C M Y K
www.morungexpress.com
thursDAY • JAnuArY 05 • 2017
DIMAPUR • Vol. XII • Issue 03 • 12 PAGes • 5
T H e
ESTD. 2005
P o W e R
o F
T R u T H
Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country — Anais Nin
Battle to rule five states begins February 4 PAGE 08
reflections
By Sandemo Ngullie
International community converge at NIT Nagaland
Dhoni steps down as limited overs captain
PAGE 02
PAGE 12
In pockets of Nagaland candidates file nomination papers for the UlB election naga orgs harden stand on UlB issue
Morung Express news Dimapur | January 4
In the thick of stiff opposition from apex Naga civil bodies and tribal hohos, Wednesday reported political party (s) and individuals braving the directives and going ahead to file nomination for the municipal “..but It increases the and town council election in chance of me becoming a number of districts and its Chief minister one day, subdivisions. don’t you see that?” For the Wokha Town Council, a total of 13 candifiled nominations paThe Morung Express dates pers which include 12 from POll QuEsTIOn the NPF and one IndepenVote on www.morungexpress.com dent. Out of the NPF candidates, there are five women sMs your answer to 9862574165 and seven men candidates. If the Naga public were to In Bhandari sub-division awaken from their silence under Wokha district, nine and voice out their rights, candidates are reported to do you think 2017 will have filed nomination for its witness changes? town council election. It however could not be ascertained Yes no Others on whether the candidates were from any political party or Independent. From Meluri sub-division We would like to remind under Phek district, nine NPF you that Rejoinders to candidates had filed nomithose statements/news nations by 2:30 pm for town pieces that have not been council election. It include 3 originally published by women. On Tuesday, 13 canthe newspaper will not ditates which include 10 from be carried either. This is NPF and 3 Independent filed in order to maintain im- nomination papers for the partiality on an issue. We Phek Town Council. seek your understanding From Tuli subdivision, and cooperation! which is under Mokokchung The Morung Express district, despite the diktat of
Public Reminder
A woman candidate files nomination for election to Meluri Town Council on January 4 at ADC office Meluri under Phek District. (Morung Photo)
excommunication by the Ao Senden, at least nine intending candidates were reported to have filed nomination papers. The report could not be officially ascertained. From East Dimapur town council, 10 intending candidates, majority from the NPF party were reported to have filed nomination on Wednesday. However for Dimapur Town Council, no nomination were filed till late in the afternoon, which was confirmed by the Returning Officer, ADC Elizabeth Ngully. In Mokokchung town, with the Ao Senden continuing to picket the DC office jurisdiction to restrict intending candidates from filing nomination papers for the town council election, there were no takers. Likewise, Kohima
also drew blank with the AYO volunteers keeping a strict vigil on the DC office, Kohima. Tuensang district also reported the same with nil turnout for filing of nomination papers. However, for Kiphire district, the decision on whether to allow conduct of the ULB election would be decided at a public rally on Thursday convened by the United Sangtam Likhum Pumji (USLP). According to sources, the USLP still stood by its resolution not to allow any candidate to file nomination for the town council until the Municipal Council Act is reviewed. The process of filing nomination papers for the municipal and town council election, which began on January 3, will close on January 7, 2017.
Dimapur, JaNuary 4 (mexN): The Angami Public Organization (APO), the Naga Council Dimapur and the Meluri Area Public Organization on Wednesday came up with more stringent resolutions to thwart the filing of the nomination papers and holding of the municipal and town council elections in their jurisdictions. At an emergency meeting convened on January 4, the APO resolved to “excommunicate any Angami man/woman for a period of 10 years from Angami jurisdiction” if they violate its directives and file his/her nominations to the ULB elections in any district. It also directed all the Village Council Chairmen not to allow any intending candidate hailing from their village to file nomination. Further, the APO directed all the intending candidates irrespective of tribe, for the forthcoming elections to the Kohima Municipal Council to attend a consultative meeting with their executives at the APO hall, Kohima on January 5. In a similar fashion, the Naga Council Dimapur held a public meeting with Dimapur based civil societies, tribal presidents to discuss on the ULB election with 33% reservation. The meeting unanimously reaffirmed to oppose the conduct of the ULB election and implemen-
tation of 33% women reservation. A press release issued by the Naga Council stated that until and unless the section, which infringes the right and interest of the Nagas as provided under Article 371A is reviewed by the State Government, the election would stand opposed. It also put on record that since the matter is pending disposal before the Supreme Court in the form of a special leave petition filed by JAC, the issue of 33% reservation in respect to Nagaland is subjudice. In view of this, the Naga Council contended that implementation of women reservation is “pre-mature and not the right time.” It also cautioned that conducting the election in the face of such stiff opposition would definitely effect counter legal consequences. The Naga Council Dimapur also appealed to tribal hohos/ union/units based in Dimapur to direct their respective members to refrain from filing nomination in the “interest of Nagas in general.” It went on to add that violation of the appeal would amount to “disrespect of the collective decision and for which the concerned tribal unit/members would be held responsible.” The Meluri Area Public Organization in a joint statement appended by the Meluri Village
Council, Khumiasü Village Council, Müluo Shefüri Kügharü and Ward Chairmen served directive to all indenting candidates to strictly adhere by the decision to boycott the Meluri Town Council Election 2017 and abstain from filing nominations. “Anyone failing to comply by the consensus decision shall be treated as a direct challenge to our stand to which he / she shall be excommunicated from Meluri jurisdiction for violation,” the joint statement read.
Decision for ULB election on respective tribes: ENPO
The Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organization (ENPO) has put the decision on whether to allow the conduct of ULB election to the “understanding and responsibility of the respective tribes” under its jurisdiction. This decision was made during an emergency consultative meeting of the ENPO held on January 4 at Hotel Saramati, Dimapur. Also in response to the written clarification from the Nagaland Government, the ENPO resolved that it shall not be held responsible in any manner in the event of infringement upon Article 371A of the Indian Constitution by holding the ULBs election with women reservation under Nagaland Municipal (Third Amendment) Act 2016 now and in the future.
Nagaland govt seeks to push skill dev NPRAAF concerned over delay in RTI response by govt depts Our Correspondent Kohima | January 4
The Nagaland State Government, in its Vision 2030 document, has laid down aims to skill the youth in Nagaland to make them employable. India as a country has been grappling with the problem of employability and this is the right time for the state to take cognizance of the imperatives of skill development in line with the national policies for economy prosperity of the state, according to Nagaland Vision 2030 document. In a study conducted in 2015 by the National Skill Development Corporation, it was estimated that in the 2014-22 period, Nagaland will have an excess supply of minimally skilled people in the workforce.
“However, in the semiskilled and skilled labour category, there will be shortage of labour force. The imperative is therefore to impart skills to the population with target towards improving the income earnings of the state. Once the youth are equipped with adequate and relevant skills there will be demand for their services in the job market,” the Vision document stated, adding that in such context, it will be crucial for the state to skill the youth with basis schooling background in different trades such as construction, serving of automobile and electronics etc to meet the anticipated demands. In turn they will be in position to contribute economically to the growth and development of the state.
It observed that the state should aim to increase the skilling levels of the youth so that they have the requisite skills to cater to the demands of the labour market. The state should endeavour to provide incremental skilled labour in the same proportion as the share of the state’s population to the country’s population. In 2011 the proportional share of the state’s population to the country’s population was 0.16 per cent. Hence, the target should be to produce 0.16 per cent of the incremental skill requirement for the country as a whole (1.76 lakhs). The proportion of 0.16 is only indicative and there will be sectoral differences with some sectors having greater comparative advantage compared to others, the Vision document stated.
Dimapur, JaNuary 4 (mexN): The Nagaland Public Rights Awareness and Action Forum (NPRAAF) have expressed serious concern over delays in response to Right To Information (RTI) which it claimed was becoming a trend in some Nagaland State Government departments. A press statement issued by information and publicity cell, NPRAAF pinpointed the departments of Land Resource, Rural Development, Health & Family Welfare, Power and Education, which did not reply on time to the RTIs filed consecutively on November 4, 2016. TheForumreminded thatdelay in furnishing RTI application is liable under Sec 20 (1) of RTI act of 2005, with a fine of Rs 250 each day until the information is furnished. The penalty has to be paid
by the PIO’s from his/her salary and not by public authority and disciplinary action under Sec 20 (2) as per service rules. It pointed out that RTI applications should be treated with seriousness, as it is a fundamental right under the Constitution of India. The Forum said it sought response from the RD department, fund utilisation on the sanction of Rs 5356.56 lakhs by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India Dated 06/04/2015, Vide No.J11060/13/2015 MGNREGA- VI SL. 45 Dated 9th July to the Government of Nagaland as central assistance for implementation of the MGNREGA for financial year 2014-15. Simultaneously, the Forum had asked from the Land Resource department the utilization of the sanctioned
amount of Rs 27 crore by the Ministry of Rural Department, GoI to Nagaland Dated 3rd Sept, 2015 Vide order No. K-11013/06/2012-15/ DDP (IWMP) as first installment of fund for implementation of IWMP project under watershed component of Pradhen Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) in Nagaland State for the year 2015-16. In the RTI applications, the Forum informed that it sought information of certain non-Naga businessmen executing contract works/supplies in all the said departments-on the nature of their contract/supplies done in the departments with names and firms or any works executed and the amount sanctioned in lakhs against each concerned individual, firms or otherwise. Alleging corruption, the Fo-
rum said some of the “non-Naga businessmen were involved in corruption in complicity with department officials and politicians and thereby ground executions of the works were highly objectionable or virtually non-existent.” The Forum therefore cautioned that it will not tolerate such acts of corruption and vowed to “streamline all unholy activities taking place for long in the departments at the expense of public treasury.” The names of the contractors will be divulged in due course of time if warrants, it added. It further warned of writing to all respective Ministries at the centre with their findings along with corroborated evidences of nexus between the non-Naga contractors, officials and the politicians.
Manipur blockade to continue despite NSCN (K) to explore ways to poll dates’ announcement: Unc assert avoid division of Naga lands Manipur to vote in two phases – March 4 and 8
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New Delhi, JaNuary 4 (iaNS): The United Naga Council (UNC) on Wednesday said that they will continue with the economic blockade despite the announcement of Manipur assembly elections by the Election Commission. According to the UNC -apex body of the Nagas based in Manipur -- elections cannot be held peacefully in the Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur until the prevailing problems are resolved. “The blockade will continue. Solving of Manipur’s problems has to be done through dialogue between the parties in conflict. So far, the government of Manipur has failed to respond politically. “We have no other option but to intensify the blockade, no matter what the Election
Commission has announced regarding the polls in the state,” K.S. Paul, former President of the UNC, told IANS from Manipur. The Election Commission of India on Wednesday said five states, including Manipur, will go to polls to elect their new assemblies between February 4 and March 8. Manipur will vote in two phases -- March 4 and 8. Paul -- an active member of the UNC -- said the Manipur government has betrayed the Nagas of Manipur. “We have been betrayed by the Manipur government, as it did not consult us on the creation of seven new districts out of our ancestral land. We do not know whether the situation will be conducive for holding free and fair elections in the Naga areas of the state,” said Paul.
“Bulldozing the interests of the Nagas, particularly on the issue of our ancestral land, won’t be compromised under any circumstances. We do not consider the Manipur government as a popular government, as the districts were created without consulting us,” added Paul. Tension has been simmering in Manipur due to an economic blockade called by the UNC in the state. National Highways (NH) 37 and NH 2 have been badly affected due to the blockade. Although the blockade started on November 1 when the state government was planning to create new districts by bifurcating the existing Naga-dominated areas, it intensified after the government ignored the agitation and went ahead to declare Jirbam as a full-fledged district.
The state government also created new districts of Kangpokpi, Tengoupal, Pharzol, Kakching, Noney and Kamjongin. According to the UNC, the creation of new districts out of Naga territory without their consent is a deliberate act to suppress the rights of Nagas in the state. In December last year, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said the central government will extend all assistance to restore normalcy in the state. Apart from sending 150 companies of para-military forces to Manipur when the blockade started, the central government also sent seven additional companies of para-military forces, a step condemned by the Nationalist Socialist Council of NagalimIsak-Muivah(NSCN-IM).
Dimapur, JaNuary 4 (mexN): At a time when the world is moving towards rapid “global communitisation” by breaking physical and ideological barriers, the Governments of India and Myanmar are resorting to “despotic imposition” of a physical wall between families that have lived together since ancient times. The NSCN (K) today stated this through a press release from its MIP terming the move to fence the Indo-Naga-Myanmar international border that has been “undertaken jointly by Indian Army and Myanmar Army at the heart of Naga settlement” as “totally against the wishes of the Nagas.” For this, it informed, Nagas have neither been consulted nor any consent acquired at any stage. Thus, the NSCN (K) maintained that it will “explore every means and ways either peaceful or otherwise to thwart further forcible division of our motherland, homes and families in the hands of the colonizing forces.”
Blatant disregard for subjected people “To accentuate 1953 NehruU Nu arbitrary partition of Naga country and to keep the Nagas divided and marginalized permanently, the physical barrier is being instituted,” the NSCN (K) stated. Instead of “making amends to the great injustice perpetrated” against the Naga people, the two governments are “solidifying the imaginary borderline that runs in the middle of one’s hearth and tearing apart the one same family into two country,” noted the group that broke ceasefire with the Government of India after the latter was unable to begin peace talks. The NSCN (K) reiterated that this attitude of the two governments “clearly demonstrates the blatant disregard to the sentiments of the subjected people and defies the very ideals of humanity, international peace and security the two great democracies underhandedly are trying to promote in the global arena.”
The Governments of India and Myanmar have been trying out several collaborative exercises to bring peace to the region. According to local groups, however, more instability has risen out from these exercises. “Contrary to regional peace and stability interests in the long porous border regions and SEAsia, the relentless Indo-Myanmar policies and conspiracies to illegally divide and suppress the Nagas will only prove anti-thesis and is resulting in the resurgence of even the dormant spirited Nagas to challenge the threat emanating from this deliberate and heinous programs of physical partitioning,” explained the NSCN (K). It warned that the “passions and patriotic fervor” of the Nagas across the borders is “running high and spill over may occur any moment.” “It is not a mere obligation but a bounden duty of every Naga citizen to rise to the occasion and assert the rights which is inherent,” it affirmed.
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thursDAY 05•01•2017
NAGALAND
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
Nagaland Wiz Spell Bee International community converge at NIT Nagaland Conference students win at National level ‘International on emerging trends in
Dimapur, January 4 (mExn): The Nagaland Wiz Spell Bee students marked the first time participation in the National Wiz Spell Bee Competition held at South City International School, Kolkata on December 26 and 27. It was a mega event where 20 lakh students from 5500 schools from all over India originally enrolled for the competition. Out of these, only 690 students were selected for the national grant finale. Wiz National Spell Bee Nagaland, Coordinator Meyirenla Yaden in a press release said that the competition was tough as they come with the bests in the country battling it out in two rounds. First was the ‘Spell it Right’ round, where elimination was done on a miss-and-out basis. Participants were eliminated once they misspell a word from the 6th word onward. Once they get through this, they entered the ‘Pronunciation Key’ round. Here, students were presented with phonetic symbols in slides and participants had to identify the words, spell it out and explain their meanings in just ten seconds. “It is a matter of pride that all the seven students representing Nagaland did exceptionally well in that they all bagged trophies and certificates in all the six categories of the competition,” Aren added in the note. In Category 1 Viraj Jain of The Maple Tree School, Dimapur was ranked 36 out of 136 participants, in Category 2 Theca Aiden Kevichusa of The Maple Tree School, Dimapur was ranked 15th out of 130 participants, in Category 3, Beshingam Chinir of Don Bosco Higher Secondary School Dimapur was ranked 19th out of 129 participants, in Category 4 Maria Goretti Bech of Don Bosco Higher Secondary School Dimapur was ranked 19th out of 123
Nanomaterials Science and Technology’ underway Morung Express News Dimapur | January 4
Imlikokla Pongen
Mhonroni Tungoe
Theca Aiden Kevichusa
Maria Goretti Bech
Beshingam Chinir
Scientist, professors, researchers and scholars from around the world converged here at NIT Nagaland, Chumukedima, to a brain-storming 3-day ‘International Conference on emerging trends in Nanomaterials Science and Technology.’ Organized by the Department of Science and Humanities, NIT Nagaland, the basic objective of the conference is to bring together international community (professionals, scientists, scholars, and stake holders from academia, government sectors, industry and other organizations) and to establish coordination among them for extensive research collaborations. The conference also aims to create a congenial atmosphere for the young researchers of NE Region to cultivate their scientific knowledge for further improvement and to discuss and ponder upon on new and exciting advances, challenges and prospects in the advancement of Nanoscience and Technology, covering fields from theory and experiment to applications of advanced materials and nanostructured materials. In the inaugural session on Wednesday, Prof. Meyya Meyyappan of NASA Ames Research Cen-
Scientists, professors and research scholars from around the world pose for the lens at the inaugural function of the 3-day ‘International Conference on Emerging trends in Nanomaterials Science and Technology’ held at NIT Nagaland, Chumukedima. (Morung Photo)
tre, USA, in his keynote address on the topic ‘Nanotechnology: development of practical systems and nano-micro-macro integration’, said there are strong nanotechnology research programmes across the world with every conceivable application in all economic sectors and that presently, the development of practical systems and commercial products is the next big challenge. The NASA scientist said in many cases, the development of practical systems demands seamless integration of nano-micro-macro to produce sealed components and processes. “While the ultimate vision in nana technology may be an entirely bottom-up approach to building systems, it is unrealistic to expect this to happen anytime in the foreseeable future. Only realistic possibility to achieve tangible
results in a reasonable time-frame, before the stakeholders run out of patience, is to use nano materials in a hybrid approach that involves a systematic nano-micro-macro integration”, he said. Meyyappan said such an approach will also allow mankind to utilize the existing infrastructure in the micro area (MEMS, microelectronics) from the last couple of decades, which would make economic sense. The plenary talks in the morning session also included presentations by Prof. VV Srinivasu, department of Physics, University of South Africa and Prof. SM Shivaprasad of Jawarharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru. Prof. Srinivasu who spoke on ‘Josephson Junctions in the context of qubits and nano squids: a
'Set vision while pursuing education'
Sulivi Sagarika
Viraj Jain
participants, in Category 5 Mhonroni Tungoe of The Maple Tree School, Dimapur was ranked 25th out of 104 participants, and in Category 6 Imlikokla Pongen of Little Flower Higher Secondary School was ranked 25th and Sulivi Sagarika of Delhi Public School Dimapur was
ranked 13th out of 68 participants. Further, it informed that the enrollment for the same competition for 2017 has begun. Therefore, interested schools may contact the cocoordinator of the state for further information/queries @ 9862824769 or Email: arenmeyi@gmail.com.
Poanglüm Festival in Tuensang on Jan 12-13
TuEnsang, January 4 (mExn): The Chang tribe under the aegis of Chang Tribal Council (CKS) is celebrating Poanglüm (Winter Festival) on January 12 and 13 in Tuensang. It is a post-harvest festival and a festival of joy and gaiety celebrated with traditional folk songs and dances accompanied by trade fair throughout the celebration. The festival itself is a herald to the villagers to begin the usual process of cultivation in purity and newness to be blessed with abundant harvest in the next cultivation. The festival will be graced by P. Longen, Minister, Health & Family Welfare Nagaland on the first day and Kipili Sangtam, Minister of Power Nagaland on the second day as chief guest and Koiwang Konyak President, ENPO as guest of honour.
Additional events such as ethnic show in the evening of day one and musical Night on day two are incorporated to enchant the festival, where Tetseo Sisters a renowned artist and INCIPIT Dimapur based band are all set to mesmerise the audience, the two events will be graced by Alem Jongshi DC Tuensang, and S. Chuba Sangla OSD to Higher Education as guest of honour respectively. The Council (CKS) and the Planning committee Poanglüm through a press note has invited the presence of all the public of Tuensang Town, all HoDs and Government officials under Tuensang Town, the Village Councils of all the Chang villages, all the Chang Unions of different places and well wishers to be part of the festival.
