C M Y K
DIMAPUR • Vol. XI • Issue 55 • 12 PAGes • 5
www.morungexpress.com
SaturDaY • februarY 27 • 2016
T H e
ESTD. 2005
P o W e R
Lying increases the creative faculties, expands the ego, and lessens the frictions of social contacts Donald Trump’s march stirs a growing sense of dread among US Republicans PAGE 09
reflections
By Sandemo Ngullie
Honda launches CB Hornet 160R and CB Shine 125 SP in Nagaland
Dimapur | February 26
Morung Express News Dimapur | February 26
The Manipur State Police have suspended five police personnel who were involved in the February 14 incident at Mantripukhri, where Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) leaders were harassed. Following the action taken by the Manipur Police, the NSF called off their bandh which had been imposed since February 24. An order by the Manipur ADGP, C Doungel, dated February 25, ordered the suspension of the five personnel. In a letter to the NSF, the ADGP termed the February 14 incident as “unfortunate and regrettable as it caused inconvenience to some members of the NSF travelling to Ukhrul on that day.” The NSF acknowledged the Manipur State Government for taking action on the issue and also appreciated the efforts of Investigation Officer (Enquiry Committee), IK Muivah, DIG. The NSF expressed hope that the Manipur Government would uphold their commitment in letter and in spirit. NSF further informed that the Manipur Government has also assured of providing security to Nagas and Nagaland vehicles in and around Imphal valley. Meanwhile, a report from IANS stated that the “Union Home Ministry had instructed the Manipur Government to initiate necessary steps against the police personnel.”
Two die in Nepal’s second plane crash in two days
C M Y K
KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 26 (REUTERs): Two people were feared dead after a small plane crashed in western Nepal on Friday, an army official said, just days after 23 people were killed in a similar accident in the Himalayan nation. The incident spotlights the poor safety record of Nepal’s aviation industry, particularly after Wednesday’s crash in bad weather in the same region, which was the country’s second air disaster in as many years. Nine of those aboard the aircraft were injured in Friday’s crash in Kalikot district, 320 km (200 miles) west of the capital, Kathmandu, army officer Tara Bahadur Karki said. The plane, operated by Kasthamandap Airlines, was on a flight from Nepalgunj in the southwest to Jumla. A search and rescue party had set out for the crash site on foot, chief district official Pradeep Shrestha said.
Rookie Rashford to United’s rescue in Europa League PAGE 12
MsMe to focus on special needs of north east Morung Express News
Five Manipur Police personnel suspended NSF calls off bandh
T R u T H
— Clare Booth Luce
PAGE 02
Union Minster Kalraj Mishra urges state governments to take proactive steps in bringing forth larger number of proposals under the various schemes of his ministry
Probably confused by the new traffic regulations.
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Union Minister of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) Kalraj Mishra on Friday called upon the eight states of the North East Region to take proactive steps in bringing forth larger number of proposals under the various schemes of his ministry. Inaugurating the ‘Regional Conclave of MEMEs’ with North East states in focus at Rohododendron Hall, Police Complex, Chumukedima, Dimapur, Mishra, who is on his maiden visit to Nagaland said it is the endeavor of the ministry to focus on the special needs of the NE states with respect to entrepreneurship and industrialization. The main purpose of the regional conclave, a first for Nagaland, organized directly under the personal initiative of the union minister, was to get first hand feedback about the schemes done by ministry, to evaluate the performance of the ongoing schemes and problems jointly with the state counterparts and associations of the region. “I reassure the eight NE states that the Union Gov-
ernment, especially the ministry of MSME would process your proposals expeditiously and render all possible assistance in their implementation, the union minister stated. Pointing out that the primary responsibility of promotion and development of MSMEs is of the state governments, Mishra urged all the respective government to ensure proper functioning of MSE Facilitation Councils to address and resolve the concerns of MSME units on delayed payments. He said MSME sector has been playing an important role in socio-economic development of the country contributing around 38% of GDP, 44% of total exports and around 45% of manufacturing output. Laying emphasis on the need to create and spread awareness about the various MSME schemes, Mishra said NE has great potential and called upon all state and ministry officials to join hands to find fields of intervention to create a masterpiece NE addition of the grand ‘Make in India’ drive. At the same time, he urged all his officers to help North East states in discov-
Union Minister, MSME Kalraj Mishra felicitated with Naga traditional attires by Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang at the inaugural of the Regional Conclave of MEMEs at Police Complex, Chumukedima on Friday. (Morung Photo)
ering their inherent potential and setting up of enterprises n the field of their natural advantage. “And without development of NE region, India cannot be a developed country,” the union minister asserted. Mishra also highlighted the different schemes under the MSME ministry such as the PMEGP for assisting young entrepreneurs to set up new micro enterprises in manufacturing as well as services sector, the newly launched ASPIRE to set up network of technology and incubation centres to accelerate entrepreneurship and start-ups for innovation,
SFURTI scheme to organize the traditional industries and artisans to make them competitive and provide support for their long term sustainability and economy of sale etc. Mishra also expressed happiness in learning that as many as 600 students have passed out from the Nagaland Tool Room & Training Centre (NTTC) and found successful placement and many of them have started their own smart enterprises. The union minster said he would visit the centre on Saturday along with senior officers to find ways as to how it can become more efficient and produc-
tive in imparting job oriented training to youth in the area. The MSME union minister also assured to provide Rs 6 crore for the completion of Khadi Plaza in Nagaland. The union minister also launched a magazine called ‘Laghu Udyog Samachar’ on the occasion. Legislators and government officials from the eight states of NE attended the conclave.
Formulate NER specific schemes and programmes: TR
Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang said a more concerted effort in terms of formulating North East Re-
gion specific schemes and programs in the MSME sector, or modification of existing schemes to the specific requirements of the region would yield better results. Addressing the conclave, Zeliang in his address pointed out that the NE states have not been able to seize the benefits of the MSME sector with development of the region far behind the rest of the country. He however said tremendous potential exist, which are waiting to be exploited. Highlighting that the region has vital geo-political location, with 92% of its borders behind international boundaries, has vast untapped natural resources, and a rich social capital, Zeliang said India should pay special attention for the development of the region. He also observed that the geographic and strategic importance of the region has increased in the context of India’s ‘Act East Policy’ and in the context of emerging global market economy. “The North East Region has potentials, which if explored in right earnest, could transform the region into a hub of MSME, as we as start-up ventures,” Zeliang maintained. Agriculture; biodiversity, horticulture, floriculture, medicinal herbs and plants, sericulture, bamboo harvesting, IT are some of the potentials and
strength of the region, the chief minister highlighted. “All these have the capability to spawn a new generation of entrepreneurs and enterprises in the region, he added. According to the chief minister, multiple factors such as lack of basic infrastructure, both physical and financial, required for the industry to take off, are the main constraining factors which need to be addressed in a more holistic manner.
BAN seek redressal from union minister
Stating that the Naga business community is in dire need of Government’s intervention and strong will to promote the new generation business community, Business Association of Nagas (BAN) in a memorandum addressed to Union Minister MSME called his attention on a number of proposals. It has sought for setting up of a Manufacturing Park; Revival of North East Industrial Policy, Upgradation MSME Office to MSME Directorate in Nagaland, North-East Cell under MSME, Setting up of Food Testing Laboratory in Nagaland. It reminded the union minister that his kind and prompt redressal of their request will be a mile stone in ushering in a “New Economic Era of Nagaland.”
nagaland Youth summit gets underway PDS Rice Scam: MTLT inform no clear cut progress in investigation process Morung Express News Kohima | February 26
Celebrating young Nagas, the Nagaland Youth Summit began on February 26 at NBCC Convention Centre. The two day summit which is organised by YouthNet in collaboration with the Government of Nagaland to commemorate its ten year anniversary witnessed the participation of thousands of young Nagas on the first day. Three plenary sessions were held on the first day focusing on role of entrepreneurs in building the economy of the state, role of young government officers in good governance and young Nagas in Entertainment, sports and music. Chairing the session on the role of entrepreneurs in building the economy of the society, Abokali Jimomi (Organic Nagaland) opened the discussion stating that entrepreneurs create jobs, wealth, and prosperity in the country and often the wealth of the country is determined by the wealth of entrepreneurs. The panelists Karen Yepthomi (Dzükou Tribal Kitchen), Zaren Odyuo (Tribal Group), Abenla Ozukum (ABEN), Filafi Fithu (Founder of Filafi Fithu shoes) and Theja Meru shared their personal experiences as entrepreneurs and the importance of entrepreneurship in a developing state like Nagaland. Zaren Odyuo stressed on the need for political stability, infrastructure and banking and finance for entrepreneurship to thrive in Nagaland. Odyuo encouraged the young crowd to start small in business. The problems we face are not because of lack of skills and ability but the failure to realize alternative
Abokali Jimomi, Filafi Fithu, Karen Yepthomi, Abenla Andrew, Zaren Odyuo and Theja Meru at one of the panel sessions of the Nagaland Youth Summit on February 26. (Morung Photo)
ways, viewed Fithu, who also asserted that for entrepreneurship to thrive in Naga society, it requires an environment of passiondriven, talent driven and concerted efforts of government and non-government bodies. Stressing on the importance of seeking opportunities even in the circumstances of lack, Abenla Andrew opined that Nagas possess artisanal work of good quality, while also drawing attention to the social impact of entrepreneurship. Theja Meru asserted that people who succeed are the ones who are prepared to meet their dreams. Meru concluded with the question, “Are you prepared to meet your dreams?” An essential pre-requisite for good governance is an enlightened public, affirmed Panelist Livitoli Sukhalu, NCS during the session on the Role of Young government officers in good governance, which was chaired by Yanpvuo Kikon (The Naga Blog). The panel included Sharon Longchari, NCS, Shouka Kakheti, NPS, Joel Kath (ACAUT), Livitoli Sukhalu,
NCS and Er. Namang Sepong Chang, NCS. Stressing on the strength of an enlightened public, Livitoli posited that society can only function as rules allow it to. However rules can only change if the public allows it to change. While the crowds present at the summit were from urban areas, Sukhalu reminded that majority of the Naga population are farmers and stressed on the need to focus on villages. Sharon Longchari asserted that good governance involves civil society, government institutions, political society, economic society, judiciary and bureaucrats. Joel Kath meanwhile blamed the bureaucracy for the lack of governance in Nagaland. He further called for structural changes in the state. Responding to this, Longchari stated that “there are some heroes who bring governance to the doorstep. They are going above and beyond the call of duty.” During the Q&A session, a student from Kohima College asked, “Who is the culprit (in corruption)the Bureaucrat or the Poli-
tician? Is there anything to pave way for a young student like me?” No answers were given, however the student urged the young officers to “Fight against corruption to let youngsters fight for a good governance.” Another participant asked the panelists, “Why are our youth so indecisive in our career choices?” to which Sukhalu answered young Nagas are obsessed with government services. “We have to be stronger than our family, the social prejudices and the stereotypes. We have to be stronger than the people around us,” expressed Sukhalu. Er. Namang also viewed that education should be directed towards skill development and indentifying the skills of the young. The session on young Nagas in Entertainment, Sports and Music was chaired by Abu Metha, Founding Editor, Eastern Mirror with panelists Nise Meruno (Musician), Opang Jamir (Mr. India International), Imlibenla Wati (Miss World Beauty India) and Atoto Kire (Nagaland Wrestling Champion 2014).
MOKOKCHUNG, FEBRUARY 26 (MExN): The Mokokchung Town Lanur Telongjem (MTLT) today expressed concerned at the lack of progress of the investigation into the PDS Rice Scam in the town, which came to light earlier this month. A press note from the MTLT lamented that even after nearly a month there is no clear-cut progress of the investigation process. According to the Mokokchung Deputy Commissioner “three persons were apprehended while another person was absconding.” The MTLT recalled that on February 14, the Food & Civil Supplies Secretary had stated that “if any official(s) or staff or PFS(s) is found guilty,” the department would take appropriate action. The MTLT questioned why the fourth person involved in the case, “who is said to be a store-keeper in the Food and Civil Supplies Department Mokokchung,” is yet to be arrested. It further questioned whether the concerned store keeper has been suspended. Further, the MTLT demanded that the full report and recommendations of the government formed Inquiry Committee into the issue be made public. It recalled that the Mokokchung DC had informed that the Inquiry Committee’s report has been submitted, which includes its findings and suggestion in the report. It therefore demanded that the administration divulge the full report at the earliest. The MTLT informed that as per the ‘Suo-moto complaint’ case number - PS-I case No 003/16 u/s 7 EC Act
NPCC criticizes department for its ‘conspicuous silence’ DIMAPUR, FEBRUARY 26 (MExN): The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has censured the Department of Food and Civil Supplies for being “conspicuously silent” on the PDS Rice scam and for “ignoring the Governor’s directive” to “bring out the truth within three days. “ A press note from the NPCC media cell further expressed concern at the slow pace of the enquiry into the said scam. The department, the NPCC stated “is still maintaining a studied silence and chooses to ignore the directive of head of the state, the head of the District administration and the demand of entire civil societies. It appears that this scandal is just the tip of the iceberg.” The NPCC demanded that the Department spell out “where do they stand?” It alleged that this silence “reflects the total apathy and insensitivity of not only the Food and Civil Supply department but the entire governmental machinery.” The NPCC appealed the Nagaland State Chief Minister, TR Zeliang, who is in-charge of Food and Civil Supply Department, “to take responsibility for the entire episode and set up an independent enquiry so as to bring the culprit to book without fear or favor and dispense justice…” 12/w 482/483/486/PC – registered on January 31, 2016, the raiding team found 123 FCI empty rice-bags and around 520 rice bags of ‘Swastik Brand’ inside a store in Tongdentsuyong ward and 35 empty ‘Swastik Brand’ inside another store in Arkong Ward. According to the police, “FCI rice is diverted to the open market for sale under the brand name ‘Swastik Brand’ and it was also found that they were using rice bag stitching machine to pack the rice in ‘Swastik Brand’ rice bag.” “With all the details at hand, what makes the authority stop in expediting this serious case? It must be understood that public patience is reaching its limit,” the MTLT stated. It questioned why the authorities are “taking so long to indict those people who are named in the police
complaint.” The MTLT further alleged that the Additional Director of Supplies (ADS) Mokokchung would “often direct” a Fair Price Shop to disburse the PDS rice to “those who seek the rice carrying VIP chit.” It asked why this was done and on what official grounds does the ADS dispense such VIP chit distributions. It further questioned how and why there was excess quantity of unaccounted PDS rice at the said godown. The MTLT demanded that the concerned authority urgently expedite the case and book those found guilty in the scam, and to make known the steps taken regarding the scam. It further cautioned that “if the authority fails to meet our demands, the MTLT would have no option but to take our own course of action at will.”
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saturDaY 27•02•2016
NAGALAND
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
Honda launches CB Hornet 160R Sekrenyi in Tuophema focuses and CB Shine 125 SP in Nagaland on tradition and Culture Our Correspondent Tuophema | February 26
CB Hornet 160R
CB Shine 125 SP
Morung Express News Dimapur | February 26
Honda’s latest offering in the 160cc category – CB Hornet 160R has landed in Nagaland. In 2015, the iconic Hornet series once confined to high-performance engines ranging from 250cc to 900cc welcomed a new entrant into its fold fitted with a toned down 160cc engine yet with the youthful sporting aura intact that has become the hallmark of the Hornet series. Honda’s authorised dealer in Dimapur, Riven Motors located at Riverbelt colony, Circular Road unveiled to customers today the much awaited CB Hornet 160R, which was first showcased at the
Honda RevFest last year. Marketed by the company as heralding a “new era of Street Naked Sports Biking in India,” the bike flaunts a muscled and aggressive look reminiscent of the other celebrated variants in the series. Its look is further amplified by a sporty short muffler, 5-spoke steel alloy wheels, 140mm rear tyre for better traction and a new generation Xshaped LED tail light. An aerodynamically designed forward-leaning fuel tank topped with carbon pattern protective layering adds to the ripped look. Besides the styling, the bike “complies with BSIV regulation norms and is one of the first motorcycles in its category to do
so,” stated a Honda media release. Priced at Rs. 85,016 onwards (Ex-showroom, Dimapur), customers can also make online bookings via the ‘CB Hornet 160R’ android mobile app, which can be downloaded from Google Play. According to the company, CB Hornet 160R’s 163 cc engine is powerful enough to provide “that extra thrust” and “specially designed to deliver good low end torque.” The engine is equipped with a counter-balancer to reduce vibration. In terms of fuel efficiency, it is expected to give a mileage 59 kmpl. Alongwith the CB Hornet 160R, Riven Motors also introduced Honda’s ‘Shine’ in a brand new ava-
KPC interacts with Mkg Press Club
tar. A best-seller in Honda’s executive commuter segment, the latest offering in the series - CB Shine 125 SP has features similar to its predecessor albeit with one major upgrade. It has been upgraded to a 5-speed gear system moving away from the earlier 4-speed transmission system. While the primary features of the bike remain intact, changes have been introduced in look and design making it distinct from its predecessor. It features the same 10.5L capacity fuel tank with a slight difference in look. And importantly, it promises to return a mileage 65kmpl, which arguably is the foremost query of customers in the commuter segment.
Several tourists both national and international today flocked the picturesque Tuophema Village to get glimpse of the colorful celebration of Sekrenyi, the premier festival of Angami Nagas. Tuophema, lies 41 km away from state’s capital Kohima. The tourists, mostly from UK, USA, China, Germany, France, were enthralled by folk songs and dances presentation. MLA Namri Nchang graced the celebration as the chief guest and stressed on the need to preserve and promote the rich culture and traditions of the Nagas. He was appreciative of Tuophema villagers for popularizing and upholding the good traditional practice of forefathers by featuring Sekrenyi festival as an annual event in this village. Such platform enables many from far and near to familiarize themselves with the diverse culture and lifestyle of the Nagas. Nchang also challenged the youngsters to give due importance to mother tongue, which, he said, is the foremost ingredient to maintain their identity apart from traditional dresses, folk songs and dances and other traditional practices. MLA Nchang called upon
the younger generation to obey and respect their elders and leaders. Further, he called upon the villagers to continue to maintain better understanding and unity, which he said, is the main tool to secure conducive atmosphere and march ahead with the rest of the world. Earlier, Tuophema Village Council chairman Pfuduolhou Kense delivered welcome address. Day one event was marked by folk tune from Neichiituo Rio & party, folk dance by Tuophema village cultural troupe, folk song by Botsa and Sechiima village. The inaugural function was chaired by Kechangulie Kense while vote of thanks was proposed by organizing committee convenor Teisovilie Seyie. MLA Zhaleo Rio, Dr. Neiphrezo Keditsu, chairman Nagaland State Mineral Development Corporation Ltd. and several other dignitaries also present on the occasion. Day two (February 27), starting from 10:00 AM onwards, will be marked by folk song competition, traditional yelling competition, indigenous games competition, top spinning, indigenous catapult, muzzle loading gun shooting and spear kicking. Indigenous games competition is open to both national and international tourists as well.
Nagaland in Service Doctors Association meeting on March 2 kohiMa, February 26 (Mexn): All Nagaland in Service Doctors Association (NIDA) members are informed that an emergency GBM will be held on March 2 in the Directorate of HFW Conference hall starting from 11:00 am. In this regard all CMO, MS, District representatives and other Doctors altogether at least 5 from each district and Other units like Directorate, NHAK, Mental hospital, TB hospital, and PMTI etc to be represented.
Members of KPC along with MPC members at circuit House on February 26.
Mokokchung, February 26 (Mexn): A delegation of the Kohima Press Club today arrived at Mokokchung on a tour to meet and interact with the Mokokchung Press Club. The KPC team was led by its president Xavir Rutsa and they were warmly received by the Mokokchung Press Club led by president, Limalenden Longkumer. A brief introductory session was held at the conference hall of Mokokchung circuit house where the KPC president highlighted about the working system, history and activities of the Kohima press club. MPC president, Limalenden Longkumer, while warmly welcoming the KPC members, also highlighted about the Mokokchung Press Club and said that such interaction between the different press
clubs of Nagaland would strengthen the media fraternity not only of the two districts but also of the state as a whole. The MPC also hosted a dinner at Metsupen Resort, owned by former MCCI president and present NPF Mokokchung division president, Moasangba Jamir at Chuchuyimpang village. On Saturday, the KPC delegations are scheduled to meet and interact with the Mokokchung deputy commissioner and also other officials. Meanwhile, the MPC has expressed appreciated the KPC for their concern and for their tour to Mokokchung. The MPC has also expressed gratitude to Moasangba Jamir, owner of Metsupen Resort for hosting the media fraternity at his resort.
