July 7th, 2016

C M Y K

C M Y K

www.morungexpress.com

ThursDAY • julY 07 • 2016

DIMAPUR • Vol. XI • Issue 185 • 12 PAGes • 5

T H e

ESTD. 2005

P o W e R

o F

T R u T H

Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one — Malcolm Forbes Inquiry slams Tony Blair over Iraq war, reveals secret commitment to Bush PAGE 09

“Back to the Roots” Sharing ethnic food stories from Belgium!

Messi given 21 months for tax fraud, won’t go to prison PAGE 02

PAGE 12

is the post of Parliamentary Secretary an office of profit?

Morung Express News Dimapur | July 6

Raja Mircha, or Naga King Chilly, arguably the hottest chilly in the world measuring 1,001,304 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), for sale at Pephima market-midway between Dimapur and Kohima. Raja Mircha is highly priced and an everyday food for the Nagas. (Morung Photo)

reflections

By Sandemo Ngullie

What re you doing here?

You’re diabetic and these people are too sweet for you

NSCN (R) raid stores hoarding supply rice Dimapur, July 6 (mExN): NSCN (R) on Wednesday claimed it has busted stores where rice meant for public supply was being hoarded by some kingpins and staff from the Department of Food and Civil Supplies Department under Mon district. According to MIP NSCN (R), the raid was conducted by the NSCN (R) Mon town command and cadres of the Konyak region on July 5, 2016 on three illegal stores run by non-local businessmen under the patron of some “selfish staff” of the F&CS department. Huge quantities of rice seized from the stores were later handed over to the Police, it informed. Pointing out that the public, who are the real beneficiaries, were not getting their share under BPL, APL and AAY etc because of such unlawful acts, the NSCN (R) has asked the Department of Food and Civil Supplies to investigate into the activities of their staff posted in Mon.

Fuel adulteration ‘kingpins’ are also SK Oil agents: ACAUT allege Dimapur, July 6 (mExN): Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) Nagaland on Wednesday has alleged that the kingpins of the fuel adulteration racket were also SK Oil agents. Out of the alleged six main accused involved in the fuel racket, three are SK Oil agents operating under power of attorney, ACAUT media cell claimed in a press release.

Quoting sources from the Food and Civil Supplies Department, ACAUT said agencies for SK Oil were awarded to these people of interest for decades without resorting to transparent and open tendering processes.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that out of the approximate 14,00,000 (14 lakh) litre of SK Oil allotted to the Nagaland State per month as quota, several lakh litre are diverted to the black market where it is mainly utilized for fuel adulteration purpose, ACAUT maintained.

Also pointing out that the petrol pumps/fuel outlets are the distributing

points for SK Oil, ACAUT alleged that in most cases, the fuel outlet owners end up as SK oil agents as well.

ACAUT also clarified that Lalmohan, proprietor of five petrol pumps, is not the owner of any of the six fuel adulteration units busted on June 27, and there is no reason to believe that his fuel outlets are selling adulterated fuel unless proven otherwise.

Therefore, while Lalmohan, Nirmal Jain, PCTC and Sumit Jain should not be linked to the now busted six fuel adulteration units, ACAUT demanded that the police and the state government immediately probe the connection between SK Oil agents and the overall fuel adulteration issue since the core issue is diversion of SK Oil for adulteration purpose.

ACAUT said the non-transparency in awarding SK Oil license for the last 10 to 15 years is the chief reason why fuel adulteration is taking place and therefore, the government should be held directly responsible.

Improving quality of education biggest challenge: Javadekar NEw DElhi, July 6 (iaNS): Newly elevated cabinet minister Prakash Javadekar, who will take charge of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) on Thursday, has said improving the quality of education was the “biggest challenge”.

“Education provide meaning and value to life.

The biggest challenge today is to improve the quality of education. Every parent work hard to send their children to school. Their only desire is that the children should get quality education,” Javadekar said.

“Our job is to provide quality education and I’m hopeful that we will achieve it with the support

of everyone. Modiji has a vision about education and we will work towards it.”

The minister said education touches the “heart” of every individual and is not limited to a particular caste, creed or religion.

“Education is a national agenda and it touches every house and heart. Poor parents do more exertion to give good education to their children because they know that education only can bring transformation and that’s what we want to achieve,” Javadekar told the media here.

Javadekar replaces Smriti Irani, who after serving as the HRD minister for two years, will take charge of the Ministry of Textiles.

The demand of the Aam Admi Party (AAP) to the Election Commission for disqualification of 130 legislators holding the post of Parliamentary Secretary in eleven States including Nagaland has raised a storm in the media over the legal constitution of the issue.

The AAP claimed that these posts clearly come under the purview of ‘Office of Profit’ under Article 191(1) (a) of the Constitution, which merits their disqualification as MLAs since they are being provided facilities such as cars, bungalows, fat salaries, police escort and status that is akin to a minister.

This exaction for application of same yardstick comes after the President of India denied assent to a bill passed in the Delhi Assembly to ratify the appointment of 21 MLAs as Parliamentary Secretaries.

The bill sought to exempt the position of Parliamentary Secretary from the definition of ‘Office of Profit.’

But the bill was rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee when it was sent for his approval.

Because in the case of Delhi, which is given the special status as a Union Territory, a bill passed by the Assembly is not considered an applicable “law” unless it is passed by the Delhi Lieutenant Governor and the President of India.

While the matter is due for hearing by the Election Commission on July 14, AAP has implicated the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Punjab, which it claimed have MLAs holding such offices.

It also directed AAP party units in those states to make similar complaints to the respective Chief Electoral Officers there.

AAP Nagaland Unit coordinator,

chakhesang has 714-gazetted officers Our Correspondent Kohima | July 6

The strength of the Chakhesang Gazetted Officers Association (CGOA) has increased to 714 as on April 30, 2016. This was revealed during the 19th general session of the Association held here at State Academy hall with Rajya Sabha MP KG Kenye as the speaker. Out of 714-gazetted officers, Kikruma village stood the highest with 46 followed by Chizami and Khezhakeno with 44 each. As per distribution of central and state wise category, state establishment formed 93% with 662 employees and central at 7% with 52. Class I stand at 69% with 490 and class II at 31% at 224. However, there is not a single IAS officer among the Chakhesang community. Kenye in his speech urged the officers to strive for excellence and enhance their performance for the upliftment and welfare of the community. Zhothisa Dawhuo and Darhu Shupao will head the new team of CGOA as President and General Secretary respectively for the tenure 2016-18.

8 PILs filed relating to health in Nagaland Morung Express News Kohima | July 6

In a press conference held on July 6 at de Oriental Grande here, social activist Dr. Rosemary Dzüvichü and Human Rights lawyer, Zheviholi Swu, informed that eight (8) Public Interest Litigations (PILs) have been filed on issues pertaining to reproductive health, and the Government of Nagaland’s failure to provide basic health services in the State from Community Health Centres to District Hospitals in Dimapur, Tuensang, Wokha and Kiphire.

Filed by Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) petitioners Joe Dzüvichü and Rosemary Dzüvichü, the PILs are mostly on maternity deaths, infant mortality

and dysfunctional Anganwadi centres.

It may also be reminded that 20 PILs were filed last year

by HRLN’s Nagaland Chapter on the same issues. “The unfortunate part of the Government (Department of Health and Family Welfare) is that they have not been able to respond,” said Dr. Dzüvichü.

The issue of not registering deaths and births in Nagaland has also made it difficult to get more information, added the social activist.

Reminding again of the Naga Mother’s Association’s high level inquiry into the alleged Rs. 62 Crore scam of Nagaland’s National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), the social ac-

tivist mentioned that a Supreme Court order has made the Central government and the CBI respondents to the case.

Other cases During the press conference, Dr. Rosemary Dzüvichü also stressed on the alleged fake certificate row of MP Neiphiu Rio where she expressed discontentment on the case being politicized. “I am happily an academician. This definitely is a case to do with academics,” she stated. Although academic qualification is not a criterion for politicians, she argued that holding a fake certificate by top politicians was a serious issue which needs to be dealt with.

Asserting that the case is not politically motivated, she

also pointed out the many fake certificates cases in Nagaland.

“These are things that are not done. It is literally holding the academic in ransom,” said Dr. Dzüvichü, while questioning the principles and ethics of the faculty in Kohima College over the controversial issue.

Discussions were also held on the 33 percent reservation issue. “We are ready for a contempt petition. When it comes to women’s rights, it is a long legal battle,” said Dr. Dzüvichü, adding that reservations like these are nothing new, citing the examples of Tripura which has 50 percent women reservation while states like Manipur and Assam have success stories on reservations for women.

• AAP demands Election Commission to disqualify 130 MLAs holding post of PS in eleven states, including Nagaland • NLA Speaker also said that EC needs to clarify on a “certain number of areas” pertaining to the issue • Nagaland State Legislature Members (Removal of Disqualification) Act No-1 of 1964 protects office of PS under the NLA Dr Amos confirmed it has received notification from the Delhi office on the same. “We have been asked to notify the Governor of Nagaland as well as the Chief Election Officer (CEO) to act on the issue,” he informed. However, the AAP executives of Nagaland Unit would first convene a meeting in this regard before approaching the concerned authorities, Dr Amos stated.

Out of the 60-member strength of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA), there are 24 Parliamentary Secretary holding different posts and 12 Cabinet Ministers, which include the Chief Minister himself.

NLA Speaker Chotisuh Sazo, speaking to The Morung Express, said the Nagaland Government has taken note of the AAP implication and was observing the issue closely.

Sazo, however, said the Delhi case cannot be applied to all the states on the mode of appointment of Parliamentary Secretary since each states is bound to have different conditions adding, “We are also studying and referring to other states and how they are dealing with the issue.”

The Speaker also said that the Election Commission needs to clarify on a “certain number of areas” pertaining to the issue of whether the post of Parliamentary Secretary is an

office of profit, although he did not spell out details.

Further, the Speaker said the State Government would also see if there is a provision that gives a safety check to those holding the post of parliamentary secretary and ratify changes if need be.

On the other hand, according to P. Leonard Aier, Principal, City Law College, Dimapur, parliamentary secretaries here in Nagaland need not worry of disqualification.

Aier pointed out that the holder of the office of the Parliamentary Secretary under the NLA is protected by the Nagaland State Legislature Members (Removal of Disqualification) Act No-1 of 1964, which is an Act provided for the removal of certain disqualifications for being chosen as and for being a member of the NLA. According to the Act, under the section of Removal of Certain Disqualification, A person holding the office of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Government of India or to the Government of Nagaland shall not be deemed never to have been disqualified for being chosen as, or for being, a member of the NLA. The Act also protects from disqualification any office held by a Minister of State or Deputy Minister for the Union or for any State specified in the First Schedule to the Constitution of India and the office of the Chief Whip, Deputy Chief Whip or Whip in Parliamentary or is the NLA. In actuality, the ‘Office of Profit’ rule prohibits an MLA to take up another position, which gives him profit, in terms of perks, money and powers. However, many Indian states, Nagaland being one, have circumvented this check by passing bills, which allows MLAs to be Parliamentary Secretary as well.

Nonetheless, in 2015, Calcutta High Court ruled against appointment of 13 TMC MLAs as Parliamentary Secretary despite a bill being passed in 2012.

Circumstances of Naga sepoy death found to be ‘suspicious’

Dimapur, July 6 (mExN): The Western Chakhesang Hoho (WCH) has written to the Governor of Nagaland to look into the death of Naga Sepoy Vezota Vasa at the Jat Regimental Centre in Bareilly (UP); the circumstances of his death have been found by his family and community to be “suspicious.”

In its representation to Governor PB Acharya, the WCH requested him to “personally intervene” on the matter of Vasa’s death to see to it that the “truth is unfolded at the earliest by conducting a fair and impartial investigation.”

Late Vasa, who originally hailed from Dzhulhami village in Phek district but was a resident of Dimapur, died on June 23 last at the age of 25. His mortal remains were brought to Dimapur and buried on June 25. He had joined the Indian army’s Jat Regiment band in Bareilly in 2011, and is said to have been quite liked by his seniors.

The Jat Regiment has hinted to the family of the deceased that it “may be a case of suicide.”

However, the parents suspect “foul play” due to possible “atrocities and ill-treatment to tribal army personnel” that is “very common.” The WCH informed that the deceased had told his sister and father when he was at home for vacation sometime before he died that he was “not comfortable” working for the army and “did not want to continue.”

Narrating the circumstances that led to suspicion, the WCH stated that on June 23, one Col. Jeevan informed the father of the late Sepoy on phone at around 7:50pm that his son was no more. Immediately, the family requested the officer “not to conduct post-mortem” till their arrival. When the father and family members of the deceased reached the station the same night, “they insisted to see the dead body but it was refused.”

Only next morning, informed the WCH, the authorities “allowed them to see the forehead and half part of the chest and fresh blood stains were visible.” WCH President, Vekhosayi Nyekha, who signed the representation on behalf of the community, additionally informed that the parents found red marks on the neck of their deceased son, as well as bruise marks on his cheek.

Thereafter, continued the representation, the authorities and the bereaved family

agreed to clean the corpse between 6:00pm and 7:00pm of June 24. “Surprisingly, the dead body was cleaned and wrapped before they reached the morgue, located within the regimental battalion. The family members requested to allow the garments to be put on the dead body but this was also not allowed,” noted the WCH. Against this backdrop, the WCH and family members of the deceased alleged that “the tragic end of a young, energetic and jovial person cannot be termed as suicide,” for a number of reasons. One, as per the FIR lodged by the Regimental Centre, “Sepoy Ajay Kumar was the first person who found the body of Sepoy Vezota Vasa at about 0530 hrs in the toilet which is about 12 feet away from the barrack but the incident was reported to the occupants of the barrack only after 40 minutes.”

The family was later denied the opportunity to meet Sepoy Ajay Kumar by the army. His barrack-mates “feigned ignorance and were not cooperative,” noted the representation.

Second, “photographs available with the police show that the button of the victim’s halfpant was opened and unzipped,” which, according to the WCH, signified that he may have gone to the bathroom right before his death.

Third, “Fresh sweat was seen which means that the victim could have survived if emergency medical attention was provided.”

Fourth, “Photographs also reveal that the victim was wearing his slippers and there was no stiffness in his feet.”

Likewise, “there are many instances of irregularities but since police investigation is on, we have faith in the rule of law,” maintained the WCH. Urging the Governor to “personally intervene” into the matter, the Western Chakhesang Hoho stressed that “Those found guilty should be adequately punished because atrocities and ill-treatment to tribal army personnel are very common and the same should be discouraged at all cost.”

Copies of the representation have been sent to the Speaker of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister of Nagaland, Chief Secretary of Nagaland, President of Naga Hoho, and Convenor of the NPMHR.

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thursDAY 07•07•2016

NAGALAND

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Appeal for immediate posting of HA in Mangkolemba SDEO Office

MangkoleMba, July 6 (Mexn): The ANSTA Sub-Unit Mangkolemba has made an appeal to the Director of School Education for immediate posting of Head Assistant in SDEO Office, Mangkolemba.

The ANSTA Sub-Unit Mangkolemba, President Senlikaba and General Secretary Tsungdar in the appeal letter stated that there is “crisis in the office of the Sub Divisional Education Officer (SDEO), Mangkolemba owing to the utter disregard and disobedience of government order by one staff, Thsipong, Head Assistant (HA), and not joining office/duty till date.”

The Unit stated that his order for attachment in District Education Officer (DEO) office, Kiphire was cancelled on May 23, 2016.

However, after a lapse of one and half month, Thsipong, HA is still to submit even his ‘Joining Report’ in the SDEO office, Mangkolemba.

“This is a clear and audacious display of arrogance, disrespect and unprofessional attitude toward the education department and the government,” lamented the ANSTA SubUnit Mangkolemba.

Furthermore, the unit alleged that, he was transferred on promotion to SDEO office Mangkolem-

ba on June 1, 2015 after signing an undertaking wherein Thsipong, HA has promised not to apply for transfer for three years.

He submitted his joining report in SDEO office Mangkolemba on June 5, 2016 but did not attend office even a single day to till his order for attachment in DEO office Kiphire was issued on February 29, 2016.

The ANSTA Sub-Unit Mangkolemba expressed that it is astounded as to how a government employee could stay away from duty for more than 10 consecutive months.

Moreover, it is a mystery from where Thsipong, HA was drawing his salary for

those 10 absent months.

Therefore, while appealing to give the answer, the Unit also urged the Director of School Education to take disciplinary action against the erring HA, as failure to initiate action will let to many such problems in future.

The Unit also request the authority concerned to send one HA to SDEO office Mangkolemba immediately as the smooth execution of many official works are being hampered due to the prolong absence of the same. “Failure to address our appeal will attract repercussion from us and we will not take responsibility for any eventuality,” the Unit added.

Grand Opening- “The Indian Restaurant” Morung Express News Dimapur | July 6

A new destination for Indian fare has been added to Dimapur with the inauguration of “The Indian Restaurant.” It aims to serve food lovers of Dimapur with traditional Indian delicacies.

The official inauguration took place today with Pastor Matthew Labo, Dimapur NCRC Town Church leading the benediction and Atovi Sumi, Ex-MLA delivering a short exhortation.

The proprietors of the restaurant Visase Sangtam and Hito Shohe during the launch presented a select array of treats for their family and friends. Hoping to the best place to taste In-

Entrepreneurs Hito Shohe and Visase Sangtam with their parents during the inauguration of “The Indian Restaurant.”

dian fare where customers would get quality food with good ambience, the proprietors highlighted that they have employed two well trained chefs, for Veg and

Non Veg with experience from 3 star certified Hotels.

Located at Circular Road, opposite Metro Hospital, Dimapur, The Indian Restaurant is open seven

days a week from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm.

Is it worth a try? The promise of quality food and good ambience will surely compel you to visit!

“Back to the Roots” Sharing ethnic food stories from Belgium!

Morung Express News Dimapur | July 6

For the past week, the media has been buzzing about how a Naga girl is running a popular food catering truck in Belgium which serves Indian and authentic Naga cuisine. An orange-coloured food truck with “Lulu’s Tribal Kitchen” emblazoned on it has been gathering attention not only in the towns of Belgium but in smaller towns far away at her native place.

Applauding her wonderful initiative to popularize the ethnic dishes of the Northeast region in the food map of the world, there has been much request to cover her story with people curious to know more about her.

Conveying this message to Lulu Pheiga Gangmei, she reacted, “I feel happy to see that people

are coming together as one to support someone like me who lives so far away from home. It’s awesome and I’m speechless!

Lulu is from the Rongmei Naga tribe, and was born and raised in Imphal.

She moved to Belgium four years ago after her marriage and soon after opened the food truck after taking a one year diploma in hotel school.

She explained, “We started our business two years ago. We serve mostly Naga food and a bit of Indian favourites like the Butter Chicken. We serve signature Naga dishes like smoked pork with bamboo, axone-tomato chutney, pumpkin curry, anishi, raja mircha. There is also the Naga thali with little portions of everything.”

She admits that the beginning was difficult as Naga cuisine is a new concept in Belgium and people are not

accustomed to eating fats or bones. “But those things are what Nagas cuisine is made of so I had a bit of a struggle to find a way to come in between. Now, I use boneless meat but fats are still going in my pot and they love it,” she adds mischievously. She also confidently states that once people had a taste of her food they always come back hundred percent. It’s the first step that is a bit difficult but I understand because it’s a completely different taste than the Indian food they know so a bit of explanation and a smile goes the long way.

Her food truck simply stands out from the rest because her concept is build around the theme “Back to the Roots” which Lulu explained, “We put that because my husband says our cooking method (Naga ethnic style) is very simple but the outcome is really

delicious. Here the cooking methods and the cooking machines are so advanced that the basics are disappearing and we want to try the simple Naga cookingcooking with love. That’s all the ingredients you need.”

And her efforts have been received with much appreciation. For Lulu, the best part is when people wait for an hour in line to eat from her food truck. She gives credit to her husband for the success of the food truck. “It’s all his idea,” she says proudly. “My husband claims that behind every successful woman is also a man,” Lulu says in jest.

“We were at the Hornbill Festival last year. We plan to bring tourists this year so let’s see how it goes. But our goal is to promote Northeast to the outside world through food and tourism.

Our Northeast is a jewel and I’m so proud of it,” says this inspiring Naga.

Immunization coverage under Legal awareness MI improves in Dimapur dist at sazolie college

DiMaPur, July 6 (Mexn): Meeting of the Dimapur District Task Force on Mission Indradhanush Phase-3 (fourth round) cum Intensified Diarrhea Control Fortnight was held at DC’s conference hall on July 5.

Dr. Lanuakum, DPO (UIP/RCH) gave a comprehensive study presentation on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd rounds coverage of Mission Indradhanush (MI). A total of 1414 children and 92 pregnant women were immunized during the 3rd round. He informed the members that coverage improved during the 3rd round. He also presented the Block wise performance status.

Dr. Lanuakum further briefed the

members on the upcoming Intensified Diarrhea Control Fortnight (IDCF) and presented the core elements of IDCF and week wise pre-planning activities for IDCF. Kesonyu Yhome, IAS, DC Dimapur and Chairman of District Task Force chaired the meeting and Dr. Antoly Suu, Deputy Chief Medical Officer in her closing remarks appreciated the support of various stakeholders. She stated that without the participation of the stakeholders, improvement in the health sector is impossible and hoped that the Health Department will get such supports from all the stakeholders in all the health program activities.

Training on organic farming at New Ralan

Wokha, July 6 (Mexn): ATMA Wokha, Wozhuro/Ralan Block organised training cum demonstration on organic farming at New Ralan Village on June 27.

The programme was led by T. Chenithung Tsanglao, HEA & BTT convener (ATMA) and Amos Odyuo, WDT as resource person. The farmers were highlighted on the concept and importance of organic farming and encouraged for such adoption for sustainable farming practices. Demonstration on vermicomposting technique and use of bio-agro inputs was also carried out during the programme.

Meanwhile, on the same day Block Farmers Advisory Committee (BFAC) meeting was held at New Ralan.

The Project Director, ATMA, Wokha in a press release said that during the meeting, BTT convener briefed the activities of ATMA, and functions and duties of BFAC. Suggestions from farmers were noted and activities to be taken up within the block were also discussed. Altogether 47 farmers including 10 BFAC members from eight village viz New Ralan, Chandalashung A, Chandalashung B, Worokvu, Wochan, Yanlum, Yankeli, Old Ralan attended the programme.

kohiMa, July 6 (Mexn): Kohima District Legal Services Authority (KDLSA) organised a legal awareness programme in collaboration with Sazolie College, Jotsoma at the college campus on July 5 with Joshua Sheqi, Sunjib Rana and Akumla Longchari as resource persons.

