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MonDAY • julY 25 • 2016
DIMAPUR • Vol. XI • Issue 203 • 12 PAGes • 5
T H e
ESTD. 2005
P o W e R
o F
T R u T H
Without moral and intellectual independence, there is no anchor for national independence — David Ben-Gurion Turkish president Erdogan gains upper hand in power struggle PAGE 09
reflections
By Sandemo Ngullie
PAGE 02
Dimapur | July 24
Head Masterji, did you give the state government 4 years paid holidays?
The Morung Express Poll QuEsTion
Vote on www.morungexpress.com sMs your answer to 9862574165 Can NBCC’s admission of failure as a Church be seen as an opportunity to start doing and speaking what is right? no
others
Do you think that Nagaland is a failed state? Yes
70%
Konyak women picking tea leaves in a tea plantation in shiyong village, Mon district (Photo by Ashikho Pfuzhe)
no
10%
others
20%
Ashikho Pfuzhe
Details on page 7
NEA-N calls off agitation KohiMa, July 24 (MExN): The National Health Mission Employees’ Association of Nagaland (NEA-N) has resolved to postpone their proposed agitation in view of the Nagaland State Government’s Finance Department releasing about 50 percent of funding under ‘RCH flexipool’ and assurances by MD, National Health Mission (NHM), for release of pending salaries in a week’s time. The NEA-N requested the Government and the Finance Department to release the remaining NHM and vertical programme funds as early as possible. In a press release, the Association today thanked the public for their support and cooperation as well as its members for remaining united and supportive.
Nepal’s KP Oli steps down; Prachanda set to be PM
KathMaNDu, July 24 (iaNS): Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli on Sunday resigned in the wake of a no-trust motion against him in Parliament. He submitted his resignation to President Bidhya Devi Bhandari at the President’s Office here, officials here said. Though the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) had moved a no-confidence vote against Oli, which was due for continued discussion followed by a vote thereon in Parliament on Sunday, Oli announced his resignation minutes before the discussion recommenced. Meanwhile, CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka ‘Prachanda’ is all set to make a comeback as the 39th Prime Minister of Nepal. The single largest party, the Nepali Congress, has already extended its support for Prachanda and signed an agreement that the former Maoist leader will lead the government for the first nine months. Thereafter, Prachanda will hand over the leadership to Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba. The CPN (Maoist Centre) bid to form a new political alignment received a major boost after the Madhes-based parties agreed to oust Oli.
PAGE 12
tea: Brewing alternative Morung Poll results point to livelihoods in Mon district nagaland as ‘failed state’ Morung Express news
Yes
Hamilton wins in Hungary to take overall lead
‘Mithuns and forests complement each other’
Mon | July 24
Lush-green tea gardens are gradually dotting the landscape of Mon district and brewing up an alternative source of livelihood for farmers dependent on jhum cultivation. The growing number of tea gardens is also reversing the tea trade in Mon from buying processed tea from neighbouring Assam, the Konyak tea farmers are now selling fresh plucked tea leaves to Assam and also brewing their own heady drink in their homes. Sayeang Tea Estate in Shiyong Village, some 32 km from Mon town, exemplifies the success story of tea plantation in the interior Mon district bordering Myanmar. The estate annually supplies 3 lakh kg of tea leaves to tea factories in Sonari, Assam.
The sprawling 250 acre tea estate, the biggest and oldest tea garden in the district, was jointly established by two brothers Honlei Konyak and Chingwang Konyak (former MP). “My father Honlei Konyak didn’t get the opportunity to go to school and has been a farmer all his life. In the late 80’s when he went to Shillong to drop my elder brother studying in a boarding school, he saw countless numbers of tea plantations on the way in Assam. This made him think that if tea grows so well in neighbouring Assam why not try growing it in our village in Mon district,” said Phejin, daughter of Honlei. Phejin, who runs ‘The Konyak Tea Retreat’, a working farmhouse located in the middle of the Sayeang Tea Estate, said her father started experi-
menting by planting tea in a small plot in the year 1989. “Seeing that the tea plant adapted well to the climatic conditions here motivated my dad and his brother to expand the tea plantation,” she added. The tea estate currently employs over a hundred Konyak men and women. “In the beginning we employed Adivasis to work in our estate. But now we are only employing local men and women. While women are employed for tea leaf picking, the men do the pruning of tea plants. Many women are able to send their children to the school run by the tea estate through the earning they get from tea picking,” a supervisor of the tea estate said. Though tea farmers in Mon do not have an organized body yet, sources hint that there are about 250 small tea gardens in
Mon district. The owner of a small tea garden said Mon soil is ideal for growing tea and went on to claim that tea grown on elevated slopes, as in Darjeeling, tastes different and even better. Since there is only one tea factory in Mon district, located at Tizit, many tea farmers are compelled to sell their produce in Assam, entailing a lot of difficulties. “Foremost is the transportation problem due to bad roads. During hot days if the picked tea leaves are not disposed of in time, the rate goes down or they go waste. The nearest tea factory in Assam is 5-hour drive from here. Also manipulation by middlemen in Assam leads to fluctuation of tea price. The rate varies from Rs. 8-17 per kg as the market fluctuates,” said the veteran tea farmer Honlei.
People who took part in a poll recently have declared Nagaland a ‘failed state’. In a Morung Express Poll conducted through the last week, maximum number of respondentsdubbedNagalandstate a dysfunctional one. The Morung Express Poll asked the question ‘Do you think that Nagaland is a failed state?’ To this, a whopping 70% of the respondents opted for YES, while 10% said NO and a further 20% found sense in the category OTHERS. “Nagaland is a failure because there are no avenues for progress, it is a failed state because from church leaders to politicians and common people alike all are corrupted from the core,” noted one responded in the YES category. Another respondent described what a ‘very sick state’, and perhaps a ‘failed state’, looks like. “Government mismanagement and corruption, deficiency of basic infrastructures (specially roads), absence of law and order and declining public moral standards (fuel adulteration, unethical butchers, politicians lying about their education - etc.,), rising unemployment, unproductive local economy, poor relation with neighbouring states, lack of inspiring leadership and visionless society, tribalistic mentality with increasing inter-tribal animosity, and a general public apathy to all social ills.” Noting that there is “no vision or integrity” in the State’s leadership, people felt that one of the reasons for this is that the State Government is a “puppet” government—at times pandering to Indian politicians, and other times to
‘Nagaland has a reason to celebrate’
GuWahati, July 24 (MExN): Despite the ‘fail’ report card, the North East Social Research Centre (NESRC) in Guwahati has now revealed that Nagaland may have a reason to celebrate afterall. A recently released report of a study has lauded the Government of Nagaland for allocating adequate funds for children, thus setting an example for other states to follow. This was informed in an article by Dr. Melvil Pereira, Director, NESRC, Guwahati. The report titled, Budget for Children in Nagaland 2015-16, noted: “Children in Nagaland have been allocated 13.14 percent share in the Nagaland State Budget 2015-16. This is much more than the share allocated by other North Eastern States like Meghalaya (4.53 %), Assam (5.57 %) and Tripura (2.68 %). It is heartening to note that the State has allocated a substantial share of its budget for children.” The report was prepared by HAQ: Centre for Child Rights, Delhi, and NESRC, Guwahati. The authors of the report observed that during the past years Nagaland has consistently allocated more funds for children than other states in Northeast India. The report appreciated the financial commitment on the part of Nagaland Government to the welfare of children, while also suggesting ways and means to strengthen the health of children who, in Nagaland, are also found often dropping out of school or hired as domestic labour. Full article on page 10 Naga national groups. While some felt for the need of a “new leader… with a sincere and undiluted vision and one who upholds the truth,” others remained skeptical. They felt that given all these years of Nagaland’s statehood, the younger generation has become “hypocrite keyboard warriors” who remain distant from reality; so consumed by “branded outfits” that they have “lost their grounding” while the older generation has become “corrupted and shameless.” Another respondent stated what they felt could be the root cause of this failure: “The so called Nagaland state under Indian union was formed after ferocious threat, rampant killing, tortures and suppression… by
Indian forces. The Nagas were forced to surrender regardless of their rightful consent and opinion to join the Indian union.” Among those who did not think that Nagaland can be termed a ‘failed state,’ one respondent compared the current situation to a “woman in birth pangs.” “Many including the legislators think this is a transitional period with a ray of hope for a better future for all including urban and rural citizens, far and near. It’s like a woman in birth pangs. Great care must be taken lest negligence and indifference cause the death of both the child and the 54 year old mother (Nagaland),” stated the respondent. Poll results on page 7
Modi govt’s ne push will only Kashmir needs political solution, Omar tells Rajnath see 7.5% road target achieved NEW DElhi, July 24 (iaNS): Even as poor road connectivity in India’s Northeast continues to stall the government’s ‘Act East Policy’, the state-run company mandated to improve this crucial infrastructure will barely manage 7.5 per cent of its target by 2019, official data shows. According to its updated work status, the National Highway Infrastructure Development Corp Ltd (NHIDCL), established in July 2014, will only be able to construct a little over 300 km of roads till 2019, against a target of 4,000 km it has been tasked with building in the coming years. The NHIDCL was set up by the Narendra Modi government in July 2014 to speed up road construction in the Northeast. However, the mandate of the PSU will remain far behind when the Modi government completes its five years. The company, specifically formed to replace the Border Roads Organization (BRO) following its failure to meet its targets, says it will be able to complete a total of 63.39 km of roads by 2017, 129.21 km by 2018 and 108.53 km by 2019. “Road construction is a time consuming task and it takes at least five years of time. We face severe hurdles during the planning as well as the execution of the road project. But whatever we commit we do,” a senior authority of NHIDCL, who did not wished to be named, told IANS. Elaborating the difficulties faced by the NHIDCL authorities in the execution of the projects in the Northeast, he said: “Land acquisition is a major issue. We have not been able to start the work in Meghalaya as we have not been able to get the land despite speaking to the higher authorities. Still we are trying to find out ways after meeting them over the issue.” Arunachal Pradesh will be most benefited state in the entire Northeast as majority of the roads to be completed by 2019 lie in the border and interior areas of the state.
Most of the NHIDCL projects now are either at the preparation of DPR (Detailed Project Report) or location identification stage, the official said. NHIDCL was tasked with constructing over 4,000 km of road in the hilly terrains of India, majority being in the Northeast region at a cost of Rs 45,164 crore (nearly $7 billion). According to the government, good quality roads in the Northeast can boost India’s trade with the entire Southeast Asian region, which has been marred by poor connectivity. Earlier, in an interview to IANS, Vietnam’s Ambassador to India Ton Sinh Thanh said that they did not wish to invest in the Northeastern region of India because of poor road and air connectivity which posed a hindrance to developing tourism and other economic linkages. Citing other reasons behind the difficulties faced by NHIDCL, the senior authority said that there were several cases where work would get stalled as the contractors used to go to court over several “petty” issues. “As of now we are not even giving chance to the contractors or the DPR developers to commit any mistake. We are either serving them notice or directly blacklisting the companies if found guilty of any malpractice during the road contract,” the senior authority told IANS. Among the projects given to NHIDCL in the initial months in 2014 include 11 projects in Manipur, nine in Meghalaya, three in Mizoram, four in Nagaland, 23 in Arunachal Pradesh and seven in Tripura. In several projects, Japanese infrastructure major Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has also chipped in. The 100-km road project between Imphal, Manipur, and Moreh on the IndoMyanmar border is being funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
SriNaGar, July 24 (iaNS): Jammu and Kashmir needs a political solution and not economic packages, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah told Home Minister Rajnath Singh here on Sunday. On the second and last day of his visit amid unrest that has left over 45 people dead in the Kashmir Valley, Rajnath Singh chaired a high-level security meeting and met delegations of political parties. Abdullah, leading a del-
egation of National Conference, told reporters that he put forward some suggestions on how to control the violent unrest in the valley. “But we also told him that unless some long term measures are taken,” the Kashmir issue will continue to burn, he said. “First of all, we have to accept that Jammu and Kashmir is not an issue of money. You cannot solve it by sending (economic) packages. It is not an issue of gun either. The gun has,
of course, played a role in this issue. But fundamentally, it is not an issue related to the gun,” he said. He said he explained to Rajnath Singh that “Kashmir is fundamentally a political problem”. “And till we accept that, we cannot find a solution to it.” The former Chief Minister said his party leaders told Rajnath Singh that the central government should “muster courage” and accept the reality of the Kash-
mir issue. “Then you can involve people with different opinions. Talk to them. Bring in all stakeholders within the ambit of dialogue and arrive at a solution that is acceptable to all.” Meanwhile separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yaseen Malik have reiterated their call for the Monday march to Anantnag and extended their shutdown call till Friday. Related news on page 8
nagaland still short on meat production
Spends Rs.231 crore annually on import of livestock our Correspondent Kohima | July 24
Commissioner & Secretary for Veterinary & Animal Husbandry, MK Mero has said that Nagaland is still short on meat production to meet the requirement of the consumers. The State spends about Rs.231 crore annually on import of livestock with more than Rs.92 crore on pork alone. In this, Mero said the Department is focusing on promotion of pig breeding, for which it had framed a pig breeding policy and Central government agreed to carry it forward. He informed this during an official function here last week.
Mero said the State pig breeding policy in booklet form will be released by Union Minister for Veterinary & Animal Husbandry, Dairy & Fishery during the inauguration of Veterinary College in Jalukie on August 6 this year. It may be recalled that as per the 19th Livestock Census conducted in 2012, the total livestock population of the State was 31, 91,149 numbers compared to 50,23,269 numbers in 2007 census showing a negative growth of 36.47 %. Out of 10,67,454 animals (excluding poultry birds, ducks, Turkeys and quails), pig accounted for 47.19% followed by cattle at 22.01%, dog at 10.59% and goat at 9.31% while Mithun and Buffalo population accounted for only 3.30% and 3.06% respectively. The poultry birds, ducks, turkeys and quails constituted 66.55% of the total livestock population in the State, according to the report of Nagaland
Economic Survey 2015-16 brought out by the Department of Economics & Statistics. The Survey report stated that livestock development in the State improved through adoption of various strategies. Charting out a road map, Vision 2020, revival and improvement of the traditional backyard livestock and poultry farming, conversion of demonstration farms into breeding and production units, setting up of private commercial and rural breeding farms on Private Public Partnership mode are some of the initiatives which have scaled up production in this sector. The Nagaland State Government is aiming to bring down the import of meat to zero by 2020. Production of milk, meat and egg in the State during 2014-15 was 75.92 thousand tonnes, 39.27 thousand tonnes, and 706 lakh numbers respectively.
2
MonDAY 25•07•2016
NAGALAND
Yitachu, Deo Nukhu meet Union HRD Minister
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
‘Mithuns and forests complement each other’ Our Correspondent Kohima | July 24
lometers of forest land in five villages of Phek district. Neichute said the learning and observations from 11 years (2005-2016) of work in Mithun rearing has shown that it is the best passive income activity for farmers. All Mithun farmers under EA project netted few lakhs of cash in five years enabling them to send their children to colleges and also build their houses, it was noted. The EA CEO also pointed out that rearing Mithuns does not require daily supervision as Mithuns in free range require hardly 25 days of supervision in a year making it the most lucrative passive income for many farmers and others alike. “Rightly, we call Mithun ‘Nature gardeners’
Contrary to the belief that Mithuns destroy forests, “we found that Mithuns and forests complement each other,” stated CEO of Entrepreneurs Associates (EA), Neichute Doulo. “Mithuns nurture forests by foraging the higher layers of vegetation which clears the forest from bush cover, enabling sunlight and space for regeneration of trees on the forests,” he added during the recently concluded seminar on “Mithun rearing for enNeichute Doulo speaking during the seminar on ‘Mithun rearing hanced livelihood and forfor enhanced livelihood and forest conservation’ in Kohima. est conservation” here. It may be recalled that because foraging high- Doulo said. with the support of the er layers of vegetation He also stated that the and creepers make trees EA found that Mithuns do Yitachu and Deo Nukhu with Union Minister for Human Re- community and Sir Ratan Tata Trust Mumbai, EA has healthier and Mithun’s not destroy crops. “They source Development, Prakash Javadekar. fenced over 120 square kidung fertilizes the soil,” just need to be managed New Delhi, July 24 quested the Union Minister (MexN): Nagaland’s Min- for timely release of Hindi ister for School Education, Teachers salary. Further, Yitachu along with Par- he appealed that the SSA, liamentary Secretary for RMSA, and related Central Higher & Technical Educa- Sponsored Schemes must DiMapur, July 24 tion, Deo Nukhu called on be continued in the state (MexN): Troops of Asthe Union Minister for Hu- beyond 12th five year plan. sam Rifles arrested two Meanwhile, Deo Nukhu man Resource Developpersons with arms and ment, Prakash Javadekar at requested the Union Minammunition in differthe latter’s office at Shastri ister for one engineering ent incidents in Dimapur college and one human Bhawan, New Delhi. on July 20, according to a Yitachu apprised the resource development press release from PRO, Union Minister on the im- training centre for college Assam Rifles. plementation of Centrally teachers in the State at the In one of the incidents, Sponsorship Schemes in earliest possible. 32 Assam Rifles had conThe Union Minister, the the state and other actividucted a cordon and ties of the Department, release said, assured that search operation in Doyaand the problems faced the Central Government pur village at a suspected by the state, according to will give its full support and The Youth Music Camp organised by Nepali Baptist Churches Fellowship under ZBCC ended cadre’s house along with a press release from Kuo- help in all the issues raised on July 24. Resource person for the camp was Pastor Biru Gurung of Geyzing Evangelical Police representative. One lie Mere, PRO, Nagaland by the Minister and Parlia- Baptist Church, West Sikkim. More than 80 youths from neighbouring Nepali churches par- 12 bore gun, .15 rimmed House, New Delhi. He re- mentary Secretary. ticipated in the camp held at Nepali Baptist Church, Jalukie Town. cartridges, and .65 mm
like any other livestock. Because Mithun is semi domesticated, it is an exotic bovine for tourism and nutrient meat.” But the exotic bovine, he added, has become an endangered species in its own native country. “Most Naga villages have stopped rearing Mithuns owing to the prevalent misconception that they deplete forest cover which actually they do not. The main reasons for loss of forest cover are due to the rampant logging and felling of trees for firewood,” he said. Since Mithuns thrive in forests, promoting Mithun, he asserted, means necessarily conserving forests which will have positive impacts on the state. “This can bring huge dividend to the state by way
of Carbon Sink & Trading while protecting our fragile sub Himalayan mountain eco-systems. Mithun generates significant cash without active monitoring but by simply free ranging in forests. It is nature’s own gift to Nagas,” Doulo said. Managing Mithun propagation, fencing Mithun forest, supporting Mithun herdsmen mechanisms and pricing mechanism for the exotic Mithun nutrient meat will promote afforestation and create wealth for the people, he stated. “While we value Mithun in our logos and official seals, let us also revive our cultural merit of rearing Mithuns for prosperity.” Presently, there are 35,000 Mithuns in Nagaland.
Assam Rifles apprehend two with arms
Priority Household Ration Cards in Dimapur
DiMapur, July 24 (MexN): In order to avail the entitlements under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013, the village councils/ GBs/ ward chairmen/ ward members are SN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
required to obtain the Priority Household Ration Cards (PHH Ration Cards) for further distribution to the eligible beneficiaries under their jurisdiction. Informing this in a press release,
NAME OF SUB DIVISIONS Niuland Aghunaga Kuhoboto Nihokhu Dhansiripar Medzhiphema Chumukedima Dimapur Sadar Dimapur Municipal Wards
Superintendent of Food & Civil Supplies, Dimapur, N. Jamonger Ao has asked all concerned to obtain the PHH Ration Cards from the respective office against the given date as mentioned in
NAME OF OFFICE Additional Deputy Commissioner Extra Assistant Commissioner Sub Divisional Officer(Civil) Extra Assistant Commissioner Sub Divisional Officer(C) Additional Deputy Commissioner Extra Assistant Commissioner Sub Divisional Officer (C) Superintendent of Supplies
the table (see table). The NFSA 2013 has been launched in Nagaland with Dimapur and Kohima as the first two districts to implement the Act from July 2016.