Select Committee meeting on March 2 kohiMa, February 26 (Dipr)): Additional Secretary, NLA, K. Sekhose in a press release has informed that the meeting of the Select Committee on the Nagaland Prohibition of Gambling and Promotion and Regulation of Online Games of Skill Bill, 2015 has been fixed on March 2 at 11:00 a.m. in the Committee Room of the Assembly Secretariat. The meeting is convened in connection with the examination of the Nagaland Prohibition of Gambling and Promotion and Regulation of Online Games of Skill Bill, 2015. All the concerned Committee Members have been requested to attend the meeting.
CMO, Dimapur, Dr. MA Wati distributing Long-lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLIN) at Duncan Colony, Dimapur on Friday. The LLIN is distributed free of cost to the public through National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, Health & Family Welfare Department, Nagaland. (Morung Photo)
Longleng DLSA conducts orientation-cum-training
LongLeng, February 26 (Mexn): The Longleng District Legal Services Authority conducted an orientation-cum-training for Para Legal Volunteers at DC Conference hall on February 24 with the participation of panel lawyers, PLVs and stake holders. Longleng District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) Secretary, Victo Sema chaired the programme and highlighted the activities undertaken by Long-
leng DLSA. Nagaland State Legal Services Authority, Member Secretary Nino Iralu who was the main speaker of the programme spoke on the role and responsibilities of PLVs and trafficking and sexual exploitation, child rights and poverty elevation, protection and enforcement of tribal rights and new schemes of NSLSA 2015. Japhet Woch SDO(C)Hq spoke on the importance of le-
gal awareness and also shared the experience of the administration works taken up in the district. Khamba shared his experience as PLV. Resource persons Victo Sema, Secretary DLSA Longleng spoke on the topic Lok Adalat and victim compensation scheme 2012 while Thiba Phom and Mane Phom, Panel Lawyers spoke on the topics children and women rights, consumer rights/ RTI respectively.
Conservation campaign held at Tetso College
FELICITATION
ICFAI University Nagaland
6th Mile, Sovima, Dimapur-797112, Nagaland Ph: 03862—280902/282762; E-mail: iunadmission@rediffmail.com Website: www.iunagaland.edu.in We congratulate the following students for being placed in ICICI Prudential during the Campus Recruitment organized at IUN, on 24th February 2016.
Obijit Mitra MBA
Kielieto Angami MA (Eng)
Soyimla Akum MA (Eng)
Nchumthung C. Ngullie Inakali Assumi MA (Pol. Sc.) MA (Eng)
Fingerprint - Design & Events Head Hongba Phom addressing the students during the awareness campaign (Conservation of wildlife and environment) held at Tetso College on February 26. Monin Boro B. Com
Mhasineino Kesiezie B. Com
Maya Gurung B. Com
R. Ngashit B. Com
Amit Kr. Singh B. Com
Mhasilie Sirie B. Com
Sentimongla Ao BBA
Areni Lotha B. Com
Kirti Rajak BBA
We wish you success and excellence in all your endeavours! Established under ICFAI University Nagaland Act 2006(vide Act No. 2 of 2006) and Empowered by UGC to award degrees under section 22 of UGC Act 1956. It is also the member of AIU and ACU.
DiMapur, February 26 (Mexn): FingerprintDesign & Events continuing its awareness campaign (Conservation of wildlife and environment) visited Tetso College on February 26 as part of their plan to visit 50 Colleges and Schools in Dimapur. Addressing the students, Fingerprint - Design & Events Head Hongba Phom said that Tetso College is one of the most progressing colleges in Naga-
land and it is a great feeling that the College is concern and desires to take steps in Conservation of Wildlife and Environment. “We as a Campaigner feel that all the Colleges can emphasize more about the Wildlife and Environment to all the students and not only to Environment Department students. The need of the hour for conservation is not only for those who knows about it but also for those who
are less concern,” Hongba added. Students while interacting with the Campaigner express their desire to do more for the wildlife and Environment. The Students suggested for more visitation program at Zoological Park to understand nature at first hand. They shared their opinion to encourage eco –tourism in order to generate revenue and protect the Wildlife and Environment.
Prog for NU faculty in social science
DiMapur, February 26 (Mexn): The Department of Sociology, Nagaland University is organizing an ICSSR sponsored two weeks capacity building programme for faculty in social science from April 21 to May 4 with the objective of enhancing research and publication capabilities among social science faculty of the region. With a total intake of 25 participants only, the programme is specially targeted at faculty belonging to Schedule Tribe category. However subject to availability of seats, applicants from other categories will also be considered. For further details and application form, interested candidates may log on to the University website www.nagauniv.org.in
SaturDaY 27•02•2016
NORTH-EAST
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
'Make Agartala doctrine part of India's foreign policy' new delhI, February 26 (IanS): Tiny Tripura's style of handling insurgency and building relations with Bangladesh should be taken into account by India's foreign policy planners while dealing with neighbouring countries, says a senior journalist with considerable experience of reporting on eastern India. “The Agartala doctrine is based on the critical role played by Tripura in India's foreign policy,” said Subir Bhaumik, editor of “The Agartala Doctrine: A proactive northeast in Indian foreign policy”, at the New Delhi launch of the book organised on Thursday by the Society for Policy Studies (SPS). Bringing together a rich mix of perspectives from academics and practitioners from South Asia, the book, published by Oxford University Press (OUP), provides a window for all those interested in understanding India's foreign policy vis-a-vis its neighbours. The book calls for a robust national doctrine to guide India's border states, especially those in the northeast, in tackling pressing issues and also helping them boost their economy by accessing opportunities beyond borders. It constructs such a framework by exemplifying Tripura's not-so-well-known influence on India's foreign policy towards East Pakistan and then Bangladesh for more than half a century through the so-called Agartala doctrine. According to Bhaumik, a veteran journalist and senior fellow with the Kolkata-based Centre for Studies in International Relations and Development (CSIRD), it was Tripura's first chief minister Sachindra Lal Singh who told then prime minister Indira Gandhi to “kick out” Pakistan from East Pakistan. “Without the role played by Tripura's chief ministers, Bangladesh would not have been a reality,” he said.
Railway budget neglected North East: Tripura govt agartala, February 26 (IanS): Tripura's Left Front government Thursday night criticised Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu for neglecting the northeastern states in the 2016-17 rail budget. "The railway budget presented in the parliament by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has neglected the northeast by not providing adequate funds for the new constructions and on going constructions of railway infrastructure in the region," Transport Minister Manik Dey told reporters. "Six years after the finalisation of a new India-Bangladesh railway project -- Agartala (India)Akhaura (Bangladesh), the railway minister has allocated only Rs.150 crore while the project required Rs 1,000 crore," he said. The Agartala-Akhaura railway project was finalised in January 2010 when Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met then Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during her visit to New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed the railway project with Hasina during his visit to Dhaka in June last year. "The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) led central government prepared the railway budget to appease the corporate sector," Dey said adding that no new trains were introduced and no major railway project announced in the budget for the northeastern region comprising eights states. He said that Tripura's three MPs - Jitendra Chowdhury, Sankar Prasad Datta (both Lok Sabha) and Jharna Das Baidya (Rajya Sabha) - and the state government had urged the prime minister and railway minister on a number of times to set up a railway division and a railway recruitment board in Tripura, but the budget has neglected all these.
TRANSFORMATION CRUSADE Theme: “Arise and Shine…” (Isaiah 60:1)
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CoPoTR locks Chandel ADC office New Arunachal CM 'undisputed leader': Guv
Chandel, February 26 (Mexn): The Committee on Protection of Tribal Rights (CoPoTR) today sealed the office of the Chandel Autonomous District Council after finding all the office staffs absent. According to a press release from the CoPoTR, the Committee had convened a meeting at the ADC Office and put an agenda on the progress and Development of ADC, Chandel so far. However, it stated that it was “compelled” to seal the Office and added that the closure of the office would
continue indefinitely until an “amicable solution is brought through”. In this regard, the committee appealed to the “higher authority” to take appropriate action against the Office staff for not discharging their duty. Hitting out at the State Government for “step motherly treatment” to Chandel District, the Committee claimed that the office of the ADC Chandel has been functioning at Imphal instead of functioning from the District Head Quarter. Terming it an “insult” to the
public of Chandel District, the Committee stated, “The Public have been suffering and have been finding difficult to travel to Imphal just for silly reasons like taking signature of the Officer and inquiry about certain schemes they have to keep travelling to Imphal.” Maintaining that it will not tolerate “any disrespect” to the people of Chandel, the Committee demanded “immediate functioning of ADC Office in its District Head Quarter i.e., Monsang Pantha, Chandel District”.
Itanagar, February 26 (IanS): Arunachal Governor J.P. Rajkhowa has described newly-elected Chief Minister Kalikho Pul as an "undisputed and most popular democratically elected leader" of the state, a Raj Bhavan official said on Friday. Pul was sworn-in as the eighth chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh on February 19 after the central government recommended that President's Rule be lifted from the state. On Thursday, the rebel Congress legislator also won a vote of confidence in the 60-member assembly, whose strength now stands at 58 following the expulsion of two Congress legislators in the recent political crisis. The BJP which has 11 members and two other Independent members also supported Pul. However, ousted chief minister Nabam Tuki and his 16 loyalist Congress members did not attend Thursday's assembly session.
"Pul has established himself as the undisputed and most popular democratically elected leader of the State today," Rajkhowa said, while congratulating Pul for successfully clearing the 'floor test', which Rajkowa had advised, with one hundred percent voting. The governor also exuded confidence that Pul would rise to the high expectations of the people, particularly the common man and do everything possible to make all sections of the people contented. Rajkhowa was accused by the Congress of being a "BJP agent" after he advanced the sixth session of the assembly when rebel Congress legislators led by Pul openly revolted against Tuki. During the assembly session at a makeshift venue, the rebel Congress legislators with the support of 11 BJP legislators and two Independents impeached the then speaker Nabam Rebia and elected Pul as the new leader of the house.
National Research Centre on Mithun (NRC-M) Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Jharnapani, Medziphema, Nagaland – 797106 INDIA No. NRCM(T)83/2013(Vol-I)
Dated: 24:02:2016
TENDER NOTICE The Director, ICAR- National Research Centre on Mithun, Jharnapani, Nagaland invites sealed bids from registered firms/vendors for the supply of GI Sheets (700 pieces), Barbed Wire (15000 mt), Rain Coat (1000 Nos.) and Gum Boots (1000 Nos.) required under Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) program. Details of the tender document may be downloaded from institute website www.nrcmithun.res.in Last date of receipt of sealed bid is 17.03.2016. Assistant Administrative Officer(s), For and on behalf of the Director
JOB VACANCY
The North East Initiative Development Agency (NEIDA) is looking for Committed Professionals to fill 1 (one) post as Programme Officer – Sales and Marketing. Among others, the job entails working with producers (agriculture and allied sector) in rural areas; conducting training programme for farmers, product development (budgets, expenditures, return-on-investment and profit-loss projections), conduct market research focusing on rural markets for existing and future products, creating marketing linkages, developing marketing and distribution strategies and implementing the strategy. Qualification: MBA from a reputed University/Institution. Preference for candidates with i) Post Graduate Degree in Agri Business Marketing /Rural Marketing / Rural Management ii) Work experience in related field. Job Posting will be in Kohima. Candidate willing to travel extensively in rural areas in Nagaland should apply. Salary: Will be competitive and shall be commensurate with experience Application Procedures: Please send your Curriculum Vitae (CV) to jobs.nagaland@neida.org.in by March 20, 2016 with your contact details. Only short listed candidates will be contacted for next stage of the selection process.
GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAND
OFFICE OF THE GENERAL MANAGER NAGALAND STATE TRANSPORT NAGALAND : DIMAPUR
NO.NST/ESST/67/EXPD-A/14-15/551
Dated: 26/02/16
PRESS RELEASE
Date: 27th Feb. 2016 Time: 4:30 PM Venue: Khouchiezie (Local Ground), Kohima 1. Leader
: Mr. Petekuolie Krose Vice Principal, Kohima Bible College : Mrs. Avi-ü Thülü-o : Mr. Vesato Thülü-o
2. Pianist 3. Conductor 4. Invocation & Offertory Prayer : Evan. Theyievizo Yano Southern Angami CRC 5. Speaker : Rev. Moa Longchari Senior Pastor, Baptist Mission Church
Photo clips of ions of encroachments by private individuals on Kohima NST land at Lerie
First Session @ 2PM Causes to Devil Worship and Doorways to Demons: Lect. Mezhusevi Zutso
This crusade is for all. Come with faith and receive the Blessings of Salvation, Deliverance, Healing and the Confirmation message.
No. NU/ENGG/Elect/M-67/2014-2751
Dated: 26th Feb’2016
NOTICE INVITING TENDER
Sealed tenders are invited from the registered and eligible Electrical Contractors empanelled under Nagaland University for the work detailed below. Sl. Particulars No. 1.
Tender Value(`)
Earnest Money Deposit (EMD in `)
Internal Electrification of KVS S c h o o l 2,00,000.00 4,000.00 Building at NU, Hqrs. Lumami.
ComTender pletion Fee(`) Time
500.00
45 (Forty Five) days
Tender documents can be collected from the Engineering Section, Nagaland University, Hqrs. Lumami on working days upto 10th March 2016. Last date for submission of sealed tender shall be 11th March 2016(upto 1:00 PM). The sealed tender should be submitted to the Registrar, Nagaland University, Hqrs. Lumami. The cost of Tender document (non-refundable) is to be deposited through NU Challan. EMD from any Nationalized Bank through Demand Draft/Bankers Cheque and IPO worth `10/- (Rupees Ten) only duly addressed in favour Nagaland University, HQs. Lumami should also accompany along with the Tender. Nagaland University reserves the right to accept or reject any tender without assigning any reason(s), whatsoever. Sd/- Registrar
The Secretary to the Government of Nagaland, Transport Department Smt. Lithrongla G. Chishi, IAS, accompanied by the General Manager, NST Shri. Senti Pongener and Departmental officials along with the Deputy Commissioner, Shri. Rovilato Mor, IAS, the RO and LRSO, Kohima physically inspected the NST land at Lerie, Kohima measuring apprx. 60.2 acres physical area on 20.02.2016, to take stock of the occurrence of land encroachments, on ground reality where the Divisional Workshop and the staff quarters of NST Kohima are located and being encroached upon by private individuals inside the compensated and acquired Government land. The chain-linked fencing demarcating the boundary put up by the Department on the western side of the acquired land had been removed by the encroachers and the distinct boundary of the rivulet in the south, depression line on the north adjoin the police reserve (project) and the Dimapur-Kohima-Imphal Road of NH-39/29 in the East, have all been encroached upon by private individuals having constructed permanent buildings with occupants, permanent structures for construction, temporary structures and unoccupied but fenced areas, claiming ownerships inspite of administrative restraining orders from time to time. On query, the encroachers include third party individuals of sold-purchase from relatives of the land owners, resold buyers and individuals of Government allotments. Some of the encroachers, having settled/occupied for years together in their constructed building or hutments numbering about 20 (twenty) households, have even formed union of their own to dwarf any action or intimidation against them from any corner. The inspection aims to culminate in cancellation of Government allotments, eviction and dismantling of the permanent and temporary structures and to stop further encroachments in the near future which will be taken up in the highest forum including legal aspects to set exemplary action against encroachments of Government land in the state. Sd/- (SENTI PONGENER) General Manager, Nagaland State Transport, Nagaland: Dimapur.
4
SaturDaY 27•02•2016
Business
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
Economic Survey sees no pick-up in growth, pushes reforms new Delhi, February 26 (ians): India’s Economic Survey sees the growth rate for the coming fiscal to remain at 7-7.75 percent due to domestic factors and warns that the upcoming budget will have to contend with an unusually challenging and weak external environment. The survey, tabled in parliament by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley here on Friday, also expresses concern over pan-India GST being elusive, the divestment programme falling short of target and recast of the distortive subsidy regime, especially for fertilisers, being a work-inprogress. This apart, the survey says, balance sheets of Indian banks remain stressed, becoming a roadblock to the revival of private investments, adding to the anxiety that the country’s growth potential of 8-10 percent in the long term. “This year’s survey comes against the backdrop of an unusually volatile external environment with significant risks of
weaker global activity and nontrivial risks of extreme events,” says the survey, authored by Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian. “Fortifying the Indian economy against possible spill-over is consequently one obvious necessity. Another necessity is recalibration of expectations,” it says, and warns that if the world lurches into a crisis or slides further into weakness, India’s growth, too, will be severely affected. On the positive side, though, the survey says India will remain the fastest-growing large economy and a refuge of stability with an outpost of opportunity, even as steps taken toward a stable tax tax system, ease of doing business and foreign participation have gone down well globally. It also projects the retail inflation to ease further to 4.5-5 percent in 2016-17. Coming as it does on the eve of the national budget for the next fiscal, and given its import in providing the direction the country’s economic policy
should take in the coming year, the survey also spells out its policy prescriptions, both broad and specific. Among them, it wants as good an exit policy for industry, notably start-ups, as entry norms as it will remove impediments to investments, job creation and growth. It also wants focus ro return towards agriculture and human needs like health and education to reap the demographic dividend. “While dynamic sectors such as services such as services and manufacturing tend to grab public attention, India cannot afford to neglect its agriculture. After all, nearly 42 percent of Indian households derive bulk of their income from farming.” On fiscal deficit, it says the target of 3.9 percent of GDP, which Jaitley set for this fiscal, was achievable. But it also says the coming year will be a challenging one, calling for improving tax compliance, tapping new revenue sources, re-look expenditure and recast subsidies.
It wants the income tax net to widen from 5.5 percent of earning individuals to 20 percent. Notwithstanding the volatality and turmoil, the survey says the Indian equity markets have been relatively resiliant compared to peers in other major emerging market economies, and potentially sees the country as the leading investment destination due to its robust economic fundamentals. The survey also feels there is lot to be done so that policymaking is quick with public servants being able to decide without fear or favour. As of now, it says, the legal provisions are seen as draconian, and anti-corruption laws scaring the honest without deterring the corrupt. “There is a widely held perception both within the civil service and among outsiders who interact with government, that civil servants have in recent times become increasingly reluctant to decide issues quickly and firmly. This has consequences for the economy.”
On social aspects, the survey makes some worrisome observations and calls for corrective action. It says India still has the second highest number of undernourished people, warranting immediate action. Over 42 percent of its pregnant women are underweight. “Despite recent progress, India generally under-performs on maternal and child-health indicators, it says, adding: “India is already half-way through its demographic dividend and taking the full advantage requires a healthy and educated population.” Subramanian also outlines what has been the theme and focus of this year’s survey, given that the Indian economy is “richly complicated”. He says the focus is to outline policies that will enable Indians to lead a better, richer and healthier life. On the whole, he remains an optimist. “In sum, for now, but not indefinitely, the sweet spot for India is still beckoningly there.”
