvt Ltd. flashed a message on www.freedom251.com.

“We humbly submit that we are, therefore, taking a pause and upgrading the service and will revert within or before 24 hours,” the message read.

Taking the world by surprise, the firm on Wednesday launched “Freedom 251” smart-

phone that, it said, has been developed “with immense support” from the government.

There are, however, some apprehensions about its final appearance and performance. It looks similar to an Apple iPhone. All the icons of the built-in app are a pixel-topixel copy of Apple’s iOS icons.

“Freedom 251” has a Android 5.1 operating system, a 4-inch qHD IPS display, a 3.2-megapixel primary and a 0.3-megapixel front camera.

which feels that cheaper smartphones will lead to a digital revolution in the country and will give impetus to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious Startup India campaign.

Freedom 251 has been trending on micro blogging site Twitter for the last 12 hours. Initially, it trended for being the cheapest phone in the world and now for the company’s inability to take online bookings. Many also alleged that smartphones at Rs. 251 was nothing but a marketing gimmick. They even compared the products with Government’s another “failed” product Akash, which was also launched as the world’s cheapest tablet at Rs. 2,500.

The device has 3G connectivity and has a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM and 8GB internal memory and supports external memory cards of up to 32GB. To power “Freedom 251”, the company has put a 1,450mAh battery and claims to have a service network of 650 centres across India.

The smartphone comes with pre-installed apps like Swachh Bharat, Women Safety, WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter, among others.

The smartphone is available for pre-order on the company website from 6 a.m. on February 18 till 8 p.m. on February 21. The deliveries for India’s most affordable smartphone will be completed by June 30, the company said in a statement.

The company is also charging a shipping charge of Rs.40 and claims that the smartphone will be delivered by June 30 from the date of booking.

BIKE FOR SALE

Centre set to announce new FOR SALE defence supplier blacklisting policy FORd FIgO new delhi, February 28 (agencies): The defence ministry is likely to announce its new blacklisting policy for defence suppliers after the draft policy is approved by the defence acquisition council (DAC) on February 22.

The policy has been finalised by the defence ministry after inter-ministerial consultations with the law ministry, home ministry, finance ministry and commerce ministry.

Fifteen defence suppliers, including six foreign firms, are currently blacklisted by the defence ministry while 23 other companies are under scrutiny for allegations of corruption.

Sources said that the new blacklisting policy is likely to be on the agenda of this month’s DAC meeting chaired by defence minister Manohar Par-

rikar. While announcing the new Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) last month, Parrikar had said that the blacklisting policy is not a part of the DPP and will be issued separately.

Under the new policy, sources said, there will be no clause for automatic blacklisting. The punishment for corruption and wrongdoing by a defence manufacturer will be applied in a graded manner.

After receipt of an initial complaint, the procurement process will be put on hold for a few weeks for a basic enquiry into the merits of the charge.

If the charges are substantial and prima facie hold merit, it will lead to a suspension of the firm pending a full investigation. Once the charges of wrongdoing have been proved, there will be grad-

Model : 2013 Price : 3,60,000 (Negotiable) Contact : 9774444052

ed fiscal penalties applied against the erring firm.

Only in extreme cases will the defence ministry resort to blacklisting of a company.

Currently, a company can be barred from contracting with the government as soon as suspicion of wrongdoing emerges, and it remains blacklisted throughout the investigation. If the firm is prosecuted and convicted, it can be debarred for up to 10 years.

Land for Sale

Toyota models sold in India not part of the global recall

None of the India made models figure in the global recall of around 2.87 million units by Japanese automobile maker Toyota Motor Company, said Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd. “India models are not involved in this recall,” an official of Toyota Kirloskar Motor, a joint venture between the Japanese car maker and India’s Kirloskar group, told IANS in an email on Thursday.

The global recall involves Toyota’s sports utility vehicle (SUV) models - RAV4 and Vanguard.

In India, Toyota Kirloskar rolls out SUVs Innova and Fortunner while Prado and Land Cruiser are imported as completely built units. Toyota Kirloskar said that none of the above models are involved in the recall and the possibility of seat belt getting damaged in an accident as in the case of recalled models are remote.

Contact: 8415003857

Prakash Market, N.L. Road Near Delux point, Bata Charali, Dimapur, Nagaland.

Daily Cross WorD ACROSS 1.Affirm 5. Shame 10. Whimper 14. Filly’s mother 15. Exploded stars 16. 1 1 1 1 17. Copyright infringement 19. A field of grass 20. A parcel of land 21. Chunks 22. Avoid 23. Ablation 25. Broadcast 27. Beer barrel 28. A close connection 31. Anagram of “Urban” 34. Rides the waves 35. Pair 36. Plunder 37. Tomorrow’s yesterday 38. Small dam 39. At this time 40. German iris 41. Marsh plant 42. Theoretical 44. French for “Summer” 45. Motif 46. Pee-pee 50. Entices 52. Kidney-related 54. Mist 55. Colored part of an eye 56. Disobedient 58. French for Finished or Done 59. Put out 60. Sea eagle 61. Labels 62. A chemical compound 63. Accomplishment DOWN 1. Enough 2. Heroism 3. Muse of love poetry 4. Regulation (abbrev.)

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.”

Game Number # 3494

Answer Number # 3493

BaseBall Teams YANkEES

TIgERS

REdSOX

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ASTROS

RANgERS

AThLETICS

mARLINS

gIANTS

mARINERS

ORIELS

NATIONALS

dOdgERS

INdIANS

BRAVES

TWINS

CARdINALS

ANgELS

BLUEJAYS

BREWERS

CUBSLOSE

PAdRES

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ROYALS

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dIAmONdBACkS

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Swagat (Park Avenue)

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Korean foods, Coffee, Waffle & Korean goods Add:- 4th Mile (CBZZ Building), Diphupar, Dimapur Contact : 8730852766

Toyota to recall SUVs worldwide Tokyo, February 18 (ians): Japanese car-making giant Toyota on Thursday announced it was recalling some 2.9 million sport utility vehicles (SUVs) worldwide due to safety concerns. The recall will include RAV4’s of model years 2006-2012 and 2012-2014, and the Vanguard vehicle, EFE news reported.

In the US alone, about 1,124,000 RAV4’s will be recalled, after it was found the seat belts might not properly hold passengers in case of a serious accident, the company said. “In the event of a very severe frontal crash, the lap belt webbing could contact a portion of the metal seat cushion frame, become cut, and separate. If this occurs, the seat belt may not properly restrain the occupant, which could increase the risk of injury,” it said. The recall applies to North America, Europe, China and Japan.

The world’s largest car maker has been notified of two crashes - one in the US and the other in Canada where seat belts in the vehicles’ back seat had detached, though it was not known if any casualties resulted.

Owners of those RAV4 models to be recalled will be notified by first class mail and Toyota dealers will install resin covers to the metal seat cushion frame for free, the company added.

50% dISCOUNT

Korean Uncle’s Café KUC

1. At Chümoukedima (Near NIT University) Measuring 12700 Sq. Ft. Amount: Rs 10 lakhs (Negotiable) 2. At Chümoukedima village Forest Gate (New DC office Road) Measuring 10100 Sq. Ft. Amount: Rs 12 lakhs (Negotiable)

leisure

MEET EVERY DAY, DIMAPUR

F/Shirt (J.N.Y) = Rs.699= 349

Contact: 8974415225

W

L A g Z L g F V N J B X Y N N I S P R X

P m E T S V Z X L A I P J B Z E g h X I

o

Y W P N J X S k P P V Z J k R S A A Q m

R

R U I g E T L R O I S d Y d J d B Z A Y

Z W R E d S O X E g S T A g k E I S Y Y

T R A d h B U V O g N P N S O R T S A U

D

S

I V T F g d O P F O I h k A O A L O E Y

k T WN E S C L R E P g Y N R A F S L C L R T N E E I d I A N g h R S R Q I X N

E

k d m N k B L U E J A Y S T J E Q E S N

O Z F k A Q g N A T m R h J N R O g X F

5. Not digital 6. Element with the symbol B 7. Keen 8. Laurel 9. Skirt’s edge 10. Common allergen 11. Not financially examined 12. Bawdy 13. Feudal worker 18. Less friendly 22. Goddess of discord 24. Three-handed card game 26. Questionable 28. A financial examination 29. Branchlet 30. Bygone era 31. Forearm bone 32. Newbie (slang) 33. Part of an archer’s bow 34. Witch 37. Streetcar 38. To fancy (archaic) 40. Mining finds 41. Supporting column 43. Dissertation 44. Found at the end of a pencil 46. Unwarranted 47. Ere 48. 1000 kilograms 49. Incited 50. Elevator (British) 51. Murres 53. Where the sun rises 56. Hasten 57. Scarlet ANS TO CROSSWORd 3506

Vaidya (Dr.) D.K. Sharma

AYURVEdIC CLINIC

VACANCY

Sl. Job Profiles Location & No. No. of Post 1

Receptionist (Female)

Dimapur (one)

2

Sales Agent (Male)

Dimapur (one)

3

Sales Agent (Male)

Kohima (one)

Eligibility

Experience 10+2 and above/ Fluent in Basic Computer E n g l i s h knowledge. speaking.

Graduate/Experience in Sales/ one year Preferably with plus two wheeler.

Graduate/Experience in Sales/ one year Preferably with plus two wheeler.

dImAPUR Civil Hospital:

STd COdE: 03862 232224; Emergency- 229529, 229474

Metro Hospital: Faith Hospital:

227930, 231081 228846

Shamrock Hospital

228254

Zion Hospital:

231864, 224117, 227337

Police Control Room Police Traffic Control East Police Station West Police Station

228400

CIHSR (Referral Hospital) Dimapur hospital

242555/ 242533

Apollo Hospital Info Centre:

230695/ 9402435652

Railway:

131/228404

Indian Airlines

229366

227607 232181

g U F P F d d O A S E O R I E L S O T Y

V I B N A V N N B T E A I k N A B d F X

B h V S R A Y d I A m O N d B A C k S R

g J L E R C RO R A Y S P S V P L X hE U O J X d S S N C E RE Y T E F g I WS I h E A A WR d J Z BQ L E Z P WJ R O O Q Y k L A Z U L S I g U B WI O X P T

A O P N R S E W A d U I Q R F N A k R O

6000 +1000

MoKoKCHUNG: 0369-2226225/ 101 (o) 8415830232 (oC) PHEK: 8414853765 (o) 8413822476(oC)

Nagaland Multispe- 248302, cialty Health & 09856006026 Research Centre

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

KoHIMA SoUTH: 0370-2222952/ 101 (o) 9402003086 (oC)

WOkhA: 03860242215/101 (o) 8974322879 (oC)

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

kOhImA

FIRE STATIONS

CHUMUKEDIMA: 7085982102 (o) 8732810051 (oC)

224041, 248011

STd COdE: 0370 100/2244279 2222222 2222111 2222952 2222916 2243339 2224202 08974997923

zUNHEBoTo: 03867-280304/ 101 (o) 9436422730 (oC) TUENSANG: 8414853766 (o) 9856163601 (oC) MoN: 03869-251222/ 101 (o) 9862130954 (oC) kIPhIRE: 8414853767 (o) 9436261577 (oC) PEREN: 7085189932 (o) 9856311205 (oC) LONgLENg: 7085924113 (o) 9862414264 (oC)

ChILd WELFARE COmmITTEE

mOkOkChUNg:

H

6000 +1000

DIMAPUR: 03862-232201/ 101 (o) 9856156876 (oC)

232106

08822911011

C

3000 +500

KoHIMA NoRTH: 7085924114 (o)

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Interested candidates can either mail us your Bio-data along with one recent Passport photo or submit your Bio-data at our office before 25th Feb 2016.

Office Address: Nagarjan Junction, Opp. Crown Hotel, DAN Building 1st floor, WCC (II)04 Dimapur.

Email id : trademark.nagalandme16@gmail.com Contact : 9774444051

Toll free No. 1098 childline

A

C R O C k I E S I U P L d I N S Q d J T

LPU has gained the highest engineering placements in North India including highest recruitment in a single day by a single company at a single campus in both the years 2014 and 2015. This has been made possible by making LPU students follow industry inspired curriculum with option of industry certification from companies like EMC2, CTC, Microsoft, CISCO, CADENCE and more. I advise students not to wait for the last dates, they should apply and appear for the test at the earliest to avoid last moment rush.”

The test duration is of 120 minutes and consists of 90 multiple choice questions (MCQ) of objective type. Each MCQ will consist of a stem which may be in the form of a question or an incomplete statement, and four responses thereof with only one correct or the most appropriate answer. The language for the entrance test shall be English only.

Candidates can select any suitable date and test centre from the list available on www.lpu.in

SALE SALE SALE COAT SUIT

Pulsar 180cc (2010) Rs.55,000 (Negotiable)

at www.lpu.in or obtain Application Kit from LPU Campus. Last date of receipt of application is February 29.

For the last many years, lakhs of applicants had been registering for LPUNEST tests, augmenting this test to be the largest private entrance test, including all state, central government, and private tests held in India. In 2014, this test turned out as overall 5th largest entrance test in India after JEE, AIPMT, GATE, and EAMCET (Andhra Pradesh) tests, as per the best information available.

LPU Chancellor Ashok Mittal informed: “In order to admit quality students for quality education, and also following feedback from many students and faculty members, admission in all LPU B Tech programmes from now onward will be through LPUNEST entrance test only. Starting in 2009, this test, in just 7 years, has become one of the largest entrance tests in India.”

Mittal also shared: “Considered as one of Asia’s largest campuses,

STd COdE: 0369

Police Station 1:

2226241

Police Station 2 :

2226214

Civil Hospital: Woodland Nursing Home:

2226216 2226263

Hotel Metsüpen (Tourist Lodge):

2226373/2229343

TAHAMzAM (formerly Senapati) STD CoDE: 03871 Police Station: Fire Brigade

CURRENCY NOTES

222246 222491

BUY(Rs)

SELL(Rs)

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

66.60 96.58 8.28 47.53 47.4 48.14 58.2

69.61 101.26 9.22 49.85 49.75 50.51 61.48

Euro

74.62

78.24

Thai Baht Korean Won UAE Dirham (AED) Chinese Yuan

1.8

2.01

0.0532

0.0592

17.55

19.54

9.89

11.01

FridAY 19•02•2016

NAGALAND

Residents asked to be wary of kids collecting ‘easy money’ Kohima, February 18 (mexN): It has been alleged that a group of school going children on the pretext of celebrating their birthday go door to door in different colonies of Kohima, distributing sweets expecting money in return and also involve in stealing.

There was one such incident at Phezoucha Krotho, New Secretariat Area, Kohima, which has been amicably solved, a press release from Mathew Yhome, General Secretary, Phezoucha Krotho, L. Khel Kohima Village said.

The press release asked the general public to be aware of the “practice of collecting easy money by school children and also not to buy any item from them.” It added, “Donating money and buying items from school children in this form of evil practice will indirectly encourage them to do more.”

NPF Minority Wing resolves Dimapur, February 18 (mexN): NPF Minority Wing has resolved to work under the leadership of NPF President, Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu, and strengthen the party with induction of more primary members. In its consultative meeting held in Dimapur on February 16, the NPF Minority Wing also discussed issues related to strengthening of the NPF Party with best infrastructure for smooth functioning. The house also discussed about issues on developmental activities related to minority citizens of Nagaland, a press release from NPF Minority Wing President, Bishnu Bhattacharjee, informed. The meeting was chaired by Bishnu Bhattacharjee, President, Minority Wing Central, while Minority In-charge Lepshi Ao, Vice President, NPF was the resource person.

RD Secretary visit SAGY Villages Dimapur, February 18 (mexN): The Secretary to the Government of Nagaland, Kelei Zeliang, along with Project Director DRDA Dimapur, DPO DRDA Dimapur, BDO Chumukedima Block, State Nodal Officer for SAGY and PMRDFs today visited two Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) villages of Nagaland – Ikishe and Seluophe. The two villages were adopted by two Members of Parliament from the State.

According to a press note from received here, the visit was undertaken “to directly understand the need of the people in programme implementation.”

Zeliang strongly affirmed that his department has given a commitment to help adopted village to become a model village by taking up all the approved projects, to the best of his capacity, which fall under the category of Rural Development schemes and programmes, it added. The

two village authorities had also interactive session with the Secretary.

The team surveyed all the worksites where intervention is urgently required to boost the life of village settlers and also undertook brief sightseeing of the works done by respective MPs in the villages. The team also appreciated the Lok Sabha MP Neiphiu Rio for his proactive initiatives

his adopted Seluophe village, it further maintained.