PLACE Niuland Aghunaga Kuhoboto Nihokhu Dhansiripar Medzhiphema Chumukedima Dimapur Sadar Dimapur
DATE OF ISSUE 27/7/16 onwards 27/7/16 onwards 27/7/16 onwards 27/7/16 onwards 27/7/16 onwards 27/7/16 onwards 27/7/16 onwards 27/7/16 onwards The office will notify on a later date
bore cartridges were recovered during the operation and one person identified as Moharat Jeedong (53), former Major of DHD (Dima Halam Daoga) was apprehended, the release said. The apprehended person along with the recovered arms and ammunitions was handed over to Dhansiripar Police Station, Dimapur for further investigation, it added. The other operation was conducted at Signal Basti based on specific input regarding presence
of suspected person with arms and ammunition, the PRO said. The suspected house was searched along with police representative, wherein illegal arms and ammunition comprising one 12 bore rifles, one .22 rifles and 24 live rounds of 12 bore rifle were recovered and one person was apprehended, it was informed. The apprehended person identified as Tokhevi (34) was later handed over to Sub Urban Police Station, Dimapur for further investigation.
MeetiNgs & APPoiNtMeNts
Hindi Teachers in-service training All the Hindi Teachers selected by Central Hindi Institute (CIH) Agra to undergo Parangat, Praveen, and Visheshgahan in-service training courses at CIH Agra and Dimapur Centre for the session 2016-17/18 have been notified to meet the Coordinator-Hindi personally at Directorate of School Education (DoSE), Kohima on or before July 27 positively for some clarification and further necessary action. A press release appended by Wothungo Tsopoe, Additional Director (HoD), DoSE
stated that selection of those teachers who fail to contact the office within the stipulated time will stand cancelled. IGAR (N) to honour Captain (Late) Neikezhakuo On the occassion of Vijay Diwas, IGAR (North) will conduct a solemn ceremony to honour Captain (Late) Neikezhakuo Kengurse, who breathed his last to the call of duty during Kargil War in 1999 for which he was awarded the ‘Mahavir Chakra’. The ceremony will be held at Captain (Late) Neikezhakuo Kenguruse, Mahavir Chakra Pheza War
Memorial, Pheza Village on July 26. It will be attended by his parents, friends and other family members, senior political and civil administrative officials and Assam Rifles fraternity, informed a press release from Assam Rifles. Vijay Diwas is celerbrated every year to commemorate the victory of Kargil War. Peren district level science seminar Office of the District Education Officer, Peren has informed all the schools (both government and private) in Peren district that the district level science
seminar for class VIII to X on the topic ‘Pulses for sustainable food security: Prospect and challenges’ will be held on August 24. All the principals and headmasters of the schools have been requested to submit the participants’ name (two from each school) to the DEO office, Peren on or before August 19. Meanwhile, the principals and headmasters were also informed to collect the forms of Children Education Assistance Fund (CEAF) from the DEO office, Peren and submit the duly filed up forms on or before August 24 to the same office.
Awareness programme on legal rights of mentally ill persons
KohiMa, July 24 (MexN): Kohima District Legal Services Authority (KDLSA) organised a legal awareness programme with the doctors and staffs of State Mental Health Institute (SMHI), Kohima at the Institute on July 22. The main objective of the programme was to sensitize on the legal rights of the mentally ill persons and to come together as stakeholders to discuss various issues and challenges, said Wapanginla Kichu, Panel Lawyer, who chaired the programme. Dr. Wapang, Medical Superintendent, SMHI highlighted some of the issues and challenges faced by the institute in taking care of the mentally ill persons. He said that the most neglected group are the mental patients, which is emerging as a growing concern and urged all to work together and provide quali-
ty care to them, according to a press release from KDLSA. Retainer & Panel Lawyer Kekhriengulie Thenuo spoke on the topic ‘NALSA (Legal Services to the Mentally Ill and Mentally Disabled Persons) Scheme, 2015.’ The main principle of Legal Aid Services, he said, is access to justice for all. However, persons with disabilities, especially those suffering from mental illness and other barriers like mental retardation, are usually sidelined and neglected by the society, he pointed out. Hence, the National Legal Services Authority Act 2015 had drawn up a scheme to provide effective legal services to the mentally ill and mentally disabled. He said the mentally ill and mentally disabled persons are entitled to all human rights and fundamental freedom, as such; it shall be the prime concern of the institution
KDLSA members with doctors and staffs of State Mental Health Institute (SMHI), Kohima on July 22.
as well as the legal services authority to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms of these persons. He also reflected the important legal provisions and Acts provided for the
well being of the mentally ill and mentally disabled persons. Meanwhile, Mezivolu T Therieh, Chief Judicial Magistrate & Secretary, KDLSA, stated the mentally ill persons should not be stigmatized, rather it
should be ensured the human rights and fundamental freedoms of persons with disability (including mentally ill persons and persons with mental disabilities) are enjoyed on equal recognition before the law and that they are
given equal protection of the law. She appealed to all for collective effort in ensuring a friendlier and secure environment for the mentally ill and mentally disabled persons. She spoke on the NLSA Act 1987 which has been en-
acted with a vision of legal services to all. She mentioned that there are two basic purposes of the legal system – one is that legal system must be accessible to all, and secondly it must lead to results that provide justice. People who are marginalised like the mental patients must be provided with legal services, she asserted. She also mentioned that legal literacy and legal awareness become a principle means to ensure equality before the law, especially for the marginalised poor, downtrodden and illiterate persons. The Chief Judicial Magistrate also mentioned about recent cases of two mentally ill patients who had been referred to Antara Psychiatric Centre, Kolkata for further treatment with the assistance and coordination of the Nagaland State Legal Services Authority, and all stakeholder departments.
Applauding the yeomen services of the State Mental Health Institute in catering to the mental patients of not only Kohima but all the districts in Nagaland with the basic minimum facilities, she impressed upon the officials of SMHI to continue to work together so that benefits will reach the ones in need. During the interactive session, the need of a separate cell where uncontrollable and violent patients need to be kept and segregated was discussed. Keeping such patients in chain, it was affirmed, is a violation of their human rights. Also, security issues, refusal of supply of diet for the patients and essential medicine and drugs were discussed. The need of a permanent Rehabilitation Centre to keep the patients who have recovered but have none to take care of their custody also came up.
550 saplings planted for girls enrolled in schools Naga Hoho seeks Assam’s co-operation in Indo-Naga political settlement
loNgleNg, July 24 (MexN): The Poorna Shakti Kendra team under State Resource Centre for Women (SRCW) and EAC Yongnyah, Changsang Soted carried out plantation drive at Yongam, Nyang and Yongnyah villages of Longleng district signifying the total number of girl students enrolled for this academic year in different schools of the villages. Altogether 550 saplings were planted in the three villages: Yongam village – 90, Nyang village – 132, and Yongnyah village – 328, indicating the total number of girl students enrolled in schools. The plantation drive was carried out to create awareness on the importance of girls’ education as well as environmental protection, according to a press release from Deputy Commissioner, Longleng. It may be mentioned that the Poorna Shakti Kendra team under State Resource Centre for Women is conducting Baseline Survey at Village Convergence & Facilitation Centre (VCFS) under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP). The team in collaboration with the Postal Department is also conducting awareness drive on the Sukhanya Samriddhi Account launched by the Prime Minister on January 22, 2015 as a part of Saplings were planted in three villages of Longleng signifying the the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign. total number of girls enrolled in schools.
KohiMa, July 24 (MexN): The Naga Hoho has sought co-operation and helping hand from Assam in bringing about IndoNaga political settlement at the earliest with a view to usher in peace in the entire North East region. This was done during a meeting of Naga Hoho delegation with Chief Minister of Assam, Sabarnanda Sonowal at Brahmaputra State Guest House, Guwahati on July 22. A press release from Naga Hoho Secretary (Admin), Chitho Nyuso informed that the Naga Hoho also advocated for better coordination and joint effort in checking and “flushing out” the illegal immi-
Naga Hoho delegation with Chief Minister of Assam, Sabarnanda Sonowal on July 22 in Guwahati.
grants from the two states – Nagaland and Assam. Highlighting the age long border dispute of Assam and Nagaland, the Naga Hoho pointed out to the Chief Minister that this can be resolved only through political will of both the states.
The Hoho further extended support to the Naga people living in Assam and requested the Chief Minster to be supportive by providing economic development, infrastructure, connectivity and human resource development in
NC Hills and Rengma Hills. Sonowal was also apprised on the formation and objectives of Naga-Assam Coordination Forum, which is mainly to foster better relationship and understanding between the two neighboring states.
mONDAY 25•07•2016 18
NORTH-EAST
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
Floods affect over 6 lakh in 14 assam districts, toll rises to seven
Guwahati, July 24 (iaNS): The overall flood situation continued to be grim in Assam with over six lakh people affected across 14 districts till Sunday evening while one person died in Lakhimpur on Sunday taking flood-related death toll to seven this year. An Assam Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) official said that the flood have inundated large areas in Tinsukia district on Sunday, besides Lakhimpur, Golaghat, Morigaon, Jorhat, Dhemaji, Sivsagar, Kokrajhar, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Nagaon, Dhubri, Dibrugarh and Chirang districts, which have remained flooded since last few days. "As on today (Sunday), 6,41,043 people in 1,206 villages in the 14 districts remained affected due to the current flash of floods. The concerned district administrations have opened 81 relief camps in the flood hit districts housing 21,931 marooned people," an ASDMA official said.
Flood situation in Arunachal deteriorates
Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein inspects the flood affected areas. (Photo: Echo of Arunachal)
One person died due to floods in Lakhimpur district on Sunday, the ASDMA officials said. Two deaths - one in Lakhimpur and another in Morigaon due to floods were reported on Saturday. Sources in the Inland Water Resources (IWR) department said that the ferry services between Dhala to Sadiya, and Neematighat to Majuli have been suspended due to increasing water
level of Brhamaputra river at many places. Officials of the Central Water Commission said that while the Brahmaputra river is flowing above danger level at Dibrugarh, Neematighat, Tezpur, Golapara and Dhubri, some of the tributaries of the Brahmaputra are also showing increasing trend. The Burhidehing, Subansiri and Dhansiri rivers are flowing above danger
levels at Khowang (Dibrugarh), Bedetighat (Lakhimpur) and at Numaligarh (Golaghat) district respectively. Similarly, Jia Bharali is flowing above danger level at Sonitpur and Puthimari river is flowing above danger level at Kamrup district, followed by Beki at Barpeta district. Sonkosh river is also flowing above danger level at Golakganj in Dhubri district.
itaNaGar, July 24 (pti): With no improvement in weather condition, the flood situation in several districts of Arunachal Pradesh deteriorated as new areas were inundated and over 100 families rendered homeless. Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein who air-dashed to the state capital on Saturday from New Delhi on the directive of Chief Minister Pema Khandu, visited the flood-affected districts of Lohit, Namsai, East Siang, Lower Dibang Valley and Changlang to take stock of the situation. The Chief Minister asked Mein to evaluate the scenario and instill confidence among the locals, an official report said. Mein is in constant touch with the legislators of the affected areas and has asked them to expedite and oversee the relief works. He appealed to the people to remain calm, careful and vigilant and assured them that the government would provide all assistance in carrying out relief and restoration work in the flood-hit districts. The Noa-Dehing River has flooded the entire Lekang circle while the entire Namsai Township and its adjoining villages, mostly under Piyong circle are badly affected. The water level of Noa-Dehing and Jengthu rivers are flowing above the danger mark, a report from Namsai said. The flood situation under Chongkham circle also remains grim. The worst affected areas are Gunanagar, Alubari, Injo, Insa, Pangkhao and Kherem. The floods have also caused massive erosion of the river banks and damaged the cultivated lands, paddy fields, tea gardens, horticultural fields, livestocks.
Five poachers held, rhino horn recovered Army lodges FIRs against distribution
tEzpur, July 24 (pti): Five poachers were arrested from Biswanath district today and a rhino horn was recovered from them. Biswanath Superintendent of Police Ankur Jain said four rhino poachers arrested this morning from Gohpur along with a 650 gm horn. At the time of arrest, the four poachers were finalising a deal worth Rs 50 lakh for the horn,
the price of which in the international market is over Rs 1.5 crore. Jain said another poacher was arrested from a remote area under Sootea police station. Police had launched an operation to nab these poachers two days ago after receiving inputs. Jain said police recovered one .303 rifle with 17 ammunition, one modified carbine, 9 mm ammuni-
tion, one modified silencer and one 9 mm carbine with magazine. Due to flood, animals have come out of the Kaziranga National Park and poachers are taking advantage of this. In an anti-poaching drive carried out by Biswanath police over the past two months, around 25 poachers have been arrested from different places of the district.
Reader’s Club formed at Mt. Pisgah SENapati, July 24 (MExN): Seeking to infuse in the minds of students the significance of reading and promote reading culture, a Reader’s Club was formed at Mt. Pisgah College, Senapati. Spearheaded by Liba Hopeson, more than forty keen students joined the club, a press release stated. Hopeson, in his introductory speech, refuted the notion that students reading out-of-syllabus books is a waste of time. He stressed the importance of reading variety of books to augment knowledge and broaden the horizon of learning.
“As youngsters are engrossed in social media, many do not read books anymore, and the time for the readers has been greatly shortened,” Hopeson rued noting that many youngsters fail to use technology in a constructive way. The club would meet on a fixed day after classes, and have book reviews, taking turns. With the formation of the reader’s club, Hopeson expressed confidence that students will begin to take interest in discussing about books, authors, ideas and philosophies in the school and college campuses.
of pre-activated SIM cards
Newmai News Network Imphal | July 24
Two FIRs were lodged by the Army in Bishnupur police station, Manipur on July 24 regarding sale of pre-activated SIM cards – one against the "distributor" Micah Kamei and the second against Airtel for "not adhering" to the TRAI regulations. In a press release today, the PIB, Defence Wing said that the security forces have expressed their serious concern over distribution of pre-activated SIM cards in Khoupum Valley in Tamenglong district without verification of antecedents of the customers. "An army column discovered that one Mr Micah Kamei was distributing free, pre-activated SIM cards to the villagers in Khoupum Valley without any paperwork," the PIB, Defence alleged. It also stated that the
TRAI has laid down guidelines for all telecom companies under which the verification of all customers with respect to their identity as well as proof of residence is mandatory. “This process has been subverted by Airtel wherein they are distributing SIM cards in the villages of Khoupum Valley without getting any forms filled,” it further said. This practice, the press release added, will ultimately lead to the SIM cards reaching the wrong hands and enabling insurgent groups to use these SIM cards for extortion and violence related activities in the region. According to the PIB, Defence, the security forces have been able to maintain a stable security situation in the remote areas of Manipur after a concerted effort in which the State police have also contributed considerably. "However, the insurgent groups are trying to
pressurize the villagers in such remote areas by forcing them to pay taxes. Getting access to unauthorized SIM cards will allow them to threaten village chiefs as well as villagers who do not cooperate with them and they will also be able to get advance information of any move of security forces through their informers. Since their true identity would remain hidden even in the records of the telecom company, they would be able to carry out all illegal transactions through such mobile connections with impunity,” the PIB, Defence note said. The telecom companies, it added, need to realise the security implications of such malpractices and take all effective measures to ensure that SIM cards are only issued to bonafide persons who have valid identity and address proofs.
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North east Briefs India, Bangladesh border forces discuss issues in Tripura aGartala, July 24 (iaNS): A four-day long Inspector General level meeting between the Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) began here on Sunday to discuss and resolve border issues between the two neighbouring countries. A 21-member delegation of BGB led by its Chittagong sector Regional Director Brigadier General Mohammad Habibul Karim arrived here for the meeting with BSF led by Tripura frontier Inspector General J.B. Sangwan. "Currently relation between the two border guards is excellent. We are cooperating with each other to deal with any border related issues. Except some minor issues, no major problems exists along the India-Bangladesh borders now," Karim told the media at the Akhaura checkpost. "Border crimes, smuggling, erection of fencing at zero point in certain places along the border, cross-border movement of inimical elements would be discussed in the meeting," a BSF official said. "Such meetings to resolve pending border issues happen routinely both in India and Bangladesh after a regular interval," the official added. Four northeastern states of India -- Tripura (856 km), Assam (263 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Mizoram (318 km) -- share a 1,880-km border with Bangladesh. Of the 856 km India-Bangladesh border in Tripura, a little over 85 per cent is fenced so far.
Mizoram-HPC (D) peace talks likely in August aizawl, July 24 (NNN): Peace talks between Mizoram government and Manipur-based militant outfit Hmar People’s Convention (Democratic) is likely to begin in August, officials said on Friday. Mizoram government’s willingness to hold parleys with HPC (D) has been formally conveyed to it and received a positive response from the militant outfit, they said. “The peace talks is likely to begin in the first part of August. The place and time of the proposed negotiation would be finalised by the state home department in consultation with the militant group, while HPC(D) would select and submit the names of the members of the delegation,” an official said. Sources in the State home department said that the talks would be held at the official level at the initial stage and the state government delegation is most likely to be headed by Additional Secretary for Home Lalbiakzama. The negotiations between the State government and HPC(D) leadership had fizzled out following a deadlock on the extension of the period for Suspension of Operations (SoO) in August 2013.
AR adventure cell inaugurated in Shillong ShilloNG, July 24 (MExN): The Assam Rifles Adventure Cell was inaugurated by Lieutenant General HJS Sachdev, Director General Assam Rifles, at its Headquarters in Laitkor, Shillong on July 23. He was accompanied by Vandana Sachdev, President ARWWA, an AR press release stated. Speaking on the occasion, Lieutenant General HJS Sachdev told the august gathering present that training forms a very important aspect in the all round development of a soldier and the adventure pursuits undertaken by the Cell will add a new dimension to the training of soldiers apart from inculcating the spirit of adventure. Lt Gen Sachdev also expressed his satisfaction on the creation of the AR Aero Node at Laitkor and Aqua Sports Node at Barapani. The General Officer exhorted the young soldiers of AR to utilize the facilities available optimally, the release stated.
Tripura natives all set for Ker Puja
aGartal a , July 24 (iaNS): There is no place for death, birth or recreation in centuries-old Ker Puja in Tripura. Steeped in intricate, time-honoured rituals, this mega event is about well-being and warding off evil spirits. And this 31-hour-long festival is all set to begin from Monday. It may sound strange but no pregnant woman or critically ailing person is allowed in the sacred puja precinct. Anyone who violates is made to pay a fine and the puja starts from scratch. Sponsored by the state government, Ker Puja is one of the important
events in Tripura's calendar. Elaborate arrangements are made to ensure that the puja passes off peacefully. As has been the norm, the West Tripura district administration has notified the Ker Puja areas this year. The area in and around the royal palace here as well as Puran Habeli, the erstwhile capital of Tripura around 12 km east of Agartala, have been notified for the Ker Puja. The literal meaning of 'Ker' in the native Kokborok language is 'specified area'. "Ker Puja starts at midnight on Monday and will continue uninterrupted for over 31 hours," said Sanjoy
Chakraborty, Senior Deputy Magistrate of West Tripura district. "Pregnant women and the sick are to be kept out of the specified puja area. No one is allowed to enter the notified area," said the notification. "Any kind of entertainment, dancing, singing and movement of animals are barred in the specified Ker Puja areas," it added. According to writer Salil Debbarma, "The customary rules and conventions of Ker Puja are strict and not easy to follow. Around 40 years ago the then District Magistrate had been fined for entering the Ker Puja area with-
out permission." If there is a birth or a death, then a family has to pay a fine as well. "During Ker Puja, any kind of recreation is strictly banned in the notified areas. Security personnel guard the area to maintain the dignity of the puja," Debbarma added. "The Tripura police offer a gun salute before the puja begins." According to Debbarma, "The head priest and his associates light up the fire by rubbing bamboos. The tribals and people around the Ker Puja areas carry the fire to their homes believing that it would ensure their well-being and
thwart the evil spirit." The rituals are carried out at government expense as per an agreement between the Tripura government and the erstwhile royal family. Besides Agartala and Puran Habeli, the puja is organised in almost all villages of the natives of Tripura towards the end of the year or at the end of the harvesting season. "The royal dynasty would perform Ker Puja for the welfare of the people, praying against calamities and external aggression," said Panna Lal Roy, a writer and historian. "The sacrifice of birds, animals and offerings char-
Dilapidated senapati Nh: Drivers’ unions repair road Newmai News Network Senapati | July 24
Even as the PWD minister and the PWD highway division officials had inspected the poor road condition of NH-2 in Senapati district section last week, which is considered the lifeline of Manipur, the worsening road condition has compelled the Surface Transport Hills Area Drivers’ Welfare Union (STHADWU) and Senapati District Drivers’ Welfare Union (SDDWU) to repair the road on their own. According to the two association secretaries, in the wake of dilapidated NH-2 road condition, the Sur-
STHADWU and SDDWU repaired the NH-2 between Chakumei and Tadubi in Senapati, Manipur.
face Transport Hills Area ers’ Welfare Union took and Tadubi along the NH-2 Drivers’ Welfare Union a joint effort of repairing stretch. The road above the and Senapati District Driv- road between Chakumei STHADWU office has de-
teriorated in the past few days due to continuous downpour. Due to poor road condition, three Imphal bound trucks ferrying essential goods met with accidents few days ago. As such, the two drivers’ unions initiated a one day road repairing in which A. Kapani, ADC member, Tadubi DCC provided free services of JCB and pebbles for maintaining work. The two drivers’ unions have appealed to the department concerned to initiate necessary measures at the earliest. The unions have also noted that the repaired areas are marked as accident prone on NH-2.
acterise this popular puja," Roy told IANS. A structure constructed with green bamboo poles serves as the deity for the Ker Puja. The chantai or head priest is regarded as the king on the occasion.
BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY (MANDAL) 30TH ALONGTAKI ASSEMBLY CONSTITUENCY DISTRICT: MOKOKCHUNG, NAGALAND
PRESS NOTE The Office of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 30th Alongtaki Mandal conveys our greetings to the people of Nagaland in General and the people of Alongtaki Mandal in particular. Since the official launch of the Office of the BJP 30th Alongtaki Mandal on the 21st of June, 2016 at Longchem, the day was marked with the fulfilment of a cherished aspiration for the people and gave an added responsibility to shape our own destiny. The people of 30th Alongtaki Mandal is not a uniform set, we belong to 3 different ranges (Japukong, Jangpetkong & Tsurangkong) comprising of 36 villages making it the largest constituency in Mokokchung District, having different aspirations and ambitions. Despite being the largest constituency in Mokokchung District, our Constituency is in a phase of transition, our youth, the leaders of tomorrow, are restless and eager for change. Change begins with individuals, change begins with you. Therefore, we call upon the individuals of 30th Alongtaki Mandal to take a step forward, participate and lead in the process of building a stronger, safer and empowered constituency for our own. Today, we are at a critical juncture in. Nagaland's socio-economic and political history. In such perilous times, it is the duty and also responsibility of the people of 30th Alongtaki Mandal to come forward and take charge to bring about a change in the system and for the betterment of our constituency. The BJP of 30th Alongtaki Mandal has registered phenomenal progress within a span of some few weeks with the establishment of Local Area Committees in almost every village under the Mandal. The office congratulates all the party workers for such phenomenal progress and also urge all the party workers to put in more efforts by upholding the principles of the party and get set to work at the most ground level to take the party's stand of "good governance" and "better opportunities" for the masses of our Mandal so as to look back and take pride in the progress we have made as a party, which will be the result of our collective effort. Sd/Sd/Mangyangsashi Aier Monglu Jamir Gen. Secy. (Admin) President BJP, 30th Alongtaki Mandal BJP, 30th Alongtaki Mandal
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MOndAY 25•07•2016
business
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
Centre asks states to G20 will use “all policy tools” to lift growth as Brexit weighs remove local taxes, cap
CHENGDU, CHINA, JUly 24 (REUtERs): The world’s biggest economies will work to support global growth and better share the benefits of trade, policymakers said on Sunday after a meeting dominated by the impact of Britain’s exit from Europe and fears of rising protectionism. Philip Hammond, Britain’s new finance minister, said the uncertainty about Brexit would begin to abate once Britain laid out a vision for a future relationship with Europe, which could become clearer later this year. But there could be volatility in financial markets throughout the negotiations in the years ahead, Hammond said after the meeting of finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of 20 (G20) major economies in China’s southwestern city of Chengdu. “What will start to reduce uncertainty is when we are able to set out more clearly the kind of arrangement we envisage going forward with the European Union,” Hammond told reporters. “If our European Union partners respond to such a vision positively - obviously it will be subject to negotiation - so that there is a sense perhaps later this year that we are all on the same page
g20 Finance ministers and Central Bank governors during a group photo in Chengdu in Southwestern China’s Sichuan province on Sunday July 24. (REUTERS Photo)
in terms of where we expect to be going. I think that will send a reassuring signal to the business community and to markets.” A communique issued by the G20 ministers at the end of the two-day meeting said Brexit, which dominated discussions, had added to uncertainty in the global economy where growth was “weaker than desirable”. It added that members, however, were “well positioned to proactively address the potential economic and financial consequences”.
GST listing in RS likely this week, Jaitley to meet state FMs NEw DElHI, JUly 24 (PtI): Government is likely to list the much-delayed GST Bill for discussion in the Rajya Sabha this week after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley meets state finance ministers on Tuesday. Jaitley, who has been engaged in back-channel negotiations with Congress leaders to get the main opposition party on board, will discuss proposed amendments to the GST legislation passed by the Lok Sabha at the meeting of the empowered committee of state finance ministers. The meeting may take up changes as demanded by the Congress in the constitutional amendment Bill, including one for scrapping of one per cent additional tax in hands of the states, official sources said. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill will be listed for discussion in the Rajya Sabha after taking on board views of the states. The Congress, which originally mooted GST in 2009 to replace all indirect taxes, has been demanding that the overall rate be capped at 18 per cent and scrapping of an additional 1 per cent tax designed to compensate manufacturing states that fear losing out on revenue. It also wants an independent mechanism to resolve disputes between states over revenue sharing.
Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha to meet telco CEOs over call drops on July 25 NEw DElHI, JUly 23 (PtI): Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha will be meeting with CEOs of mobile service providers on July 25 to discuss industry issues in general and call drops in particular. This will be the first meeting of Manoj Singh with telcos CEOs. “The minister has called a meeting with chief executiveofficersoftelecomoperatorstodiscussindustryissue, including call drops,” an industry source told PTI. This will be first meeting of Sinha with the telecom leaders. On the one hand, the Telecom Ministry is gearing up for mega spectrum auction which will see airwaves worth Rs 5.66 lakh crore up for grabs. On the other, Sinha has to address the issue of call drops as the Supreme Court struck down telecom regulator TRAI’s order of making operators compensate users for every call drop subject to a limit. Sinha’s other priority will be framing of regulations on the much-debated Net neutrality issue where battlelines are already drawn between telecom operators and Internetbased content providers. As such, TRAI has started a preconsultation process and already got written comments from industry stakeholders and members of civil society.
TN tops urban net subscriber nos NEw DElHI, JUly 24 (PtI): Tamil Nadu has maximum number of urban internet subscribers in India accounting for over nine per cent of country’s total 231 million urban subscribers, with Maharashtra and Delhi having over 19 million users each. Tamil Nadu boasts of over 21 million urban internet subscriber base, with Maharashtra and Delhi competing almost neck-to-neck with 19.7 million and 19.6 million subscribers respectively, followed by Karnataka with 17 million users, as on March, 2016. The urban internet subscriber base stands at 231 million. That, along with 112 million of rural subscribers, pegs the total internet subscriber base in India at over 342 million, according to government data giving service area-wise break-up of rural and urban internet subscriber base. The telecom circle of UP East has the highest number of rural internet subscribers at 11.2 million and almost a matching number of urban users. Maharashtra is next in this pecking order with 9.7 million rural internet subscribers, with Andhra following close on heels with just over 9 million rural internet subscribers. To improve internet penetration in rural areas, government is in the process of establishing a massive network infrastructure by connecting all 2.5 lakh gram panchayats through optical fibre, providing broadband connectivity by all categories of service providers. The ambitious project BharatNet (formerly National Optical Fibre Network project) is planned to be implemented in three phases. In the first phase, one lakh gram panchayats will be connected by March 2017, and this connectivity would be further extended to the remaining 1.5 lakh panchayats by December 2018. The third phase involving a future-proof network involving fibre between districts and blocks, is planned to be completed by 2023.
“In light of recent developments, we reiterate our determination to use all policy tools – monetary, fiscal and structural – individually and collectively to achieve our goal of strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth.” The International Monetary Fund this week cut its global growth forecasts because of the Brexit vote.
France Governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau said there was very little debate this time and discussions focused instead on growth. That was echoed by others. There was broad consensus that the global economy needed more growth, U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew told reporters, while Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei said it had been easier to forge consensus because the global recovery remained weak. The spectre of protectionism, highlighted not only by Brexit but also by
NEED TO LIFT GROWTH Whereas monetary policy figured prominently in previous meetings of G20 financial officials, Bank of
U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s “America First” rhetoric and talk of pulling out of trade agreements, was also a focus for the policymakers. “Not only Brexit but various risks of low growth remain, and there was a lot of debate on the need of monitoring developments including terrorism, geopolitical risks and refugees,” said a Japanese finance ministry official. “A lot of concerns were voiced over spreading measures for protectionism.” In the communique, the G20 underscored “the role of open trade policies and a strong and secure global trading system in promoting inclusive global economic growth, and we will make further efforts to revitalise global trade and lift investment”. It recognised problems wrought by industrial overcapacity, particularly the steel sector, which had a negative impact on trade and workers. Overcapacity was a “global issue which requires collective responses”. “We also recognise that subsidies and other types of support from governments or governmentsponsored institutions can
prices of essentials
cause market distortions and contribute to global excess capacity and therefore require attention,” the communique said. Persistent concerns about the potential for competitive currency devaluations were discussed, and the agreement to refrain from them was in the communique but did not appear to figure as prominently as in the ministers’ February meeting in Shanghai. Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso expressed concern over China’s weakening yuan. “If you ask me whether a weakening yuan is a good thing for China, I cannot say so,” he told reporters. “Whether up or down, a rapid yuan movement is undesirable. “This is our stance. The world too does not hope that only the yuan weakens, as it doesn’t do just good to the Chinese economy. It may boost exports but it also raises import costs for China.” Socalled “helicopter money” was not discussed, said Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda, who has repeatedly said helicopter money was not under consideration. “This G20 meeting did not discuss things seen as helicopter money, or even the word helicopter money at all,” he said.
NEw DElHI, JUly 24 (IANs): The Centre has urged states to remove all local taxes and consider capping the prices of pulses, edible oils and other essential commodities to help make these available at “reasonable prices”. States have also been requested to keep a close watch on hoarding and black-marketing of essential commodities in view of the coming festival season, said a statement issued on Sunday by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. “In a letter written to Chief Secretaries, Hem Pande, the Secretary of Department of Consumer Affairs, has asked the states to take up market intervention on a real time basis and to review APMC Acts on priority to delist pulses and other essential food items so that farmers can sell their produce at any place of their choice,” said the statement. “It will ensure reasonable prices for consumers and also fetch better prices for farmers,” it said. An Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act requires farmers to sell their produce only to middlemen approved by the government in authorised Mandis. The Consumer Affairs Secretary has invited states’ attention towards the action plan adopted for this purhave done well on three -- innova- pose at the states food mintion, capital market development isters’ meeting held in May this year. “States have also and trade/FDI liberalisation. The IMF further warned there is a been requested to consider risk that emerging economies do not reduce vulnerabilities and rebuild buffers sufficiently before capital flow reversals materialise. Stating that corporate leverage has increased significantly in some emerging economies, including India, in domestic and foreign currency against the background of ample global liquidity, IMF said a strong pullback of capital flows to emerging economies could tighten financial conditions and weaken their currencies. This may lead to a possibility of significant adverse corporate balance sheet effects and funding challenges, and significant repercussions for banking systems, it added.
IMF flags decelerating pace of reforms in India BEIJING, JUly24 (PtI): Listing out as many as six core areas that need further reforms in India, IMF has warned that headwinds from weaknesses in the country’s corporate and bank balance sheets, decelerating pace of reforms and sluggish exports may weigh on its economic growth. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), which recently lowered its GDP growth projection for India to 7.4 per cent in the current fiscal, said the country’s “economy is on a recovery path, helped by lower oil prices, positive policy actions and improved confidence”. “But headwinds from weaknesses in India’s corporate and bank balance sheets, a decelerating pace of reforms, and sluggish exports will weigh on growth,” the multilateral institution said in a ‘Note on Global
Prospects and Policy Challenges’. The note has been prepared for the two-day meeting, ending today, of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meetings being held in Chengdu, China. IMF, which has also lowered its global economic growth forecast for 2016 and 2017 by a marginal 0.1 per cent to 3.1 and 3.4 per cent respectively, recommended six ‘reform priorities’ for India, which is higher than the same for several other emerging markets including China, Brazil and South Africa.The key areas where IMF has recommended further reforms for India include product market, labour, infrastructure, banking, legal system and property rights, and fiscal structural reforms. Out of total nine ‘reform priorities’ taken under consideration by IMF for various countries, India has been found to
leisure
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CROSSWORD # 3664
SUDOKU
Simple Rules - There is just one simple rule: “Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.”
Game Number # 3649
Answer Number # 3648
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a pricing policy for pulses and such other essential food items under Section 3(2) (c) of the Essential Commodities Act and to make it enforceable for all the stakeholders to cap the prices of essential commodities,” the statement said. Hem Pande also asked the states to implement the Price Stabilisation Fund Scheme for market intervention to enhance availability and check prices of essentials. States have been asked to create a robust information management system of prices, production, availability, unscrupulous trading, hoarding, black marketing and to strengthen the price monitoring cells to have the ground zero information available on a daily basis. “A monthly report on enforcement actions under the Essential Commodities Act and Prevention of Black Marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act is mandatory to ensure regular review of the same at highest level and to make public the Action Taken Report of States regularly on the website of Department of Consumer Affairs,” the statement said.
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MondAY 25•07•2016
NAGALAND
nBCC launch clean election pledge card ‘I will have only one Voter’s Identity Card for the whole electoral process’ Our Correspondent Kohima | July 24
As part of “Clean Election Campaign,” the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) has developed a Clean Election Pledge Card. This pledge card was made available by NBCC’s youth department during a state-wide launching programme of “Clean Election Campaign” last week at the Kohima Science College, Jotsoma. The campaign aims to educate college students about clean election under the theme “The impact of our birth right.” Talking to The Morung Express, Vikuo Rhi, youth
secretary NBCC said the campaign will reach out to all the government and private colleges across the state. The pledge card begins with the declaration of oneself which reads “ I……….(Name)… understand that the election of right leaders in our land is my birth right and a God-given responsibility. It is my belief that active participation in the process of clean election will lead towards good governance, socio -political reform and just peace in the society.” “In realizing this Godgiven rights and responsibilities I pledge myself on the following:”
MEx FILE Rs.97.36 cr project sanctioned for developing Tribal Circuit
CLEAN ELECTION PLEDGE CARD * I will not tamper my date of birth and register myself or anybody on the electoral role before 18 years of age. * I will have only one Voter’s Identity Card for the whole electoral process. * I will not entertain and indulge in substance abuse, sexual immorality and in any form of corrupt activities that are not in tune with Christian principles during election. * I will not manipulate and misguide others against their choice and will. * I will honour the freedom of choice, particularly during elections, and not be forced or force anyone by the so-called collective decision of clan, khel, village, range, clubs etc to caste vote of a candidate. * I will keep secret voting a personal matter. * I will not cast any proxy vote or impersonate any other person in any way nor knowingly allow anyone to cast my vote. * I will not solicit or give away money and other forms of favours for my vote or for buying votes.
Juvenile Justice Act mandates JJB, CWC in each district Kohima, July 24 (mExN): The Juvenile Justice Care and Protection of Children Act 2015 mandates setting up Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) and Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in every district. This was pointed out by Joshua Sheqi, retainer lawyer, while giving an overview of the new juvenile justice act during the Kohima District Legal Services Authority (KDLSA) visit to Observation Home, Kohima, as part of the action plan for July 2016. During the visit, the KDLSA interacted with the officials and juveniles, a press release received here stated. Sheqi informed that the Juvenile Justice Care and Protection of Children Act 2015 has been passed by the parliament of India and
pughoboto, July 24 (mExN): Sümi Aphuyemi Hoho, Pughoboto in a press statement stated that “after a decade of ceasefire agreement between Government of India and Underground Groups, the historic framework agreement signed between Government of India and NSCN (IM) on August 3, 2015 for a Political Solution is appreciated.” It appealed to all sections of the Naga society to pray for God's timely intervention for a permanent solution in the interest of both entities. Inavi Swu, President, Sümi Aphuyemi Hoho further urged Naga public leaders, thinkers, intellectuals to contribute towards a healthy positive debate on the issue and make valuable suggestions rather than hindering the negotiation process at such a crucial stage.
Capacity building for FIGs in Tamlu
KDLSA visits Observation Home, Kohima or not, Joshua pointed out. It also mandates setting up Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee in every district. Each committee will have a chairperson and four other members, all specialists in matters relating to children. The proposal aims at adjudicating and disposing cases dealing with juveniles keeping in mind “the best interest of the children
phEK, July 24 (mExN): ATMA Phek Kikruma block in collaboration with KVK Phek organised capacity building and demonstration programme on agri and allied activities at Thipuzu village on July 18. Resource persons were Hannah K. Asangla (Subject Matter Specialist) and T Esther Longkumer (SMS)
Kiphire Electrical Division appeals
Sümi Aphuyemi Hoho on Framework Agreement
and their rehabilitation,” it was added, according to the press release. Mezivolu T. Therieh, Chief Judicial Magistrate & Secretary KDLSA, spoke about providing help and services to the people
without any barriers, be it church organizations, NGOs and even juveniles. She said that legal services have been provided to women and children free of charge. She encouraged the juvenile saying they still have hope and a chance to be a better person as children below the years of 18 can be corrected and restored because their brain have not been fully devel-
oped yet. However, she said unless they have the will power and decide to change, they cannot become a better person. Meanwhile, Esther Nakhro, Superintendent of the Observation Home acknowledged that the KDLSA has always been there whenever they needed any help. She shared about some Do’s and Don’ts and also said that running the Observation Home is a big challenge as most of the juveniles brought to the home have history of broken homes and substance abuse. She proposed that they also need the help of KDLSA to sensitize the officials of the various homes in Kohima so that work can be done more effectively. The program ended with interaction with the management.
Catechism Teachers’ orientation held Agri and allied activities at Thipuzu
Kohima, July 24 (mExN): The Union Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned Rs.97.36 crores for the year 201516 to Nagaland for development of Tribal Circuit in Peren, Kohima and Wokha under the Swadesh Darshan scheme since its launch in January 2015, according to a Press Information Bureau release. The Ministry has so far released Rs.19.47 crores to Nagaland, the release added.
KiphirE, July 24 (mExN): Responding to the Kiphire Area Students' Union (KASU) ultimatum to restore power within a week’s time, Er. Khriechusa Kire, Executive Engineer (EE), Kiphire Electrical Division, has appealed to the consumers and KASU to bear the inconveniences stating that the Power Department is doing its best to restore uninterrupted power supply at the earliest. While regretting the frequent power supply disruption due to malfunction of transformer (500KVA,33/0.4KV) which is supplying power to about half of Kiphire Town, a press release from the EE reasoned that the Power Department is unable to install a new transformer at the moment due to fund constraint. The Department is taking all possible measures for early restoration, the release added.
came into force in January 2016. The bill allows the Juvenile Justice Board, which will include psychologists and sociologists, to decide whether a juvenile criminal in the age group 16-18 should be tried as an adult
from KVK Phek. Demonstrations on SIR, Dieect Seeded Rice (DSR), incorporation of Dhanchia as green manure crop to increase soil fertility, liming to reclaim acidic soils were covered during the day long programme. Altogether 30 farmers attended the programme. Meanwhile BFAC meet-
ing for Kikruma block was held on the same day where various activities taken up by ATMA Phek were highlighted by BTM Keduweteü Lomi. Also, the functions and duties of BFAC, the problems faced by the farming communities were also deliberated during the meeting, which was attended by 9 BFAC members.
St Paul’s School Phesama alumni meet Kohima, July 24 (mExN): A one day orientation programme of the Catechism Teachers of Southern Angami Catholic was held at Kidima Parish Centre on Sunday. Sister Neiketunuo Catherine Thakro, Vocation Promot-
er of Ursuline Franciscan Congregation (UFC), Tabor Provincialate, Dimapur was the resource person at the orientation which was organized by Southern Angami Catholic Youth Association (SACYA) under the theme “Making a difference
with the heart and mind of Christ”. Reverend Father Thomas Muttathil, Parish Priest was the Main Celebrant on the occasion. Representatives of Southern Angami Catholic churches also took part in the programme, a press release stated.
