February 3rd, 2017

C M Y K

www.morungexpress.com

FriDAY • FebruArY 03 • 2017

DIMAPUR • Vol. XII • Issue 31 • 12 PAGes • 5

T H e

ESTD. 2005

P o W e R

History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives

More organisations condemn January 31 incident

Aircel-Maxis case: Court discharges Maran brothers PAGe 08

o F

T R u T H

— Abba Eban

Suarez, Messi wonder strikes give Barca edge at Atletico

PAGE 02

PAGE 12

Nagaland plunges into further chaos

Violence in Kohima as govt property set ablaze Morung Express News Kohima | February 2

Violence erupted in the Nagaland State capital, Kohima today as a large number of people took to destroying several government offices and vehicles.

Since the January 31 violence in Dimapur, which claimed the lives of two people in a police firing, tribe Hohos and civil society organisations have been demanding for the resignation of the Nagaland Chief Minister and his cabinet, cancellation of the ULB polls and suspension of the Dimapur Commissioner of Police and the personnel responsible for the firing.

NTAC formed, submits memorandum to Governor Before things went out of control, a new committee called the Nagaland Tribes Action Committee (NTAC) was formed on Thursday morning. The committee submitted a memorandum to the Commissioner and Secretary to the Governor, as the Governor was out of station. The memo served an ultimatum to the CM and his cabinet to resign by 4:00pm, and reiterated demands for the ULB election process to be declared null and void and suspension of the concerned police officials and personnel.

The state government responded in the evening by declaring the ULB poll process “null and void,” and informing that the State Cabinet has decided to “immediately transfer” the Dimapur Commissioner of Police and DCP Zone (1), Dimapur, in order to facilitate an impartial inquiry.

This was stated in a letter by the Nagaland CM to the Angami Youth Organisation.

ran amok by setting ablaze government property and vehicles.

In the ensuing violence, the Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) and the Regional Transport Office were burnt down. Adjoining offices including those of the SSA, NNP+, SIB, Nagaland Legal Service Authority and the Kohima Press Club were also completely burnt down.

It was reported that the Excise Office was also ransacked, with some protestors consuming the seized liquor in the office.

Neither the police nor the fire brigade were present when the buildings were set ablaze. By late evening, it was reported that the protestors headed towards the Police Head Quarter area, where police fired tear gas and protestors hurled projectiles.

DGP Nagaland, LL Doungel (IPS) informed that that an attack on the NPF Kohima office, which is located near the PHQ, was attempted but was partially thwarted by the police.

“The situation is totally volatile. The mobs are on rampage.

We are making all attempts to bring the situation under control,” the DGP was quoted as stating by the IANS. It was also reported that personnel of the Assam Rifles have been deployed to assist police in tackling the situation.

144 CrPC imposed in parts of Khm The police remained engaged with the protestors till late into the night as the former was being pelted with stones while trying to protect public infrastructure. At 9:30pm, the district administration clamped section 144 of CrPC at Jail Colony, Old Minister’s Hill Area, PHQ area and Raj Bhavan Area.

The bodies of the two people killed in the Dimapur police firing are still being kept at the MLA Junction, with protestors adaKMC, RTO and adjoining mant that they will not be buried offices burnt down Not satisfied with the govern- till the NTAC demands are fulment’s response, the protestors filled.

(LEFT) Government buildings being set ablaze in Kohima on February 2. (RIGHT) The bodies of the two killed in the Dimapur police firing remain unburied in Kohima. (Morung Photos)

State Cabinet declares ULB poll process ‘null & void’

DIMAPUR, FEBRUARY 2 (MExN): Nagaland State Chief Minister, TR Zeliang today informed that the State Cabinet has decided to declare the ULB election process presently in force as “null and void.” In a letter to the Angami Youth Organisation President, the Nagaland CM further informed that cabinet also decided to transfer the Commissioner of Police, Dimapur and DCP Zone (1), Dimapur immediately in order to facilitate an impartial judicial inquiry which has already been ordered.

CM says ‘unconstitutional demands are unacceptable’ Nagaland State Chief Minister, TR Zeliang in a separate statement stated that “making unreasonable and unconstitutional demands such as asking the entire Cabinet to tender resignation when the Ministry has undisputed, unquestionable majority and support of the entire Assembly, is simply unacceptable and non-negotiable.”

A public appeal issued through the CMO stated that the present Leader of the House and the Chief Minister “enjoys the full support of not only the NPF and Independent legislators but the BJP legislators and party as reaffirmed by the BJP today.”

The Nagaland CM further stated that the government “has been lenient

NPA, DPC condemns assault on media staff

‘Media persons have been made soft targets by both state and nonstate actors’

DIMAPUR, FEBRUARY 2 (MExN): The Nagaland Press Association (NPA) has condemned the assault on a media house whereby a staff of Nagaland Page, Dimapur was assaulted within the press premises by IRB personnel on January 31, during the time of the bandh.

A press note from the NPA informed that the publisher of Nagaland Page has decided not to publish its print edition due

to security concerns for its employees. This, it added, is a matter of deep concern.

While the Dimapur police apologized telephonically for the incident, the NPA felt that this alone is not sufficient and that necessary and tangible steps must be taken to ensure the security of those working in the fourth estate.

The NPA further expressed concern that media persons have been made ‘soft targets’ by both state and non-state actors. The NPA cannot remain a mute spectator to repeated assaults made against its fraternity members, it asserted.

Therefore, the NPA stated

that the government and public must henceforth realise that the media in Nagaland is the only proper outlet for public communication and dialogue and it is high time this role of the media be respected.

The Dimapur Press Club (DPC) has also condemned the incident. A press note from the DPC noted that that even media persons are not spared during such events by various agencies, not realising media houses act as a communication platform for public, and appealed the public and government to respect the profession of media in Nagaland and avoid such incidents from occurring in future.

enough to give in to the demands of the agitators even though it was steadfastly abiding by the Constitution of India to which it had sworn its solemn allegiance.”

Appeals against violence The CM urged all not to indulge in senseless vandalism and arson destroying public properties and “spreading fear and panic in the minds of the peace-loving citizens of the State.”

“Resorting to violent activities to convey one’s point of view is irrational and has no place in a civilised modern society which ensures freedom of speech and even freedom to differ from any view point or belief,” he added.

The CM appealed that “at such a trying time, Nagas as Christians and law-abiding citizens of the country should show more tolerance and patience.” “Governments come and go, and people in authority change, but public property, which belong to all of us, shall continue to belong to us and posterity. It would be sheer stupidity on our part to destroy our own property since it would be akin to cutting off our own limbs,” he added.

He urged all to “exercise restraint, desist from violence and arson. Let sanity and reason prevail upon the minds of the people. Let each and every one of us be the agents of peace

Ao Senden asks for resignation of 11 Ao MLAs MOKOKCHUNG, FEBRUARY 2 (MExN): The Ao Senden today asked the 11 Ao MLAs to “immediately resign” and “come join in the resolution” of the Ao Senden. A press release from Acting President C Anang Jamir and Acting Secretary L Tally Lkr today stated that the Ao community has stood against the Nagaland Municipal and Town Council Act for more than a decade as it is “against the socio-customary laws and traditions of the Aos and the Nagas.” As the issue continues “over the dead body,” the Ao Senden stated that the Ao legislators are “in contravention of the Ao customary rights and against the resolution of the Ao Senden” to still be seated in the Assembly.

JCC reiterates ‘Public Demand’

• Terms govt’s response as ploy to bluff the people • Dimapur bandh to continue

Morung Express News Dimapur | February 2

C M Y K

The Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) while reiterating the 3-point ‘Public Demand’ rebuffed the state government’s decision declaring the ULB election process “null and void” and the transfer of incumbent Commissioner of Police, Dimapur.

JCC co-convenor, Vekhosayi Nyekha, termed the government’s move as “bluffing the public.” “We have not asked for the Commissioner’s (of Police) trans-

fer. It’s a ploy to bluff the public,” Nyekha told the media. Stating that bandh in Dimapur will continue till the government fulfils the 3-point demand, Nyekha said that the district administration and the police will also not be allowed to function henceforth.

He requested bandh volunteers to respect the bandh exemptions published earlier (media, medical personnel, newpaper hawkers, students appearing for exams, patients alongwith attendants, para military) and volunteers were also asked to allow NBCC delegates proceeding to Peren for the NBCC’s 80th Annual Council.

While extending support to the NTAC formed today, the JCC urged apex tribe organisations to pressure the government to immediately step down. It acknowl-

edged the APO and Ao Senden demands asking Angami and Ao legislators to resign; and the CPO’s support to the JCC. The JCC further requested the neighbouring states to bear with the inconvenience resulting from the agitation.

The situation in Dimapur remained tense. While the municipal area remained largely calm, the area beyond Purana Bazaar, particularly the immediate surroundings of NH 29, continued to experience heightened tension. There was no sign of police personnel between 3rd Mile and Chumukedima as bandh volunteers stood vigil and additional road blocks set up at the highway.

without any untoward incident on Thursday. All shops, offices and education institutions remained closed while there was no vehicular movement. The Ao Senden declared that the mourning period will continue through Friday with the same restrictions.

Further, the Senden noted that it will not discuss any issues during the state of mourning.

Partial bandh in Wokha today The Lotha Hoho Wokha informed that there would be bandh on government offices and government vehicles in Wokha town beginning February 3. It informed that businesses and public movement would not be affected, while also stating Mourning period to continue in Mokokchung that the bandh would continue The mourning period in the till the demands of the JCC are Ao territory passed off peacefully fulfilled.

and tranquillity, not saboteurs of social harmony.”

He further appealed to social media users to be responsible and desist from “spreading false, malicious rumours which only confuse the people more.”

The CM meanwhile stated that “enough fallacies and untruths have been fed to the innocent public on various crucial issues facing the Naga society today by people with vested political interests.” “This is not the time to lie to each other or to confuse each other, but time for the Naga people to come together, put our heads together and get to the truth of the issues,” he added.

MLA Dr Neiphrezo Keditsu resigns as NSMDC Ltd Chairman Further, to dispel rumours, the CM clarified that MLA from 11 Northern Angami II Assembly Constituency, Dr Neiphrezo Keditsu has tendered his resignation as the Chairman of NSMDC Ltd on moral ground since one of the unfortunate deceased in the other night’s incident at Dimapur was from his village. This, the CM stated was done “owing to immense pressure from various quarters, as he puts it.” The CM however informed that apart from the above-mentioned resignation of the MLA, no other legislator has resigned.

Governor directs CM to address NTAC demands promptly & impartially DIMAPUR, FEBRUARY 2 (MExN): Nagaland State Governor, PB Acharya, in a letter to the Nagaland Tribes Action Committee (NTAC), informed that he has directed the Nagaland State Chief Minister to address the latter’s demands “promptly and impartially.”

The Governor who is held up in Itanagar as he has been given additional charge of Arunachal Pradesh also conveyed condolences to the bereaved families of the two people who died in Dimapur. The Governor informed that he would be reaching the state on February 6.

“I appeal to all in the interest of justice, peace and reconciliation the bodies of two deceased young men be buried as per the customs and practises as early as possible,” he urged.

“I value your cooperation and appeal to you in these trying circumstances to maintain peace and harmony and have a constructive dialogue with the Government and solve the issue amicably,” the Governor added.

Earlier, the NTAC had written to the Governor demanding the resignation of the Nagaland CM and his cabinet, the ULB election process presently in force be declared null and void, and the erring police officers and personnel be immediately suspended.

NNPGs question ‘anti-people policies’

DIMAPUR, FEBRUARY 2 (MExN): The Working Group of Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) today expressed concern at the lack of leadership, character, integrity and statesmanship within Nagaland State Government.

The Working Group comprises of GPRN/NSCN (Gen. Retd.

M.B Neokpao Konyak/N. Kitovi Zhimomi), NSCN (R), NNC Parent Body (Z Royim/V Nagi), NNC/GDRN (Kiumukam/Hetoi) and NNC/NPGN (Hozheto/Tsangthungo).

A press note from the Working Group stated that the fundamental flaw in the present government is that it thrives on “doublespeak, duplicity and corruption.” Tragedy, it stated, befalls leaders who impose despotic ideas against overwhelming public opinion. “Naturally when peaceful democratic protest fails to attract the attention of the remorseless men in power, the people restore peace, often through volatile conduct as deemed fit by the common people,” it added.

The Working Group further rejected all “anti-people policies being hatched by the handful of people in power.”

“The tip of an iceberg is 33% reservation issue ULB elections but deep beneath, there is a sinister policy to destroy the social, historical, political and religious foundations of the Nagas. Here the tribes of Nagaland would not be wrong to act in the interest of their land and people,” it added.

It accused the Nagaland CM and “his cronies” of playing

NSCN (IM) condemns police firing, appeals for restraint

DIMAPUR, FEBRUARY 2 (MExN): The NSCN (IM) has expressed pain at the death of the two persons during the January 31 firing incident in Dimapur. A press note from the MIP of the NSCN (IM) lamented that the incident resulted in “throwing the social equilibrium and peace in the already splinter Naga fabric scenario.” It condemned the high handedness of police causing to loss of lives and injuring many in Dimapur and Longleng. “Such act has no place in civilized society,” it added.

“We believe in resolving any differences of opinion through dealing space and time for a negotiated settlement between the state government and all the stake holders. Imposition of unilateral will on the others without seriously respecting the views and opinions of others is undemocratic which will end up in a state of chaos,” the NSCN (IM) stated.

Considering the volatile situation “that could only burn our own houses,” it appealed to all concerned responsible citizens to restrain from any act or state that could further aggravate the situation. It further expressed condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to the injured persons. with “trust and sentiments of the Nagas” which had reached a “saturation point.” “They rejected all sensible views and suggestions of the people, who elevated him to the position.”

The Working Group expressed sadness at the death of two persons in the January 31 firing incident in Dimapur, and expressed condolences to the bereaved families.

“The loss of precious Naga lives may not move the chief Minister and his cabinet to tears but it is also unlikely that the killing of Naga youths will stop Nagaland tribes from protesting against the inefficient and disturbing policies of the government,” it added.

It further slammed the “extraordinary decision of the

state government, betraying the Church and the people of Nagaland.”

Urges dialogue process The Working Group urged the Nagaland State Government to invite, without any delay, the tribal Hohos of Nagaland and initiate a dialogue process whereby the people’s demands are met and confidence restored.

The Working group also appealed to the tribes of Nagaland to stand united at these testing times and explore all options without resorting to violence and destruction. “It is a time to exhibit our courage and determination through oneness of purpose and restoration our inherent right,” it added.

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FriDAY 03•02•2017

NAGALAND

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

More organisations condemn January 31 incident

Government has miserably failed: NSF ZPO condemns govt, police personnel

DiMapur, February 2 (Mexn): The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has vehemently condemned the cowardice act of killing two youth in Dimapur and injuring many in Longleng at the “anarchical directive” of the Government of Nagaland.

NSF, President, Sunbenthung Kithan and General Secretary, Boveio Peoukai Duo in a press statement said that while the whole Naga society has strongly voiced out opposing towards holding the ULB elections, the Gov-

ernment of Nagaland resorted to the most inhuman act of terror killing two youth and injuring several persons.

NSF also stated that it is prerogative and responsibility of the government to maintain social harmony and peace. However, the government has miserably failed to uphold the tripartite agreement signed between the Government of Nagaland, the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) and the Nagaland Baptist Churches Council (NBCC) as the mediator.

“No human life is more important or precious than election or political interest,” the federation said while conveying its condolences to the bereaved families and also prays for the speedy recovery of the injured persons.

The federation condemns the treacherous act committed by the state government. “Therefore, the state government must own the responsibility for the present social unrest in the state,” the federation added.

Govt lack conviction and wisdom: DAYO

DiMapur, February 2 (Mexn): The Dimapur Ao Youth Organisation (DAYO) has condemned the death of Lt. Khriesavizo Metha and Lt. Bendangnungsang Longkumer who were shot dead by the law enforcing agency due to the betrayal of the state government which took place on January 31, 2017 and injuring five people at Dimapur.

“The error of judgment

also demand Independent Judicial Inquiry to probe into the incident and immediately suspend the police officer involved in the present confrontation.

The DAYO has condoled the demise of two youths and pray that almighty God grant solace to the bereaved families.

The DAYO also vehemently condemn over the incident that took place at

the resident of I. Bendangliba Tzudir, Director, Industry & Commerce on January 30 at Kohima when some unidentified miscreant fired several shot at his resident without any justification.

Such kind of gutless act and intimidating has no place in our culture and as such demand to the security agency to thoroughly investigate the matter and punish the culprit as per the penal law.

No ULB election within its jurisdiction, KU declares

MUK pained by demise of youths

DiMapur, February 2 (Mexn): The Konyak Union (KU) while condemning the ordeal incident and crime of January 31 has expressed its deepest condolence to the bereaved family of Late Bendangningsang Longkumer and Khriesavizo Metha. KU

as witnesses in the sequence of events in other areas also revealed a lack of conviction and wisdom on the part of the government,” DAYO Vice-President Temsumonba Sanglir and General Secretary, Meyatoba while demanding the people elected representatives to step down on ethical ground or else face the music as the ball is in the people courtyard. It

President Manlip Konyak and General Secretary Honang Konyak in a press release stated that the KU out rightly termed the incident as “unfortunate and doctored.” “Justice should not be delayed and preceding action should be initiated as per the law of

the land. Hence, in tune with rest of the Nagas, the KU hereby declares that no ULB election shall be declared in those towns that fall within its jurisdiction unless or until rightful justice have been delivered to the Nagas,” the release added.

WYH and WYSU condemn shooting

DiMapur, February 2 (Mexn): The Western Yimchungru Hoho (WYH) and Western Yimchungru Student Union (WYSU) have strongly condemned the police shooting in Dimapur and Longleng re-

spectively where two innocent precious lives were lost and many severely injured. The WYH and WYSU in a press release conveyed condolences to the deceased family members, and hope the injured peo-

ple a speedy recovery, and we are at pain and anguish that such precious lives were lost in a tragic manner. “We pray that almighty God will grant solace to the bereaved family,” the release added.

kohiMa, February 2 (Mexn): The Mao Union Kohima (MUK) has expressed pain to learn of the deaths of Late Khriesavizo Metha and Late Bendangnunsang in police firing at Dimapur. “In their premature deaths, the Nagas have lost two promising youths whose young lives have been cut short,” conveyed MUK General Secretary, D. Neli Koso in a condolence note. At this hour of grief and sorrow, the MUK prays that God grants solace to the bereaved family members. May their souls rest in peace, the note added.

DiMapur, February 2 (Mexn): The Zeliang People’s Organisation (ZPO) has vehemently condemned the “senseless and barbaric killings” of innocent Naga civilians and critically injuring many by armed police personnel at the “dictate of atrociously brutal” state government of Nagaland on Tuesday, January 31 at Dimapur.

While condemning the unfortunate mayhem that had occurred in the highest abominable term, the

ZPO in a condolence message issued by its media cell extented heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the bereaved families whose loved ones have courageously laid their precious lives at cause of protecting Naga’s right and also convey good wishes and prayer for speedy recovery of the injured.

Meanwhile, ZPO in its humble stance reiterates its previous statements of January 6 and 11 to avert conduct of ULB election regrets that

CHK slams govt’s ‘double standard’

DiMapur, February 2 (Mexn): The Chakhesang Hoho Kohima (CHK) today stated that the current volatile situation in the state is “because of the double-standard game and visionless mind of the government.” “To

which, the state lawmakers should own the moral responsibility,” it stated in a press note. The CHK condemned the killing of the two persons in Dimapur and conveyed condolences to the bereaved families. It also prayed for

music, Manipur dances, Mizoram bamboo dance and Khasi dances were also presented along with modern music performed by Shillong star, Lou Majaw and the Shillong Chamber Choir.

The 14-day gala was organised under the sponsorship of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Indian Cultural Centre, Embassy of India, Kathmandu, and North Eastern Council (NEC).

This is the first time that Nepal facilitated a festival of North East India with a series of events and performances for two weeks.

speedy recovery of those injured. “Further, we hope and pray that their sacrificial deeds will regenerate and transform our yearning society to a better understanding of peace, love and towards human progress,” it added.

