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SaturDaY • JanuarY 14 • 2017
DIMAPUR • Vol. XII • Issue 12 • 12 PAGes • 5
T H e
ESTD. 2005
P o W e R
God made Truth with many doors to welcome every believer who knocks on them
New York designer’s bribery issue could upset political ambitions of Ban Ki-moon
‘Live Now: Yes Life, No HIV’
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o F
T R u T H
— Kahlil Gibran
Wade maiden ODI ton help Aus beat Pak
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PaGE 12
Reproductive Rights and the Right to Life Vibi Yhokha
Kohima | January 13
A Free Syrian Army fighter takes a selfie near Qabasin town, during an offensive against Islamic State fighters to take control of Qabasin town, near the northern Syrian town of al-Bab, Syria. (REUTERS)
rEfLEctioNS
By Sandemo Ngullie
No shopping is complete without visiting the second hand clothes line, you know, let check it out, I swear I won’t take more than two or three hours.
Stop Indo-Myanmar border fencing: NPCC
DIMAPUR, JANUARY 13 (MExN): The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) today submitted a memorandum to the Nagaland State Governor, PB Acharya with regard to the border fencing works at the Indo Myanmar border. The NPCC memorandum informed that Nagas across the region, both in India and in Myanmar share interlocked lands with traditional land holding systems and have coexisted harmoniously with economic activity between farmers and traders alike across the border, since time immemorial. The Indo-Myanmar boundary has never been demarcated with the consent of the local people, it stated and cautioned that construction of Indo-Myanmar Border fencing will deny access to one’s own traditional land holdings and create a bar-
rier for socio-economic activity. “The divide will thus, seriously impact communities inhabiting the region in multiple forms. No nation has the right to take away lands traditionally held by the Nagas,” it maintained. While both the nations honour boundary pillars for administrative purposes, in order to maintain harmonious coexistence, both the nations should honour the traditional land holding systems, the NPCC stated. It condemned the construction of the Indo-Myanmar Border fence and appealed to the Government of India and the Government of Myanmar to stop construction of the fence, which it stated “is not necessary and will be detrimental to the well-being of the people inhabiting both sides of the boundary.”
Abortion as an issue has triggered debates and influenced policies across the world, with India on the verge of making amendments especially towards the reproductive rights of women. On one hand, there is the emerging movement for reproductive rights to ensure women their rights over their body and reproductive health, which includes an individual’s right to terminate pregnancy. On the other hand, the right to live and the value of a life inside the womb is a pressing matter that cannot be ignored. In Nagaland, as seen in a report published by The Morung Express, the number of abortions has shown an increasing trend over the years. For Dr Kezha Tsürho from Bethel Medical Center, “life starts at fertilization.” “That’s scripturally right and medically right. The difference between a month old baby in a womb and a newborn baby is time and nutrition. We talk about of civil liberties, human rights, and how can we deny the very right of the child to live,” Dr Kezha stated. General Secretary of the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), Dr. Zelhou Keyho meanwhile said: “For Christians, our basis is that life doesn’t belong to us, it belongs to God, and the process of conception is also never something that we can manipulate. God is the originator of life and therefore we have no control over it. Our duty is just to nurture and to take care, beyond that we have no control. You cannot extend, and if you cannot extend you also don’t have the right to cut off. If we do that
we are taking things on ourselves, we become the one responsible of when life should end or when life should continue.” However with the increasing rate of abortions in Nagaland, a ‘Christian state’, Keyho wondered if Christians, especially leaders, have done enough after everything being said about the conception of life, or whether the dignity of life has been conveyed enough to congregations. A leading Gynaecologist from Kohima, who chose to remain anonymous, stated that abortion is taking a life because once the ovum is fertilized, the life process starts. “In one way, it definitely promotes promiscuity but if we don’t do it, they will go to local quacks or they will take medications on their own and that will lead to complication. It is dangerous for the mothers’ health,” he added. The church cannot compromise on abortion Stating that the Church has failed to educate the sanctity of human life, failed to address corruption, and every form of wrong that is happening in Naga Society, Dr. Kezha pointed out that the Church often patronizes the rich, and the corrupt. “There is absolute anarchy in the system of running the state. Society has lost every sense of morality. All checks and balances are just thrown out of the window. We have lost all morality,” he said. Rev. Dr. Zelhou Keyho added that the Church must confess its failure and repent. Further, the Church must speak out, and must not only condemn but seek ways to minister in order to save lives. “The silence of the church doesn’t
mean that we condone with what we hear and is happening in our situation. Our voice on the sanctity and dignity of life should become louder. We must directly address the issue at its face and say abortion is not only wrong but it is a sin because we are not in charge of life, life is a gift from God and it belongs to God,” the NBCC General Secretary said. He added that the Church must speak louder and protect the unborn “A tribe, a generation is made to disappear from our land! A tribe is wiped out yearly through this sinful act out of the wrong decision, shame and in order the save face. We are moving from a culture of life to a culture of death and this is not Christianity,” he exclaimed. Where do we go from here? Vincent Belho, Branch Manager, FPAI Nagaland stated that abortion is not something a woman would want to go through. “There are people who say they are against abortion but they do nothing about it,” he said, while suggesting the need for sex education and use of contraceptives. Belho also pointed out the necessity of safe legal abortion because “people will continue to have their medical needs” and this gives grounds for quacks to flourish and make more money. Dr. Kezha viewed that the need for a moral society is stronger than ever in Nagaland than anywhere else, and only when morality improves in Naga society, will it impact every sphere of life, including corruption at the political and bureaucratic level. “Sensitization has to occur in every age group. Schools have to improve health education. It has to start from family level,” recommended Dr. Kezha.