Kohima, July 24 (mExN): St Paul’s School Phesama had its alumni meet to create a platform for sharing, enriching, and growing. A press release stated that the meeting began with a prayer led by Adile, the senior most teacher in the school. The principal welcomed the gathering. Rev. Dr. Anand SJ, the Rector of St Paul Institutions explained the purpose and goal of the alumni association. He also shared the pressing needs of the school
and lauded the gathering for responding in good numbers. He further requested the association to join hands with the school in its endevours. Time was given to the alumni to share their ideas and thoughts. The meeting ended with planning for the future. The alumni association also appointed its office bearers with Neisalie as its president, Keneisano as vice president, Kevisano as secretary, Veimetsito as treasure and Zhapuchutuo as PRO.
MCC parents-guardians orientation cum general meeting held Kohima, July 24 (mExN): The Model Christian College, Kohima conducted its parents-guardians orientation cum general meeting in the college premises. Exhorting the gathering, S.P Francis, Managing Director, MCC highlighted the important role of parents/guardians for nurturing and inculcating moral values in children. He urged them to invest in children’s education in terms of wealth, time, energy and resources and also provide moral support towards the institution. MCC Principal, Dr. Luke Rymbai gave an overview of the academic structure of the college and shared concern over the increasing addiction towards social media by students. Jankhanmoi, Academic Dean acquainted the gathering on the semester system.
loNglENg, July 24 (mExN): A one day capacity building training for Farmers Interest Groups (FIGs) on Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North East Region (MOVCDNER) was conducted at Tamlu village in Longleng on July 19. In his keynote address, District Agriculture Officer, Kiyevi Sumi encouraged the farmers to opt for organic farming in large scale as sustainable agriculture. Bongkam Phom, AI delivered the guidelines of the scheme. Around 100 farmers attended the training, which was chaired by Village Council Chairman, Bhuhnem Phom. According to a press release from DAO Kiyevi Sumi, the villagers were grateful to the Department of Ag- pErEN, July 24 (mExN): Peren District riculture for implementing the new scheme which is a first Legal Services Authority organised a Workshop Programme at New Peren Headquarter of its kind in the village. on July 22 for Dobashis, Gaon-Burah and Para Legal Volunteers at the Dobashis Court room. Somet Chang, Secretary of Peren DisDimapur, July 24 (mExN): Two dead bodies were trict Legal Services Authority and Civil found in Dimapur on July 23 in different locations. A body Judge (Jr.), Peren delivered the keynote adof unidentified non-Naga man, aged around 35-40 years, dress on the purpose and objective of the wearing green- blue checked shirt, black trousers and a workshop. Resource person Limasenla, Project pair of red slippers was found in the Railway bazaar area, informed a press release from PRO, Dimapur Police. Coordinator, Access to Justice (A2J) and The other unidentified body of non-Naga female, aged Master Trainer of Legal Services Program around 25-39 years, wearing yellow Salwar was found presented her topics on various Governin the railway tracks towards Khatkati end 261/9 km, the ment Welfare schemes and also gave brief release said. The person is suspected to have fallen from illustration on RTI Act. Limasenla further a running train, according to the PRO. The bodies have added the keynotes on the aspects of Lok been kept in the District Hospital morgue for necessary Adalat and Nagaland Victim Compensaformalities and identification. For more details, contact tion Scheme, 2012. Sub Urban Police Station, Dimapur. Esther Aye, Legal Aid Counsel, spoke on
She presented details on the admission procedure and criteria, courses offered in MCC, duration, marking system, assessment and grading patterns etc. The need and functions of NAAC Assessment and Accreditation was highlighted by Vice Principal, Dr. Nungshikokla Jamir. She also pointed out the importance of parents and guardians in the assessment process and the role of students in bringing quality education. She further urged the parents and guardians to openly provide suggestions for improvement. Meanwhile, a summary of the rules and regulations of the college was presented by Dean of Students’ Welfare, Th. Romeo Singh. The programme was chaired by Nzanbemo Yanthan, President, Parents/ Guardians’ Forum, MCC.
Zhavame Students’ Union conducted a 3-day literacy tour from July 12-14 and visited several schools in Pfutsero, Razeba and Zhavame village. During the tour, they interacted with both the students and teachers with an objective to improve the performance of the schools.
Peren DLSA organise workshop for DBs, GBs & PLVs
Two bodies found
the benefits and provisions of the various National Legal Services Authority Schemes (NALSA) under the Department of Justice, Ministry of law & Justice. Asungbe, Panel Lawyer, Peren DLSA presented the provisions and implications under the Nagaland village and area council Act-1978 & Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The programmed finally concluded with a session of interaction and discussion among the participants, the resource persons and the officials of the Legal Services Authority. Somet Chang further urged the participants, Dobashis, Gaon-Burah, panel Lawyers and Para Legal Volunteers to work hand in hand for the cause of uplifting the Legal Services Activities and welfare of the people under Peren District.
Care and Support Society conducted community meeting at Mekuli village on July 16, where resource person Ajanou Natso shared about CHAI and Axshya and encouraged villagers to come forward for health services, especially for TB. Imchawati Kichu, Managing Director, Care and Support Society shared on what TB is, how it spreads, present scenario of TB in India, signs and symptoms of TB, about DMC, treatment and MDRTB.
CondolenCe messages Naga Hoho: The Naga Hoho has expressed shock to learn of the untimely demise of Ahu Sakhrie who passed away in his Kohima Residence on July 23. Late Sakhrie was a founding member of the Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) at a time when there was overall suppression from the Indian authority against the inalienable rights and identity of the Nagas, a condolence message from the Naga Hoho President P. Chuba Ozukum stated. Referring to late Sakhrie as a
“visionary” who was committed to the Naga cause, Ozukum stated that his role as a dedicated leader would be very rare to find among the contemporary Naga leaders. “Late Ahu Sakhrie was undoubtedly bold having oratory skills and outspoken person especially on the political rights of the Naga people. As a leader, he never had a negative attitude and his sole desire was for the betterment of the Naga society,” the message read. The Naga Hoho extended deepest condolences to the wife,
Delli Rose Sakhrie, children and all near and dear ones. “May his soul rest in peace,” the message concluded. DDADU: The Dimapur District Auto Drivers’ Union (DDADU) has expressed shock and pain to learn of the untimely demise of Tokheyi Y Yepthomi, a member of the union, who passed away on July 24 after a brief illness. Late Tokheyi was a dedicated member of the Union, who had served the erstwhile Dimapur Auto Drivers Union (DADU)
in the capacity of Vice President from 1993-2006 and vice president of TVR Branch from 1996 to 2006. Before his demise he was planning to contest the elections for the post of president of DDADU, a condolence message from DDADU President K Hokaito Zhimomi stated. The DDADU President on behalf of all the auto drivers in Dimapur district expressed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members and prayed to the Al- The 9th battalion of Bihar Regiment organised a medical camp at Chaoha Chingnyu mighty to grant them solace and village of Mon district on July 19. The paramedical staff of the battalion treated 550 comfort. patients and also distributed free medicines during the camp.
6
Monday 25•07•2016
IN FOCUS
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
The Power of Truth
The Morung Express volume Xi issue 203 By moa Jamir
NBCC clean election ‘bugle’
Y
et again, the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), the apex body of the dominant Baptist churches in Nagaland, has sounded the clean election campaign for the State Assembly election to be held tentatively in 2018. In a rare departure, while launching the clean election campaign (CEC) on July 22, the NBCC General Secretary, Dr. Zelhou Keyho admitted to a group of students that the Church, though not the custodian, was “responsible” for a clean election and “we have not carried out that responsibility well.” Under the theme, “The impact of our birthright,’ the campaign expects to cover all districts with the objective of urging the citizens to stop corrupt practices of electioneering in Nagaland. Incidentally, a similar campaign was launched in 2011 for the 12th Assembly election in 2013. “The idea to have pastors praying at polling booths came to us after a pastor in Phek district offered prayers at a booth and then stayed at the booth all day in 2008,” the then NBCC convenor of the campaign’s working committee told The Hindu. “The presence of the pastor pricks the proxy voter’s conscience.” Subsequently, the NBCC issued 13 guidelines to follow while voting devised "on the basis of Constitutional rights, the democratic spirit and Christian values" ranging from non-acceptance of bribe to honour individual right and freedom of choice; to vote for god-fearing, principled and capable candidates; to disallow multiple voting and proxy voting and so on. With the state of affairs the election has produced, this time around, reactions to the NBCC’s admission and call for clean election are mixed – from utter cynicism to instant admiration. Many feel that the churches’ conspicuous silence on many issues is directly or indirectly aiding corrupt activities and hindering other developmental matters the state sorely requires. The cynicism has gone to the extent of questioning the use of politicians and bureaucrats on church’s platform. However, a church regular would say such criticisms are sweeping generalisation. The churches too voice out but often it’s the individual who refuses to change. Come election, the church often becomes hapless spectators as its flocks immerse themselves in money, booze and politics. Again, elections in Nagaland are a dicey matter. Apart from the personal configuration, tribal, clan and village dynamics among others play a huge part. The presence of non-state actors also complicates the matters. It affects each level of the electoral politics. This is the biggest stumbling block to campaign against corruption or clean election. That Nagaland saw 15 different Chief Ministers in the first three decades of Statehood (1963-1993), interspersed with three presidents' rule speaks volume of the complexities and intricacies the state is haplessly endowed with. At a recent consultative meeting in April organised by State Election Commission, the misuse and manipulation of election pledge where leaders sign up the pledge for the entire village were prominently highlighted. Sometimes the village council decides the candidate based on the best viability. Another is the issue of inflated electoral roll, recently argued by ACAUT as the “root cause of all corruption in the state.” A sustained campaign by NBCC is a way forward, but unless there are changes at individual level manifesting into a societal change, the problem will continue to plague the Naga society for a long time to come. For any comment, drop a line to moajamir@live.com
lEfT wiNg |
Magdalena Mis Thomson Reuters Foundation
How to stop deforestation? Give indigenous people rights to land Without title deeds, indigenous communities may find their land is taken over for major development projects
I
ndigenous people are better than governments at preventing forests from being cut and should be seen as a solution, not a barrier to protecting them, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous People said on Tuesday. Indigenous peoples and communities have claims to two thirds of the world's land but are legally recognised as holding only 10 percent, according to think thank World Resources Institute (WRI). Without title deeds, indigenous communities may find their land is taken over for major development projects such as palm oil plantations and logging. "Society thinks that indigenous peoples are claiming land that they shouldn't be having because it should be used for expanded food production," U.N. Special Rapporteur Victoria Tauli-Corpuz told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. But giving indigenous peoples rights to land was a guarantee that forests, which store carbon and contribute to food security would continue to exist, Tauli-Corpuz said. "In the Philippines we had maps done which show the overlap between the communities whose rights to land and territories have been recognised and the remaining forest in the country," she said on the sidelines of a global forest conference in Rome. "The so-called protected areas that were managed by the government were deforested compared to the territories where indigenous peoples continued to live," she said. "That shows that the interventions of indigenous peoples are more effective in terms of protecting and sustaining the forest compared to the efforts of governments," the Philippines native said. Tauli-Corpuz said conservation efforts should not serve as an excuse to remove indigenous peoples from their land because, depending on forests for survival, they are best placed to monitor and protect them. "... studies show that where the (indigenous) people are the ones taking care of the forests, conservation is much more effective," she said. Tauli-Corpuz called on governments to end impunity for killings of activists, like Berta Caceres, an award-winning Honduran environmental rights activist, who was shot dead in March. "If discrimination against indigenous peoples continues then that is the yardstick by which the dominant society behaves against indigenous peoples," Tauli-Corpuz said. "Indigenous peoples shouldn't be killed because they are asserting that they would like to be heard." According to the United Nations, there are an estimated 370 million indigenous people spread across 70 countries.
C O M M E N T A R Y
Diana Isabel Güiza Gómez openDemocracy
The political strategy for peace After 50 years, the Colombian government has signed a historic ceasefire agreement. But how can we get more Colombians on board?
O
n June 23, 2016, the Colombian government signed a historic ceasefire agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to end the 50-year conflict, with the final peace deal to be signed in the upcoming weeks. But the peace deal is no guarantee that the conflict will end or that Colombia will suddenly become safer. Indeed, leading up to these talks, there was much discussion about the constitutional protection (blindaje jurídico) of the peace agreements, with all parties indicating that the agreements would come with various domestic and international commitments. These agreements are not merely political declarations—they create duties that must be fulfilled to bring a stable and lasting peace. The success of peace requires not only the legal security of the agreements, but also, importantly, a grassroots political process that includes popular support. To date, the government and guerrillas have done little to win public support over the agreement. In fact, many critics have opposed the advances of the Negotiating Table in La Habana, and some, including former president Álvaro Uribe, have called for a “civil resistance” claiming that the agreement promotes impunity. Levels of citizen knowledge about the agreements are low, legitimacy and popular confidence of the peace process have decreased in the latest months, polarization continues to grow with post-paramilitary groups committing human rights abuses, and political strategies to encourage support are non-existent. Peace is possible, to a large extent, only if the majority of citizens believe in it and defend the specific form of ending the conflict. Although obtaining widespread support in such a polarized society is not easy, the country could learn from successful campaigns implemented in South Africa, Chile, and North Ireland. The end of apartheid in South Africa When the De Klerk administration and the African National Congress (ANC) met to negotiate, the political environment was volatile and society was highly polarized. From the announcement of negotiations, political support for the National Party (NP), which supported the transition, weakened and the Conservative Party (CP) gained ground. As a response, De Klerk announced that the government would only consult the white population, through a referendum, to ask if they supported negotiations with the ANC. The effects of the referendum were serious, and, to a certain extent, risky: if the “yes” vote won, the peace process would pacify political tensions and create a political environment that would favor ending apartheid. But if the “no” vote won, De Klerk had announced that he would resign as president, effectively shutting the door to peace for years to come. In the “yes” campaign, Nelson Mandela assured the white population that an ANC-led government would not reduce white public officials, and that those let go would obtain certain benefits. Additionally, large South African companies showed that the negotiations were creating economic opportunities that could not be wasted by voting no. There were also advertisements showing the benefits of peace
A
merica’s role as self-proclaimed primary supporter of human rights makes it essentially unavoidable for the US to join the ICC. On July 11, the International Criminal Court (ICC) determined that “the Republics of Uganda and Djibouti had failed to comply with the request for arrest and surrender of Omar al-Bashir to the ICC,” leading it to refer the case to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to take appropriate measures regarding this matter. The reason for the outrage is all too understandable: Bashir, president of Sudan, is wanted for organizing war atrocities, including genocide and crimes against humanity in Sudan’s breakaway region of Darfur. As signatory members of the ICC, Uganda and Djibouti were legally obliged to carry out arrest warrants. Instead, the two countries gave Bashir a red carpet reception. FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES The ICC’s referral is a special one. It marks the first time the court is publicly scolding its signatories in such intrepid terms since its inception in 2002. Just last year, when South Africa failed to arrest Bashir and caused international outrage, the ICC responded with a shrug. However, the current ruling seems to indicate that the ICC is no longer willing to stand idly by and see its authority quashed. For the first time, this referral raises hopes that the ICC will be able to raise its profile as an international institution of the law. In the words of international law Professor Wolf Stainer, “The Court is cracking a whip not just on its members to uphold a warrant, but also on countries like Sudan where it seems determined to see Mr Al Bashir in the dock … This takes the ICC well past what was envisaged when it was set up, and should send a tremor among the world’s dictators. In 2016, no one is beyond the grasp of justice.” Ironically, Djibouti’s quasi-dicta-
with phrases like “the future is in your hands” or “you can stop this man” (followed by the image of a man wearing a ski mask and carrying a gun). The “no” campaign, by contrast, argued that allowing the government to negotiate with the ANC would lead to a majority black communist leadership that would ignore the rights of the white population. The referendum resulted in a majority yes vote, with 68.7% of white voters supporting the negotiations. With this support, the peace process continued on its path until 1994, when Mandela was elected as president, and 1996, when the new constitution was passed. In this case, the campaign for peace was not only led by the government and political parties, but also by other actors, including social leaders and business people. And the message was addressed to all of society, including those opposed to the peace process. The end of the Chilean dictatorship In Chile, the end of Pinochet’s dictatorship also had popular support. The 1980 Chilean Constitution set a transition period, from March 11, 1981 (when it entered into force), until the end of Pinochet’s term on March 11, 1989. To decide if Pinochet would continue in power, citizens would participate in a plebiscite. Eugenio Tironi, director of content for the “no” campaign, pointed out that the main adversary wasn’t Pinochet: “It was fear. The fear of going out, voting, and showing their choice.” The “yes” campaign’s propaganda sent the message that, if the military government fell, the country would fall into chaos, economic growth would decline, and the feared Marxists would return. The “no” campaign’s propaganda—portrayed in a wellknown movie simply titled “No”—appealed to the feeling of hope with phrases like “Without hatred. Without violence. Without fear. No more. Vote No.” This propaganda also included well-known incidents, such as an elderly woman’s torture. In the plebiscite, the “no” vote won by 55.99%, showing that innovative messages can help the public see peace as a real possibility.
The Good Friday Agreement in North Ireland In April 1998, the main parties of North Ireland signed the Belfast Agreement, or the Good Friday Agreement. This agreement—submitted to a referendum on May 22, 1998—sought to put an end to the armed conflict between two profoundly divided communities: the republicans (Catholics) who wanted to join Ireland, and the unionists (Protestants) who wanted to keep ties with the United Kingdom. “It’s a right to say no” was the slogan of the opposition, arguing that there were better routes to consolidate democracy in North Ireland. The yes campaign used different strategies to encourage a consensus for peace, including sending each citizen a copy of the peace agreement and a VHS tape with arguments in favor of the agreement. Music icons such as U2 participated, as well as labor and women’s coalitions. In the end, the peace agreement received overwhelming popular support: 71% in North Ireland and 95% in the Republic of Ireland. Notably, the propaganda for peace in this case was concrete, not abstract, illustrating the specific benefits of voting for peace. And the message was creative and oriented to audiences according to their particular conditions. The end of the Colombian conflict? To gain better public support, the Colombian government as well as activists need to create concrete strategies that understand our target audience. The peace discourse should permeate Colombian social life, and, to do so, it must show what opportunities the post agreement phase will bring. We need to know whether the audience is in favor, indifferent, or opposed to the peace process; we need to know how views might differ in rural versus urban areas, or in different age ranges or socio-economic groups. Polling will be critical in this stage, but what we do with that data is even more important. It is time for all of us, not just the parties at the table, to sign up for peace. Diana Isabel Güiza Gómez is a researcher in the Center for the Study of Law, Justice, and Society (Dejusticia) and a professor at Universidad Nacional de Colombia.