ENPUC condemns police action

DiMapur, February 2 (Mexn): The Eastern Nagaland People's Union Chumukedima (ENPUC) has condemned the police action of January 31 and the Nagaland state government “going against the voice of the Naga People.” A press note from the ENPUC mourned the death of the two people in Dimapur and conveyed condolences to the bereaved several persons in Dima- families. It further supported pur as well as Longleng. the “Naga people's demand until it is fulfilled by the state The CPO further con- government.” veyed condolence to the bereaved family members DVC demand CM and also prayed that the departed souls rest in eter- to step down nal peace. Moreover, the DiMapur, February Organization also wished 2 (Mexn): The Diphupar speedy recovery of the in- Village Council (DVC) has jured persons undergoing made demand for the Chief Minister TR Zeliang to step medical treatment. down, termination of IRB personnel and suspension of Commissioner of Police Dimapur. DVC Chairman, Lanutoshi in a press release vow our total allegiance to said that together with the the public demand made entire public and organisaon February 1,” NWHD tion of Diphupar Village, added in the press release. the Council vehemently The hoho also extends condemn the IRB personcondolence to the fam- nel who indiscriminately fired at the unarmed public ily of the two slain martyrs, on January 31 night which namely Lt Thejanizo Metha has resulted in the killand Bendangnungsang ing of Khriesavizo Metha and prays for their soul rest and Bendangnungsang of in eternal peace.

Diphupar village.

CPO stands in support of JCC resolution

chuMukeDiMa, February 2 (Mexn): The Chakhroma Public Organization (CPO) today stated that it is resolute to stand in support of JCC resolution adopted on February 1. It was stated in a press release issued by CPO President, Khrielieviu Khro and Information and Public-

ity (Incharge) Vichutolie Mere. The CPO has also vehemently condemned the brutal act of the State G overnment, where the security personnel fired rounds, resulting in the death of two youthKhriesavizo Metha, and Bendangnungsang, both from Diphupar Village and inflicting injuries to

NWHD not under NMA

DiMapur, February 2 (Mexn): The office of the Naga Women Hoho Dimapur (NWHD) has issued a clarification that Naga Women Hoho Dimapur is not under NMA and that NWDHA and NMA are two different organisatons NWHD also reminded

the citizens of Nagaland that NWHD has appealed (through press release January 27, page 1) to Government of Nagaland to postpone ULB poll and also appealed JACWR to withdraw the SPL. “Therefore, today we stand strong in support with the rest of the Naga patriotic people and

Naga folk music showcased in Nepal

kohiMa, February 2 (Mexn): For the first time, Naga folk music was showcased in Nepal by the Tetseo Sisters at the cultural extravaganza ‘North Eastern Indian Cultural Festival in Nepal: Namaste Nepal’ held from January 14-27 spanning 9 districts of Nepal – Kathmandu, Patan, Pokhara, Birgunj, Biratnagar, Dharan, Janakpur, Sindhupalchowk and Dolakha.

The unique sounds of Naga music was flaunted and appreciated in 4 districts of Nepal. The diverse cultures of North East India was accentuated during the festival, where Khasi folk

had the “appeals and wishes of the Naga people been heeded, the state government of Nagaland under the Chief Minister T.R Zeliang would not have landed itself into this helpless catastrophe and public abhorrence.”

Also, the ZPO appreciates efforts and conscious actions of the right thinking Zeliang people who successfully prevented conduct of ULB poll in Tening town on February 1, 2017 as it will remarkable go down the Naga annals.

Tetseo Sisters performing at the ‘North Eastern Indian Cultural Festival in Nepal: Namaste Nepal’.

Lecture on hygiene, sanitization at Dainty Buds School

kohiMa, February 2 (Mexn): 3 (NH) Battalion Assam Rifles organized a lecture on hygiene and sanitization at Dainty Buds School in Kohima on January 30. The lecture, delivered by Deputy Commandant Ganesh Singh, covered methods of preventing human contact from the hazards of wastes to promote health, informed a press release from Assam Rifles. He explained that hazards can be physical, microbiological, biological biochemical agents of disease. “Wastes that can cause health problem are human and animal feces, solid wastes industrial wastes and agricultural wastes etc,” Singh added. Collection and treatment of waste was also discussed. The students were briefed about the importance of washing hands thoroughly before preparing or consuming food and before feeding children. They were also educated about use of ash as a substitute to soap in case of non availability of soap. Importance of safe source of drinking water and measures for home based water treatment, such as boiling, filtering of drinking water was also emphasized upon.

MTLT Gen Secy passes away • Funeral Service at Kichutip Ward, Mkg on February 3 at 9:00 am • Followed by mass funeral at Police Point, Mokokchung • Mortal remains to be taken to Aliba Village Mokokchung, February 2 (Mexn): The Mokokchung Press Club has expressed deep suddenness at the sudden demise of Taliakum Pongen, General Secretary, Mokokchung Town Lanur Telongjem (MTLT) and a prominent young citizen of Mokokchung town.

He was an active social leader, a benevolent teacher, a warm and caring human being and above all a very spiritual and dedicated Christian youth. He has always been actively involved with the press and shared a very strong relationship with the press fraternity, MPC President Limalenden Longkumer and Secretary Sashimeren Jamir said in a condolence note.

“Taliakum has lent his insight and influential voice in support of some of the most important issues in Mokokchung Town as a leader of MTLT. He has also

been an inspiration to many youths through his tireless contribution in the church ministry,” conveyed MPC. “His untimely passing is a great loss not only for the people of Mokokchung but also for the Ao community and Nagas in general,” MPC added.

The Mokokchung Press Club sends its condolences to his bereaved family and relatives and joins them in sharing their grief and pays our tribute to his memory.

The funeral service of Taliakum with his family, relatives and friends will be held at his residence, in Kichutip Ward, Mokokchung at 9:00 am after which a mass funeral initiated by MTLT and Mokokchung Town Baptist Church Youth Department will be held at Police Point, Mokokchung. His mortal remains will then be taken to his native village of Aliba, where a short funeral service will be held before his burial.

Friday 03•02•2017

NagalaNd/NORTH-EaST 3

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Manipur: Army Tripartite talks involving Bishop of Kohima appeals for calm jawan injured in UNC to take place today militant attack DimaPur, February 2 (mexN): Bishop James Thoppil of Kohima, who is in Bhopal attending the 29th Plenary Assembly of the Conference of Catholic Bishops’ India (CCBI), has appealed for restrain and calm in the State.

In a statement from the Bishop’s house, he said the Church is pained to hear the events happening in the State, particularly in Kohima. “In spite of the best efforts of the leadership at the various levels, things seem to grow out of control and so we appeal to all concerned to remain calm and restrain from further escalation of harmful events.”

The Bishop further stated: “In

most difficult and problematic situation we need the grace and power of God to discern and decide what is best for our people.

There are no problems which cannot find solutions and no solutions beyond human effort, if only every stake holder sits down in calmness desiring to find the best solution with the discerning power of the Holy Spirit. As Christians we all know that violence breeds violence.”

“Unless the Lord builds the house do the laborer labors in vain” (Ps 127:1). As Christians we must subject ourselves to the rule and reign of God, who wants peace and prosperity for His people, which comes only

when we follow God and his precepts, he added.

The Bishop further asked all people to abjure all forms of violence in the name of God. “Let not emotions, very natural and legitimate, take control over our reasons. St. Paul tells us clearly, “many things are lawful and not all things helpful (I Cor 10:29). Let us at the moment cultivate and cherish an atmosphere of calmness and patience, discussion and dialogue, sharing and caring, give and take always keeping mind the common goal of progress that benefit the future of our people. Let us remain united and resolve our difference in true Christian spirit of love and reconciliation,” he added.

PPC seeks suspension of Longleng DC, others

DimaPur, February 2 (mexN): The Phom Peoples’ Council (PPC) has demanded immediate independent judicial inquiry, and suspension of Longleng DC and the con-

cerned police officers with regard to the firing incident of January 31, which injured 7 people.

A press note from the PPC informed that it has also resolved not to expect any ex-gratia

from the government.

The PPC has meanwhile conveyed its deepest condolences to the bereaved family members of the two people who died in Dimapur, and also

wished those injured a speedy recovery. It further blamed the present state government led by the NPF party for “all the mess and chaos being created and taking people’s lives at risk.”

Government is devoid of principles: TPO DimaPur, February 2 (mexN): The Tenyimi People’s Organisation (TPO) has expressed pain at the incidents in Dimapur and Longleng, and stated that “what could have been resolved through patience, understanding and dialogue has been overtaken by denial, arrogance and obstinacy.”

A press note from the TPO condemned the acts of the government that has led to the ulti-

mate lost of lives, grievous injuries and damage of valued properties in various parts of Nagaland.

Expressing sadness at the death of two persons in Dimapur, the TPO said: “words seem inadequate but TPO prays that the departed souls find eternal peace and the almighty grant strength to mitigate the sorrow of the family members and close ones.”

It further said that the government is “totally devoid of

principles, especially in view of the tripartite agreement that was signed on 30th January 2017 with the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) and the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), whereby it was agreed upon to defer the ULB election but reneged unceremoniously.” Without mutual trust and good faith the government and its people will never prosper, it cautioned.

APCC criticises Khandu for making statements against Congress

itaNaGar, February 2 (Pti): The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) today criticised Chief Minister Pema Khandu for making statement against the Congress party in a public meeting at Tawang. Khandu yesterday during a public meeting at Tawang accused the Congress of having high command culture and weak policies.

The APCC while rejecting allegations made by Khandu against the party in a statement issued here said that the person having a legacy of a renowned Congress family in the state now blaming the Congress is really "unfortunate and indigestible". "Criticising the Congress party is like blaming its own mother who kept the baby in womb for 9 months and more," the statement said. The party added that Khandu after joining the BJP was constantly blaming that Congress high command diktats in the affairs of the state government in its programmes and policies, as were not in tune with the Indian culture.

"The Congress ask him is there no high

command in BJP? If so, is BJP a regional party?" the party added. "Congress ideology advocates for secular party system rising above all differences which endeared the party nationwide among the masses and it is a party of the people.

"Those who have no party ideology, values and culture and have the habit of shifting their loyalty from one party to another every now and then should not talk much about party ideology, values and culture," the statement said. The APCC further cautioned the BJP not to allure the panchayat leaders to join their party who were elected from Congress and also asked the illegally defected Congress MLAs who have joined BJP that they have no right to blame Congress party in any manner.

"The Congress party though have no requisite number of MLAs in the state assembly, but will never let down the people who have voted them to the power and will remain constructive opposition in the assembly as we concern the development of the people first," the statement added.

Newmai News Network Imphal | February 2

A team of Manipur government headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) left Imphal for New Delhi on Thursday to take part in the scheduled tripartite talks over the prevailing issue in Manipur.

Meanwhile, jailed UNC president Gaidon Kamei and its information and publicity secretary SK Stephen headed to the national capital to join the tripartite talks to be held tomorrow, Friday, between Centre, Manipur government and UNC. It can also be mentioned here that three former UNC presidents---L Adani, Paul Leo and Samson Remmei along with All Naga Students Association, Manipur (ANS-

AM) President Seth Shatshang are already in New Delhi since yesterday. They will participate in the talk.

Gaidon and Stephen are currently facing charges under different sections of the IPC in connection with the blockade that kicked off on November 1, 2016.

The court of chief judicial magistrate, Imphal East Aribam Noutuneshwari Devi allowed the UNC leaders to participate in the meeting following a prayer in this regard. The court’s order opened the door to talks between Centre, Manipur government and UNC. The Naga body had cleared its stand on joining the talks along with its two jailed leaders.

Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Dr Suresh Babu and

Manipur: 3 women hurt in pre-poll violence Newmai News Network Imphal | February 2

At least three women were injured when police fired tear gas shells in their attempt to control clashes between supporters of two aspiring candidates, including a Congress MLA, in Thoubal district on Thursday.

Supporters of MLA K Meghachandra were holding a flag hoisting function when the pre-poll violence took place at Thoubal Kiyam under Wangkhem constituency.

Among the injured, one has been referred to RIMS hospital here while the other two are be-

ing treated at Thoubal District Hospital.Four vehicles were also damaged in the incident.

Meanwhile, a campaign rally of Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh attracted large crowds at Thoubal Ningombam of Thoubal district.

With only one month left for the first phase of Manipur assembly polls, the campaign has reached fever pitched across Thoubal, the home turf of the three-time Congress Chief Minister.

The Congress is preparing to announce its candidate list in one go tomorrow for the two-phase Manipur assembly

ward region development fund.

Now, the Centre has stopped it."

"Earlier, police modernisation was done completely on Central assistance, but it is not the case now. So, how are you going to handle the insurgent elements?" he asked.

The senior Congress leader said he does not believe that corruption has ended as the people, against whom BJP had brought serious allegations of graft, were highly decorated in the current government.

"Health, education and some other departments during my tenure must be very clean as the minister then, is the minister now," Gogoi said.

He claimed that demonetisation has severely affected Assam, specially the weaker section of the society.

He doubted the process of updating the NRC as speed of work has slowed down considerably.

"Why is the border between India and Bangladesh not sealed fully in the last two and half years of the BJP government at the

polls to be held on March 4 and 8. The Manipur Congress is fielding candidates in all the 60 constituencies in the forthcoming polls.

A meeting of the Screening Committee of Congress is expected to take place tomorrow in New Delhi and after that the party's Election Committee headed by Sonia Gandhi is likely to finalise the candidate list for the Manipur election.

The BJP has already announced 31 candidates in the first list for the Manipur election and the second last is expected to release in the next two-three days.

Tura | February 2

Hitting out at the negligence on the part of the police is reacting to an SOS call of a family under dacoity attack, the National Peoples’ Party (NPP) has demanded immediate compensation of Rs. 3 lakh for the victims.

The incident occurred on January 21 in the village of Garobadha under West Garo Hills but no breakthrough has been made in the case by the police which initially failed to register an FIR into the incident even after 12 days, the party informed.

The brutal act left five of a family with severe injuries with the oldest member, Tapan Ghosh yet to recover senses after

he suffered severe head injuries.

The NPP team which paid a visit to the place of incident last week condemned the brutal crime while hitting out at the police team for failing to register an FIR against the perpetrators, most of who are suspected to be from neighbouring Assam. The local outpost is only about 200 metres away from the spot of the attack though it took the place more than 90 minutes to reach the spot.

“Meghalaya government has failed in its duty and obligation to provide security to its citizens, we demand that immediate compensation be paid to the family of Tapan Ghosh to meet the expenses being incurred on the medical treatment,” said James

Sangma, spokesperson of NPP and Dadenggre MLA on Thursday.

“The victims were attacked with sharp weapons resulting in grievous injuries. We met the villagers who informed us about the sequence of events and the subsequent lack of response from the police, local MLA and the health department,” the NPP leader alleged.

The entire family of 5 is currently undergoing treatment at Guwahati and Tapan Ghosh’s is yet to regain his senses though the other members are said to be stable.

“We are shocked to learn that when the miscreants armed with sharp weapons attacked the house of Ghosh, which is inci-

Teesta hydropower plant to generate 1,200 MW in 2 months

New Delhi, February 2 (iaNS): The Teesta hydroelectric power project in Sikkim will start generating 1,200 MW power in the next two months, Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday. He was talking at an interaction with reporters here on the Budget 2017-18 proposals for the coal, power, renewable energy and mines sectors. In September last year, Goyal had said the government will very soon resolve the issues related to the delayed Teesta power project, the first unit of which was to be commissioned in 2013. The project, designed to generate 5,214 million units of power, is being constructed by the Sikkim governmentrun Teesta Urja Ltd. on the Teesta river in the North Hindi films. This is not a crisis of just Sikkim District of the state. one Assamese film, but of our (Assamese) pride. If we cannot live with our distinct identity, then what would be the identity of the (Assamese) people when Assam one day becomes in- aGartala, Februdependent? Waiting eagerly for your ary 2 (Pti): Three perreactions.” sons were arrested from Commenting on the FIR against Adarini tea garden near Das, secretary of theatre owners Ra- here for allegedly raping a jiv Bora said, “We have not sought woman, police said today. the help of police. But the statement The trio allegedly raped of Ulfa (I) is out in the open. It is up to the woman inside the tea the police”. He added that no theatre garden yesterday. The loowner will remove an Assamese film cals, who later rescued the woman informed the police if it is drawing the crowd. about the incident followCity police also said that they have ing which the accused were registered an FIR on its own in Panba- arrested last night, Superzar police station case number 49/17 intendent of Police Bhanuagainst the film-maker for writing pada Chakraborty said. The letter to militant leader. The Assistant victim has been admitted to Commissioner of Police Suleman Ali the hospital and investigation is underway, he said. has lodged the FIR.

Guwahati, February 2 (aSiaN aGe): The Assam Police on Thursday registered an FIR against Assamese filmmaker who sought the help of elusive Ulfa (I) chief Paresh Baruah to continue his film in cinema halls of the state by dropping the two mega releases of Shah Rukh Khanstarrer 'Raees' and Hrithik Roshan's 'Kabil' in January.

Accusing theatre owners of removing his Assamese film “Shakira Ahibo Bakultolor Bihuloi” from screens despite a “good” crowd, filmmaker Himangshu Prasad Das had written a letter to Ulfa (I) chief Paresh Baruah on his Facebook.

Within hours, Paresh Barua, who police say is operating from Myanmar close to China’s Yunnan province, appeared on a local TV channel and issued a warning to theatre-owners. “An Assamese

film should not be taken off just to accommodate Shah Rukh Khan’s Hindi film (Raees). If halls don’t continue screening the Assamese film wherever it is running well, we will be compelled to take action,” the militant leader threatened.

However, most of theatre owners defied the Ulfa (I) chief’s threat and decided to withdraw the Assamese film, which they claimed to have not been drawing any crowd.

In his “open letter” to Barua on Facebook, Das, a 2008 alumnus of National School of Drama (NSD) wrote, “The way you are carrying your dreams of independence, we too are struggling to carry forward our cultural struggle as Assamese…My film that released on January 20 was gradually gaining popularity when a circle having vested interests started working to remove it to accommodate two

Centre? You just see how much sealing was done by the NDA and how much by the UPA," he said.

About withdrawal of NSG commandos from his security cover and another former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, Gogoi said it was done as "we are Assamese and Assamese people are polite".

"The Centre talks about love for Assam, so why has it not done anything concrete or announced special funds to tackle flood and erosion problems of the state? There was nothing for the state in this Union

Budget also," the Congress leader claimed.

Attacking the BJP government for its "double standards", Gogoi alleged, "The state government always talks about its commitment towards the Assam Accord, but the Centre is planning to amend the Citizenship Act on religious lines."

"You (Centre) talk about Ajan Fakir and Sankardeva, but evict people on religious identities. You are saying one thing and doing another. I do not know what the Governor is talking about," he said.

Woman gangraped in Tripura, three arrested

No difference in my work and of a sweeper: Sonowal

NPP demands Rs 3 lakhs as compensation in Garobadha dacoity Newmai News Network

imPhal, February 2 (Pti): An army jawan was injured in a hand grenade attack by suspected militants in Manipur's Bishnupur district, police said today. The hand grenade was hurled yesterday by suspected militants from a speeding car while a team of 2 JK Light Infantry was on foot, patrolling near Nachou Lamkhai along the NH-150, a police official said. The army personnel also opened fire on the car but the militants escaped, the officer said. The injured jawan, identified as MD Arshad, was rushed to Army Hospital at Leimakhong for treatment and he is reportedly out of danger. A case has been registered at Bishnupur police station in this regard, the official added.

Police files FIR against Assamese filmmaker for seeking UlFA chief's help

Insurgency on rise in Assam during BJP rule: Tarun Gogoi Guwahati, February 2 (Pti): Former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today alleged that insurgency has increased in Assam after the BJP-led government came to power in the state.

"Insurgency problem has increased in the recent times. It has gone up after the new government came," he said in the state Assembly.

Taking part in the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the Governor's address, Gogoi said, "To tackle the insurgency problem, I had initiated back-

Works Commissioner K Radhakumar will lead the team of Manipur government in the talk.

From the Centre’s side, Satyendra Garg, North East in-charge in the Ministry of Home Affairs will participate in the meeting.

UNC president Kamei talked a clear line on the district creation issue, saying, “We still oppose the declaration of seven new districts by the state government.” The Naga organization has increasingly taken a position against the creation of districts. Kamei was talking to newsmen before heading to New Delhi.

Dr Suresh Babu hoped a “temporary solution” to the ongoing blockade. He also expressed unhappiness over the difficulties people continue to face due to the standoff.

dentally only about 200 meters away from the Garobadha Police Station, it took 1½ (One and a half ) hours for the police personnel to reach the place,” he added. The legislator expressed his agitation for the delay in response by concerned authorities to react as by the time they did, the dacoits had made an easy escape and the victims had reached the hospital.

Further the Garobadha PHC also came under criticism for their delay in transporting the bleeding victims to medical care.

He said that there are many such cases of lawlessness along the bordering areas with Assam.

The NPP has demanded for immediate upgradation of the Garobadha

police station from an Investigation Centre to a full-fledged police station with adequate personnel.

Meanwhile the district administration has made an initial contribution of Rs 1 lakh to the family of the victims for their immediate medical expenses though the amount is minuscule in terms of the amount being spent on the treatment of the five critically injured in the incident the family said.

On the investigation front however, police sources stated that though there were a few leads into the case, no arrests have been made as yet.