Meanwhile, as the Nodal Department for implementing the scheme, the Secretary urged upon other departments to come forward at the earliest to take up their respective projects which were approved in the State Level Empowered Committee meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief

Secretary to the Government of Nagaland in the presence of all HODs. Since SAGY is a time bound programme under the direct supervision of Prime Minister’s Office, every stakeholder has to initiate their own share of tasks, he further informed.

A meeting was held with district level line departments for convergence matters after the visit.

er legal studies like LL.M and compete for other judicial service examination after completing their degree along with the other counterparts,” he maintained and appealed the Nagaland Law Students’ Federation (NLSF) to pressurize the Nagaland University to introduce internal Examination in the semester system by means of assignment and presentation which would benefit the Law students in general in the long run.

KLSCU press note further said that the College Principal has also disclosed that a sum of Rs. 1 lakh has been invested for the College Library last year 2015 from the College fund to upgrade the library for the welfare of the students.

NLSF Lanusowa also appealed to the College authority and the union to co-ordinate with the NLSF to work for the general welfare of the students.

DWO Z'boto informs on NSAP payment ASHAs trained on Inter Personal Communication Sl.No. Area

Date

1

Zunheboto Town Feb. 24 to 26

2

Zunheboto Area

Feb. 29 to March 02

3

Suruhuto Area

March 03 to 05

4

Akuluto Area

March 07 to 09

5

Atoizu Area

March 10, 11 & 14

6

Satakha Area

March 15 to 17

7

Aghunato Area

March 18, 19 & 21

8

Pughoboto Area

March 28 to 30

Kohima, February 17 (mexN): Office of the Chief Medical Officer, Kohima along with District Health Society, Department of Health & Family Welfare, NHM conducted capacity building of link workers (ASHA) under NUHM on Inter Personal Communication (IPC) from February 9 – 12 at CMO conference hall.

The resource persons for week long training were Supongbenla Lemtur, HETO, IEC Bureau, DHFW,

Puni Kokho, State Facilitator, RRC(NE), Bengdangmongla, IEC Bureau, Limala Aier, HEO, Elizabeth HE and FWAs Kevililie Belho and Kezevizo Solo.

According to a press release, the training focused on the IPC & Communication skills for ASHAs, aims and objectives of National Health Mission (NHM)/ NUHM, national vector diseases, routine immunization/UIP. The ASHAs were trained on ANC, PNC, INC, family

AR creates online booth to assist local applicants Restore NCDC Schemes: ANCSF Kohima, February 18 (mexN): The ANCSF has urged the State Government to lift the suspension life ban/suspension of NCDC schemes and start implementing the programme without further delay as Nagaland falls under least developed state in the country in the category of cooperative societies.

A resolution for the same was adopted at its 2nd general meeting of the executive body meeting of All Nagaland Co-operative Societies Federation (ANCSF) was held at State Red Cross Society Complex Building, Kohima on February 17.

According to a press note from ANCSF President Kedou Wetsah and General Secretary Mohokiya Ghaponza, the meeting also resolved to urge the State Government, particularly the department of Co-operative to expedite the implementation of ICDP in remaining district in the state viz. Kohima, Peren, Longleng, Kiphire and Tuensang. The ANCSF also called upon all the past beneficiaries of co-operative societies under NCDC & ICDP schemes to recover their loan promptly to improve loan recovery drive.

19 Assam Rifles under the aegis of Headquarters 5 Sector Assam Rifles and Headquarters IGAR (North) has presented four pottery machines and a computer with accessories to Tabitha Enabling Society.

Dimapur, February 18 (mexN): In order to facilitate registration of local youth for the forthcoming Army Recruitment Rally at Kohima from April 5-7, the 18 Assam Rifles, 32 Assam Rifles and 37 Assam Rifles under the aegis of Headquarters 6 Sector Assam Rifles has established ‘Online Registration/Application Booths’ at Jalukie, Dimapur and Medziphema respectively.

According to an AR press note, the facilities have been created in confirmation to the new recruitment rules promulgated by the Army and with an objective to assist tohse stating in remote area of these districts.

Interested candidates belonging to areas in and around Jalukie, Dimapur and Medziphema may utilize this facility which will be effective till March 26, it added.

It further informed that the units will also be conducting a four week Prerecruitment Training for interested candidate from March 16 which will provide requisite training for the Recruitment Rally. For further assistance, candidates are requested to contact the Assam Rifles Camp near their villages.

Earlier, similar facilities were established at these places for Army Recruitment Rally conducted which was instrumental in

HCHSS Alumni meeting

Secretary Rural Development Department team during the visit

Dimapur, February 18 (mexN): A joint meeting of Kohima Law College Students Union (KLSCU) and Nagaland Law Students Federation (NLSU) was held with the Principal Visevenuo Pienyu and Assistant Professors of Kohima Law College at College premises on February 17.

KLSCU President Vitoka K Aye in a press note informed that during the meeting the president highlighted the grievances of law students to the apex body (NLSU) and the Principal. Among other things, KLSCU asked them to “take up strong steps” regarding the Low mark grading system of semester examination for LLB Students under Nagaland University. He further informed the NLSU and other present that till now there is no single first Class LLB StuNSS Cell of Unity College in collaboration with Unity College Photography Club organ- dents due to low marking system.

“Thereby the students are being deised a trekking trip to Mount Pauna in Peren district on February 13 and 14. The team made it to the top of the peak on February 14 morning. nied the opportunities for perusing high-

The payment rooster are as follows:

Evidence meeting on CAG Report Kohima, February 18 (mexN): The Evidence Meeting of the Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU) with the Departmental Representatives of NSMDC under the Department of Geology & Mining and NHL under the Department of Industries & commerce has been fixed February 26 from 11 AM. The meeting, to be held at Committee Room of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly Secretariat, will examine of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India Report for the year 2011 — 2012 & 2012-2013, a press note from NLA Additional Secretary K Sekhose informed. While requesting all the members of the COPU to attend the meeting, the press also said that as the concern Administrative Head and Head of the Corporation are requested to attend the proposed evidence meeting as required under the rule.

KLSCU demand changes in grading system

Dimapur, February 18 (mexN): The District Welfare Officer, Zunheboto, S Wati Ozukum has through a press release informed the beneficiaries of IGNOAPS, IGNWPS, IGNDPS, blind and students’ scholarship under National Social Assistance Program (NSAP) that payment roster for the district has been finalized.

Further, the DWO added that beneficiaries who have not submitted Aadhar Number are to submit the same during the payment. It was also informed that life certificate issued by respective Pastors and Council Chairman must be produced at the time of payment.

MEx FILE

planning and non communicable disease. Throughout the training, child health was briefed and the importance of diarrhoea with preparation of home-made ORS was taught to the ASHAs. Every session was followed by practical session, discussion and role play to assess the learning outcome of the ASHAs. They were also evaluated after every session to bring massive changes towards the health seeking behaviour of the community.

Dimapur, February 18 (mexN): A meeting of the Alumni of Holy Cross Higher Secondary School, Dimapur will be held on February 21, 3PM at Hotel De Tulip, Tourist Lodge, Dimapur to discuss about matters connected with the Alumni Get-together planned on April 16. All Alumni are requested to attend the meeting.

Tuensang DPDB meeting on Feb 23 TueNsaNg, February 18 (mexN): The monthly District Planning and Development Board (DPDB) meeting of Tuensang District for the month of February will be held at the Conference Hall of Deputy Commissioner Office, Tuensang on February 23 from 10 AM. Informing this in a press note, the District Planning Officer & Member Secretary DP&DB Tuensang Nribemeo Lotha has requested all the members to attend the meeting without fail.

KPC to met its counterpart in MKG Kohima, February 18 (mexN): The Kohima Press Club (KPC) will be visiting Mokokchung Town on February 26-27 to interact with its Mokokchung counterparts as part of KPC's initiative to reach out to other Press Clubs in the state to strengthen fraternal ties. In this connection, the KPC General Secretary Alice Yhoshu in a press note has requested all its members to participate positively in the tour programme. Members are also informed to confirm their participation by submitting their names to any of the club’s executive members on or before February 23 to facilitate arrangement of transportation and accommodation in advance.

AR arrest one in Zunheboto Dimapur, February 18 (mexN): The 5 Assam Rifles under the aegis of Headquarter 7 Sector Assam Rifles has arrested one person after a search operation conducted at North Point, Zunheboto on 14 February. The operation was carried out along with police representatives after a specific input. A press note from the AR identified the person as Kivito Kiba, alleged a ‘Sergeant Major’ of NSCN (K) cadre. The apprehended cadre was handed over to the Zunheboto Police station on 15 February, it added.

Medical & veterinary camp held Kohima, February 18 (mexN): A medical and veterinary camp and Technology Dissemination Programme for Tribal Development under Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) was jointly organised by 37 Assam Rifles and ICARNational Research Centre on Mithun (ICAR-NRCM) at Mezoma on February 16. The camp was organized to provide basic medical and veterinary aid to the remote village and to provide technical inputs for the overall development of the mithuns as well as their owners.

A total of 76 villagers were provided medical aid, while veterinary assistance was provided for 41 animals.

Mangkolemba SDPDB Members visits Alongkima circle maNgKolemba, February 18 (Dipr): With the view to get a first hand information of the functions of the Government departments and to address the grievances of the villagers, the Board members headed by Mangkolemba ADC, Imtiwapang Aier visited all the 11 villages under Alongkima circle/Changkikong range on 9th & 10th February 2016.During the visit issues relating to shortage of teachers in the Govt. Schools, electrical department staffs, poor functioning of Health centres and dispensaries were discussed with the villagers.

In regard to shortage of food and civil supplies brought out by some villages, ADC informed them that the issues of the supply will be streamlined at the earliest and the EAC concern will take charge in checking

and keeping the records.

Various agendas were discussed for the better functioning of the Govt. departments and the community which will be taken up in the next SDPDB meeting.

It is to inform that all head of Departments along with ADC will visit all the three ranges under Mangkolemba Sub Division to address the villagers and get information on the functioning of various Govt. Departments and also making the villagers aware of the usages of funds in different community centres.The Board members visits villages to address the grievences of the various departments while making them aware of Government policies for the better functiong of the departments and the community as a whole.

Tenth ‘Bridge of Hope’ project inaugurated

Dimapur, February 18 registration of about 300 (mexN): A new ‘Bridge of Hope’ candidates, the AR main- project under Dimapur was inaugurated at Ekranipathar village on tained.

February 15 by Rev. Fr. Kasthang Kath, Zonal Secretary, BelievAR eye cAmp At tizit Altogether 91 patients ers Church Nagaland as the chief were treated by a team of guest. With the inauguration of this eye specialist and para- project, the number of BOH projmedical staff during an eye ect under Nagaland office has incamp at Tizit on February creased to ten and number of chil13. The camp was organ- dren sponsored 1350.

The guest of honour on the ocised by 33 Assam Rifles under the aegis of HQ 7 Sector casion was Meren Ao, Chairman, Ekranipathar Village.

Assam Rifles.

The chief guest in his speech In a delayed press note, the AR informed that it shared about the ministry of BOH was part of its continuous which is aimed at imparting holisefforts to reach out to the tic and balanced education to unneedy and medically de- der privileged children by offerprived section of the soci- ing free tuition besides nutritious ety.Many patients came meal daily and school aids for the from far flung areas and sponsored children so they don’t the local populace lauded drop out of school. He also said in order to raise good citizen of sothe AR’s effort, it added.

ciety, we have to train them when they are still young. “If we don’t care for the children’s education, a school dropout child can be a menace for our society and disturb the peaceful atmosphere,” he added.

The guest of honour thanked the ministry of Believers Church and its leaders for opening a new branch of its project in the village and hoped that the new project can lead people to know God. He hoped that the project will not only help the villagers, but also bring unity among neighbouring village when children gather in the project. Stating that today, many churches concentrate for the benefit of its community and family, he encouraged the project to work for the welfare of all communities. On behalf of the village council, he also promised to extent full co-operation and help for

strengthening the project for the benefit of the children.

The programme was attended

by Ekranipathar Village Council members, Believers Church lead-

ers, villagers, parents and well wishers. This was stated in a press release issued by Believers Church Nagaland Zonal Leader Rev. Fr. Kasthang Kath.

6

IN FOCUS The Power of Truth

The Morung Express volume Xi issue 47

By Tungshang Ningreichon

Borders and Peoples

I

n the east of Ukhrul there are strings of tiny villages that share border, trade, culture and life with people of Myanmar. Skipe is the last village by road in the district. From 60 households, the village now is 26 households because of an extremely difficult road with no public transportation and cut off from most public service and amenities.

Yet, this is where the Raizan Katamna Long (RKL), a collective of students' union of 16 villages, held its 18th General Conference along with sports, cultural and literary events.

The freshly cleared grounds amidst teak trees, the make shift camps like in a picnic, had people of various talents and backgrounds, especially youths. There were people from Myanmar setting up food stall and also government officials gracing the gathering; a common tradition people living at the peripheries have been practicing for years.

Every year during Christmas people from Myanmar come to the border villages like Ningchou, Kangpat, Kongkan in Ukhrul district, sell food and small items, stay with families who cook and care for them and participate in community socials. Such tradition reflects the close ties people and villages share and maintain. People do not experience difficulties in crossing the border but travel and walk back and forth regularly. Yet, on an unlucky day they could be arrested and jailed for crossing the border.

In November 2013, Mr. Winson Kamodang, aged 56 was arrested by the Myanmar army and sentenced to 9 years of imprisonment when he had gone to Aung Zeya; the nearest village in Myanmar, from his village, Ramphoi. The people of these two villages engage in collective fishing and minor trade on an everyday basis.

While his family, human rights organization and students' association have written to the concerned authorities and letters sent to the ministry of home affairs he continues to linger in the jail at Kalymyo, Sagaing division. The charges against him, according to his family, is 'crossing border without legal documents' and 'espionage' which for them is vague because he is well known to the people of Aung Zeya who often borrow and hire his Shaktiman truck to carry loads and woods. They come and stay with his family whenever they come to the village.

Such stories are common but what is often missed is the human face of it; that States and Nations are dealing with people and citizens who have the right to build ties, maintain and nurture relationships. People living in porous borders need special protection and provisions that allow them to move freely. The Indo-Burmese border that stretches over 1,600 kilometres touching Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh in India will continue to have people going back and forth irrespective of what their governments say.

A robust economy would require a healthy peoples-to-peoples relationship and this is nurtured by people at the borders!

Set them free.

lEfT WING |

Lasanda Kurukulasuriya New Internationalist

Sri Lanka’s key institutions corroded, corrupted by conflict

C

FriDAY 19•02•2016

oncluding a four day visit to Sri Lanka on 9 February the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said the country has ‘come a long way in the past year’ but that its key institutions had been ‘seriously corroded and corrupted’ during three decades of conflict.

‘Virtually everyone agrees that there has been progress, although opinions differ markedly about the extent of that progress,’ he told a press conference in Colombo after having visited the war-affected North and East. In addition to political leaders and civil society representatives he said he met Sinhalese, Muslim and Tamil victims of the war. ‘The element of fear has considerably diminished, at least in Colombo and the South, in the North and East, it has mutated but, sadly, still exists.’

‘When you visit Colombo you see a bustling city, a mass of construction sites, clean streets, and flourishing businesses.

You see a thriving tourist industry. When you visit the North and the East, you see, in patches at least, damaged and depressed areas, poverty and continued displacement.’

As confidence-building measures that could be taken quickly Al Hussein said the military needed to accelerate the return of land taken over during the conflict to its rightful owners and further reduce its presence in the North and East.

He called for quickening the process of either charging or releasing 292 security-related detainees the government says remain in prison.

This was the second visit to the country by a UN human rights chief since Sri Lanka’s civil war ended in 2009 with the military defeat of the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. On 1 October last year the Human Rights Council adopted a US-sponsored resolution which endorsed the findings of a report by the Office of the High Commissioner and called for an investigation into alleged human rights violations that may amount to war crimes. The pro-Western government’s decision to co-sponsor the resolution has been criticized by many including coalition partners, largely on account of its call for participation by foreign judges, prosecutors, defence lawyers and investigators in the proposed accountability mechanism.

Chief monks of the Buddhist clergy whom Al Hussein visited told him that there was no need for foreign participation.

In a recent BBC interview President Maithripala Sirisena said he would not allow it. ‘We have more than enough specialists, experts and knowledgeable people in our country to solve our internal issues,’ he told the BBC. But leader of the Tamil National Alliance R Sambandan, who is also the leader of the opposition, has reportedly called for the ‘full implementation’ of the HRC resolution.

