February 8th, 2016

C M Y K

www.morungexpress.com

monDAY • februArY 08 • 2016

DIMAPUR • Vol. XI • Issue 36 • 12 PAGes • 5

T H e

ESTD. 2005

The freedom of all is essential to my freedom North Korean rocket puts object into space, angers neighbours and the US PAGe 09

P o W e R

o F

T R u T H

— Mikhail Bakunin

Arsenal back in title race with win at Bournemouth

Problem of Pidgin: Nagaland’s language barrier divides State PAGE 02

PAGE 12

Couple killed at Shamator, mob runs riot in Kiphire

Tikhir and Yimchungru organisations condemn

• Killed on February 6 using sophisticated weapons • 5 vehicles and 3 houses set on fire by mob, 9-10 houses damaged • MLA Torechu’s residence attacked • Cr.PC 144 imposed in Kiphire

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Morung Express news

Dimapur/Kiphire | February 7

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young couple was killed in an outrageous shooting incident at Shamator, Tuensang district on February 6. The couple was enroute to Kiphire when the vehicle they were travelling in came under a barrage of gunfire about 20 kms away from Shamator towards Kiphire, police sources from Shamator informed.

The incident occurred in the evening between 5:00 to 6:00 pm about two kms beyond High Bridge also known as Muru Ke Bridge, the sources added.

While motive behind the shooting remained unclear, the police sources said that it appeared to be an ambush as the road was found partially blocked by wooden posts at the site of the shooting.

The two victims, identified as Alemba and Naro, were found dead in the vehicle. They are survived by four children.

According to other sources, the couple was heading to Kiphire from Shamator village. The wife was employed as a nurse at Shamator village medical sub-centre, while the husband was a primary school teacher at Kiphire.

The shooters had used

The Morung Express Poll QuEsTion

Vote on www.morungexpress.com sMs your answer to 9862574165 Are religious crusades and revivals having any significant effect in Naga society?

Yes

no

others

Should the Nagaland state government introduce biometric attendance in government offices?

Yes

82%

no

12%

others

06%

Details on page 7

Man found hung at Jalukie in a suspected murder Morung express news Dimapur | February 7

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A 38 year-old man was found dead in a suspected murder at Jalukie on February 7. The deceased, identified by the police as one Heisube, was a resident of High School colony and hailed from Benreu village. The body was discovered suspended by the neck from the goalposts of Jalukie Government High School ground early on February 7 at around 5:00 am. According to the police, the deceased was reported to be mentally challenged. The body bore ligature mark on the neck and bruises on both arms with each hand bound separately and was reported seen at his house till around midnight, it was added. The body was taken to Dimapur for post-mortem, the police said, adding the report was awaited.

sophisticated weapons as police found around 30 empty shells of US carbine, 7.62 and .303 calibre.

A public funeral of the victims will take place on Monday.

Mob goes on rampage The news of the killing reverberated in Kiphire district as irate mobs went on the rampage in the district headquarter. According to the police in Kiphire, violence erupted around noon on Sunday after the bodies of the two victims reached the town. Mobs set fire to several vehicles on the road while destroying houses, the police informed.

When the situation went out of hand, the district administration subsequently promulgated Cr.PC 144 at around 3:30 pm. The imposition of prohibitory order did not have much of an impact as people continued to defy the order throughout the afternoon and well into the night despite the police even resorting to firing in the air. One police officer informed that groups of people continued to roam the streets as the police made preventive attempts.

The officer informed

A vehicle which was set on fire by a mob in Kiphire on February 7, after the spread of news that a couple was killed in Shamator on February 6.

that two companies of the NAP (IR) have been deployed and further assisted by the Assam Rifles.

There was however no report of any casualty as a result of the violence at the time of filing this report.

The ADC, Kiphire, Dr. Tinojongshi Chang, later updating on the situation at around 11:00 pm informed that movement of civilians has been contained. The ADC informed that 5 vehicles and 3 houses were burned and as many as 9-10 houses were damaged. A house belonging to MLA T. Torechu was also reported to be among the houses targeted by the mobs. It was further informed that an additional two companies of reinforcement was requisitioned In Shamator, the situation was stated to be tense in certain pockets of the town, while Shamator village remained tense. As

the restriction on information emanating from Shamator continues to leave the people in the dark on the ground situation, official sources from Shamator informed that only two platoons of armed police personnel, besides the local police were stationed in the sub-divisional headquarter till the killing of February 6 occurred. One platoon was stationed at Shamator town, while the other was deployed at its namesake village.

Shamator sub-division, on the other hand has been simmering in a virtual ‘cold war’ since the latter part of 2015. The sources though added that additional police force was requisitioned following Saturday evening’s incident.

pressed strong condemnation of the killing. He stated in a press release today that the State Police have been directed to nab the culprits responsible for the crimes and it is the “strong commitment” of the State Government that, “under any circumstances, it will leave no stone unturned to see that peace and tranquillity are not disturbed in the region.”

Maintaining the position of the Government that “violence can never be the means to bring peace and solution,” Patton stated that the Government has been “continuously working to see that peace and tranquillity should not be disturbed in Tuensang district and even have been holding series of meeting with the representatives of various tribal bodies to see that peace and tranquillity Will leave no stone unturned: Home Minister prevail in the region.”

Nagaland State Home “By committing such Minister, Y Patton, has ex- heinous crimes at a time

when the entire Naga people are yearning for peace and unity is not sending a good message to the others,” the Home Minister noted.

Parl Secy condemns Parliamentary Secretary for Municipal Affairs and Economics & Statistics, R Tohanba, while condemning the killing said: “Such kind of barbaric and cold blood murder of two innocent travellers is beyond human imagination and those responsible for the heinous crime have no place in civilized society.

Every right thinking citizen should voice out their indignation on such senseless killings,” Tohanba said.

He urged the law enforcing agency to take every possible measure to ensure that the culprits are brought to book and punished as per law. Tohanba also conveyed condolences to the bereaved family members.

everal Tikhir and Yimchungru organisations have also condemned the killing and called for appropriate action from the law enforcing agencies.

The Tikhir Tribal Council (TTC) appealed to the State Government for action against responsible leaders to “produce the killers or else they should be immediately arrested for culpable homicide as no tribe/tribal leaders are above the law and Government.” The Council maintained that it will “initiate its own course of action deem fit in the event of Government inaction in arresting the killers or those responsible as the earliest.”

The Tikhir Woman Association (TWA), the apex women’s organisation of the Tikhir tribe, in a press release, expressed “utter shock” at the “barbaric act” as “they have not only taken away the lives of Alemba and Naro but also completely shattered the dreams of their beloved children.” The TWA requested law enforcing agencies to “immediately investigate and book those responsible for the killing.”

The Tikhir Students’ Union (TSU) condemned the “inhuman act” and challenged “every individual and society to condemn this killing because this should not happen in our Naga societies.” The TSU urged the State Government, NGOs and State Security to initiate the arrest of perpetrators/ killers and award befitting punishment within no time.

The Yimchunger Akheru Arihako (YAA), Yimchunger Woman Organization (YWO) and Western Yimchunger Hoho (WYH) also condemned the “brutal murder/ killing” of the couple by “unknown miscreants” in the “strongest terms.” The joint councils termed the incident as ‘’unfortunate and needless bloodshed” and resolved that it will no longer “leave stones unturned to get to the bottom of the truth and facts.”

Subsequently, the above bodies, on behalf of the Yimchunger public, also condemned the “senseless destruction of Yimchunger households and properties, burning of vehicles, terrorizing innocent Yimchunger public through threat, intimidation and harassment of innocent Yimchunger public at Kiphire Town by an unruly and wild mob.”

They alleged that the destruction included the properties and household of T Torechu, MLA of 60 PungroKiphire A/C, “right under the nose of the administration and security forces of Kiphire district.” The above bodies, under the Yimchungru Tribal Council, urged the State Government and the State law enforcing agencies to “apprehend and to book the culprits and mob leaders at the earliest, and deliver justice to the victims.”

They also condemned the delay in imposing curfew by the State authorities, “which otherwise could have prevented the large scale and unwanted destruction, including the hardships and terrorism meted out on the innocent public.”

Media should take due care and BRO criticized for neglecting Mkg-Mariani Road caution; authenticate information Morung Express news Dimapur | February 7

In a civil suit, the Court of the Civil Judge (Senior) Division, Dimapur has passed an ‘order’ asking 24X7 English news channel ‘Times Now’ to pay an amount of one crore rupees “by way of damages” in favour of the plaintiff, Imkongnukshi Imchen.

In the view of the ‘judgment and order’, the Judge decreed that the one crore rupees be paid along with costs of Rs. 50,000. If the news channel defaults on paying the amount, “the decretal amount will carry an interest of 10% till the full realisation of the decretal amount,” noted the Decree. The judgment, order and decree were passed on December 8, 2015.

The suit was filed after the news channel flashed the picture of one Imkongnukshi Imchen repeatedly on June 30, 2010, “encircled in red and purportedly showing him” as then Home Minister of Nagaland, Imkong Imchen, who was “detained at an airport in Nepal for allegedly carrying Indian currency notes of a particular denomination which is restricted in Nepal,” noted the judgment. The news item, it informed, was “repeatedly flashed from morning till the afternoon” of the day with the wrong picture to go with.

Due care and caution to authenticate information Civil Judge (Senior Division), Inalo Zhimomi NJS, observed in his judgment that in an era of “cut-throat competition” between 24 hours news channels, “there is a tendency to sensationalise the news items” and claim that each was the first to cover it “so as to increase its

viewership.”

The Judge further observed that “in the present age of Internet and various social media, one has to be extra cautious since every news channel uploads its top stories on the internet and reporting of sensational story spreads faster than wild fire.”

With the advancement of technology, news media have the responsibility to check into their databases to authenticate photographs before broadcasting.

On the argument from the ‘Times Now’ in court that this was a “human error” in flashing the picture as the Home Minister of Nagaland, the Judge noted that there was no material on record to “substantiate how the human error” occurred.

“There is nothing on record to show that the defendant had taken due care and caution to eliminate error...” The Judge then observed that in the absence of this, it cannot be said that the channel took “due steps” to “ascertain and verify” the authenticity of the photograph they projected, which is “incumbent” on the part of the news agency.

This corrigendum is not an apology On August 18, 2010, Imkongnukshi Imchen issued a notice to the news channel asking it to offer an “unconditional apology through the medium of the news channel and print media, both National and State.”

The channel sent an apology letter to Imchen—which the court found “immaterial” and observed that till date, “no apology as demanded by the plaintiff has been tendered by the defendant.”

The channel also published a corrigendum in ‘Times of In-

dia’ on September 3, 2010 and ‘Nagaland Post’ on September 4, 2010. The same was telecast on the news channel on September 1, 2010. The corrigendum expressed ‘regret’ for the “incorrect usage” of his picture. In all the corrigenda, however, his name was incorrectly published as “Mr. Imkongukshi Imchen.”

The corrigendum, noted the Judge, “cannot be said to be an apology by any stretch of imagination.” It said, the meaning of ‘corrigendum’ is “an error to be corrected,” whereas, an apology is the “regretful acknowledgment of offence or failure; an explanation.” The Judge asserted that this particular corrigendum “lacks any explanation as to how, when, and where” the picture was used.

Intent not necessary for defamation Putting the case through a three-point defamation test, the Court at Dimapur asserted that “the intention to defame is not necessary.”

“If the defendant had no malafide intention and ulterior motive, then one can question the defendant as to why they had not offered and/or tendered any immediate apology to the plaintiff the moment they realised their mistake. No such step was taken by the defendant and no explanation given for the same,” stated the judgment.

However, bringing down the claimed damage amount by Imkongnukshi Imchen, that is Rs. Two crore, Thirty lakh and Fifty thousand, to Rs. One crore, the Court maintained that in defamation cases, “not only is it impossible to ascertain how far other peoples mind has been affected, it is almost impossible to equate the damage to a sum of money.”

MOKOKCUNG, FEBRUARY 7 (MExN): Five village councils under Mokokchung district have demanded that the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) immediately repair the Mokokchung-Mariani Road, which lies in a deplorable condition.

In a letter to the Commanding Officer (EE) DRF 103, RCC, Phonsa, Mon, the village councils of Chungtia, Aliba, Kinunger, Khensa and Mekuli said that the journey from Mokokchung to Mariani now takes upto five hours, which under normal conditions would take only two and

a half hours. “Not to mention the terrible suffering commuters go through during the journey.”

They stated that the entire road is infested with potholes, has no proper drainage and sharp ridges exist all along the edge of the road. The village councils added that this road serves as the lifeline for the four districts of Mokokchung, Zunheboto, Tuensang and Longleng, as all essential and non essential commodities are carried from Assam only through this road. “The importance of this road is immense and irre-

placeable.”

Reminding the BRO of its responsibility to look after the road, the village councils stated that the pathetic condition of the road points to the neglect of the BRO in maintaining the road over many years. Demanding a reply from the BRO within 2 months, the village councils urged for a definite project plan and subsequent action plan along with the timeframe. They cautioned that failure to do so “may even lead to closure of the road by the five villages, which will have serious repercussion.”

‘When medicine & technology meet humanity’

Moiom H Phom (extreme left), a student of lady Hardinge Medical College from nagaland with other team members from india.

Young Naga medical student represents India in international conference Morung Express news Dimapur | February 7

Moiom H Phom, a student of Lady Hardinge Medical College from Nagaland represented India during the recently held East Asian Medical Student Conference 2016 at Taipei, Taiwan. The conference was held under the theme ‘medical care in the future: when medicine and technology meet humanity’ where

Moiom and another student from India won the third prize in the Public Poster Competition.

The aspiring medical student from Nagaland, representing India presented a paper on the topic ‘Electro Aspirin’ to go with the theme of the conference. Describing the future of medicine to be “very bright and fascinating”, the paper looks at using hi-tech not only to diagnose and treat but even in prevention of various ailments.

The aim is to improve ‘services rendered to the patients’ through ‘intensive technology inventions’ and accordingly,

‘Electro Aspirin’ has been described as a ‘health reforming technology’. “The advancement in the healthcare technology industry will not only help in the repair of physical disadvantages but also help in creation of super human powers”, states the paper.

According to Moiom H Phom of Lady Hardinge Medical College and Japsimran Nagpal of Dayanand Medical College, ‘Electronic Aspirin is a patient powered creative tool that has been made with the help of the latest technological aid’. They state that “people who suffer from pro-longed headaches and migraines can get relief easily with this milestone technology creation”.

The presentation on ‘Electro Aspirin’ identifies the basic mechanism of action of this technology—to stimulate thesphenopalatine ganglion or SPG nerves and block the pain causing neurotransmitters thereby improving the quality of life of ailing patients to a large extent. It has been mentioned that after getting approval of treating migraine and cluster headaches in Europe, approval for testing in the US is currently awaited.

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monDAY 08•02•2016

NAGALAND

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Kiphire Catholic Women Society celebrates silver jubilee

Problem of Pidgin: Nagaland's language barrier divides State Prasanta Mazumdar New Indian Express

People of Nagaland are divided over the Central government’s purported move to promote Nagamese as Nagaland’s second official language after English.

Pidgin Nagamese—a mix of broken Assamese, Hindi, Bengali, English, etc.—is spoken when two people from different tribes interact, and is used as a lingua franca

by Nagas, who speak more than 20 mutually unintelligible dialects.

Nagamese binds people in the plural Naga society.

Some Nagas believe that for a dialect to qualify as a language,

it should have a script, which Nagas do not have. “My personal opinion is that Nagamese shouldn’t be made the second official language because it is not a language of any Naga tribe,” Congress leader Medokul Sophie tells The Sunday Standard.

A Naga People’s Front leader says requesting anonymity, “What’s wrong if the Centre wants to promote it? We must not forget that Nagamese helps us communicate with Nagas and people from other communities in the state.”

Some influential Naga civil society organisations and intellectuals want to denounce Nagamese. Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) was the

first to raise its voice against the Centre’s move. It urged the government to not take any hasty decision, which could dilute the culture and social fabrics of Naga society.

“Nagas need more time to develop and promote a language that can be called their own and not a market language. Any attempt to promote a language that has no origin will do more harm to the Nagas,” the student body warns.

Three apex groups of the Ao tribe say that Nagamese evolved out of a necessity to facilitate trade and commerce between people living in the hills and the valleys, and that it does not have a proper grammar or vocabulary.

“Promoting pidgin Nagamese will be against the intellectual interests of Nagas and against their rich cultural heritage. As school textbooks are in English and the Roman script is used for different dialects, English should be the official language of Nagaland,” insist Ao organisations Ao Senden, Watsu Mungdang and Ao Students’ Conference. tT L Angami, advisor to GBs’ (village chiefs) Association Nagaland, says Nagamese is easily understood and accepted by villagers in the state. He insists that it does not pose any threat to the Naga identity, arguing that the name Nagamese itself speaks volumes of the ingenuity of the Nagas.

MEx File

JACWR calls meeting

Bishop of Kohima, Rev. Dr. James Thoppil with members of Kiphire Catholic Women Society on February 7.

Kohima, February 7 (mexN): Bishop of Kohima, Rev. Dr. James Thoppil, graced the silver jubilee celebration of Catholic Women Society of Kiphire as the main celebrant on February 7. Eight other priests concelebrated with the bishop.

In his introductory, the bishop said that jubilee for the Israelites was a very special occasion to reconcile, renew and re-dedicate themselves. “It was time to renew and re-establish broken relationships and mend the bad way,” he stated. In his homily, he illustrated the theme of the jubilee - “Women as faith givers”. Rev. Dr. James said women or mothers especially are not merely life givers, but also faith givers and faith livers. Exemplifying the mother of the seven sons in the second book of Maccabees, chapter seven, the bishop said that a mother is a great source of joy not in providing everything material in the world, but to see their children in heaven with God. “Can we be such faith givers? First of all, do we love, accept, appreciate and cherish our faith?” he questioned, adding “If only

Oking Hospital conducts medical camp at Thekrujuma Kohima, February 7 (mexN): Oking Hospital, Kohima led by Dr. Vikethonyu and nine other specialist doctors conducted a medical camp at Thekrujuma village in Kohima district on Saturday. The medical camp carried out minor operations, ultrasound etc. It also extended medicine free of cost to the villagers. This is the second medical camp conducted by Oking Hospital in the village. Meanwhile, the village authority thanked the Oking Hospital and the doctors for their concern and looked forward to more such camps in future too.

one values one’s faith, will one give importance to it.”

The bishop further reminded that even after bringing life to the world, we are not in control of life. “Do we consider the greatest gift we can give to our children after life is faith? If we are faith givers, then our life giving become purposeful and joyful,” he added.

The bishop also highlighted the need to live the faith, which calls for peaceful and loving relationship with one another. “Only people who neither fear God nor respect human being dare to take the lives of others. Faith is real only if we respect, love and care for one another for we are all children of God.” Rev. Dr. James also blessed and inaugurated the Marian Grotto, the Rosary garden, and memorial park erected in memory of four teachers who had died in service.

The Nagaland Catholic Women Association was represented by its president, Angela, Rose Abino, and Marina. Theresa Lendila and Thomas Y anchored the programme.

Meanwhile, on February 6 evening, Rita Chaya,

former president of Nagaland Catholic Women Association was the main resource person and speaker.

Speaking on the theme of the silver jubilee, Rita challenged the catholic women to be an agent of change in society, home, and also in the work places.

She maintained that women are created more unique by God and it is a blessing to be a woman.

Chaya further noted that women have more responsibility everywhere and asked the women present to learn how to listen so that joy, happiness and success are seen in one’s home.

Also, stating that Naga society today is deficit of peace, unity, and oneness, she asked the Catholic women to obey God so that with different blessings and talents the deficits can be filled. Sharing more on faith, the speaker said faith can be given in three ways - one can have faith in God, faith in others, and faith in oneself.

On Saturday evening, there was also special adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and reconciliation service for the com- In a move to enrich Swachh Bharat Mission, Küzatü village in Meluri sub-division of Phek munity in preparation for district conducts regular village beautification drive, making itself one of the cleanest villages the jubilee. in Meluri. The Morung Express presents some scene of the village. (Photo by Chizokho Vero)

PDS scam: AWUM demands befitting punishment

moKoKchuNg, February 7 (mexN): Following the Public Distribution System (PDS) scam in Mokokchung Town which was unearthed by the district administration and police recently, the All Ward Union Mokokchung (AWUM) held an emergency presidential council meeting on February 5 at its treasurer’s residence to deliberate on the issue.

A press release from R. Ayim Longkumer, President and Angkong Jamir, Media Cell of AWUM informed that the presidential council meeting resolved to track the issue and demand the authority concerned

to award befitting punishment as per the provision of the law to the person/ persons involved without any further delay as the public of Mokokchung Town is anxious for the report and action from the authority concerned. The release further stated that as enshrined in the AWUM constitution Art. 1 (i) & (ii), the AWUM will do all the needful for the protection, safety and liberties of all the citizens of the town. “The AWUM will give unflinching support and co-operation as and when required to the authority concerned for the uprooting of such malpractices from the town,” it assured.