Dimapur, January 4 (mExn): Urging upon the students to set vision while pursuing education for a successful career in life, Former chief minister, KL Chishi, today said, “If we don’t pursue education with vision, we may fail in our life.” Addressing the threeday 6th general conference of the Sakipheto Range Students’ Union in Medziphema town on the theme ‘Education with a vision,’ Chishi said it is not possible to achieve success without hard work. In this regard, he said students from Classes VI and above should set vision on what they wanted to become in life. Chishi urged the students to put God front in all their undertakings for his guidance adding only then they will realise the countless blessings that God had bestowed upon them. Stating that Medziphema is home to many communities, Chishi encouraged the
KOHima, January 4 (mExn): Observing that retired senior citizens especially in the age group of 80-85, who come for verification every year have no proper place to sit and wait, the Nagaland Pensioners’ Association (NPA) are in the process of constructing a three-storey building that will include a waiting room for the elderly, a central office of the NPA and a district office respectively. The foundation for the NPA building was laid during the holiday season in late December for the con-
venience of the public as the construction is being undertaken in the Deputy Commissioner’s complex, Kohima and is expected to be completed within 5-6 months. In this regard, the NPA Building Committee comprising of Convener, Sachopra Vero (Former DC), Architect Medozho Zango, NPA President, Rukhielhoulie Angami, NPA General Secretary, Lecho Krocha, NPA Finance Secretary, K. Seijahen, Executive Member, Yantso Khuvung and Committee
member, S. Keppen also held a review meeting today. The Committee is further seeking the full cooperation of the district and sub-division units across the state for the completion of the building. They also stated hope that the units would come forward and help the NPA towards this end. Mention may be made here that the NPA has 11 district offices, 4 sub-division units and 4 other units outside the state including one in Kerala, Assam, West Bengal and Manipur.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Chief guest KL Chishi being felicitated during the 6th SRSU general conference in Medziphema held on January 4.
students to get involve with other leaders for a healthy atmosphere and development of the area. President of Western Sumi Students’ Union, Nito Achumi said setting proper aim in life should form the foundation of education for success in life. Stating that there is always rooms for those who work hard in life, he asked the students not to get discourage because of the backdoor appointment practices prevailing in the Naga society.
He mentioned of certain practices in which parents arrange government job for their wards after completing the secondary level which leaves them with complacency. He said such practices discourage them from pursuing further studies and compete with others in civil services. Folk songs and dance and other cultural presentations marked the day. Seminars on ‘Youth and entrepreneur,’ and Dignity of labour’ were held.
1st Death Anniversary
14th February 1977 to 31st December 2016 We the bereaved family of our beloved Lt. Epeulung Mpanme like to express our humble and sincere gratitude to each and every individuals, families, friends, Churches and organisations who helped and stood by us through physical, financial, material and prayer support during the period of his illness till his last breathe on 31st December, 2016. We regret our inability to thank each and everyone by name but your kindness and sympathy shown to us is highly appreciated and it is our humble prayer that our Almighty God bless you all abundantly. Loving wife, daughter, Parents, brothers, sisters, In-laws & relatives
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT "O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life" Lamentations 3:58
NPA office building under construction
NPA building committee members at the construction site during the visit held on January 4.
game at nano scale’, said constriction type Josephson Junctions are gaining momentum as they can be directly integrated into chips and further at nano scale, these Josephson junctions can be used as qubits and for nano squids. Prof. Shivaprasad in his presentation on ‘Electron and optical confinement effects observed in Gallium nitride nanostructures’, said as evident from the Nobel Prize in Physics 2014 and the use of LEDs for lighting and displays, there has been a great surge in fabricating device structures from wide-band gap III-nitride semiconductors. He said the band-gap tenability of these materials and attributing electron and optical confinement properties by nanostructuring, has widened their multi-functionality and applicability.
Lt. I. Nochet Imcha Died -05/01/2016 Time slips by and life goes on, But from our hearts you’re never gone, We think about you always, We talk about you too, We have so many memories but all we want is you, We miss you.
Loving Wife, Childre n & Families
We the family of Late Er. Eyono-o Kharϋtso, Retd. Addl. Chief Engineer, I&FC (Deacon, JCRC), would like to express our deepest heartfelt gratitude to each churches, organisations and individuals who offered us their unconditional love and comfort during our grievous moments. We thank you for your fervent prayers, emotional, physical and financial support helping (01.01.1953 - 30.12.2016) us get through in our much needed time. Words are not enough to express the love, respect and honour bestowed upon our beloved father during his lifetime and funeral service in the church but we can only pray that God will bless you abundantly. We convey our special thanks to: 1. Jakhama Christian Revival Church 2. Oking Hospital Doctors, Nurses & Staff 3. Bethel Medical Centre 4. Pfϋchama CRC 5. Mima CRC 6. Viswema CRC 7. Kigwema CRC 8. Phesama CRC 9. NCRC P.R. Hill 10. Model Village CRC, Dimapur (5th Mile) 11. Immanuel Baptist Church, Chandmari 12. Cross Wonder Church, Chandmari 13. Southern Angami CRC Sub-Council 14. Southern Angami CRC Pastors & Deacons Krotho 15. Southern Angami CRC Fathers Association 16. Jakhama Village Council 17. Jakhama Union, Kohima 18. Vira Club, H.Q. Kohima 19. Viwomi Phemi 20. Tsochütsüma (Mima) 21. Jakhama Students' Union 22. Jakha Town 23. Jakhama Gazetted Officers Krotho 24. Department of Irrigation and Flood Control, Govt. of Nagaland 25. L/Chandmari Panchayat Colony, Kohima 26. To all our dear friends, loved ones, relatives, tenants and neighbours And to all those not mentioned individuals, families, churches, organisations and unions.
Loving Wife & Childre n
Thursday 05•01•2017
NORTH-EAST 3
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
The need to withdraw AfspA from Manipur Guru Aiyar
Livemint.com
M
anipur, an important border state with Myanmar, heads towards state assembly elections in February 2017. Of all the state-level elections in 2017—Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Manipur, Uttarakhand, Goa, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh—this could be one of the most important. India recast its Look East policy, which originated during the P.V. Narasimha Rao regime in the early 1990s, as the Act East policy in November 2014. But if the economic and infrastructure development that the policy calls for is to take place, one of the most vexatious issues concerning both the state as well as the Central governments must first be addressed—the continuation of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (Afspa) in Manipur. Afspa was imposed in Manipur in 1980 as it had been declared a “disturbed area”. In a landmark judgement in July 2016, the Supreme Court
severely criticized Afspa as “symbolizing a failure of the civil administration and the armed forces”. The court was hearing a petition filed by hundreds of families against alleged fake encounters by the army and police forces over the last 20 years. The plea called for a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the encounters. Manipur has been beset by insurgency ever since it was formed in 1949. The fault lines that existed during colonial administration by the British got accentuated post-independence. At one time, there were more than 30 rebel groups, chief among them being the Nagas. It is a well-known fact that several rebel groups have their bases in neighbouring Myanmar. Manipur was engulfed in an orgy of violence in the 1990s because of the ethnic militias and severe infighting between Naga groups. The main source of funds for rebels is extortion and the illegal taxes they collect from national highways 39 and 53. The rebel groups have also been actively involved in drug trafficking, which fuels their in-
India’s Act East policy will gain traction only if there is a committed road map for withdrawing Afspa
surgency. Before arguing for the withdrawal of Afspa, it is pertinent to know how insurgency was controlled in Tripura, which repealed Afspa in 2015. The Tripura administration under chief minister Manik Sarkar did a remarkable job of getting on top of insurgency and, as a result, the state recorded an over 84% voter turnout in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. It was a combination predominantly of political will and use of security forces to bring peace. Mizoram is another example. There, the greatest success lay in the central leadership under Rajiv Gandhi offering to make Laldenga the chief minister. Involvement of insurgent leaders in electoral politics can be an effective way to deal with insurgency. According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, the number of civilian deaths
in Manipur has shown a continuous decline since 2007 and was the lowest in 2016. Increasing border trade through the Moreh smart city project and other initiatives to increase trade cannot take place under the perpetual shadow of guns. The most important question that the policymaker should ask is—what do the people want? Aren’t they sick and tired of the Afspa and the endless cycle of violence that has taken charge of their lives? In all probability, the answer would be a resounding yes. A political solution is the only way out of the present quagmire. According to a retired senior police officer involved in the thick of counter-insurgency operations, “Afspa is like having a shield for security apparatus when it is no longer required.” After a certain amount of time, there is no correlation
to controlling violence with Afspa. On its part, the current state government under chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh has done everything to displease and isolate the Nagas. With a notification regarding the creation of seven new districts on 9 December, the state government has been accused of playing to the gallery with elections in sight. The Naga groups too haven’t acquitted themselves with any credit. The blockade by the United Naga Council (UNC), which began on 1 November 2016, still continues with the prices of daily essentials skyrocketing. Reportedly, a litre of petrol sells at an average of Rs300 and a domestic gas cylinder costs about Rs2,500. This blockade was against the move to create new districts. Latest reports indicate that the Centre has rushed about 4,000 paramilitary troops to clear the highway blockade. Any policy decision needs to have an incentive structure for the political class. What could be the incentive to have a road map to repeal Afspa? None whatsoever, as far as the read-
Political parties welcome Tripura CM, cabinet colleague visit quake-hit areas Manipur poll announcement Newmai News Network Imphal | January 4
Political parties in Manipur today welcomed the announcement of two-phase Manipur polls by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to be conducted on March 4 and March 8. The Manipur unit BJP general secretary Nongthombam Nimbus told Newmai News Network that the party welcomed the poll announcement. He appealed to all sections to maintain calm and sanity amidst the present volatile and sensitive situation in poll-bound Manipur. Nimbus called for a free and fair election and appealed to all communities to ensure smooth conduct of the polls. The ECI announced the polling dates on Wednesday. The BJP leader informed that form distribution to party ticket seekers will be done shortly after a joint meeting of the party office bearers and core committee. This, he said, will be decided after party president Khetrimayum Bhabananda Singh, now in New Delhi, returns from Delhi on January 8. Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) media department chairman L Memo Singh told Newmai News Network this evening that MPCC welcomed the decision of Election Commission of India (ECI). “The Centre’s decision is very historic for the state of Manipur in this crucial hour. The poll announcement and its timing are very much welcome,” Memo said. MPCC has extended its last date of submission of forms by party ticket seekers till January 31. Irom Sharmila headed Peoples Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA) co-convenor James Mayengbam also expressed happiness at the announcement of Manipur poll dates. PRJA, a new political party, was recently floated under the leadership of
rights activist Irom Sharmila who fasted for 16 long years demanding repeal of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA). James reiterated the decision of Sharmila to join the upcoming fray from Thoubal, the home turf of incumbent Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh. She has already announced her decision to fight against the three-time Congress Chief Minister Ibobi of Manipur in the forthcoming polls and carry on her movement against the military Act. The PRJA leader also informed that the party has already registered with the ECI. He said that the party has confirmed at least five aspiring candidates to be contested in the polls. “Candidates will be fielded from Thoubal, Wabagai, Thangmeiband, Lilong and 47-Karong. We’re also expecting more aspiring candidates from Heingang, Tengnoupal and Moirang,” he said. Election Code of Conduct comes into force Meanwhile, following announcement of the election notification, the model code of conduct in Manipur has come into force from 12:53 pm today. In the first phase of the 11th state assembly election, altogether 38 assembly segments will go to the polls on March 4. Filing of nomination will be done on February 15, scrutiny on February 16 and withdrawal of nomination on February 18 for the first phase of polls. For the phase two, nomination will be on February 18, scrutiny on Februray 20 and withdrawal of nomination on 22 Februray. Manipur goes to polls along with UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Goa. But, elections to Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand assemblies will be single phase while UP will have seven phases. Punjab and Goa will go to polls on February 4 while UP’s first phase of polls will be conducted on February 11 and that of Uttarakhand on February 15.
Manipur CM meets Prez, rubbishes MHA report to EC
nEw DElhI, JAnuAry 4 (PtI): Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh today met President Pranab Mukherjee to discuss the Ministry of Home Affairs' report to the Election Commission that termed the law-and-order situation in the state as "grave". Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Singh rubbished the report saying it "wrongly" concluded that the prevailing situation was "not conducive" to conduct free-and-fair polls there. However, just ahead of Ibobi's meeting with the President, the EC declared that the Assembly election will be held in two phases -- on March 4 and 8 -- in Manipur. Ibobi, who was accompanied by Congress' Manipur election incharge Ramesh Chennithala at the meeting, welcomed the decision. "I am told that there is a negative report sent by the MHA to the EC that the law-and-order situation in Manipur is not conducive to conduct a free-and-fair election. It is totally wrong and baseless," he told reporters. The chief minister said
issues such as insurgency, blockades, strikes are not unique to Manipur but they affect the entire north-east and that even in 2012, the state Assembly polls were boycotted by hill and valley-based underground organisations including the PLA and the UNLF. "The Congress in particular is not allowed to hold public meetings. But, ultimately the people support the party. They gave it a thumping majority in the last polls and even this time, there will not be any problem. "We had suggested to the EC that just like earlier, the polls should be conducted in two phases. We are grateful to the commission for the announcement and hope that our party will win this time as well," the Congress leader said. Manipur has been witnessing unrest since November 1 last due to the imposition of an indefinite economic blockade by the United Naga Council (UNC) on the lifeline of the landlocked state, two national highways, and violence following the creation of seven new districts by bifurcating the existing ones.
AgArtAlA, JAnuAry 4 (PtI): Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and Revenue Minister Badal Chowdhury today visited the quake-affected areas in Dhalai and Unakoti districts in state and asked the district administration to help the affected people. A moderate intensity earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter Scale and epicentred in Tripura jolted the state yesterday triggering landslides and leaving a woman dead and four others injured.
Sarkar and Chowdhury first visited Shantipur village in Pencharthal block of Unakoti district where 48 mud houses collapsed and 155 houses partly damaged. Then he visited Chhoto Surma, Bali Gaon, Natun Bagan and Noagaon Junior Basic School of Dhalai district by helicopter. An estimated 174 people of 40 families were rendered homeless and took refuge in Noagaon J B School. They also visited the house of 50-year-old Kamalini Kanda who died of heart
attack at Natun Bagan village during the earthquake. Altogether, 591 houses collapsed and one woman died in Dhalai district due to tremor. Sarkar assured the villagers that their houses would be either newly constructed or repaired soon and necessary financial help would be extended to them. According to the National Centre for Seismology, the epicentre of the temblor which occurred at 2:39 pm was in Dhalai district in Tripura at a depth of 28 km.
ing of the current situation is concerned. Moreover, the understanding between Nagas and the Central government as per the August 2015 accord would make a Meitei politician wary of supporting a repeal of Afspa. Pradip Phanjoubam, one of the best informed writers on North-East issues, contends that in Manipur, everyone will have to agree to a shared homeland if the crisis is to be solved. Any move for the withdrawal of Afspa before elections could be construed as political suicide by the ruling dispensation in the state. Considering all the above factors, one thing is certain—India’s Act East policy will gain traction only if there is a committed road map for withdrawing Afspa. The task of the army is to combat external aggression, not policing and internal security within the country. It is high time that both the Centre and state governments actively worked towards the withdrawal of Afspa without narrow political gains in mind. Guru Aiyar is a research fellow with the Takshashila Institution in the geostrategy programme.
INFORMATION This is to inform that our Obstetrics & Gynaecologist Dept. Dr. M. Modesta Belho will not be available for consultation from 05/01/2017 to 31/01/2017. Inconvenience regretted.
Quake in Arunachal ItAnAgAr, JAnuAry 4 (MExn): A low-intensity quake shook Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday. According to reports of National Centre for Seismology, the epicentre of the quake, which measured 4.3 on the Richter scale was reported at Kurung Kumey district of the State. The tremors were felt at 1.20 a.m. There was no report of any casualty or damage to property. Another moderate quake of magnitude 5.4 was recorded along the India-Myanmar border region at 12.20 a.m. Tremors were felt across Assam and North East, as an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.7 rocked Tripura, near the India-Bangladesh border on Tuesday.
WANTED DIALYSIS TECHNICIAN Qualification B.Sc/Diploma holder preferably with work experience.
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OFFICE OF THE TESOPHENYU GROUP OFFICERS’ FORUM (TGOF) FELICITATION The Tesophenyu Group Officers Forum (TGOF) heartily congratulates Shri. K. T. Thomas on being promoted to the post of The Director of Tourism, Govt. of Nagaland. The TGOF wish him the very best for his future responsibilities and pray that the Almighty God bless him and guide him so he may be a blessing to the Nagas in general and his Department in particular. Sd/ (Dr. Tinelo Jemu) Gen. Secretary, TGOF.
(Er. Chengato Kath) President, TGOF
IMPORTED DESIGNER WEDDING GOWNS ATTENTION!!CAREER COUNSELING IN HEALTH SECTOR
Class XII and graduates (Science stream) with parents /guardians are invited to a counseling session at CIHSR (Referral hospital) to learn more about Para Medical courses at CMC Vellore and the conditions for sponsorship of the same. Date: 14. 01. 2017
Time: 9.30 a. m
For registration and information, contact the Front Desk, CIHSR at 03862-242555/533
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OFFICE OF THE
ANGAMI YOUTH ORGANISATION, KOHIMA INFORMATION
Angami Youth Organisation (AYO) directs every Angami living in Kohima Town, in every municipal ward to ensemble near the periphery of Deputy Commissioner’s office Kohima on the 6th of January 2017 at 9am. Colony Youth Presidents and Executives, Irrespective of whether hailing from Angami community or not are directed to be present themselves. Moreover AYO directs NAYO, SAYO and WAYO to depute volunteers from the Angami villages shown below on the 6th and 7th January 2017 respectively. Any range or village which fail to show up with requisite strength will be held accountable. Dated January 6, 2017 Northern Angami Youth Organisation (NAYO) 1. Gariphema - 50 2. Tuophema - 50 3. Botsa - 50 4. Nachama - 50 5. Chiechama - 100 6. Ziezou - 10 7. Phekerükrie - 10 8. Viphoma - 10 Southern Angami Youth Organisation (SAYO) 1. Khuzama - 50 2. Kidima - 20 3. Viswema - 100 4. Jakhama - 100 Western Angami Youth Organisation (WAYO) 1. Khonoma - 100 2. Mezoma - 80 3. Sechü Zubza - 70 4. Sechüma - 20 5. Menguzuma - 20 6. Thekrejuma - 10 Dated January 7, 2017 Northern Angami Youth Organisation (NAYO) 1. Teichüma - 20 2. Seiyhama - 20 3. Tsiemekhuma - 20 4. Nerhema - 100 5. Zhadima - 50 6. Meriema - 50 7. Chüziema - 20 8. Tsiesema - 30 9. Tsiesema Basa - 30 10. Kijümetouma - 20 11. Dihoma - 20 12. Rüsoma - 50 13. Chedema Bawe/Basa - 40 14. Kohima Village - 100 Southern Angami Youth Organisation (SAYO) 1. Phesama - 50 2. Pfüchama - 20 3. Kigwema - 80 4. Mima - 50 5. Kezoma - 30 6. Sakhaba - 30 7. Kezo Town/Kezo Basa - 20 8. Mitelephe - 5 Western Angami Youth Organisation (WAYO) 1. Jotsoma - 100 2. Kiruphema - 50 Sd/Peter Rutsa Vice President, AYO
Sd/Neinguvoto Krose President, AYO
4
ThursDAY 05•01•2017
business
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
Google’s Pichai launches ‘Digital Unlocked’ for small Indian firms
New Delhi, JaNuary 4 (iaNS): Aiming to give a technological edge to the small and medium businesses (SMBs) in India, Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Wednesday announced two initiatives ‘Digital Unlocked’ and ‘My Business Website’. “Small businesses are the backbone of India’s economy. Internet is for everyone,” Pichai said, addressing the media here. “The Internet is a powerful equaliser and we are motivated to bring the benefits of information and technology to as many people as possible,” he said. “Building for everyone and making it available in the hands of as many people is at the heart and core of what we do. And we do this by investing in open ecosystem,” Pichai added. Pichai said that Google,
along with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci), has developed a training programme called ‘Digital Unlocked’, to empower thousands of Indian SMBs with essential digital skills
that would enable them to get online and start using the power of the internet to grow their businesses. The programme would be certified by Google, Ficci and Indian School of Business - Hyderabad. It would
offer online and mobile courses to SMBs across the country. “We plan to impart 5,000 training workshops in 40 cities in three years,” he added. The global search giant also started another initia-
tive ‘My Business Website’. It is a free tool, which would help make a website in 10 minutes. “Any small business can sign up. Internet is as much for the local players as it is for a high-flying one. It will first start in India (later this year), and then will be launched in other countries,” Pichai said. ‘My Business Website’ would be available in English, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Kannada, and Malayalam languages. There are around 51 million small and medium scale businesses in India. Google unveiled a joint research study with KPMG titled “Impact of internet and digitization on SMBs in India”, which said that 68 per cent of the 51 million Indian SMBs were offline. “Profits grow twice as
Top three cars in India below Rs 5 lakh
Book LPG cylinders online to get Rs 5 discount
New Delhi, JaNuary 4 (hT): the car that saved Renault in India MuMbai, JaNuary 4 (DNa): Oil marketing com- If you are thinking of ushering in the and is now being exported to other panies are offering a Rs 5 discount to customers that new year with a new car, we bring you countries. book and pay for their LPG cylinders online, in a bid to the best options under Rs 5 lakh. Maruti Suzuki Swift: push digital transactions. OMCs likely Indian Oil, BPCL, Rs 4.76-7.44 lakh and HPCL will offer a Rs 5 discount by paying online Renault Kwid: Rs 2.65-4.26 lakh Though you would get only the The car is a Maruti Alto competithrough net banking, and credit and debit cards while entry level of the Swift at less than RS tor and touched the peak of 10,000 booking their refills online. “Under the aegis of Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, it is the endeavour of all units in sales every month. The num- 5 lakh, but for a car that has been one Oil Marketing Companies to aim to encourage consum- bers have come down, but still it con- of the best selling cars for over a deers to increasingly shift to such payment modes through tinues to give Maruti tough compe- cade it is a steal. Swift helped Maruti digital platforms to achieve the objective of no-cash or tition. Had it not been for the Kwid change its image and also helped less-cash based transactions. The incentive will encour- the micro hatchback category would grow the compact car market in India. age more and more LPG consumers to go for cashless have declined in 2016. Kwid is also It comes both in diesel and petrol vermode transactions,” the government said in a statement on Tuesday.
