January 10th, 2017

C M Y K

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tuesDAY • JAnuArY 10 • 2017

DIMAPUR • Vol. XII • Issue 08 • 12 PAGes • 5

T H e

ESTD. 2005

P o W e R

o F

Our life is composed greatly from dreams, from the unconscious, and they must be brought into connection with action

In the search for new ideas, city-state Singapore eases obsession with grades

— Anais Nin

Cavs hold off Suns, Warriors rebound from loss

Youth are agents of change in modern society: Y Patton

PAGe 09

T R u T H

PAGE 02

PAGE 12

Bandhs prevent nominations to UlB election Morung Express News Dimapur/Mokokchung/Kohima | January 9

With bandhs imposed by respective tribal hohos as a stricture against the extension of date for filing of nominations in Mokokchung, Tuensang, Kohima, Medziphema and Changtongya municipal and town councils, there was no fresh nomination filed on Monday, the last day of the extended deadline afforded by the State Election Commission.

In Mon town, though there was no bandh, the Chi and Mon landowners, who are protesting against the non-implementation of a 1964 agreement inked between the Anghs of the two villages and the State Government have been boycotting the election process since day one. No candidates could file nomination with volunteers keeping vigil outside the DC’s office.

With nil nominations on Monday, the total number of candidates to contest for the ULB election remained at 567 including 174 women from 27 municipal and town election councils. Out of these, there are 277 candidates from the NPF, 180 Independent, 79 BJP and 31 Congress.

In Mokokchung town, the total bandh by the Ao Senden passed peacefully with no report of any untoward incident. The 8 am- 3 pm bandh was imposed “in protest against the state government’s extension of dateline for filing of nominations to the Nagaland Municipal and Town Councils elections.”

Several hundreds of Ao Senden volunteers assembled at the premises of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, Mokokchung to register their protest. Meanwhile, no intending candidate (s) came forward to file their nomination papers to contest in the elections to the Mokokchung Municipal Council.

In Changtongya subdivision, although there was no bandh in place, volunteers made sure that no candidate came near to the office of the ADC to file nominations.

Owing to this, an attempt was reportedly made by the aspiring candidates of Changtongya town council to have their nominations filed in the office of ADC,

reflections

By Sandemo Ngullie

Tuli subdivision. Minister for National Highway, Nuklotoshi and his entourage, reportedly escorted the candidates to Tuli.

ADC Tuli when contacted said the attempt to file nominations in Tuli, which was opted as an alternative due to obstruction in Changtongya was met with stiff opposition by the landowners and therefore nomination could not be filed.

On the report that candidates from Mokokchung had also reached Tuli, purportedly to file their nominations, the ADC said he had heard the report, however, did not meet them. The ADC also said he was not informed of any arrangement being made for Mokokchung candidates to file nomination in Tuli.

The Chang Khulei Setshang (CKS) and Tuensang Village Citizens Union (TVCU) bandh in Tuensang town, which had came into force since Sunday, continued till 6pm on Monday. Despite 47 nomination forms collected from the DC’s office, no candidates dared to file their nomination papers as CKS volunteers kept tight vigil of the DC’s office.

In Kohima, thousands of Angami Public Organization (APO) volunteers spearheaded by the Angami Youth Organization (AYO) poured out into the streets from TCP Gate to North PS junction including D Block area. Normal life was crippled as the public preferred to remain indoors and business establishment downed their shutters. Meanwhile, a military surveillance drone flying overhead was destroyed by the volunteers from TCP gate. The damaged drone was retrieved by the Assam Rifles later, a police soucre informed.

The ADC & Returning Officer, KMC Lothrongla Tongpi said nil nomination was recorded till 3pm on January 9, the extended date for filing nomination.

In Medziphema, volunteers secured the perimeters leading to office of the ADC and also kept vigil along the National Highway.

CBSE postpones board exams to March 9

C M Y K

New Delhi, JaNuary 9 (iaNS): The Board exams for the students of class 10 and 12 have been postponed by a week, due to the elections in five states, and will now start from March 9, Central Board of Secondary Exams (CBSE) announced on Monday.

The exams were earlier scheduled to commence from March 1 and the decision was taken keeping in mind the upcoming assembly elections in five states, during which many teachers will remain occupied with the election duty.

“The board has given careful consideration to the situation before postponing the exams by a week which will now allow the students to get more time for the preparation and ensure uninterrupted sequence of examinations,” CBSE said in a statement.

The exams for class 10 will be held between March 9 and April 10, while for class 12 they will take place between March 9 and April 29.

Dimapur, JaNuary 9 (mexN): The Ao Senden on Monday served a quit notice to Minister for National Highways, Nuklotoshi from Ao territory with immediate effect. According to a declaration, the Ao Senden said the initiative and action of Nuklotoshi towards Ao community was beyond “tolerance and unacceptable.” The apex civil body of the Ao community however did not specify in particular the action (s) of the Minister that warranted his exclusion from the Ao territory. The Senden also cautioned that it will not take any responsibility if any untoward incidences or incident occur to Nuklotoshi or his parties during and after “this notification.” The debarment from entering Ao territory will remain until the Minister CKS and TVCU volunteers keeping vigil outside the DC’s office Tuensang to prevent can- “acknowledge his misdeed and tender unconditional didates from filing nominations on Monday apology” to the Ao Senden, the resolution stated.

Women reservation can be settled within our own community: APO Our Correspondent Kohima | January 9

“Women reservation can be settled within our own community, and in our own kitchen. It is not necessary to go to the Supreme Court,” Dr. Vilhousa Seleyi, president, Angami Public Organisation said on Monday during the closing of the bandh by the Angami Public Organisation in Kohima.

The bandh protesting against the recently amended Nagaland Municipal Act, which included the 33 percent reservation for women, has been wrongly interpreted as being discriminatory towards women, Dr. Seleyi claimed.

With the Indian Government’s policy of implementing ‘One Nation, One Law and One Tax’, Dr. Sewas of the view that such poliSumi Hoho urges leyi cies are dangerous for the survival candidates to withdraw of indigenous communities such ULB nominations as the Nagas. on page 5 Therefore, the Municipal Act

infringes on the Article 371A which provides full authority to the Nagas to decide for themselves, for their welfare. “If we protect the power of 371 A, no law of India can come and disturb us,” Dr. Seleyi observed.

Just as women are prepared to help the menfolk, Dr. Seleyi sought to reassure that the menfolk are also prepared to support the women and said, “If anybody is there, thinking themselves to be deprived of something, I think they should come up to the people, and also to the Government of Nagaland. In that way, any kind of issue can be addressed amicably.”

Prior to launching the agitation, most tribes were prepared ‘but money speaks and everywhere people could not overrule or overcome the money power’, Dr Seleyi alleged.

Meanwhile, the APO in a message to the Nagaland Chief Minister said it remains committed to their earlier position on the munic-

ipal and town council election and women reservation. “Our position remain unchanged. We stand as such in the true spirit of Naga welfare and interest. We concur that the government is merely interested in implementing its agenda defying and denying the democratic voice of her people. It is unfortunate, deeply hurtful,” the APO said.

‘To be a progressive society, provide space to women through reservation’ Holding a different opinion, Mezivolu T. Therieh, NJS, who is currently the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kohima & Secretary, KDLSA viewed that the 33 percent reservation for women does not in any way impinge upon the Article 371A as per the Single Bench Judgment and order (JAWCR) as mentioned under the Para 28 of the Judgment.

“Therefore not holding municipal elections with 33 percent reser-

vation for women is discriminatory and in fact impinges upon the rights of the women,” Therieh maintained.

Debunking the illusion of equality in Naga society, Therieh pointed out that reservation for women has been granted by the Constitution of India under Art 243 T (30) because “the society limits women.”

Despite 50 years of Statehood, the Nagaland Legislative Assembly does not have a single women representation till date, which Therieh terms as ‘massive political injustice taking place in the State’. Therefore, unless women are provided with some kind of space such as reservations, which can push them forward, where they have to apply, an equal and progressive Naga society might take another 50 years “If we are to look at a progressive society, then definitely women should be given some space through reservation. Traditions, customs do change with time,” opined Therieh.

Withdraw nominations before Jan 12: CPO feline express: nagaland

Dimapur, JaNuary 9 (mexN): The Chakhesang Public Organisation has directed all the candidates within its jurisdiction who have filled nomination to the Municipal/Town Council election to withdraw their nomination papers on or before January 12, 2017.

The decision for the same was taken at its 35th Executive Council Meeting held in Yoruba Village on January 9 where the house “unanimously” re-affirmed Thanks to the bandh, our traf- a resolution adopted in its fic problems have improved a lot. Accha, can the bandh stay after all this is over?

Nuklotoshi served with quit notice by Ao Senden

emergency general meeting on January 3, said the CPO in a press statement issued by its President Kekhwengulo Lea and General Secretary Mutsivoy Kotsoi.

“In the event of their non compliance with the said directions the defaulters shall be ex-communicated as adopted at Pfutsero for a period of seven years as per the Chakhesang Customary Law as deem fit,” it added.

The CPO further directed respective village

council chairman, colony chairman and GB’s to coordinate with the CYF to ensure the withdrawal of nominations by and complete the process on or before the stipulated time.

The House further appealed that the State Government to review its decision and defer the election.

It also appealed the Joint Action Committee on Women Reservation to “consider the repeated appeals” made to them by various Tribal Organisations to

withdraw the Special Leave Petition filed before the Supreme Court in the “greater interest of the Naga people.”

The CPO further applauded the steadfastness of APO, Ao Senden and other Tribal Hohos on Urban Local Bodies election issue and extended its solidarity to work together till the “demand is fulfilled.”

Call for consultative meeting with the Naga Tribal Hohos in Nagaland at the earliest, CPO appealed the State Government.

indo-Myanmar border fencing opposed on both sides of border Morung Express News Dimapur | January 9

Opposition to the border fencing work at the Indo-Myanmar international boundary grew today as Naga civil society organizations based in Myanmar objected to the ongoing fencing project as “direct violation against the rights of the indigenous people.”

The protest comes days after several organisations based in Nagaland also conveyed their strong resentment to fencing project arguing that it was an attempt to divide the Nagas living on either side of border. Nagaland Political Groups (NPGs) have also their expressed similar sentiment.

A ‘Statement of Objection’ against the fencing project undertaking along the Indo-Burma borderland, specifically in Naga Territories was issued today by 9 Naga civil society organizations based in Myanmar “The Naga Nationals (Myanmar) outrageously oppose the fencing project undertaking by two governments of Myanmar and India along the Indo-Burma borderland, specifically in the homeland of the Naga nationals,” it said.

Stating that the Naga Nationals have been divided and put under two different administrations “without any consent” of both sides during the 1950s

by the two governments – India and Myanmar, it expressed grave apprehension over the project.

“We perceive the currently undertaking fencing project in the Naga territories by the concern authorities as an act of insult against all Nagas on earth and direct violation against the rights of the indigenous people,” it said.

In this connection, the organisations strongly demanded to immediate stoppage of “all the ongoing fencing activities” along the Indo-Burma borderland (specifically in Naga territories) saying it would “escalate military tensions between the governments and the Naga armed groups effecting regional peace.”

The joint statement was issued

by Council of Naga Affairs; Naga Student and Youth’s Federation-Yangon) (NSYF-Y); SHANAH; Naga Community Resource Center (NCRC); Makury Naga Youth Federation (MNYF); Eastern Naga Students’ Association (ENSA); Naga Social Relief Team (NSRT); Tangshang Naga Literature Committee (TNLC); and Naga Baptist Convention (NBC).

Meanwhile, the NSCN (R) also derided the “proposed imaginary international boundary” fencing between India and Myanmar stating that it would “infringe Naga people inhabiting across artificial boundaries.”

“The move of the two countries to construct the fencing dividing the Naga family is another ploy to further divide the Naga which is highly ‘questionable and unacceptable,” asserted MIP NSCN (R) in press statement.

The Naga people settled down in the location thousands year ago before India and Myanmar government came into being and artificial boundary has been fenced by India and Myanmar without consulting the Naga peoples, it added.

The NSCN (R) further appealed both side of the Nagas to stand up against “devilish plan” of the two countries.

According to Ministry of Home Affairs, India and Myanmar shares an unfenced border of 1643 Km adjoining the North-Eastern States of Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Nagaland (215 km), Manipur (398km) and Mizoram (510 km).

A similar project to fence area between boundary pillars (BP) No.79 to 81 at Moreh, Manipur along IndoMyanmar border covering approximately 10km was “suspended for the time being” after completing 4.00 km fencing work on protest from locals, NGO, political parties and Government of Manipur alleging that “fencing is being done deep inside Indian Territory.”

receives two Bengal tigers

One of the two tigers that reached Dimapur on January 9 as a part of exchange between Thiruvananthapuram Zoo Zoo, Kerala and Nagaland Zoological Park, Rangapahar Dimapur.

Morung Express News

least two weeks for them to “acclimatise” with the Nagaland weather condition.

Dimapur | January 9 “The enclosure has been put under After traversing for nearly four days, Na- round the clock surveillance to avoid any galand today received two Royal Bengal accidents, Aier said.

Feline lovers can visit them after 15 Tigers - namely Karthika (Female) and Manikantan (Male) – with much fanfare days, he added. In exchange for the feline visitors, the Nagaland Zoological Park will and curiosity.

The two tigers travelled by Kanyaku- be sending two healthy Black Asiatic Bears mari - Dibrugarh Vivek Express, which - namely Kohima (Male) and Dimapur (Fecover a distance of approximately 3880 Ki- male) to the Thiruvananthanpuram Zoo. The Director further informed that anlometers between Thiruvananthanpuram and Dimapur Train Station according to other two White Tigers are expected to arrive in the NZP after few months. the Indian Railways route schedule.

According to a Curious onTimes of India relookers thronged • Visitors can see the port, the two big cats both the station Tigers after 15 days were ensconced in upon their departheir special coachture and arrival.

• Two White Tigers es and probably the According to expected in few months first wild animals the Director of Naever to travel on an galand Zoological Park, Sentichuba Aier the two new mem- Indian train on a confirmed ticket.

The Southern Railway officials have bers joined the park after “persistent efensured that the `historic’ journey goes off fort” for the last two years.

The Tigers safely reached Nagaland ac- well, providing them with amenities even companied by 10 staffs from Thiruvana- better than what regular passengers and nthanpuram Zoo, he said in a statement. veterinarians travelling with the animals The Tigers are healthy and have un- got in AC coaches, it added.

“Train is also more comfortable for the dergone all protocol requirements before animals. It is a safer and quicker mode of reaching here, he added.

Presently under close observation, transport,” a railway official told the nathey will be kept under quarantine for at tional daily.

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tuesDAY 10•01•2017

NAGALAND

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Youth are agents of change in modern society: Y Patton Our Correspondent Kohima | January 9

"Youth are the force for fostering unity and development in the society and youth are the agents of change in modern society," said Home Minister Y. Patton while addressing the 2nd Japukong Range Youth Organization (JRYO) general conference cum 5th volleyball tournament today at Japu village.

He also stated that youth are the pillars and leaders of the society and they will shape the future society by replacing the past generation in key political, social and cultural roles with new leadership.

In this, Patton urged the Japu youth and Nagas in general to cultivate positive mindset and help grow a healthy future Nagaland.

Stating that Aos are considered the most advanced tribe among the other Children enter home after fetching firewood from the jungle at Phek village. Firewood is still used extensively in the rural tribes, he urged the Aos in general to play a positive role in transforming the areas of Nagaland. (Morung Photo/Chizokho Vero)

Zbto DPDB discusses need for NST bus service from Zbto to Mkg

ZunhEboto, January 9 (Dipr): Zunheboto District Planning and Development Board (DPDB) today discussed the need for NST bus service between Zunheboto and Mokokchung and agreed to forward the matter to Transport department. The issue was brought out by DSO (Statistical), Lhokiye during the monthly meeting of the board held at DC’s conference hall here.

SDO (C), Holohon Yepthomi, who is also the Assistant Returning Officer (ARO), highlighted the poll detailment for the forthcoming town council election.

District Soil Conservation Officer (DSCO), Zhekheto Awomi spoke on Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC)

Meetings & Appointments Lecture on ‘Nurturing lifelong learning’ today

The Institute For Music Education is hosting a lecture on ‘Nurturing lifelong learning’ in collaboration with Harmony Music School, Bangalore on January 10, 4:00 pm at its institute located at Duncan Basti, Dimapur. Through the lecture, the participants will be introduced to the theory of multiple intelligence, learning domains, teaching for critical thinking and progressive learning, informed a press release from the Institute For Music Education.

The resource person will be Sandra Oberoi, who is equipped with a Masters in Musical Education and Voice from the North-Western University, USA. She has earned the recognition of being the only voice teacher in India to be endorsed by the prestigious National Association of Teachers of Singing, USA, the release added. She is an active member of the International Society for Music Education and International Arts Movement based in New York City.

Sumi Hoho calls emergency executive meet

The Sumi Hoho has called an emergency executive meeting on January 11, 10:00 am at Sumi Hoho Ki, Zunheboto. Therefore, all the executive members, Sumi legislators, Sumi Hoho representatives to NTC & CNTC, Zunheboto Area GB Association and Zunheboto Town GB Association and Zunheboto Town Youth Organization have been requested to attend the meeting positively. The Sumi Hoho has also called another meeting with the candidates of Zunheboto Town Council election at 1:00 pm on the same day at Sumi Hoho Ki, Zunheboto, informed a press release from Vihuto Asumi, General Secretary, Sumi Hoho.

conducted by KVK, Lumami and requested all agri and allied departments to attend the program. Medical Superintendent, District Hospital will highlight their activities in the next meeting.

The DPDB meeting was chaired

by Deputy Commissioner and ViceChairman of the board, T. Roy (IAS).

Meanwhile, a meeting in connection with the forthcoming Republic Day celebration was also held, where work distribution among various departments was chalked out. Further the EAC, Kemciyile informed that list of work distribution will be dispatched at the earliest and asked all HoDs to comply with the assigned duties.

society in social and political aspects.

Patton also pointed out that Nagas are sports loving people. He encouraged the participants and Nagas in general to be professional and maintain physical fitness and strive at national and international level and bring laurels to the state.

Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture & Chairman NSAMB, Dr. Benjongliba Aier also urged the youth to keep the commitment in every aspect to strive for excellence and also urged them to fear and trust God to excel.

Asangla Longchar, Assistant Teacher, Government High School Alongkima, spoke on the conference theme ‘Commitment to excellence’.

The 3-day long 5th volleyball tournament was formally inaugurated by T Nungsang Ao, Commissioner & Secretary for Soil & Water Conservation.

Altogether, 16 teams from 12 villages are taking part in the tournament, which will go on till January 11.

208 Assam Rifles recruits inducted

Dimapur, January 9 (mExn): 208 Assam Rifles recruits were today inducted into the force in a glittering ‘Attestation Parade’ held at the Assam Rifles Training Centre and School, Sukhovi.

Lieutenant General Shokin Chauhan, YSM, SM, VSM, Director General Assam Rifles reviewed the parade which was witnessed by a large audience, including parents of the recruits.

While addressing the recruits, the General Officer informed that the Assam Rifles is the oldest paramilitary force of the nation and has a diversified role, which in-

cludes guarding of the North Eastern borders, conducting counter insurgency operations, and assisting the civil administration in maintaining peace and security.

The force also undertakes various civic action and developmental projects in the NE Region for welfare of the local populace, he added, according to a press release. He further complimented Brig Gurjap Singh, Commandant and his team of dedicated staff of the ARTC&S for imparting value based training to the recruits and providing well trained soldiers for the force.

The General Officer stressed that every recruit on passing out from ARTC&S should be able to live up to the expectations of his comrades, battalion, force and the country in the days to come. He exhorted them to keep in mind the welfare of the country and the force foremost while working with full dedication and hard work to keep the Assam Rifles’ flag flying high.

Complimenting the recruits for being trained well, the General Officer further reminded them to live up to the name of the force “Friends of the Hill People”

and its primary role “Sentinels of the North East”. He wished the young riflemen a bright and fruitful future ahead in the force, the release added.

The General Officer awarded Recruit Santosh Prasad as the ‘Best Recruit’.

Recruit Saurav Kumar, Recruit Pankaj Singh and Recruit Devendra Singh were awarded for “Best in Physical”, Recruit Deepak Mehta, Recruit Bipin Kumar and Recruit Manoj Singh Bisht for ‘Best in Drill’, and Recruit Balvinder Singh, Recruit Ravikant and Recruit Rohit Singh for ‘Best in Firing’.

DVC reaffirms not to entertain land patta issued by govt Dimapur, January 9 (mExn): The Diphupar Village Council (DVC) in its meeting held on January 7, 2017 unanimously reaffirmed its earlier resolutions not to entertain land patta issued by the government within Diphupar village jurisdiction, according to a press release from DVC chairman, Lanutoshi and secretary, E Philip. The meeting also appealed to the authority concerned to refrain from doing so in the future stating it creates problems in the village.

PPC summons political, public leaders to discuss ULBs election issue LongLEng, January 9 (mExn): The Phom Peoples’ Council (PPC) has directed all the presidents of different political parties of Longleng division – NPF, INC, RJD, BJP, NCP etc., presidents of federating units – Phom Students’ Conference (PSC), Phomla Hoichem, Association of Phom Graduates & Officers (APGO), former ministers and prominent public leaders of Phom area to assemble at the Longleng district headquarters latest by January 12 to discuss the issue regarding forthcoming municipal and town councils elections. Absentees will be held responsible for any discrepancies that may arise, stated a press release from P Chingan Phom, president, PPC.