CRPF personnel are currently keeping guard around the village of Garobadha to deter any further incidents of dacoity.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal

Guwahati, February 2 (Pti): Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today said the work done by him and a sweeper were same as both engaged in cleaning the society.

"There is no difference in my work and that of a sweeper. The sweeper cleans the society with broom. My job is also to clean the society," he said in the state Assembly.

Concluding the discussion on Motion of Thanks to the Governor's address, the Chief Minister said his thrust was to strengthen the system.

"My achievement will be to prepare all sections of the society to work honestly for development... If

we cannot eliminate corruption, the benefits of schemes will not reach the poors," Sonowal said.

He told the House that tax collection has grown by 17 per cent during the first seven months of his tenure, mainly due to the state government's strong stand against corruption.

Reacting to the Opposition's criticism over the eviction drive, the Chief Minister said it would be an encouragement to encroachers if they were not evicted from government land and it was done irrespective of religious affiliations.

"The Kaziranga verdict was delivered by the High Court during your (Con-

gress) tenure. Why did you not appeal against it? You were not concerned about it. But we will take care of the rehabilitation.

"But, they (encroachers) have to fear the law.

They have to follow the law.

To live peacefully and with dignity, we must follow law.

So, you should not doubt our intention.

Please leave this mentality of doubting us," he said.

On updating the National Register of Citizens, Sonowal said the work should not be done hurriedly but in a steady and accurate way.

Regarding efforts to curb pollution, the BJP leader said, "To make the society pollution free, we have to move towards organic industries. We cannot make the future generation handicapped for our present development needs."

Criticising the previous Tarun Gogoi-led Congress government, Sonowal said it could not give details of many Central funds as it had not utilised them properly.

"It resulted in lowering of our position in front of the Central government.

We are trying to improve it now," he said adding, his government's thrust is to make Assam free from corruption, insurgency and pollution.

4

friDAY 03•02•2017

Business

Air India Express is hiring

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Will try to address demands of newspaper industry: Govt

India signs agreement with WB to improve tech education New Delhi, February 2 (iaNS): India has signed a $201.50 million financing agreement with the World Bank to improve the quality of technical education in the country. “Financing agreement for credit of $201.50 million for the ‘Third Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP III)’ was signed with the World Bank here on Tuesday,” the Finance Ministry said in a statement. The project aims at improving quality and equity in engineering institutes in the states and take initiatives to strengthen sector governance and performance, it said.

“The objective of the programme is to enhance quality and equity in participating engineering education institutes and improve the efficiency of the engineering education systems in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, the eight north-eastern states and Andaman and Nicobar Islands,” the statement said. “The project has been designed as a disbursement-linked one, that is, the World Bank loan will be disbursed on achievement of specific outcomes,” it added.

Apply for Officer, Cabin Crew and other vacancies, salary Rs 35,000 per month New Delhi, February The Air India Charters Limited has released an employment notification inviting candidates to apply for the positions of Officer-Cockpit/Cabin Crew Scheduling and Senior Assistant. The last date for the submission of an application is 15 days from the date of publication of the advertisement.

The Air India Charters Limited has released an employment notification inviting interested, eligible candidates to apply for the positions of Officer-Cockpit/Cabin Crew Scheduling and Senior Assistant.

Vacancy details Total posts: 16 Name of the posts: Officer-Cockpit/Cabin Crew Scheduling: 11 Senior Assistant: 5 Eligibility criteria Educational qualification: Officer-Cockpit/Cabin Crew Scheduling: Those interested in applying for this post should be graduates in any discipline from a recognised university with proficiency in computer operations, Window XP, MS office.

Senior Assistant: Those interested in applying for this post should be graduates from a recognised university .

Age limit: The age of the candidates applying for this post must not exceed 30 years. Relaxation in age will be provided as per the government norms.

2 (PTi): Government today said it will try to address the demands of the newspaper industry for increase in advertisement rates, reduction in duty on newsprint as well as giving more weightage to regional newspapers in terms of advertisements.

Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venakaiah Naidu, while responding to questions in the Rajya Sabha, also said that some of the newspapers are only printed on paper and he has asked Audit Bureau of Circulation as well as Registrar of Newspapers and even PIB to find out the real print order.

He also insisted that demonetisation has not led to closure of any newspaper as believed by some.

“This morning only a delegation of Newspaper Society came and met me. They made a presentation. We had a meaningful discussion. I have assured them that I will try to address the issues,” Naidu said.

Some of the issues raised by the delegation were raising the DAVP rates of advertisement and allowing public sector units to go by card rating instead DAVP rating, he said.

Indian newspapers on display at a stall in Bangalore. (AP File Photo)

“Third one is the duty on newsprint etc. They have some problems and these problems have come to our notice. I have already asked my Secretary to study them even before this delegation came,” the Minister said.

He added that the issue of small newspapers not getting adequate advertisement is being talked about more than the past because the government started scrutinising whether these newspapers are getting published regularly or not.

“That’s one of the reasons that has led to people make such complaint. Other than that, the government is committed to the policy that has been agreed

leisure

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problems are there, those will be addressed.”

He said that distribution of advertisements to larger newspapers, medium newspapers and small newpapers is done in a proportionate manner and that is being followed so that every sector gets its due.

On whether demonetisation and subsequent cash crunch had led to closure of newspapers, Naidu said, “The decline of newspaper publication and demonetisation has no connection whatsoever. I have the figures with me. There is no significant reduction in number of newspapers across the country,” he said.

Samsung unveils India’s first curved gaming monitor New Delhi, February 2 (iaNS): Samsung Electronics on Thursday launched India’s first and the world’s most curved gaming monitors with a 1 milli-second response time. The curved gaming monitors -- -- LC24FG70 and LC27FG70 and priced at Rs 35,000 and Rs 42,000, respectively -- unite the visual refinement of Samsung’s Quantum Dot picture technology with the widespread view of its curved gaming monitors to enhance the gaming experience.

“Gamers are demanding advanced display technologies in monitors in order to experience every nuance of a game. There is a need for better monitors for enhanced gaming experience in the country,” said Puneet Sethi, Director (CE B2B) Business, Samsung India, in a statement.

The monitors come with the Quantum Dot technology, enabling more vibrant and natural colours.

Gmail to stop supporting older Tata Motors launches new sub-brand ‘TAMO’ February 2 (PTi): rector and CEO Guenter Butschek provide fast tracked proofs of techChrome Versions, Windows XP & Vista MuMbai, nologies and concepts, the comIn a bid to regain the lost ground in told reporters here.

Selection procedure: The candidates will be selected on the basis of a personal interview/pre-employ- SaN FraNciSco, February 2 (ageNcieS): Google on Wednesment medical examination. day announced that Gmail will stop supporting older Chrome versions Pay scale: Officer-Cockpit/Cabin Crew Sched- by the end of this year. The company uling: The selected candidates will be get- also confirmed that Gmail users who are still on Windows XP and Windows ting a monthly salary of Rs 35,000.

Vista are the most likely to be affected.

Senior Assistant: The selected candiThe company says that the latest dates will be getting a monthly salary of Rs Chrome version 55 comes with several 20,000. important security updates and it’s one way to encourage upgrading to the latHow to apply: est version of Chrome. According to Interested, eligible candidates are re- Google, Gmail users starting February quired to send their applications in a pre- 8, 2017 will see a banner at the top of the scribed format along with all other rel- Gmailinterfaceforuserswhoarestillon evant documents to ‘The Chief of HR, Air Google Chrome browser version 53 or India Charters Limited, Airlines House, below. Considering Microsoft stopped Durbar Hall Road, Near Gandhi Square, supporting Windows XP and Windows Kochi- 682016.’

Vista versions, Google strongly “encourages” users to migrate to more seImportant dates: cure and supported systems. v The last date for submission of an apFor now, Gmail will continue to plication is 15 days from the date of publi- function on Chrome browser version cation of the advertisement.

53 and below through the end of the

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upon, percentage has been fixed for all the three (big, medium and samll) and regional newspapers are also getting their due,” the minister said.

“In fact, I told my officers also that when we take up the next review that the regional newspapers should be given more weightage because they have more circulation. That is my view,” he added.

On the question of the real print order of some newspapers which are believed to be on paper only, Naidu said, “These issues are being re-examined.

I want to assure the House that no genuine newspaper will be affected and whatever genuine

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year. Chrome users who remain on older versions could be redirected to the basic HTML version of Gmail as early as December 2017.

Notably, users on Windows XP and Windows Vista will be affected by the change as Google points out that the version 49 was the last released version which supported those operating systems. Google citing security risks to users on older Chrome versions says that Gmail will be more vulnerable to security risks.

“Google does not typically announce when we discontinue support for older versions of Chrome browser because of our current supported browser policy, which states that only the most recent versions of Chrome is supported. This announcement was made given the expected impact on Windows XP and Windows Vista users and known security risks,” the company said in an announcement post.

passenger vehicles segment, homegrown auto major Tata Motors today launched a sub-brand TAMO with an aim to introduce new technology equipped vehicles faster to the market. Under the TAMO subbrand, the company will launch vehicles that are low in volumes requiring low investment.

It is also looking at a different buying experience for TAMO vehicles, although for the time being it has not confirmed if it would set up a separate retail chain as market leader Maruti Suzuki has done with Nexa.

“We need a different way to get into the future. To secure our future in a rapidly changing environment, the advanced mobility solutions space is of utmost importance. The introduction of TAMO will help us co-design India’s automotive footprint by taking new technologies and mobility concepts as a new ecosystem,” Tata Motors Managing DiDiMaPUR

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He said TAMO will be a ringfenced agile and flexible vertical that would serve as an incubating environment towards new technologies, business models and partnerships.

Elaborating on the idea behind the new sub-brand, Tata Motors President Passenger Business Mayank Pareek said vehicles from TAMO will be in niche segment with technologies that are ahead of market and when proven successful they could be transferred to vehicles of the main Tata Motors brand.

When asked if TAMO would have a separate retail chain, he declined to give a definitive answer but said: “The buying experience will be different from that of the main brand. There will be a lot of digital experience.”

TAMO will operate as a separate vertical in the first step on a low volume, low investment model to std code: 03862

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Police station Fire Brigade

222246 222491

232224

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227930 231081

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2222952

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228846

naga Hospital

2222916

shamrock Hospital

228254

oking Hospital

2243339

231864 224117 227337

Bethel nursing Home

2224202

northeast shuttles

08974997923

229529 229474

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224041 248011

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229366 242441 225212

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232032, 231031

nagaland Multispecialty Health & research Centre

248302, 09856006026

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Game Number # 3841

std code: 03871

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pany said.

It will serve as an open platform to network with global startups and leading tech companies to get access to trends, innovations and solutions for the design of future products and services, Tata Motors said.

Explaining the rationale for such an idea, Butschek said it was done with an aim to meet the company’s targets, including being in the top 3 passenger vehicle makers in India by 2019.

The company has already reviewed its PV platforms, which will be reduced to 2 by 2018 from the current 6.

Tata Motors President and Head Advanced Product Engineering Tim Leverton said through TAMO the focus would be to scout for new technologies and to explore opportunities at the innovation hubs across the globe and to work with startups in new spaces.

Answer Number # 3840

8575045500 (Emergency No. – 100)

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KoHIMA soUtH: 0370-2222952/ 101 (O) 9402003086 (OC) KoHIMA nortH: 7085924114 (O) dIMAPUr: 03862-232201/ 101 (O) 9856156876 (OC) CHUMUKedIMA: 7085982102 (O) 8732810051 (OC) woKHA: 03860-242215/101 (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) Mon: 03869-251222/ 101 (O) 9862130954 (OC) Kiphire: 8414853767 (O) 9436261577 (OC) Peren: 7085189932 (O) 9856311205 (OC) LonGLenG: 7085924113 (O) 9862414264 (OC) we4 woMen HeLPLIne 08822911011 WOMEN HeLPLIne 181 CHiLD weLFAre CoMMIttee Toll free No. 1098 childline

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Friday 03•02•2017

NAGALAND

NNC has not failed the Nagas: Adinno Chedema, February 2 (mexN): President of the Naga National Council (NNC) Adinno Phizo today stated that the NNC was formed to safeguard the future of Nagaland.

“NNC has persistently upheld Naga National identity and the Naga democratic traditions,” she said adding, “Throughout all these years, by the grace of God, the NNC has not failed the Nagas in all difficult situations in the past seventy one years.”

Adinno was speaking at the 71st Naga National Council Formation Day celebrations at the Peace Camp, Chedema on Thursday. The NNC was formed on February 2, 1946.

In her speech which was made available to the media, Adinno claimed that Nagas have “all freedom in their land” and that Nagas practice a “unique form of gender equality”, but pointed to some people “playing politics with Naga rights and freedom.”

Insisting that Nagaland's history has never allowed any foreign power to “dominate our people”, she made it known that, “Even with Great Britain, no treaty was ever signed for submission.”

She further stated that NNC is not a political party and that its policy is non-violence.

“This is because in Naga traditions, every problem is resolved with reason and mutual understanding. Also, unlike a political party, it is the people who make decisions and empower some leaders to serve the people,” she maintained.

Also stating that Nagaland remains surrounded by Indian armed forces along with their order of the Armed Forces Special Power

Act 1958, the NNC President argued that the Indian Government invaded Nagaland by first portraying Nagas as "secessionists", "rebels", "hostiles" and "terrorists".

She accused the Indian Army of hunting Naga people “like animals”. “But determined as ever, the Naga fighters with only a handful of weapons fought back with great courage,” Adinno stated viewing that it was through these determined fighters that a Ceasefire Agreement between the Federal Government of Nagaland and the Government of India was signed in 1964.

“In this period, many Nagas sacrificed their lives without outside help and our consolation is that we never surrendered to the enemy,” Adinno stated and insisted that Nagas should always remember “those unyielding sacrifices”.

“The dispersed Nagas were also able to return to their villages as a result of the bravery and sacrifices of these brave Naga fighters,” she added.

Asserting that the conflict with India will have to be resolved, the NNC President made it known that Nagaland's stand is very clear – the stand being, “Nagas are not Indians and Nagaland is not Indian Territory”.

“The Nagas are not demanding anything from India except to leave Nagaland and co - exist with Nagas as friendly neighbors,” she maintained and contended, “Only when this happens, Nagaland can progress in their own way and achieve not, "a golden" but permanent peace and prosperity.”

NPF Youth Wing appeals to all to come to their senses

Kohima, February 2 (mexN): The Youth Front of the Naga People’s Front has stated that the ULB election is one issue which does not warrant the tribal bodies to create “chaos and warlike” situation in the state.

In a statement, the NPF Youth Wing noting that the ULB election issue has sharply divided the Nagas viewed that if such trends continue, it will be very difficult for Nagas to coexist.

In this regard, the NPF Youth Wing appealed to all Nagas to come to their senses and join hands in resolving the present impasse “with sagacity and magnanimity”.

The statement from the Media Cell also accused Lok Sabha MP Neiphiu Rio of being the “master mind” behind the current chaos.

Condemning the press statement issued by Rio on Tuesday where the latter had blamed the state government for the breakdown in law and order and the death of the two youths, the Youth Wing while contending that it was Rio’s “political vendetta” to dislodge the government maintained that the statement of Rio “is nothing, but

adding fuel to burning flame which he has already set ablaze”.

The Youth Wing termed it “unfortunate” that an MP who was elected with the massive support of the Naga People Front (NPF) could issue such statement blaming the NPF led DAN for the current situation arising out of the ULB election.

The Youth Wing further expressed regret that some leaders of tribal bodies had failed to see reason and have been acting emotionally “under the spell of some Govt.'s adversary who are all out to dislodge the elected Govt.”

Referring to the unfortunate demise of the two youths and the multiple injuries caused, the Youth Wing suggested that the incident could have been averted had the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) members not "senselessly incited" the innocent boys to confront the state force.

In this connection, the NPF Youth Wing asserted that the members of JCC should be held solely responsible for the dead of the two young boys and not the state government machineries.

The NPF Youth Wing also sought to lay blame on the tribal bodies and accused them of having failed to act with “sanity and tolerance”. They have attempted to bulldoze the issue with their “emotionally charged chauvinistic attitude”, thereby, creating anarchy and mobocracy in the state, particularly in Dimapur, the Youth Wing contended.

The NPF Youth made it clear to all that the NPF led DAN Government will never enact laws or frame policy which will be detrimental to the Nagas. “The Govt. is working tirelessly with clear mind for the progress of the people of the state,” it insisted.

The Media Cell statement termed it “unwarranted” that some people with ulterior motive have been attempting to discredit the Government by trying to thwart and disrupt all the progressive policy of the Government.

“In a democratic set up people should allow the democratically elected Govt. to carry out its responsibility independently without random interference from every quarter,” it asserted.

There are times when respected Tribal bodies should interfere, but meddling in all issues is uncalled for, the statement from the youth wing insisted. “If this should be the attitude and style of the functioning of the tribal bodies, how do the democratically elected Govt. function?”

The NPF Youth Wing also condemned the destruction of Mokokchung Division NPF office and burning of Chief Minister's and NPF party President's effigy allegedly by supporters of MLA lmkong L. lmchen.

Expressing regret at the incident, the Media Cell in its statement claimed that this was the second instance where the party office has been vandalized by lmchen and his group.

Meanwhile, the NPF Youth Wing expressed deep sorrow at the death of the two youths, late Kriesavizo Metha and late Bendangnunsang, in an unfortunate incident. “We convey our sincere condolence to the bereaved family and pray that the Almighty grant them solace at this hour of grief,” the Youth Wing stated.

Public SPace

A CONSPIRACY THEORY ON ULB ELECTION Mourning Thejavizo and Bendangnunsang and the question of the hour

W

hat if I told you we Naga's have been fooled big time, we are being played from the very beginning of this issue and the whole time it was never about the reservation, rather a political motive of some people or a person to regain his/their power?

NBCC acting as the middle men bridged a resolution with the conflicting parties and a resolution was made to hold off the election for 2 months, on 30th Jan the very same day a lady files a PIL in GHC (Details as shared in the daily paper), the court directed the Nagaland Govt. to proceed with the election. The Govt. was forced to go ahead with the election in some areas likewise.

Now, who do you think that lady was? Who was she representing? NMA denies it was them. If the PIL was not filed, there would have been no clash, if the PIL was not filed, those two lads would still be here with us, if that PIL was not filed, the Govt. even though on the wrong side would have kept their word of 2 months. The lady is currently untraceable? She holds the answer to lot of questions.

With the fact that even without the intervention of the GHC it was quite obvious if Nagaland Govt. decided to go ahead with the elec-

R

tion there would be a clash, the event which lead to the death of two young lads was already in the script.

Now the Hoho's and the public all charged up have demanded the Resignation of the CM and the cabinet. Who do you think will come into the picture now? In the coming days you will find a “knight” in his shining armor to rescue the Naga people. If I am not wrong the knight has already given out a press release. All this happening on the heels of General election next year is not just mere coincidence.

1. It was never about the 33% reservation of women.

2. If I am not wrong the Naga people have opposed the Municipal act 10 years back. This is not about that as well.

3. Rs.200 crores was in the line of sight of the Government that is obvious.

4. If Municipal Act came into the picture, in short let’s just say the shield protecting the Naga's land and its resources from the Indians would have cracked and slowly other laws would find its way in last and the most important point of this entire situation to note 5. This situation can be summed up as one man or some group endeavor to regain his/their lost power.

The sad thing is that we got carried away with

Eduardo Faleiro

eligion has emerged as a major source of conflict across the globe. Ideological strife has now given place to the “clash of civilizations” and it is felt that in the foreseeable future, religion will be a major source of conflict within and among nations. The possibilities of conflict are greater in countries such as India where different cultures and religions do meet.

However, such clashes can be prevented if appropriate strategies are formulated and implemented at an early stage so as to ensure religious harmony.

The United Nations designates the first week of February every year as the World Interfaith Harmony Week. The Universal Solidarity Movement for Value Education for Peace should be congratulated on this occasion for its outstanding work towards interfaith harmony and unity of all people of India.

All religions lead to the same God and differences among them are not essential. Indeed, the goal of every religion is the same. The spirit of the founders of the different religions was the same though rituals differ. All religions proclaim similar principles. Mahatma Gandhi, who devoted a large part of his life to the study of religion

33% reservation which was nothing but a blanket to hide what was underneath it. 33% reservation topic was hijacked, manipulated, politicized, exploited and turned into a scapegoat.

And the saddest of all is that two young lads lost their lives all for some people's greed and want of power.

A conspiracy theory or is it the reality?

True we must stand together against outside forces, true we must stand together to protect our land, true we should all seek what is right but we should not allow ourselves to be manipulated and misled by those who have done nothing good for the people and have no intention of doing anything good in the future but rather looking for their own benefit at the cost of our lives and future.

If this fight is to protect our land then so be it, but at the same time we should grow eyes behind our back and make sure no one, not even Lucifer is allowed to take advantage of this situation.