Chhattisgarh Rape: ‘NHRC ‘Eastern Nagas have gone through untold sufferings’ should put its act together’
C M Y K
DIMAPUR, JANUARY 13 (MExN): The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) today expressed concern at reports of security personnel in Chhattisgarh having raped and sexually and physically assaulted at least 16 women, mostly women belonging to the indigenous communities. A press note from the AHRC informed that it is almost a week since the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) admitted to having found prima facie evidence of the security personnel having committed the crime. It is also a week since the NHRC put the state government on notice, though in doing so, merely asking why the women should not be monetarily compensated, with a sum of Rupees 3 lakh for each of the eight victims of rape, Rupees 2 lakh for each of the six victims of sexual assault, and Rupees 50,000 for the two victims physically assaulted. It lamented that the NHRC only cited compensation, and sidestepped the directive to invoke SC/ ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in all the cases when the victims belong to Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes. It has not sought even suspension of the cops accused and named in the first information reports, never mind taking the investigations into the cases away from the Chhattisgarh Police, the force whose personnel are accused of these rapes and assaults. The Chhattisgarh Police has not sought to hand over the cases to an independent body to ensure an impartial investigation. It however said that the NHRC “for once has stood as true to its mandate as it can, taking suo moto notice of a media report detailing the assaults and acting on them, to at least do this much. Had it not been for this timely intervention by the Commission, the crimes committed by those obligated to protect the victims might have been forgotten, like so many others committed in the state marred by an ongoing armed struggle between Maoist in-
surgents and the State,” it said. The AHRC said that the case betrays a “total collapse of the rule of law in most Indian states. Particularly in the hinterlands, public justice institutions have been rendered completely incapable of providing redress for victims, whatever the nature of the crime committed by either private citizens or State personnel.” “The reality is laid bare in this case of rape and assault. In a functioning rule of law system, a victim of rape and/or assault would rush to the police to seek justice. What if the cops themselves committed the rapes, though? And, what if the justice system is corrupt and dysfunctional? Whom would the victims go to seek justice?” the AHRC questioned. It further claimed that there is a high possibility the women will not get any justice even if some other institution enters the fray. “Prosecutors, being from the same state administration that NHRC held as “vicariously liable” for gross violations of human rights, would sniff out any hope of justice remaining. Any intervention by an outside agency, even if it were independent, would become meaningless. So the only possibility in the current scenario is some financial compensation, i.e. if even this snails its way to the point of reimbursement,” it stated. It is in this context, the AHRC pointed out that the NHRC intervention – stopping at seeking compensation and invoking provisions of SC/ST (PoA) Act – “turns into a welcome, but cruel, joke.” It will remain so unless the NHRC puts its act together and orders transfer of investigation to an independent body in a time-bound manner, monitored by either itself or any other competent and independent body, it stated. If it does not, the AHRC cautioned that, the intervention will be “just another, in a state notorious for security forces themselves committing crimes against women, raping and assaulting them, with impunity.”
