February 7th, 2017

C M Y K

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tuesDAY • FebruArY 07 • 2017

DIMAPUR • Vol. XII • Issue 35 • 12 PAGes • 5

T H e

ESTD. 2005

P o W e R

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T R u T H

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest — Confucius

Naga Hoho withdraws & disowns statement made by its president DimaPur, FeBruary 6 (mexN): The Naga Hoho has withdrawn and disowned the statement made by its president Chuba Ozukum, reported and published by the Indian Express under the caption ‘Nagaland Violence: Protesters start bandh, want govt out’ on the February 5, 2017 issue and declared the statement as his personal view.

Naga Hoho general secretary, Mutsikhoyo Yhobu and finance secretary Ruungutou Sechu in a press statement on Monday said the claim made by “Ozukum that the state govt has fulfilled its demand is unacceptable to the Executives of the Naga Hoho.”

According to the Hoho, Ozukum is reported to have commented, “Unlike the NTAC and JCC, the Naga Hoho an apex body of traditional organizations representing over 12 Naga tribes has expressed satisfaction at the Government cancelling the ULBs polls.” “Our basic demand has been fulfilled. It is now for the state Govt. to start a sincere dialogue with the people in order to resolve the long pending issue.”

Meanwhile, the Naga Hoho has informed that any official(s) from the office attending the consultative meeting called by Chief Minister on the February 8, 2017, will be doing so on his individual capacity and not as a representative of the Naga Hoho.

Journalist clarifies on page 5

C M Y K

argues for exempting Nagaland Congress calls for PR and CMO from Part IX-A of Indian Constitution early election in Nagaland Our Correspondent Kohima | February 6

The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has called for a President’s Rule and an early election in Nagaland. It stated that President’s Rule would be “best” for the people of Nagaland gauging by the current situation.

“With the crippling of the government for the past days due to bandhs imposed, a President’s Rule is the answer when the government of the day has completely failed to understand the people, and also to govern the offices and people,” NPCC president K Therie said at a press conference held at the Congress Bhavan on Monday.

The Congress also claimed that it have assessed the current situation and concluded that if the elected government is not sensitive or responsive to the peoples’ demand then “they are unfit to rule.”

“They should now completely understand that they have lost the moral support of the people of Nagaland. And they also have lost the moral authority to rule over the people of Nagaland,” Therie said.

Criticizing the Cabinet’s decision to submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister to amend the Constitution through an

NPCC president K Therie and vice president Khriedi Theünuo at a press conference in Kohima on Monday.

ordinance, Therie said this decision would embarrass the people of Nagaland.

“The Nagaland Municipal Act is an act of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly. They are talking of part 9A which is about article 243T. This has been adopted in 2006 by the NPF led DAN government and therefore only adopted by the NLA. The Government of India has never enforced it. We have also not ratified the 73rd Amendment. Therefore, it is not our law. We have only adopted it,” Therie maintained.

Ban on govt offices, vehicles to continue Morung Express News Dimapur | February 6

The ban on government offices and movement of government-registered vehicles will continue in Kohima, Dimapur and Mokokchung until the demands of the people are met, organizations calling the ban reaffirmed on Monday.

Following the ban imposition, normal functioning of government offices remained paralyzed for the sixth day.

According to Nagaland Tribes Action Committee, (NTAC), Kohima convener, KT Vilie, the decision on whether to continue the standing ban or not could be decided at the NTAC meeting with the tribal hohos and civil society

organizations at Kohima on Tuesday.

Except for ban on government offices and vehicles, normal life continued with business establishments, educational establishments, and banks open for public along with unrestricted plying of private and commercial vehicles.

To boycott Consultative Meet

Meanwhile, KT Vilie, according to IANS, stated that tribal bodies have decided to boycott the CM’s consultative meet. “We have decided not to attend any meeting called by the Chief Minister or participate in any of his programmes. We will not be part of his meetings and he should gracefully step down,” quoted IANS.

Pointing out that if the Nagaland Legislative Assembly wants to strip the whole of the Municipal act, it is at their disposal. If they want to amend, elect, or add it is up to them; Therie said there is no reason of approaching the GoI. Maintaining that Article 371 A is not a prohibitory act but a freedom given to Nagaland Legislative Assembly, Therie further stated that under the provisions of 371 A and State list, Nagaland State Assembly has sovereign power to make any law.

“It is a complete failure of State Government. They themselves have not understood the Nagaland Municipal Act. That is how they have failed to explain to the people. Had they understoodandexplainedtothepeopleIdon’t think there should have been any crisis leading to death and destruction,” stated Therie.

Therie also said the NPF should have given a thought of consulting old political parties. “We are partners in the governance.

But NPF have never considered Congress is a party to governance,” added Therie.

The NPCC also expressed hope that the “Governor will apply his mind and see the safety of the people and restore governance in the state.” “Let the welfare of the people be the final law. Let there be a consultation to develop consensus,” Therie called out.

Prohibitory order partially lifted at PHQ junction: DC

Kohima, FeBruary 6 (mexN): The Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Kohima has partially lifted the prohibitory order at PHQ junction with effect from February 7, 6AM onwards. A notification issued by the DC Kohima, Rajesh Soundarajrajan said the prohibitory order is being lifted in view of the necessity to enable citizens to carry on with their normal chores including economic activities, movement of children to schools, etc.

It should be mentioned that the DC Kohima had issued a prohibitory order on February 2, 2017 restricting/prohibiting the movement of more than five (5) person in group and also prohibiting carrying of arms at Old Minister’s Hill, PHQ Junction, Jail Colony and Raj Bhavan area. Restrictions/prohibitions in other areas as mentioned in the referred order will continue until further order, the notification added.

Kohima, FeBruary 6 (mexN): In a war of words that gets more convoluted by the day, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) of the Government of Nagaland has decided to respond to the ‘shock’ expressed by the Nagaland Tribes Action Committee over its decision to seek exemption from Part IX-A of the Constitution of India.

Giving in to pressure, the Government has felt that it should close the chapter on women’s reservation in Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in Nagaland completely as the “best option” at the moment.

“The JACWR had already submitted a petition in the Supreme Court for withdrawal of their petition seeking implementation of 33% Woman reservation in Nagaland ULBs. But even after the case is withdrawn, India being a free nation, any person, lawyer or woman activist, not necessarily a Naga woman, may file again a similar petition. In that event, it will be back to square one,” stated a press release from the CMO’s Media Cell today.

It justified that the State’s Advocate General and other legal experts have opined that at present, Nagaland is not exempted from the provision of Article 243T under Part-IXA of the Constitution, and that “Article 371A cannot come to our rescue in this matter, as the Constitutional provision only aim for participation in the ULBs.” Thus, the State Cabinet’s collective “wisdom” has suggested that “exemption of Nagaland from Part- IXA, which has to do with ULBs, in the same way as Nagaland has been exempted from the application of Part-IX (73rd Amendment), which relates to Panchayats,” stated the CMO. “It was because the State of Nagaland was exempted from Part-IX of the Constitution, we Nagas continue to have our own

established Village Councils as per our respective tribe’s customs and traditions. In the same way, if Nagaland is exempted from Part-IXA, the Nagas will have liberty to constitute our own Municipal Act as per our own choice. This will effectively remove any fear and apprehension in the minds of the people about the possibility of 33% Women Reservation diluting the provisions of Article 371 A,” offered the CMO. It felt that this “appears” to be the “best option” if the State Government and “all the stakeholders” cannot arrive at an “amicable solution” to the issue. The logic is that if Nagaland State is exempted from the “mandatory provision” under Article 243T for 33% women reservation in ULBs, the elections to it can be held without adherence to any such rule, thereby putting the issue “to rest” and “avoid further misunderstanding among the people.”

Having made this suggestion, the CMO hoped that “right thinking citizens” will “actively and positively” contribute to “finding the best possible way out, by way of dialogue and sitting across the table, so as to usher in a peaceful future for the young and upcoming Naga generation.”

Clarification on consultative meet

In a Corrigendum to the information on consultative meeting called by the Chief Minister, it stands corrected that the meeting called on February 8 at 10.00am will only be with the ‘various tribal hohos.’ The Chief Minister will meet with the Naga Hoho, CNTC, ENPO and All Nagaland GB Federation—four members each—on February 9, 10:00 am, at the State Banquet Hall. The Corrigendum was sent from the CMO through Commissioner & Secretary to the CM, I. Himato Zhimomi.

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tuesDAY 07•02•2017

NAGALAND

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

CPO directs Chakhesang National Media in Nagaland: elected members and CMA Bull in a china Shop Phek, February 6 (Mexn): The Chakhesang Public Organization (CPO) has urged the four Chakhesang elected members to withdraw support to the leadership of the Chief Minister “whose leadership and integrity are being challenged by one and all.”

The CPO has also directed the Chakhesang Mother Association (CMA)

to withdraw support to NMA in view of the latter’s stand on ULB Election.

CPO, President, Kekhwengulo Lea and General Secretary, Mutsivoyi Kotso in a press release said, “presently, we have been going through stages of policy clashes, destruction of properties and ended in loss of precious lives. Though the mortal remains of two youth

were buried, the tension is yet to recede since the impasse is remaining unresolved.”

The Organisation also said that the killing, the damage of properties and the communication gap created between the public and the government would have been averted had the CM in particular shown little sense of respect for people of the state.

DBPF urges govt to apologize & seek forgiveness

(Left) Footage of a national news channel posted on its YouTube channel shows the name of Nagaland Chief Minister, TR Zeliang as “Pelaung.”

(Right) Another Footage from the channel reads – “Kohima: Dy Commissioner’s Office Set Ablaze.”

Morung Express News Dimapur | February 6

Inaccurate reporting of North East region that the national media is so infamous for has once again come to the fore. This time the “news” if one may say so, is over the violence arising out of the Urban Local Body elections in Nagaland.

“Angry Mobs go on Rampage in Nagaland, Set State EC Office on Fire,” CNN NEWS18 (formerly known as CNN IBN) chose as its headline on its website on February 2 when Nagaland ‘finally’ came into its radar. It did not matter that the Press Trust of India report, from which the particular piece of report was taken, had not made any mention of the burning of the State Election Commission Office.

Thereafter, tickers were run in most electronic news media that even the Deputy Commissioner Office in Kohima as well as the Chief Minister’s residence were burnt down by the ‘mobs’- reports based on unconfirmed social media post and other platforms.

These were all incorrect bitsand-pieces of reports that were spread over telephonic conversations and adorned the many walls of social media platforms-which the national media gullibly and irresponsibly chose to highlight without substantiating.

After weeks of chaos, national media decided to wake up to the unfolding situation in Nagaland

armed with unconfirmed news and telephonic interviews from its bureau outside the state.

On February 4, when the NDTV decided to the report from, “Epicentre of Nagaland Protests” – a ground reporting from Diphupar, Dimapur, things have already simmered down and the tension had shifted to Kohima.

There is also the absence of equal journalistic diligence and fervor in the national media when it comes to reporting the North East because it is not deemed as “news worthy” or “sellable news.”

Information deficiency “At best the national media did what it always does - Report as an outsider. So far, they have portrayed our society, especially the men, as misogynistic hooligans.

They did not even bother to look into and cross-refer to the Municipal Act, which is the crux of the matter,” maintained Imsutoshi Longkumer, a Consultant and Secretary to an MP in New Delhi.

“Did they analyse how the government ping-ponged their stand on the issue and angered the public and hence the riot? No. Wherever and whoever was their source of information stopped at Post-truth,” he added.

According to Kaustubh Deka, an academic and writer based in Delhi, many of the national media houses are finding it difficult to make sense of it because of the general lack of information/focus

on the region for long.

“With the added context of exoticisation of the region and romanticisation of the status of women and nature of the society etc, when suddenly it seems to have exploded they are trying to find explanations in available explanation being fed to them like the narrative of state encroachment into community rights,” Deka said.

The disconnect between centre and periphery “For me it re-enforces and reaffirms the great cultural divide that exists in perception of North-East by the mainstream,” former Editor Bano Haralu opined when asked about the missing of reportage from the region. “We are in the periphery of all discussion.”

Haralu further said that while the issue started as an opposition to 33% reservation, there were some genuine concerns needing nuance analysis but simply portrayed male versus female fight.

Painting the whole issue with one stroke also reaffirmed the common stereotypes of the region such as violence, insurgency, ethnic clashes, struggle for political power, and so on, she added.

The story of day-to-day struggle of common people struggle, governance and other issues are missing completely.

“It has always been the negative aspects that were always highlighted, and this time was no dif-

ferent. Their level sensitizing issues relating to North East as a whole and Nagas in particular only aggravates the existing pre-conceived misconceptions about us,” Longkumer further pointed out.

Interaction and collaboration While the absence of ‘fair media coverage’ is operative word, many believe that sensitisation, interaction and collaboration in media, academic and awareness programme would lead a long way to close the chasm between the core and the periphery.

When they have a national debate, do they ever get the perspectives from North East on the national issue? Haralu posed adding the populace in the region is more ‘aware’ about what is happening outside its own state.

Forget about the current issue, during the demonetisation or Uniform Civil Code (UCC) debate, did any of the national print or electronic media take the view of people of the region in the debate?, she further wondered.

To move forward, Haralu suggested finding “qualified voices” from North East and incorporate them to build the bridge the gap.

Longkumer was most caustic when he said, “Thanks, but no thanks, if they want to report, they should report on cow urine curing cancer and demonetisation curing diabetes” instead of mis-reportage.

DiMaPur, February 6 (Mexn): The Diphupar Baptist Pastor Fellowship (DBPF) today made a demand that “TR Zeliang should ask forgiveness from God and the people for his deceits.”

When the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) made an agreement between the government and JCC for the postponement of the ULB elections by two months, all the people with great joy in their hearts thanked the Almighty.

“However, the agreement did not even last for a single day because the government abrogated the deal made in the name of God and instead adamantly announced the elections,” the Diphupar Baptist Pastor Fellowship stated in a press statement.

Knowing that it was an act against the will of the people when the public voiced out against it, DBPF alleged that “merciless actions by the agents of the government has led to the killing of late Avizo and late Bendangnungsang from Diphupar and injured many.”

“Like the serpent deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden, the government led by TR Zeliang has deceived God as well as the people and so they should apologize and ask for forgiveness,” stated the Diphupar Baptist Pastor Fellowship.

While praying for solace for the bereaved families, the DBPF also condemned such irresponsible acts of the government.

Uphold rights and dignity of Naga customs and traditions: Appeals NGBF

DiMaPur, February 6 (Mexn): The Nagaland GBs Federation today made an appeal to uphold the “rights and dignity of our Naga customs and traditions.”

The Federation through a press note requests all sections of people including the mandate legislators and the tribal apex hohos to maintain peace and create a common platform for amicable solution within ourselves and prevent outside forces to interfere and escalate the issue beyond repair.

The press note appended by NGBF President, Shalem Konyak; General

Secretary Shikuto Zalipu; Vice President W. Mero and Alamtoshi stated that “it will be wise to understand the gravity of any issue and act upon it in future, because for any arson it is the innocent public who suffer the most.”

“Let us not forget that we have left behind the act of war 100 years back in the name of our Lord savior Jesus Christ and it will be very unfortunate had we to embrace those custom just to fulfill our earthly desires,” NGBF said while adding, “No issues are immune from amicable solution, therefore approach through peaceful and con-

structive dialogue.”

The NGBF being a representative from grass-root level with deep concern appealed all the concern public, Government and forums to solve the on-going crises in a peaceful manner and refrain from violence.

Further, NGBF informs all the GBs in Nagaland not to encourage or involve in violence activities, but promote peace and harmony.

While expressing pain over the ULB issue that led to chaos and unrest in Nagaland, the NGBF as a fatherly figure shared grief over the lost of two precious lives in Dimapur and the incident in Longleng.

TYOD appeals govt to make St. Luke School in Kohima inaugurated thorough consultation Our Correspondent Kohima | February 6

DiMaPur, February 6 (Mexn): The Tenyimi Youth Organization Dimapur (TYOD) while dwelling on the “unfortunate incident” seriously viewed that failure on the Government to keep its words to postpone the ULB election as signed before NBCC have result to a “dreadful nightmare” which could have been averted.

Stating that ULB election with women reservation is alien to our traditional customary practices, TYOD President, Thejangulie Angami and General Secretary, Khrozote Kapfo in a press release appealed the government to make thorough consultation and not overlook any stake-

holders, leaders at grassroot level, tribal hohos etc.

The TYOD appeals to the government to “take its people into confidence and until and unless the Nagas gave its mandate to any policy or programme that are alien to our Naga society the same should not be forced for implementation in any manner.”

The TYOD further feels that, “Naga Mothers Association who is spear heading for the implementation of 33% women reservation in the state should also equally share the blame and responsible for all the consequence.”

Further, TYOD feels that in view of the clarion call given by the Hohos and

its decree passed against those candidates failing to withdraw its nomination should be immediately penalized as per the law.

Meanwhile, TYOD expressed grief over the unfortunate demised of the two Naga youth. While conveying condolence to the bereaved families, TYOD prays that Almighty God will grant comfort and peace.

The TYOD further wishes speedy recovery to those who were injured and also condemned the Jawans for “indiscriminate firing straight to the volunteers which is totally against their service rule and also a direct challenge to the public to public.”

With an aim to provide quality education at the foundation level, St. Luke Church, Phezoucha Yasogei, New Secretariat area in Kohima have established a primary school for children from Classes A to 1.

The newly constructed school building is situated just below the road near NPSC was formally dedicated by Parish Priest of Christ King Parish, Rev. Fr. Dr. Peter Salew, SDB and inaugurated by Catholic Association of Nagaland (CAN) Treasurer, Mezhü-o Marcus Solo here today.

Around 60 students have already enrolled for the academic session.

In his inaugural address, Solo expressed the hope that the school though would be educating the primary level will grow bigger in the years and provide quality education at high school and higher secondary levels.

CAN treasurer Mezhü-o Marcus Solo, Rev. Fr. Dr. Peter Salew, office bearers of Catholic Union St. Luke Church, Phezoucha and others after unveiling the St. Luke School plaque on February 6. (Morung Photo)

He also called upon the teachers, students and their parents of the school to equally share the responsibility of moulding the children to be a better citizen. He encouraged the teachers to be sincere and dedicated in imparting quality education while also urging parents to play the role of directing

their children. He also appealed the students not wait for the last hour of exam to study but be hardworking from the beginning the academic session.

The school is housed at the land freely donated by Roko Paul and would be administered by Catholic Union St. Luke Church, informed

the Union President Mengukhrietuo Marcus Dzüvichü while delivering the welcome address.

The programme was chaired

by Catholic Union St. Luke Church general secretary, Kelhoungnyü Joseph Vizo while vice president Mhasimhalie Mathew Yhome tendered the vote of thanks.

NBCC 80th Annual Council concludes Peace Festival: Celebrating Peace, God’s Greatest Gift

Peren, February 6 (Mexn): Nagaland Baptist Church Council 80th Annual Council was held from February 3 to 5 under the theme ‘Abundant Life’ and hosted by the Zeme Baptist Church Council, Peren at Peren Town Baptist Church.

The speakers were Rev. Andrew Semp, Director, Nagaland Missions Movement, Rev. Dr. Wati Aier, Principal, Oriental Theological Seminary, Bade, Rev. Achila Chang, Women Pastor, Tuensang Town Baptist Church and Rev. Moa Longchari, Pastor, Baptist Mission Church, Kohima.

Focus Group was held where topics on “Spiritual Mentoring” and “Silver Lining Ministry: Miqlat” were presented.

The resource persons were Rev. Dr. Ricky Medom, Pastor, Naga Christian Fellowship, Delhi and Asha Sanchu, Director, Miqlat Ministry, NBCC. A workshop on “Integrity of Creation: Church and Environment” was also held on the second day with Y. Nuklu Phom, Executive Director, PBCA as the speaker and Kakheli Inato, Women Secretary, WSBAK as the moderator.

Morung Express News

Mokokchung | February 6

A section of the congregation attending the Nagaland Baptist Church Council 80th Annual Council held from February 3 to 5 under the theme ‘Abundant Life.’

There was also a special seminar for the drivers with Rev. Dr. Mechiehol Savi, School Coordinator, NBCC and Er Rainbow Zeliang, Executive Engineer Transport as resource persons.

Appointment of committees and keynote address was made by Rev. Hotokhu P. Zhimomi, Vice President, NBCC. There was also a special presentation by people with disability.

Chingnyi Phom shared his missionary experience in Andaman and Nicobar followed by necrology which was conducted by Rev. Hukugha Zhimo,

Executive Secretary, SBAK. The third day started with Sunday devotional worship where a special time of commissioning of missionaries by Rev. Andrew Semp, Director, NMM was held. The worship service concluded with Holy Communion conducted by Rev. Dr. Vezopa Tetseo, Executive Secretary, CBCC. Council business session followed in the afternoon. The annual council session ended with a closing worship programme where a time of introduction of GIFT (Growing In Faith Together) Curriculum of

NBCC as held.