Speaking on ‘Basic Legal Rights’, Joshua Sheqi stated that since time immemorial, rights have been recognised and enjoyed. “Credit for all the rights we enjoy today goes to all those people who have struggled and voiced out selflessly.” He exhorted that before any person speaks of their rights, it is imperative to assert the rights of those who are less privileged.

He also touched on AFSPA and said under the Act, the army has to work harmoniously with the administration and the police and once they arrest a person, he/she should be produced before the police as soon as possible. He also highlighted some of the provisions of the Right to Information Act and termed the Act one of the most powerful acts which people can use to obtain any information and contain corruption.

Sunjib Rana spoke on ‘Legal Services Authority’ with special reference to Legal Aid Clinic (LAC).

He said Legal Services Authority came into being for the poor and downtrodden. The hierarchy of the Legal Services Authority is National Legal Services Authority at the apex level, followed by the State Legal Services Authority and the District Legal Services Authority. He further informed that there is a front office within the court’s premises and Legal Aid Clinics have been set up to help the people get access to justice by providing free services at the doorsteps.

One can avail any kind of legal services from the LAC free of cost, he informed.

Akumla Longchari enlightened the students on ‘Cyber Crime.’ She opined that in this present world, a thief can steal more with a computer than with a gun.

“Technology is supposed to connect us; however, the present trend is that it is disconnecting us from real people,” she stated and advised that one should use internet and social networking sites judiciously.

Principal of Sazolie College, Dr. Kangzangding Thou expressed his concern for the need of knowing various laws and hoped that with the revival of the LAC in the college, series of activities will kick start benefitting not only the students but people from around the vicinity of the college.

The main connectivity road for the commuters of Phek District HQ has been cut-off between Phek and Losami Village due to major landslide. In this connection, the Deputy Commissioner, Phek has informed all the villagers of Losami, Khomi, Pholami, Porba, Sakraba, Pfutsero and other to and fro commuters to avoid this road until the road are repaired.

‘No restriction on women to join village council’ Phek, July 6 (Mexn): The village council of 95 recognised villages under Phek district have already selected their respective village council members and formed the village council as per the provision of Nagaland Village and Tribal Council Act and now seeking for Government approval.

While informing this in a press release, Murohu Chotso, Deputy Commissioner, Phek stated that as per the provision of the act there is no such restriction on women to become a member of village coun-

cil. Hence, in view of the importance of intellectual role of women in the grassroot level at this juncture, it is selected eight woman village council members representing their respective clan/Khel or women community from six villages.

“Their participation as members of village council is likely to be more active, practical oriented and more logical in formulation of policy matters and accurate on the part of implementation of schemes,” added the DC Phek.

In this tenure of village

council, the women have represented from six villages only, therefore, the effectiveness of their participation and making the village council a difference in performance is expected.

“In no case, the inner political quality and social zeal of ladies shall be avoided in a backward community like the people of Phek District. But, the better quality of leadership irrespective of men or women in the district shall be selected as members of village council even in the years to come,” said the DC in the press release.

Change Initiative inaugurates community waiting shed

kohiMa, July 6 (Mexn): A community waiting shed constructed by the people and wellwishers of Wozhuro range under the initiative of the Change Initiative team was inaugurated on July 2 at the Wozhuro NST bus stand by A. Woben Lotha, Secretary, Home, Government of Nagaland in the presence of all the leaders of the Range.

The site was donated by late Motsuo Lotha and children. The chief guest in his address lauded the effort of the team and said such noble construction by the community people without assistance from the Government is rare in our society and further encouraged the team to strive

higher in their endeavour and set good example for others to emulate.

Tssuren Odyuo, Sr. Accounts officer, DoSE Kohima, who was also present as a special guest exhorted the gathering and said that big developments start with small ones and the team is but moving in the right direction.

The team chairman NAT Lotha on behalf of the team expressed immense gratitude and appreciation to all the people and well-wishers of Wozhuro range who helped the team in fulfilling its long cherished goal as the Station lacked a waiting shed for the two decades or so since the NST bus service Change Initiative team with the guest and others during the inauguration of community waitstarted in the Range. ing shed at the Wozhuro NST bus stand on July 2.

ThursDAY 07•07•2016 18

NORTH-EAST

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

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Assam increases VAT on 127 SNUNS calls for Naga MLAs in items, Congress demands roll back Manipur to resign en-masse Dimapur, July 6 (mExN): The South Nagas’ Union of Nagaland State (SNUNS) has called upon all Naga MLAs and Ministers in Manipur Assembly to resign en-masse “so as to bring solution to the constant ethnic conflict and political unrest due to unanswered South Nagas’ political aspiration and other tribal communities.”

While expressing immense appreciation to the four NPF MLAs for tendering their resignation from Manipur Legislative Assembly for the cause of the Nagas and other tribal communities, a press release from the Publicity & Information Cell of the Union urged other Naga MLAs from different political parties to “follow suit at the earliest to pave the

way for addressing south Nagas’ plight”.

SNUNS cited the recently held Tribal Peace and Harmony Award function in Imphal in which Manipur Chief Minister, Okram Ibobi Singh, and Dy. Chief Minister, Gaikhangam, had called upon the people to maintain peace and harmony in the state.

In his speech, Gaikhangam had stressed on Meetei separatist groups demanding sovereignty for Manipur; Nagas in Manipur wanting Naga Integration; and Kuki armed groups demanding separate Kuki homeland.

Here, SNUNS observed that Gaikhangam intentionally avoided mentioning the United Naga Council’s (UNC) “Political-Sever-Ties” with the

existing Govt. of Manipur and demand to have a separate administrative set-up.

“This UNC’s demand is the rightful and most genuine,” the union maintained. “Long years of living together with Meetei community has shown the incompatibility of living together under one administration,” it added.

Pointing out that the Meeties have four districts in Imphal valley, with forty assembly constituencies out of sixty Manipur Assembly Constituencies, SNUNS claimed that this had resulted in “siphoning the central funds to themselves”, thus depriving Nagas and other tribal communities of equal opportunity for development.

Centre asks Manipur for report on ex-militants' killings imphal July 6 (iaNs): The Union Home Ministry has sought a report from the Manipur government on the recent killings of former insurgents in the state who had joined the national mainstream.

According to informed sources, the central government is concerned that these killings may derail the peace process in the state. In the latest incident, Hmar National Army Chairman Lalthanshang Hmar was gunned down on Tuesday in Churachandpur. On April 21, former PREPAK Chairman Ningombam Nabachandra and his driver were shot dead in their 'safe house' inside the camp of 7 Manipur Rifles in Imphal East.

Some other former insurgents also had been gunned down in separate incidents.

With such killings on the rise, at least one militant outfit in Imphal West district has taken up arms once again, even though it had suspended operations. Police sources

said the development has vindicated groups that did not suspend their operations.

The peace process in Manipur began in May 2000 when the army reached an agreement on suspension of operations with some tribal outfits. However, the state government remained non-committal, observers here pointed out.

Despite the agreement, police and paramilitary forces continued to arrest and kill some of the former insurgents. It was then that the Union home ministry stepped in.

Eventually, another agreement was signed in August 2008 -- this time taking the Manipur government into confidence.

But some leaders of these outfits are not happy because of the meagre stipend they get. Moreover, no political dialogue has been initiated for a settlement. The former insurgents, who have been disarmed, are also in constant fear of being killed.

Children working in NE coal mines came as "complete shock", filmmaker says

mumBai, July 6 (ThomsoN rEuTErs FouNDaTioN): When Chandrasekhar Reddy travelled to northeastern India in 2011, the director was looking for material for a film on forests in the region famed for its misty hills and waterfalls.

Instead, he found children as young as five working in coal mines.

Horrified yet fascinated, Reddy stayed in Meghalaya state for several months, befriending the children and their families, and slowly gaining access to the mines, many of which are illegal.

Re d d y e ve ntu a l l y gathered enough material for his first feature-length documentary, 'Fireflies in the Abyss', which was released in India last week after winning the award for Best Film in the Mumbai International Film Festival in February.

Set in the Jaintia Hills, the documentary shows young boys descending steep chutes - little more than "rat holes" - with makeshift ladders to dig coal from hard rock with just a pick axe and a flashlight.

"The fact that children were working in the mines came as a complete shock to me," Reddy told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"So many of my preconceived notions of what is right and wrong, the state, the law, the police, families and relationships - they were all turned on their head, as it is a very different world there," he said.

The film tells the story of Suraj, an 11-year-old boy, who was born in India of Nepali parents.

He lives with his sister and father, a miner who is drunk most of the time.

His mother is dead.

Suraj desp erately wants to go to school, but is expected to work to help feed the family.

Despite a law that bans child labour, India has 5.7 million child workers aged between five and 17, according to the International Labour Organization which estimates there are 168 million child workers globally.

Activists estimate that about a fifth of all mine workers in India are children. Many work for more than 10 hours a day in filthy conditions, exposed to coal dust, silica dust, noxious fumes and the risk of injury or death from collapsing mines.

"Fear won't get any work done; you need to give up worrying for your life," one of the young boys with Suraj says.

"But if you die here, it's a dog's death."

In Meghalaya, which means "abode of clouds" in Sanskrit, many workers are from the neighbouring countries of Nepal and Bangladesh. They are often trafficked with the promise of good jobs, or are in debt bondage to

powerful mine owners.

In a 2012 report, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, an umbrella group of charities, said children working in the mines in Jaintia Hills faced "hazardous conditions" with no safety or social welfare measures.

While state officials have downplayed the prevalence of child labour, the report said the presence of rat holes indicated child workers since it was "humanly not possible for an adult to enter those holes to extract coal".

In the end, Suraj gets his chance at receiving an education - with the help of some friends, who also worked in the mines.

"The mine workers live in such uncertainty, such desperation, yet there is so much camaraderie and solidarity," said Reddy.

"Perhaps that's what keeps them going, and gives some of them the hope that things can change," he said.

th

The recent three bills is another design to politically control the tribal people, their land and their political rights, SNUNS maintained.

Pointing out that UNC has time and again expressed grievances of the Naga people, the union censured the Central and Manipur Government for remaining unmoved to the sufferings of the Nagas and other tribal communities till date.

SNUNS appreciated the proposal of the late Nagaland Rajya Sabha MP Khekiho Zhimomi for creation of two union territories in the present state of Manipur - one for Meeteis occupied valley and the other for tribal people occupied valleys and hills – to solve the prevailing po-

litical problem in Manipur.

“It is right political vision which is viable,” the union stated.

Further calling upon all Nagas living in Nagacontiguous-land in different states for understanding, SNUNS stated that the political separation of Nagas of Manipur would be among the first step to solve the Indo-Naga political problem.

“To do so, first and foremost our Naga MLAs and Ministers in Manipur Legislative Assembly should resign en-mass, so as to bring solution to the constant ethnic conflict and political unrest due to unanswered South Nagas’ political aspiration and other tribal communities within shortest period of time.”

NAGALAND MULTISPECIALITY HEALTH & RESEARCH CENTRE MIDLAND DIMAPUR Ph: 03862-248302/248295/9856006026

VISITING HEART SPECIALIST FROM INTERNATIONAL HOSPITAL GUWAHATI AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATION ON 16th JULY’ 16 Dr. Neli Bardoloi MD DM (Cardiology)

NEWLY OPENED Homely Boys Hostel Cum Tuition Centre Hostel Accommodation for Class-8 & above & tuition centre for Class 5 – 10 Affiliated under Incessant Welfare Society Located at C’ Khel, Kuda Village near Ao Baptist Church, Half Nagarjan, Dimapur Contact No:- 9862407502/9615087982

DECLARATION On this day the 30 of June 2016, we are glad to announce the formation of BJP Party unit at Aonokpu village under 30th Alongtaki A/C Mandal with a vision to uplift the people and strengthen the BJP Party under the strong leadership of Shri.

Visasolie Lhoungu as President BJP Nagaland and Shri. Monglu Jamir President BJP 30th Alongtaki Mandal. We solemnly affirm to work towards achieving all round development in the state. th

Nangshijinba Longchar President

Temsulong Imchen General Secretary

GuwahaTi, July 6 (iaNs): Price rise is likely to hit the people of Assam as the state government has increased the VAT on as many as 127 items from 5 to 6 percent.

The state government has withdrawn partial exemption granted to oil companies on sale of LPG (cooking gas) for domestic use within Assam, which will result in increase in prices of gas cylinders by Rs 14 each. The price of petrol will increase by 76 paise and diesel by Rs 1.67 per litre.

"The state government is expecting to generate Rs 500 crore annually by this exercise," said Finance Secretary Ravi Kota.

VAT has been increased on medical diagnostic kits, x-ray films and other diagnostic films, medical equipment, devices and implants, spectacles, spare parts of motor vehicles, medicines, honey, glucose, sugar and CFL bulbs, agricultural implements, all types of yarns, all kitchen utensils, bamboo items, all types of cycles and their

parts, bulk drugs, coffee beans and seeds, coir products, edible oils, paper, plastic footwear, printed material, readymade garments and renewable energy devices etc.

The opposition Congress has condemned the decision of the Assam government to increase the VAT on 127 items and said that this will hit the people of the state in the form of

price hike of essential commodities including petrol, diesel, medicines, edible oils etc.

Leader of Assam Congress Legislature Party (ACLP) Debabrata Saikia appealed the government to withdraw the decision to increase the VAT on the 127 items and hoped that the government will bring in 'achche din' to the people of the state by reducing tax.

"Adopt A Home" program was held on June 29, at DC Conference Hall Zunheboto, Under the chairmanship of Smti. Nungsangmenla lmchen, ADC HQ, the program began with a word of prayer by Mr. Khehoto Yeptho Asst pastor SBCZ (Aizuto) and the resource were person Smti.

J. Khetohili Yeputhomi, LCPO, DEPU, She spoke on "Child Right” and, Shri. Hovishe CDPO spoke on "Adopt Home".

NGOs who attended the program were GBs of all sectors, of Zbto town, Members}Sumi Hoho}STH, ZCCI, and representatives from children's home Sukhalu and Satakha.

MAO STUDENTS’ UNION DIMAPUR

Annual Get Together-Cum –Felicitation of the Meritorious Students

Date: 9th July, 2015. Time: 10AM. Venue: Mao Community Hall, A Mao Colony, Kuda-B.

Resource Persons: 1. Mr. K. Lokho 2. Mr. Kholi 3. Mr. Ashuli Joseph (Apil) 4. Mr. Ashuo Sani 5. Dr. Hraziia 6. Dr. Nishini Hekha

: President, Mao Hoho Dimapur. : Branch Manager, Corporation Bank, Dimapur : Principal, Unity Christian Hr. Sec. School, Diphupar. : Administrative Officer, New India Assurance. : Asst. Professor, NIT Nagaland, Chumukedima. : Consultant, Deptt. of Radiology, Zion Hospital.

All the Ememei students in Dimapur from Class 9 and above are invited.

Christian institute of health sCienCes & researCh Dimapur, Nagaland.

(in partnership with the NEC, Govt. of Nagaland, CMC Vellore and EHA Delhi)

PATIENT CARE ASSISTANTS TRAINING Applications are invited from interested candidates to undergo Patient Care Assistants (PCA) training program.

Eligibility criteria- Class VIII passed.

Age limit: 17- 35 years Prospectus and Application forms will be available from 11th to 20th July during office hours (8:00-4:30 Pm from Monday to Friday and 8:00-1:00 Pm on Saturdays) and can be collected from: The Academics Coordinator Administrative Department CIHSR Campus; Telephone no.: 03862-242555 (Extension-2214)

IN THE GAUHATI HIGH COURT (THE HIGH COURT OF ASSAM, NAGALAND, MIZORAM AND ARUNACHAL PRADESH)

KOHIMA BENCH

WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) NO. 52 (K)/2016.

ASI. RM. N.T. Rengma & Ors ... Petitioners.

-VersusThe State of Nagaland & Ors.

th

M

…Respondents.

To, 1. SI. OPR. Dehtinmang Haolai, C/o the Dy. Inspector General of Police (NPTO), Nagaland, Kohima.

2. SI. TECH. Er. Katoka, C/o the Dy. Inspector General of Police (NPTO), Nagaland, Kohima.

3. SI. OPR. Kukivi Sema, C/o the Dy. Inspector General of Police (NPTO), Nagaland, Kohima.

4. SI. OPR. Sutjakai doungel, C/o the Dy. Inspector General of Police (NPTO), Nagaland, Kohima.

5. SI. OPR. Tongpang Phom, C/o the Dy. Inspector General of Police (NPTO), Nagaland, Kohima.

6. SI. OPR. Onyei, C/o the Dy. Inspector General of Police (NPTO), Nagaland, Kohima.

7. SI. OPR. N. Kapnyei Konyak, C/o the Dy. Inspector General of Police (NPTO), Nagaland, Kohima.

8. SI. OPR. Nockpai Andrew Chohwanglim, C/o the Dy. Inspector General of Police (NPTO), Nagaland, Kohima.

9. SI. TECH. Chingkim Walim, C/o the Dy. Inspector General of Police (NPTO), Nagaland, Kohima.

10. SI. OPR. L. Yiben Kikon, C/o the Dy. Inspector General of Police (NPTO), Nagaland, Kohima.

11. SI. OPR. Vungbenthung Tungoe, C/o the Dy. Inspector General of Police (NPTO), Nagaland, Kohima.

12. SI. OPR. Mahthung Murry, C/o the Dy. Inspector General of Police (NPTO), Nagaland, Kohima.

13. SI. OPR. Avika K. Labo, C/o the Dy. Inspector General of Police (NPTO), Nagaland, Kohima.

14. SI. OPR. Lita Kivigho Zhimomi, C/o the Dy. Inspector General of Police (NPTO), Nagaland, Kohima.

15. SI. OPR. Pausuigangle, C/o the Dy. Inspector General of Police (NPTO), Nagaland, Kohima.

16. SI. OPR. K. Luwang, C/o the Dy. Inspector General of Police (NPTO), Nagaland, Kohima.

17. SI. OPR. Ghunaho Zhemo, C/o the Dy. Inspector General of Police (NPTO), Nagaland, Kohima.

18. SI. OPR. Ekonbeni, C/o the Dy. Inspector General of Police (NPTO), Nagaland, Kohima.

19. SI. OPR. B. Chandeno Ezung, C/o the Dy. Inspector General of Police (NPTO), Nagaland, Kohima.

20. S.I. OPR. Kelesa Khamo, C/o the Dy. Inspector General of Police (NPTO), Nagaland, Kohima.

WHEREAS the petitioners, ASI. RM. N.T. Rengma & Ors, has instituted Writ petition (Civil) No. 52 (K)/2016 jointly and severally against you for, among others, quashing and setting aside the Orders of your appointment. You are hereby summoned to appear in the Court in person or by a pleader duly instructed and able to answer all material questions relating to the writ petition on the day of 12th August, 2016, without fail.

Take notice that in default of your appearance on the day before mentioned the writ petition shall be heard and determined in your absence.

By order of the Court.

Deputy Registrar (Judicial) Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench.

4

ThursDAY 07•07•2016

business

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Apple to soon add organ You may need Aadhaar to book rail tickets soon donor registration to iPhones

New Delhi, July 6 (AgeNcies): Soon you may be denied a train ticket if you do not have an Aadhaar card as the world’s largest biometric identity project may become the foundation of railway travel in India.

Sources say Indian Railways is all set to link passenger ticketing services with the database scheme in what is being seen as a bid to slash expenses on subsidy and other concessions.

Officials say the plan is aimed at curbing cases of impersonation. The railway’s move will be in contrast to a Supreme Court order last year restricting the use of Aadhaar to only the public distribution system (PDS) and LPG connections.

The unique identity project was started seven years ago with the idea to help citizens, especially those who have no other form of portable ID, such as a passport or driving licence, to access banking and government services for the first time.

However, the top court said the programme cannot be made mandatory for availing government benefits. The matter is pending before the Constitution Bench for a final decision.

The railway plan will be implemented in two phases, sources say. In the first stage, it will be mandatory to provide the Aadhaar number to avail concessions under various quotas such as for senior

citizens, freedom fighters, differently abled, students and unemployed youths.

Indian Railways provides concessions in fares to 53 categories. A senior ministry official said the policy in this regard will be approved and implemented in 15 days.

In the second phase, that will take nearly two months, railways will link all ticketing services to the Aadhaar card. This means

that a passenger will have to provide the unique identity number at the time of booking a ticket - online or at the reservation windows. Initially, Aadhaar will be required for booking reserved tickets but later it will be made mandatory for unreserved tickets too. Railway officials justified the move saying this will ensure only genuine passengers travel in trains. They claimed

that a majority of people are enrolled with Aadhaar and so this will not affect them adversely.

“According to government statistics, 96 per cent of Indians have been given Aadhaar numbers.

By making Aadhaar card mandatory, railways will be able to check impersonation and thus revenue losses,” said a senior Railway Board official.

As per the plan, the Aadhaar number, provided at the time of booking, will be printed on the ticket. During travel, the Aadhaar number mentioned on the ticket will be entered in the mobile devices provide to the ticket examiners. The identity details, including photograph of the passenger, will be displayed on the device that will authenticate the traveller. The account book of the rail ministry shows that the department offers 43 per cent subsidy on a single train journey to a passenger. This means, if the railways spends `100 on a train journey, it only charges Rs. 57 from a pas-

senger.

Comprehensive data shows the railways incurred an expenditure of Rs. 34,000 crore on “social service obligation” for the fiscal year 2015-16.

Out of this, Rs. 1600 crore was spent on myriad concessions on train travels.

A major chunk of it, Rs. 1200 crore, was spent on concessions to senior citizens. As per the rules, male senior citizens above 60 years of age are given 40 per cent concession on rail fare while women above the age of 58 years can avail 50 per cent concession in all classes. Some categories such as physically challenged, deaf & dumb and heart patients can avail concession up to 75 per cent on rail fares.

Eager to reduce it subsidy burden, Indian Railways has started printing the real cost involved in the train journey on the tickets to make passengers aware of the subsidy borne by the public transporter. The department has also made it optional for senior citizens to avail the concession.