DPDB Peren recommends construction of GHSS building

PereN, February 7 (DiPr): District Planning and Development Board of Peren held its monthly meeting on February 6 at DC conference hall, new headquarters here under the chairmanship of Peter Lichamo, DC and vice chairman, DPDB Peren. While discussing on the NST bus service, the chairman requested the departments which have not cleared its share to clear it by the end of this month.

The chairman also requested the DFO

Jalukie, District Soil Conservation Office, EE Irrigation and FC Office and DPO Land Resources department to shift their offices from Jalukie to new district headquarters.

Meanwhile, Nandini Pillai, Principal of GHSS Peren, highlighted that the school is in need of a new building since the present building was constructed in the year 1955.

After thorough deliberation, the board agreed to recommend construction of the school building to the higher authority.

Kohima, February 7 (mexN): The Joint Action Committee on Women Reservation (JACWR), comprising NMA, TWO, Watsu Mungdang, ENWO, and NWHD has convened a meeting on February 9 at the HRLN office, near DUDA Guest House, Kohima at 11:00 am.

Therefore, all presidents and secretaries of all tribes’ apex women organizations have been requested to attend the said meeting positively.

Pughoboto SDPDB meet postponed Kohima, February 7 (mexN): The Pughoboto Sub-Division Planning & Development Board (SDPDB) meeting for the month of February which will was scheduled on February 8 has been postponed to February 9.

All the members have been requested to take note of the same and attend the meeting.

SAPO convenes emergency meeting Kohima, February 7 (mexN): An emergency meeting of the office bearers of SAPO/ SAYO/ SASA/ SASU/ SAWO/ SAGOK will be held on February 9 at SAPO Hall, Mohonkhola, Kohima at 10: 00 am to discuss some important issues. All the members have been requested to attend the meeting without fail. This was stated in a release issued by Southern Angami Public Organisation (SAPO) president, Dr. Neiketuo Kiso and general secretary, Nosacho Kirha.

Meeting of IRCAs in Nagaland Kohima, February 7 (mexN): All Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE), GoI funded Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for Addicts (IRCAs) in Nagaland have been informed that a meeting will be held on February 9, 11:00 am at the Youth Mission Centre, Kohima to deliberate on the new revised guidelines and funding patterns. WC Humtsoe, VP (NE), FINGO-DAP, in a press release has requested all the functionaries of IRCAs in Nagaland to attend the meeting positively.

Training on entrepreneurship avenues held for farmers, rural youth

DimaPur, February 7 (mexN): Three days training on “Avenues for Entrepreneurship Development in Agri-Horti Ecosystem for Farmers and Rural Youth” under Tribal Sub Plan was held from February 3-5, 2016 at ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Nagaland Centre, Jharnapani. All together, 25 farmers and rural youth from Longleng, Wokha, Kohima and Dimapur districts attended the training.

During the inaugural function, Dr. Siddaramappa, Divisional Forest Officer, Kohima highlighted the potential of employment in Nagaland. Addressing as chief guest, he

Imtitemjen Pongener

encouraged the farmers and rural youth to become entrepreneurs by exploiting the opportunities in their fields instead of migrating to different place.

Dr. Bidyut C. Deka, Joint Director, ICAR, Jharnapani conveyed the welcome address, followed by release of the training manual by the chief guest.

Dr. Rajesha G. (Scientist) highlighted the overview of the training programme.

In his chairman’s remark, Dr. B.C. Deka also mentioned about the ARYA programme (Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture).

The three-day training consisted of technical sessions by different resource

persons - Sanjoy Das, Asst. Professor (Economics), SASRD; Sani Pongen, State Co-ordinator, IIE Dimapur; Dr. Anamika Sharma, Project Coordinator; H.D. Singh; CTO; V. Kenny Rhetso, CTO; James Kikon, Subject Matter Specialist (SMS) from KVK, Dimapur; Dr. Manoj Kumar, SMS; E. Lireni Kikon, SMS from KVK Longleng; Dr. Imtionen, Biocontrol lab.

Medziphema; Dr. Rajesha G, Scientist from ICAR Nagaland Centre; Abea Mero, MD Naga Herbal & Spice Unit Dimapur; Vevotalu Rhakho, Field Officer, Spices Board Dimapur; and Evan T Munsong, Manager, NABARD, Dimapur.

The trainees acquired knowledge on scope of employment generation through value addition, protected cultivation, vermicomposting, bio-pesticide production techniques, commercial mushroom cultivation, skill development in banana fiber extraction, utilization, mushroom processing, production and marketing of spice, and financial assistance available for farmers for entrepreneurship development.

On the last day of the training, Dr. Rajesha G and Dr. HD Talang motivated the participants to start agro based business in coming days.

‘C’ Certificate Exam held for NCC cadets

Dear Papa,

“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.”

Dr. Seuss

A family never gets over losing their loved ones...

Every picture, every tiny little story of the past brought up in conversations, every dream, every memory of you in it, it’s all a constant reminder of how void our lives are without you. But, it is also an assurance of what a wonderful place you are in, Dear Papa.

We lost you but you have also given us the strength to beat all odds and survive the journey called life. And here we are, after 10 long years without you. It still feels like yesterday.

It still hurts the same but we have learned to walk everyday with heads held high.

Even in the darkest of grief there is always something to be grateful for. So, today as we remember you, we thank you for the time you spent with us however brief. We know that one day we will reunite to live as a family together, under His grace and mercy.

We love you, we miss you and we will always hold you dear in our hearts.

Love, Nungden, Alem, Aka, Atu, Asang and Mummy.

NCC cadets appear the ‘C’ Certificate Examination in Mokokchung.

moKoKchuNg, February 7 (mexN): ‘C’ Certificate Examination of NCC was held on February 6 and 7 at the office of 25 Nagaland (Independent) Company NCC Mokokchung. A total of 19 eligible cadets, including four girls, appeared in the examination, which had both written and practical.

A press release received here informed that the examination is the last of the tests for NCC cadets. On qualifying this examination, the cadets are exempted from ap-

pearing written exam of combined defence services examination conducted

by UPSC. The ‘C’ Certificate qualified cadets directly go for special entry system for NCC cadets where they appear in SSB (interview). 40 seats are reserved for this entry scheme.

In the last selection which concluded in January 2016, two girl cadets from Nagaland NCC group Kohima qualified for selection into Officer Cadre, the release added.

MonDAY 08•02•2016

NORTH-EAST

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

NPUCL, FUNICh slam February 6 rally New Delhi/ukhrul, February 7 (MexN): The Naga People’s Union for Civil Liberties (NPUCL) and Forum for Understanding the Naga-India Conflict & Human Rights (FUNICH) has slammed the AMUCO/UCM/CCSK’s February 6 Rally.

A press release from NPUCL President, Kahorngam Zimik, and FUNICH Convener, Lakpachui Siro, termed the rally as a “motivated reaction to sabotage the tireless efforts” of the NSCN and Government of India to bring long lasting peace and development not only in the Naga areas, but for the entire North Eastern Region.

Asserting that the hills were never a part of the valley kingdom, the NPUCL and FUNICH maintained

that by coining the slogan that the “hills and the valley people are one and can never be divided”, AMUCO/UCM/CCSK’s project is nothing but “another majoritarian attempt to deconstruct the history of hill-valley disconnect so as to muzzle the legitimate aspiration of the Nagas and other tribal communities in the State.”

Stating that “British colonial legacy and practice” remain in the State of Manipur, the two bodies expressed disappointment that the dominant community with the backing of the State Government is constantly trying to articulate history “on the basis of colonial narrative”.

The bodies contended that for real peace and development, the dominant community must ac-

cept the fact that there are two equally proportionate voices of contradicting aspiration.

“It is very clear that the Nagas want complete separation from the State of Manipur,” NPUCL and FUNICH maintained. “The position has been reiterated again and again at various platforms by various legitimate and apex bodies of Nagas like United Naga Council, All Naga Student Association, Manipur, Naga Mothers’ Union, including various district wise Tribal Apex bodies like Tangkhul Naga Long, Chandel Naga Peoples’ Organization, Zeliangrong Baudi, Manipur and Naga People’s Organization, Senapati, all have pledged for complete separation from the State of Manipur and fully support the on-

going Peace Talk between the NSCN and the Government of India,” it added.

If the dominant community is really for peace and development in the region and has concern for the hill people, then respecting the aspiration of the Nagas and other tribals of the State is highly warranted, the bodies maintained. “Otherwise, it will continue to remain a hollow slogan of unity and integrity without the participation of any legitimate hill civil societies,” it stated. “Yesterday’s rally was certainly a classic example of how deeply the State is divided between the hills and the valleys,” NPUCL and FUNICH added.

It mentioned that while all Manipuri civil societies went for a rally in the valley,

3

Candlelight vigil protests fake encounter killings

the United Naga Council observed total shutdown in the entire four Naga inhabited hill districts. The two bodies further pointed out that it was “hypocritical” that despite nine dead bodies of the hill tribal martyrs still lying unburied, the “dominant valley” decided to come out with this illtimed rally.

“If all Manipuris and four valley based organizations like AMUCO, UCM and CCSK are really concerned about ethnic harmony and brotherhood, it is about time that they respect the rights and aspirations of the Nagas and other tribals to have their own way rather than playing harmful and toxic politics with hollow slogans without any moral and historical basis,” NPUCL and FUNICH contended.

Assam mechanic makes helicopter using SUV engines Tension rises in Pallel town

An automobile mechanic, Sharma spent more than Rs15 lakh to design the helicopter with metal sheets, car seats and two SUV engines. (HT Photo)

Guwahati, February 7 (ht): Vehicles struggle to reach Shyamjuli, a village 450km northeast of Assam’s principal city, Guwahati. This was the reason why Chandra Siwakoti Sharma, a school dropout, built a helicopter that he says can carry two people 30-50ft above the ground.

An automobile mechanic, Sharma spent more than Rs15 lakh to design the helicopter with met-

al sheets, car seats and two SUV engines. He has named it Pawan Putra, a sort of a “jugaad”, or innovative fix, he worked on primarily to give his backward area a faster mode of communication.

Shyamjuli is in Dhemaji district, Assam’s remotest and almost always flood-affected.

“My helicopter can fly, though not as fast as the ones in operation for civil or military duty. It can eas-

North east Briefs

Youth held for using fake docs to attend medical class

Guwahati, February 7 (iaNS): Police in Assam's Cachar district have arrested a youth for using fake documents to attend classes at the Silchar Medical College and for claiming that he has links with Bangladesh-based jihadi outfits. Police are on the lookout for three other accomplices of the man, identified as Suman Aziz Laskar.

"We arrested Suman Aziz Laskar after receiving intimation from the principal on Saturday. The youth was attending classes for the fourth semester of the MBBS course for the last few days. However, he had no documents to prove his admission," said Cachar Superintendent of Police Rajveer Singh. During interrogation, he said he was involved with a Bangladesh-based terror group and that he hails from Bangladesh. "However, we checked his credentials and found that he hails from a village near Silchar in Assam's Barak Valley," the police officer said. Police were taking the matter very seriously, particularly after his revelations of a nexus with Bangladesh-based terror groups, he said.

College authorities said some students doubted his credentials after he started attending classes. Laskar told his classmates that he got a transfer to Silchar Medical college from Tezpur Medical College. "We have contacted his parents. However, he is changing his statement every now and then," the police superintendent said.

Darjeeling CPI(M) slams ration policy DarjeeliNG, February 7 (Pti): The CPI(M)'s Darjeeling unit today alleged the ruling Trinamool Congress government is discriminating against the people of Hills in its ration policy. "Earlier each individual would get 13.2 Kgs of Rice, Sugar, Wheat and Atta (flour) in a month... Now the government only gives 11 kg per person in which they give 6 Kgs of rice and 5 kgs of Atta... The TMC government has taken away Wheat and Sugar that we used to get," Hill CPI(M) leader Tara Sundas said here. "This government is anti-Hill, in the recent past they stuck out names of 25 per cent people each in Darjeeling and Kurseong from the ration eligibility roll, and today only 75 per cent of people in Darjeeling and Kurseong receive ration...In Kalimpong they cut the names of 45 per cent of eligible persons, which means only 55 per cent of people in Kalimpong region will get ration... This government has directly targetted and discriminated against the hill people and that is what we are protesting against," he said. "According to National Food Security Act all the ration should be packed in pouches of 750 grams... And this government has started to do so in the plains... But in the hills they send stuffs in sacks and it is not packaged... Due to which the food item get rotten...

We demand that people in the hills should also be given ration in proper packages, the hill people are not refugees and we demand equality...", he said. A district official discounted the charge of CPI(M) and said there was no discrmination against the the Hills people.

ily move at 50kmph,” Sharma says.

He is awaiting clearance from authorities concerned to find out if his aircraft really works.

“We want to encourage a person who has conquered adversities to make a helicopter without any degree in aviation. But we want to go by the rules first,” said Victor Carpenter, the district’s deputy commissioner.

Carpenter said the district administration would write to the chief of civil aviation regulator DGCA and others who deal with such cases. “We are exploring the possibility of at least facilitating a trial for the chopper that Sharma has built.”

Locals, enthused by Sharma’s innovation, have already written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

One of them, Ganesh Karki, pointed out that the helicopter was one of the best examples of Modi’s ambitious “Make in India” project.

“Sharma could not study beyond class 3 because of poverty, but invested all his savings and even sold his land to follow his dream. He needs to be encouraged,” Karki wrote.

Sharma said local officials and officers from an army camp nearby have promised to witness the trial of his helicopter once he gets permission.

“I did run the engines once.

The rotor was forcing the helicopter up, but I stopped the engines in order to not violate any rules,” he said.

i M P h a l , F e b r ua ry 7 (iaNS): Manipur Police beefed up security measures on Sunday as Kuki organisations condemned the "unprovoked" gun attack on February 3 on Kukis in Molnom villagers near Pallel town along National Highway 2. Several shots were fired at the terrified villagers in Molnom. One youth, Lunkhogin Haokip, sustained serious injuries, Kukis of the village said.

In a joint statement condemning the incident, the Kuki Chiefs' Association in Chandel district, the Kuki People's Forum, the Thadou Students' Association, and the Kuki Students' Organisation said that some cadres of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) had opened fire at the villagers.

The Kuki Reformation Forum also condemned what it described as the unprovoked firing.

Over the years of, more than 1,000 innocent men, women and children have died in the armed clashes between the two tribes. The joint statement said that the NSCNIM cadres surrounded the Molnom village on February 3 night and opened fire at three youths who had gone to a mountain stream. It appealed to the central and state governments to bring about a resolution to such unprovoked firing.

It said that on August 22 last year the Aimol Ngairong village was attacked with bombs and guns, which caused the death of one villager.

New Delhi, February 7 (MexN): Different communities from the North-East gathered today in huge numbers at Arts Faculty, Delhi University under the banner of NorthEast Forum for International Solidarity (NEFIS) and took out a candlelight vigil to protest against the fake encounter killings of Chongkham Sanjit and Rabina by Manipur Police Commandos (MPC) in 2009.

As part of its protest, NEFIS organized similar candlelight vigils at Punjab University in Chandigarh, Lakshmibai National University of Physical Education in Gwalior, Kokrakhar in Assam, Manipur University in Manipur, and various other places. The All India Candlelight Vigil was held to gather support across the country in demanding justice for Sanjit and Rabina, a press release from NEFIS stated.

The forum in their release alleged that the Police killed Sanjit and Rabina “on the orders” of then Additional SP, Imphal West, Dr Akoijam

Assamese demand recognition for their script in computer coding Guwahati, February 7 (iaNS): From the Brahmi script of the Gupta age to the rock inscriptions and copper plates dating back to the fourth and fifth centuries, Assam has much to persuade the US-based Unicode Consortium to give it a separate slot for its script and remove the computational intricacies in using it in the digital age. The Unicode Consortium, that gives languages a set of universal characters for use in computers, identifies Assamese as another form of Bengali script, making its use difficult in the digital world.

The Assam government recently submitted to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) that Assamese is a historically evolved script with its own set of characters and symbols representing written texts. But the noninclusion of this in Unicode and ISO standards has triggered problems in using the language in computers. During the initial days of digital standards for the Indian Languages in the first Indian Script Code for Information Interchange (ISCII) released by BIS in December 1991, a clear mention was made of the Assamese script. The ISCII document released by BIS clearly mentioned that the northern scripts are Devnagari, Punjabi, Gujarati, Oriya, Bengali and Assamese, while the southern scripts are Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Tamil, an official said.

"However, in all subsequent standards like ISO and Unicode, Assamese script has not been included," said

the official, who is on the panel constituted by the Assam government to push its case for a separate slot on the Unicode, but who did not wish to be identified.

Literary bodies, academicians and researchers in Assam had objected to the Unicode Consortium move and written to the union government. The Assam government was then asked to submit a detailed proposal that would subsequently be referred to the US body.

While literary bodies such as Asom Sahitya Sabha (ASS) had maintained that the Assamese language was being neglected, Satyakam Phukan, a surgeon who has researched the origin of the Assamese script, said it could be due to lack of knowledge of the US-body about uniqueness of the script.

"The Assamese alphabets were not separately encoded by Unicode. Following their policy of unification, the Assamese script was eclipsed into Bengali.

The uniqueness of the Assamese script was perhaps unknown to the mainly American experts of Unicode," Phukan told IANS. The Assam government's proposal to BIS went deeper into the origin of the script to push for a separate slot for Assamese.

"The Assamese script is one of the important scripts of Eastern India. Assamese script is originated from the Brahmi script of the Gupta age. Studies of the rock inscriptions and copper plate inscriptions of the 4th, 5th and later centuries, discov-

ered in different parts of Assam, clearly indicate that the Assamese script is the evolutionary resultant of the scripts used in rock and copper plate inscriptions and other objects like coins and clay seals of Nalanda," the Assam government's proposal to the BIS said.

"The evolution of this Assamese script can be divided into three different stages: Old Assamese script or the Kamrupi script (4th/5th to 13th century); Medieval Assamese script (13th to early part of 19th century) and Modern Assamese script from early part of the nineteenth century," the proposal said.

It further said that the Assamese script started to take its modern form in the early part of the 13th century as evident from the KanaiBarashibowa rock inscriptions in north Guwahati.

The Assamese script received its modern form when the missionaries started printed books and magazines in the early 19th century. The first printed book in Assamese was "Dharmapustak", a translation of the Bible by Atmaram Sarma from Kaliabar in Assam, published in 1813.

"In the digital world, to use a language as the medium of information, we must have all the characters and symbols with proper codes. The Assamese script has got its own set of characters and symbols, and these are required to have assigned codes for proper usage in terms of computational tasks, application development etc. The Assamese language, a major In-

dian language recognized in the eighth schedule of the Constitution of India, has got its own script, the Assamese Script, having its own historical evolution," the proposal mentioned.

Ranjan Kumar Baruah, a Guwahati-based social entrepreneur, said a separate slot for the Assamese script was necessary for promoting the language in the digital age. "This is necessary at a time when our state government asked all business establishments, government and non-government organizations to use Assamese in hoardings and banners and for other official purposes," Baruah told IANS.

Simultaneous protests held at Chandigarh, Gwalior, Kokrajhar, Imphal, Delhi and other places Jhalajhit, now SP of the same district. “This hard fact amply shows the way in which Manipur Police Commandos have been allowed to function by the Manipur Government and have consequently become adept at ‘finishing off’ people in extra-judicial killings and fake encounters,” NEFIS maintained. “This is a clear case of state-sponsored fake encounter, denying people their basic right to be tried through a due legal process,” it added.

Delhi University Professor, Deepak Naorem and Eminent Women’s Rights Activist, Dr. Maya John were also present at the occasion. Dr. Maya in her speech pointed out the way in which the Indian State and its arm, Manipur Government abuse their power to brutally curb the

rights of their own people, the release informed.

The gathering demanded that Manipur Chief Minister and state government be held responsible for these extra-judicial killings and a probe ordered against them; that the then Additional SP, Imphal West, Akoijam Jhalajhit, be immediately suspended and an inquiry initiated; and appropriate compensation be provided to the victim’s family.

The demands also included an end to the “institutionalisation and legalisation” provided by the Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958. “The Government should tender an immediate apology not only to the victim’s family, but to the people of Manipur for brutally violating their democratic rights,” the forum demanded.

NEFIS pledged to continue its struggle and build a huge movement against the Manipur Government, till such extra-judicial killings and fake encounters stop and the culprits are brought to justice.