Responding to journalists’ questions, the High Commissioner said ‘in the end it is the sovereign right of Sri Lanka to make determinations in respect of its future.’ While the HRC can make recommendations in respect of countries its resolutions are not enforceable. ‘The HRC has directed its spotlight in the past, almost always, on countries identified selectively for political reasons,’ Palitha Kohona, a former Sri Lankan ambassador to the UN said. ‘The ability to muster a majority in the HRC appears to have been the defining criterion for focusing the HRC spotlight on a country rather than an objective consideration of the facts or the application of the same yardstick to similar cases’ he wrote shortly after the resolution was adopted.

Al Hussein said ‘It was our belief when we put the report together that this idea of a hybrid court was merited, and the Human Rights Council of course adopted the language that points in that direction.’

‘The suggestion of having an impartial and independent court is fundamental because it must address the needs of victims on all sides.’

President Sirisena’s government elected last year has engaged more closely with the UN and sought to befriend Western powers, in contrast with the Rajapaksa regime.

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

C O M M E N T A R Y

Mimi Yagoub InSight Crime

Why does Latin America have the world's highest female murder rates?

Most female murders on earth occur in Latin America, a phenomenon partly due to organized crime activities such as human trafficking and gang violence, says InSight Crime

A

recent report by a number of international organizations (pdf) revealed that seven out of the ten countries with the highest female murder rate in the world are in Latin America. El Salvador heads the list with a rate of 8.9 homicides per 100,000 women in 2012, followed by Colombia with 6.3, Guatemala with 6.2, Russia with 5.3 and Brazil with 4.8.

Mexico and Suriname are also in the top ten.

While general violence levels and domestic abuse are considered to be the main contributors to high femicide rates, organized crime also plays a huge yet overlooked role in the victimization of women in Latin America. As Guatemala's Attorney General Thelma Aldana told InSight Crime, 50 percent of the 854 women killed in Guatemala in 2015 were murdered A Barrio 18 woman in a 2008 documentary about El Salvador gangs, "La Vida Loca". as a direct result of organized crime. the Maras first arose.

Perhaps the most high-profile of these largely feAs the Maras developed, a new form of social co- male roles is the "mula" -- or drug "mule". This duty Human Trafficking and Female Murders Human trafficking is a vast illegal economy in hesion arose -- one which continues to be an essential can all too frequently lead to death if drugs enter a Latin America, and one that disproportionately af- trait of these groups today -- in which the Maras be- woman's bloodstream, and she can also be killed as came a gang member's true "family," while relatives punishment for getting caught. fects women and girls.

In other criminal structures, women can be used "The only case in which you can make a case that became gang "property," de Andrés told InSight Crime. as expendable members, working as extortion colConsequently, during disputes between gangs, femicide is increasing as a result of transnational orgalectors or as drug dealers. women are frequently caught in the crossfire, with nized crime is human trafficking … in Central Amerigirlfriends, sisters, and mothers targeted by rival ca and the Caribbean," InSight Crime was told by the Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs gangs. In many cases, female relatives of imprisoned Ending the Cycle Femicide and the overwhelming impunity surand Crime (UNODC) Regional Office for Central Mara members make easy targets for revenge killrounding it is a hot topic for law enforcement around ings, as the male is unable to protect them.

America and the Caribbean, Amado Philip de Andrés. the region.

What's more, according to the Mara "code of Human trafficking victims to and from the region A fundamental problem hindering progress is -- the majority of which are females between the honour," if a member betrays or abandons his own that, as Guatemala Attorney General Aldana points gang their most vulnerable "possession" is attacked ages of 18 and 28 -- are on the increase, and so are out, "The law does not protect women who are in-which usually means the rape or murder of his sisthe number of fatalities. volved in organized crime." ter or wife, de Andrés explained.

"The femicide rate in cases of human trafficking This is despite the fact that many women are coGirlfriends are also vulnerable. While men are for victims is very, very high," de Andrés said. "Espeopted into joining criminal structures. According seldom punished for infidelity, women can be killed cially for the purposes of sexual exploitation, which… to the attorney general, prosecutors need be disfor such behaviour. might account for 91 or 92 percent of the cases." ciplined enough to understand the difference beThe oft-studied case of Mexico's Juárez, which Female victims from across the region as well tween women who become involved with criminal saw 400 femicides between 1990 and 2005, is illusas other areas, such as Eastern Europe, are tricked into working in the sex trade where they are tortured, trative of how femicides often involve "symbolic" ef- organizations willingly and those are forced to join fects. Murdered women in Juárez were found to have due to economic dependence, or other reasons. raped, and often murdered.

De Andrés agrees that, although the legislation One of the most troubling aspects of this form of undergone torture, rape, mutilation -- especially of defining and criminalizing femicides is strong in the sexual organs and breasts, and decapitation. crime is that, as de Andrés points out, the woman's But those signs of torture are more anomalies many Latin American countries, what is lacking is "victimization never ends." Even if the victims manage to escape or are rescued, they may be killed in in the pattern than the rule. Of the 400 cases docu- prosecution and prevention. Re-victimization is a retaliation or even fall back into the trade if they are mented in Juárez, all but 100 were resolved, and critical issue that can be resolved by increasing atnot given sufficient attention and alternative work most of those cases involved domestic partners or tention to victims, as well as protecting those who put themselves at risk by becoming witnesses. people that the victim knew. opportunities, which they rarely are.

Given the nature of organized crime, internationNonetheless, the brutal tactics seen on some of the Widespread impunity in human trafficking cases, fear of denouncing crimes, and the huge profit- victims do appear to be a means of delivering a mes- al action is essential in preventing femicides. One reability of the market -- up to $320 million a year in sage and are still common today, particularly in the sponse to this issue is a new UNODC-backed "Blue the region alone, according to the UNODC official Northern Triangle. According to Aldana, these brutal Heart" Campaign, which looks to raise awareness on -- causes the victimization of women to be an ongo- tactics not only bear the clear markings of organized human trafficking on transnational flights.

In Guatemala, the government established a specifing reality. Women and girls are increasingly becom- crime, they are also an expression of misogyny. ic law regarding femicide in 2008; launched a task force, "The difference in Guatemala between the death ing victims of other variations of the crime, including a lucrative and often deadly illegal organ trafficking of a man and the death of a woman is that the wom- created a special court for hearing these cases, and esan is raped before she is killed, she is mutilated … tablished a center where victims can give testimony industry and the smuggling of migrants.

This does not happen to men… It is clear to see how and receive psychological treatment in the same place.

Most recently, Aldana announced a Prosecumisogyny is present up until the moment of a womGang Violence tor's Office for Femicides's Office for Femicides that Another Latin American phenomenon that can an's death," she told InSight Crime. should be inaugurated in March 2016. And yet, she help explain the high rate of female murders is the admits that there continues to be a discouraging reWomen Who Work in Crime presence of gangs. sistance to the subject of femicides in her country.

Femicides can also be high among women who While the majority of gang-related deaths are "It is incredibly difficult for laws to be issued in famen, one of the fundamental threats to women is become members of criminal organizations. vor of women... to introduce a law requiring the judi"Within organized crime, patriarchal structures that they are considered to be the property of gang ciary to take a gendered approach in cases in which a and traditional gender roles continue to be repromembers. woman is involved in crime, it can't be so," she said. "I This is arguably the result of the origins of gangs duced," the Criminal Policy Unit of Colombia's Justice think we're a long way away from this way of working." themselves. According de Andrés of the UNODC, Ministry told InSight Crime. Indeed, women seldom Mimi Yagoub is a journalist at InSight Crime, specializing in infemicides linked to Central America's Mara gangs occupy higher positions in an organization, and are vestigative reporting on organized crime in the Americas. She holds a BA in Spanish and French from the University of Cambridge. can be traced back to Los Angeles in the 1980s, where rather used for menial, but often dangerous tasks.

S

aying Jesus would never ask them to be "hit men", Pope Francis begged young people in Mexico's gang-infested heartland on February 16 to shun the lure of easy money and big cars offered by drug traffickers.

Gang wars over the methamphetamine trade have torn the western state of Michoacan apart. Widespread kidnapping and extortion by gangs have sparked an uprising by vigilante groups.

"It is a lie to believe that the only way to live, or to be young, is to entrust oneself to drug dealers or others who do nothing but sow destruction and death," he told young people at a stadium rally in Morelia, the capital of Michoacan.

"Jesus would never ask us to be hit men," the pope said. "He would never send us out to death."

More than 100,000 people have been killed in Mexico's drug war over the last decade as rival gangs fight over territory and smuggling routes to the United States.

Francis, the first Latin American pope, is traveling to some of the poorest and most violent corners of Mexico on a six-day trip to bring a message of hope to millions of marginalized people.

While appealing to the young to shun a life where fleeting happiness is found in easy money, fast cars and brand-name clothes, Francis also took a swipe at Mexican authorities for failing to provide opportunities for the young.

"It is hard to feel the wealth of a na-

Jesus does not want you to be hit men: Pope Philip Pullella and Christine murray Reuters

tion when there are no opportunities for dignified work, no possibilities for study or advancement, when you feel your rights are being trampled on, which then leads you to extreme situations," the pope told them.

There was tight security for the visit to Morelia, a picturesque city known for its Spanish

colonial architecture, given scattered outbursts of violence in recent months.

It is Francis' first trip to Mexico as pontiff.

In Mexico City, he chastised bishops for being gossips obsessed with coddling wealthy patrons and failing to denounce the evils of the drug trade.

WRITE-WING

BE FRONT-LINE PRIESTS On February 16 morning, the Argentine pontiff urged priests not to be resigned to evils around them like drug trafficking, and not to remain entrenched in their churches, but rather to head out to the front lines to help those suffering.

Before the rally with the young, Francis visited Morelia's 17th century baroque cathedral. Tens of thousands of people who could not enter his events lined the streets for a glimpse of the pope.

"Its a miracle that he has chosen to come here to lift our spirits," said housewife Maria Hernandez, 66. "Michoacan has suffered so much."

In 2014, the state descended into bitter conflict as vigilante groups took up arms against the powerful Knights Templar drug gang.

President Enrique Pena Nieto's government sent in the army and forged an uneasy alliance with the vigilantes.

Before Francis entered another stadium in Morelia for a morning Mass, the crowd counted aloud to 43, a gesture to remember dozens of trainee teachers who were abducted and apparently massacred by a drug gang in league with corrupt police in 2014 in the neighboring state of Guerrero.

As many as 200,000 Catholics are expected to cross from El Paso, Texas into Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on Wednesday to see Francis in a massive pilgrimage likely to choke roads and immigration offices.

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.

FriDAY 19•02•2016

PERSPECTIVE

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

7

Why does the Basque Beyond Powerlessness Country seem so quiet about

If we want to escape from our situation of powerlessness and anxiety, we must re-examine our relationship to the political, and strive to produce new types of political practice

O

independence nowadays?

B

Geoffroy de Lagasnerie

ne of the questions that critical theory must pose concerns our relationship to the present. One of the essential tasks of philosophy is to render a diagnosis of the present. But there are many ways of rendering such a diagnosis, many ways of understanding how we came to this situation, and thus many ways of relating and reacting to the present.

Disempowerment I am not normally prone to dramatic or theatrical formulations. But I believe that, today, we are living in a critical moment. We are confronted with the necessity of radically interrogating who we are, our ways of thinking, our ways of acting – indeed, our very state of being. If I had to characterize the contemporary political situation using only one term, I would use the concept of powerlessness.

For many months, indeed many years, and in almost all aspects of social life, the policies that western states have enacted have been guided by a logic that we know to be dangerous, harmful or unethical. And yet, we find it hard to combat, curb or guide governments towards more acceptable solutions. There is no shortage of recent examples: the authoritarian management of the European debt crisis, most notably in Greece; the migrant crisis – which has led to the reemergence of borders, walls and camps throughout Europe – the establishment of mass surveillance on a global scale and control of the Internet, and, finally, in France, the imposition of a state of emergency just two months ago… These are just a few examples.

Of course, the mere fact that states are animated by a conservative logic that we find ourselves struggling against is nothing new. But what is unique, or perhaps exacerbated, today is our growing inability to influence the course of events. Whenever we intervene, whenever we protest, whenever we make demands of the state, these actions seem to yield everdiminishing transformative results.

We must look upon the present situation with lucidity. We must not lie to ourselves. We must begin with the truth: for many years now, whenever we’ve situated ourselves in the camp of progress and emancipation, we’ve lost the struggle.

And there are many people today who, consequently, live through their political lives in sadness and dismay. As I recently wrote, along with Edouard Louis, in a public manifesto that appeared in Le Monde and the LA Review of Books, the experience of politics, for most of us, is increasingly an experience of powerlessness.

Obviously, we are not, as intellectuals, artists, activists, etc., responsible for everything.

Much of the responsibility lies in the mechanisms of state rationality, the unresponsiveness of the political field, the ideologies propagated by the media system, etc. But we can no longer afford to dwell on these types of analyses. If we want to escape from our situation of powerlessness and anxiety, we must also re-examine of our relationship to the political, and strive to produce new types of political practice.

Fundamentally, I wonder if we have become so used to losing that we no longer question this situation. We think of our failures as inevitable. Against this habit, I think that we must politicize this situation.

We must ask why emancipatory politics seems condemned to impotence, and how it could be otherwise.

Action Confronting our state of powerlessness first of all demands some reflection on our dominant modes of political practice. I think we take far too little account of the fact that the space of contestation is one of the most codified spaces of social life: dissent is always conducted according to established forms. Strikes, demonstrations, petitions, lobbying, civil disobedience even violent riots, constitute recognized forms of dissent. In other words, we exist upon a political terrain in which the expression of political dissent is already inscribed with the logic of the political system, and is, in a sense, programmed by it.

We can only move beyond our powerlessness by conducting a critique of the traditional forms of political action. In fact, we must ask ourselves: what it is we do when we use the established modes of democratic dissent. Are we taking action? Or are we simply protesting to express our disagreement? If our protests accomplish nothing - or, in any case, only rarely produce substantive changes - doesn't this mean that the normal forms of action function as traps?

When we resort to them, we feel we are taking action; when in reality, we do nothing more than express our discontent. Haven’t the traditional forms of protest lost their efficacy and become routinized?

What would a mode of protest look like that is not already prescribed by the system? If we are to seriously challenging the state, should we not try to take the state by surprise? In this respect, I think that the anonymous leak constitutes one of the most significant political developments of the past several years.

I know very well that much contemporary political theory concentrates its attention on mass protests or occupations such as Occupy, the indignants movement in Spain, or the Arab Spring. These are undoubtedly very important movements. But I wonder if all this attention actually reinforces traditional notions of politics and classical categories (like “The People”, the “We”, the “Common”, the “Public Space”), instead of interrogating how politics actually functions and then opening new possibilities.

And I wonder if the solitary actions of whistleblowers represent an unprecedented form of political action, one which might help us to rethink the entire scene of contemporary politics itself.

Temporality We must also rethink our relationship to politics in terms of strategy and temporality. I suggest that if we continue to lose battles, it’s because we continue to situate ourselves in relation to the state, and we do

so in response to the actions of the state.

We are living in an epoch of such political regression that political critique tends to limit itself to the task of reacting against state actions. We constitute ourselves as a political subject according to what the state does: it’s ‘the State’ that sets the terms of debate, that chooses the parameters of our political temporality, and the states plural that establish the topics we debate. Criticism is thus undertaken from a reactive and subordinate position. This is the reason why the state dominates: it imposes itself upon us and, as a matter of strategy; we are incapable of imposing ourselves upon it.

Rethinking politics thus means rethinking our relationship with time. We must find a way of resisting the state without reacting against the state. We must be careful not to continually situate ourselves in relation to the state. We must try to use the element of surprise by generating our own mode of temporality, by attacking the state where it doesn’t expect, and by creating new themes that it hasn’t yet considered …In short, it is crucial to try to establish a new political temporality.

Critical theory Thirdly, we must consider the problem of language and the associated modes of analysis that we deploy. If we want to invent a new mindset in order to escape from our disempowerment, we need to redefine the space of critical theory.

My thesis is that the dominant narratives used by contemporary critical theory to understand the present tend to block or limit our capacities for resistance, rather than enliven them. The problem of our “critical vocabulary” interests me very much, especially since writing my book on Foucault and neoliberalism, where I interrogated what it means to develop a forward-looking, non-reactionary critique of the present: how, I asked, are we to critique neoliberalism without erecting the past as a norm or privileged referent?

I believe that our contemporary political impotence stems from the fact that, in most areas of analysis, we struggle to formulate a genuine and collective critique of the past and the present – and thus we fail to produce inventive modes of critique.