BlackBerry bids goodbye to its Classic smartphone US doubts India’s 7.5% growth, ToroNTo, July 6 (iANs): ing the most productive smart- loss in over two years.

Wants reforms to match rhetoric Although much of the loss It is time to say goodbye to tac- phones,” he added. tile keys. Canadian mobile maker BlackBerry has parted ways with its most successful device of its times -- BlackBerry Classic.

According to Ralph Pini, chief operating officer and general manager for devices at BlackBerry, the company will no longer manufacture BlackBerry Classic.

“For many years, Classic (and its BBOS predecessors) has been in our portfolio. It has been an incredible workhorse device for customers, exceeding all expectations. But, the Classic has long surpassed the average lifespan for a smartphone in today’s market,” Pini wrote in a blog post on Tuesday.

“We are ready for this change so we can give our customers something better -- entrenched in our legacy in security and pedigree in mak-

The BlackBerry Classic was launched in late 2014 as a replacement of sorts to the BBOS-powered Q20, sporting the classic BlackBerry design with built-in QWERTY keyboard and a touchscreen.

“We are committed to the success of both BlackBerry 10 and Android devices. To keep innovating and advancing our portfolio, we are updating our smartphone lineup with state of the art devices,” Pini wrote.

“For now, if the Classic is still your device of choice, please check with your carriers for device availability or purchase Classic unlocked online,” he suggested.

BlackBerry sold just 5 lakh phones globally in the first fiscal quarter this year -- down from six lakh in the previous quarter - reporting a $670 million loss which is its biggest

was down to restructuring charges, sales also fell to $400 million, down 39 per cent on a year earlier.

“We continue to actively support BlackBerry 10 with software updates and are on track to deliver version 10.3.3 next month with a second update to follow next year,” Pini said.

Last year, BlackBerry tried to revive its handset business by launching Priv smartphone running Google’s Android operating system (OS). However, early sales figures have been disappointing.

It is not just WhatsApp that decided to end support for BlackBerry OS 10 services by the end of 2016, Facebook too is leaving the BlackBerry platform after announcing recently to discontinue support of its application programming interfaces (APIs) for BlackBerry.

wAshiNgToN, July 6 (iANs): Doubting India’s claim of a 7.5 per cent growth, the economic diplomacy arm of the US State Department has said that the Indian government must pursue reforms to match the rhetoric even as key bills struggle to get past parliament.

“Ostensibly, India is one of the fastest growing countries in the world but this depressed investor sentiment suggests the approximately 7.5 per cent growth rate may be overstated,” said the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs in its latest report.

The comprehensive report took note of a range of initiatives that have been taken by the Narendra Modi government since May 2014, notably in opening up the economy to enhanced foreign direct investment, the “Make in India” initiative and removal of bureaucratic hurdles.

“However, the government has been slow to propose other eco-

nomic reforms that would match its rhetoric, and many of the reforms it did propose have struggled to pass through Parliament,” it added in the India-related section of the report “Investment Climate Statements for 2016”.

Giving examples, the report said the government failed to muster political support on the land acquisition bill in Parliament, all but ending its chance of passage in the near term, and still awaits the opposition’s nod in passing the Goods and Services Tax bill.

It also had a piece of advice for those dealing with India.

“India’s political system is highly decentralized. Investors must be prepared to face varied political and economic conditions across India’s states and union territories, including differences in the quality of governance, regulation, taxation, labour relations and education levels.”

sAN FrANcisco, July 6 (AFP): Apple is partnering with Donate Life America in a push to simplify the process of signing up to be an organ or tissue donor.

When iOS10, the next update to the iPhone and iPad’s operating system rolls out in September, the Health app will allow users to add their names to the National Donate Life Registry for organ donations. And, because a smartphone is a mobile device, owners will have proof of their decision wherever they go.

“Apple’s mission has always been to create products that transform people’s lives. With the updated Health app, we’re providing education and awareness about organ donation and making it easier than ever to register. It’s a simple process that takes just a few seconds and could help save up to eight lives,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer.

In the US, a new person is added to the organ donor waiting list on average every ten minutes. The problem is that the list already contains 120,000 names.

“On average, one person dies every hour in the United States waiting for an organ transplant because the demand for lifesaving transplants far exceeds the available supply of organs -- and one donor can save as many as eight lives,” said David Fleming, President & CEO of Donate Life America. “By working with Apple to bring the National Donate Life Registry to the Health app on iPhone, we’re making it easier for people to find out about organ, eye and tissue donation and quickly register. This is a huge step forward that will ultimately help save lives.”

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KAPIL JAIN

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Contact: 8732886322

LAND FOR SALE At Naga United Village behind Aqua Mellow Park Road touched 1/2 km from CIHSR Bridge Genuine buyer can Contact at 8575193378

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dImAPUR Civil Hospital:

STd COdE: 03862 232224; Emergency- 229529, 229474

MH Hospital: Faith Hospital:

227930, 231081 228846

Shamrock Hospital

228254

New Delhi, July 6 (NDTV gADgeT): Gadgets 360 has learnt that several Lyf-branded smartphones have received official price drops. The company communicated to its dealers that the new prices are effective from Tuesday.

The Lyf smartphones that have received price drops are Lyf Water 2 which will now retail at Rs. 9,499 (a Rs. 4,000 drop from the earlier price of Rs. 13,499); Lyf Wind 6, which will be available at Rs. 5,999 (a Rs. 500 price drop from the earlier price of Rs. 6,499); and Lyf Flame 2 will be available at Rs. 3,499 (receives a Rs. 1,300 price drop from earlier price of Rs. 4,799).

Some of the other handsets that have received a flat Rs. 1,000 price drop are the Lyf Flame 4, Flame 5, and Flame 6. All three will now be available at Rs. 2,999.

With all Lyf-branded smartphones available right now with free unlimited data and voice-calling offers for three months on the Reliance Jio network, interested consumers can now effectively get a new 4G phone and unlimited 4G data and voice-calling for 3 months at Rs. 2,999.

Reliance Jio’s 4G services haven’t been officially launched yet but the company has been offering its services to consumers under an employee referral program.

Reliance CDMA customers are also being offered chance to upgrade to a Reliance Jio SIM, and Jio SIMs have also been on offer to anyone who buys Lyf smartphones.

All Lyf branded handsets come with support for 4G and VoLTE (voice over LTE), which provides better call quality.

Zion Hospital:

231864, 224117, 227337

Police Control Room Police Traffic Control East Police Station West Police Station

228400

CIHSR (Referral Hospital) Dimapur hospital

242555/ 242533

Apollo Hospital Info Centre:

230695/ 9402435652

Railway:

131/228404

Indian Airlines

229366

India achieved fastest domestic passenger growth in 2015: IATA MoNTreAl/New Delhi, July 6 (iANs): India achieved the fastest domestic passenger growth in 2015, a leading global airlines association has said.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in its “World Air Transport Statistics”, released on Tuesday, that India achieved an annual growth of 18.8 per cent in a market of 80 million domestic passengers during 2015.

“India’s performance surpassed that of Russia (11.9 per cent growth, in a market of 47 million domestic passengers), China (9.7 per cent growth, in a market of 394 million domestic passengers) and the United States (5.4 per cent growth, in a market of 708 million domestic passengers),” IATA said.

Tony Tyler, Director General and Chief Executive of IATA, elaborated that in 2015 airlines ferried 3.6 billion passengers and transported 52.2 million tonnes of cargo.

“Last year airlines safely carried 3.6 billion passengers -- the equivalent of 48 per cent of the Earth’s population -and transported 52.2 million tonnes of cargo worth around $6 trillion. In doing so, we supported some $2.7 trillion in economic activity and 63 million jobs,” Tyler said.

SUDOKU

ACROSS 1. A Maori club 5. Rescues 10. Contributes 14. Soon 15. Weave diagonal lines into 16. Kind of moss 17. Knife 18. Matchless 20. News 22. Spruce up 23. Ambition 24. Lariat 25. Meaningful 32. Tally 33. German iris 34. one time around 37. Happy 38. Birdlike 39. Spindle 40. Center of a storm 41. Adjust 42. Extraterrestrial 43. Genitives 45. High school dances 49. Compete 50. Proof of purchase 53. Tilting 57. Irregular 59. District 60. Wail 61. outer layer of the Earth 62. Pigeon-___ 63. Agile 64. Feel 65. Terminates DOWN 1. Long ago 2. Against 3. Tailless amphibian 4. Fair 5. A symbol of disgrace 6. Barley beards 7. 7 in Roman numerals 8. Shade trees

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 # 3631

Answer Number # 3630

Computer Jargon 1 APPLICATION BACkUP BINARY BLUETOOTh BOOT BYTE ChAT CLICk COOkIE CURSOR dATA dEFRAgmENT dIRECTORY dISk dRIVE dOS dRAg EmAIL ENCRYPTION FILE FIREwALL FOLdER gIF gOOgLE hTmL ICON INTERNET JAVASCRIPT

kERNAL LCd LOgIN mEmORY mONITOR mOUSE NANOSECONd NETwORk PARTITION PASTE PdF PIXEL POwER SUPPLY PROgRAmmER ROUTER SAVE AS SCANNER SECURITY ShAREwARE SOFTwARE SPAm TASkBAR ThUmBNAIL UNIX wALLPAPER wIRELESS

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9. Slender 10. 3-banded armadillo 11. Liabilities 12. Valleys 13. Shorthand 19. Stories 21. Anagram of “Tine” 25. Wise one 26. Not pretty 27. Scottish hillside 28. Exploded stars 29. Journeys 30. Angry 31. French for “Wine” 34. 64 in Roman numerals 35. Away from the wind 36. Writing implements 38. Stir 39. Estrange 41. orbital point 42. Largest continent 44. Slender 45. Front part of vessels 46. Summary 47. Come to pass 48. Coarse-grained 51. Photos 52. Ripped 53. Young girl 54. Press 55. Require 56. Spurs 58. Religious sister

232106 227607 232181

224041, 248011

Nagaland Multispe- 248302, cialty Health & 09856006026 Research Centre

ANSwER TO CROSSwORd 3645

Police Control Room: North Police Station: South Police Station: Fire Brigade: Naga Hospital: oking Hospital: Bethel Nursing Home: Northeast Shuttles

STd COdE: 0370 100/2244279 2222222 2222111 2222952 2222916 2243339 2224202 08974997923

wE4wOmEN hELPLINE 08822911011

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C

H

CHUMUKEDIMA: 7085982102 (o) 8732810051 (oC) wOkhA: 03860242215/101 (o) 8974322879 (oC) MoKoKCHUNG: 0369-2226225/ 101 (o) 8415830232 (oC) PHEK: 8414853765 (o) 8413822476(oC) zUNHEBoTo: 03867-280304/ 101 (o) 9436422730 (oC) TUENSANG: 8414853766 (o) 9856163601 (oC)

kIPhIRE: 8414853767 (o) 9436261577 (oC) PEREN: 7085189932 (o) 9856311205 (oC) LONgLENg: 7085924113 (o) 9862414264 (oC)

Toll free No. 1098 childline

A

KoHIMA NoRTH: 7085924114 (o)

MoN: 03869-251222/ 101 (o) 9862130954 (oC)

ChILd wELFARE COmmITTEE

mOkOkChUNg:

KoHIMA SoUTH: 0370-2222952/ 101 (o) 9402003086 (oC)

DIMAPUR: 03862-232201/ 101 (o) 9856156876 (oC)

Chumukedima Fire 282777 Brigade Nikos Hospital and 232032, 231031 Research Centre

kOhImA

FIRE STATIONS

STd COdE: 0369

Police Station 1:

2226241

Police Station 2 :

2226214

Civil Hospital: Woodland Nursing Home:

2226216 2226263

Hotel Metsüpen (Tourist Lodge):

2226373/2229343

TAHAMzAM (formerly Senapati) STD CoDE: 03871 Police Station: Fire Brigade

CURRENCY NOTES

222246 222491

BUY(Rs)

SELL(Rs)

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ThurSdAY 07•07•2016

NAGALAND

Fuel adulteration: Contractors’ union says ACAUT’s allegation true Kohima, July 6 (mExN): The Nagaland Govt. Registered Class-1 C o nt ra c t o r s’ Un i o n (NGRC-1 CU) today affirmed the allegation made

by ACAUT Nagaland on the fuel adulteration racket as “fact” and “true”.

In a press release issued by its General Secretary, L. Pukharo Shohe and President, Seyiekuolie, the NGRC-1 CU maintained that the contractors in the State are most affected by the fuel adulteration as they own maximum vehicles and machineries.

Stating that the amount of fuel adulteration causing damages to the engine of vehicles and machineries is huge, the union asserted the fuel adulteration causing loss to the society, both rich and poor, cannot be tolerated.

The contractors’ union further termed it true that the fuel outlets have been misused and misappropriated for criminal activities and the racket was going on for the last several years.

The NGRC-1 CU also supported ACAUT’s representation and FIR to arrest the kingpins involved in the fuel adulteration racket and demanded that no one involved in the racket should be spared. “Arresting the managers and staff of the kingpins will not serve the real purpose but by any means the kingpins are to be arrested sooner or later...,” it stated. The union maintained that the kingpins can never be allowed to run any business in Nagaland, especially in fuel.

Meanwhile, it alleged that the Department of Food & Civil Supplies and

the minister concerned are solely responsible for the diversion of thousand and thousand litres of kerosene to the black market for fuel adulteration purposes. “It also appears that the fuel available in the state is much more than what had been allocated to the state and this is all happening just because huge litres of kerosene is being poured to fuel tankers for vehicle consumptions,” it said.

The release further claimed that the allocation of SKO to various districts in the State, both AOD & MD, is being given to the same firms/agencies for the last several years. It was alleged that some of the firms/agencies are even owned by top politicians.

In this light, NGRC-1 CU questioned why the allo-

cation is given to the same firms/agencies for the last several years. “Where do the remaining allocation of SKO which had not been allotted to district go?” it asked.

The NGRC-1 CU pressured the State Government and the District Administration not to miss the opportunity to bring an end to the racket as “ACAUT Nagaland has brought out all the components to go ahead with public support and no one should be spared from their deed whoever involves in this racket.”

On the other hand, the union questioned why the associations/federations related to petroleum and truck owners are remaining silent on the issue till date. It also questioned the State Government, par-

ticularly the Department of Food & Civil Supplies, regarding the huge number of non-Naga dealers in kerosene. “Is (it) that locals cannot deal with it…why the local firm/agency allows the non-local to utilise their shares of allocation and even run business in their names?”

The NGRC-1 CU appealed to all sections of society to condemn the fuel adulteration and join hands to fight against the racket in order not to allow the same crime to happen again in the society.

The union also demanded the State Government to implement the Direct Benefit Transfer in Kerosene (DBTK) in the State to reform the Kerosene Subsidy Regime and also to bring an end to the fuel adulteration racket.

Konyak SRF activists surrender before KU moN, July 6 (mExN): After series of meetings, the Konyak conclave (KU, KSU & KNSK) finally and peacefully settled the issue on Sovereign Republic of Freeland (SRF) on July 5 in Mon Town.

The issue was settled with the two main SRF activists, Hejei Konyak of Chen Moho village and Panglei Konyak of T/Chingkho village accepting to surrender “unconditionally” before the Konyak Union (KU) during the meeting on July 5.

KU President, Manlip Konyak and Assistant General Secretary, M. Sheiching Konyak in a press release stated that the act of pledge was witnessed by both the presidents of the Totok Chingkho Union and Chen Area Union. Another two members enrolled in SRF, L. Langjun Konyak and Wanpa Konyak hailing

KU conclave officials with SRF activists who surrendered on July 5.

from Chi village also voluntarily surrendered before the Konyak Union, the release said.

The KU welcomed the decision taken by the four “renegades” to return to the established institution of the Konyak society. Meanwhile, the Union, on behalf

of all the Konyak frontal organizations, has extended regret and apology for inflicting trauma upon the innocent family members and villagers of the two SRF activists “while on its quest for safeguarding the interest of the Konyak under ‘one uniform code’.”

Two arrested with drugs Dimapur, July 6 (mExN): The Excise Narcotic Cell personnel manning the Chumukedima check gate recovered 20,590 capsules of banned Spasmo Proxyvon from a bus going to Imphal from Dimapur on July 6. In this connection, two persons identified as Altaf Rahman and Md. Firoj Khan were arrested and forwarded to the court booked under relevant section of Drug & Cosmetic Act 1940.

Organisations extend Eid greetings Dimapur, July 6 (mExN): NPF Minority Wing has extended warm greetings to the Muslim community of Nagaland and neighbouring areas on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr 2016. The President of Minority Wing Central, Bishnu Bhattacharjee expressed hope that the joyous occasion will be the herald of sustained peace, progress, prosperity and happiness, amongst all.

In a separate press release, Muslim Council Dimapur conveyed Eid greetings to all the citizens of Nagaland.

A. Rahman, working President of the MCD wished that the festival will bring a lot of joy and happiness to the society.

The MCD also thanked all the commu-

nity members for peacefully observing the Holy month of Ramzan and prayed to almighty ‘Allah’ to usher a new era of prosperity, peace and unity and universal brotherhood among the different sections of people living in Nagaland.

Joseph Lemtur, President, Dimapur District Citizens Forum (DDCF) has also extended greetings to the Muslim community of Nagaland on the occasion of Eid-ul- Fitr. The DDCF hoped that the Almighty may shower his blessings upon the citizens of Nagaland on the auspicious occasion, so that peace, tranquility, and unity prevail in the society.

Further, the office of the Konyak Union directed all the village councils to immediately clear out its report on the involvement of their citizens in the SRF. The Union also asked all individuals to immediately denounce their involvement in SRF by surrendering vol-

untarily before any harsh measure/step is declared by the Union. “All Konyak renegades are warned to immediately surrender their ID card to the office of the Konyak Union without delay,” the release said, adding “The Union will not tolerate on any individual in case its directives are not being complied or adhered.”

Meanwhile, the KU extended appreciation to the entire Konyak populace, especially the village councils of Chen Moho and T/ Chingkho, for their cooperation in “eradicating those elements” in the interest of the community. The KU appealed to all the Konyak villages to follow the same example to safeguard the integrity of the people.

The Union also lauded all the Konyak stakeholders, all KU unit presidents and public of Mon town for their cooperation.

Phonetics training for govt teachers ends

Guest of honour, resource person along with the trainees and other government officials during the valedictory programme at Zonal Council Hall, Kohima on July 6. (Morung Photo) Our Correspondent ‘very timely’. She hoped the move to revive the educaKohima | July 6

The three-day training on phonetics for government teachers of Kohima and Dimapur district, organized by the Department of School Education in collaboration with Jolly Phonics, United Kingdom, concluded here today.

70 government primary school teachers from Kohima and Dimapur district attended the training with trainer Shainaz Jussa, Principal and Managing Director, Phonickids, Mumbai as the resource person.

According to Shainaz, the training had been

Dimapur, July 6 (Dipr): The monthly District Planning and Development Board (DPDB) meeting of Dimapur district was held on July 5 at the conference hall of the Deputy Commissioner, Dimapur.

DC Dimapur, Kesonyu Yhome, while mentioning the various trainings imparted to the beneficiaries by different departments observed that performance needs to be assessed not by the number of trainees, but whether the trainees could develop their skills as source of their livelihood. “Simply giving training is not going to work...we need intensive analysis of the outcome,” Yhome maintained.

He also informed the Board members of various departments to give their departmental activities report in CD and to submit to ADC Planning for creating automatic database of all the departments.

While reviewing the last DPDB meeting minutes, the Board based on reports given by EAC Chumukedima approved recognition of Advanced School of Coun-

hao remembered Isak as a God fearing and peace loving person. “People fondly called him ‘Papa’ for his loving care of all and sundry. He is the guiding star of Nagalim which will ultimately lead the national destiny. He is the bridge between Naga and Kuki on which people used to cross without any idea of fear and favour.

His dream of fraternal and harmonious life will soon be realized...,” he added.

Lotha Hoho: The Lotha Hoho, Wokha, on behalf of the Lotha community, expressed deep sorrow and condolences to the bereaved family of Isak and the NSCN (IM) government. “Although it will be difficult for the Naga people to find his successor, the Naga people will cherish his able leadership for the Nagas, in their struggle for sovereignty.”

NSUK: The Naga Students Union Kolkata conveyed deepest condolence on the demise of Isak Chishi Swu and stated the Nagas have lost a visionary leader but his legacy will be remembered in the days to come.

NWU: Naga Women's Union (Senapati) said Isak as a person was fatherly; in his politics, he was a true statesman; in his faith, he was a man of God who stood firm in his conviction, commitment, dedication and sacrifice in the struggle of the Naga movement from his prime life till

selling and Theological Seminary and decided to forward the application to the department concerned. The Board also approved addition of word to Social Reformation Upliftment Society, Dimapur Nagaland (Social Reformation and Upliftment Society, Dimapur Nagaland) and also change of address from Zeliang Colony Burma Camp, Dimapur to UNB: Naga Colony; Burma Camp, Dimapur.

With regard to the agenda seeking financial assistance under DPDB by Community Avenue Network (CAN) Youth, the Board decided to await the decision of the Chairman, DPDB Dimapur as he could not attend the meeting due to other official engagements.

Meanwhile, DHO Dimapur, Jerry Patton sought approval from the house for execution of various beautification works in Dimapur marking the celebration of 25 years jubilee of the department next year. In this regard, the DC informed that initiatives will be worked out for sending recommendations to the departments concerned.

meetings & appointments

IGNOU B.Ed workshop Workshop-II for IGNOU B.Ed 2015 batch and backlog under Programme Study Centre – 2020P, Salt Christian College of Teacher Education, Dimapur will be conducted from July 12 to 23 from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm. All the trainees enrolled in the centre have been informed to attend the workshop without fail. “This year may be the last chance to conduct the workshop at this centre,” stated a press release from Th. Sharatchandra Singh, Programme in-charge of the Study Centre.

Jotsoma Officers' Krotho

Agriculture Department officials with participants of the IPM training held at L Yanthung village on June 30.

Earlier, the programme and kits were distributed to was chaired by Nzanbemo 24 farmers who registered T Erui, AFA. Rotenticide for FFS.

condolence messages DNSU: Diphupar Naga Students’ Union has condoled the death of Isak Chishi Swu, NSCN (IM) Chairman and expressed that his demise at such a critical political juncture for the Nagas has left every Naga with a sense of fear about the very possibility of the early solution. However, the DNSU expressed belief that his struggles and commitment will not go in vain.