Those failed leaders should not be allowed back into power, we’ve already suffered enough. I only hope we can see through all these blanket of deception and lies and set our goals right for our future.

Atsung Imchen Kolkata

and to discussion with religious leaders of all faiths, affirmed that every scripture should be treated equally, that there is no justification for the claim of supremacy of any one religion and that we are all children of the same God. He said “What is needed is a living friendly contact among the followers of the religions of the world and not a clash among them in the fruitless attempt on the part of each community to show the supremacy of its faith over the rest”. Swami Vivekananda asserted that all religions preach ethics, virtues and good character. Yet, all major religions instead of uniting people often divide due to lack of understanding of purpose of religion by their followers.

India has the largest number of religions and religious people in the world. In our country, we have millions of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists. There are also Parsees and Jews. We have eight religions in India, the maximum number of religions and religious people anywhere in the world. Communal harmony is essential for peace and stability in India.

Art. 51A of the Constitution of India affirms that it is the fundamental duty of every citizen to promote harmony amongst the people of India transcending re-

T

Kaka D. Iralu

hejavizo and Bendangnungsang did not die wearing the Naga army uniform or in an open battle with the Indian army. But their deaths are also connected to a wider picture of Naga sufferings and deaths where thousands have laid down their lives so that Nagas can live under their own identity in their own lands without external interference. This Naga Saga of sufferings and deaths has spanned for a period of over 70 years-1947 to 2017. Over two hundred Nagas have died in this both tragic as well as heroic Naga Saga of suffering and deaths.

The deaths of these two Naga sons have also coincided with the 71st anniversary of the formation of the Naga National Council (NNC) which was formed on Feb. 2, 1946.

However, the formation of the NNC at Wokha on Feb.2, 1946 does not mean that the Naga nation was born only on Feb 2, 1946. Nagas were Nagas long before Feb. 2, 1946. They were Nagas when they submitted the Naga memorandum to the Simon Commission on Jan 10, 1929.

They were also Nagas when Hiuen Tsang, the Chinese diplomat wrote about them in AD 643. They were also Nagas when Claudius Ptolemy the Greek traveler and geographer wrote about them in AD 150. Nagas have always been Nagas because God created the Naga nation in the annals of world history. (See Acts 17:26) Yes, Na-

gas were also Nagas when they fought against all their neighbor kingdoms like the Manipuris, the Ahoms and the Tripuris from the 3rd century to the end of the 19th century in recorded history. They also fought against the British from 1832-1947 as Nagas. And finally, they have again been fighting the occupational forces of the Indian and Burmese armies from 1947 to the present when these two countries dared to invade Nagaland from the late 1940’s.

And throughout all these years of defensive resistance, Nagas have always been Nagas because God created the Naga nation like any other nations with their own respective national identities and geography. (See Acts 17:26) Throughout all these years of Naga existence and defense of their lands, the unique and outstanding feature of Naga history is that they have persistently remained an unconquered and independent nation. Here, every Naga must know that the unique feature of their history is not their culture or traditions alone but more importantly-their unconquered history. (One of the Chief Ministers of the Indian state of Nagaland had wrongly stated that the unique feature of Naga history that India has recognized is our culture and traditions!

In the final analysis, Nagas have always been Nagas and Nagaland has always been the land of the Nagas from time immemorial. This irrefutable fact is true whether a Naga is a Christian or an animist or even an atheist. The

Harmony Of Religions

ligious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities. Respect for religious diversity and interfaith dialogue are an essential and an urgent need.

Some years ago, I decided to study the issues that affect inter religious peace and harmony in India. In this connection, I visited several of our States and held meetings with leaders and organizations of different religions.

I spent the month of September 2004 in the villages of Orissa, in the districts of Kandhamal and Mayurbanj, where Graham Staines and his two sons were killed some years earlier. The purpose of my visit was to study and understand the open confrontation that has existed for long in that State between Christian and Hindu missionaries for conversion and re-conversion (gharvapsi) respectively. I informed Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of what I had observed in those areas and he promised to take necessary action. Mainline Christian theologians see both the Sangh Parivar’s Hindutva ideology and Christian campaigns for evangelization of India as having a fundamentalist attitude and an aggressive methodology to achieve their respective goals.

Proselytism is opposed on several grounds; it attacks other re-

ligious beliefs and practices and asserts that its own religion is the only way to salvation. It is often supported by financial resources and marketing techniques that make local religious activities seem second rate and shabby.

The Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences (FABC) articulates its theological vision thus "Asia is the womb of the great world religions. All great scriptural religions were born on Asian soil. The Church has to be in constant dialogue with the religions of Asia and to embark or this with great seriousness… There may be more truth about God and life than it is made known to us through the Jesus of history and the Church. As such Christians who take Christ's injunction seriously must search for this truth in the various religions of the world" (FABC Resource Manual for Catholics in Asia, pp189, 288) On the question of proselytism the FABC says "a phenomenon which continues to awaken the most resentment among the peoples of Asia is that of proselytism and conversion. In the minds of Asians, the Church's primary objective seems to be to convert as many people as she can so as to increase her little flock. Church expansion is also seen as a Western extension. The increase in the

ultimate question before every Naga individual today is therefore, whether every Naga will stand true to their political history and geography and defend their identity or hang somewhere in thin air as both an Indian and also a Naga at one and the same time.

In this connection, a dual identity crisis was introduced into Nagaland when 19 Nagas went to Delhi in 1960 and demanded an Indian state for the Nagas. This demand however was done without the authorization of the Naga national government-the Federal Government of Nagaland-which was at that time running the affairs of the Naga independent nation. Because of this act of treachery, Nagas of today have been forced to live under an Indian state and its Constitution which is today trying to force its laws into Naga customary laws and traditions.

And this is precisely the context in which Thejavizo and Bendangnungsang have been killed opposing this move which is being forced into Naga society through some Naga collaborators of the Indian Government.

But allow me here, to make some clarifications too. Firstly, all Naga Indian civil administrators are not traitors who have betrayed their nation. Most of these Naga civil administrators are in Indian Government service in order to earn a living for their families and not for opposing the Naga national government.

In fact, in every occupational sit-

number of Church movements engaged in aggressive and militant evangelization (understood in the very narrow sense of the word) is certainly a cause for concern for our brothers and sisters of other faiths. Perhaps, it might be good to be reminded of the golden rule which nearly all religions speak of: do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself" (Resource Manual. p 286).

The traditional way of teaching religion puts emphasis on theology and rituals ignoring the social dimension namely the need for interaction and tolerance among the followers of different religions. Religious leaders and theologians from across the country should come together to review the different religions from the perspective of pluralism and social justice.

The following steps ought to be taken to ensure peace and harmony in India: - Organized drives for conversion and reconversion should stop. They violate the Constitution of India. Government should promote an agreement among the religious heads of all the major faiths in the country to stop proselytism. Given the positive mindset of theologians belonging to the different religions prevailing in

uation by a foreign government, such things happen. Secondly, not all Naga MLA’s and Ministers of the Indian puppet state of Nagaland may not be traitors. It is only those Ministers and MLA’s who are collaborating with the occupational forces of India to suppress Naga customs and traditions, who are the real traitors to the Naga nation. In the first place too, it was these Naga politicians who dumped us into the Indian bag (Bosta) in 1960. But I believe there is still a way out of that Bosta. That way out will be: If those who had invited Indians to come and rule us under their constitution, will withdraw their invitation and resign en mass.

In conclusion, God the creator of all nations and our unblemished history defended and handed down to our generation; demand an honest answer from every Naga today as we again mourn the deaths of two of our own sons of the soil.

Here, without any prejudice or ill will towards India, the question that I want to ask every Naga is this: Will you be a Naga as God created you to be; or would you rather be an Indian whom God created differently from you?

That answer will not come from God who created you a Naga.

That answer can only come from you-His creation. And mark my word: No freedom or “overcoming” will ever happen as long as we try to run away from our God given Naga national identity and hide under somebody else’s identity.

India, this is very much possible.

- Combat all forms of expression which incite sectarian hatred and take action against dissemination of such material in the media.

- Adequate training and awareness programmes about religion and religious harmony for young leaders at all levels and government officials, particularly the police and other law enforcement agencies, judges, teachers and social workers - Introduce interreligious education in schools as part of the curriculum so as to promote communal harmony.

- Assure all victims of religious intolerance adequate support and speedy administrative and judicial remedies.

- Provide effective access to all citizens, including religious minorities, to the decision making process in society.

- Counter social exclusion and marginalisation in particular by providing adequate access to all citizens to education, health and employment - Pay specific attention to development of vulnerable groups such as tribals and other weaker sections, and those who suffer discrimination on different grounds.

The writer is a former Union Minister

The Morung Express “Public Space” is to provide space for diverse opinions to be expressed and heard. The opinions in the “Public Space” do not reflect the views and position of the newspaper nor the editor.

6

IN FOCUS The Power of Truth

The Morung Express volume XII Issue 31

By Witoubou Newmai

Need for soul searching dialogue

I

t is more than another case of poor handling of affairs that vulnerable Nagas are once again left to the fringes. As usual, in such time as this, vested interests will exploit the situation to its full potential, and this will get more pronounced if the situation is left to persist. It has become extremely vital to raise questions on why the concerned authorities cannot come to meaningful and soul searching dialogues and understandings.

The prevailing situation reinforces the memories of how costly the absence of dialogue and understanding has been for the Naga people. It is not too late to ask as to when we should start working to find out why there seems to be no foreseeable answers to many prevailing issues pertaining to Naga society. The moment it is thought answers are found, the fluid situation changes the equation, which in turn, changes the questions. We notice this development more glaringly in today’s Naga society.

Let us be willing to accept the fact that in most impasses, the inability to accommodate the genuine efforts to address the prevailing issue is either due to the overwhelming of agenda, changing stakeholders, absence of acceptable mediators, communication gap or weakness for emotional drive. Nothing is too late to introspect and retrospect in a benign mission of dousing a highly charged situation.

Now, questions can also very well be raised on the state government’s efficiency in protecting only its interests while displaying indifferent attitude towards the public. There have been numerous cases where the government had failed to protect people in Dimapur.

On March 5, 2015, a man was brought out from a jail in Dimapur by the public and lynched for an alleged rape incident. It was a two-day long affair. The Nagaland state government could have sensed the trouble-in-waiting from the previous day itself as mob fury was brewing from March 4. After storming into the jail by overpowering the jail keepers, the mob dragged the man for several kilometers taking several hours in broad day light along the wide open national highway traversing the township of Dimapur, the busiest commercial hub of Nagaland.

Had the state government been as efficient as it was to protect a private residence of the Chief Minister, the man’s life could have been saved on that fateful day.

Another notable episode was the torching of Wungram Colony, Dimapur by a mob in the year 2007. Residents of the colony were rendered homeless, also thanks to the ‘late arrival’ of the security force personnel or the skewed dealings of the state government.

Today, if the people of Nagaland are gripped with insecurity and fear, and, if the state government is efficient only in protecting the elites, the only solution to address the people’s wrong perception on the government is to redefine the definition of the government. But even this can come about only through meaningful dialogue and discussion.

lEfT WING |

Maggie Black New Internationalist

Why don’t they go and look?

O

friday 03•02•2017

ne of the best moments in the Oscar-nominated movie The Big Short is when a couple of those who are beginning to realize that the US mortgage business has become a Ponzi scheme actually go out to see what is happening on the ground, where people live. They discover a contagion of ‘for sale’ boards and mortgage default: the evidence of the coming 2007 crash was there if you went to look.

If only leading international development experts had the same instinct. Too often, they never go near the situations of poverty which form the rationale and underpinning of their entire career. ‘I used to go to “the village” 20 years ago,’ one such professional remarked to me. ‘I don’t need to do that anymore.’ Why not? Is every ‘village’ in Africa or India the same?

Today, not just the bureaucrats, consultants and ‘knowledge hub’ commentariat, but even regular programme staff spend less and less time troubling themselves with visits to ‘the field’. That is not how to climb the aid-industry career ladder. They will do better by attending a meeting in the Nairobi Marriott or the Dhaka Hilton on ‘bottleneck analysis’ or ‘resilience theory’.

How do you justify claiming a fee of $800 a day to assess or analyse poverty-reduction policies and practices when you never go near any person who is living on the proverbial $2 a day or less?

It should be mandatory – if it is not self-imposed, which it clearly is not – for people whose work is paid for out of official and NGO aid budgets to spend a few days a year in a really dreadful slum, with filth at their feet and stink in their nostrils, before they presume to descant upon the prospects of ending poverty any time soon.

Assuming, that is, they are capable of engaging the brain while suffering such discomfort. If they manage that, it would become self-evident that the prospects of ‘eradicating extreme poverty’ or ‘ending hunger’ in 15 years’ time – the headliners among the new list of 17 Sustainable Development Goals – are totally unrealizable.

All the maths and graphs and pie-charts about world-poverty trends cannot substitute for common sense. In many cities in Asia, Africa and Latin America, proportions of between 30 and 90 per cent of residents are living in slums and illegal shanty-towns. Many of them eat only once a day. Few have regular jobs: they live hand-to-mouth in the informal snackfood and plastic-bag economy.

If we are to believe the nonsense that we have eradicated half of extreme poverty in the last 15 years, these slums would be dwindling. Instead, they are growing. Even where bulldozers erase them, new ones spring up elsewhere. How do the experts explain this phenomenon? They don’t. The statistics they crunch are more comfortable allies than the spectacle of misery and marginalization the statistics ought to represent – but never do.

Today’s practitioners of international development spend more and more time and resources at further and further remove from the reality of what they are addressing. They want to improve lives en masse by attending to the ‘upstream’ policy environment in donor talking-shops. There are moments when one wonders if anything coming out of those exercises seriously impacts the ‘downstream’ environment in both town and countryside where people are trying to survive.

Next time they say they have halved extreme poverty, why don’t they go and look? One day, when they have miraculously computed poverty away, they may finally realize the absurdity of their claims.

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

C O M M E N T A R Y

Maria Fernanda Tapia Cortes Fair Observer

Are Mexico and America Heading for a Breakup?

Mexico’s relationship with the US is at an impasse.

D

onald Trump has already built barriers around his relationship with Mexico that are higher than any wall. The diplomatic slip in the form of a tweet that ended with President Enrique Peña Nieto canceling their meeting was apparently fixed after the phone call between the two presidents held on January 27, in which they agreed to not talk publicly of the wall and expressed their desire to keep cooperating on issues like security. Tensions keep growing, however, as Trump’s promises turn into actions and confrontation with its northern neighbor becomes a serious possibility for Mexico.

What was seen as a bully’s message when Trump was still just a presidential candidate became a real issue when the now President Trump signed an executive order to build the promised wall along the US border with Mexico.

And even though Congress estimates the cost at $12 to $15 billion, Trump insists that somehow he will make Mexico pay the bill. declarations were immediately answered by President Peña Nieto: “Mexico does not believe in walls. I have said it many times: Mexico will not pay for any wall.” In a video distributed on social media, Peña Nieto added that he regretted and condemned the US decision to continue the construction of a wall that for years “has divided us instead of uniting us.”

Soon came the POTUS tweet repelling that if Mexico was unwilling to pay for the “badly needed wall,” then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting, and his Mexican counterpart did just that—also via Twitter.

Trump would later tell Republican lawmakers in Philadelphia that it was a mutual decision: “Unless Mexico is going to treat the United States fairly, with respect, such a meeting would be fruitless, and I want to go a different route.

We have no choice.” He also repeated that the American people would not pay for the wall and proposed taxing Mexican imports with 20%.

Giving in over this issue is not an option for both Mexico and the US. Agreeing to avoid the topic publicly was the better solution at the time, but now both sides fear that their respective leader will not keep his promise.

Actually, Mexico’s biggest concern is that Donald Trump actually accomplishes all that he has said about the US relationship with the Mexicans.

However, America’s southern neighbor isn’t as weak as it seems. Both countries are dependent on each other and, therefore, have cards to put down on the table. This is why it took so little for Trump and Peña Nieto to call each other and promise cooperation.

Over the Wall The biggest threat isn’t the border wall—actually, one-third of it already exists. The real menace is the barrier to commerce that might come with an eventual renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAF-

TA)—another of Trump’s promises.

The mogul president insists that the trade pact has led to a massive loss of American jobs as companies leave the country looking for investment opportunities and lower salaries in Mexico.

The agreement has indeed allowed Mexico to draw foreign capital in and make its industry grow. Commercial deficit is also a fact: In 20 out of 21 years, Mexico’s sales have surpassed its purchases. However, this follows market dynamics rather than being an effect of the trade deal. NAFTA has given the United States as many benefits as to its neighbor.

According to the Office of the US Trade Representative, trade between both countries amounted to more than $530 billion in 2015. Mexico is America’s third biggest trading partner and number one for states like Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and California. Texas alone exports $95 billion worth of good each year to Mexico, which equals 37% of total its global exports. The jobs of 6 million Americans depend directly on exports to Mexico. So do many of its industries that use imported parts to complete production. In fact, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), this includes items for the Trump brands.

However, if an abrupt break from NAFTA will definitely hurt the US, for Mexico it may prove devastating. The US is by far its most important trade partner, representing 66.5% of its total international commerce. Since NAFTA was passed, the value of Mexican goods sold north of the border has risen by 638%. Today, some 6,000 companies and 10 million jobs depend on its viability. If it is dissolved, all those people will lose their source of income, and jobs created by the multinationals that Trump has promised to attract might not suffice to employ them.

It is exactly this asymmetry of what President Trump has in mind when he talks about negotiating with Mexico.

A fair update of the treaty might benefit all its members, but he seems to be seeking more draconian changes, like eliminating Mexico’s trade surplus with the United States, limiting investment by American multinationals in its southern neighbor and adding a 35% border tax on its products. If that happens, Mexico’s best option might be to leave the agreement altogether, just as

Secretary of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo said.

Cards on the Table With Canada staying out of the discussion and the rest of its allies silenced, Mexico has been left to fight for its future alone. However, just as the former Foreign Secretary Jorge Castañeda said, the land of charros (Mexican cowboys) has got many chips to play.

Border security, terrorist threats and trafficking of illegal drugs, weapons and cash are only a few reasons of why the US needs a good working relationship with its neighbor, as the White House stated officially after the call between the two presidents. Bringing uncertainty over Mexico’s willingness to keep cooperating on these issues might be a great strategy to make Trump think twice about dismantling NAFTA, explained Eduardo Porter in The New York Times: “Will Mexico still cooperate in the fight against drug trafficking? Will it stop foreign terrorists from using Mexico as a way station into the United States? — Mexico can raise the stakes enough for Mr. Trump to reconsider his ‘America first’ approach to commerce.”

According to Porter, Jorge Castañeda seems to agree: “‘Let Mr. Trump pull the United States out of Nafta,’ he argues. Instead of stopping Central American migrants at its southern border, Mexico should let them through on their way to the United States. ‘And let’s see if his wall keeps the terrorists out, because we won’t.’”

An even stronger (and riskier) tactic is playing with Trump’s desire to get a quick deal. Let’s put it this way: A victory over Mexico will make the new president look strong, leaving him in a good position to face China and other forces. Even if he can’t make a strong move against Chinese President Xi Jinping, he will have the Mexican issue as a flag to keep his voters happy. But if Mexico stands its ground and even lets NAFTA dissolve, it will send the world another message: Trump’s threats can be resisted.

This, however, is easier said than done. With his approval dwindling, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto is between a rock and a hard place on this issue. He cannot afford to leave NAFTA easily, especially because some of his most unpopular policies rely on

the success of free trade.

The dollar-peso relation is another weak spot in Mexico’s position. The national currency has fallen from 15 pesos per dollar when Trump started his campaign to about 22 pesos per dollar today. Considering that his tweets have impacted this percentage on several occasions, it is not an exaggeration to say it might fall to 40 if Mexico leaves NAFTA, which will kill efforts to attract foreign companies to the country. Actually, Trump’s threats have already made Ford and GM cancel longplanned investments in Mexico.

Despite this scenario, not everything is hopeless. Without NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), Mexico has still got one of the highest number of free-trade treaties around the world. It is the perfect timing to strengthen relations with other allies—starting with China, whose authorities have already declared themselves in favor of doing business with Mexico. Being too positive, this might also inspire a boost to the country’s domestic market.

As for the 20% taxes on Mexican imports that Trump is said to be considering, he will have to deal with America’s laws first and then the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) second before making it a reality. Furthermore, any increase in fees will be paid by American consumers. Mexican producers might only suffer indirectly under the logic that an increase in their prices leads to lower sales, which is unlikely to happen on basic products like tomatoes and avocados.

Some hope the initiative will not pass, but that is what was said about the building of the wall.

An attempt to respond with an equal tariff on the southern side of the border might also be a good argument toward negotiation. “If Mexico puts a tax of 20% over American wine and alcoholic beverages, the most damaged would be the US,” stated Iván Franco, founder and director of the consultancy firm Triplethree International.