New Delhi, JaNuary 4 (hT): PayTM, India’s largest wallet service has finally got the permission from Reserve Bank of India to launch the Paytm Payments Bank. “At Paytm Payments Bank, our aim is to build a new business model in banking industry, focussed on bringing financial services to 100’s of millions of unserved or underserved Indians,” Vijay Shekhar Sharma, the founder and CEO of Paytm, wrote in a blog post. “With power of technology and innovation-at-scale, we aim to become a benchmark in world of banking,” he wrote. Once operational, the Paytm Payments Bank will be able to issue debit cards to users. It will be able to allow account holders to transact through NEFTs, RTGS and UPI too. As per RBI guidelines, payment banks can hold a up to Rs 100,000 per individual customer. However, payments banks are not allowed to issue credit cards or issue loans to users. “We can’t wait to bring it in front of you,” Sharma wrote in the blog, without revealing the final launch date of the bank. FiRe StatiOnS
New Delhi, JaNuary 4 (PTi): Chinese smartphone vendors last year captured about 40% share in India, the second largest smartphone market in the world, the official media here reported. Among all, Lenovo saw its shipment volume rise to the second only after Samsung in the third quarter last year, state-run China Daily quoted global research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) survey as saying. Xiaomi took the third spot with a market share of 10.7%, whereas Chinese vendors collectively took up 40%, according to the survey conducted across 30 major Indian cities. The forays by Chinese phone makers comes as India’s domestic we4 woMen HeLPLIne
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248302, 09856006026
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sion, and continues to be one of the most preferred family hatchback. Tata Tiago: Rs 3.2-5.71 lakh If Tata Motors can make a comeback in India’s auto market, the Tiago will be remembered to have played a critical role. The car has nothing similar to Tata’s earlier cars such as the Indica and the Indigo. It comes with a whole bunch of infotainment features those are slowly becoming a new normal in all cars, even if they are at the lower end of the spectrum.
‘Chinese smartphones gain 40% of Indian market last year’
Paytm gets final nod from RBI to launch payments bank
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)
fast for those SMBs who have digital business,” Google’s Vice President, South-East Asia and India, Rajan Anandan said. The micro small and medium entreprises contribute 37 per cent to the Indian gross domestic products (GDP), he added. Further, for India’s mobile-first audience, Google also launched Primer, a free mobile app uniquely designed to teach digital marketing skills in a quick, easy and interactive way. Primer also works offline and is currently available in English and Hindi. Tamil, Telugu and Marathi versions are coming up shortly. Appreciating all the initiatives by Google, IT and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said: “Google is as much an Indian company as American.”
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08822911011 WOMen HeLPLIne 181 CHiLD weLFAre CoMMIttee Toll free No. 1098 childline
taHaMZaM (formerly senapati) Police station Fire Brigade
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KOHiMa Fire Brigade naga Hospital oking Hospital Bethel nursing Home northeast shuttles
north Ps Officer-in-Charge south Ps Officer-in-Charge Zubza Ps Officer-in-Charge Chiephobozou Ps Officer-in-Charge tseminyu Ps Officer-in-Charge Khuzama Ps Officer-in-Charge Kezocha Ps Officer-in-Charge women Cell Officer-in-Charge Control room
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brands saw decline in market share. Micromax reported a 16.7% month-over-month sales drop in October, the survey said. Analysts noted that as smartphone giants look at India which has a population of 1.34 billion, to be the “new China” and the competition will be intense, the report said. Despite growth, price war remains fierce in what is becoming the world’s second-largest smartphone market where the price of a mobile averages only USD 100, the survey said. “Lenovo has retained its duobrand strategy in India,” Rahul Agarwal, the company’s managing director, told state-run Beijing News, adding that Motorola is focused on high-end market, taking
std code: 0370 2222952 2222916 2243339 2224202 08974997923
up a third of its sales, whereas Lenovo phones targeting lower end account for two thirds. Indian customers are even more price sensitive than Chinese users, Ni Fei, co-founder and CEO of Nubia Technology, said. Besides price war, patent rights and tariff could also hinder further growth in India, analysts said, citing patent disputes faced by Chinese smartphone makers OPPO, VIVO and Xiaomi in recent years. OPPO is planning to invest 1.5 billion yuan (USD 215 million) to build an industrial park in India to bring down manufacturing cost, according to media reports earlier last month. The company already has a factory in Greater Noida. MOKOKCHUnG
New york, JaNuary 4 (PTi): Over 30 Indian-origin innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders have featured in the 2017 edition of Forbes’ list of super achievers under the age of 30 who seek to break the status quo and transform the world. The Forbes list has 30 game changers in 20 industries including healthcare, manufacturing, sports and finance. The 600 in the list are “challenging the conventional wisdom and rewriting the rules for the next generation of entrepreneurs, entertainers, educators and more. They are passionate and formidable bunch, and for good reason. Their goal is nothing short of breaking the status quo and transforming the world.” The group has over 30 men and women who are of Indian-origin and are making a mark in their fields. The list includes 27-year-old Vivek Kopparthi, cofounder of NeoLight that has developed a phototherapy device that is portable for use at home for jaundice. The company is also working on a second tool to treat infant hypothermia. Prarthna Desai, 27, left her Harvard graduate school programme to use drones to get medication to people in the developing world.In her operations role at the healthcare company Zipline, she is leading efforts to integrate the medicine-delivery-by-drone service with the healthcare system in Rwanda. Shaun Patel, 28, is the orthopedic surgery chief resident at Harvard Medical School and has dozens of scientific publications in surgery journals. His company, OrthoNinja, aims to streamline communication between doctors by creating a mobile app that allows doctors to consult with one another. Rohan Suri, 17 is the founder of Averia Health Solutions and has developed an improved concussion test. In the law and policy category is 27 year old Varun Sivaram, Acting Director: Energy Security and Climate Change in leading think tank Council on Foreign Relations. Sivaram completed his PhD at Oxford University and is on the advisory boards for Stanford’s energy and environment institutes. He is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University teaching “clean energy innovation” and previously, he advised Hillary Clinton’s campaign on energy policy. In the manufacturing and industry, Neha Gupta, 28, played a role in the sale of Beats by Dre to Apple. She manages manufacturing and supply chain for DAQRI, which makes augmented reality headsets to improve safety and efficiency for industrial workers. Featured in the social entrepreneurs category is Aditya Agarwalla, 23, co-founder of Kisan Network. The Princeton University dropout co-founded the Kisan Network, which is an online marketplace for small-scale farmers in India. In the sports category is Akshay Khanna, 29, Vice President of Strategy for American football team Philadelphia 76ers. Among the top guns in the venture capital sector is Anarghya Vardhana, 28, who joined the firm Maveron after spending a year at Rothenberg Ventures, where she launched a virtual reality accelerator and sourced, and made seed investments in a dozen startups in the virtual reality space. Akshay Goyal, 28, is the Vice President of Starwood Capital. The youngest vice president in Starwood’s history when he was promoted at the age 26, Goyal focuses on hotel acquisitions and has helped drive over $7 billion in deals. Recently he helped sell a portfolio of 240 US hotels to China Life for $2 billion. In the consumer technology sector is Ajay Yadav, 29, who is the founder of Roomi, a startup app that lets users find the right roommate to live with, chat with each other, search for listings, apply for an apartment and pay rent. New York-based Roomi has raised $7 million to date.
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Police station 1 Police station 2 Police station Kobulong Police station tuli Police station Changtongya Police station Mangkolemba Civil Hospital
9485232688 9485232689 9485232690 9485232693 9485232694 9485232695 2226216
woodland nursing Home
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Hotel Metsüpen (tourist Lodge) 2226373/ 2229343
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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
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30 Indian-origin men, women in Forbes list of super achievers
CROSSWORD # 3819
H
SUDOKU
Simple Rules - Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.
Game Number # 3814
Answer Number # 3813
ACROSS 1. Not in danger 5. Winglike 9. Stem 13. 2 2 2 2 14. A heavy wooden pole 16. District 17. Ailments 18. Swelling under the skin 19. Lunch or dinner 20. Glacial ridge 22. Street baseball 24. Winter precipitation 26. Contemptuous look 27. Proving by direct argument 30. Fears 33. Unnecessary 35. Daughter of a sibling 37. Beer barrel 38. Creepy 41. Directed 42. Make improvements 45. Warbling 48. Excite 51. Candidate 52. Russian emperors 54. Not yours 55. A large quantity 59. Units of paper 62. Silence 63. Improvise 65. At the peak of 66. Away from the wind 67. Look closely 68. Mongolian desert 69. Egghead 70. Accomplishment 71. At one time (archaic) DOWN 1.Anagram of “Ties” 2. Cobblers’ tools 3. Minstrel 4. Gist 5. Card with one symbol
6. Boys 7. Assists 8. Prompt 9. A town in NE France 10. Component of urine 11. Loyal (archaic) 12. Shopping center 15. Formula 1 driver 21. Learning method 23. Avid 25. Broad 27. Nobleman 28. Colonic 29. C 31. Sketcher 32. Display 34. Not wet 36. Border 39. Charged particle 40. Biblical kingdom 43. Saw-toothed 44. Twilight 46. Arab chieftain 47. Bloodline 49. A dish of tomatoes and greens 50. Worn away 53. French for “Room” 55. Part of a comparison 56. Govern 57. End ___ 58. Plunge 60. Gangs 61. Expectoration 64. What we sleep on Answer to Crossword 3818
Thursday 05•01•2017
NAGALAND
Kohima Police registers 266 One washed away by Doyang River cognizable cases in 2016
Kohima, January 4 (mExn): The District Executive Force (DEF) of Kohima registered a total number of 266 cognizable cases from January to December, 2016. Out of these, 159 were reported cases while 116 were suo-motu (self detected) cases by Kohima Police. The present status of the cases registered is: Chargesheet – 207, Final Report – 38, and Pending Investigation – 21, informed a press release from Joseph Hesso, Senior Superintendent of Police, Kohima. The release highlighted the top eight seizures among the suo-motu cases, including recovery of 40 stolen vehicles (inclusive of 15 vehicles reported stolen from other States) worth about Rs 1.2 crores. The vehicles comprised of 4 trucks, 2 dumpers, 12 Mahindra pick-up trucks, 6
Tata Sumo, 2 Tata pick-up trucks, 1 Tata Xenon, 1 Tata Indigo, 2 Bolero, 3 Maruti Alto, 3 Maruti 800, 1 Maruti Zen, 1 Maruti SX4, 1 Maruti Esteem, 1 Hyundai Santro, and 1 motorcycle. 5818 kg of ganja worth about Rs. 1.16 crores in the national market was also seized, while 18.5 kg of Opium worth about Rs. 4.62 lakhs in the national market seized. Other items seized by the police were assorted IMFL worth about Rs. 20 lakhs in the local market, 1,66,165 numbers of Spasmo Proxyvon and 1000 capsules of Nitrosun worth about Rs. 16.71 lakhs, one oil tanker fully loaded with solvent chemical. The following various types of arms and ammo were also seized: 7.65 mm pistol – 1; 9 mm pistol – 1; .22 pistol – 6; .32 pistol – 3; Muzzle loading gun – 6; .22 Rifle – 2; 12 Bore SBBL
Rifle – 2; 12 Bore DBBL Rifle – 1; 9 mm ammo. – 7 rounds; 7.65 mm ammo. – 9 rounds; .22 ammo. – 26 rounds. Various explosive substances seized were: Gelatin Sticks – 70 numbers; Cortex fuse wire – 17 meters; Detonator caps – 230 numbers. Altogether, 281 persons (269 males and 12 females) were arrested, the Senior SP said. He further acknowledged the support and guidance provided by the citizens and particularly thanked those who have helped in prevention and detection of crimes and criminals in the town. Acknowledging public support and co-operation in maintaining law and order in the district, the Kohima Police also requested the citizens to come forward and correct them so as to improve their working system.
WoKha, January 4 (mExn): Office of the Downstream Affected Peoples’ Organisation (DAPO) has conveyed heartfelt condolence at the tragic demise of late S. Npilo Ovung of Moilan Village, who was washed away by the Doyang River on December 29 around 8-8:30 am. At the same time, it condemned the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) for “not having any safety measures for the people of Doyang Downstream Villages like installation of warning system, leaving the denizens at the mercy of the nature.” A press release from Motsuthung Tungoe, Vice Chairman and Wobemo Tsopoe, Secretary of DAPO
lamented that even after repeated appeals and requests from the DAPO office for safety measures and alternative arrangements for its people, “NEEPCO officials never paid heed to
Tungoe of Pyotchu Village (2007), Khondao Shitiri of Okotso Village (2009), Shobemo Mozhui of Lontsung Village (2012), Achumo Ovung of Moilan Villaage (2014), have been lost
DAPO appeals NEEPCO authorities to immediately take goodwill action(s) for bereaved family the grievances of the Doyang Downstream Denizens.” DAPO pointed out that since the commencement of Doyang Hydro Electric Project (DHEP), five countable precious lives, namely Anyimo Kikon of Pyotchu Village (2003), Mhachen
due to incessant release of water from the percolating dam. The DAPO office further accused the NEEPCO authorities of “enjoying the fruits at the cost of innocent lives” and appealed to make necessary and good arrangements for its peo-
ple at the earliest. “Failing which the office will take its own course of step and action and the NEEPCO authorities will be held responsible for any untoward consequences,” the press release warned. Through the press release, DAPO also appealed to the NEEPCO authorities to immediately take goodwill action(s) in favour of the bereaved family. The release informed that on that fateful day, the victim along with four others had gone to harvest orange at her orange plantation field/farm. One of her companions, Yanphyolo Ovung of Moilan was also washed away, but had a lucky escape when she was flushed onshore, it added.
Muslim Council Dimapur informs on Haj application Old Dhansiri Bridge to be closed for re-construction
DimaPur, January 4 (mExn): The Muslim Council Dimapur (MCD) has informed all Muslins of Nagaland that the Haj Committee of India has conveyed that the process of Haj application for 2017 has started from January 2, 2017 and the last date
of submission of filled up application by the N.E joint Haj committee is January 24, 2017. Anyone intending to go to Haj Pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia under Nagaland quota has been requested to contact the MCD's Haj Religious Af-
fairs subcommittee for any assistance. The subcommittee has A. Hannan Tapadar (also member of N.E Haj Committee), Moulana Elias Ahmed, Jamal Uddin, Kurban Ahmed, Abu Tanvir and Nashir Hussain. A. Rahman, Work-
ing President of MCD informed that the Haj application forms can also be downloaded from hajcommittee.gov.in. The applicants must have a valid Indian Passport issued on or before 241-2017 or a passport valid at least up to 28-2-2018.
DimaPur, January 4 (mExn): In view of the proposed construction of RCC T Beam Bridge over Dhansiri River (Old Dhansiri Bridge), the existing Old Dhansiri Bridge will be closed for the construction of the new bridge with effect from January 9, 2017.
The Deputy Commissioner of Dimapur, Kesonyu Yhome in an order has requested all the public/citizens residing in the vicinity to co-operate in the developmental activities. Meanwhile, the DC informed all departments concerned like PHE, Electrical, Airtel,
Children Festival 2017 begins today
DimaPur, January 4 (mExn): The organizers of Children Festival 2017 have informed that all the expected resource persons from USA, Taiwan, Singapore, Switzerland and parts of India have finally landed in Dimapur. Stage, sound, tent are all set for the Festival, said a press release from Tasang Imchen, Media Correspondent, Children Fes-
tival 2017. The release reminded that the festival will be held from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm on January 5 and from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm on January 6 and 7. The delegates have been requested to come early on January 5 (the first day) to take name tags or spot registration. All delegates have further been requested to have proper lunch before coming
to the Festival. They were asked to bring own drinking water, bibles, notepads and pens. Light refreshments will be provided at 12:00 pm at the venue. Parents have also been encouraged to stay for the worship time from 9:00 am to 10:30 am and later for interactive parents’ sessions. There will be free will offering collected on the last day.
More condole KV Pusa’s death
DimaPur, January 4 (mExn): Sumi Hoho has expressed shock at the sudden demise of KV Pusa, former Minister of Nagaland on January 2. “With his demise, Nagas have lost a dynamic and a tall leader,” stated a condolence message from Toniho Yepthomi, President and Vihuto Chakhesang Youth Front (CYF) volunteers on vigil in Pfutsero in line with the call of Asumi, General Secretary of Sumi Hoho. The Hoho Chakhesang Public Organisation to boycott elections to the Urban Local Bodies.
Enrolment of dealers under GST to close on January 10 for Nagaland
DimaPur, January 4 (mExn): The window for enrolment of dealers under GST will close on January 10, 2017 for Nagaland. The CEO of Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) has informed the Commissioner of Taxes, Nagaland that the process of enrolling for GST will only be available up to the aforementioned date, stated the Commissioner of Taxes, Nagaland, Asangba Chuba Ao in a press release. Dealers failing to enroll themselves within the period may face deregistration under the VAT law and face difficulties to register afresh for GST. This was affect smooth transaction of business, the release cautioned. It further mentioned that
further expressed deepest condolences to the bereaved family and prayed that the Almighty God grant solace to the family. In a separate message, the Nagaland GB Federation (NGBF) also expressed deep sorrow at the sudden demise of KV Pusa. The Federation through its President, Shaleem Konyak and General Secretary, Shi-
kuto Zalipu described Pusa as a sincere, dedicated and a thorough gentleman, “who has contributed so much for the Naga communities.” In his demise, it said, Nagas have lost a great leader and a vacuum created. The NGBF further conveyed condolence to the family members and prayed for the departed soul to rest in peace.
MEx FILE DC Kohima issues final reminder to bus owners Kohima, January 4 (DiPr): The Chairman of Regional Transport Authority cum Deputy Commissioner, Kohima, Rovilatuo Mor has issued a final reminder to all the bus owners that strict enforcement of law as per the relevant section of MV Act, 1988 will commence with immediate effect regarding phasing out of 15 years old or more buses. He informed all the bus owners that notification order dated March 2, 2016 in regard to phasing out of 15 years old or more buses was issued. The DC pointed out that despite giving sufficient time period as per the request of the Buses Union, it is found that the old buses are still plying on the road.