ENWO: The Eastern Nagaland Women Organisation (ENWO) also mourned the demise of the NSCN (IM) Chairman.

“The selfless sacrifices contributed by the departed leader for the cause of the Nagas will not go in vain but will bear fruit,” the organisation stated in a condolence message. “Without a doubt the legacy that he has left behind will be a mark on which the posterity will tread upon.”

KSC: The Kohima Surumi Community described ‘Asu’ Isak Chsihi Swu as a man who strived hard for the greater good and sacrificed his whole life for the cause of Naga freedom movement. “Though he has left for his heavenly abode to be with the Heavenly Father we will remember him always.”

KTU NSCN (IM): Expressing shock at the death of Isak Chishi Swu, president of Kuki Tribal Union (KTU), NSCN (IM) on behalf of the union shared grief and sorrow with all the Naga people. LH Pao-

tion system in the State.

This is the right time for the education system to move forward,” he said, adding the government is ever ready to invest more towards the improvement of the education sector.

The Additional Secretary also announced that Jolly Phonics based in UK will be providing free textbooks and reading materials to government schools.

The valedictory programme was chaired by Vilvino, while Moayangla (Dimapur) and Abodi Neikha (Kohima) spoke on behalf of the trainees/ teachers.

Dimapur DPDB monthly meeting held

IPM training held at L Yanthung village WoKha, July 6 (mExN): Department of Agriculture, Wokha conducted Integrated Pest Management (IPM) training on June 30 at L. Yanthung village.

According to a press release from District Agricultural Officer, Wokha, IPM programmes are conducted with an aim to educate the farmers on proper identification and monitoring of pests and to manage them before they reach Economic Injury Level (EIL).

A.O Eyingo Tungoe spoke on the objective of Farmers Field School (FFS) and role of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), while ballot box test of farmers’ knowledge, identification of pest, defenders and their feeding capacity was done by A.O Mhathung Odyuo.

teachers will be able to disseminate the right knowledge to the students from early age. In learning phonetics, the education system will improve considerably, Shainaz said, adding learning should be fun. She observed that the education system is going to get better as there is support from the government.

Guest of honour Kevishe, Additional Secretary, Government of Nagaland, in his address, stressed the need to improve the education system in the State.

“The State’s School Education department, over the years, had been on the

his death.

Ollo Nagas: The Ollo Naga Community Nagaland stated Late Isak Chishi Swu was truly a renowned “God-Father and God fearing leader” in Naga national political history. “A heart filled with sense of justice, a leader who revolutionized Naga people both politically and spiritually. He was a man of peace and a man of principle.” The Community wished that his passing will give birth to a cluster of young patriots like him.

RPO: The Razeba Public Organisation also expressed sorrow at the demise of Isak Chishi Swu. In a condolence message, RPO expressed regret that Nagas have lost a great leader and the vacuum created by his death will be difficult to fill.

SAKK: Expressing grief over the death of Isak Chishi Swu, the Sumi Aphuyemi Kiphimi Kuqhakulu (SAKK) recollected that the Naga leader was a devoted and most influential leader who dedicated his entire life for the peace process and the liberation of the Nagas. “Nothing can surpass the sacrifices that he made for the cause of Naga nation...May his legacy continue to live on,” SAKK added.

Sumi Kukuputsa: The Sumi Kukuputsa remembered Isak Chishi Swu as “a noblest soul, a God’s servant, a freedom fighter to the fullest, a truest patriot, a vi-

sionary leader, an inimitable man of principles. “In losing him, Nagas have lost one of its greatest sons of the soil but the legacy he leaves behind will be forever engraved in our history.”

TPOM: Tribal People Organisation of Manipur (TPOM) reminisced that late Isak Chishi Swu had a unique principle to enlighten the rights of the people of Nagas throughout the globe. The organisation lamented that many dedicated and esteemed Naga leaders have passed away “leaving unsolved (the Naga issue) with the Govt. of India like late Isak Chishi Swu under the ‘See off’ policy adopted by the Government of India towards the Naga political issue.” It pointed out that under Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi's leadership, it was declared that the Naga political solution will be brought within a timeframe of 18 months. However, that promise to bring a permanent peaceful settlement within a timeframe has passed.

TUD: The Tangkhul Union Dimapur (TUD) stated Isak was not only a person who gave his all for Naga people and fought for the rights of his people, but also a missionary as he trod along the path as a freedom fighter. “He was always the strength of the downtrodden people. In his death, we have lost a great hero whom Naga people can’t forget.”

Jotsoma Officers' Krotho will hold its 11th annual meeting on July 9, 10:30 am at RCEMPA, Jotsoma with the topic "A different kind of public servant." The speaker for the meeting will be Rev. Dr. Mazie Nakhro, Mission Facilitator, while Kiyaneilie Peseyie, Minister, Social Welfare will be the chief guest. The program committee has invited all officers in government/semi-government/private sector, leaders and elders of Jotsoma village to attend the event. All members of the Kortho have been further requested to bring two years membership fee of Rs. 1000 and also one time donation of Rs. 2000 for those who have not paid. Members who have not contributed their share in NEHEMIAH project of AGOK were also reminded on the same.

NRMSATA 2015-16 central executive The Nagaland Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan Teachers Association (NRMSATA 2015-16) central executive has convened an emergency meeting with the district representatives in Kohima on July 9, 11:00 am at the TU Building, below Nagaland State Co-operative Bank Ltd. All the district representatives have been requested to attend the meeting. For any information, contact 9615064759/8732040650.

Mao Students' Union Dimapur Mao Students' Union Dimapur is organizing its annual meet-cum-felicitation of the meritorious students at Mao Hoho Dimapur Community Hall, A. Mao Colony, Kuda -B (Nagarjan), Dimapur on July 9 at 10:00 am. All the Ememei students residing in Dimapur from Class 9 and above have been requested to attend positively.

NPF 8th Western Angami A/C The Naga People's Front, 8th Western Angami A/C has convened a meeting on July 8, 10:00 am at the party office with all the members representing the A/C, i.e Central, Kohima Division, Parent body, Youth Wing, Women Wing & Farmer Wing office bearers, with regard to the welfare and matter of the constituency. A press note issued by Votso Peseyie, President and Aselie Punyü, General Secretary has requested all to attend the said meeting positively.

Thursday 07•07•2016

IN FOCUS

6

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

The Power of Truth

The Morung Express

C O M M E N T A R Y

Anne Gallagher openDemocracy

Unravelling the 2016 Global The need Slavery Index. Part one volume Xi issue 185

By Aheli moitra

to remember

I

magine for a moment that journalists in Nagaland decided to report only events organised by institutions that are representative of all genders at every level.

Large swathes of our news would go out of the pages.

The whole Nagaland Legislative Assembly would face a media blackout, most apex organisations, and students’ bodies, would get almost no publicity, most political armed groups would be left grappling in the air and most churches would meet the same fate. The State administrative set up would be covered marginally, registered non government organisations would gain and to fill up the pages, the journalists would have no option but to begin working with that niche called ‘women’s organisations.’

But if you are not from this brand of conscientious living, worry not. This is not about to happen. Those journalists who take such a radical measure to address the gender bias in every aspect of society will face near-complete ostracisation with their careers put to jeopardy.

That said, the stories they begin to discover may change the course of news, reading of history and the influence on young minds in a way we cannot yet comprehend.

When the Naga mothers shared some of their lesser known stories at The Morung Lectures on June 25, many young women were astonished at the extent to which the Naga narrative runs. Yet, Naga history has been coloured by the predominant, and singular, narrative of men capturing hills and borders, hearts and minds. The nuances of transporting grain in their hair, or money in their buttocks, for the armed men at the cost of armed torture during the years of the Indo-Naga war have been lost to the violence of forgetting.

Forgetting is an act of violence. It is unjust, towards our past as well as the future we want to carve through the present. It denies us of our existence as wholesome beings, creating half-moulds of what we could have been-- as a people, as an individual.

It is thus important for us to begin telling the stories of women who became partisans in the search for peace. We need to remember the women who took part in the Naga armed struggle for justice. They walked the same jungles as comrades in arms, went through the same guerrilla training, yet experienced different physical remnants the war left behind. We need to begin writing, talking and reading about them.

As early as in 1984, a group of Naga women saw that the answer to the effects of violence on Naga society lay in an unarmed nonviolent struggle that drew from the kind, steadfast, assertive and unconditional nourishment of motherhood. We need to deconstruct their struggles in order to learn their methods so that we are able to apply them contextually to our unjust times.

We need to begin learning even from their mistakes.

To be able to do this against a patriarchal tidal wave, that the system currently is, will be no mean feat. It will need teachers in schools and universities to suggest and take radical measures in education. It will need women in elite circles to come out of denial, and break the facade of equality. It will need professionals to insist on gender balance at work places. It will eventually get men in power to see that no sort of law has kept women from seeking justice—not then, and will not hence.

Any other telling of history may be sent to moitramail@yahoo.com

lEfT wiNg |

Lin Taylor Thomson Reuters Foundation

One in five aboriginal children in Western Australia has no birth record

N

early one in five aboriginal children born in Western Australia has no birth documents with most unregistered children born to teenage mothers and facing further social disadvantage later in life, research showed on Sunday.

A study published in The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health matched data from the state's midwife records against the birth registry office, and found that 18 percent of Aborigine children did not have birth certificates.

Between 1980 and 2010, there were nearly 50,000 aboriginal births in Western Australia, and of that number, 4,628 children under 16 were not recorded at birth.

Globally, around 290 million children do not possess a birth certificate, according to the U.N. children's agency UNICEF. Without one, they can face problems later in life if they want to enrol in university, find employment, open a bank account, buy property, access justice or get a passport.

In the state of Queensland, another study found that 17 percent of aboriginal children aged between two and four were unregistered.

"Australia is a signatory to several international conventions to ensure that all children have the right to be registered immediately after birth, but an unacceptably high number of aboriginal children don't achieve this right," said lead author of the study Alison Gibberd.

Aboriginal children born in Western Australia to mothers younger than 16 were five times more likely to be unregistered than if they had mothers over 30 years of age, the report said.

The state has the third highest Aborigine population in the country, with 88,270 people identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, according to 2011 census data.

"Successfully completing the birth registration process requires a reasonable level of literacy and the practical means of returning the completed paperwork," said Gibberd, a researcher from the University of Sydney.

"It also relies on parents recognising the value of birth registration, particularly if they cannot afford the cost of a birth certificate at that time."

A birth certificate, which costs A$47 ($35) in Western Australia, can only be obtained if a baby has been registered at birth.

Australia rarely talks publicly about the condition of its roughly 700,000 Indigenous citizens, who rank near the bottom of its 23 million citizens in almost every economic and social indicator, or about society's attitude toward them.

A government report released earlier this year showed that Australia was failing to meet a number of goals aimed at improving the lives of its aboriginal population.

A target to close a 10 year gap in life expectancy between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians by 2031 is not on track and the Aboriginal unemployment rate will not be halved by 2018 as previously pledged, the government report said.

Without a birth certificate, people can face problems finding employment, accessing justice or getting a passport

The Global Slavery Index seeks to mobilize action against human exploitation by quantifying the scale of the problem and the quality of current responses.

How well has this been done?

O

ver the past three decades a radical, worldwide social and political revolution has been slowly building steam. This revolution rejects the exploitation of human beings for private profit and seeks to eliminate these practices that have built our world and that continue to power global economic growth. The leaders of this revolution, including those involved in the Global Slavery Index, deserve to be applauded for their courage in waging what often feels like an impossible battle. But for everyone working in this field, good intentions are not enough. Dialogue, criticism and constructive debate are also needed to move this revolution forward.

The Global Slavery Index (GSI) rose without a trace in 2013: the flagship of an organization established the previous year with the explicit mandate of ending modern slavery in the lifetime of its founderfunder. A revised version was produced in 2014 and the latest Index was launched in London on June 1st, 2016 at an event headlined by Australian actor Russell Crowe. The rationale for the Index was clear from the outset. As Bill Gates advised fellow billionaire philanthropist Andrew Forrest, in order to secure traction on this issue he had to find some way of quantifying the problem that Forrest had committed his reputation – and an undisclosed slice of his personal fortune - to eradicating. In Gates’ words: “if you can’t measure it, it doesn’t exist”. Just as importantly, if you can’t measure it, you cannot reliably demonstrate impact of any interventions. Through rigorous measurement, Gates has been able to show, very convincingly, that the work of his Foundation is making a real difference to the global disease toll.

But measuring modern slavery and quantifying disease are worlds apart. Determining whether someone has malaria or HIV; the extent to which a community is affected; and even the vulnerability of a given population to contracting that disease is relatively straightforward and State, private and academic institutions exist whose sole function is to do just that. They all use the same, replicable method and criteria and they all come up with results that can generally be relied upon. (While establishing vulnerability to such diseases can be more difficult, the protocols are now well established). Extrapolation to estimate disease prevalence works well in the field of public health because our understanding of disease, our definitions and our diagnostic tools are sound and universally accepted, having emerged from a long history of inquiry, analysis and refinement. We also have the benefit of a willing and to some extent, captive test population. Of course these factors can come together in very different contexts. The Index’s authors note that in the mid-nineteenth century the United States was able to accurately measure the size of its slave population. But this is because everyone involved knew exactly what was being counted: slavery back then was a legal fact as well as a physical reality; records were kept and the subjects of measurement were clearly not going anywhere.

‘Modern slavery’ is something quite different - a made-up term that seeks to encompass under its expansive umbrella a raft of exploitative practices and myriad victims: from the Nigerian schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram to the abused maids of diplomatic households in London and Washington; from orphanage tourism in Cambodia to the recruitment of child soldiers by the so-called Islamic State. The authors of the Index have recalibrated their conception of ‘modern slavery’ from year to year, which makes comparison between their own reports a challeng-

A

somewhat unexpected global trend has emerged over recent years. Never before have so many people from different walks of life, so consistently and with such conviction, invoked the language of international law in the context of war.

This is no longer the exclusive domain of the military law expert. Politicians, journalists, activists, even my 82 year old mother and her friends resort to law’s vernacular when confronted by war.

Each, in their own way, engage in exchanges over the content of the law of armed conflict, more popularly known as international humanitarian law (IHL). The use of cluster munitions, the bombing of a school, the rape of women, the destruction of ancient artefacts are condemned, not only for the suffering and destruction inflicted but, as violations of IHL constituting war crimes.

Simply put, the globalisation of international law has “juridified” our world view, adding another layer through which we now see war.

There is much to celebrate with this turn to law and the insistence that the rule of law be upheld, even in armed conflict. That is because in the process of learning to see war through the prism of law, we are reminded of our common humanity.

After all, the rules that comprise IHL represent the agreed ethical boundaries within which war is conducted; they are a compromise between military necessity and the principle of humanity.

IHL’s purpose is twofold: i) to protect those who do not (or no longer)

ing exercise. To take the disease analogy further, there is no epidemiology of what is referred to as modern slavery: no scientific or rational basis for studying patterns, causes and effects. We don't yet have universally accepted diagnostic criteria or credible tools of measurement - which means that universal, reliable calculation of the size of the problem, while an important goal to strive for, is not yet possible.

These difficulties are well known to those working in the field, which makes the appearance of an indicator attached to the new UN Sustainable Development Goals “number of victims of human trafficking per 100,000 population, by sex, age group and form of exploitation” curious and, at the very least, highly premature. After being called to task for its persistent and amateurish attempts to measure global rates of “human trafficking”, the US Government eventually gave up trying.

In recent years, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has felt pressure to affirm the scale of a problem that is central to its raison d’etre. The ILO has a considerable head start: forced labour is complex but, unlike modern slavery, it is defined in international law and generally well understood. Even so, the hurdles of its measurement are immense and despite its opportunistic and legally indefensible adoption of the new language of ‘modern slavery’, the ILO has tried to be open about the difficulties of measuring the number of those in forced labour; the fragility of the resulting data; and the highly provisional nature of any conclusions based on that information.

The Index, by contrast, sets itself three Herculean tasks: (i) calculating the vulnerability of individuals within each country to enslavement; (ii) measuring the total number, or prevalence, of slaves in every country; and (iii) assessing the overall quality of government responses to modern slavery. Seeking to work out how – and how well - this has been done is itself a daunting prospect. The methodology used by the Index is complex and in parts opaque and incomplete, requiring considerable persistence to unravel and analyze. But that task, which I can only begin here, is an important one. The purpose of the Index is not just to raise awareness about human exploitation - it is also intended to provide an evidence base for “[advocating and building] sound policies that will eradicate modern slavery” as well as a raft of initiatives loosely linked to Walk Free including a number of funds that are expected to disburse millions of dollars to support anti-slavery efforts. Governments and the many civil society bodies operating in this field will certainly use the Index to advance their own agendas and interests. For these reasons the Index deserves rigorous scrutiny.

This article briefly explores each of the three elements of the Index (vulnerability measurement; prevalence measurement; and response measurement), making some preliminary findings about the quality of the methodology and its application under each heading. While recognising that an analysis of this brevity can only scratch the surface (for example I forego, in this piece, any discussion of the value and validity of measuring a global, internationalized phenomenon at the national level), I return to a theme addressed in a previous critique: the lack of critical engagement with the Index among those who have the capacity - and I would argue, the responsibility - to interrogate this work carefully, openly and honestly.

Assessing country-level vulnerability to modern slavery The vulnerability measure assigned to each country is important because it is a major element in assessing the prevalence of slavery. The measure uses several dozen variables divided into four categories to work out the risk of enslavement in a particular country: (i) civil and political protections; (ii) economic, health and other social rights; (iii) personal security; and (iv) refugees and conflict. A country’s final “vulnerability score” is calculated by averaging the sum of the variables for each category and then averaging the four resulting scores. For example, the

country with the lowest vulnerability rating, Denmark, scores highly across all categories and most variables. The country with the highest vulnerability rating, the Central African Republic, receives low scores across the board.

The categories themselves generally make sense.

Individuals and communities caught up in conflict will inevitably be more vulnerable than others to exploitation. Poverty and personal insecurity (measured in the Index by proxies such as being in debt and inability to raise emergency funds) also seems to be relevant as a vulnerability factor because we know that fewer resources inevitably compromise life choices and lead to risky strategies such as irregular and debtfinanced migration. But some factors chosen to assess vulnerability are less easy to reconcile and no explanation is offered. Where is the evidence to support the assertion that “less cell phone subscriptions per 100 people in each country is considered to be … a vulnerability factor to slavery” or that greater access to weapons correlates with (let alone causes) increased vulnerability to slavery? Except as three of many available proxies for poverty, what do the rate of tuberculosis, undernourishment and “access to an improved water source” tell us about vulnerability to slavery? Sexual orientation and disability rights are now staples of the international human rights agenda but we are a long way from establishing a credible link between denial of these rights and increased risk of modern slavery.

To turn this analysis on its head, a government that adopts an arms-reduction programme, or that actively works to reduce its tuberculosis rate; or that works to increase access to cell-phones through subscription can be said to be reducing people’s vulnerability to slavery - even though none of these measures have been concretely linked to the national rate of forced labour, forced marriage or other forms of exploitation associated with modern slavery.

There are compelling indications that the availability of data points influenced and in some cases determined the selection of vulnerability factors and not just in relation to the examples cited above of cell phone subscriptions, weapons availability, health and access to water. For example, confidence in the judiciary – rather than the capacity of the State to protect citizens from violence (including violent crime, perhaps the most well-established and defensible measure of vulnerability to forms of exploitation associated with modern slavery) - is cited as a vulnerability factor, presumably because the former is supported by a contemporary data source and the latter is not.

Other oddities in the final vulnerability assessment appear to affirm fundamental weaknesses in the both the GSI methodology and in its application.

For example, Brunei makes it on to the list of the top ten most vulnerable countries to modern slavery, above Iraq and Pakistan. This is baffling. A relatively poor score on the category of civil and political rights is probably justified for Brunei. But the assertion of the Index that tiny, oil-rich, low-crime Brunei ties with Papua New Guinea as worst in the world for personal security is nonsensical. It also comes as a surprise to learn that this country, which has not experienced internal conflict for at least a generation and neither produces nor accepts refugees, is considered by the GSI to be in poorer shape than Lebanon, Turkey and Yemen in the “Conflict and Refugees” category. Another highly questionable assertion is that, of the 167 countries surveyed, only Iceland, Denmark and New Zealand rank higher than Singapore as the countries where one is most safe from modern slavery. Certainly it is true that Singaporeans (much like their citizencounterparts in Brunei) are very well insulated from the risk of exploitation. But the same cannot be said of Singapore’s 870,000 non-residents, many of whom are denied the right to unionize as well as (in some sectors) the protection of a mandated minimum wage and standardized working hours. Exploitation of migrant workers in Singapore, especially in the construction and domestic service industries is a widely acknowledged and well-documented reality.

Learning to see war through the prism of law louise Arimatsu

take a part in the conflict, most notably, civilians; and ii) to limit how the belligerents may fight. The rules are founded on a handful of basic principles including, the distinction between civilians and combatants; proportionality in attack; humane treatment of all persons; and the prohibition on inflicting unnecessary suffering on enemy belligerents.

But before we applaud the growing insistence on war by law, a moment of reflection is warranted in three respects:

If they do, they may be lawfully killed.

And even if they don’t, what the rule essentially prohibits is the deliberate targeting of civilians and not ‘incidental’ harm, unless excessive.

The same logic applies to civilian objects like hospitals and schools.

If the enemy uses such sites as bases from which to launch attacks, those buildings are no longer entitled to protection from attack.

Although prior to mounting an attack against such buildings a belligerent must consider whether the civilian casualties “expected” would 1. Understand be “excessive” the limits of the in relation to the law: full commilitary advanpliance doesn’t tage “anticipated” always result in humanitarian out- and to take all “feasible” precautions to comes limit such casualties, the language of the It is often overlooked that, as the rules have been carefully crafted and are outcome of treaty negotiations, IHL’s obviously pliable. rules are worded with precision to enable states to wage war lawfully. Thus, 2. Beware of what you demand many of the rules are conditional and Decisions involving attacks are govlimited in scope. erned not only by law but also by poliTake for example, the protection cy considerations that may require the of civilians and civilian objects. At- armed forces to operate at a higher stantacks on civilians may be prohibited dard than required by the letter of the law. but that rule is contingent on the civilAdopting a zero civilian casualty ian not taking a part in the hostilities. approach, as NATO did in its 2011 mili-

wRiTE-wiNg

tary operation in Libya, is one such example.