VDB Secretary of Sanis on order for election of VDB Management Committee members Wokha, January 9 (mExn): The VDB Secretary of Sanis village, on behalf of the VDB members of the village, has written an open letter to the SDO (C) of Sanis with regard to the issue of VDB Management Committee members’ appointment against Sanis village. The VDB Secretary, C. Thachumo Murry accused the SDO (C) of contravening the provision of codefied model rules.

The letter mentioned that the present VDB Management Committee members and Secretary of Sanis village were appointed on June 25, 2015 vide order no.

DEV.193/2009-10 dated 25th June 2015, where it was mentioned that the tenure will expire on June

3, 2016. However, as per the VDB Model Rules Section 4 (B) of the Act, the tenure is for three years, i.e. till June 24, 2018. Accordingly, the Sanis Village Council on May 29, 2016 further resolved to uphold the same, it said.

It also noted that as per the provision of VDB Model Rules No. 6, the Deputy Commissioner/ ADC will be the ex officio chairman of the VDB in their respective district and sub-division. However, Murry expressed surprise to know that the SDO (C) Sanis “without going through all these provisions of VDB model rules” issued new order for fresh selection/election of VDB Management Committee members of Sanis village on De-

cember 7, 2016 and fixed the submission date on or before December 16, 2016.

The said order, he alleged, was also confined to the SDO (C)’s office, which “clearly shows that the SDO (C) Sanis has undermined the status and authority of the DC office, Wokha.”

The same order was also condemned by the general public of Sanis village through general meeting on December 11, 2016, it was stated.

The VDB Secretary maintained that issuing such “irrelevant order” may create problems in the village and urged that right thinking citizens should discour- A view of Mt. Saramati from Kiphire Town. Mt. Saramati, the highest mountain peak in Nagaland, is usually covered with snow throughout the winter. However, there was less snowfall in the peak age the same in toto. this winter showing the effect of global warming. (Photo Courtesy: Betoka Swu)

Lasushemi Clan of Leshemi Village get together

phEk, January 9 (mExn): The Lasushemi Clan of Leshemi Village had a get-together cum picnic on January 7 at GMS Leshemi. Mezelhou Losou enlightened the members about the origin and unique identity of Lasushemi Clan during the programme, which was chaired by Kewepe Mekru. Dilhou Losou, the eldest

man amongst the Lasushemi Clan blessed the members.

Meanwhile, Senokha Losou, Dr. Kevichusa Medikhru, Kewengulo Lasushe and Dikhalo Lasushe exhorted the clan members.

They encouraged every member to uphold the unique identity of the clan which their forefathers have endowed upon them to pre-

serve it, said a press release from the Clan. They reminded that each member is expected to respect, encourage and support each other and uphold unity amongst the clan members. Simplicity and sincerity, they added, are the core of success which every sensible and concerned citizen should endorse for a progressive society.

KBCA Youth Ministry celebrates Music Fest

Training for employees detailed for ULBs elections in Zbto

The three-day Children Festival 2017 held from January 5 to 7 at Maple Tree School in Dimapur came to a grand closing with more than 300 children delegates, 15 volunteers from Dimapur and afar, and handful of parents. Speakers came from the USA, Taiwan, Singapore, Germany, Switzerland, Patna, and Dimapur.

ADC & RO of Zunheboto, Nungsangmenla Imchen has informed all heads of offices and government employees of different departments detailed for the ensuing Urban Local Bodies’ elections to attend the first phase of training on January 13 at VDB conference hall, Zunheboto at 10:00 am.

WASU biennial general conference

The Western Angami Students’ Union (WASU) will hold its 42nd Biennial General Conference on January 19, 10:00 am at Mezoma Village under the theme ‘Challenges amidst modernization’. The one day conference will be hosted by the Mezoma Student’s Union at Mezoma Local Ground. Kiyanilie Peseyie, Minister for Social Welfare and Parliamentary Affairs, Government of Nagaland and Kovi Meyase, Administrator, Kohima Municipal Council will grace the occasion as chief guest and guest of honuor respectively. Therefore, all the members of Western Angami Students’ Union have been requested to attend the programme positively. Senior leaders and well wishers have also been invited to be part of the conference.

A band performs at the Music Fest of KBCA Youth Ministry.

pfutsEro, January 9 (mExn): The Youth Ministry of Kuzhami Baptist Churches Association (KBCA) held its Music Fest from January 6 to 8 at Calvary Baptist Church, Pfutsero under the theme ‘Röpfü Thsehloleh’. Hundreds of talented youths competed in a wide variety of music genre, from solo and duets to instrumen-

tal and choir, informed a press release from Neilo Medo, Convenor, Publicity and Media, KBCA Youth Ministry.

Speakers such as Rev. Melody McPherson, Missionary, USA; Rev. Prof. K. Lasuh, Executive Director, KBCA; Rev. Neikko Mero, Pastor, KCBCK; Keweru Wezah, Pastor, Jessami Baptist Church

delivered the word of God. The three-day programme closed with a grand finale, where internationally acclaimed singer and Grammy nominee, James Basnet along with his band members enthralled the public at the local ground. He also delivered a powerful testimony based message, the release added.

Parliamentary Secretary for LR, VG & WRD, L. Khumo graced the Longtsunger village citizens’ silver jubilee celebrated under the theme ‘Striding in Unity’ on January 7. He also unveiled the jubilee monolith. The highlights of the event included cultural show and cultural dances. (DIPR Photo)

tuesday 10•01•2017

NORTH-EAST 3

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Naga political forum bats for tripartite talks over Manipur issue Newmai News Network Imphal | January 9

The Naga Political Leaders' Forum Manipur (NPLFM) today suggested that tripartite talks between the Centre, Manipur government and the United Naga Council (UNC) could be a better way to bring about a solution to the present problem.

The forum said that most sections of the society have not been expressing much on the root cause of the current problem.

“The economic blockade is the result of the negligence and poor governance of the present state government headed by O Ibobi Singh,” NPLFM said.

The NPLFM recalled that the Nagas have signed four Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Manipur government against the formation of Sadar Hills district. The NPLFM pointed out that when the Congress MLAs/MDCs and other Naga MLAs decided to resign from the Congress party there was a political upheaval. In spite of this, the Chief Minister seems to have sidelined the office procedure in formation of Jiribam and Kangpokpi (Sadar Hills) districts, it added.

It also mentioned that when three In-

ner Line Permit (ILP) related bills were passed, nine people were killed in Churachandpur and the last rites of the deceased are yet to be performed till today.

Further, NPLFM alleged that when the Union Home Secretary came to Manipur and discussed the matter to solve it, the Chief Minister had said, “Don’t interfere in my state’s affairs, law and order problem is a state subject.”

“And now, the Chief Minister has accused the Centre of not paying any heed to the current problem which is a self-contradicting statement.”

The people of Manipur did not demand seven new districts, but only Sadar Hills and Jiribam districts, it said, and expressed surprise that seven new districts were created within a span of few hours by the government. According to MLR & LR Act, the hill areas of Manipur are not under the purview of Revenue and hence the order creating these districts can be treated as unconstitutional, NPLFM said.

Alleging that the creation of seven districts has proven to be a failure, it demanded that the decision should be withdrawn at the earliest for the betterment of the society.

ANSAM leaders detained by AR; released after angry Naga public intervened Newmai News Network Senapati | January 9

A high volatile situation was witnessed in the whole of Senapati Town today affecting normal life following the detention of All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM) leaders by the 34 Assam Rifles. They were released later but only after the furious Naga public intervened.

According to reports, at around 2:00 pm today, ANSAM President Seth Shathsang, Finance Secretary Joseph Adani, and Executive Secretary AC Thotso were “arrested” by the Assam Rifles personnel from Taphou area of Senapati Town.

Reports said that volunteers of United Naga Council (UNC) and ANSAM were enforcing the economic blockade when the incident happened.

The economic blocksurize the State Government to resolve the ade supporters had halted issues at the earliest.”

Condemns Meanwhile, TWSM condemned the arrest of Naga United Council (UNC) President, Gaidon Kamei and Publicity Secretary, Stephen Lamkang on November 25, 2016; the “Divide & Rule Policy” by creating the new 7 districts; the vandalism nEw DElhi, January of more than 45 vehicles by mob and burn- 9 (livEMint): At least 118 ing of Naga travelers' belongings at Khurai projects in the North East Lamlong, Heikru Makhong area in Imphal are pending with the Union environment ministry for East District on December 18, 2016. want of forest clearance deDemands TWSM demanded the Government of spite the central government pushing for faster developManipur to release the UNC leaders with- ment of the region. out any condition; respect the 4 MoUs According to official signed with various Naga civil societies; MoEFCC (ministry of enroll back the seven newly created districts vironment, forest and cliand enter into dialogue; initiate judicial mate change) data for the inquiry in the Khurai Lamlong, Heikru 2013-November 2016 peMakhong incident and give compensa- riod, reviewed by Mint, 60% of the 118 projects are road tion to the victims.

“When Government of Manipur has projects. This is significant as arrested UNC leaders, how will the dia- road projects are touted as a logue between Government of Manipur government priority for the and United Naga Council (UNC) or tri- North East, which faces seripartite dialogue (including Govt. of India) ous connectivity problems take place,” it questioned. “The Govern- with other parts of India.

Many of the road projment of Manipur must release UNC lead- ects are BRTF’s (Border ers at the earliest without any condition Road Task Force) projects and resume the dialogue for peaceful so- near the India-China borlution.” der, important from a straThe Tangkhul Nagas living in Mumbai tegic point of view as well. also extended their support to the “Naga Of the 118 pending brethren” back home to safeguard “our” projects, 71 alone are roadancestral lands at any costs. It also sought related, followed by 38 the intervention of Central Government transmission line projects at the earliest to bring amicable solution. (32.2%) and nine hydel

TWSM demands release of UNC leaders

MuMbai, January 9 (MExn): Tangkhul Welfare Society Mumbai (TWSM) has alleged that the Manipur Government is using divide and rule policy instead of trying to amicably resolve the issue prevailing in the state through dialogues.

It further accused the Government of Manipur of dishonouring the four Memorandum of Understanding signed between various Naga civil societies and Government of Manipur by creating the Sadar Hills district. The memorandums had agreed that not even an inch of Naga ancestral land should be touched while creating any new district and also a written assurance was given from the Ministry of Home affairs (MHA), Government of India on November 24, 2011, TWSM stated in a press release.

To gain political mileage for the upcoming election, the release stated, the Government of Manipur took an overnight decision for the creation of seven new districts without the knowledge of Hill Areas Committee and the stakeholders, which it said is against the provisions of the Article 371C of the Constitution of India.

“We are aware of the harsh impacts of Economic Blockade on the general public and we can feel it as it affects the entire community residing in Manipur. We firmly believe that UNC is imposing the Economic Blockade to draw the attention and resolve the issues with the Government of Manipur,” it stated. “We want all the communities in Manipur to understand that the fight is between the Government of Manipur and Nagas. We should not create communal hatred and enmity but pres-

some trucks traveling along with an Army convoy. This had prompted the blockade supporters to examine those trucks. However, in no time the 34 Assam Rifles came up from Henbung post and whisked the ANSAM leaders away from the area.

ANSAM President Seth Shatsang informed Newmai News Network that they had been noticing trucks with the label ‘On Army Duty’ plying along

ground cadres near S. Laijang Kuki village on the NH 37 around 8:00 am on January 8 and completely burnt down at the spot, stated a press release from Donponang Daimai, General Secretary, ZYF. ZYF expressed surprise that “the Manipur Police came out with a contradictory version of clarification regarding the incident in the newspapers stating that the said Tata truck caught fire due to mechanical failure and not by arson.”

The ZYF condemned the “contradictory clarification of Manipur Police with an attempt to conceal and

cover up the incident which was actually committed by underground cadres.” The release also mentioned that since the driver and owner of the truck were taken into police custody right after the incident, the ZYF has lost contact with them.

“Any uneventful situation happening on the driver and owner of the Tata truck shall be the responsibility of the Manipur Govt. wherein equal accountability should also be fixed on Govt. of India if (it) fails to bring out factual circumstances regarding the incident,” it added.

power projects (7.62%), according to the data.

Of these states— Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura— Arunachal Pradesh tops the list with 35 pending projects, followed by Manipur (26) and Sikkim (25).

“There are many factors behind projects remaining pending. Many a times the ministry doesn’t get proper documents to process forest clearances; sometimes projects remain stuck for want of a nod from gram sabhas (village councils) and other factors,” said a senior environment ministry official, requesting anonymity.

The North East, rich in natural resources and one of the global biodiversity hot spots, has lagged behind in development.

Often, governments at the centre are accused of giving a step-motherly treatment to the region. But governments in the last 10-

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itanagar, January 9 (pti): A youth from Arunachal Pradesh was admitted in a Bengaluru hospital “in a racial attack case” and his condition was serious, an Arunachal MLA has alleged following his talks with authorities in the southern city.

Khuadun Khangham, who was working in a restaurant in Bengaluru, was assaulted by miscreants and then thrown out of a moving vehicle on January 7, the MLA from Kanubari said. The 25-year-old man hailing from Ozakho village under Kanubari sub division of Longding district was admitted at the hospital in a critical condition, said MLA Gabriel Denwang Wangsu.

Initially it was presumed to be a hit

and run case. But after investigation, it is emerging that Khangham was thrown out of a running vehicle, Wangsu said quoting the police from Bengaluru.

"The case has been prioritised by the police and a senior police officer visited the patient today," he added. We have requested the state Chief Minister Pema Khandu to speak to his Karnataka counterpart on the issue, Wangsu said, adding that North East students in Bengaluru would meet the police authorities there.

Wangsu also appealed to the people in the state to extend financial assistance for the treatment of Khangham who belongs to a poor family.

fic Point in the heart of the town and held a meeting on the matter.

Sources quoting Assam Rifles sources revealed that the incident happened due to a communication gap.

After the release of the ANSAM leaders, they were taken to the Senapati Traffic Point where a public meeting was held. The ANSAM President addressed the gathering there on the incident.

Five Mizoram towns declared Open Defecation Free aizawl, January 9 (nnn): Following the inspection done by central team, five Mizoram towns have been recently declared as Open Defecation Free (ODF). Official sources said that five towns namely Aizawl, Champhai, Khawzawl, Biate and Khawhai have been declared ODF by the central government. For declaration of some cities and town in Mizoram as ODF, a team from central government- Quality Council of India conducted an inspection and monitoring after which the central government instantly declared as ODF. The five towns which have been declared as ODF were examined and inspected by Aizawl Municipality Corporation and officials of DC offices after they were suggested by local council and village councils.

This was followed by an inspection from Quality Council of India. Many villages in Mizoram have been taking relentless efforts to be declared as Open Defecation Free and there are some villages which have been already approved by state government and district administration. They now await approval from the central government.

ICAR-National Research Centre on Mithun (NRCM) ICAR-National Research Centre on Mithun (NRCM) ICAR-National Research Centre on Mithun (NRCM) Medziphema 797 Nagaland, 106, Nagaland, Medziphema – 797–106, IndiaIndia

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eral women’s organisations. Several other organisations were also incensed by the incident.

Chief of Nongkham Gammon village, Otkhomang Mate and local church chairman, Tilpao Haokip were shot dead and their bodies were found the next day after the deceased were abducted by some unknown people around 7:00 pm of January 6.

The Mate Tribe Union has condemned the incident and demanded immediate clarification from the people responsible for the killing of the duo. It has also demanded the government to look into the matter. Chingshanglak Rilram Yekkul Area and Nongkham Satang Village Authority also condemned the murder and appealed to all organisations, including militant groups, to stop such inhuman activities in future.

Arunachal youth victim of 'racial attack' in Bengaluru: MLA says

15 years have realized the urgent need to develop the region, partly because of strategic reasons.

The previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) took several steps to fasttrack development in the Northeast. Similarly, the Narendra Modi’s government has voiced its strong desire to end the alienation and improve the region’s connectivity with rest of the country. One of the plans is to connect state capitals with a broad gauge railway network.

incident, Naga frontal organization leaders and the public rushed to the Henbung Assam Rifles post and intervened. The three ANSAM leaders were released shortly.

Back in Senapati Town, as the news of the detention of the ANSAM leaders spread, all the shops and other business establishments promptly closed. In no time, a large number of people gathered at Traf-

Administrative Officer ICAR-NRC on Mithun,

Bandh disrupts life in Moreh

iMphal, January 9 (nnn): Border town Moreh and Imphal-Moreh road of National Highway 2 were disrupted yet again by a bandh today called by social organisations to protest the killing of a village chief and a local church chairman by unidentified people yesterday.

Trading activities at Tengnoupal district’s Moreh bordering Myanmar came to a complete halt as residents observed the bandh from 8:00 am. No untoward incidents were reported during the 16-hour general strike.

Movement of vehicles was suspended on the important Imphal-Moreh road that passes through Tengnoupal during the bandh called by the Hill Tribal Council backed by Meitei Council Moreh, Kuki Chiefs Association (Moreh Block) and sev-

the highway, which they realized later were “fake” labels. These trucks often tail the Army convoy, Seth Shatsang further alleged. The ANSAM President clarified that military/ Army convoys or transports do not come under the purview of the economic blockade. “However, we will not allow those trucks with fake labels,” he asserted.

On learning about the

118 North East projects await environmental clearances

ZYF demands impartial enquiry in burning of truck

iMphal, January 9 (MExn): Zeliangrong Youth Front (ZYF) today demanded an impartial enquiry by the Central Government to find out how and why the Manipur Police issued clarification regarding the incident of burning down of truck carrying rice and other essential items bound for the people of Tamenglong district HQ. The truck bearing registration number MN07-3475 carrying about 200 quintals of rice and other essential items was stopped by five armed persons suspected to be under-

ANSAM President Seth Shatsang addressing the public at Traffic Point in Senapati Town after his release on January 9. (Photo: NNN)

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THE MORUNG EXPRESS

No charges on card payments for customers, pumps: Pradhan nEw dELhi, January 9 (ianS): There will be no additional charges on digital transactions made at petrol stations, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced on Monday even as petroleum dealers threatened to stop accepting credit and debit cards after Friday.

“Neither the customers nor petrol pumps will bear additional charges on digital transactions. The issue will be resolved,” Pradhan told reporters here after meeting Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over the matter.

“Regarding the issue, it is a business module between banks and oil marketing companies which they will resolve.

“Government will abide by guidelines issued in February 2016 wherein it stated customers won’t bear extra charges on digital transactions,” Pradhan said.

The minister said the discussions between the petrol pump association

and banks over card transaction charges does not affect consumers, since it focuses on sharing of the merchant discount rate (MDR) charges between petrol pumps and banks, none of which will be passed on to consumers.

The All India Petroleum Dealers Association (AIPDA) on Sunday announced that it would not accept payments through credit and debit cards from Monday in protest against

various banks’ decision to levy additional transaction charge of up to one per cent on petrol pumps instead of on customers.

On Monday, AIPDA said pumps across the country will continue to accept cards till Friday, as banks have deferred charging transaction fee till then.

“Late on Sunday, banks communicated to us they will not levy the transaction fee on card payments till January 13. According-

ly, we have decided to continue accepting payments through cards till Friday,” AIPDA West Bengal unit General Secretary Saradindu Pal told IANS. West Bengal Petroleum Dealers Association President Tushar Kanti Sen said: “We took the decision very late on Sunday night because some banks communicated they would not levy transaction fee till January 13 but some did not.

“We kept a close watch.

Eventually, the Ministry requested us to defer the decision till January 13.”

In a letter to Jaitley, AIPDA President Ajay Bansal said HDFC and other banks would start charging one per cent on all credit card transactions and between 0.25 and 1 per cent on all debit card transactions from Monday.

“The same will be debited to petroleum dealers’ account and net transaction value will be credited to our account... This will lead to financial losses for the dealers,” Bansal wrote.

Jaitley on Monday said the Centre was discussing with all the stakeholders about the issue of levying transaction fee for payments through cards for selling and purchasing fuel.

“We are trying to resolve the issue,” he said.

The AIPDA decision not to accept payments through cards came at a time when the Centre had directed state-run oil companies to offer a 0.75 per

cent discount on price of petrol and diesel to consumers paying by cards or mobile wallets to encourage people to move towards digital payments.

“This discount amount was supposed to be reimbursed to the dealers but is not being executed properly,” Pal said.

He said dealers have been working on a low margin and demanded raising the dealers’ commission to 5 per cent from the existing 3 per cent taking petrol and diesel together.

A Petroleum Ministry release subsequently clarified that there will be no additional levy on digital transaction at petrol stations even after Friday.

“The Government had issued guidelines in February 2016 stating that the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) charge will not be passed on to the consumers and that the stakeholders will take appropriate steps to absorb the MDR charges,” it said.

Jaguar Land Rover sells Air India ranked third-worst performing airline in the world across the globe. We’ve asked rable resource is the monthly As for this year’s results? record 583,313 cars in 2016 them to share all of their an- report (PDF) that the U.S. De- Hetzel says they’re the best nikki ekstein

London, January 9 (rEuTErS): Britain’s biggest carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) sold a record 583,312 cars last year as the Indian-owned firm continues its rapid expansion with the aim of building 1 million vehicles a year at the turn of the decade.

Sales were up 20 percent from the previous year, although sales growth slowed to 12 percent year-on-year in December, the carmaker said.

The automaker, which spent years in the doldrums before being bought by India’s Tata in 2008, has since invested heavily in new models and expanded production with plants in China and Brazil and construction of a new site in Slovakia under way.

Sales of luxury Jaguar models rose 77 percent to 148,730 units in 2016 due to strong demand for a range of new high-end products including the F-PACE, the brand’s first off-roader which was launched last year.