‘Open Bible Quest Exam 2016’ result declared DimaPur, January 4 (mExn): Faith Theological College (FTC) in Dimapur has declared the result for ‘Open Bible Quest Exam 2016’ and put it out on the college notice board. A press release from Rev. Dr. S Gangte, Founder Principal of the college has requested all the participants to come and see the marks and collect the certificates from the college office. For details, one may contact: 9436425173/ 9856319201.
Sumi Hoho emergency meet
the Department of Taxes has set up facilitation centres in all its offices across the State from December 8, 2016 to assist dealers for enrolling in the GST portal with facilities such as computers with internet facilities, scanners, printers as well as trained staff to assist in the enrollment process. The dealers who have still not received their provisional IDs and passwords issued by GSTN may contact their respective tax office and collect the same. Meanwhile, a helpdesk has been set up with phone number 0124-4688999 for assistance and queries may be sent by email to helpdesk@gst.gov. in. Details may also be found in the departmental website www. nagalandtax.nic.in
land proud.” The Forum lauded the achievements made by Lipokmar as Director of NEZCC. Describing him as a young and energetic gentleman, it said that Lipokmar in his tenure “ensured that every tribe or community of the region should be proud of their own culture and also made it a point to keep himself connected with different communities and tribes particularly in Dimapur and the region in general for the upliftment of the NEZCC.” The people of Nagaland, it maintained, are greatly honoured by the establishment of NEZCC in Dimapur and have been emotionally connected to the centre. “Lipokmar with his dedicated work during his director of NEZCC has made the citizens of Nagaland proud,” it added.
ed 15/12/16 had stated the construction of the RCC T Beam Bridge on the location of the existing Old Dhansiri Bridge. He further permitted M/s Aien Meren Enterprises located at NST colony, Dimapur to start the works on the expiry of the above stipulated date.
Priest from Kohima Village ordained Meetings & AppointMents An emergency executive meeting of Sumi Hoho has been scheduled on January 5, 10:00 am at Sumi Hoho Ki, Zunheboto. Therefore, all the executive members of the Hoho have been requested to attend the meeting.
DDGBA meeting Dimapur District GB Association (DDGBA) has convened a meeting on January 5, 10:00 am at the office of Dimapur GB Union (Sadar), Supermarket, Dimapur. All the 6 (six) units’ presidents/ secretaries, advisors, executive members and DDGBA office bearers have been requested to attend without fail.
Lok Janshakti Party meeting The Nagaland state unit of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) has called an emergency meeting on January 5, 2:30 pm at the party head office at 1st floor, N.K. Commercial, Zion Hospital Road Junction, Purana Bazar. Therefore, all the party executive members, State Mahila and State Youth Wing have been requested to attend the meeting without fail.
DDCF appeals to reappoint Lipokmar as NEZCC Director
DimaPur, January 4 (mExn): The Dimapur District Citizens Forum (DDCF) has appealed to the Governor of Nagaland, PB Acharya, who is also the chairman of the North East Zone Cultural Centre (NEZCC), and the Ministry of Culture, Government of India to reappoint Lipokmar Tzudir for another term as Director of NEZCC in order to enable him to complete some of his unfinished works, specially the development/ completion of the Regional Convention Centre and North East Heritage Museum. In a statement, Joseph N Lemtur, President and A. Rahman, General Secretary of DDCF expressed confidence that if Lipokmar is given another term as Director of NEZCC “he will definitely work with renewed dedication and will make the citizens of Naga-
Aircel, BSNL and all cable operators to remove all their materials from the site within 15 days from the issue of this order to pave way for smooth execution of the construction work. The DC informed that M/s Aien Meren Enterprises vide their letter dat-
Tsungiki gazetted officers informed
Most Rev. Dr. James Thoppil, Bishop of Kohima with Reverend Deacon Thejalhoulie Peter Solo and others after the ordination programme held on January 4.
Kohima, January 4 (mExn): Reverend Deacon Thejalhoulie Peter Solo, the third Angami priest from the present Christ King Parish, Kohima Village, was ordained on January 4 by Most Rev. Dr. James Thoppil, Bishop of Kohima. Over 50 priests concelebrated with the Bishop in the solemn ceremony. Deacon Thejalhoulie Peter Solo was accompanied by his beloved Kevilenuo Rita Solo and the eldest man of the clan Le-o Leo Solo along with the family members to the altar. The prayer of blessing was given before the ordination rite. Rev. Fr. Solomon Vizo, a priest from the same parish, anchored the programme while Rev. Fr. Peter Salew, the Parish Priest, accorded the words of
welcome to the Most Rev. Dr. James Thoppil, government officials, village leaders, dignitaries, priests and sisters from different parishes, leaders of CAN, NCYM, NCWA, catechists, pastors of different churches, the invited guests, and other participants. The Bishop in his homily, while thanking the family and village for offering Fr. Peter for the service of God in the Church, exhorted the candidate to be humble, build close intimacy with Jesus through the celebration of the Eucharist and prayer, informed a press release issued by Fr. Thomas Toretkiu, Bishop’s Secretary, Kohima. Meanwhile, Rev. Fr. Thejalhoulie Peter Solo said that he raised his heart and mind to God
in gratitude for all the blessings that God has showered upon him through many people on his journey to Vocation. He thanked God for the gift of ‘vocation to priesthood’ and for giving him the strength and courage to follow His call. Fr. Peter also urged people of God to pray for him. In the felicitation programme, there were special folk songs from Male Voice of the Parish and Catholic Women Association, speeches from the Bishop and Kezevilie Kevin Solo (family representative). Vilanuo Angela and Keneingu Albert translated the Bishop’s message. Ruovuotuonuo Ruth anchored the felicitation programme. Time was allotted for the well wishers to felicitate the newly ordained personally.
All the Gazetted officers of Tsungiki village have been informed that the 2nd general session of the Tsungiki Gazetted Officers’ Forum (TGOF) will be held on January 7, 10:00 am at Tsungiki community hall. A press release from TGOF publicity & information secretary, Benrithung Kikon has informed all the members of the Forum to attend the session positively. No further personal intimation will be given in this regard, the release said.
ANIEF to review pending cases of CTS, CCIS A general meeting of All Nagaland Industrial Entrepreneurs Federation (ANIEF) will be held on January 13 (Friday) at the Red Cross Complex conference hall, P.R. Hill, Kohima at 11:00 am to deliberate and review the pending cases of Central Transport Subsidy (CTS) and Central Capital Investment Subsidy (CCIS) for the year 2007, 2008 and 2009 under the State Department of Industries & Commerce. The general meeting will also take up other matters pertaining to the interest and welfare of the Federation, according to a press release from Shepong W. Konyak, Secretary and Povotso Lohe, President of ANIEF. Therefore, all the ANIEF State office bearers, Action Committee members, all the district units of ANIEF and all the selected units from all over the 11 districts under the pending cases have been requested to attend the general meeting without fail.
6
thursday 05•01•2017
IN FOCUS
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
The Power of Truth
The Morung Express volume Xii issue 3 By Aheli moitra
Imaginary pillars, real fences
T
he Khaimniungan Naga people are hurt, and rightly so. The Government of India and the Government of Myanmar are once again busy mowing down the humanity of the people in the name of a fence. As the people of the neighbouring (Khaimniungan Naga) villages of Pangsha and Pounyiu villages straddle a fence, the New Pangsha Village Council observed that people who have never had a history of dispute, are part of the same peoples group, yet living in India and Myanmar respectively, now stand to be divided by “imaginary lines from border pillar nos. 139 to 146.” These pillars continue to be imaginary for the people of these two villages because they were instated from capitals (New Delhi, Naypyidaw) where policy makers assume that the people living on the lines they draw on a map are imaginary. But the fence and its effects are real, even within the realms of the imaginary. The Village Council noted that despite the “imaginary line 146,” Pangsha and Pounyiu have lived in peace and respected the “fundamental concept of international boundary line till today”—a fence, even when invisible, becomes a symbol of separation. Today, as the fence takes shape, its physical destruction has come along. Construction of a ‘border trench’ has been done by breaking water pipelines that must have been hard earned in regions like these, and forests that the indigenous peoples have nurtured through generations. This is just the purpose of a fence, or even a wall. It is meant to divide and destroy peoples by creating an insider and outsider of those who once lived together. It brings along the infrastructure of violence. Eventually, peoples’ histories will be replaced by a reality of military units that will house luxurious camps on borderlands to fight an unknown war with an unknown enemy. If nothing is found, one village will be made to fight the other. Arms will be supplied through the fence, or even the wall. A news item appeared right next to the one about the fencing that hit the real point home. The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act will be extended to all of Nagaland State. The story of Pangsha, Pounyiu, the fence, AFSPA and the resultant violence are directly related to each other. The imagination of one leads to the construction of the other. These arbitrary lines drawn from a distant seat of power have, alas, defined the way we understand justice and rights in the region today. Naga apex tribe based bodies that once stood against these lines, today base their basic arguments on rights around Article 371-A. In itself, this Article of the Indian Constitution holds the history of how lines have raised havoc in Naga history, contemporary politics, and even the Naga psyche. Thus the work of the wire in the fence has been achieved—today as some Naga people struggle in Manipur, other Naga people in Nagaland, products of the same movement, have negligibly stood up for them, instead consumed by dilemmas produced by a nonevolutionary Article 371-A. Pangsha and Pounyiu are not the only ones on the fence here. For discussion, please write to moitramail@yahoo.com
lEfT wiNg |
Sandeep Sharma IANS
Digital media is bringing out hidden talent: Siddiqui
F
rom a waiter and pickpocket to a goon, gangster and a reporter -- in a career spanning over 15 years, Nawazuddin Siddiqui has showcased his versatility. Now soon to be seen as a school teacher in "Haraamkhor", he says he has never focused on building a set image for himself in Bollywood. And that's what gives him a chance to experiment with every project in an age of digitisation. "I have never thought about creating an image for myself in Bollywood. I am an actor and just want to experiment with roles. I am ready to do all type of roles," Nawazuddin told IANS in an interview. "I don't want to build any image for myself. I don't want people to say, 'He does only a certain type of role'. I don't want only to be the hero of the story. An actor's weakness is the different roles that he can't do. But I am keen to grab only those roles as I am here to challenge myself," added the critically-acclaimed talent. He credits his acting skills to his training at the National School of Drama. "You gain a lot through training," said the 42-year-old, who is endorsing social commerce platform addsbook.com. The National Award-winning actor said he is happy with the digital world, but he does not like it when people use social media platforms to troll each other. "It's bad that people waste most of their time on various social media platforms looking through and commenting on others' posts. That's what we call the wrong use of digitalisation," said the actor, best known for his roles in films like "Dekh Indian Circus", "Gangs of Wasseypur ", "Talaash", "The Lunchbox" and "Manjhi - The Mountain Man". "One negative impact of digital media is that people have the liberty to say what they want to. There aren't any restrictions. "I understand that people have freedom of speech, but people should have some sense while saying anything. People nowadays give reviews of films on social media. But are they capable enough to do that; do they have those kind of skills," Nawazuddin questioned. Looking at the positive aspect of the digital boom, he said: "Digital media is bringing out hidden talent which was unapproachable for the industry people." Nawazuddin's first release for the new year is debut director Shlok Sharma's "Haraamkhor", which hits screens on January 13. After that, he will be seen with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan in the much-awaited "Raees". "I have huge expectations from 'Raees'. It's an entertaining film, and I enjoyed shooting for it," Nawazuddin said. How was it working with Shah Rukh? "Shah Rukh Khan is the best co-actor. The response that he gives to you while performing scenes is terrific. (Otherwise) I have seen most of the times that while shooting, actors don't listen to your dialogues or see your expressions, and are mainly concerned about their lines," he said. Nawazuddin also said: "Whatever appreciation I get for my role in 'Raees' will be just because of Shah Rukh Khan. He has respected his character a lot. Also, the chemistry between us is good". Nawazuddin has also been roped in to star in the film adaptation of Sujit Saraf's novel "The Confession of Sultana Daku". "I have signed on to play Sultana Daku in the film adaptation. The film's story is beyond dacoity," said the actor, who also has "Munna Michael" in the pipeline.
C O M M E N T A R Y
Garga Chatterjee
J Jayalalithaa stood as a watch dog in defence of federal rights With the demise of J Jayalalithaa, we have lost a voice that posed a fundamental critique of the state of affairs and the state of association called the Indian Union
T
he death of J Jayalalithaa, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and the supremo of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), on December 5, 2016, calls for an assessment of her and party’s political role in her times. AIADMK has always been considered to be “softer” on federalism, compared to its parent party, the DMK. For starters, the words “All India” as part of the party name marks it out to be a party that while claiming the legacy of DK and DMK situates itself somewhat apart from that strain of Tamil politics that till the early 1960s had an independent Tamil Nadu (Dravida Nadu in its maximalist form) as part of its political programme. CN Annadurai and his DMK gave up this demand on Nehru’s request as well as the rising Indian nationalist jingoism in the wake of the Sino-Indian war. J Jayalalithaa led the AIADMK for a period longer than the party founder M.G. Ramachandran did. Thus, the political programme of the AIADMK has a huge imprint of J Jayalalithaa herself. AIADMK has always been considered the party that grew out of Dravidian politics but went on to become a party of technocratic and welfarist governance where the Tamil nationalism plank was much subdued in iconography and rhetoric, compared to the DMK. However, such is the hold of Tamil nationalism, for which Indian analysts use the sanitized term “Dravidian politics”, on deciding the relationship of Tamil Nadu with the Indian Union, J Jayalalithaa’s political life and times bear a testimony to a commitment to federalism that may fall short in certain Tamil standards but more than surpasses much of what goes under the name of federalism in the rest of the Indian Union, in its conviction, consistency and steadfastness. An assessment of the role of J Jayalalithaain Indian Union’s political space has to have federalism as the central axis in whose light we will realize how important AIADMK has been to the rest of us, non-Tamils in non-Tamil lands. Very often, in the face of Union government’s steamrolling of state rights and grave assaults of the federal structure from New Delhi, the DMK or AIADMK government of Tamil Nadu has protested and stopped New Delhi’s anti-federal designs in its tracks when our own state governments have been muted at best and in a mode of groveling surrender at worst. For any nonHindi state in the Indian Union, the stance on the question of federalism is an important proxy about how much the politics and resource of a state are safeguarding the interest of the constituent ethno-linguistic nationalities of the Indian Union, and how much they are simply on offer in the service of the New Delhi establishment. Were they a voice of Delhi in their state or were they the voice of the state when speaking to New Delhi? As stated in the basic structure of the Indian Union, just like democracy and secularism, federalism is fundamental. Ever since the transfer of power on 15th August 1947, the rights of the states have been continuously eroded. This has been done by continuous encroachment of the Union in state affairs, through legal and illegal methods. The favourite legal method has included constitutional amendments that have converted state list subjects into concurrent list subjects (thus giving the Union an upper hand in conflict situations), most infamously during the Emergency, when things as vital and grassroots based like education were snatched away from the state list through governments pliant and subservient to Indira Gandhi. Those changes have not been reversed. On the other side, there is not a single instance where something has been moved from the Union or concurrent list to the state list. In the extremely adverse atmosphere for federalism, against a unitary New Delhi that wants to amass power and reduce state governments to local implementation agencies for Union government policies, federalist parties (disparagingly called “regional” parties in certain media parlance, never mind that most of these “regional” parties have bigger support bases than most ruling parties of most independent countries worldwide) have always faced an uphill task. The difficulty of this task has been compounded by the fact that many “national” parties have state branches that are run by diktats from New Del-
hi and not by the opinion of the people of the state. New Delhi also plays a divide and rule game by giving preferential economic treatment to some federalist forces, so that a united front for federalism never emerges. This also reduces the engagement with the federalist temperament and ideology in these parties – jockeying for closeness to a “national” party that can disburse goodies becomes the principal aim. The sad situation of the Akali Dal (now the Shiromani Akali Dal), one of the original torchbearers of federalism being reduced to a BJP appendage that rarely barks and never bites, is a case in point. It is in this context that J Jayalalithaa’s contributions to federalism, has to be evaluated because it is not easy to do federalist politics in the Indian Union. All undemocratic lobbies like big media and big corporate money is stacked against it. In defence of federalism When the UPA 2 tried to erode state rights of law and order maintenance by its infamous National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) plan, J Jayalalithaa, along with Mamata Banerjee, was in the forefront in the defence of federalism, calling out the violation of state rights that NCTC entailed. She put it succinctly, “There can be no uniform pattern in policing in the country as each State has its own distinct cultural, communal, social and economic aspects. Trying to intimidate and browbeat the States through top down structures particularly when 'Police' is a State subject is not acceptable.” In other words, there are continuous veiled attempts by the Centre to weaken the States with too much interference which is detrimental to the national interest. Endeavoring to encroach on State powers either by creating parallel authorities monitored from the Centre or vicarious operations of State police powers through creation of Centre monitored caucuses within the States, as was envisaged in the Railway Protection Force, National Counter Terrorism Centre etc., to say the least, are contraventions of the constitutional provisions which accord the 'Police' priority status in the State list. The way things are evolving with the creation of the NIA and NCTC and the proposed amendments to the RPF Act and the BSF Act, we seem to be headed towards an autocracy consisting of a government of the Centre, by the Centre, for the Centre. It is an alarm that is still relevant and we can chose to ignore it at our own peril. Tamil Nadu is probably the worst sufferer of centralized powers of the Union government when it comes to economic matters. This industrial powerhouse produces huge revenue, much of which is grabbed by New Delhi, which then uses it to subsidize Hindi states as well as AFSPA states. Almost 3 decades ago, J Jayalalithaa pointed out this undue suffering of Tamil Nadu and other Dravidian states which all suffer similarly in the hands of New Delhi, as a Rajya Sabha MP said thus, “Where the northern States of India are concerned, whichever political party has been the ruling party in power at the Centre has also been the ruling party in those States all along. If no industries have
been started in those northern States all these years, certainly Tamil Nadu or any of the other southern States cannot be blamed for this deplorable state of affairs. If no industries have been developed in so many districts of the northern States, that is entirely due to the gross inefficiency and glaring acts of omission of the governments of those States. Why should Tamil Nadu have to pay the penalty for this gross negligence and maladministration on the part of those north Indian State Governments? Indeed, why should all the four southern States be penalised for no fault of theirs?” In 2014, just one day after taking power in New Delhi, BJP went overdrive with its ideological Hindi imposition game plan. The Union Home Ministry passed a directive that said that officials of all ministries, departments, corporations or banks “should use Hindi” in all social media platforms. The directive said that Hindi and English can both be used but Hindi has to be “written above or first”. This slyly makes Hindi compulsory and English optional and is a naked case of Hindi imposition on non Hindi people. J Jayalalithaa, as premier of Tamil Nadu, wrote to Narendra Modi, protesting this. M Karunanidhi also lodged a strong protest. Faced with leaders who would call a spade a spade on issues of Hindi imposition, Union Home Ministry hurriedly issued a clarification that the order only applied to Hindi states. Time and again, Union ministries, especially those associated with education like MHRD and their agencies like UGC pass directives that seek to impose Hindi on non-Hindi people. In these dark moments of assault on non-Hindi people’s culture, language and identity, J Jayalalithaa has stood as a watchdog, often lodging the first protest and making sure that these Hindi imposition schemes are thwarted in her own Tamil homeland. These powers of MHRD stem from the fact that Education was moved to concurrent list from state list during Emergency. In the 2016 Inter State Council meeting, J Jayalalithaa sent a note that demanded the return of Education into the state list. The dangers of Hindiization and CBSEization of education in the Indian Union is a danger that was brought forth by the recent debate around NEET where J Jayalalithaa batted for linguistic equality, Tamil rights and for state boards. J Jayalalithaa had off and on voiced support for a sovereign Tamil Eelam, though there has been good amount of inconsistency on this issue. One must not forget that the draconian Article 356 was imposed on the DMK government of Tamil Nadu in the wake of Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination and the AIADMK did not really protest the imposition of Delhi rule on Tamil Nadu. If at all, it supported it. Nonetheless, J Jayalalithaa has made important signals for the greater Tamil nationalist cause – signifying that the Tamil national identity is something that is not limited by the confines of the Indian Union. For example, she famously declared that all seven convicts serving life sentences for their role in the conspiracy leading to Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination would be eventually re-
leased. It is probably true that these stances came from the urge to cash in on the huge surge in anger against the DMK for their inaction during the Government of India assisted decimation of the Tamil national resistance in Sri Lanka by the Sinhalese Army. Still, these were important steps that make pan Tamil solidarity politics mainstream again. Till her death, she disallowed any sports event in Tamil Nadu that had the Sri Lankan team as participant. She showed time and again that in a multi-national federal union, specific state realities have to be taken account in terms of foreign policy. This is an important lesson for the future. During the present regime at New Delhi, she opposed the coercive federalism being practiced by the Union government when it came to implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA) or joining UDAY (Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojna). During her long illness this year, with O. Panneerselvam and bureaucrats in charge, the Tamil Nadu government chose to bend on both NFSA and UDAY. These are ominous signs of days to come and might explain the chemistry that Jayalalithaa-less AIADMK leadership seems to be developing with the BJP. As her final stamp on the question of federalism and state rights, she dictated Tamil Nadu’s position on GST. Tamil Nadu not only stood to lose revenue, it was also a matter of principle since after GST is implemented, a state cannot raise its own tax rates according to its own fiscal and economic realities. J Jayalalithaa rightly saw this right to change tax rates and hence change revenue generation as part of the basic structure of the constitution is so far as federal structure is a basic structure of the constitution, unchangeable by the Union parliament. Which is why, in the Rajya Sabha, the AIADMK did not vote for or against the GST bill. They walked out. Before they did, the AIADMK MP, A Navaneethakrishnan said, "I would like to humbly submit that this Constitution (Amendment) Bill is not valid. It is not Constitutional because it violates the States' fiscal autonomy....Sir, my humble submission is that democracy and federalism are the basic features of the Indian Constitution. Now, this Bill violates the basic structure of the Constitution; particularly, it encroaches upon the right of Tamil Nadu Assembly to pass laws with regard to levy of taxes. So, it is unconstitutional...My humble submission to this august House is that the Constitutional Bill is not a validly enacted law because I am of the view that this Parliament, this Council of States, has no jurisdiction or the legislative competence to enact this Constitutional Bill as it violates the federal structure of our Constitution...So, now, the proposal by the Central Government is unfair, arbitrary, unconstitutional and illegal". That was J Jayalalithaa’s will and opinion voiced through her party MP. With the demise of J Jayalalithaa, we have lost a voice that posed a fundamental critique of the state of affairs and the state of association called the Indian Union.