Notwithstanding the humanitarian appeal of such approaches, the downside is that distinguishing between law and policy becomes difficult. Increasingly, conduct that is law-compliant but which fails to correspond with public beliefs as to what the law demands can leave belligerents in loselose situations.

This raises a real risk that law compliance will lose its traction. After all, why bother with the rules if public condemnation follows in any case?

3. It’s conflict prevention that matters Many reach to international law in the belief that it will help to frame the otherwise inexplicable and confront the unbearable by holding accountable those who are responsible for the carnage caused in the course of warfare.

But despite its humanitarian ambitions, IHL is likely to disappoint since it is not concerned with preventing war. IHL merely seeks to limit violence in war.

Indeed, by stipulating the rules according to which the warring parties are required to fight, the paradox is that IHL effectively facilitates warfare.

If law generally exists to prevent violence by offering a means of negotiating and resolving disputes, invoking IHL signifies state failure on a catastrophic scale. For in failing to resolve a dispute – internal or external – states have abandoned a peaceful settlement in favour of force.

Louise Arimatsu is visiting senior fellow with the Centre for Women, Peace and Security at the London School of Economics

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thursday 07•07•2016

PERSPECTIVE

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Unravelling the 2016 Global Slavery Index. Part two The Global Slavery Index sets out to determine slavery prevalence in every country and to assess the quality of government responses.

What lies behind apparent complicity of silence that surrounds the Index?

awarded the highest ranking overall) is so much better than the United Kingdom (which received the third-highest ranking overall). It is equally difficult to determine exactly how the Governments of Saudi Arabia, Lao PDR and China are performing better than the Governments of Singapore, South Korea and Timor-Leste when it comes to responding to modern slavery.

They may well be, but we have to take the Index’s word for it. The United States received the highest absolute score but was relegated to second place on the basis of a disqualifying factor that victims have been arrested in and deported from that country.

It is difficult to resist speculating that this peculiar and under-explained recalibration of the Index’s own calculations sought to avoid the politically unpalatable result of the United States – widely criticized for its self-appointed role as global anti-trafficking sheriff - being named best-performing country in the world on this issue.

Anne Gallagher

T

openDemocracy

he Global Slavery Index emerged out of a worldwide social and political movement that seeks to expose and eliminate the exploitation of human beings for private profit.

While the Index’s efforts to quantify the problem of modern slavery are laudable, this should not preclude careful scrutiny of the methodology and how that is applied. This article, the second in a two-part series, analyses two of the Index’s key measurements: prevalence (how many slaves are present in each country), and the quality of government responses. It then turns attention to the apparent reluctance to critically engage with the Index on the part of those who are well placed to identify its technical limitations and guide improvements. What is behind this reticence? And does it even matter? Is there perhaps some value to the argument that it is unfair and counterproductive to criticise those who are acting in good faith, who are genuinely seeking to do good and useful work to end human exploitation?

Assessing country-level prevalence Prevalence, in this context, refers to the number of persons within a given country who have been subject to modern slavery, whether at home or abroad – or, in the liberal language of the GSI: persons whose “individual freedom has been restricted in order to exploit them”. For 25 of the 167 countries assessed by the GSI, prevalence figures are based on information secured through random sample surveys conducted during the period 2014 to 2015. Around one thousand people were interviewed in each country. Of the total pool of nearly 29,000 respondents, just 459 affirmed that they or someone in their immediate family were or had been in a situation of forced labor or forced marriage sometime in the past five years. The modest nature of these figures must be highlighted because, as discussed below, they provide the raw data on which the entire prevalence structure of the Index is built.

For the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, slavery prevalence was determined on the basis of two studies that examined rates of human trafficking (which is not the same as ‘modern slavery’). Both studies used ‘multiple systems estimation’ ( MSE ) a statistical methodology popular in human rights and conflict research that utilizes overlaps between incomplete information sources to estimate what might be termed the ‘dark figure’ (in this case, the number of victims who have not come to public attention and are therefore not on any available list). MSE is considered to be an alternative when the suspected low rates of prevalence make low-number random surveys unworkable. Application of this methodology by the UK National Crime Agency in 2013 supported a conclusion that the ratio between the number of detected and undetected victims is around one in four. The GSI uses that information to assert that there are presently 11,500 victims of ‘modern slavery’ in the UK – or 0.02% of the population. In relation to the Netherlands, the Index relied on a study that was commissioned by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. Using the same methodology, that study found prevalence rates to be more than five times higher, at 0.104%.

These substantial differences between two countries with very similar risk profiles, (and consideration of the very different ways in which States identify and record victims in the first place) - indicate that the MSE methodology requires further interrogation before it is endorsed as the go-to back up in situations where the already-problematic standard survey approach cannot be presented as a credible option.

The remaining 139 countries – those without any survey or other data point - were then divided into 12 groups, each considered, with reference to the vulnerability data, to have a common or at least similar risk profile. Each of the 12 groups was then assigned one or more of the 27 data points, (25 country survey results, the UK MSE estimate and a six year old survey of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo that replaced the Netherlands MSE data). Regrettably, the detailed methodology attached to the Index does not tell us which of the 139 countries made it in to which group, and how multiple data points within each group were used to calculate individual country prevalence. For example, we are only told that Group 1 comprises 13 unspecified countries, the prevalence estimates of which are based on survey data from Pakistan and Nigeria and the sexual violence study from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Additional refinements (affecting 40 of the 139 countries for which there was no survey or other data available) sought to adjust the raw group allocations to

take account of unique or particular factors such as conflict and the existence of state-imposed forced labor. For example the prevalence estimate for Uzbekistan, which would have been calculated with exclusive reference to the survey results for Russia, were recalibrated to account for the known existence of forced laborers in the agricultural sector. Other untestable adjustments were made when the results of the extrapolation exercise failed to produce the desired results - or, in the words of the Index, when “selected stakeholders and country experts” felt such adjustments were necessary to “better reflect known realities”. For example, while the vulnerability data on China indicated that prevalence should be measured with reference to countries such as Myanmar and India, factors such as high internet penetration, stronger infrastructure and a dramatically different level of economic growth were considered sufficiently relevant to push it to being measured with reference to Vietnam, whose country survey indicated much lower levels of vulnerability. But the reasoning behind most of the expert adjustments is much less specific.

And in some cases, it doesn't make sense.

For example Iceland, Finland, Portugal and Italy were all subject to unspecified “geopolitical adjustments” on the basis of their “geopolitical similarities to Western Europe”. Unfortunately the Index’s authors do not reflect on what the perceived need for such adjustments tells us about the validity of the underlying methodology and the data it produced.

Assessing government responses It is impossible to explore this aspect of the Index without reference to its unacknowledged lodestar: the annual U.S. State Department Trafficking in Persons (TIP) reports which, since 2001, have been assessing and ranking national responses to trafficking in every country, every year.

Many States understandably object to heavy-handed scrutiny and criticism from the United States Government. But few would question their influence on legal, institutional and attitudinal change in this area. The assessment criteria used in the Reports is set out in the relevant federal statute and covers a range of factors that all fall loosely under the headings of prevention, protection and prosecution. As I have explored elsewhere, the criteria, which has been refined over the years, more or less tracks the international legal obligations that govern State conduct in this area.

The standard of the reports has improved steadily over the years and the individual country assessments paint a necessarily incomplete but generally realistic picture of the trafficking situation and of the quality of the relevant government’s response.

The GSI’s assessment methodology, while clearly based on the US approach, is much more complex. It is structured along the lines of a logical framework for a development project – complete with five overarching milestones (broad goals, sometimes confusingly referred to in the narrative as “outcomes”); several dozen intermediate outcomes (more specific goals, sometimes referred in the Index as “activities”); almost one hundred general indicators of “good practice” attached to the outcomes; and many more specific ‘description’ indicators that explain exactly what should and should not be taken into account.

Throughout, there appears to be an inbuilt bias in the assessment tool towards wealthier countries. At the most basic level, the Index places a high premium on information availability, which is directly related to both capacity and resources: if information relevant to an indicator is not available, the country receives a zero score against that indicator, the same as if it did not meet the indicator at all. Wealthy countries benefit in other ways: only they can realistically be expected to meet indicators such as funding or undertaking research - or developing and implementing expensive victim support programs.

And one entire milestone, “governments stop sourcing goods and services linked to modern slavery”, seeks to capture an advanced response that is understandably not on the agenda of any poor or even middle-income country. A table that rates government response against GDP provides important additional perspective and balance: for example serving to

highlight Singapore’s relative poor performance when measured against capacity – and the Philippines’ relatively strong one.

But this one table cannot remove the inbuilt distortions that, just like the TIP Report, will almost always see wealthy countries of destination come out on top. This matters because it obscures the reality that wealthy countries of destination stand to reap the greatest benefits that flow from human exploitation.

Despite these weaknesses, the framework for assessing government response nevertheless appears to broadly reflect the current, imperfect state of our knowledge about what can be done to address ‘modern slavery’ and what might make it worse.

But the Index projects the framework as something much more precise and definitive. This approach is highly problematic, not least because complexities in the methodology obscure multiple assumptions and value judgments.

These problems are brought into sharp relief when considering how country ratings are calculated. Groupings of indicators (outcomes) are evenly weighted and, with just a few exceptions, the 98 indicators also receive the same weighting. What this means is that a core outcome such as “victim-determined support is available for all identified victims” (the holy grail of a victim-centered response that has not yet been achieved anywhere in the world) has the same value for assessment purposes as “domestic legislation is in line with international conventions” (which is extremely complex to assess and can be of great or lesser significance depending on myriad factors). It also means that both these outcomes have the same value as the wideranging “safety nets exist for vulnerable populations”. Furthermore, equivalence in indicator weighting means that the indicator “government facilitates and funds research” has the same absolute value as the much more important indicator “government facilitates and funds labor inspections” and that ratification of the highly contested and substantively problematic UN Migrant Workers Convention has the same value as ratification of the centrally important UN Trafficking Protocol.

The problem is not just the false assumption of like for like across both outcomes and indicators, but also the Index transforming qualitative information into quantitative data. In order to calculate precise rankings, the Index applies a 1=yes, 0=no formula to situations, conduct or actions that can never be captured in this binary way. For example the indicator: “government interventions … are evidence based” (or, as the attached description clarifies: “interventions are based on strategies or theories of change identified by research”) is impossible to measure on a yes-no scale for myriad reasons including the fact that research in this area is of an uneven and often very low standard and, critically, that governments themselves rarely articulate the evidence base or theory of change on which their intervention is based. Furthermore, as mentioned previously, a score of zero may be given on the basis of no available data, but a score of zero can also be given if the information available “explicitly demonstrated the government did not meet any indicators”.

And the devil is also in the detail of how the assessment framework is actually applied. The US Government flexes its considerable political muscle to effectively coerce governments into providing certain information on their response to trafficking. This information is checked and supplemented through in-country work by the State Department that mobilizes the abundant resources and contacts of US embassies throughout the world. The GSI assessment of government responses against each indicator uses a range of sources: desk reviews of publicly available information (including, clearly the TIP Reports themselves); information received from governments who responded to a questionnaire (38 of the 161 countries assessed); and other information obtained through “in-country experts” and online survey responses from and interviews with “NGOs and partners”.

Certainly it can be expected that this process yields useful insights, but there is no way to assess the quality of different information sources or indeed, to replicate the results. Thus, it is extremely difficult to work out why the Netherlands (which was

A complicity of silence?

The lack of critical engagement with the Global Slavery Index with only very limited exceptions is troubling. But it’s also understandable. The Walk Free Foundation, the organization that produces the GSI, and its many offshoots have woven a dense web of private philanthropy that few organizations or individuals working in the ever-ballooning anti-slavery sector, with the striking exception of the Vatican, can afford to ignore or offend. This has rendered the GSI virtually immune to criticism. Such deference is bad for the Index and for the anti-slavery movement as a whole, trapping us all in an echo chamber of like-minded and right-thinking souls who provide each other little incentive or encouragement to really interrogate how we are thinking and working.

And then there is the accusation, devastating in its chilling effect, that attacking good works is ungenerous and unsporting.

Or, as the argument has often been put to me: “we are doing our best: why are you trying to undermine us?” In public, GSI founder and funder Forrest has dismissed his critics as mere “academics” and, in his preface to the 2016 GSI Index, implies that those who point out the imperfections of the Index without offering alternatives are obstructing the “emancipation journey”.

Such sentiments are not uncommon and, in the field of anti-trafficking and modern slavery, have sometimes been channeled in ways that do damage to trust and credibility, even of organisations and individuals who are clearly acting for good purposes and in good faith. A major Australian child protection charity exposed for recruiting a Cambodian child to impersonate a miserable, mud-smeared sex worker for a fundraising campaign reacted swiftly to charges of exploitation, accusing its critics of misunderstanding what was needed to “bring the horror home”. A US-based organization that stages high profile, ethically compromised ‘rescue’ operations in impoverished countries responded with anger and bewilderment (and eventually the threat of a defamation lawsuit against the present author) when its actions were publicly challenged. This is all wrong. Good intentions matter but they are not enough, especially in relation to an area where the capacity to do harm – to make bad situations even worse - is demonstrably real. There are many examples and they include my own abundant, first-hand experience of how well meaning pressure on dysfunctional criminal justice systems to prosecute traffickers has led directly to unfair trials and other serious miscarriages of justice.

Of course constructive criticism implies contemplation of alternatives. In the present case the search for something better should start with recognizing that quantifying and measuring every aspect of the ‘modern slavery’ problem is, in the end, just one of many possible approaches to improving our understanding of the problem and our capacity to influence positive change. Done well it will undoubtedly make a useful contribution. But why not openly admit the limitations of country-level, state-focused assessment of a phenomenon that is essentially transnational in its operation and impact? Why not redirect the massive resources currently devoted to obsessive quantification of slavery into forensic examination of the industries and sectors that we already know are nurturing exploitation? Such a deep and strategically targeted focus could help us to understand, better than any prevalence or vulnerability assessment, the structures that support exploitation; the myriad government, corporate and other interests that reap the benefit of exploitation; and the possible pathways and targets for intervention.

There are tentative but perceptible signs that we are on the verge of a transformative social revolution - a fundamental, worldwide shift in our common understanding of what one human being owes to every other. In this new moral and political universe, the idea and practice of human exploitation for private profit will be unthinkable. Andrew Forrest, Roosevelt’s “man in the arena”, deserves credit for daring greatly and striving valiantly in the cause of this revolution. But none of us working in this space is safe from the risk of mistake, overreach and hubris. It follows that no aspect of our work should be considered off-limits to scrutiny, criticism and debate. The revolution deserves nothing less.

7

To Work for Someone or to be an Investor?

S

ome people who would tell you, “I’m not interested to learn about investing.” In saying so, what they fail to realize is that they’re really choosing to work for money instead. This is not surprising considering the fact that their minds have been conditioned that way from childhood. Their parents had always told them, “Go to school, get good grades, and find a government job which will guarantee you a job security with benefits.” But following this kind of a career path can be very self-limiting because you must work as an employee within a fixedsystem you may have no control over. And as for building your own wealth, your hardearned monthly income can hardly take you so far, even if you regularly save a portion and put it in a savings account that pays you 5% interest. Remember, the meager sum of interest you are paid is also eaten by inflation. That’s why working hard as an employee and saving money is not the best route to getting rich.

Is there, then, a better alternative to making a living? Absolutely! Instead of working as an employee for someone else, it is far better to be self-employed. More and more specialists or professionals such as doctors, attorneys, accountants, and other technical consultants are choosing to be self-employed because they can enjoy far greater freedom and make much more money than depending on paychecks from their bosses. Or, even if you are not one of those trained professionals, you can still learn to build your own businesses and do investing, whatever it is, so that your money can work for you. This is the easiest career path to personal freedom and wealthcreation.

And yet, most people still have very wrong ideas about investing. For example, some people assume that investing is a mysterious game, as if there must be some magical technique to making money. Or they think that it must be complicated, risky, or dangerous. None of these is true. As such, investing doesn’t have to be complex or complicated.

And it doesn’t necessarily involve a lot of risk or luck. This doesn’t, however, mean that investing is without any risk, for there’s always a certain degree of risk with it just like in any other endeavor under heaven.

For most successful investors, investing is simply a plan, made up of proven strategies or formulas, a system of getting rich--almost guaranteed to produce results, which is income. And once the system is mastered, it can be as simple, predictable, and boring as following a recipe to bake a cake. In other words, the secret of investing is this: Find a formula that will make you rich and follow it consistently. To be a successful investor, you don’t have to have a special talent or a college degree. You don’t even need any money of your own to start with. All you have to do is know what you want, have a plan that works, and stick with it until you reach your financial goals.

Now, how do you come up with your own financial goals and plan? First, you should set some realistic goals. For instance, one of your goals could be to become a multi-crorpati before you turn 60. Or, it could be to achieve financial independence, which means freedom from the day-to-day drudgery of having to work for money to survive. Next, you should develop a plan that can help you accomplish these goals of yours. Here, it may be recommended that you find a financial adviser or a successful investor who can guide or mentor you at least in the initial stages of your investment journey. As your plan evolves, you will slowly begin to discover what works best for you. Keep your plan simple, but continue to improve and modify it as the situation demands along the way.

One very good thing about investing is that you can be a very successful investor without having to give up your primary choice of profession, whether that be a job as a teacher, a social worker, an office clerk, a medical doctor, a shop keeper, a taxi operator, or a pastor.

In other words, you can be an investor, regardless of what else you do or what other type of profession you want to pursue. This is because most investing is a business behind a business that makes money.

According to Robert Kiyosaki, the author of an international best-seller book Rich Dad, Poor Dad, the business of investing has many parallels to the business of professional sports. Like the sports commentators, you have the TV commentators constantly describing you the current market conditions and telling you why the stock prices are going up or down. There are also adoring fans (investors) purchasing market shares instead of tickets. And of course, we have the viewers at home watching all the actions but not necessarily participating.

As a matter of fact, what most people don’t see in both arenas of the sports world and the investment world is what is going on behind the scenes, which is the real business behind the business that makes money, regardless of who wins the game or whether the market goes up or down.

So, don’t take investing lightly. Make it the most important focus for your long-term earnings. Remember, you want to have your money working for you so you don’t have to work if you don’t want to work or if you cannot work any longer.

8

THURSDAY 07•07•2016

INDIA

NATION Briefs Govt to take appropriate action against Zakir Naik: Kiren Rijiju New Delhi, July 6 (iANS): The government on Wednesday indicated it was contemplating action against controversial Indian Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who was followed by militants who killed 20 persons in Dhaka's Holey Artisan Bakery on July 1. It was a "matter of law" and the agencies concerned will take "appropriate action", Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju told reporters here.

"We will give all kind of support, whatsoever, in matters related to terrorism," he said. Asked if the government planned to ban the preacher, as some other countries have already done, the minister said: "It's not wise on part of the minister to make announcements about actions likely to be taken." Naik, founder of Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation, is banned in the United Kingdom and Canada for his hate speeches aimed against other religions.

'Passing GST Bill will be priority' New Delhi, July 6 (iANS): Passing the GST Bill in Parliament will be the government's priority, Minister of State for Finance Santosh Kumar Gangwar said on Wednesday after taking charge of his office. “We hope the GST (Goods and Services Tax) will be passed in the coming monsoon session. Our focus will be to expedite the process of growth,” he told journalists.

Arjun Ram Meghwal, who also assumed charge as a minister of state for finance on Wednesday, said: “We will like to speed up the process of economic growth and achieve the economic goals so that the benefit of economic development will reach the last mile.” Both Gangwar and Meghwal took charge of their posts in the presence of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who welcomed them with bouquets. Gangwar, who was the Minister of State for Textiles, was shifted to the Finance Ministry by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday in a major reshuffle of his council of ministers.

Gangwar has been an MP from Bareilly. Meghwal is a former bureaucrat.

Medicos held for hurling dog CheNNAi, July 6 (PTi): A medical student, who hurled a dog from a terrace, and his friend, who filmed the incident, were on Wednesday arrested after the shocking video went viral drawing outrage, but the duo was soon released on bail, while the dog was now undergoing treatment and “doing well”. “We arrested Gowtham Sudarshan and Ashish Pal today and they were produced before Sriperumbudur Judicial Magistrate court,” Kundrathur Police Inspector Ruban said.

“The duo were granted bail by the court,” he told PTI. The dog was taken to a veterinary hospital for treatment and is doing well, police said. Gowtham Sudarshan, a final year MBBS student of a private medical college, flung the dog from the terrace of a building here and the act was video allegedly recorded by his friend Ashish Pal. After the video went viral, animal welfare activists, including Antony Clement Rubin and Jennifer Jacob, lodged a complaint with police which registered an FIR and launched a search for them. The duo were booked for cruel treatment meted out to an animal under IPC sections 428 and 429 and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (Sec 11 (1-a). Subsequently, they were arrested on Wednesday. Rubin said the dog luckily survived and was taken to a veterinary hospital. xRubin said the dog has been named ‘Bhadra’ after goddess Bhadrakali.

New income disclosure norms to be applicable from April 1, 2016 New Delhi, July 6 (iANS): The Income Computation and Disclosure Standards (ICDS) shall be now applicable from April 1, 2016 instead of April 1, 2015, since tax payers might have already filed income tax return without incorporating compliance with the ICDS, the Finance Ministry said here on Wednesday. “It has been decided that the ICDS shall be applicable from April 1, 2016. The notification to this effect will be issued shortly,” a statement from the Finance Ministry said here on Wednesday.

“Some of the tax payers might have filed their return of income and obtained Tax Audit Report without incorporating the compliance with the ICDS and related disclosures in the absence of the revised Tax Audit Report,” the statement said. Subsequent to notification of the ICDS, a number of representations were received which were examined by an Expert Committee. The Committee has recommended amendments to the notified ICDS and also issuance of clarification in respect of certain points raised by the stakeholders, it said. “The revision of ICDS as recommended by the Committee, is under consideration. The revision of the Tax Audit Report is also being made for ensuring the compliance with the provisions of ICDS and for capturing the disclosures mandated by the ICDS,” it added.