Royal Enfield Classic RBI Guwahati conducts FLC at Tizit Town 500 launched of the bank should refuse from opening a saving acmon, February 26 al office, spoke on areas like: to accept small denomi- count, he reminded the gath(mexn): A financial literacy • Non-banking financial notes/ or coinsat ering that a Saving Bank Accompany (NBFC), that camp (FLC) was held at Inin Squadron Blue door Stadium, Tizit town on NBFC is not a bank but nation their counter. It however count cannot be taken as a new Delhi, February 26 (nDTV auTo): Royal Enfield has launched a new colour - Squadron Blue - on the Classic 500 range of motorcycles, priced at 1,86,688. The new shade has been inspired by the Indian Air Force and is a tribute by the bike maker for its well-established history with the armed forces. The new Squadron Blue Classic 500 variant is available for booking across all dealerships in India. Unlike the Despatch edition that received a two-tone colour scheme, the Royal Enfield Squadron Blue Classic 500 gets a clean matte blue finish and takes inspiration from the post war design of the Royal Enfield motorcycles, whilst retaining the modern underpinnings. Apart from the new colour scheme, the special Classic 500 gets no mechanical changes with power coming from the same 499cc single-cylinder Twinspark engine tuned for 27.2bhp of power and 41.3Nm of torque. Royal Enfield’s association with the armed forces dates back to the World Wars, where the motorcycle was used extensively by the British Arm. The bike maker also received its first ever order from the Indian army in 1952 for 800 motorcycles, while manufacturing in India commenced from 1955 and has been a regular supplier to the Indian Army ever since. The Indian Air Force also started the use of Royal Enfield motorcycles in the 1950s and has been more popularly been used by the Air Force Poice.
advised the public that primarily engaged in fiFebruary 23, organized by “notes will not be acnancial activity. None of the Reserve Bank of India cepted by the banks if it the 107 NBFCs registered (RBI)—banking regulatory bears PAY/PAID/REJECT with RBI Guwahati can acauthority, Regional office stamps, if it bears political cept deposits. (NBFCs are Guwahati. slogans or messages, if it is companies registered with The chief guest, T. Redeliberately cut”. Registrar of Companies nabomoOdyuo, additional and primarily engaged in • Do’s and don’ts for fictideputy commissioner Tizit tious offers, besides other financial business i.e. givsub-division,said thatmany related issues which the ing loans and advances, educationally literate peopublic need to be aware of. investments in financial ple in Naga community are He was assisted by Vinay instruments, insurance, financially illiterate. He exKumar, AGM, RBI Guwahati hire purchase, etc.); pressed appreciation to RBI Guwahati regional office for • Banking Ombudsman regional office, in the presen(BO), whom a customer tation. penetrating the rural areas Rajuselie Lhousa, Discan lodge complaint to for to organize this financial litredressal of their grievanc- trict Program Coordinator eracy camp. He opined that es—deficiencies in banking NSRLM Mon, speaking in the the Banks may evolve a new service. The complaint has meeting, lauded the RBI Gumechanismto include people to applied to BO through wahati for having come at an from rural villages, as various the branch manager; appropriate period to push schemes of mainland India may not be suitable for tribal • Features of currency the Tizit community forward notes, where water mark, when the CBI Branch is at its conditions. He also advised security thread, latent im- infancy stage—made functhe people that resources are age, micro lettering, inta- tional only in 2013. high in Tizit for which one glio printing and fluoresHe advised the public have to streamline in tapping cence were explained. that the confidence the CBI resources and increase their income and savings as well. • Exchange of notes and has on the people of Tizit coins are possible at bank area should not let go and Resource person, Rajesh branches which are soiled avail maximum benefit from Kamble, Lead District Officer and defective notes. None it. While sharing on benefits (LDO), RBI Guwahati Region-
leisure
Daily Cross WorD ACROSS 1. A grasp of something 6. Arrived 10. Anagram of “Cabs” 14. Bushbaby 15. All excited 16. Cab 17. diving bird 18. Twinge 19. dry 20. Renunciation 22. Weight to be borne 23. Whirl 24. By mouth 26. Serene 30. mayday 31. Band booking 32. murres 33. Within 35. Alpha’s opposite 39. hermit 41. Impulses 43. Captured 44. A whitetail 46. heavy, durable furniture wood 47. By means of 49. Anagram of “Ail” 50. makes a mistake 51. Place of learning 54. Clairvoyant 56. Anthracite 57. Tympani 63. govern 64. Incite 65. Short-billed Old World rails 66. Atop 67. Wisdom 68. Become narrower 69. Finest 70. hotels 71. Overweight DOWN 1. Aquatic plant 2. Parsley or sage
CROSSWORD # 3515
The Tzur multi-purpose Project Society, Longjang Village, organised a Building and other Construction Workers Awarenes Programme at Longjang Village sponsore by the department of Labour, government of Nagaland on 26 Feb 2016. Seen in the picture is T. Chubayanger,Project Officer, Department of Labour,giving a demonstration at the technical session.
Vijay Mallya leaves Diageo: Gets sweet Rs 500 crore mumbai, February 26 (bs): Vijay Mallya, who built United Spirits as India’s largest liquor company, has exited the company after he sewed a deal with its majority owner Diageo that absolves him from claims over fund diversion from the liquor firm to other UB group firms, including Kingfisher Airlines. Diageo will pay $75 million or nearly Rs 500 crore over 5 years to Mallya to bind him with a non-interference, non-compete contract, globally except in the United Kingdom, sealing his fate as a liquor baron in the near future. In addition, the firm’s vodka brand Smirnoff has committed $75 million as a sponsor to Force India Formula 1 team, co-owned by Mallya for 5 seasons. “With his resignation, Dr Mallya no longer has any authority or responsibility in USL,” said USL’s head of corporate relations, Abanti Sankaranarayanan over a conference call. The deal ends a bitter boardroom battle that began in April 2015, when the board of United Spirits sought to evict Mallya over the irregularities that cost the firm Rs 7,200 crore in losses. At the same time, Mallya has insulated Diageo and USL from any legal challenges, arising out his disputes with banks over his defaults. Mallya, a Rajya Sabha MP who had hinted at quitting USL and retire in December last when he turned 60, plans to spend more time “closer to his children” in England. He earns the title of founder emeritus, USL and chief mentor of T20 cricket team Royal Challengers, while his son Sidhartha would be on the board of the cricket team for two years. While Diageo gets a deal from Mallya, a consortium of banks to which Mallya owes Rs 8,700 crore are struggling to get their money back.
SUDOKU
certificate to avail loan but as a beginning with saving. He challenged the Tizit leaders to prepare her generation for economic growth in order to attain a ‘Tizit City’ by 2050. The main part of attraction of the day was quiz competition where every winner was awarded a ‘torch’—symbol of guide, besides acknowledging the leaders with gifts from RBI Guwahati. Interactive session was assisted by Abemo M. Murry, CBI Tizit. Leaders fromTizit town and surrounding villages like executive members of KU Tizit Unit, chairmen of village councils and Village development board secretaries, Gaonburas, women leaders from KNSK Tizit Unit and villagelevelnumbering around 150 participants availed the benefit from the special program. The chairperson KhriedinuoPfukrei, CBI Tizit, pronounced vote of thanks and benediction by Pastor Pastor Methna Konyak.
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 # 3502
Answer Number # 3501
Football team BiLLS
CoWBoYS
DoLPHiNS
giANTS
PATRioTS
EAgLES
JETS
REDSKiNS
RAvENS
BEARS
BENgALS
LioNS
BRoWNS
PACKERS
STEELERS
viKiNgS
TExANS
FALCoNS
CoLTS
PANTHERS
JAgUARS
SAiNTS
TiTANS
BUCCANEERS
BRoNCoS
CARDiNALS
CHiEFS
RAMS
RAiDERS
FoRTYNiNERS
CHARgERS
SEAHAWKS
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Dimapur, February 26 (agencies): Airtel, India’s no. 1 operator and the third largest mobile services provider globally with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa, today announced the launch of its Platinum 3G network for customers in Dimapur and Aizawl under “Project Leap”. Airtel’s Platinum 3G will deliver faster internet speeds, enhance voice clarity and offer a superior network experience for customers in the circle. Additionally, Platinum 3G will help optimize the backend engagement between the network and mobile devices, thus allowing customers to enjoy extended battery life on their phones. Airtel has recently commenced the implementation of its network transformation program “Project Leap” in North East and Assam. With a national investment of Rs. 60,000 Crores over the next three years, Airtel’s “Project Leap” is a strategic company initiative aimed at perceptibly improving its network quality and delivering the best customer experience. Commenting on the launch of Platinum 3G, Sameer Anjaria, CEO, Airtel North East and Assam, said, “Today we are pleased to offer Platinum 3G services to our customers in Dimapur and Aizawl. In line with our long term growth strategy for North East and Assam, we will be investing heavily in upgrading our network and providing seamless customer experience across various technologies under “Project Leap”. Earlier in July 2015, Airtel had introduced 4G services in North East. With Airtel 4G and Platinum 3G both available in the circle now, Airtel is uniquely positioned to become the only network in North East to leverage these world class technologies towards delivering the ultimate ‘Smartphone Network’ experience for its customers.
9089248116 8575221176
MOON HARDWARE STORE & STEEL FABRICATION
deals in: All hardware materials & Electricals items, Window Gate, Stucture etc. Ward No 6, Nh-29 Chumukedima Town 797103- Nagaland
Korean Uncle’s Café KUC
NEWLY OPENED
Korean foods, Coffee, Waffle & Korean goods Add:- 4th mile (CBZZ Building), diphupar, dimapur Contact : 8730852766 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
232106 227607 232181
224041, 248011
Nagaland Multispe- 248302, cialty Health & 09856006026 Research Centre
kOhImA
Police Control Room: North Police Station: South Police Station: Fire Brigade: Naga Hospital: oking Hospital: Bethel Nursing Home: Northeast Shuttles
STd COdE: 0370 100/2244279 2222222 2222111 2222952 2222916 2243339 2224202 08974997923
WE4WOmEN hELPLINE 08822911011
A F L X C A P I d h Q S W B T E S R U Y
B R O W N S N O C L A F g T Q k E I S U
W S T N I A S T F O R T Y N I N E R S Y
C
U B I L L S E A h A W k S N I T E S S X
R F J S U S R E L E E T S g O k A X B N
H
V V E T T V O J B A R Z J A C O I N W N
W P h B O E O A I d N S R A Q I Q V S F
N Z g d Y P J P V I B P P B B g A J I T
KoHiMA NoRTH: 7085924114 (o)
CHUMUKEDiMA: 7085982102 (o) 8732810051 (oC) WOkhA: 03860242215/101 (o) 8974322879 (oC) MoKoKCHUNg: 0369-2226225/ 101 (o) 8415830232 (oC) PHEK: 8414853765 (o) 8413822476(oC) zUNHEBoTo: 03867-280304/ 101 (o) 9436422730 (oC) TUENSANg: 8414853766 (o) 9856163601 (oC)
kIPhIRE: 8414853767 (o) 9436261577 (oC) PEREN: 7085189932 (o) 9856311205 (oC) LONgLENg: 7085924113 (o) 9862414264 (oC)
Toll free No. 1098 childline
R
KoHiMA SoUTH: 0370-2222952/ 101 (o) 9402003086 (oC)
MoN: 03869-251222/ 101 (o) 9862130954 (oC)
ChILd WELFARE COmmITTEE
mOkOkChUNg:
FIRE STATIONS
DiMAPUR: 03862-232201/ 101 (o) 9856156876 (oC)
Chumukedima Fire 282777 Brigade Nikos Hospital and 232032, 231031 Research Centre
ANS TO CROSSWORd 3514
A
A m N V P h L A d d R A V E N S A d F Y
Airtel rolls out Platinum 3G network in Dmp and Aizawl
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
67.02 95.02 8.35 47.95 47.67 48.64 59.09
70.05 99.65 9.30 50.32 50.02 51.02 62.44
Euro
74.27
77.88
Thai Baht Korean Won UAE Dirham (AED) Chinese Yuan
1.82
2.02
0.0526
0.0587
17.66
19.67
9.94
11.08
SaturdaY 27•02•2016
NAGALAND
Assam-Nagaland: Artificial boundaries and real problems Vikas Kumar Deccan Herald
Padmanath Gohain Baruah was among the founders of both the Kohima Sahitya Sabha (KSS), the oldest institution of its kind in the Naga Hills, and its better-known younger cousin the Asam Sahitya Sabha. His plays included Joymoti, based on the life of an Assamese princess whose husband took shelter in the Naga Hills. Joymoti’s character has also inspired other landmark contributions to Assamese literature and cinema, including the first Assamese movie. While the KSS continued to attract people after Nagaland’s separation from Assam, its appeal has declined over the years. Today the KSS building, which stands neglected right in the heart of Kohima, reflects the sorry state of the Naga-Assamese relationship. Cultural and political ties have not been completely severed though. Nisheli, the first Nagamese play, was directed
by an Assamese (Nagamese, an Assamese-based pidgin, is Nagaland’s lingua franca). The authors of one of the first Nagamese dictionaries and grammars were also Assamese. Students’ organisations and political leaders of the two states still enjoy a close relationship. Former Assam chief minister Prafulla Mahanta and the then Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio played an important role in launching the North-East Regional Parties’ Front before the 2014 elections. Yet, things have changed. The boundary dispute that has claimed hundreds of lives over the past four decades exemplifies the change. While the state governments passed the buck to the Supreme Court, the Union government subcontracted its job to various commissions. However, the dispute can be resolved only through a sustained dialogue that is sensitive to history and involves local stakeholders. The Brahmaputra Valley’s Ahom rulers allowed the Na-
gas to visit markets near the foot hills that served as hubs for exchange between the hills and the plains (Nagamese has its origins in, among other things, these markets). When this arrangement broke down, the Nagas raided the plains for goods and the Ahoms responded in kind. Eventually, peaceful exchange resumed after a new compact was negotiated and occasionally buttressed by marriage alliances. The Ahoms had marriage ties with Konyak Nagas of Mon. Perhaps even the far off Angami Nagas of Kohima entered into marriage relations with the Ahoms, when the latter attacked the Dimasa-Kachari kingdom. While most Dimasas fled Dimapur, some married and settled in the Angami territory in the hills. Ironically, two centuries later, the Ahoms too took shelter in the Naga Hills during dynastic struggles and the Burmese invasion and many of them were assimilated in the Naga society. This is the short history of the Ahom-Naga
relationship. The Ahom-Naga border was an ecological border along the foothills, separating the hills from the plains, porous to socio-cultural exchange and migration. Plainsmen could claim land along the foothills for cultivation and their Naga neighbours could extract tribute for offering “protection”. Neither claimed absolute/exclusive ownership. Moreover, the border was flexible as it changed with the balance of power between the hills and the plains and the degree of forest cover along the foothills. The British imposed rigid boundaries that not only halted economic exchange, but also disrupted political and socio-cultural ties. The British also froze identities. Hereafter, the Nagas in the plains and Assamese in the hills retained their “original” identity irrespective of how long they stayed there. Unsurprisingly, after the formation of Nagaland in 1963, the Naga settlers in the disputed area were seen as “outsiders” occupying Assamese land.
Land encroachment Both during the colonial period and later, the Nagas protested against the encroachment of “their” traditional lands for tea, timber, and railway projects. After the grant of statehood to Nagaland within the colonial boundaries, the Nagas “occupied” hundreds of square kilometres of the disputed territory with the support of the state government and insurgents. The Nagas claim that they are defending their traditional territory against “illegal Bangladeshi” and other settlers encouraged by Assam. However, Naga settlers completely depend upon cheap migrant labour. Also, the Nagas have fought bitterly among themselves for control over the disputed territory. On the other hand, the Assam government claims that it settled flood-affected Assamese people in its own territory that was being encroached upon by Naga irredentists, who claim thousands of square kilometres of Assa-
mese territory often far from the foothills. Decades of occupation and counter-occupation have transformed large parts of the reserved forests along AssamNagaland border into a patchwork of densely populated Assamese and Naga villages that cannot be separated into mutually exclusive zones. It bears emphasis that the border dispute is not driven by ethnic or religious differences. Naga history abounds in cases of bloody inter-tribal conflicts over water resources and land. Most recently, Mao Nagas of Manipur and Angami Nagas of Nagaland fought over a timber-rich area. The conversion of a flexible ecological boundary into a rigid modern legal boundary is the root cause of the problem. Growing population, deforestation, soil erosion and uncertain rainfall are pushing people of both states toward the relatively underpopulated and extremely fertile and timber-rich interstate border. The decline in Assam’s tea
industry and the growing population of Adivasis of tea gardens has added to the long list of prospective claimants. People on both sides are now claiming absolute ownership of lands that might have had multiple and occasional users in the precolonial period. Joint management of the ecologically fragile territory by local communities respecting shared use rights of people on both sides of the border is the only feasible solution. However, for a resolution of the dispute along these lines, the state governments have to withdraw court cases and stop encouraging competitive encroachment, while political parties, civil society and insurgents have to refrain from using this emotional issue to divert attention away from other problems. Similar solutions have to be explored to resolve Assam’s lesser territorial disputes with Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh. The writer teaches economics at Azim Premji University, Bengaluru.
Induction prog for govt employees in Longleng concludes ZB (AMN) appeals to Zeliangrong people imphaL, February 26 (mexN): The Zeliangrong Baudi (Assam, Manipur and Nagaland) has appealed to “all the churches, irrespective of denominations, TRC kalumkai, Heraka, Pou-Pei Chapriak, Champa, Pei (Thoubei), youth club, women societies and other faiths of ZeParticipants and resource persons during the Induction Training Programme held for Group ‘B’ and ‘C’ State government employees of Longleng district.
LoNgLeNg, February 26 (mexN): The twelve days Induction Training Programme (ITP) for Group ‘B’ and ‘C’ State government employees of Longleng district concluded on February 26. The training was sponsored by DoPT, Government of India and organised by Administrative Training Institute (ATI), Kohima
The programme which started on February 15 covered various topics on soft skills such as personality development and office procedures. The valedictory function was chaired by Dr. Hovithal N. Sothu, Deputy Director, ATI. Zhoi Lohe, EAC HQ Longleng district proposed the votes of thanks and Dr. A. Alem W.
Longchar, Course Coordinator for ITP, Longleng district presented the course evaluation of the training. I. Changsang, EAC Yongnyah spoke on behalf of the Deputy Commissioner, Longleng and conveyed his wishes to the trainees. The EAC exhorted the trainees to carry the training forward for the welfare of the public. He
shared the importance of the ministerial staffs in the governance and encouraged the trainees to be responsible public servants while discharging their entrusted duties. Altogether, 44 participants attended the training and were awarded with participatory certificates by I. Changsang, EAC Yongnyah.
liangrong people” to observe the third 'Zeliangrong Prayer Day’ in any possible manner on Sunday, February 28. In accordance to Resolution No. 4 of the 5th Dimki/Assembly Session of ZB (AMN) at Nchurelo Village, Mahur, Assam on December 6, 2013 and Resolution
anymore. He was a remarkable man with a difference in life to many people; he was one of the finest singers with generous, pleasant and enthusiastic manner,” stated a condolence message from Kripa Foundation Director, Abou Mere. “His first album ‘The way I feel’ was dedicated and contributed to Kripa Foundation Naga-
land to help drug users and alcoholics. We will remember him with respect and admiration. He will be truly missed by all,” it added. Kripa Foundation further expressed sincere condolences to the wife and family members of the deceased and prayed that the departed soul rest in everlasting peace.
Second day of Transformation Crusade in Kma Kohima, February 26 (mexN): More than three thousand believers from all walks of life attended the second day of Transformation Crusade on February 25 at the Local Ground in Kohima, according to a press release received here. Velavoyi Keyho, Pastor, Phezoucha Nagamese Baptist Church, Kohima was the speaker. He shared on Jesus Christ coming to this world, how he preached to save the souls and sacrificed his life for “our” sins. Quoting Jesus, “The harvest is plenteous, but the labourers are few”, the speaker urged the peo-
ple to work for the Lord and be an ambassador of God. Meanwhile, Keyho highlighted the benefit of serving the lord while citing the examples of Joseph, Isaiah, and Paul etc from the bible. “In this 21st century, God is calling us to reach out the gospel to every Nation from every field and to receive salvation through Christ,” he stated. Keyho further challenged the people present to take the right decision and rededicate their lives. “We need revival in our land and revival begins with prayer or we all will perish like Sodom and Gomorrah in the bible,” he added. Earlier, Pastor Letu-
olie Pienyu led the service, while Pastor Ruokuowhelie Pienyu invoked God’s blessings and pronounced the offertory prayer. The press release said that an elderly woman who had been deaf for 10 years and many people suffering from various illnesses were healed, while four persons were also delivered from “spirit of fear” on the second day of the Transformation Crusade. 29 groups of “prayer warriors”, more than 200 volunteers, and 130 counsellors are the backbone of the third Transformation Crusade of Kohima, the release added.
meDziphema, February 26 (mexN): Distribution of Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) under Medziphema Block was officially launched on February 26 at CHC Medziphema. During the programme, ADC of Medziphema, Sarah S Jamir highlighted about the proper usage of LLIN and encouraged active participation of the public in controlling mosquito borne diseases. Meanwhile, in his short speech, Dr. Moa, DVBO (NVBDCP), Dimapur, called upon the public to use the LLIN throughout the year and highlighted its Do’s and Don’ts. Earlier, welcome address was delivered by
Kohima, February 26 (mexN): With regard to the harassment of Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) officials by Manipur Police Commandos in Imphal on February 14, the Naga Hoho has applauded the NSF for “enabling and waking up the Manipur Government and making the Manipur Government call and ac-
cept a crime as a crime.” The NSF officials were on their way to Ukhrul to attend the Lui Ngai Ni festival when the incident happened. A press release from Naga Hoho Secretary (Administration), Chitho Nyusou alleged that the erring jawans were “well aware of the dignitaries travelling in the entire state of Manipur
enroute to Ukhrul that fateful morning.” The Naga Hoho further recognized the “sincere effort” of the Manipur Government, particularly the Deputy Inspector General of Police who was the Investigation Officer of the case and the President of NSF for bringing the situation between the two neigh-
boring states into normalcy. The Hoho also maintained that language, which is one’s own pride, should not be imposed upon innocent travellers, be it in Nagaland or in Manipur. It also hoped that security forces manning the check gates in both the states will honour and respect one another in the future.