Europe was the carmaker’s biggest overall market, accounting for almost a quarter of total demand.

The firm said its line-up will continue to expand but it has warned about the negative effect any tariffs on its business imposed as part of a Brexit deal could have if Britain were to lose unfettered access to the single market.

Its annual profit could be cut by 1 billion pounds ($1.23 billion) by 2020 if Britain returned to World Trade Organisation rules for trade with the continent, two sources told Reuters last year.

FiRe StatiOnS

KoHIMA soUtH: 0370-2222952/ 101 (O) 9402003086 (OC) KoHIMA nortH: 7085924114 (O) dIMAPUr: 03862-232201/ 101 (O) 9856156876 (OC) CHUMUKedIMA: 7085982102 (O) 8732810051 (OC) woKHA: 03860-242215/101 (O) 8974322879 (OC) MoKoKCHUnG: 0369-2226225/ 101 (O) 8415830232 (OC) PHeK: 8414853765 (O) 8413822476(OC) ZUnHeBoto: 03867-280304/ 101 (O) 9436422730 (OC) tUensAnG: 8414853766 (O) 9856163601 (OC) Mon: 03869-251222/ 101 (O) 9862130954 (OC) Kiphire: 8414853767 (O) 9436261577 (OC) Peren: 7085189932 (O) 9856311205 (OC) LonGLenG: 7085924113 (O) 9862414264 (OC)

For those who insist that traveling is all about the journey, we say this: It really depends on which carrier you’re flying.

Aside from variations in cabins and service quality, there’s the major concern of how likely you are to get delayed. Fly on the wrong airline and your odds of a delay are as high as 55 percent; choose the right one and that number shrinks way down to just 11 percent. That’s enough to make or break a vacation’s spell, no matter where you’re sitting on the plane.

But how do you know which airlines to steer clear of, and which ones to prioritize?

Every year, the aviation insights company FlightStats puts together a list of the international airlines with the best on-time performance records. It’s the capstone to the company’s year-round efforts to track delay and cancellation patterns for airlines

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nual findings so we can point out the losers, too. Without further ado, here are the full results, along with your likelihood of getting delayed on each carrier: The Worst 10 International Airlines of 2016 10. Hainan Airlines 30.3%; 9. Korean Air - 31.74%; 8. Air China - %; 7. Hong Kong Airlines - 33.42%; 6. China Eastern Airlines - 35.8%; 5.

Asiana Airlines - 37.46%; 4.

Philippine Airlines - 38.33%; 3. Air India - 38.71%; 2. Icelandair - 41.05%; 1. El Al - 56%.

The Best 10 International Airlines of 2016 10. Qantas - 15.7%; 9. TAM Linhas Aereas - 14.93%; 8. Delta Air Lines - 14.83%; 7. Singapore Airlines - 14.55%; 6. ANA 14.46%; 5. Austrian - 14.26%; 4.

Qatar Airways - 13.66%; 3. JAL - 12.2%; 2. Iberia - 11.82% and 1. KLM - 11.47 %.

According to Jim Hetzel, vice president of aviation and distribution at FlightStats, compiling the list is no small feat. The only compa-

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partment of Transportation puts out on major domestic carriers, relying uniquely on self-reported data from the biggest carriers in the United States; it doesn’t factor in any of those airlines’ international flights.

“We stitch data together from 500 different sources,” said Hetzel, likening the process to creating a giant quilt.

Among those sources are flight-tracking and positional services, airport runway times, radar services, airline records, airport data, and such governing bodies as Eurocontrol and the Federal Aviation Administration. “All of these pieces come in in different formats, all with different elements of value, and a lot of times the sources don’t agree,” said Hetzel as to why his business is so unrivaled.

“We’ve built the technology and logic to sort that out and validate information across multiple sources. It’s a pretty interesting process,” he said.

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MOKOKCHUnG

nEw dELhi, January 9 (agEnciES): In yet another to fight against black money and tax evasion, the government has notified that all individuals having bank accounts will have to update their PAN (permanent account number) or Form-60 if PAN not available by February 28, 2017.

In this regard, the government has also asked banks to obtain PAN or Form-60 if PAN is not available, from all bank account holders by the said date.

Post demonetisation, this move sure comes as a way to tighten the noose around tax evaders.

“Income-tax Rules have been amended to provide that bank shall obtain and link PAN or Form No. 60 (where PAN is not available) in all existing bank accounts (other than BSBDA) by February 28, 2017, if not already done,” a notification by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) stated Sunday.

The persons who are having bank accounts but have not submitted PAN or Form No 60 are advised to submit the PAN or Form No 60 to the bank by February 28, 2017, the notification stated.

However, this rule will not apply to Basic Savings Bank Deposit Accounts (BSBDA), which are zero balance savings accounts, including Jandhan accounts.

The BSBDA were introduced to take care of simple banking needs of people, which come with free ATM card, monthly statement and cheque book.

Last month, RBI had mandated that no withdrawal shall be allowed from the accounts having substantial credit balance/deposits if PAN or Form No.60 is not provided in respect of such accounts.

It further said that the banks and post offices had also been mandated to submit information in respect of cash deposits from April 1, 2016 to November 8, 2016 in accounts where the cash deposits during the period November 9, 2016 to December 30, 2016 exceeds the specified limits.

It has also been provided under the new rules that person who is required to obtain PAN or Form No.60 shall record the PAN/Form.No.60 in all the documents and quote the same in all the reports submitted to the Income-tax Department.

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CURRenCY nOteS

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BUY (rs) 66.72 81.59 8.33 48.21 45.98 49.53 56.3 69.34 1.8 0.0534 17.58 9.29

seLL (rs) 69.72 85.52 9.27 50.57 48.23 51.94 59.47 72.71 2.00 0.0596 19.58 10.35

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numbers yet. “I’m seeing a big improvement in overall performance across the board as the industry becomes more and more competitive,” he said, noting that on-time performance has become a major selling point for airlines. “It’s a huge win for travelers.”

In an especially impressive coup, Delta still ranked in the top 10 carriers after suffering a days-long system outage in the summer that made headlines around the world. Other results go against the grain of local reputations for punctuality. Latin American carrier Copa would have taken the top spot on this list if its route network were larger; it didn’t qualify it as a truly international carrier because it doesn’t substantially serve three or more regions, with a substantial route network.

And Swiss fell in the middle of the pack, notwithstanding Switzerland’s identification with precision clockwork.

PAN card must for all bank account holders by February 28

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Game Number # 3819

Answer Number # 3818

ACROSS 1.Speak derisively 6. A flexible pipe 10. A small high-pitched flute 14. Hearing-related 15. Anagram of “Star” 16. Burden 17. Commencement ceremony 19. Where a bird lives 20. Elongated square or circle 21. Mineral rock 22. Tall woody plant 23. Australian “bear” 25. Despiser 26. A bitter quarrel 30. A vast multitude 32. Plunge 35. Enfold 39. Edible viscera 40. Relating to cats 41. Impassive 43. Assemble in proper sequence 44. Agency 46. God of love 47. Thin disk of unleavened bread 50. Tapestry 53. A long way off 54. Brassiere 55. Not outside 60. Exploded star 61. Deranged 63. Gait faster than a walk 64. Sensed 65. Ending in a point 66. Arid 67. No charge 68. Hinder DOWN 1. . Palm starch 2. Curtail 3. By mouth 4. Portuguese folksong 5. Fail 6. Cap

7. American songbird 8. Warehousing 9. Feudal worker 10. Baby’s soft spot 11. Unreactive 12. A friction match 13. A chemical compound 18. Since 24. Beer 25. Shack 26. Fleshy sweet fruits 27. Send forth 28. Part of an ear 29. Careful 31. Data 33. Happen again 34. Sun 36. Teller of untruths 37. Savvy about 38. P P P P 42. Student 43. Mongrel 45. Fit for farming 47. Desires 48. Previously 49. An act of gracious kindness 51. Be unwell 52. Breaks 54. Polish 56. Hissy fit 57. Yucky 58. Consider 59. Countercurrent 62. Consumed food Answer to Crossword 3823

Tuesday 10•01•2017

NAGALAND

No compromise under any circumstance: aPO on 33% women reservation KohiMa, January 9 (Mexn): The Angami Public Organisation (APO) has stated that its stand against 33% women reservation in Urban Local Body (ULB) polls “cannot be compromised under any circumstance or condition”.

The APO maintained that its intention is clear and asserted, “What is wrong is not right even if everybody is doing it.”

Acknowledging and appreciating the support it has received, the APO insisted that the issue is not settled yet. “Anytime soon you will be called for duty again. We are confident to expect your support yet again even in

the near future,” the APO statement read.

It further claimed that intending candidates in almost every districts and townships who have filed nominations are withdrawing their nomination.

The Angami Youth Organisation (AYO) has also conveyed gratitude to all volunteers and supporters. “We are immensely inspired by your solidarity. We stand united and committed to what we are entrusted to carry out,” the AYO stated.

“We trust that human principles and values of integrity and fairness are the highest order we must

unceasingly strive for,” the statement from AYO read.

The youth organisation further cautioned that it was “ready and prepared” to strike back anytime “in the event of any uncertain developments.”

CPO hopes candidates withdraw papers Meanwhile, insisting that some intending candidates in Dimapur and Chumukedima “have gone against the people’s wishes”, the Chakhroma Public Organisation (CPO) has expressed hope that they will withdraw their nomination papers on time, “in order to avoid actions to be taken against them”.

The CPO appreciated all intending candidates “who have obeyed the people’s appeal”. “By refraining themselves from filing nomination, it has reflected their leadership and their concern for the people,” the CPO claimed.

The CPO also had words of appreciation to all the citizens of Chakhroma, both young and old, for extending “full cooperation and positive response” to the call of CPO, to uphold the APO resolution in regard to Boycott Urban Local Bodies election in Nagaland till Nagaland Municipal Act is amended with the consent of the stakeholders.

‘Demonetization only increasing miseries of common man’ DiMapur, January 9 (Mexn): Demonetization has only continued to increase miseries of the common man, according to AICC State Coordinator in Dimapur Pradyut Bordoloi. He was addressing a meeting with NPCC today at Congress Bhavan, Dimapur, a press release informed.

Bordoloi said that it is the responsibility of the Congress to highlight the ill-effects of demonetization and added that the Congress is mobilizing all its units across the nation to create awareness on the same.

Calling on the NPCC to continue building awareness, Bordoloi maintained that the “dictatorial decision” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi “infringes upon the basic fundamental rights of the people”.

He further read out a list of demands put forth by the AICC National Vice President Rahul Gandhi to mitigate the ill-effects of demonetization on the nation.

NPCC President K. Therie, who

also spoke on the occasion, said that demonetization or cashless economy, besides being impractical, is “unacceptable” to a rural economy like Nagaland "since more than 90% of our people are without bank accounts."

The senseless act of demonetization has paralysed the vibrant economy, as there is no infrastructure to support a digital economy, Therie maintained.

The meeting further resolved to:

Meetings & AppointMents

Sumi Hoho urges candidates to withdraw nominations DiMapur, January 9 (Mexn): The Sumi Hoho on Monday urged all the candidates who have filed nominations from Zunheboto to withdraw their nominations in the best and larger interest of the Sumis in particular and the Nagas in general.

Reiterating its decision to oppose the Urban Local Body (ULB) election till the existing Municipal Act is thoroughly reviewed, the Sumi Hoho said it shall never accept anything if it means compromise and infringement of Article 371A. Meanwhile, it alleged that despite their appeal to refrain from filing nominations to the ensuing Zunheboto town council election, NPF candidates led by Huskha

Yepthomi, NPF working president and Hukavi Zhimomi, MLA from Zunheboto constituency with their entourage and security forces proceeded and filed nominations forcefully.

The Hoho stated that it had assured the law enforcing agencies in advance that the public will not create law and order situations as it was never the intentions of the Sumi public leaders to go for physical confrontations.

In this connection, the Sumi Hoho declared that should any complications arises in future causing hindrances and infringement to Sumi people’s practices and rights, Philimi Youth Front conducting social work in the village on Monday in prepathe aforementioned leaders would be held ration of the seminar on Tobacco Awareness cum Cultural Resuscitation to be held from January 10-12. solely responsible.

Kohima | January 9

The Nagaland Vision 2030 document stated that telecom and IT sector is another area that has developed tremendously in the last decade or so and almost all the village is now accessible by cellular network, Satellite TV and so on.

IT is emerging as the most potential means of not only connecting the villages to the world but also for modernizing them, the Vision document stated adding that such connectivity will provide platforms to improve their production in terms of market information.

“This will bring e-governance to the rural areas by not only enabling the interface of the people with departments but also improve implementation of proA man uses mobile phone in remote area of Nagaland. (Mo- grams through better reporting, rung Photo/Chizokho Vero) supervision and evaluation,” the

Vision document stated adding that computerization of village and centralization of such information will reduce duplication and confusions amongst the departments.

Induction of GIS and GPS mapping systems will make the planning process more efficient and also lead to rationalization of land records, it observed adding that it has to be the endeavour of the government to ensure quality connectivity including broadband to the villages for which initiatives have to be taken with the telcos.

Government may consider even providing appropriate incentives for connectivity where operations may not be very profitable.

The PURA concepts come in here which will also act as an incentive for the educated youth to live in the rural areas pursuing gainful livelihood in non farming employment, the Vision document stated.

Pochury catholic Women to celebrate 25 years Meluri, January 9 (Mexn): Preparations are ongoing at St. Xavier Parish Meluri, Phek as the Pochury Catholic Women Association (PCWA) celebrates its Silver Jubilee (1992-2017). According to a press release, construction of the convention hall is at full swing while the choir spend their whole day practicing the jubilee songs.

The 11th session cum Silver Jubilee of PCWA will be celebrated from January 13 to 16 with the theme “The reward for doing good is life” (Proverbs 10:16)at St.Xavier ParishChurch Meluri. The jubilee feast on January 15 will be celebrated with Most Rev. Dr. James Thoppil, Bishop of Kohima as the main celebrant.

The main speakers for the event will be Rev. Fr. Jaison, Director, Pastoral Centre who will speak on “Mothers as the instrument of change” while Vilanuo Angela, President, Nagaland Catholic Women Association, will speak on “Power and responsibility of women”. The 4-day session cum Silver Jubilee celebration will be marked with rosary prayers, rosary procession, and cultural programmes besides other activities.

CPO executive council meet held Our Correspondent Kohima | January 9

A Village Guard (VG) on duty during an official function recently at Yisisotha village under Meluri sub division of Phek District. Raised on March 1, 1957, VGs are spread in the border villages of Tuensang, Mon, Kiphire, Longleng districts, and Meluri sub-division of Phek district. (Morung Photo)

The executive council meeting of the Chakhesang Public Organization (CPO) as part of its 35th general session- cum3rd Chakhesang Day took place today at Yoriiba village under Phek district.

The meeting was led by CPO President Kekhwengulo Lea while CPO General Secretary Mutsivoyi Kotso read out the report.

Discussion hour marked the executive council meeting.

Meanwhile, the main function will take place on January 10 from 10:00 am onwards with K.G. Kenye, MP Rajya Sabha as

the speaker.

Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) Speaker Chotisuh Sazo will share greetings while Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) President Kewekhape Therie will exhort the gathering.

The programme will be chaired by CPO Vice President Ariyi Nienu. CPO President Kekhwengulo Lea will deliver presidential address.

Act of blessing will be pronounced by Rev. Dr. V.K. Nuh while welcome address will be delivered by Yoriiba Village Council Chairman Vesolhu Veswu.

The session will witness adoption of resolution.

Ao Senden Federal Assembly on Jan 11 The Ao Senden has called for a Federal Assembly on January 11 at Ao Senden office from 10:00 am onwards.

While informing all units to be present, it also informed that no separate letters would be issued apart from the message conveyed through the media.

NPCC emergency meeting An NPCC emergency meeting has been convened at 11:00 am on January 12 at Congress Bhavan, Kohima.

All PCC Members, DCC Presidents and Frontal Chiefs are requested to attend the meeting positively.

Public SPace

Telecom, IT developed tremendously in almost all villages in Nagaland Our Correspondent

Demand from PM Modi to answer the charges on the demonetization white paper brought out by AICC; Form district level Implementation Committees to highlight the negative impacts of demonetization across the state; and Extend solidarity with the people across the country badly affected by the impacts of the senseless act of demonetization implemented without any planning or thought.

a tribute to K V Pusa All that live must die, passing through nature to this earth his equal we find. Honorable and upright in all his ways.. eternity- William Shakespeare He was such a gentle person and so active When a great man dies, for years the light he and vibrant, which makes it even harder to comleaves behind him, lies on the paths of men - prehend his death.

I have so many fond memories of him that Henry Wadsworth Longfellow will help me in my grief. We enjoyed each other's hose who have lived a good life do not fear company so much and I will miss him extremedeath, but meet it calmly and even long for ly. I don't think I have ever had so close person it in the face of great suffering. But those who always gave me valuable advices. You are who do not have a peaceful conscience fear gone but your valuable words will always be in death as though life means nothing but physi- my mind. cal suffering. The challenge is to live our life so What a sad and sudden loss. I am still in disthat we will be prepared for death when it comes. belief. I don't think the reality has hit me just yet.

K V Pusa, a tall Naga leader was an untiring Prayers and fond memories are what we advocate for peace, unity and progress in Naga have to remember our dearly departed leader. society. His death has left a gaping hole among With a profound heart, i pray for the eternal rest the ranks of our leaders, but he leaves behind a of one who was a man of illustrious humanity. foundation for others to build upon.

H Chishi Always so good, unselfish and kind, few on Kohima

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33% Reservation- Why and How? A Birds eye view

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or every problem there is a reason or a cause, this particular case is turning uglier and uglier day by day.

Dissecting this problem part by part to find out what actually led to the current scenario is the need of the hour and to take a step back and address to it rather than showing teeth’s at every chance we get which of course is not going to take us anywhere.

1. Why did this issue start?

Nagaland, it’s not just another Indian state, its unique history is recognized even by the Indian Govt. It’s not a news that even the Constitution of India have provisioned a special status for Nagaland under Atricle 371(A). Naga’s land even before democracy came into existence had a customary and traditional governance which we can still see today.

The issue of reservation for women might had a different outcome had the Government of Nagaland instead of piggybacking on the notion of Indian Government reserving seats for women showed some courtesy or in this case the much needed step to approach the Tribal Hoho’s and consult with them regarding this issue.

Dialogue with the Tribal leaders was the missing ingredient overall, for those who thinks this is just about reservation, it is not. From the perspective of those opposing this is nothing but an unacceptable Indian law being introduced in Naga’s land and the response is no different than what we see today.

2. How can we move forward?

Nagaland Government instead of adding more fuel to the fire by extending the nomination filing date should take a

step back and consult with the Tribal leaders and figure out a better way. Least the Nagaland Govt. forget that they are dealing with people who had a long bloody history with the world 2nd largest populated country in the world for over 60yrs and they are not going to take crap from anyone.

Though, this issue of reservation seems unrelated to Article 371(A) but here again we need to understand the nature of governance the Naga people have been under even before the controversial Government came into existence, it was strictly a “Man’s world”.

However, with the change of time, the Tribal leaders need to understand that Women participation has become the need of the hour, restricting the Women folk just to the four walls of the kitchen is not acceptable in this age, if we were to conduct a full fledge poll across all Naga Inhabitant area it won’t be a surprise if Majority supports this 33% reservation (just a small example from the poll taken here in TNB).

And this can be only achieved through dialogue and understanding not by showing our six packs.

3. The General Opinion No doubt, Women reservation has seen a widespread support mainly because our women are capable enough to participate and because the people have understood the need of women in decision making roles, it now depends on how we execute it.

For many, “women are treated equal” and goes on to say “they can participate without any reservation”, true they can, no one is stopping them but judging the nature of gov-

ernance we had since time immemorial, do we really think women participation will happen overnight without any push? They need some help and reservation is nothing but a helping hand.

Personally for me reservation is needed, not on the lines of practicing it forever nor implementing it forcefully but just as a helping hand for our women folk to step up, once this is achieved reservation can be abolished. But it depends on how our Government and the Tribal leaders execute it.

For many, “Women are not treated equal”, “Women have no rights to own property as per the customary law”, true as per our customary law when it comes to property inheritance and being part of decision make body our women folk are not treated equally. But realistically speaking there are women folk from Naga’s land who owns property, I personally know of them and you may too, that is change.

At the end of the day it all depends on our understanding, customary law states so but with the change of time we also need to change, whatever is no longer logical is better left aside and work towards paving a way for a more progressive society.

On a side note: While we are squabbling over reservation, India and Myanmar are trying to divide Naga’s again behind our back, I assume they thought we won’t notice? Would really appreciate if our Tribal Leaders give equal importance to that as well and fight with the same amount of dedication we have seen lately, shall we?

Atsung Imchen Kolkata

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

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tuesday 10•01•2017

IN FOCUS The Power of Truth

The Morung Express volume Xii issue 8

Decolonizing Framework

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he Naga heart continues to be confronted with crisis on multiple fronts, all of which have the potential to negatively impact the Naga future. In the south, it is faced with a government that continuously subjugates the people and fragments its traditional land, thereby, perpetuates suffering, and marginalizes and alienates everyone. In the east, its land and people are being torn apart by two States that is erecting a physical fence which will systematically divide a peoples, while structurally denying them rights to live in dignity on their traditional land, accessing resources, and livelihoods. Concurrently, there is a deepening polarization around 33% women reservation and its perceived infringement of Article 371(A).