Modi calls Pak PM Nawaz Sharif on Eid, wishes him well post-surgery iSlAMABAD, July 6 (ReuTeRS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi telephoned his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday, the Muslim holiday of Eid, to wish him a speedy recovery from surgery, a sign the two men remain in touch, despite fraught diplomatic relations. Sharif, 66, had successful open heart surgery in a London hospital in May, his second cardiac procedure in five years.

"Indian Prime Minister Modi called Prime Minister Sharif on the occasion of Eid," Sharif's office said in a statement. "He also wished him well for his health post-surgery." Wednesday is a national holiday in mainly Muslim Pakistan, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast from dawn till dusk. Before the surgery in May, Sharif had also telephoned Modi to thank him for his wishes for a quick recovery. Sharif made a bid to improve ties with old rival India a key plank of his 2013 election campaign, though progress has been slow and relations remain frayed over Islamist militant attacks and long-standing distrust.

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

'Glad I helped in shaping New Education Policy'

New Delhi, July 6 (iANS): A day after she was shunted out to the Textiles Ministry, Union Minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday said her stint as the HRD Minister was "satisfactory and fruitful", and sought to convey that her new portfolio should not be seen as a demotion.

Irani played up her achievements as the Human Resource Development Minister.

"I am glad that I have been part of the process of formulating the National Education Policy after 30 years, and that the honourable Prime Minister gave me such an opportunity," Irani said, addressing the media here.

She said it was during her tenure that the HRD Ministry deliberated with "every state and every village" and incorporated their inputs in the New Education Policy.

"This has been done for the first time in the history of India," she said. On her replacement, Irani said she is "glad that Prakash Javadekar is going to take the PM's vision further".

"Thanks to Prakash ji who publicly praised my work and spoke of taking it forward," she said.

On her new assignment, Irani said that textiles is one of the most important sectors that has the potential "to employ and skill and to scale up the Prime Minister's dream of Make in India".

Bye bye Smriti Irani, says Kanhaiya Kumar

Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Smriti Irani at her office after taking charge of the Textiles Ministry, in New Delhi on Wednesday. (PTI Photo)

"I know that the Prime Minister wants to give a boost to the Textiles Ministry and the new package announced for the sector indicates as much. I am happy that I have been given this opportunity to implement the roadmap that was projected through the cabinet for textiles sector," she said.

Irani said she has been given the charge of a ministry that employs women in large numbers.

On persistent questioning from the media about her being moved out of the HRD Ministry, Irani said, "There have been so many questions and so many things being said. I would

only say that 'Kuchh to log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna' (People will talk, it is their business)."

Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader Kanhaiya Kumar welcomed the exit of Irani but said this was no "punishment" for the suicide of Dalit student Rohith Vemula.

"Justice for Rohith is still awaited. Cabinet reshuffle is not punishment...Bye bye, Smriti Irani," the student leader tweeted.

He demanded the resignations of Irani and another minister, Bandaru Dattatreya, from ministerial posts and said a case must be lodged against them for the "institutional

murder" of Vemula.

"Smritiji has been transferred from one ministry to the other. Our demand was to remove Irani and Dattatreya from the ministerial posts and lodge a case against them for the institutional murder of Vemula," Kumar told IANS. Rohith Vemula was a doctoral scholar at the University of Hyderabad. He committed suicide on January 17, triggering widespread protests against Irani and Dattatreya who were blamed for the suicide.

Kanhaiya Kumar's arrest over an alleged "antinational" event also sparked massive protests among students and others.

New Delhi, July 6 (iANS): Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader Kanhaiya Kumar on Wednesday welcomed the exit of Smriti Irani from the Human Resource Development Ministry but said this was no "punishment" for the suicide of Dalit student Rohith Vemula.

After Smriti Irani was transferred to the Textiles Ministry, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) President said justice had not been served to Vemula, who committed suicide in Hyderabad.

"Justice for Rohith is still awaited. Cabinet reshuffle is not punishment… Bye bye Smriti Irani," the student leader tweeted.

He demanded the resignation of Irani and another minster Bandaru Dattatreya from ministerial posts and said a case must be lodged against them for the "institutional murder" of Vemula.

"Smritiji has been transferred from one ministry to the other. Our demand was to remove Irani and Dattatreya from the ministerial posts and lodge a case against them for the institutional murder of Vemulla," Kumar told IANS. Vemula was a PhD student at the University of Hyderabad who committed suicide on January 17, triggering widespread protests against Smriti Irani and Dattatreya who were blamed for the suicide.

Five Dalit students, including Vemula, were suspended in September, 2015 following a clash with a leader of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

Kumar further said that he did not have "much hopes" from the new minister as well.

He said: "The new minister (Prakash Javdekar) made a very sad statement that he will take forward the works of Smriti Irani. Does it mean that more Dalit students will be killed in educational institutions?

Does it mean that people who are close to minister would continue to get key posts in the government?"

When asked whether he would seek time from the new Education Minister Prakash Javdekar, Kumar said he would meet him (Javdekar) and put before him various demands of the students' community.

"Obviously we will meet him. We have our demands for the betterment of the education system.

Comprehensive consultations needed on common civil code: Prasad New Delhi, July 6 (iANS): New Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Wednesday that "comprehensive consultations" were required before taking steps towards a Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

Prasad made the comments after taking charge of the Law Ministry following the Tuesday reshuffle

by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the council of ministers.

He said there would be "comprehensive consultations with all the stakeholders" before moving

towards the UCC. Pointing out that right now the issue of UCC was being examined by the Law Commission, Prasad said Article 44 of the Constitution mandated a common civil code.

Article 44, under the Directive Principles of State Policy, says: "The State shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India."

Describing himself as an "old hand" in the Ministry of Law and

Justice, Prasad said this was his third stint, first being as a Minister of State in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and then when Modi took office in May 2014.

He said the government favoured strengthening the justice delivery system, transparency in the appointment of judges and their fast tracking, upholding the independence of judiciary and working in harmony with it and granting citizenship rights to Hindu migrants from Bangladesh.

Dismissing any confrontation

with the judiciary on framing a procedure for appointing judges to the higher judiciary, Prasad said the appointment of judges should be quick and done in a transparent manner.

People "competence and integrity" must occupy the high judicial positions, he said.

"I don't contemplate confrontation on the drafting of the memorandum of procedure for the appointment of judges. We look forward to work in harmony."

Responding to a question on

judicial activism often flagged

by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Prasad said an independent judiciary was an important facet of the State.

He said as a matter of principle the Modi government was in favour of granting citizenship rights to Hindus who have crossed over to India from Bangladesh.

But "both the Law Ministry and the Home Ministry have to work together and look into it", he added.

Dalai Lama's 81st b'day celebrated He was born in Taktser in China on July 6, 1935 & is known as the 14th Dalai Lama.

DhARAMShAlA, July 6 (PTi): The 81st birthday of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama was celebrated with artists and school children presenting cultural shows at the main Tibetan temple Tsuglagkhang in Mcleodganj here.

A large gathering of Tibetans, foreigners and Indians were present at the temple to mark his birthday.

"Every Tibetan should not only pay heed to His Holiness' precious ad-

vice but also channel it into action. Now that the dust has settled, let us take a moment to look forward to our future with a renewed sense of conviction, purpose and action," Home Minister (Kalon) Sonam Topgyal Khorlatsang said.

Both the Kashag (cabinet) and the Tibetan Parliament in exile in their statement extended their gratitude to India and its people for their hospitality and support towards the Tibetan people. "His Holiness chose this place since it is the Dev Bhumi.

Therefore, we should all work together to make it a global center of religious meetings and conferenc-

es. I urge Tibetans to preserve the unique culture and traditions," Ajay Singh Mankotia, President of Indo-Tibetan Friendship Association said.

A Hindi version of the comic book 'Dalai Lama: Soldier of Peace' by Vijay Kranti and a book (in Chinese) on the life of former political prisoner Lobsang Tenzin was also launched at the event.

The Dalai Lama, who is currently in Mundgod, celebrated his birthday at the Drepung Monastery today.

He is scheduled to give a teaching on July 13 in Rewalsar (Tso Pema).

He was born in Taktser in China on July 6, 1935 and Kashmiri Muslim women offer Eid al-Fitr prayers in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir on is the 14th Dalai Lama.

July 6. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan. (AP Photo)

'NU & NGO controversies put India in the group of nations like Egypt and Russia' Says, if the country wants to grow as an open economy, it should address these issues

BeNgAluRu, July 6 (PTi): Nobel laureate and eminent economist Joseph Stiglitz on Wednesday said the difficulties faced by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in India and the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) controversy put the country in the same group of nations like Egypt and Russia and can have a negative effect on foreign investors.

"One big concern is the difficulties of NGOs operating in India. It puts India in the same group of countries like Egypt and Russia," he told reporters here in an interaction organised by Azim Premji University here.

"The other thing is obviously without my knowing all the details of JNU controversy ... The closing

MGNREGA is most innovative Indian programme: Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz BeNgAluRu, July 6 (iANS): The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is the single most innovative programme from India and a lesson to the whole world, said Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz on Wednesday.

"The single most innovative programme from India, lesson for the whole world, it was that programme (MGNREGA)," said Stiglitz in response to a question on how India can minimise or eradicate inequality.

Enacted in 2005, the job guarantee scheme under the MGNREGA aims to enhance the livelihood security of rural down action in any university puts you in a small group of same countries.

Turkey is another country.

Most of these countries are

people by guaranteeing 100 days of wages in a financial year for adults willing to take up unskilled manual work.

Elaborating on how to curb inequality, the 2001 Economic Sciences Nobel laureate said it is pivotal to generate full employment.

"One of the things most important is employment. And when there are high levels of unemployment, there is inequality," said Stiglitz, also a professor in the the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University in New York city.

Generating full employment can be facilitated by ensuring rapid overall economy growth, he said.

authoritarian in nature ...

That kind of thing can have very negative effect on foreign investors," he added. He said organisations

like Ford Foundation had played an important role in the development of India for decades and it should be a concern that NGOs as

such are being subjected to conditions that make it difficult for them to function.

"There is a broad understanding of the importance of civil societies in the functioning of democracies across the globe," he added.

Stiglitz said if India, which is a part of global community, wants to grow as an open economy, it should address these issues.

He also said if these issues are right or wrong, it is for India to do a better explanation on JNU and NGO controversies.

"This is purely a statement without having evaluated the validity of those (issues)... I think - if those are wrong it is important for India to do better job of explaining and if they are right it is important for In-

dia to make sure that it is not doing those jobs," he said.Asked whether capitalism has failed, economist Branco Milanovic, who accompanied Stiglitz, said this is the first time in history capitalism is dominating in practically the entire economic world.

"Earlier, we had different systems like socialism.

Now it is only capitalism.

So it is all about the different forms of capitalism.

One has to acknowledge that we have never had a situation that we have now, that is private ownership is the means of production," he said.

Joining the issue, Stiglitz said the US economy has not done enough for their citizens, but the market economy cannot be blamed for this.

THURSDAY 07•07•2016

WORLD

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

9

Hillary Clinton ‘extremely careless’ with emails, but FBI recommends no charges WASHINGTON, July 6 (ReuTeRS): The FBI recommended on Tuesday that no criminal charges be filed over Hillary Clinton’s use of private email servers while she was secretary of state, but rebuked the Democratic U.S. presidential candidate for “extremely careless” handling of classified information.

While FBI Director James Comey’s announcement lifted a cloud of uncertainty that had loomed over Clinton’s White House campaign, his strong criticism of her judgment ignited a new attack on her over the email issue by Donald Trump, her likely Republican opponent in the Nov. 8 election.

Comey’s comments are likely to reinforce what polls show are widespread public concerns about Clinton’s honesty and trustworthiness. Republicans have pointed to the controversy as evidence that she considered herself above the law.

House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, the highest- ranking elected U.S. Republican, said in a statement that Comey’s announcement “defies explanation.”

Ryan called on the FBI to release all of its findings in the case and said Comey would be called to testify before the House Oversight Committee. “We need to know more,” Ryan told Fox News.

In a lengthy statement on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s conclu-

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at the National Education Association’s 95th Representative Assembly (RA) in Washington on July 5. (REUTERS Photo)

sions from its yearlong investigation, Comey directly contradicted statements Clinton has made while defending her use of the private email setup.

He said, for example, that the FBI found at least 110 emails that contained classified information when they were sent, although Clinton has repeatedly said she never sent or received classified information on her private servers.

“Although we did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of the classified

information, there is evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information,” Comey said.

But he said the FBI concluded “no reasonable prosecutor” would bring charges. “Although the Department of Justice makes final decisions on matters like this, we are expressing to Justice our view that no charges are appropriate in this case,” Comey told reporters in Washington.

His recommendation will likely stand. The country’s top prosecutor, U.S. Attorney General Loretta

Lynch, said on Friday she would accept the recommendations of career prosecutors and the FBI director on whether to charge Clinton for mishandling emails.

‘SHE LIED!’ Clinton’s campaign was anxious to move on after Comey’s announcement, saying in a statement it was pleased with the FBI decision. “As the secretary has long said, it was a mistake to use her personal email, and she would not do it again.

We are glad that this matter is now resolved,” spokesman Brian Fallon said.

He did not respond to

questions about Comey’s rebuttal of the main arguments Clinton has offered in defense of her use of private email.

At a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Tuesday night, Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, said the controversy should disqualify Clinton from being president and that her email system may well have been hacked by U.S. enemies.

“Our enemies may have a blackmail file on crooked Hillary and this alone means that she should not be allowed to serve as president of the United States,”

Trump said. “We now know that she lied to the country when she said that she did not send classified information on her server.

She lied!”

Following Comey’s latemorning remarks, Clinton became one of the top trending topics on Twitter, with about 671,000 tweets posted by 4 p.m. (2000 GMT). The overall sentiment was more negative than positive, with about two negative tweets for every positive one, according to social media analytics firm Zoomph.

The FBI director’s announcement came hours before Clinton’s first campaign appearance with President Barack Obama, in Charlotte, North Carolina, where neither Obama nor Clinton mentioned the email probe. It also came less than three weeks before the Democratic National Convention at which Clinton is to be nominated as the party’s candidate for the November election.

NO ‘INTENTIONAL MISCONDUCT’ The FBI has been investigating whether Clinton broke the law as result of personal email servers kept in her Chappaqua, New York, home while she was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. One question is whether she mishandled classified information on the servers.

As the investigation wound up, Clinton underwent a voluntary 3-1/2hour interview with the

FBI on Saturday in Washington.

Comey said the FBI did not find that Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate the law, and that there was no “intentional misconduct” by her lawyers who sorted her emails.

He said her staff should have known Clinton’s private email was an improper place for classified information, but added there was no evidence anyone had hacked Clinton’s communications.

Comey said, however, that “hostile actors” gained access to email accounts of people with whom Clinton corresponded regularly.

He also said she used email extensively while traveling “in territory of sophisticated adversaries.”

Experts routinely advise U.S. government officials not to bring important digital information to countries with a track record of aggressive cyber activity. Clinton traveled to more than 100 countries during her four years as top U.S. diplomat, including trips to China and Russia, considered among the most sophisticated U.S. cyber adversaries.

The FBI found 110 emails in 52 email chains that contained information that was classified at the time the messages were sent, Comey said. Eight of those chains contained “top-secret” information, the highest level of government classification for material that could harm national security.

A further 36 email chains contained “secret” information, and eight “confidential” information, he said. Agents also found three classified emails among the thousands Clinton never returned to the State Department.

Comey said there were no previous cases that supported filing criminal charges against Clinton.

Other cases had involved intentional mishandling of information, he said.

Last year, the FBI recommended that former CIA Director David Petraeus be charged with a felony for his mishandling of classified information with his biographer, with whom he was having an affair.

In that case, however, the FBI had evidence that Petraeus knew the information was highly classified. Petraeus eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of mishandling classified information.

Republican lawmakers have called for an independent investigation of Clinton, saying they do not trust the Justice Department to handle the inquiry with impartiality.

Republican criticism of the process heated up after Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, met privately with Lynch in Phoenix last week. Lynch, who was appointed by Obama, said later she regretted the meeting and that she and the former president did not discuss the investigation.

Different targets, North Korea sends “state-sponsored slaves” to Europe - rights group “If they were to defect July 6 worked in other EU coun- working abroad, earning monies from North Korean participate in ideological different countries - The lONDON, the state $1.2 billion to $2.3 labourers in and outside study sessions. the family would likely face (THOmSON ReuTeRS tries, it said.

The North Korean em- billion annually, although the EU, field research in Po“What we’re seeing is some kind of punishment North challenge of stopping IS FOuNDATION): Korea has sent hundreds bassy in Warsaw denied some experts question land and data from govern- a mini-Pyongyang being in a political prison camp, WASHINGTON, July 6 (ReuTeRS): Deadly attacks in four countries linked to Islamic State show the limitations of U.S.-led efforts to loosen the group’s grip in Syria and Iraq, and the challenge of stopping attacks that are not only globally dispersed but very different in their choice of targets, current and former U.S. officials said.

“Bombing the heck out of (Islamic State’s capital) Raqqa is not going to stop this stuff,” said Paul Pillar, a veteran CIA analyst now at Georgetown University. In recent months, Obama administration officials have frequently portrayed the group’s deadly strikes worldwide as a direct response to the U.S.-led military coalition’s success in ousting it from large tracts of Iraq and Syria.

While that may be true in part, the current and former U.S. officials said, it is overly simplistic and understates how Islamic State’s influence has spread beyond the territory it controls. The ultra-hardline Sunni Muslim group’s recruiting and propaganda directed outside its self-proclaimed caliphate long predates its loss of key cities in Iraq such as, most recently, Falluja, U.S. officials said.

“Evidence has been growing for some time that ISIS has been expanding its outreach, recruiting and propaganda, both online and with emissaries, as the military and economic costs of maintaining, much less expanding, its original caliphate have become clear,” said a U.S. official who closely watches militant Islamic groups.

In its new guise, some analysts said, Islamic State is coming to more closely resemble al Qaeda, which has primarily focussed on large-scale attacks rather than try to hold territory. Building and maintaining a caliphate has possibly been more expensive and complicated than Islamic State first realized, the U.S. official said.

U.S. officials said they are still analysing the links between Islamic State and a June 28 attack on Istanbul airport that killed 45 people; an attack on a cafe frequented by foreigners in Dhaka on Friday that killed 20 people; a suicide truck bombing in a mainly Shi’ite Baghdad neighbourhood on Saturday that killed at least 175 people; and attacks in Saudi Arabia targeting U.S. diplomats, Shi’ite worshippers and a security office at a mosque in the holy city of Medina.

All took place during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ends this week with the Eid al-Fitr feast.

A U.S. official said the attacks in Turkey, Iraq and Saudi Arabia appear to have direct links to Islamic State. The one in Bangladesh may have been Islamic State-inspired but also have local roots, the official said.

Intercepted Islamic State messages suggest targets to attack, including gathering places for non-Muslims and Shi’ite Muslims in predominantly Sunni areas, and government installations, another U.S. official said. “There’s a fair amount that falls somewhere in between inspiration and outright direction,” this official said. “Call it suggestion.”

Counter-terrorism experts say there is no silver bullet that will stop strikes on civilians that are so globally dispersed and use methods of attack that range from single suicide bombers to massive truck bombs to hostage-taking. “The challenge involved is, the action and initiative is coming from a lot of different places,” said Georgetown’s Pillar.

Closer diplomatic cooperation, intelligence sharing and tracking money flows were crucial, he said. “We’ve always made clear that the military campaign is not enough to defeat Daesh (Islamic State) or to remove the threat that it poses,” State Department spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday. “A holistic campaign that addresses the root causes of extremism is the only way to deliver a sustainable defeat.

of workers to labour as “state-sponsored slaves” in EU nations as Pyongyang seeks to circumvent international sanctions aimed at starving it of money over its nuclear weapons programme, rights campaigners said on Wednesday.

North Korean labourers commonly work 10-12 hour shifts, six days a week, but up to 90 percent of their pay is sent back to the hermit state, according to the European Alliance for Human Rights in North Korea (EAHRNK).

Most are working in Polish shipyards, construction sites and farms. North Koreans are also employed in leisure and clothing firms in Malta, and have

workers were deprived of pay. “This is all nonsense,” said an official, declining to give his name. “Nobody is taking (their salaries), they work and make money for themselves.”

But campaigners say North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s regime is using overseas labour to earn much needed foreign currency to offset the impact of U.N. sanctions, which were expanded in March after a nuclear test on Jan. 6 and a Feb. 7 rocket launch.

EAHRNK director Michael Glendinning said Pyongyang was “in full control and benefiting hugely”.

A U.N. report last year estimated there were over 50,000 North Koreans

these figures.

Most are labouring in Russia and China. Others are working in African countries and on construction sites in the Middle East, including in Qatar which is preparing to host the 2022 World Cup. But EU countries are more attractive for North Korea because wages are higher, Glendinning said.

FAMILIES HELD “HOSTAGE” The conditions faced

by North Korean workers in Poland will be revealed in a report due to be published on Wednesday by LeidenAsiaCentre in the Netherlands.

Researchers used testi-

ments and other sources to compile the study.

Earlier this year, LeidenAsiaCentre detailed the case of a North Korean welder who died from 95 percent burns in an accident at a Polish shipyard in 2014. Investigations showed the clothing supplied to him by his Polish employers was flammable.

Campaigners say the welder had been working over 70 hours a week without proper remuneration.

North Koreans do not have proper contracts or payslips, must surrender their passports and face restrictions in their movements, Glendinning said.

They are also kept under surveillance and have to

exported. They are literally sending their human rights abuses to the EU and we’re tolerating it,” he added.

Poland issued 2,783 work permits for North Koreans between 2008 and 2015, according to the LeidenAsiaCentre which has linked 32 Polish companies to their employment.

Glendinning said Poland stopped issuing new visas for North Korean workers this year. Campaigners say North Koreans are vetted closely before being sent overseas to minimise the risk of defection.

“They only select workers who are married and have children - hostage-taking essentially,” Glendinning said.

a re-education camp or - in extreme cases - execution.”

There has been one defection in Poland and possibly a few elsewhere, he said. A recent documentary

by Vice News shows footage of North Korean labourers in Polish shipyards and on construction sites, but workers approached by the filmmakers declined to talk.

One North Korean who escaped while working in Russia told them his family had been “destroyed” after his defection. Campaigners do not want North Koreans deported to non-EU countries where conditions could be worse, but say firms must ensure they enjoy the same rights and pay as other workers.