However, getting into a tax battle isn’t at all desirable. We have already experienced something similar in 2009, when Mexico put a 10% to 20% tax on northern products after America violated a NAFTA provision, and both parties suffered as a result.

What has to be kept in mind is that Mexico does not want to go to war with the United States. Both sides are simply looking for a more profitable deal.

Just as the Mexican magnate Carlos Slim pointed out, the new US president is not a terminator but a negotiator, whose style it is to crush the weak and talk with those he respects. If Mexican authorities stay firm, Trump will look for an easy deal, and they will be able to insist on their terms. If not, both economies will have a hard time prospering under Trump’s tenure—and so will their relationship.

This article is being published with the permission of Fair Observer. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy

National security in an ‘alt-facts’ world Tim Weiner

I

Reuters

magine, for a moment, that you are a senior Central Intelligence Agency officer standing at attention for President Trump at CIA headquarters. (Remain standing. Trump, against protocol, never said: “Please be seated.”) You think on your feet. You weigh what you know to be true against the evidence of your eyes and ears.

Here’s what you know: the CIA is looking into ties between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump, in return, has compared the CIA to Nazis. Not a fine how-do-you-do.

You focus on what Trump is saying. He is unlike previous presidents who have addressed the agency’s officers and analysts in the woods outside Washington. He’s not talking about their sacrifices, their patriotism. He’s talking about Trump.

He stands before 117 stars on a marble wall, each for someone killed in the line of duty. He is watched over by a verse from the Gospel of John inscribed in gold on the facing wall: And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

“Probably almost everybody in this room voted for me,” he is saying. “I would guarantee a big portion, because we're all on the same wavelength, folks.” If so, it’s a very broad band. “They say, is Donald Trump an intellectual? Trust me, I'm like a smart person…. I feel like I'm 30, 35, 39…. I think I'm young.” Trump is 70.

“Did everybody like the speech?”

Trump is talking like a carnival barker, touting his inaugural. “We had a massive field of people. You saw them.

Packed. I get up this morning, I turn on one of the networks, and they show an empty field. I say, wait a minute, I made a speech. I looked out, the field was – it looked like a million, million and a half people.” You’ve seen the pictures of the crowd. And meanwhile, a half-million people were converging on the White House in a counter-inaugural.

You are an intelligence officer and you live in a world where facts are a matter of life and death, where information is power, where the United States has spent trillions of dollars in the past 70 years on the CIA and its cohorts, trying to gather military and intelligence secrets from abroad and turn them into breaking news the president can use. If the president pays more attention to CNN than the CIA, you’re doomed.

This president now has the power of life and death through the CIA and its partners at the Pentagon. Forget about the nuclear codes. He has power over killer drones, spy satellites, electronic eavesdropping, covert operations. He can listen in on anyone in the world, order a coup to overthrow governments, write secret laws governing national security, unleash commando raids, and make these decisions regardless of what the CIA thinks.

Retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn, Trump’s national security adviser,

is listening. He is mightily militant on the subject of Islamic jihad. He doesn’t like the CIA much. You’ll be dealing with him almost every day.

And you know something the average citizen doesn’t clearly grasp.

Putin and Flynn got cozy in Moscow after the general was deposed as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency for his crackpot theories (then known at the DIA as “Flynn facts,” now known to one and all as “alternative facts”). Flynn received money from RT, Putin’s propaganda outlet. He chatted up Putin’s man in Washington during Trump’s transition. The NSA and the FBI were keeping tabs on him.

He’ll be Trump’s intelligence gatekeeper at the White House, the filter on the secrets the president receives from the CIA. The president is now talking about Iraq, where the CIA has fought many a battle. Trump wants to win: “We're going to start winning again, and you're going to be leading the charge.”

“To the victor belong the spoils,” Trump says to his intelligence chiefs.

“If we kept the oil you probably wouldn’t have ISIS because that's where they made their money in the first place. So we should have kept the oil. But okay. Maybe you'll have another chance. But the fact is, should have kept the oil.”

The prospect of sending the CIA to take “another chance” in Iraq – and seizing its oil as the spoils of war – sends chills up your spine. Bruce

WRITE-WING

Riedel, a highly respected ranking CIA veteran, has warned that this would require an endless occupation “surrounded by enemies, without allies, and isolated hopelessly from the Islamic world…. It would reinvigorate the global jihad, and it would disgrace our fundamental values as a nation.” That represents a consensus view at the CIA. Trump took a parting shot at his favorite enemy – the media. “They are among the most dishonest human beings on Earth. And they sort of made it sound like I had a feud with the intelligence community.” The truth, he said, was “exactly the opposite – exactly.” Given Trump’s infamous tweet, apropos the Putin investigation, which compared America’s premier intelligence agency to the Gestapo, the CIA’s officers now confront an Orwellian world in which the truth is what The Party says it is – and it will not make them free.

Another CIA veteran, Yael Eisenstat, wrote in the New York Times that Trump’s speech was “a terrifying display of the dangerous way in which he will govern.” In week one of the Trump administration, among other dangers, the CIA and the FBI are embattled with the White House, and American national security is in uncharted waters, the unknown depths where medieval mapmakers warned: Here Lie Monsters.

Tim Weiner is a Pulitzer Prizewinning reporter. His books include "Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA."

Letters to the Editor should be sent to: The morung express, House No. 4, Duncan Bosti, Dimapur - 797112, Or –email: morung@gmail.com

friday 03•02•2017

PERSPECTIVE

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

7

The Art of the Deal - With Putin Celeste Ward Gventer

I

Putin testing Trump with Ukraine attacks

Foreign Policy

f there is anything we know for sure about the new president, it is that he likes making deals. “Deals are my art form” is one of the opening lines of his famous book on the subject. President Donald Trump has emphasized that he intends to pursue cooperation with Russia wherever possible, particularly in combatting terrorist groups like the Islamic State. The president is set to have a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday.

This raises an obvious question: What deal is there to be made with Moscow, and what can the United States get out of it?

Many members of the foreign policy community, along with many members of Congress, are justifiably concerned by the president’s seemingly conciliatory attitude towards a resurgent Russia. But one might argue that the president’s announced intention to cooperate with Moscow is merely his opening move in the negotiation, and he sees no profit in rhetorically antagonizing his interlocutor before the discussion has begun. If true, then perhaps this is a savvy, crazy-like-afox move to get Putin to the table, where the new American president can work his magic.

But what can or will Russia offer the United States? Unfortunately, the answer is likely to be: Not much. It is a dubious proposition that Moscow will be willing or able to give up the behavior that has most concerned observers in recent years. This may make reaching a deal with Russia that is rewarding for the United States a supremely difficult prospect.

The Trump administration has begun some apparent dealmaking with Russia by reviving nuclear arms control talks, which played a role in the Cold War thaw of the 1980s. That may be one area for a deal, but the circumstances today are vastly different from those in the Ronald Reagan era. The U.S. arsenal needs to be substantially rebuilt in any case, which the president has himself underscored. More to the point, the Russian nuclear arsenal, while highly dangerous, has not been the primary source of concern in the last few years.

Indeed, there are far more immediate issues that the United States should address.

A major source of recent concern is Russia’s aggressive military actions in Europe, such as seizing Crimea and supporting separatist groups in the east of Ukraine. Russia has also undertaken more general efforts to regain control of its “near-abroad,” for example by covertly undermining the stilldeveloping democratic institutions in Eastern Europe and the Balkans. The Russian military has engaged in threatening and reckless maneuvers against U.S. and NATO forces in Europe,

Paul Mcleary

T

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a cinema replica of a sword as he speaks with film producer and Channel One CEO Konstantin Ernst during a meeting with the crew of The Viking film based on the Primary Chronicle. (Getty Images)

such as buzzing U.S. ships and causing near misses in the air with Western warplanes.

If the offer from Moscow is to simply stop its military shenanigans in Europe, then this amounts to little more than a protection racket. Moreover, it is unlikely that Russia will give up attempting to assert what it believes is its historic right to suzerainty, or at least overwhelming influence, in the former Soviet and Warsaw Pact space.

Indeed, to back off in Georgia, Ukraine, or even Moldova and the Baltics would undermine a major source of Putin’s popularity at home: the reassertion of Russian “greatness” in Europe.

A second pressing concern raised by recent Russian activity is Moscow’s role in the Middle East. Russian intervention in support of brutal Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has emboldened and enabled Iran and its proxies throughout the region. Indeed, despite Russia’s declared antipathy toward the Islamic State, that group is serving as the proverbial useful idiots to cover the activities of Russia and Iran throughout the greater Middle East. If Russia were no longer “needed” in Syria, Moscow would lose its warmwater port and the foothold it has regained in the region. Moscow’s ever-increasing military presence in Syria helps to demonstrate Russia’s renewed status as a great power and serves as a very useful perch from which

to make trouble for the United States and NATO. How likely is Russia to take seriously the elimination of the Islamic State?

Beyond the Islamic State, it is not clear how much help the United States can expect from Russia in combatting Islamist, or any other form, of terrorism.

Daniel Benjamin, a former State Department coordinator for counterterrorism pointed out that past U.S. experience with Russia in this area has been disappointing and yielded little.

He went on to suggest that increasing cooperation on counterterrorism with Russia, even if enough trust could be generated on both sides to do so (which is unlikely), could end up making the problem worse.

Some might argue that the administration’s effort to improve relations with Russia is a maneuver to get a leg up on China — a flip of the masterful Cold War gambit by President Richard Nixon and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. It may also simply be a conservationof-enemies approach. But it is not obvious how, exactly, the U.S. could use improved relations with Russia to put pressure on China, or why the Russians would be drawn into a potential degradation of their own relationship with Beijing.

Philip Zelikow recently took a deal-making look around the world and explored the potential for five potential deals, including with Russia. His prescrip-

tions for a kind of 21st détente with Moscow on Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Ukraine, and on cybersecurity are wise and sensible. But he also rightly notes that “Putin and his clique need the American enemy for their own domestic reasons.”

Thus, the space for agreement with Russia is narrow, and the likely offerings meager. The United States and its allies will not be able to roll back Russia’s substantial gains since 2014 in Europe and the Middle East. In the best case, as Zelikow suggests, Washington and Moscow may reach an agreement on ways to stabilize those regions, which may amount to little more than a “freezing” of ongoing conflicts.

The case of Russia will test the president’s deal-making skills as perhaps no other challenge has. One hopes that his past successes can be brought to bear. After all, no previous president in recent decades brings to the job the negotiating experience of Trump. He certainly knows better than to give anything away without getting something substantial in return.

This principle is particularly important when it comes to the most significant card in America’s hand: economic sanctions.

Many will be watching to see whether the new U.S. president can outmaneuver the wily Putin, and, despite the long odds, cut a deal in which the United States comes out on top.

Foreign Policy

he Trump administration is facing its first major test on the international stage as volleys of Russian artillery and rockets continue to pound Ukrainian forces in the country’s contested east, reigniting the frozen conflict and killing about a dozen Ukrainian soldiers since Sunday.

The barrages, along with renewed pushes by Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces near the governmentheld industrial town of Avdiyivka, spiked dramatically on Sunday. The day before, Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin held their first phone call, reportedly talking about forming a new alliance against the Islamic State and working together on a range of other issues.

The international body tasked with monitoring violations of the Minsk agreement reported at least 2,300 explosions from artillery, mortars and rocket fire on Sunday alone, the day after the TrumpPutin call. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said this was a sharp increase from the intermittent shelling that marks an ordinary day long the front, but that the fighting was so intense it could not properly keep count.

Ukrainian forces also appear to be advancing into the no-man’s land separating government-controlled territory from rebel-held areas, in what seems a bid to strengthen their bargaining position if they have to go back to the negotiating table again with a weaker hand.

Trump’s affinity for Russia, and his phone call Saturday with Putin, has stoked fear in Kiev and among NATO allies that Trump could strike a deal with Moscow that would mean less U.S. support for the Ukrainian government, and potentially give Russia a freer hand in its destabilization efforts there.

One U.S. defense official, speaking with Foreign Policy on the condition of anonymity, said the Pentagon has long been anticipating an uptick in Russian aggression in Ukraine as Moscow tries to gauge “what they could accomplish” under the Trump administration.

The new fighting, and reports Wednesday that a Ukrainian transport plane was struck by Russian ground fire, indicates that “the Russians are not ready to make any peaceful gestures on the ground,” said Alexander Vershbow, until late last year deputy secretary general of NATO. The Kremlin, he said, “may be trying to test the new administration to see if they distance themselves from Kiev, and tell [Ukrainian president] Petro Poroshenko that he has to make the best deal with Russia, which of course would destroy him politically.”

Asked Wednesday if the administration views the renewed fighting as a direct challenge from Russia, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said, “We’re keeping an eye on the situation in Ukraine.”

Earlier, the State Department released a statement condemning the violation of the 2014 cease-fire in Ukraine that managed to avoid mentioning Russia at all.

The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday expressed its “grave concern” over the “dangerous deterioration” in eastern Ukraine and called for a halt to the vio-

lence by both sides.

The U.S. defense official said Moscow has little reason to implement the Minsk cease-fire agreement. “This is all very calculated to have this open, bleeding sore on Ukraine’s body politic that will allow [Russia] to manipulate the situation and the politics of the country, and thereby keep Ukraine in this post-Soviet kleptocratic orbit,” he said.

The Ukraine-Russia conflict was hard enough for Europe and the United States to confront when Europe was more unified, and transatlantic ties were strong.

Appearing before a House Armed Services panel Wednesday, former CIA Director David Petraeus testified that Putin understands very well “that while conventional aggression may occasionally enable Russia to grab a bit of land on its periphery, the real center of gravity is the political will of the major democratic powers to defend Euro-Atlantic institutions like NATO and the EU.” But resurgent nationalism and growing divisions between Brussels and Washington make a unified response harder.

The fighting is “a test of how well Washington and Europe will coordinate” when faced with a crisis, said Franklin Holcomb from the Institute for the Study of War. A major point of contention are the sanctions that the United States and Europe slapped on Moscow for its 2014 invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea.

If Washington were to end its participation in the sanctions — as Trump has hinted — European resolve will likely crumble, handing a major diplomatic and economic win to Putin.

So far, some Trump administration officials are publicly presenting a businessas-usual line on Russia. On Monday, new U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley made her first round of calls and visits with U.N. colleagues, speaking with representatives from Israel, the U.K., France, and, notably, Ukraine. She reaffirmed U.S. “support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” according to a release from her office.

It’s not just Ukrainians who wonder about U.S. resolve in the face of a Russian challenge. American and German tanks — along with thousands of other NATO troops — are taking up positions in NATO’s Baltic countries to reassure locals nervous about the prospect of Russian aggression. The temporary deployments were planned during the Obama administration, but could now be cut back.

During the campaign, Trump harshly criticized U.S. troop deployments in Europe, saying that the Europeans should pay for their own defense. The U.S. rotation of 4,000 troops and 90 tanks to Eastern Europe is funded out of the $3.4 billion European Reassurance Initiative, a fund that could find itself in the crosshairs of Trump and his incoming budget director Mick Mulvaney, who wants to save money by slashing the Pentagon’s spending on overseas deployments.

If the fund there slashed, it would represent “a major breach of solidarity” with Europe, Vershbow said.

“The Russians would see that as a bonanza that they would try and exploit by convincing countries like Bulgaria and the Czech Republic that the U.S. couldn’t be counted on.”

Colombia: An Unbreakable Legacy Among Chameleonic Organizations?

Dylan Herrera

E

Fair Obsrver

fforts to destroy Colombia’s powerful cartels have only succeeded in fragmenting these once mammoth criminal organizations.

Medellín and Cali are Colombian cities that ring familiar for their association with two of the most powerful drug cartels that once provided the vast majority of cocaine across the US, Latin America, Europe and Asia.

However, despite the death of Pablo Escobar and the extradition of the Cali Cartel’s main leaders, neither crime, violence nor drug trafficking has disappeared from Colombia’s major cities.

Medellín: From Escobar's city to an era of new criminal actors The first wave of violence in Medellin, which began in the 1980s, has yet to fully subside. Significant efforts by law enforcement and the military have only succeeded in changing the nature of this city’s powerful criminal organizations.

The war between the government and Pablo Escobar (19881993), catalyzed by the conflict between Escobar and the Cali and Norte del Valle cartels, brought the first round of violence to the city.

The emergence of local paramilitary forces further exacerbated the level of insecurity.

With the support of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Colombian Government succeeded in killing Escobar. Yet, the city’s problems were far from over.

Another famous drug lord, “Don Berna” reignited violence throughout the city. Fearing attacks by the rival Cali Cartel, he sought allies in the paramilitary forces of Carlos Castaño.

As power continued to shift hands from one drug lord to the next, organized crime in Medellín merely evolved. The vertical hierarchy under Escobar became a fragmented field of smaller, more horizontally organized criminal syndicates.

The fragmentation of criminal organizations made it difficult for law enforcement to exploit the structural weaknesses of the once vertically integrated cartel. The waning size of criminal organizations diminished the effectiveness of prosecution. Simultaneously, the power vacuum left by Escobar caused a constant violent struggle among smaller groups, which made them too weak to resist the arrival of leftist guerrilla and paramilitary urban cells.

Peaceful days in Medellín were few and far between, as the city became a battlefield for guerrilla and paramilitary forces. In 2002, 650 criminal, guerrilla and paramilitary cells operated within the city.

The next year, a peace agreement signed with the Colombian Government, demobilized the urban oper-

ations of most paramilitary and guerilla brigades. A final government offensive eliminated the Bloque Metro dissident faction and extradited its principal leaders to the US in 2008. But with the intruders out of the picture, drug traffickers lost a crucial common enemy. Soon the chain of command established under “Don Berna,” began to fracture and a power struggle ensued among of his two successors “Valenciano” and “Sebastián.”

From 2008 to 2011, these two drug lords waged a bloody war for control of Medellín. Though the government succeeded in capturing both leaders in 2012, the struggle for power still remains today.

Cali: Drug Profits and Economic Security Since the 1980s, drug trafficking and coca cultivation helped the department of Valle del Cauca overcome the economic crisis that engulfed the region due to the falling price of sugar. The subsequent rise of the drug business brought development, modernization and regional economic growth, but at the unsavory cost of rising violence.

Drug profits had a strong influence on the economy of the region, especially in the city of Cali. Narco dollars infiltrated government institutions and public and private companies, as well as social clubs and organizations. Money laundering

generated an economic boom that collapsed quickly and crippled Cali’s private and public finances.

In 1995, after the fall of the Cali cartel and the capture of its leaders, the Rodriguez Orejuela brothers, a coalition of mid-level drug traffickers capitalized on a dispute between the Medellin and Cali cartels to consolidate a criminal structure known as the Norte del Valle cartel.

A number of powerful formerparamilitary syndicates also continue to operate throughout the countryside surrounding Cali. The paramilitaries began as a partnership between government forces and rural landowners. Though each had different agendas, these actors shared the common goal of containing and eliminating the leftist guerrillas. In 2003, a government effort to demobilize the paramilitary forces, which had been consolidated into United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), forced many of these rightwing militias underground. Out the demobilization process emerged two powerful criminal structures, "Los Rastrojos" and "Los Machos."

Peace with Guerillas, War with Organized Crime As the Colombian Government continues to negotiate peace with the leftist guerillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the resurgent remnants of the drug cartels and former para-

militaries threaten to negate the gains of a peace agreement. From the ashes of the demobilized paramilitaries, a new generation of armed groups has arisen. These organizations now operate more as drug traffickers than bands of antiMarxist vigilantes. Their dedication to trafficking has globalized their presence, as they forge connections with the Sinaloa cartel, contributing to the greater problem of drug trafficking throughout the Americas.

Though the commanders of these new groups had been on the scene for years, they remained subservient to more powerful paramilitary and drug trafficking organizations. They served as the middle men, grunts and hit men, providing auxiliary support in the exportation drugs and the extortion of local authorities. Today, these bands of vigilantes have become more organized, cooperating with various transnational criminal organizations.

structure does not ensure clear lines of succession, causing higher rates of violence when leaders are killed or captured.

If peace talks succeed in reducing violence committed by the FARC, a new wave of organized crime may fill the vacuum. This phenomenon would be yet another case of Colombian déjà vu, in which peace on one front is replaced by more violence on another.

Catching a Chameleon Chameleonic structures, capable of adapting faster than law enforcement, reveal the fundamental cause and solution to the problem. The monopoly held by violent criminal organizations over the profitability of the drug trade can only be dismantled through legalizing the illicit market. To catch a chameleon, one must remove the ground on which it stands. Proposals by the Uruguayan Government to coopt the production of marijuana may provide an alternative to the strategy of militarization employed in Mexico and Colombia.