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VISITING DOCTORS FROM GUWAHATI AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATION DATE OF VISIT Dr. P. K. Bhattacharjee MS (Orthopedics) : 19TH FEB 2016 (Sr.Consultant Joint & Bone Specialist Dispur Hospital) Dr. T. A. Choudhury MD DM (Nephrology) : 19TH FEB 2016 (Sr.Consultant Kidney Specialist Dispur Hospital) Dr. Neil Bordoloi MD DM (Cardiology) : 20TH FEB 2016 (Sr.Consultant Cardiologist International Hospital) Dr. Praketish Bora MD (Pediatrics) :20TH FEB 2016 (Sr.Consultant Neonatologist International Hospital)

CONGRATULATION The Merangkong Tamang Telongjem Dimapur (MTTD) would like to congratulate Ms Merensangla Longkumer Daughter of Mr & Mrs Talishingang Longkumer on being awarded the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Rural Development & Planning by Nagaland University. She was awarded the Degree of Ph.D on the topic of her thesis "A study on the Indigenous Knowledge and Traditional Institutions used by Nagaland Empowerment of people through Economic Development (NEPED) and its impact for Sustainable Economic Development of Nagaland," under the supervision of Prof. A.K. Makar. May the gracious Lord continue to bless and use you for the people of Nagaland in general and the Merangkong community in particular.

Wishing you the best in your future endeavors. In Christ Asangla Imsong, Fellowship Secretary.

Merangkong Tamang Telongjem, Dimapur

Government of India Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Br. MSME-Development Institute Old Industrial Estate, Dimapur, Nagaland in association with the Alaphra Group, Dimapur, Nagaland ORGANIZES National Level Vendor Development Programme cum Industrial Exhibition at Dimapur, Nagaland

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THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Big, small companies fight it out for dominance in cement

MuMbai, February 7 (agencies): With Harsh Lodha-led Birla Corp bagging the 5-MTPA capacity Reliance Cement, the consolidation in cement industry has just gained momentum. And with an additional 42 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) capacity on the block, big and small players are in the fray to increase their dominance in the sector. Private equity (PE) players, too, are not far behind to tap opportunities for buy-outs or tieups with strategic buyers.

India’s 375-MTPA cement industry is dominated by top two players — Lafarge-Holcim and UltraTech. Both companies dominate with 36% of industry with respective capacities of 70-MT and 65MT, respectively.

Debt-laden Jaypee Group, the third-largest player with 31 MT capacity, now needs to sell off under lenders’ pressure after the Group defaulted on repayment of a nonconvertible bonds last year.

Besides, Lafarge-Holcim, the new entity created after the global merger of French and Swiss giants, needs to sell of 11 MT capacity of erstwhile Lafarge India to overcome local antitrust laws.

“This is a unique situation. I do not imagine such a large capacity coming on the block again in the foreseeable future. So it does make a difference as the buyer would eventually become quite a dominant force,” says Nitin Gupta, Partner, Transaction Advisory Services at EY. Anti-trust regulator, Competition Commission of India (CCI), looks at the cement market on regional basis as transportation is critical part of pricing.

This has given opportunity to Kumar Mangalam Birla-promoted UltraTech to remain in the fray and

A labourer loads cement bags onto an improvised motorized rickshaw at the construction site of a residential complex on the outskirts of kolkata.

become a more forceful player in the market.

The company has bid for 20 MT capacity of Jaiprakash Associates, whose assets are complementary to UltraTech’s assets on regional distribution basis.

UltraTech also bagged JP Associates’ 5-MT capacity in Madhya Pradesh in December 2014, which got stuck in regulatory hurdles, after the government changed regulations that prohibit transfer of mining rights in case of an asset sale. On the request of lenders, the government has again proposed to amend it in the forthcoming Parliament session to facilitate such deals.

Once these two deals are completed, it will bring Kumar Mangalam Birla very close to his stated goal of having 100-MT cement capacity for UltraTech. While the big boy UltraTech is trying to be even bigger, other smaller ones are also jumping on this opportunity.

Dalmia Bharat, the fourth-largest player in the market with 24 MT capacity has also bid for JP Assoicates’ 20-MT capacity.

“For a new player to come and acquire 20-MT kind of capacity is not likely to occur. Barring the sellers, the top five players would be open to evaluating this op-

portunity. Given the size of the deals, we expect the PEs to tag along with strategic buyers,” says Nitin Gupta from EY. Global PE giant KKR, which is an investor in Dalmia Bharat, has also bid for this 20 MT-asset and currently plans to go on its own.“PE firms can help situations with appropriate capital structure and managment infusion where necessary to either grow or turnaround these assets,” says Sanjay Nayar, chief executive officer, KKR India Advisors.

The sell-off has come at a time when cement industry is having less than 70% utilisations probably the lowest in a decade. But the long term India consumption story remains intact. “Over the long run these assets will create value given India’s infrastructure and growth needs,” says Nayar.

Other large capacity on the block is Lafarge India’s 11-MT business for which it has applied to the CCI. The regulator had earlier asked the company to selloff its 5-MT capacity in Eastern India to complete its global merger. Lafarge India sold it to Birla Corp, but the deal fell through due to the change in regulations transfer of mining rights. With the pressure

to complete the global merger, Lafarge India now plans to sell its complete business through a sharesale deal.

“We are expecting one or two more serious players to come through consolidation,” says Munesh Khanna, partner PWC India. Sajjan Jindal-promoted JSW Cement has expressed its interest to bid for Lafarge’s 11-MT business. Jindal, who made his fortunes in steel, has been consolidating his positions in power and cement businesses as assets change hands from weaker to stronger promoters under lenders’ pressure.

JSW Cement wants to reach 20-MT capacity in about two year, up from

current capacity of 6-MT through both organic and inorganic routes.

Dublin-based CRH, the world’s third-largest building materials company, has also jumped into the race to bid for Lafarge India’s cement business.

Last year, the Irish company acquired assets worth $7 billion as Holcim and Lafarge divested assets worldwide to meet antitrust regulations to complete their global merger.

CRH has presence in the Indian market. It had acquired 50% stake in Hyderabad based My Home Industries (MHIL) in 2008.

MHIL has an annual cement capacity of 4.8 MT from two plants and is the lowest-cost producer and a leading player in its market. In 2013, MHIL acquired South India-based Sree Jayajothi Cements with annual capacity of 3.2-MT. Besides, PE players such as KKR and Blackstone are also keen to bid for Lafarge India assets.

“PE players may partly fund these consolidators or buy these assets on their own to sell it later on higher valuation when demand picks up and building new capacities become costlier,” says Khanna.

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new Delhi, February 7 (PTi): Government is considering a package of tax incentives for the labour-intensive leather and gems and jewellery sectors in the forthcoming Budget to provide a boost to manufacturing as well as exports.

Leather and leather goods sector is a focus area under the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the central government and the aim is to increase its exports to USD 15 billion by 2020 from the current USD 6 billion.

The Commerce and Industry Ministry in its suggestions for the Budget 2016-17, has recommended several initiatives including elimination of customs duty on imported leather machinery from about 26.5 per cent currently, sources said.

It has also sought excise duty reduction for all leather and non-leather goods of up to Rs 2,000 and increase in the abatement rate to 35 per cent from 25 per cent.

These suggestions, if implemented, will help in assisting technology upgradation, capacity modernisation, expansion of manufacturing sector and achieving the USD 15 billion exports target, sources said.

Council for Leather Exports Chairman Rafeeq Ahmed said that the sector employs about 3 million people and support is required to boost the sector.

“Big expansion plans are there in the sector and for that imported machinery is required because 95 per cent of the machinery for tanning and footwear is imported,” he said.

Footwear currently attracts an excise duty of 12.5 per cent.

For gems and jewellery, which is also

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Coal India to hold special auction for power producers new Delhi, February 7 (PTi): State-owned Coal India Limited will this month conduct a special auction to offer coal to distressed power producers as the government gears up to provide round-the-clock electricity to all.

“In view of availability of coal at certain places, it has been decided to further offer coal under ‘Special Forward E-auction for power producers-Phase III’ for the balance period of the this fiscal(February-March, 2016),” Coal India (CIL) said in a notice.

CIL, which accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal production, will put on offer three million tonnes in the third round for those distressed power plants which have neither linkages nor power purchase agreements, a company official said.

The official further said that the PSU had already put on offer seven million tonnes of coal under the two phases of special auction held so far this fiscal.

The two auctions were conducted on September 30 and October 1 last year.

“Subsequently, the scheme was modified....To launch the second phase of special E-auction for power producers which was conducted” in November, CIL said.

The third phase will be held from February 16-18 ,it said.

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the thrust sector under the ‘Make in India’ programme, the industry has asked to raise customs duty to 15 per cent from the current 10 per cent and abolish the excise duty from the current rate of 6 per cent on imitation jewellery.

The suggestions assumes significance as the popularity of Indian imitation jewellery across the globe is increasing and there is a huge demand in countries including the US and Europe.

“Extending the tax benefits to the sector will enable competitive manufacturing in the country and also boost exports,” sources added.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will unveil the Budget on February 29.

Contracting for the 13th month in a row, India’s merchandise exports fell 14.75 per cent in December to USD 22.2 billion due to a steep fall in shipment of petroleum products and engineering goods amid tepid global demand.

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Daily Cross WorD leisure Japan auto parts maker exploring joint venture in India CROSSWORD # 3496 new Delhi, February 7 (ians): The Japan Automatic Machine (JAM) company, which has been selling its auto components in India, said on Sunday that it is currently in talks to set up a joint venture project in the country. “We are now looking for a major joint venture project and have already initiated the process of discussions for this purpose,” JAM chief executive Masafumi Mizuno told reporters here at the components part of the ongoing Auto Expo.

“We are doing a business of around $150 billion world-wide...the markets are growing at a very rapid speed and logistically it is not possible to support that demand from overseas,” he said. The India production centres would help reduce product prices by at least 20 to 30 percent, he added.

Mizuno said the company, which set up an India office in September last year, has already identified sites for two units, one in Manesar in Haryana and for a second unit to be set up near Bengaluru in Karnataka. The JAM chief executive, who is also the company president, said it is keenly watching the India’s upcoming budget to see whether some of their requirements will be met so as to unplug the firm’s investment flow into India.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley will unveil the Budget on February 29.

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Metro Hospital: Faith Hospital:

227930, 231081 228846

Shamrock Hospital

228254

Zion Hospital:

231864, 224117, 227337

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

228400

CIHSR (Referral Hospital) Dimapur hospital

242555/ 242533

Apollo Hospital Info Centre:

230695/ 9402435652

Railway:

131/228404

Indian Airlines

229366

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

232106 227607 232181

CHUMUKEDIMA: 7085982102 (o) 8732810051 (oC) WOkhA: 03860242215/101 (o) 8974322879 (oC)

224041, 248011

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

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

WE4WOmEN hELPLINE 08822911011

A

L d C Q F B E N E E N A E C R O T A C E

E O F N U V Z T T C F U S U A J Z O U Q

R

A S F L O I E V E I N T E C U A T R O I

A I V N A T N U V S T J g V d Z P Q A S

C

WU h C A P T I N R E d U J C O N E I E C E R V S E X U E N Q I N C k E P I X d

H

R R E J S E T E N T A S E S E N T A h J

V V Z E h A T N I E R T d P I Q Z N A T

TUENSANG: 8414853766 (o) 9856163601 (oC)

kIPhIRE: 8414853767 (o) 9436261577 (oC) PEREN: 7085189932 (o) 9856311205 (oC) LONgLENg: 7085924113 (o) 9862414264 (oC)

Toll free No. 1098 childline

Police Station 1:

ZUNHEBoTo: 03867-280304/ 101 (o) 9436422730 (oC)

MoN: 03869-251222/ 101 (o) 9862130954 (oC)

ChILd WELFARE COmmITTEE

mOkOkChUNg:

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

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

Nagaland Multispe- 248302, cialty Health & 09856006026 Research Centre

kOhImA

FIRE STATIONS

KoHIMA NoRTH: 7085924114 (o)

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

ANS TO CROSSWORd 3495

E

g T A P I E d L T d S F C d d U L I B A

dImAPUR Civil Hospital:

STd COdE: 0369

2226241

Police Station 2 :

2226214

Civil Hospital: Woodland Nursing Home:

2226216 2226263

Hotel Metsüpen (Tourist Lodge):

2226373/2229343

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

CURRENCY NOTES

222246 222491

BUY(Rs)

SELL(Rs)

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

65.96 95.49 8.19 47.06 47.03 47.76 56.02

69.31 101.19 9.18 50.17 49.87 50.65 59.89

Euro

73.53

78.04

Thai Baht Korean Won New Zealand Dollar Chinese Yuan

1.78

2.04

0.0533

0.0597

43.99

46.94

9.7

10.86

MondAY 08•02•2016

NAGALAND/North-EAst

Peren District advisory committee on NDD held

Dimapur, February 7 (meXN): The Peren district advisory committee on Weekly iron folic acid supplementation (WIFS)/ National Deworming Day (NDD) was held at Deputy Commissioner Chamber, Peren on February 6.

Peter Lichamo, Deputy Commissioner and Chairman, District Health Society chaired the meeting while officials of various Departments from Chief Medical Office, School Education, Social Welfare, District Public Relations Office, Rural Development and Administration attended the meeting.

Welcoming the gathering, the DC Lichamo, said that the outcome of the meeting should impact the overall performance of the proposed program adding that convergence, cooperation and thorough discussion should be implemented for the success of the program.

Dr. Khrielasanuo, DPO, RCH/UIP highlighted the final report on 4 rounds of all

Dr. Khrielasanuo, DPO, RCH/UIP addressing the gathering during the District Advisory Committee meeting on WIFS/NDD held on February 6 at Deputy Commissioner Chamber, Peren.

the Mission Indradhanush carried out in the District.

The coverage of 1st round IPPI this year was lower than last year at 81%, she pointed out calling for improving the same. She informed about the upcoming Intensive Pulse Polio Immunization (IPPI) 2st Round which will be held

on February 21.

A brief introduction and modalities about the upcoming Deworming Day on February 10 and mopup on February 21 were also highlighted by her.

The DC further informed that all the administration heads in the District and Block level in

Peren will be entrusted the responsibility to see that the program is carried out and implemented successfully.

He also informed the Private schools association regarding the Deworming day, according to press note from Pezanguno Celine Secii, District Media Officer, CMO Office Peren.

Dimapur, February 7 (mexN): The Dimapur Ao Baptist Arogo (DABA) is organising a healing service for everyone on February 10, 7:30 am onwards at the main church located in Duncan Bosti. Therefore, the pastor of the church in a press release has invited anyone who requires prayer and healing to participate in the event and receive the blessings of healing.

Livestock and poultry vaccination pughoboto, February 7 (mexN): Department of Veterinary & Animal Husbandry, Pughoboto sub-division will begin mass vaccination campaign of livestock & poultry in villages of the division from February 10. Therefore, Dr. Toshi Aier, SDVO Pughoboto has requested all the village council chairmen to render all possible cooperation to the personnel/ team as and when they come to the village.

phek, February 7 (mexN): On the second day of the Transformation Crusade held in Phek Town on February 5, Velavoyi Keyho spoke on repentance. “Repent for the kingdom of God is near. When you do not repent then you struggle and do not have happiness in life,” the speaker stated.

Meanwhile, on February 6 morning, Rokopra Mekro shared on the “Father’s Love” from Luke 15:11-24.

Referring to the Prodigal Son from the Bible, he said when the son was completely lost, suffering intolerably and didn’t have anything to eat, he began to think of his father’s love/ kindness. “...the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance,” he added. He further stated if one ignores the happiness which money cannot buy (i.e, God’s love), then one will not be able to enjoy the happiness which money can buy.

Furquan Ameen Siddiqui, Hindustan Times

Dimapur, February 7 (mexN): The Model Colony Council, Purana Bazar (MCCPB), East Dimapur has convened an emergency council meeting on February 9, 3:00 pm at its banker’s residence to discuss important issue. Informing this in a press release, MCCPB press secretary, Solomon Awomi has requested all the GBs of Model Colony and Council Members to attend the meeting without fail.

Healing service at DABA

committed on the victim who has intellectual disability is clearly “a murder of humanity and the death of conscience,” stated NERSNA, Kohima in a press statement. “If a law enforcer can blatantly commit such act, where is the safety of our girls and women

irrespective of tribes, race or colour?” it questioned.

“Where will our girls go for protection."

The press note issued

by Maniram Ale, President, further condemned the incident and appealed to the authority concerned to provide justice to the

victim and award befitting and exemplary punishment to the accused as per the law. The Association also appealed to every right thinking citizens and organisations to strongly condemn the act in the interest of humanity and safety of our women.

Participants of Transformation Crusade held in Phek from February 4-7.

In the evening, Zotuo Kiewhuo shared on the crusade theme “Arise and Shine”. He said that Transformation Crusade aims to lift up the Holy Cross and to let God’s light shine again among all. “When you continue to rise and shine for the lord then

there is still hope for the world. Jesus wants to give His light to you which cannot be bought by worldly wealth.”

According to a press release received here, around 110 people have testified of being healed from different sicknesses.

A Manipur town refuses to bury its dead

MCCPB emergency meeting

Dimapur, February 7 (mexN): The Central Nagaland Students’ Association (CNSA) will hold its first executive meeting of 2016 on February 10 in Dimapur.

RMSA and various issues will be discussed during the meeting. Therefore, all the executive members, federating units and senior members of CNSA have been informed to attend without fail.

kohima, February 7 (mexN): The North Eastern Region Service Nepali Association (NERSNA), Kohima has expressed shock and horror at the January 30 rape of a minor girl in Kohima Town by one police personnel.

The “heartless act”

Transformation crusade in Phek

MEx FILE

CNSA meeting

NeRSNa Kohima condemns rape

A vendor with his assorted filled balloons waits for customers outside a food plaza on a cold Sunday morning in Dimapur’s Nyamo Lotha Road. (Morung Photo)

Rainy spell ahead for NE & East India New Delhi, February 7 (ageNcies):Rainy spell ahead for Northeast and East IndiaFor the past few days, both Northeast and East India have remained dry. The region has not observed any rainfall activity due to the absence of any significant weather system. However, rain is in the offing for parts of Northeast and East India.

After giving rain and snow over the hills of North India, and scattered light

rain over the Northwestern Plains, the weather system is likely to track along the foothills of the Himalayas over Uttar Pradesh, North Bihar, Sikkim, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

Usually, this is the normal track of Western Disturbances as they are divided into two branches. One branch travels north of Himalayas towards China, and the other one moves towards the south of the Himalayas.

Thus, scattered rain will occur over the foothills of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and sub-Himalayan West Bengal during the next 24 hours. However, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and northern parts of Meghalaya will continue to get scattered light to moderate rain for the next 2 days.

Another spell of rain is expected in these areas by February 11. Until then, isolated rainfall activity will continue over the region.

It has been 160 days since the bodies of nine tribals (six allegedly killed in police firing) have been lying in the district morgue of Churachandpur, 200 kms south of Imphal, the capital of Manipur. Some of the dead were part of the protests held on August 31 and September 1, 2015, against three bills passed by the state government – the Protection of Manipur People bill, Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (7th Amendment) bill and the Manipur Shops and Establishments (2nd Amendment) Bill.

The bills are seen as ‘anti-tribal’ in the state’s tribal Hill areas, and the people refuse to bury the dead who, they say, had died for a cause.

“The first bill infringes on the identity of tribals, the second infringes on land rights and the last infringes on our economy,” says Sang Lethil, a member of the Joint Action Committee (JAC), which is leading the protests. In the Valley, however, people see the proposed legislation as a means to safeguard the rights of Manipuris from ‘outsiders’.

Almost six months after the event, Churachandpur still mourns its dead, who

er Deputy Speaker performing duties of Speaker continues in office when the Proclamation under Article 356 is operative in the State. In the letter, dated February 4, 2016 addressed to the Governor, Thongdok has referred to various articles with regard to his query.

Barua claimed, the Governor through his Deputy Secretary Minik Damin wrote to the Secretary (Law) on February 4, 2016 directing him to furnish a reply by February 5. The details of the reply to the Governor’s Secretariat in not known.

The query from Thongdok has come at a time when the Supreme Court is hearing the matter related to the Assembly Session having been advanced by the Governor in December 2015 without the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers. A revolt by the dissidents led to a political crisis in the state that finally resulted in the imposition of President’s rule on January 26.

Congress party, which has 47 MLAs in the 60-member assembly, suffered a jolt when 21 of its lawmakers rebelled. Eleven BJP MLAs and two independents backed the rebels in a bid to upstage the government. The Congress rebels had “impeached” Speaker Nabam Rabia and lated voted out Nabam Tuki as Chief Ministers.

The Supreme Court, which is considering pleas against imposition of President’s rule in Arunachal Pradesh, is hearing on petitions seeking examination of constitutional schemes on the scope of discretionary powers of the Governor.

In November, the JAC suspended its daily progammes outside the mortuary and requested people to resume their normal lives. Twice, the community leaders, JAC and tribal organisations even tried to give the dead a decent burial. This was not well received by the general populace for whom the dead have become a symbol of something larger. The JAC later resolved to resume protests, with daily sit-ins being organised now outside the police station where they still refuse to register FIRs. At the crux of the agitation against the bills -- that led to the targeting of state buildings and the torching of the houses of the MP from Outer Manipur, Thangso Baite and six tribal MLAs, including the state health minister Phungzathang Tonsing, and the death of the nine individuals who remain unburied -- is the issue of ethnicity that continues to plague Manipur.

