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www.morungexpress.com
ThursDAY • june 16 • 2016
DIMAPUR • Vol. XI • Issue 164 • 12 PAGes • 5
T H e
ESTD. 2005
P o W e R
o F
T R u T H
There are many of us that are willing to do great things for the Lord, but few of us are willing to do little things — Dwight L. Moody Much more needs to be done for clean e-roll: CEO
‘Wife of Orlando shooter could face charges soon’ PAGE 09
Slovakia deepens Russia’s woes PAGE 02
We have been your safety valve: AcAUt to the nPGs
reflections
By Sandemo Ngullie
Just decorating my room, mom.
The Morung Express Poll QuEsTion
Vote on www.morungexpress.com sMs your answer to 9862574165 Is public denial and our unwillingness to accept ground reality the greatest hindrance in fighting child labour? Why? Yes
no
others
NPRAAF extends deadline to F&CS Dept DIMAPUR, JUNE 15 (MExN): The Nagaland Public Rights Awareness and Action Forum (NPRAAF) has consented to a 15 day extension of the deadline issued to the Food & Civil Supplies Department, Nagaland to cancel 76 backdoor appointments in the Department. It may be noted that the NPRAAF had earlier set the deadline for June 17, 2016. A press note from the NPRAAF informed that on the invitation of the F&CS Department, the forum had a meeting on June 14 with the department officials and deliberated on the issue. During the meeting, the F&CS Department requested the NPRAAF for extension of time to look into the demand. The NPRAAF said that “in good faith and with hope that the Department would deliver justice on the issue,” the forum had extended the deadline till July 2, 2016. It further acknowledged the Department for “exhibiting seriousness in dealing with the issue of backdoor appointments.”
The Morung Express condoles Raj Kumar Sah, a dedicated newspaper delivery man died this morning while distributing newspapers to subscribers in the ParaMedical Colony area of Kohima. He had been distributing newspapers for about 10 years. He leaves behind his wife and three children - two boys and a girl. The mortal remains of Sah has been taken to Kewatia Village under Chapra District, Bihar. The Morung Express extends our deepest sympathy and condolences to the bereaved family and stand in solidarity with the newspaper distributing community (distributors and hawkers) of Kohima. As a mark of respect, the Kohima newspaper distributing community has called for a day of mourning and decided not to distribute newspapers in Kohima Town on Thursday, June 16.
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norwegian army soldiers take part in the “saber strike” nATo military exercise in Adazi, latvia. (REUTERS)
Cabinet approves raising retirement age of doctors
NEW DELhI, JUNE 15 (IANS): The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved raising of the retirement age of central government doctors to 65 years, union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Wednesday. The retirement age of non-teaching and public health specialists of the Central Government Health Services will also be 65 years. “Keeping in mind the shortage of doctors, a decision has been taken to increase the retirement age of doctors from 62 years to 65 years,” Prasad said. An official statement later said: “The decision will help in better pa-
tient care, proper academic activities in government medical colleges and effective implementation of the National Health Programmes for delivery of healthcare services.” The government claimed there will be no financial implications of the increase in retirement age. The Cabinet decision comes in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement in this regard at a rally in Uttar Pradesh last month. A statement from the Health Ministry on May 31 said the proposal had been approved and would be applicable from May 31. The retirement
age with respect to all four sub-cadres of Central Health Services was 60 years prior to 2006. In 2006, the age of retirement for three specialists sub-cadres (teaching, non-teaching and public health), except general duty medical officer sub-cadre, was enhanced from 60 to 62 years. The retirement age of teaching sub-cadre was further increased to 65 years in 2008 in view of a huge shortfall of teaching specialists. The approval was limited to teaching specialists engaged in teaching activities only and not occupying administrative positions.
NLF calls for early solution to Naga issue
DIMAPUR, JUNE 15 (MExN): The Nagaland Legislatures Forum (NLF) on the Naga Political Issue held a meeting on June 15 in Kohima and pressed for an early solution to the Naga political issue. A press note from the NLA Secretariat informed that while reiterating support to the August 3, 2015 Framework Agreement signed between the NSCN (IM) and the Government of India, the meeting resolved to urge the Government of India and the collective leadership of the NSCN (IM) to take the agreement forward and arrive at an honourable settlement which is acceptable to the Nagas at the earliest. It further entrusted the Parliamentary
Working Committee along with all elected members of the legislative assembly including the two MPs, under the leadership of the NLA Speaker and the Chief Minister, to go to Delhi and find out the latest development taking place in the negotiations between the Government of India and the NSCN (IM). The meeting then made an appeal to the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) and the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) to be “more proactive in bridging gaps between the different political groups so that they can contribute towards solving the Naga political problem at this crucial juncture.”