A Chameleon under Organized crime will continue to fire changes its Colors pervade Latin American society until To survive pressure from gov- governments are able to see the true ernment forces these groups have causes of the threat. adapted, changing colors like a chameleon. They have averted the The article is being reproduced dangers of over centralization by with the permission of Fair splintering into smaller autonoObserver. The views expressed in mous cells, while maintaining a this article are the author's own centralized command. Conse- and do not necessarily reflect Fair quently, this ambiguous command Observer’s editorial policy

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

8

friDAY 03•02•2017

INDIA

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

High-pitch campaign for assembly elections ends in Punjab and Goa Chandigarh/ Panaji, February 2 (PTi): The high-octane, calumny- filled campaign for the assembly elections in Punjab and Goa, billed as the first major test of the Modi government's popularity post-demonetisation, ended today.

The gruelling campaign concluded for all the 117 seats of Punjab and 40 of the tiny coastal state of Goa this evening ahead of the February 4 single-phase polling in the two states where BJP is in power.

It was for the first time in the recent memory that Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who has not been keeping well, did not go stumping and the task of spearheading the electioneering was left to her heir apparent and deputy Rahul Gandhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah a battery of Union Mi n i s t e r s In c l u d i n g Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar plunged into electioneering for BJP and its allies in the two states.

Punjab, where the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-

Poll surveys sponsored: Mayawati bulandshahr, February 2 (ians): Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Thursday trashed the surveys ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls and said these are "sponsored" and hence not to be taken seriously. Addressing an election rally here, the Dalit leader said these poll surveys were conducted at the behest of political parties and warned her supporters not to be swayed. "When the election results are out, all these polls and projections will fall flat on their face," she said.

She slammed the state government and said law and order was at its worst under Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and promised to bring back normalcy if her party was voted back to power. The four-time Chief Minister tore into the Bharatiya Janata Party and said its claims of bringing back the rule of law in Uttar Pradesh were an eyewash. "Whenever the BJP has come to power (in the state), there is similar anarchy," she said while accusing the BJP of trying to end reservation and also harbouring ill-will towards the Muslims.

BJP combine has been in power over the last decade, saw bitter exchanges between it and two other major contenders for power-Congress and AAP over drug menace, corruption and law and order.

Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party is contesting assembly elections in both the states, where BJP and Congress have been traditional political rivals, for the first time and is said to be a potential contender for power.

Apart from the drug menace, the contentious SYL canal issue and sacrilege of holy books of Sikhs were among the major issues flagged by the electoral rivals.

Prime Minister Modi held two elections rallies in Jalandhar and Kotkapura in the state where he flagged the issue of threat from Pakistan to seek votes for SAD-BJP combine, which he claim alone could provide a stable government that would guar-

antee safety and security of the state.

Rahul Gandhi took Congress' campaign to the pocket boroughs of the ruling Badal clan, including Lambi, Majitha and Jalalabad, to target it over alleged corruption, playing dynastic politics and promoting drugs and mining mafia.

The AAP, which had won four Lok Sabha seats in 2014, has plunged into the contest whole-heartedly with Arvind Kejriwal

criss-crossing large parts of the state. It has fielded candidates in all the 117 seats and is expected to fare well.

After initial dithering, Rahul Gandhi declared Patiala royal family scion Amarinder Singh the party's chief ministerial face.

Amarinder, 74, has already announced it would be his last election.

A clutch of AAP leaders including Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and

Bhagwant Mann, a potential candidate for chief ministership if the party wins, added heft to the party's campaign.

Interestingly, in Goa, where the BJP is facing a rival in a rebel RSS leader, the party has not projected incumbent Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar as chief ministerial face and has often hinted at a Manohar Parrikar's return to the hot seat, apparently to cash in on his enduring popularity in the state.

Plea against pre-poll freebies promise: HC seeks Govt,EC reply new delhi, February 2 (PTi): The Delhi High Court today sought responses of the Centre and the Election Commission of India (ECI) on a petition seeking to restrain all political parties from making promises of offering freebies to people if they are voted to power. A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal asked the ECI to explain if its guidelines on election manifesto are in conformity with the Supreme Court's direction given earlier. "You (ECI) will have to file your response and inform this court whether the guidelines issued by you are in conformity with the directions given by the Supreme Court," the bench said.

The court also issued notice to the Centre and asked both the government and ECI to file their response within eight weeks. The bench has fixed the matter for hearing on May 24.

Govt acts ag'st Amazon for selling tricolour doormats new delhi, February 2 (PTi): The issue of tricolour doormats and slippers sold by online shopping portal Amazon had its echo in the Rajya Sabha today with members raising concern over the matter and the government saying that action has been taken and these have had their desired effect. Members asked whether the government could impose a ban on sale of such products so that national emblems are not besmirched, whether there were provisions to stop insult to religious sentiments and if the government contemplated action against such e-commerce platforms. Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar said such things cannot be controlled as there is no international treaty on this, but confirmed action under two laws enacted in 1950 and 1971 to protect dishonouring of national emblems. "The incident occurred in two nations, Canada and United States. As soon as we got to know, our missions in Ottawa and Washington raised the issue at the highest possible level in every possible manner. "The issue went up to the owner, the person who runs Amazon, Jeff Bezos. Action was taken by Amazon and I think at this moment, we can be assured that this would not be repeated. They (Amazon) have written to us as well," he said. On whether such things can be controlled in future, he said, "there is no international treaty on this".

HRD Ministry signs MoU with states on technical education Aircel-Maxis case: Court discharges Maran brothers new delhi, February 2 (ians): The Human Resource Development Ministry on Thursday signed an MoU for the third phase of Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP-III) with 18 states and a Union Territory for improving the overall standard and quality of technical institutes.

To be implemented as a 'central scheme' from April 2017 with assistance from the World Bank, the project has an outlay of Rs 2,660 crore. It will be co-terminous with the 14th Finance Commission (2019-20).

An estimated 200 government and government-aided engineering institutes and Affiliating Technical Universities (ATUs), including Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs), will benefit from the project. Autonomous institutes will be entitled to funds of up to Rs 15 crore, non-autonomous institutes up to Rs 10 crore, ATUs up to Rs 20 crore and mentor institutions up to Rs 7 crore.

Speaking on the occasion, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said the programme was vital for

the much-needed technical up-gradation in educational institutes.

"Innovation and research can happen only when physical infrastructure and trained manpower is available," he said.

The MoU was signed with seven low-income states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh; three hill states of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand; and eight north-eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya,

Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.

The sole UT involved in the project is Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The TEQIP commenced in 2003 with World Bank assistance as a long-term programme to be implemented in three phases. The first phase ended in March 2009 whereas the second phase commenced in August 2010 and is scheduled to conclude in March 2017.

India on Wednesday signed an agreement with the World Bank to facilitate credit of $201.50 million for TEQIP-III.

'Ugly or handicapped' girls cause dowry demands, claims Maharashtra textbook MuMbai, February 2 (ians): In a shocking development, a Maharashtra government approved textbook for class 12 suggests that ugly or handicapped girls are the reason for the social evil of dowry in the country.

The reasoning appears in the textbook of Sociology under the title, "Major Social Problems in India" prescribed for Class 12 students in the state.

Under sub-heading No 12 titled 'Ugliness', the paragraph proclaims: "If girl is ugly and handicapped then it becomes very difficult for her to get married. To marry such girls, the bridegroom and his family demand

more dowry. Parents of such girls become helpless and pay dowry as per the demands of the bridegroom's family. It leads to rise in the practice of dowry system."

Following a furore over the passage in question, Education Minister Vinod Tawde said he had discussed the matter with the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Chairman Gangadhar Mhamane.

Surprisingly, the Minister argued that the issue was nothing new and is being taught to the Class 12 students since the past three years.

He, however, appealed to all to

"keep politics out of education", while the matter was being tackled.

Besides "ugliness" and "handicap" for a marriageable girl, the chapter has listed other factors like religion, caste system, social prestige and compensation principle, and said that "generally all people give and take dowry".

Tawde added that the matter found "objectionable" would be placed before the concerned Board of Studies - which designs and approves the course syllabus - for its report.

After getting the report, the government will consider the next step in the issue, he said.

new delhi, February 2 (ians): A court here on Thursday discharged all accused in the Aircel-Maxis deal case, including former Communications Minister Dayanidhi Maran, observing that "no prima facie case warranting framing of charge against any of the accused is made out".

Special Judge O.P. Saini discharged Maran, his brother Kalanithi Maran, Kalanithi's wife Kavery Kalanithi, South Asia FM Ltd (SAFL) Managing Director K. Shanmugam and three companies - SAFL and Sun Direct TV Pvt Ltd (SDTPL) and South Asia Entertainment Holdings Ltd, Mauritius in two different cases.

The court was hearing two different matters related to Aircel-Maxis deal lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The Maran brothers and company SDTPL were accused in both cases. ED has chargesheeted the Maran brothers, Kavery, Shanmugam and companies SDTPL and SAFL as accused in the case while CBI has booked the brothers, company SDTPL and South Asia Entertainment Holdings Ltd in its case.

"I am satisfied that the entire case is based on the

misreading of the official files, contradictory statements of the witnesses as well as speculations and surmises of C. Sivasankaran. I have no hesitation in recording no prima facie case warranting framing of charge against any of the accused is made out," the court said. "Accordingly, all accused stand discharged."

On August 29, 2014, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a chargesheet along with documents in 15 boxes.

The CBI had alleged that Dayanidhi Maran, as Minister in the UPA-I government, used his influence to help Malaysian businessman T.A. Ananda Krishnan buy Aircel by coercing its owner Sivasankaran to part with his stake.

Sivasankaran alleged that Maran favoured the

Maxis Group in the takeover of his company. In return, he alleged, the company made investments through Astro Network in a company stated to be owned by the Maran family.

The chargesheet was filed under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and other relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The ED has filed its chargesheet on January 8, 2016 alleging that Rs 742.58 crore was paid as illegal gratification to Dayanidhi Maran by Mauritius-based companies.

The money was paid in two companies namely SDTPL and SAFL, which were controlled by Kalanithi Maran. The probe revealed that promoters of the SDTPL are Kalanithi Maran

and Kavery Kalanithi.

Dayanidhi Maran obtained the proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs 742.58 crore through the companies of his relatives by camouflaging the proceeds of crime as capital contribution in SDTPL and SAFL and has committed the offence of money laundering, the ED alleged.

The court observed that there is no existence of proceeds of crime that Maran and others accused persons laundered Rs 742.58 crore and said that "there is no ground to proceed against the accused persons."

The court on November 16 had also reserved its order, but has to defer it six times as documents are extremely voluminous, old, dusty, technical and complex in nature.

parties must file ITR Toxins in litchi kill children in Bihar byPolitical Dec or lose exemption: Govt

washingTon/new delhi, February 2 (PTi): Eating litchi fruit may be behind the mysterious brain disease that has caused hundreds of unexplained deaths among children in recent years in Bihar, a new study published in the Lancet journal has claimed.

Outbreaks of an acute neurological illness with high mortality among children occur annually in Bihar's Muzaffarpur, the country's largest litchi cultivation region.

Heat, humidity, malnourishment, the monsoon and pesticides have all been considered at one stage to be contributing factors to the illness.

"We aimed to investigate the cause and risk factors for this illness," researchers said.

In a hospital-based surveillance, researchers from the National Centre for Disease Control in New Delhi and the US Centres for Disease Control and Preven-

tion undertook laboratory investigations to assess potential infectious and noninfectious causes of this acute neurological illness.

Children aged 15 years or younger who were admitted to two hospitals in Muzaffarpur in 2014 with new-onset seizures or altered sensorium were included in the study.

They were age-matched against residents of Muzaffarpur who were admitted to the same two hospitals

for a non-neurologic illness within seven days of the date of admission of the case. This group served as the control.

Specimens of blood, cerebrospinal fluid and urine as well as litchis were tested for evidence of infectious pathogens, pesticides, toxic metals.

Scientists also looked for other non-infectious causes, like presence of hypoglycin A or methylenecyclopropylglycine (MCPG), naturally-occurring fruit-

based toxins that cause hypoglycaemia and metabolic derangement.

Between May 26 and July 17 in 2014, 390 patients meeting the case definition were admitted to the two hospitals in Muzaffarpur, of whom 122 (31 per cent) died, researchers said.

On admission, 204 (62 per cent) of 327 had blood glucose concentration of 70 miligrammes per decilitre or less. 104 cases were compared with 104 age-

matched hospital controls.

Litchi consumption and absence of an evening meal in the 24 hours preceding illness onset were associated with illness.

The absence of an evening meal significantly increased the effect of eating litchis on illness. Tests for infectious agents and pesticides were negative.

Metabolites of hypoglycin A, MCPG, or both were detected in 48 (66 per cent) of 73 urine specimens from case-patients and none from 15 controls. "Our investigation suggests an outbreak of acute encephalopathy in Muzaffarpur associated with both hypoglycin A and MCPG toxicity," the researchers said.

"To prevent illness and reduce mortality in the region, we recommended minimising litchi consumption, ensuring receipt of an evening meal and implementing rapid glucose correction for suspected illness," they said.

new delhi, February 2 (PTi): After capping anonymous cash donations to political parties at Rs 2,000, the government is amending law to make it mandatory for them to file returns on income by December every year or risk losing tax exemption status.

It is also changing the law to keep the identity of the donor confidential who buys the just-introduced electoral bonds from banks to make such donations.

In an interview to PTI, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said political parties as per law enjoy exemption from payment of income tax, but half of them do not file income tax returns (ITR) on time.

To promote transparency in political funding, the Budget for 201718 seeks to amend law through the Finance Bill by making it mandatory for them to file returns by De-

cember end for any assessment year. For example, for assessment year 2018-19 (fiscal year beginning April 1, 2017), returns will have to be filed by December 31, 2018.

"They (political parties) will lose the exemption status if they do not file ITR by December-end. We will give a notice and cancel their exemption status.

Through this, strictest discipline will come..." Adhia said.

He said these parties will now have to file their audited returns by December or risk losing the exemption status.

"Right now, many political parties file their tax returns very late after 2-3 years. Because there is a provision in the law that you can file late returns but you won't get expenditure allowances if you file late.

Now, we are saying whatever is the time limit, within that time limit they have to

file I-T returns.

"And the time limit for trusts and political parties is December of the assessment year. Once the financial year is over within 9 months, you will have to file audited ITR," Adhia said.

The government will amend the Representation of People Act to ensure secrecy of the electoral bond buyers, soon notify the banks that will be eligible for issuing such bonds and come out with guidelines for the same by March.

"Amendment to the RBI Act and the I-T Act is already there in the Finance Bill. There is an amendment which we are making in the Representation of People Act which is in the Finance Bill. RPA says all donations above Rs 20,000 will have to be given to the Election Commission with the name and address.

The anonymity will be lost there. So, we have to amend that section also," he said.

fridAY 03•02•2017

WORLD

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

9

China’s “Silk Road” push stirs resentment in Sri Lanka HAMBANTOTA, FeBruAry 2 (reuTers): China signed a deal with Sri Lanka late last year to further develop the strategic port of Hambantota and build a huge industrial zone nearby, a key part of Beijing’s ambitions to create a modern-day “Silk Road” across Asia.

The agreement was welcome relief for the island nation of 20 million people. As they try to reduce the country’s debts, officials in Colombo see China’s plans to include Sri Lanka on its “One Belt, One Road” initiative as an economic lifeline.

China has spent almost $2 billion so far on Hambantota and a new airport and wants to spend much more.

But Beijing now faces a new and unpredictable challenge to its presence in Sri Lanka and broader Silk Road project.

Hundreds of Sri Lankans clashed with police at the opening last month of the industrial zone in the south, saying they would not be moved from their land. It was the first time opposition to Chinese investments in Sri Lanka turned violent.

Leading the campaign against the latest deal, which he says is too generous to China, is former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, an influential opposition politician who first allowed Chinese investment in Sri Lanka when he was leader from 2005-15.

The clashes, in which demonstrators threw stones and police used tear gas and water cannon, underlined the depth of resentment at China’s ex-

Demonstrators shout at police officers at a protest against the launching of a Chinese industrial zone by China Merchants Port Holdings Company, in Mirijjawila, Sri Lanka on January 7. (REUTERS Photo)

pansion felt by some local people, who feared they would be forced from their homes.

The Chinese foreign ministry said Beijing was doing what was best for both countries. The Chinese embassy in Colombo did not respond to a request for comment on investments in Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan protests are not the first sign of opposition to China’s One Belt plans to build land corridors across Southeast Asia, Pakistan and Central Asia and maritime routes opening up trade with the Middle East and Europe.

Rail links from China

through Laos and Thailand have hit the buffers over resistance to what they say are Beijing’s excessive demands and unfavourable financing.

“IMPINGES ON SOVEREIGNTY” Under the original deal negotiated by Rajapaksa during his tenure, the container terminal at Hambantota was to be operated by a joint venture between China Harbour Engineering Co. and state-run China Merchants Port Holdings for 40 years.

The Port Authority of Sri Lanka would retain control of all other terminals in the har-

bour, as well as a 6,000 acre industrial zone.

But last month, the administration of Rajapaksa’s successor President Maithripala Sirisena, who came to office threatening to cancel high-value Chinese contracts on the grounds they were unfair, approved a deal to lease 80 percent of the port to China Merchants Port Holdings for $1.12 billion.

The company also got the lease for 99 years.

Officials said Sirisena’s hand was forced by the country’s high debt burden and the fact that inflows from countries including India and the United States were

less than expected, despite a $1.5 billion, three-year IMF loan programme agreed last year.

“A 99-year lease impinges on Sri Lanka’s sovereign rights, because a foreign company will enjoy the rights of the landlord over the free port and the main harbour,” said Rajapaksa.

“This is not an issue with China or with foreign investors.

It is about getting the best deal for Sri Lanka,” he told Reuters in an interview.

The government also announced the lease of a much bigger 15,000 acres of land around the port for an industrial zone controlled by China Merchants Port Holdings, which has become a lightning rod for protests.

The demonstrators said they feared eviction from their land to make way for the site, a concern that China put down to a misunderstanding.

“Chinese companies have from the very start upheld the holding of talks and consultations with Sri Lanka on the basis of one’s own free will, equality and mutual respect according to market principles,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.

China Merchants Port Holdings declined to comment on the protests.

“WE ARE NOT LEAVING” China has spent $1.7 billion building Hambantota port and the adjacent Mattala Rajapaksa airport, named after the former president, both of which are under-utilised and losing money.

Losses at the port added up

to around $230 million in the five years to the end of 2016, according to the Sri Lankan finance ministry.

China’s ambassador to Sri Lanka, Yi Xianliang, said the country would invest $5 billion more in the next three to five years and create 100,000 jobs “if everything goes well.”

Last week, a policeman stood guard at the foundation stone of the proposed new zone in a forest clearing in Hambantota to prevent protesters from marching on the area.

“We are firmly against this project. We don’t want our land to be given to the Chinese. We are not leaving the area,” said Upul Dhammika, a farmer whose land is located where the government has tried to survey for the industrial zone.

SLEEPY OUTPOST Rajapaksa questioned the need for the Chinese to be given 15,000 acres, which he said was more than three times the area of all other economic zones in the country combined.

Isolated from the West over allegations of human rights abuses during the country’s civil war, Rajapaksa struck major deals with the Chinese when he was in power, including Hambantota and the nearby airport.

Sirisena, elected two years ago, vowed to review some of those agreements, including a $1.4 billion “port city” in the capital Colombo which was put on hold in 2015.

That, said a Chinese source with knowledge of the recent negotiations, upset Beijing, and

so it pushed for the best possible deal on Hambantota.

“They (China) were really angry with the new government, until it agreed (to) an 80 percent port deal,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks.

The Chinese embassy in Colombo did not respond when asked about that aspect of the negotiations.

Beijing also threatened lawsuits when the new administration sought to review some of the old agreements, an official in the international trade ministry said.

China’s position was that it won the contracts on merit and a change of government should not have a bearing on these deals.

Sri Lankan Port Minister Arjuna Ranatunga said Hambantota port was losing money and the government had to go for a debtfor-equity deal to reduce the financial burden on the country.

Sri Lanka’s national debt stands at around $64 billion, or 76 percent of gross domestic product, one of the highest among emerging economies. It owes China over $8 billion.

For now, Hambantota remains a sleepy outpost. Four years after the port and airport were completed, there is one flight a day and barely five to six ships docking each week.

The highway leading to the town is largely deserted, a new conference hall is unused and even a large cricket stadium built by the Chinese is used mainly for wedding receptions.

‘Malaria superbugs US judge orders Trump administration ‘Totally committed’ to reforming threaten global to allow entry to immigrant visa holders UN, Gen Secy Guterres affirms uNiTeD NATiONs, FeBruAry am doing is to do everything I can to malaria control’ LOs ANGeLes/NeW yOrK, holder. Birotte’s ruling does not ap- said by telephone from Djibouti.

