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The Morung Express
Dimapur Vol. X issuE 34
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www.morungexpress.com
Friday, February 6, 2015 12 pages Rs. 4
I slept and dreamt that life was joy; I awoke and saw that life was service; I acted and, behold, service was joy Delhi polls: High decibel campaign draws to a close
By Sandemo Ngullie
NSRLM to use two-wheelers for better service [ PAGE 2]
“Mayday, mayday, engine flameout”
[ PAGE 11]
[ PAGE 8]
reflections
‘She is back!’ Sanjay Gupta tweets movie teaser showing Ash
[ PAGE 9]
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– Rabindranath Tagore
Taekwondo fighters from rival group now OK for Olympics [ PAGE 12]
cM wins trust vote in nlA •Yes – 59 •no – nil •ABstAin – nil •totAl = 59
No opposition as 59 legislators vote yes in vote of confidence our Correspondent Kohima | February 5
What`s with you two, huh? You fight as if you’re to become the rulers.
The Morung Express Poll QuEsTion
Vote on www.morungexpress.com sMs your answer to 9862574165 Is the ‘VIP Culture’ impacting the quality of leadership in Nagaland state? Yes
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Feb 6 bandh is called off DIMAPUR, FEBRUARY 5 (MExN): The Consumers’ Forum of Tseminyu sub division, Pughoboto sub division, Wozhero range and the Rengma Students’ Union have called off the NH 2 bandh, which was scheduled to be imposed on February 6. A press note from the action committee of the consumer’s forum said that the decision to call off the bandh was arrived at after coming to an agreement with the power department that the latter would take all grievances of the affected regions on top priority.
One arrested for fraud
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DIMAPUR, FEBRUARY 5 (MExN): One man was arrested for a scam involving nearly Rs. 40 lakhs. The arrested man, identified as one Abhay Kothari, had allegedly taken ‘advances’ (cash) from people interested in buying used vehicles brought from outside Nagaland. The man was arrested this February after his customers, the people from who he took the monetary advances, lodged a police complaint in January last. According to the police, the amounts advanced by the complainants ranged from Rs. 2 lakhs to as high as Rs. 4 lakhs depending on the brand of the car. The amounts, advanced over a period of two years, amounted to Rs. 39,12,000 in total. The complainants finally went to the police as Kothari not only failed to deliver the cars as promised but also could not refund the advanced cash. Hailing from Marine Drive, Mumbai, he has been residing in Dimapur for several years now with his residence in Lengrijan. He was booked and charged under IPC sections 468/420.
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Nagaland state Chief Minister, TR Zeliang won a confidence motion in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) here today, with 59 legislators, in the house of 60, voting in favour of his government. In a special assembly session held in the wake of a month long political tussle in the state, NLA speaker Chotisuh Sazo put to vote the motion of confidence on Thursday. The voice vote displayed a resounding favour for the ‘Ayes’ (Yes). At this juncture the CM pleaded for ballot voting to ensure a proper record of the house, to which the Speaker agreed. The Speaker thereupon announced the result of the vote as in favour of the government. “The curtains have finally come down on the political developments during the past one month or so. Non- issues were made into sensational issues, and blown out of proportion, and the council of ministers bore the brunt of the onslaught,” said the CM while addressing a press conference this evening at his residential office. He lamented that the situation of political uncertainty could have been averted, but for the “misguidance by vested interests.” Arguing that democracy is not only about numbers, Zeliang said “It is also about adherence to principles and beliefs, and the supremacy of the rule of law.” “The result of vot-
Nagaland Governor P.B Acharya addressing the Seventh (Emergent) Session of the 12th NLA on February 5. (DIPR Photo)
nPf noke says vote in favour of DAn not cM our Correspondent Kohima | February 5
The NPF led by Noke Wangnao has meanwhile clarified that their vote for the confidence motion was in favour of the DAN government and not for the leadership of Chief Minister, TR Zeliang. “From the very first day we have been saying that we are not against the party nor are we against the DAN Government,” said the party, in a press note. “We have only called for a change of leadership as we have lost confidence in the leadership of minority Chief Minister TR Zeliang. We will never vote out the DAN Government, because we respect the mandate of the people and we will never let down our people,” it added. The party further affirmed that its opposition to the leadership of TR Zeliang continues and “we will continue our legitimate demand for him to step down as the Chief Minister.” Stating that the present political crisis is, in fact, only an internal matter of the NPF, it said “our aim was only to change the leadership and never to change the DAN ing in the Special Assembly session has exposed the hollowness of the claims of those who sought the dismissal of my government,” he added. He said that truth and moral standards has