It’s Time for America to Join the ICC Hugo Norton Fair Observer
torial president, Ismail Omar Guelleh, is himself targeted by the ICC for his role in quashing an opposition rally in December 2015 that led to the killing of dozens of activists. The country has a dismal human rights record, with many political rights severely curtailed and torture being in rampant use. Furthermore, Guelleh is accused of rigging the presidential election in April this year to his advantage, winning 87% of the vote and securing a fourth term. However, Djibouti is host to the only US military base in Africa, as well as China’s first bricks-and-mortars military installation. With such high-placed friends, the ICC’s ruling sadly could amount to nothing more than a slap on the wrist. As for Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni, who is currently on his fifth term, has repeatedly lashed out against the court, calling it earlier this year “a bunch of useless people.” Bashir is unlikely to get arrested any time soon as he keeps jetting freely around Africa and Asia. At the African Union (AU) Summit in Kigali, Rwandan Foreign Affairs Minister Louise Mushikiwabo claimed that “We have no right to arrest anybody,” on the grounds that Bashir is protected by presidential immunity and Rwanda is not a signatory to the ICC.
case to the ICC, which is why the warrant for Bashir could still be issued. Moreover, African states also harbor a special distrust toward the court, accusing it of harboring a regional and racial bias, since most of the ICC’s cases have thus far tackled only Africa. The fact that the United States refuses calls to ratify the 1998 Rome Statute that established the ICC only adds to the perception of the court as a neocolonial institution meant to whip the African people into submission. Nevertheless, there are means to address these issues in a meaningful way. In order to dispel fears of an “African bias,” the ICC chief prosecutor, Gambian lawyer Fatou Bensouda, has sought to broaden the court’s scope by exploring alleged crimes in Palestine, opening an initial inquiry in Ukraine and requesting the ICC to commence a formal investigation into the 2008 Russia-Georgia war, while investigations relating to Afghanistan, Colombia and Iraq are ongoing. Truly reforming the ICC, however, will only be achieved once the US joins its ranks. From the outset, Washington’s refusal to ratify the Rome Statute sabotaged the ICC’s legitimacy and reach, condemning the court to run on one engine. While President Bill Clinton signed the statute in 2000, in 2002 the Bush administration “unsigned” it out EXCEPTIONALISM of fear that US nationals, particularly However, the UNSC can refer any military personnel, could be put on
wRiTE-wiNg
trial before the ICC. At a time when the war in Afghanistan was raging and the Pentagon was drawing up plans to oust Saddam Hussein from Iraq, the administration’s fears were fully warranted. Next, the administration went one step further and signed into law the American Service-Members’ Protection Act (ASPA), which explicitly protects US military personnel and government officials of any rank “against criminal prosecution by an international criminal court to which the United States is not party.” Numerous technicalities have also been invoked for the US’ defiance, such as Article 1, Section 8 and Article 3, Section 1 of the Constitution regarding the establishment of courts. Both sections can be interpreted as an explicit ban on international legal jurisdictions. Naturally, the US could resort to other legal instruments to arrest individuals such as Bashir. Washington could call for a UNSC resolution obligating all member states of the United Nation (UN) to arrest Bashir and submit him to the ICC’s jurisdiction; or invoke the 1948 UN Genocide Convention, which obligates member states to prosecute perpetrators of genocide, as well as the Nuremberg Charter which established that heads of states indicted by international courts no longer enjoy immunity. America’s role as self-proclaimed primary supporter of human rights makes it essentially unavoidable for the US to join the ICC. If the US insists on leading, then joining the ICC would show that it is serious in doing so. This move would represent the strengthening of the institution as well as of human rights in general. Thus, the US should at least embark on a course of legal convergence with the Rome Statute’s provisions by removing obstacles in domestic law and paving the way for full ratification. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy. This article has been republished with the permission of Fair Observer. The article was originally published in: http:// www.fairobserver.com/region/north_america/itstime-america-join-icc-00164/
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MonDAY 25•07•2016
PERSPECTIVE
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
J
uly 24th marked the silver jubilee of an event that changed the economic landscape of our nation. This day, 25 years ago, anOxbridge trained economist-turned -administrator presented independent India’s 56th Budget (interim & final included). Though he had served as the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission and RBI governor earlier, Dr. Manmohan Singh was apolitical and hence considered an outsider for the Finance Minister’s job in the new Narasimha Rao ministry. Shri. Pranab Mukherjee who served as India’s Finance Minister between 1982 and 84 was widely tipped to be appointed FM. However, it was not to be and Dr. Singh who was then the Secretary General of the South Commission took over. The dire nature of the economic circumstances that loomed over the country was unprecedented in India’s economic history and was scarcely indicative of any epochmaking possibilities. 1991 status Our economy had run into a crisis of confidence both in the external and the internal sectors. The 1990 Gulf War and the domestic political instability after the 1989 Parliament elections were proximate causes for the troubles that our nation faced. Subsequent to the Gulf War there was a substantial inflow of gulf migrants returning home and oil prices were also shooting through the roof. They rose by more than 110% in a span of 6 months in the latter half of 1990. In a bid to shore up the external account our country had borrowed twice from the IMF-once in July 1990 and then in January 1991. This however, had not helped boost confidence in our economy and we were bleeding precious forex reserves. Inflow of NRI deposits- which were one of the mainstays of our reserves started declining. Access to external commercial borrowings for financing our imports became increasingly difficult. Our forex reserves in July 1991 fell to a low of $1 billion (` 2500 crores) sufficient to finance only two weeks of imports. Economic Rationale Does it mean that we faced trouble only in the external front and could sit pretty with domestic economic policies? The short answer is no. Apart from the wellknown fact that we depend heavily on imports to finance our oil requirements these external shocks also impact our domestic economy. For one, this leads to increased general level of prices or in other words infla-
An Economic Anniversary
policy
papers
By Vyasan R
tion. The inflation of 1990-91, to the tune of 12.1% in WPI and 13.6% in CPI was concentrated in essential commodities. The rise in prices was in evidence,inspiteof 3-consecutive years of favourable monsoons. Secondly, the fall in international reserves also impact the investible resources that are available in the domestic economy. A deficit in the current account (excess of imports over exports), which increased to 3.2% of GDP in 199091 (which had remained at 2% of GDP for a long time) had to be financed from the government budget or from borrowings from abroad. The government budget was in deficit and was reaching record levels. Fiscal deficit, measured as the excess of total expenditure over revenue receipts exceeded 8% of GDP in 1990-91. These figures were historic highs as the corresponding levels were only 6% in 1980s and 4% in the 1970s. With such high levels of government deficit, the only source of financing the current account deficit was external borrowings. With difficulties experienced in inflows of the
latter there was a pincer movement killing availability of investible resources, reducing growth opportunities and with it development.The GDP growth for 1991-92 was estimated at 0.8% per annum. In other words the economy was in a rut and in the absence of unprecedented reforms it would be impossible to climb out of it. Intellectual Origins The reforms were inspired by the conditionalities imposed by the IMF. Stabilization and structural reforms were the straitjackets imposed by the IMF. However, from the beginning of the 1980s there was widespread consensus among economists of varying hues that urgent reforms were required in both the exchange rate policies and the stifling internal controls that hampered productivity growth in the economy. We can trace the intellectual origins further back to Dr. Singh’s PhD thesis in 1962 (under Ian Little), "India's export performance, 1951–1960, Export Prospects and Policy
7
Implications."The budget of 1991 was a crisis-led response, but had widespread intellectual support and Dr. Singh had the good fortune to usher them into the world. He went on to liberalise the controls that prevented easy setting up of industries and an overemphasis on public sector enterprises, reduced tariffs on imports, deregulated the setting up of interest rates- in short the very foundations that India’s planned economy depended on till then. Reforms were also proposed in taxation, subsidies as well as the overall architecture of Government Finances. This was intended to free up resources to invest in social expenditure required for an economy that had more than 40% below the poverty line. In other words the 1991 budget was comprehensive in a manner that few budgets were before it and since. The impact of the reforms was felt almost immediately. GDP growth rebounded to 5% in 1992-93 and going on to touch 6% by 1994-95, by which time forex reserves also had climbed to $21 billion. Inflation remained stubborn at around 10% but was estimated to fall to 7.5% per annum. Reform Successors India’s economy has gone in the general direction shown by the 1991 budget. Successive finance ministers from P Chidambaram to Yashwant Sinha to Jaswant Singh to ArunJaitley have all stuck to the tone and tenor of the 1991 Budget.Talks of second Generation and third generation reforms have been in relation to the 1991 Budget. If the intellectual foundation for the first forty years of India’s economic development was laid down by the First Five Year Plan the foundation for the next 25 years of our country’s economic development was laid down by the 1991 reforms. It would be incomplete if we do not look at the trajectory the economy took during the prime minister ship of Dr. Manmohan Singh. It is ironic that the very person who brought in economic reforms also presided over the country when there was widespread pessimism of capitalist development models. If dirigisme had hold over our economy in 1991 in the latter 2000s cronyism did. This silver jubilee is therefore an opportune time to deepen, strengthen and widen the scope of reforms in our economy to bring in development of a sustainable nature and growth of an equitable kind. (The author is an IAS Officer of Nagaland cadre and can be reached at vyasan_r@yahoo.com. The views expressed above are personal.)
The Morung Express POLL RESULTS Do you think that nagalanD is a faileD state? Some of those who voted YES had this to say: • Yes, definitely! Nagaland is a failed state. It is because our elected representatives are NOT statesmen but politicians who are only concerned about the next general elections and NOT concerned about the next generation. Politicians who have no vision do nothing for the people at present. If at all they do something today for their tomorrow, they do only for themselves. • Yes. Who can say about the good of the Nagaland? Apart from clean environment(Air &Water) what else? • Yes. First, it's just a puppet govt. for IM. Second, its participation in corrupting every dept. and civil society has paralyzed its legitimacy to take a moral stand. • Yes, Nagaland seems like a failed state. Except for individual and public initiatives, no public leaders seem to be serving the public. There is no vision or integrity found in our state’s leadership. Greed and personal interests abound. • Yes, it doesn't seem like a progressive state. • Yes. What is wrong with our state? a. The legislators and bureaucracy blames me, the common citizen. b. We blame them. c. The Indian government have made a puppet out of our administrative and executive agencies, but they are oblivious to that cos of the dough. d. Our so called freedom fighters only want the dough and nothing else. e. And in the midst, the contractors and suppliers run havoc for the dough. f. And we express our hue and cry except during election/dough season. I cannot help but say it is a failed state indeed. Only if Hon’ble A.Z Phizo was here in spirit to wreak havoc on our miserable state and whip the cream out of everybody. God bless Nagaland. Give me more space for words, it’s not enough to share! • Yes. Our State is a failed state indeed because our leaders lack moral values compounded by insurgency problems. Our economy is zero. We are more than 50 years behind our neighboring states which is a shame. • When we see the scenario of our present atmosphere who will boldly say that no Nagaland s not a failed state... every structure of our land is a failure starting from Spiritual to Political and social life. we made a high n adorabke promises becire God and before men but never achieved. We attempted to send forth 10k missionaries • Nothing progress in Nagaland, only VIP pocket and their property gets progress in blink of eyes. • Yes, because younger generation has become hypocrite keyboard warrior so distance away from reality and they are so consumed by branded outfits they have lost their grounding. They become nothing but western and indian fashion and media worshipper. The older generation has become so corrupted and shameless they will even shame Adam and Eve serpent, they are so drunk with money, just for it they can sacrifice their families..... • we have send our representatives who cannot represent us • Yes Nagaland is a failed state. Naga Youths does not have the market to do business in our own economy even when one has finance to do business but the rest does not even have market ,Finance and business skills also. Educated Youths awaiting for govt jobs has to resort to Backdoor appointments with Job Advertisement few once in a blue moon by certain Departments only , while some doesn't even have the money to buy jobs nor has the quality and criteria to sit for exams also hence resulting in excess Govt job holders as well as abundant Unemployed Educated Youths in Nagaland. Roads are remarkably pathethic which shows how well connected we are. Govt employees are starving with many departments not been salary for months. We have NLTP but in the name of NLTP we can see so many shops selling mineral water alone which disguise as Wine store . • YES...it is a failed State...there are lot of areas and loopholes to justify that three letter word...be it in economic, social and political fields and i think it will take more than another 3 decades to see some changes in our State unless we do away with corruption, nepotism n so on but to do away with it should start from the grassroot level....the public also need to introspect and retrospect themselves if we really want to see some changes in our State.... • Yes, spineless and corrupt government backed by an inefficient bureaucracy leading to stagnancy in developmental activities in the state and also supported knowingly or unknowingly by the complacent public who are also to blame for much of the mess we are in today. • Yes where else would you have an assembly session of fifteen minutes when the state machinery has ground to a standstill • Yes its a failed state. There's no question about it even T.R. is a failed subject (zero mark to be precise) .. lol Jokes apart our state machinery has failed to live up to their expectations. The height of corruption is so high in Nagaland that an entire battalion were appointed to keep the matter silent, that's what i heard .. • Yes because political problem, unemployed youth, insufficient profes-
sional institutions, backdoor appointment, poor farmer rich politician etc etc • Yes of course why not, cause 'failed state' is the closest of the description that can describe the condition of our state at this current scenario. If anyone is denying this you are either a complete nut crack or living in a fantasy world. How much more failure can we get than this when everything in the state is falling apart!. None of our leaders or top of the ruling bureaucracy has control over the state economy (well we don't have no economy anyways), no one has control over law and order situations as you can only see everyday when a slightest of an incident happens, the entire government law and order machinery gets helplessly cracks up and scrambles to " i have absolutely no idea what i need to do" mode. Atrocious corruption and lies is what we drink and live everyday, then there is this so called national hoodlums brandishing the entire citizens with weapons into fear, letting nothing to flourish. The ruling elites are robbing every penny for their generations to come and the church....... well let me tell you, most religious will never make our state better until we make up our minds and sweat to make a difference. I fear the direction in which our state is going will only end in a bloody consequence, but perhaps that's the only way to cleanse our nature, hopefully i will have long gone when this happens. • Yes. No changes and no development .... nagaland government do need hear the plight of its people! • Nagaland is a failed state because on one side we have a government without opposition ( in a failed state, such an arrangement goes by the nomenclature UNITY GOVERNMENT), while on the other hand we
70%
10% YES
NO
20% OTHER
have multiple governments. There is corruption in every aspect of day to day life of a commoner. The legitimate Government is actually not the one calling the shots... so I must say, Nagaland is a failed state under the facade of a growing state. • Nagaland is a failure because there are no avenues for progress, it is a failed state because from church leaders to Politicians and common people alike all are corrupted from the core... Now the question is how can we make it a better place for our Children? Who will bring the change? • Yes. Government mismanagement and corruption, deficiency of basic infrastructures (specially roads), Absence of law and order and declining public moral standards (fuel adulteration, unethical butchers, politicians lying about their edu - etc.,), rising unemployment, unproductive local economy, poor relation with neighbouring states, lack of inspiring leadership and visionless society, tribalistic mentality with increasing inter-tribal animosity, stupid citizens and a general public apathy to all social ills. All these symptoms certainly points to a very sick state ..... and maybe a failed state. • Let's focus on one most important issue i,e good quality Roads: Now, if the politicians and concerned Deptt. blame Geological and weather condition then, I see many pot holes on concrete surface (Bridges). What can we expect ... Totally a failed state. I hope that will justify my point. • Yes, Nagaland is a failed state in all aspects. There is no sign of any development, progress and the public is struggling for survival. What-
ever sanctions received for the public are being loaded by the public makers and the politicians. Educated unemployed youths are increasing alarmingly because nothing is done for employment avenues. What a corrupted state? • Yes. Too many governments. Non effective opposition. Nagaland for Christ - loud noise, no deeds. Money mongering citizens, selfish and proud. No production, not self-sufficient. Crawlers and beggars, the proud Nagas, for money from the GoI. A curse from God. • Yes. Heart says a conflicting NO, but eyes say a resolute YES. Talk about the organs of the state. The biggest failures are the legislative, executive and bureaucracy. They no longer possess any shame, remorse or guilt to degrade and exploit our state and its people; mere puppets with no principle and consciousness. This pathetic state of affair has effectively trickled down on its citizens who have supplemented in the decay of our state. The need is for a fresh new leader, a real “leader” unlike the morons we’ve had since 75’, who can lead this state in the right direction with a sincere and undiluted vision and one who upholds the truth. The effect of such a revelation will slowly trickle down from the top to the bottom with time. Until that, a glimmer of hope in the form of a few upcoming bureaucrats, NGOs, entrepreneurs, professionals who share the vision of a better Nagaland is all that seems to persist. • Yes. The present nagaland state is indian create state with intention of divide and rule by the first PM Nehru and the first HM Sadar Patel through force and suppression. The hidden, silent and peaceful existing naga nation is being divide trying to turn into a cluster of mere tribes under Indian union. The present nagaland state is not the nagaland state in real term and concept of a state. It is an Indian create unit of Administration of Indian Union for a few group of the nagas. This so called nagaland state failed to move for the unification of the nagas though for several times the cabinets of the state passed for that, with the passages of time the present state system makes more and more distant away from the rests of the nagas hooked by Nehruvian policy of suppression of the nagas. So it is failed but a success to India till date. • Yes. The so called nagaland state under Indian union was came into formed after ferocious threat, rampant killing, tortures and suppression, and weaken socio economic of the nagas by Indian forces. The nagas were force to surrender in regardless of their rightful consent and opinion to join in the Indian union. Few leaders of the nagas succumbed to that. In fact, there is no nagas' consent and opinion in the Indian Parliament by force the nagas persons have been present there in real sense through Indian create states. the present nagaland is working under the hypnotized of the Indian leaders damping thier own consent and opinion of the nationality. Therefore, as the Indian corrupts, the present nagaland state will be corrupted, as the Indian works to divide the nagas, the nagaland will work the same, dancing after the steps of the Indian Union as long as the Indian hypnotism works on upon the the nagas leaders. There will be failed until and unless turn to the right course of the Nagas Nation. Not only state functionaries but all the Nagas will be failed till you don't live as a Nation of God creation. Some of those who voted NO had this to say: • No. Nagaland is not a failed state, Nagas are. • No. Many including the legislators think this is a transitional period with a ray of hope for a better future for all including urban and rural citizens, far and near. It's like a woman in birth pangs. Great care must be taken lest negligence and indifference cause the death of both the child and the 54 year old mother (Nagaland). The mother has suffered enough! • NO, we did not failed. We made mistakes. The question is, when are we going to learn. • Reasonable answer for my side. No..might not be 100% yet Nagaland is almost progressing • The democratic pillars of polity and governance is a total failure but not a failed state. A lot can be achieved! Structural reforms and policy guidelines is a failure because the size of government is just expanding instead it has to be right size. Some of those who voted OTHERS had this to say: • Our elders tell that before the arrival of Christianity people were more honest, trusted, hard working and mutual respect for each other. By and large people don't know how to lie...maybe present day generation should inculcate the good practices of the past to bring changes to present situation. • Failed state is one (contextually) but primarily, Is Nagaland even a 'state'?...considering our 'political' history. • Which state is worse than Nagaland? Nagaland is a failed state because there is nothing in which Nagaland is excelling. • The term may not be applicable in its strictest definition but certainly Nagaland seems no better than the biblical Sodom and Gomorrah. • Words cannot express how the Nagaland government is running the State! Wish that the State is under President Rule for few months, so that all the corruption will be investigated by CBI.
8
MonDAY 25•07•2016
INDIA
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
Rajnath appeals for Kashmir peace, tells Pakistan to behave SriNagar, July 24 (iaNS): Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday urged Kashmiri youths to end their protests and ordered security forces to avoid pellet guns to bring peace in the Kashmir Valley. He also told Pakistan not to encourage people in Jammu and Kashmir to become terrorists. At the end of a two-day visit to the Kashmir Valley, Srinagar and Anantnag included, the minister said New Delhi was ready for talks that will help bring "peace and normalcy" in the state. His trip came amid the deadliest unrest in years that has left 45 people dead in violent stone-throwing protests following the July 8 killing of top pro-Pakistan rebel commander Burhan Wani. "I urge the youth of Kashmir not to engage in stone-pelting and also ask the security forces to avoid using pellet guns against protesters as far as possible," Rajnath Singh told reporters here. He reiterated his commitment in parliament that the central government would set up a team of ex-
Security forces urged to exercise restraint SriNagar, July 24 (reuTerS): India has asked its security forces to exercise restraint in responding to protests in disputed Kashmir and replace pellet guns with non-lethal weapons, its home affairs minister said on Sunday. Forty six people have been killed and more than 5,000 wounded, including security forces, since protests erupted after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8. Normal life remains paralysed because of the curfew imposed by the government and calls for a shutdown by separatist leaders. "I appeal to the youth not to resort to stone pelting and I also want to appeal to the security forces not to use pellets. I have told security forces to use maximum possible restraint," Rajnath Singh said, winding up his two-day visit to Kashmir. Kashmir has been at the centre of a tussle between New Delhi and Islamabad for decades, as both claim the region in full but rule it in part. "We don't need the involvement of a third party to address the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. I want to tell my neighbour that you are yourself a victim of terrorism," said Singh. perts to find ways of using non-lethal weapons to control mobs that will submit a report in two months. "I appeal to people to restore peace and normalcy," he said, adding New Delhi was ready for a "constructive" dialogue which can help in restoring normalcy in the troubled valley. He said he met at least 13 delegations during his stay in Srinagar and asked them "to help the government with constructive suggestions in bringing peace and normalcy. "If there are differences
7 lakh applicants for Punjab Police to face dope test ChaNDigarh, July 24 (iaNS): The Punjab government will get dope testing done on around seven lakh youth who have applied for hundreds of posts of constables in the Punjab Police, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said on Sunday. He said the state government has taken the decision to conduct dope tests on applicants for police jobs to bring out the reality regarding the drug addiction menace in Punjab as is being alleged by opposition parties."Such elements are trying day in and day out to defame Punjab and Punjabis but the SAD-BJP government would not let it happen. Dope tests would be conducted on around seven lakh youth who have applied for police recruitment," Badal said in Amritsar on Sunday. "The results of this would be a tight slap on the face of anti-Punjab forces who were hell bent upon to defame Punjabis. I urge the media persons to themselves witness the dope tests and present the real picture to the people," he said. The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, which has been in power in Punjab since 2007 in alliance with the BJP, and its leadership is being openly accused by opposition Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of patronizing the multi-million dollar drugs mafia in the state.Studies done by various agencies and organizations in recent years have indicated that substance abuse, including drugs, is rampant across Punjab, especially in rural areas. The extent of the substance abuse is put by some surveys at over 70 per cent out of Punjab's 2.8 crore population.