The tribals believe they are discriminated against not just in the Imphal valley, but in the mainland too. J Mavio, the co-convener of Manipur Tribals’ Forum Delhi (MTFD) says they are never considered as part of Manipur. Mavio, a Naga from Manipur’s Senapati district, says his dis-

trict is neglected just like the others in Hill areas.

While members of the Hill tribes worry about losing their land, similar concerns plague those in the valley, who fret that their culture is being overwhelmed by the influx of ‘outsiders’. The valley, which comprises the four districts of Thoubal, Bishnupur, Imphal East and West is home to the mostly Hindu Meiteis. The Land bill mentions that 10 percent of Manipur’s area lies in the valley; the rest is in the hills. However, 60 per cent of the population lives in the valley. As a result of the pressure on land, groups in the valley have been lobbying for a change in the old land laws and to keep a check on migrants.

The Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS), an umbrella organisation of 30 civil society bodies, demanded that the government introduce the Inner Line Permit (ILP), a colonial-era regulation that allows the government to regulate movement in protected areas. The ILP was originally used by the British to safeguard their commercial interests.

In this ongoing theatre of conflict, what remains forgotten are the nine decomposed bodies in Churachandpur’s morgue.

Public SPace

congress accuses arunachal Guv of conspiring with dissident New Delhi, February 7 (pti): Congress in Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday accused Governor J P Rajkhowa of conspiring to help the dissident MLAs form a government with the support of BJP without waiting for a decision of the Supreme Court which is hearing petitions challenging imposition of President’s rule in the state.

Geetartha Darshan Barua, spokesperson for CLP leader and deposed Chief Minister Nabam Tuki, said Deputy Speaker T N Thongdok, who is in the dissident camp, has sought the opinion of the state Law Department through the Governor asking if he can function as Deputy Speaker performing the duties of Speaker when President’s Rule is in place in the state.

Following Thongdok’s letter, the Governor sought a report from the law department on the subject.

“We have contended that the Governor is guided by malafide intention and he had taken all decisions keeping in mind vested interests. The Deputy Speaker’s letter to the Governor reflects the nexus between the two. Their final aim is to lodge a government with the help of BJP without waiting for the Supreme Court order,” Barua alleged.

In his letter, Thondok has contended that although a five member Constitution Bench is hearing matters related to the session held on December 16 and 17, 2015, the Speaker’s office is vacant as per the Gauhati High Court order dated January 13, 2016.

Thongdok has sought to know wheth-

have been accorded the status of martyrs. Everyday, people converge outside the mortuary, where six symbolic coffins are placed under a tent. They light candles, sing hymns, shout slogans and pray to God for the central government to intervene.

The local people installed three air conditioners. Everyday, they would procure 16 blocks of ice from Moirang, a town 30 kms away from Churachandpur, and place them in the morgue to bring down the temperature. It wasn’t enough. This went on for 100 days during which time, three men, Pausonlian (21), Joseph (22) and Thangzamuan (24) took care of the bodies. Fitting the rigid and bloated bodies into coffins was a task. And then there was the smell. Locally grown ash gourd and lemon grass were used to dispel the odour, but that wasn’t enough.

“We had to seal the coffins after a month. The body had started decomposing excessively, with body fluids oozing out and leaking from the coffins.

We wrapped them [coffins] with aluminium foil to be sure,” says Thangzamuan.

The state sent a cold storage well after the bodies had decomposed and fallen apart.

T

Detoxing Dry State

he road to alcohol directly leads to Nagaland Baptist Churches Council’s (NBCC) office. From the ‘top of the hills down to the lowest plains’ alcohol reigns supreme over NBCC. This is not a challenge, this is a fact.

The NBCC ‘Headquarter’ in Bayavu Hill, Kohima, is just about three hundred meters from Teen Patti area, famous for the ‘Headquarters’ where many young men and women find their solace and pleasure mates in the evenings. Instead of the ‘Believers Headquarter’ crushing the ‘Unbelievers Headquarters’ the later sits comfortably crushing the NBCC’s mind boggling ‘Dry State’ declaration to ashes. Every ‘able-leaders’ working for NBCC must have passed through this area year round on their way to their headquarter. Perhaps, they might have even made way for some intoxicated strollers gallivanting from one of their headquarters to another. Can they pause for a minute and think about the epigrammatic ‘dry state’ dictum?

And once in a while, the authorities issue baffling reminders as to how alcohol ban in Nagaland, as an edict, is a total faux pas. Like the traffic police warning against drunk driving, or in the recent past, ban on the

sale of IMFL during Hornbill Festival.

Warning against drunk driving is not so much of a mystifying order as compared to the ban on the sale of IMFL. Now, the Indian made Indian liquor (IMIL) and foreign made foreign liquor (FMFL) are exempted from the ban. It means, there are certain kinds of alcohol which are censored and there are also certain kinds of alcohol like beer, rum, whisky, vodka, wine and even breezer that is outside the enfold of ‘dry state’. Already burdened and drowning while calculating the wedding expenses on some not-good-looking sons and daughters of our VVIPs, we do not want to break our head trying to identify which alcohol is banned and which is not, in a dry state full of Christians.

Additionally, one time, a VVIP visited our state during winter. The cold chilled to his bones and therefore, he asked for some rum. People started to scramble looking for the demand.

Anyway, the next night he was invited to a dinner in one of our VVIP’s residences. He was shocked to see the kind of FMFL and IMIL flowing from the bartender’s table. Imagine! There was a bartender in a dry state! Either the tag ‘dry state’ is faulty to the T, or water is miraculously turning into wine. Can we discuss any positive

result because of the dry state declaration? Bootleggers and Assam are getting richer, while the people in Nagaland are getting drunk and dying of spurious alcohol- these are the glaring outcome as we know.

We have three important measures to be adopted; firstly, NBCC, other institutions and organizations adamant on alcohol ban seriously need to review and retrospect on the term ‘dry state’ and maybe reconsider; second, if IMIL and FMFL does not come under the purview of banned alcohol we need to redefine the term ‘alcohol’; last, just lift the ban because how long are we gonna mock and fool ourselves? Or else, the slogan of ‘Dry State’ will ever remain a toothless roaring lion. Due to time and space constraints we will not delve much on the super advantages of selling alcohol legally, however, it should not be long before we realize “Drinkers gonna drink, drink, drink, drink, drink. Haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate” so let us just “shake it off” and sincerely lift the ban on alcohol sale in Nagaland, where people love drinking and getting drunk.

Cheers!

Toshi Longkumer New Delhi

The Morung Express is introducing “Public Space” as part of our intention to provide deliberate space for the opinions of the people to be expressed and heard through this newspaper. Nonetheless, The Morung Express points out that the opinions expressed in the contents published in the “Public Space” do not reflect the views and position of the newspaper or the editor.

6

MonDAY 08•02•2016

IN FOCUS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

The Power of Truth

The Morung Express volume Xi issue 36 By moa Jamir

Selective condemnation -A worrying precedent

C O M M E N T A R Y

James Jeffrey Inter Press Service

Response to Ethiopia’s Drought: A Story of Success or Anguish?

U

nder ‘normal’ circumstances, the recent killing of a businesswoman and a youth in Dimapur within the span of two months, would have elicited vehement and strong condemnations from every other organisations or civil societies that exist in our realms.

Unfortunately, adding salt to the wounded and bereaving heart of the deceased’s families affected by the two tragic incidents, leading frontal organisations in Nagaland in general and Dimapur in particular, apart from one or two, have maintained conspicuous and stoic silence over the killings.

This general lack of empathy or indifference is rather baffling, to say the least. Any observant reader of the print media in Nagaland would notice that the usual modus operandi after commission of such crime/s or act is the colonization of newspaper space with press condemnation by different organisation and bodies.

Sea of humanity and heartfelt condolences for the victim/s and bereaved families would follow next supplemented with an ‘appeal or demand’ to the law enforcing agency to probe the case at the earliest and award ‘befitting and exemplary punishment’ to the perpetrator/s, serving as a deterrent for occurrence of the act in future. Often, it is also implied that the crime or act committed was ‘alien’ to the ethos of the Naga society.

Ponder for a moment and imagine, for an instance here, what would have been the alternative reaction of the society if both the recent unfortunate victims belonged to a dominant Naga tribe? In this case, one can safely assert that the wave of humanity and denouncement would have drowned the newspaper pages or social media spaces.

Consequently, do our reactions to any such incident depend significantly on the ‘identity’ of the victims as well as the perpetrator/s? Unfortunately, Yes. Over the years, our actions and reactions to any incident occurring in our midst portrays such conclusion.

We tend to condemn a ‘crime’ most vehemently when it is committed by a perceived ‘non-native’ or ‘outsider’ while our empathy towards a ‘non native’ victim is inversely proportional. Be it crime of sexual assault, robbery, or at times loss of lives, the reaction are recurrently alike. Whether tribe or non tribe based organisations, today Nagaland has come to follow a pattern of condemnation and seeking justice most aggressively only when a crime has been committed against one of our own, by those outside the tribal umbrella.

Is commission of such act by a native a lesser crime? Or for that matter, is the value of a non-native lesser than the native?

Without realizing the sheer hypocrisy of our own actions, we judge and condemn not on the gravity of crime or act per se but based on the identities of those involved.

Most ominously, our reaction to any other issue generally follows similar patterns. Our approaches to justice should not be constrained by our tribal, community or political affiliation but must be a collective mechanism. Our responses to the challenges should be founded on shared humanity and the dispensation and seeking of justice must not selective, but equally founded on the gravity of the issue. If our humanity and solidarity does not go beyond these narrow concepts, we as a society will be subsumed into further strife.

For any selective comment, drop a line to moajamir@live.com

lEfT WING |

Amit Kapoor IANS

Perception and Corruption

E

vidence of corruption in a developing countries like India can cause massive turmoil. Two cases in point have been the near collapse of UPA-II on account of corruption charges and the rise of the AAP in Delhi on the anti-corruption plank.

And yet, India is not alone when we talk about the endemic problem of corruption. Brazil has seen a lot of turmoil in the recent past with impeachment charges being pressed against the president. Similarly, the Petrobras scandal dented the image of Brazil internationally. All this points to the fact that countries across the world have seen corruption in the past.

Historically, even Kautilya (more than 300 years before Christ), in the treatise Arthshastra, mentions the problem of illegal transactions as well as public fraud. In a reference to it among officials stealing the money, he mentions that it is easier to ascertain the movement of birds in the sky rather than track the activities of corrupt officials. While things have got a lot better than the Mauryan times, there remains the endemic problem of corruption. The question is how do we track or measure it?

Reference to corruption is used in the context of use of public office for private good. However, this is not the only form of corruption one can think about or in which corruption can exist.

Corruption can be with respect to the movement of files quickly through a system, as well as be benefits in kind and the like. Corruption can be classified in various ways - as public versus private, moral versus monetary and even institutional versus retail.

However, a fundamental feature is that it corrodes public wealth and often causes a loss to the society. It is worth mentioning that corruption can also be between two private individuals, though often people conceive it to be a public problem.

Transparency International, which works in the area of transparency and accountability of corporations and public institutions, does exactly that and measures corruption annually. It has just released its Corruption Perception Index 2015.

The index is on a scale of zero to 100 with zero being totally corrupt and 100 being totally clean. India has a score of 38, which shows it is relatively corrupt. However, this year the country is ranked 76 out of 168 economies compared to 85 out of 174 economies in 2014. India is better placed than its BRICS peers with Brazil at 76; Russia at 119; China at 83; and South Africa at 44.

While the index shows scores and ranks across countries, it does not tell much about the level of corruption actually observed. The problem arises as the index assumes that the best way for measuring corruption is measuring its perception.

Another point is that is it valid to put a single number on the plethora of experiences businesses have in governance. What about the experiences of common citizens? Proxies in the index like the number of people caught for actual corruption can add value to the index. These can include details about charges of corruption and enforcement of these charges by public officials. Such actual cases can help assess corruption and not just the perception of corruption.

Over time, India should improve on the corruption perception rating. The new government, to its credit, has not had big scams in the past, but the retail level corruption seems to be where it was. On a methodological note, Transparency International could use actual indicators which tell about corruption charges and enforcement at the ground.

The article is co-authored with Sankalp Sharma, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Competitiveness, India. Amit Kapoor is Chair, Institute for Competitiveness & Editor of Thinkers. The views expressed are personal.

Woman wait to collect water in the drought stricken Somali region in Ethiopia on January 26, 2016. (Reuters Photo/File)

I

nside a health clinic run by the Catholic Daughters of Saint Anne, a nurse wraps a special tape measure around the upper arm of 2-year-old Rodas cradled in her mother’s arms. The tape reads yellow, meaning “moderately” malnourished, according to the attending nurse.

Close by 17-year-old Milite describes not having enough food at her grandmother’s home where she lives, and the soldier father deserting them, she starts crying.

According to many dealing with Ethiopia’s current drought, by some estimates the worst in 50 years, it could be much worse than tears. But, so far, there are no scenes reminiscent of 1984, when Ethiopia’s most infamous drought contributed to more than one million Ethiopians dying.

The result is that assessing this drought, and the reaction to it by the Ethiopian government and international organizations, becomes a confusing mix of a partial success story on the part of the former, yet partial enough for imminent crisis, exacerbated by lack of reaction of the international world to remain a distinct possibility.

“There’s confusion of information—information got to the world’s media late,” says Sebhatu Seyoum, social and development coordinator for the Adigrat Diocesan Catholic Secretariat (ADCS), a non-profit faith-based welfare organisation trying to raise funds to assist the likes of the Idaga Hamus clinic in Ethiopia’s most northern Tigray region. “People are not starving but they’re close to starving. We need to address this moment right now, before it gets worse.”

Tigray—a land of cliffs, gorges and flat-topped mesas beneath bright light-blue skies—has always suffered more erratic rainy seasons than the central Ethiopian highlands to the south, where the typical 3-month-long rainy season contributes to Ethiopia’s continental status as the water tower of Africa.

But the severity of this drought stems from events beyond Ethiopia’s control or prediction—ocean warming trend El Niño is causing unusually heavy rains in some parts of the world and drought elsewhere.

Neighbouring Somalia has about 3 million people hit by crop failures and food shortages; Central America has about 3.5 million people; in Pacific nations about 4 million people may go without food or drinking water, according to the United Nations.

Crop production in the likes of Tigray and Afar has dropped by 50 to 90 per cent in some parts and failed completely in others. Hundreds of thousands of livestock are estimated to have already been lost.

Initially, Ethiopia tried what many in the west com-

A

s the Indian government's mega rural jobs scheme under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) completes 10 years, is it discriminatory against poorer states? Or, is it, that richer states of the country are putting across their claims for funds so aggressively as to get allocations disproportionate to their populations, and the extent of poverty?

A data analysis of this year's central releases and expenditure under the scheme (as per the web site www.nrega.nic.in) in select four southern states (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu) and four northern states (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh) shows the former have been receiving and spending more under the prime rural scheme, that is fully funded by the Central Government, except for small amounts contributed by the state governments.

The four southern states, despite their smaller populations, have also provided employment to a much larger number of households, generated more person-days of work and took up a greater number of works.

During the first 10 months of 201516, till 29 January, 2016, the four southern states received MGNREGA central releases totaling Rs.10,397.10 crore, which is 31.01 percent of the total allIndia central releases of Rs.33,528.09 crore, and their total expenditure was Rs.9,723.94 crore, which was 27.77 percent of the all-India expenditure of Rs.35,011.06 crore.

Similarly, the four southern states provided employment to 11,017,358 households (29.10 per cent of the all India total of 37,849,382 households); generated 48.61 crore person-days; and took up works totaling 2,967,803.

The four northern states, during the same period of 2015-16, received central releases totaling Rs.7,918.34 crore (23.61 of the all-India central releases) and their total expenditure

plain developing countries don’t do enough of: tackling the situation itself, employing a sophisticated food security network developed over decades since images of the 1984 famine came to stigmatise Ethiopia.

The Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) is a welfare-for-work initiative enabling about 6 million people to work on public infrastructure projects in return for food or cash. In addition, there’s a national food reserve and early warning systems throughout woredas, local administrative organisations.

The country’s ability and means for providing emergency relief have changed beyond recognition since 1984. Added to which, circumstances accompanying this drought are entirely different: the 1984 famine was also a result of civil war in the north.

Today, Ethiopia is by comparison a politically and economically much more stable country, capable of self-help and robust action.

But proactive internal efforts hit a stumbling block as the drought took effect: estimated numbers of those effected gauged in June then doubled to around 8.2 million by October. Now Ethiopia is asking for help.

“We had one cow but had to sell that for food.

Other people’s animals have lost so much body weight they can’t be sold,” says 80-year-old farmer Berhe Kahsay during afternoon coffee at his home in Awo, a small town reached through numerous military checkpoints due to proximity to the Eritrean border. “This kind of drought is due to the climate, and it’s becoming worse due to climate change. We hope God will bless us with positive change.”

If not, Ethiopia is competing for international funds with other grave humanitarian crises, such as Syria, Yemen and the migrant emergency; added to which the international donor system’s bureaucratic cogs started turning late after the government’s initial go-it-alone efforts.

The government has since been criticised for delaying and not admitting the severity sooner while trying to maintain the narrative of Ethiopia’s great economic renaissance, achieving about an annual 10 per cent growth for the last decade.

Then there’s arguably the greatest hurdle: many people in the west are simply bored of hearing about another Ethiopian drought, even though this one could have strategic impact on Ethiopia’s long term prospects beyond obvious immediate humanitarian needs.

Aid agencies warn significant gains made over the years in food security, education and health are now in jeopardy in parts of Ethiopia. “Consequences could ripple through generations,” says the United Nations

International Children’s Emergency Fund, (UNICEF).

To the east of Tigray is its even more arid regionally neighbour: the Afar, famous for its Danakil depression—the hottest place on earth.

“This area is normally drought effected, so the life of the community depends on the government and NGOs,” says 40-year-old Dawit Hegos, a schoolteacher in the small Afar town of Mawo. “This drought is a big problem. It’s unreasonable to expect the government to do everything; other countries with crises need help—it’s not just Ethiopia.”

A couple of kilometres from the school is a dam built by ADCS with foreign funds in 2012, creating a small reservoir for the surrounding area’s livestock.

“Before the dam we had no access to water and had to take cattle far away into the hills to try find rivers,” says Hussein Esmael, a member of the local militia, his AK-47 perched on a shoulder. “Now it’s needed even more as animals don’t have strength to go long distances to find water.”

From many of those living in Tigray and Afar comes a common and ominous refrain: “The animals die first.” Those working for NGOs now scrabbling for funds point out that historically after a drought the situation gets worse from January onwards, when people have used up all their reserve food stocks or what little they managed to harvest.

Already people are cutting back on food, hence for some a meal consists of coffee and bread, or injera—a grey spongy pancake-shaped bread—with a little salt, the usual accompanying vegetables and meat sauces absent.

“There are a lot of mothers coming to us saying, ‘I have nothing in my breast, give me something for my baby,’” says 28-year-old Solomon Sibhat, a clinical nurse at a health center in the small Tigray town of Alitena. “It has got worse. But we have nothing to help. We say we are sorry.”

Foreign financial assistance is arriving, totalling about 167 million dollars so far, and combined with the Ethiopian government committing an unprecedented 192 million dollars to help prevent deaths from the drought.

But the overall emergency response could cost 1.4 billion dollars, according to aid agencies, especially if El Niño quashes Ethiopia’s next rainy season.

The United Nations estimates such a situation could result in more than 15 million Ethiopians suffering food shortages, acute malnutrition or worse by mid2016 unless donations increase.

Earlier this January, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO, released a 50 million dollar emergency response plan to protect livestock and rebuild crop production.

The plan aims to help 1.8 million farmers and livestock keepers in 2016 close food gaps and restore agricultural production and incomes. Its first critical phase will focus on the period between January and June—the main planting and cropping season—involving “a mix of emergency seed distribution, smallscale irrigation projects, and backyard gardening initiatives targeted at empowering women’s groups with tools, knowledge and access to micro loans.”

But current estimates of those who may need help may again prove an underestimate if the current trend of aid agency press releases with ever-increasing numbers is anything to go by.

“We really feel guilty when we see what we are supposed to do but can’t because of lack of resources and capabilities,” says Sister Azalech, director of the clinic at Idaga Hamus.

When asked what needs to happen, among the nun’s reply in Tigrinya one word stands out clearly: “Geunzeb.” Money.

Is job guarantee programme against poor states?

Deepak Razdan IANS was Rs.8,683.09 crore (24.80 percent of the all-India total). These four states provided employment to 10134581 households (26.77 percent of the allIndia total); generated 37.99 crore person-days; and took up works totaling 2,750,923.

Funding under MGNREGA is important not only because it brings relief to regions affected by natural calamities but also due to its role in reducing rural poverty. MGNREGA is however not restricted to those below poverty line (BPL) rural population, and is accessible to all who want work in rural areas. There is a mandatory quota of 33 per cent MGNREGA jobs for women.