There was also a time of installation of new office bearers

by Rev. Kuzierang Thou, State Chaplain. Special songs were also presented by Moipen Phom, Binthu Newmai, Peren Town Baptist Church, Shalom Bible Seminary, Baptist Church New Tesen, Baptist Theological College, Pfütsero and Albert Hau. Offerings were also made for NBCC ministry, Miqlat ministry, host association and NBCC relief. Youth Department, ZBCC led the praise and worship throughout the worship services.

In a much needed time for peace in our society, the Clark Centre for Peace Research and Action (CCPRA), Clark Theological College (CTC) in collaboration with the Tuli Town Baptist Church organized a “Peace Festival” on the theme “Celebrating Peace, God’s Greatest Gift.” The peace festival featured an evening of music, dance and drama on peace. The program was hosted at Tuli Town Baptist Church on February 5.

The CCPRA Coordinator, Pursenla Ozukum gave the introductory note stating the programs and functions of CCPRA which focuses on corruption, injustice and all kinds of social evils and that every individual should intervene in fighting against it and participates in the quest for peace building.

The Principal of CTC, Rev. Dr. Marnungsang Pongen stated on how we should love peace and based on John 14:27 he said that peace should not be based on lies, not forsaking truth and peace should come

Students of Clark Theological College performing a play at the Peace Festival organized by the Clark Centre for Peace Research and Action (CCPRA), Clark Theological College (CTC) in collaboration with the Tuli Town Baptist Church at Tuli on February 5.

from deep within the heart. He further expressed that peace is needed everywhere by everyone and the present situation in our state is a witness to the thirst for peace.

The Peace Festival was attended by members of the host church, faculty, staff and students of CTC and members from different churches in Tuli.

The festival witnessed interpretive dance by the CTC Students,

CTC choir presenting enchanting songs and special presentations from the Tuli Lenden Baptist Church, Tzudikong Baptist Church and Tuli Town Baptist church with greetings shared by Noklentoba, PA to ADC, Tuli and I. Imdong, Deacon, Tuli Town Baptist Church.

The CTC students enacted a play entitled ‘Sabi, Sabi’ which unmasked the entire system of corruption in our society.

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NORTH-EAST 3

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Usual poll tempo missing in Manipur Newmai News Network Imphal | February 6

The usual election tempo is yet to be witnessed in Manipur even as polls are just a month away. Several issues prevailing in the state are considered to be the factor for this slow pace of electioneering this time. In recent time, Inner Line Permit (ILP) related issues and the new district creation issue have tremendously affected the normal life in Manipur.

The state goes to the polls on March 4 and 8.

Meanwhile, major political parties like the Congress and the BJP are going to be key players in the ensuing state assembly election expected to be a high voltage one. Senior political analyst BB

Sharma said a straight electoral battle between Congress and BJP will take place in the valley.

“There’ll be a direct fight between the Congress and BJP in the valley and a triangular contest among Congress, Naga People’s Front (NPF) and BJP in the hills.

But the actual battle will take place between NPF and BJP in the Nagadominated districts,” Sharma told Newmai News Network.

In the Kuki-majority hill districts, he said, there’ll be a close fight between the Congress and the BJP. With the Congress trying to retain power, the party draws its strength mainly from the valley in the election, the opposition BJP has been making efforts to make inroads into the state. The

incumbent Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has been at the helm of running successfully a Congress government. He is contesting the polls from Thoubal, a seat he has been holding for the three straight terms.

Sharmila to contest against Manipur CM

Human rights activist Irom Sharmila is pitted against Ibobi Singh in the polls. Sharmila will contest from Thoubal on the ticket of People’s Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA) which has announced to field its nominees in at least 10 seats.

Hill based organisations are generally critical of the Manipur government saying it is influenced by the valley based or-

ganisations. The sensitive state has witnessed polarisation of its society and polity over different issues. If any party wants to claim power in the House, the Nagamajority constituencies in the hills districts play a crucial role.

Campaigning for the 11th Manipur State Assembly election had been moving at a slow pace, but now the activity is gradually picking up after the BJP and the Congress declared their prospective nominees for the 60 seats.

The second phase of Manipur polls on March 8 will cover 22 assembly constituencies. A total of 18,07,843 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the twophase election for which 2,794 polling stations will be set up.

In the run up to the election,

candidates in the Manipur generally carry out door-to-door campaigning either in the morning or evening. They usually seek blessings of elders for victory in elections at every house by bowing before them. Their supporters and workers then distribute sweets to every family member.

Road shows, rallies and meetings are also held as part of the electoral campaigning. Light refreshments are given to all at the end of the campaign. Meetings are also held in local areas by supporters of candidates where candidates trying to highlight the flaws of rival parties and capture the voter’s attention. But political parties are not allowed this time by the Election Commission to use election posters and flyers.

No plan to meet the Manipur Govt: UNC Newmai News Network Senapati | February 6

While clarifying that the United Naga Council (UNC) has no plan to meet the Manipur Government on February 7, Tuesday, S Milan, General Secretary of the UNC said today that the 'Presidential Council Meeting' of the Naga apex body on February 7 in Manipur will "critically explore the update of the tripartite talk." The talk was held between the Government of India, the United Naga Council and the Manipur Government on February 3, 2017 at North Block, New Delhi. Confusion reigns as some newspapers had carried different reports on the meeting. Some sections of the media had reported that on February 7 another round of 'tripartite talk' will be held.

Meanwhile, UNC leaders said that in the recently held 'tripartite talk' they had made it very clear on the position of the Nagas on the prevailing issue to the Government of India and also to the Manipur government. "We have thoroughly explained the whole thing to the Government of India and also to the Manipur Government during the tripartite talk on the issue," said the UNC leaders, adding, "We will never compromise our position and our rights."

ATIRPF calls for strike in TTAADC SC sets aside HC order on CBI probe against Tuki Major fire breaks out in Sikkim’s areas of Tripura on February 8 Fambanglho Wildlife Sanctuary

AgArtAlA, FebruAry 6 (Pti): All Tripura Indigenous Regional Parties Forum, a body formed by non-Left tribal parties today called for a 12-hour strike in Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) on Wednesday against the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016 introduced by the BJP-led NDA government.

“Three indigenous political parties have formed the forum to safeguard and protect the interests of the tribals in the state who form one third of the population.

“We are of the clear opinion that the bill is detrimental to the interest of indigenous people. So, we have formed this forum,” its convener Mebar Kumar Debbarmaa said.

The parties who have formed the forum are Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), National Council of Tripura (NCT) and Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT).

Stating that the forum would organise peaceful movement on issues con-

cerning tribals, Debbarma alleged that the Centre plans to provide citizenship status to foreign people, which is against the interest of the tribals.

“States like Assam and Tripura are facing trouble due to infiltration by foreign nationals. If the bill is passed in the Lok Sabha, lakhs of foreign people will get citizenship status which would be a serious threat to indigenous people.

“Moreover, it is an antisecular stand of BJP,” Jagadish Debbarma, General Secretary of INPT, who is also the joint convener of the forum said in the press conference.

Animesh Debbarma, the joint convener of the forum and president of the National Council of Tripura (NCT), said the forum would extend all support to the dusk-to-dawn strike on February 8 in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).

The Tribal council area constitute two third of the state territory.

New DelHi, FebruAry 6 (Pti): The Supreme Court today set aside the Gauhati High Court order asking CBI to probe corruption allegations against former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki and ordered a fresh hearing on the PIL. A bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice N V Ramana said the former CM was not granted adequate hearing in the high court.

It disposed of the plea with the direc-

tion that the High Court will hear afresh the PIL on which CBI probe was ordered.

The court, however, made it clear that FIRs, registered by CBI so far, will remain.

Earlier, the apex court had stayed the High Court order for a CBI probe into corruption allegations related to Tuki's tenure as PWD Minister in 2006. Tuki is alleged to have influenced the Arunachal Pradesh government to give some contractual works to his relatives as PWD minister in 2006.

Tripura, Mizoram to ban liquor shops along national highways AgArtAlA/AizAwl, FebruAry 6 (iANS): The Tripura and Mizoram governments would implement the Supreme Court order to ban liquor shops and outlets along the national highways, officials said on Monday.

The Tripura government has asked all the eight District Magistrates and Collectors to relocate the liquor shops and outlets 500 metres away from the national highways. "We have already asked the DMs and Collectors to take immediate steps to move the liquor shops and outlets 500 metres away from the national highways. We would ex-

ecute the Supreme Court directives by March," Tripura's Commissioner of Taxes and Excise Debapriya Bardhan told IANS. He said: "Of the 97 foreign liquor and 37 country liquor shops in Tripura, around 84 liquor shops and outlets fall within 500 metres of the national highways. We would relocate all of them." As per the apex court directive, wine shops, outlets and bars should move beyond 500 meters of the national highways. The court in its December 15 order had also stipulated a deadline to the states asking them to relocate the liquor joints by March 31, 2017.

"Licenses of existing liquor shops along the national highways would not be renewed after March 31," Bardhan said.

In Aizawl, Mizoram's Excise and Narcotics Minister R. Lalzirliana said that the state government would implement the Supreme Court order to ban liquor shops along national highways. "The license of these shops would be cancelled if they do not comply with the direction," the minister said.

After 18 years of imposing stringent prohibition, the Mizoram government lifted the liquor ban in the state in March 2015.

Guilty of corruption in Manipur would be punished: Madhav iMPHAl, FebruAry 6 (Pti): Accusing the Manipur government of being involved in rampant corruption, the BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav on Sunday said if BJP came to power it would investigate allegations of graft against the present regime and those found guilty would be punished.

He also assured that if the BJP came to power, then the State would no longer witness economic blockade.

Madhav, who is pres-

ently in the poll-bound Manipur, accused the Okram Ibobi Singh government of being involved in corruption and smuggling of foodgrains and fertilisers.

“The State government and the ruling party are involved in corruption and smuggling of foodgrains, fertilisers and also helps in smuggling of narcotics.

Manipur is the third least developed State in the whole country,” Madhav alleged while addressing a press conference.

“If the BJP comes to

Two senior leaders of UDLA arrested AizAwl, FebruAry 6 (Pti): Two senior leaders and a suspected militant of the United Democratic Liberation Army (UDLA) were arrested by the Assam Rifles, an official statement said today. UDLA's Army Chief Raj Kumar Reang, Financial Secretary Neta Rai Reang and a suspected militant Mela Rai Reang were arrested by the 39th battalion of Assam Rifles on Friday night during an operation along Mizoram-Assam border, the statement said. The arrested persons were handed over to the Assam Police as they were arrested within the jurisdiction of Assam, it added. The insurgent outfit UDLA, comprising of people belonging to the Bru community, have been indulging in a plethora of illegal activities in the Mizoram-Assam-Tripura border areas for years including abduction, highway robbery and extortion.

power our first priority would be to provide clean, corruption-free and progressive government in the State. We would also ensure that there is no economic blockade in the State and everybody enjoys the fruit of development,” Madhav said.

Economic blockade has led to extreme shortage of essential commodities including food items, lifesaving drugs and motor fuel in the State.

Answering media queries, he said: “If the BJP

comes to power, any allegation made against the incumbent government would be investigated and those found guilty will be punished.”

Questioning the utilisation of funds sanctioned by the Central government, Madhav expressed shock that several dam projects ha been stalled for more than three decades.

Promising zero tolerance in corruption, transparency in governance, the BJP leader said the State needed development and

progress in every sector.

“Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is committed to clean politics, the State can excel in everything.

We have zero tolerance towards corruption,” he said.

Stressing on the need for infrastructure development in the State, Madhav said: “The State which has abundant natural water reserve does not have proper sanitation and water provision, with 85 per cent of people having no access to proper sanitation.”

Assam MLA telecasts speech on Facebook Live, gets suspended guwAHAti, FebruAry 6 (Pti): Assam Assembly Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami on Monday suspended AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam for three days for using Facebook Live to telecast his speech from inside the House. “Aminul Islam is suspended till February 8. I request Islam to leave the House immediately,” Goswami said.

“It is a matter of great regret.

The Ethics Committee recommended suspension of the member for a specific period during the current session. I have accepted its recommendation,” he added.

Islam used the social media platform on Friday during the post-lunch session while the House was discussing a private member’s resolution over timely solution to the illegal immigration problem.

The AIUDF member later told the media that he had committed a mistake and accepted the verdict. “[But] At the same time, I also demand that entire proceedings of the Assembly be telecast live. People are demanding that as we are their representatives, they should see our all activities inside the House,” he said.

While pronouncing the verdict, Goswami said he had received complaints from several members, including the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, about the incident on February 3 during the ongoing Budget Session.“After that, my office submitted a video footage to me. It was a clear case of breach of Modal Code of Conduct. I requested the Ethics Committee to make an inquiry and submit a report to me by February 6,” he added.

He informed the House that Islam had submitted a written apology for his conduct.

Over 3,500 encroacher families evicted in 6 months in Assam

guwAHAti, FebruAry 6 (Pti): Assam government today said that over the last six months over 3,500 families have been evicted from various places they had encroached upon across the state.

Replying to a question

by Congress MLA Nandia Das during question hour, Assam Minister of State for Revenue and Disaster Management Pallab Lochan Das said the eviction drive will continue to free government land from encroachers.

"As per reports received from deputy commissioners and principal secretary of Bodoland Territorial Council, over 3,550 families have been evicted from government land during the last six months," Das said in the assembly.

On whether those evicted are Indian nationals or illegal foreigners, the minister said all the families were treated as encroachers and the revenue and disaster management department is not the competent authority

to determine nationality of the persons.

"The evicted families have been driven out from their occupancy as they were illegally occupying government land. Government has no policy or scheme for rehabilitation of persons evicted from such land," he said.

Das said however, the government has initiated steps to provide rehabilitation or land to landless Indian nationals and is also mulling to create a land bank for such purpose.

When the opposition Congress and AIUDF briefly created noisy scenes alleging that most of the encroachers are erosionaffected people, the minister hit back saying eviction across the state is being carried out as per an order of the Supreme Court in 2011.

In a separate question

by BJP MLA Ashok Singhal, Das said at present a total of 49,72,539 bighas of land are under encroachment across the state.

Asked when the land will be freed, the minister

said, "Eviction of unauthorised occupants from government land as well as removing unauthorised occupants from tribal belts and blocks is a continuous process as mandated by the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation, 1886."

The oppositions allegation that the eviction drive is being carried out keeping in mind the religious identities of people and is mostly targetted to one particular community, was strongly rejected by the government.

Airforce Choppers and Army helps combat forest fire at Tinjurey Ridge (Twitter Photo)

gANgtok, FebruAry 6 (Pti): A major forest fire has broken out at Tinjurey Ridge in Fambanglho Wildlife Sanctuary, about 10 km from here in East district, official sources said. Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters were pressed into service on the request of the Sikkim government to air drop water to control the fire as the ridge is an inaccessible cliff terrain, they said.

About 18 sorties have

been carried out by the IAF helicopters to douse the fire that broke out above Nampong village area, they said.

The fire broke out on February 4 but a team consisting of forest, police, civil and fire service officials together with the local panchayat, joint forest management committee members and villagers reached the spot yesterday as the area is inaccessible and started the fire fighting operations. The fire fight-

ing operations would continue tomorrow also, the sources said.

Drought-like conditions in the state have rendered forest areas vulnerable to forest fires.

The Forest department has asked people in general and villagers residing close to forest areas all over the State to avoid going into forest areas for picnic, camping or any other purpose with inflammable materials.

NIELITKOHIMA

Ministry of Electronics & IT, Govt. of India Meriema, New High Court Road, Post Box-733, Kohima website: nielit.gov.in/Kohima Email: kohima@nielit.gov.in

Ref: NIELIT/KMA/01/02/04-ADMN/

Dated:07-02-2017

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4. Last date of form submission: 22ndFebruary 2017 (1:00 pm) 5. Candidate can also submit the scanned copy of form along with the required documents by email at kohima@nielit.gov.in, orendro@nielit.gov.in and pay the cost of application form before the commencement of the interview.

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7. Candidates must bring all relevant original certificates and mark sheets during interview.

8. For more details : Contact 9436215243 during office hours.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The Aonokpu Village Council is saddened to hear about the news of the death of our citizen and son Bendangnungsang Longkumer who laid down his life on January 31 in Dimapur. However we are proud that as true son of the soil he laid down his life responding to the call of his community and the Nagas. The Aonokpu Village Council is proud but at the same time humbled by the honour that the Nagas have bestowed on Late Bendangnungsang and our village.

May the sacrifice made by Khriesavizo and Bendangnungsang usher in an era of peace, understanding and unity among all the Nagas. Let this also be a reminder to all concerned especially to those people in authority that dialogue is the best way to settle disputes.

Although we are unable to mention all the organisations we would like to specially mention some organisations under whose supervision and care all was made possible; 1. Angami Public Organisation and all its associated organisations 2. Ao Senden and all its associated organisations 3. Kohima Ao Telongjem and its associated Village Unions 4. Ao Senso Telongjem Diphupar and its associated organisations 5. Diphupar Naga Youth Organisation 6. Joint Coordination Committee and all its associated organisations 7. Kohima Baptist Pastors’ Fellowship 8. Ao Baptist Church Diphupar The council is also deeply grateful to all the organisations and individuals not mentioned here who took upon themselves as their bounded duty to take care of the mortal remains of Late Bendangnungsang from the time he was fatally shot till his burial in Kohima. Your kind deeds will always be freshly imprinted in the annals of the history of Aonokpu.

(M. Temjen) Chairman

(Sangtikaba) Secretary

4

TuesDAY 07•02•2017

Business

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Toyota & Suzuki motor corps courtship intensifies as partnership talks begin TOKYO, FebruarY 6 (reuTers): Toyota Motor Corp and Suzuki Motor Corp on Monday said they have agreed to begin formal talks aimed at forging a partnership in shared procurement, green vehicles, IT and safety technologies.

The agreement takes the two Japanese automakers a step closer to a tie-up that could give Suzuki, a maker of affordable minivehicles and compact cars, access to Toyota’s technology. The world’s secondbiggest car maker in return would benefit from Suzuki’s strong market position in India.

“Toyota and Suzuki have agreed to work toward the early realization of a business partnership,” they said in a joint press release.

The companies in October said they were exploring a partnership, citing technological challenges facing automakers and the need to keep up with con-

toyota Motor Corp President Akio toyoda (L) and suzuki Motor Chairman and Ceo osamu suzuki attend their joint news conference in tokyo. (REUTERS File Photo)

solidation in the global auto industry.

Suzuki, Japan’s fourthlargest automaker, has said it has been struggling to keep pace with the speed of research and development (R&D) in the industry, a technology race that Toyota, with

its greater financial clout, is better able to cope with.

Toyota invests heavily in R&D in areas including automated driving, artificial intelligence and loweremission cars.

Suzuki has long sought a bigger partner. A tie-up with Volkswagen AG end-

ed on a sour note in 2015, after the German carmaker accused Suzuki of violating their pact by agreeing a diesel engine deal with Fiat.

For Toyota, access to Suzuki’s tightly knit supply chain network in India, which the automaker

has cultivated since the 1980s, could help it develop and sell more mainstream cars tailored for the local market.

“We would be happy to share lessons we learned from our experience in India and emerging markets with Toyota if they wish, to make this a win-win partnership for both parties,” Suzuki Vice Chairman Yasuhito Harayama told reporters at a briefing in Tokyo after Suzuki released its earnings results for the three months through December 31.

Suzuki dominates the Indian market through its majority stake in Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, which sells roughly half of all cars sold in the country, whereas Toyota, despite years of trying, is still struggling to gain significant share in a country expected to be the world’s third-largest car market by 2020.

Toyota aims to double its share of India’s passen-

BlackBerry partners with Optiemus to manufacture handsets in India

ger vehicle market to 10 percent by 2025 and entrylevel, no-frills cars built by small car affiliate Daihatsu will be key to achieving this goal, a company executive told Reuters earlier. Toyota last year decided to buy the remaining stake in its small car affiliate Daihatsu.

Fujio Ando, an adviser at Chibagin Securities, noted before Monday’s announcement that except for compact cars, the two automakers had little overlap in their production line-up, adding that Suzuki was already buying hybrid technology from Toyota.

“One question will be how much Toyota will open up to Suzuki given its relations with Daihatsu,” he added, referring to Toyota’s own minivehicle specialist firm.

Shares in Toyota closed up 0.7 percent in Tokyo while Suzuki stock ended up 0.4 percent. The benchmark Nikkei index .N225 closed up 0.3 percent.

New Delhi, FebruarY 6 (iaNs): Canadian mobile maker BlackBerry on Monday announced its partnership with Optiemus, a Delhi-based telecom enterprise to licence software and services for the production of secure Android handsets in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. Under the terms of the agreement, BlackBerry will licence its security software and services suite, as well as related brand assets to Optiemus Infracom Ltd. The partner will design, manufacture, sell, promote and provide customer support for BlackBerry-branded mobile devices that offer the full BlackBerry experience, including the trusted BlackBerry for Android secure software.

BlackBerry will continue to control and develop its security and software solutions and maintain trusted BlackBerry security software, including regular Android security updates to the platform. The agreement with Optiemus Infracom Ltd expands on an existing relationship announced in November 2016, for the distribution and sale of the DTEK50 and DTEK60 by BlackBerry, the company’s DTEK series of secure Android smartphones with BlackBerry Security Software inside.