Salman Khan poaching case: Court to pronounce verdict today JaiPur, July 24 (iaNS): The Rajasthan High Court in Jodhpur is expected to pronounce on Monday its verdict in the blackbuck and chinkara poaching cases related to actor Salman Khan, officials said on Sunday. Salman has appealed before the high court challenging the lower court's verdict that had handed him one and five years' imprisonment, respectively, in the two separate cases of poaching. The hearing was completed in these cases in the last week of May and the decision was reserved by the high court. In case, the court maintains the lower court's verdict, he will have to go to Jodhpur central jail once again. Khan and seven others are accused of killing a blackbuck and chinkara in two separate incidents. One of the animals was killed at Bhawad on the outskirts of Jodhpur on September 26, 1998, and the other at Ghoda Farms on September 28, 1998. At that time, they were shooting for the film "Hum Sath Sath Hain". Salman has been lodged in Jodhpur jail earlier too.
Poverty-stricken woman sells off goats to construct toilet PaTNa, July 24 (iaNS): In a rare move, a povertystricken woman chose to sell her four goats for financing the construction of a toilet at her house in a village in Bihar's Rohtas district over the treatment for her paralysed husband as she considers it a shame for a woman to defecate in the open. Shanti Devi, in her early 40s, had kept four goats to raise money for the medical treatment of her husband, who has been paralysed over one-anda-half-years. "I have sold my four goats to raise money to construct a toilet," Shanti, resident of Khaira Bhutha village, said. She said it was a shame for a woman to defecate in the open and a toilet in every home is a must. Admitting that the decision was a tough one, Shanti said: "I strongly felt that constructing a toilet is more important than medical treatment of my husband." "After selling my goats, the toilet is under construction. It will be completed soon," she added. Rohtas District Magistrate (DM) Animesh Kumar Parasahar said Shanti will be provided monetary assistance from the Chief Minister's Medical Fund. "I will ensure that she gets Rs 12,000 for toilet construction and other help for treatment of her husband from the Chief Minister's Medical Fund," the DM said.
of opinion, those can be resolved through dialogue." Asked if the government was ready to talk to separatist leaders, Rajnath Singh didn't rule it out but said normalcy was the priority. "Let us first ensure normalcy. Then, we can decide whether we talk to separatists or any other group." Saying the Indian government would never tolerate terrorism, the minister said while Pakistan carried out operations against militants in Islamabad's Lal Masjid in July 2007, they encouraged youths to take
up arms in Kashmir. "I would like to tell our neighbouring country, you are affected by terrorism. You had to storm the Lal Masjid to kill the terrorists. But on the other hand, you appeal to Kashmiri youth to take up guns. "This should stop.... Pakistani's role is not 'pak' (pure) on Kashmir. They must change their attitude and mindset vis-a-vis Jammu and Kashmir." Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had hailed the slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander
as a "martyr" who fought for Kashmir's "Azadi". And on Friday, Sharif said his country was waiting for the day Kashmir becomes a part of Pakistan. Rajnath Singh, in no ambiguous terms, asked Pakistan to stop meddling in Kashmir affairs. "We do not need the involvement of any third power to address the Kashmir situation." He said his government didn't want "a relationship with Kashmir that is forcible and based on necessities. We want to build a relationship based on emotional bonds." He said steps were being taken to ensure Kashmir becomes a "firdous" or heaven again, remembering a famous Persian couplet that praises the serene beauty of the land and refers to it as the "paradise on Earth". "I have spoken with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and assured her that any injured person who are unable to get proper medical treatment here can be sent to Delhi for treatment. We will ensure they are treated at AIIMS."
Hunt for missing Indian Air Force plane goes into third day
New Delhi, July 24 (reuTerS): The massive hunt for an Indian Air Force plane that went missing in stormy monsoon weather over the Bay of Bengal on Friday with 29 people on board dragged into a third day on Sunday. Air Force and Navy officials said the search was continuing but no signs of any wreckage had so far been found. Local media channels reported that clear skies and improved weather on Sunday could aid ongoing search efforts, which In-
dia's Defence Ministry said on Saturday were hampered by choppy seas and thick monsoon clouds in the search area. Sixteen ships, a submarine and six aircraft are searching for the plane that disappeared on a routine re-supply flight to remote islands in the Bay of Bengal on Friday. The Russian-made AN32 was on its way to Port Blair, the capital of India's Andaman and Nicobar islands, when it vanished from radar. There were 21 military
personnel on board the missing plane including six crew. The remainder were civilians and some family members of soldiers deployed on the islands. IANS adds: The Indian Navy has pressed a flotilla of vessels including a submarine to locate the missing AN-32 which went off the radar two days ago over the Pay of Bengal just half hour after taking off from Chennai. There has been no trace of the plane or debris. There are also no signals from the transporter, officials said.
Enough of this 'secular' stuff, proclaim India a Hindu state: Shiv Sena MuMbai, July 24 (iaNS): Wondering how long attacks on the security forces will go on in Kashmir, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday demanded that India be proclaimed a 'Hindu state'. "We have to decide now... enough of this 'secular' stuff. The only option left is to declare India a 'Hindu Rashtra' if attacks on Hindus have to be prevented," Thackeray said in his annual birthday eve interview. The first of the three-part interview was published on Sunday in the party mouthpieces Saamana (Marathi) and Dopaharka Saamana (Hindi) ahead of his 56th birthday on July 27.
Thackeray was speaking to the dailies' Executive Editor and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut. The Sena chief said: "If speaking about Hindutva is a crime, at least shed the false pretensions of secularism -- as the country is now stuck between the two (Hindutva and secularism). "When Hindus are being targeted and attacked, where are these secularists? What about the Sanatan Sanstha, which is being crushed like a snake? We don't support them, but let the truth about the Sanatan Sanstha come out once and for all. Merely talking and labelling them will not serve the cause of justice," Thackeray said. Persons linked to the
Sanstha have been accused of involvement in the murder of rationalist and author Narendra Achyut Dabholkar in 2013 and left-wing author Govind Pansare in 2015. He agreed with Raut that attempts are being to decimate Hindutva groups in the country, which he termed "strange". "The Hindus are in a majority, yet they are subjected to atrocities. They elected this government with the hope and confidence of improving their lot, but the same old story as before (Congress rule) continues," Thackeray said. Dwelling on a variety of issues, Thackeray said people were at a loss and don't understand what is going on in
the country. "Why is Jammu and Kashmir suddenly up in flames? Who's responsible for this? Hindus were targeted by the Kashmiri youth on the warpath. The Amarnath Yatra was stopped, soldiers and police have been attacked without any fear and they (separatists) raise anti-India slogans. For how long will this go on," Thackeray wondered. The Sena leader compared the current situation in the country, especially in Jammu and Kashmir, as "foggy" -- which he said was a matter of utmost concern for his party. "Right from the times of (Shiv Sena founder) Bal Thackeray, Shiv Sena has
espoused the cause of Hindutva, and fought for the country. Whenever Hindutva was under threat, he (Bal Thackeray) immediately intervened to offer hope to the beleaguered Hindus -- but the others simply mouth 'Hindutva' and enjoy the fruits of power," he said. As for Pakistan, Thackeray claimed that "only the Shiv Sena is giving them a tough challenge, opposing their artistes, actors and crickters"."But only the Shiv Sena has suffered -- what are the Hindus in other parties doing? They seem to be listening to ghazals and watching cricket matches. It's high time all Hindus unite for the country," Thackeray said.
India expels 3 Chinese journalists Govt fixes year-end target of New Delhi, July 24 (DeC- intelligence agencies about the nhua was confirmed the devel100% Aadhaar-linked DBT CaN ChroNiCle): India has three journalists. They were sus- opment in Beijing, the ministry decided to expel three senior Chinese journalists employed with China's official news agency Xinhua following "concerns" flagged by the intelligence agencies. According to reports, Wu Qiang, Xinhua bureau chief in Delhi, along with two of his Mumbai-based colleagues Lu Tang and She Yonggang, were asked to leave the country by July 31. This is probably the first time that India has asked Chinese journalists to leave the country in this manner. This was done because of adverse reports from
pected of impersonating other people and visiting restricted facilities under assumed names. The reports led the authorities to cancel the visas of the three Xinhua employees. Wu had been staying in India on an extended visa for 6 years. His two colleagues had also been given visa extensions. Xinhua is the most influential news agency in China, being the mouthpiece of the government in a country where the media is tightly controlled. Its president is said to be a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. While Xi-
of external affairs (MEA) chose not to officially comment on the issue. The decision to not renew the visas of Chinese journalists comes in the middle of a blowup between the two nations over Beijing's role in blocking India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). India, a non-NPT signatory, has singled out China for creating "procedural hurdles" to block its membership. Beijing has stood its ground saying that NPT, which India refuses to sign, remained the cornerstone for international non-proliferation regime
New Delhi, July 24 (PTi): All Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) will be linked to Aadhaar by the end of the current calendar year. While setting the ambitious target, the Centre has also decided to bring all subsidies and welfare schemes under the DBT net by March 31, 2017. The DBT programme, a major reform initiative to check leakages of welfare funds, was launched on January 1, 2013 with regard to 24 selected schemes of eight ministries. At present, benefits under 74 schemes of 17 ministries are being reached to the targeted people through DBT. It has also been decided to have a DBT cell in all central government ministries and state governments. "An ambitious target of ensuring all centrally sponsored welfare and subsidy schemes are brought on DBT by March 2017, has been set," a senior official in Cabinet Secretariat said. Till date, about Rs 1.2 lakh crore has been disbursed through the DBT platform to nearly 30 crore beneficiaries. Through DBT, all cash benefits are transferred directly to the beneficiarys bank account. In order to give further fillip to the programme, DBT Mission was last year shifted to Cabinet Secretariat and its implementation is being monitored by the Prime Minister’s Office.
Motorcycle-ambulances help saves lives in Chhattisgarh forests Ashish Mishra IANS
When eight months pregnant Sukmi's water broke she was in Ongnarpal, a village deep in the jungle of Chhattisgarh where four wheelers cannot reach and the hospital was miles away. However, help arrived in the form of a motorcycle ambulance and Sukmi made it to the hospital "just in time" and delivered a beautiful baby girl. The motorcycle-ambulance is a new concept in India that is saving lives in remote regions where people had been dying because they could not make it to the hospital on time. Sukmi and her baby would not have survived had it not been for the motorcycle -ambulance that was able to ferry her from her remote village and take her to the civil hospital in Narayanpur district. Her case is not exceptional. The motorcycleambulance has saved the
Motorcycle Ambulance carrying a patient inside. (IANS Photo)
lives of over 200 pregnant women and helped see a drop in maternal and infant mortality rate in the Maoist-hit Narayanpur district of Bastar division in Chhattisgarh. The ambulance, which had seen success in African countries, is a modified four-stoke motorcycle fitted with a side-carriage customised for the comfort of the patient.
Given the maze-type forest terrain, which can perplex any outsider, these two wheelers are driven by local riders only, who are trained to provide basic necessary first aid. Health specialist at UNICEF, Ajay Trakroo says the motorcycle-ambulance project was initiated last year and supported by the UNICEF in collaboration with an NGO, Saathi
Samaj Sevi Sanstha, and the Health Department of the state government. "Pregnant women are our main focus in the area as mortality rate is high in this conflict bound region of Chhattisgarh. With this experiment we are trying to provide necessary health care to the pregnant women of this Maoist-affected tribal and hard-to- reach forest area," Trakroo told IANS.
He said the motorcycle ambulance's USP is that it can be operated in hard to reach areas. It is a referral ambulance, that means it only ferries the patient to the hospital. As of now there is only one motorcycle-ambulance in the entire state which serves the pregnant women and other serious patients in whole of Bastar division. On expansion of the project, Trakroo said that ten more motorcycle ambulances will be deployed soon. "Though 108 ambulance services operate in Narayanpur, these cannot reach deep into the forest or hilly terrain where many villages are situated. This is where the motorcycle ambulance plays a vital role. We will bring 10 more motorcycle ambulances in a few months," Trakroo said. The National Institute of Technology (NIT), Raipur is working to improve the design of the motorcycle ambulance to enhance efficiency.
"We are focusing on increasing the power of the motorcycle and the stability of the ambulance with help of NIT," Trakroo added. The ambulance costs Rs 1.7 lakh and Rs 15,000 per month is investment to keep it running. Founding member of Saathi NGO, Bhupesh Tiwari says that before the motorcycle ambulance was introduced cases of unorganised delivery were high and mothers used to die often due to lack of proper treatment. He said that the motorcycle-ambulance has successfully ferried over 300 patients to the hospitals from "adverse areas", of whom 80 per cent are pregnant women. "After the inception of this project the number of organised deliveries has increased in this conflict bound region. It will certainly improve the infant as well as maternal mortality rate in the region," Tiwari told IANS.
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Turkish prez Erdogan gains upper hand in power struggle ISTANBUL, JULY 24 (ReUTeRS): At the crossroads between a divided Europe and a convulsed Middle East, Turkey is caught in a power struggle between former Islamist allies which is shaking democratic institutions and raises questions about its future path. Since a failed coup on July 15, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) founded by President Tayyip Erdogan has gained the upper hand in its battle with clandestine networks in the military, judiciary and bureaucracy loyal to U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. This fight to the bitter end has alarmed the West and unsettled the country of 80 million, which borders the chaos in Iraq and Syria and is a Western ally against Islamic State. Erdogan accuses Gulen of masterminding the attempted coup by a faction within the military and has rounded up more than 60,000 people in an operation which he hopes will cleanse Turkey of what he calls the Gulenist “virus”. The purges, carried out as Turkey faces attacks by Islamist State and a revived struggle with Kurdish militants, go beyond the more than 100 generals and 6,000 soldiers held, or the nearly 3,000 judges detained. They already encompass 21,000 teachers and much of the academic community, and new targets in a media already hit by years of firings and fines, jailings and closures. “They are traitors,” Erdogan told Reuters in an
A supporter holds a flag depicting Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during a pro-government demonstration in Ankara, Turkey on July 20. (REUTERS Photo)
interview on Thursday. He described Gulen’s network as “like a cancer” and said he would treat them like a “separatist terrorist organisation” and root them out, wherever they may be. Gulen, 75, denies plotting against the state and suggested the day after the abortive coup that it may have been staged to justify a crackdown on his followers. The millions of members of Gulen’s “Hizmet” (Service) movement do not outwardly identify as supporters. Since the failed coup many are going even further underground, refusing to take calls or trying to leave the country. Some followers are
dumping books in the woods and publishers are getting rid of their stocks, said Nedim Sener, an investigative journalist at Posta newspaper who wrote a book on the Gulen movement’s efforts to infiltrate the state and was jailed in 2011 for more than a year. A senior journalist at a Gulen-affiliated newspaper, speaking on condition of anonymity because he feared reprisals, said he and other editors were afraid to go to the paper’s office in the days following the failed coup and that their printers refused to continue publishing. “I advised my colleagues not to go to the of-
fice for their own safety,” he said. “The newspaper has become a liability, it has just disappeared ... I’m afraid for my family and for my life. It’s dangerous to go outside.” Asked if he was a follower of Gulen’s teachings, he said: “Answering this question could now be used as evidence against me. Now I could be prosecuted for a book I keep at home ... Everyone is too afraid to call their friends, worried this will cause their detention. It’s a climate of fear everywhere.”
president. When he first came to power, he led a reinvented Muslim conservative party wary of fiercely secularist generals and judges who had closed a series of Islamist parties. In the skirmishing that followed, and after the army and the courts tried to push aside the AKP in 2007-08, Erdogan turned for help to Gulen, whose movement had built a loyal following among police, prosecutors and civil servants. Gulen, a Muslim imam self-exiled in Pennsylvania since 1999, has built a franALLIES TURNED FOES chise of schools in Turkey Erdogan was prime and around the world, prominister from 2003 un- moting the importance of til 2014, when he became education, scientific prog-
ress, religious coexistence and fighting poverty. After their ascent to power, Erdogan and the AKP became dependent on the Gulenists in their common fight against the army. It was mainly Gulenist prosecutors who, after Erdogan and his party narrowly escaped being banned in 2008, built two big conspiracy trials targeting the upper echelons of the army. These two cases, known as Ergenekon and Sledgehammer, netted more than 40 generals, but also swept up opponents of both the ruling party and the Gulenists. It later became clear after many charges were dismissed that bogus evidence had been used. Yet at the time, the Gulenists’ apparent success in helping Erdogan break the army’s grip on Turkish politics emboldened them to demand more power in the security services and the army. “It is essentially not a struggle about ideology because their ideology is so similar. Both want to turn Turkey into a more conservative Islamised society,” said one Turkey analyst who asked not to be named after the declaration of emergency laws which could hit those critical of the state. “It is a struggle about power and that alliance broke down because of disagreement over power-sharing.” PURSUIT OF POWER If Gulenist penetration of state institutions is as deep as the purges suggest, then much of it must have
happened while Erdogan was in charge. “We never considered even the possibility that they might be involved in this kind of a treason. They were citizens of our country and we supported them to the fullest as citizens of our country,” Erdogan told Reuters. Sener said there had been a tendency to see Gulen as a religious leader, but he has always rejected this. “He is a man who is in pursuit of power and power alone. Fethullah Gulen and his followers want to take over the organs of the state,” he said. “Had (Erdogan) taken this seriously he would have cleaned this up years ago. But he never imagined the guns would be turned on him.” The struggle between the former allies started in late 2011. Erdogan had been reelected that summer for a third term as prime minister, making no secret of his presidential ambitions. His posters emphasised power until 2023, the centenary of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s founding of the modern republic. But when he suddenly had to pull back from the political fray and undergo surgery, prosecutors assumed to be loyal to Gulen targeted Hakan Fidan, Erdogan’s intelligence chief. This apparent attempt to push Gulenist influence into the security services was like targeting Erdogan himself, who complained of betrayal, asking publicly: “What is it that we didn’t give you that you wanted?” Tit-for-tat battles fol-
lowed, electrifying Turkish politics. END OF THE MOVEMENT? This degree of state infiltration, and the damaging leaks by prosecutors, revealed a power structure Erdogan loyalists described as a “parallel state” intent on taking power. “It has aspirations to capture the state. They certainly came quite a long way in reaching this objective, they have certainly been helped and assisted by the AKP,” said Sinan Ulgen, head of the liberal EDAM think tank in Istanbul and a fellow at the Carnegie Europe think tank. “When AKP came to power they established an alliance. It helped to populate the Turkish administration with Gulenists.” Government officials say the Gulenists have carefully planned to seize state institutions for over three decades by using their schools and universities to prepare civil servants, something the AKP found difficult to match when it took power. “This is the more benign face of the movement but there is a dark face,” Ulgen said, adding that it has steadily become more powerful over the past decade and succeeded in penetrating bodies such as the police, judiciary and prosecution service. “This movement will end,” said Sener. “There are a few who are still hidden... To a very large extent, this is the end of the Gulen movement in Turkey.”
