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wednesdAY • julY 27 • 2016
DIMAPUR • Vol. XI • Issue 205 • 12 PAGes • 5
T H e
ESTD. 2005
P o W e R
Let us not pray to be sheltered from dangers but to be fearless when facing them Knife attacker in Japan kills 19 at disabled centre PAGe 09
reflections
By Sandemo Ngullie
In 2014 two parties asked her to contest in the national election, but she declined. She was then denied the right to vote as a person confined in jail cannot vote according to law. On August 19, 2014 a court ordered her release from custody, subject to there being no other grounds for detention. She was re-arrested on August 22, 2014 on similar charges to those for which she was acquitted, and remanded in judicial custody for 15 days.
Imphal | July 26
DIMAPUR, JULY 26 (MExN): Nagaland Lok Sabha MP, Neiphiu Rio on Tuesday stated that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Government of India has approved for developing Chiethu Greenfield Airport in Kohima under the new Civil Aviation Policy. A press communiqué received from MP Rio said the development of Chiethu Airport has been a long felt desire of the people of Nagaland and actively pursued since the past decade for its realization. Keeping in view of the State capital not having an airport and the overall poor air connectivity in the State and the North East Region, Rio requested the GoI to take up the Chiethu Airport as a national project and to undertake development of air services and improvement of air connectivity in the northeastern region as topmost priority. The Nagaland MP also congratulated the Government of India for approving the new Civil Aviation Policy, which has already come into effective implementation.
Parliament passes bill to At least 85 athletes from allow kids below 14 to be Russian Olympic team engaged in ‘home-based work’ banned so far PAGE 12
irom sharmila to take new Eastern Nagaland road connectivity set to course to demilitarize region improve with slew of new NH projects: TR Newmai News Network
Centre approves development of Chiethu Greenfield Airport
T R u T H
— Rabindranath Tagore
PAGe 08
Decides to end hunger strike on August 9 and contest elections on the issue of AFSPA
Typical new age Naga. He tied a piece of string around his head to make it look like he’s wearing a helmet.
o F
Irom Chanu Sharmila has been fasting for 16 years now to demand the repeal of the draconian Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in order to demilitarize the North East region. Given the “ailing support” to the struggle, though, she has decided to bring her hunger strike to an end. In its place, she may contest elections as an independent candidate on the single issue of AFSPA. The human rights activist said she would join politics to continue her movement which she said lacks support from the public. “I’m tired of the people’s ailing support to my struggle. I’ve decided to contest election but the agenda will be the issue of AFSPA always,” she told journalists after a court appearance here on Tuesday. The anti-AFSPA crusader said she will announce the date for ending her fast on August 9 next when she will again appear before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal West. “The only way to bring change is electoral process. I will stand as an independent candidate from Malom constituency. My single issue would be to remove AFSPA from the state. In my next hearing in the court on August 9 I will end
Irom Chanu Sharmila
my fast,” she said. Sharmila, also known as the ‘Iron Lady’ of Manipur, expressed strong displeasure against political leaders for failing to show solidarity with her movement. She also expressed dismay over the participation of young school students in the current intensified ILP agitation spearheaded by the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS). The decision taken by Sharmila left many people and rights activists in Manipur surprised. Human rights activist Babloo Loitongbam said he needs to confirm the ‘surprising stance’ taken by Sharmila. The activist started her fast on November 2, 2000, after the massacre of 10 civilians at Malom in Imphal. Having refused food and water for more than 500 weeks, she has been called “the world’s longest hunger striker.” On International Women’s Day, 2014 she was voted the top woman icon of India by MSN Poll.