Indeed, as the New Year unfolds the critical times continue with the present crisis testing the Naga spirit and character; its values and principles; its capacity to constructively engage and overcome challenges; and the foundational characteristics of the desired Naga future. Within this context it is crucial for the Naga heart to be reflective and gain a wider view of this pressing situation. A fresh perspective will make it possible to prioritize, discern and astutely chart a dynamic course through this complex maze of opportunities.

Although the challenges are of different natures, there is a commonality. The questions around arbitrarily drawn State imposed boundaries and rigidly defined ‘customary law’ find its roots in the British colonial project, which has been further developed and craftily implemented by the Indian, as well as the Myanmar State. This dislocation requires a comprehensive response. Hence, the Naga heart needs to begin at the roots and initiate a process of critical dialogue designed to develop an informed and encompassing decolonizing framework that will provide a sustained and effective process of addressing the problems constructively.

In the event that a decolonizing discourse is collectively pursued, the Naga heart will need to be prepared to reconcile with the idea that the colonial form of ‘customary law’ is inherently limiting and designed for Naga culture and worldview to be ‘frozen in time.’ Furthermore, that Article 371(A) is the statecraft to contain Naga political aspirations within the 16 Points of 1960.

In essence a decolonizing framework will enlighten the Naga heart to pursue a liberated ‘customary law’ shaped by a dynamic Naga jurisprudence premised on values of truth, equality, restorative justice, shared responsibilities and collective interdependence of today’s Naga. Similarly, a decolonizing framework will inform the Naga heart that the Naga political, social, cultural and economic aspirations require an impetus guided by the collective will and participation of a shared Naga future that transcends Article 371 (A).

left wing |

Dr. Hesheto Y. Chishi

Neither Women’s reservation nor ULB and general election a Naga traditional village polity

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he subject of empowerment of women has becoming a burning issue all over the world including we Nagas since last few years. To me the prevalent burning issue of Naga village polity versus ULB & General election, or to some extend traditional versus constitutional is merely a problem of unconvinced discourses. At the very first place, as we all are well aware of the prevalent issue we should look the matter through contextual worldview and understand the demand of a change society. Remember, there are many unaddressed and unattended issues surrounding us that are keeping us aloof from and behind other societies. I believe what made us so sensitive on the issue particularly about women’s reservation is best known to every concern individuals.

In the tradition dominated by essentialism, translation has generally been regarded as a stubborn theoretical problem which defies the basic assumptions of most traditional disciplines. Our Naga village polity what I heard from oral literature was purely a rural setup polity. So do their election system different from what we practice today. For instance, Angami practiced pure democratic form of polity, every one dictated in his own rights, Ao practiced democratic setup of Putumendan system (elected on seniority), and Sümi and Konyak practice monarchical polity, hereditary system of angh and akükau etc etc.

My question with this regard is, how are we man folk interpreting Article 371 a in the context of women’s reservation and general and ULB election? Is it okay if we man folk enjoys general election and ULB election against our traditional rural village polity and restrain women’s reservation in urban local bodies? Is ULB and general election a constitutional and 33% women’s reservation a traditional? How good and comfortable are we in interpreting foreign constitution and exercising our traditional life? Is present ULB and state general election system a replicate of Naga traditional village polity?

If so how strict are we maintaining it. Is empowerment provision for women in any way against Naga traditional village polity? If so how honest are we implementing its benefit? And how do we justify creamy layer quotas? Urbanization is completely a foreign habitation in nature, how practical are we enforcing traditional village polity in this new environment?

Are we determining to safeguard and preserve our Naga age old traditional gender biasness under the pretext of article 371 a? And erase factors that do not affect us directly i.e., indigenous identity issue, rural settlement, primitive religion, morung institution, agricultural profession, language, traditional dietary, dress, indigenous knowledge, lifestyle, and sense of community living? Which effect is actually more endanger at higher scale?

Culture is dynamic and it evolves with contextual time frame. Conservatives’ notion of static culture has to do away with time. We can no longer dwell in the past practices as a detached community from the rest of the digital world. While safeguarding and preserving our rich cultural and traditional values we should also erase those practices that are impractical, irrelevant, bias, taxing, harsh, and unethical that contradicts with Human rights and present ethos of human values and Christian principle.

Therefore, let’s try to understand that the notion of women empowerment not only focuses on giving women strength and skills to rise above from their miserable situation but at the same time it also stresses on the need to educate men regarding women issues and inculcating a sense of respect and duty towards women as coworkers.

Indigenous Cultural Society, Nagaland contact: hchishi@yahoo.com for any clarification.

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

C O M M e n t A R Y

Garga Chatterjee

Dhaka Lit Fest—finding the freedom in speech

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haka Lit Fest, now in its sixth year, is flagship Anglo-Bengali literature, arts and ideas public event in Bangladesh, held annually in Dhaka, the capital of the country. In last year’s Dhaka Lit Fest, the day I checked into the hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon situated bang in the middle of the media district in Dhaka near Karwanbajar, I was greeted by a pink note on my bed. It was not a personal note but a note that all participants who had checked into that hotel that received. In a gentle note, it forbade me to step out of the hotel the next day due to the radical Islamist political party Jamaat-e-Islami sponsored hartaal (shutdown) and to be careful about security. The organizers had good reason to be jittery. Due to the War Crime trials, senior functionaries of the Jamaat had received capital punishments. Bloggers and freethinkers had been slain in crowded public places with particular brutality. All this negative publicity in a country of the Southern world has a pattern of being amplified in the Northern white world. And that had been the case. There had been 19 cancellations from foreign participants. But life in Dhaka for a Bengali like me on the Hartaal day was quite normal. Dhaka citizens didn’t care much about the Hartaal call and neither did I. May be it was foolish.

May be it was not. But in that difference lies the choice of an individual to provide legitimacy and validity to a concocted ambience of siege and terror, or to break out of that into mundaneness. When the reaction of a brown man is same as a white man to such situations, then it is time for the brown man to re-examine his conviction, location and mindscape.

I chose to remain brown. Dhaka Lit Fest 2015 was a success. The footfalls made it a success.

Cut to 2016. I checked into the same Pan Pacific Sonargaon for the Dhaka Lit Fest. There was no pink note on my bed but a welcome card.

However, what had happened in Bangladesh in the meantime since the 2015 Dhaka Lit Fest would make one expect another, probably bigger, pink note. For in the meantime, the list of those killed by targeting had expanded to include foreigners, religious minorities, queer people, baul-fakirs, non-extremist Muslim divines and more free-thinkers and bloggers. But this time, as the organizers told me later, there were only 5 cancellations. And to top it all, the primary draw of the Dhaka Lit Fest 2016 was none other than V.S. Naipaul, arguably the only living Nobel laureate in literature with the deepest connections to South Asia and as I learnt later, to Dhaka in particular, as Lady Naipaul had spent a few good years of her life in East Bengal.

He was wheel chair bound but his spirit was flying. And to see him the people of Dhaka and beyond came in huge numbers. On day one, the

least attended day, the footfall was over ten thousand.

And this is precisely what sets apart the Dhaka Lit Fest from most other such literature, arts and ideas festivals in the subcontinent. That is the increasing connect and relevance of this festival in the city to its citizens, as a part of Dhaka’s annual cultural calendar. It is a festival of Dhaka where the location is not incidental but fundamental to the identity of the festival. Some other fests have more events, some have larger crowds drawn in from the surrounds in a site that was chosen for stoking oriental fantasies of the mystic East, some have a bigger list of big names.

Dhaka had the right mix of names and events, and an active participation of the citizens; and a crowd that knows they have a right to be there.

All of this was happening in the backdrop of dogged questions of freedom of speech restrictions in Bangladesh. The most high profile case was that of the arrest of Mauhumudur Rahman, the editor of the Bangla language Amar Desh, considered politically aligned with the political Islamist camp. Charges against him included “sedition and unlawful publication of a conversation that led to the resignation of the head judge of a war crimes tribunal”. He was released on bail a few days after the Dhaka Lit Fest, after 3 years in jail. At the same time, senior ministers have taken ambivalent and unhelpful positions on the issue of blogger killings with some bloggers being detained for arrested for short periods and others calling into question the content of blogs more than the issue of serial murder of bloggers. These and various other curb downs have brought into question press freedom in Bangladesh. The Section 57 of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act-2006, popularly called 57 Dhara in Bangladesh, has received particular criticism as being draconian with regards to freedom of speech and expression. Section 57(1) says, “If any person deliberately publishes or

transmits or causes to be published or transmitted in the website or in any other electronic form any material which is false and obscene and if anyone sees, hears or reads it having regard to all relevant circumstances, its effect is such as to influence the reader to become dishonest or corrupt, or causes to deteriorate or creates possibility to deteriorate law and order, prejudice the image of the state or person or causes to hurt or may hurt religious belief or instigate against any person or organisation, then this activity will be regarded as an offence”. The sheer vagueness and breadth of this section makes it open to be used as a political tool. Many have asked for its repeal. A festival that celebrates and engages with words and freedom elsewhere has to engage with the same concepts at home. And the Dhaka Lit Fest did that in its own ambit.

On the 3rd day of the fest, the panel Ruddhoshor was specifically on the conditions of free speech in Bangladesh. Panelists were free speech advocates, including a blogger-at-risk, whose name is doing the rounds in several Islamist “hit lists”.

The discussion was explosive; at one point, the floor asked if the panel agreed that Article 57 of the ICT Act should be canceled and the panel in turn asked the house, which "passed" that resolution in a resounding voice-vote. One of the festival directors commented from stage that he believed free speech was now more restricted now than at any time since the advent of democracy (except during 1/11) and also called for the rescinding of Article 57. This was part of the “Literature: Everything Is Political” panel. Bauls or syncretic spiritual mendicants of the BaulFakir tradition of Bengal have come under systematic attack from Islamic hardline groups, including murder, tonsure, beatings and intimidation. Apart from Baul performances, a panel specifically discussed these issues. It is clear that the issues of freedom of speech in Bangladesh are quite diverse, whether blame does

rest with the government of the day as well as various other political actors opposed to the government of the day. How to apportion the blame depends on one’s vision of a good society but it is undeniable that at the end of the day, the buck stops with the government.

The government was one of the minor sponsors of the event, in addition to providing security cover for an event of this profile. This is routine for the Jaipur Lit Fest or the Lahore Lit Fest, where the government is a provider of security and the arrangements happen in close co-ordination with them. Thus, in all 3 major South Asian states, each with dismal reputations about freedom of speech, the long shadow of the government of the day is ever present. To what extent does this influence the proceedings and content of the events is what should be scrutinized closely.

The clear denunciation of Article 57 shows that sentiments very critical to government policy were expressed.

Could there have been more criticisms of the government? Surely, but it is questionable whether the extent of criticism of the government of the host land is the only lens through which freedom of speech standards of an event of global arts and letters is to be evaluated. In this regard, it is important to mention that in attendance as invitees at Dhaka Lit Fest were two top officials of PEN International (Carles Torner and Romana Cacchiolli) as well as bureau chiefs of BBC and Economist, who were under no obligation, one would believe, to live up to Article 57 norms about sullying Bangladesh’s image and make their own inferences about the festival and its context or to act as agents to whitewash the very real press freedom violations in Bangladesh.

Reporters Without Borders sums up the Bangladesh scenario quite succinctly in its country brief where it states, “In Bangladesh, it is a bad idea to criticize the constitution or Islam, the state religion. Journalists and bloggers who refuse to submit to censorship or to censor themselves on these subjects risk life imprisonment or the death penalty. Islamist militants have also targeted outspoken secularists. The media are nonetheless quite diverse and fairly outspoken on less sensitive issues”. The Dhaka Lit Fest represented a part but not all of that outspokenness and diversity. Bangladesh’s World Press Freedom Index rank of 144 is dismal and not too far away from India’s 133 – both classified as “Red”. For comparison, Mexico is at 149, Venezuela is at 139 and Turkey is at 151. These are bleak times where every forum in a “Red” zone state, like a literature festival can be looked upon as being at the cross-roads of co-option and resistance at the same time,. At the end of the day, the broader political realities on the ground determine which of those tendencies dominate and not the other way round.

January Brings Changes for UN Security Council Andy Hazel and lyndal Rowlands

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Inter Press Service

ive of the UN Security Council’s 15 seats were filled by new members this week, but a bigger shift in the council is expected later this month under the new US administration.

Sweden, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan and Italy replaced outgoing nonpermanent members Spain, Malaysia, New Zealand, Angola and Venezuela.

They will join the other five nonpermanent members – Japan, Egypt, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay – as well as the five permanent members of the council – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The council’s five permanent members are considered to be the most powerful, since they hold the ability to veto any vote they disagree with.

This is why the change in the United States administration may signal a greater political shift in the council than the rotation of non-permanent members.

The possible change was foreshadowed by President-elect Trump in December following a controversial vote on Israeli settlements.

The United States took the surprise decision to abstain from the vote condemning Israeli settlements in the disputed territory of the West Bank, rather than using its veto power.

“As to the U.N., things will be different after Jan. 20th,” Trump tweeted shortly after the vote took place.

US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power – a member of President

Barack Obama’s cabinet – defended the abstention saying, “Israeli settlement activity in territories occupied in 1967 undermines Israel’s security, harms the viability of a negotiated twostate outcome, and erodes prospects for peace and stability in the region.”

Power is expected to be replaced

by Trump’s pick for the council, Nikki Haley, the current Governor of South Carolina, after Trump’s inauguration on January 20.

Sweden’s Ambassador to the UN, Olof Skoog downplayed the political implications of the change in US administration for the Security Council.

“I haven’t spoken with anyone from the administration of the Presidentelect, but I expect that when they come to look at the work we’re doing they’ll see it is in the interests of the United States,” Skoog told journalists on Tuesday.

With January bringing a new US president, a changed Security Council and a new UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Skoog said that he hoped to harness this “spirit of newness” to spur momentum into the Council’s work.

However Skoog said he was not expecting particular challenges to the Security Council’s work to come from the incoming US administration, with whom he said he looked forward to collaborating.

Skoog described Power as a strong voice with whom he shares many views. He said he also had a working

relationship with Haley, but would not be drawn on possible changes regarding Israeli-Palestinian policy within the council.

Sweden has officially recognised the state of Palestine, putting it at odds with Trump’s pro-Israel stance.

Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said that he hoped Italy could bring the Israel-Palestine conflict “to the forefront of the United Nations’ agenda,” during their month as president in November. Migration from the Middle East and Syria are also expected to be among the issues Italy will prioritise. Italy will be represented

by Ambassador Sebastiano Card.

In a new and unusual step, Italy will share its security council seat with the Netherlands due to an impasse vote in the UN General Assembly for the final European seat. Italy will sit on the council in 2016 and the Netherlands in 2017.

Gentiloni described the move as “a message of unity between European countries.”

2016 will be the first time that Kazakhstan will sit on the Security Council. The Central Asian country – which is keen to be seen as a major international power – will be represented by the ex-Ambassador to the United States Mr Kairat Umarov.

Kazakhstan – a part of the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone – may also bring a different perspective to Security Council discussions on nuclear non-proliferation. President-elect Trump’s comments on nuclear weap-

wRite-wing

ons have signalled that this may be an area high on the UN’s agenda in 2017.

Succeeding Venezuela as the Latin American representative, and holding a seat on the Council for the first time since 1979, is Bolivia. The plurinational state is represented by the Sacha Llorenti, a published author who spent two years at the President of Bolivia’s Permanent Assembly for Human Rights and was a minister in the government of Evo Morales.

Llorenti resigned from the ministry in 2011 following a violent police response to protesters marching against the building of a road through the Amazon rainforest. This was not the first time Llorenti was involved in clashes between indigenous populations and infrastructure.

Ethiopia replaces Angola and joins Senegal as an African representative on the Council. Ethiopia has become a major contributor of over 8,000 troops to UN peacekeeping operations. However in 2016, Ethiopia faced political instability within its own borders amid crackdowns on protestors.

In its first month on the council, Sweden has also taken up the rotating position of President. Skoog told press on Tuesday that the council’s priorities for January would include Syria, South Sudan and the Congo.

Skoog also highlighted massive population displacement, diminishing resources and rise of Boko Haram in Lake Chad region as detailed by Oxfam in a report entitled Lake Chad’s Unseen Crisis, which draws parallels between climate change, terrorism and national security.

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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.

TUESDAY 10•01•2017

PERSPECTIVE

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Which Michelle Obama Will We Get When She Leaves the White House?

The “mom in chief” charmed late-night hosts and hula-hooped with kids, but she wasn’t her full self in public Jodi Kantor

O

NYT

n Jan. 20, Michelle Obama will hand her home over to a man who rose to power in part by spreading lies about her husband and intends to pulverize much of his work. If presidential tradition and her own recent conduct are any guide, she will carry herself through inauguration morning with quiet calm and few hints of what she is really thinking. After Donald J. Trump recites the oath of office, a helicopter — no longer called Marine One, because the president will not be on board — will lift the Obamas into new lives.

Soon after, Michelle Obama will have a choice to make: Should she start — or rather, resume — speaking in public with her fuller voice?

When her husband became the 2008 Democratic nominee for president, Mrs. Obama edited herself. She had to, in the face of unceasing Republican attacks and then the challenge of being the first African-American first lady. Her statements were authentic but limited. She called herself the “mom in chief” and charmed latenight TV hosts in clips that exploded the next day on social media. Sometimes she spoke as much with her body as her voice, hula-hooping and hopscotching with children, turning appearances into marathon hugging sessions. She became a specialist in light jokes, as she demonstrated in September, when she went on a shopping expedition with Ellen DeGeneres to CVS. “Wine in a box! How does this work?” she asked in mock wonder.

She took on issues that were vital but hard to disagree with: She was pro-veteran, anti-childhood obesity. The approach worked brilliantly, protecting and elevating her, putting her as far above reproach as anyone in the mosh pit of American politics can hope to be. The less explicitly political she sounded, the more political influence she wielded, in convention speeches and other key moments.

This approach carried a price: It did not capture the true depth, originality and directness of Michelle Obama.

In a 2008 interview with The Times, she recalled her years of leading young people through sometimes-painful conversations about race, and made the case for being forthright. “I hate diversity workshops,” she said. “Real change comes from having enough comfort to be really honest and say something very uncomfortable,” she said.

Does Michelle Obama still believe that?

In Donald Trump’s America, the hunger among Democrats for her to speak out will be enormous. But she knows better than anyone what that could cost her.

The Michelle Obama whom friends, family and aides know, whom many Chicagoans remember, is an incisive social critic, a lawyer who can drive home an argument, a source of fresh observations and pointed commentary. Long before she arrived at the White House, she had formed her own worldview, based on a life full of dramatic changes and contrasts.

When she attended Princeton, one of her roommates moved out rather than live with

a black girl; one of her aunts, as it happened, worked as a maid in town. Her father was a Chicago water worker, part of the vast municipal work force. Later she worked in the mayor’s office, seeing city government from a much different height. Though she attended Harvard Law School and worked at a top firm, the job that seemed most formative involved public-service training for young people of disparate backgrounds: University of Chicago alumni alongside veterans of housing projects and gangs. She was influenced by others, including her brainy dreamer of a husband, but she fused these experiences into her own point of view and a distinctive voice: warm, skeptical, funny, blunt.

She questioned why power was locked up in political dynasties. When she worked at the University of Chicago, she pointed out the institution’s isolation amid the black South Side. A professor, Cathy Cohen, remembers Mrs. Obama telling her, “I grew up not far from here and the university never once reached out to me.” Old colleagues there, and in other jobs, too, say Mrs. Obama’s ability to talk frankly about difficult issues, like performing medical trials on poor black Chicagoans, was one of her strengths.

She had a penchant for defying what others expected her to say or think. In interviews, she shredded the script of the dutiful helpmeet. “What I notice about men, all men, is that their order is me, my family, God is in there somewhere, but me is first,” she told The Chicago Tribune in 2004 when her husband was running for United States Senate. “And for women, me is fourth, and that’s not healthy.”

A few years later, when her husband announced his presidential run, “60 Minutes” asked if she feared for his safety. “As a black man, you know, Barack can get shot going to the gas station,” she said.

Sometimes, in those early days on the trail, she sounded like a counselor, even a minister. “If there is anyone who has a broken relationship with another woman,” she said to a mostly female crowd in South Carolina in 2007, the first of six years I spent covering her, “if there was a woman in your life that you have not communicated with because of ego or embarrassment or jealousy or fear of rejection, a sister or a friend or a mother or a child who could or should be a part of your community, I ask you to reach out to that woman today.”

In interviews, longtime aides to the Obamas said that she does not yet know exactly how she wants to sound as a former first lady, that she has been focused on tying up her eight years in the White House as smoothly as possible. Mrs. Obama will be 53 when she leaves the White House, and her goal, friends and aides say, is to look at her life afresh.

Some of those aides make a powerful case that even as Michelle Obama is likely to be spending time writing a memoir and giving speeches, she will be most effective if she sticks to the calibrated tone she has employed for her husband’s two terms. She has always admired Laura Bush’s restrained approach, they say. Mrs. Obama never longed for a particularly public life and does not relish the fray.

Leaving the spotlight could be a relief, as it was for Mrs. Bush: “After nearly eight years of hypervigilance, of watching for the next danger

or tragedy that might be coming, I could at last exhale; I could simply be,” she said of leaving the White House in her 2010 memoir.

Besides, the best way for Mrs. Obama to preserve her popularity and authority may be to hold back, to avoid jeopardizing what she has worked to build. Even when she is bathed in public admiration, she is the target of revolting attacks — a prominent Trump supporter recently insinuated she was a male ape — and speaking out more could provoke worse. As first lady, she used hints, invitations, art, sometimes even clothing to convey her viewpoint. If she mostly avoided controversial topics, her mere presence spoke volumes, and was there really any mistaking the fundamentals of what she believed?