government. Therefore, the question of removing the DAN government or going against our own party did not arise.” It opined that the internal matter of a political party does not necessitate the calling of an assembly session. “Everybody, including the Governor and central leaders have accepted that today’s political crisis is only an internal problem of the NPF,” it claimed. “Perhaps, the minority leader was keen to call this session so that he could garner the support of other political parties despite losing the confidence of his own party. Since he no longer enjoyed the support of his own party, he had no option but to call a session of the House,” the NPF Noke said. It lamented that the state’s exchequer and public funds are being “wasted by calling this session just so that the minority chief minister can hang on to power through promises of benefits and plump berths.” It further alleged that the present CM’s tenure has engulfed the state into crisis. “The CM has totally failed to provide efficient administration as development was
been the biggest casualty in the campaigns to “overthrow my government.” The CM further thanked the NPF party led by Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu, its president, office
pushed to the backseat with widespread instability…” it reiterated. It also said that the ongoing peace process has been sidelined and that the role of active facilitator in the political dialogue, which the DAN has been seriously pursuing, no longer exists. The DAN alliance, it claimed has not functioned for the last seven months since the change of guard, adding that the spirit of the alliance was broken. “Not a single DAN coordination committee meeting was called and the NPF president summoned a meeting only when the present crisis erupted,” It said. The NPF Noke further stated that the CM has “lost the mandate and confidence of his own party but has shamelessly clung on to power in the most unconstitutional manner and has shamed democracy forever. History will judge him as a leader who refused to vacate his chair despite losing the confidence and mandate of the people.” It then recalled that in 2013, the NPF won 38 seats in the assembly elections. “The 2013 mandate was a record victory for the regional party and the mandate
bearers and workers; the parties of the DAN coalition, the Congress Legislature Party under Tokheho Yepthomi and the independent legislators for extending their support to the
of the electorate of Nagaland was crystal clear. Today, the majority of the NPF party organization led by 10 divisions, 44 assembly constituency units, a majority of the central office bearers, 22 MLAs and both the Members of Parliament from Nagaland have supported the move for leadership change,” the NPF Noke claimed On January 12, it reminded that a special emergency meeting of the NPF party organization, including central office bearers, 22 MLAs, 2 MPS and the “majority” of CEC members had “unanimously resolved to remove the NPF president Dr. Shurhozelie for his dictatorial and autocratic style of functioning and unanimously elected Noke Wangnao as the NPF president.” This dispute, it said is being looked at by the Election Commission of India and claimed that “until the dispute is resolved Dr. Shurhozelie has been de-recognized as the NPF president.” It further stated that the ECI has “nullified all orders of disciplinary action issued by the former president and has further curtailed all his powers and functions.”
council of ministers headed by him as Chief Minister. “Today’s voting on the floor of the Assembly has laid bare the senseless and baseless blitz of propaganda through newspapers,
poster campaigns in the streets and social networks,” he said. The CM added that the crisis traversed well beyond the internal affairs of the NPF party. “The demand was in
fact the dismantling of the duly instituted DAN government. If it had been an internal matter of the NPF party as claimed by Kaito Aye today, then why did his group refuse to attend the NPF legislature party meeting and DAN legislature party meetings convened by me as their leader? I was also disappointed to hear Kuzholuzo Nienu speak out about convening special sessions of the assembly every month. Such casualness and levity inside the house is unbecoming of a senior leader like him. The affairs of the state should not be taken so casually,” he said. Also stating that the air has been cleared, and contentious issues resolved on the floor of the house, he said, “I appeal to the misguided NPF MLAs to return to the party fold.” “Our doors are open, but those who continue to indulge in anti-party activities will have to be appropriately dealt with,” he cautioned. “The vote of confidence in the house today must be construed not just as a vote of confidence in my government, but also as a resounding call amongst the legislators, across party lines,” the CM said, adding “we must work collectively and unitedly to arrive at a solution to the Naga political issue at the earliest.” On the development front, he said Nagas must become economically self reliant. “The proceedings in the house today clearly show that the objectives set by my government have the unanimous support of the legislators and the people,” he said. The CM further informed that replacing the Ministers who had resigned or were dropped from his cabinet would be done at an appropriate time. Related story on page 5
something cuckoo with church attacks evoke protest march the NLA Feb 5 floor test Morung Express news Dimapur| February 5
While ‘muted citizens’ of Nagaland waited with animated breath, Thursday’s floor test for a vote of confidence among squabbling legislators and ‘neutral legislators’ at the 12th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) emergent one-day session qualified as a suspense thriller paperback. With the anticipated verdict of the Election Commission of India (ECI) post February 16, which would hand over the NPF party symbol and leadership rights either to ‘presidents in dispute’ Noke Wangnao or Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu, there is a more in the offing. It surprised the public that on Thursday, an overwhelming 59 legislators, which include the divided 38 NPF legislators—21 with Kaito and 16 with TR Zeliang (Speaker not included)—along with 8 Independent, 8 Congress, 4 BJP, I NCP and 1JD (U) rooted for TR Zeliang at the Assembly. It also baffled many-a-mind that even the Congress, which is in the opposition, voted in favour of TR Zeliang. Even the four BJP MLAs went against the directive of their Central leaders to abstain from voting. But, despite this ‘pretended show of camaraderie,’ polit-