Inquiry slams Tony Blair over Iraq war, reveals secret commitment to Bush lONDON, July 6 (ReuTeRS): British Prime Minister Tony Blair told U.S. President George W. Bush eight months before the 2003 invasion of Iraq “I will be with you, whatever”, and relied on flawed intelligence and legal advice to go to war, a seven-year inquiry concluded on Wednesday.

It strongly criticised Blair on a range of issues, saying the threat posed by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s supposed weapons of mass destruction had been overhyped and the planning for the aftermath of war had been inadequate.

Blair responded that he had taken the decision to go to war “in good faith”, that he still believed it was better to remove Saddam, and that he did not see that action as the cause of terrorism today, in the Middle East or elsewhere. The only Labour prime minister to win three general elections, Blair was in office for 10 years until 2007 and was hugely popular in his heyday, but Iraq has severely tarnished his reputation and legacy.

The inquiry report, about three times the length of the Bible, stopped short of saying the war was illegal, a stance that is certain to disappoint Blair’s many critics.

“We have, however, concluded that the circumstances in which it was decided that there was a legal basis for military action were far from satisfactory,” said John Chil-

cot, the inquiry’s chairman, in a speech presenting his findings.

Blair said the report should exonerate him from accusations of lying, which have been made by relatives of some of the 179 British soldiers who died in the conflict. “The report should lay to rest allegations of bad faith, lies or deceit,” he said in a statement.

BLAIR OVER-ESTIMATED SWAY OVER BUSH Relatives of some of the British soldiers who died in Iraq said they would study the report to examine if there was a legal case to pursue against those responsible.

The report shed light on what happened between Blair and Bush in the months leading up to the March 2003 invasion, an interaction that has long been the subject of speculation about secret deals and pledges.

In a memo dated July 28, 2002, eight months before the invasion, Blair told Bush: “I will be with you, whatever. But this is the moment to assess bluntly the difficulties.” “The planning on this and the strategy are the toughest yet. This is not Kosovo. This is not Afghanistan. It is not even the Gulf War.” Chilcot said Blair had sought to influence Bush’s decisions, offering Britain’s support while suggesting possible adjustments to the U.S. position.

But the inquiry chairman add-

Demonstrators wearing masks to impersonate Tony Blair and George Bush protest before the release of the John Chilcot report into the Iraq war, at the Queen Elizabeth II centre in London on July 6. (REUTERS Photo)

ed that Blair had over-estimated his ability to influence U.S. decisions on Iraq. His report also said there was no imminent threat from Saddam at the time of the invasion in March 2003, and the chaos in Iraq and the region which followed should have been foreseen.

By 2009 at least 150,000 Iraqis, mostly civilians, had died, and more than a million had been displaced. The report said Britain had joined the invasion without exhausting peaceful options and that it had undermined the au-

thority of the United Nations Security Council by doing so.

OVER-HYPED INTELLIGENCE “It is now clear that policy on Iraq was made on the basis of flawed intelligence and assessments. They were not challenged and they should have been,” Chilcot said. He also said that Blair’s government’s judgments about the threat posed by Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction were “presented with unjustified certainty”.

No such weapons were discovered after the war. Chilcot said Blair changed his case for war from focusing on Iraq’s alleged “vast stocks” of illegal weapons to Saddam having the intent to obtain such weapons and being in breach of U.N. resolutions. “That was not, however, the explanation for military action he had given before the conflict,” Chilcot said.

Iraq remains in chaos to this day. Islamic State controls large areas of the country and 250 people died on Saturday in Baghdad’s worst car bombing since the U.S.led coalition toppled Saddam. The inquiry’s purpose was for the British government to learn lessons from the invasion and occupation that followed. “We cannot turn the clock back but we can ensure that lessons are learned and acted on,” Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron told parliament in a statement on the inquiry.

“It is crucial to good decisionmaking that a prime minister establishes a climate in which it’s safe for officials and other experts to challenge existing policy and question the views of ministers and the prime minister without fear or favour.” Jeremy Corbyn, the current leader of the Labour Party and a fervent pacifist, told parliament that the war was an act of aggression based on a false pretext that had fuelled and spread terrorism across the Middle East.

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thursDAY 07•07•2016

SPORTS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Gerardo Martino steps down as Argentina national team coach BueNos Aires, JulY 6 (AP): Gerardo Martino has resigned as Argentina's national team coach, citing the financial chaos enveloping the Argentine Football Association and lack of preparedness for the upcoming Olympics.

A rg e nt i na move d quickly to name a new coach for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, only a month away. Juan Sebastian Veron, president of the Estudiantes club, confirmed that Julio Olarticoachea, who was a defender on the Argentine squad that won the 1986 World Cup and has been coaching the country's youth teams, would replace Martino in leading the Olympics team.

The Argentine Football Association announced yesterday that Martino, who had coached the team since August 2014, had stepped aside. He took over after the loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final and lost to Chile in the Copa America finals of 2015 and 2016.

His departure was another blow to the national team after the shock international retirement of star player Lionel Messi after the latest Copa defeat.

AFA's statement said Martino's "coaching team was resigning" because of the confusion surround-

Lionel Messi and Gerardo Martino during the Copa America Centenario on June 18, 2016. (Getty Images)

ing the governance of AFA and for the "serious problems involved assembling a team to represent the country in the upcoming Olympic Games."

At this point, Argentina has only nine players on its Olympic squad, and the president of the Argentine Olympic committee has hinted the country may not be able to send a team.

In addition, the Argentine federation is facing charges of financial corruption and mismanagement. Gerardo Werthein, president of the Argentine Olympic committee, said he hoped a team could be assembled for Rio de Janeiro despite some clubs balking at releasing players.

"I have started talk-

ing with the football leadership, some club presidents," Werthein said.

"The clubs and the people who lead them are more responsible (than AFA).

We have worked hand-inhand...For Argentina to have a team."

Argentina's men's team's first game at the Olympics is against Portugal on Aug. 4. Martino was previously the head coach of Paraguay, taking the team to the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Cup and a runners-up finish in the Copa America.

After a spell with Newell's Old Boys, where he spent most of his playing career, he had a season in charge of Barcelona before taking the Argentina job.

Nowitzki rejoins Mavericks, Gasol goes to san Antonio New York, JulY 6 (AFP): German star forward Dirk Nowitzki has agreed to terms on a twoyear deal to stay with the Dallas Mavericks, while Spanish star Pau Gasol will join the San Antonio Spurs in NBA free agency deals.

Nowitzki has a two-year deal worth $40 million, The Dallas Morning News and ESPN said about the plans unveiled Tuesday, while Gasol has made a verbal agreement worth $30 million over two years.

"After many days of a lot of thinking, I've decided to join the spurs! Looking forward to this new chapter with the best aspirations!"

Gasol tweeted to confirm his deal. Also Tuesday, San Antonio traded France's Boris Diaw to Utah to clear up cap room to sign Gasol. The Jazz will send the rights to last year's second-round pick Olivier Hanlan to the Spurs.

"Spurs' fans, thanks for all your messages. Great years here and a ring! Leaving but San Antonio will always be a special place to me," Diaw tweeted.

Nowitzki, 38, has spent his entire 18-year career with the Mavericks and ranks sixth on the NBA's all-time scoring list with

Dirk Nowitzki (AFP Photo)

29,491 career points.

Under NBA free agency rules, no contracts between teams and players can be signed until Thursday.

Players can however agree verbally to join clubs such as Kevin Durant deciding to leave Oklahoma City for Golden State but nothing is official until signing day. That blockbuster move has helped Dallas stockpile talent because salary cap limits have forced the Warriors to unload contracts to come to terms with Durant, a fourtime NBA scoring champion and former NBA Most Valuable Player.

In addition to Nowitzki, the Mavericks have a fouryear deal worth $94 million with ex-Warrior Harrison Barnes and an agreement for Golden State to trade them Andrew Bogut, an Australian big man who suffered bone bruises in the NBA Finals.

"I'm excited to begin a new chapter in my NBA career in Dallas," Barnes tweeted. Bogut removed all references to the Warriors from his Twitter account, his photo on the account with him in an Australian national team jersey.

The Mavericks also made a two-year deal worth $6

Pau Gasol (AFP Photo)

million for Seth Curry, who averaged 6.8 points a game and shot 45.5 percent from 3-point range last season for Sacramento.

Dallas missed out on bids for Memphis guard Mike Conley and Miami center Hassan Whiteside, who stayed with their current teams, but the new talent gives the Mavericks a chance to reach the second round of the playoffs for the first time since winning the 2011 NBA crown.

Gasol, who turns 36 on Wednesday, joins the Spurs after spending the past two seasons with the Chicago Bulls, averaging 16.5 points

Hamilton ready to swap jeers for cheers France bid to end 58-year run of

loNDoN, JulY 6 (reuters): Lewis Hamilton need fear no boos or whistles at Silverstone this weekend but the Formula One world champion cannot escape the fallout from Austria as he chases a fourth British Grand Prix victory. The Mercedes driver was jeered after he won in Spielberg last Sunday following a last-lap collision with team mate Nico Rosberg, who limped home fourth with his overall lead cut to 11 points.

The abuse could be explained by the German presence in the crowd, with stewards punishing Rosberg for causing the collision as Hamilton attempted to seize the lead.

Silverstone is sure to be different, with many of the 140,000 at the old airfield being there to cheer on the home hero who has won for the past two years.

The threat of 'team orders' hangs over proceedings, however, with Mercedes bosses meeting to discuss what to do after two costly collisions in five races. Even if they decide on nothing more than anoth-

Lewis Hamilton celebrates his 46th career victory after winning the Austrian Grand Prix.(AP Photo)

er warning, the drivers can expect their every move on the track -- and body language off it -- to be closely monitored and analyzed.

With the season approaching the halfway point, and a rush of three races before the summer break, passions are rising and the battle intensifying.

If the drivers are ordered to hold station at a certain point, then the crowd may feel robbed.

As Hamilton said after Spielberg: "My fans feel

what I'm feeling and it's why I have such a connection with them.

"Team orders is not something that should deprive them.

"Even if it's the other way around and I'm racing and the other guy's coming for me, that's racing and why you turn up and you sit in the mud in the camper van in Silverstone and why you buy that cap because you're with that passion and that fire."

The solution, Hamilton

suggested, is to give Rosberg as little chance as possible and he will aim to do that on Sunday at a circuit where last year the Briton won from pole position and set the fastest lap.

"As a competitor I've got to get on pole and lead the whole way," he said. "That's what I have to do for the fans, that's my solution. It's a lot of pressure but that's my goal." "I'm massively driven," added Hamilton.

"I want it as much if not more than I've wanted my other world championships, and I actually love that it's even harder to get because that makes you appreciate it more."

Rosberg will see it equally as a chance to turn the tables. Denied a hattrick of Austrian wins, he can end Hamilton's bid for three in a row at home.

Both will have to watch out for Red Bull and Ferrari.

"The way the car has been working this year we should be pretty competitive at Silverstone," said Red Bull's Australian Daniel Ricciardo. "I think it will be really close with Ferrari so I'm excited."

losing to Germans in big games

MArseille, JulY 6 (reuters): Coach Didier Deschamps believes his players are ready to write a new page in the history of French football at Euro 2016 on Thursday when the hosts attempt to beat Germany for the first time for 58 years in a competitive match.

The French go into the semifinal against the world champions in Marseille as underdogs. Even though they have twice won the European championship, they have not beaten their German neighbours outside of friendlies since the 1958 World Cup. During six decades, French fans have been forced to endure World Cup semi-final losses in 1982 and 1986 and, most recently, a 1-0 quarter-final defeat at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

"Nobody can change history, but we have a new page to write," Deschamps said. "It's a blank page today, but they can fill it tomorrow.

I think the players believe and the people too, but our opponents remain the best team."

Deschamps, who captained France to World Cup and European trophies in 1998 and 2000, said his side could not compete with Germany in terms of experience, caps and number of semi-finals or finals.

But he said they had enough qual-

public discourse

Try Odd And Even Here In Nagaland As Well

T

he conceptualization of odd and even vehicle numbers that eventually reined in by Mr. Kejriwal for highly polluted city of Delhi to mitigate automobile spewing out thousand tons of carbon-monoxide, carbondioxide, smog particulates etc. daily into the already fragile atmosphere. Accordingly the idea was enforced despite of hue and cries from the vehicles’ owner and intellectuals; the result seems to be partly a success until people started exploring the loopholes in owning multiple cars that ultimately increased the vehicle population. This problem could be contained had the motor regulation been systematized and tighten in the first place.

Whereas, here in Nagaland it may not be necessarily in line with Delhi in containing pollution but as we’ve experienced in our two cosmopolitan cities of Kohima and Dimapur, the vehicle population had already reached it saturation point against the limited space of road, that driving simply becomes a hell in the doldrums’ of stationary sea of various types of vehicles where no one seemed going anywhere during the peak hour. Whereas, our expectation of wide and good roads in these cit-

ies is simply another pipedream as there’s very limited space for widening due to unplanned design and a double jeopardy by uncompromising attitude of the land owners.

Remember! A problem left to itself will multiply by itself that will become unmanageable in the long run. Of course this idea may not be prudent enough for a lasting solution but surely it can ease traffic snarl as to facilitate progressive work in widening or construction ply-over/deckers wherever necessary during this period. Yes! This is possible with input technology and political commitment in line with the proposed smart city.

The followings are some of my personal view and opinion to ease traffic congestion and mitigate pollution in the two cities of Kohima and Dimapur.

1. Make an interim provision that allows a vehicle number ending with odd number to ply on odd calendar date and vice versa for even numbers, violation of which a certain fine be imposed on the defaulter to the extent of cancelling his/her registration on the third consecutive offence.

2. Registration and allotment of

3.

4.

5.

6.

vehicle number shouldn’t be at the whim and choice of vehicle owner as to deter owning multiple cars.

Office goers should pool themselves and arranged even and odd at their convenient.

However, the following vehicles should be exempted from the interim provision as; Department staff buses, NST. Ambulances, Magistrate, Media, Police and Paramilitary movement, Wedding procession, Funeral cavalcade, Transporting sick patient, judges, Doctors with medical insignia on their vehicles.

Whereas, Ministers, parliament secretaries and state bureaucrats should fall within the ambit of the interim framework to show their cooperation and exemplary conduct of discipline as a stakeholder.

City buses should be inclusive under this scheme and at the interest of the public those buses without roadworthy certificate be phased out and in phase wise all the city buses should be replaced with smaller type of vehicle like Winger having not more than twenty seats with reasonable rate. This is because the main hurdle and

traffic congestion is very often caused by heavy rush of city buses.

7. As a matter of fact, many private cars are in the habit of plying as taxi had not augured well with the motor regulation and invariably they should be stopped from plying illegally.

8. Phenomenally as of today, parking vehicle on both side making two-lane into singlelane, that too most park their cars so askew that ordinary driver like me finding it very difficult to negotiate at various places but remember also that there’s not a single perfect driver in this world.

9. Very frequently, we encountered many construction works on both side of the roads, dumping their construction materials randomly is another big hazard to road safety and it should be stopped forthwith.

During this period the govt. authorities must explore the pro and cons to bring wholesome public transport system in the state capital city Kohima and commercialhub city of the state Dimapur.

N. Haisoyi ndang Author & Founder Naga script Lower Bayavu Kohima

T

ity to win. "I don't want to play this game thinking of just defending," he said. "We have offensive strength to score and create chances with players of different profiles and we can put our opponent in danger."

France did beat Germany 2-0 in a friendly last November on the night that Islamist militants struck in Paris, but captain Hugo Lloris said it would mean nothing tomorrow night. "We're very close to the end of the tournament so the bodies are tired and that means the mind will start to take over," he said. "We have that little spark that has been guiding us since the start."

Deschamps said he knew how he would play tactically tomorrow, although at this stage, given the injuries and suspensions in the German team, he had no idea how his opponents would line up.

He will also be looking to emulate the success of Michel Platini's generation in 1984 when the French came from behind to defeat Portugal in a semi-final in Marseille before going on to win the tournament.

Deschamps, a former coach and player for Marseille, said the passionate local crowd could also give his young side the edge. "We will have the public totally behind us and that will play its role. We'll need it because we will have difficult times," he said.

and 11.0 rebounds a game in the 2015-16 campaign and making the All-Star team both seasons. But the Spaniard declined an offer to stay in Chicago and will make almost double what he would have in staying with the Bulls, who have also lost Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah to New York.

Gasol played in Memphis until a 2008 trade to the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he won NBA crowns in 2009 and 2010.

He has guided the Spanish squad to silver medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and will play in next month's Rio Games.

Russia promises WADA it will help eradicate doping, fight for fair sport MosCow, JulY 6 (reuters): Russia's sports minister told the World Anti-Doping Agency chief on Wednesday that Moscow was fully committed to eradicating doping after Russian athletes were barred from the Rio Olympics, and he pledged full cooperation with WADA for fair sport.

"We are ready to work with you to build a transparent structure which makes it impossible to violate even in theory the international standards of WADA by the staff of (Russian antidoping agency) RUSADA and the (Russian) Laboratory," Vitaly Mutko wrote to WADA President Sir Craig Reedie.

Mutko sent the letter ahead of a July 15 deadline for WADA to deliver a final report on its investigation into alleged widespread doping in Russian athletics.

On June 17, WADA endorsed the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) Council's decision to maintain a suspension of the All-Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF).

On July 2, the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and 68 athletes filed appeals to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the IAAF ban and asked to be allowed to take part in international competition in time for the Olympics.

The three parties agreed an expedited procedure, with a final decision due

by July 21, CAS has said.

Miracle at Malta

he short episode described in the last chapter of the book of Actsis about an island called ‘Malta.’

Malta means honey. In the ancient days, the place was known for producing honey. It was a beautiful place surrounded by waters. The islanders equally lived up to its name ‘Malta.’ They were honest, kind, welcoming, generous and peaceful.

For fourteen days, the Alexandrian ship was lost in the Adriatic Sea. The hope of survival for the rovers was cut off. But God’s mercy prevailed as Paul stood to encourage the grief-stricken crew. Howbeit, the ship struck a sand-bar and ran aground.

The bow got stuck and the stern was broken to pieces. This shipwreck led Paul and his companions to land on this less-known island, Malta.

Dr. Luke describes the people of Malta as welcoming and hospitable. The inhabitants were no ordinary barbarians but bore human love and kindness. The day was stormy, cold and it rained incessantly. The islanders built a fire for the soldiers and prisoners. As the others looked on, Apostle Paul went about collecting pile of brushwood for the fire. Driven by the heat of the flame, a venomous viper glided itself around the hand of Paul. The islanders thought he was a murderer and said, “Though he made his way out of the sea, Justice has not let him escape.” Indeed, he was oncea murderer! The people supposed he would swell up and die instantly but after waiting a long time, nothing as suchoccurred, so they changed their

mind and said he was a god. God was true to his promise as stated in Mark 16:18, “they will pick up snakes with their hands;” Paul suffered no ill effects and shook the snake off into the fire.

For three days, they were entertained hospitably by the chief officer of the island, Publius. Thefather of Publius was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery.

Paul, after prayer, laid hands on him and healed him. The rest of the sick people in the island also came and were cured. They expressed their gratitude by honouring them and furnishing with the supplies they needed and send them off.

Never is heard again of this small island in the other parts of the New Testament. But this short note on Melitaisland in Acts 28 provide a rich application for the modern world even today. The heart-warming generosity, love and kindness of the islanders gave way for the gospel and divine healing to penetrate into the populaces of this deserted island.

Currently, Malta stands as the 15th richest countries among the European countries. It is also predominantly inhabited by Christians.

As the world gets colder and stiffer day by day, the noble qualities of kindness and generosityare seldom found. The ancient Malta of the Bible teaches us to be more welcoming and generous to our fellow humans.

Hebrews 13:2 reminds us, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” God bless!

Vebu Khamo, Bible Student.

Readers may please note that the contents of the articles, letters and opinions published do not reflect the outlook of this paper nor of the Editor in any form.

Thursday 07•07•2016

EntErtainmEnt

Madonna moved to tears by case of child rape in Kenya Deepika anD RanveeR might be engaged already!

While in the east African nation, the singer met with the country’s First Lady to discuss working with her charity

D

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op star Madonna was reduced to tears during a trip to Kenya as she listened to a man describe how his five-year-old daughter had been recently raped by a neighbour in Nairobi’s Kibera slum.

The U.S. singer met the man during a visit to Kibera, one of Africa’s biggest slums, on Saturday and Sunday. She had gone there to see how she could improve the lives of its residents, a spokesman said.

“This was an incredibly powerful and disturbing conversation about the realities of violence in these people’s lives,” said Trevor Neilson, who manages Madonna’s Raising Malawi and Ray of Light foundations, and accompanied her on the trip.

“These stories brought Madonna to tears,” Neilson told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The “Material Girl” singer, who took her four children to the east African country, posted a video on Instagram showing them cleaning streets, clearing gutters and painting murals. Madonna also

met Kenya’s First Lady Margaret Kenyatta on Monday to discuss working with her charity to scale up maternal and child health programmes and initiatives against gender violence.

Kenyatta’s charity Beyond Zero, which provides mobile clinics offering basic health services to Kenyans in remote areas, recently introduced safe spaces for victims to report gender based violence.

“Her (Madonna’s) basic belief is that no child, no woman should be attacked anywhere. Period,” Neilson said. “There needs to be a bright light shone on this problem, which creates an environment that enables the victims to come forward … and forces law enforcement to pursue these things.”

Constance Gakonyo, the First Lady’s chief of staff, said the two women discussed ways of working

together but they did not go into detail.

Madonna’s welcome in Kenya was in contrast to the criticism she faced after visiting Malawi in 2013, when she was accused by Malawi of expecting its government to be forever chained in an “obligation of gratitude” towards her for adopting two Malawian children and contributing to the construction of classrooms there.

Source: Reuters

eepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh have got to be the most popular and loved couple of Bollywood. They’re often in news owing to their lovey-dovey gestures towards each other!

And now we hear that the couple might be engaged!

Yes, you read that right.

According to the latest reports Deepika-Ranveer have been secretly engaged. A few months ago, when Singh (Bhavnani) and Padukone parents met, marriage was very much on the agenda.