On Friday morning, Mrs. Obama’s eyes glossed as she gave her final remarks as first lady. She exhorted young people to educate themselves and “build a country worthy of your boundless promise” — an uplifting message that included a subtle critique.

But others who know her predict that with time, Mrs. Obama will find a new voice. Both Obamas, two of the few unifying figures in a fractured Democratic Party, will face enormous pressure to help oppose and rebuild.

For years, she has mostly bottled up her critiques of Republicans, but they are scorching, say those who have heard the private version.

Some Democrats dream of her running for president in 2020, and though Mrs. Obama and those close to her say the idea is out of the question, the general appetite to hear from her may not be as easy for her to dismiss.

The themes of the hour — unfairness, opportunity, whether to have even a shred of faith in the system — are ones she has thought about her entire adult life. Being in the White House has given her eight years’ worth of insights she has barely shared. She may be the most powerful black woman in the country, a position that begs to be used.

Michelle Obama cares about representation — for example, insisting on appearing on the cover of Vogue even when some of her advisers questioned the decision. The world has only one observant, original, wildly popular African-American first lady, and for her to hoard her ideas and views would be a waste.

Last summer, after a wave of groping accusations against Mr. Trump, Michelle Obama gave a speech sharper and more vehement than most of her other statements as first lady. “I can’t believe that I’m saying that a candidate for president of the United States has bragged about sexually assaulting women,” she said. “And I have to tell you that I can’t stop thinking about this.”

Aides and friends have often said that while Michelle Obama never embraced politics like her husband, her capacity for outrage is greater. “While I’d love nothing more than to pretend like this isn’t happening,” she said in the speech, “it would be dishonest and disingenuous to me to just move on to the next thing like this was all just a bad dream.”

As she stood on the stage, sharing her forthright opinion with the world, she sounded like someone: the pre-White House Michelle Obama.

Jodi Kantor is a reporter at the Times and the author of the newly updated “The Obamas: The Partnership Behind a Historic Presidency.”

Ban Ki-moon’s mixed legacy as the UN Secretary-General Lyndal Rowlands

B

Inter Press Service

an Ki-moon ended his ten years as UN Secretary-General at midnight on New Year’s Eve with his last official duty – dropping the ball at New York’s Times Square.

“I’ll be in Times Square for the ball drop. Millions of people will watch me lose my job.” Ban wrote beforehand on Twitter, hinting at possible relief that years of ribbon-cutting, handshaking and selfie-taking were finally over.

Ban – a former foreign minister of South Korea and career diplomat – seemed to embrace these ceremonial duties tirelessly during his two terms as Secretary-General.

However, when it came to some of the bigger responsibilities of the role, some critics argue he could have done more.

UN Secretaries-General have to tread a delicate path of diplomacy and bureaucracy. They are servants to the UN’s 193 member states, but they also have a responsibility to be a “true voice” of the UN Charter, Stephen Lewis, co-founder of international advocacy organisation AIDSFree World, told IPS. “With the world in the state it now is in, we need a Secretary-General who speaks truth to power, who speaks his mind, who takes strong positions, and that has not been characteristic of the last several year of Ban Ki-Moon’s tenure,” said Lewis, who is also a former Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF and a former Canadian Ambassador to the UN. Lewis said that Ban could have done more to follow in the footsteps of former Secretaries-General such as Kofi Annan of Ghana or Dag Hammarskjold of Sweden, two Secretaries-General admired for their ability to stand up to UN member states when needed.

“It’s the difference between someone who’ll use the middle ground to try and satisfy everyone and someone who says, my job is to lead this world in a principled way, upholding the charter and telling the member

NEW YORK, July 9, 2014 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks during a press briefing on developments in the Middle East at the UN headquarters in New York, on July 9, 2014. Ban Ki- moon on Wednesday called on Israeli and Palestinian leaders to restore a political horizon, warning the region is facing "one of the most critical tests." (Xinhua/Niu Xiaolei)

The charter is the founding document of the United Nations which was established in 1945 in the wake of the Second World War. UN expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations Richard Gowan agreed that Ban chose to be diplomatic rather than disagree with UN member states.

“Ban is a traditional diplomat to his bone marrow. He always felt that offending big powers was a taboo,” said Gowan.

However Gowan – who has followed Ban’s tenure closely – noted that over time Ban began to take stronger positions.

“I do think Ban got better over time. After the 2009 Sri Lanka crisis he felt compelled to highlight serious human rights abuses. He is a moral man.”

However overall, Gowan said that Ban was considered too cautious in the face of major crises facing the UN. These include ongoing conflicts in Syria and South Sudan.

that Ban has been too cautious and too concerned about protecting his own position in the face of major crises,” said Gowan.

However while Ban may have only had limited influence over the UN member states’ responses to the world’s protracted disasters he did have responsibility for how the UN responded to them.

This includes oversight for UN peacekeepers – whose numbers swelled to over 100,000 during Ban’s tenure.

UN peacekeepers have faced scandals, including allegations of sexual abuse, however it is the UN’s tepid response under Ban’s leadership to problems within peacekeeping that has attracted the most criticism.

Gowan argues that the UN’s responses under Ban seemed in part to reflect his lack of understanding of the operational intricacies of the UN. “Secretaries-General are not magicians.

cult to control,” said Gowan. “But Ban never seemed to have a detailed operational sense of what the UN has been doing on the ground on his watch.”

“When a big crisis hit a UN mission, or a sexual abuse scandal blew up, he always seemed to be on the back foot. I credit him with trying to do the right thing over cholera in Haiti, but he was slow.”

UN peacekeepers from Nepal responding to the 2010 earthquake bought cholera to Haiti in part because untreated sewage from a UN base ran into local water sources.

At the beginning of December 2016, soon before ending his time as Secretary-General, Ban apologised for cholera outbreak, but stopped short of accepting the UN’s role in bringing cholera to Haiti.

“His apology was very much characteristic of the middle ground that satisfied only part of his role,” said Lewis. “He never accepted the responsibility for the UN bringing cholera to Haiti. He only ever apologised for the consequences of the cholera. In other words he stopped short of embracing an important matter of principle.”

This may have been because a full apology could potentially open the UN and its member states to paying reparations to the people of Haiti, thousands of whom have already died due to the cholera outbreak.

Nevertheless, many saw Ban’s apology as an attempt to make amends for one of the darkest aspects of his ten years as Secretary-General.

His tenure did see progress made in other areas, for example Ban was considered to have progressed LGBTI rights within the UN by openly showing his support.

Ban’s successor Antonio Guterres, the former Prime Minister of Portugal, took office on 1 January, beginning his five year term with a message of peace to the world.

“We’re hoping that Guterres will be a Hammarskjold,” said Lewis, referring to the Swedish Secretary-General who is admired by many UN aficionados for his dedication to the UN charter.

7

Don’t Let Your Circumstances Define Your Destiny

‘T

o everything there is a season’ says Ecclesiastes 2:1.

There is a time to weep and to laugh, time to love, time to gain and to lose, time to keep and to throw away. Indeed God has made everything beautiful in its time.

So it is required for all human beings to go through both ups and downs that life brings to understand life better. But often times we accept only life’s cheerfulness and failed to realize that unfortunate experiences are all part of the process called life. In fact when we encounter difficulties we tend to feel inferior, angry and even questioned life itself instead of facing the music and making the best of the opportunity to achieve our goals and to grow. So how can you take the challenge that life brings by the horn and ride it.

Firstly, you should accept difficulties; delight it because it is temporary. “Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over it became a butterfly” with hope you also can come out of despair situations that darkened your life just like a caterpillar because these little misfortunes are the very reasons that will make you appreciate the light of life more. So whatever hardship you are struggling with, be it at home, work, relationship and at times even within ourselves you should not sink into the circumstances but should let it shape you to make you strong so that you can fly even more higher than before.

Secondly, you should be firm in yourself and your identity. Be proud of yourself because you are wonderfully made. You are capable, smart and beautiful. Channel your abilities to cater your passion because that can build your self esteem. Only when you find value in yourself you will be able to stand firm in every situation and no stone thrown at you will cut you deeper that your ability to heal it.

Thirdly, set a goal you want to achieve in life. Setting a goal is one thing and achieving it is another, you should not let lives’ struggles be obstacles that block your way to the road of success.

Discipline yourself and change your victimize mindset to stop when things don’t go your way but have a mindset to channel every obstacles into stumble blocks that requires to mould you in the right path of achieving your goal. Remember when you have a purpose in life; no thorns can stand in the way of you blooming into a beautiful, breathtaking rose flower.

Fourthly, take small steps and do not quit. Only by winning the small battles you will be empowered to face the war and achieve victory. When dealing with obstacles, simplicity is the key. Prioritize your life and break it down into manageable goals, and then progressively work on each one of it according to priorities and your abilities until you successfully reach your desired end.

Lastly you should remember obstacles are just things that are there to teach you and strengthen you for the journey that lies ahead. The hurt, pain, dilemma, confusion, misfortune, etc that tries to break you are just momentary experiences and it is up to you to define its effect in your life. Don’t let it control you; instead get it under your control. Be calm while dealing with obstacles; patient with the outcome; discipline with the strategy applied; confident in yourself and never to give up.

Don’t ever let the obstacles prevent you from achieving your goals.

Let’s have a glance of the life of the 16th President of United States, Abraham Lincoln who had to face the music of life before actually enjoying the melody played by it. He was unsuccessful in business (age 21), miserably lost legislative elections (age 22), faced untimely death of his beloved (age 24), suffer a severe nervous breakdown (age 27), defeated in Congressional race (age 34), face failure of becoming a Senator (age 45), failure of becoming a vice president (age 47), finally became the President of USA at the age of 52. From his story you can see how he turns life’s despair and failures into something that strengthen him to reach his goal. He did not let his failures and struggles define his fate but he let his determination and willingness define his destiny.

Life is a continuous learning process so take your time to learn and appreciate the lessons that life brings and also don’t forget to be grateful for its blessings. Remember B. C. Forbes words “History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heart-breaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats”.

Hazel Berret Wahlang Documentation and Project Officer

8

TuesDAY 10•01•2017

INDIA

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

India reduces baby deaths but still has not met 2012 targets Rhea Colaco IndiaSpend and IANS

First, the good news: 37 babies died for every 1,000 that were born in 2015, two better than the government's projections of an infant mortality rate (IMR) of 39 for that year, according to new data released last week. That's a drop of 53 per cent over 25 years.

Now, the bad news: The target for IMR reduction was 67 per cent; it has fallen 10 short of the target 27 that India agreed to under the 2015 millennium development goals (MDGs), set in consultation with the United Nations. India has also not achieved the IMR target of 30 that the government itself set for 2012.

To get an idea of India's global standing, compare its 2015 IMR average of 37 with IMRs of 35 for 154 low- and middle-income nations; five for 26 north American nations and three for 39 nations in the Euro area.

There were wide variations in IMR -- a bellwether of national health -- across India, according to the latest report from the Sample Registration System (SRS) bulletin, with smaller,

more literate states reporting IMRs close to or better than richer countries and larger, poorer states reporting more deaths than poorer countries, indicating the uneven nature of healthcare.

The overall improvement in IMR over a quarter century is likely linked

Vijayan speaks tough, IAS officials cancel mass leave THiRUvANANTHAPURAM, JANUARy 9 (iANs): IAS officials in Kerala called off a planned protest mass leave on Monday after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan warned them not to cross a line.

The officers wanted to proceed on leave to protest against what they said was Vigilance chief Jacob Thomas's "vindictive attitude".

After meeting a delegation of eight top IAS officials on Monday, Vijayan told the media that the government had taken a serious view of the protest.

"Such a thing is happening for the first time in Kerala and the way they went about taking leave can be termed a 'strike'. We view this very seriously," the Chief Minister said.

The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Officers Association took the leave decision on Saturday after Thomas, who holds the rank of Director General of Police, indicted senior IAS officials in vigilance cases.

The latest to come under the scanner was Additional Chief Secretary Paul Antony, who has been named the third accused in the appointment of a nephew of then Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan to a government job. An outrage sparked by the appointment led to the minister's resignation.

Vijayan said the immediate action which prompted the IAS officers to go on "strike" was the ongoing probe against some officials.

"This is a probe against some IAS officials. It has happened earlier where in certain cases officials have been suspended.

"I have made it very clear to them that their justification for the 'leave' is not legitimate," added Vijayan.

"The people who are supposed to run the government but resorting to this sort of action is not good. The officials said they have nothing against the state government," Vijayan said.

Asked if the IAS officials had submitted a complaint against Thomas, Vijayan said no complaint had been received.

"There were some cases against Thomas, of which some were cleared by the state government and some by the courts. Right now, there is only one case that is going on," he said.

PAC 'not likely' to summon Modi on demonetisation NEw dElHi, JANUARy 9 (iANs): Prime Minister Narendra Modi may not be summoned by the Public Accounts Committee on the issue of demonetisation as "there is no such precedent", said the key parliamentary panel's chairman K.V. Thomas here on Monday.

On the issue of summoning Modi, Thomas told IANS that there is "no convention like that" and the committee would take decision "on what to do" after hearing from Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel and other government officials, to whom it has sent a detailed questionnaire.

"The committee will decide on what to do after hearing from them," Thomas said, adding that they are expected to give their answers before January 20.

Thomas, however, also said, "There is nothing against calling Prime Minister (to explain) but there is no precedent (on this)."

"The committee will take a decision on the issue. It will prepare a report on the impact of demonetisation and submit it to Parliament," Thomas told IANS. The PAC Chairman has been quoted in media reports as saying that if the PAC is not satisfied with the answers from the RBI Governor and others, it would summon Modi to explain the decision of demonetisation.

to a variety of government interventions, including institutional deliveries and providing iron and folic-acid tablets to pregnant women, and rising incomes and living circumstances since economic liberalisation in 1991.

Of 36 Indian states and Union territories (UTs), the

lowest IMRs were reported from Goa and Manipur with nine infant deaths per 1,000 live births -- that is the same as China, Bulgaria and Costa Rica and one better than the consolidated figure for Europe and Central Asia, according to 2015 World Bank data.

In contrast, Madhya

Pradesh reported India's highest IMR with 50 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, or worse than Ethiopia and Ghana and marginally better than disaster-wracked Haiti (52) and unstable Zimbabwe (47), but better than its 2014 rate of 52.

Uttarakhand was the only state that reported a

worsening in its IMR, from 33 infant deaths for every 1,000 live births in 2014 to 34 in 2015.

In terms of MDG progress, from the larger states, only Tamil Nadu has met its state MDG target with a reduction of 67 per cent in IMR to reach 19 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2015. Sikkim, Manipur and Daman and Diu have all achieved a two-third reduction from their 1991 estimates. Goa, Maharashtra, Puducherry, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh and Odisha have all come very close to achieving their MDG state-specific targets.

While Kerala doesn't feature on the list -- its IMR for 2015 is 12, and well within India's national MDG target -- that is because its IMR for 1990 was as low as 17 to begin with.

Infant girls in India continue to die at a greater rates than infant boys, and there has been almost no reduction in the gap in IMRs, the new data reveal.

Male babies have an IMR of 35 deaths per 1,000 live births, while female babies have an IMR of 39 per 1,000 live births.

The factors that impact the IMR also reflect the well-being of a nation.

Environmental and living conditions, rates of illness, health of mothers and their access to quality pre- and post-natal care contribute to infant survival rates.

Just as rural-urban differentials in the IMR are sizeable and significant, so too are the differentials by wealth. In other words, babies born in poorer families tend to die in larger numbers. The poor are the most vulnerable to health disadvantages and the IMR tends to reflect that.

However, these inequities in mortality reflect not just differences in access to health services for both children and mothers but also inadequacies of India's public health system and its inability to deliver quality and equitable services.

The National Rural Health Mission, launched in 2005, set India's IMR target as 30 deaths per 1,000 live births by 2012. However, we have still not been able to achieve in 2017 the target set for 2012.

The MDG achievements of 2015 set the base for the 2030 sustainable development goals (SDGs).

While infant mortality is not a target the SDGs will monitor, it will monitor neonatal mortality -- death during the first 28 days of life -- a key component of infant mortality.

Neonatal mortality largely stems from poor maternal health, inadequate antenatal care, improper management of pregnancy complications and delivery-related complications.

In 2013, neonatal mortality contributed to 68 per cent of all infant deaths in India, and it will continue to represent an increasing proportion of child deaths.

The prime minister's Maternity Benefit Scheme -- which appears to be a universalisation and expansion of the Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana -- could possibly be a step that will better maternal health and delivery outcomes through conditional cash transfers.

If India is to achieve its SDG targets across gender, wealth and caste, it needs more attention directed towards infant and maternal health policies, or 2030 will -- once again -- see India falling short of its health targets.

Three people die every 10 minutes in road accidents Swagata Yadavar IndiaSpend and IANS

There were 9 road accidents that killed 3 people every 10 minutes in 2015, according to new national data, an increase of 9% over 4 years.

Road accidents killed 148,000 people in 2015 compared to 136,000 in 2011, according to the Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India report released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Road accidents accounted for 83% of all traffic-related deaths in India and 43% of all accidental deaths in 2015.

Other traffic-related deaths were from railway accidents (15%) and accidents at railway crossings (2%).

There were 464,000 road accidents in 2015, an increase of three per cent from 2014, when there were 450,000 road accidents.

While Tamil Nadu (69,059), Karnataka (44,011) and Maharashtra (42,250) reported the most road accidents, Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of deaths in road accidents (18,407).

The road transport sector contributes to 4.8% of the country's gross domes-

tic product (GDP), but India loses 1-3% of GDP due to road accidents, according to a 2007 report of the road transport working group of the erstwhile Planning Commission for the XIth Plan.

Despite a national road safety strategy and laws on speed limits, wearing helmets and seat belts and drunk-driving, the World Health Organisation rates India's enforcement as 3 out of 10 on speed limits, 4 out of 10 on wearing motorcycle helmet, 4 out of 10 on drunk-driving and 4 out of 10 on wearing seat belts.

Two-wheeler accidents

accounted for 29% of all fatal road accidents in 2015, claiming 45,540 lives, followed by trucks (19%), which killed 28,910 people and cars (12%), which killed 18,506 people.

Tamil Nadu (3,668) and Maharashtra (3,146) reported the largest number of people killed in two-wheeler accidents, while Uttar Pradesh had reported the largest number of lives lost due to truck accidents (5,720) and car accidents (2,135).

More pedestrians were killed in Maharashtra (1,256) than any other state, accounting for 17% of pe-

destrian deaths.

Although national highways account for only 1.51% of India's road length, they accounted for 28% of road accidents and 33% of roadmishap deaths nationwide in 2015.

State highways, 3% of India's road length, contributed to 25% of road accidents and 28% of deaths due to road mishaps.

Over-speeding was responsible for 41% of deaths in road accidents, while careless or dangerous driving claimed 32% of death in road accidents. Poor weather (4%) and mechanical de-

fects (3%) in motor vehicles were other causes for deaths in road accidents.

Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra had the most number of casualties due to overspeeding, with 15% and 12% of cases, respectively.

Uttar Pradesh had the largest number of deaths due to careless/dangerous driving (17%), followed by Maharashtra (9%).

Chennai accounted for 9% of all road accidents in 53 cities, followed by Delhi (9%) and Bengaluru (6%).

Delhi (8%) and Jaipur (5%) had the largest number of deaths in road accidents.

Land acquisition for SEZs: Supreme Court Portuguese PM should apologise for seeks reply from Centre and seven states atrocities committed in Goa: MGP NEw dElHi, JANUARy 9 (PTi): A plea seeking return of unused land acquired for setting up of special economic zones to farmers and a court-monitored CBI probe into alleged flouting of SEZ rules by beneficiary corporates, today led the Supreme Court to seek responses from the Centre and seven states.

A bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justices D Y Chandrachud and L Nageswara Rao issued notice to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharastra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Punjab, on the PIL which alleged that almost 80% of the land acquired for the SEZs were lying unused.

The plea alleged that in last five years alone, 4,842.38 hectares of land was acquired for various SEZs and only 362 hectares were utilised, leav-

ing around 4,480 hectares unused.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves and lawyer Sravan Kumar, appearing for 'SEZ Farmers Protection, Welfare Association', referred to a CAG report of 2012-13 and said not only have the farmers been deprived of their land, but also consequential benefits like employment generation and industrialisation of the acquired areas have not taken place.

Some companies, for whose SEZs the plots of land were acquired, raised loans by mortgaging the land documents as collateral securities with banks, but strangely did not use the loan money to develop these SEZs, the PIL said.

"Issue writ...or direction directing investigation under the supervision of this court by the Central Bureau of Investigation on violations, diversion of loan money obtained

by SEZ holders against the SEZ rules," it said. The farmers' body also sought intiation of civil and criminal proceedings against the holders of land, meant for SEZs, for "not performing the obligatory duty under the contract resulting to unemployment, wastage of natural resources, causing loss to food security".

Besides returning "vacant, unused land to farmers", the plea also sought declaring of the land acquisition as "unconstitutional", being violative of fundamental right to life and equality on the ground that they have caused "joblessness to the farmers, agricultural labour".

The plea has sought a direction to the Centre and the states to conduct "comprehensive social impact study" on the affected farmers and their dependents on account of land acquisition for SEZs.

PANAJi, JANUARy 9 (iANs): The Portuguese Prime Minister should apologise for the atrocities committed on its former Goa colony and the consulate should be shifted out of the state, a former minister said on Monday.