Now Govt. needs to do its part: Amnesty Amnesty International India said Irom Sharmila’s fight against AFSPA takes a new course. “With this decision Sharmila’s iconic fight against AFSPA is bound to take a new course. This also comes at a time when the Supreme Court has ordered 1528 cases of alleged extrajudicial execution in Manipur over the last two decades to be investigated. Now the government needs to do its part to pave the way for the repeal of AFSPA,” stated Arijit Sen, Project Manager at Amnesty International India in a press communique. According to Amnesty International India, “Prisoner of Conscience” Irom Sharmila Chanu has taken an individual decision to end her 16-year-old fast against the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, a particular date for which she will announce on August 9. Meanwhile, Amnesty International India called on the Manipur government to “immediately and unconditionally” release the activist and to drop all charges against her.
‘Current political negotiation ignoring the importance of Nagas of Nagaland’
DIMAPUR, JULY 26 (MExN): A daylong consultative meeting on “Naga Peace Process with special reference to Nagas of Nagaland” was held with Nagaland Tribe Hohos (NTC), civil societies and intellectuals on July 26 at APO Hall, Kohima. A press statement issued by Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) president Lendinoktang Ao and general secretary Nribemo Ngullie said the august gathering after threadbare discussion on crucial issue had unanimously decided to issue a statement which had four points. The statement stated that, the Nagas of Nagaland had initiated and spear headed the Naga
National Movement and integration and still remain the backbone of the struggle. Whereas, it noted that the present trends of political negotiation tend to “ignore the importance of the Nagas of Nagaland.” It also maintained that the Nagas of Nagaland have no intention to “unduly interfere in such negotiation, which is found exclusive for Naga brethren outside the State of Nagaland.” Finally it said, “Nevertheless, the negotiation to be inclusive of other Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) and the Nagas of Nagaland be taken in to confidence prior to finalization of such agreement.”
Stakeholders for uniform code governing bamboo industry Morung Express News Dimapur | July 26
With the existing regulatory regime deterring investment in the sector and inhibiting the pace of growth in bamboo and its related activities, stakeholders believe that reviewing and fine-tuning regulations will significantly boost the growth of the bamboo sector as an industry. With this as the mission objective, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) together with stakeholders has been lobbying for introducing uniform guidelines for the bamboo sector nationwide. As part of the objective, the CII in collaboration with the Nagaland Bamboo Development Agency
(NBDA) organised the third in a series of round table discussions on ‘Bamboo Transit and Regulatory Regime in North East India’ on July 26 at the Bamboo Resource Centre, Dimapur. Resource persons from the Government of India, CII, Nagaland State government and entrepreneurs from the NE region participated in the daylong discussions. Minister for Forest, Environment & Wildlife, Dr. Nicky Kire; Parliamentary Secretary for Industries & Commerce, Amenba Yaden and Advisor, NBDA, Naiba Konyak also addressed the inaugural session. Evolving actionable agenda for streamlining the bamboo access and transfer regime formed the basis of
the discussions with Neichute Doulo, chairman of the CII’s Nagaland State Council maintaining that policy and regulation should act as promoter and not as deterrent. Varying forests royalties imposed on bamboo in transit besides others are eating into the economic prospects of bamboo as an industry, whose workforce mainly comprise of the marginalised rural communities. Amenba Yaden pointed out that constraints imposed within the state and beyond on “transit pass” among others is limiting the growth of the sector. This calls for formulating a standard national norm to remove hindrances pertaining to movement of bamboo and its products, he stated.