Letters to the Editor should be sent to: The morung express, House No. 4, Duncan Bosti, Dimapur - 797112, Or –email: morung@gmail.com All letters (including those via email) should have the full name and Postal address of the sender. Readers may please note that the contents of the articles, letters and opinions published do not reflect the outlook of this paper nor of the Editor in any form.
Thursday 05•01•2017
PERSPECTIVE
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
7
Can Britain’s monarchy survive without the queen? Reducing Politics to a Gamble or Keeping It Dignified A P John Lloyd Reuters
heavy cold and a nation shivers. The cold is that attributed, this week, to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II (her formal titles would take much of the rest of this column). The shivers are those of the political establishment. Everything of moment in the United Kingdom depends, formally, on the 90-year-old Queen. She legitimizes all laws. She appoints all ministers. Parliamentarians must swear an oath of fealty to her. Ambassadors negotiate in her name, generals fight in it. She is the monarch in more than a dozen former imperial possessions, largely uncontroversially. When, in 1999, on the prompting of a Labour Prime Minister, the Australians tried to usurp her, the move failed, in spite of polls showing only minority support for her. Now, contrary to belief, the polls have risen, to show her popularity at around 60 percent. Public approval has only grown as she has aged. Shown slowly walking through official ceremonies, even grumpy republicans (of whom I am one, so beware of bias) have to admit to her stoicism and guts. She is by some way the most popular figure in the UK, and the second most popular in the world – after of course, Angelina Jolie (Hollywood royalty still has the edge; it has, after all, a bigger PR budget). The queen’s formal power is a kind of confidence trick in which almost everyone acquiesces. She does what she is told by the prime minister who comes to her once a week, bows or curtsies, and tells her what the government wants to do - policies on which she can make at most an oblique comment and which she cannot change. A little storm blew up this week as to whether or not she favored Brexit: the BBC political editor said she’d been told she had, but lacking a second source, didn’t broadcast it on her employer’s channels. Denials and no comments have been thick on the ground since; the Queen does not comment, whether she did or not. Brexit steams, or stumbles, ahead. Her real job is keeping Britain together. Every age group thinks she’s great - the older more than the younger, to be sure - and that the monarchy should carry on into the future - preferably with her at its head. Since that is, however, impossible, the “heavy cold’” has alarmed her country’s real, much less popular, rulers. Quite soon, a decision must be made - it may have been made already - as to whom the succession will go. It is on paper simple: to her eldest son, Charles, Prince of Wales, 68 last month. But here’s the rub. Though less unpopular than he was during the divorce from Princess Diana in 1996, and after her death in 1997, his approval ratings remain mediocre, and even admirers think he should abjure the throne for his elder son, Prince William. Charles is a man of opinions - on the environment, on architecture and on government support for his many charities and causes - opinions he presses insistently on governments, as shown by
his letters, released under the Freedom of Information Act. If, as king, he continues in this, both he and his institution will suffer for it. Prince William, 34 last June, has, by contrast, no known opinions on public issues. He has a wife, Catherine, from a non-royal background; they have two young children, a boy, George and a girl, Charlotte. The whole family is photogenic and seem charming, though William is balding early. He trained in the Royal Air Force as a helicopter pilot, and works full time as a pilot for the air ambulance service after his short spell in the RAF. That mix of military service and aiding the sick is a potent one. From a public relations point of view – one of the most influential in monarchical conclaves – he is a gift, in spite of the blunders said to have come from ignoring his PR team’s advice. His father, though, poses the real challenge. If Charles succeeds – it’s still more likely than not – then the monarchy ceases to be an unquestionable asset, and becomes a zone of nervous image management. If William succeeds, Charles’ disappointment may burst out in public
explosions. Even if not, the burden on William of carrying on a tradition so long occupied by his grandmother would be heavy upon one whose political antennae are untested, in a country whose domestic and international frameworks are shifting and fragile. So popular has the queen been that even the solidly republican Scottish National Party, which provides Scotland’s regional government and nearly all of its representation at Westminster, cannily shifted towards a royalist position. But neither the son nor the grandson would command the same grip on Scots’ sentiment. That, coupled with Scotland’s vote to remain in the European Union, could convince waverers that the independence the SNP exists to attain was worth the economic risk. Elizabeth had the power of the powerless – which in her case was world fame. Everyone who was anyone wished to meet her: and in her decades of rule, she met almost every world leader, most of whom she has outlived. To meet her was to touch history, a tourist destination for the global elite. A dis-united Britain would be a weaker member of the Western alliance. Its
weight as a member of the United Nations Security Council would be lessened; it would be out, or on a path out, of the EU and its international reputation as a supporter of liberal politics, trade and economics, would be further damaged. It would, unwillingly, have dropped the pilot – a pilot who was not supposed to direct the course of the ship of state, but made its progress more stately. A former foreign secretary, Douglas Hurd, coined the phrase in 1993 that the UK “punched above its weight” in the world, especially in military operations. In that boxing metaphor, the queen was an off-thering trainer, a symbol of what the military was fighting for, lending a human face and example to the abstraction of the oath of loyalty. A diminution of Britain on the passing of Queen Elizabeth will be hard to avoid. It’s unlikely to be staunched by whoever is her successor. Only with the transition to a republic, might a new energy be found, a new character be formed. But that is the anti-monarchical propaganda I warned you about. And like all great schemes of change, who knows if it would work?
olitics in Nagaland is like an alcohol addiction. It gets even those who can’t walk straight on their own to run for public office. All one has to have is enough money to play the election game. In gambling, a participant thinks only about winning by beating other competitors by hook or by crook. In one ofmy Village Council meetings, someone recently said: “If you’re thinking about getting into the election, you must be willing to do anything in order to win, if not … you will cause a huge loss to our village people.”What he was implying, I guess, was this: If others use money to buy votes or deploy muscle power, we have to use more of them to beat the other candidates. Sadly, this has become the prevailing mindset of our Naga people. Having been fed with the money-for-vote mindset, many intending candidates are pressured into borrowing money or selling off their properties to contest in elections. Of course, they are betting against hope that they will recover their election campaign expenses once they get elected. They think that they have a right to be paid back, even if that meant having to steal public funds. Getting into politics, they assume, is the quickest way to make easy money.Their ideas of and motivation for politics are more in terms of gambling, not public service. In contrast, real politics is about public service. It’s about having concern for others and serving to make lives better for all. When, for example, an elected official helps to provide good education for children, he is fulfilling his duty as a politician. And that’s not something to be construed as a gamble,because the future of our children depends on it.But when he drifts away from doing what he should do and begins to loot government funds meant for school children, he is putting the future of the children on the line or jeopardizing their lives. Therefore, real politics is not a gamble for money; it’s about dealing with real lives … and that’s a veryserious matter. What about the recent discovery of the PDS rice scam in which the government is suspected of having a direct involvement? Can a government activity which has allegedly siphoned off supply goods meant for the poor be considered as fitting the definition of politics? Of course, not! The real name for this kind of activity is called criminal enterprise. And those who participate in that sort of illegal activity are really thieves or criminals, although they may still operate under the cover of some political offices. Such people don’t deserve to be called real politicians; at best, they are just political hacks! Understandably, most Nagas today suspect politicians of being ambitious, conniving, unprincipled, opportunistic, and corrupt. Since we are too familiar with these sorts of leaders, we have also wrongly come to demean an honorable and essential profession – that of the politician. Since a politician’s primary job is public service, the taskis very much a sacred profession and of a high calling which not just ‘anybody’ can fulfill. A person of political material must possesscertain exceptional abilities,such as being skillful at mediating among political factions to reach agreements, negotiating issues with various pressure groups, anddetermining trade-offs in order to achieve something that seems reasonable. In a democratic society, he must not get too far ahead of the people either, because they must talk back and forth, shifting in response to changing group pressures. Politicians are essential for running the government, whose fragmented powers require them to make compromises among and within the various branches of government, to produce policy and action. And although he may be guided by principle, he acknowledges that there are people of principle on the other side, too. To sum it all up, politics isn’t a game. Don’t waste it by playing games. If you dirty the office with misdeeds for short-term gains, the dirt stays behind when you leave or people will have to continue living in the dirt if you stay on as you are. Serving in government is a public trust. It’s about improving people’s lives and building a better future for all. So, treat it with the respect it deserves.
In 2017, disruptive forces will shape climate action Liz Gallagher
I
to tackle the challenge ahead.
E3G
n 2016, exciting new developments unleashed a visionary sense of where renewables can take us, with solar breaking new ground. 2016 delivered the first solar-powered round the world flight, plans to build roads paved with solar panels across four continents and solar roof tiles that blend into background. This is one of the most disruptive technologies the world has ever witnessed, and 2016 showcased its potential. 2016 was the year that the financial sector started to prick up their ears to climate-related risks. Mark Carney led the charge to alert his peers to the risks associated with stranded assets, and has helped mainstream this issue among the financial community. There is no silver bullet to ‘shifting the trillions’ from fossil fuels to cleaner investments, but strong steers from the top of the financial sector can drive momentum. Structural reform of the world’s energy systems is delivering results. Renewables are beating coal, and the global economy is flat-lining for a third year in a row. The economics of digging up fossil fuels are no longer making sense and the atmosphere is seeing the benefits. 2016 was also the year in which the momentum from the Paris Agreement
Protesters demonstrate during a rally ahead of the 2015 Paris Climate Conference, known as the COP21 summit, in Berlin (Reuters File Photo)
jump-started. The Kyoto Protocol took seven years to enter into the full force of international law, while the Paris Agreement took just 11 months, demonstrating the sincerity of countries’ commitment to the agreement. This was boosted by countries collectively agreeing to phase down the potent greenhouse gas - HFC - the result being the equivalent of taking 500 million cars of the road. 2016 was a troublesome year for the automobile industry. The combination of escalation of the emissions standards scandal, and the recent policies from China and Germany on electrification, demonstrate the potential for disruptive
technologies to leap frog incremental climate action and exit fossil fuels. This trend was bolstered by the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund declaring it will sue VW over the emissions scandal and the recent announcement by London’s Mayor demanding VW provide Londoners with compensation for additional pollution caused by diesel-gate. But despite all the momentum, 2016 looks set to be the hottest year in recorded history. This comes on top of data showing that the Arctic is facing temperatures 20C higher than normal for the time of year. These startling records hit home and drive the sense of urgency required
CHINA TO SHINE IN 2017? On the 2017 front, lots of the disruptive forces that were unleashed in 2016 - both progressive and sometimes regressive - should be on the watch list: Given the recent political developments in the United States, China’s opportunism is one to watch out for. Chinese President Xi Jingping announced recently that he will, for the first time, attend the World Economic Forum in Davos next year, and he has already met with the incoming Secretary General, raising the issue of climate change. More recently, Xi Jingping announced he will host a ‘One Belt, One Road’ summit in 2017 and, China has been confirmed as the host of the Convention on Biological Diversity summit in 2020. This is a key summit, where critical decision-making regarding targets will be made. China’s prominence on the global stage is likely to raise interest in many capitals and the potential for shifts in the balance of power. China might be hesitant to step into the fold and ‘like for like’ replace U.S. climate diplomacy efforts, but on some elements they can certainly lead with confidence. Recent political appointments for the U.S. incoming administration have raised eyebrows and heart rates. While uncertainty loomed in the immediate
aftermath about where the incoming administration would sit, it’s clear the Trump team is firmly camped on the opposite side of the bench. How this plays out in domestic and broader geopolitics is unknown, but it will make for uncomfortable spectator sport. However, the climate talks are no stranger to the United States being on the sidelines. What sets this apart from previous occasions is that the economics and state level politics work in our favour, and the Paris Agreement is not dependent on one single country, but a global endeavour. The COP in Marrakesh crystalised this, with many countries, mayors and CEOs outlining their determination to move onwards, despite how Washington proceeds. While 2017 will wave goodbye to Ban Ki-moon, we will wave in the new United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres. In his recent speech he delivered an impressive, compelling and sobering set of arguments to make the U.N. fit for purpose and relevant for the global challenges ahead, characterising climate action as ‘unstoppable’. How his big ideas translate into reforms are still to be seen, but his record in office bodes well for a radical agenda. The economics of climate action are self-evident, but in 2017 the attention must turn to the social implica-
tions of the transition. Failing to address these challenges, will render the transition impossible. In 2016, Germany, the United States, Mexico and Canada began to map out the choices for their future without fossil fuels. The G7 has promised to develop these transition plans, and it seems like the German G20 Presidency also has them in its sights. Dealing with the politics of transition must be at the heart of how we implement the Paris Agreement, and these 2050 plans can act as a vehicle to better understand and learn from each other how to proceed. In 2014 a decision by one country – Saudi Arabia - disrupted global commodity prices and made a material difference to the political, economic and social situation in countries like Venezuela and Russia. The agreement forged between OPEC and Russia in late 2016 will drive up fossil fuel prices to an extent, while it is expected that renewables demonstrate consistent positive trends. 2017 will bring uncertainty to Europe. Brexit will begin to take shape, the French elections will loom large over the continent, Merkel will stand again in the German federal elections in the latter part of 2017 and Italy will have a new Prime Minister, Gentiloni - all in parallel with Europe hosting both the G7 and the G20. 2017 has the potential to reshape Europe and its purpose in the wider world.
Readers may please note that, the contents of the articles published on this page do not reflect the outlook of this paper nor of the Editor in any form.
8
ThursDAY 05•01•2017
INDIA
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
Battle to rule five states begins February 4 • Manipur to vote in two phases - on March 4 & 8 • Women managed polling stations in every constituency • Photographs of the candidates on EVMs New Delhi, JaNuary 4 (iaNS): Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa will elect new governments in staggered polls from February 4 to March 8 in the biggest popularity test since the Lok Sabha polls of 2014. The results from all the states will be known on March 11, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said on Wednesday while unveiling a slew of new election-related rules. Almost all the main parties in the fray - the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) - welcomed the much-awaited election schedule. The elections will also test the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demonetization move of banning 500 and 1,000 rupee notes that has triggered an unprecedented cash crunch. The over month-long exercise will involve 160 million voters sprad over 690 assembly seats, 403 of them alone in Uttar Pradesh, where an election victory will be crucial to the BJP ahead of the 2019 gen-
EC to take call on parties' plea to not allow Budget during polls New Delhi, JaNuary 4 (PTi): The Election Commission is examining the representation of various political parties for not allowing the presentation of the Union Budget during the poll process of five states and will take a call on it soon. Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said various political parties have represented to the Election Commission regarding the issue of presentation of Union Budget which is likely to be presented on February 1 by the central government as it falls during the election campaign to five states. "The Commission has received one eral elections. Zaidi said the Model Code of Conduct would come into effect immediately and would be applicable to all candidates, political parties, concerned state governments as well as the central government vis-a-vis the five states. While polling in Goa, the smallest state, and Punjab will take place on February 4, Uttarakhand will vote on February 15 and Manipur in two phases on March 4 and 8. Uttar Pradesh, the country's most populous state, will go to the polls in seven phases: February 11 (73 seats), 15 (67 seats), 19 (69 seats), 23 (53 seats) and 27 (52 seats) and March 4 (49 seats) and 8 (40 seats). Goa has 40 seats, Punjab 117, Manipur 60 and Uttarakhand has 70 seats. All eyes will be on Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP
is determined to take power by ousting the ruling Samajwadi Party -- now in the throes of a huge crisis -and beating back a strong challenge from the BSP. While the BJP rules Goa, it is a junior ally to the Shiromani Akali Dalled government in Punjab. The Congress governs Uttarakhand and Manipur. The AAP, the country's youngest political outfit and which rules Delhi, will contest for the first time in Punjab and Goa. The poll panel also set the maximum limit for poll expenses for each candidate in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand at Rs 28 lakh, while in Goa and Manipur it is Rs 20 lakh. TV channels owned by political parties or candidates will be monitored and the Press Council of India will help the panel in
detecting paid news. "Candidates will be required to open accounts in their banks and money more than the said amount will be removed from the account," said Zaidi. For the first time, there will be separate polling stations for women and photographs of the candidates will figure on the electronic voting machines. "As part of its firm commitment towards gender equality and greater constructive participation of women in the electoral process, the Commission has directed to set up 'All women managed polling stations' in each Assembly constituency," Zaidi told a press conference. He also said that the entire polling staff, including the police and security personnel, in such centres shall be woman. The poll panel would also insist on a certificate from
candidates to show they owe no arrears to any government department vis-a-vis utilities bills and rent on official accommodation. BJP spokesperson Siddhartha Nath Singh said: "Development will remain our plank but the opposition would like to attack demonetisation policy. Per se, I think this will be very good for us." Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said the issues in each state will be different and "it is not going to be a single issue on which the elections will be fought". Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the AAP was confident of taking power in both Goa and Punjab. BSP chief Mayawati welcomed the schedule and said the party would contest polls in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand on its own.
representation sent by some political parties. This representation is with regards to presentation of the budget. The Commission is examining this representation and in due course of time will take a call on this," he told reporters when asked about the issue. Various political parties, including Congress, Left, Samajwadi Party and some others, have represented to the EC for not allowing the central government to present the budget during poll process as the sops that could be announced in it may influence voters in upcoming Assembly polls.
EC to implement SC ruling on caste, religion New Delhi, JaNuary 4 (iaNS): The Election Commission of India on Wednesday said that it will implement the Supreme Court ruling that seeking votes in the name of caste, creed, religion, community and language is illegal. "EC is committed to abide by the apex court order. The order of the Supreme Court will be implemented effectively," Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said while answering questions on the January 2 ruling. A Constitution bench headed by the then Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur had ruled that seeking votes on the basis of religion, race, caste or language of a candi-
date or his rival or even that of the voters is illegal and could jeopardise the electoral process. The apex court's decision was termed as "historic and bold" by all the political parties. 'Dos and Don'ts' for state polls Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Nasim Zaidi on Wednesday announced a number of new measures for the upcoming assembly elections in five states. Zaidi announced putting up of four posters at each polling station, informing the voters of locations of booths, and other Dos and Don'ts.
The posters were a statutory requirement at all polling stations, he said. A voting assistance booth would also be kept at the polling stations. Taking note of complaints received by the Election Commission (EC) in previous elections, the CEC announced that the height of the voting compartment would also be raised to 30 inches this time. This was done to conceal the upper part of the body of the voters, the movement of which might giveaway the button they were pressing. "This measure is being taken to maintain secrecy," Zaidi said.