"He should first apologise to Goans first, for all the hardships and atrocities Portugal has committed in Goa while they were ruling," MGP's Chief Ministerial candidate and former PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar told reporters in Panaji.

"The amount of destruction they also did while leaving Goa in 1961 by blowing up bridges and the mayhem they orchestrated is unforgivable," Dhavalikar said.

His comments come a day before Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, who is of Goan origin, is scheduled to visit

the state.

Dhavalikar however said, that the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party would not protest against Costa's visit because "he is a son of the soil visiting his home state".

The minister also said that the reason why Goans were seeking a Portuguese passport was because of the presence of the consulate in the state and demanded that it be shifted.

"They are trying to lure our youth with the help of the consulate. It should be shifted out of Goa immediately," he said.

Goa was one of Portugal's oldest colonies and was liberated by the Indian Army from colonial in 1961. After the liberation, all Goan natives were granted Indian citizenship by the union home ministry via a common notification.

How dried fish & trinkets can rehabilitate rescued labourers

KANCHEEPURAM, JANUARy 9 (THoMsoN REUTERs FoUNdATioN): Vasanta's small blue kiosk packed with neat rows of biscuits, dried fish, imitation jewellery and Crazy Crunch crisps on the edge of a village in Tamil Nadu may appear modest.

But it means everything to Vasanta, who spent most of her adult life trapped in a rice mill, working 14 hours a day and even giving birth there to pay off an advance from a job she and her husband were promised.

"I run this shop, it is mine," said Vasanta, one of a group of rescued workers taking part in a pilot scheme to help them build their own businesses and keep their new-found freedom.

Vasanta entered the mill at the age of 15 or 16, spending more than 20 years there before she was rescued.

"We were very young and didn't know better. We

trusted the agent who offered us the job," Vasanta told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, asking to be identified only by her last name.

"When I was rescued and stepped out of that mill, I was scared of the future."

Debt bondage is the most prevalent form of forced labour in India, where an estimated 18 million people live in some form of modern slavery, according to the latest Global Slavery Index by the Australia-based Walk Free Foundation.

Most bonded labourers are from the marginalised Dalit and tribal communities, often duped into offering themselves for work as security against a family loan or debt.

But they are rarely told how repayments are calculated and the loan can be extended or paid off without their knowledge. So they can spend months, if not

years, working to pay it back.

In the past 38 years, more than 280,000 bonded labourers in 18 of India's 29 states have been freed, official figures show.

Campaigners said falling back into bondage is the greatest challenge faced by those who have been rescued, who find their financial circumstances remain unchanged despite their freedom.

PILOT SCHEME Vasanta's fears of losing her freedom again have faded due to a pilot project to provide a way for rescued bonded labourers in Tamil Nadu's Kancheepuram district to make a living.

The project began in June 2016 with six families, a collaboration between the Tamil Nadu government and non-profit group International Justice Mission (IJM).

Each family was given a subsidised loan to start a

business.

The Palani family lived in the confines of a rice mill for 25 years until they were rescued in 2013.

Now they run a food cart, selling fish curry, rice and other snacks near the bus stand in Tirukalukundram town, a few kilometres from their home village.

Another participating family, the Gopis, invested in the charcoal business, supplying restaurants in Chennai city.

IJM said the aim was to give former bonded labourers a way of earning money that was sustainable and allowing them to be truly independent.

"We were not looking to provide survivors like the Palanis grants," said Sam Jebadurai of IJM. "Instead we asked survivors what they would like to do and how much loan they would like to get their project started. Each one had their own plan and also

drew up their own installment schedule. To date no one has defaulted on payment."

"MY OWN BOSS" However, selling and marketing produce has been a big challenge for all of the families involved. All are from the Irula tribes of Tamil Nadu and have had to fight prejudice and resistance from other small businessmen to set up shop.

Many meetings were held to bolster the confidence of the survivors, Jebadurai said.

But six months into the project, the profits have started coming in and the livelihood project is set to expand to neighbouring villages, offering loans to other rescued workers.

Vasanta said her packets of crisps and biscuits which cost two rupees, or about three U.S. cents, sell the most.

Twice a week, she walks

three km (1.9 miles) to the nearest town to stock up on goods and returns in an auto rickshaw.

"I can pay for it," she said with pride.

Vasanta took a loan of 56,000 rupees ($825) and has been paying it off in 3,760 rupee ($55) monthly installments. She still saves enough to run her home and sometimes can even deposit some money in a recently opened bank account.

"The success of these projects gives the government models to replicate," said Umi Daniel, a migrant rights activist with Aide et Action in eastern Odisha, a main source state for migrant labourers caught in debt bondage.

"There is a lot of backroom innovation happening to come up with models that prevent rebondage.

Sustained livelihood is a challenge that has to be met."

tuesdAY 10•01•2017

WORLD

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

In the search for new ideas, city-state Singapore eases obsession with grades SINGAPORE, JANuARy 9 (REutERS): Singapore’s global rankings in maths and science have made its schools the envy of the developed world, but a new push to drive grassroots innovation is prompting local teachers to do the previously unthinkable: go easier on the exams.

The city-state’s schools now have courses with no grades, at least a tenth of admissions to universities are now based on aptitudes rather than results, and the public service is scrapping a long-held practice of classifying officers by their educational qualifications.

Singapore is not about to ditch its obsession with academic excellence and discipline, but a new focus on entrepreneurship - and notions of challenging convention - marks an admission by educators that exams alone can’t produce one ingredient needed for economic success: new ideas.

“For a long time, graduates became entrepreneurs despite the school system not because of it,” said Patrice Choong, a professor at Singapore’s Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

At Ngee Ann, students have to develop a business, or design products, as part of their curriculum. Reaching self-imposed targets such as funding or bring-

for the past 20 years but says few of his pupils end up in related fields. Rather, his clients’ main priority is to get the grades needed to get into university law or medicine.

Some of the most unhappy customers, however, are the Singapore-based multinationals the schools were originally designed to provide talent for. A survey of over 100 U.S. businesses in the city by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce saw the local workforce score well on technical skills, but fare worst among Southeast Asian nations on creativity and innovation.

More than a third complained about unwillingness to take risks and a lack of entrepreneurial spirit, compared with the Southeast Asian average of 25%.

A student assembles a model aeroplane during an enrichment class at a secondary TAKING RISKS school in Singapore October 27, 2016. REUTERS Cindy Khoo, a director

ing the 100th customer is key to pass, but there are no courses or grades. All they get are time and advice.

Since independence 51 years ago, Singapore’s schools and universities have had to produce the skilled labour needed by strongly-incentivised multinationals to build what is mostly a service economy.

And it worked: 15-yearolds from Singapore topped the ranks in the OECD’s triennial survey on

international education in a remarkable showcase of the city-state’s social and economic progress.

There are downsides, however. Like other Asian societies, Singapore has its own “tiger mums”, who push their children to be the best in school to help set them up for the job market.

Experts say lack of play time chokes creativity. Many students attend after-school activities in the afternoon and tuition

in the evening. By the time they finish homework, it’s past midnight.

This pressure has created an education arms race with the private tuition industry one of the main beneficiaries. Parents can pay as much as S$700 ($491) for four-session courses and some tutors have even become millionaires from their trade.

One such millionaire tutor, Phang Yu Hon, has taught high school physics

with the Ministry of Education’s Planning Division, says while a historic focus on performance has kept standards high, the overemphasis on exam results detracts students from the broader purpose of learning: discovery and exploration.

“Society’s mindset also needs to shift over time, to celebrate a multitude of talent and the successes achieved via varied paths,” Khoo told Reuters.

The changes in schools

are part of a broader government effort to boost innovation and technology, which also includes a commitment to invest S$19 billion over five years in those areas.

In its first such project, Chongzheng Primary School asked a group of its pupils to spend time in an elderly home and come up with life-improving, marketable solutions. They noticed the elderly often got lost and suggested GPS walking sticks.

The imperative to change has led to the development of “sandbox” frameworks within the public space, which allow for business and policy experimentation without systemic risks in case of failure.

Singapore’s central bank, for example, also has a “regulatory sandbox” for financial technology startups.

But critics say barriers to Singapore’s culture of innovation exist not only in schools but also more widely in a political society that places restrictions on freedom of speech and rewards deference to authority.

Authorities in Singapore, a haven of stability in a politically and economically volatile region, believe such restrictions are needed to preserve harmony in a multi-racial society and have contributed to its success.

Thailand considers death penalty UN envoy visits Myanmar amid border violence, report of abuse for officials convicted of corruption utERS): yANGON, JANuARy 9 (RE- hub Yangon, the capital Naypyidaw Indonesia, which has the world’s U.N. human rights envoy and Kachin State in the north, where biggest Muslim population, have BANGKOK, JANuARy 9 (REutERS): Thai officials convicted in corruption cases involving more than 1 billion baht ($28 million) could face the death penalty under a proposal approved on Monday by the military-appointed National Reform Steering Committee.

Analysts say such a stern punishment for all forms of graft was a further way for the ruling junta to control its opponents, including allies of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup.

Of the 162 steering committee members present on Monday, 155 voted in favor of the measure. It also stipulates that officials who are found guilty of corruption worth less than 1 billion baht could face up to 5 years in prison. The measure must now be submitted to Cabinet, parliament and then to Thailand’s constitution committee for deliberation before it is adopted. Legislators say the

process could take some time.

The junta took power in a 2014 coup after months of protests that led to the ouster of civilian prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin’s younger sister. Since then, it has sought to burnish its graft-busting reputation by cracking down on shady patronage networks.

However, it has been reluctant to touch the monarchy, military and religion, Thailand’s most powerful institutions. The junta has instead focused on silencing its opponents, including supporters of Yingluck and her brother, by imposing restrictions on public gatherings and by jailing several opposition members.

Yingluck is on trial on corruption charges stemming from a rice subsidy scheme that critics say incurred billions of dollars in losses. She denies wrongdoing but faces up to a decade in jail if found guilty.

The new measure would not be likely to affect her.

Yanghee Lee has arrived in Myanmar on a 12-day visit amid growing concern about reports of abuse of members of the Rohingya Muslim minority in a government security crackdown.

Attackers killed nine police officers on Oct. 9 in a coordinated assault on posts near Myanmar’s border with Bangladesh. Authorities say members of the Rohingya minority carried out the attacks and launched a security sweep.

Since then, at least 86 people have been killed and the United Nations says about 34,000 civilians have fled across the border to Bangladesh. Residents and refugees accuse the military of killing, raping and arbitrarily detaining civilians while burning villages in northwestern Rakhine State.

The government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi denies the accusations and insists a lawful counter-insurgency operation is underway.

Lee would visit the north of Rakhine State, where the military operation is taking place, the commercial

Assad: Syrian govt ready to negotiate on everything BEIRut, JANuARy 9 (REutERS): Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said his government is ready to negotiate on “everything” in proposed peace talks in Kazakhstan but it was not yet clear who would represent the opposition and no date had been set.

Assad also said a ceasefire brokered by Turkey and Russia, his most powerful ally, was being violated and the army would recapture all of Syria including a rebel-held area near Damascus where a vital water supply had been bombed out of service.

He made the remarks in comments to French media that were published by the Syrian state news agency SANA. Russia said last month it had agreed with Assad, Iran and Turkey that the Kazakh capital of Astana should be the venue for new peace talks after rebels suffered their biggest defeat of the war by being driven from eastern Aleppo.

Russia and Turkey, a major sponsor of the antiAssad opposition, have also brokered a truce as a step towards reviving diplomacy, though the warring sides have accused each other of many violations.

Assad said the government delegation was ready to go to Astana “when the time of the conference is set”.

“We are ready to negotiate about everything,” he said.

Asked if that included his position as president, Assad said “yes but my position is linked to the constitution”.

“If they want to discuss this point they must discuss the constitution,” he said.

He indicated that any new constitution must be put to a referendum, and it was up to the Syrian people to elect the president.

Assad said: “Who will be there from the other side? We do not yet know.

Will it be a real Syrian opposition?”.

Dismissing groups he said were backed by Saudi Arabia, France and Britain, Assad said discussion of “Syrian issues” must be

by Syrian groups. The main Syrian opposition umbrella group, the High Negotiations Committee, is backed

by Riyadh.

Rebel groups operating under the “Free Syrian Army” banner earlier this month said they had frozen any talks about their possible participation in the Astana talks due to violations of the ceasefire, chiefly in Wadi Barada near Damascus.

WADI BARADA The Syrian army backed by its Lebanese ally Hezbollah has been trying to recapture the Wadi Barada valley where the capital’s main water source is located. Rebels and the government at the weekend failed to agree a plan to repair the springs, and air strikes escalated there on Sunday.

Assad said the Wadi Barada area was held by a jihadist group not covered by the ceasefire. “The terrorists occupy the main water source for Damascus, denying more than 5 million civilians water for more than three weeks,” he said.

“The Syrian army’s role is to liberate that area,” he said. Rebel groups deny that the jihadist group Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as the al Qaedalinked Nusra Front, controls the Wadi Barada area.

Asked if the government planned to recapture the Islamic State-held city of Raqqa, Assad said it was the Syrian army’s role to liberate “every inch” of Syrian land and all Syria should be under state authority. “But the question is related to when, and our priorities.

This is a military matter linked to military planning and priorities,” he added.

government forces are battling autonomy-seeking ethnic Kachin guerrillas, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement.

“The events of the last few months have shown that the international community must remain vigilant in monitoring the human rights situation,” in Myanmar, Lee, the U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, said in the statement.

Suu Kyi, a former political prisoner and champion of democracy in then military-ruled Myanmar, came to power in April after a landslide election win, installing her confidant, Htin Kyaw, as president.

However, increasing violence in border regions has raised questions about Suu Kyi’s commitment to human rights and ability to rein in the military, which retains a major political role. The government has restricted aid to northern Rakhine State, where most people are Rohingya Muslims denied citizenship in Myanmar, and prevented independent journalists from visiting.

Muslim-majority Malaysia and

raised concern over the Rakhine crisis, which security officials believe is attracting the attention of international militant groups.

Lee will also investigate the impact on civilians of intensified fighting between the army and rebels in Kachin and Shan states, which she said “is causing some disquiet regarding the direction that the new government is taking in its first year of administration”.

Aye Win, U.N. spokesman in Myanmar, said Lee had arrived in Myanmar late on Sunday and was due to fly to the Kachin State capital of Myitkyina on Monday.

Presidential spokesman Zaw Htay said the government would provide Lee with security to visit conflict areas.

Zaw Htay also said a Myanmar government delegation would visit Bangladesh on Jan. 11-13 to discuss the situation on the border. The neighbours’ relations have been tested by the stream of new refugees entering Bangladesh and by reports that Myanmar’s navy has shot at Bangladeshi fishermen.

9

Chinese tabloid warns Trump: End one China policy and China will take revenge SHANGHAI/tAIPEI, JANuARy 9 (REutERS): State-run Chinese tabloid Global Times warned U.S. President-elect Donald Trump that China would “take revenge” if he reneged on the one-China policy, only hours after Taiwan’s president made a controversial stopover in Houston.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met senior U.S. Republican lawmakers during her stopover in Houston on Sunday en route to Central America, where she will visit Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador.

Beijing had asked Washington not to allow Tsai to enter the United States and that she not have any formal government meetings under the one China policy.

A photograph tweeted by Texas Governor Greg Abbott shows him meeting Tsai, with a small table between them adorned with the U.S., Texas and Taiwanese flags. Tsai also met Texas Senator Ted Cruz.

“Sticking to (the one China) principle is not a capricious request by China upon U.S. presidents, but an obligation of U.S. presidents to maintain China-U.S. relations and respect the existing order of the Asia-Pacific,” said the Global Times editorial on Sunday. The influential tabloid is published by the ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily.

Trump triggered protests from Beijing last month by accepting a congratulatory telephone call from Tsai and questioning Washington’s commitment to China’s position that Taiwan is part of one China.

“If Trump reneges on the one-China policy after taking office, the Chinese people will demand the government to take revenge. There is no room for bargaining,” said the Global Times.

Trump has said that he will not meet with any foreign leaders before he takes office, but left open the possibility of meeting Tsai after his inauguration on Jan. 20.

Cruz said some members of Congress had received a letter from the Chinese consulate asking them not to meet with Tsai during her stopovers.

“The People’s Republic of China needs to understand that in America we make decisions about meeting with visitors for ourselves,” Cruz said in a statement.

“This is not about the PRC. This is about the U.S. relationship with Taiwan, an ally we are legally bound to defend.”

Cruz said he and Tsai discussed upgrading bilateral relations and furthering economic cooperation between their countries, including increased access to Taiwanese markets that will benefit Texas ranchers, farmers and small businesses.

Tsai’s office has stayed low key about her U.S. meetings, saying on Monday only that Tsai talked with “friends” during her private and unofficial stopover.

Tsai will stopover on Jan. 13 in San Francisco on her way back to Taiwan.

In a dinner speech Saturday to hundreds of overseas Taiwanese, Tsai said that the United States holds a “special place in the hearts of the people of Taiwan” and that the self-ruled island via bilateral exchanges has provided more than 320,000 jobs directly and indirectly to the American people, according to a statement from her office Monday.

Tsai said Taiwan looks to create more U.S. jobs through deeper investment, trade and procurement.

China is deeply suspicious of Tsai, who it thinks wants to push for the formal independence of Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing regards as a renegade province, ineligible for state-to-state relations.

The Global Times, whose stance does not equate with government policy, also targeted Tsai in the editorial, saying that the mainland would likely impose further diplomatic, economic and military pressure on Taiwan, warning that “Tsai needs to face the consequences for every provocative step she takes”.

“It should also impose military pressure on Taiwan and push it to the edge of being reunified by force, so as to effectively affect the approval rating of the Tsai administration.”

CAUGHT ON TAPE: Netanyahu tried to negotiate a good press in return for benefits Maayan Lubell Reuters

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under police investigation for suspected corruption, was caught on tape negotiating mutual benefits with an arch-foe, the owner of one of Israel’s largest-selling newspapers, Israeli media reported on Sunday.

The report, which Israeli media outlets described as “an earthquake” that could have implications for Netanyahu’s political future, drew no immediate comment from the prime minister or Yedioth Ahronoth daily owner Noni Mozes.

Channel Two television said the right-wing leader had offered to limit the circulation of Israel Hayom, a free, pro-Netanyahu daily owned and published by U.S. billionaire and Republican party donor Sheldon Adelson, if Mozes’ Yedioth Ahronoth gave the prime minister more favourable coverage.

Steps to cut Israel Hayom’s market-leading circulation could have financial benefits for Mozes, whose newspaper’s advertising revenues have been hit by

its free competitor.

It was unclear exactly when the reported conversation took place. The Haaretz daily said it occurred several months ago.

Netanyahu last week was twice questioned by police in two different cases. The first involved receiving gifts, including expensive cigars and champagne from businessmen, police and the Justice Ministry said. Netanyahu’s lawyer said such presents from friends were not illegal.

Authorities have not released any details publicly about the second case, reported by Channel 2.

That Netanyahu and Mozes would have a dialogue was greeted with close to astonishment by the Israeli media. Netanyahu has openly accused Mozes and Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper of trying to overthrow his leadership through skewed coverage, an allegation they deny.

On Sunday, Netanyahu again pointed the finger at the media and said he was being personally hounded.

“This is wrong, incessant pressure from the media on law enforcement.

They release balloons and

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem January 8, 2017. REUTERS

the hot air comes out of them time after time. That will be the case here too,” Netanyahu told Likud ministers before Channel 2 broadcast its report.

Mozes could not be reached for comment by Reuters. Yedioth Ahronoth did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment on the report.

Netanyahu’s spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.

In the past few weeks Netanyahu has lashed out at journalists who have published critical reports

about his administration and his alleged ties with wealthy businessmen.

Israeli media have reported that in the first case, police questioned Netanyahu about receiving gifts from Israeli Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan over the past few years.

A spokeswoman for Milchan’s lawyer in Israel did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Netanyahu, 67, will become Israel’s longest-serving leader if he stays in office until the end of next year.

He and his wife Sara

have weathered several scandals over the years, including investigations into the misuse of state funds.

They have denied any wrongdoing.

Israeli commentators have pointed out that previous Israeli leaders have also been investigated over suspected corruption, with indictments not always forthcoming.

Ehud Olmert, who held office from 2006 to 2009, is currently serving 18 months in prison after being convicted of breach of trust and bribery in 2014.

10

tuesDAY 10•01•2017

sports/public Discourse

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Aubameyang, Mahrez lead football Without Indian Law Naga women can have leadership stars targeting Cup of Nations glory Thomas

LibreviLLe, January 9 (aFP): A new-look Ivory Coast will defend their Africa Cup of Nations title while the hosts' lightning-quick striker PierreEmerick Aubameyang leads the cast of superstar names as the 2017 tournament begins in Gabon on Saturday.

As Borussia Dortmund striker Aubameyang prepares to carry the hopes of the small central African nation on his shoulders at the biennial African football showpiece, the fleet-footed Riyad Mahrez will aim to top a magnificent 12 months by taking Algeria to the February 5 final and the continental title.

Mahrez heads for Gabon fresh from winning the Confederation of African Football player of the year prize for 2016, pipping last year's winner Aubameyang.

"The next thing after this award is the Africa Cup of Nations. My team will try to do good things there," the French-born star of Leicester City's Premier League title triumph said after securing the CAF prize.

Algeria and a Senegal side -- the top-ranked in Africa -- led by Liverpool forward Sadio Mane are the major contenders to succeed the Ivory Coast, who beat Ghana on penalties in the final in Equatorial Guinea two years ago.