Launched in 200 districts in 2006, MGNREGA was extended to all 644 districts of the country in 2008, guaranteeing 100 days' unskilled manual work to every household in rural areas on demand.

Sixty percent of the works undertaken under the scheme have to relate to agriculture and enhancing agricultural productivity. The works relate to rural connectivity, flood control, water conservation and harvesting, minor irrigation, drought-proofing, renovation of traditional water bodies, fisheries and rural sanitation, among others.

The budget 2015-16 has provided an allocation Rs.34,699 crores for MGNREGA with a promise of an additional Rs.5,000 crore if there is tax buoyan-

cy. Since the inception of the scheme, the central government has released Rs.314,552.61 crores to the states.

India's total population, as per Census 2011, was 121.08 crore. Of this, population of Andhra Pradesh was 8.45 crore (6.98 per cent of India's total); of Karnataka 6.10 crore (5.04 percent); of Kerala 3.34 crore (2.75 percent); and of Tamil Nadu 7.21 crore (5.95 percent). The total population of the four States was 25.12 (20.74 percent of India's total).

Compared to this, the population figures for the northern states were: Bihar 10.40 crore (8.95 percent); Madhya Pradesh 7.26 crore (5.99 percent); Rajasthan 6.85 crore (5.66 percent) and of Uttar Pradesh 19.98 crore (16.50 percent). The total population for the four States comes to 44.50 crore (36.75 percent of India's total).

The rural poverty percentages for the four southern states for 2011-12 (as per erstwhile Planning Commission data in Economic Survey 2014-15 Vol II) are: Andhra Pradesh 11; Karnataka 24.5; Kerala 9.1; and Tamil Nadu 15.8. The same percentages for the four northern States are: Bihar 34.1; Madhya Pradesh 35.7; Rajasthan 16.1 and Uttar Pradesh 30.4.

The data shows that the four southern States, which are economically better off than the four northern states, with a share of 20.74 percent in India's total population received 31.01 percent of the total MGNREGA money

WRITE-WING

from April 1, 2015 to January 29, 2016.

During the same period, the northern states, with a share of 36.75 percent in the total population received 23.61 percent of the total MGNREGA money released during the period.

The conclusion is obvious. The four poorer states have received more than 13 percent lesser allocation compared to their population share, which is an important criterion followed by the government in disbursing funds among the states. The richer southern states have received more than 10 percent higher allocation compared to their population share.

The northern states also had higher rural poverty ratios than the southern states. As per the Economic Survey 2014-2015 (Vol II), three of the northern States - Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh had in 2011-12 poverty ratios above 30 percent and the fourth state of Rajasthan had 16.1 percent. The southern states, on the other hand, had much lower rural poverty ratios - and Karnataka with 24.5 percent, was the only state with a rural poverty ratio of above 20.

The data analysis is worrisome as the population of the northern States continues to rise at a high rate. The significance of schemes like MGNREGA in rural India is understood if one looks at the data released by the recent Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) for rural India.

Of the country's total 24.39 crore households, 17.91 crore are rural households. Of these, just 5.39 crore (30.10 percent) depend on cultivation for income and as many as 9.16 crore (51.14 percent) depend on manual casual labour, similar to the jobs offered by the MGNREGA. Surveys have shown that many small and marginal farmers are preferring to do MGNREGA labour for a living than cultivating their unviable land holdings.

Deepak Razdan is a senior journalist and former research associate for rural development, NITI Aayog.

Letters to the Editor should be sent to: The morung express, House No. 4, Duncan Bosti, Dimapur - 797112, Or –email: morung@gmail.com All letters (including those via email) should have the full name and Postal address of the sender.

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

MonDAY 08•02•2016

PERSPECTIVE

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

aN elegy for dzükou G F

7

Pakistani women at forefront to give rural girls an education

rowing up in the heart of Kohima Village in the 1980s got me introduced to almost every important aspects and facets of the Angamis’ ‘idea and way of life’ from a very tender age. Being tutored and brought up in a household and a neighborhood where all the people with whom I lived and encountered on a daily basis were Angamis, I was no stranger to the Tenyiedie dialect, the folklores of the Angamis, poems and songs of the Angamis and the Angami way of life. All these experiences have gone on to make me the person that I am today.

Yes, I am not just an Angami by name. I have lived and experienced the typical Angami way of life with all the ups and downs and glories and disgraces. So I guess I know what it meant to be an Angami boy growing up in the heart of Kohima in the 1980s and 1990s. And obviously, I naturally feel and have a strong bond and attachment towards almost everything that an Angami Naga would normally consider dear and close to his heart. Yes indeed, my upbringing, my childhood environment and my early experiences continue to influence me in many ways even to this day.

A very intrinsic, inseparable and influential part of my growing-up years were the many stories, accounts, reports and versions that I heard from others. Many of these stories and accounts which I heard from elders, friends and acquaintances are still very vivid in my mind and I still feel a very strong emotional and cultural attachment towards them. Fables and myths of the Angamis; stories of the American missionaries like Rivenberg, Supplee, Tanquists etc; accounts during the Japanese invasion of 1944; the accounts of the plight, suffering and turmoil of the Nagas during the Indo-Naga conflict etc were all part and parcel of my formative years and all these have influenced me in one way or the other.

In the same way, through stories, accounts and reports narrated by others, I was also introduced to Dzükou at a very young age itself…. and over the years I developed a very intimate and personal bonding with Dzükou. I guess I was still only a toddler flapping my tiny arms in my mother’s lap when the word ‘Dzükou’ first entered my ears. I was told that Dzükou lies beyond the mountains situated opposite to my house here in Kohima Village and that it was the most beautiful place in the whole world. As I grew up, I heard many fascinating stories, reports and accounts about Dzükou from different people who made trips into the beautiful valley. Likewise I also heard and read poems and songs written and sung about the beauty of Dzükou.

In this way, Dzükou got embedded in my young mind and memory and almost became an inseparable part of my upbringing. If there ever was a ‘Second Paradise’ on earth, it would have been undoubtedly Dzükou for me.

Ironically, to this day, I remain a total stranger to this beautiful valley. This is so because I am yet to set my foot on the valley. During my high school years, college years and even after my graduation I got invitations from friends, classmates, well-wishers and even neighbors to undertake a journey into the valley. But somehow I could never decide to go as I was never an adventurous fellow who would enjoy a hunting expedition or a long, tiresome and tedious trip into some beautiful valley. However, even though Dzükou is still ‘Yarrow Unvisited’ for me, I still consider Dzükou to be a part and parcel of my upbringing, my culture, my story and my very being.

All the accounts and stories that I heard and know about Dzükou are from others like classmates, friends, relatives, elders and well-wishers with whom I had the chance to converse about Dzükou by sheer coincidence. I have also

seen numerous beautiful pictures of the valley in books, magazines, calendars, diaries and photographs. However, apart from this, I have never come across or read any book relating to the history, geography or topography of the valley. All these long years, nobody also told me who is the real or sole owner of the beautiful Dzükou valley and I also did not bother to ask anybody about this because I did not care.

All that mattered to me was that my conscience told me that it must have been none other than God who made and placed this beautiful valley in the Naga hills.

However, deep inside my heart and since my earliest childhood years, I have always known that the beautiful Dzükou valley is situated somewhere in the backyard of the Angamis…since that was what the accounts and stories indicated. Deep inside me, there was also this feeling that almost all Angamis probably consider Dzükou as theirs and that Dzükou was made for them. Besides, another reason why I strongly associate Dzükou with the Angamis is because the word ‘Dzükou’ happens to be a combination of two Tenyiedie words i.e., ‘Dzü’ and ‘Kou’.

Thus Dzükou not only lies in the backyard of the Angamis, but even the name ‘Dzükou’ itself is probably an Angami word. Thus, etymologically also, Dzükou has a strong Angami connection. Therefore one may assume that the beautiful valley was named by some Angamis long before the present generation appeared on the scene. And if that happens to be the case, it simply means that Dzükou not only lies in the backyard of the Angamis but also that it was some Angamis who first saw the beautiful valley, named it and probably claimed it as theirs.

This are probably the reasons why I feel that many Angamis feel so attached and so bonded with this beautiful valley irrespective of whether they have set foot on the valley or not. Even for a person like me who has never been to Dzükou, the feeling and the attachment towards the valley is indeed very warm and very strong. And I guess the feelings would be much more

The Morung Express

warmer and stronger for those who have been to the valley and for those who have been living in the close vicinity of the valley for generations.

Therefore, someday, out of the blues, if some people were to start proclaiming that the Dzükou valley does not lie in the land of the Nagas and that the valley does not belong to the Angamis or that the Angamis have no right to claim Dzükou as theirs, I would feel like somebody is trying to snatch away from me something very precious. It would be like snatching away a part of my childhood, my culture, my cherished memories and my way of thinking.

Dzükou must remain a place where one can find beauty, peace, comfort, joy and contentment. And it would be a great injustice to God and nature if we are to litter the beautiful valley with our greedy and selfish temperaments and egos. These are the thoughts that make me cry for Dzükou today.

To end on a beautiful note, let me recite here the lyrics of a song which I heard years ago: “Hie pie mesi rei, hie phi mezie rei, Terhü merü rei A Dzükou ngunyü; Kezivi-u, Thenoukemvü – u, Hei…hei Dzükou Hei…hei Dzükou” (Translated as: “Though my burdens are heavy, though my feet are weary, Though I thirst and starve, I still want to see Dzükou; The beautiful one, the exciting one Hei…hei Dzükou Hei…hei Dzükou”) I hope the beautiful Dzükou valley continues to be a source of joy, happiness, comfort, contentment and peace for the Naga people……. and not a topic for baseless controversies and confrontations……

POll RESUlTS

Should the NagalaNd State goverNmeNt iNtroduce biometric atteNdaNce iN goverNmeNt officeS? Why? Some of those who voted YES had this to say: • Yes because most of the workers get payment even though they do not work • That will definitely improve attendance • Yes it should, and also online check up as well. how many times have we gone to government office and found no one there or come very late. just think if someone from Mokokchung or further away comes to kohima and finds that the department personal have taken a day of because they wanted to go and pick flowers.

Yes yes lets see how honest are our government employees.

• Yes, so that, the govt. can always make themselves available to the need of the common people.

• Yes, To prove that their is no proxy appointment in the dept and to prove the regularity of the staff • Yes. Of course, its for sure that its 100% Nooo for each and every employed person (govt servants) coz all of them are living in their own world (easy life) so in such a irresponsible situation its very important for the govt to introduce Biometric attendance in every government office.

• Yes..only if the government take resolute decision to punish erring employees.

• Yes. Nagas will know the value of wages/money and TIME. • Yes. So that every employees do justice to his/ her duty and profession.

• Yes... it would reduce absentism and nullify ghost employees.

• Yes, because every teacher will able to share education instead of Proxy...

• Yes to avoid proxy signing. Also should have a fixed sign in and sign out time and not any time.....

• Yes they have to attend the office as personal fingerprint is needed they cant escape • yes, to avoid 1 person in 2 govt. jobs.

• Urgently needed.. State govt shall have sincere servants and there would be no Proxy if Biometric attendance is introduced.

• Yes and if they're late. Half days salary should be deducted.

• Yes! Surely this will boost office attendance as well as speed up pending works.

• For all round development in the same time we paid them • Yes, so that 1 person two jobs can be trace out

employee are so free as of our Nagaland. Me and can give the best time to his responsibility being in govt service too, would like to see • Yes, To increase efficiency, productivity and transparency with the introduction of it. changes in work ethics.

• Yes! Govt. employees of Nagaland takes so much pride in their job thanks to the status, Some of those who voted financial stability it offers them. High time for NO had this to say: • NO. It will be a waste of resource. Our people them to take pride in the work ethics too. are so corrupt and insincere that we will find a • Yes for now. way to even beat the biometric attendance sys• absolutely yes in all establishments, from tem. Unless, there is a change in our mindset, schools to hospitals to all departments in every nothing will work.

• No. wastage of fund. The sincere staffs will always be regular in office and those who are irregular will continue to be. Since the government do not take action against the irregular staffs there is no logic in pinpointing them if there is no follow up action.

• I beg to differ as it is not quite feasible; it(data) can be easily manipulated by the administrator and the biometric device is likely to be damaged by the (irate) employees as so happened in a certain Government Department. So the other alternative is to use electronic Access ID Card with inbuilt chip at the entry/exit gates.

• No! Our system not ready for it. Right now, it's just a sure method to transfer our very scarce public fund into some unfeasible venture.

82%

12% 06% YES

NO

OTHER

location no matter how far flung..... sign in and sign out!

• Yes, To make employees regular. Pay deductions should be imposed on absentees.

• Very much Yes. Would love to see it being implemented. But the big question is, would it work out in a state like Nagaland, when corruption is in its utmost?

• Absolutely. No doubt about it. No state govt

Some of those who voted OTHERS had this to say: • If the govt. introduce the bio metric system, every employees will be required to turn up to work on a working day to identify themselves. That'll be outrageous! There are many employees who rely on replacement by employing someone on their behalf in remote areas. It'll be a nightmare for them to relocate. Some employees can barely manage a couple of days in a month and get paid in full. Of course followed by several bigger issues. Sounds like fair and a good move, if only that can come true with such a poor connectivity and technology.

• PHQ started biometric attendance since 2014 • Don't they have attendance register? If action will be taken against absentee, then surely yes if not then just another wastage of government money.

• But who will execute action against erring staff?

• I guess some govt. employees who never go to their place of posting must be quaking with fear, and in their hearts cursing the Morung Express for bring this idea into open for a poll

Ummul Baneen Thomson Reuters Foundation

or years, Fatima would wake up in the morning and dream of going to school but her hopes for an education were crushed.

Rather than joining her two brothers in school, from the age of five Fatima would set off with her mother to work in the fields of their village in Bahawalpur district of Punjab, in east Pakistan.

"I wanted to go to the school and wanted to become a teacher, so that I could help other girls," Fatima, now aged seven, said in a Skype interview from her home.

The daughter of a labourer, Fatima seemed destined to a cycle of illiteracy and poverty and to remain one of more than 13 million girls in Pakistan to never see inside a classroom.

Nearly half of Pakistan's 53 million children aged 5-16 are out of school and 55 percent of those are girls.

Pakistan has the third largest number of out-of-school girls in the world, a fact that hit headlines globally in 2012 after Taliban militants shot 14-year-old schoolgirl and education advocate Malala Yousafzai, now a Nobel Peace prize laureate.

Now amid this largely patriarchal society, Pakistani women, be they educated campaigners or illiterate mothers, are at the forefront of advocating for girls' right to school.

Fatima's luck changed when local community workers visited her family and, after several meetings, backed her mother and convinced her father to send her to the nearby school, breaking the traditional norm of keeping girls at home.

"My wish came true and I was able to go to school. I like to play with my friends. Teachers are very kind and they take care of me," Fatima said, her dark brown eyes glistening with joy.

She became one of 73,000 children enrolled in school due to a joint project launched in 2013 by Alif Ailaan - an education reform campaign funded by the UK Department for International Development but run by Pakistanis - and local non-profit organization, Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN).

The project has helped raise awareness in rural Pakistan about the importance of learning as well as mobilise communities to demand quality education for their children from their political representatives and education department officials.

WOMEN CAMPAIGNING FOR GIRLS Despite a constitutional article guaranteeing the right of every child in Pakistan to a free education, social researchers blame poverty, a conservative culture and run-down school facilities for the decision by many poor families to keep their children, especially their daughters, from school.

RSPN says much of the success of the project is owed to its grass-roots community and village campaigners who use creative ways to get their message across such as public walks through the villages to raise awareness and coordinating with religious leaders to spread the word.

Social workers report that the most frequently reported reason for girls not attending school is their parents' unwillingness to send them due, citing difficult access to schools, poverty, and cultural sensitivities.

A recent Oxfam report said 11 percent of young girls in Pakistan are married before the age of 15, jeopardizing their rights to health, education and protection and fathers needed to be convinced that education was a better path.

Uzma Nazir, a campaigner in Bahawalpur, found that in one case she had to appeal to a father's sense of religious duty as well as his guilt over spending excess cash on tobacco.

"If you could afford to smoke daily and have enough money for Dish TV, then it meant that you could afford to pay for your children's educational expenses," Nazir said she told him.

She added that every Muslim man and woman had the responsibility for gaining an education. In the end she helped him enrol his three daughters in school.

Another effective argument that campaigners use are the economic advantages to an education.

It wasn't hard to convince Sukhaan Mai to send all her seven daughters and son to school.

Mai, who lives in a village 40 km (25 miles) from Dera Ghazi Khan city in central Pakistan, earns 8,000 Pakistani rupees ($76) a month, working as a day labourer, picking cotton and harvesting wheat in peak season.

Her biggest wish was for a better life for her children, which included sending them all to school, especially her physically-challenged daughter Memoona, 12.

"If my children will get an education there will be so many benefits in their future for better livelihood and they will gain the knowledge about good and bad," said Mai in a Skype interview from her home.

According to the United Nation's International Labour Organization (ILO), about 75 percent of Pakistani working women aged 15 and above were in the agricultural sector in 2010-2011 where working conditions were harsh and the wages were low.

Global evidence suggests that one additional year of schooling can increase a woman's earning by 10 to 20 percent.

So far, the project has raised the awareness of nearly 250,000 people about the value of education. Rural communities have also lobbied for improvements in 741 schools - many of which were functioning without electricity, had no drinking water, and were missing toilets and boundary walls.

But social workers say there is still much work to be done.

"In Pakistan, there is a need of an environment where equal access to education is provided from birth. If we manage to do that .. I guarantee that will lead to a brighter and prosperous future," said Mosharraf Zaidi, campaign director of Alif Ailaan.

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

8

MondAY 08•02•2016

INDIA

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Form govt or break with BJP, Omar tells PDP Jammu, February 7 (ians): Jammu and Kashmir's former state chief minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday asked the PDP to form an elected government in the state or have the courage to break its alliance with the BJP. Speaking to media on the sidelines of a National Conference function in Nagrota area here, Abdullah said: "For ten months the PDP had been praising the alliance with the BJP. Now (Peoples Democratic Party chief) Mehbooba Mufti has been asking the BJP-led government at the centre to announce CBMs. "I don't know whether her party leaders know what these CBMs are, but the people of the state don't know what she is demanding," he said, adding the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also asked the PDP to state clearly what they want.

"Mehbooba Mufti must spell out clearly what she wants. Otherwise, she must have the courage to break the alliance and seek fresh elections in state," he said.

Abdullah said as far as his NC was concerned, it would not support any alliance in the state, but start preparing for the next elections.

He also said those appointed on various important positions in the state on political considerations by the previous government must now resign their positions since an elected government does not exist in the state.

"Once such people resign, it is for the state governor to decide whether to accept their resignations or ask them to continue in their present positions," he said.

BSF kills four smugglers; 10 kg heroin recovered FerOzepur (punJab), February 7 (ians): BSF troopers on Sunday shot dead four smugglers, including two Pakistanis, in Punjab's Ferozepur sector and seized nearly 10 kg heroin, a senior BSF officer said.

The Border Security Force troopers also seized arms and ammunition from the spot. These included two 9 mm pistols, one locally-made pistol and 54 rounds of ammunition, a Pakistani SIM card, a knife, a PVC pipe and other things.

A search of the area, about 300 km from Chandigarh, later led to the seizure of the contraband.

"Around 4.30 a.m., Pakistani and Indian smugglers (total numbering four) opened fire on BSF troopers near Border outpost (BoP) Mehndipur in Ferozepur sector. The BSF troopers returned the fire in which two Indian and two Pakistani smugglers were interdicted.

The bodies were recovered later during a search of the area. The local police was informed," said BSF Deputy Inspector General R.S. Kataria said.

The seized heroin is valued at Rs.50 crore in the international market.

The BSF has recovered nearly 18 kg heroin in the Punjab sector, comprising the 553-km long international border with Pakistan in the state, this year.

CBI arrests I-T Deputy Commissioner in graft case new Delhi, February 7 (pti): CBI has arrested a Haryana Income Tax Deputy Commissioner and his aide for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs two Lakh from a private firm proprieter for giving relief while levying penalty.

CBI sources said Deputy Commissioner in Sirsa Nitin Garg was arrested late last night.

The agency said that the proprieter of the private firm based in Sirsa had received an I-T notice seeking certain information under Income Tax Act for the assessment year 2013-14.

"It was alleged that the complainant was threatened that in case the bribe was not paid, heavy penalty will be imposed on him. The Deputy Commissioner instructed his aide to accept the money," CBI spokesperson R K Gaur said here.

He said that Garg allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs two lakh for not imposing heavy penalty.

The agency laid a trap and Garg and his aide, a resident of Bhatinda in Punjab, were arrested while allegedly accepting the bribe, he said.

"Searches were conducted at the residential and official premises of the accused which led to recovery of cash Rs 15.60 lakh, gold weighing 1620 grams, diamonds worth around Rs 60 lakh, silver amounting to Rs five lakh, 26 bank accounts in his name and that of his family members. Both the accused will be produced today in a competent court," he said.