And while it would undoubtedly be unfair to say that most critical theorists are backward-looking, I think it is nonetheless correct to point out that the way in which operations of power are codified in critical theory often reifies the a prior political regime as a positive referent that is placed beyond question.

According to our contemporary vocabulary, operations of power are often theorized in negative terms, as something that subtracts from some preestablished reality: power defeats, it destroys, it dismantles, it removes, it weakens, etc. Most analyses of neoliberalism, for example, articulate neoliberal rationality as a force that erodes pre-existing institutions, undermines the values at the center of our collective frameworks (the welfare state, state laws, moral norms, etc.,) and which destroys something like the Common, public political space, etc.

Consider another example taken from critical discussions of mass surveillance. The critique of the state and its intelligence agencies on this subject usually speaks of the way in which mass surveillance ‘erodes’ traditional privacy protections and ‘dismantles’ the limitations that kept state power from intruding into our private lives. And so these traditional protections and limitations function as criteria we use to characterize the negativity of the present situation.

The rhetoric that I’m interrogating here is especially present in France at the moment with respect to current debates about the “state of emergency.” Since the attacks last November, the French government has declared a “state of emergency” that grants far greater powers to the police and the state administration, at the expense of the powers of the judiciary.

While this situation is, of course, very serious, criticism is nonetheless often limited to the decision to create arbitrary suspensions of common law.

Resisting these new powers has therefore led to a valorization of common law and its return, through a discourse that characterizes the traditional court system as the guarantor of liberty, and which champions judiciary power as an indispensible protective institution.

When we criticize something by characterizing it as exceptional, we tend to want to return, and hence preserve, that which came before, when really it is precisely this prior order of things that we should be attacking in the first place: for common law contains, in effect, almost as much arbitrary power as the state of exception, it’s just that we fail to see this.

This is not to say, of course, that there are never any “regressions,” nor that the past, in some instances, can indeed be considered “better” than the present.

However, my thesis is that if we want to develop a new political mindset, we must generate new narratives of power. We need to move beyond negative concepts like “dismantling,” “destruction,” “reduction,” “precaritization,” “exception” etc., This vocabulary logically leads to a position in which a previous state of power relations functions as an unquestioned axiom upon which all criticism is based.

This vocabulary, therefore, produces a very specific mode of critique, one that necessitates a critical silence about a prior state of power relations as its fun-

damental condition of possibility.

Thus little by little, we cede political terrain: the past order, which we once criticized, gradually becomes a positive referent and becomes constituted as such. And the state, little by little, gains ground, and we continually lose the capacity to imagine different configurations.

Invention Today, our modes of action, our relationship to time, and our narration of power functions in a paradoxical manner: at the very same moment in which we constitute ourselves as political subjects, we also constitute ourselves as subjects dominated by a system of power, by the state. It is this paradox that explains why we continue to fail.

While such a conclusion may appear desperate, I do not believe it need to be so. In the first place, it is much less despairing to clearly perceive our present situation than to continue to deceive ourselves, and to continue to stagnate as a result.

But above all, we need not despair because experimentation with new modes of action has already taken place. Some interventions undertaken in recent years can act as sources of inspiration from which we can begin to re-fashion ourselves as political subjects. In particular, I am thinking of the actions of Snowden, Assange and Manning, the struggles against state surveillance, the leaks published by Wikileaks, etc. I am not necessarily saying that these acts of resistance should be held up as models that we all must imitate. Rather, I argue that we should look to these figures, and these struggles, as instruments with which we might interrogate our own political unconscious, and re-invent a broader art of insubordination in every domain of social life.

For if people like Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden and Julian Assange compel such fascination for us today, and if the repression that has been brought to bear on them is so intense, it is, in my opinion, because they have managed to rupture the traditional rules of the political game.

Indeed, I would say these figures constitute the most developed or advanced examples of what could be described as a form of political autonomy, inasmuch as they were able to invent their political modes of action instead of using the traditional ones. In the first instance, they managed to alter traditional political temporality: they took the state completely by surprise. Their dissent originated from a place the state did not at all suspect. Whistleblowers, almost by definition, are insiders, conformists, individuals who are integrated within state institutions; they are not, at least at first, outsiders or traditional figures of dissent.

Secondly, Snowden, Assange and Manning were all able to impose their agenda upon the state. They posed questions of the state that the state did not want posed or did want to hide.

And they acted in a way that destabilized the state. We could mention here the importance of anonymity, which denies the public character of politics, refuses identification to the figure dissent, and which challenges the traditional operation of public space.

One could think of Snowden and Assange’s acts of fleeing and sedition, which refuse to partake in the rules of the political game, as not only a means of escaping the penal system and national belonging but of questioning the right of the state to judge our political actions and their legality.

I could cite many other examples. But what is most important for me is to emphasize the extent to which Snowden, Assange and Manning have not merely raised questions about the erosion of our liberal-constitutional orders, though they have certainly done this. More importantly, they have invented new questions, new ways of being in the world, and have increasingly defied sovereignty, the liberal rule of law, and therefore defied our entire political scene itself. They stood up against the established rules of democratic contestation, and have accordingly forced the state to occupy a reactionary position.

The sheer intensity of state repression that has been brought to bear on these dissidents can only be understood in this context: the repression against these figures may, ultimately, have less to do with the mere punishment of crimes and may really be more about re-imposing a classical conception of citizenship upon them, in an attempt to re-inscribe them into a system they have sought to unravel. It is a strategy on the part of the state to suppress a new way of doing politics that is unrecognized by the state and which therefore eludes it.

Conclusion If we want to escape from the state of powerlessness gripping us, if we want to generate a new kind of political mindset, it is my view that these activists and their actions provide a rich source of inspiration.

And while it is surely not the only source, it is an important one: for our goal should be to act as they have acted across every domain of social and political life.

We must find a way to place the state in a position of deprivation with respect to us, and force it to react to what we do. Our goal should be to invent new forms of resistance that are not merely oppositional but also inventive, not merely expressive but also active. In other word, we have to invent what would be an autonomous way of being and struggling.

Koldo Casla

asque nationalism has never held more institutional power. Together, the Basque moderate nationalist party (PNV) and the pro-independence left (Bildu, “Unite”) hold 60% of the vote and 64% of the seats (48/75) at the Parliament of the Basque Country.

Navarre, which constitutes a separate administrative region but lies at the core of the Basque motherland in the nationalist narrative, is now ruled by a coalition comprised by a pro-Basque party (Geroa Bai, “Yes to the future”), Bildu and the rather small Spanish Izquierda Unida (“United Left”). Nationalism is in command in all three provincial governments, the three main Basque citConsidering the ies, Pamplona (Hemingway’s and other San Fermin nationalist surge in lovers’ delight), and the Catalonia, Scotland vast majority of towns in and other European the region.

Considering the naregions, why does tionalist surge in Catalothe formerly restive nia and elsewhere in EuBasque Country rope (Scotland, Belgium, Corsica…), why does the seem so quiet about Basque Country seem independence? so quiet about independence? I believe this is due to three main factors, one institutional, one historical and one strategic, and that there is a common thread through all three of them: the economic crisis.

The institutional factor is a very unique tax system, known as “economic concert/covenant”, recognised in the Constitution of 1978. The Basque Country and Navarre are the only two regions that collect their own taxes and transfer a portion of them to the Spanish Treasury. The percentage (“cupo”) is negotiated between Spain and the Basque Country and Navarre separately, and it is greater than their share of population or GDP. Handling their own taxes gives them a level of economic autonomy far greater than that enjoyed by Catalan authorities.

The economic concert has also served to reduce notably the width and depth of austerity policies applied elsewhere.

This tax system enjoys wide support across the Basque political spectrum, both on the right and the left, among nationalist and non-nationalist parties. However, in the context of the economic crisis and austerity, in the rest of Spain a rising number of voices within the conservative PP, the social-democratic PSOE and the centre-liberal Ciudadanos are denouncing the economic concert as some sort of unfair privilege.

As important as institutions are, one should not ignore where we are coming from. Damaged by social rejection, police action and political ineffectiveness, ETA put an end to its four decades of killings and threats in October 2011. After a long delay, the pro-independence left, a good chunk of which refused to condemn ETA’s action while it was active, recently started “to acknowledge the harm they caused”, in their own words.

In the meantime, hundreds of ETA prisoners keep serving their sentences scattered around Spain and France far away from their families, while Spain has not implemented human rights recommendations from the UN and the Council of Europe related to torture in the fight against terrorism. The Basque Country is still learning to lick its wounds, look after the victims and build the necessary bridges to foster social reconciliation. A great deal of audacity and generosity is required, and independence would be a highly divisive issue in a society in need of appeasement. Besides, the economic crisis gave media and the Basque people something at least as important to worry about.

The third factor I want to talk about is the strategic choice made by the moderate nationalism since it got back to power nearly four years ago. PSOE had been in the Basque government for three years, with PP’s parliamentary support.

In 2012, ETA’s endgame boosted a refreshed pro-independence left back into institutions, but PNV remained the largest party. Daunted by recession and unemployment (which never reached the numbers seen elsewhere in Spain), the newly appointed First Minister, Iñigo Urkullu, from PNV, made the clear choice of attempting to rebuild the economy before building the nation. With this agenda in mind, PNV felt that PSOE was a more reliable ally than Bildu. The Spanish social democrats now support PNV’s regional government, and both parties share power in the three provincial governments and many municipalities.

Institutions, historical background and political strategy hide behind the independent elephant in the Basque room.

That said, the storyline may very well change. Ciudadanos is essentially nonexistent in the Basque Country, PP has reached historical lows and PSOE is struggling to keep its place. Moreover, one should not forget that in 2003, another PNV figure, former First Minister Juan Jose Ibarretxe, came up with a plan to turn the Basque Country into a state “freely associated” with Spain. That plan came to nothing in the end, but ETA is not an obstacle anymore, and the European spectrum of centrifugal nationalism may carry this wave back to the Basque coastline.

Whether “they can” resurrect the pro-independence agenda will very much be shaped by “We can” (Podemos).

Somehow unexpectedly, Podemos received the largest share of Basque votes in the Spanish election last December. PNV has publicly said that they want to see a coalition between PSOE and Podemos in Madrid, but nationalists and pro-independence leftists must secretly fear that Podemos could steal their votes in the Basque elections next autumn.

Although it does not support independence, Podemos is in favour of a referendum and its territorial policy is much less centripetal than that of PP, Ciudadanos or even PSOE. On the other hand, it is at least questionable whether Podemos’s manifesto offers anything radically new to Basque politics. No corruption scandals have burst out, and with 4.5% of the population, the region encompasses 40% of all the welfare spending in the whole of Spain.

Bildu did not perform well in December, losing 5 of its 7 MPs in Madrid, but the Spanish Parliament is not one of Bildu’s priorities. Furthermore, they believe to have an ace up their sleeve. Their best-known historical leader, Arnaldo Otegi, will be released in March, after serving more than six years in prison for “being part of ETA”. It is widely admitted that Otegi was instrumental in ETA’s decision to declare a permanent ceasefire in 2011. Bildu will try to nominate him as their leading candidate in the election later this year, a likely decision of very uncertain outcome.

A special tax regime has granted Basque institutions a level or autonomy hardly comparable elsewhere in Europe.

Basque society is still getting back to normal after decades of terrorism and social division. And political leaders made a deliberate choice for stability and economic recovery in a context of socioeconomic crisis.

The scenario may change, of course, but political forces will face a number of challenges. The ongoing negotiations to conform the Spanish government and the Basque elections later this year will shed light on what the future holds.

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

8

FridAY 19•02•2016

INDIA

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Kanhaiya moves SC for bail, opposition petitions Prez new delHI, February 18 (IanS): JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested for sedition, on Thursday moved the Supreme Court for bail as students rallied in support across the country and the opposition took the row to President Pranab Mukherjee.

A Supreme Court bench led by Justices J. Chelameswar and Abhay Manohar Sapre said Kumar's plea will be heard on Friday morning.

His lawyer Vrinda Grover told the judges that the atmosphere in the Patiala House Courts, where the accused was allegedly assaulted by a group of lawyers, was not conducive for moving the bail application.

She said Kumar was invoking his fundamental right under Article 32 by moving the Supreme court for bail.

The bail plea came as the JNU issue - triggered by a meeting on Kashmir at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) - sparked student protests in Delhi, West Bengal, Bihar and Karnataka with protestors demanding Kumar's release and dropping of sedition charges against him.

The 28-year-old student leader was arrested on February 12 for allegedly raising anti-national slogans at the JNU event three days earlier against the 2013 execution of Afzal Guru, the Kashmiri militant blamed for the terror attack on Indian parliament in 2001.

Kumar has denied the charges.

Former Delhi University lecturer S.A.R. Geelani, also arrested for organis-

Now all central universities told to fly tricolour atop 207 ft mast

Surajkund (Har), February 18 (PTI): All 46 Central Universities will fly the tricolour atop a 207-feet tall flag mast "prominently and proudly" on their campuses to signify a "strong India" and the first will be hoisted at JNU, a resolution adopted at a meeting chaired by HRD Minister Smriti Irani said today."At a central place in every university, the national flag will be flown prominently and proudly," the resolution passed at a meeting Irani had with the Vice Chancellors of Central universities, said.

The decision came in the midst of raging row over the arrest of JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar on sedition charges for being present at an event on the campus where anti-India slogans were raised. Though the government is

facing strident opposition criticism over the issue, today's move reflects its resolve to adopt an aggressive posture on it.

The proposal for hoisting the national tricolour atop a 207-feet pole was put forward by Irani and unanimously endorsed by all the 46 Vice Chancellors, HRD officials said. She also put forth the proposal for hoisting the first such flag at JNU, which too was backed by all the VCs, they said.

Officials in HRD Ministry said as per the resolution all the central universities, including JNU, will have to fly the tricolor and the decision was taken to "symbolise a strong and united India" in the institutions of higher education. Irani had called the meeting of VCs following widespread protest over suicide of dalit scholar of Hyderabad University Rohith Vemula.

Protests, counter-protests in several states Students during their Stand With JNU solidarity march in New Delhi on February 18.

ing a similar meeting at the Press Club of India, was on Thursday sent to 14 days in judicial custody. Both Geelani and Kumar will be in Tihar Jail.

Kumar, the first president of the JNU Students Union from the CPI-affiliated AISF, drew support from the Congress, Left and Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party which denounced the government for "high handedness".

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and other party leaders told President Mukherjee that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was trying to impose a "flawed" and "dead" ideology of the RSS on the student community.

"It is not the government's job to destroy in-

stitutions. This nation will prosper because of our students' imagination. Imposing an ideology on them will not benefit the nation," he told reporters.

Gandhi said Kumar's arrest for sedition and the violence witnessed at the Patiala House Courts here on Monday and Wednesday had sent out "bad signals" about India and damaged its global image.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also met the president and blamed the central government for the violence in the Patiala House Courts.

Kejriwal said Delhi Police would not have remained silent during the violence if they were not directed to do so.

"Delhi Police is a uni-

formed force... If its master says don't do anything, they won't do anything. If the master tells them to shoot, they will shoot," Kejriwal said. "Their master is (the) central government... This is the dictatorship of the prime minister (Modi)."

Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi, however, denied that Kumar was assaulted in the court on Wednesday and justified the sedition charge.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPIM) said the JNU Students Union didn't organise the February 9 meeting where anti-India slogans were supposedly raised.

Calling Kumar's arrest "an over the top reaction", it said it was "a deliberate political inter-

vention by the BJP government" as the RSS and BJP had always been ranged against the JNU, where Left student unions have for decades enjoyed huge support.

On Thursday, thousands of students from universities and colleges staged a massive protest in Delhi to demand Kumar's release. Several teachers, lawyers, activists and theatre artists joined them.

In Patna, similar protests led to clashes between activists of the All India Students Federation (AISF) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the RSS student wing. Student protests in support of Kumar were also reported from Jadavpur in West Bengal and Bengaluru.

PaTna/Vadodara, February 18 (PTI): Protests against the arrest of JNU students' union leader Kanhaiya Kumar on sedition charge spread to more states today and there were also counter-protests with police having to use mild force in Patna to defuse a clash.

Tamil folk-singer Kovan was among 57 people detained in Chennai during a protest march taken out against the arrest and attack of Kumar in Patiala House court in Delhi.

The protesters, who raised slogans against the Modi government, demanded Kumar's release.

Posters in support of JNU students opposing the arrest of Kumar were also found at University of Baroda in Vadodara even as the escalating JNU row echoed in Kerala Assembly.

Amid chanting of 'Vande Mataram' slogans, members of ABVP, the student outfit of RSS, staged counter-protests in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Kolkata, demanding action against 'anti-national' elements in Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU) in the national capital.