But they will face each other in a Group B that also contains Tunisia and outsiders Zimbabwe.

"Our group is difficult, with some top African sides. It is not going to be easy with the conditions in Africa but we have to be

prepared and we have a great team," Mahrez told beIN Sports recently.

The Elephants of the Ivory Coast have seen inspirational playmaker Yaya Toure retire since their 2015 win while forward Gervinho is injured and Michel Dussuyer has succeeded fellow Frenchman Herve Renard as coach.

"The objective is of course to defend the title that was proudly acquired in 2015," said Dussuyer, one of 12 men from Europe or South America coaching in the 16-team tournament.

"It will not be easy.

There are fine teams who aspire to win the trophy, but we have the weapons to go far."

The Elephants will come up against their old coach Renard in Group C with his new side Morocco, and they are the favourites to reach the quarterfinals ahead of DR Congo and the Togo of Emmanuel Adebayor.

"I have made reaching the quarter-finals an objective that we absolutely must attain. If we get there then we will see what we can do," said the perennially bronzed and whiteshirted Renard, who also coached Zambia to glory the last time the Cup of Nations was staged in Gabon -- jointly with Equatorial Guinea -- in 2012.

- Political crisis Egypt are back for the first time since winning a record seventh Cup of Nations in Angola in 2010 and will pin their hopes on Roma winger Mohamed Salah.

They are one of six teams who qualified

having missed out in 2015. Another, Uganda, will come up against Egypt in Group D, as will Mali and Ghana.

The only nation making its Cup of Nations debut is Guinea-Bissau, who have the honour of facing Aubameyang's Gabon in the opening game at the Stade de l'Amitie in the capital Libreville on January 14.

Gabon, an oil-rich country of barely 1.8 million people, has been in some disarray ever since incumbent President Ali Bongo was declared the winner of a contested election in August.

Defeated opposition chief Jean Ping continues to dispute the result and post-election violence left at least three people dead and saw more than 800 arrested.

Opposition activists have called on citizens to boycott the tournament, which will see games staged in Port-Gentil, Franceville and Oyem as well as the capital.

Gabon, which in 2014 was awarded the hosting of the tournament due to the turmoil in Libya, is struggling with an economic crisis as well as a political one.

However, Bongo, who invited Lionel Messi to the country to lay the foundation stone of the stadium in Port-Gentil in 2015, is hoping the football can act as a distraction.

He has called for the Cup of Nations to be a time for "joy, coming together and shared happiness" and insisted that "political dialogue will open the day after the tournament" in an attempt to usher in a period of calm.

R

NNC Member

egarding the 33% women reservation, I have come across all the articles released by individual and organizational and have perceivedthem to be debating on not to allow the Naga women to contest in the election or to allow them.

That is my comprehension from the reading of the articles.

My opinion on this matter is, the idea, the Indian Law should not be applied in Nagalandis correct; such

as the reservation of 33% for women.

However, opposing the Indian law, men should not hinder the right of women to become a leader and let not women try to become a leader based on Indian Law (33% reservation). If the women are attempting to contest the election based on it, then they become not equal with men according our customary Law. My suggestion is therefore, the Nagas should not talk of India Law 33% reservation, but women should not be denied or hindered to contest leadership.Instead, let them have opportunity to contest for leader-

ship according to their ability. Our customary law did not prohibit women to become a leader, but only to the ritual place they were not allowed to enter.

In 1960-970s the Eastern Nagas have a strong woman leader namely Mrs. Skawm (known as Daw Skawm) a Lainong Naga in Khamti. She was highly respected by the Nagas as well as by the Burma leaders. She was illiterate, yet has a capability of leadership and ability to speak for the Nagas with the Burman leaders and worked for the Naga people as she lived. (Daw is Mrs. in Burmese).

We have to encourage the women to become leaders and let them work for the interest of Naga people.

We have a woman leader in the NNC, Ms. AdinnoPhizo, President of the NNC.The Naga women should not therefore think themselves as they are marginalized by men, and should not talk of Indian Law as though it is the only means for them to fight for their leadership.Without applying Indian Law or Burma, we can have women leadership and woman can become a leader among men. This principle should apply in Nagaland.

Why Politics of Reservation? And Why it is so Dominant in our State?

N

Thepfusalie Theunuo

o wonder the spirit of equality remains a pervasive character of the Indian constitution, and perhaps an important feature for the constitution to create an egalitarian and welfare society by providing socio-economic and political justice to all its citizens irrespective of who is A and who is B. And perhaps with so many provisions laid down, the Indian constitution is recognised to be the longest written constitution in the world. However, the fact remains that even after such a deliberation on its citizens, the country still struggle with unlimited socio-economic and political injustice. The question of cast/tribe representation and exclusion, communal violence, democratic rights, gender rights are still hotly debated and continue to do so with many ramifications. What has emerged from this plethora is quite out of question to address in this short write-up. However as a matter of fact, reservation policy has significantly changed the landscape of our perception to question the democratic institution in our society.

Reservation politics as such is quite dominant and a sensitive issue in our state and perhaps our state in the 21st century has been trying to address this issue economically and politically. But the outcome was neither fruitful nor acceptable by the larger society, in fact it has created more diversity and inequality of representation within the many existing tribal community in our state.

One significant feature of such political blunder was applying the grand

theory of reservation policy into our tribal context. As a matter of fact political vote banks played the dominant role of identifying the character of who is advanced and who is backward. Historically, it is quite true that certain features such as geographical isolation, absence of communication, economic backwardness and absence of modern institutions etc. tends to classify the people within the broad framework of development or so-called civilization. Thus for that matter, all Naga tribal communities were at one point time possessed all such features juxtaposing the caste system of mainland India.

It is common and universally accepted norms that categorizing people into certain categories of class are determined by social-cultural, economic and political positions.

Thus for example the Dalit’s in India are categories as backward and most ill-represented communities in the country partly because of the above feature, but also largely because they were considered to be out of the caste hierarchical system. Similarly tribal communities were also confusedly viewed on such notion but since tribal communities were characterize by different socio-cultural and political feature no actual definitive concept were ever drawn in Indian constitution, what we have today is a version of political manoeuvres to suite the post-Independence economic policy of exclusion.

Today, the concept of reservation policy in our state is partly the political legacy of the post-Independence India economic policy of exclusion that we have inherited. The notion

of who is backward and who is advance in our state is therefore a political version rather than the essence of socio-economic nature. Today if we were to categories on the basis of socio-economic features rather than tribe and political motives we would unrevealed the already inequality of human beings that are persisting in every tribal community that are merely struggling for survival in every corners of the village. The notion of backward and advance category of tribe therefore is simply a myth, and does not even carry any meaningful definition. But rather created for political motives and does not at all address the socio-economic and cultural deprivation of the people, what has resulted from such political creation had tend to splinter into even more narrower category within the tribes who now perceive themselves in the margin within the margin.

Naga society is a patrilineal society, as the saying goes that everyone accepts. But why it is there? Is a question that nobody tends to explore. All arguments on the reservation have always looked back into the historic event of the contested -Article 371(A) in the Indian constitution. In fact, it is the only legal ground for the Naga tribal community to legally protest the encroachment of expanding modernity and ever changing Democracy. It is also a foundation where tradition and the consequence of modernity meet, it also provides all Naga communities of Nagaland a sense of belongingness to a place with a sovereign rights over limited property and resources, within a specific and a limited ter-

ritorial boundary. Which patriliny had maintained the stability of our limited resources without complication within every village and community. However, apart from patriliny, the concept of patriarchal ( male authority) is an ideology that we have created ourselves in the process. The question is how we can unthink patriarchal? The solution does not come from grand theory of 33% reservation policy but comes from the deeper engagement and human orientations via education and inequality that persist in society.

33% reservation policy in the state is highly a political project of the ruling party and does not deal or engages with inequality of gender in any form. The grand theory of 33% reservation policy (I repeat again) which is applicable to a society which is not only caste based but also historically perceives the gender roles and status position differently from tribal communities like the Nagas, is not at all applicable in our context and only tends to complicates the very essence of Naga culture. The question of gender inequality in which we all tends to engage should also not be carried away with political project and the political apparatus of the ruling party, but rather should engage on the ontological and the epistemological construction of gender and inequality within the specific context of Naga culture.

To conclude I quote Charles Taylor, ‘This is an important stage, but we need to go a little farther back to see how this passage came to have a sense it did. What changed to make this kind of talk have sense for us?’.

Colonialism, Reverend William Pettigrew (1869-1943), and the Coming of Christianity and Western Education to Manipur

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Pamkhuila Shaiza

olonialism allowed Christianity to spread extensively in regions and countries, where primal (traditional) religions were dominant. Christianity and primal religions have many similarities when it comes to activities like believing in spiritual healing or casting evil spirits out of the body, although following the doctrines of Jesus Christ remain inherently embedded among the Christians. Excepting few people, the Christian converts in the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries’ were drawn from the poor, the illiterate, and those who lived in remote areas, like the Tangkhul-Naga tribe (Tangkhuls) in the rural NorthEastern part of India. The Tangkhuls living in Manipur in fact converted to Christianity "in masses" under the influence of colonialism and imperialistic doctrines. For the colonial Christian Missionaries, their Mission comes as personal responsibility before God. As one of such Missionary, Reverend William Pettigrew used education and western medicine, along with Christianity to guarantee the internal colonization of the Tangkhul-Naga tribe in India. The spread of Christianity and Western Education was mainly possible because of the grants given to the Missionaries by the colonial administrators. These spread of religion and education has far-reaching social, political and cultural effects. Although the hilly regions of Manipur do not exactly build the British colonial economy, expansion through religion and education helped the British to secure Labour Corps during the First World War. Some literate Nagas were employed as interpreters who were paid by the British Indian government or the Mission schools. William Pettigrew himself took 2000 Labour Corps from Manipur to France (1917-1919), thereby making the British Indian Government to confer him with title of 'Captain', and a War Medal. By providing the labour corps, the colonized can be seen as being obliged to work and deliver for the colonialist, thereby indirectly helping in building the politics and economy of the British colonialists in the early 20th century.

Reverend William Pettigrew was an Educationist and Scottish-British Christian Missionary, who came to India in 1890, eventually spreading Western Education and converting the nature-worshipping Tangkhuls

living in Manipur to Christianity. Pettigrew was born on 5th January, 1869 at Edinburg, Scotland. His mother died at the childbirth of his younger brother, prompting his father to remarry, adding two more brothers and one sister to the family. By this time, his father was working in an Irish Marine Ship as captain, and the family was living in Glasgow. Pettigrew was brought up in a deeply religious Anglican family, and he attended Bible Camp every week. During one of this visit, Pettigrew heard about the first American Missionary Adoniram Judson working as a Christian Missionary in Burma (now Myanmmar). Inspired by this story, Pettigrew was convinced that he will become a Christian Missionary and spread Christianity in India. Keeping these goals, Pettigrew underwent training at the Ardington Aborigines Training School, after completing his High School. Upon completion of the training, he was certified in 28th November, 1890, to visit India as a Christian Missionary.

Under the Ardington Missionary, William Pettigrew set out with three other Missionaries and one Doctor to India. When he arrived at Calcutta (now Kolkata), hospitality was provided to him by Reverend and Mrs Dalmasna. While waiting for God's direction, and working together with the Dalmasnas' among the Bengalis, he had a better understanding of Christian religious denominations, and he converted from his Anglican Protested denomination to Baptist Protestant denomination. Pettigrew was baptized in the Baptist Faith by Reverend Wright Hayna, who was working as English Baptist Missionary at Dacca. Of his conversion, "The Assam Mission of the American Baptist Mission Union, 1985", reports that "He hold the Baptist view of the sole and supreme authority of the Scripture in all matters of faith and practice, and on all the cardinal doctrines is at one with us; and, although on account of lack of training he is not fully versed in all that he holds views contrary to our distinctive doctrines."

When Pettigrew was working with the English Baptist Missionary in Dacca, he heard about the Manipur Massacre of 1891, making him to pray fervently to go and work in Manipur. He tried several times to go to Manipur with J. Craighead, but these attempts were thwarted by Manipur Political Agent of that time. Since Pettigrew was inspired to visit Manipur, he went with Craig-

head to Silchar in 1892, and learned Manipuri (language). Finally, with the fortunate permission, Pettigrew arrived in Manipur on 6th February, 1894. In order to propagate God's words, he first opened Primary School on 7th May, 1894 in Chingama and enrolled 50 students. Till this time (1890-1894), Pettigrew was working with Ardington Aborigines, but from 1894, he started to work with the American Baptisy Foreign Mission Society (ABFMS). Upon arrival in the plain region (Imphal) of Manipur, Pettigrew was not allowed to preach Christianity, prompting him to spend two years learning and writing Meitei Primers, Grammar, Basic Arithmetic, and English-Bengali-Manipur Dictionary. Thereafter, he set up a Lower Primary School at Singjamei Colony, which is now known as Pettigrew Junior Higher Secondary School. Two Lower Primary Schools were subsequently established at Thangmeiband and Terakeithel colonies of Imphal.

During this time, Johnstone Upper Primary School was the only school, imparting Western Education in Manipur.

Recognizing his efforts in promoting Western education, William Pettigrew was later made the School Inspector of Manipur. Together, with a Manipuri Pandit Inspector, Pettigrew continued to set up many schools in the plain area. When Pettigrew was working as school Inspector, Major Maxwell was working as the Political Agent of Manipur under British India. Spreading the word of God and preaching Christianity was therefore made to be taken up in the hilly regions of Manipur. An official approval was given to Pettigrew by the Maxwell to go to the hilly regions of Manipur. To quote Pettigrew, the order came in such manner: "Confined and restricted to one section of the country, the NorthEast area among the Tangkhul Nagas, Headquarters of the past and still practiced in the outlying and frontier villages, the writer and his wife at their own risk according to Governemnt order from 1896 to 1918 made the largest and most important village of the tribe Ukhrul, their headquarters".

Since Pettigrew knew Manipuri, he was able to easily communicate with Raihao, the then Chief of Hungphun (Central Headquarter of Ukhrul District). With the Chief's help, Pettigrew was able to visit Shirui, Langdang, and Khangkhui in search of a good centre, but he was unable to procure a good place. Following the advice of an elder, Pettigrew went

to Shirui Peak to get a view of Ukhrul. From this peak, he saw Hungphun as the central region of Ukhrul, and lying flat amidst the surrounding hilly villages, thereby making him to take a decision to set up a Christian Missionary centre there. After Pettigrew selected Hungphun as the Mission Centre, he communicated with his High School Sweetheart, Alice Goreham to come to India, and they got married on 13th November, 1896, at Calcutta. Their arduous journey towards propagating Christianity among the Tangkhuls started by spending their honeymoon in a thatched-mud house. Their first house was at Lungtung Awungtang (Hunphun King's Colony); later shifting to Manglakahap Awontang colony, and building a stone house thereafter. The inaccessibility of the hilly terrain, the ignorance of Western Education, and the independent, yet warring atmosphere of the Tangkhuls Chiefs and villages in the Hilly regions of Manipur has been reported

by William Pettigrew in his "TwentyFive Years: 1897-1922" as: “Independent, democratic, each Tangkhul Naga village with its Chief and elders open to bribery and corruption, gaining a reputation of being the biggest liars…and added to these the immense difficulties of mere approach to their lives owing to the diversity of dialects almost every village having its own; no written language, not a soul in the whole tribe man and woman who know anything of even the rudiments of an education, any old piece of paper was grasped at and looked upon as a curiosity. Absolute ignorance of the outside world, the majority of them not having left their mountain fortresses to visit any other tribe or even the people of the valley. Those among the older men who visited the valley were in constant contact with bigotry of an intense type, idol worship and all its entails, veneer of a pharisaical type and with its abysmal ignorance and pride of race and superstitious, these are the things by which Tangkhuls were influenced and while surrounded them with an almost impenetrable and unassailable wall.”

When Pettigrew told the Hungphun Chief Raihao that he wanted to impart western education to the Tangkhuls, the Chief answered, "Long ago, there was a Tangkhul Script which was written in the animal hides, and while the ancestors were travelling with the hides, it was

eaten by a dog. Given these circumstances, we may not exactly excel in learning, even if you teach us". Taken from this context, the Chief either meant the carelessness of the Tangkhuls in dealing with practicality, and hence their inability to learn anything beneficial, or that it simply imply from superstitious stand that the dog has taken (eaten) away the intelligence of the tribe. To this Pettigrew replied, "I have found the lost hides, so you must get educated now". Pettigrew's insightful retort made the King to finally give permission to educate the Tangkhuls living in Ukhrul. Although permission was granted by the king, the King's Council (Hangva) were unable to procure people who were interested in learning. Pettigrew therefore left for Imphal to take the help of Major Maxwell, who was the State Superintendent of Imperial British India at that time. According to Thisan Luikham, while passing by Ukhrul Headquarter (Hungphun), on his way to Somra, Maxwell threatened the Tangkhuls that "upon my return, whoever is not enrolled for education will either be whipped or sent to prison". It was under such order that the Tangkhuls finally started to cooperate with Pettigrew's endeavour to bring western education among the community.

Pettigrew's friendship with a capable leader, Raihao made him to realize his dreams of getting students, when Raihao along with 19 others (20 in totality) enrolled as Pettigrew's students.

They started their classes on 19th February, 1897, in a thatched-mud house.

Complementarity of learning existed between the Hungphun Chief Raihao and William Pettigrew, since the latter learned Tangkhul dialect from the Chief. On the side of Pettigrew, learning Tangkhul dialect was followed by writing Tangkhul Primers, Arithmetic, Catechism, etc., in Roman script.

There was a steady educational growth from 1896 onward, and through cooperation and steadfast studies, Pettigrew himself became the school Head Master. The State Government by 1897 also started to award the students with stipend cum scholarship of 3 Indian Rupees, in order to encourage them towards education.

Pettigrew's efforts towards converting the Tangkhuls to Christianity started in 1901, when twelve people converted to Christianity and received Baptism under Protestant Christian Baptist's beliefs. Thereaf-

ter, Christianity took steady, but rapid growth in the hill district, as well as in the plain region (the convert of a Meitei to Christianity by Pettigrew has been reported in his letters). By 1926-27, Pettigrew involved himself in translating the New Testament into Tangkhul dialect, thereby making the people to have easier accessibility to the Bible. Along with William Pettigrew, Alice Goreham is also noted to have contributed towards bringing western medicine to Manipur in general, and the hilly areas in particular.

Pettigrews' letters and reports shows them treating leper and tuberculosis patients during that time. The Pettigrews returned to England in 1933, and Alice Pettigrew reportedly died in 1934. For his contribution towards spreading Western education and his service in the rural areas, the Imperial British Indian Government awarded William Pettigrew with the honor of Kaiser-I-Hind. While working at Ukhrul, Pettigrew was also a member of the Honorary British Foreign Bible Society; the Asiatic Linguistic Society; and the Manipur State Educational Standing Committee. He also worked for a long time as Manipur School Inspector. Pettigrew passed away at Plymouth in 1943, and was survived by his four children.

The continuing spread of Christianity brought about by William Pettigrew shows the influence of neo-colonialism among the Tangkhul-Nagas, and from destructive point of view, Christianity can be stated to have led to the destruction of the Tangkhul-Naga primal religion. In fact, the alliance between the Christian Missionaries and colonialism, and continuing vitality of Christianity among the Tangkhul-Naga continue to cause cultural and primal-religious alienation. Having stated that, there is no doubt that Christianity and western education advancing rapidly under the influence of colonialism brought subsequent change and development among the people. Western education system that got structurally established during the time of colonialism is able to produce prominent individuals in professional and personal front against modern contemporaneity ratrace competitions. The ability to raise literary rate from 0 to 79.85% as per 2011 census in Manipur can no doubt be accounted towards Pettigrew's efforts, and also towards colonialism.

Pamkhuila Shaiza is a Research Analyst at Project Guru

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.

Tuesday 10•01•2017

EntErtainmEnt

Golden Globes 2017

Amitabh presented with Us embassy award

‘la la land’ shines with 7 awards

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yan Gosling and Emma Stonestarrer musical comedy “La La Land” clinched as many as seven honours at the 74th Golden Globe Awards, where celebrities including the legendary actress Meryl Streep took a dig at President-elect Donald Trump.

Popular Indian actress Priyanka Chopra made a glittering debut at the gala as a presenter.

Hosted by Jimmy Fallon, the awards show organised by Hollywood Foreign Press Association took place at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills on Sunday night. Directed by Damien Chazelle, “La La Land” follows a romantic relationship between a dedicated jazz musician, Sebastian (Gosling), and an aspiring actress, Mia (Stone), who are struggling to make ends meet in Los Angeles.

They cross paths and embark on a romantic relationship while exploring the joy and pain of pursuing their dreams.

The film won in categories like Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy (Stone), Best Director - Motion Picture (Chazelle), Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy (Gosling), Best Screenplay, Best Original Score - Motion Picture and Best Original Song - Motion Picture.

After making India proud with her red carpet appearances at the Oscars and Emmys last year, Priyanka, who found global popularity with American TV show “Quantico”, made heads turn in a golden glided Ralph Lauren gown with a plunging v-neckline, as she joined actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan on the stage to present the award for the Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama to “Goliath” actor Priyanka Chopra wowed on the red Billy Bob Thornton. carpet and on the stage as she presented The 74th Golden Globe Awards paid a tribute to late acthe award to Billy Bob Thornton for his tresses, mother-daughter Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynperformance in Goliath. olds, by showing clips of some of their memorable roles.

Streep was honoured with the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and she was applauded for her bold speech in which she slammed Trump.