MEx FILE Gov extends Sekrenyi greetings Kohima, February 26 (mexN): Nagaland State Governor, PB Acharya today extended Sekrenyi greetings to people of the Angami community. “In celebration of this unique festival, let us all cleanse ourselves by leaving one’s differences aside and instil in our hearts the spirit of love, joy, peace, forbearance, goodness, faithfulness and gentleness. The first positive-step is to share these qualities with families, friends, neighbours, acquaintance and to society which will strengthen the bond of love and unity among the people of Nagaland as a whole and will lead in transforming our Naga society into a new prosperous Nagaland,” the Governor stated in a press note. He expressed that celebration of this festival would bring continuous peace and progress to the Angami Community.
Appeal to release pension of disabled persons A beneficiary receives a Long Lasting Insecticidal Net on February 26 in Medziphema.
Dr. Manyau Phom, SMO, Community Health Centre (CHC) Medziphema. The Village Council Chairmen,
GBs, Ward Chairmen and ASHAs of the beneficiary villages/ wards attended the programme.
Wildlife seized along National Highway disposed Dimapur, February 26 (mexN): The Wildlife Crime Control Unit, Dimapur on February 26 disposed the wildlife items that had been seized along NH 29. According to a press release received here, the seized wildlife included one leopard cat, one civet cat, two drongo, one parrot and three other birds. The animals and birds were burnt and buried at the office complex in the pres-
of Zeliangrong consanguinity, peace and prosperity,” a press release from ZB General Secretary Dr. Gairiangmei Maringmei informed. On this day, the Zeliangrong people should also pray for all the leaders of the frontal organizations and leaders of different faiths, it added.
Naga Hoho lauds Naga Students’ Federation
Kripa Foundation express sadness Distribution of LLINs launched in Medziphema Kohima, February 26 (mexN): The Kripa Foundation Nagaland has expressed sadness at the untimely death of Setso Liegise. He passed away at Oking Hospital in Kohima due to a brain hemorrhage, informed a condolence message received here. “It is tough for us to believe that he is not with us
No. 1 of the Central Executive Meeting of ZB (AMN) held at Senapati District on February 8, 2014, the last Sunday of February every year would be observed as “Zeliangrong Prayer Day” to “seek the blessing of the Almighty God to forgive and forget the past misdeeds of Zeliangrong people, and for the solidarity
ence of officials and staffs of the department. Meanwhile, the Unit in the release has urged the public to abstain from hunting and trading of wildlife animals and birds as such offence can invite fine or imprisonment or both as per Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. It further urged the Village Council Chairmen and GBs to control the trade of wildlife items in their respective jurisdiction, while
reminding that the various government grants and assistance will be curtailed for those villages which indulge in wildlife crimes. At the same time, the Wildlife Crime Control Unit requested the customers and purchasers, “mostly rich and educated people”, not to encourage such activities by purchasing any wild animals. It reminded that such acts are also equal partners in wildlife crimes.
Dimapur, February 26 (mexN): Former president of Physically Handicapped Union Nagaland has drawn the attention of the Minister for Social Security & Welfare, Nagaland regarding the problems faced by the disabled persons in the State. In a press release, Heshiho T Yepthomi, on behalf of the physically handicapped persons, highlighted that the State government has not released the pension for the physically handicapped persons from the year 2014 till date. When the matter was inquired in the District Welfare Officer, it was learnt that the pension is yet to be released by the State government, the release said. Therefore, Yepthomi has requested the Minister to look into the plight of the disabled persons and release the pension at the earliest.
DMC consultative meeting Dimapur, February 26 (mexN): A consultative meeting will be held with all the council chairmen and GBs under Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) with regard to the formulation of State Service Level Improvement Plans and State Annual Action Plan for Dimapur Town under AMRUT Mission on February 29, 11:00 am at DMC conference hall. Therefore, Administrator of DMC H Atokhe Aye has requested all to attend the meeting without fail.
Liquor seized in Medziphema Town
Dimapur, February 26 (mexN): Excise Mobile Squad personnel led by the Superintendent conducted raid in Medziphema Town and seized 445 bottles of assorted liquor. In this connection, two persons were arrested and booked under relevant section of the NLTP Act, 1989. A press release from Superintendent of Excise (MS), Katoho fice bearers and executive Sumi further informed that the seized articles have been members have been asked deposited in the Excise Mobile Squad Malkhana. to attend the meeting positively.
EKFd convenes emergency meeting Dimapur, February 26 (mexN): The Eastern Khiamniungan Forum Dimapur (EKFD) has con-
vened an emergency meeting on February 28, 12:00 pm at its treasurer’s residence. Therefore, all the of-
SDEOs informed to collect textbooks
LoSt ANd FouNd A Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate ExamiA medical team led by Dr. Manen, Medical Officer, Yongnyah PHC, distributed Long nation 2016 Admit Card beLasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) and Do’s and Don’ts pamphlets pertaining to the us- longing to one Kholing Tony A Sangtam, father’s name age of LLINs to the villagers at Yongnyah Block on February 25 and 26.
- Asingba Paul Santam, and mother’s name - Annice Khetoni bearing roll number 1687343 and registration number 1318113 has been
found. The rightful owner can collect the admit card from The Morung Express office located at Duncan Basti, Dimapur during office hours.
Kohima, February 26 (mexN): Director of School Education, Nagaland, Senthang, has requested all the Sub-Divisional Education Officers (SDEOs) to collect the free text books for 2015-16 from Dimapur godown as per the following schedule given below: March 3, 2016 – Mon, Tuensang, Longleng, Kiphire, and Phek districts; March 4, 2016 – Kohima, Dimapur, Peren, Zunheboto, Wokha, and Mokokchung districts.
saturDaY 27•02•2016
PeoPle, life, etc...
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THE MORUNG EXPRESS
The link between Zika and Climate Change Greg Mercer
L
ast year, a team of researchers made a surprising discovery: Aedis aegyptimosquitoes—the species that spreads West Nile Virus, dengue, chickungunya and, most recently, Zika—were living year-round in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C. In a paper published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, the researchers wrote that the mosquitoes had been living in the area since at least 2011, biting and reproducing in the summer months and likely riding out the winter underground. Previously, scientists had believed that the mosquitoes couldn’t survive year-round anyplace north of South Carolina. While the D.C. population of A. aegypti isn’t believed to carry Zika, its presence nevertheless came as a shock. And as the Zika epidemic continues to spread through Brazil, Central America, and now the United States, scientists will continue to wrestle with how environmental factors like climate change are affecting the creatures that spread infectious diseases. Before last year, Zika outbreaks had appeared in sporadic small outbreaks near the equator in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands. In May 2015, the Pan American Health Organization confirmed the first cases of Zika in Brazil; since
then, the virus has spread rapidly throughout the Americas, including the first cases of Zika in the U.S. A student in Virginia contracted the virus while traveling in Central America, and public-health officials identified a case ofsexual transmission in Texas. The World Health Organization recently declared Zika a publichealth emergency, which means that controlling the epidemic “requires a coordinated international response,” said Kathryn Jacobsen, an assistant professor of global health at George Mason University. The designation of “public-health emergency,” she explained, allows the WHO to designate additional resources for researching the virus, tracking its spread, and developing programs to prevent and control the disease. Zika, named for a forest in Uganda, is a flavivirus, a type of virus that mutates frequently. Scientists believe a new mutation to the Zika virus may explain the emergence of birth defects and other side effects not seen in past outbreaks. (Researchers strongly suspect a link between Zika infection in pregnant mothers and babies born with unusually small heads and neurological disorders like Guillain-Barré syndrome.) Flavivurses are also typically spread through animal vectors. Zika’s vector, the A. aegypti mos-
Researchers are beginning to tease out the environmental factors that play a role in helping the virus to spread.
Miriam Araujo, 25, holds Lucas, her 4-months old second child and born with microcephaly as her daughter Maisa, 6 caresses him, outside their house, in Sao Jose dos Cordeiros, Brazil. (REUTERS)
quito, is found in warm, humid areas in Central and South America, Mexico, and the Southeastern United States (among others). Most people have a rough sketch of these mosquitos’ life cycles and dietary habits: They are known to reproduce in standing water. Bites from the female, which feeds on human and animal blood, are the primary mechanism of Zika’s spread (although the Texas case, so far the only case to be
communicated in the United States, has made sexual transmission a concern as well). And like other viruses spread by mosquitos and ticks, Zika could soon enjoy a greater reach, thanks to climate change. Last year, a team of researchersmapped the global distribution of Aedes mosquitos to better understand the global human-health risk, noting that the mosquitos are more widely distributed
than ever before. In 2005, Paul Epstein of Harvard Medical School published an influential paperon climate change and human health, outlining mosquitoes’ sensitivity to temperature changes. “Warming of their environment—within their viable range—boosts their rates of reproduction and the number of blood meals they take, prolongs their breeding season, and shortens the maturation period for the microbes
they disperse,” he wrote. In other words, they bite more, breed more, and spread more disease. But exactly how climate change drives the spread of Zika and other diseases is hard to define. In 2013, researchers at the University of Arizona published a paper examining the effect of climate factors on dengue and its Aedes vectors. Their conclusion highlighted just how far scientists still have to go in understanding the
climate-disease link: “Climate influences dengue ecology by affecting vector dynamics, agent development, and mosquito/human interactions,” they wrote, but “although these relationships are known, the impact climate change will have on transmission is unclear.” Climate change introduces additional complications into an already complex system, the study authors explained: It’s difficult enough to understand how weather, climate, human interaction, or mosquito behavior contribute to the spread of a virus. Assembling those pieces to create even the vaguest picture of how a virus will act weeks, years, or decades from now is a herculean analytical task. The WHO identifies environmental changes—climate change chief among them—as hazards to human health, and the populations most vulnerable to climate-related health issues tend to live in populations that lack a robust public-health infrastructure. One WHO publication predicts that warming of two to three degrees Celsius would put up to 7 percent more people—several hundred million globally—at risk of malaria, another mosquito-borne disease. “Zika showing up in the Americas is probably more a function of international travel and trade than of climate change. But now that the virus has started circulating in the
Americas, both climate factors and human behavior will play a role in where it spreads,” Jacobsen said. “Changes in temperature, precipitation, and humidity can alter how long the mosquitoes live, how often they bite, how many offspring they have, and how quickly a virus reproduces inside an infected mosquito, and each of those changes can mean more humans are exposed to mosquitoes.” The concern extends beyond public-health organizations—on a more immediate level, primary-care physicians are also taking notice of climate change as a health concern. “I’ve done several surveys of physicians and asked them whether they think climate change is relevant to direct care of patients,” Mona Sarfaty, the director of George Mason University’s Center for Climate Change Communication, told me.“Twothirds say yes. It’s definitely relevant to patient care.” In 2011, the American Medical Association published an editorial arguing the same thing. As WHO devotes more resources to understanding Zika, therefore, it may make sense to incorporate research on climate. “There is a general need for more studies of the linkages between ecological health, animal health, and human health,” Serfaty said, “in addition to the very specific and urgent need to learn more about Zika virus.”
Authentic taste of Myanmarese supper, culture How Evolution’s Innovations Can Help Vishal Gulati IANS
W
hat can be more soothing than seemingly floating on the gentle waters of a lake and sampling a Myanmarese supper and taking part in a cultural show? That's what's on offer at the Karaweik Palace restaurant, built to look like a royal golden teak barge that seems to be floating on the Kandawgyi Lake in the heart of this former capital of Myanmar, a country once considered a pariah under the rule of successive military juntas but which is now coming into its own. For, just 35,000 kyats ($28/Rs.1,900) you can have snacks, a typical Myanmarese buffet and get a traditional makeup done while enjoying a
three-hour-long extravaganza of dance in many forms. Alcohol is extra. "It's really a great place to come once you are in Yangon. We really had a royal experience," remarked US tourist Emma Megan. Her husband Timothy said they also enjoyed romantic sunset on the horizon over the Kandawgyi Lake, also known as Royal Lake. He said from a distance it was amazing to see the changing colours of the Karaweik's Pagodalike rooftop with spires as the sun slowly set. At night, the barge is lit up and reflects on the calm waters of the lake. The 400-cover twostoreyed Karaweik Palace, close to the 2,500-yearold Shwedagon Pagoda, which enshrines strands of the Buddha's hair and other holy relics, serves the buffet with a live cul-
tural performance for three hours every evening from 6 p.m. Tickets are on sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The entertainment includes puppet show, traditional and acrobatic dances and an elephant (costume) dance mainly depict Myanmarese culture and history. There is also an exhibition of traditional arts, handicrafts and costumes. The restaurant is also open in the afternoons for lunch and serves Myanmarese and Chinese food sans the cultural programme. The restaurant's staff is dressed in medieval attire and some like Royal Guards to give you a 'royal' feel. The restaurant also offers local makeup, called 'thanaka', at the entrance. "It's one of my favourite dining places in Yangon that gives a feel of what the country was cen-
turies ago," Live to Love India chairperson Arjun Pandey told this visiting IANS correspondent. Live to Love International is a network of non-profit organizations founded by the Gyalwang Drukpa, the spiritual head of Drukpa Buddhists. "The food is authentic, nice and reasonably priced for the show and buffet dinner. Besides, it offers free treats on the walkway that gives a feeling of relishing street food," Pandy added. The history of Karaweik Palace dates to 1972 when its construction began. The tourism ministry initially operated it. In 1998, the Zaykabar Company, a major conglomerate with interests in telecom and construction, took it over. Its design is based on the Pyi Gyi Mon Royal Barge, a boat once used by
the Burmese kings to travel. After seeing an end to five decades of a military junta rule in Myanmar (earlier known as Burma) in 2011 and years of isolation, this South East Asian nation is now opening up to tourists. The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism says there were more than 4.2 million arrivals at the end of November last year. Myanmar attracted $2.64 billion foreign investment in 47 projects in the hotels and tourism sector in 2015, up $1.5 billion from $1.14 billion in 36 projects in 2011. According to the ministry's master plan (20132020), tourist arrivals are estimated to hit 7.49 million in 2020. A majority of foreign tourists come from China, Thailand, France, Germany and the US.
Thailand's infamous tiger temple fights to keep big cats Jutarat Skulpichetrat
T
Reuters
hailand's controversial Tiger Temple, dogged for years by talk that it supplies the black market and mistreats its animals, is fighting to keep the big cats after wildlife authorities rejected a bid to extend a zoo license that expired in 2013. The Buddhist temple, home to more than 100 tigers, has been investigated for suspected links to wildlife trafficking and wildlife activists have accused it of illegal breeding of the animals. Thai wildlife authorities have sent ten of the temple's tigers to a wildlife sanctuary. But the temple, which bills itself as a wildlife sanctuary, has denied links to illegal trafficking, and wants to hold on to its tigers. "This is their home. They are happy here," said Supitpong Pakdijarung, an official of the foundation that runs Wat Pa Luang Ta Bua, as the temple is known in Thailand."The government has to find a budget to take care of them," Supitpong, the
body's deputy chairman, told Reuters. "Here, the money comes from donations. It is about giving and generosity." Supitpong denies accusations that tigers bred at the temple have been sold on the black market. But the allegations of mistreatment of tigers had dented Thailand's tour-
ism image, said Teunchai Noochdumrong, director of the country's Wildlife Conservation Office. "The world is looking at us," he added. "The temple did not allow officials to enforce the law. The temple has affected Thai tourism." In the past, attempts by wildlife officials to inspect the tigers have been
blocked by the temple and its abbots. Thailand has long been a hub for illegal wildlife trafficking, as a place where everything from exotic birds to reptiles, and even bears, is for sale, driven by international demand for exotic meats and rare pets. Successive govern-
ments have launched campaigns to curb the trade in illegal wildlife, but with varying degrees of success. One visitor to the temple said the tigers should be left there, rather than being confiscated. "These animals are used to being around people," said Victoria Carpenter, an American tourist.
Scientists Yank Water Out of the Air Ed Yong
I
The Altlantic
f you learned that scientists have blended a darkling beetle, a cactus, and a carnivorous pitcher plant, you might imagine some unholy creation that’s all spines and scuttling legs and digestive enzymes. Instead, what Kyoo-Chul Parkhas made looks like … nothing at all. It’s not even alive—just a non-descript material covered in microscopic bumps. But this seemingly unremarkable surface has a remarkable ability—it excels at yanking water out of the air. As a graduate student at MIT, Park worked on large mesh panels that could be erected in foggy areas and provide surfaces for the airborne water to condense upon. These “fog-catchers” are being tested in Chilean hillsides, as ways of providing drinking water to people in these extremely arid and remote places. When Park later moved to Joanna Aizenberg’s lab at Harvard University, he became interested in darkling beetles—animals that had come up with the same fog-catching idea, millions of years ago. The beetles live in southern Africa’s Namib Desert, which gets less than a centimeter of rain every year. There is water here, however, in the form of fog that blows in from the Atlantic Ocean on the west. The beetles harvest the fog by sitting in it and pointing their abdomens skywards, allowing water to condense on their bodies and trickle down into their mouths. In this way, they drink their fill in one of the driest places in the world. Many scientists have shown that the beetles have microscopic tricks for catching fog. Their backs are covered in little bumps made from water-attracting substances, with flat, water-repelling valleys between them. The bumps attract moisture and allow droplets to form, while the valleys channel the collected water away. These
Scientists create fog-harvesting material based on beetle backs, cactus spines, and a meat-eating plant chemical patterns certainly help, but Park wondered if the bumps themselves, absent any water-attracting substances, might be important. When he fashioned artificial bumps that match those on the beetle’s back, he found that water droplets would quickly grow on top of them, even if they were coated with water-repelling chemicals. And the smaller and more tightly curved the bumps, the faster the droplets grew. That’s fine, but it creates a problem for a would-be water-collecting surface: The droplets quickly max out the capacity of the bumps and stop growing. Park came up with two solutions. First, he changed the bumps from spheres into rectangular pillars, with flat tops and curved edges. Now, droplets start condensing on the edges but eventually merge in the central plateau, freeing up the edges for yet more condensation. Second, Park drew inspiration from cacti, whose spines are also excellent water-harvesters. By adding a ramp to his microscopic pillars, which allows the growing droplet to roll off, he was able to once again free up space for more condensation. Park also coated the ramp with a material inspired by pitcher plants. These carnivorous plants trap insects in their vaseshaped leaves whose rims are exceptionally slippery; bugs that walk over them lose their footing and fall into the pool of digestive fluids below. In earlier work, Aizenberg developed a material based on the microscopic structure of the pitcher’s traps— an‘omniphobic’ surface that repels water, ice, blood, crude oil, and even bacteria. She called it SLIPS— Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surface—and Park used it to line his ramps. Together, these fea-
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.
tures produced a material that collects more than ten times more water than other state-of-the-art surfaces. Droplets form more quickly, reach larger sizes, and roll away more rapidly; they’ll even do so against gravity. All three features—the bumps, the ramps, and the SLIPS— are important; lose any one of them, and the material collects noticeably less water. SLIPS Technologies, a Cambridge-based company that Aizenberg cofounded, is now trying to commercialize these surfaces. Collecting water in deserts is an obvious application. “In arid environments, there’s a lot of evaporation,” explains Park. “If we can’t collect water with fast growth and transport, we’ll lose it.” He adds that the super-condenser surfaces are also useful for power plants, desalination plants, and other operations whose heat exchangers rely on efficient condensation. Daniel Beysens, a physicist who studies condensation at ESPCI ParisTech, says that the team’s work is impressive, but that only one of the three “bio-inspired” aspects—the SLIPS—reflect their natural counterparts. In reality, he says, droplets form more effectively between a darkling beetle’s bumps than on top of them, and they rarely run down from the tip of a cactus’s spines to their base. Still, that doesn’t matter. “This beautiful experiment however shows that artificial surfaces inspired by nature can go beyond it, leading to new properties that are paradoxically not found in nature,” Beysens adds. “The next necessary step will be to make those surfaces robust to aging, unaffected by the unavoidable industrial or atmospheric pollution and contamination that is found in real life: a new challenge.”