LIC hikes gratuity to Rs 3 lakh to retain fleeing agents MuMbai, FebruarY 6 (PTi): In its bid to arrest the high attrition levels and encourage them to do more business, the national insurer Life Insurance Corporation has hiked gratuity for its over a million agents to Rs 3 lakh. The Corporation makes as much as 94% of its premium income through its over 1.1 million agents, while the private sector rivals net around half their business through the agency route. During the past financial year, the Corporation recruited 2.45 lakh agents but as many as 3.40 lakh agents got terminated or voluntarily let during the year. As of March 2016, the Corporation had 10.60 lakh agents, while this rose to 11.05 lakh as of end January. But this year so far, the Corporation has added 45,000 agents on net basis.

New tech to make data transfer Indian flag law part of compliance drill, Amazon India tells govt Unemployment rate is rising: govt Delhi, FebruarY 6 (hiN10 times faster than 5G New DusTaN TiMes): Amazon has car-

TOKYO, FebruarY 6 (iaNs): Researchers have developed a terahertz (THz) transmitter capable of transmitting digital data at a rate 10 times or more faster than that offered by the fifth-generation mobile networks (5G) expected to appear around 2020. The terahertz transmitter could make it possible for the whole content on a DVD (digital versatile disk) to be transferred in a fraction of a second, according to the research scheduled to be presented at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) 2017 being held from February 5-9 in San Francisco, California.

The terahertz band is a new and vast frequency resource expected to be used for future ultrahigh-speed wireless communications. “Terahertz could offer ultrahigh-speed links to satellites as well, which can only be wireless. That could, in turn, significantly boost in-flight network connection speeds, for example. Other possible applications include fast download from contents servers to mobile devices and ultrafast wireless links between base stations,” said one of the researchers Minoru Fujishima, Professor at Hiroshima University in Japan.

The research group has developed a transmitter that achieves a communication speed of 105 gigabits per second using the frequency range from 290 gigahertz (GHz) to 315 GHz. Last year, the group demonstrated that the speed of a wireless link in the 300-GHz band could be greatly enhanced by using quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). This year, they showed six times higher per-channel data rate, exceeding 100 gigabits per second for the first time as an integrated-circuit-based transmitter.

ried out an audit of all its products and made the Indian law against misuse of national flag and icons part of its global compliance regime, the US-based online retailer has told the government.

The e-commerce giant, said sources, was responding to India’s strong protest against Amazon Canadian selling doormats depicting the Indian flag and its US website putting on sale flip flops with Mahatma Gandhi’s face printed on them. The company, which operates in 26 countries, had withdrawn the products in January within days of India lodging its protest. Amazon is betting big on India and has committed to investing $5 billion in the world’s fastest growing internet services market.

Responding to complaints from some Indian nationals abroad, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had in January threatened to withdraw visas to Amazon officials if the firm failed to take the offensive items off its sites.

Indian missions in Washington and Ottawa raised the issue with the senior leadership in Amazon, including chairman and CEO Jeff Bezos, sources said. Subsequently, Amazon told the Indian government that it carried out a

leisure

CROSSWORD # 3850

SUDOKU

Answer Number # 3844

“global audit” to ensure that such products were not listed on its websites.

The online retailer has also put in place additional checks in its software to ensure that third-party vendors while listing products “reveal detailed information on the products”.

Any product information not in compliance with Amazon’s requirements would be automatically rejected, it said. In other words, adherence to the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950, and the Indian flag code were now an integral part of the company’s global compliance

software, Indian officials said.

All e-commerce firms operating in India have to adhere to the emblems act that prohibits the misuse of certain emblems and names, including the national flag and Mahatma Gandhi, for trade, business, patent, trademark or design purposes without the permission of the Indian government. Amazon India has told the government it is committed to respecting Indian laws and customs and had strengthened in-house compliance units that monitor products uploaded by third-party vendors. std code: 03862

DiMaPUR ACROSS 1. Of the cheekbone 6. Notch 10. Attired 14. Absurd 15. Adriatic resort 16. Ascend 17. Not south 18. Module 19. Leave out 20. Act of showing affection 22. On the left or right 23. South American weapon 24. A Christian celebration 26. Its symbol is Pb 30. Soak 31. Confederate soldier 32. Spindle 33. Angers 35. Not written exams 39. Bloat 41. Inorganic 43. Got up 44. Leveling wedge 46. Feudal worker 47. Louse-to-be 49. European peak 50. Accomplishment 51. Layers 54. Coral barrier 56. Nipple 57. Genius 63. Against 64. Shoestring 65. Not the ceiling 66. Thrust with a knife 67. Prima donna problems 68. Musical time 69. Tailless stout-bodied amphibian 70. Makes lace 71. Affirmatives DOWN 1. Not yours 2. Soon 3. Piecrust ingredient 4. Kitty (poker)

Simple Rules - Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.

Game Number # 3845

New Delhi, FebruarY 6 (iaNs): The opposition’s allegations aside, the rate of unemployment is actually rising in the country, especially among the backward classes, the government admitted in the Rajya Sabha on Monday. In reply to a question during Question Hour, Minister of State for Planning Rao Inderjit Singh said that overall unemployment was rising, but the rate was highest among the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). While the overall unemployment rate is 5%, it is 5.2% for the OBCs, the minister said. The unemployment rate was 4.9% in 2013, 4.7% in 2012 and 3.8% in 2011. For the Scheduled Castes, the unemployment rate was 3.1% in 2011, which has now risen to 5%.

5. Rehabilitation 6. Greedy landlords 7. Bloodline 8. Norse god 9. Move unsteadily 10. Hybridize 11. Circumscribe 12. Comment to the audience 13. Discourage 21. Kino gum 25. Many millennia 26. Boys 27. Way out 28. As well 29. Exploding 34. Without mirth 36. Backside 37. Alley 38. Sleigh 40. Modify 42. Drive forward 45. Green bean 48. Pill 51. Stave 52. Adult male singing voice 53. Relative magnitudes 55. In Rome, it was L 58. Indian music 59. Away from the wind 60. French for “Names” 61. Make do 62. God of love

Answer to Crossword 3849

ABAtes AHeAd AssAssIn AttIC BIns BrInK CABIn CArP CAsKet CertAIntY CHeAP CHIPs Corner CowArd dALe eMPtY FerrY FLorId FossIL GArB Grown GUess HIss LAwns

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D

New Delhi, FebruarY 6 (iaNs): South Korean tech giant Samsung is planning to launch its mobile payment wallet in India in the first half of 2017, media reports said. According to a report in Mashable India, to bring Samsung Pay in India, Samsung has partnered with American Express and is mulling over “exploring opportunities with giants such as Visa and MasterCard as well.”

With Samsung Pay’s advent into the country, the domestic e-payment platforms will face a tough competition.

Samsung Pay supports MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) that allows a user to send a magnetic signal from smartphone to the payment terminal’s card reader. However, Samsung Pay only works with high-end premium Samsung smartphones, limiting its reach.

TaHaMZaM

std code: 03871

(formerly senapati)

Police station Fire Brigade

222246 222491

Civil Hospital emer

232224

MH Hospital

227930 231081

Fire Brigade

2222952

Faith Hospital

228846

naga Hospital

2222916

shamrock Hospital

228254

oking Hospital

2243339

Zion Hospital

231864 224117 227337

Bethel nursing Home

2224202

northeast shuttles

08974997923

229529 229474

KOHiMa

std code: 0370

Police Control room

228400

KoHIMA Ps/oCs Contact numbers

Police Traffic Control

232106

north Ps

east Police station

227607

west Police station

232181

south Ps

CIHsr (referral Hospital)

242555 242533

Zubza Ps

dimapur Hospital

224041 248011

131/228404

Airport Indian Airlines

229366 242441 225212

tseminyu Ps

8575045507

Officer-in-Charge 8575045517 8575045505

Kezocha Ps

nagaland Multispecialty Health & research Centre

248302, 09856006026

eden Medical Centre

248288

C

Officer-in-Charge 8575045516

Officer-in-Charge 8575045515

232032, 231031

R

Chiephobozou Ps 8575045506

Khuzama Ps

nikos Hospital and research Centre

A

8575045508

Officer-in-Charge 8575045518

railway

E

8575045502

Officer-in-Charge 8575045520

Apollo Hospital Info Centre 230695/ 9402435652

S

8575045501

Officer-in-Charge 8575045510

Chumukedima Fire Brigade 282777

W

Samsung Pay in India soon

8575045549

Officer-in-Charge 8575045538

H

women Cell

8575045509

Officer-in-Charge 8575045519 Control room

8575045500 (Emergency No. – 100)

FiRE STaTiONS

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

MOKOKCHUNG

std code: 0369

Police station 1 Police station 2 Police station Kobulong Police station tuli Police station Changtongya Police station Mangkolemba Civil Hospital

9485232688 9485232689 9485232690 9485232693 9485232694 9485232695 2226216

woodland nursing Home

2226263

Hotel Metsüpen (tourist Lodge) 2226373/ 2229343

CURRENCY NOTES BUY (rs) seLL (rs)

Us dollars sterling Pound Hong Kong dollar Australian dollar singapore dollar Canadian dollar Japanese Yen euro thai Baht Korean won UAe dirham (Aed) Chinese Yuan

65.72 81.99 8.2 50.29 46.6 50.42 58.17 70.77 1.82 0.0559 17.31 9.35

68.68 85.95 9.13 52.77 48.87 52.89 61.44 74.20 2.02 0.0622 19.29 10.41

Tuesday 07•02•2017

NAGALAND

Naga outfits take our help for peace, AKMWP appeals to restore normalcy deny us quota: Women candidates “This election has been finally cancelled but I will continue to contest, even if there is no reservation for women,” Wotsa told The Indian Express Samudra Gupta Kashyap The Indian Express

Elections to urban local bodies in Nagaland were cancelled Saturday in the wake of violent protests by tribal groups opposing the provision of 33 per cent reservation for women but Hukheli T Wotsa, a mother of four children and an independent candidate, refused to give in to pressure, even threats to excommunicate her.

“This election has been finally cancelled but I will continue to contest, even if there is no reservation for women,” Wotsa told The Indian Express.

“It is a fact that women have no role in decision-making in traditional Naga society. But times have changed and Naga society cannot afford to lag behind. Yes, I too want our tradition and custom to be strongly protected, but then women too must get space in the decision-making process.” A political science graduate, Wotsa was one of three in the fray for Ward No 19 of the Dimapur Municipal Council.

Admitting there was tremendous pressure to withdraw from

the polls, Wotsa, who for nine years was president of the 50-year-old Naga Women’s Hoho of Dimapur, said she considered reservation for women a must.

“Empowerment of women is a global phenomenon, and Naga women should not be left disempowered. Reservation can bring about a lot of change, not just for Naga women but for the entire Naga society. But many people are yet to accept this. I think it will take time,” she said.

Her poll poster read: “Let me be the change you need.”

Asked why women did not come out in large numbers in support of 33 per cent reservation, Wotsa said conditions were not ripe. “That so many of us, majority of whom are independent candidates, did not withdraw despite such pressure and threat itself proves what we want. But asking women to come out on the streets in large numbers would have caused more friction and chaos.

Women also want peace,” she said.

Wife of a senior government officer, Wotsa said the same traditional bodies, which cite Article 371 (A) to oppose reservation for

women under Article 243 (T), had taken the help of women in peacebuilding and conflict resolution in the troubled state.

“I was part of a peace-building delegation on four occasions to meet NSCN (IM) and NSCN (K) leaders in Thailand and Myanmar.

But when it comes to women’s reservation, we are being deprived,” Wotsa said.

Katoli Sema, another candidate in the same ward who refused to withdraw despite pressure, said benefits of most government schemes do not reach majority of the women because there are no women members in elected urban bodies.

“Who will raise our concerns if we don’t do it ourselves? Look at the state assembly, it never had a woman MLA. Most political parties don’t encourage women to contest despite the fact that they maintain a women’s wing only to attract women voters,” Sema, also a graduate, said.

“Believe me, I did sign a declaration before the Sumi Hoho to withdraw. But when I saw that the other two candidates were reluctant, I too remained firm. I par-

ticularly did not want to let the Naga People’s Front candidate get elected unopposed,” said Sema, a mother of four girls and five boys.

She said she too wanted Naga tradition and culture protected “but not at the cost of women’s empowerment and by keeping women out of decision-making”.

K T Vilie, convenor of the Nagaland Tribes Action Committee (NTAC), a joint platform of tribal bodies opposing the election and demanding the resignation of Chief Minister TR Zeliang, said tribal bodies were not opposed to women contesting elections, but were against “a process that infringes upon Naga tradition and custom”.

“We have no problem if women contest the elections. But that cannot be at the expense of Naga tradition and custom. No Naga is opposed to women contesting elections. But there cannot be any quota, especially by invoking Article 243(T) of the Constitution.

Once this is done, it will infringe upon traditional and customary rights of the Nagas as protected under Article 371(A) of the same Constitution,” Vilie said.

MEx FILE Tuensang, February 6 (Mexn): The Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation (ENPO) has mourned the demise of Tsapise Sangtam of Longkhim Town. Tsapise, who was injured in the head on the night of January 31 during a protest by the public of Longkhim Town against holding ULB elections, succumbed to his injury on February 5 in Dimapur, informed a press note from Media Cell, ENPO. “The sacrifice made by late Tsapise for the cause of Nagas right would go down in the history of the Nagas and not in vain,” it added. The ENPO also expressed sympathy to the bereaved family members and prayed for the departed soul to rest in eternal peace.

Kohima Police seize 4 kg of opium KohiMa, February 6 (Mexn): Kohima Police personnel seized 4 kg of opium in liquid form at Phesama check gate on February 5 around 4:00 pm. The contraband was recovered from the possession of one person identified as Mohendro (44) of Imphal (West), Manipur, who was travelling in a passenger mini bus bearing registration number MN-011848, informed a press release from Atu Zumvü, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (South) & PRO, Kohima. The opium was found neatly wrapped in 4 packets by the police, it added. In this connection, a regular case vide South P.S Case No. 08/17 U/S 22 (c) NDPS Act has been registered against the arrested person for conducting further investigation.

PPC, YVC settle issue LongLeng, February 6 (Mexn): The Phom Peoples' Council (PPC) and Yachem Village Council (YVC) have “amicably compromised” on the matter regarding the demand made by the PPC for suspension of Longleng Deputy Commissioner following the “unfortunate” incident which took place in Longleng Town on January 31. The compromise was reached at a joint meeting of the two bodies held on February 6 at Longleng Town, according to a press release from PPC President, Chingan Phom and YVC Chairman, M. Imti Phom. The demand for the DC’s suspension appeared in the local media on February 3, following which YVC questioned the PPC why it had demanded the suspension and sought clarification within three days. “The above matter between the two parties has been settled/ compromised amicably,” the release added.

I

n the story headlined "Naga protestors start bandh, want govt out" published in The Indian Express on February 5, 2017, I had used the word "UNLIKE” in para 11, which may have totally caused misinterpretation of the Naga Hoho President Chuba Ozukum’s views who answered solely on the question whether he was satisfied with the cancellation of the urban local body elections. The president was not questioned on the further course of action or demands by the other bodies. The news item was also not meant to be a comparison of the NTAC and JCC with Naga Hoho. I request the readers not to read between the lines and come to conclusions since I personally observed that Chuba Ozukum had no other intention nor some hidden agendas in his replies. In fact he was very sincere and forthcoming towards solving the present imbroglio in regards to ULBs elections.

Samudra Gupta Kashyap Camp: Kohima

DiMapur, February 6 (Mexn): The Konyak Students' Union (KSU) and Konyak Nyupüh Shekho Khong (KNSK) have expressed heartfelt condolence and sympathy to the bereaved families of Bendangnunsang Longkumer and Khriesavizo Metha, who were killed by the State security personnel on January 31 in Dimapur.

“The supreme sacrifices laid by two brothers will always be honored and remembered. Let the rightful justice be delivered without partiality and

DiMapur, February 6 (Mexn): Amid the demands for resignation of the Chief Minister and his cabinet, the Socialist Party (India) today demanded that the present NPF led DAN government be dissolved and President’s Rule be invoked.

In a press statement, Akhei Achumi, National Vice President, SP (I) stated that the Governor of Nagaland can ask the Chief Minister to step down on moral ground

as “he has no moral right to occupy the Chief Minister’s chair.” People’s elected members, Achumi said, must listen to the voice of the people, but the NPF led DAN government failed to listen to the voice of the people.

Meanwhile, the Socialist Party (India) expressed pain and condemnation over the series of events leading to the deaths of two youth and loss of many properties following the announcement

Mon, February 6 (Mexn): Naga People's Front (NPF), Mon division today appealed to the Naga people as a whole to “come to an end of conceptual conflict bearing in mind the need for peace and tranquility among the Nagas.” The appeal was made in view of the prevailing situation over the Urban Local Bodies’ polls.

A press statement from L. Yanlong Konyak, President and Wango Konyak, General Secretary (Admn) of NPF Mon division maintained that the duly elected government went ahead with the decision to conduct the elections to municipal and town councils after thorough consideration and consultations with all the stakeholders and

whole we need progress, equality, liberty and freedom but not at the expense of betrayals, hurts, pain and death. The games

“in conformity with the desire of its people including those outlandishly conflicting civil and political clusters…”

“The present entanglement generated by politically stirred group of people to jiggle the democratically elected government and intimating to wrench the cabinets down cannot be reflected as hurtle for running the affairs of the government and so also can never be treated as legitimate and appropriate approach to terminate the ULB imbroglio.

Any attempt to taint the vibrant representation of Naga people in the form of DAN government cannot be negotiated with distorted agenda of handful few,” the NPF Mon division stated.

The division also vowed to “sturdily” support the present leadership of Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) government and “stand against any sort of random attempt to destabilize the government in power or to intimidate the Naga legislators with a motive for nothing but, sheer political gain.”

This statement was issued “to protect the sanctity of people oriented DAN government…over the present entanglement generated by section of people group against the legitimately acquiesced act to conduct Urban Local Bodies elections across the state” after an emergency meeting of the NPF Mon division held on February 6.

our society ‘Who’s Who’ played was so hurtful and painful. The end result was borne by the blood of our sons. Why not resolve

need love and peace more than further blood stains at this hour. Shed no more blood in our name!

Dr. Visakhonü Hibo

Women, the Missing Link in Peacekeeping?

Dr Eyingbeni Hümtsoe-Nienu

he general Naga society at the moment can only continue to mourn over the sad events that have transpired in the last couple of weeks, in relation to ULB elections. The pain at the loss of two precious lives, severe physical injuries, mental torment, moral weakness, property damages and spiritual brokenness are real experiences that may take a long time to heal, if eventually, and I pray, it does.

In the midst of genuine sadness, I continue to trust in women’s potential to turn violent circumstances into peaceable ones. By this, I do not imply women’s general complacence and passivity as an asset to a progressive society. Rather I vouch for women’s active participation in all decision making bodies of the Naga society so as to ensure that such unprecedented protest of a violent nature do not revisit us in the future.

Although, obviously, women’s access to Naga political spaces remains the toughest ceiling to crack, there are numerous questions that con-

ing continuous support to the Angami Youth Organization (AYO) in its protest, NAYO also asked its constituent units/ village youth organizations to respond immediately with the required numbers of volunteers as and when called. The statement was issued by NAYO President, Neizolie Rupreo and Press Secretary, Kiyasetuo Kenguruse.

All India Freedom Fighters & Successors Organization (AIFFSO), Nagaland State unit also expressed grief

NPF Mon affirms to support DAN leadership

Politics of Hurt and Pain ULB of my gender. Yes, as a and counters games that and restore normalcy? We

he current politics of hurt and pain is a case of ‘Thanks but no thanks’. I fail to be convinced that this is happening for love

T

tion for women with voting Rights.

Meanwhile, the association also lauded the involvement of NBCC and others who had tried to resolve the matter.

It also appealed to all parties involved to restore normalcy at the earliest so that the innocent public can go about with their lives. “It is fervently appealed to all responsible organization and leaders to ensure that any democratic protest initiated for the common well being is not hijacked and defeated due to irresponsible, hasty and emotional actions of a few participants,” the statement added.

Socialist Party (India) demands President’s Rule

bias,” stated a press statement issued

by KSU President, Loungai Wangnao and General Secretary, Hamchen Konyak.

In a separate press statement, the Northern Angami Youth Organization (NAYO) also offered condolences to the family members of Khriesavizo Metha and Bendangnungsang Longkumer. NAYO termed the firing upon volunteers by security personnel on January 31 “an act of cowardice and defile of democracy.” While extend-

Public SPace

T

Jt. Secy & Legal Adviser, Hukato Chishi, the Association also regretted the “Government's failure to consider the wishes of the people and their Tribal Hohos.”

“The adamant position of the Government and the unilateral withdrawal from the agreement arrived between the state Govt. and JCC, witnessed by the NBCC is the spark for lighting the explosive situation and deserve utmost condemnation,” it said.