Apart from Streep, British actor Hugh Laurie and Fallon also poked fun at Trump, whose inauguration ceremony is due for January 20.

While Fallon poked fun at Trump by comparing him to “Game of Thrones” character King Joffrey during his opening monologue, Streep slammed him by stating that one “performance” that stood out this year was when Trump mocked a disabled reporter at a rally.

Laurie said that he feels happy to be honoured at the “last ever Golden Globes” and even indirectly called Trump “psychopathic billionaires” while accepting his award.

While “Moonlight” won the Best Motion Picture -- Drama award, actors Cassey Affleck and Isabelle Huppert took home the award for Best Actor and Actress in Motion Picture - Drama for their roles in “Manchester By The Sea” and “Elle”.

The Best Supporting Role - Male and Female Awards were given to actors Aaron Taylor-Johnson (“Nocturnal Animals”) and Viola Davis (“Fences”). “Zootopia” was declared as the winner for Best Motion Picture - Animated.

In the television categories, “The Crown” was announced as the winner for Best Television Series - Drama, while “Atlanta” was given the Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy award and the Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television trophy was given to “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story”.

Other big winners of the night included Tom Hiddleston, who won the Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television for his role in “The Night Manager”; Sara Paulson, who was given the Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television for “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story”; and Olivia Colman and Hugh Laurie, who got the best supporting actor honours in the Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television category.

The award show also witnessed a surprise entry by actor Brad Pitt, who is currently fighting for the custody of their six children: Maddox, 15, Pax, 13, Zahara, 11, Shiloh, 10, and 8-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.

Source: IANS

egastar Amitabh Bachchan was given an award by the US Embassy in appreciation for his invaluable contributions to the US-India partnership on tuberculosis, an official said on Monday.

The award was presented on January 8 by US Ambassador to India Richard R. Verma to the legendary actor who is also a tuberculosis survivor and brand ambassador for the initiative.

Speaking on a live video-chat with Facebook users, the two discussed the US Embassy’s collaboration to end tuberculosis in India and the US-India partnership among other issues. “I thank Mr. Bachchan for his dedication to support the cause and for sharing his story as a tuberculosis survivor to reduce the stigma associated with tuberculosis,” Verma acknowledged.

He added that more lives can be saved and ease the burden the disease places on families, communities, corporations and India, referring to the high incidence of tuberculosisrelated deaths in the country. “It is inspiring that India and the US are natural partners with a long history of collaboration on tuberculosis prevention, treat-

ment, research and cure and I hope to continue to do my bit in this partnership to end tuberculosis in India,” Amitabh said.

Verma and Amitabh first collaborated to work on tuberculosis during an event here two years ago on September 10 and it soon grew into a common passion around the cause of eradicating tuberculosis. In March 2016, Amitabh attended a reception at the US Embassy in New Delhi as tuberculosis brand ambassador and a survivor of the disease.

Source: IANS

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

Mariah Carey quits social media Aamir Khan’s ‘dangal’ beats his

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inger Mariah Carey has quit social media indefinitely following her disastrous New Year’s Eve performance. The 47-yearold singer spoke about her decision in an audio clip released Sunday, reports dailymail.co.uk. “I’m going to take a break from media moments, social media moments,” she said in the audio clip posted on Twitter.

She added: “Although I am going to fulfil my professional obligations, this is an important time for me to finally take a moment for myself and to deal with my loved ones and to prepare for my upcoming tour in March… I can’t wait to sing for you again.”

The “Touch my body” hitmaker is scheduled to return to stage for her US

‘PK’ as highest Hindi grosser

W

tour on March 15. Carey was trashed on social media after she walked off the stage in Times Square in New York due to a technical default during her performance. She said that her

feelings are hurt “but I’m working through this and I’m truly grateful for my fans and my true friends who have been so supportive in this time.”

Source: IANS

Harry might release album around Grammys

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inger-actor Harry Styles is reportedly working on unveiling new music around the upcoming Grammy Awards ceremony. The 22-year-old has wrapped up working on the movie “Dunkirk” and now the former One Direction member is releasing a solo album. “Instead of dropping something around ‘Dunkirk’, Harry is working on dropping music and a full album right around the Grammys,” a source told HollywoodLife.com.

“He thinks the surprise and shock of it all will make a bigger splash, instead of announcing a release date.

He has enough songs to put out an album, it’s just the final logistics that are being worked out now.”

The 59th edition of Grammy Awards will be held here on February 12.

Source: IANS

Tom Hardy slams beefy modern action heroes

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ctor Tom Hardy has slammed beefy modern action hero roles, saying he finds them boring to play. In an interview with the Sunday Times, Hardy, known for playing gritty roles in action films such as “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “The Dark Knight Rises”, also said he believes baddies have lost their individuality, reports dailymail.co.uk. He also drew a distinction between Harrison Ford’s 1980s “Indiana Jones” and Australian actor Chris Hemsworth’s more recent portrayal of “Thor” in several Marvel Universe films. Hardy said: “One was allowed to express personal characteristics... Now you’ve got to look like you’ve just come off a vegan diet, gone to the gym, part Navy Seal, really clean-valued, clean-living, moralistic - and then you go out and save the world from an impending danger that isn’t really dangerous at all. “And it becomes not committed to any sense of the gubbins of reality: I don’t recognise this man.”

Source: IANS

ith “Dangal” registering a collection of Rs 345.3 crore, Bollywood star Aamir Khan has created a new record for the highest Hindi grosser, beating the business of his own movie “PK”. The film’s makers are overwhelmed.

The sports drama film, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, took a leaf out of wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat’s real life.

“Dangal”,which released on December 23 last year, collected Rs 14.33 crore on January 8, taking the cumulative total to Rs 345.3 crore (nett India box office), read a statement issued on behalf of the makers.

Amrita Pandey, Vice President, Studios, Disney India, said: “’Dangal’ is an extremely special film for us at Disney, Aamir Khan and the entire cast and crew of the film. This is our ninth film with Aamir Khan, and with ‘Dangal’ we’ve broken our own record of ‘PK’. Aamir has set new benchmarks with each

of his movies.”

“Dangal” has been lauded by the audiences for its powerful portrayal of the story of Phogat, who, much to the disapproval of his wife and his whole village, trained his daughters Geeta and Babita to wrestle.

Christmas has turned out to be lucky for Aamir since the past few years.

Even “PK”, “Dhoom: 3” and

16 held in Kim Kardashian’s Paris robbery case

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people have been arrested in connection with an armed robbery of reality TV star Kim Kardashian here in October last year, officials said on Monday. Kim was bound, gagged and held at gunpoint inside her hotel room in Paris by masked men who then stole all her jewellery and escaped. Authorities had said at the time that the American reality TV star was robbed at gunpoint by at least two men dressed as police officers. They escaped with an estimated $10.5 million-worth of jewellery.

French police said that traces of DNA left at the scene led to the arrests. The men were detained in early morning raids on Monday in the Paris region, reports bbc.com. Kim has also opened up about being robbed in Paris, saying that she thought her attackers were going to shoot her. She said: “It makes me so upset to think about it.”

Source: IANS

“3 Idiots” released around the festival and their success gave the actor more reasons to celebrate.

According to Pandey, “’Dangal’ is breaking and setting new distribution circuit benchmarks all over India, in centres in key south markets, in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Central India.

Even in key international

markets like North America and Australia, ‘Dangal’ is setting new benchmarks.”

“In fact, in North America, the movie is set to be the highest grossing foreign language movie for 2016.

‘Dangal’ is also the highest performing Hindi movie dubbed in Tamil language, beating the previous record of ‘The Jungle Book’.”

Source: IANS

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tuesDAY 10•01•2017

SPORTS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

James, Cavaliers hold off Suns, Menuodilhou wins medals in Nat’l C’ship Warriors rebound from loss

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LOs ANgELEs, JANuARy 9 (AFP): Kyrie Irving, LeBron James and Kevin Love combined for 80 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers blew a 20-point third-quarter lead but held on to defeat the host Phoenix Suns 120116 on Sunday.

James had 12 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, including two three-pointers 25 seconds apart to stretch a two-point Cleveland edge to a 115-109 lead with 2:47 left.

Irving scored 27 points and Love added 25 points for Cleveland, which beat Phoenix for the fourth straight time.

The Cavaliers improved to 28-8 on the season and have won 15 of their last 18 games and have their best 36-game start since going 30-6 to start the 2008-09 season. Cleveland is 8-2 against the Western Conference.

Eric Bledsoe had 31 points and Devin Booker added 28 for the Suns, who missed a chance for their first three-game winning streak since November 2015.

In Sacramento, the Golden State Warriors, who lost to the Grizzlies a day earlier, overcame a lackluster first half Sunday to avoid back-to-back losses with a 117-106 win over the Sacramento Kings.

The Warriors improved to 32-6 on the season as they rebounded from a 128-119 loss to Memphis Saturday in a game which saw them blow a 24-point lead.

- Longest streak in history Stephen Curry finished with 30 points and Kevin Durant added 28 on Sun-

DIMAPuR, JANuARy 9 (MExN): Menuodilhou Maurice Usou, from Nagaland, won 1 gold and 2 silver medals at the 31st National ITF Taekwondo Championship which was recently held in Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat from December 28 to 30.

In addition, the Open Weight Individual Sparring from 7 weight category which was introduced for the first time with cash prizes of Rs.40,000 for the winner and Rs.15,000 for the runner up, saw Maurice achieve an impressive 2nd place.

Furthermore, the Taekwondo Association of India has made a declaration that there will be cash price in the Open Weight individual sparring in every National Championship henceforth.

Meanwhile, Menuodilhou Maurice is headed to Delhi for the selection of an upcoming global ITF Kick Boxing professional tournament to be held in Mongo-

lia. A five member team including a coach will be representing India in the upcoming mega event. The International tournament will likely see the participation of 16 countries.

MDCA Tourney: Matches abandoned over blockade

MOkOkChuNg, JANuARy 9 (MExN): Matches scheduled for Day 5 of the ongoing Mokokchung District Cricket Association (MDCA) T20 tournament were declared abandoned owing to a blockade and all four teams which were supposed to play today were awarded a point each.

A decision in this regard was taken during an emergency meeting of the LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers slam dunks the ball against the Phoenix Suns during the second half of the MDCA in the presence of NBA game. (AFP Photo)

day for the Warriors who have played 124 straight contests without losing consecutively, the longest streak in NBA history.

Klay Thompson finished with 18 points, and Zaza Pachulia scored 10, and the Warriors beat the Kings for the 13th straight time.

Draymond Green contributed nine points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.

E l s e w h e re, g u a rd Mike Conley finished with 19 points and nine assists as the Memphis Grizzlies managed to hold off a fourth quarter rally from the Utah Jazz

for an 88-79 win.

Forward Zach Randolph came off the Grizzlies' bench in front of a crowd of 16,100 at the FedExForum to post a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

"I was really happy with the effort," Grizzlies coach David Fizdale said. "We gave it from start to finish."

The error-prone Jazz dropped to 23-16 on the season. They are first place in the Northeast Division and the Grizzlies are in third in the Southeast, but the Grizzlies (24-16) are in fifth overall in the Western Conference standings, one

25th NASA ‘D’ Sports Meet from Jan 11 kOhIMA, JANuARy 9 (MExN): The Northern Angami Sports’ Association ‘D’ (NASA-D) will hold its 25th Sports Meet from January 11 to 14 at Botsa Local Ground.

Neiphiu Rio, MP Lok Sabha will grace the occasion as the chief guest while Dr. Neiphrezo Keditsu, MLA and Chairman NSMDC Pvt. Ltd will be the guest of honour. The inaugural function on January 11 will start from 9:30 am. Lighting of jubilee torch will be done by Khriesangulie Riipreo, Keduovilie Zumu and Neibu Rio. Administration of oath to the participating teams will be led by NASA-D Wrestling Secretary Abei Rio. The four day long meet will be marked by track & field events, football, wrestling, volleyball, Sepaktakraw, badminton, table tennis, bamboo stilt walk and Tholi.

Murray stays at top of men's singles rankings MADRID, JANuARy 9 (IANs): Scotman Andy Murray continued to stay at the top position in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) singles rankings released on Monday. The 29-year-old led the rankings for the first time in his career on November 7, 2016 and has kept the lead since, reports Efe. Serb Novak Djokovic lies in second place, while Canadian Milos Raonic is placed third.Spanish star Rafael Nadal remains in ninth place. The current ATP rankings and point scores are as follows: 1. Andy Murray (Britain) 12,560 Points; 2. Novak Djokovic (Serbia) 11,780; 3. Milos Raonic (Canada) 5,290; 4. Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland) 5,155; 5. Kei Nishikori (Japan) 5,010

Indian U-17 football team beaten 0-8 in Russia

spot in front of Utah.

The Jazz committed 18 turnovers that Memphis turned into 26 points. Forward Gordon Hayward led the Jazz with 22 points, George Hill tallied 15 and forward Trey Lyles chipped in 11 points off the bench.

The Jazz rallied from a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter to get within five at 82-77 with 69 seconds to play on a basket by guard Hill. But with 24 seconds left in the game, Jazz center Rudy Gobert fouled Memphis center Marc Gasol from behind the three-point line.

Gasol made all three

free throws to boost the lead to 85-77 and Utah never got closer than six points.

"That is what they do," said Hayward. "They're good at it. They've got guys that pressure the ball and are good defenders, forcing you to do things you don't want to do at times and speed you up."

Memphis ended the third quarter on an 8-0 run that included backto-back threes from guard Troy Daniels and veteran Vince Carter in the final four seconds. The Grizzlies led 63-51 going into the final quarter.

MDCA Siler Jubilee Planning Committee, Tournament Technical Committee, Tournament Organizing Committee, and all the managers and captains of the participating teams.

This decision was taken in view of the “prevailing situation” in Mokokchung town. It was also resolved that the same yardstick would be applied if the “same situation arises during the league matches” of

the tournament.

The matches abandoned were supposed to be played today between Titans CC and Sovran CC followed by Mokokchung DC XI versus Tuli ADC XI. Today’s Fixture: Zero Boys CC vs Longmiasang CC (@ 8:00 am) Trebuchet CC vs Züngamedem CC (@12:00 noon)

The Aai Sagi Sports Meet 2017 conducted by the Mech Kachari Public Organisation (MKPO), Nagaland at the Kachari Sports Complex, Darogajan-Kushiabill Village concluded on January 8. The three day Meet which began on Friday saw Kushiabill Team ‘B’ emerge as champions in Men's Volleyball while Purana Bazar won the Women's Volleyball event.

Juventus set record after Roma and Lazio scrape home

MILAN, JANuARy 9 (REutERs): Gonzalo Higuain scored twice to give Juventus an easy 3-0 win over Bologna on Sunday which set a Serie A record of 26 consecutive home wins.

Second-placed AS Roma needed an unlucky own goal from Armando Izzo to beat Genoa 1-0 away and neighbours Lazio survived a controversial disallowed goal before snatching a last minute win over lowly Crotone.

Ivan Perisic scored at the end of each half as Inter Milan came from behind to beat Udinese 2-1 and notch their fourth successive league win.

st. PEtERsBuRg, JANuARy 9 (IANs): The Indian U-17 football team were thrashed 0-8 by Russia in a group match of the Valentin Granatkin Memorial Cup. The margin could have been much worse for India had Russia not missed a penalty just before the halftime on Sunday. The hosts led 5-0 at the interval, according to a release by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The first goal came as early as the second minute. India conceded the second 10 minutes later. The third goal was scored in the 21st minute, the fourth happened four minutes later. The fifth goal, in the 31st minute, was the final goal in the first half. Russia scored the sixth goal immediately after the changeover. It was 7-0 BARCELONA, JANuin the 67th minute and the last goal of the match was scored moments before the final ARy 9 (REutERs): Barcelona's Lionel Messi reswhistle. India next play Belarus on Tuesday. cued a 1-1 draw at Villarreal with a sensational late freekick on Sunday but could not prevent the champions finishing the weekend third LONDON, JANuARy 9 start since October, was fender Daniel Ayala was in La Liga, five points be(REutERs): Eight-times then sent off for dragging the miscreant at home to hind leaders Real Madrid.

Messi bent a stunning FA Cup winners, Totten- down Lee Angol to prevent Championship (secondfree-kick into the top corham Hotspur took a long a clear scoring opportunity, tier) side Wednesday, rener in the 90th minute after but Pedro scored his secceiving a straight red card time to break down Aston Villa before winning 2-0 ond goal for the 10 men af- just before the hour mark. Villarreal's Italian forward but Premier League leaders ter Tom Nichols had pulled The Premier League team Nicola Sansone finished Chelsea had no such trou- one back. Manager Antonio led 1-0 at that point after off a breakaway to open ble against third-tier Peter- Conte said later that Chelsea skipper Grant Leadbitter's the scoring in the 50th as direct free kick a minute they looked set to record a borough United, winning may appeal the dismissal.

Tottenham, making earlier. Alvaro Negredo got first home win over Barca 4-1 despite having John Terry sent off in Sunday's nine changes, could not their second in the 67th af- in 11 years.

Barcelona have 35 points break down Villa until ter a goalkeeping error and FA Cup third round tie. from 17 games, one behind Middlesbrough also had England midfielder Dele Marten de Roon claimed a man dismissed but beat Alli appeared as a substi- 'Boro's third in added time. Sevilla, and trail a Real Matute for the final half an Fulham reached the drid side who beat Granada Sheffield Wednesday 3-0.

At Stamford Bridge, hour at White Hart Lane. fourth round with a 2-1 win 5-0 on Saturday, are unbeatSpanish international Pe- He helped another Spurs at Cardiff City in a meet- en in all competitions and dro scored twice as Chelsea replacement, Frenchman ing of two Championship have a game in hand.

"I can't make a posiwent through comfortably at Georges-Kevin N'Koudou, sides. The winning goal home to Peterborough. He set up defender Ben Davies was bundled in by 16-year- tive evaluation because we gave them the lead after 18 to score his first goal for the old Ryan Sessegnon, an needed the three points tominutes, which was extend- club in the 71st minute. Son England under-17 interna- day," said Barca coach Luis ed by Belgian forward Michy Heung-min doubled the tional, making him one of Enrique. "We aren't on a lead with 10 minutes left. the youngest scorers in the very favourable run at the Batshuayi and Willian.

Middlesbrough de- history of the competition. moment and although we Terry, making his first

Juve's win kept them four points clear of Roma at the top with a game in hand. Juve have 45 points while Roma have 41, Napoli 38 and Lazio fourth on 37.

Juventus, aiming for a sixth successive title, broke their own record of 25 home wins in a row set under Antonio Conte between 2013 and 2014.

Higuain, last season's topscorer with Napoli, volleyed Juventus in front after seven minutes from Miralem Pjanic's pass and fellow Argentine Paulo Dybala converted a penalty four minutes before halftime.

Higuain got away from his markers to head in Stephan Lichtsteiner's pass

10 minutes into the second half, taking his season's tally to 12.

Roma were missing striker Mohamed Salah as he had joined Egypt's squad for their African Nations Cup preparations while Genoa were playing their first game since selling key midfielder Tomas Rincon to Juventus.

Genoa goalkeeper Mattia Perin was injured early on as he made a brilliant save to deny Edin Dzeko and was replaced by Eugenio Lamanna.

Roma broke through when Izzo inadvertently turned a Bruno Peres cross into his own net from close range.

Lazio made heavy weather of beating Serie A debutants Crotone who remained in the relegation zone on nine points.

Lucas Biglia blasted a first-half penalty against the crossbar for Lazio and Crotone thought they had taken the lead through Marcus Rohden in the 70th minute only to see the goal chalked off for a debatable offside decision.

Immobile finally broke the deadlock in the last minute after a fortuitous rebound sent the ball into his path.

Udinese took a 17th minute lead through Jakub Jankto and twice hit the post before Inter snatched

an equaliser on the stroke of halftime when Perisic swept in Mauro Icardi's pass from 12 metres.

The Croatia winger struck again three minutes from fulltime as he headed in Joao Mario's free kick at the far post.

Seventh-placed Inter have won five out of seven games and lost only one since coach Stefano Pioli replaced Frank de Boer, who was sacked after less than three months in charge.

Alejandro G omez scored twice in the first half to help sixth-placed Atalanta thump Chievo 4-1 away, while Sassuolo and Torino played out a goalless draw.

Messi screamer salvages draw for Barca

Chelsea, Spurs win in FA Cup

Barcelona's Lionel Messi shoots to score. (Reuters Photo)

kept hitting the target things just would not fall for us."

"Of course there is still time to catch Real. We're going to have opportunities to fight for the league,

although that will not just depend on us but also on them and they are looking very strong at the moment."

The pressure was on Luis Enrique's side after

Real and Sevilla enjoyed big wins on Saturday but Villarreal were far from ideal opponents, having held Barca to a 2-2 draw last season and halting their 12-game win-

ning streak in the league.

The first clear chance of a vibrant, end-to-end game fell to former Barcelona midfielder Jonathan dos Santos, who put too much power on his shot and watched it fly over the bar.

Luis Enrique made three changes to the Barca team that lost 2-1 in a King's Cup last 16, first leg game at Athletic Bilbao on Thursday and it was one of the players he recalled who made the fatal mistake that led to the opening goal.

France left back Lucas Digne lost possession in Villarreal's half and Alexandre Pato strode through the middle unopposed, teeing up Sansone to send the ball home off the far post.

Messi hit the post with a sumptuous shot and had a penalty appeal turned down when his effort was blocked by Villarreal captain Bruno Soriano's hand, while Barca's Javier Mascherano was also fortunate not to concede a spot kick for handball.

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