SaturDaY 27•02•2016
Morung Youth Express
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
7
Social Media: A necessary evil? Young Nagas dissect its possible impacts
Moa Jamir
time.” For Yanger Imchen of Sinai bubbly young girl with Ministry, social media is a plat“eagerness to live and form which can be used posiexperience life” is tively to inform and invite about trapped by dark calthe Ministry's various activities. culated move of a dangerous “We share stories and events sociopath who used the social affecting those who do not atmedia as a tool (Parry) to trap tend,” he said, adding many her. (https://youtu.be/TiCHEchurches are using it as a tool to Tobino) reach out to people, especially This is the gist of the winthe younger generation. ning video submitted by the In a video submitted by students of Unity College, DiSazolie College (https://youmapur on the theme ‘The Effect tu.be/oXVIbwsi5os), Sievituo Solo Cyclist and founder Recycling Initiative said for any social service, half of the work is through social media. When we share the works undertaken, people see and also share the same and, we gain more publicity and more volunteers, he added. Yanpvuo Yanfo Kikon, IT Consultant (SeMT) and cofounder of Indihut/ The Naga Checking social media is the first activity most youngsters usually Blog/ Native Station discussed perform first thing in the morning (Patkai Christian College Video). how it can act as a vibrant platonline entrepreneurship, and of Social Networking on Naga Youth,’ an initiative undertaken dangers of cyber crime and cyby Young Indians (Yi), Naga- ber bullying, were released on land Chapter last year. A team February 21 on YouTube.
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from Tetso College, Dimapur bagged the runners up prize. In the world of instant gratification and rapid information flow, the direction of life and interaction is often shaped and influenced by ‘trending’ and ‘hashtags’ on social media. The world today has migrated into the world of virtual reality where social media platforms such as Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook and instagram et al have become our existential reality. In this universe, ‘viral’ is not a disease we conventionally associate with, but denotes an
Every activities are uploaded and shared on social media (Unity College Video).
image, video, piece of information, etc. that is circulated rapidly and widely on the Internet literally inflicting the virtual world. Reputations are made or broken in an instant. Some hit the gold mine while others bite the dust. Keeping this in context, Yi Nagaland started the initiative and a ‘case study and presentation competition’ for the same was held at Patkai Christian College on October 10, 2015.
push a product via social media, but it also acts as a channel to connect with the client and customers,” Medoneizo Putsure, the Managing Director of Bambusa opined. “In this way we get feedbacks from them and make requisite changes, if any.” As a business venture, it is a bridge between me and potential customer, said Khriemelie Metha, Proprietor of Nagaland Combat Academy. “Queries and concerns are answered effectively in shortest possible
Just walking around can help you live longer
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from Nagaland and around the world network, share ideas and discuss a wide range of topics from politics and philosophy to music and current events in Nagaland and beyond. The blog is not owned by any individual, nor is it affiliated to or associated with any political party or religion. The only movement it hopes to stir is the one raised by the voices of the Nagas every step of the way, amassing perhaps to mass consciousness one day. www.facebook.com/ groups/thenagablog
Students from the Yuva Chaupals of Tetso College, Patkai Christian College, Unity College and Sazolie College had participated at the competition by producing 5 minute films focusing on an array of issues, relating to social media in the Naga context. Their videos, which analysed diverse topics on the emerging paradigm facilitated by social media such as changing of local lifestyles, rise of
Likes: Social Media as a Boon Social media is just we need in this era of limitless possibilities, but are we sharing too much? Are we always clicking? Use it wisely, stressed a entry from Tetso College (https:// youtu.be/PWE0lL1HIR0) In the video, Imtinsunep Longchar, of Ilandlo Online Shopping Site explained how social media can be harnessed as an effective tool to promote and advertise at every level. “The most positive impact is the responses which are quick and sophisticated.” “It is not just about trying to
ven if you do not sweat it out in the gym every morning, swapping out just a few minutes of sedentary time with some sort of movement can help you live longer, suggests new research. In the study, the researchers found that the least active people were five times more likely to die during the study period than the most active people and three times more likely than those in the middle range for activity. "You did not have to even get a good sweat to experience the reduced likelihood of mortality," said study lead author Ezra Fishman from University of Pennsylvania in the US. "Activity doesn't have to be especially vigorous to be beneficial," Fishman noted. For the study, the participants wore ultra-sensitive activity trackers, called accelerometers, for seven days, generating data compiled by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For these same people, the agency then tracked mortality for the next eight years. "When we compare people who exercise the same amount, those who sit less and move around more tend to live longer," Fishman said. "The folks who were walking around, washing the dishes, sweeping the floor tended to live longer than the people who were sitting at a desk," Fishman noted. (Source: IANS)
T
The addiction continues throughout the day (Tetso College Video).
ganda, brainwashing can also happen and we need proper researches before any such move. (https://youtu.be/q7LfagcsI2E) While admitting the indispensability of social media for growth and networking, Popular Naga Musician Alobo Naga maintained, “It should be part of our life but not so that we cannot live without.” Also in the video, a parent expressed concern about the addictive nature of the platform and its impact on emotional and social life of the youngster. “I was an active user, but now am scared after my personal information was misused,” admitted a youngster in one video with a note of caution. The winning video by Unity College titled “Parry,” provided a narrative depiction of the dark side of social media where innocent youngster are trapped under various pretexts, which ultimately end up endangering their lives. Overall, the entries suggest that the world of virtual reality is a necessary evil which one has to tread cautiously. While it enables us many possibilities, it also exposes us to perThe luring and the outcome. In this video collage from Unity College, ils of many avatars. However, a young girl is lured into meeting an unknown person she met on the its usage will continue to grow social media resulting in fatal outcome. and impact everyone in diform to generate online entre- anced manner if we temper it verse ways. In such a scenario, a lesson preneurship, personal growth with responsibility.” In another entry from Tetso advocated in the video entry and connecting positively. College, Rozelle Mero of the from Patkai Christian College ‘Dislikes’: Social Media as a Bane Taking part in the Tetso College’s video, Shoukha Kakheto (NPS), Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), Dimapur said while there are many positive impact, social media has its limitations. The main concern for police can be attributed to the fact that the social media has created a “faceless entity” whose action can create havoc in other people’s life or society. Spreading of rumours and The message from Tetso College. hate message, cases of internet fraud and cheating are some common impacts, he in- Peace Channel opined, “We rings true. Every metal has have so much to learn from its own reverse, social media formed. He also expressed concern each other and the virtual networking as a blessing or a with the issue of defamation world is the reality where we curse depends on one’s own through inappropriate usage can convene and discuss di- utility. (https://youtu.be/Dkof videos and images without verse issues,” However, propa- bC3WbbxHA)
permission from concerned person(s). In a world that craves instant gratification, “Think twice before speaking, but think ten times more before posting,” Kikon advised batting for using social media responsibly. “It is a dynamic platform if used positively. Education, social work, business, state of affairs can be discussed in a nu-
The land of the Anghs
he big gate with the signboard announcing that we were entering the land of the Anghs greeted us when we drove into Konyak territory. It was a very welcome sign after the long hours of traversing cows, cyclists, goats, chickens and ducks and slow trucks on the Assam highway that we had chosen as our preferred route to Mon district. The roads in Assam are the envy of many a Naga car owner, but every wayside cow seemed intent on demonstrating its affection for the highway by sitting in the middle of the road and chewing cud, or simply standing in the same spot for possibly hours on end. It was a case of When in Rome do as they do. We did what many others before us have done. We drove around the unconcerned bovines, and continued to negotiate our way at every obstacle of this kind. After Golaghat, there was a prominent check gate where only cars with Nagaland registration numbers were stopped and penalised. There was always some paper or other missing, for example, a pollution certificate the absence of which could only be waived for the sum of five hundred rupees. I felt sorry for Manipuri truckers and car owners that have to pass through Naga territory. I am convinced they dread entering our geographical spaces as much as we dread crossing Assamese country because of the harassment awaiting us. We will never be sure if showing kindness to drivers of neighbouring states
The Naga Blog is a forum on facebook where Nagas
will have a ripple effect that takes away the mutual distrust and mutual abuse. But there is no reason for that to stop us from trying. Especially since Nagaland is the Christian state lodged between the two non-Christian states. In fact, all the more reason for us to start being neighbourly and hospitable to them. There was a state of visible decline when we drove from Tizit to Mon as the
road quality had definitely plummeted down. Still, the fact that our destination was within reach buoyed up our spirits and we soon had a semi-aerial view of Mon town. It is probably more magical to come to Mon by night if it is your first visit. The town lies below the village and its lights twinkle back at the steep road, disappear behind each curve in the road, only to reappear at the next turning as though to reassure the onlooker that it is real enough. "We are a gentle people and our ways are hospitable," explained a female lecturer from Wangkhao College. "That is possibly the reason why it is easy for outsiders to come in and exploit us," she added. The shops have both local and nonlocal owners. There are many schools catering to the growing population, and several are run by outsiders. A prominent
local educationist in the town asserts that this is detrimental to the younger generations as they are not getting right and good quality foundation. Commercialization of schools could ruin the futures of the younger generations in Mon. Mon and Longwa village have become well known, the latter being sought out for the house of the Ahng of Longwa. The house is, of course, famed for the British mapping which cut the house in two. Longwa has become an off the beat tourist destination. Two young men from Israel were trying to catch a bus to Longwa the next day and spend some days at the border village. I hope some studies will soon be made available on the high influx of both Indian and foreign tourists to the district that examine short term and long term damage on the community. It rained all the time that we were in the Land of Ahngs. A thick fog covered the mountains and visibility was very poor. On our departure, we reached a high point on the road and looked down. The fog hid everything from view. Yet the people we met, the stories they shared, the generosity they demonstrated had all been real. It was as though the fog was trying to hide the township from curious eyes. It made me reflect on what the young lecturer had said. The gentle people who live in the valley probably need more than the fog to protect them, and the irreplaceable way of life that was their legacy from their ancestors.
Idea of Education Vebu Khamo: I received a WhatsApp video of an educator from South India deliberating on “What’s wrong with our idea of education?” I believe what he brought out in that one minute forty-four second clip has a bulk of truth in it. Today every student dream of getting into a university but for what? Passing out exams for the sake of scoring high grades and then look-out for government jobs. That’s an average students’ dream. But how far do you think the government can provide for the nearly 1 million youths with job opportunities annually? Very improbable, isn’t it? It’s not appropriately serving the people or the society in the process. Therefore, education shouldn’t always have to be through bookish learning (not undermining the basic knowledge of literacy here), but to exemplify the idea of practical training courses that will open ample opportunities for everyone to participate in the building of a nation or society in their own capacities. Now, coming back to our own home, we speak about unemployed educated youths (which I would rather term it as unemployed uneducated youths) mounting every year; thousands are graduating and sitting at home playing games or entertained by visuals and audios. What kind of education is that? The visions or aim of doing something with their hands or brain is out of question. Without the practical application of the theoretical learning, the knowledge gained through rote-memory amounts to zero. Having said that, I am not against the present schooling educational system but if education is only bound by classroom teachings, I’m not for it. What we have created through dictation of notes in the classroom, and students depending on those notes to pass in exam is nothing but null significance. It is only puffing up the pride and arrogance of the youths (nothing more, nothing less) with their certificates. They assume that they are better off than those who do not study and work daily in the paddy-fields or involving in petty business affairs. But really! The idea of education in our system is too narrow and conventionally confined. We have not really imparted the skills and innovative ideas to mould the students to become an independent and self-sustaining populace which has resulted in many attaining degrees devoid of necessary proficiency in handling tools and equipment’s for the necessary tasks. What we have created through the schooling system is demeaning of those school drop-outs and branding them as a failure and a headache for the family/society. I would partially agree on school drop-outs becoming a menace to the society but not all school drop-outs are inefficient to work or apply skills in their professions. Many are working tirelessly to support their families through meager honest earnings. People have a tendency to venerate the students passing their classes with good marks on their report card but I would say that studying till standard 10 and earning a livelihood through manual labour is much nobler than earning a post-graduate degree and relaxing at home doing nothing. Yes, we have learned to read and write but may be, not in the area of improving our mental processing and cognitive skills for the applied works. We need to understand that education has to result in the application of all the academic learning in our respective vocations. “If we don’t skill the nation, we will kill the nation,” utters the educator. Many social evils can be prevented if our idea of learning goes beyond bookish knowledge. The change of mind-set of what true education is the need of the moment. Remember Maimonides’ quote, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” What have resulted in these years of following the old traditional system of learning is of giving a man a fish leading to a very less amount of facilitation for the entire society. We have to teach man and woman to fish if we don’t want to feed them for lifetime. The impartation of skills in the lives of young budding citizens has to be stalwartly encouraged and taught. The parents should be flexible in letting their children choose for themselves by primarily looking into their interests and capabilities. The trend of students jumping from one course to another is a clear sign that the students are not properly guided by their parents/ guardian/ teachers at home/ schools. So, proper career guidance and scopes should be properly taught in schools (if possible, even Sunday-schools), and not at the threshold of their crossroads. That’s too late! It should be a program provided early so that when a child grows up, he/ she is not in a dilemma where/what/which profession he/she should decide. Today, the problem in our land is not unemployment but uneducated youths who are unable to fit in with the system of administration. The root issue lies at the lack of proper guidance from the early years of a child. Therefore, unemployment is not a result of less opportunities but less capable trained individuals for the specific task. We have limited our own scopes of employment by the madness of earning degrees after degrees and at the end of the day, we’re all tired of exams after exams having to opt for permanent educated unemployed status. Hence, it is pertinent that the idea of education is broadened and widened for the next generation not to suffer the same fate we’re facing today. God bless. Viketoulie Pienyu: I thoroughly agree with you. If we want to change Nagaland we must change the education system. The present system of rote learning is only increasing the unemployment problem. Good education should stimulate critical thinking and creativity. If our children are taught how to make a living rather than how to find a job we would have a lot less unemployment problem. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Naga Blog.
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
SaturdaY 27•02•2016
INDIA
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
JNU row: SC seeks Centre, cops' reply NEW DELHI, FEbruary 26 (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday sought response from the Centre and Delhi Police on a plea seeking an SIT probe and initiation of contempt action against three lawyers who were allegedly caught on camera "bragging and boasting" that they had beaten up JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and others, including journalists, in a court complex. A bench comprising Justices J Chelameswar and A M Sapre also issued notice to the three lawyers, allegedly caught in a sting operation, and fixed the matter for further hearing on March 4. At the outset, the bench was reluctant to issue notice on the fresh plea filed by advocate Kamini Jaiswal, saying that it is already hearing a matter on the issue which is to come up on March 10. "The question is that there is another matter pending and until the proceedings in that case are concluded, should we initiate the contempt proceedings in this fresh one?" the bench asked. However, it later issued notice on the petition. A bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur had on Thursday listed the matter for hearing on Friday after lawyer Prashant Bhushan sought urgent hearing of the matter. The plea has sought "suo motu contempt pro-
Police grills Kanhaiya, Umar & Anirban together
NEW DELHI, FEbruary 26 (PTI): Delhi Police today interrogated JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya together for the first time at a south Delhi police station in connection with the sedition case. The questioning started in the wee hours today and lasted for around five hours, before it resumed around 10.30 am. The interrogation is taking place at R K Puram police station, a source said. In the first round of questioning, Kumar was confronted with Khalid and Anirban separately. In the second round, the three were grilled together. The interrogation is being conducted by at least two teams, said the source. He claimed that
Kanhaiya has so far maintained that on February 9, he came out of his room only when he got to know about a possible confrontation between two groups over the event inside the campus and has dissociated himself with the event. While Khalid has so far denied having indulged in any anti-national sloganeering, Anirban challenged claims that the slogans pointed out by the police were anti-national in nature, the source claimed. By questioning the three together, the police is also trying to ascertain who the organiser of the event was, what steps were taken to stop what had happened there and the identities of the outsiders spotted in the video footage of the event.
'Kanhaiya did not raise any slogan' CPI activists carried torch parade demanding for release of JNU student Kanhaiya Kumar arrested under anti -national statement at Chikmagalurin Karnataka. (PTI Photo)
ceeding" against lawyers Vikram Singh Chauhan, Yashpal Singh and Om Sharma on the ground that they have allegedly been caught on camera talking about the attacks. It also sought a direction to set up a special investigation team to probe the incidents of violent attacks on journalists, students, teachers, defence lawyers and Kanhaiya on February 15 and 17 by some advocates in the premises of Patiala House courts here during the hearing of the sedition case involving the JNUSU leader.
The plea was filed in pursuance of an oral observation by a bench headed by Justice J Chelameswar, which is hearing the matters arising out of violence in the trial court premises in the JNU case, that the allegations are fresh ones and hence, a fresh petition is required to be filed. The plea has alleged that the three lawyers interfered in the "administration of justice" and willfully violated the orders passed by the apex court on February 17. The petition, which also makes ministry of home
affairs and Delhi Police as parties, has said facts have come to light that there was "blatant violation of the rule of law" in the trial court premises. It has alleged that contempt of court has been committed by certain lawyers, including these three, and there was complete inaction on the part of Delhi Police "which has been exposed by the report dated February 18, of 5 senior advocates appointed as court commissioners by this court". The plea also referred to report of National Hu-
man Rights Commission and a news channel's sting operation on the issue. The apex court had on February 23 agreed to consider a plea seeking contempt action against the three lawyers after it was mentioned by lawyer Prashant Bhushan before the bench. "This bragging and boasting by the lawyers are trampling the rule of law. It's high time that the Supreme Court takes suo motu notice of the matter and issues contempt notice against these lawyers," Bhushan had said.
NEW DELHI, FEbruary 26 (PTI): A security guard at JNU campus and a policeman, said to be eyewitnesses who have also recorded their statements in the sedition case, have been purportedly seen in a sting video saying that JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar did not raise any slogan. The security guard who identifies himself as Amarjeet Kumar could be seen claiming that he was present at the February 9 event on the JNU campus. Asked about Kanhaiya, he said the student leader delivered a speech at Ganga dhaba after the end of a march that started from Sabarmati dhaba. He also claimed that he had not seen Kanhaiya
PM Modi suffering from Opposition demands Smriti Irani's apology DELHI, FEbru‘maunibaba syndrome’: TMC NEW ary 26 (PTI): The Oppo- 'Irani resorted to 'blatant lies' in Parliament' NEW DELHI, FEbruary 26 (PTI): Opposition Tri- sition in Rajya Sabha today namool Congress on Friday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi claiming he was suffering from the “silence syndrome” that had hit his predecessor Manmohan Singh and was facing the problem of “two power centres”, one of them being in Nagpur. Resuming discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President for his address, Sultan Ahmed (TMC) appealed to the Prime Minister to take everyone including the minorities and the Dalits along, him that the nationalism propagated by Subhash Chandra Bose was “inclusive”. Ahmed, whose speech saw occasional protests from the treasury benches, said Modi had come to power raising lot of expectations but his government has been afflicted with “policy paralysis” within two years, noting that the charge used to be levelled by BJP against the Manmohan Singh regime. He said it was strange that Modi did not speak a single word on the unprecedented violence and arson in Haryana in the wake of the Jat stir inspite of the fact that the troubled state was just 30 km away from the national capital. Ahmed said the Prime Minister boasted of a 56-inch chest, but kept quiet on the Jat youth unrest that has resulted in damage to property worth crores of rupees. Same was his attitude when the Patidar agitation struck Gujarat, he added. “Manmohan Singh’s weakness of keeping mum has now hit Modi”, he claimed adding that the Prime Minister has hardly any time between his frequent foreign tours. He said since the Prime Minister kept silent, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had to step out to hold consultations on the Haryana stir, a charge stoutly denied by the Home Minister who was present in the House. Ahmed said he used to listen to PM’s radio programme ‘Man Ki Baat’ in 2014 and 2015, but has stopped now. “Now no one listens to it. It is all bunkum (bakwas)”. Attacking the government for not fulfilling the promise of providing jobs to the youth, he said the unrest among the youth was growing day by day for want of employment, but hardly anything was being done. The Ministry of Skill Development which is expected to make youths learn more skills is just a “fraud,” he alleged.