Further, AKMWP regretted that the women activists pursuing the matter of 33% women reservation in ULBs refused to accept the offer of 25% nomina-

to conduct ULB elections with 33% reservation for women. It accused the government of playing an integral part in creating the conflict.

In this regard, the party further said that the Chief Minister TR Zeliang lacks wisdom “otherwise he can ask his Home Minister to step down from his chair on moral ground.” The statement added, “The NPF leaders are responsible for the last 14 years of NPF misrule in Nagaland.”

Organizations offer condolences

ENPO mourns

A Clarification

KohiMa, February 6 (Mexn): The Association of Kohima Municipal Wards Panchayat (AKMWP) has expressed pain to witness the unfortunate turn of events regarding the 33% women reservation in ULBs. The AKMWP condemned the killing of two youths in police firing in Dimapur on January 31 and the subsequent arson and destruction of public properties, including the offices directly involved in providing services to the people, in Kohima.

In a statement issued by its President, Neibulie Kiewhuo, General Secretary, Theja Sokhose and

tinue to beg a second look at Naga customary practices that deprives women – mothers, sisters, daughters, aunts, grannies, girlfriends, wives and daughters-in-law – the opportunity to safeguard traditional values, including peacemaking and peacekeeping. At present, the absence of women in vital organs of Naga social setup appears to be the missing link in the chain of peaceful negotiations and agitations (exceptional cases are exceptions). Peace building and peace keeping is a collective work; it takes every peace-loving member and group in a society to maintain it.

Any further attempt to polarize gender relations will only weaken the chain of social interdependence and consequently make society susceptible to elements that aggravate conflicts and violence.

In the light of recent unpleasant events, I’m prompted to ask if the situation would’ve turned out differently, and for the better, if women had a place in apex tribe bodies? If women were office bearers in youth organizations? If women also headed

village and locality councils? If more women were pastors of local congregations? If there were women legislators in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly? If the JACWR/NMA were one of the signatories of the 30th January 2017 MoU? The answers can only be imagined. But for the days ahead, I believe Naga society will definitely be in a superior state with women on board in decision making and peace-brokering platforms. Without women in civil and political leadership, history confirms that male exclusive bodies alone, even if put together, could never sustain peace in the land. I wish the Nagas together would pursue this principle of gender-justice in earnest. The Bible shows us that there is a most excellent way to achieve noble goals: Love (cf., 1Cor 13). So then, speaking in context, love, with its origin in God, is the only greatest human emotion available to overcome gender barriers. To inculcate the practice of love for the other gender is an urgent task for Naga Christian homes and churches.

and pain over the January 31 incidents which resulted in the loss of two lives in Dimapur and several injuries in Longleng. A condolence note from AIFFSO Nagaland unit President, Zeliezhu Angami and General Secretary, K Limei Phom termed the incidents unfortunate and stated the situation could have been averted by the authorities concerned. The organization further conveyed condolences to the bereaved families and wished speedy recovery to all injured volunteers.

Meetings & AppointMents Army Pension Adalat in Dimapur An Army Pension Adalat for ex-servicemen and their families will be held at Walford, Dimapur on February 8-9. The Adalat aims to reach out to maximum veterans of Nagaland and adjoining areas, informed a press release. The Army and Principle Controller of Defence Account (Pensions) (PCDA) Officers will be addressing the concerns of the ex-servicemen regarding their pensions. The officers will also make them aware of the new schemes and reforms regarding welfare of the ex-servicemen.

NPA general meeting A general meeting of the Nagaland Press Association (NPA) has been fixed for February 20, 11:00 am at Hotel Saramati, Dimapur. All registered members of the NPA have been informed to attend the meeting. Important issues related to the functioning of the NPA and taking up concerns of the media fraternity in Nagaland will be the agenda, said a press release from NPA President. Members are also free to come with their valuable suggestions on any issues concerning the media fraternity, it added. The media houses or individuals who have yet to submit their membership forms have been requested to do so in the next coming days before the general meeting.

How do I Feel?

Rügotsono Agono Iralu

How does it feel to see Kohima burn from a distance?

As a woman, no as an individual?

How does it feel to hear that two young men lost their lives in all this chaos?

As a woman, nay as an individual?

Does it tear your heart, Does it dishearten you, Does it anger, break some part of you?

Kohima, You Kohima, who grew up in me And I; in you You burned; my Kohima.

And I could only watch Two sons of the loved Land Breathe no more I, Woman, would have birthed you.

Individual, I, says “Young lives, how briefly you lived…….”

Half-fulfilled your happiness, or sadness, You, who might have brought back A Promise, Hope or Joy To us- your community.

Now, the loss of Lives our broken reality.

How do I feel about all of it, As a Woman, nay as an individual?

Can I say, “Not in my name” “Please, not in my name” I –the Future, the Present and its Past.

Could I blame someone?

Could I hide somewhere?

Could I relieve myself?

With broken truths and promises?

Ayale, I feel a hollowness inside me tonight.

SAYO offers condolence JaKhaMa, February 6 (Mexn): The Southern Angami Youth organization (SAYO) has conveyed condolence over the demise of Aneiko of Thekrujuma village, BA second semester student of St. Joseph’s College, Jakhama, who fell off a cliff located above the college on February 4 and died.

“We are really saddened for losing such a bright and obedient young youth to meet such tragic accident. It is not only a great loss for the family/ village alone, but it is a great loss for the society in general,” stated a condolence message from Press Secretary, SAYO. SAYO further expressed and shared sympathy with the bereaved family and the college as well. It wished that the departed soul will rest in peace and also prayed to God to bless and comfort the bereaved family during this difficult time.

Meanwhile, SAYO extended gratitude to all the individuals, groups, organizations who extended help in any form during the search and rescue operation on February 4 and 5.

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 35

An opposition-less govt riddled with opposition!

O

n May 8, 2015, the Naga Peoples’ Front led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland government became an ‘opposition-less government’ in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly. After inducting three cabinet ministers, three advisors in the status of cabinet rank and nine parliamentary secretaries into the ministry, the Nagaland Chief Minister was quoted in the media stating that, “The dream to have a government without opposition has come true. It is an achievement.”

In the backdrop of divisive state electoral politics, this unprecedented development was received with cautious but curious optimism. It provided a momentary opportunity to broaden the imagination and anticipate possibilities for the better.

However, twenty months later, that cautious optimism has been belied and prospects to maximize the political consensus in facilitating an inclusive growth in Nagaland have gone awry. The current crisis is a symptom of the state government’s failure to seize a wonderful opportunity to be a harbinger of responsible governance.

Having established its opposition-less status with no other political power to challenge its decision, the government made a cardinal error by side-stepping the process and principle of accountability. With no opposition, the mechanism for maintaining checks and balances became fragile and the democratic space for critically engaging in dialogue over policy matters became non-existent. This blatant lack of accountability is reflected by the Nagaland Legislative Assembly’s brief and hurried sessions during this timeframe.

The lack of accountability and transparency resulted in a breach of public trust and the eventual break-down of communication between the political power and the people. The people were relegated to powerless spectators since they were no longer active participants in the government’s decision-making processes. As a result, people were also no longer fully aware of decisions being taken at the state’s highest level of political power.

With no opposition in the legislative assembly the opposition-less government exercised its political power with impunity. Furthermore, since the government was blinded by the arrogance of power it tried to power its way through without adequate discussions and awareness, thereby, leading to a series of errors in judgement. This situation has exposed the government’s lack of foresight as evidenced in the way it reacted to the anti-corruption movement, non-payment of teacher’s salary, women reservation, municipal elections and other issues of public interest.

The lessons gathered from this experience so far indicate that some of these policy-related problems could have been addressed and resolved if only the legislative assembly had engaged itself with the public through open dialogue and discussion.

Now it will have to contend with the people, a dissenting public, who have assumed the role of an opposition. Invariably, the government is caught in a catch-22 situation in which there are no real winners.

lEfT WING |

Debayan Mukherjee IANS

In India no one asks me how it feels to be black: Paul Beatty

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tuesday 07•02•2017

fro-American writer Paul Beatty, whose novel "The Sellout" -- a scatter-gun satire on what racism has done to black Americans -- saw him win the Man Booker, feels more at ease in India as no one asks him how it feels to be a person of colour.

"One of the things that's so nice here is we are not starting from square one," Beatty told IANS in a one-on-one on the sidelines of the just-concluded Tata Steel Kolkata Literary Meet here. "I don't know what that is," the 54-year-old Los Angeles-born author continued.

"It could be me being brown, could be a bunch of stuff. But there is a nice comfort and I don't find myself having to explain stuff unnecessarily. And (when) I do have to explain, it comes from a very genuine place (from the heart).

"I feel more comfortable here because no one says to me, 'Paul what does it feel to be black'," Beatty said, pausing often to gather his thoughts.

Beatty's book, his fourth novel, is a hard-hitting comic take about a young man's isolated upbringing and the race trial that sends him to the Supreme Court.

Asked about his views on humour, Beatty said the emotion is sometimes used as a tool to shield oneself from one's own ugly reality and, in that way, everything that is funny and light is vulnerable. "Sometimes you can use humour to shield yourself. So it's everything else but yourself. So for me, things that are funny or good are very vulnerable."

"This makes the creator vulnerable and the reader vulnerable at the same time. Then, there is that shared experience. But you're both (reader and writer) vulnerable at the same time and not hiding necessarily, may be not completely honest I don't know what that is, but you're sharing something. I think humour does that," Beatty said, chewing on his last line for some time.

Stand-up comedian Richard Pryor, known for his uncompromising examination of racism and topical contemporary issues, inspired Beatty a lot.

"I think a guy who is really important to me is a comedian named Richard Pryor. The way he spoke, his rhythm and then what he was talking about... a lot of comedians do, 'you're that and you're this', he (Pryor) did not do that. He would do, we are this. We are that". Beatty said he does not at times understand the concept of "we" in the US -- and that resonates in his Booker-winning book where he uses similar tones.

"I am careful about pronouns. 'We' is not a word I use very often... It's just because I am using it in a self-deprecating way.

We are like stupid Americans, you know. Because, if I was in the States talking about this stuff, I don't go 'we'.

"I would say America is that, da da dada da....de facto I am a part of it, like in grammar, but in conversation I take myself out. Cos then it means something else to me if I say 'we' which here means something else to me," he said.

To buttress his statement, Beatty referred to the issue of violence perpetrated by the police.

"They (Americans) would say, 'why are we so concerned with the police violence' and I would say 'who are we'," he said steeped in thought.

Veering to politics from literature, Beatty, while not going completely on the front foot in support of former US president Barack Obama, said at least he was rational -- and not a war monger. On the executive orders Trump signed barring the entry of immigrants from seven Muslim-majority nations and restricting entry of Syrian refugees into the US, Beatty said it's unusual for him to see India scared.

"The problem is people get used to it very fast and then

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

C O M M E N T A R Y

Gerry Hassan

Scottish independence has to move with the times

The movement for independence finds itself in a very different context to 2014

S

cotland has in recent times liked to see itself as progressive, democratic and European.

What’s so special about that you might think? A bit like apple pie and being kind to animals. But these undoubtedly mainstream values were rightly seen as increasingly at odds with the direction of the UK in the last few decades. The UK wasn’t any of these things and this has become even more pronounced and obvious since the Brexit vote.

The Scottish case for these three qualities in 2014 was about something more than their individual characteristics. Instead, they weaved together into a story about Scotland as a modern nation – unlike the seemingly backward, reactionary UK – and presented a picture of a normal country which aspired to be part of the European mainstream. All of this suggested that independence was the natural state of affairs, the direction of travel and the future – whereas the UK was the problem and the past.

However, it was even clear in the midst of the 2014 campaign that there was a problem with these aspirations.

Scotland had come to them late in the day of their development. Thus, we aspired to be ‘progressive’ and social democratic, when this tradition has been in retreat and crisis for decades, including within the Nordics.

We saw ourselves as more democratic than the limited form available in the UK (a half-elected parliament), but didn’t have practical proposals, while all across the developed world democracy’s decisions and processes are under intense scrutiny: hence the rise in referendums as people increasingly distrust politicians. Moreover, the intuitive idea of seeing Europe as a good thing has become much more questioned, and both the notion of the continent and EU has fallen far since the heyday of 1989, the collapse of the Berlin Wall and what was meant to be in ‘the end of history’ the triumph of liberal capitalism.

All of this was evident in 2014 but was generally kept out of the public’s way in the independence case. The supposition then was that by becoming independent Scotland could more fully become the modern nation the UK never was, and in so doing be progressive, democratic and European.

However, this case was based in these three areas on a world that was increasingly in retreat: as the centre-left compromised and corrupted itself at the altar of crony capitalism, democracy was increasingly seen as not delivering the results, but being rigged in favour of the plutocrats and 1%, and Europe went from crisis to crisis. In short, the ordered, managed world of independent nation states in the European continent and union working collaboratively for the better of themselves and all, was fraying, not just at the edges, but central core.

Brexit has brought all of this even more into the open. We now have a political landscape defined by two competing mandates: Scotland voting to stay in the UK and the EU. The majority of Scots hold this sentiment – wishing to remain in both political unions – but are now told by the UK government that they cannot have both.

This has produced difficulties for pro-union sentiment north of the border. The arguments put forward have to emphasise one democratic vote, but ignore Scottish sentiment in the EU referendum, instead stressing that it was a UK vote and mandate.

It has also posed a set of problems

to Scottish independence opinion. For a start, the UK leaving the EU means that Scotland is faced with an impossible set of choices: being out of the EU in the UK, or being in the EU and out of the UK. The latter brings up all sorts of scary stories about where Scottish exports go (4 to 1 to the rUK over the EU) and nature of the Scottish/English border.

Then there is the tricky question of how to build an independence majority when 36% of SNP voters supported Brexit. Those are critical votes which cannot be lost to independence, if it is too have any chance in the near-future.

Since the June 2016 vote the SNP have been trying to find a halfway house which allows them some breathing space – keeping Scotland in the single market and customs union. Now both options have been ruled out by Theresa May for the UK and Scotland.

Post-Brexit, despite the UK government having a weak hand on Scotland, so far it has to be concluded, May has outmanoeuvred Sturgeon and her administration. This has left Sturgeon this week fulminating about the prospect of an indyref called sooner rather than later, a threat mostly for effect, considering she had earlier ruled out a vote anytime this year.

Sources within the SNP have indicated that the party is considering revisiting its policy of independence in the EU and to consider independence outside the EU. Even though former leader Alex Salmond repeated the traditional party position this week on ‘Good Morning Scotland’, this doesn’t preclude the party considering all options and fallback positions.

This would most likely entail Scotland being in the single market, paying for access to it and abiding by a whole host of EU regulations. This is the Norwegian option and it is the SNP’s preferred option in the UK presented to the British government – but as an independent country.

If this is correct, an independent

Scotland would have a more likely chance of having a soft border with the rest of the UK and England. Importantly, this is how it would be more widely presented and understood in any future indyref. Independence would in these circumstances face all sorts of hurdles, but the above shows as Hamish Macdonell wrote that ‘the SNP is thinking ahead… miles ahead of its opponents.’

The SNP are faced post-Brexit with a UK that doesn’t work in the spirit of devolution. Nor does the UK seem to respect the popular will of the Scottish people on the EU as evidenced by the Supreme Court Article 50 decision which said the UK government had to put the triggering of the process to a parliamentary vote, but also said the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland had no veto or right to consultation.

This attitude can be seen through British institutions. The Joint Ministerial Committee which brings together the UK and devolved administrations has never really worked. Now this matters. Theresa May promised post-Brexit to develop a ‘combined UK’ approach, but hasn’t made any moves in this direction. All the discussions in the committee have been lacking any substance and undertaken for presentation alone.

This British state of affairs is matched by an unhealthy situation in Europe.

The EU is not the benign force of progress and economic advancement that it was seen as in the 1980s and 1990s.

Instead, expansion combined with the euro has produced Euro-sclerosis.

Monetary union without fiscal union has led to economic and social disaster: a Europe which works for the German economy, but which has left devastation across the Med from Greece to Italy, Portugal and Spain.

SNP thinking on independence eventually has to move on and catch up with the times. The spirit and hopes of 1988 and independence in Europe: the EU of Jacques Delors and a ‘social Europe’ is no more. Similarly, the plans

and aspirations of 2014 and the Salmondnomics vision of independence are equally dead in the water.

That doesn’t necessarily mean independence is dead. Any serious politics has to move on. Britain and the EU are regressing. Large parts of the world are entering dark times. The European continent finds itself increasingly squashed between the authoritarianism of Trump and Putin. Scotland and independence has to reflect current and future realities, and not hark back to or get stuck in the past.

Independence has to be on the move but the full details of any new package cannot as in 2014 just emerge from a magician’s hat, but have to be as much as is humanly possible, discussed and owned by a large part of Scotland. That will be a big challenge to the SNP machine, which ten years into office, is growing rather comfortable with the view and thinking it knows best. That is a sentiment which has to be resisted, in the full knowledge that it is never a good way of doing politics, or a story which has a happy ending.

The SNP and independence cause (which aren’t completely the same thing) have to now be fleet of foot, flexible and avoid being boxed in by May and the UK government, while keeping the foot soldiers happy and reaching out to floating No voters. That is quite an ask in fast changing times, and nothing is yet inevitable about how this pans out for Scotland or the UK. Gerry Hassan is a writer, commentator and academic and author and editor of more than twenty books on Scottish and UK politics. His latest book is 'Scotland the Bold: How Our Nation Changed and Why There is No Way Back' published by Freight Publishing.

Forthcoming books examine Scotland, the UK and Brexit and the impact of ten years of SNP Government on Scotland and the UK.

Extracurricular activities in youth tied to social engagement later in life madeline Kennedy

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Reuters Health

eople tend to become less involved with community work and social groups as they age, but those who were most active in their high school years are the most likely to stay engaged as they age, researchers say.

Youth may be an important time for people to develop a sense of themselves as contributing to society, and this identity may last throughout life, the study team writes in The Journals of Gerontology: Social Science.

There are many benefits to being involved in a community, including more social relationships, greater cognitive engagement and better health, lead author Emily Greenfield, an associate professor of social work at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, told Reuters Health.

“Participation in voluntary groups is thought to be especially important for older adults, who are more likely to lack

other major social roles (such as through paid work) and who might face economic and health barriers that jeopardize their inclusion within their communities,” Greenfield said by email.

“Encouraging young people to become civically engaged is important not just for the here-and-now, but might have effects that last over decades to come,” she said.

To see whether early participation in voluntary groups is related to social engagement later in life, Greenfield and a colleague used data from a study that followed Wisconsin’s 1957 high school graduates through the age of 72.

The study checked in with participants at ages 36, 54, 65, and 72 years and asked about their involvement with various community groups, such as church groups, labor unions, parent-teacher associations, sports teams,

political groups and charity or welfare organizations.

The study team also used data from high school yearbooks to determine whether participants were involved in volunteer activities, clubs and sports earlier in life.

On average, they found, participation in volunteer organizations and other groups was highest in midlife and declined when people reached their 60s and early 70s.

Community participation increased most rapidly between ages 36 and 45 and continued increasing until about age 54. At 54, participation began to decline and the lowest levels of community participation were among 72 year-olds.

People who were involved in extracurricular activities in high school were more likely to stay involved throughout their lives, particularly if they had done

WRITE-WING

four or more activities when they were young. They also had less of a decline in participation between middle age and older age.

“Communities that need volunteers often do not consider the value that older adults offer,” said Dawn Carr, an assistant professor of sociology at Florida State University who studies aging populations and community participation.

The study’s measurements may not fully capture older people’s involvement, as they emphasized how many groups people were involved in, while older adults may tend to narrow their focus, said Carr, who was not involved in the study.

“Previous research suggests that we engage in fewer organizations but contribute more time to the organizations in which we are engaged,” Carr told Reuters Health by email.

Organizations or communities that give older people a chance to be valuable and learn new skills are more likely to keep them engaged, Carr noted.

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

TUESDAY 07•02•2017

PERSPECTIVE

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Love in action - the life, work & death of Sister Maura Clarke Anna Brown

Waging Nonviolence

E

ileen Markey’s stunningly beautiful book, “A Radical Faith: The Assassination of Sister Maura,” comes not a moment too soon. Her rendering of the life and death of Sister Maura Clarke at the brutal hands of a U.S.-financed Salvadoran military, clarifies how we are to be in a world of ascending and entrenching authoritarian governments. In the world in which human beings and the earth play second fiddle to the whims and wants of the wealthy and their minions, Maura Clarke is a stellar example of how to say a resounding “No” to the wealth-hoarders and warmongers and an almighty “Yes” to life itself.

“A Radical Faith” starts graveside — that is at the makeshift grave of Clarke, Sister Ita Ford, Sister Dorothy Kazel, and Jean Donovan who had been brutally killed and, for at least two of the women, raped as well. As the bodies of at least 75,000 Salvadorans killed by their own military during a 12-year civil war, which ended in 1992, the bodies of these women are illuminative. They clearly show the extent to which the military regime of El Salvador, the oligarchic families it protected, and its foreign mainstay, the United States, would go to protect and preserve an environment friendly to business, militarism and oligarchic rule. Clarke’s radical faith was that she accepted, embodied and practiced this basic command of Jesus: “You must love one another as I have loved you.”