Student leaders of CPI's student wing AISF and workers of RJD's youth wing clashed with BJP workers outside the BJP office in Patna over arrest of Kumar, who hails from Bihar.

Patna City Superintendent of Police Chandan Kushwaha said a group of workers of AISF and the youth wing of Lalu Prasad's party reached Bihar's state BJP office to protest the arrest. The BJP which had given notice to take out a

march from its office to Income Tax roundabout was not allowed by the police to go ahead and stopped at the party office itself.

The City SP said the situation has been brought under control and additional police force deployed at the spot to prevent further clashes.

In Chennai, the protesters were part of cultural outfit Makkal Kalai Ilakiya Kazhagam, Revolutionary Students' Youth Front (RSYS) and five other student organisations.

They were also protesting against ABVP, the student wing of RSS. Kovan, who had already been arrested and slapped with a sedition case earlier for singing a song that allegedly insulted Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, reportedly sang a song against the Central government.

Nat'l Population Register to be ready by Dec 31 'India visit to clear misunderstanding between 2 neighbours' new delHI, February 18 (PTI): The National Population Register (NPR) is expected to be finalised by December 31.

At an all-India conference, the state governments and UT administrations presented the NPR progress report of their respective states and made various suggestions for completion of various NPR data in respect of each household.

Registrar General of Citizen Registration of

India, Sailesh, who chaired the conference, said the next six months will be devoted towards final updation tasks and requested the state governments to ensure that these are completed and the NPR is finalised by December 31, 2016, an official spokesperson said.

The emphasis of the conference was to complete and publish the Population Register, which will form the basis for preparing the National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC).

'Govt many consider OROP for premature retirees' new delHI, February 18 (IanS): Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday said the grant of 'One Rank One Pension' to those who took premature retirement from the armed forces could be considered with certain conditions.

"We want to differentiate between voluntary retirement for better prospects and premature retirement in the interest of the Army," Parrikar said in response to a question on the demand by ex-servicemen to include early retirees in the OROP scheme. "...need to differentiate who is retiring for his own ben-

efit and who is retiring for the nation's benefit," he said in an interview to Karan Thapar on India Today TV. He said the issue will be looked into by the one-man judicial committee formed on the matter.

On equalisation of pensions, another contentious issue between the government and armed force veterans, Parrikar said the committee can look into this as well if they wanted, adding that "feasibility" was the main issue.

The minister said the incremental value of pensions in case of equalisation will be

"fractional".

"The sum is small," he said, "whether it is feasible to do it every year will be referred to the committee."

"It took me two months to get this table (of pensions under OROP) out after putting all my department on work," the minister said.

On "discrimination" against the armed forces visa-vis the 7th pay commission report, Parrikar said he will wait for the whole analysis of the report.

"All the legitimate concerns of the armed force will be addressed," he assured.

Global teacher prize: Indian among contenders

london, February 18 (PTI): An Indian teacher who runs a not-for-profit school in Mumbai for girls from the city’s red light areas was named in the top 10 shortlist for a global prize for teachers on Wednesday.

Robin Chaurasiya, founder of Kranti, will compete with teachers from the U.K., U.S., Nairobi, Palestine, Japan, Finland, Australia and Pakistan to win the $1 million Global Teacher Prize 2016.

“There was a teacher behind every great artist, every great philosopher, every great scientist. However difficult life can be, teachers have always been there, behind the scenes, showing us the way forward,” said renowned scientist Prof. Stephen Hawking as he announced the top 10 in London.

“I wasn’t the easiest person to teach.

I was slow to learn to read, and my handwriting was untidy. But, at the age of 14, my teacher, Dikran Tahta, showed me how to

harness my energy, and encouraged me to think creatively about maths. He made me wonder. He made me curious. He opened up new worlds to me. That is what a great teacher can do,” Hawking said.

In reference to the founder of the prize, Kerala-born entrepreneur Sunny Varkey, Hawking said: “Thanks to Sunny Varkey, and the Varkey Foundation. We need great teachers to grow great minds, or we will never solve the world’s most pressing problems.” The prize was created last year as a kind of Oscars for the teaching profession by the U.K.-based Varkey Foundation.

Chaurasiya refers to her students as krantikaries (revolutionaries), who are aged between 12 and 20 and include victims of trafficking and daughters of sex workers. They go on to become peer teachers and community leaders.

Varkey said: “I want to congratulate Robin Chaurasiya for being selected among the top 10 finalists from such a huge number of talented and dedicated teachers.” “I hope her story will inspire those looking to enter the teaching profession and also shine a powerful spotlight on the incredible work teachers do all over India and throughout the world everyday,” Varkey said.

The top 10 have been narrowed down from 8,000 nominations and applications from 148 countries from around the world.

The prize will be announced on March 13.

kaTHMandu, February 18 (IanS): A day ahead of his state visit to India, Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli has said his visit will clear the misunderstanding that developed recently between the two neighbours and bring IndiaNepal friendship back on track.

Briefing media persons here on Thursday about his six-day India visit, Oli said the government does not have any specific agenda or proposals to be made during his visit.

"This visit is being organised amid complex circumstances... the major objective is to clear a few misunderstandings that surfaced between the two neighbours in the last few months and taking the bilateral ties to new heights," the prime minister said. "We want friendship, co-existence and mutual respect from India and we must continue this age-old relation on an equal footing... we are conscious about our interest," he added.

Refuting speculations about agreement on various pending projects, Oli stressed on creating a favourable and trust-worthy environment for strengthening

Nepal's Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, also known as KP Oli. (REUTERS File Photo)

the historic tie for implementation of development projects.

Observing that his upcoming visit, that begins on Friday, holds great importance for both sides, Oli said that taking the bilateral relations to a new heights and beginning of a new page in bilateral ties is another prime focus.

"We have some expectations ... and great expectation from India ... that is friendly behaviour from the Indian side. We also offer and commit the same on our side," he said. "Investment in

Nepal is secured, profitable and guaranteed ... I will tell the Indian business community in my interaction," said Oli adding that "We don't have any intention to add mud to water any more".

Oli's visit comes at a time when Nepal is struggling to get back to normal from an almost six-month-long Madhesi agitation and blockading of the IndiaNepal border by the protestors that led to an acute scarcity of food, fuel and medicines in the Himalayan nation. The prime

minister said the invitation by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was an initiative to take the friendship to a new height on the basis of mutual respect and co-existence.

He said India has already welcomed Nepal's new constitution which was promulgated on September 20 last year. "India invited the PM who was elected under the constitutional provision... that means India has welcomed the constitution in Nepal." No controversial agreements will be signed during the visit, said the PM adding that "My visit will lay ground for mutual trust and confidence".

The Nepali head of the government, who is embarking on the India visit with a 46-member delegation, further said that no agreement against national welfare will be concluded during his visit. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the prime minister will hold an official meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 20.

He will also pay courtesy calls on Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari.

'Make in India Week' gets Rs.15 lakh cr investment commitment MuMbaI, February 18 (IanS): India's biggest manufacturing promotional till date at home - the Make in India Week - concluded here on Thursday with investment commitments of over Rs.15 lakh crore ($220 billion), the government said.

"The numbers are in.

INR 15,20,000 Cr investment already committed at #MakeInIndia Week," the event's main organiser," the union Department Of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) said in a tweet.

"INR 1,05,000 crore of business enquirers generated during #MakeInIndia Week," another tweet said.

Enumerating the scale of the event, another tweet said: "8,90,000 visitors 8,245 B2B, B2G and G2G meetings 1,245 national and international speakers 215 exhibitors 102 nations".

Addressing the event's closing ceremony, DIPP

Secretary Amitabh Kant said: "Maharashtra will become the gateway of India".

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said over half of the investment commitments were for his state. "We have signed many memoranda of understanding with several companies across sectors to the tune of Rs.8 lakh crore during the Make In India Week," he said.

Of the total investments committed here, 30 percent are from foreign investors.

"We have already opened the economy across sectors to the world.

We're now showcasing, connecting and collaborating for manufacturing in the country," Kant told reporters at the closing press meet.

The Maharashtra government had signed pacts worth Rs.6 lakh crore, which included large commitments from Mahindra and Mahindra (Rs.8,000

crore), Mercedes (Rs.4,270 crore), Panchshil (Rs.5,000 crore), JSW Jaigarh Port (Rs.6,000 crore) and RCF Chemicals (Rs.6,204 crore), among others.

On Thursday, it signed other deals worth over Rs.1,60,000 crore, which include commitments from CIDCO's two projects - Khalapur Smart City (Rs.7,909 crore)and townships in NAINA project area worth Rs.29,952 crore.

The state government has also received commitments from retail players like Future Group (Rs.850 crore), Trent Hypermarket (Rs.400 crore), D-Mart (Rs.250 crore), Metro Shoes (Rs.50 crore), Shoppers Stop (Rs.50 crore) and Major Brands (Rs.50 crore).

Karnataka received Rs.9,700 crore of investment proposals on Wednesday at the Make in India Week.

"The investments include Rs.6,000 crore by First

Solar for a solar cell unit, Rs.2,284 crore by French firm Tar Kovacs Systems for an ocean-based renewable energy project and Rs.1,250 crore by Pert Telecom to make smart products and solutions for street lighting, IT security, surveillance and global positioning system (GPS)," an official statement said.

The event, inaugurated

by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 13, saw many corporate houses announce their plans to Make in India, notably, Mahindra and Mahindra, the Sajjan Jindal Group, Mercedez-Benz, Godrej, Posco, Vedanta, Ikea and Tatas.

Several union ministers made their pitch for investments at the event, with Power Minister Piyush Goyal saying his sector needed $1 trillion in investment.

While Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan outlined the existing and

future policies to attract funds into downstream and upstream oil projects, Heavy Industries Minister Anant Geete unfolded a policy to nearly double the share of capital goods in exports to 40 percent.

Meanwhile, US agency Moody's Investors Service on Thursday forecast for India "stable GDP growth at around 7.5 percent in 2016 and 2017", saying the country is relatively less exposed to external headwinds, like the Chinese slowdown, and will benefit from lower commodity prices.

"India is relatively less exposed to external factors, including China slowdown and global capital flows. Instead, the economic outlook will be primarily determined by domestic factors," Moody's said in its report "Global Macro Outlook 2016-17 - Global growth faces rising risks at time of policy constraint."

FridaY 19•02 •2016

WORLD

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

NKorea preparing for attack on SKorea: Report seOuL, FeBruAry 18 (AP): South Korea’s spy agency has told ruling party officials that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently ordered preparations for launching attacks on South Korea, in the latest sign of high tensions on the Korean peninsula after the North’s recent nuclear test and missile launch.

One official from the Saenuri Party who attended Thursday’s closed-door briefing by the National Intelligence Service says Kim’s spy agency has begun work to implement his order to “actively muster capabilities” to launch cyber and other attacks on South Korea.

North Korea has a history of attacks against South Korea, but it is impossible to independently confirm what’s really happening in the secretive North Korea. The Saenuri official refused to say whether the briefing discussed how the information has been obtained.

He requested anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak to media on the briefing. The spy agency said the attacks could target anti-Pyongyang activists, defectors and government officials. The comments come a day after four of the most advanced US fighter jets flew over South Korea in a clear show of force against North Korea amid a festering standoff over its nuclear and missile ambitions.

The stealthy, high-tech F-22 planes capable of sneaking past radar undetected landed at Osan Air Base near Seoul after the flyover escorted by other US and South Korean fighter jets. Pyongyang will likely view the arrival of the planes flown from a US base in Japan as a threat as they are a display of US airpower apparently aimed at showing what the United States can do to defend its ally South Korea from potential aggression from North Korea.

The US military would not say how long the F-22s will be deployed in South Korea. The United States often sends powerful warplanes to South Korea in times of tension with North Korea. Last month it sent a nuclearcapable B-52 bomber to South Korea after North Korea defiantly conducted its fourth nuclear test.

The international standoff over North Korea deepened earlier this month when Pyongyang ignored repeated warnings by regional powers and fired a long-range rocket carrying what it calls an Earth observation satellite.

Washington, Seoul and others consider the launch a prohibited test of missile technology.

Foreign analysts say the North’s rocket launch and nuclear test put the country further along it its quest for a nuclear-armed missile that could reach the US mainland.

South Korea’s president on Tuesday warned North Korea faces collapse if it doesn’t abandon its nuclear bomb program, an unusually strong broadside that is certain to infuriate Pyongyang.

Dissidents fearful as Thailand, once a haven, favoring China BANGKOK, FeBruAry 18 (reuters): One night last month, Liu Xuehong stood weeping outside the gates of the United Nations headquarters in Bangkok, begging the guards to let her in.

The Chinese dissident had received a threatening call from an anonymous Chinese official, and feared that she, like other asylum seekers in Thailand, would be snatched away by agents of China or deported by a Thai junta increasingly allied to it.

The U.N. guards refused her entry. “I felt so frustrated,” she said, tears streaming down her face. “We still live in fear here.”

Liu is one of hundreds of Chinese who have fled for Thailand, say human rights groups. It was long considered a refuge, but not anymore.

Two Chinese dissidents recently disappeared from Thai soil, only to reappear a few weeks later in China in police custody. Thailand deported two others late last year despite a U.N. plan to resettle them in Canada.

“Thailand is no longer a safe haven for Chinese dissidents,” said a senior Western diplomatic source based in Beijing.

Western governments have expressed concern over China’s apparent extra-territorial reach, as President Xi Jinping inten-

quarter of the total number of tourists. Last July, Thailand’s deported 109 Uighur Muslims to an uncertain fate in China in what the U.N. called “a flagrant violation of international law.”

Chinese dissident Liu Xuehong speaks during an interview with Reuters in Bangkok on February 2. (REUTERS Photo)

sifies a nationwide crackdown on human rights lawyers, journalists and labour activists.

China considers many dissidents to be criminals, including those who flee abroad.

HONG KONG BOOKSELLER Panitan Wattanayagorn, a top Thai government advisor, said police were “still checking” how the two Chinese dissidents had vanished from the country, and said it was possible one of them had “disappeared (by) himself.”

As for the two deportations of Chinese refugees in

November,Panitan said the Thai government would work more closely with the UNHCR “to prevent this kind of problem”. He said China had not applied any pressure.

“Thailand decides on its own,” he said.

Among those who disappeared in Thailand was Gui Minhai, one of five Hong Kong booksellers who have gone missing since late last year.

China’s Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the disappearances, but has said its law enforcement officials would never do anything illegal, especially overseas. It said the

November deportations were handled “in accordance with the law”.

The Thai junta’s seizure of power in 2014 strained ties with the West. As the United States and other countries downgraded political and military ties, the generals forged closer ties with Beijing.

China and Thailand held their first joint air force exercise in November. The following month, the two countries agreed to build a $13 billion railway line from the Thai-Lao border to Bangkok.

A record 7.9 million Chinese visited Thailand last year, or more than a

WHO seeks $56 mn for Zika; Brazil microcephaly cases rise GeNeVA, FeBruAry 18 (reuters): The World Health Organization (WHO) called on Wednesday for $56 million to combat the Zika virus, a disease that has been linked to severe birth defects in Brazil and has spread to nearly 30 countries and territories.

The funds sought would be used until June to fasttrack vaccines, carry out diagnostics and research into how the mosquito-borne virus spreads, as well as virus control, the WHO said.

A public health expert, Lawrence Gostin, said the United Nations health agency had “grossly underestimated” the need as the virus, which has spread rapidly across the Americas, will likely spread to many other regions.

The WHO declared the outbreak a global public health emergency on Feb. 1, noting the association of the virus with two neurological disorders: microcephaly in babies and Guillain-Barre

syndrome that can cause paralysis.

“Possible links with neurological complications and birth malformations have rapidly changed the risk profile for Zika from a mild threat to one of very serious proportions,” WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said in a WHO strategy paper on Wednesday.

The funds sought include $25 million for the agency and its regional office and the rest for aid partners such as UNICEF. The WHO expects the money to come from states and other donors. In the meantime it has tapped a new emergency contingency fund for $2 million for initial operations.

Gostin, a professor at Georgetown University in Washington, said the WHO should have a much larger emergency contingency fund. He compared the funding plan to the WHO’s initial slow response to the outbreak of Ebola, a virus that killed more than 11,300

people in two years, mostly cross the placental barrier in West Africa. and providing another piece of evidence linking the virus BRAZIL MICROCEPHALY with the birth defect.

CASES RISE There is no treatment for Brazil, worst hit by the Zika, which had been viewed Zika outbreak, said on as a relatively mild illness Wednesday that most of the until the concerns over mi508 confirmed cases of mi- crocephaly and Guillaincrocephaly reported in the Barre syndrome emerged. country are likely related to At least 15 companies the virus, and called its previ- and academic groups are ous count too conservative. rushing to develop a vaccine.