70% malaria cases in SE Asia reported from India NEW DELHI, FEbruary 26 (PTI): About 70 per cent of malaria cases reported from the South East Asia Region (SEAR) are from India, where the number of cases and deaths due to the vector-borne disease in 2014 saw an increase as compared to 2012, the government said today. "As per World Malaria Report 2015, SEAR contributes to 10 per cent of the global malaria burden. India contributes to 70 per cent of the total malaria burden in SEAR," Union Health Minister J P Nadda said in a written reply in Lok Sabha. He said there has been an increase in the number of confirmed cases and deaths due to malaria in 2014 as compared to 2012, but its trend has varied in the states. "The increase in cases and deaths from malaria in some states is due to the spatial and intense transmission. The same is because of eco-entomological factors besides increased surveillance due to availability of bivalent rapid diagnostics tests kits," Nadda said. He said Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) was monitoring the parasitic protozoans becoming resistant to drugs but no resistance to the currently used drugs has been observed in India. To control malaria, the government does surveillance and case management, integrated vector management which includes indoor residual spray and anti-larval measures, epidemic preparedness and early response and supportive interventions including capacity building, inter-sectoral collaborations and monitoring and evaluation amongst others, he added.
demanded HRD Minister Smriti Irani's apology for reading out "objectionable" comments against Goddess Durga but she defended her action saying she did it because she was asked for proof to back her statements on JNU students. She also made it clear that she "is a practising Hindu and a worshipper of Durga" while the chair ruled that nothing blasphemous would be allowed to remain in the records. As the House met for the day, Deputy Leader of Congress in Rajya Sabha, Anand Sharma, raised a point of order saying the Constitution and rules do not permit anything to be spoken in the House which is blasphemous and can hurt religious sentiments. Irani, he said, had yesterday read out "insulting" comments made against Goddess Durga "verbatim" in the House hurting sentiments and sought a ruling from the Chair whether such comments made outside Parliament against any religious figure prophet or a deity can be read in the House. Members of other op-
NEW DELHI, FEbruary 26 (PTI): Dalit student Rohith Vemula's mother today launched a no holds barred attack on HRD Minister Smriti Irani, accusing her of resorting to "blatant lies" while talking in Parliament about her son's suicide and that "life imprisonment" will not be enough for her and others "responsible" for his death. Radhika Vemula, flanked by her other son Raja, said BJP will be "decimated to the ground" if Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not take any action against Irani and her ministerial colleague Bandaru Dattatreya who had written multiple letters to her seeking action against Rohith, alleging anti-national activities.
position parties also agreed with K C Tyagi of JD(U) demanding that Irani should unconditionally apologise for the comments read out by her. The minister, however, was unfazed and asserted that she herself was a "practising hindu and a Durga worshipper" and had only read authenticated documents of the University. "I had been asked to explain what is the proof (against JNU students)....I would also like to say I am myself a practising hindu. I am myself a Durga worshipper. I say it with a lot of pain that what is the free
"Irani, this is not a small screen to act, this is real life. Bring out the facts, don't fabricate them. How many parents you would like to suffer. Irani has lied multiple times while speaking on the issue in Parliament. Why has action not been taken against her," she said in a press conference. Speaking in Parliament, Irani had on Wednesday tried to deflect criticism and mounted a strident attack on the Opposition accusing it of "politicising" the PhD scholar's death. She had said that the committee which acted against Rohith had a Dalit representative and that doctors were not allowed to revive him after he was found hanging.
speech that certain political entities are giving respectability to," she said. Seeking to turn tables on the Congress, she said that "they have absolutely no problem in supporting these very statements but they have problems in her reading out authenticated documents related to what they supported." Earlier, besides Sharma, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad had also termed it a "very serious issue" and said the "minister should apologise for what she said yesterday." Azad said there were campaigns against many
religious figures but the same language cannot be used in the House. Coming to his colleague's defence, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi attacked Congress and other opposition parties saying it had become a pattern for them to seek discussions and apology in every session while showing no interest in legislative business. He also said that Congress was raising the issue as its Vice President Rahul Gandhi was criticised for supporting those indulging in activities against the nation.
raising any slogan. The other person who had identified himself as Delhi Police head constable Rambir could be seen saying that he was present at the event in plain clothes. He was also seen saying that the JNUSU President was present in the crowd but he did not raise any slogans. In the statement attached with the FIR in the case, registered on the basis of a video footage obtained from the Hindi newschannel, police had mentioned names of Rambir and two other constables who were present at the spot in plain clothes and had witnessed the event. The head constable, in the sting operation
video, could also be seen claiming that the protest against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru was organised in the past two years also but nothing of this sort had happened. Asked why the police did not stop the event, he claimed that there was no police present inside the campus as it needs the permission of the Vice Chancellor. However, he had informed his seniors about the incident. "Kanhaiya was there in the crowd but I did not see him raise any slogan. Khalid was clearly raising slogans and that is also evident from what is being shown on TV," the policeman is seen saying in the sting video.
Congress, BJP spar over Pillai's remarks NEW DELHI, FEbruary 26 (PTI): Former home secretary G K Pillai's remarks on affidavit regarding Lashkar-e-Taiba(LeT) links of Ishrat Jahan on Friday triggered a political war of words with Congress questioning the timing of his claims and alleging that he was only parroting the ruling BJP's words. Asking the Congress to come clean on the issue, BJP praised Pillai for his "boldnesss" after he on Thursday claimed that the affidavit submitted to the Gujarat high court in 2009, when UPA was in power, about LeT links of Ishrat Jahan and her accomplices, who were killed in an alleged fake encounter in 2004, was changed at the "political level". Questioning the timing, Congress leader Renuka Chaudhury asked why Pillai made these claims now. "How to establish political pressure... it is unfortunate.... Why say it today," she said. Another Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said had the former home secretary made the statement then, it could have carried "more credibility". "Now, he is parroting what BJP said. Who would believe him," he said. The then UPA government had submitted two affidavits - one that the four, who were killed in an alleged fake encounter, were terrorists and the second saying there was no conclusive evidence - within two months in 2009. But senior BJP leader and parliamentary affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu said it is time Congress made its stand clear on Ishrat and Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. "A traitor, he is responsible for attack on Parliament...," Naidu said referring to former home minister P Chidambaram's remarks that Guru's case "was perhaps not correctly decided". Asked whether government would take 'action' against Pillai for his remarks, Naidu said on the contrary "we should appreciate for his boldness." JD (U) general secretary KC Tyagi said the remarks of Pillai were "nonserious" as bureaucrats "do anything for transfers and postings". Former home secretary and BJP MP RK Singh said Jahan was "very much" part of LeT plot. He refused to comment on the changed affidavit saying he was not the home secretary then.
SC asks Centre to suggest measures to ban child pornography NEW DELHI, FEbruary 26 (PTI): The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to suggest ways to ban child pornography in all forms in the country saying that the nation cannot "afford to carry on any experiment" in the name of "liberty or freedom of speech and expression". "The Centre shall file affidavit to suggest ways and means to curb child pornography. Innocent children can't be made prey to this kind of painful situation and a nation cannot afford to carry on any experiment on children in the name of liberty or for that matter freedom of speech and expression," a bench of justices Dipak Misra and Shiva Kirti Singh said. It said that one needs to draw a distinct line between art and obscenity and child pornography cannot be justified on the name of freedom of speech and expression.
"Pornography is a very difficult topic. Some people will find the picture of Monalisa as obscene while some people will find it as an art. What can we do then?" the bench observed. The apex court said that parameters regarding pornography has to be decided and it has already held in other cases that freedom of speech and expression as envisaged under article 19 (1)(a) of the Constitution is not "absolute" and is subject to reasonable restrictions. "You have to draw a line what can be viewed in public and what can be viewed in private," the bench said after Centre reiterated its stand and submitted that it is difficult to ban the pornographic websites as they do not fall under any country's jurisdiction. It asked the Centre to seek advice from the experts and suggestions from the National Commission for Women (NCW) on ban-
ning of websites dealing with adult and child pornography. Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand said that agencies like Interpol and the CBI are taking necessary steps to block sites which specifically deal in child pornography. "It is possible to ban child pornography but it is not possible to ban pornographic websites as they are not under any country's juridiction," she said. Vijay Panjwani, appearing for the petitioner said that watching and compelling anyone to watch pornographic materials in public places should be strictly banned. "We are not concerned what the group of people are doing in a room. Obscenity has been prohibited under law and what is not permissible under Indian law, government has to take steps and it needs to develop a mechanism," the
court said. The apex court, however, admitted that pornography is a very difficult subject and some suitable mechanism and parameters needs to be adopted to deal with the issue. The counsel for Supreme Court Women Lawyers' Association (SCWLA) cited an incident where an FIR has been registered against a school bus driver and the conductor for showing pornographic videos to students and molesting them and said that websites containing such contents need to be banned completely. "The said bus driver and conductor had pornographic video clips stored in their phones. The sites showing pornographic materials needs to be blocked to protect children," she said. The bench posted the matter for further hearing in the third week of March.
A women lawyers' body has earlier moved the apex court seeking blocking of all porn websites as it claimed that pornography "corrupts" the mind of the young generation and leads them to commit crime against women and children. The intervention application filed by the SCWLA, had come after the Centre's decision to lift ban on 857 porn sites. Earlier on August 10, last year, the Centre and had told the Supreme Court that it does not believe in a "totalitarian" state and cannot become moral police. It had told the court that it has blocked the "porn sites dealing with child pornography" and this is "standard accepted practice" across the globe. The Centre had termed the issue relating to banning of porn sites as "grey area" and had said that vio-
lation of fundamental right of speech and expression will also arise and hence, it needs a public debate. The petitioner had pleaded that although watching obscene videos is not an offence, pornographic sites should be banned as they were one of the major causes for crime against women. "The sexual content that kids are accessing today is far more graphic, violent, brutal, deviant and destructive and has put entire society in danger, so also safety threats to public order in India. "The petitioner most respectfully submits that most of the offences committed against women/ girls/children are fuelled by pornography. The worrying issue is the severity and gravity of the images are increasing. It is a matter of serious concern that prepubescent children are being raped," it had said.
saturdaY 27•02 •2016
WORLD
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
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Donald Trump’s march stirs a growing sense of dread among US Republicans WASHINGTON, FebruAry 26 (reuTerS): U.S. Republicans in Washington are coming to grips with what many of them not long ago considered an unimaginable reality: Donald Trump is likely to be their presidential nominee and standard-bearer. The prospect of Trump winning the Republican primary had been the stuff of Washington jokes, whispered hallway conversations and eye-rolls, even as he led in public opinion polls for months and dominated debate after debate. But with the brash billionaire now winning three straight contests in New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada, denial is giving way to a mostly gloomy acceptance that he may have too much momentum to be stopped, especially if wins big in key Southern primaries next week that look favorable to him. “It fills all of us with concern and dread,” said Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona, who has endorsed fellow Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, considered the main hope of the Republican establishment to derail Trump’s march to the nomination. Trump has vowed to scrap U.S. trade deals, slap a tariff on imported goods and raise taxes on hedge-
Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at the debate sponsored by CNN for the 2016 Republican U.S. presidential candidates in Houston, Texas on February 25. (REUTERS Photo)
fund managers, as well as retain some sort of mandate to purchase health insurance - clashing with the free-market principles that have long underpinned Republican economic policy. Some Republicans in Congress, such as Flake and Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said a Trump nomination would do enormous
damage to the party and predicted a heavy election defeat in November to the eventual Democratic nominee. “I am like on the team that bought a ticket on the Titanic after we saw the movie,” said Graham, contending that Trump would be “slaughtered” in the general election. In a Republican presi-
dential debate in Houston on Thursday night, another Trump rival, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, challenged him on his electability, citing ties to Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton such as a donation to the Clinton Foundation. Trump responded by ridiculing Cruz for his inability to win more than the early voting state of Iowa
and taunted him for being behind the billionaire in opinion polls in Cruz’s home state of Texas. Said Trump, “If I can’t beat her, you’re really gonna get killed, aren’t you?” Another Rubio supporter, Representative Carlos Curbelo of Florida, told Reuters he would not back Trump if he were the nominee. “If the nominee is a fraud, and someone who’s offensive, and incapable of being an effective president like Donald Trump, I won’t support him,” Curbelo said. Other Republicans tried to be more optimistic. “I don’t think his nomination would be catastrophic,” said Senator Susan Collins of Maine. She said she did not believe, as some strategists fear, that having Trump on the ballot in November would hurt Republican chances for holding onto control of the Senate, where the party now has a 54-46 edge. Conservative economist Arthur Laffer, an adviser to former President Ronald Reagan who has been counseling Trump on tax policy, said he was convinced the real estate mogul was open to sound advice. Laffer recalled Trump telling him: “’Look, if you’ve got a better idea than I’ve got, tell me, and I’ll change.’”
Senator John Thune of South Dakota suggested Trump’s presence could help by bringing more voters to the polls. “There’s a lot of energy, a lot of intensity on our side,” Thune said. “REALLY FREAKED OUT” Privately, lobbyists, economists, and analysts expressed deep concern about having Trump, who has proposed building a wall along the southern U.S. border and banning Muslims from the country, as the face of the party. “There are a lot of people who are really freaked out,” said Douglas HoltzEakin, who was the chief economic policy advisor to 2008 Republican presidential candidate John McCain. “He seems to be winging it.” Conservative policymakers worry that Trump’s pitch to voters is based on his management skills rather than conservative principles. Juleanna Glover, a prominent Republican communications consultant, told Reuters that Trump’s ascent “spells the death of the party’s sentient and cohesive governing framework.” Two Republican business lobbyists, who also asked to remain unidentified, told Reuters that they
are very concerned about Trump, chiefly because they do not know what he stands for. They said they have no sense of certainty because Trump’s positions on issues such as tax, trade, and regulation range from being only vaguely understood to completely unknown. By vowing to make America “win” again abroad while going into little detail on his foreign policy plans, Trump is also stirring concern in Washington national security circles. A high-ranking official at a conservative thinktank, who spoke on condition of anonymity because his job requires him to steer clear of partisan politics, said: “Every serious student of American strategy is sick to their stomach about the possibility of Trump being the Republican nominee.” Robert Kagan, a conservative foreign relations expert at the Brookings Institution think tank, said in a column for the Washington Post on Thursday that he would vote for Clinton rather than Trump. “The party cannot be saved, but the country still can be,” he wrote. Paul Ryan, the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and a leading voice on conservative eco-
nomic policy, was asked Thursday whether he could work with someone like Trump if he became the nominee. “We’ll cross these bridges when we get to it,” Ryan said. “But I do believe that we will be able to unify as a party.” Asked about the handwringing in the Republican establishment about Trump, his campaign manger, Corey Lewandowski, said, “Look, we’ve got relationships with those guys and we talk to them all the time. “But I think what you find is that, you know, politics as usual in Washington, D.C., is not something that the American people want,” he said. Lewandowski added that voters “sent a very clear message” in the three early voting states where Trump won nominating contests “that they want someone who is going to make fundamental change.” Asked if Trump’s campaign would work harder to win establishment endorsements as he got closer to the nomination, Lewandowski pointed to former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, an early establishment favorite who quit the race on Saturday. “If endorsements mattered,” he said, “Jeb Bush would be the nominee.”
UN gathers Libya war crimes Gunman kills three in Kansas China says Taiwan presidentevidence, calls for ICC action factory before dying in shootout elect must respect constitution GeNeVA, FebruAry 26 (reuTerS): All sides in Libya have committed war crimes and other human rights abuses in the past two years and those responsible should face investigation and prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC), a United Nations report said on Thursday. An investigation by six U.N. human rights officers compiled evidence of executions of captives, assassinations of prominent women activists, widespread torture, sexual crimes, abductions, indiscriminate military attacks on civilian areas, and abuse of children since the start of 2014. “One of the most striking elements of this report lies in the complete impunity which continues to prevail in Libya and the systemic failures of the justice system,” U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein said in a statement.
The U.N. had recorded names of those allegedly responsible and there was “a process for engagement with appropriate bodies” such as the ICC, which has jurisdiction but not brought any prosecutions, said Gurdip Sangha, Libya desk officer at the U.N. human rights office. He declined to say how many such names there were, saying there were varying degrees of evidence and corroboration in different cases. The 95-page report, based on interviews with 200 witnesses and victims and 900 individual complaints, catalogues atrocities in a country that dissolved into chaos after the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Since 2014 Libya has had two competing governments, both supported by loose alliances of former rebels and armed brigades. A unity government has been nominated under a U.N.-backed plan
Cancer patients suffer from sleep disturbances LONdON, FebruAry 26 (IANS): People with cancer significantly suffer from sleep disturbances and insomnia prior to undergoing radiotherapy treatment, finds a study. According to researchers, sleep disturbances are linked to progression of cancer, prior treatments -- chemotherapy and other psychosomatic symptoms -- anxiety and fatigue. “Insomnia-related problems were significantly higher in patients with a more severe disease, which led to higher levels of hypnotic drug intake,” said lead author Escarlata Lopez from the University of Granada in Spain. The study, published in the European Journal of Oncology Nursing magazine, evaluated 105 cancer patients based on their first appointment at the Radiotherapeutic Oncology Service. The team analysed the impact of cancer severity, history of treatment and psychosomatic symptomatology has on sleep problems. Sleep disturbances were assessed by means of a questionnaire which the patients themselves filled out. Secondary variables were the impact of pain on sleep, anxiety and fatigue. The participants reported important levels of insomnia and hypersomnia -- excessive tiredness during wake hours caused by a lack of sleep. The results showed, prior chemotherapy was significantly associated with hypersomnia-related problems. Anxiety was significantly associated with both sleep-related problems -- insomnia and hypersomnia. In the light of these results, researchers warn that sleep problems within this context “must be explored and included in the patient’s clinical history in order to provide adequate guidelines to palliate said problems effects on the patient’s quality of life,” Lopez stated.
but has yet to win approval or move to Libya. Islamic State militants took control of Gaddafi’s home town of Sirte last year, and Libya’s coast has served as a major hub for migrants and refugees on their way to Europe. The investigators heard credible reports of women detained in migrant camps being raped by guards and gathered evidence of torture in at least 22 places of detention. Boys aged 10 and 14 described being sexually abused after being forced into religious and military training with Islamic State. “I knew what I had to do, I had to take my clothes off and turn around and bend over facing the wall,” one boy said, describing most evenings in the service of an Islamist foreign fighter. The other said he was raped by several fighters in order to “break me so that I will never say no”.
LOS ANGeLeS, FebruAry 26 (AFP): A gunman killed three people and wounded 14 others at a lawnmower factory in Kansas before being gunned down by police in the latest mass shooting to rock the United States, according to officials. Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton said the gunman was an employee at Excel Industries, located in Hesston, a tight-knit community north of Wichita. Walton said the first officer to arrive at the scene shot the gunman, saving “many, many lives.” Walton said the gunman, who he declined to identify, first fired at two motorists from his car, and then stole a pickup truck from one of his victims before heading to the factory. He shot a woman in the parking lot with an assault rifle and then entered the facility unleashing a volley of bullets as people ran for their lives screaming “run, fire, fire,” according to one witness. Local media identified the gunman as Cedric Ford, 38, who worked as a painter at the factory and had posted a picture of himself on Facebook with an assault rifle. Ford recently moved to the area from Miami, and had an extensive criminal record, including a history of prowling, loitering and illegal weapons possession, media reports said. Walton said police surrounded the gunman’s home after the shooting but his male roommate refused to allow them in, resulting in a standoff. But officers later obtained a warrant and entered the home only to find it empty, KSNW reported. The victims were taken to local hospitals, -- where five were deemed to be in critical condition -- as family members rushed to the factory for news of their loved ones. Several employees at the plant told local media they believed that the shooter had emotional and mental problems. The carnage was the latest in a string of mass shootings in the United States, where such attacks have become commonplace.
beIJING, FebruAry 26 (reuTerS): Taiwan’s president-elect Tsai Ing-wen must respect the island’s own constitution that states Taiwan and the mainland are both part of one China, China’s foreign minister has said during a visit to Washington. China considers Taiwan a wayward province, to be brought under its control by force if necessary. Defeated Nationalist forces fled to Taiwan in 1949 after the Chinese civil war. Beijing has warned against any moves towards independence since January’s landslide win by Tsai and her independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Taiwan’s presidential and parliamentary elections and said it would defend its sovereignty. Tsai has said she would maintain peace with China, and Chinese state-run media have also noted her pledges to maintain the “status quo” with China. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a former head of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said Tsai’s election was a normal political process that did not come as too big a surprise.”We do not care that much who is in power in the Taiwan region of China,” Wang said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington on Thursday, without directly using Tsai’s name. His comments were carried on the centre’s website.