Bangladesh arrests four female Attacking Trump, Democrat Tim Anger, mourning in Afghanistan militants in hunt for cafe attackers Kaine makes campaign-trail debut after Kabul suicide attack
DhAKA, JULY 24 (ReUTeRS): Police in Bangladesh arrested on Sunday four female members of a homegrown militant group blamed for a bloody attack on a cafe in which 22 people were killed, most of them foreigners, an officer said. Authorities have intensified a hunt for militants after 5 young men stormed the upmarket restaurant popular with foreigners on July 1. Among those killed were 9 Italians, 7 Japanese, an American and an Indian. The five militants were gunned down when security forces moved in. Police believe that Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a banned group that has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, played a significant role in organising the group of privileged, educated young men who carried out the attack. The four women members of the group, aged 18 to 30, who were arrested from the northwestern district of Sirajganj, were believed to have been plotting an attack, police said. “Acting on a tip-off, our force raided a rented house where a large amount of grenade-making materials, crude bombs and jihadi books were also found,” district police superintendent Siraj Uddin Ahmed told reporters. The women would be interrogated to determine if they had any link to the Dhaka cafe attack, he said. On Thursday, four other members of the banned group, including a regional head, were arrested. The cafe attack was one of the worst militant attacks ever in Bangladesh.
MIAMI/WAShINGTON, JULY 24 (ReUTeRS): Democrat Tim Kaine made his first appearance on the campaign trail as Hillary Clinton’s vice presidential running mate on Saturday, touting an optimistic view of America and leaping to attack Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s record. Joining Clinton at a rally in the battleground state of Florida, the bilingual Kaine peppered Spanishlanguage phrases into a speech focused on introducing himself to voters unfamiliar with the low-key U.S. senator from Virginia. Kaine criticized Trump’s recent suggestion he might not honor U.S. security commitments to NATO in Europe, and the real estate mogul’s history of casino bankruptcies and founding the failed Trump University. “When Donald Trump says he has your back, you better watch out,” Kaine said, with Clinton sit-
ting at his side nodding. “He leaves a trail of broken promises and wrecked lives wherever he goes. We can’t afford to let him do the same thing to our country.” In contrast, he said, Clinton “doesn’t insult people, she listens to them. What a novel concept.” He said they shared a common creed: “Do all the good you can.” Clinton unveiled her choice of Kaine late on Friday, grabbing the political spotlight from Trump, who accepted the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday night after a chaotic four-day convention. The former secretary of state will formally be nominated as her party’s presidential candidate in the Nov. 8 election at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia, which opens on Monday. In choosing the soft-spoken Kaine, a former Richmond mayor and Virginia governor with
a long establishment resume, Clinton opted for a steady and experienced hand who she hopes will offer a clear alternative to Trump’s volatile campaign and his Republican vice presidential choice Mike Pence. “Senator Tim Kaine is everything Donald Trump and Mike Pence are not. He is qualified to step into this job and lead on day one,” Clinton told the Miami crowd. Trump was unimpressed, saying on Twitter he had watched the joint appearance and “ISIS and our other enemies are drooling. They don’t look presidential to me!” In his speech, Kaine said he was an optimist and described his childhood in Kansas City helping his father in his metal-working shop and his Catholic mission to Honduras, where he helped teenagers with carpentry and welding An Afghan woman weeps at the site of a suicide attack in Kabul, and they taught him Spanish.
ASEAN deadlocked on South China Sea after Cambodia blocks statement ing the ruling, throwing the group into disarray. Cambodia supports China’s opposition to an ASEAN stand on the South China Sea, and Beijing’s preference for dealing with the disputed claims on a bilateral basis.
Chinese dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea in this still image from video taken by a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft provided by the United States Navy. (REUTERS File Photo)
VIeNTIANe, JULY 24 (ReUTeRS): Southeast Asian nations failed to find common ground on maritime disputes in the South China Sea on Sunday after Cambodia stuck to its demand the group make no reference to an international court ruling against Beijing in a statement, diplomats said. Foreign ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met for the first time since the U.N.-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague handed an emphatic legal victory to the Philippines in the maritime dispute earlier this month. The ruling denied China’s sweeping claims in the strategic seaway, through which more than $5 trillion in global
trade passes each year. China claims most of the sea, but ASEAN members the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei all have rival claims. Beijing says the ruling has no bearing on its rights in the sea, and described the case as a farce. The Philippines and Vietnam both wanted the communique issued by ASEAN foreign ministers to refer to the ruling and the need to respect international law, ASEAN diplomats said on Sunday. Their foreign ministers both discussed the ruling in the closed-door meeting with ASEAN counterparts in Laos on Sunday, sources said. But in the run up to the meeting, China’s closest ASEAN ally Cambodia has put up opposition to mention-
FIRST DEADLOCK SINCE 2012 Cambodia’s foreign minister Prak Sokhon declined to comment on his country’s position on Sunday. Despite a late night meeting of foreign ministers called to thrash out the issue late on Saturday, the region’s top diplomats were unable to find a compromise. ASEAN is now facing the prospect of being unable to issue a statement after a meeting for only the second time in its 49-year history. The first time, in 2012, was also due to Cambodia’s resistance to language around the South China Sea. “We have been here before and I hope they can solve it,” said one official from the ASEAN Secretariat in Indonesia. “It is the same story again, a repeat of the meeting in 2012.” The group has given itself until Tuesday to come to an agreement and issue a statement, said one ASEAN diplomat. Over the next two days, ASEAN members will meet with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. Wang, who started bilateral meetings with ASEAN members on Sunday, declined to talk to reporters on arrival in Vientiane. Japan’s Foreign Minister Fumiko Kishida will also be in Laos for the ASE-
AN regional forum meeting. It is unclear if he will meet Wang, but China reacted angrily to Kishida saying he would discuss the sea if they do meet. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang, in a statement posted on the ministry’s website, said the sea is not Japan’s concern. “We urge Japan not to hype up and meddle in the South China Sea issue,” he said. “Japan is not a concerned party in the South China Sea, and because of its disgraceful history is in no place to make irresponsible comments about China.” The United States, allied to the Philippines and cultivating closer relations with Vietnam, has called on China to respect the court’s ruling. It has criticized China’s building of artificial islands and facilities in the sea and has sailed warships close to the disputed territory to assert freedom of navigation rights. But Kerry will urge ASEAN nations to explore diplomatic ways to ease tension over Asia’s biggest potential military flashpoint, a senior U.S. official said ahead of his trip. Chinese state media called for “damage control” at the meetings. A commentary published by the official Xinhua news agency on Sunday said the court ruling was a “blow to peace and stability in the region.... and only serves to increase the likelihood of confrontation and turbulence.” Barack Obama is set in September to become the first U.S. president to visit Laos, attending an annual summit hosted by the country that holds the ASEAN chairmanship.
Afghanistan on July 23. (REUTERS Photo)
KABUL, JULY 24 (ReUTeRS): Relatives of some of those killed in a big suicide attack in Kabul searched through a bloodied assortment of belongings left after the twin blasts as they prepared for funerals on Sunday in a mood of growing anger with political leaders. “Those are my cousin’s sandals,” said Sayed Mohammad as he stood in a crowd of people looking for anything familiar among the remnants spread out by authorities on an Afghan flag in the Dashte-Barchi area of Kabul where the funerals will take place. Sayed’s cousin was one of four relatives he lost on Saturday when suicide bombers set off twin blasts at a demonstration by members of the mainly Shi’ite Hazara community who were protesting against the planned route of a power line. “His dead body is in a hospital. He was the only bread winner of his family. I’m looking here if I can find anything more from other relatives.” President Ashraf Ghani announced a national day of mourning after the attack, claimed by Islamic State. At least 80 people were killed and more than 230 wounded in one of the worst bombings since the fall of the Taliban government in 2001. The attack, described by the top U.N. official in Afghanistan as a “war crime”, drew a shocked reaction from across the world, with condemnation and offers of support from countries including Russia and the United States. But for some, there was a sense of fury at both the government and Hazara political leaders who they said have exploited the grievances of their community at longstanding discrimination to shore up their own power bases. “They sold us and we will never forget this,” said Ghulam Abbas, a Hazara mourner. “They’ve built skyscrapers for themselves and their families from our blood.” The Hazara, a Persian-speaking minority who make up about 9 percent of the population, have by and large supported Ghani’s government, which includes some of their senior leaders, but many complain bitterly that their support has not been returned. Saturday’s protest over the route of a multimillion dollar power line, which demonstrators wanted to re-route through two provinces with large Hazara populations, had become a touchstone for a wider sense of injustice. The demonstration took place under tight security, with much of Kabul blocked off. But there was disagreement in the Hazara community as well as in the government about whether it should have gone ahead given the obvious risk of an attack. For many, such as 42 year-old Dost Mohammad, who was nearby when the two explosions went off, there was a sense of abandonment by the authorities. “With all this misery, the government doesn’t care about its own citizens.”
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THE MORUNG EXPRESS
india's olympics sprint hope dutee pleads for new running shoes
New Delhi, July 24 (iANS): Dutee Chand is sprinting hard and she has her aim set -- the coveted gold medal at the Rio Olympics where she would compete in the 100-metre event, the first Indian woman to do so in 36 years. Dutee has brought her chequered career back on track by clinching Olympic qualification earlier this month with a national record. This 20-year-old from Odisha is now aiming to do what no Indian athlete has managed so far -- win a gold medal at 'the greatest show on earth'. "I will compete with the best sprinters in the world. So, I am taking rigorous training and devoting all my time towards better performance and clinch the gold medal at the Olympics," Dutee told IANS in an interview. However, the ace sprinter is unhappy with the lack of support from the government and asserted that more should be done to encourage Indian athletes. "My main concern is to acquire a new pair of spike shoes, as mine are worn out," Dutee said. Dutee had wanted to undergo a training stint in the US which ultimately never happened due to government indifference and believes that her Olympic qualification would have come much earlier if the stint had materialised. "If I had gone to train in the US, I would have qualified much earlier and would have been training for the Olympics."
crawford out-points postol to unify Wbo, Wbc super lightweight world titles loS ANgeleS, July 24 (AFP): Unbeaten Terence Crawford punched his way to a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision over Viktor Postol Saturday to unify the World Boxing Organization and World Boxing Council super lightweight world titles. Crawford, who improved to 29-0 with 20 knockouts, dropped Postol twice in the fifth round to seize control of the bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, with two judges scoring it 118107 for the American and the third seeing it 117-108. In handing Postol his first defeat in 29 fights, Crawford not only added the Ukrainian's WBC belt to his own WBO title, he put himself in line for a potential date with Manny Pacquiao in the Filipino's return to the ring likely later this year in Las Vegas.
"It's whatever," Crawford said of a possible fight with Pacquiao. "I let my coaches handle that. I'm a fighter. I'll fight anybody. I'm looking forward to the biggest and best fights to get me to that next level." Crawford, 28, was content to feel Postol out over the first three rounds, before landing a series of damaging lefts in the fourth. He had Postol's knee on the canvas in the opening seconds of the fifth with a right hook, and sent him down again in the same round with another left. As Postol struggled to deal with Crawford's quick, erratic movement, the American won round after round, staggering Postol again in the ninth. Postol tried to pour it on in the 12th, but Crawford didn't yield. "I just stick to what I
knew -- boxing," Crawford said. "They say he's got the best jab in my division, I proved different today." On the undercard, unbeaten Oscar Valdez stopped previously unbeaten Matias Rueda in the second round to claim the vacant WBO featherweight world title. Mexico's Valdez, a two-time Olympian who improved to 21-0 with 18 knockouts as a professional, staggered Rueda in the first round and dropped him twice in the second with body shots -- with Rueda failing to rise the second time. Rueda fell to 26-1 with 23 knockouts. "This was my dream since I was eight years old," said Valdez. "It is the dream we shared, me and my father. I just work hard in the gym. We got to accomplish our dream. Now I want to
fight the best. Whoever it is, Vasyl Lomachenko, after ganization super featherlet's do it." Valdez won the he moved up in weight and weight world title in just his title vacated by Ukraine's won the World Boxing Or- seventh pro bout.
Record 292 women in 555-strong U.S. team
McA accepts sc verdict in toto, pawar to quit president's post MuMbAi, July 24 (PTi): Mumbai Cricket Association president Sharad Pawar will quit his position in six months' time after the state body accepted the Supreme Court verdict on sweeping reforms in the BCCI and its affiliates in toto. In a press conference after the Managing Committee meeting here today, the 75-year-old Maharashtra strongman, who has been both ICC and BCCI chief, said he accepted the Supreme Court's verdict, which puts an age cap of 70 years for cricket administrators. However, he added that the MCA will take six months to implement the apex court's orders, which effectively means he will not retire immediately. "I respect the judiciary and will be happy and contended to retire from cricket administration. As you know during my time in the BCCI (as its president) and MCA, several things have been accomplished in support of cricket," Pawar said. The MCA chief said the state association will now set into motion the process to redraw its constitution to align with the judgement. "We discussed the Lodha Committee recommendations and the Supreme Court judgement and unanimously approved all recommendations given by the Supreme Court," he said. "Now we will first redraw the constitution, get the draft approved by the managing committee before calling a Special General Meeting to get the amended constitution passed. We have six months' time," the seasoned politician said. Pawar, who is on his way out as per the judgement, as he has completed the age cap of 70 years and the term cap of nine years cumulatively set as an office-bearer, said that on only one issue - one state, one vote - the MCA needed to get clarification from the BCCI. "We accept the one state, one vote decision. But we are three associations belonging to Maharashtra state Mumbai CA, Maharashtra CA and Vidarbha CA. As per the judgement we have to take turns to be represented in the BCCI. "When Mumbai gets a chance to be represented, our jurisdiction will extend all over Maharashtra and not confined only to Mumbai and its surrounding areas like Navi Mumbai and Thane as is the case now. We will then have to include players from the rest of Maharashtra in our teams (to be fielded in Ranji Trophy and other tournaments)," the NCP chief said.
Terence Crawford unified the World Boxing Organization and World Boxing Council super lightweight world titles and improved to 29-0 with 20 knockouts. (AFP Photo)
Onuk Nunok Team edged Jamir Team to win the First Penalty Shootout Tournament organised by Trinity Sporting on July 16 at Pilgrim School. The winners and the runners up received Rs.20,000 and Rs.10,000 respectively. Altogether, 14 teams participated in the tournament. Organisers Trinity Sporting fielded the youngest team in the tournament with all the players below 16 years.
New yoRK, July 24 (ReuTeRS): A record contingent of 292 women will be part of a powerful 555-strong United States team at next month's Rio Olympics. The team, announced on Saturday by the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), will contest 244 of 306 medal events. The Americans topped the gold medal (46) and overall medal (104) table at London 2012. The record number of women on the U.S. team tops the previous mark of 289 by China in 2008. It is the second time the American roster has featured more females than males. "I am especially excited for the historic achievement of our women's delegation which is a true testament to the strength and growing number of women's sport opportunities in the United States," USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said. The American team includes 191 returning Olympians. Equestrian rider Phillip Dutton and shooters Emil Milev
and Kim Rhode are heading to their sixth Games. Among those going to their fifth Olympics are swimmer Michael Phelps, middle-distance runner Bernard Lagat, tennis player Serena Williams and beach volleyballer Kerri Walsh Jennings. Phelps, who owns an Olympic record 18 golds, will swim in at least three events in Brazil. Runner Allyson Felix, the most decorated U.S. Olympic woman with four golds and six overall, makes a fourth Games appearance, competing in the 400 metres and probably the 4x400 relay. Among the strongest medal favourites are the women's basketball team and gymnast Simone Biles in the women's allaround. The women's rowing eight seek to continue a dynasty on the world stage. They have not lost an Olympic or world championship title since 2006. Dutton, 52, will be the oldest team member, with 16-year-old table tennis player Kanak Jha the youngest.
India's Rio-bound wrestler Yadav fails doping test
MuMbAi, July 24 (ReuTeRS): Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav, who was set to compete in the 74kg freestyle category at the Rio Olympics, has tested positive for a banned steroid, the national anti-doping agency (NADA) told Reuters on Sunday. Both of the 26-year-old's samples from an out-of-competition test returned positive and the wrestler has attended a hearing to present his case before an anti-doping disciplinary panel on Saturday. The panel had asked NADA for further details and should return with a verdict within one week, NADA Director General Navin Agarwal said by telephone. "Narsingh was surprised with the positive result," Agarwal said. "He kept on saying, 'why would I volunteer for a test if I knew I had taken something illegal?" Agarwal said it was too early to say if Yadav's Rio hopes are over.
"The disciplinary panel has sought more details on the case," he said. "It's too early to determine how much time they will take to come out with a verdict. "But I would say we should know in a week." Yadav, who could not immediately be reached for comment, took India's berth in the 74kg category at the Rio Games by winning a bronze medal at last year's World Championships in Las Vegas. However, his spot was put in jeopardy when Sushil Kumar, who won a bronze in the 66kg category in Beijing and a silver in London, moved up in weight and asked Delhi High Court to order a bout between the pair to determine who should compete in Rio. Last month the court ruled against Kumar, the only Indian athlete to win two in- India's Narsingh Pancham Yadav holds his national flag as he celebrates winning the gold dividual Olympic medals, clearing the way medal in the 74kg men's freestyle wrestling match at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi for Yadav to compete in Rio. October 9, 2010. (REUTERS/Files)
public discourse
child Welfare: What More can Nagaland do?
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Dr Melvil Pereira
agaland has reason to celebrate an achievement which is hidden in the maze of State budgetary statistics. A recently released report of a study that did the number crunching exercise through the lens of children has lauded the Govt of Nagaland for allocating adequate funds for children and thus, setting an example for other states to follow. The report titled, Budget for Children in Nagaland 2015-16, notes: “Children in Nagaland have been allocated 13.14 percent share in the Nagaland State Budget 2015-16. This is much more than the share allocated by other North Eastern States like Meghalaya (4.53 %), Assam (5.57 %) and Tripura (2.68 %). It is heartening to note that the State has allocated a substantial share of its budget for children”. The report was prepared by HAQ: Centre for Child Rights, Delhi, and North Eastern Social Research Centre, Guwahati. The authors of the report observe that during the past years Nagaland has consistently allocated more funds for children than other states in Northeast India. It was 11.15 percent of the State’s budget in 2013-14 and 11.98 in 2014-15 of the State’s budget. The report appreciates the financial commitment on the part of Nagaland Government to the welfare of children. The report states that India is among the few countries that have recognised the need of child budgeting. The former Finance Minister Mr P Chidambaram who recognised the need of showing separately the funds al-
located for children. The Statement 22 of the Union Budget enumerates the financial commitment of the Union Government to children in a particular year. No State in India has emulated the example of the Union Government in showing separately the funds allocated for children. The present report invites the Government of Nagaland to set an example to the remaining states by becoming the first state to introduce child budget in Nagaland in line with the gender budget. If Nagaland has pioneered the communitisation initiative and succeeded in its implementation, it can also be the first State to introduce the concept of child budget in India. While appreciating the Nagaland government’s commitment to children, the report also highlights the disturbing numbers that reveal the pathetic status of a section of the State’s children. It notes that despite the substantial allocation of funds for children, their condition is far from satisfactory. The school dropout rate is high in Nagaland. According to the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, the dropout rate is as high as 38.5 percent at primary school level, 47.7 percent at upper primary school level and 53.6 percent at the secondary school level. There are disturbing reports in the Dailies of Nagaland of an increasing number of child labourers in towns and cities of Nagaland. A survey mentions of over 9,000 child labourers working as domestic workers. Another disturbing trend is the phenomenon of child soldiers in Nagaland. The 13 December 2015 issue of the WEEK magazine noted that there are around 500 child soldiers in Nagaland
and the number seems to be increasing every year. According to the Child Rights Index of HAQ Nagaland is the worst in the area of crimes against children and by children, in proportion to its population. How does one understand these disturbing statistics about children vis-a-vis the higher allocation of funds for them? Stated in another way, why have the financial resources set aside for children not addressed their concerns? The disaggregation of funds allocated for children by different sectors might provide some insights into their use, their implementation and impact. The report by HAQ and NESRC divided the programmes and schemes meant for children into four sectors – education, development, health and protection. The sum total of allocations made for the above sectors equal the total budget for children. The analysis of funds by sector reveals that the lion’s share or a whopping 89.70 percent of the total child budget is allocated for schemes and programmes dealing with education. Of the remaining funds, that is, 10.30 percent of the child budget, 8.55 percent is assigned to the development sector, 1.10 percent for the protection sector and a meagre 0.65 percent for the health sector. Thus the sector-wise analysis of child budget reveals uneven distribution of funds across sectors. How does one explain the unreasonable proportion of share apportioned for education? Why should health and protection sectors get such disappointingly tiny piece of the pie? It is true that education is the most important sector and accordingly it has to be given more funds. But what is questionable
is the disproportionate share allocated to it. Among the planners there is the misconception that the growth and development of children is possible when most of the money is spent on education. This is an erroneous understanding. Children benefit from education when they enjoy good health. Take for instance the extent of malnutrition and anaemia in India. According to the Census of India 2011, every second child in India is malnourished. As many as 79 percent of children in the age-group 6 to 35 months are anaemic. The effects of anaemia on children are the direst because at an age when their bodies, especially brains are fast developing, there is lack of iron supply. Research in medical science has shown that the lack of iron leads to permanent cognitive defects denying children their right to full mental and emotional development before they reach their classroom. Therefore we should ensure that our children are healthy before they step into our schools. This requires more investment in the health sector and maternal health care. The Nagaland Economic Survey 2014-15, while revealing positive growth in health indicators, notes that Nagaland is ranked the lowest in the availability of skilled personnel to aid child deliveries. This is an indicator that Govt of Nagaland has to invest more in the primary health care sector. Thailand could be an example that Nagaland can imitate. In 1977, over 51 percent of Thailand’s children were malnourished. By the early 1990s, the child nutrition in Thailand had declined to just 17 percent. The success was attributed to the direct nu-
tritional programmes implemented by the Thailand government. It launched large focused programmes on nutrition and allocated huge amounts of funds for them. These programmes reduced child malnutrition through a mix of interventions which included intensive growth monitoring and nutrition education on breastfeeding. Following the example of Thailand, Nagaland can increase its allocation of funds for health sector and introduce programmes that are streamlined in its efforts to improve child nutrition. The protection sector too calls for more attention given the higher rate of crimes against children and crimes committed by children in Nagaland. As of now, the curative measures have received top-heavy attention. The emphasis is on rehabilitation of children in conflict with law. While this is important, the prevention of crimes needs to be equally stressed. A meager 1.10 percent of child budget is certainly not sufficient to provide a secure atmosphere for children to grow. An increase of funds in this sector is vital for a secure, safe and healthy growth of children. Over 37 percent of India’s population consists of children. It is over 41 percent in Nagaland. It is imperative that the state government continues to set aside a substantial share of its budget for the welfare of children and evenly distributes it across the sectors. The health and protection sector need higher allocation in Nagaland and better monitoring of its implementation. The author is Director, North Eastern Social Research Centre, Guwahati. He can be reached at melvilles@gmail.com
Readers may please note that the contents of the articles, letters and opinions published do not reflect the outlook of this paper nor of the Editor in any form.