Need new work culture of completing projects before time: PM Narendra Modi paraDip (ODisha) February 7 (pti): Sharply criticising project delays of the past that lead to huge cost overruns, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said a new work culture of conceiving and completing projects before time is needed to boost economic growth.

Rejecting opposition Congress' charge that projects he has been inaugurating in recent months were all started during their time, he said as Prime Minister he would have been happy if the projects were completed 15 years back and led to creation of jobs.

Dedicating to the nation Indian Oil Corp's Rs 34,555-crore refinery here, Modi said the government is targeting reduction in oil import dependence by 10 per cent by 2022 by creating policy environment that supports raising domestic output as well as by mixing bio-fuels like ethanol in auto fuels.

"It is very natural that I am happy to inaugurate projects.

But as Prime Minister of a country, I don't feel happy at all. I would have been happy if these works would have been completed 15 years back, when lakhs of people here would have got jobs," he said.

He added that projects in the country face obstructions in the form of court proceedings, tender process and sometimes agitations, making them very costly. "For the development of the country,

PM flags sea-borne terror, piracy as threat to maritime security

we all - citizens, bureaucracy, industry and policy makers, have to give birth to such a culture where projects start on time, progress within the scheduled time, and finish within the pre-decided time so that country gets the benefit, the benefit comes before scheduled time," he said.

The government, he added, was "trying to bring in this change so that there is no serious loss to the exchequer because of delay."

Initiatives have to be futuristic and completed before the designated time period.

"Delays shouldn't occur," he said, adding that in the past, ideas originated 50 years back, would take 10 years to put them on paper and conceived, a similar number of years to lay foundation stone and many more

years before it is completed.

Rs 1 lakh cr disbursed under MUDRA Yojana Loans worth about Rs 1 lakh crore have been sanctioned to small entrepreneurs under the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today, emphasising that the government wants youth to be job creators and not job seekers.

Speaking at the inauguration of Indian Oil Corp's (IOC) Rs 34,555-crore Paradip Refinery, Modi said apart from public and private sector, there was a need for developing "personal sector" in which youth can become self sufficient, start businesses and generate new employment avenues.

We have disbursed about Rs 1 lakh crore. Within such

less time, giving so much money to such people is not a small thing," Modi said.

Under Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana, which was launched in April last year, loans between Rs 50,000 and Rs 10 lakh are provided to small entrepreneurs. In India, about 65% of the population is below the age of 35 years and for the progress of these youth, there was a need to boost entrepreneurship, Modi said.

The Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency Ltd (MUDRA) focuses on the 5.75 crore self-employed who use funds totaling Rs 11 lakh crore and provide jobs to 12 crore people.The banking sector has been allocated an overall disbursement target of about Rs 1.22 lakh crore during 2015-16 for MUDRA loans.

Visakhapatnam, February 7 (pti): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today flagged the threat of sea-borne terror and piracy as two key challenges to maritime security even as he pitched for respecting freedom of navigation against the backdrop of South China sea dispute. In an apparent reference to the audacious 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, Modi said, the threat of sea-borne terror, of which India has been a direct victim, continues to endanger regional and global peace and stability.

He said piracy, too, remains a strong challenge against the backdrop of Somali pirates targeting merchant vessels, including those of India. Addressing the valedictory function of International Fleet Review, the Prime Minister also made a veiled reference to the South China Sea dispute, saying countries must "respect and ensure freedom of navigation and cooperate not compete".

He said after hosting the 3rd India-Africa Summit and the India-Pacific Island Cooperation, the country would now host the first-ever global maritime summit in April. Referring to his government's ambitious Make in India initiative, Modi said 37 of the Indian warships participating the Fleet Review were made in India and their numbers will surely rise.

He said the nation's ability to reap economic benefits from the oceans rested on our capacity to respond to the challenges in the maritime domain. "The threat of natural disasters like tsunami and cyclones is ever present.

Man-made problems such as oil spills, climate change continue to risk the stability of the maritime domain," the Prime minister said.

He said a peaceful and stable maritime environment is critical for regional and global security. "It is also must to harvest the riches of the oceanic ecosystems," the PM said.

Govt to address concerns To clear air on Herald issue, Cong posts FAQs on website over 7th Pay Commission new Delhi, February 7 Visakhapatnam, February 7 (ians): The government has studied representations from the armed forces vis-a-vis the 7th Pay Commission and their concerns will be addressed "in the near future", Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Sunday.

"I have interacted with the three service chiefs and discussed the concerns of the forces. The concerns will be addressed in the near future," he said on the sidelines of an International Maritime Conference here.

The concerns include the way in which pensions were calculated on the basis of number of years put in at a particular rank. Another grudge is the risk-hardship matrix. While a soldier posted in the Siachen glacier gets Rs.31,500 as allowance per month, a civilian bureaucrat draws 30 percent of his salary as "hardship allowance".

About the One Rank One Pension (OROP) issue, he said concerns of ex-servicemen will be addressed by a one-member judicial committee headed by L. Narasimha Reddy, a retired chief justice of the Patna High Court.

Parrika said the Narendra Modi government had fulfilled its promise on the OROP which had been implemented after 43 years. "As promised by the BJP, we have already issued a table of various pensions as per the OROP scheme.

"The community of retired servicemen is large; one formula cannot solve all issues. Any contentious issues will be referred to the one-man committee," Parrikar said. As for the protesting ex-servicemen's stand on approaching the court on the OROP issue, the minister said: "Fundamentally, every person has the right to approach a court.

He said the expenditure on OROP of Rs.7,500 crore each year was much larger that what the previous government had allocated for the scheme. The arears total Rs.10,900 crore.

(pti): Congress has come out with a set of 'Frequently Asked Questions' to present its side of the story regarding the National Herald issue as the party said that the Gandhis have not benefited financially from Young Indian Ltd. The party also dismissed as "absolutely false" the claim that Young Indian (YI) Ltd, the company formed in the wake of financial troubles concerning Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), was a "real estate company".

Congress also underlined that there is no restriction in law on political parties giving loans and the Election Commission had issued a clear order in this regard in November, 2012.

"BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had sought derecognition of Congress on this ground but his complaint was dismissed by a full bench order of the Election Commission" at that time, AICC said.

On whether Sonia or Rahul Gandhi benefited financially from Young Indian, it said, "No. As directors or shareholders of Young Indian, a nonprofit, Section 25 company, they are prohibited by law from drawing (and have not drawn) any financial benefits from the company." It also denied that any assets were transferred from AJL to YI. "All the assets and the

Congress party vice-president Rahul Gandhi speaks to the media as his mother and chief of Congress Sonia Gandhi stands next to him during a news conference in New Delhi. (REUTERS File Photo)

income of AJL remain with the company. Not a single paisa has gone to YI, YI Directors or YI Shareholders," it said in the FAQs on its website under the heading, 'National Herald'. It rejected as "false" the claim that YI was created to usurp the property owned

by AJL. "On the contrary, Young Indian, being a non-profit Section 25 company, as the major shareholder AJL,

in fact, enhances the safeguards on the properties of the AJL," it said.

On the claim by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley that YI is a real estate company, it said the statement was "absolutely false". "Absolutely false.

YI does not own a single real estate asset or immoveable property. AJL continues to own all its assets. The allegation is, therefore, completely baseless," it said.

Don't buy medicines online: FDA ISI plotted 26/11 Mumbai attacks VC's meeting new Delhi, February 7(Dna): The FDA said that since the government is still in process of how to monitor and regulate online sale of drugs, they cannot presently take action on people selling medicines online.

In a move to control the rising popularity of online sale of drugs, the food and drugs administration (FDA) has appealed to the citizens to avoid purchasing medicines online as it is an unregulated area and quality of drug sold isn't monitored.

The FDA said that since the government is still in process of how to monitor and regulate online sale of drugs, they cannot presently take action on people selling medicines online.

"People should avoid purchasing medicines online. We can not vouch for the quality of these medicines," said BR Masal, FDA assistant commissioner (drugs), in the press release.

A while back, around 3,500 chemists in the city shut shop for a day against online sale of medicines.

According to the chemists association, the government should not regularise the sale of medicines through e-pharmacies on the internet. All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) had submitted its memorandum to the central and state level health authorities. "Online sale of medicines poses an increased risk

with Pak govt's support: Headley on ways to end new Delhi, February 7 26/11 attack, Headley also revealed discrimination (agencies): Pakistani-American that Mumbai terror attacks carried out

of adverse drug reactions/side effects.

It will also lead to rise in irrational use of medicines specially antibiotics. We therefore strongly protest online sale of drugs. In India, online sale is still in its nascent stage," said Prasad Danave, president of retail and dispensing chemist association.

Doctors are presently divided over online sale of medicines. Dr Jayesh Lele, president elect of Indian Medical Association (Maharashtra) said: "IMA has objected online sale of drugs. Sale of over the counter drugs is OK but medicines that needs doctor's prescription, should not be available online. Misuse of schedule H drugs, antibiotics may go up if online sale of drugs is allowed."

Supporting online sale of medicines, Dr Ashish Tiwari, CEO, Zynova

Hospitals, said that the chemists are opposing the online pharmacies because they are feeling that online pharmacy will affect their business. "Online pharmacy is useful & futuristic for people as it is convenient specially for elder ones & kids because it will be delivered at home. It will ensure dispensing of prescription drugs to be given on prescription only," said Tiwari.

He added that e-pharmacy will give option of substitution to the generic drugs at the time of making a drug cart which will be cost saving for patients. "Nowadays, e-prescriptions have been started by many healthcare personnel & hospitals which can be easily integrated to the pharmacy which in turn will ensure accuracy of drugs & also will be part of electronic medical records," said Tiwari.

terror agent David Coleman Headley on Sunday has reportedly confessed that 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks were masterminded by Pakistan's terror group Lashkar-e-Toiba and had approval of Pak's Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI).

According to an exclusive report

by CNN-IBN, during an interrogation with NIA, Headley revealed that he was handled by Pakistan ISI's Major Iqbal and Sameer Ali and that LeT's Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi's handler was ISI Brigadier Rivaz.

Making a shocking revelation about Pakistan-backed ISI and Pak Army, Headley reportedly revealed that ISI chief Sujha Pasha had visited Lashkar-e-Taiba top terrorist Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, after the latter was arrested in connection with 2008 terror attacks case.

Headley further divulged that he was also given money by the ISI for recce. Another disclosure made by Headley reportedly says that he had recced the Indian vice-president's residence, India Gate and CBI office in New Delhi before the 2008 terror attacks were executed.

Exposing Pakistan's role in the

in India in 2008, had the support of Pakistan government, the report said.

According to Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, Headley will depose before the Indian court on February 8, Monday, in exchange of pardon.

The deposition is likely to be done through video conferencing and would continue for few days from Monday.

David Coleman Headley was originally charged under 11 counts, relating to planning and executing terror-related activities against India. Headley, who is currently serving a 35-year prison sentence in the US for his role in the 2008 attacks case, had initially refused to depose before the court.

It is believed that NSA Ajit Doval has big hand in turning Headley an approver in the case. As per reports, Doval met some top United Nation officials four months ago and had been putting pressure on the US government to make Headley depose before the Indian court in the 2008 terror attacks case.

It was not long before when United States President Barack Obama sent a strong message to Pakistan government to take strict action against those using its land for carrying out terror-related activities.

new Delhi, February 7 (pti): In the backdrop of dalit scholar Rohith Vemula suicide case, the HRD ministry has convened a meeting of Vice Chancellors of all central universities on February 18 to discuss ways to end discrimination against disadvantaged sections. The ministry has decided to call all VCs and heads of 46 central universities to Delhi for the meeting days ahead of the Budget session of Parliament where the opposition is likely to vociferously raise the issue to corner the government.

Opposition parties have repeatedly raised questions over the role of Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and also attacked HRD Minister Smriti Irani over the incidents. The ministry had also said that all VCs and senior administrators would be sensitised to reach out to such students. It has also announced that all wardens, administrative staff and registrars would be compulsorily put through an orientation programme and declared that a special mechanism would be set up at the Ministry for receiving and taking expeditious action on the grievances from students belonging to disadvantaged sections.

MondaY 08•02 •2016

WORLD

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

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N Korean rocket puts object into space, angers neighbours SEOUL, FEbrUary 7 (rEUtErS): North Korea launched a long-range rocket on Sunday carrying what it called a satellite, but its neighbours and the United States denounced the launch as a missile test, conducted in defiance of U.N. sanctions and just weeks after a nuclear bomb test.

The U.S. Strategic Command said it had detected a missile entering space, and South Korea’s military said the rocket had put an object into orbit.

North Korea said the launch of the satellite Kwangmyongsong-4, named after late leader Kim Jong Il, was a “complete success” and it was making a polar orbit of Earth every 94 minutes.

The launch order was given by his son, leader Kim Jong Un, who is believed to be 33 years old.

The launch prompted South Korea to announce it would begin talks with the United States on the deployment of an advanced missile defence, which China and Russia both oppose, to counter what South Korea sees as the North’s threat.

North Korea’s state news agency carried a still picture of a white rocket that closely resembled a previously launched

Isolated North Korea had initially given a February 8-25 time frame for the launch but on Saturday changed that to February 7-14, apparently taking advantage of clear weather on Sunday.

North Korea’s National Aerospace Development Administration called the launch “an epochal event in developing the country’s science, technology, economy and defence capability by legitimately exercising the right to use space for independent and peaceful purposes”.

The launch and the January 6 nuclear test are seen as efforts by the North’s young leader to bolster his domestic legitimacy ahead of a ruling party congress in May, the first since 1980.

A North Korean long-range rocket is launched into the air at the Sohae rocket launch site, North Korea, in this photo released by Kyodo on February 7. (REUTERS Photo)

rocket, lifting off. Another showed Kim surrounded by cheering military officials at what appeared to be a command centre.

North Korea’s last long-range rocket launch, in 2012, put what it called a communications satellite into orbit, but no signal has ever been detected from it.

“If it can communicate

with the Kwangmyongsong-4, North Korea will learn about operating a satellite in space,” said David Wright, co-director and senior scientist at the Global Security Program of the Union of Concerned Scientists.

“Even if not, it gained experience with launching and learned more about the reliability of its rocket

systems.”

The rocket lifted off at around 9:30 a.m. Seoul time (0030 GMT) on a southward trajectory, as planned. Japan’s Fuji Television Network showed a streak of light heading into the sky, taken from a camera at China’s border with North Korea.

North Korea had notified U.N. agencies that it

planned to launch a rocket carrying an Earth observation satellite, triggering opposition from governments that see it as a long-range missile test.

The U.N. Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss the launch, at the request of the United States, Japan and South Korea, diplomats said.

NEW MISSILE DEFENCE? South Korea said it would begin discussions with the United States on an advanced missile-defence system called Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD), adding that it would only be used to target the North.

South Korea had been reluctant to discuss openly the possibility of deploying THAAD. China, the South’s biggest trading partner, has expressed concern about a system whose radar could penetrate its territory.

South Korea’s military said it would make annual military exercises with U.S. forces “the most cuttingedge and the biggest” this year. North Korea objects to the drills as a prelude to war by a United States it says is bent on toppling the Pyongyang regime.

The United States has about 28,500 troops in South Korea.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States would work with the U.N. Security Council on “significant measures” to hold North Korea to account for what he called a flagrant violation of U.N. resolutions on North Korea’s use of ballistic missile technology.

China expressed regret and called on all sides to act cautiously and refrain from steps that might raise tension. China is North Korea’s main ally, although it disapproves of its nuclear weapons programme.

Russia, which has in recent years forged closer ties with North Korea, said the launch could not but provoke a “decisive protest”, adding Pyongyang had once again demonstrated a disregard for norms of international law.

“We strongly recommend the leadership of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea think about

whether a policy of opposing the entire international community meets the interests of the country,” Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the launch and urged North Korea to “halt its provocative actions”.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye said it was an unforgivable act of provocation.

Australia condemned what it called North Korea’s dangerous conduct while Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the launch was “absolutely unacceptable”, especially after the North’s nuclear test last month.

North Korea has said that its fourth nuclear test was of a hydrogen bomb.

The United States and other governments have expressed doubt over that claim.

North Korea is believed to be working on miniaturising a nuclear warhead to put on a missile, but many experts say it is some way from perfecting such technology.

It has shown off two versions of a ballistic missile resembling a type that could reach the U.S. West Coast, but there is no evidence the missiles have been tested.

Easily stressed? At risk of developing high BP More than 3,100 pregnant women NEw yOrk, FEbrUary 7 (IaNS): The tendency to take more stress during youth may increase the risk of developing high blood pressure later in life, suggests a study. Also, stressed youths who are overweight are 3 times more likely to develop high blood pressure, showed the findings, published online in the journal Heart.

Casey Crump, researcher from the Stanford

University in California, US used the national disease registry data to track the health of more than 1.5 million 18-year-old men, who had been conscripted into the army in Sweden between 1969 and 1997, till the end of 2012. None of the conscripts had high blood pressure when they began their stint in the military.

Their stress resilience level was measured by structured interview. The men were

quizzed about psychological adjustments made, their conflicts and successes, and responsibilities assumed at school, home, or at work, to gain a picture of an individual’s emotional stability and maturity and arrive at a score of between one and nine on the stress resilience scale, with nine indicating high resilience.

Between 1969 and 2012, some 93,000 of the conscripts were diagnosed

with high blood pressure.

The average age of the men at the end of the monitoring period was 47, and the average age at diagnosis was 49. A low stress resilience score at the age of 18 was associated with a heightened risk of developing high blood pressure in later life. Men in the bottom 20% of scores had a more than 40% heightened risk of the condition than those in the highest 20% of scores.

Pak behind rise of international Jihadi forces: NYT NEw yOrk, FEbrUary 7 (PtI): Pakistan’s powerful intelligence service has long acted as the “manager” of international Jihadi forces and it may have been involved in the rise of the ISIS, a leading US daily today said, in a stinging commentary on Pakistan’s “intervention” in a number of foreign conflicts.

Underlining that experts have found “a lot of evidence” that Pakistan facilitated the Taliban offensive, an op-ed in the New York Times said, “This behaviour is not just an issue for Afghanistan. Pakistan is intervening in a number of foreign conflicts.” “Its intelligence service has long acted as the manager of international mujahedeen forces, many of them Sunni extremists, and there is even speculation that it may have been involved in the rise of the Islamic State.”

It said that though Pakistan denies harbouring the Taliban and Al Qaeda,

and points out that it, too, is a victim of terrorism, “many analysts have detailed how the military has nurtured Islamist militant groups as an instrument to suppress nationalist movements, in particular among the Pashtun minority, at home and abroad.”

“Pakistan regards Afghanistan as its backyard. Determined not to let its archrival, India, gain influence there, and to ensure that Afghanistan remains in the Sunni Islamist camp, Pakistan has used the Taliban selectively, promoting those who further its agenda and cracking down on those who don’t. The same goes for Al Qaeda and other foreign fighters,” wrote Carlotta Gall, the North Africa correspondent for NYT. It said there are reports that Pakistan had a role in the rise of the Islamic State. “....it might come as a surprise that the region’s triumvirate of violent ji-

How pancakes can help treat glaucoma LONdON, FEbrUary 7 (IaNS): What has pancake to do with glaucoma? According to researchers, understanding the textures and patterns of pancakes can help them improve surgical methods for treating glaucoma.

The appearance of pancakes depends on how water escapes the batter mix during the cooking process and this varies with the thickness of the batter.

Understanding the physics of the process can help perfect pancake making and gives important insights into how flexible sheets, like those found in human eyes, interact with flowing vapour and liquids. “We have discovered that the variations in texture and patterns result from differences in how water escapes the batter during cooking and that this is largely dependent on the thickness and spread of the batter,” explained study co-author Ian Eames, professor of fluid mechanics at the University College London. The team compared recipes for 14 different types of pancakes from across the world. They found thick, almost spherical pancakes such as Dutch poffertjes had the lowest aspect ratio at three whereas large, thin French crepes had the biggest at 300.

The team found that the physics of pancake cooking is complex but generally follows one of two trends. If the batter spreads easily in the pan, the pancake ends up with a smooth surface pattern and less burning as the vapour flow buffers the heat of the pan.The scientists work on better surgical methods for treating glaucoma which is a build-up of pressure in eyes caused by fluid. To treat this, surgeons create an escape route for the fluid by carefully cutting the flexible sheets of the sclera. “We are improving this technique by working with engineers and mathematicians. It’s a wonderful example of how the science of everyday activities can help us with the medical treatments of the future,” added study co-author professor Sir Peng Khaw in a paper published in the journal Mathematics TODAY.

had is living openly in Pakistan,” Gall said as she listed out top terrorist leaders living openly in Pakistan.

“First, there’s Sirajuddin Haqqani, the leader of the Haqqani network, and second in command of the Taliban. He moves freely around Pakistan, and has even visited the Pakistani intelligence headquarters of the Afghan campaign in Rawalpindi,” she said.

Then there is the new leader of the Taliban, Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour, who has openly assembled meetings of his military and leadership council near the Pakistani town of Quetta, the author said.