In the opening chapter of the book, Markey asks “Who was this woman in the dirt? What forces in her life, in herself, led to this vicious death so far from home? What did that ring, slipped on the slender finger of a 22-year-old [novice in the Maryknoll religious congregation] have to do with farm laborers and death squads, clandestine meetings, and military orders?”

These are compass-setting questions.

Combined with Markey’s vivid opening account of the bodies found, the agonizing hours of a search for the women, and their religious comrades kneeling on the ground near the bodies, these questions and the rock-solid commitment of the religious women help to ground us in the political realities and struggles of the present moment. Where do we stand? To whom and what are we committed? In what are we grounded? Markey’s gift to the reader is not only her ability to write a compelling narrative but also that she astutely understands why we need to know Maura Clarke’s story.

There is a good reason why women came together in consciousnessraising circles to tell their stories, analyze their circumstances, uplift the personal, and work for change. Our feminist foremothers in the 1960s and ’70s well understood that the political sphere was structured along patriarchal lines and as long as no one saw or challenged that, things would remain the same. Markey notes, at the close of the first chapter, that Clarke’s story was not only a political story but also a personal story. It is Markey’s attentiveness to the details of Clarke’s life that make reading this book a life-changing experience. There is the way, for example, that Markey so powerfully helps us to see Clarke vitally alive in her work. During the first days of her missionary work, “she was keenly open, trying to absorb everything. She stretched to bridge the language gap, smiling with interest, focusing on the faces of people near her, nodding, her lean frame tilted toward them, laughing when she fumbled a word.” By the book’s end, Clarke is so consistent in her practice of solidarity, which is well charted by Markey, that one begins, if at first only subconsciously, to embody the tilt of the attentiveness and the desire to get closer to hear what the other has to say.

Markey’s inclusion and vivid depiction of Clarke’s nuclear and extended family are yet another instance of the personal dimension of the book.

Native to Ireland, Clarke’s parents met during the Irish War of Independence when John Clarke, who had returned to Ireland after seven years in the United States, brought a wounded comrade to the door of nurse Mary McCloskey. John Clarke, whose dream of liberation for the Irish people was crushed by the war’s end, sailed back to the United States and was joined by Mary in 1929. Married in 1930, they were among those who “represented the tail end of a giant wave of Irish immigration that began with the Irish potato famine in 1845.” The reader meets and spends time with the family again and again throughout the book. Markey describes the remarkable ability of this family to cultivate intimacy and support while at the same time

many of Maura’s colleagues, community members, friends and those she served. There was room for all at the Clarke family table.

In the early spring of 1959, Maura Clarke made her final vows with the Maryknoll Sisters. That fall she would head to Nicaragua to begin her mission work. Upon her death, 21 years later (and that of Ita Ford, also a Maryknoll Sister) the Maryknoll Sisters and Fathers issued a joint statement, which recognized that these women put the Gospel at the center of their lives and that they were assassinated for their love for the poor and marginalized.

Markey demarcates the world which nurtured Maura Clarke, her family and countless other IrishAmericans. The Clarke family’s Belle Harbor, Queens, New York parish of Saint Francis de Sales, just a few blocks away from the ocean, lauded both God and country. Later, when Markey describes the Maryknoll novitiate days of Clarke, one can also see what an “ordered” religious life looked like in part: “Do not loll about or lean against walls. Do not stand with hands or arms resting on chair backs.” The other and much larger part of her early life with Maryknoll, however, was the work of entering into and learning how to dwell within the root of an interior life. Again, Markey’s research and writing allows the reader to engage in the world of Clarke and the Catholic Church of the 1950s. Further, she is even-handed when writing about a church and, more specifically, Maryknoll, a religious congregation. The Maryknoll religious congregation acknowledged “that all of humanity was related, that all people were children of God, and that is was worthwhile to go far away from home to connect with some of those distant brothers and sisters.” At the same time, as Markey notes, the Maryknoll community of the 1950s would not have seen or critiqued its missionary work as imperialistic in nature.

After its introductory chapters, the bulk of “A Radical Faith” consists of Markey’s robust rendering of Clarke’s mission work in Nicaragua and, briefly, in El Salvador and the United States.

These chapters also include an expert analysis of the liberation theology and movement within the Catholic Church, a synthetic and well-researched account of the political and economic structural forces at play in Nicaragua, El Salvador, and the United States, and of Clarke’s personal and religious transformation. Markey makes the point that Clarke was steeped in love for other human beings and thought that everyone mattered.

In the middle and final sections of the book, its reader sees how the ecstatic love of Clarke’s spiritual life matured and embodied itself in a consistent, courageous and radical love for those whom she served in Nicaragua, El Salvador, her Maryknoll community members, and her family. The structured life imposed upon her dur-

her well in Nicaragua and El Salvador as we see Clarke, along with so many other Maryknoll Sisters, pray, work, teach, visit and serve from the early morning hours to late at night. Their efforts were consistent, disciplined and seemingly tireless. Clarke and her community members did their best to blend into the communities they served rather than to isolate themselves behind convent walls where they could enjoy middle-class conveniences. They were mild in manner, clean of heart and, as the years of their mission work passed on, immersed more and more in the poverty of the people whom they lived with and loved.

Mild in manner, however, did not mean simply standing by the side of the road while the military machines of Nicaragua, El Salvador and, indirectly, the United States rolled over the poor and all living things in their way. There was a rather dramatic scene in the book, for example, where we see Clarke confronting members of the Nicaraguan National Guard.

Called in by rich landowners to shut down a camp that housed the poor survivors of an earthquake, they could not get past the infuriated Clarke and two other Sisters. “She shouted at the guardsmen,” Markey writes. “No one ever did that. Father [Fernando] Cardinal was there as well, and was stunned by the ferocity of the three women. It was the first time he saw the National Guard back down.”

The righteous anger of these women is indeed riveting, and one wonders what had changed for Clarke and her comrades. Instead of hustling the poor folks off the scene, why had they chosen to confront these representatives of the political and economic elite? It is hard to know how the elements come together in the action of another, but one cannot help but wonder if her Irish family’s tradition of resisting oppression merged with a new Catholic consciousness about matters of faith and justice in Clarke. A good 12 years before the confrontation with the National Guard, the Catholic Church had “opened the windows” of its ancient institution and welcomed in the “fresh air” of the Second Vatican Council. For Clarke and her Maryknoll community, the intellectual and religious development sparked by this council meant that “the Jesus of Good Friday and Easter knew what it was to fear the National Guard. He wasn’t locked up in the sky or laid flat in the pages of a holy book. This Jesus belonged to the people, came alive again when the people were united.”

Clarke was in the United States in the latter part of 1976 so that she could introduce the work of the Maryknoll missions to her fellow Americans and help them to see what life was like for folks whose lives are terribly compromised or brutally cut short by the ravages of poverty and violence.

While Clarke knew and understood the political and economic dynamics that created the terrible conditions

worked were forced to live, she did not subject her audience to a long and bullying talk on U.S. imperialism. Instead, Clarke offered a historical and political analysis while also speaking specifically and concretely about the humans beings with whom she moved, lived and breathed. She could talk about the dear Lesbia Taleno, a teenager whose mother was close to Maura, who was arrested for hanging political posters and then raped and impregnated by members of the National Guard. When someone who came to a talk she gave asked if the U.S. government knew what those foreign governments to whom the United States gave hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid knew what was going on, Clarke gave a slight nod of her head.

It would be Maura’s devotion, love and gentleness that would help her American Catholic compatriots see the wealth of fundamental teachings on justice that constituted Catholic Social Thought. A few months later, Clarke would again act on such teachings and engage in the act of nonviolent civil disobedience in the offices of the Nicaraguan consulate to the United Nations. Once again, Clarke’s fierce resistance to injustice issued forth.

The police, as Markey notes, “looked dumbfounded. Were they really being lectured about supporting revolution by a nun?”

President Jimmy Carter, who had ignored Archbishop Oscar Romero’s pleas for him to stop sending military aid to El Salvador six months before Clarke was killed, resumed funding — including an emergency five million dollars — to the military dictatorship of El Salvador two weeks after Maura, Ita, Jean and Dorothy were kidnapped, raped, and killed. By 1982, and during the Reagan presidency, U.S. military aid to the Salvadoran government would reach $64 million that year. Such expenditures were often justified by Cold War politics and by the fear of the communist threat that countries like Nicaragua and El Salvador could be to Central America, the latter of which was within what the United States considered to be its sphere of influence. Reading through U.S. military reports on the civil war in El Salvador, one also finds reference to the desire of the United States to help foster democracy within a country struggling to develop. One can only imagine that Clarke, had she been given a chance to speak to these masters of Cold War politics would ask them to see what was actually happening to actual human beings. How can we ever plan for, pay for, and justify the mass slaughter, torture, rape, and impoverishment of even one person, much less the many thousands who were killed in El Salvador alone?

From my own experience of working in the same Salvadoran communities in the Department of Chalatenango that Maura worked, I heard these questions asked by Salvadoran people there, many of whom were psychologically scarred, physically injured, or impoverished by the war, to their American visitors. They wanted to know why the Americans did not resist what their government was doing, or at least stop paying taxes which funded a military death machine. Perhaps it was because, for many Americans, they did not know or fully understand what was done in their names in Central America. Political, economic and military elites often make good use of the fog of ideology, which is all but impenetrable and does a good job of obfuscating reality. Clarke’s gift of speaking about the specific lives of human beings went a long way to break through this fog and enter into the hearts of her listeners.

It is a practice we may wish to retrieve and rehabilitate in these days of authoritarian darkness.

Though Sister Maura Clarke worked with a Gospel and an institution thousands of years in the making, she was able, under extraordinarily difficult circumstances, to love vitally, welcome other human beings and, as such, write a counter-narrative to the equally ancient story of death-dealing empire. That we can now know the power and beauty of her life is due to a book that reads like an act of love by its author, Eileen Markey. The radiance of Clarke’s life is also that of the good people with whom she lived and worked, her family along with its rootedness in the tradition of Irish resistance, and the Maryknoll religious congregation’s embrace of their faith, its social teachings and its liberation theology. Markey’s scholarship and her devotion to this story affords its reader the opportunity to ask the ever-renewing question: “where do we go from here?” Clarke shows us the fundamentals: love, community, nonviolence, resistance, courage and faith. Nourished by her life and this book, let our communities of resur-

7

Back to the Root for Total Quality Life: Some Traditional Values of the Nagas Dihe Mao

T

Assistant Professor, St. Joseph’s College.

he Nagas are undoubtedly one of the finest races inhabiting the Northeastern part of India. Some anthropologists and eminent writers have noted that by birth and by nature the Nagas are characterized by their sociability, hospitality, honesty, reciprocity, hard working, truthfulness and self-reliance. In short, the Nagas are primitively simple people; lived along with highly regarded human values (healthy mind), healthy body, self reliant (though traditional economy was backward) and strong religious beliefs and practices.

The contemporary Nagas can attain a higher level of living, a total quality life, with all technologies and the welfare services available around us today, which our forefathers did not enjoy at all. The total quality life, I mean the complete fitness of Mind, Body, Resources and Spirit (faith) which can be within our reach, though it may not happen accidentally. To Stan Toler, ‘total quality life is a level of living where every area of life – Mind, Body, Resources and Spirit – is in perfect harmony, and we are functioning with excellence and effectiveness’.

In this article, in order to save the space provided, I will elaborate only on the importance of the Mind from among the four critical life spheres – mind, body, resources and spirit.

The mind is so important because from it thoughts are generated. We must develop a healthy mind so as to facilitate the generation of healthy thoughts. Because thoughts become attitudes, attitudes become actions, and actions become habits. Therefore, the key to controlling our life is to control our thoughts. But, unfortunately, many of us regularly assault our minds with jumble of useless, even harmful, information that clouds and distorts our thinking. We need to make healthy choices out of the thousands of information we receive every day. The quality of our intellectual intake has a direct impact on the quality of our mental and emotional health. We need to learn to think the right thoughts. Our minds must be cleansed of thoughts and information that hinder us from living a peaceful and civilized life.

Our minds must be cleansed through healthy activities and practices. We must take a look at where we are and where we want to go. A healthy mind can direct our thoughts towards moving up to a new level of living. Our forefathers’ lives, though primitive, were controlled by healthy mind and thoughts which we need to learn from them. For this reason, we need to go back to the root, that is, to uphold and practice the highly regarded values of Naga forefathers. They have lived a good life and have handed down to us several good traditions and human values.

Some human values which are outstanding and highly regarded in Naga society are highlighted below in a little more detail: 1. Community orientation.

The Naga society is community oriented. This strong community feeling had enabled different tribes to survive for long. In the past, there seemed to be but little room for any individualistic tendencies. Almost everything was done in groups. Thus, even the arduous task of cultivation was lightened and made immensely enjoyable by groups of friends or families getting together, transplanting and harvesting one field at a time by rotation. In such a society of strong community feelings, one had to be part and parcel of the village and one is expected to be faithful to all the community activities. The principle of oneness and unity strongly prevailed those days. Thus, the good old days were largely characterized by the traditional principles of cooperation and group activity rather than by individual activity.

However, it does not mean that it was opposed to the individual’s own creativity. It is not only the individual that gives his time and energy for the welfare of the community but also the individual is amply rewarded in return in every way, especially in time of difficulty and misfortune. It is the community who would immediately come to his assistance.

2. Sense of Equality.

Naga society is basically a classless society where a man/woman is respected for what he/she is and does, and not because one happens to belong to a particular tribe or clan. The status of women is equal to that of men. A woman is not a slave or a drudge but she is a companion. She is never made to feel that she belongs to the weaker sex. In the old good days of the Naga traditional society, everyone was equal; no high class or low class, no difference in religion, men and women enjoyed equal status or dignity, and no minority or majority problem existed. They paid no land revenue, no property tax and no income tax. Cases of theft, if any, were rare. Such was the society where the Nagas lived till they came into contact with the so-called civilized world.

3. Sense of Brotherhood.

The sense of brotherhood is very strong among the Nagas.

The feeling of brotherhood is expressed especially at times of disaster or tragedy when the fellow villagers give a helping hand.

Intra-village brotherhood or fellow feeling is strengthened in a variety other ways. For example, a man who has finished transplantation or harvesting would help his neighbors, and if anybody had a good harvest, they were expected to give a feast to their friends or even the villagers. Even though the people were aware that a person is having a contagious disease, they could not think of isolating the sick members of the community.

4. Hospitality.

Another striking characteristic of the Nagas is their hospitality and the cheerfulness. To greet with a smiling face while travelling on the road is a common experience. It is a fact that a visitor to the Naga village is heartily received and entertained.

5. Respect for Elders.

Respect for elders and parents were held to be sacred duty in the Naga society. As M. Horam says, “Age among the Nagas has both Prestige and power because it is the older people who know and pass on to the younger generations the ways of society to which they are expected to confirm”. The elders are special group of people in the tradition-oriented society and are obeyed and respected. Generally, the presence of the elders in any community is considered as a consolation and a blessing on all occasions. However, the orders of the elders are obeyed only in so far as they are in accordance with the wishes of the community.

6. Democratic and Independent Loving.

A remarkable feature of the Naga life is the fundamentally democratic basis of their socio-political organization. Hence, the keynote of the Naga character in general is independence.

The Nagas do not have a sophisticated form of government but a simple democratic way of life. Their politics is democracy in action. Everyone is a partner and has a say in the affairs of the society. Decisions are usually arrived at through consensus. Though independent loving, a Naga will not misuse his freedom.

What I want to convey from this writing is that, unfortunately, in our society today there is so much clutter going through our minds that our thinking is cloudy and distorted. We are in no way well of and satisfied in all spheres. The above list of values, though not exhaustive, can provide good diets for our minds to remain healthy so as to generate healthy thoughts for a better living. We need to go back to our root. We need change, we need redesigning of our system and style.

We need to and can move to a new level of living. We need to harmonize our mind, body, resources and spirit. But, this life of balance and control will not come automatically. It won’t be easily achieved. It will require a significant investment of time and energy, and it will require

8

TuesDAY 07•02•2017

INDIA

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

In India, ice towers could turn deadly lake into water bank Athar Parvaiz Thomson Reuters Foundation

The government of Sikkim in India's northeast is lowering the risk of a devastating flood by draining water from a dangerously overfull glacial lake - with plans to turn the excess water into towers of ice for farmers to use in the warmer months.

The water level in the South Lhonak glacial lake is expected to lower by 2 meters from its previous depth of 20 meters by the end of the winter, thanks to a process of siphoning that began last September, experts and Sikkim government officials said.

A sensor that monitors sudden fluctuations in the water level also has been installed near the lake, which lies at an altitude of over 5,400m (17,500 feet) and is accessible only by a five-day trek over high passes.

But perhaps the most innovative part of the operation is that, under current plans, some of the water drainage pipelines will have their final sections raised vertically. As pressure forces water out of the raised tip into sub-zero air, the flow will form ice cones.

Over the past three winters a similar project in Ladakh, designed by environmental engineer Sonam Wangchuk, has created an ice cone 20m (65 feet) high, and five smaller ones of about 4m.

Wangchuk, who is now working on the Sikkim project, said that in late spring meltwater from the cones can be collected in tanks and fed onto planted land

Glacial melt lakes in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya region in India. (TRF/Athar Parvaiz)

using a drip-irrigation system.

The largest ice cone in Ladakh supplied about 1 million liters of water, he said.

The cones resemble stupas, or towers used in Buddhist worship, that are found across Ladakh and also in Sikkim.

"Creating the ice stupas is an effort to help the farmers get water when they need it the most. We are also exploring ice climbing, ice skating, ice hockey and ice sculpture of the stupas in order to develop a new form of winter tourism in Ladakh," Wangchuk said.

the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) in Hyderabad.

They reported that by 2008 the surface area of the lake had increased to more than five times its size in 1977, from about 17 hectares (43 acres) to nearly 100 hectares (244 acres).

According to the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), a regional intergovernmental organization, rapid increases in the volume of glacial lakes are usually the result of faster glacial melt associated with climate change.

The risk such lakes present is that the rocky moraines at their LESS RISK, MORE WATER feet could give way suddenly unThe potential danger posed der the pressure of the water, trigby the Sikkim lake was first as- gering a massive outburst flood sessed in 2013 by scientists from that would drain most of the lake

at once.

The NRSC scientists estimated that the South Lhonak lake had a 42 percent probability of bursting and causing devastating floods downstream in populated areas, a risk they rated as "very high."

They estimated its volume to be nearly 20 billion liters, although measurements in 2014 by the team that installed the monitoring system, from the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, a national government body, suggested that the lake could contain as much as 53 billion liters of water.

The South Lhonak lake is one of 203 glacial lakes in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region - out of a total of more than 8,700 - identi-

fied as potentially dangerous by ICIMOD in a 2010 report.

To help deal with the threat, Sikkim's Department of Science and Technology and Climate Change has begun working with Wangchuk - an engineer from Ladakh in Kashmir - to drain the water from the glacial lake, said Dhirren Shrestha, a department official.

Wangchuk said that three sets of high-density polyethylene pipes are being used to carry away water, enabling a total discharge of 150-180 liters of water per second.

A second stage of the operation is scheduled for May and June this year, when engineers plan to install up to 16 pipelines to lower the water level in the lake by a further.

Eventually, however, some of the water will be captured rather than simply flow away, as Wangchuk works to recreate an innovation he previously experimented with in Ladakh in Kashmir - turning some of the siphoned water into massive towers of ice.

As it flows out of the raised end of a discharge pipe, "(it) freezes as it falls to gradually form an ice cone," Wangchuk explained. He and his team will begin work on the project in November with engineers and experts from Sikkim.

Shakil Romshoo, who heads the Earth Sciences department of Kashmir University, said that draining a glacial lake normally is done during the summer, when the drained water can be stored or used for irrigation or small-scale hydroelectric power generation.

Verification method of mobile SC orders attachment of Sahara's Rs 39,000 cr Aamby Valley property delhi, Febru- put on public auction to over Rs 14,000 crore more. was refused. users soon, Government tells SC new The bench, also comThe apex court had ary 6 (PTi): In a big blow realise the remaining over new delhi, February 6 (ians): The Central government on Monday told the Supreme Court that it would put in place, within a year, an effective mechanism for the verification of pre-paid mobile users who constitute 90% of the total subscribers. A bench of Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar and Justice N.V. Ramana expressed their satisfaction that the verification plea was "substantially dealt" with and an "effective process" would be in place in a year's time.

"We are satisfied that the prayer made (by the petitioner NGO Lokniti Foundation) have been substantially dealt with and an effective process will be in place to verify the identity of the subscribers," the bench said in its order.

The verification mechanism would apply to the existing pre-paid connection holders and the fresh applicants as well, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the court.

He made the assurance as it was said that there was no verification of the pre-paid connection holders after they have got the connection as was in the case of post-paid connection holders.