Kargil: Two Nagas that contributed decisively Morung Express News Dimapur | July 26
As India celebrates 17th Kargil Diwas on July 26, the official day when the Indian army declared victory in the ‘Kargil War’ (May – July 1999), two Nagas played decisive roles contributing to the victory. Just 17 days short of his 25 birthday, Late Captain Neikezhakuo Kenguruse of Nerhema village made the ultimate sacrifice on June 28, 1999. The sacrifice led to the capture of ‘Black Rock’ in Drass Sector, Jammu and Kashmir. According to Indian Army account, Captain Kenguruse led a commando team to take out a strategic machine post held by the enemy on a cliff face. This position, as per the ac-
count, was holding off the battalion’s progress in the sector. As the team scaled the cliff face, he was shot on the abdomen. Wounded and bleeding, he went on to scale a sheer rock wall barefoot, just beyond which lay the machine gun post. Clearing the wall, he fired his rocket launcher at the enemy position and charged firing from his rifle. He downed four men – two with his rifle and two more with his commando knife before his martyr. Sepoy Imliakum Ao from Chuchuyimpang Village, Mokokchung, born on July 25, 1976, joined the 2nd Naga Regiment before the age of 17 in May 1994. His citation in the Indian Army MVC Awardees states that Sepoy Imliakum Ao formed part of an Assault Group that was tasked to silence a sen-
try guarding the outer perimeter of an enemy mortar position on July 8, 1999. The mortar position was at a height of 15,000 feet in the Mushkoh Valley in Jammu and Kashmir. The account of the assault states that he neutralised the enemy sentry and another before storming the mortar position alongwith the assault group. The capture of the post resulted in the recovery of a huge stockpile of ammunition, including 120mm and 81mm mortar shells. Imliakum Ao is presently in the 2nd Battalion, Jat Regiment. Late Caption Neikezhakuo Kenguruse and NK Imliakum Ao were awarded the Mahavir Chakra (MVC), the second highest military decoration in India, after the Param Vir Chakra.
6th ENSF Fiesta cum General Conference underway at Mon
DIMAPUR, JULY 26 (MExN): Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang today announced that road connectivity in Eastern Nagaland would be greatly improved since his Government has received the sanction from the Government of India to start several National Highway projects connecting crucial areas in this part of the State with the rest of the country. In the history of Nagaland Statehood, we have never received as much approval for National Highways as we have received this year and we should make full use of this golden opportunity to make good roads so that our State can prosper, the Chief Minister claimed. According to a press statement received from Media Cell, CMO, Zeliang, while addressing the 6th Eastern Naga Students’ Federation (ENSF) Fiesta cum General Conference at Mon on Tuesday morning announced a new National Highway NH-702 has been approved by the Government of India connecting Changtonya-LonglengLongching-Mon-Lapa-Tizit. Through the intervention of the State Government and
NGOs, the Review Petition filed by the GoI in the Supreme Court against the verdict was withdrawn on Saturday, Zeliang informed and added that works should commence any time now. The Chief Minister said under the Special Accelerated Road Development Project (SARDP) the proposal for a highway connecting Mon town with Tamlu, which was delayed owing to cost escalation has been solved with the Supreme Court appointing a Court Commissioner to monitor the work under revised estimates. Zeliang also disclosed that the State Government has received approval in principal for Trans -Eastern Highway connecting Mon town and Avankhu in Pherima district and that the GoI has sanctioned an amount of Rs 5 crore for preparation of detailed project report. Another new National Highway from Bihupar in Assam to Mon town, a distance of 71 kilometres has recently been approved by the GoI and that NHIDCL will prepare DPR and execute the work, the Chief Minister said. The proposed Nagaland Express Highway from Tizit to Khelma in Peren district is also being taken up under SARDP in phases, he disclosed. Zeliang further announced that
a new National Highway from Dimapur to Pangsha via Tsemenyu- Pughoboto- Aghunato and Shamator has also been approved. And considering that several National Highway projects are being taken up in the Eastern region of the State, the Cabinet has decided to post at Mon of the National Highway Division office with 5 sub divisions to be placed in other parts of the region. He pointed out that delays in road projects were caused in the past when villagers, citing Article 371 A, claimed ownership of the land and demanded exorbitant rates for compensation. In this, he lauded the efforts of the Konyak Union to get NOCs from all the villages through which the Highways are to pass through and asked for the cooperation of the people. On the occasion, the Chief Minister also lauded the ENSF for working commendably, not only for the students, but also for the people of the entire Eastern Nagaland. “They have been actively functioning as an effective watch dog to oversee the functioning of various Government departments and their officers. They have also acted as a powerful pressure group to influence Government’s policies and decisions on many occasions,” Zeliang stated.