“Finally, Al Qaeda’s leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, enjoys sanctuary in Pakistan one recent report placed him in the southwestern corner of Baluchistan. He has been working to establish training camps in southern Afghanistan,” Gall wrote.

in Colombia have Zika virus: govt

bOGOta, FEbrUary 7 (rEUtErS): More than 3,100 pregnant Colombian women are infected with the mosquito-borne Zika virus, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Saturday, as the disease continues its rapid spread across the Americas.

Brazil is investigating the potential link between Zika infections and more than 4,000 suspected cases of microcephaly, a birth defect marked by an abnormally small head size that can result in developmental problems. Researchers have identified evidence of Zika infection in 17 of these cases, either in the baby or in the mother, but have not confirmed that Zika can cause microcephaly.

There are so far no recorded cases of Zika-linked microcephaly in Colombia, Santos said. The government is now uncertain about a previous projection for up to 500 cases of Zikalinked microcephaly, based on data from other countries battling the disease, he said.

Much remains unknown about Zika, for which there is no vaccine.

An estimated 80 percent of those infected show no symptoms, and those that

Rosana Vieira Alves holds her 4-month-old daughter Luana Vieira, who was born with microcephaly, as her daughter Laiane Sophia looks on at their home in Olinda, Brazil, February 2. (REUTERS Photo)

do have a mild illness, with a fever, rash and red eyes.

There are 25,645 people infected with Zika in Colombia, Santos said during a TV broadcast with health officials. Among them are 3,177 pregnant women.

“The projection is that we could end up having 600,000 cases,” Santos said, adding there could be up to 1,000 cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that can weaken the muscles and cause paralysis. Scientists are studying a possible link between the disorder and Zika.

The Colombian government will be working

across the country to fight mosquitoes - fumigating and helping families rid their homes of stagnant water, the president said.

The province of Norte de Santander, along the eastern border with Venezuela, had nearly 5,000 Zika cases, the highest in the country, an epidemiological bulletin from the national health institute published on Saturday showed. That province also had the highest number of pregnant women with Zika - nearly 31 percent of total cases.

Colombia’s Caribbean region, which includes popular tourist destinations

Cartagena and Santa Marta, had more than 11,000 cases of the virus, according to the bulletin. The government has said pregnant women with Zika are eligible to access much-restricted abortion services.

Many women struggle to find abortion providers even when they meet strict legal requirements and illegal abortions are widespread.

On Friday, local media reported the first abortion because of Zika infection.

Colombia’s health minister, Alejandro Gaviria, has said he believes three deaths are connected with Zika.

More pulled out alive after Taiwan quake, about 120 people still trapped taINaN, FEbrUary (rEUtErS): Rescuers pulled more survivors from a collapsed apartment tower in Taiwan on Sunday and kept searching for about 120 people still believed trapped in the rubble a day after a strong earthquake shook the island.

Those found alive include a 20-year-old identified by Taiwan media as Huang Kuang-wei and another man in his 20s surnamed Kuo, who was able to walk out of the wreckage, supported by rescuers.

Both were sent to hospital.

Firefighters, police, soldiers and volunteers combed through the ruins, some using their hands, watched anxiously by dozens of the victims’ family members who wore thick jackets, woollen hats and scarves to combat the winter chill.

Medical staff with empty gurneys waited nearby.

“She’s not answering my phone calls ... I am trying to hold my emotions

A site where buildings collapsed is seen in this aerial picture taken after a powerful earthquake hit Tainan, southern Taiwan on February 6. (REUTERS Photo)

and stay strong. I’ll do that until I find her,” said a woman surnamed Chang, 42, waiting to hear from her 24-year-old daughter who lived on the fifth floor of the complex.

Another lady, who gave her family name as Li, said she thought a friend she met at a Buddhism class

two years ago lived in the collapsed building.

She has her cellphone number but has not called it, Li said.

“I’m afraid to. I’m afraid I’ll cry,” she told Reuters.

At least 26 people are known to have died in the quake, which struck at about 4 a.m. on Satur-

day, at the beginning of a Lunar New Year holiday, with most found in the collapsed Wei-guan Golden Dragon Building in the southern city of Tainan.

Around 120 people are still beneath the rubble of the commercial-residential block, with most them trapped deep in the wreck-

age, the government said.

Bodies continue to be found, including those of two sisters, aged 18 and 23, Taiwanese media reported.

The building’s lower floors pancaked on top of each other in the 6.4 magnitude quake and then the whole structure toppled, raising immediate questions about the quality of materials and workmanship used in its construction in the 1990s.

President Ma Ying-jeou is scheduled to visit the disaster zone on Monday, the first day of the Lunar New Year. Tsai Ing-wen, elected president in elections last month, will also visit Tainan the same day.

QUESTIONS Tainan Mayor William Lai told reporters about 120 people are believed still missing in the debris, with efforts focusing on some 30 people who are closest to the rescuers and lighter equipment like drills being used.

The extent of damage to

the Golden Dragon Building has raised questions.

Liu Shih-chung, Tainan city government deputy secretary general, said television footage of its ruins suggested the possibility of structural problems related to poor-quality reinforced steel and cement.

However, city officials have said it is too early to say for certain if poor construction was a factor in the collapse.

Authorities said the building had 96 apartments and 256 registered residents, though more people were inside when it collapsed.

Rescuers wearing red and yellow overalls have pulled more than 240 survivors from the ruins and inserted huge supports under slabs of leaning concrete as they searched for additional survivors.

Buildings in nine other locations in the city of 2 million people had collapsed and five were left tilting at alarming angles.

10

monDAY 08•02•2016

sports

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Warriors rally to beat hard-charging Thunder

Los AngeLes, FebruAry 7 (AFP): Klay Thompson rattled in a clutch three pointer with 1:40 left as the Golden State Warriors won their ninth straight with a 116-108 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Thunder made Golden State work for the victory as the Warriors led by 20 points at one stage then had to come-from-behind to erase a nine-point Oklahoma City lead.

Golden State improved to 46-4 and tie the 196667 Philadelphia 76ers for the best 50-game start in league history.

"This was a playoff-like atmosphere," said Warriors Stephen Curry, who scored a team-high 26 points.

"The intensity, the adrenaline down the stretch that is what you expect in a playoff game."

The mighty Warriors are off to a historic start which has not only basketball fans, but also football fans in the San Francisco area buzzing this weekend.

The only other hotter ticket in town than one of

the 19,600 seats at Oracle arena is one for Sunday's Super Bowl between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers.

"It is nice to play a great team like that in an atmosphere like this," Curry said. Guard Curry had a rare off night from beyond the arc, missing seven-ofeight three-pointers. He made 10-of-25 shots overall, dished out 10 assists and scored or assisted on his team's final 11 points.

"He struggled but he still found a way, like all MVPs do, to take over at the end of the game and make sure we took care of business," said assistant coach Luke Walton.

Thompson finished with 18 points on eightof-15 shooting but was just one-of-six on three-pointers. His lone three pointer was key however as it gave Golden State a 110-104 lead and it came just 19 seconds after Thunder star Kevin Durant missed a potential game-tying three pointer.

Durant led the Thunder with 40 points and point Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors drives on Serge Ibaka of the Oklahoma City Thunder during an NBA basketball guard Russell Westbrook game at ORACLE Arena on February 6 in Oakland, California. (Getty Images)

BCCI to convene special meeting

MuMbAI, FebruAry 7 (PTI): Cornered by the Supreme Court’s latest missive to “fall in line” with the recommendations of the Justice R M Lodha Committee, the BCCI today decided to convene a Special General Meeting before responding to the apex court. In the meeting, it was decided that an SGM would be convened at the earliest to get the views of the BCCI’s various affiliates, before it responds to the Supreme Court on the issue. As per the BCCI’s Memorandum of Rules and Regulations 21 days’ notice has to be given to convene an SGM, but the President has the discretionary powers to direct the secretary to convene an SGM “at shorter notice in which case as a notice of at least 10 days shall be given.” The apex court had on February 4 granted the BCCI four weeks to respond to the recommendations while making it clear that the recommendations are “straight, rational and understandable” and “there is no reason to disagree with the committee.”

ICC bans Yasir Shah for three months

DubAI, FebruAry 7 (AFP): Pakistan legspinner Yasir Shah has been banned for three months after pleading guilty for a failed dope test last year, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said Sunday. "Shah has been suspended from all cricket-related activities for three months after pleading guilty to breaching Article 2.1 of the ICC Anti-Doping Code," said the ICC in a release. Shah has emerged as a match-winner for Pakistan in Tests after ace spinner Saeed Ajmal lost form due to having to remodel an illegal bowling action. ICC said it accepted that the doping offence had been inadvertent on the part of Shah as the medication had been taken "for therapeutic reasons, specifically to treat his blood pressure." "He had mistakenly taken his wife's blood pressure medication that was identical in appearance to his own but which contained the prohibited substance chlortalidone."

No relationship between Jose Mourinho and Man United: LVG

MAnchesTer, FebruAry 7 (IAns): English football giants Manchester United coach Louis van Gaal does not believe his club is in talks with former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho and has termed such media reports as "nonsense". Reportedly Mourinho has been closely followed by the United management in the last few weeks and some media reports even insist he has had a meeting with some club officials. "When there is such nonsense written about me, I do not believe that there is already a relationship between Jose Mourinho and Manchester United," van Gaal was quoted as saying by the BBC on Sunday.

Vardy extends contract with Leicester

LonDon, FebruAry 7 (IAns): English Premier League (EPL)'s top scorer Jamie Vardy has signed a new contract with the leaders Leicester City. The 29-year-old Vardy, who has scored 18 goals in the football league this season, on Saturday signed terms that commit his future to Leicester City for a further year beyond his existing deal until 2019, reports Xinhua. Vardy said: "I'm absolutely delighted to be fighting to achieve something special with this club, as part of this squad. "Leicester City have shown nothing but total faith in me since the day I arrived here three and a half years ago and it's impossible to measure how much that belief has helped me to improve. I'll forever be grateful for the investment the club has made in me and I'll spend every day working to repay it." Since joining Leicester in the summer of 2012 from non-league Fleetwood Town, Vardy has completed an impressive rise to the top of the English game, establishing himself as a Premier League striker and England international just three years after his final nonleague appearance.

added 27. Westbrook also had 12 assists.

Before Thompson's clutch three-pointer, Oklahoma City's Enes Kanter tied the game at 104-104 with 3:25 but the Warriors finished with a 12-4 surge to earn their 41st straight home victory.

For ward Harrison Barnes added 19 points for Golden State while reserves Marreese Speights added 15 and Shaun Livingston had 10.

Spurs still unbeaten at home Guard Tony Parker drained a pair of clutch baskets down the stretch and San Antonio turned up its defense in the last four minutes as the Spurs outlasted the Los Angeles Lakers 106-102 to remain unbeaten at home.

The Spurs survived a superb performance by Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, who is retiring after 20 seasons in the NBA. Bryant scored 16 of his 25 points in the third period to allow the Lakers to claw their way back into the contest. Bryant got off to another

slow start, scoring just four points on two-of-10 shooting in the first 15 minutes.

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 26 points for the Spurs, who improved to 28-0 at the AT&T Center this season, extending their record for the best home start ever by a Western Conference team.

Parsons helps lift Mavs past Grizzlies Forward Chandler Parsons scored a game-high 26 points and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Memphis Grizzlies 114-110 in overtime at FedExForum Parsons, who scored a combined 18 points in his last two games, made 10-of-15 from the floor and fiveof-eight from three-point range. He hit two threes in the overtime and also finished with eight rebounds and four assists as the Mavericks improved to 29-25 and snapped a three-game losing skid. Guard Deron Williams finished with a double-double for Dallas with 22 points and 11 assists, and forward Dirk Nowitzki scored 18 points with seven rebounds.

Mourinho says he Top three teams drop points in Bundesliga will be back soon

LonDon, Febru Ary 7 (reuTers): Jose Mourinho, sacked as manager of Chelsea in December seven months after winning the Premier League title, has said he is not enjoying his time out of work and will soon be back in management.

He did not comment directly on media reports that have heavily linked him with Louis Van Gaal's job at Manchester United.

But he did say that his family will remain in London and that he liked the competitiveness of English football.

"For sure, I will be back soon," the Portugese told GQ magazine in an interview published on its website (www.gq-magazine. co.uk). It did not say when the interview took place. "(London) is an amazing place to live and for the family to be together," said Mourinho.

"As a professional, I am ready to move," added the former Real Madrid coach.

"I need competition every week. In Spain I was at an amazing club but I had four matches a year – Barcelona v Real Madrid, Real Madrid v Barcelona."

Mourinho, who also won the league with Chelsea in his first two seasons there from 2004 to 2006, suggested that he deliber-

ately created "instability" among players once they won trophies, to avoid any complacency.

"If you are in a club that wins, if you want to win again you have to create instability in the winners," added the Portuguese, fired by Chelsea after a run of poor form by the champions.

"You have to make them doubt, you have to buy new players, you have to make them feel not in their comfort zone.

"There is a normal tendency to go to your comfort zone. If you don’t react, if you believe that just because you won in one year that you are going to win again, it’s very difficult."

He said of his current unemployment, "I am not enjoying it. To be fully happy I need everything, so I go back to football. I think it’s my natural habitat."

Meanwhile Van Gaal told reporters that stories linking Mourinho with his job were hurtful to him and his family.

"The last two months have been very difficult for my wife, my kids, my grandchildren and my friends," he said.

"I do not believe there is already a relationship between Jose Mourinho and Manchester United."

Borussia Dortmund's Marco Reus and Hertha Berlin's Mitchell Weiser in action during a German Bundesliga match at the Olympiastadion, Berlin on February 6. (REUTERS)

berLIn, FebruAry 7 (reuTers): Bayern Munich stayed eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga after playing out a lacklustre 0-0 draw at Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday which snapped their four-game winning run in the league.

With Bayern coach Pep Guardiola in the spotlight this week following his agreement to manage Manchester City next season, Bayern seemed distracted in the first half,

missing their usual pace and creative play.

With in-form Thomas Mueller on the bench, the visitors were harassed by hardworking Leverkusen and could not break through with striker Robert Lewandowski cutting a lone figure up front.

The hosts looked more likely to score until Bayern turned the tables early in the second half with the introduction of Mueller, who carved out two quick chances

in succession on the hour.

But they had to pull back to protect the draw after Xabi Alonso was dismissed with a second booking in the 84th minute following a foul on forward Javier Hernandez.

"We were unable to string four, five passes together in the first half," Guardiola told reporters. "We did it better in the second half but it's never easy in Leverkusen. We had a few quick breaks but lacked that final pass."

The Bavarians top the standings with 53 points, while Leverkusen are fifth on 32.

Second-placed Borussia Dortmund failed to gain ground on Bayern following their own goalless draw at Hertha Berlin earlier on Saturday despite the return of midfielder Marco Reus and playmaker Ilkay Guendogan.

With former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho in the stands as a guest of Dortmund, surprise package Hertha, third on 35 points, refused to buckle.

Schalke 04 made it two wins in a row when they beat VfL Wolfsburg 3-0 to move up to fourth spot on 33 points with Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar grabbing the lead in the 24th minute.

Talented 22-year-old Johannes Geis doubled it with a free kick 11 minutes later and substitute Alessandro Schoepf completed their win with a fine shot three minutes from time.

The Wolves, last season's runners-up and German Cup winners, are now without a win in their last seven league games stretching back to November and have dropped to eighth place.

VfB Suttgart made it four wins in a row when they crushed Eintracht Frankfurt 4-2 to move further away from the relegation zone they had occupied for much of the season and into 11th place with 24 points.

Big bucks for youngsters, no room for specialists & Indian bowlers: Three things from the IPL Auction Tariq Engineer Firstpost

The 2016 IPL auction in Bangalore ended with 94 players being sold for Rs 136 crore but more than the totals, it was how the teams spent their money this time around that mattered.

They didn’t throw pots of it at established, experienced internationals – Shane Watson was the most expensive player at Rs 9.5 crore – but at the same time they were happy to hand out big fat contracts to newbies that even die-hard fans of first-class cricket in India would struggle to recognise.

Adding an extra wrinkle this time around were the two new franchises – Rising Pune Super Giants and Gujarat Lions – that had to build their teams from the ground up (they only had five players each heading into the auction), unlike the other six franchises that were mostly looking to strengthen existing squads (Delhi being a notable exception).

Here are three broad trends that was noticed during the auction: Franchises spread the money around In years past, there have been at least one and sometimes two or three players on whom franchises have lavished huge sums of money. Think Yuvraj Singh getting Rs 16 crore and Dinesh Karthik Rs 10.5 crore last year. Or Yuvraj (again) getting Rs 14 crore and Karthik (again) Rs 12.5 crore in 2014.

This year the pair went for Rs 7 crore and Rs 2.3 crore respectively, which is to say that they did not crack double digits combined.

The biggest buy, as mentioned above, was Royal Challengers Bangalore, getting Watson for Rs 9.5 crore.

The discretion the franchises showed

when it came to established players meant there was more money to be spent on those with little or no international experience.

Watson, for example, began his international career in 2002 and has played 301 international matches. Meanwhile left-arm spinner Pawan Negi, all of 23 years and 31 days old, has played zero times for India but was bought for Rs. 8.5 crores.

Likewise South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris, who has played just 15 times for his country, was bought by Delhi Daredevils for Rs 7 crore, the same price Sunrisers Hyderabad paid for Yuvraj.

Similarly, M Ashwin, a leg-spinner from Tamil Nadu, who played only three firstclass matches and six T20s in his career, was bought by the curiously named Rising Pune Super Giants for Rs. 4.5 crore (his base price was Rs 10 lakh) on the back of a good Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament in which he took 10 wickets from those six matches.

In comparison, Samuel Badree, who has played for the West Indies and has an economy rate of 5.36 from 121 innings, was bought at his base price of Rs 50 lakh.

It was almost as if the franchises thought they got such good deals with the better known international players that they could afford to splash the cash on potential in the hopes that one or two would pay off.

Multi-dimensional players in demand, specialists not so much Aaron Finch has a Twenty20 average of 34.08 from 136 innings and a strike-rate of 133.40. He does even better in T20 Internationals, averaging 41.61 with a strike-rate of 151.47. Yet he went unsold the first time his name was called before eventually being

bought for Rs 1 crore in the second round of bidding organised for players that had previously gone unsold.

In contrast, Carlos Brathwaite, the seambowling West Indies all-rounder was the subject of bidding war that resulted in him being bought for Rs 4.2 crore by Delhi Daredevils, an amount 14 times his base price of Rs 30 lakh. The 27-year-old Brathwaite averages 14.61 from 27 innings with a strike-rate of 137.66. He’s only played two T20Is and made a total of two runs.

There’s no comparison between their track records and yet Brathwaite was the man in demand while Finch was an afterthought. Kevin Pietersen, who cost Rs 9 crore last year, was bought for Rs 3.5 crore this time around, a savings of 61 per cent. But 20-year –old Deepak Hooda, who won the best allrounder award in domestic 50-over cricket last year, commanded Rs 4.2 crore.

“When one of my relatives told me [that I was picked] I went blank for a while,” Hooda said. “I instantly hugged all my friends who were with me. I knew it would be a good auction for me. I was confident of being picked up, but didn't expect this price.”

Similarly, wicket-keeper batsmen such as Sanju Samson, who was bought by Delhi for Rs 4.2 crore, and England’s Jos Buttler, who was snapped up by Mumbai Indians for Rs 3.8 crore, were also in demand.

But players who attracted no attention include Hashim Amla, Mahela Jayawardene and Cheteshwar Pujara, three batting specialists. You got the feeling that if Sir Donald Bradman had been part of the auction, there might have been second thoughts about picking him up too (all he does is bat).

During the T20I series against Australia, Dhoni said “You need more individuals who can do more than one job on the field, especially if they are good fielders and then they can contribute with the bat or the ball, if needed. It just adds to the strength of the side.”

The IPL franchises seem to agree with the India captain.

Indian bowlers mostly given a pass Since each team is limited to playing four foreign players in their XI, Indian bowlers have always commanded a premium and this auction was no different. Ashish Nehra, who resembles an arthritic grandfather in the field and averages a less-than-handy 5.71 with the bat, was sold to Sunrisers for Rs 5.5 crore. Dale Steyn, still the best fast bowler in the world, and a player who was released by Sunrisers, cost Gujarat Lions less than half that (Rs 2.3 crore).

Preity Zinta, the co-owner of Kings XI Punjab, said the franchise was willing to hand Mohit Sharma, a bowler who isn’t part of India’s World T20 squad, Rs 6.5 crore because they needed someone who could bowl at the death and he was their first choice. That they ended up in a bidding war was unfortunate but also unavoidable.

Ishant Sharma was another who was able to cash in, getting a tidy Rs 3.8 crore from Rising Pune. This is a bowler whose economy rate in the IPL has been 11.35 and 9.18 the last two years.

Such are the incentives in the IPL that you can see the logic in it even while wondering about the effectiveness of it all.