“What we care about is, once someone has come into power, how he or she handles the cross-strait relationship, whether he or she will maintain the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, whether he or she will recommit to the political foundation of crossstrait relations, the one China principle,” he said. Wang said he hoped that, before Tsai assumes power in May, she would indicate that she wants to pursue the peaceful development of ties and accept the provision in Taiwan’s own constitution that the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China. “It will be difficult to imagine that somebody elected on the basis of that constitution should try to do anything in violation of its own constitution,” Wang said. DPP spokesman Ruan Chao-hsiung said Wang’s remarks were consistent with Tsai’s position, which was to maintain the status quo under the island’s constitutional framework. “We hope to communicate with China in a more positive way in efforts to maintain peace across the Taiwan Strait,” Ruan said. Wang said Taiwan’s people wanted the peaceful development of ties, wanted Chinese tourists and business relations, and wanted to live in a climate of peace.
Syria fighting rages as cessation deadline nears beIruT, FebruAry 26 (reuTerS): Syria’s government and rebel groups have agreed to join a plan to cease hostilities on Saturday, Russia said, while fighting raged on several fronts as combatants sought to gain advantage hours before the agreement was due to start. The U.S.-Russian “cessation of hostilities” accord is due to begin at midnight (2200 GMT on Friday). Warring parties had been required to accept by noon. Under the measure, which has not been signed by the Syrian warring parties themselves and is less binding than a formal ceasefire, the government and its enemies are expected to halt firing to allow aid to reach civilians and peace talks to begin. The truce does not apply to jihadist groups such as Islamic State and the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, and the Damascus government and its Russian allies say they will not halt combat against those militants. Other rebels seen as moderates by the West say they
fear this will be used to justify attacks on them. As the deadline approached, heavy air strikes were reported to have hit rebel-held areas near Damascus as fighting raged across much of western Syria. The Syrian government has agreed to the plan. The main opposition alliance, which has deep reservations about the terms, said it would accept it for two weeks. The rebel HNC alliance said the government and its allies must not use the agreement to attack opposition factions under the pretext that they were terrorists. President Vladimir Putin said Russia had received information that all parties expected to take part in the cessation of hostilities had said they were ready to do so, Russian news agencies reported. Putin stressed that combat actions against Islamic State, the Nusra Front and other groups which the Syrian government regards as terrorists would continue. “I would like to express the hope that our American
Civilains walk past the rubble of damaged buildings in the rebel held historic southern town of Bosra al-Sham, Deraa, Syria on February 23. (REUTERS Photo)
partners will also bear this in mind ... and that obody will forget that there are other terrorist organisations apart from Islamic State,” he said in Moscow. A source close to the U.N. Syrian peace process in Geneva said the “vast majority” of eligible armed groups had signalled they would agree to the plan.
The United Nations hopes the cessation of hostilities will provide a breathing space to resume peace talks in Geneva, which collapsed this month before they began. A Russian Foreign Ministry official said the Geneva talks could resume on March 7. In New York, diplomats said the U.N. Security Coun-
cil would vote on Friday on an resolution endorsing the planned pause in fighting. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitoring organisation, on Friday reported at least 26 air raids and artillery shelling targeting the town of Douma in rebel-held Eastern Ghouta near Damascus.
Rescue workers said five people were killed in Douma. Syrian military officials could not immediately be reached for comment. The Observatory also reported artillery bombardment by government forces and air strikes overnight in Hama province, and artillery fire by government forces in Homs province. Fighting also resumed at dawn between rebels and government forces in the northwestern province of Latakia, where the Syrian army and its allies are trying to take back more territory from insurgents at the border with Turkey. A spokesman for President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey has serious worries about the plan to halt violence in Syria because of the continued fighting on the ground. Turkey’s role in the ceasefire has been complicated by its deep distrust of the Washington-backed Syrian Kurdish YPG. Ankara sees the group as a terrorist organisation and has shelled YPG positions in northern Syria in recent weeks.
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saturDaY 27•02•2016
SPORTS
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
Gianni Infantino elected FIFA president
Zurich, February 26 (aGeNcieS): Gianni Infantino has been elected as the new president of FIFA, having been voted in to replace the disgraced Sepp Blatter at Friday’s election in Zurich. The UEFA General Secretary beat Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan and the former FIFA Deputy General Secretary Jérôme Champagne. South African Tokyo Sexwale withdrew moments before the first vote. Sheikh Salman had been favourite to succeed Blatter because of support from the Asia and Africa, while Infantino had the backing of Uefa members. Voting went to a second round after none of the candidates received the required two-thirds majority in the first round at the extraordinary congress. Infantino led the first round, with 88 of the 207 votes cast, ahead of Sheikh Salman’s 85 votes, Prince Ali’s 27 and Champagne’s seven. It was the first time voting for the Fifa presidential election had reached a second round since 1974, when João Havelange of Brazil became the first nonEuropean president ahead of England’s Sir Stanley Rous. A two-thirds majority (138 votes) was required to win in the first round, but a simple majority of more than 50% (104 votes) was sufficient for victory in the second round. Infantino secured 115 votes to Sheikh Salman’s 88 to become the second successive Swiss president, after Blatter. The 45-year-old lawyer is from Brig in the Valais region of Switzerland, less than six miles from Blatter’s hometown of Visp.
FIFA approves major reforms to curb corruption
Gianni Infantino after being elected as the new FIFA President in Zurich on Friday. (Getty Images)
Zurich, February 26 (aFP): FIFA approved major reforms at a congress on Friday, part of world football's effort to end the culture of corruption that has plagued its governing body for years. The measures were adopted by 179 members, while 22 voted against and six abstained at a congress in Zurich that will also elect a replacement to FIFA's disgraced president Sepp Blatter. The reforms were developed since June by a committee led by Francois Carrard, a Swiss lawyer tasked with a similar cleanup effort at the International Olympic Committee more than a decade ago. Among the most crucial measures are changes in the role of FIFA's president and its executive committee. The president's job has been altered to function like a corporate chairman of the board, providing strategic guidance but with less management authority. FIFA's executive committee, which had become an epicentre of graft, has been re-branded as a FIFA council, and will operate similar to a corporate board of directions. FIFA's secretary general, previously number two to the president, will serve as world football's CEO. Those measures were designed to contain the authority of FIFA's top brass in a
Infantino goes from stop-gap to football's most powerful man
Zurich, February 26 (reuterS): Six months ago Gianni Infantino was a low-profile right-hand man to European soccer boss Michel Platini. He was the striking, shaven-headed character who pulled balls out of glass pots during televised UEFA competition draws. Barely-known by the general public, he was also the man behind a complex attempt to force Europe's clubs to reign in their spending, but which ended up leaving fans and even club directors confused. On Friday, Infantino was chosen as the new president of FIFA, a position which made his predecessor Sepp Blatter as instantly recognizable as some of the world's leading statesman. It was a remarkable leap for the affable Swiss-Italian. The polyglot lawyer only entered the FIFA race in late October, one day
before the deadline, as a stop-gap candidate after Platini had been placed under investigation for ethics violations. When Platini failed to clear his name and was banned from soccer for six years, Infantino was left carrying the hopes of European soccer. In the intervening time, he has visited several dozen countries, clocking up by his own calculations enough air miles to have flown around the world three times. "In October 27, I started my journey in Cairo, and last Monday I finished in Cape Town, so it was a kind of Cape to Cairo in reverse," he said during his presentation to the FIFA congress on Friday. "It was destiny which brought me to start the journey, an exciting journey, a fantastic journey," he said. "Five month ago I was not thinking of being a candidate but many things have happened."
CHANGING FORTUNES At the same time he was delivering his speech in Zurich, almost three hours' drive away in Nyon the vote was being held for the Europa League, Europe's second tier competition. Had the dice fallen differently, Infantino would have been conducting that draw. Having joined UEFA in 2000, Infantino rose to become its general secretary in 2009, just as Platini announced his breakeven rule known as Financial Fair Play. Designed to stop rich owners buying success by ploughing unlimited amounts of cash into their clubs, the rule banned clubs from spending more than their generated revenue. Infantino has said it saved European clubs from spending themselves into oblivion but critics argued it prevented smaller clubs from growing and cemented a status quo in which the
same teams dominate. There was also confusion over the way it was implemented. UEFA initially said that clubs who did not comply would be kicked out of European competition, no matter how big. In the event, clubs were allowed to negotiate settlements and, while some were subjected to financial penalties and squad reductions, no big clubs were expelled from European competition. "Financial Fair Play is a very important tool and the only thing (problem) is that it's not all that easy sometimes to understand how the system works, and maybe UEFA has to do it more transparently," said Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. Infantino's watch has also seen the European championship expanded from 16 to 24 teams while the innovative move of staging the 2020 tourna-
Old rivalry set to resume as India, Pakistan lock horns
NeW DeLhi, February 26 (aGeNcieS): The marquee clash of the Asia Cup is set to be a mouth-watering one. India and Pakistan do not play each other often enough in the international circuit thanks to thepolitical tension between the two countries. A rivalry bound by history is now restricted to tournaments such as these and ICC events only. The last time the two teamsfaced off was in the World Cup in 2015. And before that it was in the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka in 2014. The proposed bilateral series between the two sides did not kick off after the Indian government failed to give the go-ahead. Thus, this contest gets a little morecolour to it, off
bid to prevent a repeat of the patronage and waste that prevailed during Blatter's 18-year term as president. The president and council members will also be limited to three consecutive four-year terms. Several measures to improve financial transparency at the multibillion dollar organisation were also approved. Revenues will be published, as will compensation for senior officials, while auditing will be more independent and more robust. The number of commissions, seen as bloated and wasteful in the past, has been cut from 26 to 9. There was also a mandate to expand the role of women in global football governance, with at least one woman required on the council of each national federation. Broadly, the reforms include measures to promote "culture change" at FIFA, as well as more ethical and accountable leadership. There were calls to end political interference and conflicts of interest in executive decision making, two factors that most agree led FIFA into crisis. Before the vote, a Palestinian representative addressed the congress to lobby against approving the reforms, arguing that a period of crisis was the wrong time to push through a major restructuring.
the field. For the players though, the challenges will be entirely different. For a lot of the Pakistan players, this will be their first taste of such a highpressure game. India are luckier on that count. Only three from India's squad and onlytwo from the first eleven - Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah - have not featured in an India-Pakistan encounter. For Pakistan the same figure counts up to six. While the edge of traditional rivalry continues, this particular one might not have the fierce undertones of previous clashes, but will be an important one, nevertheless, for both teams. Pakistan arrived in Bangladesh only a day before their first practice ses-
Emotional Federer thanks fans after knee surgery
NeW DeLhi, February 26 (aGeNcieS): After a successful knee surgery, tennis ace Roger Federer's comeback plans have started gaining the momentum. And amid that, the Swiss maestro took to his website to thank fans for their outpouring of support. The 34 year old, posted the thank-you note to his website yesterday. “I would like to send out a heartfelt thank you for all your kind words after my injury and the surgery,” he posted. “It was an amazingly positive boost to receive all your cards, letters, presents and posts on the web. It really means a whole lot to me to feel your support in tough times.” Few days back, Federer shared a photo on social media highlighting his first hit-out on the practice courts since undergoing a right knee arthroscopy to repair a torn meniscus three weeks ago. The record 17-time Grand Slam champion picked the injury a day after his Australian Open semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic. FedEx also indicated that he will soon make a comeback. “It is fantastic to be moving and working out again. We're taking it one step at a time, but I'm already really looking forward to getting back onto the court with full energy. Thank you very much again, see you soon.”
sion. A lot of their players featured in the recentlyconcluded Pakistan Super League (PSL) and sowill be in touch with the format. Their challenge will be to adapt to the conditions quick enough. If the conditions in Mirpur remain the same, they will find it alittle easier to adjust as well, given their pace-heavy attack. For India it will be about continuing the momentum gathered. They are not expected to make any changes to the squad that won against Bangladesh, unless there are injuryconcerns. One such would be the fitness of skipper MS Dhoni. He did not take part in the practice session prior to the game and the reason given was that he needed abit of rest. India will prob-
ably wait until match day to take a final call. He played through the first game with back spasms and will probably do so again, given themomentous occasion. Pakistan have imported Sharjeel Khan and Mohammad Nawaz after their impressive performances in the PSL. The duo are likely to find a spot straightaway in the playingeleven. Much of the focus though will surround Pakistan's pace attack. Foremost amongst them will be Mohammad Amir, who has had a steady comeback to internationalcricket. This will be his first game against India since making a return. No doubt there will be some fuss surrounding it, but should ease off once the game starts.
IfPakistan will go with all three left-arm seamers - Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Irfan and Amir - it would pose the Indian batsmen with an interesting challenge. Mohammad Samiwill be breathing down their neck as well after doing well in the PSL. Pakistan's spin attack comprises of mainly allrounders and they fit the role in this format. The individual plans will have been done as well. However the traditionof talk surrounding Pakistan's bowlers against Indian batsmen continues. This particular match will be even more interesting given the green nature of the Mirpurtrack. For both teams, the bigger picture will be the World T20. While India
have their combination settled, this game will also kick start Pakistan's preparations for thesame. On paper, they look a formidable mix with plenty of allrounders. Their concern will be on zeroing in on the best middle order possible apart from the spinners. Mohammad Nawaz and Imad Wasim are pretty similar players, but the former is likely to get the nod ahead for the clash against India thanks to his PSL performance. There is plenty to look forward to as always is the case with any cricket match between these two teams. With another such clash coming up in less than a month, thisone should act as an apt dress rehearsal for the same.
Bangladesh thrash UAE, claims first victory in Asia Cup
mirPur, February 26 (Pti): Mahmudullah Riyadh produced an allround effort to guide hosts Bangladesh to a comprehensive 51-run win against United Arab Emirates; their first victory in the Asia Cup Twenty20 tournament in Dhaka on Friday. Batting first, Bangladesh managed only 133 for eight largely due to rearguard action from Man-ofthe-Match Mahmudullah, who scored a quickfire 36 off 27 balls with the help of a boundary and two sixes. However UAE's batting faltered once again as they produced a belowpar effort to get bowled out for 82 in only 17.4 overs. Mahmudullah took 2/5 along with a brilliant catch to make it a memorable outing for him. Skipper Mashrafe Mortaza (2/12), left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahaman (2/13 in 4 overs), Shakib Al Hasan (2/20) and Al-Amin Hossain (1/8) were also amongst wickets. It was a day where Mahmudullah showed his all-round skills taking a smart diving catch at gully to dismiss Shaiman Anwar off Mortaza's bowling. UAE's chase again started on a disastrous note as
ment in 13 cities around Europe rather than a single host nation. Although Infantino's election is hoped to mark a clean break with FIFA's past, his rise to the top bears some similarities to that of his disgraced predecessor Blatter, who has been banned for six years for ethics violations. Both were raised in the same Swiss valley, only 10 km (six miles) from each other, both were modest amateur footballers and both speak the same five languages. Each went to university and then began their careers in the Frenchspeaking part of Switzerland. During the campaign, Infantino often had to fend off suggestions that he is too Eurocentric. "I'm not the European candidate, I'm not the UEFA candidate," he responded at one point. "I'm a football person, so I feel that I am the candidate for football."
Indian boxers running risk of being barred from Olympics NeW DeLhi, February 26 (Pti): None has qualified so far but even if they do in due course, Indian boxers are "running the risk" of being barred from this year's Olympic Games if the country fails to put together a new national federation by next month's Asian Olympic Qualifiers. This is the latest missive from the International Boxing Association (AIBA) after a meeting of its various commissions in Manchester recently. According to sources, the world body will not hesitate to stop Indians from participating in the August extravaganza in Rio de Janeiro should they make the cut through the Asian Qualifiers starting March 23 in Qian'an city of China. "There is a lot of pressure on India now to get a federation going. They (AIBA) have given India time till the Asian Qualifiers. In case, it doesn't happen then the country is running the risk of not moving forward," a source said. "Our boxers who qualify could be stopped from the Olympics," he said. So far, no Indian boxer has qualified for the Olympics and most are pinning their hopes on the Asian Qualifiers. "India's entry for that has been accepted but AIBA has set fresh conditions. They want a national federation as soon as possible and if India don't get going, it would amount to challenging the world body," the source said. Indian boxing has been without a parent body since May last year when Boxing India was suspended following a revolt by the state units, which passed a No Confidence Motion against the then BI president Sandeep Jajodia and secretary general Jay Kowli. The sport is currently being administered by an adhoc committee, which was formed by the AIBA. To put an end to the bitter infighting among the state units, the Sports Authority of India and the ad-hoc committee formed a coordination committee. The two committees held a meeting with the state units during the recent South Asian Games in Shillong. "During that meeting the draft of the new constitution was circulated. But the IOA has to get its act together and help the formation of a new federation," the source said.
Women volleyball tourney underway
Bangladesh's Mohammad Mithun, right, plays a shot as the UAE wicketkeeper Swapnil Patil looks on during their Asia Cup T20 cricket match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on February 26. (AFP Photo)
Muhammaed Kaleem (0) provided an easy catch to Mortaza standing at midon. Rohan Mustafa (18) hit a six behind square off Taskin Ahmed but his lack of footwork was exposed by Mortaza as his attempted slash over point only ballooned up to Mustafizur at short third-man. Mustafizur himself could have claimed a hat-
trick taking wickets with well-disguised slower ones in the first and second deliveries off the eighth over. The match was over in the 8th over when the dismissal of Mohammed Shahzad (12) and Swapnil Patil (0) made it 34 for five and there was no looking back after that. Mahmudullah and Shakib then polished the
lower order to give Bangladesh their first victory in the tournament. However, there is room for improvement as far as their batting is concerned. Save Mohammed Mithun's 41-ball-47 and Mahmudullah's cameo, there was not much to write home about home team's batting which will be tested further against better bowling attacks.
DimaPur, February 26 (mexN): The 3rd Gisela Volleyball (Women) Trophy organized by Believers’ Church, 5th Mile Model Village, Dimapur got underway this morning in the church premises. Tokuho Suhoi Neho, Head GB, Suhoi village, graced the inaugural programme as chief guest while Rev. Fr. Kasthang Kath, Zonal Leader, Believers Church, Nagaland, was the guest of honour. Speaking on the occasion, the chief guest encouraged the church to be trend setter in promoting peace and unity among different tribes in the society. He was of the view that Believers Churches which comprises of different tribes and communities could play a leading role to uphold peace and unity in the society. He pointed out that intermingling of different tribes and communities through sports, church and inter-marriage would have a great impact towards bringing about long lasting peace and unity in the land. Neho said organizing such a sporting event was a way to bring different group of people under the banner of unity through church and sports. He encouraged the church to continue to organize such even in the coming years and he announced that he would donate trophy and cash prize in the next edition of the trophy. Guest of honour also spoke on the occasion. Women teams from 14 different Believers Churches across Dimapur district are taking part in the 2-day event.
Saturday 27•02•2016
EntErtainmEnt
Welcoming the modern Butcher Shop
akangchila longchar
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Morung express entertainment
he newly opened Meat King store at Bank Colony, Dimapur is truly “A meat lover’s delight”. One is spoiled for choice the moment you walk into the store. A thoroughly modern meat shop, where juicy meat and meat products line the store in chillers, this store is all about food, quality, innovation and new ideas. Their range of products includes fresh meat like Pork, Chicken, Mutton, Beef and Duck. Not forgetting smoked pork and beef,
smoked innards. There is also a wide selection of frozen sea food, sausages, pickles etc. There is also a “My Nagaland” section where local made wine, spices and condiments, Naga style pickles etc are on sale. The store is also kept fully sterilized to maintain hygiene. The scope of Meat King is not limited to fresh cuts but it incorporates processed meat products as well as a wide range of supermarket gourmet food products. Meat King is run by
entrepreneurs Mustaque Ahmed and Romeo Seth. The entrepreneurs have founded Meat King with the sole aim of providing customers meat and meat products of highest quality at par with international standards under hygienic conditions. It’s just over a month since the Flagship store located at Bank Colony, Dimapur opened, but Meat King is already receiving rave reviews. The entrepreneurs are elated to this response because they quote they have invested a lot to
give better meat quality and gourmet food products for the Naga consumers every day. They state, “A lot of our customers also appreciate the fact that we open full day on Sunday. We have families coming in and shopping leisurely on Sundays. We have left no stone unturned to make our store a likeable place. We have a ‘My Nagaland’ counter where we showcase and help sell locally made products like wine, pickles, dried herbs and other food stuffs.” Meat King has further
plans of store expansions with the northeastern states as priority followed by the metros but keeping the Nagaland store at its core. As experienced entrepreneurs, Mustaque and Romeo offer some advice to aspiring entrepreneurs. They share, “We would like, especially the young entrepreneurs, to understand that one must possess ‘Dignity of Labour’ because you should be ready with the attitude that there is nothing too big or small.” They add, “Business is all about sacrifice. When you think of do-
ing something never give up. It’s definitely not overnight success”. Mustaque and Romeo share their vision for Meat King. “We want it to be entertaining retailing. Listen, there’s Bon Jovi blasting on the speakers! When people walk into the store, we want them to have a good time”, says the two chilled out entrepreneurs whose plans and ideas seem to multiply with every sale! And for all you lazy meat lovers, Meat King also offers home delivery and will soon go online.