Brazil is investigating more Hopes of a breakthrough than 3,900 additional sus- took a small step forward on pected cases of microceph- Wednesday when U.S. bioaly, but it has not yet been tech firm Inovio Pharmaproven that the virus can ceuticals Inc said its expericause the rare defect. mental shot had induced a Microcephaly is marked robust and durable response by abnormally small head in mice. Shares of the U.S. size that can result in devel- biotech firm, which expects opmental problems. The to test its product in humans Health Ministry reported on before the end of the year, Wednesday a total of 4,443 rose by as much as 7% on suspected and confirmed Wednesday. cases of microcephaly, up from 4,314 a week earlier. Re- COLOMBIA MAY searchers on Wednesday re- HOLD CLUES ported finding the virus in the Colombia is another Latamniotic fluid of two fetuses in American country hard diagnosed with microceph- hit by Zika and that counaly, suggesting Zika virus can try’s health minister said

the effects of the virus there could have global relevance as scientists research the suspected link with microcephaly. In contrast to Brazil, Colombia has yet to register any cases of the birth defect connected to Zika, Health Minister Alejandro Gaviria told Reuters.

Zika is primarily transmitted by a type of mosquito, meaning current efforts to control the outbreak are focused on protecting people, especially pregnant women, from bites and eradicating mosquito populations in affected areas. However, research is under way on potential transmission by sexual contact. The WHO noted on Wednesday that “existing scarce evidence indicates that there may be a risk of sexual transmission.” But research studies are needed to assess the presence of the Zika virus in semen and other body fluids and potential sexual transmission as well as mother-to-child transmission, the WHO said.

Explosion in Ankara kills at least twenty-eight ANKArA, FeBruAry 18 (AP): A car bomb went off in the Turkish capital Wednesday near vehicles carrying military personnel, killing at least 28 people and wounding 61 others, officials said.

The explosion occurred during evening rush hour in the heart of Ankara, in an area close to parliament and armed forces headquarters and lodgings. Buses carrying military personnel were targeted while waiting at traffic lights at an intersection, the Turkish military said while condemning the “contemptible and dastardly” attack.

“We believe that those who lost their lives included our military brothers as well as civilians,” Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said. At least two military vehicles caught fire and dozens of ambulances were sent to the scene. Dark smoke could be seen billowing from a distance.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Kurtulmus pledged that authorities would find those behind the bombing. He said the government had appointed seven prosecutors to investigate the attack, which he described as being “well-planned.”

Kurdish rebels, the Islamic State group and a leftist extremist group have carried out attacks in the country recently. In October, suicide bombings blamed on IS targeted a peace rally outside the main train

9

Firefighters prepare to extinguish fire after an explosion in Ankara on February 17.

station in Ankara, killing 102 people in Turkey’s deadliest attack in years.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the bombing saying it exceeds all “moral and humane boundaries.”

Turkey is determined to fight those who carried out the attack as well as the “forces” behind the assailants, he said.

“Our determination to retaliate to attacks that aim against our unity and future grows stronger with every action,” Erdogan said. “It must be known that Turkey will not refrain

from using its right to self-defense at all times.”

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Kimoon also condemned the explosion and “hopes the perpetrators of this terrorist attack will be swiftly brought to justice,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

Wednesday’s attack comes at a tense time when the Turkish government is facing an array of challenges.

A fragile peace process with Kurdish rebels collapsed in the summer and renewed fighting has displaced tens of thousands of civilians.

Turkey has also been helping efforts led by the United States to combat the Islamic State group in neighboring Syria, and has faced several deadly bombings in the last year that were blamed on IS. The Syrian war is raging along Turkey’s southern border. Recent airstrikes by Russian and Syrian forces have prompted tens of thousands of Syrian refugees to flee to Turkey’s border. Turkey so far has refused to let them in, despite being urged to do so by the United Nations and European nations, but is sending aid to Syrian refugee camps right across the border.

Turkey, which is already home to 2.5 million Syrian refugees, has also been a key focus of European Union efforts to halt the biggest flow of refugees to the continent since World War II. Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of refugees leave every night from Turkey to cross the sea to Greece in smugglers’ boats.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg strongly condemned the “terrorist attack” and offered his condolences to the families of the victims. Stoltenberg said there can be no justification “for such horrific acts” and that “NATO Allies stand shoulder to shoulder in the fight against terrorism.” German Chancellor Angela Merkel said: “In the battle against those responsible for these inhuman acts we are on the side of Turkey.”

FLUSHING OUT DISSIDENTS Dissidents like Liu say the disappearances and deportations are part of a diplomatic and security squeeze by China to flush them out. Aiding them in Thailand, she believes, are Chinese agents posing as asylum-seekers.

Liu, 55, was jailed for a month in Beijing in 2014 for “disturbing social order,” a catch-all charge often used to suppress human rights activists. But she continued her work until last June, just weeks before the Chinese authorities began arresting hundreds of lawyers, legal assistants and activists in a nationwide crackdown.

“Almost all the people around me in China have been arrested,” she said.

Liu flew to Thailand, where she is now a U.N.registered refugee awaiting resettlement. She can still be arrested and deported for illegally entering Thailand, which officially doesn’t recognise refugee status.

Men in cars often follow her through Bangkok, she says. “We have no protection here,” said Liu.

Liu arrived in Thailand by plane. But other Chinese, too fearful to use their passports, travel overland through ill-policed borders from neighbouring countries with the help of human smugglers.

FALUN GONG Song Zhiyu, 43, from Hebei Province, is a member of Falun Gong, a religious group banned as a cult in China.

He left China on a smuggler’s motorbike until reaching the Myanmar town of Mongla. In Mongla, Song telephoned a Thai man known only as “the tour leader” who, in return for 20,000 yuan ($3,000), drove him towards the Thai border.

Then Song was spirited across a river into Thailand and hidden in the luggage hold of a Bangkok-bound bus. He spent the next 10 hours bent double. “I thought I would die,” he said.

About 160 Falun Gong refugees and asylum-seekers are in Thailand, Song said, and in the past, authorities had rarely bothered them.

But more than 29 practitioners have been arrested on immigration charges under the military junta, he said. “The Thai and Chinese governments now have a very close relationship,” he said. “We are all afraid. Every day is dangerous for us.”

Climate change causes water shortage in Ghana

Residents queuing for water.

AccrA, FeBruAry 18 (IANs): Parts of Ghana are reeling under acute water shortage as taps have stopped running and raw water sources are drying up. A combination of drought and illegal mining activities as well as unsafe environmental practices has conspired to make raw water sources unproductive for a country that seeks to achieve universal coverage by 2025, Xinhua reported.

Residents of Nsawam Adoagyiri, about 50 km north-west of the capital, are battling an acute water shortage as the Densu river, the source of raw water to serve the communities, has dried up. Farming activities by the residents along the banks, lumbering and bush burning have been cited as factors leading to the shortage of raw water sources in the community and other areas in Ghana.

It is common to see schoolchildren and women carrying different receptacles in search of water. Residents have to depend on an outlet of the Densu river which they fetch for cooking and drinking.

Besides Nsawam, portions around Ho, 156 km north-east of the capital, have also been battling water shortages since the beginning of the year, while parts of the coastal western region are also facing similar challenges.

There is already severe drought in the country as there have not been any rains since November last year.

“Rivers are our main sources of raw material and so if these rivers dry up, there is nothing we can do but to wait till they get filled up again,” Stanley Martey, communications manager of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), told Xinhua over the phone.

He alluded to illegal mining and other human activities such as farming along the river banks, bush burning and general pollution as the causes of the drying up of the water bodies.

“You are aware that the current water shortage is due to drought and climate change factors,” the communication manager added.

Martey said the GWCL was making preparations to drill boreholes in communities affected most by the water shortage. “This is in addition to the 1,000 boreholes project by the Chinese government which is also about to commence soon,” he added.

In addition, he said the water company had started dredging works in river beds that had been silted due to many human activities in readiness for the raining season, while tree planting was about to commence along rivers which have their vegetative cover depleted.

Poor sleep may increase depression risk New yOrK, FeBruAry 18 (IANs): Insomnia may increase the risk of depression by impairing the ability to access and leverage emotion regulation strategies -- such as problem-solving skills and the ability to decrease negative emotions - effectively, new research has found.

“These results are important because they provide a plausible explanation for why and how sleep problems may contribute to depression, which are critical questions for prevention and intervention,” said lead study author Melanie Hom from the Florida State University in Tallahassee, US. The research team analysed responses from 880 current and retired US firefighters between the ages of 18 and 82 years. “Firefighters are typically faced with many demands, including difficult work schedules, and they often both witness and experience traumatic events,” Hom said.

The results showed that a high percentage of participants reported clinically significant insomnia symptoms (52.7 percent), depression symptoms (39.6 percent) and nightmare problems (19.2 percent).

“Our study findings suggest that firefighters with sleep difficulties are likely to experience greater struggles accessing strategies to regulate their emotions, especially when feeling upset. This, in turn, may lead to or worsen feelings of depression and low mood,” Hom explained.

10

friDAY 19•02•2016

SPORTS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

NbA's trade deadline smash or crash -- the Mccullum way approaching, so buckle up Jon Krawczynski The Associated Press

Last year there was hardly any action in the days leading up to the NBA's trading deadline.

That led some to believe it would come and go quietly.

It couldn't have been further from the truth.

As the clock ticked down, a staggering avalanche of deals were consummated. When the dust settled, 12 trades involving 39 players clogged the league's approval process for hours after the deadline passed. So even though this week has been fairly quiet, there is still time leading into the 3 p.m. Thursday final buzzer, which will sound just a few hours before the league resumes play after the All-Star break.

And the less time there is left, the more chances there are for something major to happen.

Charlotte has picked up Courtney Lee and Detroit has added Tobias Harris. But with all due respect to both of them, history says there are bigger deals involving bigger names coming on Thursday. No matter how pragmatic executives try to be as the clock ticks down, and no matter how dominant Golden State appears to be as it steamrolls the rest of the league in pursuit of a second straight championship, the lure of the deal often wins out.

Boston, Cleveland, Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, Sacramento and so many others have been

engaging in trade talks all week that figure to only get more heated as the deadline approaches.

The Celtics are looking for a star for coach Brad Stevens, the Cavaliers are looking to bolster their role players around LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love not so much to help them in the East, but to give them a better chance in an NBA Finals matchup against the Warriors or another Western power. The Clippers need bench help to compete with the Warriors, Spurs and Thunder.

Goran Dragic, Isaiah Thomas, Brandon Knight, Reggie Jackson, Enes Kanter and Kevin Garnett were among the notable names to switch teams at the last minute last year. Here is a look at some of the names that have surfaced: DWIGHT HOWARD: The Rockets have been one of the most disappointing teams of the season, and the chemistry between Howard and shooting guard James Harden appears to be fraying. Rockets general manager Daryl Morey has always been one of the most aggressive dealmakers in the league, and with Howard having the ability to become a free agent this summer, it might be time to part ways.

PAU GASOL: The Bulls AllStar is one of the most skilled big men in the league. But the 35-year-old also can become a free agent in July, and the Bulls

could look to get some compensation for him.

JEFF TEAGUE: The Hawks could look to shake things up and give themselves a boost while sitting in the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference.

With backup point guard Dennis Schroder showing promise, moving Teague could bring some defensive help in the frontcourt after the Hawks lost big man Tiago Splitter for the season to a hip injury.

ChrIstChurCh, FebruAry 18 (AFP): The cap may be tattered but the legacy Brendon McCullum will leave when he calls it quits is of glowing success, destructive batting, recordsetting innings and reshaping the game. McCullum ends his glorious career after the second Test against Australia starting in Christchurch on Saturday. He doubts he will go down as one of cricket's greats and, taken in isolation, his batting average of a shade more than 38.00 after 101 Tests suggests he may be right.

But the 34-year-old has never been just a batsman, nor just a wicketkeeper-batsman in his early days. Whenever he strode to the middle there was an expectant murmur in the crowd

RYAN ANDERSON: The Pelicans shooter can be a free agent this summer, so a shootingstarved team like the Cavaliers could bring him in as a rental with the hopes of convincing MANILA, FebruAry 18 (reuters): For all the critihim to stay for the long term. cism over his anti-gay comAL HORFORD: The Hawks All- ment and the loss of a lucrative Star said Wednesday he expects endorsement deal with Nike to remain in Atlanta, and he is the Inc, Philippines world boxing champion Mann Pacquiao still ideal fit for coach Mike Buden- looks set to win election to the holzer's system. But he will be a country's senate in May, acfree agent this summer, and the cording to political analysts.

Hawks could look to move him Nike, the world's largest if they think they would lose him sportswear maker, canceled its for nothing in a few months. contract on Wednesday with the 37 year-old boxer-turnedKEVIN LOVE: The Cavaliers politician, who has been the forward has heard his name in world champion in eight differtrade rumors for much of the ent weight divisions, after he deseason, but James shot those scribed gays as "worse than anidown in Toronto during All-Star mals". But voters in the mostly weekend, and it remains un- Catholic Philippines appear likely he is moved on Thursday. unready to abandon support for the country's biggest sporting If the Cavs make a deal, sup- hero, who is running for one of porting parts like Iman Shump- 12 vacant senatorial seats up for ert and Timofey Mozgov seem grabs in the May 9 election. more likely to move.

The fighter has apologized

and doubt among the bowlers.

"I'll never go down as a great player but I played a role in the team, made some contributions," is how McCullum sees himself. "I've been pretty strong about how I've gone about the style of cricket which I've tried to play throughout my career." Just as he has never changed his Test cap since it was presented to him on the eve of his first Test in 2004, he has never changed his attackat-all-cost batting approach.

"That can have its knockers as well and at the same time it can change a game too, so that's one thing I'll look back on fondly as I was able to maintain that even through times which were slightly averse," McCullum said.

That black cap, by his own

admission, "is rancid" after years of use but the brutality of his batting has gone from strength to strength particularly after he took over as captain in 2012, since when had averaged 45 in Tests. His long list of achievements include becoming the second player, after West Indian Chris Gayle, to score a Twenty20 international century. In total, he has 11 Test centuries, five in ODIs and two in Twenty20s.

Perhaps his best year was 2014, which included scores of 302, two double centuries and a 195, averaging more than 72 per innings, better than Kumar Sangakkara, Angelo Mathews, Younis Khan and David Warner. He is the only player to have hit 200 sixes in ODIs and 100 in Tests and

ahead of his final international, shares the world Test record for sixes with Adam Gilchrist.

Many consider the dogged and Test-saving 302 his most memorable innings, with his knock coming when New Zealand trailed India by 246 on the first innings and were 94 for 5 in the second. He plied his "smash or crash" approach with the smash coming off with brutal regularity.

McCullum goes into his final Test as New Zealand's second-highest run-scorer with 6,283 behind Stephen Fleming (7,172), third on New Zealand's ODI batting list behind Fleming and Nathan Astle with 6,083 and topping the Twenty20 list with 2,140 runs.

Pacquiao may still win senatorship after losing Nike in anti-gay outburst for the comments, and analysts reckoned the controversy has caused limited damage to his campaign. "Pacquiao has clearly offended the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community with his comments on same sex marriage, but this group represents a minority and this will not affect the boxer's popularity among the voters," Benito Lim, political science professor at the Jesuit-run Ateneo de Manila University, told Reuters.

"He may still win in the elections." Many ordinary Filipinos believe Pacquiao made a mistake in his remarks on samesex marriage because he hurt some sensibilities. Many are more interested in what happens in April, when Pacquiao tries to win back the WBO welterweight title he lost last year to Floyd Mayweather.

Billed as his final fight, Pac-

quiao is going up against American Timothy Bradley. "The criticism against Pacquiao has no effect on us," said Annabelle Magsipoc, a government employee, told Reuters Television, adding that the boxer retains popular support in the community. "Actually, many people really wanted to say what Pacquiao said about same-sex marriage, but some people are trying to make this an election issue," she said. Independent opinion polls showed Pacquiao, a two-term congressman, consistently ranked eighth with 35 percent support in a field of four dozen candidates vying for one of the 12 vacant seats in the upper house of Congress.

Gay and lesbian groups have called on Filipinos not to vote for the boxing icon for his television comment on same-sex marriage, almost a

repeat of what had happened in 2012 when he quoted from the Bible to warn against homosexual activities. Same-sex marriage is not allowed in the Philippines where more than 80 percent of the 100 million population is Roman Catholic.