Not all Indian bowlers had cause to celebrate though. World Cup winner Munaf Patel, who played his last IPL game in 2013, once again found no takers.

Monday 08•02•2016

EntErtainmEnt

Jet Airways flight makes emergency landing after Himesh Reshmmiya gives an in-flight performance

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nspired by Sonu Nigam’s impromptu gig while aboard a passenger flight, Himesh Reshammiya too decided to entertain the passengers in a Jet Airways flight by singing some of his chartbuster songs. However, instead of crooning along with him, all passengers rushed off the plane after the pilot made an emergency landing on a paddy field. Five air hostesses, following the incident, have resigned, citing personal reasons.

The incident took place when Mr. Reshammiya was travelling in a Jet Airways flight from Jodhpur to Mumbai. The situation was tense inside the cabin as most of the crew members and passengers were aware of his presence.

However, a 10-year-old boy, unaware of the imminent danger, approached him for an autograph and all hell broke loose. He jumped off the seat yelling, “Jai mata di, let’s rock,” and broke into a medley of his songs on the in-flight announcement system.

“Alien attack, alien attack!” screamed the pilot as he failed to identify the source of what he thought was a loud explosive sound,

similar to a sonic boom that the plane was generating.

He hurriedly landed the plane on a paddy field. All crew members and passengers were safely evacuated following this.

Speaking to The Unreal Times, one of the crew members said, “It was all going smooth as the plane took off and reached cruising altitude. Suddenly we heard a barbaric scream and rushed inside the cabin where all passengers were sitting in a state of shock.

One of the passengers fearfully pointed towards the toilet and we saw Mr. Reshammiya singing, ‘Tera tera tera suroor,’ on the announcement system. But before we could overpower him and snatch the mic, the pilot had already made an emergency landing.

However, five of us decided to take moral responsibility for the traumatic experience that the passengers had to go through and resigned from the job. Moreover, it has now been classified under high-risk jobs following the incident.” When we contacted the Director General of Civil Aviation, she looked visibly shaken and was unable to speak.

Harshvardhan Rane used to sell DVDs in Mumbai

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arshvardhan Rane, who made his debut in Sanam Teri Kasam, has had quite an eventful struggle period.

Talking about how he got into films, the actor reveals that he had run away from home at the age of 16. “I ran away from my home in Gwalior and bought myself a ticket to Delhi. That was the nearest metro and the cheapest ticket was for Rs 74. The first job I got in Delhi was at an STD booth be-

cause I didn’t have enough educational qualification.”

Harshvardhan’s duties entailed jotting down all the phone numbers people would dial at the STD booth. “At that time some terrorist activity had happened and so this is was done as a precaution. My handwriting was neat and I would jot down the numbers nicely. I would get Rs10 a day for that. Later some cyber café guy saw me at work and offered

me the same job for Rs 20 a day,” he said.

It was at that cyber café where he met someone who roped him in for a DVD distributor’s job in Mumbai. “That person used to work in film branding. I didn’t understand anything about that. Just the word ‘film’ made me say ‘yes’ to the offer. So I was distributing DVDs in Mumbai in 2006 and that is when I got my first TV show offer Left Right Left,” the actor recalls.

The Monkees return with a New Black Tarantula named after Johnny Cash Album and a National Tour H e famously sung about a boy named Sue, but now there’s a new species of black tarantula named after the late, great Johnny Cash. The species was found near Folsom Prison in California which Cash immortalised in his 1955 song ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ and where he also recorded a live album in 1968.

Aphonopelma johnnycashi, to give it its proper name is one of 14 new tarantula species recently discovered by biologists in the southern US. All are

members of the Aphonopelma family.

Speaking about the decision to name the spider after Cash, Dr Chris Hamilton, from the Florida Mu-

seum of Natural History told BBC News: "It's found along the foothills of the western Sierra Nevada mountains, and one of the places that's there is Folsom Prison.”

"It's a perfect name. It fits the spider - it's found around Folsom and the males are predominantly all black, so it fits his image.

I have a Johnny Cash tattoo so I was very happy that it worked out that way."

The A johnnycashi spider is described as having leg spans of six inches or more, their bite is venomous and painful however it is not considered dangerous. Dr Hamilton explained that he believes the species was not discovered before due to its similarity to other species of tarantula, such

as Aphonopelma iodius.

"They look fairly similar, particularly the females.

The males, because they're more black, they're a little bit different.

But if you were just looking at specimens that had been collected, and they were in a jar on a shelf, they would look pretty similar.” “Once we looked at the genomics and looked at some of the ecological constraints, we could see this species was pretty unique and independent from the others that it's closely related to," Dr Hamilton added.

‘I wish Heaven had visiting hours’: Vanessa Hudgens

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ne of the biggest rock bands of the 1960s is swinging back into action. The Monkees are celebrating their 50th anniversary with their first new album in two decades and a national tour that that hits Town Hall in New York on June 1.

The created for television group, comprised of Davy Jones, who died in 2012, Micky Dolenz, Mi-

chael Nesmith and Peter Tork racked up 20 singles on the Hot 100 in its career. No. 1 hits like “I’m a Believer,” “Daydream Believer” and “Last Train to Clarksville” exemplify the band’s vocal harmonies, lush arrangements and catchy melodies.

Not bad for a foursome formed in 1965 in Los Angeles for the TV series “The Monkees.” They outsold the Beatles and

the Rolling Stones in 1967.

Set to drop on June 10, the new album from Dolenz, Nesmith and Tork is called “Good Times.”

In addition to unfinished tunes from the ’60s co-written with Neil Diamond and Harry Nilsson there’s new material by songwriters Noel Gallagher, Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo, Ben Gibbard, Andy Patridge and Adam Schlesinger.

V

anessa Hudgens posted a tender message on Instagram on Saturday a week after her father's death. The 27-year-old shared a message that read: 'I wish heaven had visiting hours'. 'If only...,' Vanessa wrote in the caption for her more than 15 million followers on Instagram.

Vanessa announced on January 21 that her father had died aged 65 just hours before she was set to star as Rizzo in Grease: Live. 'I am so sad to say that last night my daddy, Greg passed away from stage 4 cancer,' she tweeted. 'Thank you to everyone who kept him in your prayers.'

Despite the trying circumstances, Vanessa wowed viewers and critics with her portrayal of the character made famous by Stockard Channing in the 1978 movie.

Vanessa first revealed her father, a retired firefighter, had cancer last August at the 2015 Industry Dance Awards.

Accepting an award, she told the audience: 'Last year, my boyfriend, Austin [Butler], lost his mom, Lori, to cancer, and my dad has just been recently diagnosed with stage four cancer.' 'Let me tell you, I hate cancer. I hate cancer with every cell of my being....... it really takes a strong person and a strong family to be able to help those out who are going through this.' The former High School Musical star has been branching out in recent years. She had the starring role in Gigi last year on Broadway and previously took on a dramatic role in the 2013 movie Gimme Shelter. Vanessa has been dating fellow actor Austin since 2011.

Anushka Sharma & Virat Kohli officially ‘Break Up’ Nicole Richie and dad Lionel

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peculations over star couple Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli breaking up their long relationship have indeed turned out to be true. It’s officially all over between actress Anushka and her cricketer boyfriend Virat.

The two are no longer a

couple and have called it quits.

A report published by a leading entertainment portal claims that the couple has broken up to focus on their respective careers at the moment. A source close to the couple confirmed that Virat and Anushka

have officially ended their relationship.

Delving into the reasons behind the split, the source mentioned marriage as a point of disagreement between the two.

“Yes, marriage was the point of disagreement between the couple. However,

it wasn’t a sudden decision.

Both Anushka and Virat have been considering it for some time now. While Anushka is busy working, Virat is clearly not over her.

Not as yet,” he said.

While neither Anushka nor Virat have made any official statement regarding their relationship status, the stylish cricketer dropped a hint regarding his heartbreak a few days ago.

Virat had posted a ‘break up’ selfie but quickly deleted it too. However, the act didn’t go unnoticed from the eagle eyes of stalking fans, triggering rumours of the AnushkaVirat relationship falling apart. Both unfollowing each other on Instagram added fuel to the fire.

Looking back, Anushka and Virat’s relationship never lacked moments. It was heart touching when Virat stood by his lady love after she was blamed for his poor performance in the World Cup. Also, their romantic gateways and luncheon with family suggested that the duo will make it to the aisle. Unfortunately though, it’s all over between the much-in-love actress-cricketer couple.

pose for #legend magazine cover

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icole Richie is a successful TV personality and a momof-two, but she wouldn't be where she is now if not for dad Lionel. The 34-yearold Candidly Nicole star was proud to pose with the 66-year-old Hello crooner on the cover of the preview issue of #legend magazine.

Nicole and Lionel were pictured with their arms around each other while giving the lens their best smirk - she in a grey sweater with doily-like collar and

he in a classy suit and tie.

The star who admitted that she's 'a nice person' because of her father furthered her appeal by wearing a pinstripe skirt and smoky eye shadow. 'I’m a nice person, but people think I’m nicer than I am because my father is so nice,' Nicole told the magazine.

Lionel described what 'being a legend means' in the father-daughter interview. 'Being a legend means you put the work in,' Lionel said. 'It means

you have a body of work that will stick around long after you’re gone. That’s legendary stuff. You’ve affected the world and people. You’ve created history.'

The accompanying photo spread featured father and daughter in a variety of elegant poses, all set in beautiful garden surroundings. Lionel, who is one of the most world's best-selling recording artists ever, lends an air of mystery as he poses beneath an archway heavy with green foliage.

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monDAY 08•02•2016

SPORTS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Arsenal back in title race with win at Bournemouth

Mesut Ozil scores the first goal for Arsenal. (Reuters) C M Y K

bourNemouth, February 7 (aFP): Arsenal returned to third place in the Premier League after Mesut Ozil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's goals ended a four-game winless streak with a 2-0 victory at Bournemouth on Sunday.

Arsenal arrived at Dean Court with their title challenge under threat after a poor run in January capped by a failure to score in their previous three league matches.

But two goals in a minute midway through the first half were enough to move them back level on points with second-place Tottenham Hotspur, five points behind leaders

Leicester City, who visit the Emirates Stadium in seven days' time.

The progress of near neighbours Tottenham has only added to Arsenal's frustration as they have struggled to rediscover the form that took them to the head of the table.

But manager Arsene Wenger could be satisfied with the way his side showed signs of the form that took them to the league summit at the turn of the year, with OxladeChamberlain's first league goal of the season a welcome bonus.

Bournemouth's recent results showed that Wenger's side could not

afford to take anything for granted, with Eddie Howe's team unbeaten in their previous three league games, including an impressive mid-week victory at Crystal Palace.

The presence of Benik Afobe in the home lineup also gave the Gunners cause for concern, with the 22-year-old anxious to impress against his former club after revealing his frustration at having never been given a first-team chance at the Emirates Stadium.

Afobe left 13 months ago and has already made his mark in the top flight with three goals in four games since completing a £10 million ($14.5 mil-

lion, 13.3 million euros) move from Wolverhampton Wanderers last month.

A positive start by Howe's men meant that Arsenal were given little time to settle and the hosts were convinced that Mathieu Flamini - selected ahead of Francis Coquelin, who started on the bench should have seen red rather than yellow for a studs-up challenge on Dan Gosling.

Referee Kevin Friend thought otherwise and having withstood early pressure, Wenger's side exposed Bournemouth's defensive vulnerability twice in quick succession to take control of the game.

Aaron Ramsey was the

provider for the first goal, clipping a ball towards the far post for Olivier Giroud, whose headed knockdown enabled Ozil to finish smartly from 10 yards out in the 23rd minute.

Less than a minute later, the visitors added a second, with Ramsey again the architect.

This time the midfielder picked up a loose ball after Alexis Sanchez's forward run had been halted before releasing Oxlade-Chamberlain on the right side of the area, from where the winger finished well with an angled shot that went in off the left-hand post.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has endured a frustrating run of injuries over the last couple of seasons and this was the first time he had been involved in a league goal since September 2014.

The game could have been over if the referee had not ignored Arsenal's claims for a penalty when Nacho Monreal went down under a challenge from Matt Ritchie. But with Bournemouth's first-half response limited to an excellent dipping shot from Harry Arter that drew an acrobatic save from Petr Cech, there seemed little chance of a comeback.

The home side's response after the break, however, suggested there was no lack of belief among Howe's players.

They came close to getting back into the game when Adam Smith shot into the side netting and it took a late double save from Cech, who denied first Simon Cook and then Arter, to preserve the visitors' clean sheet.

Gold rush continues for India; swimmers, wrestlers shine at SAG

Guwahati, February 7 (Pti): There was no stopping the Indian juggernaut in the 12th South Asian Games with the country's swimmers, wrestlers and weightlifters continuing their demolition of competition to fetch a bulk of the gold medals and complete a second successive day of supremacy here.

India stood heads and shoulders above competition to top the medals tally with a count of 42, which included 27 gold, 12 silver and 3 bronze medals. The second spot continued to be held by Sri Lanka with a total of 37 medals (8 gold, 17 silver, 12 bronze).

The bulk of the medals on came through the swimmers, who scooped 10 in all -- including 4 gold , 5 silver and 1 bronze.

The wrestlers added 4 gold and a silver, while the weightlifters snared 3 gold medals.

The swimmers, who had fetched 3 gold, 5 silver and 3 bronze medals yesterday, once again created a splash with Sandeep Sejwal picking his second gold of the Games.

As many as five Games record were created out of the seven events today with the Indians accounting for three of them, including Sejwal's.

However, India suffered a reverse as well with ace swimmer Veerdhawal Khade losing the men's 50m freestyle golf to promising Sri Lankan teenager Matthew Abeysinghe, who grabbed his third gold of the Games, the most by any swimmer so far.

Abeysinghe won in a Games Record time of of 23:33 to emerge as the fastest swimmer of Games, eclipsing Khade's 2010 Dhaka edition mark of

Women athletes allege gender discrimination

New Delhi, February 7 (iNDia toDay): The ongoing South Asian Games is perhaps the biggest sporting event ever held at the Northeast, but lapses on the organisers' part are threatening to turn the mood sour.

India's women's 4X400 relay team has now alleged that while men athletes have been accommodated in a four-star hotel, they have been made to put up in guest rooms at local institute 20kms away from the stadium. The women athletes and the Athletics Federation of India believe it is a clear case of gender discrimination.

A senior athlete part of the relay team told Mail Today that she is 23.75 secs. Khade also bettered his own Dhaka mark with an effort of 23.54 secs but had to be content with the silver.

On the other hand, Sejwal, who won a gold in 200m breaststroke yesterday, added another yellow metal in 100m breastroke in a new Games Record time of 1:03.14 bettering his own mark of 1:05.01 which he had set in 2010. Another Indian, Puneet Rana took the silver in 1:03.80 while Kiran Jasinghe of Sri Lanka got the bronze.

In men's 1500m freestyle, Kerala swimmer Sajan Prakash won his first international gold in 15:55.30 ahead of compatriot Saurabh Sangvekar who took the silver in 16:13.2.

Mohd. Mahfizur Rahman of Bangladesh was third in 17:12.0.

In women's 400m individual medley, India also finished one-two with Sayani Ghosh winning the gold in 05:14.51 while Shraddha Sudhir bagged the silver in 05:23.32. J Silva of Sri Lanka was third in 05:44.20.

very unhappy with the "step motherly treatment". "This is not a national event. When an event of such magnitude is happening, proper arrangements should have been made. Why is that men have been provided five star like arrangements and we have to stay at an institute's guest rooms?" she asked.

An AFI official said that if the issue is not sorted in time the federation might withdraw the athletes.

"The AFI president has told me that if our women athletes are not shifted to a better arrangement then we will have to withdraw from the event," the official said.

However DC Deka, head of accommodation SAG, on his part said

M Arvind gave India the fourth gold by winning the men's 200m backstroke event. In women's 200m backstroke, Manna Patel took a silver in 2 minutes and 22.06 seconds behind Kimiko Raheem of Sri Lanka who won the gold in Games Record time of 2:18.09.

The wrestlers, meanwhile, continued to simply annihilate competition. Today, Amit Dhankar (70kg), Mamta (53kg), Manju Kumari (58kg) and Pradeep (61kg) picked up the gold medals in their respective events. India also continued their overwhelming dominance in the weightlifting event by bagging three more gold medals.

In Shillong, Y Sapna Devi and Anjul Namdeo clinched a gold and bronze in the women's and men's events respectively of wushu.

Sapna dished out a fine display to win the gold with a huge margin as she secured 9.45 points to emerge champion in the women's taolu (Changquan) event

he was aware of the fiasco and officials have narrowed down to a few good hotels where the girls will be shifted.

"Yes we know that the women athletes are unhappy with accommodation. We are looking into the matter and by tomorrow it should be settled. We could not accommodate them with the men as due to the scarcity of rooms. We need at least fifteen more rooms to accommodate the women. We have found a few good hotels and we will shift them there soon," he said.

On asked why the women athletes were accommodated in the institute's premises in the first place, Deka said the officials felt it was in a good location.

at the Rising Sun Sports Complex, Assam Rifles, in Laitkor. The men's taolu (Changquan) event, on the other hand, went down the wire as Namdeo settled for a bronze with 8:66 points behind Nepalese Bijay Sinjali's 8.80 and P L H Lakshan, who won the gold with 8:86.

Also continuing their fine show were the cyclists, who added a gold, a silver and a bronze medal today.

Lidiyamol Sunny and Tongbram Manorama Devi bagged a gold and silver in women's 40km criterium event.

Sunny accumulated 30 points to bag the top spot, while Manorama secured 26 points as Indians returned one-two for the third time in a row.

In men's 60km criterium event, India's Pankaj Kumar bagged a bronze with 21 total points.

Also performing well were the archers and the hosts remained on course to grab all the 10 gold medals on offer by storming into the finals of the recurve

Barca equal 28-game unbeaten record with win over Levante

Luis Suarez (left) challenges Levante's Tono Garcia at the Ciutat de Valencia stadium on February 7. (AFP Photo)

maDriD, February 7 (aFP): Barcelona equalled a club record of 28 games unbeaten to move three points clear at the top of La Liga with a hard-fought 2-0 win at Levante on Sunday.

The European champions were far from their best in coach Luis Enrique's 100th game in charge, but David Navarro's first-half own goal and Luis Suarez's strike in stoppage time was enough to secure a 10th consecutive win in all competitions.

Barca now lead Atletico Madrid by three points and have a game in hand on Diego Simeone's men.

Third-placed Real Madrid are now seven points adrift of Barca, but can cut the gap when they travel to Granada later on Sunday.

Barca's 28-game unbeaten run matches the same feat of Pep Guardiola's side in 2010/11 with Enrique's men well on course to repeat their treble of Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey from last season.

"More than statistics, I am interested in the col-

lective objectives that we have and we can only reach them at the end of the season," said Enrique.

"We are very well-positioned in all competitions, but there is a long way to go." Fresh from hitting Gary Neville's Valencia for seven in the Copa del Rey semi-finals in midweek, Barca started with purpose and should have been ahead inside two minutes when Lionel Messi was wrongly flagged offside as he slotted home from Andres Iniesta's pass.

Neymar then had a fine curling effort beaten to safety by Diego Marino.

However, Barca needed a slice of luck to open the scoring on 21 minutes as Jordi Alba burst down the left and his ball into the box was deflected into his own net by Navarro.

Barca's star front three of Suarez, Messi and Neymar were kept for long periods, but they nearly combined for a brilliant second moments later when Messi picked out Neymar and his driven cross was turned just wide by Suarez.

Levante remain rooted to the foot of the table, but had won their previous two home games and deserved to be at least level at the break as they outplayed the Catalans in the latter stages of the first-half.

Verza fired a free-kick inches over before Jefferson Lerma had a great chance to level when he skewed horribly wide with just Claudio Bravo to beat.

Jose Luis Morales came closest to equalising when his low effort came back off the post eight minutes before the break.

Levante continued to enjoy the better of the game in the second period, but found clear-cut chances hard to come by as former Manchester United forward Giuseppe Rossi's shot from outside the box was the only time Bravo was forced into action.

Barca had barely threatened themselves after halftime, but did seal the points with the last move of the match as Messi picked out an unmarked Suarez to fire home his 36th goal of the season.

and compound team and mixed pair events.

Indian women shuttlers also began their campaign with an easy 3-0 win over their Nepalese opponents. Cynosure of Indian badminton team at the SA Games, PV Sindhu gave the team a perfect start a day after she was the flagbearer at the opening ceremony with a 21-2 21-8 win over Sara Devi Tamang in 15 minutes.

18-year-old rising Indian shuttler Gadde Ruthvika Shivani used her height to advantage to breeze past Nangsal Tamang 21-6 21-2 in 15 minutes to make it 2-0 for the hosts.

Meanwhile in men's event, India beat Afghanistan 3-0 with Ajay Jayram, HS Prannoy, Akshay Dewalkar and Pranay Chopra securing facile victories to top Group A. On the hockey field in Guwahati, the Indian women's hockey team began its campaign with a 24-0 mauling of Nepal in a completely lopsided round robin league match.

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