And just like Punjabis have a ‘roka’ ceremony, these two also had a ring exchange ceremony. But reportedly marriage is still not around the corner, since Deepika has asked for two more years before she settles down. Perhaps because these two are so sure of each other and their future together, may be that’s why at the recently held IIFA, they were so much into each other and didn’t even shy away from full on PDA! While there’s no official announcement from either of the actors, this would seriously be the wedding of the decade if these two really decide to get hitched!

Source: Indiatimes

Adele kicks off the North North Koreans risking their lives to watch Song Joong-ki, Song Hye-kyo Cliff Richard to campaign yongyang may be watching “Descendants of American leg of her tour for change in law trying to impose the Sun,” which tells the love

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A C M Y K

dele has said Hello to the American leg of her 2016 world tour. The 28-year-old kicked off her US dates on Tuesday in St. Paul, Minnesota at the Xcel Energy Center for her Adele Live 2016 tour.

For opening night, the singer wowed in a floor-length black gown featuring glittering sequins emblazoned all over.

Adele has said Hello to the American leg of her 2016 world tour. The Grammy winner’s dark hued gown featured colorful sparkles that shimmered on the arena stage. Adele paired the three-quarters sleeved frock with a delicate bracelet and dark polished nails. The Someone Like You singer wore her short blonde tresses loose, choosing straight and deeply side parted hair. Makeupwise, the talented songstress rocked her signature cat eye makeup with pink lipstick and rosy cheeks.

On Monday, Adele shared a black and white photo to her social media, one day before hitting the stage in Minnesota. The mother of one captioned the snap: ‘Happy 4th July America! Really happy to be here us.’

Her next tour stop is three back to back nights on the United Center stage in Chicago, Illinois, followed by Denver and then a brief stop in Canada for Vancouver’s Rogers Arena. She will wrap her world tour on November 15th in Mexico City. Adele released her third album, 25, on November 20, 2015 in the US - selling over 3.38 million copies in the first week, according to Billboard.

It comes four years after her sophomore album 21 and seven years following her debut album, 19. She is mother to three-year-old son Angelo with her longtime partner Simon Konecki, who she started dating in 2011.

Source:Mailonline

control over the influx of capitalist culture by all means, but a good lot of North Koreans are peeping through the gaps to watch South Korean dramas, especially the super-hit “Descendants of the Sun” that stars Song Joongki and Song Hye-kyo.

North Korea had launched a crackdown on distribution of DVDs and USBs containing South Korean dramas and films, which were smuggled in from the outside world.

Some of its nationals were even executed for watching and circulating such DVDs, according to a 2015 report on North Korean human rights

by South Korea’s state-run Korea Institute for National Unification. But North Koreans are risking their lives for South Korean dramas.

A report said that North Koreans are seeking to relieve their stress stemming from the country’s 200-day

hard work campaign by watching South Korean dramas or listening to Kpop music. Daily NK cited sources familiar with the reclusive country.

The report said that in particular, young North Koreans are enthusiastic about

Victoria Beckham supports female emp campaign

F

ashion designer Victoria Beckham, in her support for a Global Goals campaign, has encouraged women to share the goals they want to achieve.

The 42-year-old star has given her support to a campaign film, which aims to empower women, reported Contactmusic.

“I think this film is a wonderful idea. How fabulous it is that after 20 years, the legacy of the Spice Girls - Girl Power - is being used to encourage and empower a whole new generation.”

Beckham is encouraging all young people to

share their ideals by using the hashtag #WhatIReallyReallyWant, inspired by The Spice Girls hit song “Wannabe”, which was released 20 years ago.

Spice Girls member Mel C wrote on Twitter -- “Flattered and honoured that our crazy song is being used so beautifully @theglobalgoals #WhatIReallyReallyWant (sic)” Emma Watson who is a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador also took to Twitter. “#WhatIReallyReallyWant is to see Goal 5 Gender Equality achieved @TheGlobalGoals (sic).

Source: PTI

‘Sultan’: Salman’s ‘Raging Bull’ act is a blockbuster Film: Sultan; Director: Ali Abbas Zafar; Cast: Salman Khan and Anushka Sharma; Rating: ****

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ope, you can’t touch this.

Salman Khan’s superstardom is beyond the precincts of rationale or logic. To his credit, he is now finally surrendering to his characters.

After last year’s Eid’s heartwarming “Bajrangi Bhaijaan” act, this festive season Salman pushes himself physically and emotionally to a new level of commitment in “Sultan”.

Playing the good hearted solidly dependable Haryanvi wrestler Salman brings a kind of feisty vulnerability along with a spiritual certainty to his instantly likeable character.

He is no longer interested in being Salman Khan on screen.

The physical and emotional transformation is so palpable and authentic as to remind us of what Robert de Niro achieved in and outside the boxing ring in Martin Scorcese’s “Raging Bull”.

Salman’s accent is pitch-per-

story of Dr. Kang Mo-yeon and Army Capt. Yoo Si-jin in the fictional war-torn country of Uruk.

“Descendants of the Sun” was aired on KBS2 from Feb 24 to April 22. It was an instant hit when it aired in South Korea and soon became an Asian phenomenon. While there were controversies surrounding the drama at the beginning, it turned out to be a grand success and has made Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo the most popular actors in South Korea. Now, it is said there will be a sequel to it, which will also be remade as a movie next year.

Source: Asia Times

fect. And that’s where the performance begins. While the actor takes himself dead seriously, the film is remarkably light-hearted and free-spirited even though the underlying message - sometimes to be a true hero you’ve got to fall hard on the ground before you pick yourself up again - is never squandered in the outward frivolity that grips the narrative as, for long stretches, Salman plays the super-smitten lover-boy who can’t get enough of Aarfa (Anushka Sharma).

Though their scenes of court-

ship and romance are unnecessarily stretched out and over cute, the pair works largely because Anushka is the first Salman co-star who doesn’t seem overwhelmed by his presence. Yup, she gives him tit for tat with such nifty nonchalance that we are soon rooting for them as a couple.

This is a funny engaging and satisfying film brimming with many moments of joie de vivre.

The wrestling sequences, done with a choreographic candour, are outstanding. Salman slams his opponents with such intensity

that you wonder if the ricocheting ruckus in the wrestling ring is a metaphor for what this film is sure to do at the box office.

All said and done, “Sultan” is a love story first, then a sports film.

Director Ali Abbas Zafar doesn’t distil the drama with interpolations. Though lengthy, the characters never lose their plot. They are written into a tightly edited pastiche of pain and pleasure unleashed with honesty and charm.

The film is shot by Artur Zurawski with the stress on capturing the glory and grandeur of the sport only in the context of the protagonist’s emotions. Nothing in “Sultan” stands out. It all blends in and merges into the very impressive larger picture.

Staggeringly engaging, remarkably rugged and unexpectedly romantic, “Sultan” is every bit the comprehensive blockbuster it promised to be. Watching the accomplished storytelling and the deft characterisations in “Sultan”, it is hard to believe that this work comes from the director of “Mere Brother Ki Dulhan” and “Gunday”.

Quite a dizzying climb!

Source: IANS

S

inger Cliff Richard will campaign for a change in the law to protect the anonymity of those accused of sexual offenses. Richard, who was interrogated in 2014 and 2015 by police who were investigating allegations that he sexually abused a teenage boy in the 1980s, recently got the case against him dropped due to insufficient evidence. Richard then met with broadcaster Paul Gambaccini and politician Nigel Evans to discuss their shared experiences of being falsely accused.

They made plans to set up a victim support group to highlight “the unnecessary pain and suffering” felt by those wrongly accused. Evans, who was acquitted of nine charges of rape and sexual assault in 2014, told telegraph. co.uk: “We have got common ground but there are also a load of other people we have common ground with...

Some are famous before it happens, others become famous because of it... And if we can do without (and) other countries can, why don’t we just get on with it?” He also slammed the “huge intrusion” of Richard’s house being raided by police after he was accused of abuse. He added: “He didn’t even know. It was just horrific.” They plan to wait until the new Conservative leader is announced in the coming months and will then put their case to the new Prime Minister and Home Secretary.

Source: IANS

Oprah doesn’t regret quitting her talk show

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Ticket Rates PlaTinuM - `320 Gold - `150 SilveR - `80

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edia mogul Oprah Winfrey says she has no regrets of quitting her popular talk show. Winfrey’s selftitled programme - which was the highest-rated show of its kind - would have celebrated 30 years on screen this September, but she walked away in 2011 to establish her OWN TV network and has no regrets about her decision as she always wanted to go out on a high, reported Femalefirst. “I never wanted to be the person for whom people were saying, ‘Oh that show was so good two years ago.’ I never wanted to be the person who(was told), ‘You should’ve gotten out of the ring before you got punched stronger’. “I never wanted to be the person who didn’t know when to exit the party,” Winfrey, 62, said. She feels she exited at the right time. “It was the most glorious, most amazing platform anybody can have to speak to millions of people every day and I think I exited in the exact right moment.

Source:PTI

11:00 Am | 02:00 pm 05:00 Pm | 08:00 Pm

12

thursDAY 07•07•2016

SPORTS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Pistorius sentenced to 6 Messi given 21 months for years in prison for murder

tax fraud, won't go to prison

FILE - Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp at a 2012 award ceremony in Johannesburg. (AFP Photo)

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MADRID, July 6 (AP): A Barcelona court on Wednesday gave Lionel Messi and his father suspended sentences of 21 months in prison for tax fraud. The court found both the Barcelona star and his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, guilty of three counts of defrauding the tax department to the tune of 4.1 million euros ($4.6 million).

In Spain, sentences of less than two years for first offences are suspended, meaning neither man will go to jail. The court also fined Messi 2 million euros and his father, 1.5 million euros.

During the four-day trial last month, Messi and his father denied any wrongdoing. Both said the player was unaware of the tax issues that led to the fraud charges.

But the state prosecutor argued that Messi and his father had failed to prove their innocence and were unable to show that the player did not have at least some knowledge of the corporate structures created to lower his tax burden in Spain.

Tax inspectors testified that they found evidence that Messi's father used companies in countries such as Uruguay, Switzerland and Belize to reduce tax on the player's income

it said.

The 29-year-old Messi is Argentina's career-leading scorer with 55 goals in 113 international appearances. But he has lost three Copa America finals with Argentina (2007, 2015 and 2016) and announced his international retirement after last month's penalty shootout loss to Chile.

With Barcelona, in contrast, Messi has won four Champions League titles and three Club World Cup trophies. He also won eight Spanish league titles, scoring 453 competitive goals in 531 games, including a league-record 312. This is just one legal case involving Barcelona's players.

Earlier this year, Javier Mascherano was handed a suspended one-year prison sentence for not paying all his taxes for 2011 and 2012.

Adriano is also being investigated for alleged tax fraud, while Neymar has had to testify before a judge because of alleged irregularities involving his transfer to Barcelona. He and the club are accused of withholding the real amount of the transfer fee, in part to avoid paying the full amount of taxes.

They have denied wrongdoing.

PRETORIA, July 6 (AP): Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee Olympian described by a judge as a “fallen hero,” was sentenced on Wednesday to six years in a South African prison for the murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, a ruling viewed by some as too lenient.

However, Judge Thokozile Masipa appeared to anticipate criticism of a jail term that fell far short of the normally mandated 15 years for murder under South African law, declaring: “Our courts are courts of law, not courts of public opinion.”

Pistorius, who shot Steenkamp through the door of a toilet cubicle in his home in 2013, was asked to stand and face Masipa as she announced his sentence in a woodpaneled courtroom in the South African capital, Pretoria. He was calm after the ruling, embracing his aunt and tearful sister before being led down a courtroom staircase to a holding cell ahead of being taken to prison. Later, a convoy of police cars with lights flashing and sirens wailing left a side entrance of the courthouse. In the convoy was a van with tinted windows, possibly carrying Pistorius.

The sentencing was the latest act of a three-and-ahalf year legal drama that has often played out on live television and shown the fall from grace of a runner once viewed as an inspiration to many for overcoming his disability. Both of Pistorius' legs were amputated below the knees when he was 11 months old because of a congenital defect.

He made history by competing at the 2012 Olympics on his carbonfiber running blades, and was one of the world's most recognizable athletes.

“He's a fallen hero, he has lost his career and he is ruined financially,” said Masipa, who originally convicted Pistorius of manslaughter, a ruling that was overturned by an appeals court that instead convicted him of murder and sent the case back to her for sentencing. In explaining

the sentence, Masipa said there are “substantial and compelling circumstances” to show leniency toward Pistorius because he is a “good candidate for rehabilitation,” is unlikely to commit another crime and had shown what appeared to be genuine remorse over Steenkamp's death.

Pistorius, 29, maintained he killed Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and reality TV star, by mistake thinking she was an intruder hiding in the bathroom early on Valentine's Day 2013. Prosecutors alleged that he killed her intentionally after the couple argued.

Part of the difficulty for the judge in determining an appropriate sentence was that the Supreme Court convicted Pistorius of murder with “indirect intent.” Pistorius was found guilty because he knew someone might die even an intruder - when he shot. As Masipa noted, the Supreme Court did not find that Pistorius knew he was firing at Steenkamp.

Pistorius will be eligible to apply for parole after three years, according to legal experts. Prosecutors, who had asked that he be sentenced to 15 years in prison, can appeal for a heavier sentence but have yet to comment on whether they will do so.

“The family accepts the judgment,” Anneliese Burgess, a spokeswoman for the Pistorius family, said outside the courthouse.

The Steenkamp family did not criticize the sentence. “The family has said it before they wanted the law to run its course. It has done so. No further comment. They will keep a dignified silence,” said Dup de Bruyn, the Steenkamp family representative.

Legal expert Marius du Toit described the sentence as “lenient but not wrong.”

Some people who gathered outside the courthouse were critical.

“The law didn't take its course,” said Dukes Masanabo, a South African sports official who had hoped Pistorius would be sentenced to 10 to 12 years,

Pirelli blame debris for Vettel tire explosion

ManU complete Mkhitaryan deal Federer pulls off great escape FIFA names Slovenian auditor

lONDON, July 6 (REuTERS): Sebastian Vettel's dramatic tire blow-out in Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix was likely caused by debris on the track, supplier Pirelli said on Wednesday. Pirelli said analysis of the few remaining parts of the Ferrari's right rear tire, along with comparison to other tires used in the Formula One race, had thrown up no sign of fatigue or structural failure.

"Consequently, the issue appears to be caused by an item of debris, which led to the breakage of the tire," it said in a statement. Vettel had been leading the race when the tire exploded on the pit straight on the 27th of the 71 laps.

MANCHESTER, July 6 (AFP): Manchester United confirmed on Wednesday that the Premier League giants had completed the signing of Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Borussia Dortmund.

Mkhitaryan, 27, has penned a four-year deal with United with the op-

not six.

He said the sentence is too light because Pistorius was sentenced to almost the same sentence - five years - for his earlier manslaughter conviction. He served one year of that sentence before being placed under house arrest at his uncle's mansion in Pretoria, and he had some freedom of movement outside the home during certain hours.

The time that Pistorius already served in prison is not subtracted from his new sentence, which may have contributed to the judge's relatively lenient decision, say legal experts.

Another South African, Sarah Maete, said she wanted Pistorius to get the full 15 years in prison for murder.

“It's not enough,” she said.

In delivering her sentence, Masipa referred to the difficulties she faced in deciding a sentence that “satisfies every relevant interest” in a case that captured the world's attention and led to extremes of opinion over the celebrated athlete. She noted that Pistorius had fired four times - not once - through the closed toilet door and spoke of the devastating effect the crime had on Steenkamp's family.

Ultimately, “mitigating circumstances outweigh the aggravating factors,” the judge said.

Steenkamp's parents, Barry and June, were present in the courtroom, which was packed with relatives of both Pistorius and Steenkamp, journalists and other observers.

Pistorius' defense lawyers had asked for no jail time at all, saying he should be allowed to do charity work with children.

Ulrich Roux, a South African lawyer and commentator who is not involved in the Pistorius case, said it had opened a window for South Africans into how their justice system works, including cross-examination and how a judge reaches a decision. He said: “It's been a huge learning curve for our society.”

tion to extend the contract for a further year, the club announced in a statement.

"I am very proud to join Manchester United, this move is a dream come true for me," said Mkhitaryan.

"I am excited to play for a club with such an illustrious history and hope to be part of it for a long time."

Lionel Messi pictured in action on September 20, 2015. (AFP Photo)

from image rights. Messi's father said he was told by a legal adviser that the practice was legal.

The sentence can be appealed.

Barcelona issued a statement in Catalan to ''express its complete support for Leo Messi and his father.'' ''FC Barcelona remains

Naga Wrestle Mania 5 in Nov

3E Nagaland official during press conference in Kohima on July 6. (Morung Photo) Our Correspondent Kohima | July 6

The Naga Wrestle Mania 5 (King of the Ring Series 2016) organized by 3E Nagaland under the aegis of Nagaland Wrestling Association will take place from November 3 to 5 at Kohima Local Ground.

Unlike previous editions, there is a change in the category system.

Middleweight and Heavyweight categories are clubbed together as one category, i.e. Heavyweight.

This has become necessary because of the very low registration of heavyweight wrestlers. Therefore, from this year on, there will be only two categories –Lightweight (74 KG & below) and Heavyweight category (above 74 KG).

This was announced in a press conference here this evening.

Issue of form will start from August 1 at the following outlets –Orchid Store Razhü Point Kohima,

lONDON, July 6 (REuTERS): Roger Federer put his global army of "Fed-Head" fans through the wringer for four nerveshredding sets before he kept alive his pursuit of a record eighth Wimbledon title with a 6-7(4) 4-6 6-3 7-6(9) 6-3 win over Marin Cilic the quarter-finals on Wednesday.

Novak Djokovic's shock third round exit had raised hopes that this could be the week when the Swiss finally ends his four-year hunt for an 18th grand slam title, as the Serb had been the only man to beat him at the majors over the past year.

However, all those expectations appeared to be heading for the dustbin as Cilic stood one point away

PRIzE MoNEy

Lightweight championship Champion – ` 50000 + championship belt Runner-up – ` 30000 Semi finalists (2 nos.) – ` 10000 each Heavyweight championship Champion – ` 50000 + championship belt Runner-up – ` 30000 Semi finalists (2 nos.) – ` 10000 each Junior Championship Champion – ` 10000 + championship belt Runner-up – ` 5000 Semi finalists (2 nos.) – ` 2000 each King of the Ring 2016 Champion – ` 120000 + championship belt Runner-up – ` 60000 Semi finalists (2 nos.) – ` 30000 each Sportsworld Taxi Stand Kohima, Tiara Restaurant, Sharon Complex, Opp. SBI Chumukedima, Youth Snooker Cafe & Restaurant, Near Petrol Pump, Jalukie, Zupo Book House & Stationery, Chozuba, Life Centre, Near Co-operative Bank, Pfutsero.

Form submission will be done only in 3E Nagaland Office, 2nd Floor Dzevi Building, Opposite

UBC, Near Local Ground North Gate commencing from September 1, during which initial weight will be recorded.

Entry fee stands as: Seniors – Rs 500, Juniors – Rs. 200, Free entry for wrestlers not belonging to Angami, Chakhesang, Zeliang & Poumai.

The total prize money for 5th edition stands at Rs. 4,59,000.

at the disposition of Leo Messi and his family to stand by him in any actions that he decides to take in defense of his honor and legitimate self-interests,''

Naga lad selected to play in Sweden DIMAPuR, July 6 (MExN): A Naga lad has been selected to play in the Gothia Cup in Sweden. Gothia Cup is the world’s largest international youth football tournament. Each year, around 1600 teams from 80 nations take part to play 4500 games on 110 fields.

Following a long selection procedure, Lanvungthung Khuvung has been selected by the Real Sports Association purely on merit basis to play as striker in the Gothia Cup from July 17 to 24, a press release received here informed. The association spotted the potential of this young Naga lad a couple of years back when he played for the Under-18 Nationals as captain representing Sagar School Rajasthan. Lanvungthung Khuvung, son of late A.E. Lotha (Special Secretary NLA), is currently a student of Christ University Bangalore and is doing his BA 3rd year.

4 selected to represent state in Nat’l Chess Challenger DIMAPuR, July 6 (MExN): The Nagaland State Chess Association has selected the following as the top 4 players to represent the state at the National Chess Challenger 2016 to be held at Noida, UP from July 9 to 19: 1) Kevilekho Zümvü, 2) Melesayi Dawho, 3) Sukhavi Achumi and 4) Pfuchalie Mere.

CAS upholds Albanian club's expulsion from Champions League lAuSANNE, July 6 (AP): The Court of Arbitration for Sport has confirmed Skenderbeu's expulsion from the Champions League qualifying rounds for matchfixing. CAS says its urgent verdict on Wednesday upheld rulings by UEFA's judicial bodies to exclude the Albanian champion. Skenderbeu had been included in the second-round qualifying draw pending the verdict, and was due to play Hungarian champion Ferencvaros in a two-legged match between July 12 and 20. In a previous statement, Skenderbeu said an inquiry into claims of fixed matches in national and European competitions was based on information from betting companies.

to monitor its finances

from victory -- not once, not twice but three times in a pulsating fourth set that had everyone on the edge of their seats. Three huge serves kept Federer alive -- just -- and he then produced the kind of form, and outrageous shots, that has made him the most suc-

cessful man in tennis by stealing the tiebreak 11-9.

An ace on his first match point finished off the job and carried him into an 11th Wimbledon semi-final, and 40th overall in the majors. He will face another big-server, Canadian Milos Raonic, for a place in Sunday's final.

ZuRICH, July 6 (REuTERS): FIFA, which has been embroiled in a major corruption scandal, has appointed a senior Slovenian auditor to oversee spending, the global soccer body said on Wednesday. It said Tomaz Vesel, head of Slovenia's court of audit which supervises state accounts and public spending, would replace Domenico Scala as head of the committee which monitors finances. Scala resigned in May, saying that a resolution passed by the FIFA Congress the day before had taken away the independence of its watchdog committees which are seen as crucial to cleaning up the scandalridden federation. FIFA has been in turmoil since several dozen football officials and entities were indicted in the United States on corruption-related charges last year and Swiss prosecutors opened an investigation into the way hosting rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were awarded. Vesel was appointed on an interim basis and would stay in his post until next May when the next FIFA Congress, which has the power to vote in the long-term replacement for Scala, is held in Kuala Lumpur. Vesel pledged to ensure that FIFA operates "in accordance with international standards and continues down the path of good governance that has been set forth in the reforms."

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