Act now or there won’t be any act left tomorrow: sn • Lauds ENPO resolve on illegal immigrant issue • Laments lukewarm response of Govt on ILP Act • Urges citizens, civil societies to fight menace DIMAPUR, JUNE 15 (MExN): Survival Nagaland has lauded the initiative undertaken by the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organization (ENPO) on the issue of “illegal Bangladesh immigrants.” It termed the resolution adopted by ENPO requesting all the Deputy Commissioner under the four districts to cease issuing all kinds of entry permits except to genuine Indian citizens a positive approach as a stakeholder and guardians of its people and its land. The ENPO said the decision was arrived at considering the recent declaration of the Government of India to seal the Indo-Bangladesh border. Noting that over the years, countless of illegal immigrants have silently sneaked into Nagaland and are living illegally either as migrant labour, businessperson, agricultural workers etc, the SN in a press statement lamented that this has inflicted ‘deep wound’ to the indigenous people and has also drastically affected the topography of the indigenous people. “The silent migration process of the illegal immigrant has strangulated almost all the essence of life in every possible sphere and thus has left the indigenous
people gasping for survival,” the SN went on to explain. Apart from Dimapur District, the rest of the districts of Nagaland fall under ILP Act zone, however, the SN said the lukewarm response of the State Government over the empowerment of ILP Act was discouraging and this is gradually diminishing the identity of its citizens. Therefore, the SN has appealed to all NGOs, civil societies of every district to become an active pressure agent in demanding strict implementation of any legal Act under the constitution so that the State Government wakes up from its “pretentious slumber.” To prevent further damage to our socio, politico, economy, etc, the SN also appealed to all the apex civil society groups to appraise the GBs and Town/Village Council Chairman in its respective domain not to issue legal document such as permanent resident certificate (PRC), No Objection Certificate (NOC) etc to any people of suspected origin. It pointed out that this has proved to be the most important document for obtaining driving license, EPIC Card, PAN Card, Bank Passbook, Aadhar Card, Government civilian identity card, non -naga indigenous Inhabitant certificate, beneficiaries of BPL Card or any other subsidies from Government scheme/policy. The SN also demanded that all illegal immigrants must be detected and deported at the earliest, while asserting, “if we don’t act now, there won’t be any act left for us tomorrow.”
DIMAPUR, JUNE 15 (MExN): Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) Nagaland on Wednesday said the NSCN (IM) and the other Naga Political Groups (NPG) should view ACAUT, as an ally for it has been their “safety-valve.” “Instead of engaging in self glorifying propaganda like ‘banning’ ACAUT, the NSCN (IM) and the other factions should view ACAUT as an ally for it has been the safety-valve,” stated Media Cell, ACAUT Nagaland in a press statement issued to the media. This statement comes as response to NSCN (IM) June 12 press statement terming the anti-corruption and anti-taxation watchdog as an agent of “divide and kill the Naga nationalist movement” and questioning why befitting action should not be initiated against them. According to ACAUT, its movement has been pacifying public anger against the NPGs by channeling this anger into positive nationalism resulting in the desire for “One Government One Tax” and inclusive Naga solution. Therefore, it asserted that they are not only champions of the anti-corruption agenda, but “are propagators of Naga nationalism as well.” ACAUT, while admitting that factional taxations is a serious domestic problem, however said “the compulsive obsession of the NSCN (IM) to link it with the ongoing Naga settlement is getting tiresome, especially the cooked up stories which everyone knows, even the ranks and files within the NSCN(IM) themselves know these to be false that ACAUT conniving with Indian establishment.” Maintaining that it was not formed to oppose the NSCN (IM) or any factions, ACAUT wondered as to what kind of people in their right minds would oppose the armed Naga organizations fighting for Naga sovereignty. “When even the mighty Indian army has failed to eliminate the Naga armed groups, the NSCN (IM) with some of the
sharpest minds should not engage in petty talks that this and that Army General and retired bureaucrats helped form the ACAUT to oppose the NSCN (IM),” it stated. Rather, the NSCN (IM) should accept the truth that ACAUT was birthed out of desperation; a desperation so deep-seated that people left their fear psychosis for factional groups in their kitchens, and came out in the streets and adopted the slogan of “One Government One Tax” as the final solution to end all factional fights and factional taxes, it stated. ACAUT also stated that the Government of India was urged to settle the Indo-Naga issue at the October 31 rally. It, therefore, said NSCN (IM)’s accusation that ACAUT Nagaland is anti-Naga movement and anti-solution does not convince anyone. On the accusation of “divide and kill the Naga movement” agenda, ACAUT said it was the “factional groups which have divided and killed the Naga movement as the fighting prowess of the once indomitable Nagas lies splattered due to their obsession with money.” Stating that it has no intention of scuttling the NSCN (IM) settlement talks, rather, ACAUT pointed out how it was one of the first to congratulate the Prime Minister of India for his sincere efforts to settle the Naga Issue when the Framework Agreement was announced. ACAUT said it may be a ‘nuisance’ to the factions, but pointing out the menace of unabated taxation decidedly dividing the Naga movement into inconsequential factions having nightmarish consequences for the poor general people is not nuisance; since the issue is deliberate suppression of Naga people’s right to live a dignified existence by side-tracking the core issue of Naga sovereignty. It therefore advised the NSCN-IM to learn to live with dissensions, constructive oppositions, facts, and reasons as it gears itself up for the settlement period since these are all democratic expressions.