In historic breakthrough, 5 Indian-Americans sworn-in as members of Congress Justice Khehar is the 44th CJI waShiNgToN, JaNuary 4 (iaNS): Sealing a historic breakthrough for Indian-Americans, five were sworn-in on Tuesday as members of the US Congress -- one of them, Kamala Harris, becoming the first to become a Senator. Ami Bera, who was the only Indian-American in the 435-member House of Representatives and reelected in the November elections, was joined by the four others, increasing the Indian-American contingent to 5 members in the Congress. All five are Democrats and three of them -- Harris, Bera and Representative Ro Khanna -- are from
California. The other two Representatives are Raja Krishnamoorthi from Illinois and Pramila Jayapal from Washington state. Harris, whose mother was from Chennai and father from Jamaica, has a dual identity as both an IndianAmerican and an African-American. Vice President Joseph Biden administered her the oath of office which she swore on a Bible copy held by her husband Doug Emhoff. Afterwards her family and friends gathered around the couple in celebration. Two of them were dressed in saris, although Harris wore a two-piece western
outfit in blue. In 1956, Democrat Dalip Singh Saund became the first IndianAmerican elected to Congress. Forty-eight years later, Republican Piyush Bobby Jindal was elected to the House in 2004 and re-elected in 2006. But in 2007 he was elected governor of Louisiana and left Congress. After a five-year gap for Indian-Americans, Bera was elected to Congress in 2012. Republicans have the majority in both chambers. In the House of Representatives, they have 241 seats to Democrats' 194 and Republicans control the Senate with
52 seats to the Democrats' 46 with two Independents allied with them. The opening of the new session of Congress was overshadowed by the Republican Representatives' decision on Monday to restrict the independence of the ethics monitors. Faced with a firestorm of criticism led by their own party's President-elect Donald Trump, they backed down on Tuesday and agreed to not make any changes to the Office of Congressional Ethics, which was set up in 2008 following corruption scandals that ended with three members of Congress ending in jail.
From a ward representative to WP, a steady rise for Stalin CheNNai, JaNuary 4 (PTi): For M K Stalin, widely perceived to be a natural heir to DMK supremo M Karunanidhi notwithstanding his protestations, the elevation as Working President of the party caps his steady rise in the party in his nearly five-decade long political career. In a smooth 'succession', Stalin was today named Working President New DMK Working President Stalin with Party Supremo by the party General Coun- M Karunanidhi. (File Photo) cil with all powers of the After steadily climbing to becoming the Treasurer post of President, a position his 93-year-old father in the party hierarchy from and now the Working PresiM Karunanidhi continues starting as a municipal- dent, the 63-year old leadward level representative ers enters a decisive phase to hold.
Nearly 200 children freed from Telangana brick kiln CheNNai, JaNuary 4 (ThomSoN reuTerS FouNDaTioN): Police rescued nearly 200 children, most of them under the age of 14, who had been found working in a brick kiln in Telangana in one of the biggest operations in the region, officials said on Wednesday. The children were rescued from a brick kiln in Yadadiri district, 40 kilometres (25 miles) from state capital Hyderabad, as part of "Operation Smile", a national campaign to tackle child labour and missing children. The rescued children had moved from Odisha and were living and working with adults presumed to be their parents in the brick kiln, police said. "We are not sure if the parents are genuine and there is a possibility that some of the children were trafficked," Mahesh Bhagwat, a police commissioner, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "The rescue teams spotted girls as young as seven and eight carrying bricks on their head. Some of the children were as young as four." In 2015, the International Labour Organization (ILO) put the number of Indian child workers aged between five and 17 at 5.7 million, out of 168 million globally. More than half work in agriculture and over a quarter work in the manufacturing sector, the ILO said. P. Achyuta Rao, member of a local state body that has the task of protecting child rights, said Telangana and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh had become hubs for child trafficking and child labour. "Last year more than 3,000 children were rescued, many from brick kilns and others from domestic servitude. In all cases, the children were from eastern India," said Rao of the Telangana State Commission.
in his political career. His elevation comes at a time when Tamil Nadu's politics is on the cusp of a change with the failing health of Karunanidhi, death of former AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa. Known as "Thalapathi" (commander) among his supporters, Stalin had held various posts in the party such as deputy general secretary and youth wing chief besides being a minister and later Deputy Chief Minister in his father's cabinet and Chennai Mayor. With affable and easily accessible traits, Stalin endeared himself to the par-
ty's rank and file more by taking up new initiatives. Through his "Pesalam Vaanga" (Come let us talk) and "Namakku Naame" (we for ourselves) statewide tours in the run up to the elections, Stalin freely mingled with the common man and established himself as the man at the helm of DMK. In the past few years, Stalin could arguably be said to have steered the political discourse though AIADMK and the ruling establishment preferring silence on most issues, a striking feature when Jayalalithaa was at the helm.
New Delhi, JaNuary 4 (iaNS): Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar was on Wednesday sworn in as the Chief Justice of India (CJI), becoming the 44th and the first Sikh top judge of the country. Khehar was administered the oath of office by President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan here. The 64-year-old judge succeeds Justice Tirath Singh Thakur and will hold office of a little over seven months, retiring on August 28, 2017 when he will turn 65. A no-nonsense judge, Chief Justice Khehar has been described as a "strong judge" by his predecessor. Besides Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the swearing in ceremony was attended by Union Ministers Arun Jaitley, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Rajiv Pratap Ruddy and Prakash Javadekar. Khehar was the author of the judgment by a fivejudge constitution bench that held "unconstitutional" the Constitution's 99th amendment paving way for the National Judicial Appointment Commission and the National Judicial Appointment Commission Act, 2014. NJAC was brought by Modi govern-
Justice Khehar during his oath of office. (PTI Photo)
ment to replace the existing collegium system of appointing judges. Besides this, he authored the majority judgment of the constitution bench, restoring the ousted Chief Minister Nabam Tuki as Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister. The verdict was a set-back to Modi government as it quashed then Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa's decision to advance the assembly session from January 2016 to December. Justice Khehar was part of the bench that was headed by Justice K.S.Radhakrishnan (since retired) that had on March 4, 2014 sent Sahara Group Chief Subrata Roy, his sonin-law Ashok Roy Choudhary and a Director of the group Ravi Shankar Dubey to Tihar jail for defying the court's orders.
Born on August 28, 1952, he graduated in science from Government College, Chandigarh in 1974 and went to on to do his LL.B and LL.M from the Panjab University, Chandigarh. Enrolled as an advocate in 1979, he practiced mainly in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Himachal Pradesh High Court, and the Supreme Court. Elevated to the bench of High Court of Punjab and Haryana on February 8, 1999, he served as its Acting Chief Justice twice before becoming Chief Justice of the High Court of Uttarakhand on November 29, 2009 and thereafter Chief Justice of High Court of Karnataka, from August 8, 2010. He took over a Supreme Court Judge on September 13, 2011.
India needs to prepare itself to face 2017 environment disasters New Delhi, JaNuary 4 (iaNS): While environment diplomacy at the UN climate change conference in Marrakech last November became uncertain after Donald Trump, a climate change sceptic, won the US presidential elections, experts have suggested that India must tread its own path and start investing to prepare for the future. "India needs to invest in infrastructure and prepare itself to face climatic repercussions this year. During the drought last year, the country's net water reserve capacity was only 20%; in March, hailstorms destroyed the wheat crop," Sanjay Vashist, Director, Climate Action Network South Asia, told IANS. Over 330 million people in India were affected by one of the worst droughts that spilled over to neighbouring Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal as well.
Experts like S.K. Sarkar, Director, Water Division, at The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri), had cautioned that by 2050, India will be water-scarce. "Extreme events which are more random now force millions to migrate -- and for Bangladesh and Nepal, India is the destination. India needs to pull up its socks. We just faced cyclone Vardha, Chennai Floods in 2015 were devastating and so on," Harjeet Singh, Global lead on Climate Change at Action Aid, told IANS. A study released at the 22nd Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22) at Marrakech, Morocco, says that natural disasters annually force about 26 million people into poverty. Both the economic and human cost due to such disasters are underestimat-
ed by 60%. "The impact of extreme natural disasters is equivalent to a $520-billion global loss in annual consumption," a World Bank report said at COP22. It also noted that poor people pay the heaviest price. According to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the global temperature is 1.2ºC above the pre-industrial level, making 2016 the warmest year followed by 2015 and 2014. The Island Nations now fear of their existence. "We have to start worrying about such trends. India need to focus on mitigation or adaptation if the environmental damage is irreversible... our solution will depend on resources and we have other priorities like food security," said Karan Mangotra, from TERI's Centre for Global Environment Research. According to Mango-
tra, to avoid such dangerous trends, India needs to streamline all regulatory aspects for collective efforts, strengthen research capabilities and evolve a business model for affordable technology. In the midst of all this, with Trump's triumph, the Paris agreement that aims at keeping the global temperature rise this century well below 2º C above pre-industrial levels -- and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5ºC -- as also the developed world's $100 billion per year commitment for the developing nations for switching to greener technologies, could be curtailed. "What we saw at Marrakech has to be operationalised, but embracing Paris Agreement under Trump's administration is highly unlikely, especially given the key people he is
appointing to his office like the CEO of ExxonMobile," Harjeet Singh said. A UN report has estimated the requirements of developing countries at between $140 billion and $300 billions by 2030 and between $280 billion and $500 billion by 2050 to make up for the climate change. The report also held lack of funds as a major stumbling block in meeting goals under the Paris Agreement and said that developed countries have failed to undertake the measures required to achieve the global temperature goals. "For India, clearly finance remains an important issue... most of the economic sectors in India depends on weather. If the US does pull out of the Paris deal, a huge financial burden will be created; India has to be ready," Singh said. India at COP22 was
praised for its commitments and initiatives in clean energy and coal dependency reduction and it was said that the country is set to "over-achieve" its emission intensity targets. The Government also approved the negotiating position adopted by India at the 28th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol held last year in October at Kigali in Rwanda. The Montreal protocol aims to phase out the ozone depleting substances (ODS). Meanwhile, Union Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave also hinted at India's preparedness as 2016 ended. "If Bengaluru wants to save itself from 2017 monsoon floods then it will have to unclog the drains," the minister, who had listed the Bengaluru crisis as a "preferred task" while taking office in July 2016, said in a tweet on New Year's Eve.
thursdAY 05•01•2017
WORLD
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
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Trump’s NKorea red line could come back to haunt him WASHINGTON, JANuAry 4 (reuTerS): In three words of a tweet this week, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump vowed North Korea would never test an intercontinental ballistic missile. “It won’t happen!” Trump wrote after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Sunday his nuclearcapable country was close to testing an ICBM of a kind that could someday hit the United States. Preventing such a test is far easier said than done, and Trump gave no indication of how he might roll back North Korea’s weapons programs after he takes office on Jan. 20, something successive U.S. administrations, both Democratic and Republican, have failed to do. Former U.S. officials and other experts said the United States essentially had two options when it came to trying to curb North Korea’s fast-expanding nuclear and missile programs - negotiate or take military action. Neither path offers certain success and the military option is fraught with huge dangers, especially for Japan and South Korea, U.S. allies in close proximity to North Korea. The Republican president-elect complained in a separate tweet that China, North Korea’s neighbor and only ally, was not helping to contain Pyongyang - despite China’s support for successive rounds of U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang. While many critics, including within President
North Korea cannot ‘tip’ missile with nuclear warhead: US State Dept
North Korea leader Kim Jong Un smiles as he visits Sohae Space Center in Cholsan County, North Pyongan province for the testing of a new engine for an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in this undated photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). (REUTERS File Photo)
Barack Obama’s administration, agreed China could press North Korea harder, the State Department said it did not agree with Trump’s assessment that China was not helping. Experts said Trump’s tough stance toward Beijing on issues from trade to Taiwan could prove counterproductive in securing greater Chinese cooperation. James Acton, co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at Washington’s Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank, said that with his North Korea tweet, Trump had drawn a red line he could later be judged by,
like Obama’s 2012 warning to Syria over the use of chemical weapons. “This was a foolhardy tweet for Trump to send given the enormous challenges of constraining North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. I think this could be something that comes back to haunt him.” THREE OPTIONS U.S. officials, who did not want to be identified, said that if ordered, the U.S. military had three options to respond to a North Korean missile test - a preemptive strike before it is launched, intercepting the missile in flight, or allow-
ing a launch to take place unhindered. One official, who did not wish to be named, said there were risks with preemptive action, including the possibility of striking the wrong target - or North Korean retaliation against regional allies. Arms control expert Jeffrey Lewis questioned whether U.S. missile defenses could shoot down a test missile, absent a lucky shot, and said destroying North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs would be a huge and risky undertaking. Lewis, at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey,
WASHINGTON, JANuAry 4 (reuTerS): North Korea continues to pursue nuclear and ballistic missile technologies but the United States does not believe it is in a position to “tip” one of them with a nuclear warhead, State Department spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday. North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, said on Sunday his nuclear-capable country was close to test-launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), raising the prospect of putting parts of the United States within range. “We do not believe that at this point in time he has the capability to tip one of these with a nuclear warhead ... but we do know that he continues to want to have those capabilities and the programs continue to march in that direction,” Kirby told reporters. Asked whether he would agree with President-elect Donald Trump’s assessment that China was not helping to contain North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, Kirby said: “We would not agree with that assessment.”
California, said it would require “a large military campaign ... over a fairly substantial period of time.” He noted that North Korea’s main nuclear and missile test sites were on different sides of the country and factories that supplied them were scattered over several provinces. “There’s a warren of tunnels under the nuclear site. And an ICBM can be launched from anywhere in the country because it’s mobile. You might as well invade the country,” Lewis said. Republican U.S. Senator Cory Gardner, writing on cnn.com, said he hoped Trump’s administration
would impose “secondary sanctions” on firms and entities that help North Korea’s weapons programs, many of which were in China. ‘PERIOD OF SERIOUS SANCTIONS’ While Trump has not detailed his policy approach to North Korea, an adviser to his transition team told Reuters he believed “a period of serious sanctions” had “to be a major part of any discussion on the options available here.” State Department spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday the United States had not ruled out additional sanctions, but
Trump, who will take office on Jan. 20, tweeted on Monday that North Korea would not be allowed to complete a nuclear weapon capable of reaching the United States, although he did not say how he would stop it. “It won’t happen!” he said on Twitter. Trump’s transition spokesman, Sean Spicer, said the tweet spoke for itself but added that it meant, “Under his watch he’s going to make sure that that doesn’t happen.” Pyongyang’s action will be discussed at a meeting in Washington on Thursday between the United States, Japan and South Korea, led by Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Kirby said. “No question that tensions on the Korean peninsula will be a topic of discussion (but) where that is going to take us, especially in light of Kim Jong Un’s speech, I don’t know,” Kirby said. Asked about the possibility of more sanctions against Pyongyang, he added: “We haven’t ruled out the possibility of additional sanctions.”
added: “Let’s not get ahead of where we are.” Victor Cha, who was an aide to former Republican President George W. Bush, said he believed Trump was serious about not letting North Korea have nuclearcapable ICBMs that could threaten the U.S. mainland. “How to stop this is of course difficult. It’s a combination of diplomacy (to get a freeze), sanctions (Chinese ones and Treasury), moving more military assets to the region for extended deterrence, strike options, and integrated missile defense. That’s what would be on my menu,” he said. Frank Jannuzi, a former
State Department official who heads the Mansfield Foundation Asia dialogue forum, said Trump’s vow could prove as hollow as Obama’s pledge not to tolerate North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. “I worry ... that it only emboldens the North, because they see it for what it is: empty talk,” he said. “It lays down a red line. ... We don’t seem prepared to back up.” He said North Korea had long defied U.S. and U.N. sanctions to pursue its nuclear and missile programs, and added: “One hundred and forty characters from Donald Trump aren’t going to change that.”
Decoded: What causes stuttering Kidnapped Iraqi woman journalist released unharmed after a week Thailand: New Year road deaths NeW yOrK, JANuAry 4 (IANS): Stuttering is caused by a reduced blood flow in speech processing areas of the brain, a study by researchers, including one of Indianorigin, has showed. The findings showed that regional cerebral blood flow is reduced in the Broca’s area -- the region in the frontal lobe of the brain linked to speech production. In addition, a greater abnormality of cerebral blood flow in the posterior language loop -- associated with processing of words that we hear -- correlates with more severe stuttering. According to researchers, a common pathophysiology throughout the neural “language” loop that connects the frontal and posterior temporal lobe likely contributes to stuttering severity. “When other portions of the brain circuit related to speech were also affected according to our blood flow measurements, we saw more severe stuttering in both children and adults,” said lead author Jay Desai, MD, clinical neurologist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) in California. In the study, the researchers were able to zero in on the Broca’s area as well as related brain circuitry specifically linked to speech, using regional cerebral blood flow as a measure of brain activity, since blood flow is typically coupled with neural activity. “Blood flow was inversely correlated to the degree of stuttering -- the more severe the stuttering, the less blood flow to this part of the brain,” said Desai, adding that the study results were “quite striking”. The study was published in the journal Human Brain Mapping.
Vaccine shows promise in fight against breast cancer NeW yOrK, JANuAry 4 (IANS): An experimental vaccine is safe and effectively stimulates the immune system leading to regression of early-stage breast cancer, show results of a clinical trial. The researchers created the vaccine from immune cells called dendritic cells that are harvested from each individual patient to create a personalised vaccine. The immune cell vaccine targets the HER2 protein on breast cancer cells. The HER2 protein is overexpressed in 20-25 per cent of all breast cancer tumors and is associated with aggressive disease and poor prognosis. Researchers had previously shown that immune cells are less able to recognise and target cancer cells that express HER2 as breast cancer progresses into a more advanced and invasive stage. This suggests that strategies that can restimulate the immune system to recognise and target HER2 early during cancer development may be effective treatment options. In order to determine if the HER2-dendritic cell vaccine is safe and effective, the researchers Moffitt Cancer Centre in Florida, US performed a clinical trial in 54 women who have HER2-expressing early-stage breast cancer. The dendritic cell vaccines were prepared by isolating dendritic cells from each patients’ blood and exposing them to fragments of the HER2 protein. Patients were injected with a dose of their personal dendritic cell vaccine once a week for six weeks into either a lymph node, the breast tumour, or into both sites. In a study published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, the researchers reported that the dendritic cell vaccines were well-tolerated and patients only experienced low-grade toxicities. The most common adverse events were fatigue, injection site reactions, and chills. They also showed that the vaccine was able to stimulate an immune response in the majority of the patients.
BAGHdAd, JANuAry 4 (reuTerS): Iraqi journalist Afrah al-Qaisi, known in her country for criticising the government in satirical articles for local media, has been released unharmed after being kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in Baghdad a week ago. The head of the Iraqi Journalistic Freedoms Observatory, Ziyad al-Ajili, said on Wednesday the kidnappers had returned the car,
telephone, laptop and gold jewelry they took when they broke into her home and that she drove back overnight around midnight. A video aired by the Kurdish NRT channel showed emotional scenes after Qaisi, who used to work for the Saudi-owned panArab newspaper Asharq alAwsat, was reunited with her family and friends after returning home. “I just want to say that
I’m fine and I was well treated,” she said, sobbing and shaking. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi telephoned Qaisi to check on her well-being after her release, his media office said. The kidnapping highlighted the dangers journalists face in Iraq, where 71 have been killed with impunity over the past decade, according to the Committee to Protect Jour-
nalists (CPJ). Many were victims of Sunni insurgents active in Iraq even before Islamic State militants overran around a third of the country more than two years ago. But other armed factions, including Shi’ite militias, some backed by the government, have grown increasingly powerful through their participation in Baghdad’s fight against Islamic State.