Rohatgi told the court that 90 per cent of the mobile connection holders have pre-paid connections.

Asking the government to put in place the mechanism for the verification of existing pre-paid mobile connection holders "as early as possible", the bench disposed of the petition by Lokniti Foundation seeking the scrutiny of the subscribers so that those having pre-paid mobile connections on fake identities are weeded out.

Addressing the bench, Rohatgi said that now they are insisting some kind of verification of the individual and his residence address by insisting on driving licence, voter identity card and though it is not mandatory but also on Aadhar card.

However, the court said that when a pre-paid connection holder goes for the recharge of the connection, at that stage, he could be given a form seeking his details which he has to furnish in a given period of time. Any failure to furnish personal details in the given time would disentitle him from the recharge of the connection, the bench suggested.

to beleaguered businessman Subrata Roy, The Supreme Court today directed attachment of Sahara Group's prime property worth Rs 39,000 crore at Aamby Valley in Pune for realisation of money to be paid to its investors.

The apex court also asked Sahara Group to provide it within two weeks the list of "unencumbered properties" which can be

Rs 14,000 crore of the principal amount of around Rs 24,000 crore that has to be deposited in the SEBI-Sahara account for refunding money to the investors.

A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra, which will hear the matter again on February 20, noted that out of the principal amount, the group has deposited around Rs 11,000 crore and it has to deposit

prising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and A K Sikri, was told by SEBI counsel Pratap Venugopal that the interest on the principal amount till October 31, 2016 would lead to a liability of Rs 47,669 crore on the Sahara Group, which today deposited over Rs 600 crore in accordance with the January 12 order by which extension of time beyond February 6

said failure to pay the said amount would lead Sahara Group Chief Subrata Roy going back to jail.

The top court was not in agreement with Sahara's counsel senior advocate Kapil Sibal that the amount should be realised in accordance with the roadmap provided by the group, which suggested the deadline of July 2019 will be adhered to.

'Jayalaltihaa's death unexpected, no conspiracy' Chennai, February 6 (ians): London-based doctor Richard Beale, who treated Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa until she died in December, on Monday ruled out any "conspiracy" behind her death.

Addressing the media here, Beale said: "There was no conspiracy. She (Jayalalithaa) had severe infection.

She had supportive care."

Ahead of AIADMK General Secretary V.K. Sasikala being sworn in as Chief Minister, the Tamil Nadu government organised the media meet involving Beale and doctors from Apollo Hospitals to clear the air surrounding the death of Jayalalithaa.

Beale said Jayalalithaa, who headed the AIADMK, was diagnosed with sepsis bacteria in blood. He said people with sepsis become unwell in

NATION Briefs 9 students injured in clash on varsity campus; 11 held Vadodara, February 6 (PTi): As many as nine students were injured in a clash among them at a private educational institution here, police said on Monday. Eleven students, including eight foreign nationals and three Indians, have been arrested on Monday in connection with the incident and booked under relevant IPC sections, including 307 (attempt to murder), police sub-inspector Anirudh Singh Kamaliya said.

It started with a verbal fight over some issue between students from a foreign country and Indian students staying in the hostels on the campus of the university here on Sunday night. Later, the students pelted each other with stones, police said. One of the injured students was admitted to a hospital run by the university, they said. The Waghodia town police rushed to the spot at around 2am on Monday and brought the situation under control.

BJP MP calls for "1 boy, 2 girls" new delhi, February 6 (PTi): "One boy, two girls". This was the slogan given by a BJP leader in Rajya Sabha to improve the skewed sex ratio in the country.

Taking part in the discussion on the Motion of Thanks for President's address in the Upper House, L Ganesan spoke about the Prime Minister's initiative of "Beti Bachao, Beti Padao" and said he has "another plan for 'beti badao' (increase the number of girls)". "Ek Beta, Do Beti, raksha karegi desh ki maati (one boy, two girls, they will safeguard the nation)," he said. Ganesan, who hails from Tamil Nadu but has been elected from Madhya Pradesh, spoke in Hindi. "I am from Tamil Nadu. I don't know Hindi. But I will still attempt to speak in Hindi because I am an MP from Madhya Pradesh," he said.

CBSE to offer psychological counselling to exam-weary students new delhi, February 6 (ians): The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will provide counselling to de-stress students during exams, the Board announced on Monday. The counselling will be provided over the phone to students of all CBSE affiliated government and private schools. The service will be available to CBSE affiliated schools located abroad as well. The helpline will start functioning on February 9 and will continue till April 29. Counselling is open to parents of the students too. A total of 90 Principals, trained counsellors from CBSE affiliated government and private schools, a few psychologists and special educators will participate in tele-counselling and address exam related psychological problems of the students. Of these, 68 will be available in India, and 22 abroad in Nepal, Japan, Saudi Arabia (Al-Khobar, Jeddah), Oman, the UAE (Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al-Khaimah), Kuwait, Singapore and Qatar. This will be the 20th consecutive year when the CBSE will be giving tele-counselling to students during exams.

The students can dial a toll-free number 1800 11 8004 from any part of the country to connect to the counsellors between 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Four special educators will help the differently-abled students. Online counselling will also be available at counselling.cecbse@ gmail.com

Gap between SC/STs & other social groups remains: Govt

new delhi, February 6 (PTi): There has been an improvement in the Human Development Indices hours or days. lithaa." of SCs and STs over the years but the gap between He said sepsis and diabetes led to According to Babu K. Abraham, them and other social groups remains, the governJayalalithaa's death, which he add- Respiratory Medicine Specialist at ment said today. "The main reason for the gap is ed was "totally unexpected" as she Apollo Hospitals where she died, poverty and its vicious circle, illiteracy, dependence seemed to be recovering at one stage. Jayalalithaa suffered cardiac arrest largely on wage labour etc, which the Government Beale said the issue of taking Jaya- around 5 p.m. on December 5. has been addressing through various socio-economlalithaa to London for treatment was She was given cardiopulmonary ic development programmes," Minister of State for discussed but was not taken forward resuscitation (CPR) for 20 minutes.

Planning Rao Inderjit Singh said in Rajya Sabha duras she was against it as the necessary He said as there was no heart ing the Question Hour. medical facilities were available here. rhythm, Jayalalithaa was put on He provided data as per which the unemployment He said the idea of exhuming Jay- ECMO (extracorporeal membrane rate of persons aged 15 years and above for SCs was 5 alalithaa's body for post-mortem was oxygenation) which would take 24 and STs 4.4. Planning Commission figures, given by ridiculous. Although a Hindu, Jayala- hours to show result. him, showed that the incidence of poverty in rural areas lithaa was buried at the Marina beach Abraham said it was a collective in 2011-12 for SCs was 31.50, for Sts it was 47.37, while at an event attended by tens of thou- medical decision comprising of all the total stood at 25.40. For urban areas, incidence of sands of mourners. doctors who had treated Jayalalithaa poverty among SCs was 21.70 and STs 24.10. He also According to Tamil Nadu govern- including the doctors from AIIMS, cited census data showing the literacy rate among SCs ment doctor P. Balaji, the total bill for New Delhi, that it was futile to con- to be 66.07, for it was STs 58.96, while the total stood at treating Jayalalithaa came to Rs 5-5.5 tinue with ECMO. A decision was tak- 74. The figures also showed that school dropout rate crore. "I am told the bill has been giv- en to remove ECMO after informing among SCs for 2013-14 for class I-X was 50.1, for STs it en to the family members of Jayala- Jayalalithaa's family. was 62.4 while the total was 47.4 %.

For street kids in space-starved Indian city, school is in a container

MuMbai, February 6 (ThoMson reuTers FoundaTion): To get street children in the western Indian city of Thane into school, civic officials first forced their parents to send them to regular state schools. The kids showed up late or not at all, and dropped out quickly.

So the officials decided on 'signal schools', or small schools that would be close to where the kids lived - on the street, near a traffic signal.

Partnering with a nonprofit, they opened the first such school last June in a remodelled shipping container under a flyover at one of the busiest traffic signals in Thane, just outside Mumbai.

This time, the kids stayed.

"It was a Herculean task to get the parents to send

their kids to school, as for them it meant the loss of a pair of hands to earn extra money," said Manish Joshi, a deputy commissioner at the Thane municipal corporation.

"But they came around, and the community has also really embraced the programme. For a city with a space crunch and a migrant population on the streets, this is the best solution."

There are no official data for the number of street children in India, with some charities estimating it to be about 1 million. Most accompany their families as they migrate from rural areas to the cities in search of better prospects.

Mumbai, India's financial hub, has long been a magnet for migrants. There are more than 37,000 street

children in the city, according to a 2013 study by charity ActionAid and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

Unable to afford even the cheapest housing, migrants often spill into nearby cities, including Thane, where they end up on the pavements and under flyovers, doing odd jobs, selling trinkets and begging at traffic signals to make ends meet.

RUSH HOUR India's landmark Right to Education Act (2009), which guarantees free education till the age of 14, spurred government officials and charities to get street children into school.

But their lack of a permanent residence and their lifestyles are a challenge, said Bhatu Sawant, head of non-profit Samarth Bharat Vyaspith, which runs the

Signal School in Thane.

To set up the school, civic officials cleared a space under the flyover and fenced it off. They set up a small play area at one end with a swing set and a slide, and placed a guard at the gate.

The container, 30 feet by 10 feet, is painted in bright colours, with the alphabet and numbers, and is fitted with fans and lights.

The classroom can accommodate about 35 children, and there is also a teacher's room, and shelves against the walls.

Since the kids help their parents sell trinkets and flowers during the rush hour in the morning and evening, the school operates from about 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The staff spent the initial months teaching the kids about the importance

of cleanliness and grooming, to not fight over food or hold out their palms as they were taught to by their parents when they were sent to beg.

"You can't put these kids in a regular school and expect them to adjust.

The school has to adapt to their lives," Sawant told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"But just because they are on the streets, it doesn't mean they can't get an education. If these kids don't go to school, we have to take the school to them," he said.

For the 27 kids in the Signal School, there is a book library and a toy library, and a wash area so they can bathe every day.

There are lockers to keep their uniforms and books, so they don't get damaged or stolen on the street.

A doctor comes for regular checks, and a barber gives the boys a haircut every month. The kids' nails are cut.

At the school, the doors and windows muffle the sounds of the traffic outside. Inside, the children sit on the floor cross-legged in groups, with a teacher, going over their Math, English and writing exercises.

Outside, on a mat, younger children sit in a circle with another teacher, listening to a story.

"Initially, it was very hard - they were not used to sitting in one place for so long, and they would fight or curse, or just go to sleep," said Arti Param, who trains the four full-time teachers and a handful of volunteer teachers.

"We also had to teach their parents the importance of sending their kids

to school, so their children bus from June. don't have to live on the But there are bigger street like them," she said. challenges, he said. "In the eyes of the state, they are SCHOOL BUS still encroachers on the India's literacy rate rose street, even if they have to 73 percent in 2011 from lived here for 20-25 years," 65 percent a decade ear- he said. "And if the parents lier, and enrolment rates in are unable to make ends schools have climbed. But meet here, they will move at least 6 million children elsewhere, and the chilaged six to 13 are still out of dren's education becomes the school system, accord- the casualty again," he said. ing to a 2014 survey.

The municipal corpoDevendra Fadnavis, ration is considering skills chief minister of Maha- training for the parents, and rashtra state, of which may help them find jobs Mumbai is the capital, said and homes, Joshi said. But last month the state would in a city of high rents and littry and replicate the Signal tle affordable housing, this School for street children is a challenge, he said. elsewhere.

"This school has been In Thane, Sawant has such a success, it's drawing asked civic officials for two more migrants who want more remodelled contain- this opportunity for their ers for a pre-school and a children," Joshi said. "The high school. He also plans real challenge is addressto bring children at other ing migration and hometraffic signals on a school lessness."

TuesdAY 07•02•2017

WORLD

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

9

Legal battles to test President Trump WASHINGTON, FebruAry 6 (reuTerS): President Donald Trump’s temporary immigration ban faced on Monday the first of several crucial legal hurdles that could determine whether he can push through the most controversial and far reaching policy of his first two weeks in office.

On Monday, the government has a deadline to justify the executive order temporarily barring immigrants from seven mostly Muslim countries and the entry of refugees after a federal judge in Seattle blocked it with a temporary restraining order on Friday.

The uncertainty caused by a judge’s stay of the ban has opened a window for travelers from the seven affected countries to enter the United States.

Trump has reacted with attacks on the federal judge and then the wider court system which he blames for stymieing his efforts to restrict immigration, a central promise of the Republican’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Democrats, meanwhile, sought to use Trump’s attacks on the judiciary to raise questions about the independence of his Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco over the weekend denied the Trump administration’s request for an immediate stay of the federal judge’s temporary restraining order that blocked nationwide the implementation of key parts of the travel ban.

But the court said it would reconsider the government’s request after receiving more information.

The government has until 5 p.m. PST on Monday (0100

US: New arrivals breathe sigh of relief bAGHDAD/NeW yOrK, FebruAry 6 (reuTerS): For Fuad Sharef and his family, the tortuous ordeal of getting from Iraq to Nashville, Tennessee, was nearly over more than a week after it was to begin.

The former U.S. development agency subcontractor, his wife and three children landed in New York on Sunday afternoon on their second attempt to reach the United States to begin a long-awaited new life. “We are very happy to be here,” Sharef said at John F. Kennedy International Airport. “It was a long time to get here - a lot to get here.”

The Sharef family was one of many who endured more than a week of uncertainty after President Donald Trump signed a 90-day ban on citizens of Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the United States on national security grounds.

Like the Sharef family, many of them took advantage of a Seattle Father of Fuad Sharef, an Iraqi with an immigration visa who was prevented with his fam- judge’s ruling on Friday, effectiveily from boarding a flight to New York a week ago,reacts in Erbil, the capital of the Kurd- ly suspending the executive order ish region in northern Iraq on February 4, before going to the airport to fly, on Turkish until at least Monday, to complete Airlines, to Nashville, Tennessee, their new home. (REUTERS Photo) GMT on Tuesday) to submit additional legal briefs to the appeals court justifying Trump’s executive order. Following that the court is expected to act quickly, and a decision either way may ultimately result in the case reaching the U.S. Supreme Court.

Top technology giants, including Apple, Google and Microsoft banded together with nearly 100 companies on Sunday to file a legal brief opposing Trump’s immigration ban, arguing that it “inflicts significant harm on American business.”

Noting that “immigrants or

their children founded more than 200 of the companies on the Fortune 500 list,” the brief said Trump’s order “represents a significant departure from the principles of fairness and predictability that have governed the immigration system of the United States for more than fifty years.”

The controversial executive order also “inflicts significant harm on American business, innovation, and growth as a result,” the brief added.

Trump, who during his campaign called for a temporary ban on Muslims entering

the United States, has repeatedly vowed to reinstate the Jan. 27 travel ban on citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen and a 120-day bar on all refugees in the name of protecting the United States from Islamist militants.

His critics have said the measures are discriminatory, unhelpful and legally dubious.

On Sunday, Trump broadened his Twitter attacks on U.S. District Judge James Robart in Seattle, who issued the temporary stay on Friday, to include the “court system.” Trump a day earlier derided Robart, who was

their disrupted journeys, rather than risk the window shutting tight again.

About a week earlier, the Sharefs were prevented from boarding a U.S.-bound flight via Cairo after Trump issued the order, which also included a 120day ban on all refugees.

But hours after the judge’s ruling on Friday, they took one of the first planes out of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdish region in northern Iraq, with a connection to the United States. Landing at JFK, they were soon to board a short flight to their final destination in Tennessee.

“Yeah, my life changed dramatically,” Sharef said, reflecting on the tumultuous week before leaving Erbil. “I learned a lesson that if you have a right, never surrender.” The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition planned to welcome Sharef’s family when they arrived. “Nashvillians fought to bring them home - and now we can show them the very best of Southern hospitality!,” the coalition said on a Facebook event page.

appointed by former Republican President George W. Bush, as a “so-called judge.”

“Just cannot believe a judge would put our country in such peril,” Trump tweeted on Sunday. “If something happens blame him and court system.”

Trump did not elaborate on what threats the country potentially faced.

It is unusual for a sitting president to attack a member of the judiciary. Vice President Mike Pence defended Trump, even as other Republicans urged the businessmanturned-politician to avoid fir-

TIMELY INTERVENTION Nael Zaino, a Syrian refugee who worked for the International Organization for Migration in Turkey, also received help from Americans. He was reunited with family in Boston on Saturday after getting a waiver from the State Department, thanks to intervention by US lawmakers contacted

by Zaino’s relatives.

Zaino’s arrival was relatively smooth, though he was pulled out of the arrival line, put through “secondary screening” and asked a long series of questions before a US agent stamped his passport and gave him a friendly send-off.

Zaino had received a visa to join his wife and US-born infant son in Los Angeles on January 27, but was blocked from traveling after Trump signed his executive order the same day, according to his sister-in-law.

“We’ve been lobbying a lot of senators in the last few days,” said Katty al-Hayek, a doctoral student in Massachusetts with her own pending asylum claim, who met him at the airport.

ing such fusillades against the co-equal judicial branch of government, which the U.S. Constitution designates as a check on the power of the presidency and Congress.

Democrats, still smarting from Republicans’ refusal last year to allow the Senate to consider former Democratic President Barack Obama’s nomination of appeals court Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court, have seized on Trump’s attacks to question his nomination last week of Gorsuch.

“With each action testing

the Constitution, and each personal attack on a judge, President Trump raises the bar even higher for Judge Gorsuch’s nomination to serve on the Supreme Court,” Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, said in a statement. “His ability to be an independent check will be front and center throughout the confirmation process.”

Republicans hope to swiftly confirm Gorsuch, a 49-yearold conservative appeals court judge tapped by Trump to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia nearly a year ago.

About 300 rebels from FARC have not demobilized yet, general says Restore my liberty: Julian Assange

Alberto Mejia, Commander of the Colombian National Army, talks to a peasant during the army’s arrival to an area that was previously occupied by FARC rebels, in Saiza, Colombia on February 3. (REUTERS Photo)

SAIZA, FebruAry 6 (reuTerS): Around 300 fighters from Colombia’s Marxist FARC rebels will not demobilize under a peace deal, a military commander said, giving the first official figure of guerrillas who may join with crime gangs seeking control of lucrative rebel drug territory.

The Andean country and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of

Colombia (FARC) rebels agreed late last year to end more than 52 years of war. Colombia’s conflict with guerrilla groups and paramilitaries has killed more than 220,000 people.

The figure is the first official estimate of how many rebels will not demobilize. More than 6,000 FARC fighters are set to finish arriving at UN camps in the coming days to hand over

weapons and begin reintegration programs.

Some rebel commanders, especially from units dedicated to drug trafficking or illegal mining in rural jungle areas, have rejected the peace deal and refused to lay down arms.

FARC leaders expelled five dissenting commanders in December. “The FARC has acknowledged some dissent,” General Alberto Jose Mejia told Reuters this weekend, listing six fronts that have rejected the deal.

“It’s 5% of the FARC, approximately 300 men,” Mejia said during a visit to the small northwestern mountain town of Saiza. Dozens of rebels recently left the town to begin demobilizing. “There may be dissidents in other places in very small numbers. We’re in a process of verification, we have our radars on,” Mejia said.

“In other conflicts it’s normally 20%, 5% is far from that.”

Despite the dissidents, Mejia said the guerrillas are keeping their promise to gather in

demobilization camps and that deserters who remained in drug trafficking or other illegal activities would face the full force of military power. Rebels who refuse to disarm, along with smaller rebel group the National Liberation Army and crime gangs, may seek to control ex-FARC trafficking routes and profitable illegal mining, Mejia said.

Brazil is concerned that former FARC combatants could form criminal alliances with increasingly powerful drug gangs across the two countries’ porous jungle border.

Cultivation of coca, the raw ingredient in cocaine, is widespread in many FARC areas.

The government has launched an ambitious plan to eradicate 50,000 hectares of the plant during the first year of the peace deal. Besides eradication, the government will build roads and open schools and health centers that communities have lacked for decades during the conflict, Mejia said.

Military engineers have already begun to improve Saiza’s road.

LONDON, FebruAry 6 (IANS): WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has made a fresh plea to the UK and Swedish authorities to “restore” his liberty, the media reported on Monday.

Assange, who has been questioned about a sex allegation in Sweden, spoke out on Sunday, a year after a UN legal panel ruled he should be allowed to walk free, the BBC reported.

“I call on the UK and Sweden to do the right thing and restore my liberty,” he said. “These two states signed treaties to recognise the UN and its human rights mechanisms.”

Assange said a year on the two governments had failed to comply with the ruling by the UN’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention which found thathe was being “arbitrarily detained”.

The WikiLeaks founder has been living in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London since June 19, 2012 after he sought asylum following the rejection of his appeal against being extradited to Sweden to face sex assault al-

Myanmar commanders should be punished for rape of Rohingya - Human Rights Watch yANGON, FebruAry 6 (reuTerS): Human Rights Watch on Monday called for Myanmar to punish army and police commanders if they allowed troops to rape and sexually assault women and girls of the Rohingya Muslim minority. The New York-based campaign group said it had documented rape, gang rape and other sexual violence against girls as young as 13 in interviews with some of the 69,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh since Myanmar security forces responded to attacks on border posts four months ago.