DIMAPUR, JANUARY 13 (MExN): President of the Eastern Naga National Government (ENNG), R Stephen Naga in a statement to commemorate the first anniversary of the ENNG, which falls on January 14, called upon all youths to “join hands with the ENNG to strengthen our national Government and the Naga Army in order to defend our nation vigorously.” Stating that under the military occupation of Burma, the Eastern Nagas have been through untold sufferings in the past more than fifty years, he reminded that villages were burned, thousands killed, molested, raped and “Christian villagers were forcefully converted into Buddhism.” “Our people were marginalized and treated as inferior to them. Our lands are being confiscated according to their Constitution, in which they enshrined that Land belongs to
the Government, and minerals which are underneath or surface, under water or in the air, belongs to the Government,” Naga stated. He informed that the Eastern Nagas have lost land ownership rights, minerals, forest cover; their environment has been contaminated and their men irrespective of age are being destroyed by opium. “No Government or organization is there to check and control all these evil practices. We are therefore, imperatively needed to strengthen our Naga Army in order to protect our land, our right and to defend our people from being destroyed,” he stated. He said that the ENNG was formed to “strengthen the Naga Army in Eastern Nagaland in order to defend the right of Eastern Naga people joining hands with the armed groups of other ethnic nationalities of Burma.” This he
said was needed because, “unless the Eastern Nagas have a separate political entity at present, we find no way to build up friendship and alliance with other ethnic nationalities in Burma.” “The ENNG will maintain solidarity of the Naga people and uphold what truth is and will cooperate with the political organizations and all socio organizations of Nagas who stand for the truth and are working for the wellbeing of the Naga people,” he affirmed. The ENNG President said that the Eastern Nagas are “proud as free people.” He however lamented that after the 1950s the nascent independent Government of Myanmar “started forcefully claiming Eastern Nagaland as integral part of Burma without the knowledge of Naga people and sent its Army to occupy our land. Eastern Nagaland had thus unfortunately fallen into the military occupation of
Burma since then.” The Nagas, he stated, “had no choice but to resist the aggressor at all cost and formed the Eastern Naga Revolutionary Council (ENRC) on 7th April 1964 and hence the Eastern Nagas have been relentlessly defending the sovereignty of Eastern Nagaland. We pay homage and respect to the ENRC leaders and soldiers who sacrificed their lives and undauntedly defended our country in their times.” “Though we have formed the ENNG to face the present circumstances, we uphold a single entity of Nagaland as only one nation,” Naga meanwhile affirmed. He assured that the ENNG would “maintain peace with all the Naga political groups and also with the Indian Government.” He however cautioned that the ENNG would not give room for “factionalism and sectarian political games.”
Nagaland ULB Elections 2016: Sixteen more candidates withdraw nomination
DIMAPUR, JANUARY 13 (MExN): The number of candidates withdrawing their nomination for the upcoming Urban Local Body (ULB) elections increased to 53 today, with 16 more candidates withdrawing their nominations on January 13. On Friday, the number of candidates who withdrew their nominations included 2 from Phek, 4 from Chumukedima, 1 from Kiphire and 9 from Chozuba. The total district wise number of candidates who have now withdrawn from the polls is: Phek (6), Chumukedima (4), Kiphire (2), Chozuba (10), Meluri (2), Tobu (1), Pfutsero (27), and Dimapur (1). Only 482 candidates now remain as being validly nominated for the polls. Meanwhile, the Central Nagaland Tribes Council (CNTC) has informed that
“some non- Nagaland Nagas from neighboring states have filed nominations,” which it stated is “very disturbing.” Expressing “dismay about some non-indigenous Naga inhabitants from other states taking undue advantage in the name of the women reservation,” the CNTC informed public leaders like GBs/ Chairmen of various colonies and localities to be “vigilant of such practices which are detrimental to the Nagas of Nagaland.” Irked that the 33 percent women reservation is being “imposed against the wishes of the people,” the CNTC has demanded immediate postponement of the ULB elections. The Naga Council Dimapur (NCD) meanwhile informed that February 15 is the deadline for withdrawal of nominations in Dimapur. In this connection, a
press note form the NCD informed the tribe union presidents of the Kuki, Kachari, Rongmei, Phom and Sangtam communities to contact the Vice President (Adm) Naga Council Dimapur “for urgent assignment” on or before 12:00 noon January 14.
‘Ao Senden action contravenes Ao customary laws and practices’ A joint meeting of the Tuli area Land Owners (Kangtsung, Wameken, Merangkong), intending candidates for forthcoming ULB election and public leaders on January 13 raised strong objection to the Ao Senden diktat of ex-communicating intending Ao candidates for 30 years if they do not withdraw their nominations on or before January 17. A joint statement from the Kangtsung Village Coun-
cil, Wameken Village Council, Merangkong Village Council and the Tuli Town Ward Union said that this action is in “total contravention of Ao customary laws and practices and is tantamount to infringement upon the jurisdiction and powers of the Ao Putu Menden.” “We reiterate the earlier resolution adopted at the joint meeting of the Land Owners of Tuli area and Tuli Town Ward Union to participate in the forthcoming ULB election if the Government conducts the said election in even a remote corner of Nagaland,” it said. The statement further urged the State Government to conduct the election as per the original schedule.
dates for the upcoming ULB polls, who had attempted to file nominations at the Tuli ADC headquarters, issued a joint declaration today stating that the decision to file nomination was taken “on our own self.” The declaration, appended by the candidates Imlitemjen, Tiatemjen, Supongmenla, Marula, Narola, Mayangnenla and Tinukumia alleged that due to constant pressure from village councils of Changtongya and Akhoya “we decided not to file our nomination papers.” It further claimed that while returning to their respective homes, their vehicles were “intervened by the volunteers of the aforesaid village councils.” The intending canMinister did not force didates further declared that us to file nomination: “we never forced by the Minister Nuklutoshi neither to candidates file nor withdraw our nomiSeven intending candi- nation papers.”