Smog-hit Beijing slapped with top ‘fog’ alert for 2nd day BeIJING, JANuAry 4 (reuTerS): The Chinese capital issued its highest red fog alert for a second day on Wednesday, keeping highways closed in and around the city which is already under a smog alert after weeks of choking winter pollution. China’s weather bureau warned of visibility of less than 50 meters in some areas, leading many airports to cancel flights. More than 2,000 tourists were stranded on a cruise ship for two extra days near the port of Tianjin, as smog prevented the ship from docking until Monday, the Beijing Evening News reported. Poor visibility prompted
three major northern ports to suspend the loading of ships on Tuesday, maritime safety agencies said. Pollution alerts are common in northern China, especially during bitterly cold winters when energy demand, much of it met by coal, soars. Beijing’s smog alert is at the second-highest orange only, raising questions from some living in the city. The Ministry of Environmental Protection said it hadn’t issued a smog red alert because of discrepancies in the forecasts for different parts of Beijing. China is in the third year of a war on pollution aimed at reversing the damage done to its skies, soil and
water after decades of untrammeled economic growth. But measures taken so far have had little or no effect. Heavily polluted Hebei province, which surrounds most of Beijing, said on Tuesday it had ordered all polluting firms in Tangshan, China’s biggest steel-producing city to the east of Beijing, to shut down. Hebei, home to seven of China’s 10 smoggiest cities in 2015, will also build the world’s biggest dust prevention barrier, stretching nearly two miles, at the major coal port of Qinhuangdao in a bid to cut pollution, state media said on Wednesday.
surge despite safety campaign
BANGKOK, JANuAry 4 (reuTerS): More than 400 people died in road accidents in Thailand over the New Year period, statistics released on Wednesday showed, despite a government road safety campaign in one of the most dangerous countries in the world to drive a car. The Department of Land Transport said 426 people died in 3,327 accidents between Dec. 29 and Jan. 3, up from 340 in the year-earlier period. Thailand’s road death rate is the highest in the world apart from war-ravaged Libya, according to a 2015 World Health Organization report. The mounting figures come despite a government campaign to make Thailand’s roads safer, including an increase in police presence and public information campaigns. Laws that mandate the use of seat belts and crash helmets are rarely enforced while drunk driving is common. “Unfortunately the number of fatalities has increased despite a campaign from the government and law enforcement to increase safety,” government spokesman Weerachon Sukondhapatipak told Reuters. “Road safety is something we will have to continue working on continuously and not just during the new year period.” On Monday, 25 people died when a van collided with a pick-up truck in Chon Buri province south of Bangkok - the highest death toll in a single incident over the holiday period. Excessive speed is the top cause of road death, according to the Metropolitan Police Bureau. Road and boat accidents involving tourists are common in Thailand, where safety standards are sometimes well below international norms. Despite its woeful road and sea safety record, Thailand remains a magnet for foreign visitors. The tourism ministry had forecast a record 32.4 million arrivals in 2016. It has yet to release final figures for the year.
Myanmar faces danger from IS militants KuALA LuMPur, JANuAry 4 (reuTerS): Myanmar faces a growing danger of attacks by foreign supporters of Islamic State (IS) recruited from Southeast Asian networks in support of persecuted Muslim Rohingyas, Malaysia’s top counter-terrorism official has said. Malaysian authorities have detained a suspected IS follower planning to head to Myanmar to carry out attacks, the head of the Malaysian police counter-terrorism division, Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, said in an interview. The suspect, an Indonesian whom he did not identify, was detained in Malaysia last month. The suspect was scheduled to be charged on Wednesday for possession of materials linked to terrorist groups, which carries a seven-year jail term or fine, Ayob Khan said. More militants are likely to try to follow his lead in support of the Rohingya cause, Ayob Khan said. “He was planning to perform jihad in Myanmar, fighting against the Myanmar government for this Rohingya group in Rakhine State,” Ayob Khan said. A Myanmar army sweep since October in the north of Rakhine State, on its border with
Bangladesh, has sent about 34,000 members of the Rohingya minority fleeing into Bangladesh, the United Nations says. Residents and rights groups accuse security forces in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar of summary executions and rape in the army operation, launched in response to attacks on police posts on Oct. 9 that killed nine officers. The government of Aung San Suu Kyi denies the accusations of abuse. Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay told Reuters an official report into October’s violence in Rakhine state found no evidence of an IS presence there or that the attacks were linked to IS. LIGHTNING ROD The conflict in Rakhine risks becoming a lightning rod for Islamists in a shadowy network stretching from the Philippines to Indonesia and Malaysia, with links to Islamic State in the Middle East, security analysts and officials say. Scores of Southeast Asian Muslims, most from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, have travelled to the Middle East
to join IS, counter-terrorism police in the region said. Over the past year, IS has claimed several attacks - or been linked to foiled plots - in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. “There is a high possibility that Muslims, be it from IS or other groups, will find the ways and means to go to Myanmar to help their Rohingya Muslim brothers,” Ayob Khan said. The Indonesian suspect was among seven people arrested for suspected links to IS. The suspect was also involved in a plot to smuggle weapons to Indonesia’s Poso region, on Sulawesi island, Ayob Khan said. Indonesian authorities have detained several suspected foreign militants trying to reach Poso. Ayob Khan did not say what group the suspect, a factory worker who had been in Malaysia since 2014, was trying to link up with in Myanmar. He said the suspect, was in contact with Muhammad Wanndy Muhammad Jedi, a Syria-based Malaysian militant who claimed responsibility on behalf of IS for a grenade attack on a bar in June last year. The International Crisis Group think-tank said in a report last
month the coordinated attacks on Myanmar police in Rakhine State were carried out by a group called Harakah al-Yakin. While the group had links to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, it would be wrong to “overinterpret the significance of the international links”, ICG said. “Nevertheless, the longer violence continues, the greater the risks become of such links deepening and potentially becoming operational,” it said. LARGE POOL OF RECRUITS Muslim-majority Malaysia and Indonesia, which has the world’s biggest Muslim population, have led calls in Southeast Asia for Myanmar to stop the violence against the Rohingya. Rohingya have for years been fleeing persecution in Myanmar, which denies them citizenship because it sees them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. They often wash up on Southeast Asian shores in rickety boats seeking asylum. More than 55,000 Rohingyas are registered with the United Nations in Malaysia. Non-profit groups estimate as many as 200,000 Rohingyas are living in Malaysia, many working in res-
taurants and constructions sites. Analysts warn the large number of Rohingya migrants are a potential pool of recruits for militants. “The network between Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and the Rohingyas is there,” said Badrul Hisham Ismail, programme executive director of the Malaysian counter-militancy group, Iman Research. Ismail said his group had discovered Malaysian militants involved in recruiting Rohingyas and sending them to Poso for training. Rohan Gunaratna, a security expert at Singapore’s Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said Islamic State operatives in the region were “determined to mount attacks both inside Myanmar and against Myanmar targets overseas”. In November, Indonesian authorities detained an Islamic State-linked militant for planning an attack on the Myanmar embassy there. “The highest threat to Myanmar emanates from Islamic State networks,” Rohan said. “The Rohingya conflict is emerging as one of the rallying issues for IS. At a strategic level, Myanmar should resolve the Rohingya conflict to prevent IS influence and expansion.”
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thursdAY 05•01•2017
sports
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
Spurs romp past Raptors, 76ers edge Timberwolves
Los AngeLes, JAnuAry 4 (AFP): The San Antonio Spurs dominated Toronto 110-82, handing the Raptors their worst defeat of the season in a clash of elite teams. Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points and LaMarcus Aldridge added 23 as the Spurs, second in the Western Conference behind Golden State, raced to a big first-quarter lead that they wouldn't relinquish. Firing on all cylinders on their home floor, the Spurs led by 30 points going into the fourth quarter, which starters Leonard, Aldridge, Tony Parker and Pau Gasol all sat out. The Spurs, who fell in overtime to Atlanta on Sunday, are now 6-1 this season in games after a defeat. Parker added 15 points and his eight assists matched the total pro-
duced by the Raptors. The Spurs, in contrast, had 32 assists, along with a season-high in blocked shots with 15. "Any team is dangerous when you move the ball like that," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "It's hard to guard when the ball changes sides. You are able to play with open people and shots are more uncontested - and it just multiplies." To ro n t o' s D e Ma r DeRozan led all scorers with 26 points. Terrance Ross poured in 17, Cory Joseph added 11 points and DeMarre Carroll hit for 10 for the Raptors, who are second in the East behind the Cleveland Cavaliers but were showing signs of fatigue in the final game of a 13-day, six-game road trip. It was a different story in Philadelphia, where Robert Covington laid in an
it up," Covington said of the dramatic play. "That's how we did it yesterday in practice, the same exact way. We executed to perfection." Philadelphia notched their second straight victory, but not before the Timberwolves erased a 26-point third-quarter deficit, knotting the score at 91-91 on Ricky Rubio's three-pointer with 1.6 seconds left. Joel Embiid led Philadelphia with 25 points and Ersan Ilyasova added 19. Covington finished with 13, but the tough 76ers fans again booed his misses from three-point range. Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said the critics were overlooking Covington's defensive contributions. He was the primary defender Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard looks to pass as Raptors guard Cory Joseph defends. on Timberwolves star An(USA TODAY Sports Photo) drew Wiggins, who began inbounds lob from Dario second remaining in the Minnesota Timberwolves. the night averaging a teamSaric with two-tenths of a 76ers' 93-91 victory over the "That's the way we drew high 22 points per game but
managed just eight.
- Suns finally beat the Heat The Phoenix Suns beat Miami for the first time since November 3, 2009, their 99-90 victory marking a sixth straight defeat for the reeling Heat. Devin Booker scored 18 of his 27 points in the second half and Marquese Chriss added a career-high 18 for the Suns, who had lost 12 straight to their rivals from Florida. "That tells you how talented they've been for the last few years ... still really talented, just short-handed tonight," said Booker, who was just 13 the last time the Suns triumphed over the Heat. Goran Dragic's 24 points paced the Heat, who dressed the league minimum of eight players as injuries and ailments ranging
from food poisoning to migraine sidelined others. - Randle triple-double fuels Lakers Julius Randle notched the third triple-double of his career to help the Lakers end a three-game losing streak with a 116-102 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in Los Angeles. Randle scored 19 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and handed out 11 assists as the young Lakers team won for just the third time in 18 games. In Detroit, Paul George scored 32 points and the Indiana Pacers matched their season high in a 121-116 victory over the Pistons. And in Denver, Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins scored a game-high 31 points to go with six rebounds and six assists in a 120-113 victory over the Nuggets.
F1: Mercedes to 'unveil the beast' on Feb 23 IAAF says 200 Russians named in doping report
LonDon, JAnuAry 4 (reuters): Mercedes, Formula One's dominant team who have yet to announce a replacement for retired world champion Nico Rosberg, will present their 2017 car at Silverstone on Feb. 23. The Mercedes website (www.mercedesamgf1.com) said on Wednesday that the reigning champions would "unveil the beast to the world" at the British Grand Prix circuit down the road from their Brackley factory. Fans who register for a prize draw on Facebook will have the chance to win VIP access to witness the first laps of the W08 challenger. Mercedes won 19 of 21 races last season and started all but one from pole position. They will start the season in Australia in March
as favorites for a fourth successive title, with Britain's triple world champion Lewis Hamilton leading the campaign in the absence of former rival Rosberg. The German driver stunned Formula One by announcing his retirement five days after winning a first title in Abu Dhabi in late November, saying he had reached the peak and achieved his ambition. His decision left Mercedes in a difficult position, with other leading drivers all under contract with rivals at such a late point in the year. It was also an admission of just how tough a team mate Hamilton, who won 10 grands prix to Rosberg's nine, had been to beat over the course of a season. Rosberg's replacement is expected to be announced imminently, with
testing starting at the end of February in Spain. Finland's Valtteri Bottas is seen as a safe bet, as well as a safe pair of hands, to land the seat. The motorsport. com website has reported that the Williams driver visited the Mercedes factory over the Christmas break. The 2017 season will see wider tires, faster cars and revised aerodynamics with Mercedes likely to face a tougher test from rivals Red Bull -- who have Australian Daniel Ricciardo and Dutch teenager Max Verstappen -- and Ferrari. "I hope we can be as successful as we've been in 2016. It was not always an easy ride and I don't expect it to be any easier in 2017 but certainly one thing, it's going to be good fun again," said team boss Toto Wolff in a New Year's message.
Kvitova's recovery going well PrAgue, JAnuAry 4 (AP): Petra Kvitova's recovery from surgery after a knife-wielding intruder attacked her inside her home and injured her playing hand has been going well. Kvitova's spokesman, Karel Tejkal, says the twotime Wimbledon champion has gradually started doing exercises with her injured fingers and ''all have been going according to the plans Prostejov the same day. and expectations.'' She is expected to out Kvitova has surgery on Dec. 20 following injuries for up to six months. on her left hand in the attack Kvitova's fellow players at her home in the town of from the Prostejov tennis
club have offered a reward of $3,850 for information leading to the arrest of the attacker, who still remains at large.
MonAco, JAnuAry 4 (AFP): The world athletics body said Tuesday that it has been sent the names of 200 Russians by international doping investigators who will be checked if they apply to compete as neutral competitors this year. The International Association of Athletics Federations said it had been given the names by investigators working for Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren, who has alleged there was a "state-sponsored" doping system in Russia. As the list of names emerged, IAAF president Sebastian Coe decried a system which he said had "let down" Russian athletes. Russia has been suspended from international competition since 2015 and the IAAF said it had
sent new criteria to the Russian federation for athletes to take part in international competition as neutrals. Taking part as neutrals may be the only way for Russians to take part in the world athletics championships in London in August. "One of the criteria requires athletes to show they are not directly implicated in any way (knowingly or unknowingly) by their national federation's (RUSAF) failure to put in place adequate systems to protect and promote clean athletes," said an IAAF statement. "The IAAF has been forwarded around 200 names of Russian athletes by the McLaren investigation team and it will assess the evidence and intelligence from the McLaren report and elsewhere in
respect of any athlete who applies for neutral athlete status under the guidelines," it added. Other critieria will include "whether any coach, doctor or other support person with whom the applicant has worked has ever been implicated in the commission of any anti-doping rule violation." Athletics authorities will also look at how many doping samples have been given by the athlete and the circumstances in which they were given. Coe had harsh words for those who had pulled the strings in the Russian system. “Russian athletes have been let down by a system that should have protected them and celebrated achievements -- not one that cre-
ated doubt and expulsion from competition. “We continue to find ways to create parallel and credible systems of independent testing of Russian athletes so they have alternative avenues to get back in to competition whilst we continue to work with RusAF on reinstatement," Coe added. More than 110 Russians were barred from taking part in the Rio Olympics last August because of the doping storm. In his latest report released in December, McLaren said that 1,000 Russians were involved in the doping system organised by the Russian sports ministry. The Russian government has denied any involvement in doping.
Foreign bias in ISL worries former India youth coach KoLKAtA, JAnuAry 4 (IAns): It is not unusual for Colm Joseph Toal, a British football coach who over a period of seven years tutored several players who are now pillars of the game in India, to feel uncomfortable visualising a team in a top league boasting of six foreigners to five Indians. Since 2007, when he first came to India, Toal has nurtured talent like Jeje Lalpekhlua and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu as part of his stint with youth teams. Toal parted ways with the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the game's parent body, in 2014, having churned out over 30 players who are now part of the national team and form the crux of clubs spread across the country. Back after a two-year hiatus, the Florida-based tactician has been roped in by new I-League side Minerva Punjab FC as their technical director.
"Having six foreigners in the starting 11 reduces chances for more Indians to play," Toal told IANS in an interview. "May be it helps in the marketing aspect, I don't know. All I can say is that I am sure that the decision-makers are aware of this issue and they will come up with solutions," said the 68-year-old whose last assignment was with the India U-19 side in the AFC Cup qualifiers in Doha. From that batch, the likes of strikers Udanta Kumar Singh, Daniel Lalhlimpuia, goalkeeper Vishal Kaith and defender Rupert Nongrum have made an impact. Citing an example from the now-defunct Pailan Arrows team, which comprised only Indian players, Toal said: "Remember the Arrows? They were made up of young footballers from our YDP (youth development programme). "All Indians! And we finished seventh in Season 1. See the results
today and you know the advantages of having more Indian players playing a full game of 90 minutes." It was the Arrows' first year in the top flight and the team finished ninth in the league with 29 points from their full quota of 26 matches. Gurpreet, India's only player to have played in the Europa League, was the goalkeeper and Jeje was given the responsibility to find the back of the net. Arrows -- AIFF's developmental team immuned from relegation during its stay -- found a sponsor in Pailan later and were known as Pailan Arrows. Under the tutelage of Australian coach Arthur Papas, Arrows had all of today's star players like Pritam Kotal, Prabir Das, Pronay Halder, Narayan Das, Milan Singh, Dhanpal Ganesh, Shouvick Ghosh and so on. "It was sheer hard work by the support staff who were a part of the AIFF's YDP," Toal reflected when
asked about the glut of players he has produced. Toal stressed on India's win against higher-ranked Puerto Rico which gave a major fillip to its rankings this year, underlining that many Arrows players were part of that team. "The Indian national team won against Puerto Rico 4-1 and they played very well. The Arrows' boys played an important role," Toal said. The upcoming U-17 World Cup, on which the sport is banking so much on, is a huge step for youth teams, felt Toal. "There is definitely more interest in the game with the U-17 World Cup next year. It is a huge step for the age group teams especially for the U-17 World Cup team. "I know they have had many exposure trips and are playing so many international games which is very good."
Azhar, Younus stall Australia in Sydney WIndies' Smith calls time on ODI career
syDney, JAnuAry 4 (reuters): Pakistan's Azhar Ali and Younus Khan forged a 120-run partnership to stall a rampant Australia on day two of the third and final test on Wednesday after a Peter Handscomb century had helped drive the hosts to 538-8 declared. Opener Azhar, who hit a double century in the second test defeat in Melbourne that lost Pakistan the series, had contributed 58 to his side's 126 for two at close of play, while veteran Younus had forged ahead of his partner with 64 not out. Handscomb had earlier completed the third century of Australia's innings, matching openers David Warner and Matt Renshaw, as Steve Smith's men poured on the runs before the declaration, which came seven overs before tea. Paceman Josh Hazlewood immediately drove home the advantage by removing debutant Sharjeel Khan and Babar Azam cheaply inside five balls to leave the hapless tourists reeling at 16-2 at the second break. Half centuries from Azhar and Younus may have raised Pakistan's flagging spirits but the Austra-
lians will still be confident of victory and a series sweep going into day three at the Sydney Cricket Ground with a lead of 412 runs. Handscomb had resumed on 40 with Australia 365-3 and never looked like missing out on his second test hundred, becoming only the second Australian to score 50 or more in his first four tests along the way. Brought into the side with Renshaw in the wake of the Hobart humiliation at the hands of South Africa in November, the 25-year-old has proved a rock in what had become a fragile Australian middle order. He brought up the milestone with a single off the 194th ball he faced and had nine fours on the board when he was out for 110 in bizarre circumstances. A TV review showed he had got too deep into his crease when facing a Wahab Riaz delivery and his bat had dislodged a bail, resulting in a rare 'hit wicket' dismissal. Australia's fielders had the opposite problem as they tried to break up Pakistan's third wicket partnership in the final session and Handscomb rued two missed run-out chances. "It would have been
Pakistan batsmen Azhar Ali (L) and Younis Khan (R) shake hands during their partnership against Australia during the second day of the third cricket Test match in Sydney (AFP Photo)
nice to take one of those run out opportunities and you never know what could have come from there if we had them maybe four or five down," he said. "We just need to come out tomorrow and keep that pressure on." Renshaw earlier fell short of dislodging Don Bradman as Australia's youngest double centurian, the 20-year-old chop-
ping on for 184 in the first hour of the day, and debutant Hilton Cartwright (37), Matt Wade (29) and Mitch Starc, who hit two huge sixes in his 16, also departed before the declaration. Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur admitted bowlers Mohammad Amir and Yasir Shah were "not in good shape" - the latter carrying a left hamstring injury - but
thought the third-wicket stand had given his side a glimmer of hope. "The resilience and character and intent that has been shown by Younus and Azhar has been a real example to the rest of the dressing room of how we need to play," the South African said. "We'll carry on with same intent and see where that gets us tomorrow."