Pacquiao has converted from being a Roman Catholic to a more conservative evangelical Protestant, voting against bills in the lower house of Congress on divorce, same-sex marriage and birth control through use of artificial contraceptives.

Ramon Casiple of the Institute of Political and Electoral Reforms said it is too early to say if the latest controversy will hamper Pacquiao's chances of becoming a senator. "He stirred a hornet's nest, so there's danger that he could lose support, but, so far, we don't see any indication of that."

public discourse

it is the same story again of the Government schools

A

Oken Jeet Sandham

gain, as usual, I have seen a story with a photograph in "The Morung Express" - February 16 Edition. "No textbooks, no classes" ran the lead story. The picture of Government Primary School, Mezoma was given as locked because of the non-availability of textbooks meant for teaching the students. I am not surprised at all as such things happened in many places in Nagaland.

The fact is in the remote areas, the poor students have been undergoing all kinds of man-made tragedies from the day they started going to schools. A large number of students in extremely remote and inaccessible villages may not even know where they are going and for what purpose because many of them did not see their textbooks throughout the academic sessions. There were reports that they appeared their final exams without seeing even once their textbooks, forget about not getting their school uniforms and mid-day meals. These are the stories used to

float every now and then.

Sometime, in an early part of 2014, some complaints surfaced from Dimapur areas that the students and teachers from government Town Middle School, located in Half Nagarjan area were reported to have waited for government’s action to deliver the textbooks to the students before their exams started. The shocking exposé was the Headmistress of the school admitted that all such unwanted thing had happened in spite of their constant submission of details regarding the required study materials to the Education Department. She could not even tell when they would get the textbooks. There were also cases from Dimapur areas that students did not have their school buildings and their teachers were compelled to take classes under trees.

Now, one can easily imagine what would be the fate of thousands of poor students in far-flung areas of the State if students studying in Mezoma, near Kohima and Dimapur areas did not receive their textbooks till now.

It is really painful to see the innocent and

extremely underprivileged students going to their schools in far-flung areas of the State.

They have to walk kilometers in some villages to reach their schools, and many of them do not have walls, toilet facilities, classrooms, etc. In many places, one or two teachers will run the schools while in some places one or two students are found to be only students.

But on paper, it claimed enrollments of students in Government schools in remote villages are increasing.

They live in the villages and hardly know beyond their village activities. The reality is that they are born in their village, live there and die there without even seeing their neighborhoods. Their village is their own world. It is this situation that the authority continues to indulge in various forms of corruptions and in rare occasions, student bodies from those affected areas aired their grievances that hundreds of students had to appear their final exams without seeing even once their textbooks.

From time to time, teachers appointed under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) used to protests against non-releasing of their sala-

ries for months and that went up to even six months. During such time, educational careers of thousands of students were affected.

SSA is Government of India’s flagship program for achievement of Universalization of Elementary Education (UEE) in a time bound manner, as mandated by 86th amendment to the Constitution of India making free and compulsory Education to the Children of 6-14 years age group, a Fundamental Right.

SSA is being implemented in partnership with State Governments to cover the entire country and address the needs of 192 million children in 1.1 million habitations.

The program seeks to open new schools in those habitations which do not have schooling facilities and strengthen existing school infrastructure through provision of additional class rooms, toilets, drinking water, maintenance grant and school improvement grants.

Existing schools with inadequate teacher strength are provided with additional teachers, while the capacity of existing teachers is being strengthened by extensive training, grants for developing teaching-learning materials and

strengthening of the academic support structure at a cluster, block and district level.

SSA seeks to provide quality elementary education including life skills. SSA has a special focus on girl’s education and children with special needs. SSA also seeks to provide computer education to bridge the digital divide.

Total Expenditures on Salaries and Allowances in Education Department, Nagaland for the year 2015-16 comes to Rs 99999.96 lakh. Out of this, Rs 4554.00 lakh comes under CSS. Education Department has a budgeted amount of Rs 139292.71 lakh (Rupees one thousand three hundred ninety-two crore ninety-two lakh seventy-one thousand only).

Why has the concerned department remained silent while educational systems in most of the government schools have been deteriorating day by day? Why couldn’t the department come up with some ideas as to how the issue could be solved? How many school buildings have been constructed under SSA in the State? Why can't the Government pay salaries, issue textbooks or uniforms to students on time?

A VisioN oF JusTice proud moments of a Govt school Teacher

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hat social condition of Europe those days made Joseph Addison write his essay by the above title is not clear to many of us. He slightly refers to the occasion of his writing as, “I was repining at the sudden rise of many persons who are my juniors, and indeed, at the unequal distribution of wealth, honour, and all other blessings of life.”

Then he went to sleep and saw the vision.

The heaven was extraordinarily illuminated and all on a sudden a woman by name BALANCE appeared with a mirror in her hand. She bore many emblems by which the goddess of justice is usually named. All the inhabitants of the world gathered in a spacious plain. The accompanying heavenly voice announced the intention of this visit: to restore and appropriate to everyone what was his/her due. Then fear, joy, hope and sorrow filled the gathering. The first edict was then pronounced, “That all titles and claims to riches and estates, or to any part of them, should be immediately vested in the rightful owner.”

The inhabitants of the earth were ready with their records to which the goddess of justice moved the mirror of truth which she held in her hand. The rays of this mirror had a particular quality of setting fire to all forgery and falsehood.

The fire very often ran through two or three lines only and then stopped. The fire pierced through the dark corners and the recesses of the universe and by that means detected many writings and records which had been hidden or buried by time,

chance, or decision. At the same time the spoils of extortion, fraud, and robbery, with all the fruits of bribery and corruption, were thrown together in a prodigious pile, that almost reached to the clouds, and was called, “The Mount of Restitution” to which all injured persons were invited, to receive what belonged to them. This revolution made several millioners to people of moderate fortunes and certain street of the greatest credit in Europe, from one end to the other become bankrupt.

The second command of the goddess of justice was that, “All the posts of dignity and honor in the universe should be conferred on persons of the greatest merit, abilities, and perfection”.

Anyway, it will take much time and space to exhaust Joseph Addison’s vision. We may only note the high sense of accountability of the visionary who reminded his fellow citizens of that day (Christians included?) that their daily lives were played on the stage directed by the Living God, the God of Justice. Is our world of today comparable to the world of Joseph Addison? We pray to this Living God day and night, pray in all places of our work and living but fail to realize we are living and acting in the silent presence of this God whose name we profess. The day we settle the account of our lives with the King of kings and the Lord of lords will be more spectacular and rewarding for some and disappointing for the others.

(Extracted and paraphrased by Ezamo Murry from The Book of English Essays by W.E.Williams)

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henever names of Govt. schools appear in news papers people begin to read it with a prejudiced mindset that it might be related to some disappointments. There is no denial that the states of affairs in Govt. schools are not so encouraging and there are lots of things to be done to go in phase with the developed states of our country. In spite of the shortcomings existing in the system, few Govt. schools have been contributing their best to the society and they should be encouraged to continue their efforts for the betterment of the society. One such Govt. school that comes under the above category is Govt. Higher Secondary School, Dimapur which is one among the oldest pioneer schools in Nagaland.

I was privileged to serve at GHSS, Di-

mapur as P. G. Teacher (Physics) nearly for 16 years and I had witnessed many students from the underprivileged sections of the society rising to higher positions in life utilizing the limited facilities available in the school. Many of my students from GHSS, Dimapur are now occupying higher positions in the Govt. sector as well as in the highly competitive private sector both in India and in the developed countries such as USA. A teacher’s real moments of pride comes when he sees his students becoming successful citizens and words could not easily describe the happiness he gets while hearing news of their progress in life. Few days back I had such a pride moment in my life. Lieutenant Bikram Sigh, one of my former students from Govt. Hr Sec School, Dimapur (2005-2007) happily informed

me that he has successfully completed his officers training at the National Defense Academy and got Commissioned in the Indian Army. I was so excited to see his photo in Officers Uniform and felt as if my own son has achieved the glory. My memories went back to the year 2005 and recalled the days of his school days. He was a member of the team that secured the State First Position in the Physics Quiz and I accompanied them to represent Nagaland at the Eastern India Physics Quiz held at Kolkata in the year 2005.

Born to poor parents, Lieutenant Bikram Singh has proved that limitations could never stand as obstacles to success if one has strong determination. He has risen to today’s position through his hard work with the support of parents, teachers and friends. After completing

his graduation, he had worked in the private sector for some time but never gave up his ambition of becoming an officer in the Indian Army. I pray to the almighty to bless him to climb more heights in his career and bring glorifying successes to his motherland!

Let me take this opportunity to congratulate Smt R Amongla Jamir the then Principal of GHSS, Dimapur, and all my former colleagues who contributed their best to the well being of hundreds of students every year through their dedicated services. Let us continue our service to the society and prepare our children to face the challenges of life and overcome the obstacles through sincerity and hard work.

Nellayappan B, Principal Govt. Higher Secondary School,Bhandari.

THe QuAliTY oF liFe iN NAGAlANd

Thepfulhouvi Solo

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f a UNIVERSITY cannot differentiate the HONORS from the PASS COURSE in the College, the Vice Chancellor should be removed and the Registrar immediately prosecuted according to his Service Rule. The Qualities of Education in the Honors and the Pass Courses are very different. Honors Course is almost double of the Pass Course. The Honor Course is Special but the other Course is just common Normal.

The search for Moral and Ethical qualities more than the search for Economic Affluence in the Church as well as in the Secular World will determine the quality of Naga Society ultimately in Nagaland in the long run:

Since the Protest Demonstrations in Tunisia for change in 2010 December, the popularly known Arab Spring protests touched off change in the whole of Arab World. Dictator Mubarak's of Egypt has been removed in 2011 by the famous Tahrir Square Protesters, but his Military Regime continued. Morsi, replaced him but continued to use Mubarak's Military Regime of 30 years even against his own Muslim Brotherhood.

The protest for Change continued, thousands of protesters were killed. Morsi was pushed out by his own Military Chief Al-Sisi but the Military Regime still continues in Egypt. Next to China, Egypt has the highest number of Journalists killed, they died at the hand of repressive Armed Forces of the Government.

In Burma, the Military Ruled for now 30 years and the Regime appears to have extended its lease of the Country.

China has adopted democratic Methods in many aspects of development and today nearly half of the luxury Goods produced in the whole developed World is purchased by China. Yet Communist China denies democracy to Hongkong, China's showcase place of affluence in the name of maintaining Stability of the Country.

It is the Ethical and Moral Qualities of man and woman we are in the our Society that would decide the value we prefer: lasting quality of spiritual honor or transient qualities of economic affluence.

And once a System or Regime is established it stays there until thousands

die for Change.

I am worried Nagaland may adopt a Regime of Corruption involuntarily by our overemphasis on Economic Affluence disproportionately over our Morals and Ethical values.

Just as the Gospel: preached to the Poor, healed the Broken hearted, proclaimed Liberty to Captives, recovery of sight to the Blind, and set at Liberty those who are Oppressed; the Chief Minister of the State is to give Wealth, Hope, Peace, Justice and Happiness to the Citizens of his State and most of all, change the Regime of Corruption in the land

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.

friday 19•02•2016

EntErtainmEnt SonAM KApoor

Indian women are our everyday heroes

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ollywood actress Sonam Kapoor feels women in both urban and rural areas across the country are the real heroes. Sonam Kapoor flaunts Neerja’s bravery with her stamp The 30-year-old ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’ actress, known for voicing her opinion on gender issues, says women in India are brave and are empowering themselves. “I feel that women today, here and in India’s smaller cities, rural areas and everywhere, are our everyday heroes. They are bold, brave, standing out and empowering themselves. They are compassionate, giving and sensitive to the needs of others around,” Sonam told reporters here.

She will be seen in ‘Neerja’ a biopic of Neerja Bhanot, a Pan Am flight attendant who died saving passengers on a hijacked plane. Sonam said Neerja represents the Indian women, who are ready to face any challenge with courage. “Neerja as an empowered and brave young woman embodies the characteristics of women today... Brave and ready with what life throws at you. This is what Neerja did under an extraordinary circumstance with a resolve and defiance that was parallel to none...”

She was speaking at the inauguration of FICI FLO Film Festival. The three-day event will showcase more than 40 films themed on women empowerment, gender equality and social change. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was present at the event, said movies should be used to spread awareness among people.

“People worldwide, specially in India, love, dream and idolise films. Our lives are impacted by what happens in films.

Although one may say that films are based on imaginary stories but mostly they are a reflection of what has been happening in the society,” he said. Maharashtra Governor Vidyasagar Rao also attended the event. ‘Neerja’, directed by Ram Madhvani, hits theatres tomorrow.

(PTI)

Shane Warne bitten on head by snake on reality show

‘We are No.1, people!’

Kylie and Kendall Jenner celebrate after their mobile game tops Apple charts

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egendary Australia spinner Shane Warne suffered a snake bite on his head after he dipped his head into a box full of the reptiles on a reality show that he is participating in. After bravely facing boxes filled with African clawed frogs, scorpions, Madagascan hissing cockroaches and rats, Shane was presented with a box of snakes in an episode of “I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!” on Wednesday - and got a nasty snake bite on the head for his trouble. While the snakes used are not venomous, they are more than capable of delivering a nasty bite - and Warne is absolutely terrified of the creatures. “Shane has made no secret that snakes are one of his greatest fears so it’s amazing that after being bitten he bravely continued with the trial. When Shane puts his mind to a task, he won’t let anything stop him,” executive producer of the show Stephen Tate was quoted as saying

by Daily Telegraph on Wednesday. The medics treated the bitten area with antiseptic and will monitor Warne for any signs of infection. With a medic present at every trial, Warne received treatment as soon as the trial ended - and while he’s been left with some small marks, there will be no permanent scarring.

Source: IANS

ylie and Kendall Jenner are thrilled after their mobile game went straight to No.1 on the Apple’s app store. The reality siblings launched their new game, entitled Kendall & Kylie, on both Apple and Google Play on Wednesday and within hours it had topped the charts.

Kendall & Kylie is a spin-off of their half-sister Kim Kardashian West’s popular Kim Kardashian: Hollywood game, which launched two years ago. The game is free to play and takes fans on an interactive adventure through Hollywood, with users able to customise their characters and interact with the Jenner sisters and their friends.

Users begin with no friends or job, just a phone and a tiny Santa Monica apartment and have to build their contacts list and reputation to live the LA lifestyle and

achieve the ultimate ‘#squadgoals’.

With the Jenners both known as avid users of social media, it plays a key role in the game, as each time a player does something of note, they can post a selfie and gain followers within the virtual world’s social media feed.

The game was developed by Glu Mobile - who also conceived Kim Kardashian: Hollywood - but is intended to be played in portrait mode on smartphones or tablets, in contrast to Kim’s landscape mode.

Speaking at the D.I.C.E. Summit in Las Vegas this week, Glu President and CEO Niccolo de Masi said: ‘There does seem to be a unique affinity for fans of the Kardashian-Jenners to like narrative role-playing games.’

With reports Kim Kardashian: Hollywood earned $200million last year, de Masi is optimistic that Kendall & Kylie will perform well, with its No.1 placing already a strong start.

He said: ‘I think it could do anywhere from half or double to what Kim achieved.’

Source: Mailonline

Affleck got ‘valuable’ Batman advice from Clooney, Bale

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en Affleck, who is the latest actor to play Batman, sought advice on the role from actors George Clooney and Christian Bale. In an interview alongside his “Batman v Superman” co-star Henry Cavill, Affleck told Good Morning America’s Jesse Palmer that Clooney and Bale, who also played the caped crusader in the past, had offered their guidance, reports people.com. “I talked to Clooney and he gave me some advice which is not repeatable,” Affleck joked. “And I talked to Christian, who just told me to make sure I got a zipper in the suit, which was valuable, practice advice as it turned out.” Clooney starred in “Batman & Robin” (1997), and Bale portrayed as Batman in the Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed “Dark Knight Trilogy: Batman Begins” (2005), “The Dark Knight” (2008), and “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012). Affleck also dished on the yearlong workout regimen he undertook to get into crime fighting shape, which he admits was spurred on by a little healthy competition with Cavill. “I saw the first movie that he was in (‘Man of Steel’) and I was kind of like, ‘Wow, well I don’t know if I’m going to be able to be quite in that good of shape,’” he joked.