29 killed in Meghalaya bus accident
ShILLoNg, JUNE 15 (IANS): At least 29 people were killed and nine critically injured after a bus in which they were travelling bus plunged into a 500-feet gorge in Meghalaya, police said on Wednesday. The accident occurred on Tuesday night at Sonapur in East Jaintia Hills district, about 150 km from
Meghalaya’a capital Shillong. Three rescue personnel, who were putting all efforts to rescue the injured people, have also been injured as boulders rolling from the top hit them. “We have rescued nine injured persons and managed to bring up seven bodies from the gorge,” said Spill Thamar, the district
police chief of East Jaintia Hills. “We have suspended our operations due to the bad weather and treacherous terrain. We will start our rescue operations again tomorrow (Thursday) morning to retrieve all the bodies,” he said. The privately-owned bus was on its way from Silchar to Guwahati via Meghalaya.
Thamar said the injured persons, who are in a critical condition, have been shifted to the North East Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (NEIGRIMS) in Shillong and Jowai Civil hospital in West Jaintia Hills district. “We have not been able to ascertain the cause of the accident,” Thamar said.
Stop infighting, show strength in unity
Ministers Y Vikheho swu, P longon and Parliamentary secretary l Khumo along with others are accorded a traditional welcome during the inauguration of a new road and guest house at Panso under noklak sub-division in Tuensang district. (Morung Photo)
24-km Panso-Yakor village PWD road inaugurated our Correspondent Noklak | June 15
Minister for PWD (Roads and Bidges), Y. Vikheho Swu today called upon the people of Noklak sub-division to shun their difference and have peaceful coexistence so as to achieve development and progress in the remote area of Nagaland. Addressing the gathering after the inauguration of 24-km Panso-Yakor village PWD road and Guest House along with Minister for Health and Family Welfare, P. Longon at Panso
under Noklak sub-division of Tuensang district today, Swu called upon the different tribes of the sub-division to set an example of strength in unity by living in harmony. The Minister also called upon the people to uphold their traditional good values, while appealing that the conflicts of the past should not continue any more. The people of the sub-division should stop their infighting, resolve the social issues and continue to live peacefully so that better developmental activities can be carried forward in cohesion, thereby setting an example for all the Naga tribes to follow suit, he said. Meanwhile, acknowledging Parliamentary Secretary for Land Revenue, Village Guards & Women Resources Development, L. Khumo for
taking keen initiatives in constructing the much needed Panso-Yakor PWD road for the area, Vikheho called upon the people to continue to extend their support to Khumo and also the state government. The Minister also informed the department would take up soiling and construction of cross drains along the newly constructed route. Asserting that the NPF-led DAN under the leadership of Chief Minister T R Zeliang would not only complete this full term in office but would return to run the affairs of the government even after the 2018 elections, unless solution to the Naga issue is achieved, he said sending back Khumo to the government would bring more development for the area. In his address, Minister for Health and Family Welfare, P Longon also spoke on similar lines challenging the different tribes of the area to uphold unity. He said that even though there may be political differences during elections, they should leave those differences after completion of the election process and focus on development and progress. Parliamentary Secretary L. Khumo meanwhile called upon the landowners of the area not to create hindrance in carrying forward developmental activities. He said that instead of submitting memorandums to the government, the landowners should willfully come forward to donate land so that government can bring about development. “It is easier to demand for development, but the landowners should first be willing to part with their land and resolve not to create any problem,” he said.