“The sexual violence did not appear to be random or opportunistic, but part of a coordinated and systematic attack against Rohingya, in part because of their ethnicity and religion,” a Human Rights Watch (HRW) news release said. Reuters was unable to contact a Myanmar government spokesman to respond to the allegations.

An estimated 1.1 million Rohingya live in the western state of Rakhine, but have their movements and access to services restricted. Ro-

hingyas are barred from citizenship in Myanmar, where many call them “Bengalis” to suggest they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Independent journalists and observers have been barred from visiting the army’s operation zone in northern Rakhine since the Oct. 9 attacks that killed nine border police. The government has so far dismissed most claims that soldiers raped, beat, killed and arbitrarily detained civilians while burning down villages, insisting instead that a lawful operation is underway against a group of armed Rohingya insurgents.

The HRW report comes just days after United Nations investigators said Myanmar’s security forces had “very likely” committed crimes against humanity, posing a dilemma for de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The Nobel Peace Prize winner took charge of most civilian affairs in April after a historic transition from full military rule, but soldiers retain a quarter of seats in parliament and control ministries related to security.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein said on Friday that Suu Kyi had promised to investigate the U.N.’s allegations.

HRW said it had gathered evidence on 28 separate sexual assaults, including interviews with nine women who said they were raped or gang raped at gunpoint by security forces during the army’s socalled “clearance operations” in northern Rakhine.

The women and other witnesses said the perpetrators were Myanmar army troops or border police, who they identified by their uniforms, kerchiefs, arm bands and patches, HRW said.

“These horrific attacks on Rohingya women and girls by security forces add a new and brutal chapter to the Burmese military’s long and sickening history of sexual violence against women,” said HRW senior emergencies researcher Priyanka Motaparthy. “Military and police commanders should be held responsible for these crimes if they did not do everything in their power to stop them or punish those involved.”

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. (AP File Photo)

legations.

He reportedly lives in a small room with a bed, sun lamp, computer, shower, treadmill and cooking facilities, the BBC said.

Assange has refused to travel to Sweden for questioning because he fears he will then be handed over to the US over Wikileaks’ release of 500,000 secret military files. WikiLeaks previously said its founder would

agree to be extradited if clemency was granted to Chelsea Manning - who leaked documents to the website.

The transgender US Army private, born Bradley Manning, will be freed on May 17 after former US President Barack Obama commuted her sentence. Assange has said he would stand by his offer as long as his rights were protected.

Islamic State & air strikes help drive spike in civilian casualties

KAbuL, FebruAry 6 (reuTerS): Civilian casualties in Afghanistan rose to new highs in 2016, driven by more Islamic State attacks, the most deaths and injuries from air strikes since 2009 and a rising toll of child victims of unexploded ordnance, the United Nations said.

A total of 3,498 civilians were killed in the conflict and 7,920 were wounded in 2016, a combined increase of 3 percent over the previous year, U.N. investigators said in an annual summary issued on Monday.

“Against a backdrop of protracted ground fighting, the battlefield permeated civilian sanctuaries that should be spared from harm, with suicide attacks in mosques; targeted attacks against district centres, bazaars and residential homes; and the use of schools and hospitals for military purposes,” the United Nations said.

About 61 percent of all civilian casualties were caused by anti-government groups like the Taliban and Islamic State, it said.

The United Nations attributed at least 4,953 deaths and injuries to the Taliban, but in a shift in 2016, investigators documented a 10-fold increase in casualties caused by Islamic State militants, who often target members of the Shiite Muslim minority.

At least 899 deaths and injuries were attributed to Islamic State, which has been A Rohingya refugee walks on with a tiffin carrier in the morning at Kutupalang Unregistered Refugee a relatively minor faction in Afghanistan, Camp, in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh on February 4. but last year launched an increasing number of suicide attacks.

(REUTERS Photo)

Last year saw the highest number of civilian casualties from suicide attacks since the United Nations began tracking such numbers in 2009.

Afghan security forces caused about 20 percent of the overall casualties, while pro-government militias and international forces caused 2 percent each.

Among the deadliest tactic used by government forces was the indiscriminate use of heavy weapons like mortars in populated areas, the United Nations said.

As the Afghan air force got more attack aircraft and the United States ramped up its air campaign against both Islamic State and the Taliban, casualties caused by air strikes increased 99 percent compared with 2015, hitting levels not seen since 2009.

Air strikes by international warplanes resulted in at least 127 civilian deaths and 108 injuries in 2016, while the Afghan air force accounted for at least 85 deaths and 167 injuries, the United Nations said.

Investigators were not able to attribute responsibility for 38 deaths and 65 injuries from air strikes.

U.S. officials have only acknowledged possible civilian casualties in one incident in Kunduz province in November, when the United Nations said as many as 32 noncombatants were killed and 26 wounded in a joint U.S.-Afghan raid.

Casualties among children spiked by 24 percent in 2016, with 923 dead and 2,589 wounded, largely as a result of a major increase in casualties from unexploded ordnance.

10

TUESDAY 07•02•2017

SPORTS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

India v Bangladesh: We can't take Kohli feted where he started it all Bangladesh lightly, says Pujara

HYDERABAD, FEBRUARY 6 (PTI): Cheteshwar Pujara on Monday asserted that India would look to continue their winning run in the upcoming oneoff Test against Bangladesh but cautioned his team against complacency.

The match is scheduled to take place from February 9, and Pujara felt the visitors cannot be taken lightly, considering they shocked England in a Test match last year.

"They have been playing well in the sub-continent. So, probably, that is one team that have done well against England. We can't take them lightly.

But, at the same time, we played very good cricket in 2016. So, probably, we would stick to the same thing. We are number one team in the world at the moment. We would like to maintain that, the way we played our cricket in 2016, we would like to repeat the same thing in 2017," Pujara told reporters.

The Indian team arrived on a high, having tasted success against England in all the three formats.

"When it comes to strategy, we will have a chat about it later on. But I think if we play good cricket, we

Cheteshwar Pujara of India raises his bat after scoring a century during day two of the second Star Sports test match between India and The West Indies held at The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India on the 15th November 2013. (PTI File Photo)

can definitely beat them," Pujara said.

Noting that the playing conditions would not be much of an issue as they are almost similar in the sub-continent, Pujara said the team that played good

cricket would win.

"I think it will be a fair contest. Because, when we tour Bangladesh, we have a similar experience.

When we tour Bangladesh, we get similar conditions. I don't think conditions will

matter a lot. Whoever plays good cricket, I think they will have an opportunity to win this game.

"Probably, we will have the upper hand because the way we played last year in 2016, fast bowlers

Sania comes up with kids specific academy

HYDERABAD, FEBRUARY 6 (PTI): Tennis star Sania Mirza on Monday launched SMTA Grassroots Level Academy, a project of her mother, for kids aged between three and eight.

It is second such project for Sania after the launch of Sania Mirza Tennis Academy (SMTA) in 2013.

"As a tennis player I had a lot of difficulties coming up to know what to do and where to go as a child and knowing how much to practise. Our goal as a family has always been to try and help in whatever way is possible and that's what we have tried to do whether it's with Sania Mirza Tennis Academy," Sania told reporters here.

"It (SMTA Grassroots Level Academy) is actually my mother and her friend's idea and obviously we support it. This is for the grassroots level of kids because in tennis today, it is too competitive to start when you are 8 or 9 years old, it's already too late. You have to start when you are three or four-year-old," Sania explained.

"The professionals, the biggest of champions, have always started at the age of 4,5 and six-year-old. This academy has been started just for those kids

Sania Mirza

from the age of two-and-half to about seven or eight year-olds to give them a stepping stone because we understand as kids it will be difficult for them to go outside the city to a full-fledged academy. This is inside the city."

"The Mirza family has always tried to pass on whatever experience we had in tennis.

We are still waiting for the next Sania, the next Mahesh and Leanders to come and this is just a small way of contributing to it," she said adding "It is right next to my house and I will obviously give some time as well."

"The whole concept is to get as many kids as possible to the academy. Here we are going to play with softballs which is easier for kids to play. It will be with colourful balls which will make it more attractive for the kids to play.

"As a four-year-old I don't think if they understand the concept of forehand or backhand. It is more about fun and it is about coming and enjoying.

You have to get them to try and love the game first before they want to actually make it their profession," Sania added.

bowled well, lower order continues to hit and batsmen have been batting well. One thing I believe is that if we play as a team and we play to our potential, we will have the upper hand in this game," he said.

Replying to a query, he said hectic scheduling is not an issue as the players are young and fit. "I think it is always good to play cricket. So, whether it is hectic schedule, I always believe that cricketers, all of us are young and we always enjoy playing cricket," Pujara said.

Asked about Bangladesh's Mehedi Hassan, Pujara said the youngster did well against England and that he can't speak more on the player until he faced him.

"I have seen him bowled little bit against England. Looks like a good bowler but, when I play, I will be able to know much about him. He bowled well against England and that was a different wicket altogether. There was a lot of turn on that particular wicket. Both the Test matches, he bowled well.

So, I can't comment much on his bowling just looking at it from television. Once I face him I will be able to comment much," he said.

NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 6 (AGENCIES): Virat Kohli is at ease in the company he has loved from the time he wanted to be a cricketer — family, friends and coaches from his formative years.

The occasion was a felicitation function organised for him by the West Delhi Cricket Academy here on Sunday on his being bestowed with the Padma Shri award and also for his elevation to captaincy in all three formats of the game. The most striking aspect of the star batsman that came through on the occasion was his humility.

“He is so grounded,” remarked a close friend Raman Gujral, effectively conveying the impressions of a group of club cricketers who have known Kohli from the time he was making waves in the local league.

Strong point “He has remained humble and it is a quality that distinguishes him. His desire to learn and the commitment to be involved all the time is a strong part of his character now. Indian cricket is proud of him and we at the WDCA just adore him,” said Rajkumar Sharma, the coach who shaped this gem of a cricketer.

Kohli fondly remembered his days at the WDCA. “I am so happy to see people here whom I saw on my first day at the academy. Atul

Virat Kohli with mother Saroj and coach Rajkumar Sharma in New Delhi. (Agencies Photo)

(Wassan) Sir, (Suresh) Batra Sir. I can’t forget the day I returned home after being hit by some deliveries after I had started playing in the senior group. My mother was worried and she came to the academy to speak to Rajkumar Sir. He assured her it was nothing to worry about. She did not have to come to the academy again,” said Kohli.

To the delight of the audience, Virat shared his feelings when he was appointed captain of the Indian team. “I told my coach that my mind flashed back to the time when I would cycle to the academy with my kit bag. It’s been an unbelievable journey. I am glad to share my good times with the same people today. My roots are at the academy and I learn some-

thing new every time I go there,” he said.

Kohli also spoke of how he dealt with pressure. “I am doing what I loved from childhood — play cricket. I am so focused that pressure doesn’t affect me. I don’t worry about win or loss. I look at the larger picture and my daily hard work pays off. I just focus on staying in my zone. It helps me stay calm. It helps me tackle pressure.”

Also present at the function were his brother (Vikas), mother (Saroj) and his childhood friends.

Veteran cricket official Rajeev Shukla also narrated a few anecdotes and implored Kohli to be “less demonstrative and angry” on the field. The star cricketer responded with a reverential nod.

BCCI media manager Nishant Arora quits MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 6 (IANS): The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators' (COA) move to relieve the staff of former BCCI President and Secretary has led BCCI media manager Nishant Arora to quit.

The COA last week decided to shut down the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) office in New Delhi set up by former President Anurag Thakur. And with Arora employed by Thakur, his time was definitely up.

Arora, who served for 18 months, tendered his resignation on Sunday evening after he was offered a shift to the BCCI cricket centre in Mumbai following the closure of the Delhi office.

Talking to IANS on his resignation, Arora said he was offered to shift his base from Delhi. This prompted him to quit.

"I have a young family and didn't want to move to Mumbai," he said.

His resignation comes after both Thakur's and Shirke's removal by the apex court for failing to implement the Justice R.M. Lodha committee recommendations.

The court then appointed a four-member committee headed by former Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai to oversee the daily operations of the cricket board.

The panel includes former India women's team captain Diana Edulji, historian Ramachandra Guha and IDFC chief Vikram Limaye.

Nagaland Sepaktakraw Women Team won two bronze medals in Team Event & Regu Event.

In the recently concluded 27th Senior National Sepaktakraw Championship from January 27 to 31 held at Kadapa (Andra Pradesh).

Real game at Valencia rescheduled for Feb 22 MADRID, FEBRUARY 6 (REUTERS): Real Madrid's postponed league game at Valencia will be played on February 22, La Liga announced on Monday. The 16th round encounter, which will take place at the Mestalla stadium, was originally scheduled to be played in December but was moved due

to Real's participation in the FIFA Club World Cup, a tournament the Spanish giants won.

The trip to Valencia will add to a busy calendar for the La Liga leaders, who will play eight games in the space of 25 days, including their Champions League last 16 two-legged tie against Napoli. Zinedine

Zidane's Real are one point clear of defending champions Barcelona at the top of La Liga but have played two games less. Real's game at Celta Vigo on Sunday evening was called off for safety reasons after bad weather in Galicia caused damage to the Balaidos stadium. That game has yet to be rescheduled.

ManU flexibility serving them well in top-four race

MANCHESTER, FEBRUARY 6 (REUTERS): Manchester United's tactical flexibility continued to serve them well as they extended their unbeaten Premier League run to 15 games with a 3-0 win at Leicester City on Sunday to ramp up the pressure on their rivals for a topfour finish.

Arsenal and Liverpool have faltered in recent weeks to slip out of title contention behind runaway leaders Chelsea but United have found some momentum and now trail the fourth-placed Gunners by two points and the Reds, who are fifth, by one.

After a poor start to the season United have gone under the radar in their 15-game unbeaten run. Led by master tactician Jose Mourinho and a squad of adaptable players it is the Old Trafford side's tactical flexibility that is aiding them.

Where Arsenal and Liverpool look devoid of a 'Plan B' if their slick, quickpassing style fails, sixthplaced United can successfully adapt if their initial plans prove fruitless.

United started lethargi-

Manchester United's Juan Mata celebrates with teammates after scoring their third goal.

(Reuters Photo)

cally against Leicester and struggled to exert any control during the opening 35 minutes before a system tweak produced immediate results.

Forward Marcus Rashford moved out to the wing and Henrikh Mkhitaryan was deployed in a central playmaking role behind central striker Zlatan Ibra-

himovic.

Thereafter United were irresistible, with Mkhitaryan and Juan Mata in particular picking Leicester apart with ease as the visitors scored three goals in seven minutes either side of halftime.

the same system as they play," Mourinho, whose tactical nous has been attributed to many famous victories in the past, told Sky Sports.

"We tried not to give (central defenders Wes) Morgan and (Robert) Huth a two-against-one TACTICAL NOUS fight and target against "We went with 4-4-2, with Zlatan. We tried to

give more freedom to Zlatan by playing with Marcus Rashford.

"We were fine, we were quite stable but without the quality of possession and control we normally have. We changed and started finding more spaces and then the first goal comes.

"And when the first goal comes everything is easy for us."

Mkhitaryan was the main benefactor of the tactical change.

Having been peripheral for the first 35 minutes the Armenian went on to produce a man-of-the-match display like those that made him such a highly sought after player at Borussia Dortmund.

"When we are playing football, one-two passes are very easy no matter which position," Mkhitaryan told Sky Sports.

"We tried to change the formation during the game and that's not something that is new for us.

"In this game the manager thought it was better I play behind the striker.

It was his decision and I agreed and I was trying to do my best."

United extend long unbeaten run

MANCHESTER, FEBRUARY 6 (REUTERS): Manchester United continued their push for a top-four finish with a comfortable 3-0 victory at champions Leicester City on Sunday, extending their unbeaten Premier League run to 15 games.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan open the scoring with a cool finish after he galloped onto Chris Smalling's header in the 42nd minute and, with Leicester's defence still recovering, Zlatan Ibrahimovic added a second two minutes later.

Juan Mata stroked home their third goal after some delightful link up play with Mkhitaryan in the 49th and United easily closed out the game against a Leicester side who have yet to score a league goal in 2017.

United stay sixth on 45 points but have cut the gap to Liverpool and Arsenal, one and two points above them in fifth and fourth respectively, while Leicester are 16th -- one point above

the relegation zone.

"It's easy to play anywhere," Mkhitaryan told Sky Sports, after manager Jose Mourinho's tactical shift to deploy him behind Ibrahimovic saw United take control.

"When we are playing football, one-two passes are very easy no matter which position. We tried to change the formation during the game and that's not something that is new for us.

"In this game the manager thought it was better I play behind the striker.

It was his decision and I agreed and I was trying to do my best."

SLOWING MOMENTUM Although United arrived at the King Power Stadium unbeaten in 14 league games, three straight draws had halted their momentum.

Having seen Arsenal and Liverpool lose on Saturday, United were keen to increase the pressure on their rivals for a topfour place but they did not have it all their own way in

a passionate, full-blooded opening.

A committed Leicester had the better of the first 30 minutes but eventually, after the tactical reshuffle, United's class told with Mkhitaryan surging clear to score a superb opener.

United were in the ascendancy and doubled their lead when Ibrahimovic wrong-footed goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel to slide home his 15th league goal this season.

The halftime break did nothing to halt United's momentum and, with Mkhitaryan dictating proceedings, they added a third when Mata finished off a silky move having collected the Armenian's precise return pass.

Leicester avoided the ignominy of conceding any more goals but it was another miserable performance and their fourth successive league defeat.

The champions have now won just two of their last 15 league matches and sit precariously close to the drop zone.

Tuesday 07•02•2017

EntErtainmEnt

Logan trailer: Lady Gaga calls for unity in electrifying

Hugh Jackman’s silent appearance gets soulful with ‘Amazing Grace’ soundtrack

H

ugh Jackman in Logan has made a silent Super Bowl appearance but did not leave with the same impression. The teaser represents Hugh’s ‘Amazing Grace’, the track that blends with the theme of the film and gives you chills. Logan’s new trailer, which stars Hugh Jackman in the lead role, gives an introduction to fierce Wolverine and his super-ferocious next generation, mutant X-23.

The film’s previous trailer gave us a glimpse of the R-rated action, in what is Jackman’s final appearance as Wolverine after playing the character for 17 years. Logan is shaping up to be one of the most exciting films in the X-Men franchise.

Apart from Jackman essaying his trademark role, the trailer also shows an aged Professor Charles Xavier and X-23, who Wolverine is protecting from a group of assassins. In an official synopsis of the film, the makers wrote, “In the near future, a weary Logan

cares for an ailing Professor X in a hide out on the Mexican border. But Logan’s attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are up-ended when a young mutant arrives, being pursued by dark forces.”

Hugh Jackman says that the studio was not going gaga over his performance as Wolverine when the first movie of the Marvel franchise began shooting about 18 years ago. At the Producers Guild Awards, the star said, “I was kind of struggling, to be honest.

It was the first movie I had ever done in America. I was pretty tight. I was nervous. I was average, to be honest, at best.”

However, over the years, the actor has earned a lot of appreciation and respect for his role in X-men. Apart from Jackman and Patrick, Logan also stars Boyd Holbrook, Dafne Keen, Stephen Merchant, Doris Morgado, Elizabeth Rodriguez and Richard E. Grant. James Mangold is directing the movie, which is set to release on March 3, 2017.

Source: Indian Express

L

ady Gaga tore the roof off of NRG Stadium in Houston on Sunday with one of the greatest Super Bowl halftime shows in history and delivered not the barnstorming anti-Donald Trump protest some feared, but a subtle message of inclusion and unity.

From the outset, Gaga served notice this was no ordinary halftime show -- she began her performance from the lip of the stadium roof, an army of 300 drones forming a twinkling American flag in the sky.

Then she took flight (literally) at the end of the pre-recorded sequence.

The singer, clad in a sparkling silver bodysuit and knee high boots, then appeared to leap from the edge the retractable roof onto the stage with the help of some sturdy wires -- and the performance was nonstop from there.

And although she didn't mention President Trump once, her performance was praised as 'incredible' by Ivanka Trump afterwards.

Ahead of the show, all eyes were on Lady Gaga to see whether she would use the platform to rip into President Donald Trump at a tense time in US politics.

performance at Super Bowl Now ShowiNg revIseD TICKeT rATes (silver) : `.120 (Gold) : `. 200 (recliner) : `. 400

Even with Vice President Mike Pence in attendance, Gaga -- a sworn foe of Trump -- kept with the game's guidelines to steer clear of overt politics.

Super Bowl performances are rarely directly provocative, al-

though last year Beyonce startled many by playing her single 'Formation.' Its video had a message against police brutality.

Instead the singer, known for her audacious outfits, delivered what seemed to be a more subtle

message.

'How are you doing tonight, Texas? How are you doing tonight, America?' Gaga asked.

'We're here to make you feel good,' she said.