Monday 25•07•2016
EntErtainmEnt
Elvis Presley almost choked himself to death with drugs L
ate rocker Elvis Presley"s drug addiction almost caused him to choke to death, his stepbrother David E. Stanley has revealed. Elvis died in 1977 at 42. Decades later, it has become well-known that Presley's final years were filled with drug use. In 'My Brother Elvis: The Final Years,' a new memoir by David, the extent of the late music star's substance abuse is outlined in shocking detail, reports people. com. "We had to watch Elvis around the clock, since he was taking so many drugs that he spent more time completely obliterated than not," writes David, whose mother was Dee Presley, the second wife of Elvis's father Vernon. David became Elvis's road bodyguard when he was 16, and he says his job requirements were more like 'babysitting,' adding, "I felt more like a nursing home aide". Among his 'duties' were keeping up with Elvis's medications - a combination of drugs that were crafted into what David dubbed 'attack packs.'
Now ShowiNg ACTIOn/sCI-fI
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Each "pack" included a variety of six to 11 pills, along with a shot or three of Demorol, an opioid pain medication. In the book, David has also written that Elvis would go through up to three 'packs' a day - a schedule that often resulted in the singer passing out. "Whomever was watching him had to make sure that the drugs didn't kick in before he was done eating and put him to sleep, or else he risked choking to death, of which he had a couple of close calls," David said. And, in the cases when he did fall asleep mid-meal, David would have to physically reach into Elvis's mouth and remove the food. Elvis was found dead on the bathroom floor at his Memphis home, Graceland. His death was ruled as 'hypertensive cardiovascular disease associated with atherosclerotic heart disease,' but there has long been a conspiracy over drug involvement in his demise.
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kabaLi
‘Angel’ Taher Shah upset with Varun Dhawan, denies right to use song? Rita Ora to host America's Next Top Model
Brie Larson is 'Captain Marvel'
M C M Y K
arvel has made it official: Academy Award-winning actress Brie Larson will play Captain Marvel in the studio's first female-led film. Marvel made the announcement Saturday night during a panel at San Diego ComicCon. Shortly after, Larson herself tweeted, "Call me Captain Marvel." Larson has been rumored to be taking the part since June. The super heroine role will mark quite a change for the indie darling actress, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of a woman held captive with her young son in 2015's "Room." It wasn't always clear the film would center on a female iteration of the Captain Marvel character an Air Force officer who acquires superpowers. Then in 2014, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige put speculation to rest at a publicity event when he said "I want to make it very clear: This hero's name is Carol Danvers." The standalone Captain Marvel film is being planned for the third phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is currently set to debut in March 2019.
S T
he teaser of Varun Dhawan’s Taher Shah act on the sets of ‘The Kapil Sharma Show’ became an instant hit. However, the singer-composer from the other side of the border is reportedly upset with Dhawan for “mimicking” him. According to a report in DNA, when the channel airing Kapil Sharma’s show approached Taher for the rights to use the song, his manager bluntly
denied permission. Apparently it was Varun’s idea to do the Taher Shah act while promoting his film ‘Dishoom’ with John Abraham and Jacqueline Fernandez on the comedy show. Now, the channel is in a dilemma as they have shot the episode and wouldn’t be able to carry the segment if they do not get Shah’s consent. “They are trying their best to
convince Taher that he has not been mocked or made fun of, but if he remains adamant, they will have to go ahead without the song. It will be difficult as there is no other such slow song to which Varun can be shown lip-syncing. Also, it was Varun’s idea to do the jig,” dnaindia.com quoted a source close to the show as saying.
inger Rita Ora is all set to get into the shoes of Tyra Banks as she becomes the new anchor of the TV show America's Next Top Model. The 25-year-old "Body on Me" hitmaker will be seen hosting the upcoming 23rd edition, reported E! online. "The approach I wanted to have as a host and judge to the girls is what my career stands for at this moment in time, which is being a businesswoman and being able to do multiple things at the same time," Ora said. The new panel of judges on the show includes supermodel Ashley Graham, stylist Law Roach and Paper chief creative officer Drew Elliott. Banks, who will now handle all backstage work and continue to executive produce the series, said, "I thought we were done with the brand. But the fact that the brand still has viability, and that VH1 really truly sees a strong future with it, how could I say no to that?"
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03862-237226 Ticket Counter (09:00 AM - 09:00 PM) www.BookMyshow.com Ward 5 (6), Burma Camp, Dimapur. Landmark: J. K Hospital/ Power House.
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Source: PTI
Source: Zee News
Olivia Culpo has own street
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odel Olivia Culpo's home state of Rhode Island has changed the name of the street she grew up on in her honour. The 24-year-old former Miss Universe was raised in Rhode Island, and the people of the tiny state are so proud of her, the road where she grew up had its name changed two years ago in her honour, reported Female First. She said of Olivia Culpo Way, "It still has its normal name but it's also called that. It's really funny and testament to how small my state is.
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Source: CNN
Twinkle slams Naseeruddin for calling father ‘poor actor’
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winkle Khanna is known for speaking her mind and she was definitely not going to stay silent after veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah passed some disparaging remarks against her late father superstar Rajesh Khanna. In an interview, Naseeruddin Shah was quoted saying, ‘It was the 70’s when mediocrity came in Hindi films. That’s when the actor called Rajesh Khanna joined the industry. For all his success, I think Mr Khanna was a very limited actor. In fact, he was a poor actor. Intellectually, he wasn’t the most alert person I have ever met. His taste ruled the industry,” says Shah about Khanna, who gave hits such as Aradhana (1969), Haathi Mere Saathi
(1971) and Anand (1971).” Shah further went on to say, ‘The quality of script, acting, music and lyrics deteriorated. Colour came in.
You could make a heroine wear a purple dress and hero a red shirt, go to Kashmir and make a movie. You didn’t need a story. This trend con-
with Shah’s not-so-flattering opinion about her late father who was also the country’s first celluloid superstar, Twinkle took to Twitter to express her disapproval. “Sir if you can’t respect the living, respect the dead. Mediocrity is attacking a man who can’t respond,” tweeted Twinkle. Shah later tendered an apology for his statement. Twinkle Khanna and Naseeruddin Shah had last shared stage at a book launch earlier this year. While they have not acted together in a film, Shah has collaborated with Twinkle’s mother actress Dimple Katinued and I certainly think padia in Finding Fanny and Mr Khanna had something husband Akshay Kumar in to do with it because he was Mohra and other films. God in those days.” Source: The Indian Express Certainly not pleased
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monDAY 25•07•2016
SPORTS
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
Hamilton wins in Hungary to take overall lead
Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton celebrates after winning the race (REUTERS)
C M Y K
BUDAPEST, JUly 24 (REUTERS): Triple Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton won the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday to seize the championship lead from team mate Nico Rosberg for the first time this season. The Briton took the chequered flag less than two seconds ahead of the German, who had lined up on pole position at the Hungaroring but lost out to Hamilton at the start in the key moment of the race. Hamilton, who has now won in Hungary a record five times, leads Rosberg
by six points after 11 of the season's 21 races. The Briton has won five of the last six races, including the last three. "The start was everything," said Hamilton. "This is a great result for the team. What a day." Sunday’s win was the 48th of his career and fifth of the season. Until Sunday he had shared the record for Hungary GP wins with seven times champion Michael Schumacher. "I grew up watching Michael so to have a similar number, and now one
more than he had here, is incredible," said Hamilton. Australian Daniel Ricciardo finished third for Red Bull after pushing the Mercedes pair hard enough at one point for the champions to tell Hamilton to pick up the pace. Ferrari's four times world champion Sebastian Vettel, also a previous winner in Hungary, finished fourth after sounding off over the team radio about slower cars holding him up as he lapped them. Red Bull's Max Verstappen held off Ferrari's feisty Kimi Raikkonen for fifth.
The Finn had started 14th but a long first stint saw him challenging the Dutchman. The battle between the pair provided a moment of excitement in an otherwise uneventful race, with Raikkonen clipping the back of Verstappen’s car and damaging his front wing in an attempt to pass the 18-yearold. Fernando Alonso was the sole surviving McLaren in seventh. McLaren's hopes of a strong result on the back of their best qualifying performance since renewing their engine partnership with Honda were dashed early on, with Jenson Button falling down the order with hydraulics problems. The 2009 world champion also collected a drive-through penalty for a breach of radio rules before finally retiring late in the race. Rosberg, who has also won five races this year, will have the chance to seize back the lead in his home German Grand Prix. The race at Hockenheim, absent from the calendar last year, takes place in just a week’s time. "It was all down to the start in the end," said Rosberg of Sunday's race. "From then on I was trying to put all the pressure on Lewis but it's not possible to pass at this track. "To have the next race coming up very quickly sounds good, at my home race...it's going to be awesome."
Member of Association of Offroaders Nagaland (AON), Yanrenthung Jamio, competes in the Force Gurkha Rainforest Challenge (RFC) 2016 in Goa. Along with co-driver/navigator Siddhartha Santosh of Bangalore Offroad Drivers Association (BODA), Jamio is competing in the 1600cc petrol category in a modified Maruti Gypsy with a 1.6L engine.
No blanket ban on Russia for Rio Olympics
GEnEvA, JUly 24 (REUTERS): The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will not impose a blanket ban on Russia for next month's Rio Olympics over the nation's doping record but will leave decisions on individual athletes' participation with their sports federations, it said on Sunday. The IOC's announcement follows the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) call for a Rio ban in response to the independent McLaren report that found evidence of widespread state-sponsored doping by Russian athletes at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The world governing body's ruling 15-member executive board met on Sunday via teleconference -- with the Rio Games' Aug. 5 opening ceremony less than two weeks away -- and decided that responsibility for ruling on the eligibility of Russians remains with the
international federations. The IOC had said that disciplinary proceedings would be opened against Russian officials mentioned in the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) McLaren report on Monday. The report produced by Canadian law professor Richard McLaren described extensive doping and coverups across a series of summer and winter Olympic sports and particularly at the Sochi Winter Olympics hosted by Russia in 2014. The IOC said this week that it would not organise or give patronage to any sports event in Russia, including the planned 2019 European Games, and that no member of the Russian Sports Ministry implicated in the report would be accredited for Rio. It had also ordered the immediate re-testing of all Russian athletes from the Sochi Olympics, as well as a full
inquiry into the alleged doping coverups, instructing all international winter sports federations to halt preparations for major events in Russia. Since then a series of international sports federations, anti-doping agencies and athletes have called for a blanket ban of all sports at Rio, though some have said they are against punishing innocent athletes. Russian officials and government officers have said the doping allegations are part of a Western conspiracy against their country. Russian President Vladimir Putin had warned that the affair could split the Olympic movement, bringing echoes of the 1980s when the United States led a political boycott of the Moscow Games of 1980 and the Soviet Union led an Eastern Bloc boycott of the Los Angeles Games four years later.
Mumbai win Premier Futsal 2016 Rain holds up India's victory push
GoA, JUly 24 (AGEncIES): Mumbai won the inaugural edition of the Premier Futsal League on penalties 3-2 as an entertaining game marked the end of a wonderful tournament. Giggs and Salgado both played exceptionally well throughout the tournament and needed to put in one last big effort. Mumbai boasted the likes of Foglia and Angellot who had really lit up the tournament with their skill. Kochi scored the opening goal of the game with 2 minutes to go in the first quarter. Chaguinha attempted shot cum cross somehow found its way to Moraes who was waiting at Foglia came close to keeper but bounced off counterattacking strategy the far post and tapped it levelling in the 2nd quar- the near post. Kochi con- in the game after grabbing into an empty net. ter. His snapshot beat the tinued to employ their the lead and it opened up
the Mumbai defence every time they attacked. Salgado thought he had made it 2-0 in the 3rd quarter as he hit the back of the net with a longrange free-kick but the referee ruled it out as an indirect freekick. With just over a minute to play, top scorer Angellot stepped up to the plate. He first juggled the ball with a brilliant piece of control and then volleyed it home to take the game to penalties. A series of penalties took place as Giggs, Salgado, and Foglia all missed and came down to the battle of the goalkeepers. Mumbai’s keeper Amado converted his penalty while Casalone missed his, giving Mumbai the trophy.
'Polite guys': Guardiola to shake hands on renewed Mourinho rivalry
BEIJInG, JUly 24 (AFP): Pep Guardiola rejects any suggestion he would not shake hands with arch-rival Jose Mourinho and insisted relations would be friendly when Manchester City play Manchester United in Bejing on Monday. "We are polite guys, why not?" Guardiola said Sunday when asked if the pair would extend hands, despite an acrimonious rivalry which stretches back to 2010 when the Catalan had stewardship of Barcelona and Mourinho took the reins at Real Madrid. "Why should we not shake hands? No reason why. He will want to win and so will I, that’s all," the City boss told a news conference after training at the Olympic Sports Centre ahead of the International Champions Cup pre-season tour match. "It's a friendly game, a really friendly game." Since taking on their respective Manchester football giants, each manager has insisted they will not concentrate on each other too much. But Guardiola acknowledged that United would mount a serious challenge in the English Premier League after a period in the dol-
Then Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho (L) and Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola pictured in a combo image during the UEFA Super Cup match at Eden Stadium in Prague on August 30, 2013. (AFP Photo)
drums since the retirement of Alex Ferguson in 2013. "I'm pretty sure they will be stronger than in previous years," said Guardiola. "With this manager I’m sure they will buy new players. They will be a strong team." Sunday's training session was switched hastily to the smaller Olympic Sports Centre to preserve the famous Bird's Nest stadium's pitch following days
of storms in the Chinese capital that have left the ground saturated. The first Manchester derby outside the UK will be played at the centrepiece of the 2008 Beijing Olympics on Monday night, weather permitting. More than 200 people have died in flooding in northern provinces surrounding Beijing. - 'Not ideal' Guardiola acknowl-
edged that conditions would not be ideal and his first priority at this stage of pre-season was to avoid any injuries. "We didn't see the pitch but there is a lot of water in the last days so we understand it’s not in a good condition," said Guardiola. "But OK we're going to adapt and adjust. The most important thing is that the players are not going to be
injured. "We know the humidity for the training is not ideal, but we also know that it’s so important to come here to know the people and to play a good two games against amazing teams like United and Dortmund." Captain Vincent Kompany is in Beijing with the squad after recovering from an injury-blighted campaign in 2015-16, but did not train with the rest of the players as he is undergoing his own intensive programme to regain full fitness. Guardiola said there was a possibility he could be ready for the first game of the new season against Sunderland on August 13, but he would not rush the Belgian central defender back and risk further injury. "The physio says he is ready but he needs to show that he can play one week, then one week more, to play regularly," said Guardiola. "The most important thing is for Vincent to get fit – if it's for Sunderland, perfect. If not, September." United lost 4-1 to Borussia Dortmund in Shanghai on Friday and City will play the German side in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen on Thursday to conclude their China tour.
noRTh SoUnD, JUly 24 (AFP): India's push for victory on the fourth day of the first Test against the West Indies has been interrupted by rain with the home side at 76 for two following-on in their second innings, a deficit of 247 runs, when an early lunch was taken on Sunday. Fast bowler Umesh Yadav claimed the important wicket of Darren Bravo within minutes of the start of play but Marlon Samuels was making the most of a narrow escape. He struck nine fluent boundaries in an unbeaten 39 in partnership with doughty opening batsman Rajendra Chandrika (22 not out off 84 balls), when showers swept across the ground to force the interval half-an-hour ahead of schedule. This is already Samuels' highest Test score since getting to 74 against Australia 11 innings previously in Domi-
nica just over a year ago. However the Indians, both the players on the field and the technical staff off it, were clearly aggrieved that the experienced righthander was not ruled caught behind off Mohammed Shami when on 16. Television replays, while confirming an inside-edge off the fast medium-bowler, seemed to suggest that the ball may have bounced onto the turf just before going into the gloves of wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha. It was deemed to be doubtful enough for TV umpire Gregory Brathwaite to advise the presiding onfield official Ian Gould to rule "not out." As if liberated by the reprieve, Samuels proceeded to unfurl a succession of superb off-drives for boundaries, offering a glimpse of the sumptuous form that has been otherwise restricted to the shorter for-
mats of the game over the past 12 months. He had come to the crease when Bravo fell in a manner that has become commonplace for the elegant left-hander. Caught at the wicket fending at a delivery outside the off-stump from Shami in the first innings the day before, this time he offered a sharp low catch to Ajinkya Rahane at gully which gave Yadav his first wicket of the innings and fifth of the match. Samuels has dominated the 55-run thirdwicket partnership with Chandrika as the opener, who has yet to convince sceptics that he is of Test calibre in the early stages of his international career, seemed content merely to survive the persistent and probing bowling of India’s seamers and frontline spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in the curtailed morning session.
Chopra sets javelin throw record at World U20 meet
ByDGoSzcz, JUly 24 (IAnS): Neeraj Chopra of India created a new junior world record on his way to the gold medal in the men's javelin throw event at the IAAF World U20 Championships here. Chopra hurled the javelin to a distance of 86.48 metres at the Zdzislaw Krzyszkowiak Stadium here on Saturday to beat the previous record of Lativia's Zigismunds Sirmais by nearly two metres. Chopra thus became the first Indian to win a gold medal in the history of the World U20 championship. Sirmais had set the previous junior world record of 84.69 metres on June 22, 2011, in Bauska, Latvia. Chopra, who is the first Indian athlete to set a world record at any level, bettered his previous personal best of 82.23 set at the South Asian Games earlier this year, which incidentally was also the old national record. "I was hoping to throw
Neeraj Chopra in the javelin at the IAAF World U20 Championships Bydgoszcz 2016. (Getty Images)
far but I never expected to throw over 86 metres and break the world U20 record," Chopra, who had registered 79.66 metres with his opening attempt, said. "My ultimate target was to qualify for the Olympics but I didn't make it. My other goal was to win at the World U-20 Championships," he was quoted as saying by the official web-
site of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). South Africa's Johan Grobler added six metres to his lifetime best with 80.59 metres to claim the silver medal while Grenada picked up their first ever medal in a field event with Anderson Peters improving his national senior record to 79.65 metres.
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