“It’s terrible because I have chil- 2 (iANs): UN Secretary-General An- prove the added value of the UN.” FeBruAry 2 (reuTers): A fed- ply to tourists, students or business

LONDON, FeBruAry 2 (reuTers): Multidrug-resistant malaria superbugs have taken hold in parts of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, threatening to undermine progress against the disease, scientists said.

The superbugs - malaria parasites that can beat off the best current treatments, artemisinin and piperaquine have spread throughout Cambodia, with even fitter multidrug resistant parasites spreading in southern Laos and northeastern Thailand.

“We are losing a dangerous race to eliminate artemisinin resistant...malaria before widespread resistance to the partner antimalarials makes that impossible,” said Nicholas White, a professor at Oxford University in Britain and Mahidol University in Thailand who co-led the research.

“The consequences of resistance spreading further into India and Africa could be grave if drug resistance is not tackled from a global public health emergency perspective.”

More than half the world’s people are at risk of malaria infection. Most victims are children under five living in the poorest parts of sub-Saharan Africa.

Recent progress against the mosquito-borne disease has been dramatic and numbers falling ill have been significantly reduced, but it still kills more than 420,000 people each year, the World Health Organization says.

Malaria specialists worldwide say emerging drug resistance in Asia is now one of the most serious threats to that progress.

From the late 1950s to the 1970s, chloroquine-resistant malaria parasites spread across Asia and then into Africa, leading to a resurgence of malaria cases and millions of deaths.

Chloroquine was replaced by sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), but resistance to SP subsequently emerged in western Cambodia and again spread to Africa.

The fear now is that the same pattern of resistance spread and the resurgence will repeat itself.

“We now see this very successful resistant parasite lineage emerging, outcompeting its peers, and spreading over a wide area,” said Arjen Dondorp, of the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit in Thailand, who co-led the work.

Efforts to control malaria in Asia must be stepped up urgently “before it becomes close to untreatable”.

In their study in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, the scientists said that after examining blood samples from malaria patients in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar, they found that a single mutant parasite lineage, known as PfKelch13 C580Y, has spread across three countries, replacing parasites containing other, less artemisinin-resistant mutations.

They explained that while the C580Y mutation does not necessarily make the parasite more drug-resistant, it does have other qualities that make it more risky - notably it appears to be fitter, more transmissible and able to spreading more widely.

eral judge in Los Angeles has ruled President Donald Trump’s administration must allow immigrants with initial clearance for legal residency to enter the United States from seven Muslim-majority nations, despite an executive order ban.

Tuesday’s ruling by U.S. District Judge Andre Birotte Jr follows decisions by federal judges in at least four other states that also limited the executive order Trump issued on Friday.

But it goes further, by focusing on a large group of people from the seven nations of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen - the countries targeted in the executive order - who are outside the United States and trying to enter.

In the temporary ruling, Birotte ordered U.S. officials to refrain from “removing, detaining or blocking the entry of plaintiffs or any other person ... with a valid immigrant visa” who is arriving from one of the seven nations.

According to the U.S. Department of State, immigrant visas are the first step to becoming a lawful permanent resident, or a green card

travelers with non-immigrant visas.

The U.S. Department of Justice is reviewing the order and would have no further comment, a spokeswoman for the agency said in an email. A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security cited its policy of not commenting on pending litigation.

Trump’s executive order has not only caused consternation for the nations involved but among other Muslim-majority countries, allies such as Germany and Britain and career State Department officials.

Attorney Julie Ann Goldberg, who brought the case on behalf of more than two dozen plaintiffs of Yemeni descent, including U.S. citizens, said they sought the ruling after learning of a move by the U.S. State Department to cancel the immigrant visas of people from the seven countries.

More than 200 people with immigrant visas who left Yemen and are related to U.S. citizens or legal residents are stranded in Djibouti across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait from Yemen and were barred from flying to the United States, Goldberg

dren here who are without their parents,” she said.

Some other children in the group are U.S. citizens whose parents were traveling with immigrant visas, she added.

In Boston, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs on Sunday issued a ruling, to last seven days, that barred the detention and removal of approved refugees, visa holders and permanent U.S. residents who entered from the seven countries.

By early Thursday in Djibouti, Goldberg said, no one from the group she represented was being allowed to leave for the United States. She accused the Trump administration of “absolutely ignoring” rulings she believes should allow their departure.

In an email, a State Department official confirmed the agency had provisionally revoked “relevant visas as defined” under Trump’s executive order.

The White House said on Wednesday it has issued updated guidance on the order clarifying that green card holders require no waiver to enter the United States.

tonio Guterres says that he is “totally committed” to reforming the world organisation and it is the best way to get the support of all member countries.

Guterres was especially referring to the Donald Trump administration in the US, which has flung blistering criticism at it. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Guterres said he recognised that the UN needs reforms and he was doing everything “to be totally committed to those reforms”.

“Reforms will be the best way to get the support of all member states, including the US and its new administration,” he said. As its largest funder, US Permanent Representative Nikki Haley on her first visit here last week had sternly called for the reforms.

“Everything that’s not working, we’re going to try and fix; and anything that seems to be obsolete and not necessary, we’re going to do away with,” she declared.

“Our goal with the administration is to show value at the UN, and the way that we’ll show value is to show our strength, show our voice,” she said.

Speaking about reforms on Wednesday, Guterres said, “What I

Security Council President Volodymyr Yelchenko, too said that the “UN is far from the ideal” and it is “inefficient in some parts and needs to be reformed”.

However, as Permanent Representative of Ukraine, which hold the rotating Council presidency in February, Yelchenko did admit that Guterres was committed to reforms.

He added that he believed that the new Secretary-General would be the one who would be able to bring the changes to the UN. With anger boiling over in Congress and the administration in Washington because of a Security Council December resolution criticising Israel for building settlements in territories it occupied after the 1967 war, there were threats of cutting US contributions to the UN. Asked about it, Guterres was nonchalant. “When you talk too much about things that have not happened, you trigger the happening of those things,” he said with a touch of humour.

“So one thing you can be absolutely sure is that I will not be making comments on possibilities to enhance the post possibilities to possibly be a reality.”

Israel to build first new West Bank settlement since 1990s AMONA, FeBruAry 2 (reuTers): Israel said on Wednesday it would establish a new settlement in the occupied West Bank, the first since the late 1990s, to rehouse settlers evicted on the same day from an outpost built on private Palestinian land.

A statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he was making good on a commitment to the settlers of Amona and had ordered the formation of a committee to locate a site where they could rebuild their homes.

“As promised a month and a half ago to the settlers, (Netanyahu) has set up a committee that will promote the establishment of a new settlement... It will begin work immediately to locate a spot and to establish the settlement,” a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said.

The announcement was made shortly after Israel’s Supreme Court rejected a government plan to rehouse some of the Amona settlers on an adjacent plot because it ruled that homes built there would also encroach on land owned by Palestinians.

According to the Israeli human rights group, B’Tselem, Israel last estab-

lished new settlements in the West Bank in 1999, although outposts such as Amona, that settlers set up without official permission, have been built far more recently.

Around 330 Israeli settlers live in Amona, the largest of scores of outposts built in the West Bank. The Supreme Court ruled in November, after a lengthy legal battle, that settlers had to leave because their homes were built on privately owned Palestinian land.

On Wednesday, rightist protesters scuffled with Israeli police carrying out a court order to evict the Amona settlers, hours after the government announced more construction in larger settlements.

With no weapons visible but wearing backpacks, hundreds of police walked past burning tyres and pushed back against scores of nationalist Israeli youths who flocked to Amona in support of the settlers.

Working into the night the forces made slow progress, with three or four policemen at a time lifting each of the protesters out of dwellings in which they had holed up, and carrying them away onto buses.

By dark police said many

A protestor throws a stone towards Israeli security forces during an eviction of residents from the Israeli settler outpost of Amona in the occupied West Bank on February 1. (REUTERS Photo)

of Amona’s 40 families had left but some protesters remained holed up in the settlement’s synagogue and negotiations were ongoing to secure an orderly eviction.

Thirteen protesters were detained by police during the scuffles and there were a few instances of stone-throwing.

A police spokesmen said at least 20 officers were injured slightly by rocks and caustic liquid thrown at them.

“A Jew doesn’t evict a Jew!” the youngsters chanted.

The Amona settlers themselves stayed largely put inside their homes after erecting makeshift barriers in front of their doors and vowing passive resistance to eviction.

“We won’t leave our homes on our own. Pull us out, and we’ll go,” one settler told reporters. “It is a black day for Zionism.”

On a nearby hilltop, Issa

Zayed, a Palestinian who said he was one of the owners of the land on which Amona was built, watched the scene through binoculars. “With God’s help, it will be evacuated and our land will return to us,” he said.

Most countries consider all Israeli settlements to be illegal. Israel disagrees, citing historical and political links to the land - which the Palestinians also assert - as well as

security interests.

Earlier, Israel announced plans for 3,000 more settlement homes in the West Bank, the third such declaration in 11 days since U.S. President Donald Trump took office.

Trump, a Republican, has signalled he could be more accommodating toward such projects than his Democratic predecessor Barack Obama.

An announcement a week ago by Israel that it would build some 2,500 more dwellings in the West Bank, territory captured in the June 1967 Arab-Israeli war and where Palestinians now seek statehood, drew rebukes from the Palestinians and the European Union. It followed approval a few days before of over 560 new homes in East Jerusalem, also taken by Israel in 1967.

“The decision ... will place obstacles in the path of any effort to start a peace process that will lead to security and peace,” said Nabil Abu Rdainah, a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Palestinians want the West Bank and Gaza Strip for an independent state, with its capital in East Jerusalem. Israeli troops and settlers withdrew from Gaza in 2005.

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friDAY 03•02•2017

SPORTS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

cavs, Warriors win, bulls thump Thunder loS angeleS, FeBruary 2 (aFP): The NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers put a disappointing January behind them on Wednesday, delivering an overwhelming offensive performance in a 125-97 triumph over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Kyrie Irving passed for a career-high 14 assists and added 14 points, and superstar LeBron James added 27 points and 12 assists for a Cavs team that struggled to a 7-8 record in the first month of the year.

The team's 37 total assists were a season high, and they scored their most points in a game since a December 7 home victory over the New York Knicks.

"Are we going to have 37 assists every night? No. We have to make shots still, but the way Kyrie was moving the ball, myself, got guys involved, guys felt good when the ball got to them and they just locked and loaded and shot," James said. "We have to continue to do a great job and see what happens."

day afternoon, although coach Tyronn Lue declined to comment on the chances any of them would be signed.

"We're just continuing to look at ways to get better," Lue said. "Just starting the process of looking and seeing what we can find. That's it."

Tristan Thompson scored 18 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, Channing Frye scored 18 points starting in place of Kevin Love, who again sat out with a sore back.

While the Cavs lead the Eastern Conference at 33-15, they're nowhere near as dominant as the Golden State Warriors are in the West.

The Warriors pushed their league-leading record to 42-7 with a 126-111 romp past the Charlotte Hornets.

Stephen Curry drained six three-pointers in the first quarter, setting the tone for a James Michael McAdoo #20 of the Golden State Warriors goes up for a shot during a game against the 39-point performance. He and Charlotte Hornets on February 1, 2017 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. (Getty Images) teammate Klay Thompson James said at morning playing like a championship a vacant roster spot. combined for 17 three-pointers The Cavaliers auditioned total as the Warriors set club shoot-around he was focused team, after calling on manageon getting the current Cavs ment to add a playmaker to fill several free agents on Wednes- records for threes in a quarter

UEFA hands out 150 million euros to clubs for release of players ZurICH, FeBruary 2 (reuterS): UEFA has handed out a total of 150 million euros ($162.18 million) to clubs who released players for the Euro 2016 qualifying matches and final tournament, European soccer's governing body said Thursday.

UEFA said that 641 clubs from 54 national associations had benefited from solidarity payments which were made under an agreement to appease clubs who often complain about the amount of time their players spend with their national teams.

For the qualifying matches, an average of 3,536 euros was paid to a club each time one of their players was included in the 23-man squad of a national team, whether or not he played, UEFA said.

For Euro 2016 itself, 7,321 euros per player per day was paid to so-called Category One clubs, 4,821 euros for Category Two clubs and 2,410 euros for Category Three clubs.

"I am very pleased to see that we are able to provide financial benefits to so many clubs of all profiles and sizes in order to reward their contribution to Euro 2016," said UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.

Karl-Heinz Rummenig-

ge, chairman of the European Club Association (ECA), said clubs invested "substantial resources in the development of players."

"It is important and fair to recognise and reward the clubs for the release of their players," he said. "ECA is pleased that a serious agreement was found with UEFA, which benefits so many clubs from across Europe."

A similar agreement exists with soccer's governing body FIFA for the World Cup. Clubs have often complained that their players are involved in too many international games and sometimes come back injured, although they receive compensation under a FIFA scheme when that happens.

Despite his comments on Thursday, Rummenigge had again complained earlier this week that too many dates had been added to the international calendar.

"When I was a player, we didn't play more than eight international games a season, now they play 15," said the former West Germany forward.

According to the UEFA figures, Juventus received the biggest handout of 3.48 million euros, followed by Liverpool (3.39) and Tottenham Hotspur (3.07).

with nine in the first period and threes in a half, with 15 before the interval.

They totaled 21 from beyond the arc for the contest as they easily won a rematch of their narrow win over the Hornets at Charlotte last Wednesday.

- Bulls stampede Chicago forward Jimmy Butler scored 28 points to lead the Bulls to a 128-100 victory over the Thunder in Oklahoma City.

Butler connected on 11 of 17 shots from the field and added five assists and four rebounds as the Bulls opened a six-game road trip with a win.

Dwyane Wade added 18 points with seven assists and Robin Lopez scored 14 as Chicago connected on 60.5 percent of their shots from the field -68.4 percent in the second half.

Russell Westbrook led the Thunder with 28 points, but for the second straight game had to do without a triple-double, finishing with eight assists and five rebounds.

- Heat wave continues The Miami Heat notched their ninth straight victory, Goran Dragic leading the way with a game-high 27 points in a 116-93 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

"We just got better," Dragic said in explaining the sizzling form of a Heat team that despite the longest active winning streak in the league is still straggling at 20-30 for the season.

Tempers flared in the fourth quarter when Miami center Hassan Whiteside, trying to rise for a put-back basket after seizing an offensive rebound, was fouled by Taurean Prince.

Miami's James Johnson raced over and shoved Prince and both were ejected. After rising slowly, Whiteside stayed in the game, finishing with 18 points.

"I think (Whiteside) responded great," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "He gathered himself emotionally and controlled what he could control, which was to beat them on the court."

Kohli hails chahal after india seal T20 series win Bangalore, FeBruary 2 (agenCIeS): India captain Virat Kohli has hailed the emergence of his side's youngsters after they trampled England by 75 runs in the decider of the three-match series in Bangalore to add the T20 trophy to the Test and ODI series wins over the past three months.

"We got the results we wanted," Kohli said. "Obviously winning all three series feels really, really good right now because we're up against a top-quality side. We understand that and to come on top after the end of all three series is a great feeling altogether knowing that we didn't have that much experience in our teams.

"The Test team is almost as good as new. Even in the one-day circuit, we have 3-4 experienced guys, but rest of the guys who stepped up are all youngsters, which is, I think, is a massive, massive boost for Indian cricket."

Kohli singled out wristspinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who led the hosts to a series win in Bangalore with figures of 6 for 25, an Indian record, for special praise.

He was also pleased with the depth in the spin group, led by R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who were both rested for the T20 leg.

India's Yuzvendra Chahal celebrates the wicket of England's Joe Root. (REUTERS Photo)

"The key today was to take wickets in the middle overs," Kohli said. "Chahal didn't do such a bad job with that. I always back someone like Chahal. In the IPL too, I use him in most of the matches. He never says no to bowling with the new ball or bowling in the middle overs, so I mean having a guy like this is great. He doesn't say no to any situation."

It was Amit Mishra who set the stage for Chahal by removing Jason Roy with a loopy legbreak in the seventh over before finishing

with 1 for 23. Mishra's last over in the 13th, which cost India just three runs, preceded Chahal's third over in which the latter took down England's big guns Joe Root and captain Eoin Morgan. Kohli said that the wicket-taking ability of Chahal and Mishra would allow the management to rest Ashwin and Jadeja "whenever" they want.

"See guys like Chahal and Mishy, who has done well for us in limited-overs and in Tests also," Kohli said. "Jayant [Yadav] too came in beautifully and did

very well for us in the Tests.

It gives us an opportunity to rest Ashwin and Jadeja whenever we want. There is no harm in using them as Test specialists and keeping them fresh. Guys like Chahal and Mishra and even [Parvez] Rasool are bowling so well. So we have a lot of spinners who are not only run-containing bowlers but also wickettaking bowlers.

"Chahal and Mishra both have an attacking mindset. All I tell them is go for the wickets, even if you get hit for a six, no big deal.

Having them as the next line of spinners is a great thing for us."

Suresh Raina, arriving in the second over of the match after Kohli was run-out for 2, showed that attacking mindset with the bat to lay the groundwork for India's score of 202 for 6.

He set off with a flair-dripping inside-out six over the cover-point boundary and often flitted around the crease to throw the bowlers off their lengths, a departure from India's recent safety-first approach with the bat in T20s.

"The way we batted was again a revelation," Kohli said. "Even after me getting out initially, Raina and KL [Rahul] didn't stop their instincts, which is needed in T20 cricket. To reveal themselves, to find their characters, players need to play that way. They don't need to think about what has happened. They need to keep thinking and looking ahead. That's exactly what we did this game."

Kohli also credited MS Dhoni and senior seamer Ashish Nehra for offering their inputs during various stages of the limitedovers series.

"I take a lot of advice from MS and am always speaking a lot to Ashish Nehra too," Kohli said. "In the ODI series, I was talk-

ing to MS a lot. Although I have captained in the Test format for a while, ODI and T20 games move very fast. So to take advice from a person who has captained the side at this level for so long and understands the game really well is never a bad idea in crucial situations."

Kohli revealed that he was looking to squeeze an over from allrounder Hardik Pandya and widen the equation further after exhausting Chahal's quota, but instead turned to a strike bowler in Jasprit Bumrah after discussing with Dhoni and Nehra. Bumrah responded by sewing up the game and the series with two wickets in three balls.

"Bringing on Bumrah right after that over from Chahal, I was thinking of giving [Hardik] Pandya another over instead," Kohli said. "[Dhoni and Nehra] suggested that let's not wait till the 19th over and instead bring on the main bowlers. So these things really help when you are a new captain in the limitedovers format. But again, I am not new to captaincy, but there has to be a balance between understanding the skills needed to lead in shorter formats.

MS has been helping a lot on that front."

public discourse

Toxic Politics Versus Better Development in Naga Society Pamreihor Khashimwo

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he correlation between politics and development is changing recklessly. Today all Naga leaders and politicians are locked in bizarre, often toxic, conflicts, instead of acting on a growing development and economic consensus about how to escape a protracted period of crippling social and political mess, low and unequal development. This trend must be reversed before it structurally cripples the entire Naga society and sweeps up the emerging development politics. No matter how proper the established administrations or governments and institutions might be, if a big fish could devour a small fish at will, then that must be a patent violation of human justice. Obviously, political infighting in Naga is nothing new. But, until recently, the toxic politics reach its pinnacle in Naga society. Also, many more radical leaders attempted to push a different agenda, powerful forces – whether moral coaxing from governments, private capital markets, or the conditionality attached to illegitimate institutions (parallel government) – would almost always ensure that the selfish profit-making approach eventually won the day.

The present Naga generation, which had risen to power on the back of domestic unease and frustration with mainstream parties –

sometimes disagreed with the appropriateness and relevance of the Naga traditional ethos. Particularly, the present leaders demonstrated with a policy pivot in power hungry attitude, that consensus failed largely to prevail and continued to hold sway as recently as today. But after more than decades of unusually sluggish and strikingly non-inclusive political process across the Naga society, thus, the coherence is breaking down. The majority of the Naga citizens are frustrated with an “institution” or “establishment” – including dominant Naga political leaders, for the political misadventure, economic travails, and rampant corruption. As a result, anti-establishment movements and many acquisitive Naga leaders have been quick to seize on this frustration, using inflammatory and even combative rhetoric to win the support of innocent Naga public.

The recent Urban Local Body (ULB) polls dispute is happening for one reason, however, many tribal leaders and institutions in Nagaland feared that they would be unable to secure sufficiently their inherent tribal base in democratic institutions due to 33 percent women reservation blitzkrieg, certainly exposed the division of Naga society. In fact, the ULB polls process itself require proper debate, whether this really infringes and invades inherent Naga’s right, which fundamentally demands time to formulate a coherent social and political strategy keeping in

view the changing political discourse of Naga society. Nevertheless, many individual and leaders pandered to anti-women reservation bill skeptics supporters with the promise of fundamental inherent tribal rights, system, and development. The source of antiwomen reservation bill and the political disruption caused by the change skeptics people and leaders – these individual, groups, parties and organisations that ended up creating deeply seated fissures and subsequently found itself in logically perplexed argument, approaches, leaderless and turmoil in the society.