ical observers apprehend that Thursday’s result is not the end of the dispute in the divided NPF party but signs of worse days to come. “It just got murkier. What took place today at the Assembly is only a display of the spontaneity of political intrigue in action. “Maybe the role of Congress legislators joining TR Zeliang had something to do with it. Maybe Kaito’s group decided to make a detour and go along with the house and postpone the bigger fight for another day,” a political observer from Dimapur inferred. “More importantly, the decision of the ECI will decide the fate of the two NPF groups, which may play a more crucial role in our State’s political crisis than today’s confidence vote,” he added. It is another thought to ponder on whether the vote of confidence would have any effect on the decision of the ECI. The two groups of the NPF are expected to make final submission of documents to the ECI on February 16, following which the latter will decide whether the Noke Wangnao led NPF or Dr. Shurhozelie led NPF has the right to the Cock symbol, and ultimately the leadership. The ECI has categorically maintained that it did not take cognizance of any disciplinary
action against any member of the NPF party nor did it give any interim direction recognizing either of the parties as the NPF or any person as its President. “Today’s Assembly session resembled prep up for more war,” commented Bendang Lemtur, a senior citizen from Mokokchung observing the impasse with interest since day one. “It is the beginning of a deeper political crisis, not only within the NPF party but among the whole 60 legislators. I predict this will continue until the next election’s fight, so God help us,” Lemtur lamented. If reports doing the rounds at the time of filing this report are true, Noke Wangnao led NPF legislators would return back to their camp at Sovima and wait for the ECI’s verdict, hopeful of a change in the game. Another report suggests that if the current wind holds, Congress legislators may be among those allocated plump ministerial berths. There is also word doing the rounds that the 60 legislators of the NLA unanimously decided to bury hatchets at the Assembly floor test to devote time for the welfare of ordinary citizens. Going by the current scenario, the last one most qualifies as a rumour.
indian Christians shout slogans protesting against recent attacks on churches in the indian capital as they assemble outside the sacred Heart Church in new Delhi on February 5. Police said the protesters were detained as they marched toward the residence of Home Minister Rajnath Singh in a high-security area where protests are banned. On Monday, a church was vandalized in New Delhi when unidentified people broke in and desecrated holy objects kept in the church, the fifth such attack on a Christian church since December. (AP Photo)
NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 5 (AP): Police in India’s capital detained hundreds of Christian protesters Thursday as they prepared to march to the home minister’s residence to demand that the government investigate recent attacks against churches. The protest came after a mysterious fire gutted a church in New Delhi and several other churches were vandalized over the past two months. The protesters blame the attacks on Hindu hardliners. Carrying placards that read “Enough is enough, what are police doing?” the protesters assembled outside the city’s main Sacred Heart Cathedral, where they were dragged into buses and taken to a police station. Several priests and nuns were among those detained. They were expected to be released later in the day. Police said the protesters were detained because demonstra-
tions are banned in the neighborhood where Home Minister Rajnath Singh lives. “The protesters have no permission to protest on the road. They can’t just march to the home minister’s residence. We have to protect the homes of VIPs,” senior police officer Mukesh Kumar Meena told New Delhi Television network. Church leaders have expressed disappointment that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not spoken out against the attacks. Christians make up about 2.3 percent of India’s population of 1.26 billion. They say attacks on churches have increased since Modi’s Hindu fundamentalist Bharatiya Janata Party won national elections last May. On Monday, unidentified people broke into a church and desecrated holy objects, in the fifth such attack on a Christian place of worship since December. “We don’t
trust the police to conduct an impartial inquiry. We want a panel headed by a high court judge to investigate these attacks,” said John Dayal, a church official. Delhi Archbishop Anil Couto condemned the vandalism. “A clear pattern of orchestrated attacks is emerging as more churches are targeted, vandalized and set on fire,” Couto told reporters. Father Savarimathu Sankar, a spokesman for the Delhi Catholic Archdiocese, said the Christian community only wants justice and security. “We want the protection of our churches. We are not demanding it as Christians, but as citizens of India,” Sankar said. Later Thursday, a delegation of Christian leaders met with the home minister, who assured them that better security would be provided and ordered at least two policemen be posted at all 225 churches in the city.
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