Source: Mailonline

Varun named brand ambassador of Lux Cozi

A

ctor Varun Dhawan has been signed as the brand ambassador for innerwear brand Lux Cozi.

Saket Todi, Senior Vice President, Operations and Strategy, Lux Industries Ltd., said in a statement: "Over the years, Varun has carved a niche in the minds of the film buffs and crit-

ics alike. His style and fashion sense makes him endearing to all sections of the audience cutting across age groups, especially the youth."

Varun is delighted to be their brand ambassador. "Their innerwear products stand for comfort and quality and I really liked the vibe of the ad campaign when I met with the creative team,"

said the "Student of the Year" actor.

LUX Cozi recently conducted a campaign ‘Sunotohapnedilki' with actor Sushant Singh Rajput as its face.

Over the years, the brand's ads have been fronted by actors like Sunny Deol, Suniel Shetty, Paresh Rawal, Boman Irani and Shekhar Suman.

Source: IANS

Justin Bieber returns to

Miley performs Instagram after 5 months Lakshmi puja

S

C M Y K

inger Justin Bieber finally returned to photo-sharing site Instagram after taking a five-month break following a row with fans over a split with Selena Gomez.

The Canadian pop star made his comeback to the photo sharing platform, from which he took a break after a row with fans, as part of T Mobile’s huge Super Bowl campaign, reports mirror.co.uk.

His return to the social Tiarenla Jamir and Lipok presents special number during media site is part of the the release of Morning Premier League (MPL) 2017 Promo #UnlimitedMoves spot for Video in Kohima on February 6. (Morung Photo) the big game as he shares it with his fans online. He wants all his followers to get in on the act by sharing their touchdown dances across social media on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Bieber will be choosing his favourites and sharing

'Pink' actress joins campaign for women empowerment

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 them on his own page on Monday morning after the game.

After quitting the site last year, Bieber said: “Instagram is for the devil. I think Hell is Instagram. I’m like 90 % sure. We get sent to hell and we get locked in the Instagram server.

I’m stuck in the Dms (Di-

Kaabil

rect messages). I’m trying to climb my way out and I can’t.”

Bieber initially made a brief return to Instagram two weeks after he quit the site in August following a row with ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez, but he later deactivated his account again.

Source: IANS

Tripura rapper collaborates with Hard Kaur

A

ctress Andrea Tariang, who featured in a key role in "Pink" -a movie about women's rights -- has continued her crusade for women empowerment off-screen by joining a campaign 'Ab Samjhauta Nahin'.

The campaign, by ITC's brand for personal care Vivel, is aimed at inspiring women to break free from the shackles of age-old societal mindsets, as "freedom does not come with compromises".

At the recently concluded Kolkata Literary Meet, Andrea, along with some noted women authors, journalists, and singer Vidya Shah, got together for a special recitation of a tweaker version of Rabi-

ndranath Tagore's poem "Where The Mind Is Without Fear".

Others who are part of the initiative are authors Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Volga, Vaidehi, Paramita Sathpathy, and Priyanka Mukherjee, activist Ruchira Gupta and journalists Rana Ayyub and Sagarika Ghose.

They recited the poem, asking daughters to awaken to a world where they need to put a stop to compromising and to "uncondition" themselves and their inner spirit, read a statement.

For the campaign, the last line of the poem has been tweaked: "Into that heaven of freedom, Daughter, (daughter instead of my Father), let my country awake".

Source: IANS

I

ndo-British rapper Taran Kaur Dhillon, popularly known as Hard Kaur, has collaborated with a rapper from Tripura - Borkung Hrangkhawl, who likes to sing songs that highlight issues such as racism and discrimination that are often faced by the people of northeast India.

"She (Hard Kaur) is coming out with a mixtape, and I am a part of it. The release

date is not yet confirmed. I can't reveal the name of the songs right now," Hrangkhawl told IANS. If Hrangkhawl is known for using music to fight racism in the country, Kaur, touted as India's first female rapper, is popular for being a proponent of female empowerment.

"She is a pioneer when it comes to Indian rap. So, it was awesome to work with her. She dropped a message on my Facebook page and then a few days later she gave me a call. She told me that she is working on a mixtape and she wanted me to be a part of it along with other artistes," he recalled.

Hrangkhawl has delivered hits like "The roots" (Chini Haa), "Never give up" and "The journey", and likes to rap in English.

Kaur has only good words for the rapper from the northeast.

"I had once voted for him for VH1 awards. He is so nice and polite. He has such a beautiful soul," said the "Sherni" hitmaker.

08:00 PM

Raees

S

inger Miley Cyrus has performed a Lakshmi puja, or at least, an Instagram post she posted on Monday suggests so.

The 24-year-old songstress posted a picture on Instagram where one can see a traditional Hindu prayer set-up with the goddess of wealth being worshipped, alongside an offering of fruits and halwa with incense sticks and diyas. “#FruitBowl over SuSource: IANS

per... #offering,” captioned the Wrecking Ball singer, giving a light and healthy angle to the homely function in wake of the ongoing Super Bowl 2017.

The picture also gives a sneak peek into Miley’s spiritual side showing the photographs of gurus whom she perhaps follows.

The singer had also taken the services of a pundit to conduct the prayers.

Source: PTI

02:00 PM

Resident evil Final chapteR )3d

Pirates of the Caribbean 5 trailer: Jack Sparrow faces a deadly combo

A

t the onset of Johnny Cash’s ‘Ain’t No Grave,’ when the strumming gets more intense and beats would start ringing in your head, is when you assimilate how surrealistically morbid makes Captain Salazar and Captain Barbosa’s deadly combination in the new chapter of the Pirates battle.

For the love of the old enemies Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (The Revenge of Salazar in some countries) gives us a glimpse of devilish power that seems unconquerable giving nightmares even looking at

the beasts of the new dead.

The new Super Bowl trailer for the fifth part of Pirates is no less grand than the previous stories. Barbosa (Geoffrey Rush) of the Black Pearl searching for his eternal arch nemesis and Salazar (by Javier Bardem) on the prowl with his horde of undead zombies, who run on water, for the blood of “the Captain of the sea” is a new level of war at sea.

Only now we see Johnny Depp playing Captain Jack Sparrow in the last few seconds, filled with muck and the usual dose of his nonchalant wit and a bottle of rum in his hand. The

story is also the return of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) joining the battle.

The fifth movie in the franchise has new entrants Kaya Scodelario and Brenton Thwaites. The film is being helmed by co-directors Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg. The biggest addition to the film is, of course, Beatle’s Paul McCartney whose role isn’t specified yet.

The film is set to hit the screens on May 26 in the US. While the last teaser trailer was filled with Zimmer, the ‘Ain’t No Grave’ is ain’t that boring too!

Source: Indian Express

11:00 AM | 05:00 PM

12

TUESDAY 07•02•2017

SPORTS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Cook, one of English sport's quiet achievers

C M Y K

LONDON, FEBRUARY 6 (REUTERS): Alastair Cook was never the most innovative England cricket captain, his batting was designed to soothe rather than stir the blood and his personality was so cautious that it was little wonder he never featured when flashy sports awards were being handed out.

Yet after stepping down from the test captaincy after 4-1/2 years on Monday, there could still be no real argument about Cook, in his own quiet, undemonstrative fashion, having become one of the great achievers of modern English sport.

With the minimum of fuss and maximum solidity at a time when he had to deal with plenty of turmoil within the team, Cook moulded himself into an impressive, respected leader while still managing to remain a towering batsman, England's all-time top scorer in test annals.

Not that everyone in England perhaps quite recognised the magnitude of what he was achieving.

"Alastair Cook is the first Englishman to 10,000 Test runs — but most Poms haven't seen a single one," ran one headline in Australia's Daily Telegraph last year, referring to how his feats tended to remain under the radar since no live cricket is shown on free-toair television in England.

The newspaper had a point. Cook's consistent excellence has often been under-appreciated compared to the box-office razzmatazz of others like Kevin Pietersen, a dazzling talent but one which cast a long shadow over the Essex man's reign.

Cook, one of English sport's quiet achievers Ian Chadband Reuters

England's Alastair Cook walks off the field after losing the match. (Reuters Photo)

Still, Cook leaves his job, able to look at a fairly remarkable resume that features 24 wins in a record 59 tests in charge, Ashes victories at home in 2013 and 2015 as well as series wins in India and South Africa.

There were jarring setbacks, of course, like the whitewash Ashes defeat in Australia and the 4-0 loss to India over the winter that eventually persuaded him his time was up as captain, yet overall it was hard not to agree with Monday's salute from predecessor Andrew Strauss.

"He's led the team with determination, conviction and a huge amount of pride and his record stands for itself," said Strauss, now director of England Cricket.

"He deserves to be seen as one of our country's great captains."

The latter assertion is

up for debate. Cook's winning percentage of 40.67 at the helm is only the fourth best of the six captains to have led England in more than 40 tests, even though he oversaw an era featuring world-class players from Pietersen, Graeme Swann, James Anderson and Stuart Broad to Ben Stokes and Joe Root.

On a personal level, though, he maintained the highest standards, his superb temperament propelling him to become England's most prolific batsman -- and the 10th most prolific from any country -- with 11,057 runs in 140 tests.

After taking over as captain in 2012, perhaps his finest achievement were the three centuries he compiled in England's first test series win in India in 28 years, a feat that looks even more monumental in light

of this winter's thrashing.

Now, still just 32 and freed from captaincy pressures, Cook could continue to do serious damage to that top-10 test list while also helping his obvious successor Joe Root ease into the role of captain.

It would be no surprise to see Cook go past Ricky Ponting, currently second on the list with 13,378 runs, even if Sachin Tendulkar's world record mark of 15,921 looks insurmountable.

One suspects Root, a rare and brilliant talent, could bring a daring approach to the job that was beyond Cook.

Yet now that he can sit back and reflect on a job well done, Cook, England's 'Captain Sensible', should content himself that he led with dignity, toughness, gentlemanly spirit -- and lots and lots of runs.

Alastair Cook was never the most innovative England cricket captain, his batting was designed to soothe rather than stir the blood and his personality was so cautious that it was little wonder he never featured when flashy sports awards were being handed out.

Yet after stepping down from the test captaincy after 4-1/2 years on Monday, there could still be no real argument about Cook, in his own quiet, undemonstrative fashion, having become one of the great achievers of modern English sport.

With the minimum of fuss and maximum solidity at a time when he had to deal with plenty of turmoil within the team, Cook moulded himself into an impressive, respected leader while still managing to remain a towering batsman, England's alltime top scorer in test annals.

Not that everyone in England perhaps quite recognised the magnitude of what he was achieving.

"Alastair Cook is the first Englishman to 10,000 Test runs — but most Poms haven't seen a single one," ran one headline in Australia's Daily Telegraph last year, referring to how his feats tended to remain under the radar since no live cricket is shown on free-to-air television in England.

The newspaper had a point.

Cook's consistent excellence has often been under-appreciated compared to the box-office razzmatazz of others like Kevin Pietersen, a dazzling talent but one which cast a long shadow over the Essex man's reign.

Still, Cook leaves his job, able to look at a fairly remarkable resume that features 24 wins in a record 59 tests in charge, Ashes victories at home in 2013 and 2015 as well as series wins in India and South Africa. There were jarring setbacks, of course, like the whitewash Ashes defeat in Australia and the 4-0 loss to India over the winter that eventually persuaded him his time was up as captain, yet overall it was hard not to agree with Monday's salute from predecessor Andrew Strauss.

"He's led the team with deter-

mination, conviction and a huge amount of pride and his record stands for itself," said Strauss, now director of England Cricket.

"He deserves to be seen as one of our country's great captains."

The latter assertion is up for debate. Cook's winning percentage of 40.67 at the helm is only the fourth best of the six captains to have led England in more than 40 tests, even though he oversaw an era featuring worldclass players from Pietersen, Graeme Swann, James Anderson and Stuart Broad to Ben Stokes and Joe Root.

On a personal level, though, he maintained the highest standards, his superb temperament propelling him to become England's most prolific batsman -- and the 10th most prolific from any country -- with 11,057 runs in 140 tests.

After taking over as captain in 2012, perhaps his finest achievement were the three centuries he compiled in England's first test series win in India in 28 years, a feat that looks even more monumental in light of this winter's thrashing.

Factbox on Alastair Cook

*Born Dec. 25, 1984, in Strauss as ODI skipper 3-0 home Ashes win in Gloucester, England. in 2011 and as perma2013, but a 5-0 whitewash *Scored an unbeaten 104 on nent test captain in 2012.

Down Under led to crititest debut against India at * Scored his 23rd century cism of his captaincy.

Nagpur in 2006 and made in 2012, against India, *Passed Graham Gooch's his one-day international to break the record for 8,900-run tally during debut against Sri Lanka in most test hundreds for the 2015 series against the same year.

England. Also became New Zealand to become *Scored 766 runs in seven the youngest player to England's most leading innings during the 2010pass 7,000 test runs and run scorer in tests.

11 Ashes tour to help was named as one of *Led England to a surEngland to their first seWisden's Cricketers of prise 3-2 Ashes win in ries win in Australia for the Year.

2015 and was named as 24 years. *Led England to the final captain of the ICC's test *Scored 294 against India in of the 2013 Champions team of the year.

2011, his highest test score Trophy, losing to India. *Captained England to to date, and was named as He lost the one-day capa 2-1 test series win in the International Cricket taincy and a place in the South Africa in 2016 Council's (ICC) Test Crick2015 World Cup squad against a team then eter of the Year. after a poor run of form. ranked No1 in the world. *Succeeded Andrew *Captained England to a *Ended 2015 as the year's

third-highest test run scorer with 1,364 at an average of 54.56. *In May 2016 became the first English batsman and the 12th player from any country to score 10,000 runs in test matches. *Stepped down as England test captain in February 2017 after an embarrassing 4-0 series loss in India at the end of 2016. *Led England in 59 tests, more than any of his predecessors. *Cook is England's most prolific test batsman with 11,057 runs in 140 tests.

Reuters

Morning Premier League EPL teams more defensive this season: Mourinho says 2017 Season 3 from March MANCHESTER, FEBRUARY 6 (IANS): Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho has said that clubs in the English Premier League football this season are more defensive and looking to counter attack.

He said this after winning 3-0 over defending champions Leicester City.

"Look, my team is playing very well. For many years in my career, especially in this country, when my teams were ruthless, phenomenal defensively and very good on the counter-attack, I listened week af-

KABA pastor and others during the release of promo video of MPL 2017 in Kohima on February 6. (Morung Photo) Our Correspondent Kohima | February 6

The Season 3 of Morning Premier League (MPL) 2017 under the aegis of Morning Football Association will start from March 6 till July 7 in Kohima.

This football league will be played at Kohima Local Ground, Indira Gandhi Stadium Hockey Ground and Seikhazou Local Ground.

The main purpose of this league is to create health consciousness, friendship, camaraderie and competitive mentality and to promote sportsmanship in a safe, healthy and fun loving environment.

Initially it was started with just two teams in 2015 but due to the growing interest and demand of

health conscious people, the MFA feel the need and it has now raise to ten teams.

The teams for Season 3 include Morning FC, Amur Falcon FC, Medical XI, Merhulietsa FC, Merhulietsa Sunrisers, PowerCom, Morung United FC, Mustang FC, Nepali Baptist Church Silver White Kohima and All Blacks.

This league is for nonprofessionals and retired players only.

To be eligible for this league one has to be at least 28 years of age and must not registered or contracted to any professionals clubs in Nagaland.

KABA pastor Temjenmongba Sempo released promo video of MPL 2017 in a function held here today at D’Café.

He said one should not forget those people who are suffering around us and asked the youth to look beyond and extend care and love to them.

Highlighting the MPL event, Kangie said MPL started in 2015 with just two teams- Morning Football Club and Amur Falcon Football Club wherein they used to play friendly matches every morning.

“We hope that through MPL we can bring some positive change in the life of the player,” said Kangie.

He said all the 10 teams are anxiously looking forward for the Season 3.

The function was chaired

by Temjenmoa while Loben Jamir, president Morning Football Association proposed vote of thanks.

Serena Williams leads WTA rankings MADRID, FEBRUARY 6 (IANS): American tennis player Serena Williams led the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) world rankings on Monday for the second consecutive week. After winning the Australian Open last week, Williams snatched the top spot from Germany's Angelique Kerber, reports Efe. Williams won her seventh Australian Open singles title after defeating her sister Venus 6-4, 6-4 in the tournament's final.

The current WTA rankings and points scored are as follows: 1. Serena Williams (US) 7,780 points 2. Angelique Kerber (Germany) 7,115 3. Karolina Pliskova (Czech) 5,270 4. Simona Halep (Romania) 5,172 5. Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) 5,070 6. Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) 4.915 7. Garbine Muguruza (Spain) 4,720 8. Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) 3,915 9. Madison Keys (US) 3,897 10. Johanna Konta (Australia) 3,705

ter week that it was not enough, despite winning the title three times," Mourinho told the club's official website on Sunday after his team's win.

"It looks like this season to be phenomenal defensively and good on the counter-attack is an art - it is a big change in England."

The Portuguese said he doesn't want his side to be creating a lot of chances but not scoring goals. United had Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Juan Mata scoring the goals that beat Leicester.

"My Manchester United, I don't

want to change the profile of our play - this is the way we, the fans and the club want to play. But I don't want to be the manager of a team that plays very well, creates a lot of chances and does not win matches. We need to score goals and today we did."

On his star Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic's rich form, Mourinho said, "Normally when strikers score goals we say '22 goals - 14 goals and eight penalties', or '21 goals - 14 goals and seven penalties'. With Zlatan we need to re-

mind ourselves it's 20 goals - 19 and one penalty."

Mourinho said there were many individual performances which impressed him.

"There were many good performances. The overall performance was very good and there were many good individual performances; obviously Mkhitaryan with the goal and assist and some amazing actions come into the eye, but I could name many players with very good individual performances."

Patriots stage historic rally to win Super Bowl

HOUSTON, FEBRUARY 6 (REUTERS): The New England Patriots pulled off the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history with a stunning overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday that saw Tom Brady cement his status as the game's all-time greatest quarterback.

For Brady, the 34-28 win earned him Super Bowl MVP honors for an unprecedented fourth time, a quarterback-record fifth NFL title and also a bit of sweet revenge after serving a four-game ban to start the season for his role in the Deflategate saga.

"Thank you to all our fans. Everyone back in Boston, New England, we love you. You've been with us all year," an emotional Brady said as he raised the Vince Lombardi Trophy. "We're bringing this sucker home."

The Patriots, who seemed to have nothing go their way all night and trailed 28-3 in the third quarter, came alive with a 19-point burst in the fourth, including a pair of twopoint conversions, to force the first overtime in Super Bowl history.

In overtime, the Patriots started with the ball and ended the game eight plays later when James White put the finishing touches a stunning rally when he

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) celebrates after the game winning touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons during Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch. (Usa Today Sports Photo)

rumbled into the end zone for his third touchdown of the night on a two-yard run.

The victory denied the Falcons a maiden NFL title and made Brady, at 39, the second oldest at his position to win the NFL's biggest prize.

"We all brought each other back," Brady said as a shower of confetti fell on the field inside NRG Stadium. "We never felt out of it.

It was a tough battle."

It was a performance for the ages for Brady as he set Super Bowl records for most completions (43) and most yards passing (466) in a Super Bowl.

Brady shared the record book and the win with Bill Belichick who also picked up his fifth Super Bowl victory to move past Chuck Noll of Pittsburgh Steelers for most by a coach.

"It's all about these players. We’ve got great players," said Belichick.

"They’re tough and they compete.

"We thought they competed for 60 minutes but it took more tonight. Down 28-3 they never looked back."

With 10 points being the previous biggest comeback to win a Super Bowl, the Falcons and their fans

could be excused if they were getting ready to party after Tevin Coleman put Atlanta ahead 28-3 around the midway mark of the third quarter.

PATRIOTS RALLY Proving no lead is safe with Brady at the controls, the New England quarterback would not go down without a fight, finding White for his first touchdown pass of the game late in the third quarter to cut the Falcons lead to 28-9.

Gostkowski nailed a 33yard field goal in the fourth quarter to set up a nail-biting finish to regulation in which Brady threw a six-

yard scoring pass to Danny Amendola and White ran in for a touchdown in the final minute.

Atlanta, who lost their only previous trip to the Super Bowl in 1999 and entered this game as a threepoint underdog, blew open a scoreless game with three second quarter touchdowns.

Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan, who was named league MVP on Saturday, had the NFL's top-ranked offense firing on all cylinders as Devonta Freeman and Austin Hooper each scored touchdowns before Robert Alford picked off a Brady pass and ran 82 yards to put the Falcons ahead 21-0.

The Patriots finally got on the board with two seconds left in the half when they were forced to settle for a 41-yard Gostkowski field goal.

The Atlanta offense continued to hum along in the third quarter when Ryan connected with Tevin Coleman. But it would not be enough as New England hit back with 31 unanswered points.

"At halftime, we weren't down (mentally) at all," said Brady. "We were disappointed in the way we played and knew that we could go out and do a lot better in the second half."

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