Make mistake, but solid and credible policy options are available. After many years of mediocre development performance, there is widespread agreement across Naga society that a shift away from excessive dependence on unconventional political and monetary policy is needed. And yet Nagas have been.

Nagaland needs a more comprehensive policy approach, involving progrowth and developmental structural reforms, more balanced demand management (including higher fiscal spending on infrastructure and education), and better cross-tribal policy coordination and architecture. There is also a need, highlighted by the current ULB polls exposes, to address pockets of severe over-indebtedness, which can have a crushing impact extending well beyond the directly affected. It noted that rebuilding faith

in the political process and leaders would be a “difficult task.” In fact, politics framed the bargaining between different groups and social relating to individual identity, beliefs, and values that hold society together.

The ULB polls conflicts and debates show how the Naga society is in an existential crisis.

All this tells us that the recent political entente remains fragile in Nagaland; our vulnerable tribal communities are affected by politicking, distracted and overwhelmed. Yet a constructive approach to toxic politics is possible. It would begin with a serious intellectual battle among Nagas and leaders on the threat, necessary responses, and technical feasibility. The tribals representatives should consult fully - not only with ruling and power elites but also with the women. The current leaders, for their part, need to make up their minds: if they want the change, development, and some control, they will also have to bear some of the costs. Mixing theoretical and empirical analyses, the tension reigns in between universalism and particularism in Naga tribal political discourse and narratives and tribal identity. The implications reach beyond political leaders to shed light on the paradoxical relationship between politics, policy-formation, and identity amidst changing conceptions of Naga politics.

The study of current Nagaland politics since its formation show,

how different understandings of different identities influence and shape the state policy. Placing the Naga political debates in social and historical context, it identifies major narratives within the Naga grand political policy community from which emerge divergent interpretations of tribal identity. Through a discursive analysis of political debates, how the emergence of a "normal" political policy is caught between competing understandings of the different tribes and the ambiguous role of the state, as both increasingly confront the uncertain trajectories of Naga’s politics. Certainly, toxic politics dominates in Naga society.

The emergence of a new consensus on these points is good news.

But, in the current political environment in Nagaland, translating that consensus into action is not likely to happen, even if expected to happen too slowly, at best. The risk is that as toxic politics crowds out good and constructive politics, development, and economics, popular anger and frustration will rise, making politics even more toxic. One hope that enlightened various Naga individual, leaders, women and political leadership take the reins in time to make the needed mid-course corrections voluntarily, before unambiguous signs of development and political crisis force policymakers and leaders to scramble to minimize the damage.

The public does not know who to believe, who to trust and what in-

formation is reliable or completely false. Everywhere, politics has become toxic, with bitter infighting, armed conflicts, and even mob justice. The fact of life that across the Naga, there is little support for overall public goods, as individual insecurity tends to blame other for all the problems, “We, Naga are blind to our own blindness.” In reality, the polarization of politics has meant that better development is receding mainly because Nagas are beginning to look inward, alienating both allies and foes alike. The leadership deficit occurs because there is little trust in any of the leaders, what the Naga lacks most is not more economic or politics, but a philosophy about individual and community identity in a society in the grip of radical change.

Nagas are all insecure because the present values are challenged by these rapid changes, from fanaticism, extremism and toxic politics to dysfunctional politics, corruption in morality and disruptive technology.

Naga needs a new narrative to find our sense of balance; Naga simply does not have a political, social and development philosophy for the 21st century. Indubitably, toxic politics take the shine on a better development in Naga society.

Doctoral Candidate, Centre for European Studies, School of International Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University

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

Friday 03•02•2017

EntErtainmEnt

‘Kung Fu Yoga’ promises abundant entertainment while on a treasure hunt

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Yoko Ono developing film about romance with John Lennon

he Japanese artist was married to The Beatles icon from 1969 until his tragic death in 1980, when he was shot dead by deranged fan Mark David Chapman outside the couple's New York City home. Now Yoko is preparing to detail their loving relationship in an upcoming drama, which will chronicle the pair's romance from the late 1960s and the musicians' shared passion as peace activists.

The Theory of Everything screenwriter Anthony MCCarten has been tapped to pen the as-yetuntitled project, which Yoko will produce alongside Captain Phillips and The Social Network's Michael De Luca.

"The story will focus on ripe and relevant themes of love, courage and activism in the U.S. - with the intention of inspiring today's

youth to stand up for and have a clear vision for the world they want," De Luca declares in a statement issued to Deadline.com.

"I am also honored and privileged to be working with Yoko Ono, Anthony MCCarten and Josh Bratman to tell the story of two amazing global icons."

MCCarten is no stranger to real-life film subjects - in addition to adapting The Theory of Everything, which chronicled the relationship between famed physicist Stephen Hawking and his ex-wife Jane Wilde Hawking, he has also worked on forthcoming Winston Churchill film Darkest Hour, starring Gary Oldman as the late British wartime Prime Minister, and Bohemian Rhapsody, which features Mr. Robot actor Rami Malek as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.

ackie Chan's IndoChina action adventure, 'Kung Fu Yoga', directed by Stanley Tong, revolves around a treasure hunt. The international action star plays a professor of archaeology in it. The story revolves around a hunt initiated by Indian professor, Asmita (Disha Patani) and her assistant Kyra (Amyra Dastur), who approach him to locate the lost treasure of Magadh.

When the trio reaches the cave at the Into-Tibetan border, where the army found shelter centuries ago, Randall (Sonu Sood), a descendent of the rebel leader, Arunasva, arrives to claim the treasure. Jack, Asmita and Kyra escape the scuffle that ensues, but destiny brings them face-to-face with Randall in Dubai where a rare gem from the treasure would be auctioned.

T Sonu Sood, who is distributing the film in India under his banner, Shakti Sagar Productions, in association with Lawrence Paul, says, "Jackie Chan is hugely popular in India and he loved the warmth and affection he received during his recent visit to Mumbai. He's excited about the film's release here. While

it feels great to be a part of this Indo-Chinese collaboration, I also feel proud to present 'Kung Fu Yoga' in India and we've pulled all stops to make it Jackie's biggest release here." 'Kung Fu Yoga' releases February 3.

Director's take Stanley Tong "Making 'Kung Fu Yoga'

was challenging because justice had to be done to India and China's history and culture that date back to thousands of years. Our cultures have a lot in common. What makes this film interesting is that it's akin to a big event, offering cinegoers a visual treat enjoyable at several levels."

T

aylor Swift's empowering 2016 Grammys speech has been made into a promotional video for the awards show. The 27-year-old singer turned heads last year when she picked up the gong for Album of the Year for '1989' and gave a moving speech in which she called for young women to ''focus'' on their passions and achieve success.

In a new promotional video released by The Recording Academy, the 'Blank Space' hitmaker's wise words have been recited by young women from all walks of life and career paths, including dancers, musicians, and athletes.

Taylor's powerful speech read: ''I want to say to all the young women out there: There are going to be peo-

son Rohan has launched a contest to find his father’s biggest American fan

R

world. Rohan is launching the competition on the official Bob Marley music app as part of a week of celebrations marking what

would've been the Jamaican musician's 72nd birthday on 6 February (17).

One lucky prize winner will be flown to New York City alongside a guest where they will have lunch with Rohan and discuss his legendary father. "This is a chance for me to meet one of the best Bob Marley fans and share the many blessings that my father has given to the world," Rohan said.

The 44-year-old will decide on the winner by reading app users' justifications of why they are Bob's greatest fan in the app's comments section. The competition is only open to fans in the U.S. He will announce the winner on 8 February (17).

activism: Brie Larson

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yonce,” “Blue” and “Beyhive” also trending.

“We would like to share our love and happiness. We have been blessed two times over,” the mother-to-be captioned a photo of herself cradling her sizeable bump.

Source: Contactmusic

A

ctress Brie Larson says she sees her job as an actor and making movies "as a form of activism". The 27-yearold actress is "proud" that her role as Mason Weaver in "Kong: Skull Island" highlights the plight of journalists who risk their lives to share the truth with the public.

"I make movies as a form of activism. I believe we learn from what we see in our leaders.

I'm proud to play Mason Weaver in 'Kong: Skull Island' because she represents the many journalists who risk their lives every day to share with us the truth.

"Weaver leads with compassion and believes that unity cannot be obtained through aggression. I'm excited to share this film with you.

And in the meanwhile I'm thrilled to have this platform as a way to connect us. Let's work together. Let’s be open to learning from each other," Larson posted on Instagram.

03862-237226 Ticket Counter (09:00 AM - 09:00 PM)

WWW.BooKMYsHoW.CoM (ID: PLAYBox DIMAPur)

Ward 5 (6) Burma Camp, Landmark - Near J.K Hospital Dimapur.

Power House.

Hillstar NOW SHOWING Kaabil

08:00 PM

Raees

Shakira challenges fans to perfect her dance moves

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within 15 minutes of the announcement, there were over 17,000 tweets sent per minute about Beyonce’s post, according to the social media platform. In addition, “twins” was the top trend on Twitter, with “Be-

our annual Grammy Award brand campaigns. I think our campaigns tap into the dominant theme of what's happening in society, and this year, The Recording Academy felt it right to highlight music's uplifting aspects. ''Although most of the spots carry the message with humour, as a father of two young girls, it was important to me to also create something that would speak specifically to them and all women - using music's inspirational language to help them feel empowered.''

Since the video's release on Tuesday (31.01.17), the clip has garnered huge support, with Taylor's close friend Gigi Hadid saying it moved her and her sister Bella to ''full tears''.

Source: PTI

Source: Contactmusic

Beyoncé Breaks Instagram Record with Twins Announcement he singer, who announced she was expecting twins with husband Jay Z on Wednesday, received 6.4 million likes and over 339,000 comments on her baby bump photo, less than eight hours after it was posted. Within the first hour, it had over 2.4 million likes and 166,000 comments.

Queen Bey’s baby post surpasses previous record holder Selena Gomez‘s photo of herself drinking Coca-Cola with the lyrics “You’re the Spark” from her hit song “Me & The Rhythm” on the bottle which collected 6.3 million likes since last June.

Similarly on Twitter, the BeyHive were in a frenzy.

Within 45 minutes of Beyoncé making her pregnancy announcement, there were over half a million tweets about the baby news. By 1:54 p.m. E.T., or

revIseD TICKeT rATes (silver) : `.120 (Gold) : `. 200 (recliner) : `. 400

Source: TNN

ple along the way who try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame. ''But if you just focus on the work and you don't let those people sidetrack you, someday, when you get where you're going, you will look around and you will know -- it was you, and the people who love you, who put you there. And that will be the greatest feeling in the world.''

The clip - named 'It Was You' comes as part of the award show's 'Believe In Music' campaign, which The Recording Academy's Chief Marketing Officer Evan Greene said aims to ''tap into what's happening in society''.

He said in a statement: ''Music both reflects and advances culture, so we try to do the same with

Bob Marley's son searching Movies are for father's biggest fan my form of Bob Marley’s

eggae legend Bob died in 1981 at the age of 36 after battling cancer, but his music is still loved all over the

o attract youth, tourists and visitors to India’s North East, Don Bosco Museum Shillong is holding a competition for musicians and lyricists to compose a lively theme song with an indigenous cultural touch of the North East for a 10 minute music video.

The selected best will be awarded Rs. 20,000 and a certificate. Last date for submission is February 22. For more info, contact Director, Don Boscao Museum (9436118732; jputhen@ gmail.com).

Now ShowiNg

Taylor Swift’s Grammy speech used in empowering commercial

Source: Contactmusic

C M Y K

Open Competition for Musicians & Lyricists

“We are incredibly grateful that our family will be growing by two, and we thank you for your well wishes. –The Carters.” The couple who wed in 2008 already share daughter Blue Ivy, 5.

he sexy Colombian shakes her stuff in the new promo for Chantaje, her duet with Maluma, and now she has invited her fans to recreate her groovy moves. Devotees can post their efforts on social media, using the hashtag #ChantajeChallengeContest.

The fan who impresses the singer most will get to accompany Shakira to a soccer match in Barcelona, Spain. And the Hips Don't Lie singer has already been impressed by those taking on the challenge early: "Killing it with your Chantaje dance moves," she wrote. "You guys are good. Keep posting your videos and I'll pick my favorite one and invite the winner to come hang with me at a match in Barcelona."

Source: People.com

Source: Contactmusic

02:00 PM

Resident evil Final chapteR )3d

11:00 AM | 05:00 PM

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friDAY 03•02•2017

SPORTS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Frank Lampard retires Man City dazzle as United held by Hull

C M Y K

LONDON, February 2 (aFP): Former England and Chelsea midfield star Frank Lampard retired on Thursday aged 38, calling time on a playing career that will be remembered as one of the Premier League's finest.

Lampard did not reveal what he plans to do next, but said he was grateful to the Football Association for the opportunity to do his coaching badges, suggesting he may go into management.

Chelsea's record goalscorer said he turned down "a number of exciting offers" to carry on playing in Britain and abroad, with Swansea manager Paul Clement revealing he had unsuccessfully approached Lampard over a move to the Premier League strug-

glers in January.

"After 21 incredible years I have decided that now is the right time to finish my career as a professional footballer," Lampard wrote on Facebook.

"I'm immensely proud of the trophies I've won, of representing my country over 100 times and of scoring more than 300 career goals."

Lampard left New York City FC in the autumn and also played for West Ham United and Manchester City in the Premier League.

But it was at Stamford Bridge where he really made his name as a prolific midfielder.

He scored 211 times for the Blues and won every major club honour, netting the goals which in 2005 secured the club's first championship title in 50 years.

"Of course, the largest part of my heart belongs to Chelsea Football Club, a club which has given me so many great memories," Lampard wrote.

"I will never forget the opportunity they gave me and the success that we managed to achieve together. It is impossible to give thanks individually to all the people that helped and supported me in my 13 years playing there.

"All I can say is from the day I signed until now and going forward, I'm eternally grateful for everything and to everyone. Chelsea fans gave myself and my teammates such incredible support.

"Their passion and hunger drove me on personally to give my best year after year. I couldn't have done it without them."

- 'Greatest Chelsea player' Lampard was a pivotal figure in the greatest period in Chelsea's history as he helped the west London club win the Champions League, three Premier Leagues, four FA Cups, two League Cups, the Europa League and a Community Shield.

He thrived under Jose Mourinho's management, scoring 13 goals in their 2005 title-winning season and netting 16 times the following season as Chelsea retained their title.

In 2005, he finished runner-up to Barcelona forward Ronaldinho in both the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards.

Lampard scored 10 or more Premier League goals in 10 successive seasons for Chelsea and peaked with 22 as he picked up a third Premier League winner's medal in 2009-10.

After many years of agonising near misses, including a penalty shoot-out defeat against Manchester United in the 2008 final, Lampard finally capped his glittering career with Champions League glory in 2011-12.

With John Terry suspended, Lampard captained underdogs Chelsea to a shock penalty shootout win over Bayern Munich in the German club's own Allianz Arena.

Lampard's retirement drew tributes from across the world of football, including his old friend Terry.

"The greatest player in the history of our great football club," Terry wrote on Instagram.

"All the great memories together winning trophy after trophy year after year I will never forget. You have won everything and should be extremely proud.

"It's been my pleasure and honour to play and experience all those great moments with you.

"A gentleman both on and off the pitch, leader in the dressing room and if I could choose one person next to me in the trenches, it would be you."

Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba also called it "an honour" to play with Lampard.

"I've learnt so much at practices with you but even more when we were staying after training trying to find ways to score more goals."

Ashley Cole, who was a Chelsea and England team-mate, also hailed Lampard's work ethic.

"The dedication you had will not be matched by a lot of players, you worked every day after most went home," Cole wrote on Instagram.

West Ham United's Michail Antonio in action with Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne. (Reuters Photo)

LONDON, February 2 (reuters): Manchester City turned on the style to dismantle West Ham United 4-0 and revive their fading Premier League title aspirations as Manchester United's hopes suffered a potentially fatal blow with a goalless home draw against struggling Hull City on Wednesday.

City produced a scintillating first-half display, scoring three times before the break through Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and new boy Gabriel Jesus, before Yaya Toure's penalty capped a one-sided romp at the London Stadium.

Clinical finishing was in short supply at Old Trafford, however, where United came up against an inspired performance from Hull keeper Eldin Jakupovic, who made a string of superb saves to keep Jose Mourinho's side at bay.

While City's victory moved them level on 46 points with fourthplaced Liverpool and kept leaders Chelsea just about in their sights, United's slip-up left them sixth, four points adrift of City and 14 off the summit.

Hull's unlikely point moved them off the foot of the table while Stoke City and Everton drew 1-1.

It has not been plain sailing for City manager Pep Guardiola in recent months and he came into Wednesday's game facing the prospect of losing three successive top-flight away matches for the first time in his managerial career.

City had already beaten West Ham twice this season with an aggregate score of 8-1 and they were returning to the London Stadium less than a month after thrashing their hosts 5-0 in the FA Cup third round.

De Bruyne started and finished off a swift counter to put them ahead after 17 minutes and with the home side in disarray, City turned the screw.

Sane gave Silva a tap-in at the far post four minutes later, before Jesus grabbed his first for the club.

City's January signing side-footed in Raheem Sterling's pass six minutes before the break and when Sterling was felled by Jose Fonte, making his West Ham debut, Toure stepped up to thump his penalty into the net.

YOUTHFUL FRONTLINE Jesus caught the eye with his highenergy display and as part of a youthful front three with Sterling and Sane, had City boss Guardiola purring.

"Gabriel Jesus is a fighter with an instinct for the goal. He's good at as-

sists too," Guardiola told the BBC. "We played a front three with an average age of 20. I like the fans to be excited. Those players are the future of the club."

United, facing Hull for the third time in 23 days after their League Cup semi-final, were thwarted by a determined Jakupovic, who saved well from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and even more impressively from substitute Juan Mata.

Daley Blind, Marcus Rojo, Marcus Rashford and Ibrahimovic missed further chances as United dominated, although they almost suffered a stunning defeat when Lazar Markovic hit the post for Hull.

Stoke's Peter Crouch dusted off his robot dance after opening the scoring against Everton with his 100th Premier League goal after seven minutes, finishing on the stretch after Marko Arnautovic had broken the offside trap.

At 36 years and two days, the former Liverpool and England forward is the oldest player to reach his Premier League century.

The lead lasted until six minutes before the break when Ryan Shawcross deflected Seamus Coleman's shot into his own goal.

barCeLONa, February 2 (reuters): Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi scored stunning goals to edge Barcelona towards a fourth consecutive King's Cup final with a 2-1 win at Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, although the holders were lucky to survive a late onslaught from the hosts.

Suarez opened the scoring with a breath-taking individual goal in the seventh minute, carving Atletico open with a thrusting run from the halfway line and producing a crisp low finish before Messi smashed in off the post from outside the area in the 33rd.

Atletico vastly improved in the second half and after Antoine Griezmann's header reduced the deficit in the 59th minute they laid siege to the Barca area, but the equaliser remained elusive.

The return leg at the Nou Camp takes place next Tuesday although neither Barca forward Neymar nor Atletico captain Gabi will be able to play through suspension after picking up

Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates with Luis Suarez after scoring their second goal. (Reuters Photo)

bookings.

"It would be absurd to think you can come to the Calderon and not suffer.

We did everything to try and survive their waves of pressure and for now we can enjoy the result," Barca coach Luis Enrique told reporters.

"You could say we should have been more effective in the second half and finished the tie off, but that's just theory, the reality is they had a lot more chances than us. There's things I need to improve

but it's a huge result for us."

With his side trailing by two goals, Simeone had nothing to lose and made an attacking change at the break, bringing on Fernando Torres for defender Sime Vrsaljko. Roared on by the typically raucous Vicente Calderon crowd, Atletico suddenly looked more determined to get back into the tie.

A clever back-heel by Torres released Gabi from close range but Jordi Alba made a vital block. Barca could not contain Atletico

for long, however, and their goal arrived from an old staple of Simeone's side, a set piece.

Gabi chipped the ball deep into the box for Diego Godin to glance across the box and Griezmann rose to nod Atletico back into the tie.

The France international had a chance to level soon after as Filipe Luis rolled the ball across to him but Jasper Cillessen made himself big and stopped the shot at point-blank range.

The Dutch goalkeeper looked shaky for much of the second half, however, and was fortunate his frailties were not punished by Atletico, as Torres and Gameiro each missed the target after moments of indecision.

"In the second half we were much closer to how we wanted to be," Atletico coach Simeone said.

"I'm very happy with the image we showed in the second half, with our intensity and attitude. We leave here with the sensation that if we play like that in the second leg we can still go through."

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Suarez, Messi wonder strikes give Barca edge at Atletico

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