ANTB performs at Radio City Freedom Awards Meryl Streep clarifies 'We're all Africans' remark
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lobo Naga & The Band performed at the Radio City Freedom Awards 2016 at Mumbai, HardRock Cafe Worli on February 25. The award ceremony was attended by all the top music artiste & celebrities in India.
6 bands were picked from around India to perform at the award ceremony. Alobo Naga & The Band performed three of their new songs, You & I, come Back Home & youth Anthem, which was highly appreciated by the audience. Most of the top mu-
sic producers said the band sound was very International and different from most of the bands in India. Alobo Naga also shared the stage with Salil Acharya (Actor) along with the host Gaurav Kapoor (Vj & Actor) in giving the away the award for the
Best Album art & Best music video of the year awards. Alobo Naga & the band are playing next at Delhi on February 27 and 28 at Delhi, at Bangalore on March 3 and at Big Bang festival, Haflong on March 6.
s car-w inning actress Meryl Streep on Thursday said her "We're all Africans" comment was taken out of context, writing in the Huffington Post about the controversy she sparked up amid Hollywood's ongoing diversity debate. Streep, who earlier this month headed up her first international film jury at the Berlin Film Festival, said her comments to an Egyptian reporter during a press conference about whether she was familiar with cinema from Africa and the Middle East, were "distorted." "I was not minimizing difference, but emphasizing the invisible connection empathy enables, a thing so central to the fact of being human, and what art can do: convey another person's experience," Streep wrote. The furore over her comments came amid an
uproar in Hollywood over this year's all-white Oscar acting nominees for a second consecutive year, sparking the #OscarsSoWhite discussion. The actress also added in the piece entitled "Setting The Record Straight From Berlin" that she was not asked at the press con-
Simon Cowell donates funds to young cancer patient Prada offers "see now, buy now"
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hree-year-old Kian Musgrove has been diagnosed with cancer for the second time and the music mogul recently made the donation and volunteered to cover the costs of the youngster's flights from the U.K. to America, where Musgrove receives treatment. "I can't believe it, I have tears streaming down my face," Musgrove's mum Kat says.
"He just called up and said he wanted to help and said he would drop £25,000 into our fundraising account. I'm still trying to get my head around it all. He was so nice and kind and just said he wanted to do something to help." Cowell, who is a father to two-yearold son Eric, made the donation after hearing about Kian's plight online. He is also raising awareness on his Twitter.
com page writing, "ian Musgrove is a truly brave young boy. I have just spoken to his mum." "Let's help get him to NYC (New York City) for the life-saving treatment he needs. #CaringForKian #GetKianToSimon." Kat is hoping to raise $700,000 (£500,000) to fund Kian's treatments. According to reports, she is currently at the $560,000 (£400,000) mark.
bags straight off the Milan catwalk
Source: Contactmusic
Sanjay Dutt walks out of jail, says 'i am not a terrorist'
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ctor Sanjay Dutt kissed the ground and saluted the flag as he walked out of jail this morning after completing his sentence in an arms case related to the 1993 Mumbai blasts. "I waited for this day of azadi (freedom) for 23 years," he told reporters much later at his home. "I am not a terrorist. I was in jail under the Arms Act. It is a request, please don't call me a 1993 Bombay blast convict," he appealed at the press conference. Hefting a large bag as he emerged from Pune's Yerwada jail at around 8.45 am, the 56-year-old actor walked to his wife Maanayata, twins Iqra and Shahraan and filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani, his friend. To his 'best half ' Maanayata - who he said had suffered the most - he handed over the Rs. 440 he had earned making paper bags in prison. The actor was driven away in a white SUV to the airport, from where he took a chartered plane.
"There is no easy walk to freedom, my friends," he said, smiling, to media personnel at the Pune airport. After reaching Mumbai, Mr Dutt headed straight to the famous Siddhivinayak temple to offer prayers to Lord Ganesha. He then went to his mother Nargis Dutt's grave in Marine Lines before heading to his Pali Hill home. Among the posters wel-
coming him home was one from his family that greeted "Papa" and "Uncle" and "Bro". "I miss my father today," he said. Sanjay Dutt, the star of films like Khalnayak and the blockbuster Munnabhai series, was released a little over three months ahead of time on grounds of good behaviour. On Monday, the Bom-
bay High Court will hear a petition challenging his early release. It also alleges that the actor enjoyed preferential treatment in jail. The actor's frequent breaks from jail had been criticised as evidence of VIP treatment. Between May 2013 and 2014, Mr Dutt spent over 118 days out of prison. (Also Read: Sanjay Dutt Comes Home, Bollywood Tweets 'Welcome Back') In 2007, Sanjay Dutt was found guilty of illegally keeping an AK-56 rifle and a pistol acquired from those involved in the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai that killed 257 people and injured hundreds. The actor served 18 months but then was out on bail, fighting the conviction until a court in March 2013 ordered him back to jail. Mr Dutt, who was cleared of conspiracy charges in connection with the blasts, had claimed that he had the weapons for protection during the riots that erupted after the blasts.
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taly's Prada blended military, nautical and 1940s looks for women next fall at Milan Fashion Week and joined in on the "see now, buy now" retail model by offering two new styles of bag at selected outlets from Friday. Miuccia Prada, regarded as a trailblazer by fashionistas, mixed prints with luxurious fabrics to create glamorous, colourful, layered outfits, for her collection. The designer, 66, put fur on sleeves and linings of check or leather jackets and cloaks, embroidery on Source: NDTV
slinky velvet dresses and played with an array of prints - cactus plants, flowers and fruit - on tops, skirts and dresses. Brocade also featured heavily in the collection namely in gold on jackets and skirts. Dark coats reminiscent of an elegant military style were teamed with white nautical hats and thick tights. Dresses and slinky jackets had big shoulders, a nod to 1940s silhouettes, and some were worn with chunky, elbow-length gloves. Nearly all looks were teamed with wide corset-
like belts, tie-up boots, buckled sandals or peeptoe shoes and handbags, some with charms, others so small they were worn around the neck. The brand, known for its luxury leather goods with handbags costing as much as 6,000 euros ($6,600), presented its latest addition to the its accessories range at the show: the new Pionnière and Cahier bags. The small, shoulderstrap bags retail for about 1,750 euros and 2,400 euros respectively, with the round-shaped Pionnière inspired by hunting, uniforms and travel and the more expensive Cahier reminiscent of old book bindings and notebooks. The bags will be on sale from Friday in selected Prada stores in Milan, London, Paris and New York. With customers living in different climates, several fashion houses have announced they want to bridge the usual six-month gap between catwalk presentation and retail availability, by offering runway items in shops or online sooner. Prada reported nearly flat net revenue of 3.55 billion euros in the year to Jan. 31 last week, with earnings hit in recent quarters by costly shop investments and slower demand for luxury goods, notably from major market China. Source: Reuters
ference about the all-white jury at this year's festival. "I did not "defend" the "all-white jury," nor would I, if I had been asked to do so. Inclusion -- of races, genders, ethnicities and religions -- is important to me, as I stated at the outset of the press conference," she said. The comments from the three-time Oscar winner, one of the most admired actresses of her generation, quickly went viral and made headlines around the world as some critics expressed disappointment. Others at the time said her remarks were taken out of context. Streep said she hoped the attention drawn by her "misconstrued remarks" would be directed towards celebrating this year's Berlin film festival award winners, which included Gianfranco Rosi's "Fire At Sea" about African immigrants. Source: Reuters
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Rookie Rashford to United's rescue in Europa League
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MANCHesTeR, FebRUARy 26 (AP): It took an 18-year-old local academy graduate making his professional debut as a late injury replacement to spare Manchester United from potential humiliation in the Europa League on Thursday. Many inside Old Trafford will have known little, if anything, about Marcus Rashford when the striker was called up against FC Midtjylland on Thursday after Anthony Martial hurt his right hamstring in the warmup. By the end of United's 5-1 win, which sealed a 6-3 victory on aggregate and a place in the last 16, the fans were singing the two-goal teenager's name. Rashford came to the rescue after United fell behind in the 27th minute to the little-known Danish team, which won the first leg 2-1 and was threatening an even bigger shock by pushing into a two-goal aggregate lead. After United equalized via an own goal in the 32nd, Rashford produced clinical finishes after an hour to put the English giants ahead on aggregate and become their youngest ever scorer in European soccer. Ander Herrera and Memphis Depay added late goals, ensuring the final score matched United's complete dominance. The night, though, belonged to Rashford. “He made a great performance,” said United manager Louis van Gaal, who insisted he had no qualms in starting Rashford despite the size of the game and the youngster's inexperience. Rashford hadn't started a game above under-19 level for United. His most
CAS to rule in Russian anti-doping cases
LAUsANNe, FebRUARy 26 (ReUTeRs): Eight Russian athletes accused of violating anti-doping regulations will have their cases handled by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland instead of the suspended All-Russia Athletic Federation (ARAF), CAS said on Friday. CAS will act as the sole instance decision-making body in the cases of race walkers Vera Sokolova, Elmira Alembekova, Ivan Noskov, Mikhail Ryzhov and Denis Strelkov, who all tested positive for the banned blood booster EPO in Saransk last June. ARAF's operations have been suspended by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) following Russia's ban from international athletics. In November, a special commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) exposed widespread statesponsored cheating and corruption in Russian sport. The case of middledistance runner Ekaterina Sharmina, who has been charged with use or attempted use of a prohibited substance or method following analysis of her biological passport, will also be dealt with by CAS. Heptathlete Tatyana Chernova and middledistance runner Kristina Ugarova have also had their cases for irregular findings in their biological passports referred to CAS.
Manchester United's Marcus Rashford scores his second goal during a Europa League encounter against FC Midtjylland at Old Trafford, Manchester on February 25. (Shutterstock Image)
United to face Liverpool in Europa last 16 NyoN, FebRUARy 26 (ReUTeRs): Manchester United and Liverpool, English football's two most decorated clubs, were drawn together in the last 16 of the Europa League on Friday. The arch-rivals have won 38 league titles between them as well as eight European Cups yet both are struggling in the Premier League this season and are unlikely to relish being pitted against each other at this stage of the competition. Bookmakers' favourites Borussia Dortmund were also handed a tricky route into the last eight after being drawn against Tottenham Hotspur, who are second in the Premier League behind Leicester City. Holders Sevilla, chasing a third
recent goal was for United Under-18s in mid-February, which helped lift them off the bottom of their youth league. He started out at the same local junior club - Fletcher Moss - as former United players Danny Welbeck, Wes Brown and Ravel Morrison. Soon after the match,
successive title, will play Basel, while Valencia, who have enjoyed a recent resurgence by winning their last four games under English coach Gary Neville, face an all-Spanish tie against Athletic Bilbao. Draw: Shakhtar Donetsk v Anderlecht Basel v Sevilla Villarreal v Bayer Leverkusen Athletic Bilbao v Valencia Liverpool v Manchester United Sparta Prague v Lazio Borussia Dortmund v Tottenham Hotspur Fenerbahce v Braga Two-legged ties to be played March 10 and 17
United had a Q&A on its website, entitled “Who is Marcus Rashford?” “He played an almost perfect game,” FC Midtjylland coach Jess Thorup said. Martial was seen clutching his right hamstring during the warmup and when United confirmed his absence, Van
Gaal was without a 14th player because of injury. Such is United's injury situation, Van Gaal began with a second-choice goalkeeper, two midfielders as center-backs, a 19-year-old full back making his full debut, and then Rashford - perhaps United's sixth-choice striker - up front.
“It is ridiculous,” Van Gaal said. Still, Midtjylland was there for the taking, with its whole backline seemingly petrified whenever the ball came near them. Much of its defending was last-ditch and Depay was rampant down United's left, in arguably his best game for the team. “I am very happy for him,” Van Gaal said of Depay. “He needed that kind of match ... maybe it's a turning point for him, I hope it is with all my heart.” Pione Sisto's goal for Midtjylland came completely against the run of play, the forward holding off Daley Blind, shimmying between Michael Carrick and Herrera, and shooting low into the bottom corner. Ni k o l a y B o d u rov turned Depay's cross into his own net five minutes later and it was suddenly hard to pick between three eventualities - progression for either side or penalties. That was even more the case when Rashford sidefooted home from Juan Mata's pull-back to tie the score on aggregate. But Rashford was on hand to slot in a closerange finish from Guillermo Varela's cross and complete a remarkable debut. It was left to Herrera, from the penalty spot, and Depay, with a wonderful solo goal, to finish off Midtjylland. Andre Romer was sent off for the visitors with the score at 4-1. Winning the Europa League could represent United's best chance of reclaiming a place in the Champions League for next season, with the team six points adrift of the top four in the English Premier League.
Record-setting Curry scores 51 in Warriors' win over Magic
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors goes to the basket against the Orlando Magic on February 25 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. (Getty Images)
WAsHINgToN, FebRUARy 26 (AFP): Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry set an NBA record with his first threepointer of the night against the Magic in Orlando -and he was just getting warmed up. Curry's three-pointer with 5:42 remaining in the first quarter marked his 128th straight regular-season game with at least one basket from beyond the arc, breaking the record he shared with Kyle Korver. "This was Steph's night," Magic coach Scott Skiles said. "He tricked us so many times. He runs. He stops. He relaxes, causes you to relax, and then he's gone. That happened at least a dozen times. "And it's not like he didn't do anything else," Skiles added. "He never gets tired. He just runs and runs and runs. It's very impressive." Curry finished with 10 three-pointers in the Warriors' 130-114 triumph over the Magic and
notched his third game this season of at least 50 points. In 34 minutes on court he also handed out eight assists and pulled down seven rebounds. He now has 276 threepointers this season -- 10 less than the record he set last season in leading the Warriors to the NBA crown. Curry scored 24 points in the third quarter, including a three-pointer from half-court as the buzzer sounded that lifted the Warriors to a 99-91 lead going into the final frame. "The three-point shot is like a layup to him," Kerr said. "It's what he does. The half-court shot is like a three-pointer for everyone else." The Warriors, chasing the NBA record of 72 regular-season wins set by the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls of 1995-96, improved to 52-5. Forward Draymond Green and center Andrew Bogut scored 12 points apiece for the Warriors.
Forward Harrison Barnes added 10. Reserve center Marreese Speights scored 14 points, including eight in the fourth period. The Magic were led by guard Evan Fournier with 20 points. Forward Aaron Gordon had a career-high 19 points and eight rebounds. Center Nikola Vucevic had 17 points and nine rebounds for Orlando, who led 63-59 at halftime, but were helpless as the Warriors pulled away in the fourth. Harden boosts Rockets James Harden scored 34 of his 46 points in the second half as the Houston Rockets rallied from a 21-point third-quarter deficit to beat the Trail Blazers 119-105 in Portland. Center Dwight Howard scored 19 points and pulled down 13 rebounds for the Rockets, who won for just the fourth time in 11 games and snapped Portland's six-game winning streak. The Rockets out-scored the Trail Blazers 33-12 in the fourth quarter to turn
things around. "That first half we were just passive," Harden said. "I just wanted to be aggressive and go out fighting." Elsewhere in the West, the San Antonio Spurs strengthened their grip on the second seed with a 9678 victory over the Utah Jazz -- who are in the hunt for the final playoff spot in the conference. Kahwi Leonard led the Spurs with 29 points, helping San Antonio fight back from a 23-18 deficit at the end of the first quarter. The Spurs looked tired early on the second night of back-to-back games, but had gained a 39-35 advantage at halftime and led 56-49 going into the final period.
German football federation general secretary resigns FRANKFURT, FebRUARy 26 (AP): The German football federation general secretary Helmut Sandrock has resigned, one week before the release of a report on Germany's successful bid for the 2006 World Cup and a dubious payment to FIFA. The federation (DFB) says Sandrock resigned on Friday. A statement quoted Sandrock as saying that ''for the good of our football and the DFB it is necessary to make a completely new start in a credible and consequent manner, even in matters of personnel.'' Sandrock is the second high-ranking official to resign in recent times after Wolfgang Niersbach quit as president in November. Top DFB officials have come under fire in connection with an unexplained payment of 6.7 million euros ($7.4 million) to FIFA and corruption accusations ahead of the vote for the 2006 World Cup.
Might retire after World T20, hints Malinga MIRPUR, FebRUARy 26 (PTI): Sri Lanka's T20 captain and strike bowler Lasith Malinga has hinted that he might call time on his international career after the ICC World T20 in India as he is finding it difficult to manage a grave knee injury. At the post-match media conference, Malinga was asked if he would like to quit after the upcoming edition of World T20, just like Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara did after winning the last edition, he replied: "Might be". The Lankan slinger elaborated that his current injury is so bad that complete recuperation might take close to two years, which effectively ends his career now that he is nearly 33. "I have played 12 years for the national team. I am now 32 and will soon be 33. I have had a bad injury and if at this stage I have to take one or one and half years of rest, I would rather have to finish my career. If I need to play tough cricket for my country, I don't think I can then totally recover from the injury. That's why I am saying I don't know how many months or years are left in me," Malinga said.
'Team management’s backing helped performance' FATULLAH, FebRUARy 26 (PTI): He has transformed himself from ‘Mr Inconsistent’ to ‘Mr Dependable’ in the shorter formats and Indian batsman Rohit Sharma on Friday said it has been possible because of the backing that he has got from the team management. Few years back, the Indian team management was criticised regularly when Rohit had a string of low scores but Dhoni’s faith in the Mumbai batsman’s ability has been unshakable. “If any individual knows that he has the backing of the team, that’s when he opens up and expresses himself better — gets the performance going,” Rohit told mediapersons on the eve of India’s Asia Cup T20 match against arch-rivals Pakistan. “For us also, we have been playing with the squad for a while which shows that we have a good bunch, which is ready to take up the challenge at any given point of time. That’s a good sign and we are very proud of that.”
Indian eves thrash Sri Lanka, complete series whitewash
RANCHI, FebRUARy 26 (PTI): The Indian women's cricket team dished out a clinical performance to thrash Sri Lanka by nine wickets in the third and final Twenty20 International and complete a 3-0 series whitewash on Friday. Asked to bowl, the Indians first restricted Sri Lanka to a lowly 89 for nine and then overwhelmed the target in 13.5 overs, reaching 91 for the loss of just one wicket. Sri Lanka's decision to bat first backfired as only four batswomen -- Eshani Lokusuriyage (25 not out), Chamari Atapattu (21), Ama Kanchana (17) and Nipuni Hansika (13) -- reach double-digit mark against a disciplined Indian bowling attack. Left-arm orthodox Ekta Bisht (3/17) was the pick of the Indian bowlers, while Anuja Patil (2/19) also chipped in with two wickets. Later opening duo of Smriti Mandhana, who made run-a-ball unbeaten 43, and Vellaswamy Vanitha (34 off 25) got India's chase off to a flier, notching up 64 quick runs in just 52 balls.
Sania-Hingis winning streak comes to a halt DoHA, FebRUARy 26 (PTI): Indian tennis star Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis' 41-match winning streak came to halt after the world number one womne's doubles pair went down fighting in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open, here. Sania and her Swiss partner Mirza lost 2-6 6-4 10-5 to Russian pair Elena Vesnina and Daria Kasatkina late last night. The last time the Indo-Swiss pair, who have won three doubles Grand Slams in a row, had lost was way back in Cincinatti last August. After surviving a gruelling three sets win over an unseeded Chinese pairing in the last round here, luck finally ran out for Sania and Hingis against the Russians despite dominanting the first set. Sania and Hingis have together won four titles this year out of an overall trophy count of 13. They started the year with wins in Brisbane and Sydney before completing a hat-trick of Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open. The duo had won the St Petersburg Ladies title earlier this month.
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