BrIDgetown, JAnuAry 4 (IAns): Dashing former West Indies batsman Dwayne Smith will retire from domestic OneDay cricket for Barbados Pride, ahead of this months Regional Super50. The 33-year-old said he was no longer part of the selectors' plans and though he was hurt by not being able to finish his career at home in this year's 50-Over tournament, he had little choice but to call it quits, reports CMC. Barbados and Antigua are the hosts for the 2017 Super50 which runs from January 24 to February 18. "I basically have to make one big decision now for sure and that's I'm going to send in my resignation from 50-overs cricket for Barbados Pride, banking on the back of not being given the opportunity to finish my career at home," Smith told Line and Length Network on Tuesday. "I really wanted to, I've asked the selectors, I've spoken to them but obviously they had their different plans and I guess I didn't fit in. "It was touching, it
Dwayne Smith
hurt me a lot because I really wanted -- even if it was one game I played in the 50-overs competition coming up -- I would have been happy," he added. Smith has garnered 3,500 runs from 183 List A games at an average of 23 but had a disappointing outing in last year's Super50 when he managed just 116 runs from eight innings at an average of 14. The right-handed Smith said he had been encouraged to end his Pride career at home and was hurt he could not bow out in this way. "A lot of the youngsters had asked me to finish in Barbados because I had told them I was not going to continue but they really, really wanted (me to finish at home)," said Smith, who
quit first class cricket two years ago. "I really wanted to finish at home seeing that I knew the tournament was going to play at home but life goes on, I can't really dwell on that." "For the last two years or so, the team they have put together have been gelling well together and I love to see that camaraderie." Smith's international career has been over for some time. He has not played a One-Day International (ODI) or T20 International for the West Indies in two years, and said he had accepted this reality even though nothing formal had been communicated. He made 1,560 runs in 105 ODIs and 582 runs in 33 T20s.
Thursday 05•01•2017
EntErtainmEnt
Changing lives through joyful giving! Morung express Feature Dimapur | January 4
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s the date draws nearer for the third season of The Joy of Giving there is a flurry of activity happening in Dimapur! JOG is a movement that is spearheaded by young artists, entrepreneurs, social workers, and visionaries who have a desire to impact society through educating and mentoring underprivileged children. The purpose behind this initiative is not about giving these children some temporary respite in the form of gifts but to show them a different perspective- an alternative kaleidoscope from their present living environment and also to elevate their hopes and dreams and provide them an opportunity to better their lives. “We wanted to give the children a chance towards a good life and thus started our educational sponsorship program,” is the vision behind the cause. In 2014, the first concert was successfully held at the premises of The Garden, Supermarket area, Dimapur. The funds generated from the concert supported the schooling expenses of 15 children. In extension, The Kids Garden, a sanctuary for fun, care, and learning was also initiated to help the sponsored children and even others. “It is not enough to merely enrol the children in schools and wash our hands off thinking we have done our part. The Kids Garden caretakers tirelessly work throughout the year providing educational, physical, emotional guidance and support not only to the little ones but extending assistance to the families.” Following this, the second Joy Of Giving concert also successfully managed to sponsor 24 underprivileged children. Through The Joy of Giving, interested people have the opportunity to partner by either fully sponsoring a child or one time giving of any amount, volunteer to assist in the weekly meetings with the children, or simply spread the word and invite friends to join the cause.
The third season is in association with Hope Centre for Excellence, a premier music and performing arts institute in Nagaland. Sharing the stage are artists Nise Meruno, Aren and Lydia Longchari, Renbeni Odyuo, Kekhrie Ringa, Thunglamo Ngullie, Asin Shurhozelie, Koramensang Aier, Sophia Mozhui, Yanzo Kikon, Lanutemsu Lemtor. The first ballerinas of Nagaland Milovi Zhimomi, Sophia Mozhui, Vivien Shaw and Dora Arkha will also put up a spectacular performance. The concert will be held on January 7th at Aiko Greens from 6:00 PM. Tickets to the concert will be available at the venue and priced at Rs 500. So come to witness and feel the true joy of giving! Zubeno Mozhui, Director of Hope Centre for Excellence had this to say about the event: “Hope
Centre by nature of our line of work we are constantly sharing our talents by ways of shows. But this time when we were approached by The Joy Of Giving to do a concert and raise funds we gladly stepped in because we wanted to use our talents and abilities not just for entertainment purpose but we wanted to be the voice for a cause such as this. When you believe in someone and help them, you give them hope. This empowers them and personally for me, this is what the joy of giving is all about.” For member of JOG and musician Renbeni Odyuo, the event is important because apart from supporting the children’s education, it also shapes their values and morals. It provides opportunities to learn about building community, family and friends by teaching them the spirit
of giving. I believe the children will be inspired to live better lives and also help others in the future. I think music is a wonderful gift and by sharing my talent, it shows the love and support I have for the children. I am truly happy to be performing at the joy of giving concert. Akihito Kinimi and his wife from The Joy Of Giving team also invited everyone to be a part of this event saying, “The Joy of Giving event 2017 will be a fantastic show where attendees will enjoy a great evening of music and at the same time allow them to be a part of a good cause in supporting less privileged children. Through the event, many kids are getting the chance for a better future.”
ful stories under the Joy of Giving umbrella. But this one particularly touches a chord in our hearts! Four siblings whose parents lived in a remote village found themselves transported to Dimapur because their parents had to tend to the fields and could not look after them. They landed up at their grandmother’s door in Supermarket area. Uneducated and with too many burdens of her own, she couldn’t provide the care and love the four siblings required. Left to their own devices, the children were seen roaming around the Supermarket area all day long. At such a tender age, the children were also exposed to unhealthy activities happening around the rice and booze joints. A beautiful story of “At the time, when The transformed life Joy Of Giving met the oldThere are many beauti- est child, he was attend-
ing a Government School. Surprisingly, he could not even write his name. Under The Joy Of Giving concert sponsorship programme, he had to start from Class A. Initially, not only the caretakers from the team but the little boy himself underwent a lot of difficulties. With special attention, his progress has been remarkable and today, we are all very proud of this gem of a person. Even his grandmother is so happy for him now. This little boy has been under The Joy of Giving wing for just two years and we are already excited and looking towards a bright and happy future for him and his siblings.” These are just a few of the lives that have slowly been transformed by the initiatives of “The Joy of Giving.” The movement has grown in leaps and bounds
since its beginning days and we look forward to changing more lives with education and your partnership of joyful giving.
Now ShowiNg
Kylie Jenner is officially the Second Richest Member of Her Family
revIseD TICKeT rATes (silver) : `.120 (Gold) : `. 200 (recliner) : `. 400
DANGAl
Reigning Miss Yimchungrü Y. Tsurila and her families accompanied by Tsuyihba, joint secretary, YTC and colleague visited Mother’s Hope Orphanage at 7th mile Chumukedima on December 22.
O
ne of the youngest members of the KardashianJenner clan is now officially also one its richest. On Tuesday, Forbes announced that Kylie Jenner had made its 2017 "30 Under 30" list for "Retail and E-Commerce," citing the success of both Kylie Cosmetics and the reality star's clothing line with her sister, Kendall Jenner. The publication went on to state that because of the 19-year-old makeup maven's massive success over the past couple years, she's also become the second highest-earning person in her family behind Kim Kardashian — which says a lot given how much that family hustles. "The reality TV star's Kylie Cosmetics line has gone from strength to strength, with each incarnation of her $29 Lip Kits selling out upon release," Forbes writes. "Sources close to the teenager suggest the glosses did 7 figures in revenues in 2016 alone. Jenner also puts her name to an apparel line, alongside model sister Kendall." "Per Forbes' estimates, she's the second-highest annual earner overall in her family, after half-sister Kim Kardashian," the publication continued. Source: Cosmopolitan
It’s a boy! Janet Jackson gives birth to her first child at age 50
J
anet Jackson has given birth to her first child. The ‘That's The Way Love Goes’ hitmaker and her husband Wissam Al Mana welcomed their son Eissa Al Mana into the world on Tuesday. 'Janet Jackson and husband Wissam Al Mana are thrilled to welcome their new son Eissa Al Mana into the world. Janet had a stress-free healthy delivery and is resting comfortably,' her representative told People magazine in a statement. The 50-year-old star has kept out of the spotlight during her pregnancy but did take to social media in late November to insist she was 'doing well'. She shared at the time: 'Hey you guys.. It's been awhile.. but I'm still listening.. I feel your love and prayers.. Thank you.. and I'm doing well.' Janet confirmed her pregnancy in October but had reportedly been plagued with bad morning sickness. A source shared: 'Janet is super excited. She's doing great. Ja-
net feels really strong and is just so excited for the baby to come. She feels like this is one of the best things ever to happen to her. She is doing OK and resting until she is due. She is aware of complications, but as of now doctors say she is OK ... 'Her support system is extremely strong. She is taking things easy these days and is feeling well but not overdoing it in any capacity of her life. Janet is staying healthy for her and her baby. She's been praying for a child for a very long time. She's already in the process of thinking of baby names.' And Janet's older brother Jermaine thinks she will be a perfect mother to her son. Speaking before the birth, he shared: 'She'll be a great mother because she is very tough, very strict. But I tell her, 'If you need any parenting skills or baby skills, let me know because I'm the best diaper changer there is on this planet, still to this day.'' Source: Mailonline
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Giroud caps Arsenal revival, Swansea win London, January 4 (aFP): Arsenal staged a sensational fightback from three goals down as Olivier Giroud's last-gasp equaliser rescued a draw at Bournemouth, while Swansea welcomed new boss Paul Clement with a crucial 2-1 win at Crystal Palace on Tuesday. Arsene Wenger's side were facing their first defeat -- and a major setback to their Premier League title hopes -- to Bournemouth after goals from Charlie Daniels, Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser stunned the Gunners at Dean Court. But Arsenal scored three times in the last 20 minutes as Alexis Sanchez and Lucas Perez netted before Bournemouth captain Simon Francis was sent off, setting the stage for Giroud's headed equaliser in the second minute of stop-
page time. The Gunners' gritty 3-3 draw left them in fourth place, eight points behind leaders Chelsea, who play their game in hand at Tottenham on Wednesday. "We refused to lose the game. It was a mental test," Wenger said. "There's a great resilience in the team and we saw that today. It was not a result we wanted before the game but at 3-0 down we'd have signed for 3-3." At Selhurst Park, Clement saw Swansea climb off the bottom of the table just hours after his appointment and in the day's other match Stoke won 2-0 against a Watford side on the slide. "Paul came down for some moral support, he made his presence felt at half-time," said Swansea caretaker boss Alan Curtis. "We would have sur-
minute penalty with a surging run that teased a needless foul from Granit Xhaka. Wilson sent Petr Cech the wrong way with a cool spot-kick and Fraser made it three for Bournemouth when he got away with a nudge on Bellerin and fired home in the 58th minute. Sanchez's 70th-minute header from Giroud's cross gave Arsenal hope and Perez set up a tense finale when the striker bagged his first Premier League goal with a superb volley five minutes later.
Olivier Giroud heads the ball goalwards. (Reuters Photo)
prised a lot of people with our performance today." Wenger had bemoaned the fixture schedule that had Arsenal back in action just 48 hours after their vic-
tory against Palace and the Frenchman wore a furious expression as his sluggish side were torn apart in the first half. Bournemouth took the
lead in the 16th minute when Daniels collected a Junior Stanislas pass, cut past Hector Bellerin and slotted home. Fraser earned a 21st-
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London, January 4 (ianS): English Premier League (EPL) bottom side Hull City has sacked manager Mike Phelan. Hull City, who were promoted to the EPL this season, lost 1-3 at West Brom on Monday after leading 1-0. Swansea City's 2-1 victory over Crystal Pal-
The Chumukedima Village Youth Society held its 37th Sports Meet at Local Ground, Chümukedima Village from December 26 to 31. The annual sports event was inaugurated on December 26 by Rielie Sirie, President Chakhroma Sports Association (CSA) as the Chief Guest, while the closing ceremony was graced by Vipin Yhoshü, Record Officer, Commissioner of Police, Dimapur.
MDCA celebrates 25th anniversary
WoKha, January 4 (mExn): Royal Strikers registered their first win in the third semifinal league match against Renegades by a margin of 88 runs in the ongoing 21st Winter Cricket Challenge played at Local Ground, Wokha. The tournament is being organised by Senior Noble Klan. Opting to bat after winning the toss, the Strikers set up a huge total of 165 runs with a solid partnership of 122 runs between opener Hemari Teron, who remained unbeaten on 66, and Jubin Doley who scored 53 runs. For Renegades, Sunil Sharma claimed 2 wickets while Renchio Odyuo and Nayan Hazarika claimed a wicket each. In the run chase, Ren-
Match Patron, Er. Orenvungo Ovung, SDO, Electrical, Wokha, gives away the Man of the Match award to Jubin Doley.
egades CC were bowled out in the 16th over of the inning for a paltry 77 runs. Lijanbemo was the lone batsman who defied the strong bowling line up of the Royal Strikers with a gritty 21 runs. Vickey,
Sajid, Jubin and Roshan claimed 2 wickets each for Royal Strikers. Thursday’s Match: GAPYOCC (Green) vs Kohima Hornbill CC (4th Semi final League)
Champions Titans kick off with a win 52nd KYO Sports Meet commences
Morung Express News Mokokchung | January 4
The Mokokchung District Cricket Association celebrated its silver jubilee today at Imkongmeren Sports Complex, Mokokchung with a brief inaugural programme and the declaration of the MDCA Inter Club Cricket Tournament 2016. Sushil Kumar Patel (IAS), Deputy Commissioner Mokokchung and President, Mokokchung District Sports Council was the chief guest at the inaugural programme. Talking about Cricket as the gentlemen’s game, Patel said that it is a disciplined game adding that Cricket as a sport has more potential to provide opportunities and career than most other sports in India. He added that young talents who have the potential should take it to a higher level by using their talents. He concluded by congratulating the MDCA
ing in his ears at half-time. Palace drew level in the 83rd minute when Wilfried Zaha met a Martin Kelly cross in midair with a superb scissor kick from 15 yards. But Clement, who had been in the dug-out since half-time, was celebrating five minutes later when Angel Rangel smashed the winner to lift Swansea to 19th place, one point behind fourth-bottom Palace. Stoke moved away from the relegation zone with a 2-0 win against Watford at the Britannia Stadium. Ryan Shawcross put Stoke ahead on the stroke of half-time with a confident finish from Charlie Adam's corner. Adam was the provider again when Stoke increased their lead, this time sending over a cross that Peter Crouch converted in the 49th minute.
Winter Cricket Challenge: Royal Strikers beat Renegades
Hull City sack manager Phelan ace on Tuesday sent Hull City to the last place of the standings, reports Xinhua news agency. The 54-year-old Phelan was named as caretaker manager in the summer and appointed as manager in October. "We would like to thank Mike for his efforts both as assistant manager and head coach over the last two years," the club tweeted on Tuesday. Hull City will next play fellow strugglers Swansea City in the FA Cup third round before taking on Manchester United in the first leg of the League Cup semi-finals on January 10.
- Memorable Francis's red card for a rash lunge on Aaron Ramsey stacked the odds against Bournemouth and France striker Giroud capped the fightback when he scored with a glancing header from Xhaka's cross. Giroud celebrated by
replicating the scorpion kick that brought him a memorable goal against Palace on Sunday. Clement, who had been working as Bayern Munich's assistant coach, is Swansea's third boss this season following the sackings of Bob Bradley and Francesco Guidolin. Having been appointed earlier in the day, Clement was at Selhurst Park to watch his new team, although Curtis picked the starting line-up, and the presence of their new boss energised Swansea. Their pressure was rewarded in the 42nd minute when Gylfi Sigurdsson's free-kick was headed in by Alfie Mawson for his first Premier League goal. Sam Allardyce, taking charge of his first home match as Palace boss, trudged off with boos ring-
Deputy Commissioner Mokokchung Sushil Kumar Patel and Mokokchung District Sports Council President release the Mokokchung District Cricket Association (MDCA) souvenir during the inaugural of the MDCA Silver Jubilee celebration at Imkongmeren Sports Complex, Mokokchung. (Morung Photo)
and all the officials on the historic event as they celebrate their 25th year of existence. Patel also released the MDCA silver jubilee souvenir. Er. Chubatoshi, president MDCA delivered the
welcome address while Psaldomic Ensemble presented a special song. The inaugural function was followed by the MDCA Inter Club Cricket Tournament 2016 which was declared opened by the Chief Guest.
moKoKchung, January 4 (mExn): The Silver Jubilee Edition of MDCA Tournament kicked off today with defending champions Titans CC taking on ADC Tuli XI. After winning the toss, Tuli ADC XI elected to bat and managed to score 108 runs losing 6 wickets in the allotted 20 overs. Pancha top scored with an unbeaten 43 while Imnakumba chipped in with 20 runs. Longsasunep led the Titans’ bowling attack and returned with figures of 3/19. Toshimeren also picked two wickets while giving away 15 runs. Chasing the small target, Titans went all guns blazing and got past the target in just 14.4 overs
scoring 111 while losing 4 wickets. Akumdong top scored with 36 runs and was well supported by Toshimeren (27 not out) who played a fine captain’s knock in steering his team to victory. Lanukora was the pick of the bowlers for ADC Tuli XI returning with figures of 2/15. Limakumba and Jungshi took 1 wicket each. Titans CC have won the last three editions of the MDCA tournament – the only club to have achieved the feat in MDCA’s history of 25 years. Today's matches: Sovran CC vs DC XI (@ 8 am) Trebuchet vs Zero Boys (@ 11 am)
Contingents march during the inaugural session of 52nd KYO meet at Kidima on January 4.
Contingents march during the inaugural session of 52nd KYO meet at Kidima on January 4.
Kidima, January 4 (mExn): The four-day long 52nd Annual Wrestling cum Sports Meet of Kidima Youth Organisation (KYO) commenced today at Kidima Village Local Ground in Kohima district. Altogether, 450 sportsperson from six khels of Kidima village will be competing in Naga style wrestling (men), games, race and athletic events for both men and women. Nagaland PWD Engineer-in-Chief, Khupi Natso graced the inaugural as the
guest of honour and called on sportspersons to give their best to excel in their respective discipline. He also emphasized the need for sportsperson to renew their spirit to achieve greater heights. Earlier, Natso unfurled the KYO flag and took salute from the six khels’ marching contingents. KYO games & sports secretary Meyiesa Phinyo administered oath to the participants.
Dhoni steps down as ODI captain Workshop on Mountain Bike Technique held in Mokokchung
nEW dELhi, January 4 (ianS): Mahendra Singh Dhoni has stepped down as skipper of India's limited overs sides, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Wednesday. Dhoni, however, will be available for selection for the three-match One-Day International (ODI) and
T20 International series against England, starting January 15. "Mahendra Singh Dhoni has informed the BCCI, that he wishes to step down as the captain of the Indian Cricket Team from the One Day Internationals and the T20 Internationals formats of the game," a statement from the board read.
"He will be available for the selection for the One Day and T20I series against England and the same has been conveyed to the Senior Selection Committee." Commenting on the development, BCCI Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rahul Johri said: "On behalf of every Indian cricket fan and the BCCI, I would like to thank M.S. Dhoni for his outstanding contribution as the captain of the Indian team across all formats." "Under his leadership, Indian team has touched new heights and his achievements will remain etched forever in the annals of Indian cricket," he added. Test skipper Virat Kohli is the front-runner to replace the Ranchi wicketkeeperbatsman at the helm.
Ollie Hemstock with the participants at the workshop on Mountain Bike Technique organized by the Trail Hounds Cycling Club (THCC) Mokokchung on January 3 at Nature Park, the Mountain Biking Park, Ungma, Mokokchung. (Morung Photo) Morung Express News Mokokchung | January 4
A workshop on Mountain Bike Technique organized by the Trail Hounds Cycling Club (THCC) Mokokchung was conducted on January 3 at Nature Park, the Mountain Biking Park, Ungma, Mokokchung. Ollie Hemstock from the Unit-
ed Kingdom was the trainer and the resource person of the workshop which saw 20 cyclists taking part. Hemstock shared about his mountain biking experiences in the UK where the mountain biking scene is massive and proceeded with the training programme where he demonstrated basic mountain biking techniques like
- Braking, Cornering, Ideal Body Position, Attack Position, bunny hopping, climbs, jumps and drops. Hemstock is an Architect/designer by profession and a seasoned mountain biker with 10 years of experience in Cross country mountain biking and 4 years of enduro and downhill mountain biking. He has participated in
many national and International MTB Races across UK. The Trail Hounds Cycling Club celebrates its first anniversary this year. The club has organized two events in 2016 and is hoping to organize more events and workshops to promote cycling as a sport and also promote health through healthy sport of cycling.
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