Source: IANS

Julianne Moore in ‘Kingsman 2’

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ctress Julianne Moore is in talks to play the role of villain in upcoming spy film “The Kingsman 2.”The film is a sequel of the hit 2014 film “Kingsman: The Secret Service”, which starred Colin Firth and Taron Egerton. Details of Moore’s character are kept under wraps but she may play a negative role, reports variety.com. Directed

by Matthew Vaughn, the 2014 film revolves around the adventures of a wayward tough (Egerton) from the wrong side of London who is taken in by a suave and sophisticated agent (Firth) and is turned into the best and brightest of operatives. Egerton will return to the second part, which will move from London to US. Firth is not due to come back at this stage as his character died in the first movie.

Source: IANS

Salman Khan promotes Iulia Vantur’s new TV show

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e may not admit dating Romanian TV presenter Iulia Vantur, but Bollywood superstar Salman Khan is going all guns to promote her new show Ferma Vedetelor on social media. The show will be a Romanian adaptation of internationally acclaimed reality show The Farm. Vantur returns as the show’s host for its second season. Salman, who had earlier tweeted about Iulia’s show when the latest season of his reality show Bigg Boss 9 about to end. Salman, who reportedly plans to host the Indian version of the show, took to Twitter on Wednesday to share a prmotional clip for Ferma Vedetelor. “Samaj mein aaya? (Did you understand?),” Salman wrote in the caption. In another tweet, he wrote: “The show I’ve been wanting to do for longest time. It’s like ‘Bigg Boss’ but on Farm. So many things you can do with this”.

Source: IANS

Lady Gaga vows never to turn fashion designer

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op sensation Lady Gaga has ruled out ever turning her passion for fashion into a side career, insisting she respects designers too much to intrude on their territory. Gaga, 29, known for her unique sense of style, said she is happy to be dressed by her stylist and friend Brandon Maxwell, reported the New York Post. “The thing is, at the end of the day, I have a real respect for fashion designers. And it’s the reason I don’t have my own line and the reason I never will. “If I ever do anything in fashion, it will always just be as a muse or as an aesthetic, creative. I like to be a part of helping artists find themselves and feel good about who they are. I would never for a second claim to be proficient in fashion design (just) because I know good looks,” she said.

Gaga goes on to express her admiration for Brandon, who she credits with helping to embrace her more girly side.

Source: PTI

When Ryan Reynolds was considered a ‘moving target’

“D

eadpool” star Ryan Reynolds says there was a time when he was considered a moving target.

The actor has shared how growing up with three older brothers prepared him to play Wade Wilson, aka Marvel’s Deadpool, reports people.com. “It’s intense when you’re the youngest of four boys,” Reynolds, 39, said.

“You sort of cultivate all these other aspects, survival aspects, that you wouldn’t normally cultivate, you know, being the oldest.” He continued: “It’s something I always

related to and I think that’s why I connected to the character 11 years ago. As a kid, I was the youngest of four boys. I wasn’t considered a younger brother, I was considered a moving target.” Reynolds, who plays the role of a “kind of hyperfunny, hyper-violent, but very meta” superhero, admitted that growing up in a house full of boys wasn’t exactly easy, but proved to be beneficial. “The way I stayed alive was with my mouth because I’m not going to win with my fists,” he said. “I felt like I was sort of rehearsing for ‘Deadpool’ from the get-go.”

Source: IANS

Parineeti Chopra on Gender Discrimination: Need to Eradicate It

Hillstar NOW SHOWING

11:00 Am

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ctress Parineeti Chopra said that her parents Pawan and Reena Chopra have always treated all her siblings equally and there was no discrimination of any kind. Parineeti, who has brothers Shivang and Saraj, will be seen on TV show Mission Sapne, wherein she will help 13-year-old Bhavna Suthalya’s character to secure a better future.

“I grew up with two brothers but my parents never subjected to any kind of discrimination and made sure that I get best education,” Parineeti said in a statement.

“I believe that girls and boys should be treated as equals and we need to work towards eradicating all the discernment that still exists. The men of the house should stand up and take the responsibility of educating every single woman of their family thereby bringing about a major change in the society,” she added.

Bhavna dreams of becoming a cop in order to bring stability in her family. Her parents Bhanu and Archana are visually challenged and sell books and stationary material in local trains. To help her financially, Parineeti will be seen selling books and stationary at a suburban mall to earn daily wages for Bhavna and her family.

Hosted by Sonali Bendre, Mission Sapne is about upbringing people who have struggled in their life but never Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang is felicitated at the Lui- left their spirit to achieve something. The show financialNgai-Ni festival on February 14. The festival was held un- ly helps these people by inviting celebrities who do the der the theme “Sowing in tears, reaping in joy” from Febru- same daily job which these people do.

Source: IANS ary 13 to 16 at Ukhrul. (Photo by Soreipam Jagoi)

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friDAY 19•02•2016

SPORTS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

State Tennis team enters quarters DImaPur, FEbruarY 18 (mExN): The Nagaland Tennis Team who are currently participating in the Inter-State National tournament at Chhattisgarh have steered past the group stages and have entered the quarter finals. In their group, they beat Uttar Pradesh 2-1 on February 16, and Telangana 2-1 on February 18 to reach the last 8 stages.

Nagaland will next face Orissa for a place in the semi finals on February 19.

Messi passes 300 Liga goals as Barca extend lead maDrID, FEbruarY 18 (aFP): Lionel Messi moved past 300 La Liga goals as Barcelona moved six points clear at the top of the table with a 3-1 win at Sporting Gijon on Wednesday. The five-time World Player of the Year struck either side of Carlos Castro's well-worked equaliser in a three-goal burst in five first-half minutes. Luis Suarez missed a second-half penalty days after famously converting Messi's pass from a spot-kick against Celta Vigo, but made amends with a brilliant finish for Barca's third. Atletico Madrid are Barca's closest challengers with Real Madrid a further point adrift in third. Barca's demolition of Celta in the final half an hour on Sunday was lit up by Messi's decision to pass a penalty into Suarez's path to complete his hat-trick. And the former Liverpool striker may have regretted not returning the favour as Cuellar dived to his right to save Suarez's spot-kick after the 'keeper had brought down Neymar.

Barca have now missed eight of their 16 penalties this season.

Aussie boxer retires after being told he risks blindness

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SYDNEY, FEbruarY 18 (aP): The Samoan-born Australian heavyweight boxer Alex Leapai has announced his retirement after being told he risked blindness if he continued to fight. Leapai was best-known for his 2014 fight against former world champion Wladimir Klitschko, when he was knocked out in the fifth round by the Ukraine boxer. A 36-year-old father of six, Leapai had surgery on both his eyes after the Klitschko fight and experienced more problems after his last bout, a unanimous-decision loss to Manuel Charr in Russia. He said Thursday a specialist told him he risked losing the sight in his right eye if he continued to fight, adding: ''I'm finished, I'm gone.'' Leapai had 30 wins, seven losses and three draws in 40 professional fights after making his debut in 2004.

FIFA prosecutors seek life bans for 2 CONMEBOL officials ZurICH, FEbruarY 18 (aP): FIFA ethics prosecutors are seeking life bans for two South American officials who have already pleaded guilty in a U.S. federal investigation of corruption in world soccer. The FIFA ethics committee said Thursday it completed its own investigations into former CONMEBOL vice presidents Luis Bedoya of Colombia and Sergio Jadue of Chile. Bedoya was a member of the FIFA executive committee until he resigned in November. FIFA ethics judges will now examine the six charges made against both men, including bribery and conflicts of interest. No dates have been set for the ethics hearings. Both men have admitted to criminal charges of racketeering and wire-fraud conspiracies. A U.S. Department of Justice indictment unsealed in December said Bedoya and Jadue took “annual sixfigure bribe payments” linked to tournament broadcasting rights. The payments were made by a marketing agency in Argentina for the Copa Libertadores, South America's top club competition, to Bedoya from 2010 and Jadue since 2012, the indictment stated. Both men resigned as president of their national soccer federation during the investigations.

Harbhajan Singh seeks legal opinion regarding Ombudsman observation

NEW DELHI, FEbruarY 18 (PTI): Senior India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on Thursday said he is seeking legal advise on the way ahead after BCCI ombudsman Justice (Retd) AP Shah observed that the bowler should dissociate himself from sports apparel company 'Bhajji Sports', which supplies kits to domestic teams. "I have received an e-mail communication from the Board. All I can say at this moment is that I am discussing the issue with my legal advisor. I will act according to his advice," Harbhajan said on Thursday. The company 'Bhajji Sports' is owned by Mrs Avtar Kaur, who is the cricketer's mother. However, there was a big sigh of relief for former India captain Sourav Ganguly after Shah declared that the former batsman's association as part-owner of Atletico de Kolkata doesn't fall into Conflict of interest purview after the owners bought the Pune IPL team. Ganguly, in his reply, had made it clear that he had no commercial links with the new IPL franchise Rising Pune Supergiants even though he had a negligible share in Atletico de Kolkata.

Haryanto becomes Indonesia's first F1 driver LONDON, FEbruarY 18 (rEuTErS): Rio Haryanto will become Indonesia's first Formula One driver after signing a deal with Manor Racing, the back-of-the-grid team announced on Thursday. The 23-year-old Haryanto will make his race debut in Australia when the season starts on March 20. "Melbourne will be a huge moment for me, my country, supporters and fans and I want to thank everyone who's been with me since I started in single seaters; 2016 is my chance to reward that faith and represent Asia in F1," Haryanto said. His signing as team mate to German rookie Pascal Wehrlein completes the grid for the 2016 season. Haryanto was already the first Indonesian to drive a Formula One car, having tested with Manor's predecessors Virgin Racing in 2010. Haryanto's place in the team had depended on raising funds in Indonesia, with Manor seeking 15 million euros ($16.71 million) according to local media. The driver has been backed by state-owned Indonesian oil and gas company Pertamina but it was not immediately known how much they had contributed towards securing the drive.

Malinga returns to lead champions Sri Lanka in World T20 COLOmbO, FEbruarY 18 (rEuTErS): Sri Lanka fast bowler Lasith Malinga has recovered from a knee injury and will lead the defending champions at next month's World Twenty20 in India, the country's cricket board said on Thursday. Regular T20 captain Malinga sustained the injury during Sri Lanka's home series against West Indies last year and missed the team's tour of New Zealand and India, where Dinesh Chandimal deputised as skipper. Experienced seamer Nuwan Kulasekara and wily left-arm spinner Rangana Herath were also named in the squad after missing the series against India, whom Sri Lanka defeated in the final to win the World Twenty20 in 2014. Sri Lanka are in Group 1 in the Super 10 stage of the biennial event along with England, South Africa, West Indies and a yet-to-be-determined qualifier.

Squad: Lasith Malinga (Captain), Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Niroshan Dickwella, Shehan Jayasuriya, Milinda Siriwardana, Dasun Shanaka, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dushmantha Chameera, Thisara Perera, Sachithra Senanayake, Rangana Herath, Jeffrey Vandersay.

Adventure Camp underway at MKg Morung Express News

Mokokchung | February 18

A one week Adventure Camp organized by the Nagaland Association for Adventure Mountaineering & Education (NAAME) is currently underway at Mokokchung where twenty-five members are camping and taking part in the different activities.

The Adventure Camp 2016 is being sponsored by Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) Nagaland Zone where youths from Tuensang, Mokokchung, Longleng, Zunheboto and Kohima are camping at Ungma village.

The campers are taking part in different activities like zip-lining, trekking, rappelling, night safari, rope knot, nature study, obstacles, cleanliness drive (under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan), river rafting (at Dikhu river), river crossing yoga etc. The activities are being carried out under the watchful eye of trained professionals led by Chief Instructor, Khrieketoulie Kintso.

Camp director, Kelhouzasie Lawrence, informed that the Nagaland

NAAME members ‘rappelling’ at Ungma village as part of the Adventure Camp 2016 on Thursday, February 18. (Morung Photo)

Association for Adven- formed in the year 2006 to that the topography of ture, Mountaineering & promote adventure sports Nagaland is very suitable Education (NAAME) was in the state given the fact for Adventure Sports and

Mountaineering.

Highlighting some of the achievements of NAAME, Lawrence disclosed that the association holds activities at the Hornbill Festival and Green Park Dimapur besides holding an annual competition to climb Mt Japfu. The Association also participates in the North East Zone Sports Climbing and two of the members are holders of a silver and bronze medal.

The association also facilitates interested adventurous youths to go for training in the different training schools in different parts of the country.

Meanwhile, the NAAME officials acknowledged the NYKS, Nagaland Zone for sponsoring the Adventure Camp 2016.

Besides, the officials also expressed heartfelt gratitude to Ungma village for their hospitality and logistical support rendered to the association for the successful holding of the Camp. They also extended appreciation to the Assam Rifles for allowing them to use the AR Ground in Mokokchung for the ‘obstacle course’.

Ronaldo scores as Real Madrid beat Roma rOmE, FEbruarY 18 (aFP): Cristiano Ronaldo hit his 89th Champions League goal while secondhalf substitute Jese added a late second as Real Madrid took a massive step towards the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win at Roma.

Real travelled to the Stadio Olimpico looking to exorcise painful memories of losing 2-1 twice in succession to the Giallorossi at this stage of the competition in 2008.

After weathering a frus-

trating first half in which Roma failed to finish off a series of promising attacks, Ronaldo broke the deadlock on 57 minutes when he ran on to Marcelo’s chip to beat Wojciech Szczesny with a shot that deflected off Alessandro Florenzi.

It was the Portuguese forward’s 12th goal in seven games this term.

To their credit, Roma dug deep to claim a share of the spoils and were unlucky not to earn a penalty when Florenzi came down under

the studs-up challenge of Dani Carvajal.

Even after that decision, the hosts battled throughout a dominant late spell inspired by Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah, only to come up short.

It was inspiring stuff, but dozens of the 55,612 home crowd began leaving their seats five minutes from the finish when Jese flashed a shot across several defenders to beat Szczesny low at his far post. The victory gives Real a huge

advantage ahead of the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu in three weeks time.

Meanwhile, Julian Draxler scored two classy goals to lead Wolfsburg to a 3-2 away win over Champions League newcomer AA Gent in the Round of 16 on Wednesday.

At 22, Draxler confirmed himself as the new creative force of a team which had been struggling, scoring just before and just after halftime in the first leg

match.

On the hour mark, Max Kruse finished off another smooth move with a goal that made it seem like the second leg would be little more than a formality.

But Gent’s Sven Kums scored in the 80th minute and Kalifa Coulibaly made the game even closer nine minutes later.

Wolfsburg defended high from the start and harried Gent’s midfield throughout, belying Gent’s robust home reputation.

Vechita is Chakhesang Wrestling Champ Our Correspondent

Pfutsero | February 18

30 year old Vechita Khesoh representing Chozuba Range Wrestling Association today emerged as champion of the 25th Wrestling Meet of Chakhesang Wrestling Association (CWA) held here under the theme “Exploring a greater vision.”

From Yoruba village, Vechita pocketed cash prize of Rs. 1.50 lakh.

Veniizo Dawhuo (20 years), from Thenyizu village and representing Chokri Area Wrestling Association, stood second and pocketed Rs. 1.10 lakh.

Vekutho Soho (20) from Phek village and representing Phek Area Wrestling Association stood third position while Kuku-o (20) from Getsa Pholami village and representing Secheku Area Wrestling Association

Top four winners with Neiba Kronu and others. (Morung Photo)

bagged 4th position.

They were awarded Rs. 80,000 and Rs. 50,000 respectively.

Four quarter finalists Vezhopo Chuzho, Surhonieyi Soho, Vekuzo Vezhii and Besuhvo Vadeo were awarded with Rs. 10,000 each.

Earlier, chief guest on the occasion Parliamentary Secretary for Planning & Coordination, Evaluation & Monitoring Cell and Taxes, Neiba Kronu, released the 25th anniversary souvenir of CWA. Speaking on the occasion, Kronu encouraged

the wrestlers to strive hard and excel at the higher level.

Phek Deputy Commissioner Murohu Chotso was the guest of honour.

CWA vice president Neitshiipe Wetsa administered oath to the 60 wrestlers.

Meanwhile, frees style wrestling from both men and women will take place from 9 a.m. onwards on February 19.

Prizes amounting to Rs. 70,000 is set for the men’s event in Freestyle category, while for women, the amount is only Rs. 50,000.

Preparations for U-17 world cup satisfactory: FIFA

KOLKaTa, FEbruarY 18 (PTI): Expressing satisfaction over the work done at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan, a FIFA inspection team today proposed few minor changes to turn the facility into a world class stadium. "We inspected the stadium today. The planning and work done here is excellent. The work done until now is fruitful and satisfactory. There are minor amendments that needs to be done. We will come back in October to see the final situation," Jamie Yazra, Head of Events, FIFA U-17 World Cup delegation team, said. Yuva Bharati Krirangan, also known as Salt Lake Stadium, is one of the selected venues for the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

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